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"But you didn't do it alone you are working with an accomplice no?" says Sherloque leaning on the side of a chair, itching for the two sweet satisfying words to come out Nora West-Allen's mouth. He's waited so long for this moment, yet the question hangs in the air.
Nora looks up at a father hesitantly, he's got tears in his eyes that haven't dropped yet, they're glassy and he's staring at her in a way she can't really describe. Her heart beats faster, a million thoughts running through her mind, she shakes her head in protest and turns to look at her mother. Iris is nearly a mirror image of her husband yet somehow farther gone. Nora can't seem to stop the salt clad water from hitting her cheeks. Maybe if she had been smarter, maybe if... but there was no time for pondering now.. for once it felt as if there was no time at all.
She opens her mouth slowly and gulps "Yes.. R-" when suddenly the world stops and her father is in front of her so quickly that she wonders why he doubts that he truly is the fastest man alive.
He says nothing for a moment but he looks down at her with the same pained expression her bore before. She realizes now it's one of a person that has figured out a secret they shouldn't have, a reluctantly accepting one. She says nothing as he sighs, the red lightning envelopes them both. He lifts her chin to his eye level and she can't help but notice how wobbly the action is, so unrefined... so human.. so father "Look at me."
Nora turns away. How can she possibly face him right now? But he guides her green orbs back towards him agonizingly slow as if he wants every ounce of pain to hit her simultaneously.
"I need you to listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once so I need all of your attention. You see that woman over there with those big beautiful brown eyes? That's your mother and she's worked way to dam hard to make things work with you. No matter if you were being unnecessarily rude, overdramatic, or understanding, she tried through it all Barry says pressing his lips together. "She's the strongest person I know but this... this will break her. This will rip her into shreds and spit her out. These tears are for her, these tears are for every hour she spent past twelve am making that little list for you because she loves you.. because despite it all she loves you.
Nora whimpers.
Barry continues, "I love you.. and I.. god.. Nora West-Allen, I am so disappointed in you. As The Flash, as Iris' husband, but more importantly as your father. I have never felt more let down by anyone ever in my entire life( and that's saying something). So, I have to choose her.. because if I don't, I choose anger, I choose asking you to leave.. no, kicking you out... screaming, crying, sleepless nights, wondering who in the world I can trust if I can't look at my own daughter and see clearly? I wish you'd been more of her, it's my fault that you love too easily, that you don't think about consequences, that's all me, that's all Allen. But, of course, your mother didn't want you to be defined by a singularity it's so like her to give you hers too he laughs. There's so much power in the West name, she gave it to you so you could be ready for anything. I need you to see that, do you see that?
Nora nods once more.
"So here's what we're going to do, you're going to say you've been working with Oliver Queen. That after I disappeared he felt the need to take you under his wing to train you as he did me. Together he and Felicity were able to analyze the code I wrote when I came out the speed force into a covert language for you to learn so that you could communicate with each other should harm come. You will ruin no lives today, Eobard Thawne will ruin no lives today, none except mine. This is our burden we'll shoulder it together and I need you to know that things will never be the same again but, that I still care for you more than I care to admit right now, which is why I'll be watching. Every thought, comment, every joke you make, every hour that you sleep in my house remember that I know. That I know how you've hurt this family, I know how you've hurt me. You're going to be strong like your mom today and you're going to tell everyone that it's time for you to go. That you need to go back now to let Oliver know about Grace and that you need me to come with you to keep you safe.
"But Dad I-"
Barry cuts her off "You will do as I say, and if you don't it's incredibly easy for me to rewind this entire little moment. Have I made myself clear?"
Nora looks up once more, she's afraid now, she's never realized how scary her father can be. She remembers when he brought her back with him and she saw Savitar wearing his face. He's capable she notes.... he's way too capable. So she nods.
"You will hug Iris and tell her you love her, then you and I are going to travel to the future. Where you will immediately return to your mother's house and let her know where you've been because she deserves that. As for me - he winces, the words physically paining him "I'm going to kill him, I am going to kill Eobard Thawne he says breathlessly as he pulls her close and kisses her forehead for the first time. She knows now how Jesus must have felt when Judas kissed him, when Judas betrayed him.. yet still loved him.
"You were working with an accomplice no?"
She snaps back to reality, and Nora West-Allen looks at her father just as she did before. The tears in his eyes beginning to form as if nothing had ever happened, as if everything didn't just change. She looks at him hard to make sure it wasn't all a dream. Hard enough to see that his hands are still shaking, that they never stopped shaking. So she opens her mouth, gulps, and lets the posion slip out "Yes right-."