Chapter Text
“Well, that was one successful first training session,” Cisco proclaims as the Team walks down the hallway back to the Cortex. “If I do say so myself.”
Alex’s cheeks warm. “Thanks, Cisco.”
“Yeah, it really was great.” Barry smiles and nudges Alex’s shoulder.
“Your level of control and accuracy is already more advanced than we could have even projected,” Caitlin says, smiling.
“Let’s not get too excited,” Harry warns. “It’s still early.”
The others all sigh. “Thank you, Harry,” Cisco says, “for always being our resident ray of sunshine.”
“He’s right,” Alex admits. “It is early. We still don’t really know how all this works.”
“Whoa, no.” Cisco stops, and the others all stop with him. Harry accidentally bumps into Alex. His chest collides with her back. Alex tenses at the contact. He steps away quickly, looking down. He clears his throat.
Heat pools in Alex’s belly.
Cisco puts his hands on Alex’s shoulders. “You, my friend,” he says, looking into her eyes, “are awesome. Okay? You were great today,” he insists. “Don’t let Squidward over there tell you otherwise.” He glares over her shoulder at Harry.
Harry exhales sharply. “I never said she didn’t do great today, Ramon,” he mutters.
Alex turns around and looks up at him. “You think I did great today, Harry?”
Harry narrows his eyes at her. “I have work to do,” he grumbles, and pushes past her, striding toward the Cortex.
Caitlin snickers and exchanges an amused glance with Cisco. Barry smiles and looks at the floor.
“Well,” Cisco says, placing one arm around Caitlin and the other around Barry. He winks at Alex. “I think this is cause for celebration.” He looks at his friends. Jerks his chin at Alex. “Whaddaya say we take the new girl here out for some coffee?”
“Oh, yeah,” Barry says, nodding eagerly.
“I could use some Jitters,” Caitlin agrees, smiling.
They all look at Alex expectantly.
“Sure.” Alex smiles. “Why not.” She glances down the hallway. “Um. Should we invite Harry?”
The others make an “eh” face. “I think he’s busy,” Barry says.
“Besides, we want to have fun, remember?” Cisco pokes Alex in the belly.
Alex swats at him and smiles. “You guys don’t give him enough credit,” she says. “I think he’s finally…trying.” She shrugs.
They give her small smiles in return. “You’re too sweet, Darrow.” Cisco sighs. “Dr. Snow must be rubbing off on you.”
Caitlin nudges him, and they share a smirk.
Barry scratches his head. “Okay, um…yeah, maybe you’re right.” He lets his arm flop down. “I mean, we can’t expect Harry to act like he’s a part of this team if we don’t treat him like it.”
“Exactly.” Alex nods.
Cisco rolls his eyes.
Caitlin smiles at Alex. “I’ll call him real quick and ask,” she says. “With how fast he walks, he’s probably up in his room by now.”
“Just like a moody teenager.” Cisco nods.
Caitlin pulls out her phone and hits a number for speed dial. She puts the phone on speaker and holds it out. It rings.
“Snow?” Harry answers gruffly after the first ring.
“Uh, yeah, hey, Harry,” she begins, looking at the others. They silently urge her on. “Uh, we were just, uh, wondering if—maybe you wanted to—”
“No thanks.”
“Yep. Okay. See ya later.” Caitlin hangs up and mashes her lips together.
They all laugh.
“Coulda seen that coming,” Cisco says.
“Well, at least we tried.” Alex sighs.
“Yeah, well, some roads are better left not taken.” Cisco puts an arm around Alex. “Now, friends, let us embark. My tummy’s a-rumblin’.”
***
They get to Jitter’s. Barry orders a “Flash”, because of course there’s a drink named after him. It’s got three shots of espresso, with sugar and caramel. Caitlin gets a Mocha, and Cisco gets a large cappuccino and a blueberry pastry. Alex isn’t a coffee drinker, as has been established, so she gets a water and a large chocolate chunk cookie. She needs it.
They all find a spot at a table in the back corner. They sit, talking and laughing. Alex feels good. Really good, for the first time in a long time. Her heart could burst with it. These people around her have saved her. They’ve made her feel whole again. Them, and the one person who’s absent, the beautiful stranger with deep pain hidden behind ice and stone.
“So,” Cisco says, scooting up in his chair and taking a sip of his drink. “What an eventful two weeks this has been.”
They all laugh in agreement. Barry looks at Alex. “Yeah, Alex, you sure have changed things up.” He takes a swig of his Flash.
“In a good way,” Caitlin adds quickly, nudging Alex’s knee with hers.
Barry and Cisco nod in agreement.
Alex blushes. “Well,” she begins. “You guys have definitely changed my life up too. In a good way.” She winks at Caitlin, and Caitlin smiles.
Barry smiles at Alex. “It really is good to have you on the team,” he says genuinely. “You’ve shown amazing progress already. You’re a good person, and you’re brave. I just know you’re going to be a great addition to what we have here.” He looks fondly at Cisco and Caitlin.
