"As a kid there was a part of the Flash Museum that always scared me." Nora trialed off in explanation, "I guess it's normal for children to be afraid of monsters."

"But this monster was different." Nora looked down, "No one knows where he came from, how he got his powers, who he is. All that's known is his alias, and the last sound his victim's hear." She takes a deep breath, "But that's not what makes him scary. What makes him scary is you never catch him."

"We never catch him?" Barry quietly speaks up.

"Supergirl, The Legends, even The League tried, but no one was successful." Nora looked up.

"Probably 'cause he can dampen everybody's powers with that magic friggin' dagger." Ralph said from beside Caitlin and I.

"Not all superpowers are meta-humans though." Caitlin began to reason, "What about-"

Nora cuts her off, already knowing what she would say, "Green Arrow? Yeah, he tried too once, but-"

Nora goes quiet, as Cisco speaks up, "So we're dealing with a meta-human Jack the Ripper. Amazing."

I sigh, leaning my head back against Cisco's arm where he was leaning on my chair, "What else do you know about him?"

"Just that he- he's early." Nora quietly mutters.

Barry instantly questions, "What do you mean he's early?"

"In my history, Cicada's first victim was a meta-human named Floyd Belkin." Nora informs us, "And he never killed Gridlock or Block. They're completely different victims."

"Because the timeline changed." Barry finishes for her.

Nora looks down in guilt, "Yeah, and now they're both dead because of me."

"Okay, there's no telling the ripple effect of this change or what kind of future Nora's gonna return to." Barry stands by Nora, looking at all of us, "We gotta catch this guy fast."

"You mean catch the guy that future us can't catch?" Cisco spoke my mind, "Right, I thought beating The Thinker was hard."

The monitor in front of us beeps, causing me to sit up and Caitlin to address what was on the monitor, "Guys, it's Joe. CCPD needs help downtown."

Barry sighs, "Okay, I got it."

"No, I'll do it." Ralph stops him.

"Are you sure?" Barry asks him.

"Yeah, I got it." Ralph nods, "You guys stay here and deal with the meta serial killer."

Ralph leaves the cortex, leaving us all in silence.

I clear my throat, looking up at everyone, stepping in as my job as Team Leader, "Let's just canvass some crime scenes, interview some witnesses, and see if there's any common acquaintances between Gridlock and Block."

"I have a plan." Nora blurts out.

"You-" I stammer, gaping at her, "You've got a plan already?"

Nora stares at us all, "I know how to fix this."

-

"So your plan is to contact Herr Wells?" I trail off, stood with Nora, Barry and Cisco in the Speed Lab, my eyes glued to Nora.

I had practically stolen Barry's wardrobe once again, my messy straight hair tamed by Barry's beanie, dressed in a navy blue hoodie of his, his jean jacket on top, one of his watches on my wrist, a pair of my own ripped jeans on, and black converse on my feet, my badge and holster simply resting in the glove compartment of Barry's car.

"Yes, that's my plan." Nora nods, "I know in the future you guys never bring in a Wells to help you catch Cicada. So if you want a different result this time I try something new."

"It's a great idea." Barry shrugs, smiling lightly, proud of his daughter.

"Except it's not." Cisco mutters from beside me.

"What?" I looked at him, "Why?"

"It's a terrible idea." Cisco looks up at me, "If you're looking for cooperation, trust me, this is not your guy. He is just an asshat."

"Awh, Cisco." I wrap my arms around him, putting my chin on his shoulder, "You don't gotta be harsh about it."

Cisco looks at me in disbelief, "I'm sorry, I'm being harsh?"

"Yeah-" I nod, "You totally are."

"Okay, Barry," Cisco emphasizes, referring to how I was dressed in mostly Barry's clothes today, Barry quietly chuckling a few feet away from me, "Go ahead, call him. See if you don't get a steaming pile of side-eye."

"That is exactly what I'm gonna do." I let go of him, pressing the button on the monitor, Herr Wells appearing a few feet across from us.

"Yah?" Herr Wells scoffs, looking at us, "The Flash."

Cisco scoffs from besides me, "Wait for it."

"I love The Flash." Herr Wells boasts.

"What?" Cisco looks up, his face straight, secretly shaken over this.

