(The Flash) Frozen Flashpoint: Chapter 22 - A different kind of a meeting

 Chapter 22 - A different kind of a meeting

Summary: The Speedforce is serving up some wisdom with a side dish of metaphors.

Without another word or any opportunity for the Allen family to react, Nora (AKA the Speedforce) turned toward the gates and walked into the cemetery.

Caitlin was the first to raise a question. "What do you mean waited for a long time? Barry has been the Flash for just about three years, and we met Lyra just a couple of weeks ago."

Lyra, on the other hand, looked at the sky with awe and asked enthusiastically, "We are in the Speedforce?! So shwei! Why are we here? Why are you looking like grandma? And why does it look like this? I thought it would be more... Speedforcey."

Barry sighed before addressing his words to his fiancée and daughter. "Don't bother, they won't answer you. The Speedforce is the definition of working in mysterious ways. Last time I was here, I chased a shadow of myself for a whole day and still didn't get a straight answer." The girls looked disappointed, so wishing to cheer them up a little, he added, "Oh and Snowflake, this graveyard is kind of an illusion. Without it, the Speedforce looks like a storm of particles and lightning. You should have caught a glimpse of it when you ran back in time."

Lyra looked like she began to think back on her travel and was trying to remember something similar to what Barry described.

Caitlin looked around and had to ask, "So why are we here of all places if the Speedforce can create any illusion it wants?"

Before Barry could answer, Nora stopped walking and the other three stopped next to her. Lyra immediately made a choking sound and asked quietly, "Grandma? Grandpa?"

And indeed, all four of them stopped before the headstones of Nora Allen and Henry Allen. Barry kept staring at the new headstone of his father; he only looked away when he felt Caitlin wrapping her arms around him.

Lyra slowly stepped forward and knelt before the headstones. Nora gave her a small smile and said softly, "Yes, my little runner."

Lyra looked down with tears in her eyes and kept whispering, "I never... I wanted but..."

"My little runner," Nora called softly, and when Lyra looked up with tears running down her cheeks, Nora kept talking, even more softly, "We understand. There will be time, a time you may come here whole and offer what you are looking for. Until then, your past will always wait for you here. As it did for your father."

Lyra looked at the headstones again and with a small smile whispered a promise, "I will be back, I promise."

Lyra stood up and went to hug her parents. Nora turned to them with a big smile. "Barry, we are happy to see you again."

Barry just frowned back. Even now, he still felt a little uncomfortable with the Speedforce taking his mother's shape and speaking in her place. Last time it made it harder to let go, but this time it just made Barry seek home even more.

With a calm tone, he retorted, "What are we chasing this time around?"

Nora chuckled as it answered in an amused voice, "You don't have to be so worried all the time, Barry. All you need to do is walk through the door."

Nora pointed to where the benches were last time, but when Barry turned this time, he saw a wooden door there.

After throwing a suspicious glance toward Nora, Barry led the two girls to the door and slowly opened it.

Once they crossed the threshold, they found themselves in the woods at the edge of a small pond.

Barry didn't recognize the place, although he felt like he really should. He looked at the two girls at his side and asked, "Any of you know where we are?"

But Caitlin and Lyra looked just as lost as him. Before either of them could verbally confirm it, a familiar voice called from behind them, "That's freedom, Slugger."

Barry turned sharply. Behind them was a small shack, and out of it stepped a man Barry saw for the last time almost a year ago and never thought he would see again.

He still had the same greyish hair with the wide jaw and the usual big smile spread across his face. Barry's voice broke a little as he called out, "Dad..."

"Barr..." Caitlin called out to him, and when he turned to look at her, she was giving him a sympathetic sad look.

Barry shook his head and said dryly, "Speedforce, of course. Why do you have to keep doing it?"

Henry gave him a small smile that held a small amount of remorse beneath it as it replied, "Everything has a reason, Slugger."

Lyra raised her hand and asked a little awkwardly, "Umm, where are we? Even dad doesn't know this place."

Henry walked past them closer to the water and took a deep breath of the 'fresh air' before replying, "After getting out of prison, this is where I spent my time."

Barry frowned and asked a little impatiently, "Is there a point to this?"

Henry chuckled at it, saying, "No matter what's going on, you are always running, Slugger, never taking a moment. And your family is always running with you, but what happens when one of them stops running?"

Barry flinched with his entire body. He felt like he was just hit with a lightning charge.

He ran, but his mother stayed behind and she was left there.

Eddie, Barry just kept running while Eddie stayed behind.

His friends, when he pushed them away, stopped running alongside him and he was alone against the world until they caught up to him again.

His dad. His dad never wanted to run; he enjoyed spending the time he had at ease. He offered Barry to join him on his camping trip a few times, but Barry was too busy running to spend the time with him, and after his last experiences with the Speedforce, his dad chose to stay close to him, and still Barry was too busy running after Zoom to spend time with him.

And then... then it was too late, and he was gone.

Barry closed his eyes painfully and forced the words out, "You are saying that I kept running instead of spending time with dad."

