The Lost Years

New Start

Barry POV

Joe had invited me to dinner with himself and Iris. He had even offered to invite Caitlin and the kids as well, but since I was with her and the kids a lot more often lately, then with the two of them. I decided this time it'll just be the three of us and next time, we can invite them as well. 

"So Bar? How has everything been going with you and Josh?" Joe asked.

"It's been good. Actually it's been very good with all of us." I responded.

"All of us? Does that mean something else is happening or?" Iris wondered.

I was unsure of how to respond. Was something else actually happening or was it just all in my head cause it's just what I wanted to have happen?  

"I've been spending time with Josh, Mel, and Cait."

"Already at nicknames? You sure that nothing is happening? Cause last time when nicknames started we found out that you guys were together and had been for awhile. So is history repeating itself or what's going on?" Iris teased.

"I don't know. It's different, but a good different. We've been hanging out everyday since the whole blow out. We have an arrangement already planned out with Josh and Mel even seems to be attaching to me. Every time Cait tries to let me and Josh have father son bonding time she runs in and attaches herself to my leg until I let her come with."

"Aww that is too cute. She's not yours and she's already attached to you. Literally. It's funny but not ha ha funny, ironic really, Ronnie raised Josh and now you're practically raising Melanie." 

"I'm not raising her, Cait is. I'm just there and she just leeches on."

"You're raising her. You can't say otherwise." Joe states.

"Okay, fine I didn't want to admit it because I missed out on all that for Josh whose my blood. I feel like if I'm doing all this with Melanie, Josh might end up resenting me for it and for not being there for him, like I'm doing for her."

"Barry. It's not your fault and didn't Caitlin already explain most of the story to Josh and any questions he had?" I nodded in agreeance. "So you're not at fault. I don't want to put blame on Caitlin, but if he does start to blame someone, how could you have been there if you didn't know he existed in the first place? Shouldn't it just matter that you're here now?" Joe clarifies.

"I know. And I know that he doesn't blame either of us, cause he's told us this. But deep down I feel like he still might, like when he gets older that's when the truth is just gonna burst. That's not very far away, he's 7 almost 8. I just... I want to try and be there as much as I can for him to make up the time I've missed."

"That's all you can do. But there's gonna be a time that you're gonna need to really see that, you're doing all that you can, especially after how sudden this all started."

"I know."

We continued to eat and changed the topic of conversation. Iris was telling some stories about what The Flash recent saves have been. Every time she mentions The Flash, Joe always gives me a look of this is why she can't know. Funny enough, during this conversation I got a text from Cisco about a meta that was robbing a bank.

"Sorry guys. I gotta go, Cait wants me to stop by before the kids go to bed."

"What you make night stops now too?"

"Yea, the kids like to see me before they go to bed, they got used to seeing me all the time that we try to have at least a nightly visit if there was no day visit."

"Okay. Well have a good night then."

I walked out of the restaurant, then when I made sure no one was watching I sped away.