"Oh, you Barry Allen, yah?" He points at Barry, "With the zoom, zoom, and the defy the physics laws and gravity. Always with some style and grace, yah."

Barry laughs, "Thanks, man."

"Das Kinder Flash." He points at Nora, "Child of the Flash. Obviously, you have your father's moral fiber, yah."

His eyes fall on me, "And your mother's smarts, and classic beauty."

"Oh, my God." A small blush takes over my cheeks, "Stop."

"You don't blush when I compliment you-" Barry stares at me, the tone of his voice ranging high, "Is this the thing that happens in movies where a new guy compliments a girl and sweeps her off her feet because-" Barry was already at my side, wrapping an arm around me, looking at Herr, "This is my woman- okay- don't even think about it-"

"Barry-" I looked up at him, my eyes wide with humor, "Cool it."

"I just had to let him know you were my wife-" Barry began to trail off, mumbling to me, his arm remaining around me.

"You don't think he knows that already?" I stared at him, muttering back, "Considering our daughter is right in front of him?"

Barry lightly shrugs, causing the sarcasm comment to drop from my mouth, in a mutter once more so Herr Wells didn't hear us, "Yeah, cause I'm about to drop everything I have to run away to a different Earth because one of Harrison Wells' doppelgangers complimented my smarts and beauty."

"Zee." A small pout falls onto Barry's lips, causing me to roll my eyes playfully, lightly nudging him.

I cleared my throat, looking at Herr Wells, "Thank you."

"No, don't thank him." Cisco stammers, "Don't fall for this ruse. Clearly this guy is putting on an act. He's a charlatan."

"But you hurt me, stab me in the back, this guy who must be Cisco." Herr Wells acts out his words.

"You know who I am." Cisco said from beside me.

"Hey, don't be rude." Barry instantly told him, looking at Herr Wells, "All right, look. We need your help catching a meta-human serial killer."

"Yeah, I have heard of this Cicada." Herr nods, "Of course, the message already from Kinder Flash. Unfortunately, I'm otherwise occupied, unable to assist you at this time."

"You can't help us?" I question.

"Nein." He said, "But, I have done one better and called someone who can. This man is a legend, this man is the greatest detective in all the Multiverse. So I've attached his coordinates- if you want to look at them."

"Okay, yeah." I nod, slipping away from Barry, bending over, my eyes scanning the screen, "Got 'em."

"Yah, do you see it?" Herr asked me loudly.

"Yeah-" I nod, looking up, standing up still, "Cisco."

"Cisco what?" Cisco looked at me, "You want me to breach him here?"

"Maybe?" I shot him a hesitant smile, "If you could find it in the kindness in your heart?"

"Hello? I just got Benihana'd." Cisco held his hands up, "Hurts a little bit. Why don't we just breach him here the old fashioned way?"

"Okay, okay." I put my hands up in surrender.

"Hey, man, thank you for this." Barry smiles at Herr Wells, "This is great."

"Privilege and an honor to help The Flash, yah, and Kinder Flash, and Zee Flash, yah." Herr claps his hands together, "Bye, Kinder Flash."

"Bye, Herr Wells." Nora returns the gesture before the hologram disappears.

Barry softly laughs, "Nice guy. What are you talking about, man? He's awesome."

"He's not-" Cisco pauses, "You know what? Let's just turn on the extrapolator and get this master detective out here."

"Why do we need another Detective?" I question, "I mean, I'm open to give this Wells a shot, but then again- I'm already here."

"Well, you're not exactly the best at your job, we could use all the help we can get." Nora quietly mutters under her breath, causing my head to snap towards her, along with Barry's.

"Hey-" Barry was already defensive, "That was rude, Nora."

"It's okay." I quietly whisper, my hand instantly going to Barry's forearm, rubbing it lightly to calm him down, not wanting him to be upset with Nora, even if what she said to me every now and then upset me.

Cisco uses the extrapolator to breach this new Wells over, as he stepped through the breach, taking off his coat, tossing it at Cisco, "Well I imagine your Earth would be colder."

"Harrison Sherloque Wells at your service." He introduced himself, "I'm here to catch your killer."

-

"Barry, what is he doing?" I whisper in Barry's ear, my head leaned back against his shoulder, his arm around me, my teeth biting down on my bottom lip, my hand touching my left shoulder, as we all stared at Sherloque, seated in the Lounge.

