Episode 24.1 - Past, Present, & Future

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B A R R Y

I watched my mother's killer with pure unadulterated hatred as he slowly stepped out of the shadows of his cell and into the light.

"Hello, Barry. Couldn't wait to talk to me, huh? I see you didn't bring me Big Belly Burger. You know if I am to be executed today then I would like for my last meal to be that, please. Extra cheese and hold the pickle." Wells blurted out.

I ignored his comments and drew in a deep breath. Closing my eyes and focusing on the task at hand. Today is the day. I'm finally going to get the answers to the burning questions that have kept me up at night since I was just a kid. This was it. I was finally going to know why me... Why kill my mother?

"Just shut up, please. And I just couldn't wait any longer. Thawne. That is your real name, right? Eobard Thawne." I began to question him.

"Since the day I was born."

"And when was that?"

"Centuries from now. Well, the 25th century to be exact. But that's not what you want to know now is it, Barry?" Wells whispers.

I cross my arms not answering his question and he smirks at me almost savoring this moment. He edges closer toward the glass of the cell wall that was separating us.

I instinctively stepped closer too no longer bound by fear and looked into his evil soulless eyes.

"Come on, Barry. Go ahead. Ask me." He said egging me on.

"Why did you kill my mother?" I asked voice shaky.

"Because I hate you." He statted.

I raised a brow confused. Hate me? I didn't even know who the hell Eobard Thawne was till a few weeks ago. What did I ever do to him?

"Not you right now. But you years from now." He explains stepping back from the glass and circling inside his jail cell.

"In the future," I said.

"Yes, in the future. We're enemies. Rivals. Opposites. Reverses of one another." Wells said.

"Why? W-Why were we enemies?" I asked.

Eobard then stopped moving around the cell and glared at me angry and offended like I was supposed to know.

"Because you ruined my life!" Eobard yelled slamming his fist on the glass of the cell wall.

I stepped back startled and looked at him shocked as his facade was gone.

"Everything I loved. It was taken from me by you. I wanted it all back and I was willing to do whatever to accomplish that. But neither of us was strong enough to defeat the other. That was until I learned your secret. I learned your name. Barry fucking Allen. Finally, I knew how to defeat you once and for all. Travel back in time, kill you as a child..." Eobard demonstrated with a whooshing noise and a gesture with his hand putting on that facade again.

"...and wipe you away from the face of the earth. But then you, future you, that is... followed me back and we fought. We both landed some pretty hard shots. And then you, future you, got your younger self out of there. I was so pissed off. But then, I thought... what if you were to suffer a tragedy? You see, future you, never suffered quite like I did. He had everything in his life. It was perfect. So I wondered what if you were to suffer something so horrible, so traumatic that your child self could never recover? Then you would not become the Flash." Eonard continued a glint of something murderous in his eyes

He smirked at me then stepped back into the shadow of his jail cell and continued to speak nonchalantly.

"And so I stabbed your mother in the heart." He said confessing to his evil act.

Hearing that made my heart ache. I lowered my head and tried not to tear up in front of my mother's killer as I began to remember parts of that painful traumatic night. Then Eobard spoke again as I struggled to keep myself restrained.

"...And then I was free, finally able to return to my time. My home. A future without the Flash, only to realize that in my traveling back, I'd lost my way back home. Lost my ability to harness the speed force, and without it, I was stuck here... stranded in this time... in this living hell for 15 long years... unable to return to my home... and the only way back was the Flash. But the Flash was gone, and so I created him." Eobard said.

Anger and pure hatred began to brew deep within my chest as my hands clenched into fists turning white.

"But why? Why train me? Why help me save so many people!" I spat out with venom in my voice.

"Because I needed you to get fast, Barry! Fast enough to rupture the space-time barrier and create a stable wormhole through which I could return home!" Eobard exclaimed.

I shake my head in disbelief and disgust.

"Why the hell would I ever do that?" I asked.

A short but tense silence passed and then he spoke.

"Because... Barry Allen. If you give me what I want, what I deserve, then I'm going to give you what you want. What you need. You can run back in time and go back to that night and save your mother's life. You can even prevent your poor father from going to prison. You can reunite the Allen family." Eobard said tempting me.

"No. No. I don't believe you." I protested shaking my head in disbelief.

I looked up at Eobard and he just smirked. I slammed my fist in rage onto the glass wall. Wanting badly to wipe that stupid grin off of his face. I lost my cool and slammed my fist against the glass again in frustration.

"I hate you too," I said admitting it to him.

"Aw, it's the first I hate you. Many more to come I'm sure." Eobard comments.

I grit my teeth in anger. "If my friends and family weren't also watching, I would kill you. Right here and now." I threatened.

"Oh, please do..." Eobard said and rolled his eyes.

He continued to grin and then inch closer to the glass as I didn't flinch so that we were now just the thickness of glass from each other.

