"We are back in business." Cisco said the next day, looking up at us from his laptop screen.

I was dressed in a navy blue blouse, one that was tucked into skin tight dress pants, black platform heeled ankle boots on my feet, my hair straight, my hand messing with Barry's watch that I wore every day now, it being one of my favorites.

"And by business, he means the better-than-Sally the satellite business." Ralph explained.

Nora points, "And what does that mean?"

"That means we're getting closer to identifying the ever-elusive Cicada." Sherloque says, messing with something.

"It's Cicada, Sherloque." Cisco corrects his pronunciation, "Once I hacked Devoe's satellites, all I had to do was just use an impact extrapolation algorithm to predict where the shrapnel would've fallen after Barry and Nora pulled a Johnny Cage on Sally the satellite. May God rest her soul."

"So now we got 46 locations where 46 pieces of shrapnel landed." Ralph continued for him.

"And once of these locations is where Cicada will have been injured." Sherloque went on,.

"Except-" I lean my head against Barry's muscular arm, "We don't know which one."

"Or maybe we do." Cisco tells me, "You see, after my hands got sliced by Cicada's dagger, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, here measured the dark matter in my system."

"And its levels of concentration were higher than any I'd ever seen before." Caitlin explained.

"Insanely high, and the only part of the satellite that would have dark matter levels that high-" Cisco demonstrates, "Is the core."

"Which is where Cicada's dagger came from." I piece together.

"So we find the location of the core and we'll know where Cicada was that night." Barry says, looking between everyone

"You know, FEMA set up sites to help people after the Enlightenment." Caitlin stated, "If Cicada was injured, maybe he received medical treatment at one of them."

"That's a great idea." Barry nods, "I mean, we could check with FEMA to see if any fathers matching Cicada's description reported any injuries- near the crash site."

"So, we split up." Sherloque nods.

"Okay, great." I stood up straight, "So I will try and find the satellite core."

"I will come with you and everybody else look for the names." Sherloque comes right next to me.

"Okay-" I nod, Sherloque turning in unison with me.

"Um, do you mind if I actually come with you too?" Nora's voice causes me to halt and turn back around, Sherloque doing the same, "It's just that I saw you jump off a building last week and that was awesome. So I thought maybe I'd come with you while you did some detective work."

My eyes connect with Barry's, his smile wide as ever at Nora's words, a small smile forming on my lips as I looked at Nora.

"Oh, I think that two people is going to be more than enough- for what we need-" Sherloque began to say.

I cut him off, elbowing him in the side, "What he's trying to say is that we would love to have you come with us."

"Okay." Nora smiles, walking over to me, as I have Barry once last smile, before grabbing my leather jacket, walking out with Nora and Sherloque.

-

"So what are we doing first?" Nora asked from beside, as we walked onto the site, looking around.

"Well-" I looked around, "You could speed around the site and see if you could find the core? Scan the perimeter?"

Nora stops me, weakly smiling up at me, "I thought, since it's our first time teaming up, maybe I could go with you and we can interview the people who were here the night of the Enlightenment together."

"Oh?" I looked at her with questionable eyes, "Yeah- I mean, if you want to do that, we totally can."

"I do, yeah." She smiles at me, "I wouldn't ask you to come speed around the city with me or anything like that."

I nod, "Great- we can question the foreman together."

"All right, let's not." Sherloque walks over to us, "Look, we have 45 more sites to search. Clearly we don't have the time and clearly we must split up. So you go search for the core and you go talk to the foreman. I will look for clues."

Nora huffs, whooshing off, doing as told, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion at why her mood was killed because of Sherloque.

My phone buzzes, catching my attention, as I answered it immediately when I saw that it was Barry calling me, as I purposefully dragged out my greeting, "Hello-"

"Hey-" He drags out equally as much, "How's mother daughter team up going?"