Barry looks at me, whispering back, "I don't know. Maybe it's some kind- of CSI kit?"

"I can't stare at him any longer, I might fall asleep-" I admit quietly, my voice raspy.

"Mmm." Sherloque turns, sipping tea from a small cup, facing us all, "That's the stuff. And now we can begin."

"Tea?" Caitlin questioned.

"That's right." He nods.

"We've been watching you for 20 minutes." Caitlin stated.

"You're welcome." Sherloque sipped his tea, his accent think, "Cannot rush excellence."

"This is a waste of time." Cisco began, "Thank you very much for coming, Cumberbatch."

"I'm sure you would like it if I took my leave, right?" Sherloque took this as an opportunity to prove his worthiness, "Could have more time to recover from your recent heartbreak."

"What are you talking about?" Cisco shot out.

"Subcutaneous under-eye bruising, which indicates you've been crying." Sherloque said, "Flaky skin, which indicates dehydration, probably from alcohol consumption. Alcohol plus crying can only mean one thing. You have been dumped."

"Wrong, detective. I have not been dumped." Cisco cleared his throat, "It was a mutual decision, okay? Cynthia and I, we reached a decision together as a team."

"Sure. Of course." Sherloque just went along with it.

"Okay, and I haven't been sobbing." Cisco's voice grew deep, "In fact, I can't remember the last time I cried about it." Cisco sniffles, turning to leave the room, "Excuse me."

Cisco leaves, Sherloque steps his tea cup down, looking at Barry, "You are the resident speedster, I presume?"

My eyebrows furrow as I lift my head up ever so slightly to look at him clearly, Barry speaking up, "How did you-"

"Who favors stopping on his right heel?" Sherloque demonstrates, "Can tell from the wear and tear on your footwear. It's uneven."

Sherloque rounds the counter, pointing at Nora, "A trait that you have inherited from your father. Although you do share a little bit more body language with your mother, who's been touching her left shoulder and biting down on her bottom lip since I came around here."

Sherloque looks at me, stood directly behind me, "What are you hiding from me?"

"Wow-" I scoff, sifting up lightly, looking at him, my hand dropping, "I'm not hiding anything."

"Oh, no, no, no," Sherloque taunted, "Yes, you are, but what? You have touched it, like it's something there, then gone again, something removed. A tattoo, right? Or, yes, the touch of your husband? Lack of sexual intercourse?"

"Oh my-" I clear my throat loudly, my eyes wide as ever, Barry's eyes widening, as he leaned his elbows against the counter to cover his now gone red face in his hands, as I stammered to find the right words.

I spoke up, "I think that this Sherloque has proven himself and that we should start finding Cicada."

"Excellent. Let's find Cicada." Sherloque nods, grabbing his tea cup, "But first, the question of my fee."

"You're charging us?" Nora questions instantly.

"This service is not free, right?" Sherloque looks at us, "I don't work for charity." He looks at Caitlin, "Can already tell the young doctor here is expecting to hire me for another case. I saw you glance at your purse, and I'm happy to assist you in that mystery. But first, I think we can all agree that a villain of Cicada's caliber will require a substantial fee."

He drops a small piece of paper in front of Barry, Barry picking it up, his eyes widening at the number in front of him, as I looked over his shoulder, "Oh god- that's a lot of zeros-"

Nora gasps, looking at the number, "Shrap, that's a lot of money even from when I from."

"I'm very expensive, but very worth it." Sherloque assures, "What do you think?"

"I mean, we could sell off some of Star Labs stock." Barry suggests.

"Yes! We have an agreement." He shook Barry's hand, causing me to sigh, and roll my eyes.

"Do you hear that?" Sherloque points out, "Sounds of these frantic steps, we're being approached either by a tall, sensitive man, or a frightened, baby giraffe."

"I got a problem here, guys," Ralph Dibny walks in, causing me to break out into a small fit of giggles.

"Hello, baby giraffe." Sherloque greets.

"Harry, how are you?" Ralph smiles at him.

"This is Sherloque Wells." Barry introduces after I calm down.

"Loque." Sherloque corrects, "Sherloque. L-O-Q-U-E. Sherloque. I'm French."

"Sherloque is gonna help us find Cicada." I told him.

