Episode 24.2 - Past, Present, & Future

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S O P H I A

"I knew that I would find you here first, Sophie. You beat me to it." Barry said.

My brother was keeping me company on the rooftop of S.T.A.R. Labs. It was cold outside but I didn't care.

I then stepped off of the ledge and turned to face Barry.

"I couldn't hear myself think while in the lab. I also haven't been up here since you were up here that one time."

Barry walks up toward me and stands beside me then rested his elbows on the wall of the ledge.

"You were right, Sophie. This place is a good place to clear your head. You might be freezing your ass off but hey at least you don't have to deal with the hard ass floor in the lab." Barry said trying to lighten up the mood.

I snort out a laugh and he smiles proud of himself for letting her forget for just a moment. But sadly the happy mood didn't last that long.

"So... are you going to save our mother?" I asked.

Barry sighed. "I don't know. Maybe? It's just the biggest decision of my life."

I nodded and put a comforting hand on his lower back rubbing small circles and soothing him.

"What would you do, Sophie?" Barry asks me.

"You know my answer already, Bear. I would do it in a heartbeat." I said.

"But what if the new timeline I created by saving our mother isn't all that great? I mean sure we'll be united again as a family... But what if I'm not with Caitlin? What if you aren't with Cisco? I-I just can't live in a world like that. Not without her in my life." Barry said.

"I'd like to think that no matter what earth, no matter what changes you make to the timeline, you will always find her, Barry,"

"But we don't know that."

"You're right we don't. Yet we got so damm lucky. You and I. We got to meet Iris, Ronnie, Caitlin, and Cisco at a perfect time in our lives." I said reminiscing all the moments I had with them.

"Yeah, Joe would call us the Ross, Rachel, Pheobe, Monica, Chandler, and Joey gang," Barry said with a chuckle.

I chuckled too and said. "He wasn't wrong about that."

"So, what do you think I should do?" Barry asked. "I need someone to tell me. I don't want to screw this up."

"I think, Barry, for once in your life, you should stop thinking about other people. I think you should do what's in your heart. Do what you need to do for yourself."

He leaned against the wall again, staring over the city. "I don't know if I can do it. Leave my life. Leave Caitlin. Leave you all behind.

"Barry, don't let anyone stop you from doing something that you have wanted to do for your whole life. We want you to be happy. That's all we want."

He had tears streaming down his face and then he hugs me tightly almost as if he was saying goodbye. I hugged back too also getting emotional also.

"We'll be there for you, Barry. We promise." I said.

C A I T L I N

"1 minute and 52 seconds." Cisco deadpans. "You will have to go at Mach 2, and if you fail, there will be a singularity opened that will swallow the universe. And we're still considering this?!" Cisco said.

"Cisco, if it comes to saving someone you love, you would do the same thing, wouldn't you?" I said.

He was quiet for a moment. Everyone was. Barry took my hand in his and squeezed it tightly. "Thank you." He whispered.

"I'm always here for you. No matter what earth." I said softly.

"Alright. There will be 3 yous there." Cisco said counting them off on his fingers.

"Which is the you from the future, who saved younger you from the Reverse Flash, and now younger you," Sophia said.

Barry nodded. "Wait until the future you get younger you out of there. And then you can go save our mother." Sophia said smiling.

"Piece of cake," Barry said joking.

"May the speed force be with you," Cisco said.

Barry then turned to Joe. "Goodbye, Dad."

Joe grabbed Barry in gave him a fierce hug.

"Goodbye, Son," Joe said.

He then hugged Ronnie. "My best friend. I'll find you."

Ronnie smiled and hugged Barry back too. "I know you will. No matter what I'll still be your bro in whatever timeline." Ronnie said.

"Till the end of the line." Ronnie and Barry said in unison.

Next, Barry hugged Iris his childhood friend.

"I'll find you too." He whispered hugging her.

Iris nods as she was on the brink of tears.

"We'll be here waiting for you, Barry," Iris said smiling sadly and hugging him back also.

Barry sniffs and then clapped Eddie on the shoulder. "Take care of her for me, Detective Pretty Boy."

Eddie smiled sadly and hugged him too. "You know I will. May you finally find peace, Barry."

Barry goes over to his little sister Sophia and embraces her tightly. We watched the Allen siblings interact with heartbreak. They both knew the risks of changing the past and saving their mother as it was explained to them by Professor Stien. But it was worth it to them as something like this was just too hard to let slip away from their fingers.

