Everyone has been trying to help in any way possible and Barry was in the cortex with Caitlin, Harry and Cisco. Dawn was tying up some loose ends as she said, Joe got called back into CCPD and Cecil was in the lounge checking on Jenna. Barry needed to clear his mind so he was going to go to the speed lab to run. As he got closer he heard Iris and Nora talking. Barry heard Iris say "You never told me this would kill Dawn" and he kept on listing to see what they were talking about it.
"I didn't know that it would but it means our plan is working, now dad doesn't fall in love with anyone else and we get to be a family, you want us to be a family don't you?" Nora asks
"Of course I do" Iris said "I'm glad that we get this family as much as I wish no one was hurt I get to keep my family and that is everything" Iris said "Honestly I wasn't sure that it would work since we went to Eobard Thawne of all people"
"Me too and I feel bad about tricking dad but I'm just glad that everything worked out" Nora said
"Now we can be a happy family, no distractions" Iris said with a smile that was replicated on Nora's face. Barry then pieced together everything, the whole date was just a front for their plan, everything she told him was the reason Dawn was fading out of existence.
"Are you sure about that?" Barry said coming out of the hallway, the smiles on the girls faces instantly faded as they saw an angry Barry. "I can't believe you guys would do something like this"
"Barry it's not like that" Iris said
"What, so you didn't go to my arch enemy to get a plan to keep this family together and then trick me so you look like the victim and you think that this family was drifting apart because of Dawn when you guys are the ones causing the problems. Then this plan cause my other daughter to be erased from existence. It's not like that!" Barry yelled and Iris and Nora stayed silent "That's what I thought and the downfall of our marriage, of this family wasn't because we weren't spending enough time together, it's because of both of you" he said and threw his wedding ring on the floor. Barry was walking away and had both Nora and Iris following him repeating the same things over and over again. Cisco, Harry, Caitlin and Dawn who had finished everything she needed to do before she left, heard the overlapping chatter. They turned their heads to see a very angry Barry enter the cortex with Iris and Nora behind him looking very desperate. They were still trying to convince him to not do this. "ENOUGH!" he said tired of their rants. Everyone was shocked at Barry's emotions since he was never this mad. "What you did was wrong and selfish, because you didn't realise that your actions have consequences Dawn is being erased from the timeline"
"What are you talking about?" Dawn asks interrupting
"Do you want to tell them or should I?" Barry asks Nora and Iris
"We went to the future to go talk to the Reverse Flash so he could help us keep our family together" Nora started
"So we tricked Barry and we made him feel bad about leaving us so that he would stay and we could be a family" Iris said
"Because of what we did Dawn is fading out of existence" Nora said. Everyone is taken back by this.
Iris and Nora are looking at the ground ashamed when Dawn says "I just have one question, was becoming friends, sisters was that part of your ruse as well?" Nora nods and Dawn was upset "Well I guess you didn't just screw him over you screwed me too, I hope you get what you wanted" She then sped out of the room.
"You didn't just screw them over" Cisco said
"You screwed all of us" Caitlin finished
"I'm sorry, we are so sorry" Iris said looking apologetically at everyone.
"No matter how many times you say sorry it won't change what you did" Barry said "Right now I think we all need sometime to adjust"
"Barry" Iris pleads
"Please, just go" Barry said
"Dad" Nora says as her eyes water
"Please, just get out!" Barry said fuelling up with anger. Iris and Nora both leave and breakdown into tears.
"Is everything alright? I just saw Iris and Nora in tears. What happened?" Joe says and then notices the expression on everyone's face.
"We need to talk" Barry says and explains everything to Joe and Cecil.
"Bar, I'm so sorry, I had no idea she would do something like this" Joe says
"That doesn't matter right now we need to find a way to save Dawn" Barry said
It was nearing to the last 5 minutes of the 6 hours and they came up with nothing. "I guess it's time to say goodbye" Dawn said
She went to Cecil and hugged her "Thank you for always helping me when I needed it, whenever I had issues you were always there for me. Thank you mama Cecil"
"Anytime sweetie, I'm really going to miss having you around" Cecil said and Dawn broke away from the hug she nodded at Cecil and flashed a smile and then moved onto Joe.
