Author's Note: Oh. My. Gosh. Oh. My. Gosh. OH MY GOSH THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!
Oh, so just as a note, there were so little Snowbarry scenes in this that I went through the WestAllen scenes to see if I could replace her in any :P Sorry if that makes me seem like an awful person. I had to, though.
"I thought I might find you here." It was cold on the rooftop, but Barry didn't seem to be bothered by it.
He stepped off his ledge and turned to face Caitlin. "I needed to get out of the lab. I thought this would be a good place to think."
"I can image in that it would be." Caitlin walked to stand beside him, and rested her elbows on the wall ledge. "Freezing, windy. Hey, at least it's not as hard as the floor in the pipeline. Or the treadmill. Or the hallway."
He laughed, and kissed her forehead. After a little bit the happy mood drained away. "So, are you gonna do it?"
"It's just so... huge." Barry looked so lost at that moment. Alone in the world with the weight of it crushing his shoulders. She leaned her cheek against his shoulder, letting him know she was there.
The fact that he was really, truly considering going back in time and saving his mother was scary, but also understandable. He had lost her so long ago, and yet he couldn't come to terms with it. Caitlin knew that when she had thought Ronnie was dead, she would have done anything to get him back. She understood.
"It's the biggest decision of my life." Barry continued. "And if I'm wrong... I can't undo it." That might have been the scariest part. That and the fact that she would remember nothing of this. Of her life. Of their life.
"Why would you want to?" She asked quietly. "I mean, you'd get to see your mom again, your dad, have a great career, even get married." He glanced at her with wide eyes. "I think that no matter what earth, no matter what changes you make, we will always find each other, Barry."
"But we don't know that." He croaked, his eyes suddenly damp.
"Do you think that just because you won't become the Flash that will mean that I won't be in your life?" She felt numb at the thought.
"Being that Flash... that brought us together. If I lose that, I might lose you too." Her eyes filled up, and there was nothing she could do about it. "Having this with you- I've had a great life, Caitlin."
"Come here, Barry." She whispered, holding out her arms. He curled into them, like so many times before. Except this time it was different. This time, their was the thought in both their minds that this might all be gone for good.
"What do you think I should do?" Barry asked quietly, his voice thick with tears. "I need someone to tell me."
She pulled back enough to look him in the eyes, still with her hands around his back. "I think, Barry Allen, 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 you."
"Barry, don't let me stop you from doing something that you have wanted to do for your whole life." Caitlin breathed, fingers ghosting over his shoulders. "I want you to be happy. That's all I want."
He kissed her then, running his fingers through her soft hair. But the kiss was painful.
It was almost like they were saying goodbye.
Flash!
"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?!"
Caitlin jumped in before anyone else could respond. "Cisco, if it comes to saving someone you love, you would do the same thing, wouldn't you?"
He was quiet for a moment. Everyone was. Barry took Caitlin hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thank you." His whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
"I'm always here for you." She breathed. "No matter what earth."
Cisco sighed, but approached Barry. "Alright. There will be 3 yous there." He counted them off on his fingers. "The you from the future, who saved younger you from the Reverse Flash, and now younger you." Barry nodded. "Wait until future you gets younger you out of there. And then you can go save your mom."
If it had been any other situation, Caitlin would have smiled. Right now here face with stiff, and her whole body was cold. "Piece of cake." Barry joked.
Cisco grasped his arms. "May the speed force be with you."
Barry turned to you, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Goodbye dad."
Joe grabbed him in a fierce hug. "Goodbye, son."
He hugged Iris almost tighter. "Live your life." He whispered, and clapped Eddie on the shoulder. "Take care of her."
Eddie hugged him, too. "You know I will."
He came to her last. "Caitlin..."
She didn't let him finish. She couldn't hear him say goodbye to her. That would make it too real. Instead, she grabbed the front of his suit and crushed their lips together. Her back ended up agains the wall, her hands knotted in his hair, his cradling her face like it was the most precious thing in the world.
Barry forced himself to pull back, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He pressing his face into her hair, breathing her in one more time. "Caitlin." He whispered again. "Whatever happens, I'm going to find you again. I love you."
It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. It was all she could do not to cry out his name as he pulled away and sped out of the Pipeline. Ronnie pulled her into his arms, and she sobbed, closing her eyes against everything.
Barry was gone.
(A.N: Sorry to interrupt. ANYONE ELSE CRYING RIGHT NOW?! Are you at least teary?! I'm tearing up right now, guys. My own writing is making me cry. What this story does to me...)
Flash!
