And I'll Be Me

T E N

We ran side by side to the fire. Running like this with Barry, it felt amazing. I'm glad I decided to agree to this. Cisco was right, this was pretty cool. I enjoyed it already, and I just joined the team. I hope with my help, we can find mother.

--

Barry and I walked into the cortex of S.T.A.R. labs after saving everyone from the fire.

"That was AWESOME! Animal, YOU are a beast. Literally.." Cisco said. "Wait a minute... Beast! That's it, that's your name. It's final."

"I like it." I smiled.

"That was actually pretty cool for your first time in action." Caitlin said.

"Thanks Caitlin. It means a lot to me." I smiled even wider.

"Well, I think I'm going to go ahead and change out of this suit and head home." I stated. I walked in the back room and changed back into my normal clothes, and walked back into the Cortex.

"Well, bye guys." I waved goodbye and headed to the elevator.

"Hey, mind if I come with?" Barry asked.

"No, it's fine." Barry stepped into the elevator with me. We drove in silence back to my house, and we stepped into my house. Barry sat on the couch while I took a quick shower and changed into my pajamas, and went back into the living room sitting beside Barry on the couch.

"Shaylea, are you okay?" Barry asked.

"No.." I frowned, and Barry's smile dropped.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't really want to talk about it..." I said.

"Shaylea, whatever it is won't get better unless you talk to someone." Barry stated.

"Fine.." I said. I sat in silence for a second, preparing for what I was about to tell him. Barry sat that waiting patiently for me to start.

"When I was 8 years old my parents, and my twin brother were killed in front of me. A man broke down our front door in the middle of the night. My brother and I were playing in the living room while my parents were watching television. He walked in and he...." I stopped.

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to." Barry said, laying a hand on my leg.

"No, it's okay.. I need to tell someone. The man stabbed my mother repeatedly while my father tried to stop him... then he turned his attention to him and they fought.. my father screamed at us to run, but I stood there. I ignored what he was saying.. then the man pinned my father down and stabbed him in the head. He left the knife in my father's brain and turned his attention my brother and I. I moved in front of my brother.. but the man slapped me out of the way, and he kicked me over and over again." I started to cry. "Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. He thought I was dead and then he shot my brother. Then, he just left. Like he did nothing wrong... the police arrived and they saved me first. Letting my brother bleed out while they were trying to help me. I kept screaming at them to help him and not me. But, they didn't listen. I was sent to an orphanage and I stayed there until I was about 15."

"But, I thought your mom was kidnapped by Reverse Flash?" Barry said.

"She adopted me. It should of been me that died.. not Jonathan.." I said crying into my hands.

Barry pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Shaylea.." he said, rubbing my back.

"Don't be sorry. I don't want sympathy." I said pulling away, and wipping my eyes.