Reaching Out
((This is an AU where a different version of Nora, along with her twin brother, Joe, come back to the past to meet their father. Cause you know, the newspaper shifted at the end of the season to say Barry still disappears. Meanwhile, Joss became a smalltime hero when she got out of prison. Nora was shocked when Joss recognized her on a mission, and did some research, finding that the other version of her was close with Joss, after which she decides to go meet with her when they meet their father.))
...
The shocked, almost haunted looks on everyone’s faces when Joe and Nora zoomed into STAR Labs confirmed what both of them had suspected; that another version of Nora had been to the past before.
“Hi,” Nora said awkwardly, “I’m guessing you know who I am.”
“Nora?”
The woman asking was Nora and Joe’s mom. Or, the younger version of her. It was weird, seeing her like that.
“Yeah,” Nora said, taking her mask off, “Um... hi, Mom. Dad.”
Neither of them so much as took a step. They both seemed afraid to move towards her.
“Who’s your friend?” Uncle Cisco asked cautiously.
Joe took off his mask, “Joseph West-Allen. Joe, most of the time. Um, Barry and Iris’s son?”
“We have two kids in this timeline?” Dad/Barry asked, looking like his mind had been blown. Not that Mom/Iris looked much better.
“Well, we’re twins,” Nora said quickly, “I’m actually a few minutes older, but—“
Joe slapped her upside the head.
“We have twins in this timeline,” Mom mumbled, completely shocked.
“You didn’t before?” Joe asked curiously.
“No,” Auntie Frost said, “No, there was definitely only one of you before.”
Uncle Cisco sniggered, “Have fun with that in... how many years???”
Nora looked at Joe, who just shrugged, letting her explain, her being the one they knew.
“We’ll be born less than a year from now,” Nora explained, “Um, Mom, you might even already be pregnant.”
Everyone looked at Iris, who put her hands up.
“I am about 90% sure that I am not.”
Joe shrugged, “Okay. Soon, then.”
“Wait, why are you here?” Dad asked.
“Nora.”
Everyone was instantly distracted by the voice of the girl that had walked in behind Nora and Joe.
But that voice made Nora so confused that she couldn’t even be relieved about the change of subject.
Joss Jackam.
Her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing a fleece jacket that Nora recognized from... somewhere.
Judging by Joe’s snickering, she guessed her face was pretty good. But she couldn’t help but feel that she had seen Joss looking exactly like this before, and it meant something to her.
That Joss meant something to her.
“Um,” Mom cleared her throat, “How about Barry and I take Joe to Jitters so we can get to know our son, and... you two go to the lounge to talk. We can all agree that you need that.”
No one argued. Joe shot Nora a look that probably meant something along the lines of ‘be careful.’
Nora followed Joss towards the lounge.
...
“Do you remember anything? From the other you?”
Joss cringed a bit at the question she’d just asked. It sounded a little insensitive. But she had to know.
“No,” Nora muttered, “Hardly anything. Just a vague sense of déja vu.”
“About what?”
Nora shrugged, “You. Well, how you look. I’ve seen you in that outfit before—with that exact hairstyle—haven’t I?”
Joss nodded eagerly, “Yes. That’s right. I was wearing this the night I saved your life.”
“Right,” Nora said, “I saw that mentioned in the security footage from your jail cell.”
She seemed strangely nervous as she brushed a loose section of hair behind her ear. It was so much like the Joss’s Nora. It made the pain that this Nora wasn’t hers that much more real.
“Hey, it’s okay. What’s wrong?”
Joss hadn’t realized that she was crying until Nora hesitated, before reaching out to wipe a tear from her cheek.
“Nothing,” Joss choked out, trying to stop crying, “I just—I just really missed you.”
“And I don’t know you,” Nora mumbled, a kind of yearning in her voice, “I don’t know you and I know I should. I can feel it. It hurts and I don’t even know why.”
Without thinking, Joss grabbed Nora and pulled her close, hugging her tighter than she could remember hugging anyone before.
Nora embraced her back, holding Joss instinctively, even as she couldn’t completely know the history they shared.
Nora was only slightly shorter than Joss was. It seemed like the hug should be a bit lopsided, but it wasn’t. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, like neither of them had known they’d needed that physical contact until they’d gotten it. Joss knew she never wanted to lose it again. Lose her again.
“I know you,” Nora whispered, “I know I do. That’s why I reached out. I’ve barely spent any time with you, but I already have you memorized, from the way you walk to the way your eyes carry sadness no matter what you do. Please tell me why I know you so well.”
Joss pulled away from the speedster enough to hold both her hands, looking her straight in the eye, “If you watched the security footage, I think you know.”
“Watching it and living it are two very different things,” Nora said desperately, “Please tell me what it was like to live it.”
Joss smiled sadly, “The other you never got to tell me that she loved me. Not in person, anyway.”
Nora blushed a bit, not quite looking her in the eye. Joss tried not to read too much into the fact that she seemed to be looking at her lips.
“I never got to tell her that I loved her back, either,” she continued, regaining focus, “And I know you’re not her. Not exactly. But there are ways that you’re like her, and I hope that maybe you can have this in common with her, too.”
“I don’t think I love you,” Nora admitted, “Not exactly. Not yet. But I’m willing to try to figure things out if you are.”
Joss smiled, “I can live with that.”