"Well-" I began, "I don't know how to explain it. She wanted to interview people with me and then Sherloque interrupted and had her scan the perimeter instead, and it was almost like her entire day was ruined."

"Zee-" Barry chuckles lightly, "She wants to spend time with you."

"What?" I question, "I don't know-"

"The core's not here." Nora startles me, causing me to jump in my position.

"I still have to interview the foreman, babe, I'll talk to you later, all right?" I told Barry, grabbing my notepad out of my pocket.

"I love you-" Barry tells me, as I return the gesture, hanging up the phone, heading towards the foreman, asking questions, writing down the answers he gave me.

"Well why don't you go search the other sites?" Sherloque told Nora as I secretly tuned into their conversation, "We'll finish up here."

Nora huffs, causing Sherloque to piece everything together, "Well, no, you don't want to do that, do you, no? Because, um, you're not here to investigate, are you? No, you're here to spend time with your mother, right?"

"Well, I just thought maybe we would find something in common if we worked on a case together." Nora admits, "But she's really good at prying information out of people. Believe me, and I'm fast on my feet."

"I'm gonna go back to Star Labs." Nora huffs, turning away from him.

"Hold on, wait." Sherloque stops her, "I have another plan to try and find this core. It involves you and your mother."

At those words, a smile formed on Nora's lips.

-

"He has been singing that same song for the last two hours." Nora whisper shouts in my ear, as we stared at Sherloque, watching his every move.

"I know, I know." I clear my throat, "Sherloque, are you seriously making tea right now?"

"Oui. Right, chamomile." Sherloque brings the cup to his lips, "You know, to stimulate the brain, but also, frankly, the digestive system. Right, because since I've arrived at here, I've been backed up like a traffic jam."

"TMI. Too much information, Sherloque." I raise my hand to stop him from talking, "How are we supposed to investigate when you're making tea, Sherloque?"

"Well, you seem very annoyed, mademoiselle." He sips his tea.

"No shrap, Sherlock." Nora snapped at him, rolling her eyes.

"Sherloque." He corrected her.

"Sorry for the language, Mom." Nora apologizes to me softly, causing my heart to warm up.

"It's okay." I assure her, walking over to the Central City Community Bulletin Board, Nora following me, "It says there was a carnival the night the satellite crashed."

I looked at Nora, "If Joe is right about Cicada being a father, then maybe-"

"He might've brought his kid here." Nora finishes my sentence, "But, I mean, I ran all over this place. There's no core in sight."

"What if-" Nora began.

"The core fell into the water." I finish for her, as we stared at the water.

"How you will retrieve it?" Sherloque questioned.

"Nora," I turn and look at her, "What you need to do is create a vortex like your dad did when he fought King Shark."

"Oh, no, or what if we do what Aunt Iris did with the Hotness?" Nora suggests, looking st me.

"You know about that?" I quietly question.

"Yeah, of course." Nora laughs lightly, "I made Papa Joe tell me everything about when you went out on the field and contained the cyclone while Aunt Iris put it out. So how do we do it?"

"I-" I stare at her in disbelief, clearing my throat, recalling everything that Barry said to Iris over the comms that day, "You run back and forth in a really tight formation. And you want to pull the water up with your heels."

"Okay, right, which will drive the water away from the shore." Nora nods, "Schway."

"Yeah-" I nod, "You got it already."

"Do you think I can do it?" Nora looked at me with sincerity.

"Yeah, of course." I support her, "You're a hero, Nora. You got this."

"Okay." Nora smiles widely, rushing off to the water.

-

Caitlin, Cisco and Barry had filled us in on everything with Caitlin's father once we got back, as we were now mid crisis because of him.

"Wait, at this rate, in 5 minutes, the temperature will be 460 degrees, AKA absolute zero." Caitlin explained, "At which point, he can inject himself with my serum."

"And turn himself into a full-on icicle." Nora exhales.

"Icicle, that's-" Cisco's eyes widen, but then shakes his head, "Not the time."

