Turn around
Look at what you see
In her face
The mirror of your dreams
Make believe I'm everywhere
Given in the light
Written on the pages
Is the answer to a neverending story
Never Ending Story, Limahl
They failed.
Just like that, it was all over - the satellites launched and the end near.
Barry managed to destroy the one he was aiming at, but he couldn't predict DeVoe breaking in the Labs and using their own to replace the one that was missing. The doom was upon them and it seemed like nothing could stop it now.
Until Rachel and Harry came back with Marlize DeVoe.
In the end, it was actually Harry who convinced the woman to help them. She saw what the Enlightenment would do to every single person on the planet while taking a look at him and she couldn't let that happen.
…then again, her idea was a little on the crazy side.
People in the city started to panic as the sky turned purple and so it happened Joe and Cecile were on their way to the hospital as the woman was in labor. In the end, they had no choice as to stop by the Labs so Caitlin could help. That was when Marlize stated that she wanted to put Barry's mind into her husband's, so he could find the good part of Clifford DeVoe. There was no other way to stop what was coming as DeVoe had too many powers and nothing could touch the satellites.
"While using a pregnant woman?!" Caitlin was outraged. "You can't do that! She needs proper care and the opposite of the stress you want to give her!"
"Well, then leave her be and we'll all join your friend over there soon enough," Marlize pointed Harry who was by now just a confused simpleton standing in the corner and murmuring gibberish.
"I'll do it," Cecile agreed. She was terrified, yes, but she was more afraid of the alternative.
"Stars are melting… Nora shouldn't be here…" Harry kept it on.
"Do you hear him? He's saying the exact same words Barry did when he came out of the Speedforce," Cisco suddenly pointed out. Everyone seemed to ignore him though, deeming it not important at the moment.
"Barry…" Rachel addressed him when they stood face to face just before they we were about to start. "I…"
"I'll be ok. I promise," he assured her and kissed her softly on the lips. "We'll going to defeat him. And you did this, Rachel. You and Harry both did this. You never were or ever would be useless." After that, he took his place in the Thinker's chair, that Marlize had brought, and they began…
So many things happened that all of their heads were spinning. Cecile performed fantastically under pressure – while literally being in labor; Barry found Ralph in DeVoe's mind, who was apparently still alive and the Thinker himself got to them a few times, but in the end Marlize always managed to change their current pocket dimension…
…till she could change it no more.
Barry woke up in the last possible moment and charged DeVoe, though in the end he didn't need to do anything himself as Ralph had made it out and took back control over his own body.
They won. Cecile could finally give birth. Ralph was back. DeVoe was gone and happy Rachel was already running in Barry's direction when…
The Thinker's chair came to life, still affected by the powers its owner had and activated the satellites once more.
"I can punch it. It will work. I can still take it down," Barry offered and was gone before anyone could protest or even talk about it as there was absolutely no time to spare.
"Taking into account the mass of the satellite and it's escalating descent… what prevents it from destroying him?!" panicked Marlize asked, causing Rachel to pale. "I'm sorry, but… I really don't see how he can survive this," she added in a bit nicer tone, but that obviously did not help at all.
No, not like this and not now, Rachel thought in panic, looking at the screen with her eyes widely opened, terrified to the bone. This is not the day the Flash died, she told herself. It just couldn't be…
Suddenly, the satellite exploded and…
Cisco and Ralph breached back into the lab and Barry came back not long after.
"Barry! Oh my god!" She couldn't help it and immediately ran to him, thrusting herself into his arms and frantically holding on to him, feeling under her fingertips the singed texture of his suit. "Are you ok? Are you whole?"
"Yes," Barry responded with great relief. "It's just… I think… someone helped me."
"Who?" Rachel frowned at that.
"I could've sworn it was another speedster, but… I cannot really explain who and how," he supplied with, leaving them all perplexed.
Before she left, Marlize gave them all a gift - a program she wrote to restore Harry's mind, but… it didn't seem to work all the way.
"Wait… she said this would help you…" Cisco started panicking when the man didn't seem to understand a simple physical term, but he just waved the fear away.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm back. That I'm me. I know you all and I have my memories intact. They're what I cherish more than the knowledge."
Rachel frowned and exchanged glances with Caitlin since this was definitely not any Wells they'd so far known…
"I need to go see my daughter," Harry then told them. "I hope you all understand… ah, you two," he came to a stop right in front of Barry and Rachel. "Cherish your love and let it grow. Remember that this will always be the most important thing. Remember to always come running home to her, Allen," Harry directed the last one to Barry alone and then patted his shoulder. "And Rachel, always the beautiful and talented writer… what's happening in here when you write your stories," he pointed his mind for emphasis, "will never be more important for what's truly in here," he covered his heart with his hand. "See you, guys. I love you."
And just like that – he disappeared.
They remained speechless for a moment before Barry finally spoke, "Kinda can't believe I was actually worried about this guy being a threat…" to which Rachel rolled her eyes and then she quickly caught up with Caitlin who was leaving the room.
"Cait?"
"Yes?" Her friend turned in response.
"Do you think… back there… with Cecile… that it was… Frost?" she gently asked because the moment the pregnant woman had channeled her friend, it was clearly Killer Frost's voice coming out, saying she found someone who sounded very important.
"Yes, I do, but if you don't mind… I need to take this journey alone. I know now that Killer Frost has always been a part of me. It's up to me now to find her again."
"That's ok. If you ever need…"
"I will."
Just like that, Caitlin smiled and left.
"Are you ok?" asked Barry, finding Rachel standing alone in the hall.
"Yeah, just…" She shook her head. "I don't know, it kind of feels like Caitlin and I… we're drifting apart. We were friends again and it made me so happy and… I just feel like I'm losing her all over again."
