And I'll Be Me

S E V E N T E E N

Cisco helped me carry Barry out and into the van that he had apparently driven here. He drove him back to S.T.A.R. Labs while I decided to keep looking for Caitlin, and now Joe.

••

BAM! I heard a loud noise. It startled me.

I heard a voice.

Caitlin.

I ran, again. I looked around the corner. She seemed unhurt, but Joe was in the back corner. He was injured. Grodd walked away, maybe he had heard something.

"Caitlin!" I whispered.

"Shaylea?" She asked. "How did you find me?"

"Long story," I said, waving off the subject we didn't have time to talk about. "We need to grab Joe and run."

She nodded and started to lift Joe to his feet, I walked over and helped.

Then I was hit against a wall, the air knocked out of me.

What are you doing? You're all traitors. I heard a voice in my head. There was pain, and a lot of it.

I pushed it back and tried to focus on the figure standing over Joe and Caitlin.

I transformed, which he didn't seem to expect. He turned around and he came face to face with another Gorilla.

"Leave them alone." I growled as loud as I could, hurting my throat.

You, humans, are ridiculous.

"Humans aren't ridiculous, we protect each other." I said, and struck him, making him fly against the wall. I pushed Caitlin and Joe down one of the tunnels and was ripped back in the room, thrown against the wall again. Hard.

I was feeling dizzy.

Weakling.

"I'm not weak." I stood and shoved him against the wall, pinning him down.

Weak. He punched me in the back, I heard it crack. Then I saw Barry show up before I passed out. Shrinking into my original form.

••

I awoke to the familiar bright white walls. I turned my head and saw Caitlin and Cisco at the desk in the middle of the cortex. Barry was sitting beside me. He was still in his suit.

"How long have I been out?" I asked softly. I tried to sit up but was met with a sharp pain in my back. I immediately sat still, waiting for it to go away. It didn't.

"Only a couple of hours." Barry spoke in a soft tone.

"What happened?" I asked in an equally as soft tone.

"Don't worry about that. Caitlin and Joe are both safe. Shaylea, just focus on healing." Cisco spoke up.

I nodded my head. "What's wrong with me?" I said in a soft whisper.

"Grodd broke your back. But with your metahuman DNA, you should heal pretty quickly. Maybe a week or two and you'll be back on your feet." Caitlin spoke, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"A week or two?" My eyes widened. "You act like that's a couple of hours. How am I supposed to help with Grodd? What about work? What about-" my voice cracked and Barry interrupted.

"Don't worry about any of it. I'll cover for you." He gave me a weak smile and put his hand on top of mine.

At the time, I didn't know why I always felt safe with him. It scared me if I'm being honest. I never let myself get close to anyone because she's afraid to get hurt.

I nodded my head slowly. It's all I had to respond with. Barry suddenly pulled his hand away like he had been shocked and then I felt cold.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" He stopped talking and took a deep breath.

"No, It's okay." I smiled at him, a smile I hadn't had across my face in what felt like centuries. It felt.. good.

He smiled back. "Shaylea... I know you're not ready for me. But when you are, I'll be ready for you." He said in a serious tone. His eyes were glossy and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I didn't understand why I was so mesmerized every time I was close to him.

He stood up out of his chair and walked closer to me. I held my breath as he advanced, it felt like my body was jelly, it felt like I was defenseless. I suppose that wasn't the correct choice of words because I wanted him to move closer.

He leaned down to my level and softly pressed his lips to mine. It sent shivers down my spine. It didn't take long for me to kiss back.

Barry placed his left hand on my side and I gasped softly. He pulled it away instantly and we both broke out of our trance.

"I'm sorry." He furrowed his eyebrows, he had this look like I was the most fragile being he had ever seen.

"It's okay." I smiled, brushing it off. "To be continued." I said in a very soft, loving voice that I had never heard leave my lips.

He smiled and scooted his chair closer to the bed. He placed his hand on mine and our fingers locked. It felt like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly.

"To be continued." 

Authors note:
Sorry, I haven't updated in so long! Junior year has been keeping me extremely busy. Plus all of the family problems going on. I've been constantly moving as well. I hope you guys understand that life keeps getting in the way, haha.
Expect a new chapter soon! I'll try to update at least once every two weeks.
~Cookie Crisp