"We gotta go." Caitlin instantly says.

"Let's do it." Cisco nods, turning towards the hall.

"Hey, what about your hands?" Caitlin stops him.

"You're my friend, my family." Cisco looks at her, "I'm going."

"Ugh, Flash." Icicle's voice come through the comms the minute Nora and Barry got there, "Don't you realize that speed and cold don't mix? This machine is capable of producing isotopes that can freeze carbon dioxide. You can't run in here."

"More superheroes to freeze." His voice came through again, once Cisco, Ralph and Caitlin breached over there.

"The array's at -220." I told them through the comms, stood next to Sherloque behind the console, "You have one minute."

Icicle chuckles, "You people are not as smart as I thought."

I question, "Guys, what's happening?"

"The temperature in the room is dropping." Caitlin quickly said, "Everyone's so cold, their atoms are hitting near stasis."

"Why can't I see my breath?" Nora's voice is weak, the sound of her teeth chattering and shivering threaded in her tone.

"It's too cold." Barry told her, his voice growing weaker, "There's no moisture in the air."

"Cisco, are you okay?" Caitlin questioned him, as Sherloque and I heard all of this through the comms.

"No." Cisco whispers, "At least I can't feel anything."

"Guys, the array's at -350 degrees." I told them, "He's gonna be able to go full icicle soon."

"Forty-five seconds." Sherloque stares down at the screen.

"What do we do?" Caitlin quickly asked.

"Lightning." Sherloque came up with something quick, "Use your lightning to counter the cold and maybe you can warm up enough to stop him."

"We've been trying to do it this whole time." Barry told us, "It's too cold."

"I'm literally fr- freezing." Nora struggled to speak, shivering.

"399, you have 30 seconds." I read, looking at Sherloque.

"Your temperature is dropping too quickly." I stood up straight, starting to back away from the console, ready to somehow find a way to get over to them, "They're gonna go into hypothermic shock soon-"

"Zee, I know what you're thinking-" Barry tried his hardest to speak, causing my footsteps to halt, "Please don't come-"

"Mom, don't-" Nora begged weakly, her teeth chattering.

Sherloque hits my arm lightly to catch my attention, "But not Caitlin. Look, Caitlin's body temperature is normal."

"Caitlin, you must be immune." I return to my position.

"But Killer Frost is gone." Caitlin said, confused.

"Well, she sure as hell isn't." I told her, "400 degrees. We got 20 seconds."

"Caitlin, you can do it." Cisco told her, "Just concentrate."

"Dad! Please, I know you're in there." Caitlin pleaded, "Don't do this."

"Do you think Thomas can hear you, Caity?" Icicle laugher, "Thomas hasn't been able to hear anything for a very long time."

"460 degrees." I inhale sharply, Sherloque burying his face in his hands, "We're too late."

"No!" The sound of Caitlin screaming fills the line, catching both Sherloque and I off guard.

"My daughter." Icicle praises, signaling that Killer Frost had finally come out, "You've returned!"

"You're not my family." She said, "They are. You only gave a damn about me because you wanted that serum."

"But I- I can share it with you." He reasons, "Just imagine. The two of us, free to be ourselves without fear. You are strong. We can be even stronger together."

"I'm strong because I have people in my life who actually care about me." She stood up for us, the sound of nice crackling, grunts and shouts following right after.

"What's happening? Is everyone okay?" I instantly ask when it goes silent.

"I think so." Barry's voice comes through, causing a sigh of relief to leave my lips.

-

"Oh! Sally's heart!" Cisco walked into the Speed Lab with Barry, "You brought it back."

"We did, thanks to these two and their deductive abilities." Sherloque gives where the credit was due.

"And our tidal-wave-breaking skills." Nora smiles, "I couldn't have done it without your help, Mom."