"Oh, cool, so you're like a detective." Ralph pieces together.

"Oh, detective, the fans." Sherloque miraculously pulls out a notepad, "Who should I make the autograph out to? Little baby giraffe."

"Uh, no, no, no." Ralph shakes his head, "I'm a detective as well."

"Ah, well-" Sherloque shook his hand, "Right, well, you're a detective. What have you solved recently?"

"Why don't I get a handshake?" I look at Barry, pouting, "I'm a detective too."

"Shhh-" Barry kisses my head.

"Most recently? I uncovered the case of the stolen Chevy-" Ralph clears his throat, "Impala."

"Funny." Sherloque's smile fades, "Very funny from the looks of things."

"Well, okay, so I saved all these hostages and and all anybody can talk about is this picture, and turned into a meme." Ralph explained as Caitlin pulled it up for us, "And I just I don't think anybody in this city takes me seriously."

I turn my head towards Barry, my voice coming out as a whisper as I tried with everything in me to keep myself from laughing, "Do something before I start laughing and seem like a bad friend."

Barry grabs his coffee mug, his head going to the back of my head as he tilts the cup back, the warm liquid slipping into my mouth.

"Oh, there's 14 million people in this city." Caitlin trailed off, "Only 500,000 have reposted this."

"Yeah." I swallow, clearing my throat, Barry putting the mug down, "So, uh Cicada?"

"Cicada, yes." Sherloque nods, "I've reviewed your evidence and I know where to find your killer. So, shall we, let's get this done before dinner, right?"

"All right, allons-y." Ralph began to follow.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Sherloque stops him, "Not so fast, baby giraffe. Two detectives only complicates matters. Especially when only one is a master."

"Dude." I interrupt, "Hello?"

"You are Team Leader, Detective Allen." Sherloque told me.

"Wait, how did you-" I began to question, only for him to cut me off and continue his conversation with Ralph.

"So why don't you stay put?" Sherloque said, "You can, bite the leaves." Sherloque starts to walk out, "Everyone else, come with me."

-

We had caught David Hersh, Sherloque Wells assuring us that he was the one in fault, and he was our Cicada.

And later that day we were stood in The Lounge at Star Labs, celebrating with martini's, only for Barry to walk in and crush our hopes.

"Dad, we're all set to celebrate-" Nora began.

Barry cuts her off, clearing his throat, "No, hey, um. Actually, Hersch isn't Cicada."

"What? He has to be." Nora stared at him.

"No, I checked Cicada's boot print from both the Block and Gridlock crime scenes and it's three sizes larger than Hersch's." Barry explained, "It's not him."

"So, what I'm hearing is-" I swallow the alcohol that sat in my mouth, standing by Barry, gesturing towards Sherloque, "Master Detective Sherloque Wells here lead us to the wrong guy."

Barry opens his mouth to say something, giving me a sly shrug, not knowing what to say because I had put it into words already.

"Well, of course it's him." Sherloque defended, "It's always Hersch. Every time I capture Cicada it's always the same man."

"Did you just say every time you capture Cicada?" I instantly question.

"Wait a minute, you've caught this guy before?" Cisco follows up my question.

"37 times." Sherloque told us, "I've captured 37 Cicadas, 37 different Earths, and every time I try to capture him trail always leads back to that Earth's David Hersch."

I tilt the cocktail glass in my hand up slightly, letting the mixture of gin and vermouth slip down my throat, Barry's hand grabbing both of mine, stopping me from drinking any further, signaling for me to slow down.

"So this psychological profile that you created, you just made it up?" Cisco questioned.

"Not, the first time." Sherloque admits, "Now the next 36, then I just trot it out there. You know, to impress the client, and then skip to the end."

"And here I thought you just a bad detective, but you're not a bad detective." Cisco began, "You're just a lazy one."

"I'm not lazy. I'm efficient, right?" Sherloque presses onto Cisco's bandage accidentally by grabbing his hand, "Anyway, that's not the point!"

"Ow!" Cisco let out an angered sound in pain.

"The point's simply that there's no reason for the Cicada of this Earth to be anyone other than David Hersch." Sherloque explained.