"I know that rage. That unadulterated pure hate. It's the same hate that I feel for future you. I used to feel that rage and hate every time I looked upon you... present you... and somehow... I know what Joe and Henry feel... when they look at you with pride. With love." Eobard said trying to manipulate me.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Trying to calm down. As my hot breath started to fog up circles on the glass.

"No. No. Don't you ever say that to me! Ever again." I commanded.

"I know, Barry. You're upset, but I'm giving you a chance. I'm giving you a second chance to undo all the evil I've done. Don't you want that chance?" Eobard said.

C A I T L I N

It was only a matter of time I said to myself. As Barry, Sophia, Cisco, and even Joe had all confronted Wells in his cell at the pipeline. Yet I was the only person who was glaringly absent from that list. No matter how hard it was to do this and dreading it I still wanted answers to the burning questions that have been brewing. As well as also getting some sort of closure once and for all. But I couldn't just do it alone and confront the man who had become a surrogate father and mentor to me for so many years.

So I asked Cisco if he could accompany me to not only interrogate the time traveler but also feed him food. Big Belly Burger to be exact. Cisco raised a brow at me perplexed and thought Wells shouldn't be getting anything from us considering all that has come to light in the last few months. I agreed with him somewhat but I'm also a doctor and have ethics. But even after all the lies, secrets, and pain I still saw the good in him.

So I then walked towards the Pipeline while pushing the cart of fast food for the Man In Yellow with Cisco tailing behind me and sipping a cherry slushie.

I then stopped and close my eyes slowly taking a deep breath and preparing myself mentally for what was to come before activating the door which separates the pipeline from the outside world.

Cisco lays a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"You can do it, Caity. You've got this." He said encouraging me.

I nodded and pushed the biometric lock. The door opens and I see Wells standing on the other side who I've seen countless times but never had he seemed so cruel and foreign to me.

"Barry and I have decided that you should have a last meal. Your favorite. Big Belly Burger. Extra cheese and no pickles." I said.

He smirks and nods. "How kind of you, Caitlin. Thank you."

I don't respond and only push the bag of greasy fast food through the slot.

"You're lucky Caitlin still has her humanity unlike yourself. Me on the other hand I wouldn't have fed you let alone keep you alive." Cisco comments.

"Oh, I have humanity, Cisco. Have you not forgotten the countless lives we have saved?" Wells said.

"All an act. I bet you didn't care about them or us. All you cared about was yourself." Cisco said.

"Was it even real? Any of this?" I said voice shaky on the brink of crying.

Wells sighed heavily, bringing a hand to his forehead and rubbing it there before he looked at us again.

"Yes. My affection for you all was real. As I did grew quite fond of you all. Being on Team Flash. Working together to stop bad guys and saving the city. Like old times." Wells said reminiscing.

"What do you mean like old times?" I said confused.

"I don't know if I should be saying this. Consider the Timeline could be altered. But if Barry does save his mother it won't matter... This isn't the first time we have done this. Becoming Team Flash happened in my time too before I killed Barry and Sophia's mother." Wells elaborated.

"Wait so that's why you knew so much about us. You chose us." Cisco said.

Wells nods. "Back then we made a good team and we still do now."

"Yet you still hurt us," I added. "You were a good man."

"I had to do what needed to be done for me to reach my endgame, Caitlin. I am sorry for betraying and hurting you all but I desperately need to go back home. To my time. Where I belong... With my daughter."

Cisco and I are shocked. He has a daughter.

"You're lying. Another trick to try and sway us to let you go." Cisco said in denial.

Wells looks at me smiling. "You look just like her, Caitlin."

"Don't believe him, Caitlin," Cisco warns.

"What is she like?" I ask intrigued.

"She's smart like her father. Funny, loving, and Caring like her mother. All the good qualities one hopes to have." Wells said and takes out of his pocket a futuristic device.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Eleanor Winters-Thawne. But I call her my Ellie." Wells said.

He then shows us a picture of his family. I stare at it and tear up. As I see his true face and the radiant and happy smile on him as he held his wife and daughter.

"I thought my hate for your Barry was the only thing that could drive me to be a better speedster. But I quickly realized that it was them that gave me the strength to keep moving forward and become better. Caitlin. Cisco. You're like family. A son and daughter. Even Sophia I have grown a liking to considering she's related to Barry." Wells said smiling.

"But... The fact is you two aren't really my family. As much as I would like that to be true sadly it is not. They are my family." Wells said and points to the holographic picture. "So please talk to Barry and convince him to do the right thing, Caitlin. If so I can promise you to not come back to this time ever again and leave you alone." Wells said.

Cisco and I were hurt by the words he spoke. Wells sits and watches us walk away from him as he eats his meal. The response to the questions I'd been dreading to ask has finally been answered.