Barry whipped around the Pipeline, running faster then he even had in his life. He focused on Harrison's words in his ear, urging him on. He felt the way his lips tingled from Caitlin's last kiss. His chest felt tight and almost numb, but he kept running.
A portal appeared in front of him, and he leapt into it. There were images. Joe with his arm around young Barry, telling Iris that he would be staying with them for awhile. Then he saw Caitlin. But... she wasn't Caitlin. Her hair was white, and she was paler then normal, with shockingly blue eyes. The image startled him so much he nearly fell out of the portal.
Then it changed again. A golden statue in front of a building. Himself inside Iron Heights, talking to his dad. "Barry, what you are seeing is the Speed Force. The past. The present. The future. All at at once. You need to focus on where you want to go." Harrison instructed. "So think about it. That night. Think about your mother."
He shot out of the portal, and into a familiar room. His bedroom.
It was just like he remembered it. A telescope against the wall; planets hanging from the ceiling. His bed, unmade, was empty. So his younger self must already be downstairs.
He heard screaming, and flashed down the steps. It was all just like he remembered, with the red and yellow blurs of light, now so familiar. His mom, his mom! was on the floor, reaching out towards her son.
And then, out of nowhere, his future self, the one sent to fight the Reverse Flash, stopped the fighting. He turned to look at him, and held out a hand, wordlessly shaking his head. Barry, trembling all over, held back.
The Reverse Flash walked over to his mother, and Barry felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he picked up an knife. He closed the door, trying to block out the sound of her screaming.
Barry heard the sound of the Reverse Flash speeding away, and hesitantly opened the door. His heart felt like it was being ripped in two, but he felt strangely calm. He knew that he had made the right choice.
Henry was on the floor, unconscious, and Nora was moaning on the carpet. Her blouse was stained red. He knelt beside her, grasping her arms. "Please... my husband and my son-"
"They're ok." Barry whispered. "It's ok. They're both safe. I promise."
She nodded. "Who are you?"
"I'm-" He choked on his tears for a moment, and couldn't get the words out. "I'm the Flash."
"I don't understand."
He reached up and pulled off his cowl, trying not to break down. "You look just like my father." Nora said.
Barry smiled through is tears. "This won't make any sense." He croaked. "But it's me, mom."
"What?" She was fading, and it hurt like a knife had been stabbed into his heart, instead of hers.
"It's Barry."
"Barry?" She reached up to touch his face. "Oh, my beautiful boy." She started to wheeze, and he lost it, leaning into her hands and letting himself sob.
"I was given a second chance. To come back here. To tell you that I'm ok." Nora nodded. "Dad and I are both ok. And we love you mom. I love you."
She stroked his face, touching his hair, wiping away his tears. "Goodbye. Goodbye, Barry." Her hands fell from his face, and she closed her eyes.
He stayed in that room for a long time.
Flash!
Caitlin recovered enough to go to the Cortex with everyone, watching the clock tick down with the little amount of time that Barry had. At 52 seconds, Stein spoke up. "I believe it's time to say goodbye to Harrison Wells."
Joe and Cisco went down, and everyone left crowded around Cisco's computer to watch the exchange. Harrison Wells, dressed in his suit, was inspecting the time machine (the time machine), that Cisco had built. "It's beautiful. Rip Hunter would be impressed. He built the first one of these. Interesting man."
Everything went white with light for a moment, and a silver hat clattered unto the floor, seemingly out of nowhere. "What the heck is that?" Joe asked, staring at it.
For the first time in Caitlin life, Wells looked a little scared. "That's my cue to leave." He moved over to Cisco, and Joe raised his gun. But all Wells said was, "Thank you, Cisco."
"Never come back." Cisco responded, not meeting his eyes.
The Reverse Flash's face hardened, and he climbed into the time machine. The glass closed around him and the whole thing began to turn. "Thirty seconds." Stein reported.
Before Wells could go anywhere, an even more blinding flash of light lit up the room, and none other then Barry Allen flew out.
Caitlin covered her mouth with her hand, and Ronnie grabbed by the shoulders to keep her upright. "Barry..." She breathed.
He slammed into the time machine, shattering it and sending everyone flying backwards. "We have to close down the wormhole!" Stein yelled. "Quickly!"
Caitlin turned and raced down the hallway, Ronnie yelling her name as he followed. When she got down to the room, Wells and Barry were both on their feet. "You didn't save her." Wells growled. "Why?! You could have had everything you ever wanted!"
Barry turned at that moment, and their eyes met. She saw the pain in them, rooted deep, but she also saw so much love it nearly made her collapse. "I already do."