"Well, you haven't gotten to know the two speedsters that are standing in this very room because- this scarlet speedster right here- my husband- and our daughter-" I chuckle in disbelief and stress, my hand resting on Barry's forearm, his on my lower back, rubbing it in comfort, "They have this little thing they do- where they- run back and forth in time- and you know- change the timeline, so that's one reason for ya."

"Yeah, since Nora got here things have changed a bit." Barry admits from beside me, not even acknowledging the slightest bit that they could've taken that as some sort of insult.

"Oh, mais no, you must How can you not tell me this?" Sherloque instantly spoke, "How am I expected to operate when you don't give me all the variables?"

"I don't know, but what we can expect is a refund, so-" Cisco held his hand out.

"Oh, no, no, no." Sherloque shook his head, "That money is long gone."

"What do you mean "it's gone"?" Cisco immediately asked, "You spent all that money in one day? On what?"

"My ex-wife- ves." Sherloque quietly admits, "Ex-wives. Seven marriages. Five wives. Lots of alimony."

I brought the sugar rimmed cocktail glass back up against my lips, Barry shooting me a look.

"Okay- okay- I'll go easy on the martini." I roll my eyes lightly.

"That's not the point! The point is simply this is not my fault." Sherloque turns towards Nora, "It's your fault. She is to blame. Timeline variance."

I down the rest of my drink, setting down the glass, blinking hard, opening my eyes, Sherloque no longer in the room, Nora scoffing, "Dad. You're not gonna let Hersch off the hook because of a boot print. He's a meta. How do we know what this guy can do?"

"That's the other thing." Barry began, "Hersch has no dark matter readings. He's not a meta. All right, remember. From one CSI to another, we have to look at the facts, right? We got the wrong guy."

"No, not this time." Nora denied, "You know what we should do? We should throw him in the pipeline for safe keeping until he talks."

"We're not doing that." I instantly say, taking charge, "Nora, right now, I'm not talking to you as your mother, I'm talking to you as Team Leader, and you're not taking any action until the rest of the team decides that it's fit."

"Is this just your thing?" Nora snaps at me, "Being in control? Not letting anyone else take things in their own direction?"

"Nora." Barry raises his voice lightly at his daughter, not liking the way she was speaking to me, instantly getting defensive over me.

"I'm gonna go get him." Nora shook her head, starting to walk past Barry.

"No, you're not." Barry stops her, "We're not gonna kidnap a suspect in police custody. If you don't see what's wrong with that, you can sit this one out."

Nora rushes off, causing me to sigh, Barry wrapping an arm around me.

"Well, guess we're back to square one with Cicada." Cisco combines two martinis so his glass was all the way full.

"Yeah." I exhale, leaning my head back into Barry's shoulder, "Let's hope it's not too late to save his next victim."

-

"Okay-" I began, walking out onto the balcony of Star Labs where Barry stood alone in the dark, "I drank some water- and some coffee- and I promise- I am no longer tipsy."

Barry quietly laughs, reaching for me from where he was arched over.

I walked over, letting him wrap an arm around me and pull me into his side, as we looked into the night sky.

"I'm no longer tipsy, which means, I'm completely capable to listen to you vent." I told him, leaning my head against his shoulder, as he leant his head against mine.

"I just don't get Nora." Barry quietly admits, "I mean, I thought our training was sinking in. She defeated Block. She was really making process. And next thing I know, she wants to break into CCPD and kidnap a suspect in police custody. I mean, it's like she wants to make Hersch, Cicada."

"Barry, you really don't get why she's obsessed?" I looked at him.

"Wait." Barry paused, looking at me, "Should I?"

"Well, I mean, think about it." I began, "She's been hearing about the ripple effects on the timeline since she got here and at first they were relatively small, but now, everything with Cicada-"

"It's not so small." Barry finishes my sentence, in realization.

"He's one of the worst serial killers in history, and now because of Nora- he's here early." I continued to defend and speak on her behalf, "And an entirely different person. With an entirely different set of victims. That is a huge weight to bear for someone who just wanted to spend time with a dad she never knew."

"She feels really guilty, Barry." I put my hands on his chest when we straighten ourselves out, "She wants to try to fix her mistakes whatever that takes."

Barry connects eyes with me, as a small smile falls into my lips, "Man, she's just like you."

Barry kisses my head, holding me close.

