So here it is, the final chapter. I would just like to thank you all for your support. This basically just started out as idea that came to me, I had no idea you guys would enjoy it so much or that I would enjoy writing it so much. Thank you all for your support.

GIJose: Thank you.

Star Labs, 2019

Afternoon

Barry walked into the cortex, seeing Cisco, Ralph, Sherloque, Joe, and Cecile waiting for him with solemn looks on their faces. Iris was noticeably absent, for which Barry was grateful. He didn't have the energy to deal with her right now.

"How's Caitlin?" Cisco asked, noticing that she wasn't with Barry.

"She…wanted to be alone," Barry said wearily.

"It's understandable," Joe said as he walked over, putting a hand on Barry's shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"Honestly, I can't tell you. I knew her for less than a minute and yet…I feel like Thawne shredded my heart to pieces," Barry sighed.

"We don't have to look at this as a worst case scenario," Cisco pointed out and they looked over at him. "We can still have all the good things of that future while making sure the bad don't happen."

"You have a Vibe?" Ralph asked and Cisco shook his head.

"No, more like a good feeling. If this whole thing has taught us anything, it's that the future isn't set in stone. We can make our own future, right here, right now," Cisco said passionately.

"Like you marrying Lisa Snart?" Barry cracked and Cisco grimaced.

"Yeah, still trying to wrap my head around that," Cisco muttered.

"It's been quite a journey, but I feel it's time for me to take my leave," Sherloque said holding out his hand to Barry. "It's been an honor, Flash."

"We never could have solved this mystery without you," Barry said buy Sherloque smiled.

"Don't be so sure. You already have a master detective in your midst," Sherloque said as he turned to Ralph before dropping Barry's hand. "Mr. Ramon, if you will."

Cisco opened a Breach up as Sherloque walked up to it.

"Farwell, Team Flash," Sherloque tipped his hat at them before walking through it.

Bar

Late afternoon

"Well, we stopped Thawne and Cicada," Ralph said as he and Cisco sat at a table. "Should feel like a win."

"But it doesn't," Cisco agreed. "In a way, we still lost. Especially Barry and Cait."

For a moment, it was silent between them before Cisco stood up.

"Well, I'm gonna go grab another drink. You want anything?" Cisco asked.

Ralph shook his head and Cisco walked over to the bar.

"Scotch, neat," Cisco said once he got to the bar.

"Celebrating something?" the dark haired woman asked, her back to him as she started making his drink.

"More like drowning my sorrows," Cisco said as she turned around to face him.

"Well, why don't you tell me all about it," Lisa said and Cisco nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Lisa? What are you doing here?" Cisco demanded, worried this was some kind of job.

"Relax, I don't do that anymore," Lisa rolled her eyes as she saw where his mind was headed. "Not since Lenny…"

"Oh," Cisco said awkwardly. "So…what are you doing here?"

"Like I said, gone straight. Just got back into town, my first day on the job," Lisa said, putting his drink in front of him. "Here. On the house."

"Thanks," Cisco said awkwardly, picking it up.

"Consider it an apology for, well, everything. Besides, you look like you could use it," Lisa said.

Cisco could only nod, walking back over to where Ralph sat.

"You okay?" Ralph asked, seeing Cisco glance back at the bar.

"Not sure," Cisco said as he picked up his scotch and took a drink, his eyes not leaving Lisa.

Star Labs

Same time

Barry was in the cortex, staring a picture of Nora on the computer. With a sigh, he deleted it as Iris walked in.

"Hey," she said and Barry tensed. "I heard what happened."

"What do you want Iris?" Barry asked gruffly.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," Iris said gently.

"You mean you wanted to see if I would feel differently now that my daughter has been possibly erased from existence," Barry said coolly and Iris didn't deny it. "God, do you ever think about anyone but yourself? I don't feel any differently Iris. If anything, after seeing her, I feel even stronger in my decision."

"Do you love her? Not Allison, Caitlin?" Iris asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer but knowing she needed to.

"Honestly?" Barry asked as he turned around to face her and she nodded. "I think I've loved her for a long time, but I couldn't see passed the idea of you to admit it to myself."

"It's really over, isn't it?" Iris said softly and Barry nodded.

"I don't think you should come around here for a while. I need some space from you," Barry said quietly.

"But I'm part of the team," Iris said feebly.

"Only because I've let you be. I let my emotions blind me and look what it cost me in the future. I won't make the same mistakes. I'd say sorry but…I don't want the last thing I say to you for a while to be a lie," Barry said gently before he walked passed her.

Barry made his way into the Speed Lab, stopping as he saw Caitlin sitting down on the steps of the treadmill. Barry walked over and sat down next to her, simply sitting with her for a moment.

"Thank you, for giving me some space," Caitlin said as she looked up at him. "And for making the others give me some space."

"Sometimes you need to deal with things alone. But I'm here, if you need to talk," Barry said gently.

"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Caitlin said softly. "She was…"

"Everything you imagined and more," Barry finished and Caitlin nodded slightly.

"I barely got any time with her, but I already love her more than I have ever loved anything. And now she's gone," Caitlin said brokenly.

"We don't know that," Barry said and she looked up at him curiously. "Cisco brought up a good point earlier. We can still have all the good things about that future without the bad. The future, it's what we make of it, not what someone's written down in a book."

"So…are you saying you wanna have kids with me?" Caitlin raised an eyebrow and Barry flushed.

"I'm saying that that version of Allison is gone. She may not be. I don't know what the future holds for us Cait. I just know that I love you," Barry said and Caitlin stiffened. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize it. I said once that I wasn't the best version of me without my speed. The truth is…I'm not the best version of me without you."

For a moment, they simply looked at each other. Then, Caitlin put her hands on either side of his face and leaned in. They closed their eyes as their lips met in a kiss that was everything they had ever imagined and more.

"I love you to," Caitlin said once they had pulled back for air.

In the time vault, the article suddenly appeared before it was replaced by a much different article. This one was written by Julie Greer instead of Iris West-Allen. And rather than just the Flash on the cover, there a picture of the Flash, Killer Frost, Green Arrow, and Supergirl standing shoulder to shoulder under the headline 'Flash and friends save Central City in Crisis.'

Just so we're clear, the final scene with the article changing is not set up for a sequel, it's just to show that the future has changed.

And also, so I don't leave any loose ends, Allison will still be born. I had a scene in mind where Cisco Vibes Caitlin giving birth with Barry there, but I ended up deciding not to simply because it didn't mesh for the 'make our own future' theme of the chapter.