ColdFlash- Soulmates

Chapter 15: Confrontation

   Barry had... neglected to tell Joe about his previous relationship with Len even after the confrontation following Cisco's kidnapping. So it meant that it was perfectly reasonable that he was more than a little apprehensive when he entered the cortex at S.T.A.R. labs together with Joe the day after he had met with and kissed Leonard Snart.

  The tension was paramount in the room as soon as the CSI and detective entered. And of course that made Joe uneasy within a moment. Everyone standing around, none of the usual greetings and only Dr Wells seeming to be at ease.

"What's going on?" he asked straight away, looking between the other people in the room.

"Why don't you ask Barry," Cisco said bitterly, glancing up at the speedster and then back to Joe.

"Bear?" Joe looked to his adopted son, confusion and worry etched into every line on his face.

"It's really not anything Joe," the speedster lied automatically, glancing nervously at the others in the room. He could tell straight away that Joe wasn't buying a word, but then he would be a rubbish detective if he did.

"So how was your meeting with Cold? You were gone over an hour so it must have been good," Cisco glared.

"I don't see how it has anything to do with you," Barry said quietly, trying his best to control the building anger and nerves.

"Well, Mr Allen doesn't seem to want to spill the beans so to speak so, for the benefit if the team, I will tell you detective that your adopted son was once involved with Leonard Snart," Wells said, speaking directly to Joe.

"Excuse me, what?" Joe exclaimed turning to Barry with unmasked shock," tell me that's not true."

   All Barry could do was look at him sheepishly, offering a silent shrug and watch as the lines on Joe's face deepened.

"For "just over a year" I quote," Cisco said sourly making quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

"God," Joe huffed and then something seemed to dawn on him and he said," it was a couple of years ago wasn't it? Yes, a couple of years now. That time when you were getting distant, when you stopped coming to family nights and had all these stupid excuses."

"Yeah," was all Barry had with which to reply.

"But you- you were hurt after. I remember when you started coming to dinner and movie nights again. You moved stiffly- it was that scar wasn't it. Snart cut you, gave that scar to you!" Joe stated, not asking but telling Barry what had gone on in his past.

"No Joe," the speedster replied, trying his best to stay calm," until I was the Flash he never laid a hand on me. Think about it, his childhood was his dad beating on him, his sister and his mother. Do you think that he would then grow up and do those things himself?"

"Okay but it was a year. A year Barry! What the hell happened after a year to make you rethink?" Joe was almost begging.

   Barry subconsciously touched the scar through the material of his shirt, it was a quick, light gesture but it wasn't missed by anyone there.

"Can you tell us now how you got that scar Barry? It is obviously something to do with Captain Cold so you don't have to hide it anymore," Caitlin said in her soothing way.

"I really don't think it matters," the speedster said, feeling an embarrassed flush creeping up his neck.

"If it helps us understand our opponent then it matters Mr Allen," Wells said in an attempt to appeal to Barry's logical side.