"Mom?" The sound makes my attention snap right where the sound came from, Nora standing there, holding a bowl in her hands, Barry watching from the kitchen, "I cut some fruit up for you."

I gape at her for a second, before sitting up, setting down the cup that held a few sips of whisky, giving her a weak smile, the smile being my thank you gesture.

She hands me the bowl, giving me a comfortingly smile, before seating herself next to me.

I pick at the fruit with my fork, staring at the news that played on the tv screen, Barry slowly walking over, seating himself on my other side, wrapping an arm around me.

He took the fork out of my hands, my eyes slowly watching him, as he fed me the fruit that was at the end of my fork.

I exhale through my nose, looking at him with a unreadable expression, as he wraps an arm around me, Nora and Barry now taking notice of the news.

Suddenly, the entire scene changes, causing me to grab the remote and change the channel, only for it to be the same thing on every channel.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion, as I took notice of what was being broadcasted, Barry quickly sitting up at the words.

"This is a public service announcement. James Zolomon has escaped Iron Heights minutes before his execution, leaving us all at unease. This man is very dangerous. He is mentally ill, and has been convicted for the act of first degree murder. He was last seen where a grey jumpsuit. Please remain at home under these circumstances as we try to locate this man."

I stared at the tv screen in front of me, feeling as if my entire past had been pulled, slapped onto a paper, and shoved into my face.

"Zee-" Barry began, slowly sitting up, staring at the tv screen.

I shook my head, staying silent, as I remained since we got home, staring at the tv screen.

-

Barry sits up next to me a few hours later, my eyes snapping open tiredly at the sound of banging at our front door. My eyes land on the clock on Barry's nightstand, the time reading 3:02 am.

I looked at him, slowly getting up, as does he, him quickly putting on a hoodie and sweatpants.

I remain in an oversized sweater, one that fit me like a dress, my legs bare, comfortable shorts on under the sweater.

Barry and I slowly made our way down the stairs, my eyes landing on Nora, who was gaping at the door from the couch.

"The hell?" I glance at Barry and Nora, before walking to the door, opening it, my eyes landing on none other than my father.

My eyes widen, my hands instantly pushing on the door to shut it, only for him to push back, stronger than me, shoving me onto the ground.

Barry was quick to have him up against the wall, Nora helping me up.

Barry was defensive already, his eyes filled with hatred, his jaw clenched, "If you lay a finger on my wife- so help me God, I will murder you."

I slowly grabbed the handcuffs that sat next to my badge, walking over, putting my hand on Barry's arm to signal I want him to let go, my eyes glued on my father.

Barry slowly let go, stepping away, as my father stared at me for a second, before grabbing me and pinning me to the wall, a sharp object what I assumed was a knife pressed against my stomach.

"Mom-" Nora began, only to be cut off when my leg flew up, pushing James back, catching him off guard, pushing myself up, getting onto his shoulders, flinging myself back, bringing him down with me, pinning him to the ground on his stomach, handcuffing him.

"Mom- that was so schway!" Nora quietly cheers from next to her father.

"James Zolomon you are under arrest for the violation of-" I began to say, speaking for the first time since I've gotten home.

He cuts me off, "We can be together. We can die together- we can be with your mother again."

"Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of law-" I tried, only for him to cut me off again.

"I should've killed you along with your mother." He spat at me, now upset that I wasn't giving in.

"Well-" I got up, pulling him up with me, "You didn't. And here I am, ready to take you right back to your execution."

"Zee-" Barry grabs my arm, looking at me with a concern look.

"Just-" I looked at him, "Speed him back before he tries anything else, please."

As if on cue, James turns after I loosen my hold, his leg flying up, only for Barry to whoosh him off, a sigh leaving my lips as I picked up the knife that fell onto the ground.

"Mom- your leg." Nora points at the gash that somehow made its way there, a shrug coming from me as I toss out the knife.

"It'll heal." I mutter, looking up at her, "Nora, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Nora cuts me off, engulfing me in a hug, as I let out a shaky breath, hugging back tight. Barry runs in, looking at Nora and I. Walking over to us, he wraps his arms around us both, his chin resting on my head, as they both tried to comfort me.