"Credit goes to where credit is due-" I lightly joke with her, earning a laugh from her as we did the handshake we suddenly had, Barry smiling at us widely as I sent him a wink.

"Oh yeah-" Nora laughs, as we faced everyone else.

"Uh, is it safe for this to be here?" Barry questioned, pointing at the core.

"Yeah, a little dark matter never hurt anybody." Cisco stared at it, amazed with it.

Barry looked at him, "What?"

"We've seen this puzzle piece before." Barry's fingertips touch the lightning bolt piece that was missing.

Cisco puts his hands on his hips, "Our satellite giveth, and now we must taketh away."

"I think we can finally do that." Ralph said as he walked in with Cecile. "We got a list from FEMA of everyone who reported injuries the night of the Enlightenment."

"None of them matched Cicada's description." Cecile began.

Ralph continued, "But there were three kids who were hit by pieces of shrapnel from the satellite."

"Two of them are twins whose father is deceased. Third is a ten-year-old girl, by the name of Grace Gibbons." Cecile finished.

"So if Joe's right and Cicada's a father," I looked at Barry.

"Then we may have just found his daughter." Barry finishes my sentence, piecing it all together.

-

I remain dead silent as I stared at what was in front of me, my hands folded together. I didn't know what to think, or do. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't even figure out if I should open it or not.

On the surface of the dining table, rested a envelope, with my name written on it. The from section saying it was from the one person I never thought I'd ever hear from; James Zolomon.

It shocked me that even if we had just got done dealing with Caitlin's father today, mine decided to take a wing at screwing me up too.

The front door opens, signaling to me that Nora had gotten back from Star Labs, Nora staying with us tonight.

I stay still, barely even flinching, my eyes glued to what was in front of me.

"Hey Mom, I got you some ice-" Nora's voice slowly quiets down when she walks further in, noticing my appearance, "-cream."

I slowly look up at her, my expression remaining blank, feeling nothing; not knowing what to feel.

I wanted to feel guilty that she had walked in on this. That she had walked in on her mother staring at what she thought was her past, one that Nora herself probably didn't know about. That we had finally made up and spent time together, only for her to barge in on me on the verge of nothingness.

I wanted to feel angry, at myself. For not dismissing this problem years ago. For letting myself be in a state of mind where I didn't know what to think or do, or even how to react.

But, I wanted to be upset because neither of those feelings were happiness or joy. They were made out of hatred, and disappointment.

"Who's James Zolomon?" Nora asked me, setting down the paper bag that probably held a pint of ice cream in it.

"My father." I whisper, not seeing the point in lying, deciding to finally grow a pair and open the envelope.

"Wait-" Nora began to piece it together, as I instantly cut her off.

"Nora-" I looked at her, stopping her, "Please don't."

Nora goes silent, as I ripped open the envelope, my eyes scanning the notebook paper that was folded in it, as I opened it, a paragraph resting on the lines in black ink.

Dear Zee,

This may seem sudden. This may seem unexpected. This may shock you. I'm sorry for not trying to contact you throughout these years. I've had so much to say, so much that I couldn't fit into one letter. It's been almost 20 years, my love. I just want to speak to you. One more time. Before it's time for me to go. To hear your voice. To see how much you've grown. To see what you've become. To see you one last time. Please.

Love,
Your Father

I stare at the words, rereading them over and over again.

"Mom?" Nora quietly questions, "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'll be back." I simply say, placing the paper flat onto the dining table, leaving the loft without another word said.

-

I pace uncontrollably back and forth in front of the clear glass, of the room that separated me and my biggest fear.

I had ended up back at Iron Heights, even a year after Barry's imprisonment, now here to see my father. Something I never thought I'd do again.

I admit, my curiosity had gotten the best of me. I needed to know if he was dying or if he was being executed for what he did.

I was the only one here, due to visiting hours only lasting for another fifteen minutes.

My head snaps at the buzzer, the one and only James Zolomon himself seating himself in the chair behind the glass, grabbing his phone, his eyes glued to me.