She wanted to run to him, but Ronnie held her back. The Reverse Flash pulled up his cowl. "Not for long."
They both ran at each other, blurs of red and yellow light zipping across the walls and ceiling. Ronnie grabbed her arm. "Come on!" They ran as fast as they could to the pipeline.
"Cut the internal generators!" Caitlin commanded her brother, and he fell to work.
"10 seconds- hurry." Stein told them unhelpfully.
Caitlin heart was in her throat as she typed in the passcode for the Particle Accelerator. A spark lit up, and Ronnie flew across the room. But she had to keep moving.
Caitlin flipped the last switch and ran over to him. "Ronnie! Are you ok?"
"Did you do it?" He groaned.
"Yes, I turned them all off." Caitlin helped him sit up.
They heard a gunshot, and Iris' screaming. Caitlin pulled Ronnie to his feet and they took off running again, back to the fight. Iris got their first, and was at Eddie's side. He had a bleeding hole in his chest.
The Reverse Flash was flickering in the middle of the room. "What's happening?" Barry asked, trying to get up from the floor. Caitlin ran to his side.
"Eddie is his ancestor." Cisco said, his voice trembly. "If Eddie dies, he'll never be born. He's being erased from existence!"
Harrison pulled off his mask, his image getting less and less clear. His face shifted, turning into someone unfamiliar. Eobard Thawn.
"No!" Iris screamed. "No, Eddie, no, no, stay with me, ok?" She cradled the dying man's face in her hands, trembling all over.
"He was wrong..." Eddie breathed. "Turns out- I was a hero- after all."
Caitlin felt tears coming down her face, she felt Barry wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly. "I love you." He whispered in her ear. "I love you I love you I love you."
"You are, Eddie, you are." Iris sobbed. "You're my hero."
"That's- all I ever- wanted." Eddie croaked, and closed his eyes.
"No!" Iris cried, leaning over him. Cisco covered his face with his hands, and Barry only held her tighter.
Eobard started to disintegrate. "I've controlled your life for so long, Barry. How will you get along without me?" He let out a bloodcurdling scream, and vanished from existence.
There was quiet for a long time, only broken by Iris's heart wrenching sobs. Barry kissed her gently. "I love you." He whispered again, voice breaking. "Caitlin-"
She pressed herself into his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you, too." She whispered. "I'm here."
"I'm never leaving you. Never again."
Before she could respond, the ground started to shake, and a swirling blue hole appeared. The walls around them started to crumble. "Guys, that's not good!" Cisco yelled.
"Professor, I shut down the wormhole!" Caitlin cried. "What's happening?"
"I don't know. But it seems to be reopening." Stein said.
Everyone stumbled to their feet, and Caitlin tried to block out the sounds of Iris' screams that she wouldn't leave Eddie. Barry grabbed her hand, and followed the others out of the room at a run.
Outside, it was worse. A dark, spiraling mass was hovering outside of STAR Labs. "So that's what we didn't want to happen." Cisco shouted over the sound of the wind.
"What is it doing?!" Caitlin asked.
"Feeding." Stein stared up at it in horror. "The singularity won't stop. Not even when the world is destroyed."
Caitlin could hear the screams of people around the city as buildings began to crumble. She held on to Barry's hand tighter.
"The fuse material that's in orbit around the singularity is already it motion." Stein continued.
"What does that mean?" Caitlin yelled.
"We have to disrupt the motion!" Barry realized. "Basically it's just like the tornado- only upside down. And bigger. And scarier."
"Barry." Stein approached him. "That even has an energy level of 600.7 terra electron volts. It cannot be stopped!"
Barry turned to him. "I have to try." He pulled Caitlin into his side and kissed her, then pulled up his cowl. Then he flashed off.
Caitlin moved foreword a few steps, but Cisco grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "He has to, Caitlin!" He shouted. The wind was getting louder, and she could barely hear him out. "He's got to try and stop this."
They watched as Barry became a yellow circle in the mass of black clouds. Caitlin stared at the sky, hoping with all her heart that he was going to come back alive.
Author's Note: WE ARE DONE. Done, guys, done. I can't- I can't even believe it. Wow.
Alright! Thank you for your continual love, support and constantly appreciated reviews. I'm hoping that this story was a joy for all of you to read.
I want to especially thank the following:
Matthew G Given
caitlinmontgomery
auslly love 1000
snowcaitlin
Ezrian123
guests
EVERYONE WHO LOVED, FOLLOWED, OR REVIEWED! I love you guys so much and thank you!
Just to let you know, this has finished out at 125 pages (on pages), and 61,948 words. My longest story yet!