-

"Zee-" Barry grabs my hand after I slip my sweater on, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I use one hand to fix the hem of the white sweater I had put on, dusting off my blue jeans for no reason, my legs exposed due to the many rips, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I mean, with your father being pronounced dead this morning-" Barry began, "And what he did last night- and all-"

"I'm okay." I dismiss, slipping on a pair of black platform heeled ankle boots, letting go of his hand, turning away from him, running my hands through my straight, medium length hair.

"Zee." Barry grabs me by my forearms, turning me around so I faced him, "We're not leaving until you talk about this."

"Barry, what is there to talk about?" I question, "My father legitimately wants me dead so we can reunite with my mother."

"God, that sounds even more insane out loud." I huff, looking away, trying to hold back tears.

"It does." Barry admits, "But, this is exactly what we need to talk about. You can't just bottle it all up, I'm here for you."

"I know." I looked up at him, putting my hands on his chest, trying my best to stay strong, only for my voice to come out weaker than I intended, "But, I'm afraid if I start letting it all out, the pain won't even stop."

"Grief is a part of life." Barry pulled me close, "You gotta let it out."

I stared at him, tears almost instantly filling my eyes as I let out a choked sob, hugging him tight. Every thought, every moment, every second of last night to this morning filled my mind. I tried not to think about it, but the more I tried, the harder it got.

"It hurts." I sob quietly, "It hurts so much. I didn't think I'd be so upset about this twenty years later- I didn't think he'd show up- I didn't think he'd be even worse than he was then-"

Barry rubs my back comfortingly, letting me vent it all out, "I'm so sick of feeling like this. The undeniable pain- first it was because of you disappearing in the future, then it was because of my future self- and now it's because of my Dad- I- it hurts too much, please make the pain stop- please make it stop-"

Barry stays silent, keeping a tight grip on me, comfortingly me as I let it all out.

-

"Excuse me, could you tell us where Grace Gibbons' room is?" I ask the nurse quietly, stood with Barry at Central City General that very morning, as I was finally calm and collected.

"One sec, let me check." The nurse nods, stepping away for a second.

"Hey-" Barry puts a hand on my lower back, "Are you okay?"

I looked up at him, weakly nodding, a small smile on my lips because of him just checking up on me, "I'm okay."

The nurse walks back over, "Actually, yeah, she's that first room- right on the right."

"Thank you-" Barry thanks her, as we slowly made our way towards the room, only for a woman to walk right over and stop us.

"Just where do you think you're going? Into my patient's room is what it looks like." She instantly shot at us.

"I'm sorry. I'm Barry Allen. This is Zee Allen," Barry introduces, "We're with the CCPD. We were hoping to speak with you, actually."

"We're looking for Grace Gibbons' parents." I cross my arms, looking into the room secretly, "Specifically her father."

"I'm sorry, but the girl's parents are deceased." She told us.

"Are you-"I trail off, "Are you sure about that?"

"I can show you her charts." She turned, pulling them out, handing the documents to Barry, "See for yourself. She came in with a wave of new admissions. No legal guardian listed, no next of kin. The sad truth is, our staff is the only family this little girl has left."

I stay silent, staring into the room, as Barry grabbed my hand, leading me away, thanking the doctor, "Okay. Thank you for your help."

-

I couldn't hold back the endless bubble of laughter leaving my lips as Nora and I walked into the loft after spending some time together. I had come to grips with what had happened, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Spending time with my family, friends, and my daughter.

"I swear, I didn't think he was ever gonna talk to me again." I told her, a laugh leaving her lips, slipping off my leather jacket, placing it on the hook, walking further into the loft, my eyes landing on Barry and Caitlin in the kitchen, a smile on Barry's lips as his eyes land on Nora and I.

I sipped on the Killer Frost in my hand, Nora holding her's in her own, as we made our way over to Caitlin and Barry.

"Hi, guys." Nora waves, "Dad, how long did that blue paint stain for?"

"Yo." Barry greets us, then looks at me, "You told her?"

"Well, she asked how we met." I shrugged, walking over to him, kissing his cheek.

"It was on there for a few days," Barry looked at me, "I guess your Mom forgot to mention that she got the permanent kind."

"Sorry we're late." I peck his lips, Nora coming by my side, "It seems like everyone and their grandma is getting pre-holiday manis and pedis."

