Changes After the Crisis (Snowbarry)

12

Six months had passed, Nora was slowly getting closer to Caitlin, however it was as if they were getting to know each other for the first time...

Only after 2 months she started talking to her again ... They were just weightless sentences, they never spoke just to talk, as they did before.

Now things had improved in part they talked to each other, but Nora didn't confide in her ... the little girl refused to let her near.

She was suffering from nightmares about Iris's disappearance. She talked about it with a psychologist, with Barry, with Joe, with Cecile, but not with Caitlin, at least not anymore.

Another 6 months went by, it was 2 years since Iris disappeared, Barry and Caitlin after a year were happy together more than ever, Nora finally talked to Caitlin... once they even spent the evening together as they did many years ago, at some point however Nora had fallen asleep watching TV, when Caitlin approached her to tuck in the blankets the little girl woke up and walked away saying she was tired and wanted to go to bed.

Another six months had passed, Barry had been invited to a CSI conference in London so he left, leaving Bart to Joe and Cecile, so that Caitlin was alone with Nora, he hoped that the two could finally be reunited.

Caitlin decided to try to get closer to the little girl by organizing the day in a similar way to those that passed years before, and the tactic proved to be successful: they spent the morning cooking breakfast together, then they prepared a cake, a tart and some pastries, for lunch they went to their favorite restaurant, in the afternoon they had tea with pastries and in the evening they watched TV eating a pizza, finally at night they stayed from 22.00 until midnight looking at the stars with the telescope, until Nora collapsed from sleep, and Caitlin take her to bed.

The woman was happy, she and Nora had finally had one of their "special days with Caity" as Nora called it.

At one point, it was about 3:30 in the morning, Caitlin suddenly woke up hearing Nora scream, she had another nightmare, got out of bed and went to the little girl's room, she was crying bitterly, Caitlin tried to hug her and comfort her but Nora cried in tears

"Go away, you don't have to stay here, you are not my mother, you don't have to stay here!!"

Caitlin also in tears hugged her forcefully saying

"I don't care what you say, I don't care if you do not consider me your mother, after all I am not, but for me you have always been like a daughter, now more than ever, I will never leave you, whatever happens whatever you say, you will always be MY DAUGHTER!!!".

Early in the morning Barry arrived home, he had taken a night flight to make a surprise, instead he was the one to receive it: entering Nora's room he saw her asleep in Caitlin's arms, he approached and gave a kiss on the forehead to both of them, Caitlin woke up smiling, and whispered "Barry are you already back, did you take a night flight just to surprise us?"

"You two gave me the surprise" Barry replied,

"She had the usual nightmare, where she sees Iris walking away, tries to follow her but finds herself in a scary forest and arrives at an abandoned hospital, and when she reaches her mother, she disappears...

She screamed and cried as she often does, I hugged her and finally she let me stay with her tonight."

"I'm glad you two got closer again, come down I'll make you breakfast," Barry said with a smile.

As she was getting out of bed Caitlin felt Nora's hand tighten tightly around her arm "Don't leave me, don't go away" said the little girl,

"Don't worry Nora I'm not going anywhere... I go down for breakfast then I'll go back to you, or you can come you with me if you want" Caitlin said in a sweet tone, Nora squeezed Caitlin's arm with both hands and, with shining eyes she said

"Please don't leave me too Caity, don't leave me alone please ... MOM "

hearing those words, tears of joy fell to Caitlin, and she hugged Nora with all the strength she had.

The three had breakfast together, throughout the morning Nora had never let go of Caitlin's arm, she had had breakfast sitting on her legs so as not to let her go.

After they had eaten they all went to West's house together to get Bart.

Joe immediately realized how Nora and Caitlin got along again, he was happy that his granddaughter was smiling again as before Iris disappeared.

While Barry Bart and Nora were setting the table, Joe took the opportunity to talk to Caitlin

"I'm glad you got close! It just needed a little time," Joe said

"Yeah it was hard to wait, but we finally get along again, she finally loves me again," Caitlin said

"Can I ask you how this happened?, the other day you weren't so close, something special must have happened for everything to change that way" Joe said.

"Er ... yesterday we had a "special days with Caity", that's how Nora called the days she spent with me, we made desserts, went to our favorite restaurant, ate a pizza watching our favorite TV show and watched the stars with my old telescope ... then tonight she had the usual nightmare, when she woke up she finally let me stay with her the rest of the night, then this morning she did the sweetest and most amazing thing of all, a something that fills me with joy:

she called me MOM" Caitlin said as tears of joy rolled down her

"Ah ... well that's a good thing ..." Joe said

At that moment Caitlin regretted what she said "Sorry Joe I didn't think about ..."

"It's been 2 and a half years now, as much as I miss Iris, I can't stand still to the point of preventing others from happiness, I didn't see that emotion in Barry and Nora's eyes since Iris disappeared until you walked into the their lives, I'm glad you entered the family for all intents and purposes, "interrupted Joe

"Thanks Joe, for all your advice, I don't know how I would have done without you, really thanks"

"When's the wedding anyway?" Joe said jokingly

Caitlin blushed, and took a deep breath and said in one breath "Barry asked me a year ago, after 6 months of being together"

"Wait what!?!? Why didn't you say anything to anyone? !!!" Joe asked in shock