Hiraeth

Part II

Description: Five years have passed since Barry Allen and Caitlin Snow vanished into the Speed Force. Now, rescued by their friends, they must face the world they left behind and try to adapt to the new changes that have occurred not only within their old lives, but also within themselves.

...

If asked, Caitlin Snow was sure she could pinpoint the exact moment that she passed through the dimensional barriers that separated the Speed Force from Earth-1. It was instant and jarring, and to Caitlin felt something akin to what one might feel if they were suddenly transported from a warm bath to the middle of an arctic wasteland.

As her feet hit the floor of the lab, she was pulled from the familiar aether she had come to know and thrust back into the harsh winds of reality. She slid to a stop on the smooth sheet tile, her hand still gripping Barry's tightly.

He looked at her and she looked at him, a range of undefinable emotions coursing through them both. Their eyes began to roam, their surroundings somehow familiar yet alien all at once. Then their gazes slid over to the two other figures in the room.

Cisco stood just a few paces away, his arm still outstretched in front of him. Harry wasn't far away either, his hands still busy with a set of dials mounted on a control panel of some kind.

Caitlin would like to say she remembered the expression on Cisco's face, that the moment of finally seeing them again was clearly imprinted in her mind. But it wasn't, it was all a blur because she was too busy clearing the distance across the lab and throwing her arms around the breacher.

"Caitlin," the word came out as a huff because of the force in which she had hit him. His arms quickly wrapped around her. "You're here, you guys are really here," he said over his shoulder, a note of disbelief in his voice.

"We're really here," Barry assured.

Just as he spoke, Harry moved out from behind the control panel and greeted the other man with a hug. Eventually, Caitlin released Cisco from the death grip she had on him, only for Barry to immediately swoop in and do the exact same thing.

It was then that Caitlin was able to actually get a good look at Harry for the first time. He looked different than he had when she last saw him. He had regained that sharp glint of intelligence in his eyes, only now it was undercut with a softer glow of kindness. "Harry, you're back," she blurted, the older man willingly pulling her into an embrace.

"Thanks to Jesse," he answered quietly, a smile in his words. "And besides, someone had to help Ramon," he gave a slight nod in his direction.

"Uh, excuse me, I believe I was the one that did the heavy lifting in the end," Cisco retorted, patting Barry's back before letting him go.

For a moment, Caitlin had to just stop and smile, the familiar sound of her two friends bickering somehow filling her with both nostalgia and affection. Then the full implication of what Cisco had said finally registered.

"That breach," Caitlin whispered. "Cisco, was that you?

His attention quickly snapped back to her and he nodded slowly, an honest and open look on his face. "I guess it turns out the cure wasn't so permanent after all," he briefly glanced down at the floor, running his fingers over his wrist and palm. "At least not for me. I got them back a few weeks ago."

"Cisco, I'm so sorry—" Her mind was already scrambling to find a solution.

"No, don't be," he interjected, shaking his head as he spoke. "The truth is, I love my powers, they're apart of me. I lost sight of that for a while," he admitted, his gaze drifting down to his hand as he absently flexed it.