"Is that a Killer Frost?" Barry looks at my drink that I held, scoffing playfully, "Who even are you?"

"Oh shush, Nora got me into it." I wrapped my arms around him.

Barry leans over, taking a sip on my drink, tasting it, looking at me, giving me a nod, "Oh yeah, that's good."

"Ooh, Mom- let's take photos and post them on that old fashioned Insta thingy that you guys use." Nora caught my attention, as I gave Barry a small smile, kissing his cheek once more, walking over to the couch with Nora, placing my drink down.

"Those two seemed to have really patched things up." Caitlin quietly said to Barry, as I watched Nora pull out her phone.

"Yeah, Nora's getting closer to Zee than she is with me, and the timing couldn't have been better." Barry quietly told her, as I could feel their stare on us.

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

"I mean, Nora was so young when I disappeared in her future, so this would be her first memory of Thanksgiving with both her parents." Barry quietly told her, "I feel like it's my job to make it the most perfect Thanksgiving ever."

A small smile forms onto my lips at Barry's words, Nora catching my attention quickly, "And- #HandModels."

"Wow, I feel famous already." I roll my eyes playfully, running a hand through my hair.

"Mom," Nora looks up at me, "Um, I'm sorry."

"For what, Nora?" I ask quietly, looking at her.

"After seeing everything that went down with your dad- I didn't realize how much family meant to you. I didn't realize how much you cared. I'm sorry for not giving you a chance to show me how great you are." Nora apologizes, "This year I'm just really thankful to get to know you. The real you."

I smile at her, "You know, this family have never missed a Thanksgiving. No guerrilla army, no evil speedster, no giant wormhole in the sky could break that streak."

"Yeah, the singularity." Nora recalls, "So the Flash Museum has a 3-D model of Dad just running straight into it to save the city. God, it must have been so epic to be there."

"Well, right now I could say it was pretty epic- but when it was actually happening- I was absolutely terrified." I admit, "We didn't know if your dad was gonna come back."

I clear my throat quietly, "Ronnie didn't."

Nora looked at me confused, "What? The museum says that That Dad just saved everybody."

"I guess there's things the museum left out." I looked at her, "Like your Dad giving himself to the Speed Force to save the city. That was another time we said goodbye thinking might be a one-way trip."

"Sounds a lot like what took him from us in the future." Nora's expression changed, looking down, "I didn't know Dad had so many close calls."

"Look, your dad is always gonna wanna put his life on the line for others." I press my palms together, "That is what I love most about him, but, it's honestly one of my biggest fears. That one day, he isn't gonna come back."

I quickly grab her hands after, "But, right now. He's here- and we're all happy. So let's enjoy it."

-

"What's going on?" I quickly ask, rounding the console.

"I'm seeing a massive electrical surge at the downtown power station." Caitlin looks at the monitor.

"Barry, Nora, you're up." I instruct, looking down at the screen.

"Guys, what's the problem?" Barry asks once they got there, "Everything looks-"

Nora and Barry both scream suddenly, Nora speaking, "I think we found it."

"It's lightning." Barry tells us.

"Skies were clear a minute ago." I look up, "That storm must have come out of nowhere."

"Uh, we got a bigger problem." Cisco said, "There's an experimental cold fusion core from Mercury Labs in the plant, and if it blows-"

"It could take out the whole block." Caitlin finishes.

"I see it." Barry's voice came through the comms.

"Nora, you've got to evac all the workers to safety." I instruct, "Barry-"

"Yeah, I know, I got to grab the core." Barry cuts me off, knowing what I was gonna say.

"No, no, no, something doesn't feel right." Nora instantly said.

"Just listen to Zee." Barry told her, "Grab the workers from inside."

By the sound of it, Nora did what she was told, Barry doing what he needed to do, only for the sound of Nora's scream to catch me off guard.

"Dad! Dad-" She screamed, crying, "You guys, he's not breathing."

My eyes stared at the screen in front of me, showing Barry's heart rate dropping quickly, my eyes widening.

"He's going into cardiac arrest." Caitlin said, "She needs to restart his heart."

"How do I do that?" Nora quickly asked, crying.