"Barry-" I looked up, "Do you think I was harsh on her earlier? When she wanted to throw Hersch into the pipeline?"

"No-" He shook his head, "You weren't harsh at all. Her mind isn't in the right mindset right now."

"I don't know-" I began, "I practically snapped at her about it- and I mean if anyone did that to me, I'd be really upset and I can't even imagine what she's feeling about how I reacted and-"

"How do you manage to back her up and defend her, even with that way she's been acting towards you?" Barry questioned, putting a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"She's our daughter." I shrug, "I can't help it."

Barry gives me a weak smile, it fading when his phone buzzes, as he takes it out, looking at his screen, "Nora says there's an emergency in the pipeline intake."

"All right, lets go." I nod, walking down to the pipeline with him, my eyes landing on what looked like a pile of ash, Sherloque's hat resting in the mess, Nora standing over it.

"Are you sure that Sherloque?" I instantly ask, stood next to Nora, my eyes scanning what was in front of me, Barry crouched down next to me, eyeing it also.

"Yeah." Nora quietly says.

"What happened?" I question.

"As far as I can tell it looks like he was in the wrong place when this fusion cell went critical." Nora explains, "I think it wasn't placed in its cradle properly."

"Vaporized into ash." Barry trails off.

"Shenanigans." Cisco suddenly says from behind Nora and I, pointing his red candy at what we saw, scaring the everything in Nora and I, a gasp leaving us both, jerking up.

"I call shenanigans." Cisco went on, "You see, these cells right here, they run in a redundant cascade circuit. That's how they power the pipeline, in the first place, so if one of them blew they all would have blown."

"Yeah, the whole pipeline would have exploded." Barry looked up, piecing it together.

"Exactly right." Cisco walks around us and bends down, sticking his red candy into the mess, taking a bite off what we thought was Sherloque's ashes, as he looked up in thought, "Darjeeling, oolong."

"Tea leaves." Cisco looked at us, standing up, "Barry, be a dear and check the building for a weasel in a pork pie hat, about yay tall, smells vaguely of poutine."

Barry sighs, whooshing off, coming back with Sherloque Wells himself, "Whoa."

Sherloque looks down at the mess he had made himself to fool us, "Tell me- who died?"

Barry clears his throat, tossing the extrapolator to Cisco, "Found him with this."

"Of course, you did." Cisco rolls his eyes, "So you thought you could just leave to another Earth without paying us back?"

"Worked on my fourth wife and my sixth." Sherloque says, "Same woman."

"Okay, Cisco, maybe it's time to have a talk about a little place called debtor's prison." I looked at Cisco.

"Come with me." Cisco grabs Sherloque's arm, following me out of the pipeline, "You make me miss Herr Wells."

"Come with me." Sherloque puts a hand on his arm.

Cisco looks at him, "I'm- I'm taking you!"

-

Turns out, Cicada's next victim was Joe. He had went to Joe and Cecile's, and almost killed Cecile, only for us to arrive right on time, Cicada taking Cisco.

And now we were mid crisis.

"Cicada took Cisco." Barry's voice came through the comms.

"What do you mean took him?" I instantly question, "Took him where?"

"I don't know." Barry tells me, "They jumped into a breach right when I got here."

"But a breach could take them anywhere." Nora looked at me.

"Cisco, can you hear me?" I question through the comms, waiting for him to talk.

Between the static, he speaks, "Guys, can you hear me?"

"Cisco, where are you?" I ask.

"I don't know." He admits, breathing heavy as he was running, "My breach fritzed out and spat us out in a forest somewhere."

"Can you breach out?" Barry questioned.

Cisco grunts after trying, "It's not working."

"Cicada's dampening his powers." Nora exhales.

"Without a satellite I can't pin point his location." I type away, "I mean, in this state alone there's over 14 million acres of forest."

"All right, Black Forest and Roanoke are closest." Barry told me, "I'll start there."

"We're not gonna find him in time, are we?" Nora looks at me in fear, my heart stopping at her words.

"Well, before you give up, what kind of trees?" Sherloque Wells walks in.

I look at him, "What?"

"In the forest, what kind of trees, ask him." He came next to me.

"Cisco, what kind of trees are there?" I hesitantly ask.

"I don't know!" He panics, "I'm in a forest!"

"What kind of trees, little one?" Sherloque asks.