I hesitantly came closer, not even bothering to sit down, grabbing the phone, "Did you think a letter would fix any of what you did?"

"No, Zee." James looked down, "But, I don't have much time."

"They're finally going through with your execution, huh?" I ask, his eyes flickering with something, proving me correct, "Good. You're going to get what you deserved all along."

"You don't mean that." James looked down.

"I do." I feel the hatred and guilt mix within me, "Why couldn't you just call Earth One Hunter?"

"Earth One?" James questioned.

"Never mind." I shook my head, looking away.

"You've grown up absolutely gorgeous, sweetheart." He complimented, eyeing me.

I stay silent, looking down, tears filling my eyes.

"Whatever you do- no matter how hard you try." James began, "You can't push away the past when it's holding you back."

My eyes almost fell out of their sockets when Nora's voice sounds from behind me, "Mom-"

My head snaps back, as I looked at her, dropping the phone onto the counter, my eyes stinging with tears, "Nora, why did you come here?"

"Why did you?" Nora questions, concerned for me, "I called Dad-"

As in on cue, Barry runs in, looking at Nora, then rushes over to me, "Zee, let's go-"

"You have a family now." James spoke, catching my attention, Nora coming to my other side, Barry holding onto my forearm, staring at man, as did Nora.

"This is my husband, Barry Allen." I quietly introduce, "Our daughter, Nora."

"They're not your family." James' tone has instantly changed, as he stared at us down, "I'm your family. Your mother- is family."

"If she was family, why did you murder her right in front of me?" I practically growled through my teeth, the tears in my eyes slipping, Barry holding me back.

"She wanted to leave our family." James sickly went on, his entire tone changing, showing he that he had fully gone insane, "We could reunite with your mother. You and I."

"Mom, what the hell does he mean by that?" Nora quietly asks me, holding onto my arm for support.

"We reunite with her in the afterlife." James went on, "You just got to kill yourself to meet me half way."

Before I knew it, Nora had gasped at my father's words, and Barry had let go of me, had taken a step closer to the glass, the other thing separating my father and Barry being the clear glass, "I will murder you with my bare hands, you lunatic."

"Barry-" I weakly spoke, grabbing his arm, "I want to leave."

Barry looked at me, my eyes slightly red as a few more tears fell, "I want to leave."

Barry deeply exhales through his nose, trying to calm his frustration, pointing right at my father one last time screaming at the top of his lungs in anger, his shout booming through the room, as I pulled him out along with Nora, "You go to hell!"

-

"Zee-" Barry grabs my arm as I walked down the empty street to my old childhood home, holding two bottles of gasoline, "Think about this."

"There's nothing left for me in this house, Barry!" I turn and face him, "No one has ever dared to move into this wreck of a home because of what happened nearly 20 years ago. What do I have to lose?"

I had forced Nora to go back to the loft, not wanting her to see me do what I was about to do.

"I have what I need." I looked at him in the eyes, "I have what I've always wanted. You- Nora- the team- the family I have now. That's all I need. I don't need- this pain anymore. I just- I don't know why- but I need to do this."

Barry stays silent, just looking into my eyes, as we stood in the showery night, "Are you doing this with me or not?"

"Of course- I'm doing this with you." Barry takes a bottle from me, as we walked past the old, dusty, for sale sign that had been in the yard for years.

We broke into the house, spreading the gasoline everywhere, before stepping outside and back onto the empty road.

I snapped my fingers, a little flame forming at my finger tips as I simply touch where the gasoline trail began, the entire house erupting in flames in front of us.

The both of us stared at the house as it burned, Barry comfortingly wrapping an arm around me, holding me close.

Watching what used to be my childhood home, turn into ash.

authors note:

barry and zee.

zee and nora.

I'm shook.

what did you guys think of this chapter ? comment your reactions during whatever paragraphs while you read !