"I have to do this," Barry states.

"For Mom," Sophia adds.

Then it was my turn. Barry looked at me with those beautiful baby-blue eyes.

"Caitlin..." He began.

I then grabbed Barry by the front of his Flash suit and kissed him passionately. He kissed me back too with just as much passion as I ended up against the wall and his hands were in my hair. He also had cupped my cheek cradling them like I was precious cargo. A small moment between husband and wife.

Barry forced himself to pull back and smiled sheepishly at me. I smiled back blushing as he wrapped his strong arms around my waist. He pulled me closer to his chest as he took in a whiff of my scent one last time.

"Cait..." Barry whispered. "Whatever happens know that I'm going to find you again. I love you so much, Snowflake."

"I-I love you too, Bear. I always will," I said voice trembling.

Barry smiled sadly while looking down at our wedding rings and then kissed my forehead.
Next, Barry sped out of the pipeline and I started to sob. Ronnie pulled me into his arms and tried his best to comfort me. In a flash, Barry was gone.

B A R R Y

"You hold both our futures in your hands now, Mr. Allen. I know you can do it. Now... Run. Barry. Run."

I raced around the Pipeline and ran faster than I had ever run before in my entire life. I concentrated on Well's words as he encouraged me. My body and mind went to the absolute limit feeling a tightness in my chest and difficulty breathing yet I still kept running.

I then see a portal appear in front of me and leaped into it. There were images shown to me. Joe with his arm around young me young Iris that I would be staying with them for a while. Then I saw Caitlin and Ronnie. But... that wasn't them. Caitlin had white hair and paler skin with blue lips while Ronnie looked like death incarnate with blue flames.

Those images nearly gave me the creeps and I almost stumbled on my feet and out of the portal. Then the images changed again. Also, I see my little sister Sophia as a fellow speedster dawning a yellow and red super suit. Lastly, I see a golden statue of myself as The Flash in front of a museum.

"Barry, what you are seeing is the Speed Force. The past. The present. The future. All at once. Now you need to focus on where you want to go." Wells instructed. "So think about it. That night. Think about your mother."

I do just that then shoot out of the portal and into a familiar room. My childhood bedroom.

I tried to gain my composure and looked around my childhood room seeing the toys I use to play with as a kid. As well as the telescope against the wall and the planets hanging from the ceiling. This was a pretty trippy experience.

"I-It worked," I whispered to myself half smiling.

Then I heard the high-pitched scream from my mother and flashed down the steps. I cautiously pulled open the door to the living room hidden and out of view. It was all just like I had remembered that night with the red and yellow blurs of light violently flashing in the living room. My mom was on the floor in distress and reaching out to the younger me. My dad was holding a crying Sophie in his arms.

"Mom!" the Younger me cried out.

"Mommy!" Sophia screamed.

"Barry! Sophia!" Mom cried out her voice strained.

"Get back! No! Don't hurt them!" Mom pleaded and tears streamed down her face.

"Nora, Hold on! I'm coming!" Henry screamed holding back his son while also holding Sophia in his arms.

Time seemed to slow down for me as I pushed the door open further and steadied myself for the moment that I will race my mother out of there and save her. Suddenly I caught the eye of my future self. He was warning me off and shaking his head no.

"What? No. I don't understand." I whispered to myself.

Then my future self raced his past self and my little sister out of there.

"Barry! Sophia!" My mother screams out.

"No! No! No!" my mother cried her eyes out trying to reach out for her children.

I clenched my fists and began to shed tears.

"No, I can't let this happen again. I have to save her. Eobard's right this is my second chance." I said not listening to my future self.

I yell in anger and suddenly burst through the door and into the living room tackling Reverse Flash to the ground before he could kill my mother. I start to punch him in the face as he starts to bleed from the corner of his mouth.

"You aren't gonna kill her this time, Thawne. You aren't gonna kill her ever again." I said in rage and deliver the knockout blow.

I calm down my breathing and turn towards my mother. She backs away in fear still reeling from the attack on her home.

"No. No. Get away." My mother said.

I kneel in front of her and speak in a soft voice. "It's okay, Mrs. Allen. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not gonna hurt you. You're safe. You're safe."

T H E   F L A S H   W I L L   R E T U R N...

ϟ  A/N  ϟ

And that's the finale, everybody!!! The book is finally complete. Surprised by the ending? Comment and tell me what y'all think. Also don't forget to vote and share.