Changes After the Crisis (Snowbarry)

31

The next morning they all went to the cell where they had locked Iris. When they arrived she was waking up

"What am I doing here?" she asked scared, then looked at Caitlin's wound "Caitlin! What happened to you? Are you okay?"

"You really don't remember? You stabbed me !!" Caitlin said

"What ... Caitlin I would never do that," Iris said

"The meta-human said that under the influence of his powers you would have done the thing you wanted most in the world!"

"I didn't want ... well ... I, yes I hate you, but I would never do it!!!"

"Why do you hate me Iris !? I never did anything to you!!"

"You took my place !!! You stole my family!!! Or at least you will!!!" Iris said in tears

The two women were facing each other, looking into each other's eyes, their hands were leaning in front of each other as if to touch each other, Barry opened the cell door, Iris hugged Caitlin and started to cry

"Sorry Cait, I didn't mean"

"Don't worry Iris I know ..."

"I love you Cait, forgive me"

"I love you too Iris"

"Can you leave us alone? I won't do anything, I swear!"

"Okay," everyone said

The two women remained hugged in silence for several minutes, until Iris broke the silence

"How do you do, Caitlin?"

"To do what?"

"I almost killed you, and you are hugging me, you have lost your husband twice and you are happy, you have lost your father and in practice you have not had a mother for years, yet you are happy here ... how do you do it?"

"I'm not immune to pain, you have no idea how much I suffered"

"How can you not ask anyone for help?"

"What makes you think I'm not asking for help?"

"Well ... you don't seem like the psychologist type, do the others know?"

"Psychiatrist... and it was Barry's advice. She never prescribed me drugs, but I keep going to her, she helped me a lot"

"Wait! Barry! Did my psychologist-hating Barry recommend you a psychiatrist?!"

"She was yours friend of yours ... Barry said she went to highschool with you and ... above all she was good"

"I understand who! Lilian Williams, she was a friend of ours... she was incredible, she moved here to America from England after the death of her parents"

"Yes ... she was a great help!"

...........................

A few days had passed, Iris and Caitlin had finally become friends, they had organized a girls' night with Nora and Cassie, in a karaoke bar.

The evening was going well, even though Nora was feeling uncomfortable, and her sister had noticed it

"Nora how do you feel?" Cassie asked

"Weird ... I mean nothing has happened yet ... but seeing her there having a drink ... I know it's non-alcoholic ... but it makes me weird" said Nora

"I was 6 then, you and Jack weren't dating yet. I'm still sorry..." Cassie said, taking Nora's hand.

"Do you know what everyone thinks, little sister?" Nora asked

"Yes, we are the most beautiful girl in the club, Nora."

"Good heavens! Iris is on her fourth drink!" Nora said

"IT'S NON-ALCOHOLIC!" Cassie said

"Nora, don't get upset"

"Cassie, I have bad memories ... yes, I was only 15 when ..."

"Nora... it had to go like this, otherwise she would have ruined everything!"

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Caitlin asked as she walked over to them

"Nothing important Cait," Nora said as she walked away

"Nora, wait!" Caitlin said as she stood up to follow her, to be held back by Cassie who squeezed her hand

"Mom, if Nora called you Cait, it means she needs to be alone, really ..."

"But..."

"She calls you mom when she's happy, Caity when we talk about Iris, and Caitlin only in front of Iris... when she uses Cait she needs to think"

"Why this distinction?"

"It still makes her strange to call you mom in front of everyone ... in front of Iris, her mother ... she can't do it ... the thing that makes her uncomfortable is something else ..."

"Which?"

"When you two are in the same room ..."

"What happens when we are in the same room?"

"She's afraid of offending one of you ... so either she doesn't call you ... or she calls you by name"

"But Cassie ... you said we were family"

"Yes, more or less"

"What do you mean?"

"It's complicated..."

"What do you mean?!"

"Iris will not accept it completely, it will be difficult only after a long time she will accept"

"You said we got along well!"

"Um ... actually we said you got along well but only after some time ..."

"Cassie ..." Nora said coming up behind them "Don't talk anymore ..."

"Now I want to know what it is!" Caitlin said looking Nora in the eye

"It's about... the future... the custody process... Iris messed everything up," Cassie replied

"As much as I love you and I would like to know right away, don't tell me anything ... it would hurt me to know that you won't be with me ..." Caitlin replied walking away

"Wait" said the two sprinters reaching her "We grew up with you and dad, we can't tell you anything but ... this evening makes us feel uncomfortable"

"Since when do you speak in unison??" Caitlin asked smiling

"Since I was little, Mom!" Cassie replied

While the three were talking, Iris looked at them and kept getting nervous, she slammed the glass on the counter and shattered it, then she realized she had Nora's bag, the only thing she had brought in the past. She couldn't resist the temptation, so she opened it.

It contained a file of the CCPD, some antimatter scanners, and a wallet. She opened it, in plain sight there was Nora's identity card. Reading the document almost felt faint, it said NORA ALLEN.