Alex nods, a lump forming in her throat. “Thank you,” she manages around it.
“And what we have here,” Cisco says, leaning forward, “is a badass team of nerdy friends, who would do anything for each other.” He looks at Alex intensely. “Are you ready for that, Alex Darrow?”
Alex takes a sip of her water. Glances at Barry and Caitlin. Then she leans forward, and matches Cisco’s intense gaze. “Hell yeah, brother,” she says quietly, and his face breaks out in a wide smile.
“Ayy!” They all hold up our drinks, and Alex laughs as they clink cups and take a sip.
“Mm.” Cisco sets his down. “Well, then I say again.” He holds his arms out. “Welcome to Team Flash, Psionic.”
Alex looks at him. Caitlin and Barry do too. He looks back at them. “Uh, what’d you call me?” Alex asks after a moment.
Cisco smiles. “That’s your metahuman name,” he says, nodding. “Came up with it the other night. Psionic.”
“Manipulation by the mind,” Cait nods. “Manipulation of energy. I like it.”
“It’s badass,” Barry agrees, winking at Alex.
Warmth floods through Alex. “Psionic,” she whispers. It sounds good. It sounds right. She smiles. “Thanks, Cisco.”
Cisco shrugs. “It’s what I do.” He grins.
Barry holds up his cup. “To Psionic,” he says.
“To Psionic,” the others repeat, and clink again.
Alex sits back. She watches as her new friends laugh and talk with each other. And she lets herself feel. Really feel, freely. She doesn’t hide from it. She doesn’t build any walls. She doesn’t bury anything down. She doesn’t tell herself not to. She feels, and she feels good. She feels warm and safe and loved.
She feels alive.
Things are going to be different now. Alex’s life has changed in ways she couldn’t have even imagined. Not everything is perfect yet. And she knows there are dangerous paths ahead. She knows if she joins these amazing people, she will be risking her life. She will have to accept what runs through her veins. She will have to be prepared to fight, for herself and for others.
And for the first time, as she looks at these people around her, as she looks at her new friends, Alex thinks that just might be possible. She finally thinks it’s possible that she can fight. That she can live.
Alex sighs happily.
“Hey, Alex,” Cisco says, looking down at his phone. “Do you have a Twitter?”
“Huh?” Alex looks at him. “Oh. Uh, no. No, I, uh—I got rid of all that. A while ago.”
“Oh. Well.” Cisco leans forward, scrolling on his phone. “You should get it again. I have all these memes I wanna send you.”
Barry looks at him. “Dude.”
Caitlin smiles and shakes her head.
Cisco shrugs at them innocently. “What?” He murmurs. “Too soon?”
Alex laughs. “No, it’s good,” she says. “I like memes.” She tilts her head at Cisco. “But can’t you just send them to me over text?”
Barry grins. “Yeah, dude. Just send them over text. So much for your PhD.”
“Okay, I just didn’t think of that right away,” Cisco snaps. “Thank you.”
“It’s not like it’s rocket science,” Caitlin adds. “We would know.”
Barry and Alex laugh. Cisco glares at Caitlin. “Oh, really?” He says. “We gonna do this right now? Look.” He shows Caitlin his phone. “On Twitter you can just DM them. If I send them through iMessage, I gotta hold it down and wait for the menu and then—”
“Yeah, dude, we know how Twitter works.” Barry grabs for Cisco’s phone and Cisco protests, slapping at his hand.
They start bickering and messing with each other. Barry starts laughing, and soon Cisco is laughing too.
Caitlin shakes her head again and looks at Alex. Her eyes are warm and sparkling. “Welcome to the family,” she says, her voice full of tender authenticity. She smiles and then looks back at the boys, who are still messing around. She tries to shush them, giggling.
Welcome to the family. Alex takes the words in. She tries not to cry.
Caitlin leans close to Alex. “By the way, I was gonna ask.” Alex turns to her, curious. Caitlin smiles. “I have a spare bedroom at my place. I mean, I know you’re all settled in at the lab, and things are still so new, but I just…I don’t know.” She shrugs. “Figured maybe you’d want a roommate?” She grins shyly.
Alex’s heart swells. “Oh, Cait,” she whispers. “I wouldn’t want to impose—”
“You wouldn’t be,” Caitlin cuts her off. “I asked.” She smiles wide.
Alex laughs shakily. “Well, in that case.” She smiles. “Yes. I’d love to stay with you.”
Caitlin smiles back. “Yay!” She squeals. She hugs Alex, and Alex laughs, hugging her back. Caitlin releases her and starts poking Cisco and Barry, messing with them as they continue to mess with each other. Cisco starts tattling on Barry to Caitlin, who laughs as Barry ruffles Cisco’s hair.
More tears form in Alex’s eyes as she watches them. And she realizes in that moment something that she hasn’t in a really long time. That she never thought she would feel again.
Alex realizes that she’s going to be okay. She’s going to be just fine.