"Rub your hands together to create lightning, and then give him a chest compression." Caitlin instantly told her.

"Okay! Okay." Nora immediately said, doing as she was told, sobs leaving her mouth as she did this over and over, "It's not working!"

Suddenly, the sound of flatlining catches my ears, causing tears to well up in my eyes.

"We lost him." Caitlin whispers, Cisco's eyes instantly snapping towards me, my hand running through my hair and resting on my head as I quietly letting out a sob, the tears in my eyes falling as I closed my eyes, as I felt like my entire world had been crushed.

Suddenly, Barry's gasp fills the comms, the entire monitor screen changing, showing that he was back to 100%, completely good and well.

"He's back." Cisco exhales in relief, as I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

-

"I promise I'm okay." Barry reassures Nora as he follows her into the cortex.

"Caitlin." Nora said her name, waiting for her to put down proof.

"His vitals are stable." Caitlin spoke, "Speed healing to the rescue."

"He shouldn't have needed rescuing." Nora spat, looking between us.

I rush over to Barry, engulfing him in a tight hug, as he did me.

"Nora, I know you're upset, but if that core would have exploded it would have caused a lot of damage." I pulled away from Barry.

"It did cause a lot of damage." She stared at me, "Dad died."

"Nora, I know exactly how you feel. But, we made the best decision we could, given the circumstances." I told her.

"Maybe someone else should be making our decisions." Nora mutters, leaving the cortex.

"Wow, all right, well, so much for mother-daughter holiday time." I huff quietly, crossing my arms.

"She did just have to bring me back to life." Barry puts a hand on my back, "Let's give her a minute."

I nod, Barry questioning, "In the meantime, where did that storm come from?"

"A storm like that coming and going, disappearing in a matter of minutes, it shouldn't be possible." Cisco explained.

"Unless someone was making it possible." Caitlin adds.

"I mean, we've seen that before. With Weather Wizard. But Mark Mardon is serving a life sentence at Iron Heights." I looked up.

"Let's make sure he's doing just that." Barry grabs my hand, leading me out the cortex, "Let us know if any other weather anomalies pop up on the radar."

-

"You have to excuse our dim lighting." The woman told us as she lead Barry, Nora and I through the prison they kept meta humans in, "Today's storm out at the power plant knocked out our main generator, so we're working off a backup for the time being."

"So does that mean you can't dampen the meta prisoner's powers?" I question, my hands in my leather jacket, my holster and badge attached to the hem of my jeans.

"Prison-wide dampeners are down, but we got every inmate into meta cuffs incident free." She continued. "After the corruption of the last warden, I am eager to assure the public that their safety is in good hands."

"Now, our CSI's, which inmate did you need to see?" She questioned, Barry telling her that we needed to see Mardon, as she led us right to his cell.

"And he's been here all day?" Barry questioned.

"Never once out of our sight." She nodded.

"There was a crime committed today with an MO similar to Mardon's." I told her, "Can I take a look at the security tapes?"

"Anything for our friends with CCPD." She nods, leading me away from Nora and Barry, letting me take a look at the footage.

-

Turns out it had been Mark Mardon's daughter who had caused the storm, as was trying to break Mark out of prison. Before she could, Barry had thrown him in the pipeline for safe keeping and interrogation, his daughter threatening the life of Central City before disappearing.

"How's Dad's interrogation going?" Nora came up behind me, as I was seated at the console.

"Well, we'll know in a minute." I told her, looking at her, "Hopefully, he'll find something that'll help us profile Mardon's daughter."

"Okay, well, let me know." Nora starts to turn away.

"Nora, hey, listen." I stop her, "I know you're upset with me for sending your dad into that situation earlier, and I wanted to say that I-"

Nora cuts me off, "Mom, it's okay. I'm not upset with you."

"You're not?" I question.

"No, we're good." Nora told me, "I-I promise."

"Okay, cool." I weakly smile at her, our attention getting caught by Cisco as he and Caitlin walked into the cortex.

"That's the other thing, celebrating the decimation of an indigenous culture so a bunch of greedy colonizers can get their turkey-lurkey on." Cisco rants, looking at us, putting his hands up in quotation marks, "Do you know about this? Do you know about the sham? The sham we call "Thanksgiving."