"Pine trees, I think." Cisco took a breather, "Some of them have pointy leaves."

"Ah, pointy, ash trees, of course." Sherloque thought, "All right, now I need you to hold your breath."

"What? Why?" Cisco questioned.

"Because I need to hear the forest, so, shh." Sherloque instructs, Cisco doing what he was told, "Crickets. You hear this? Assuming that's field crickets. They live in the soil."

"Okay?" I stare at him, my eyes wide with alert.

"Anyway, cross-reference field crickets with a high concentration of pine trees, ash trees, in an open field, and you have-" Sherloque started to instruct.

I quickly do what he says, cutting him off, "Kolins Woods."

"On my way!" Barry tells me, running to exactly where we told him, seconds later, his powers gone too, as he was being beat up by Cicada.

Grunts leave his lips and come through the comms as I let out a small gasp, "Barry, you need to get Cisco and get out of there-"

"I got it." Nora looked at me, "I can fix this. I've thought this through. I won't mess it up this time. I promise."

"I trust you." I nod, "Go."

After Nora left, everything happened so fast. She had stopped Cicada from killing Barry, and some sort of explosion had erupted, everyone going silent on the comm, Cisco's pulse dropping down to a zero.

"Cisco?" I instantly panic, "Cisco, are you there?"

There was no sound coming from Cisco's calm, tears filling my eyes, "Barry, do you see Cisco?"

"Cisco's gone." Barry's voice is weak, as a small sob leaves my lips, my hand slapping over my mouth to contain the following sobs.

A hand touches my back, my head turning, Sherloque Wells comforting me, rubbing my back as I sniffled.

"Cisco?" Barry's voice sounds through the calms, his voice filled with relief, "He's alive."

-

"It's almost like you're really dead." I say quietly, looking at Cisco.

"Yeah. I almost really was." Cisco sighs, "How the hell are we gonna catch this guy?"

"Not with our powers." Nora says, "We know that at least."

"We don't know much else either." Sherloque began, "Variations in the timeline, they've shifted the elements, complicated the equation."

"Not all those elements are bad though." Barry shrugs, nudging Nora lightly, "You could be the new element that saves us. You could be the reason we catch Cicada."

"I must admit, Miss Nora here pulled the rug right under from Cicada." Sherloque spoke, "Woof, alley-oop, huh? Very impressive."

"Yeah, that's the only fake death we're gonna see around here 'cause you're sticking around until you pay us back every cent." Cisco told him.

"Well, I have to say, prospect of another mystery with Cicada puts a little pep in my step." Sherloque said, "Also, that breach device you used to get in and out of places, I suppose that's under lock and key right now?"

"That's at the bottom of the ocean as far as you're concerned." I told him, crossing my arms.

"Well, then I'm staying!" Sherloque cheers.

"I'm watching you, Holmes." Cisco points at him.

"Well, you'll learn a lot." Sherloque nods, "All right, shall we, sidekick."

"I'll sidekick your face." Cisco said, following him out.

"Something tells me those two are gonna be- just great friends." Barry softly laughs, then looks between Nora and I, "So, you guys up for a family dinner night?"

"Family- dinner night." I trail off, repeating his words, looking at Nora.

"Sure." Nora gives us both a very soft smile.

"Yeah-" A thought pops into my head as I start to slowly trail off, "And then maybe after we could help you move into the loft."

"What?" Nora looks up at me, a confused expression on Barry's face also.

"I know you've been kind of cooped up here, and now that Sherloque is gonna need a place to stay-" I began, "I thought you could crash with us. You know- mother- father- daughter- just- family. You know? I mean- we have plenty of room for you- and-"

Barry noticed that I started to ramble on through my nervousness, a small smile forming on his lips as he listened, a hand resting on my shoulder, stopping me, "I think it's a great idea, Nora."

"Okay, thanks, yeah." Nora nods, "Let me get my purse."

"Okay- yeah." I exhale in relief, Nora leaving the two of us alone.

"This will be good." Barry smiles down at me, wrapping an arm around me, "I think it could be just the thing to bring you two closer together."

"I hope you're right." I say quietly, as we shared a small kiss, as I followed up by giving him a weak smile.

authors note:

commentttttt.

also idk why, but I really like this chapter.