Barry opened his eyes when he felt four arms hugging him from both sides, only to see Caitlin leaning toward him from the right and Lyra from the left.

Barry gathered strength from his family and asked carefully, "Are you trying to teach me that if I spent more time with him... them... that it would have hurt less?"

Henry smiled widely again and answered honestly, "While a valuable lesson to be learned, no. My goal is not your grief, but your guilt."

Caitlin frowned and glanced at Barry while asking, "Guilt? What does Barry have to be guilty about?"

Henry looked toward the water. "For someone who stopped running so he can allow others to reach the finish line he will never get the chance to see, nor will he see the way leading there." It shifted their stare back to Barry and asked softly, "Am I right, Slugger?"

Caitlin looked even more confused and asked, "What does that even mean?"

Barry had a pit in his stomach that he tried to ignore for a while now. From the second day Lyra came into their life. But now pointed out so bluntly, Barry couldn't help but allow his mind to wonder about those awful feelings of guilt, sadness, and anger.

He glanced toward his daughter and spoke from his heart before his mind could stop him, "Lyra."

Both Lyra and Caitlin looked at him. The future teen had a sad look in her eyes, thinking the same as him probably, while Caitlin asked gently, "What does she have to do with it?"

"Everything." Was the instant reply from Barry before he elaborated, "Because I sacrificed myself so all of you could get away, I wasn't there for her when she grew up. Wasn't there to see her, teach her, guide her... Love her. Love all of you, Cait, Lyra, Dawn."

Barry slowly pulled Lyra into his arms and with small tears in his eyes he said mournfully, "I stopped running and forced you to finish the race for me. I'm sorry."

Lyra hugged him back tightly and choked out, "Dad..."

"It's a baton."

Barry turned to Henry who stood with the large smile on his face as he watched them. Barry frowned and asked, "What?"

Henry looked at the two speedsters before saying, "Our speed is a baton. No speedster can run forever; each and every one of you must reach the finish line at some point. It's then that your legacy is passed on. For some it's their power, for others it's their ideals. But most importantly are the people left behind, the ones who will pick up the baton."

Barry released his daughter and turned fully toward Henry. "Are you trying to say something about Lyra?"

Henry laughed. "You were always the clever one, Slugger. But now it's not her turn, not yet."

Barry sighed heavily, knowing he won't get a better answer. Henry pointed at the door to the shack he just exited and said, "Someone is waiting there for all three of you. Just keep on running, Slugger. I'm proud of you."

Barry tried to push the warm feeling that sentence brought away, so instead he turned away toward the door and led the way through.

When they stepped into what was supposed to be a wooden shack, they found themselves inside a teenager's room instead.

There was a single bed pushed close to the window, the walls were painted soft blue, and it had many different stars and chemistry-themed posters. At the foot of the bed was a large and professional telescope.

Bent over the telescope to look inside was a thin and tall man with very short grey hair. Barry froze in place when he heard a gasp from his fiancée.

The stranger heard the gasp as well, so he stood to his full height and turned to the three of them with a small smile.

Barry turned to see Caitlin hiding her gaping mouth behind both her hands, Lyra supporting her from next to her. Caitlin's face was almost as pale as it became when she turned into Frost, and her eyes were wide with shiny tears filling them.

The stranger took a step forward and said gently, "You look beautiful, my dear snow-child."

Caitlin removed the hands from her lips and choked out, "Dad..."

Caitlin's dad, Thomas Snow if Barry remembered correctly, gave her a kind stare and said with the same tone, "It's been a while, hasn't it, my dear?"

"Almost 20 years," Caitlin whispered mournfully.

Lyra looked at her sadly. "Mom, are you okay? If this is too much for you, I'm sure me and dad can find a way out."

Caitlin shook her head and answered in a much stronger voice than a moment before, her face too changed to something calmer and determined with her words, "No. If I need to face it to understand, I will."

Barry grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it while reminding her, "Me and Lyra are here with you, don't forget it. Our Snowflake was right—if we have to, we will get you out of here."

Thomas chuckled, drawing everyone's attention to him before he spoke, "You grew up, Cait, and found a wonderful family. You lightning rods always surprise me with the drive you alone can provide for them."

Caitlin tilted her head in confusion, and to be fair, Barry was confused by that statement as well. After a moment Caitlin asked carefully, "Lightning rod?"

Thomas smiled as he looked at both Barry and Caitlin before he explained, "Every speedster has a lightning rod. Someone who drives them to reach further, the very reason they are running for in the first place. Sometimes it can be a family member, other times a friend, but we always find it heartwarming when it's something more."

Caitlin was blushing at the implications while Barry couldn't help but agree with Thomas. Since he opened his eyes, Caitlin was always there. She helped him figure out his powers, healed him even when he ignored her advice and injured himself.

The Flash could never have existed without Caitlin Snow. All of a sudden, the term lightning rod felt appropriate.

"Every speedster has one?" muttered Lyra, but everyone in the room could hear her.

Thomas looked deep into her eyes with a pair of blue orbs and said with the most sincerity, "Yours is still with you, even now."

Lyra turned her head and avoided their eyes.