Second Chances: Flash

Chapter 6

"How is this even possible?" Barry asked, still trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. While he'd grown used to seeing the speed force take the form of his mother, this was something else entirely. This wasn't just the appearance of his mother, this was his actual mother, standing in front of him for the first time since she was killed.

"I thought you of all people would know that nothing is impossible." Nora Allen, or was it the speed force, said.

"What should I call you?" Barry asked as Nora smiled.

"What you've always called me. I am your mother Barry. I always will be. I'm just more than that now." Nora said as Barry finally broke out of his trance and hugged his mother tightly.

"I still don't understand why the speed force chose you?" Barry asked.

"In order to survive taking in the spectre's energy, the speed force had to take on an actual, physical form to stabilize its energy. It chose me because it remembered what you told it back when you were fighting against Ramsey's infection in the old world." Nora said.

"What do you mean?" Barry asked, before he remembered what he'd told the speed force right before he'd attacked it before allowing Ramsey's infection to take him over to get inside his head.

"You told the speed force that it was the reason you had to bury me." Nora said.

"I didn't mean it, I was trying to convince Ramsey that I was accepting his gift." Barry denied, only to have his mother cupped his face.

"No, my sweet boy, you can't lie to me anymore than you can lie to yourself. Ramsey's infection may have taken you over, but all it did was reveal the anger that you denied yourself. Ever since you found that the speed force had a consciousness, you've harbored anger and resentment towards it for taking my form and that anger finally came out when you attacked it. The speed force agreed with you that it was part of the reason I died, so when it needed to survive, it reached out to me as I was dying after Thawne attacked me and it offered to save me in exchange for becoming its host. I agreed as soon as it told me that it would allow me to stay connected to you as you grew up. I've been watching over you ever since and I'm so proud of you. So proud of the hero my son has become." Nora said and Barry smiled, since he was thrilled to hear that from his mom.

"Can you ever leave the speed force?" Barry asked.

"Yes, for short amounts of time and yes, and I will be there when you marry Iris this time." Nora said and Barry smiled.

"Thank you. Are you okay with the fact that dad remarried?" Barry asked and his mother smiled.

"Tina was a good friend of mine and I knew about her history with your father. I'm happy he moved on, since even if he knew that I was alive here, we couldn't have stayed together, since my life is dependent on me staying here." Nora assured him.

"I think that dad would like to see you though. Any chance you could give him back his speed so he could come visit you?" Barry asked and Nora just chuckled.

"We'll see. In time, he'll see me again, but for now, I want to see you with my own eyes instead of watching from the timeline." Nora said.

"I'll be making more trips into the speed force now to visit you, since I just got you back. I'm not losing touch with you again." Barry said and Nora smiled.

"Remember Barry, I am a part of you now. Whenever and wherever you run, I'll be with you. Just like I'll be with your little sister, since I do expect you to bring her here to meet me, since she may not be my daughter, but in a way, she is my child since she is a child of the speed force, just as you are." Nora said and Barry smiled.

"I'll bring Chloe here soon. I promise." Barry said.

"Good. Now it's time for you to return home." Nora said as she snapped her fingers to send Barry away.