"She clearly needs time to deal with losing Killer Frost and trying to get her back, but I'm sure she'll come around. She always does. No matter how far she wanders from the team, she always finds her way back. I really wouldn't worry too much. Now… what would you say for some romantic evening? Dinner maybe? I'll take you somewhere nice."
"That sounds like I need to put something nice on as well. You need to give me some time, Mr. Allen," Rachel teased him happily.
"When you said somewhere nice, I didn't exactly expect dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris again," Rachel pointed out, though she was beyond happy as they finished their delicious meal and sipped on French wine afterwards. The first time they'd been here she'd really praised the food and he remembered.
"Yeah, I know how much you loved it here and it brings memories," Barry admitted, not able to stop smiling. "Would you… take a short walk with me?" he then asked, suddenly a bit nervously and Rachel frowned, wondering what that was all about and why he would act like this.
"Sure," she agreed easily and they moved away from the restaurant part till they were standing away from any people, alone, looking at the city below and seeing the beautiful sunset in front of them. "Barry…" she started, but didn't manage to finish. She could only gasp as her hands flew up to cover her mouth.
Because when she looked at Barry again, he wasn't standing there anymore. In fact, he was kneeling. Kneeling in front of her while holding a little velvet box with a beautiful diamond ring in it.
She was speechless. And that was something for a person who was usually good with words as coming up with them was how she earned her living.
"I know it may be a little fast, that we've barely just moved in together, but… Rachel, I've never been more sure of anything in my life as I am that I love you, that I want to be with you, that you are the one person I cannot live without. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"
He slowly stood up, looking at her in anticipation whereas she could only stare at the ring in his hand.
"Um… Rachel?" he prompted and very nervously at that and that was the thing that snapped her out of her shock. Barry was really stressed now and she shouldn't keep him hanging.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Of course, yes! Barry! I… Wow… I just… I'm a bit overwhelmed and speechless and I can't believe someone just proposed to me… I…"
"Well, not just someone. Hopefully you're only considering me for the role of your husband," he teased, again clearly in nerves.
"Of course! Sorry! Yes! Yes, I will marry you!"
The ring was slid on her finger and then her arms went around his neck and she was kissing him.
Maybe there was, indeed, a happy ending waiting for them at the end of the line. Maybe this was going to be their future. A happy one. Maybe they got to decide about it and just live it.
"You know, at some point we really need to leave this bed," Barry was just teasing Rachel, but she still refused to, happy to be buried in there with him and to stay in their little bubble of blissfulness. There was no big bad lurking around the corner, no danger to anyone's life. Ralph was alive, Harry was more or less better and Caitlin was out there, still trying to get Frost back, but she was all right as well. No one should blame her for wanting to stay in bed with her now fiancé for as long as possible and refuse to face the world. "I promised Joe to come by and see his baby girl."
"And we will. Didn't you say they have a little party this afternoon? We can go then."
"At this rate I am not sure we will even make it till evening," Barry said, but made no movement to leave the bed himself, instead just pulled her closer and started kissing her, shifting on top of her…
They did make it on time for the baby shower. Barely, but it still counted.
Funny enough, the moment Joe opened the door, letting them in, there was suddenly a third person joining them and making her way inside right after them.
"Um… and you are…?" Joe asked, absolutely perplexed.
"Wait a second…" Rachel came to a sudden stop, pointing at the stranger. "You spilled coffee all over Harry and me, didn't you?"
"And… weren't you the girl who bumped into us when we were leaving Jitters the other day?" Barry asked, equally surprised.
"Yes, yes, that was all me," the red-headed stranger responded. "And I wish I could just be here now to celebrate your engagement, guys, but…"
"You got engaged?!" everyone in the house seemed to ask in exclamation, but then the girl finished and they all fell silent. "…I made a big, big mistake."
"I'm still not following…" Barry admitted with an amused face that was marred by a deep frown whereas Rachel suddenly paled.
"I'm Nora. I'm your…" the girl started.
"…daughter," Rachel gasped, finishing after her. "You're our daughter from the future, aren't you? And you were the one who helped Barry with the satellite. We knew he couldn't do it alone."
"Eh… haha… What…?" Barry seemed to be so awe struck that he lost the ability to comprehend things there for a while. "We just got engaged… I…"
"Mazel tov?" they heard Cisco's voice and soon enough him, Caitlin and Ralph were standing next to them.
"Baby aunt Jena!" Nora called out on seeing the baby in Cecile's arms and went over there immediately. "This house is bitchin'," she then commented when looking around.
"Hey!" Cisco pointed at her. "I heard that one before! When past, present and future were all mixed in your mind after you came out of the Speedforce!" He was pointing at Barry now.
"Can we just, please, hit pause for a moment and figure out how this is possible and whether you actually are our daughter?" Barry asked. "Come on! Please!" He turned to Rachel and Caitlin, the latter looking at the ring on his fiancée's hand. "If you really are my daughter, then how didn't I teach you not to travel back in time?" He addressed Nora who looked like she was very sorry.
"I know I shouldn't, but… I couldn't help myself! I wanted to witness this beautiful love story and… I must've messed something up, because that satellite… it wasn't meant to kill you. So I needed to help. So you could survive and so I could be born."
"But what kind of a proof do we have you really are ours? I'm sorry, I do not mean to hurt you," he added quickly, "but we have been duped by quite a handful of people in the past whom we thought we could trust. For starters… your hair's red."
"Is that supposed to be your trick question?" Nora asked nearly in exasperation. "I know mom dyes her hair. I always liked the color and couldn't wait to be old enough to dye mine as well. Next, please?"