"Thank you papa Joe for talking me out of running away from home and for always giving me the best advice especially when I ranted to you about my mum and dad" Dawn said giving him a hug.
"I'm always going to be here for you kiddo" Joe says squeezing her. The tear fest has already started and everyone was already crying including Harry.
"Uncle Harry, thank you for helping me with my science projects and thank you for saving my life more times than I can count" Dawn said and hugged him. He didn't even need to say anything back because everyone in the cortex knew the hug was meant more than he could ever say. She broke away and they smiled at each other before she turned to Cisco "Thank you for being cool uncle Cisco and making me laugh in the worst of times. Most of all telling me stories about dad when no one would."
"Anytime young Padawaan slash baby flash and what else do you think I'm here for besides for watching movies and tv shows" Cisco says and she smiles and lets out a small laugh as do some others in the cortex.
"I'm really going to miss all of you" Dawn said breaking away from Cisco's hug "Caitlin, I need to speak with you and dad in private"
Caitlin and Barry share a look with each other before following Dawn into the med bay. She sat down on the bed and the two of them sat on either side of her. " I wanted to say thank you to both of you in private because you guys have helped the most mum and dad"
"Mum?" Caitlin asks
"Yeah" Dawn says and nods
"So everytime you've told me about your mum..." Caitlin asked confused
"I was talking about you" Dawn said. Barry and Caitlin look at each other before turning their attention back to their daughter "I know I shouldn't have told you, I just wanted you guys to know before I was gone" Dawn said "I also want you to know that I love you both so much and this has been the best parts of my life getting to see you both even though it's not together"
"We love you too" Barry said
"So much" Caitlin added
"These last few months have meant the world to us too and I am so sorry that I didn't see what their plan was because then I could have stopped this from happening" Barry said was going to go on.
"Don't you dare go there, this is not your fault" Dawn said
"Come here" Barry said bring his daughter in for a hug and then he extends his arm so Caitlin join as well. "You too" he said and Dawn was only holding Barry with one so she could pull Caitlin in with the other one. There was only 30 more seconds left on the clock. The three of them just stayed there hugging. When the time was up she started glowing and went away in little pieces 1 by one.
"I love you both" She said before she was completely lost to time.
"That's it, she's just gone like that" Caitlin said
"Cait" Barry said and pulled her in for a hug. They just cried on each other mourning their daughter. After a few minutes they came out of the med bay.
"Is she?" Cisco asked and then choked on his own words. Barry and Caitlin both nodded and tears fell hard on everyone's face.
"We found out who the mother is" Barry said trying to take his mind off of what happened
"Who is it? Joe asks
"It's me" Caitlin says
"No jokes?" Cisco said
"No jokes" Barry said
"I didn't see that coming" Cisco said and Cecil, Caitlin and Barry had a small smile appear on their faces before returning to their original, sad state. The team spent the rest of the day mourning their loss.
"We should put Jenna to bed, we'll check in tomorrow" Cecil said and everyone waved the goodbye.
"I think I'm going to head out was well" Cisco said
"You two should get some rest it's been a long day" Harry said and exited the cortex.
Barry and Caitlin got up and Caitlin said "Good night" was and was walking away when Barry caught her attention.
"It's been a wild and long day do you mind if I ride home with you?" Barry said
"Yeah sure" Caitlin said. Barry got in the passenger seat and sat next to Caitlin, it was mainly silent besides for the radio which they listened to as Caitlin suggested.
Caitlin was at her front door when Barry asked "Are you ok? It probably came to you as a shock that Dawn was your daughter before what happened"
"Yeah, I'll be fine it was obviously a pretty big bomb but I'll get through it and if anything I should be asking you if your ok? With Iris, Nora and Dawn"
"Well I am obviously infuriated with Iris and Nora and with Dawn I know I have to grieve, there's not much else I can do." Barry said and she nodded
"Are you going to stay with Iris and Nora tonight" Caitlin asked
"I'll probably go to Joe's or a hotel" Barry says
"Why don't you just stay with me" Caitlin says "I have a spear room and I think we could both use some company right now plus your already here"
"Are you sure?" Barry asked and Caitlin nodded. She unlocked the door and both of them a taken back by what they see.
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Cliff-hanger! Not really it's pretty obvious. I hope you guys are enjoying the book. This is about half way through the book!😀