Only Because I Need You Too

Chapter 15: Conversation

Caitlin peered into the pipeline where Nora sat slumped against a wall and staring into nothing. Caitlin glanced over her shoulder at Ethan, who gave her a nod of reassurance. With that Caitlin strode into the small corridor and made her way up the ramp, perching on the floor opposite Nora. The young speedster snapped back to her senses and greeted the pair with a warm smile. Ethan joined her swiftly. "Hey Nora," Caitlin sighed, resting her arms on her stomach.

"Heya... It's been one heck of a day." The speedster chuckled in response.

"That is has," Caitlin hummed. Studying the girls for a moment, Caitlin noticed that her form was more haunched over than usual and her face was pale and sunken. "Are you doing okay?" When Nora raised her brows, Caitlin elaborated, "I mean, seeing your younger self and mother being abducted can't be easy. Never mind seeing the younger version of your father in such a state of emotional distress."

Nora shrugged. "It is what it is. It's concerning, but I'm sure it will all be fine in the end," Nora sent them a wide toothed grin.

Caitlin nodded, noting that the girls smile didn't reach her eyes. "Fingers crossed." Ethan added, displaying his crossed fingers for emphasis

"What about you two?" Nora asked, stretching her arms out in front of her. "Exited to become parents?"

Caitlin and Ethan traded a look. "Well, we need to get their first," Caitlin added, her smile downturned. Ethan draped a loose arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close.

"I'm sure you will." Nora told them with a firm smile. "When you do, you will be able to look back on this and laugh with your daughter."

Caitlin felt tickles in her chest. Their daughter. Their daughter. A wide smile possessed her face and goosebumps erupted on her skin. Months of waiting would eventually come to fruition. "What is she like?" Ethan's gravelly voice drifted between them. His lips were quirked upwards and his face flooded with a warm glow.

"How to put Dawn Louise Frost into words..." Nora hummed, pursing her lip and glanced away as though she were wracking her mind for memories. After a moments pause, she turned back to them with a wide grin, "Well, she is well on her way to becoming a doctor of medicine." Ethan squeezed Caitlin's shoulder gently. "She is a good singer, a bit morbid at times... but you'll get used to that. She also hates violence and always knows what to do in a moral dilemma," Nora added with a shrug.

"I guess she doesn't do much hero work then?" Caitlin raised a brow and leant against Ethan's shoulder.

Nora shook her head. "She left the life all together, she lives in a completely different state." Nora let out a huff of air as the light twinkled in her eyes. "We only call her in when necessary."

"I see." Caitlin mumbled. Of course she was looking forwards to having children, but letting go of them? That was her worst nightmare. Yet she knew it must come.

"Dawn sounds just like us," a wide smile entrapped Ethan's features as he stared down at Caitlin with love filled eyes. The doctor felt her heart skip a beat.

"She is," Nora told them with a warm smile.

*

Iris felt a pounding ache erupt in her skull. Peeling her eyes open, she was met with dim, flickering lighting. Pushing herself up into a seating position, the noise of changing chains harassed her ears. The bed below her was lumpy and cut into her back. The cuff around her wrists stopped the flow of blood to her hands and left her with dark, raw bruises. Cracked tiles crunched under the legs of the bed and paint flaked off the streaky, stained walls. The room was small, only large enough to squeeze the small bed in and give them a few meters of walking space. A rusted metal door sat unevenly on its hinges. Streams of light poured in from between the door's joints. Iris ran a hand down her face, her chains nagging the whole way.

Glancing down to the bed, little Nora was curled up in her side with dark hair lying around her head like a halo. The toddler's face was peaceful at rest and her small pink lips were curving upwards into a distinct smile. Iris clenched a fist. A large clunky meta inhibitor had been tightly secured to the infants wrist, turning her had a light shade of purple. Tightness crept across Iris's chest. Giving a tug at her restraints, she le out an exasperated breath and collapsed onto the bed next to her daughter. Nora let out a little whimper of complaint.

Iris felt heat travel across her cheeks and pool in her eyes. Time seemed to have not moved since the moment they arrived in their broken down prison and Iris was beginning to fear that they were going to be trapped there forever. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head. No, she was going to do something. The ex-reporter had been observing the guards and listening in to every conversation she could. So far she hadn't gleaned much, but there was still time. If Tate was just going to waltz in and kill them, he would have done it.

Tracing a crack in the ceiling with her eyes, Iris began to ponder what was happening at S.T.A.R. Labs. Had they even noticed they were gone? Were they looking? Iris could only hope that any moment Barry would burst through the wall and help them. The more time that passed the more she realised that escaping was becoming less of a fact and more of a fiction. After scouring every inch of their shoddy cell, nothing stood out to her, there was no chance of her escaping. They weren't given the opportunity.

"Mommy?" Nora's childish voice pulled Iris from her thoughts. The child hadn't even moved from her fetal position. Iris hummed in response. "I miss Daddy." Her little voice trembled.

Iris gritted her teeth as tears pricked her eyes. Iris curled up around her daughter, pulling the infant into her chest. "Don't you worry sweetheart, I am sure Daddy will be here very soon." Sh spoke slowly and annunciated every syllable. Her words echoed in her mind. She could only hope they were true.