Flashette(Book Four)

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BOOK FOUR IS FINALLY HERE! Sorry for the brief hiatus, but FLASHETTE is back, and I am more excited than ever to bring you another chapter is this wonderous adventure! Thank you for all your support and love! It is you guys that makes this story happen! Shorts have fallen a little behind, but if you have an idea or something you'd like to see, feel free to ask! Because actual content is going to be released, shorts may be released periodically. Now for the moment you've all been waiting for......
(DRUMROLL, PLEASE!!!)
I bring you guys, "Flashette" book four...............❤️⚡️❤️⚡️❤️
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      "How are we going to do this?" Julian asked as he met Cisco and I at the stairwell door, looks of panic on both of their faces. Julian and Cisco each stood at my sides, helping me down the long hallway to the med bay as I continued to breathe heavily in pain. "Barry's not here, Caitlin's not here...We can't do this," repeated Julian. My heart sank at the realization that Barry infact wasn't here. Barry in fact wasn't here to witness the birth of his own children. But I was quickly brought back to the reality of the situation when another contraction hit. I groaned in pain and continued to hold my stomach as we continued walking down the corridor. "None of us know how to deliver children. None of us have this kind of medical expertise!"
      "We have to do this, with or without them," Cisco replied, looking at me. "We have to step up. Take initiative. It's what Barry would want." We continued to walk in silence a few more steps until we reached the med bay, where Joe, Wally, and Iris stood. They all wore looks of concern as we stumbled towards them. They rushed to help me in any way they could, and it wasn't soon until it was time.
     The second time around, it was a lot worse than I could have imagined. Especially without Barry, it was even more difficult. But despite all the pain I went through, it was completely worth it for the lifetime of happiness that followed.
     "A little boy," Cisco smiled, holding the boy carefully in his arms as the loud cries filled the room. Tears came to my eyes at the realization that it was in fact my child...Our child. Julian then took him off into the other room, and I could tell the second baby wasn't far. When another gut-wrenching struck, I moaned and looked over at Joe, shaking my head.
      "Joe, I can't...I can't do it, I just--
It-"
      "You're strong, Chlo," he replied, a tear in his eye. He smiled at me, nodding his head as I continued to doubt his words. If I had intact been strong, I would have gone in the speedforce instead of Barry. If in fact felt small at that moment. "You can do it," he added. "Do it for Barry," Joe said in a whispered tone, stroking my hand. "And with that, I thought about everything. I thought about how brave Barry had been to save me and the whole city by going into the speedforce. I began to think of all those times Barry's put himself last, just so another could live. We were the Flashes, and it was in that moment I knew I had to find the power to make it through. With that last bit of pain I endured, I thought of him, and how I had to keep running. He told me to continue on, and I wasn't going to let him down.
     My head fell back and I sighed heavily as the second set of crying filled the room. Looking up at Cisco, who was smiling widely, I couldn't help but smile back. The pain was finally over.
     "It's a girl," he said as a tear rolled down his cheek. He looked down at the girl with wide eyes and stared at her for a moment before Julian took her into the other room. I then rolled my head over to the side to see Joe smile, proudly. He kissed the top of my head lightly and spoke:
     "It's over, Chlo, you did it," he repeated. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, calming down my nerves as the thoughts of my first pregnancy running through my head. Joe stroked my hand once again, reassuring me that it was okay, but I knew I wasn't going to feel it until I saw it for myself. A few moment later, I heard soft coos and Cisco and Julian returned. They couldn't help but stare down at the little beings infront of them, and I was anxiously waiting for the moment I'd get to hold them for the first time. I began to sob when Cisco and Julian placed them both into my arms. I then looked down, taking in each and every feature of my children. The many months of hell, sleepless nighs, and sickness was all worth it for the immense joy I would feel from this moment. The more I looked at my children, the more and more I thought of Barry. I wish that he could have been here with me, but I know that he's watching from the speedforce.
"Welcome to the world," I whispered, watching as my babies stirred in my arms.
"I'll go get the others," Joe spoke, patting my shoulder and standing up to let the other's inside. Iris' hand was over her mouth as she approached the bed. Wally grinned from ear to ear, not taking his eyes off me and the twins. They both stared down in amazement, Iris struggling to form her words:
"She--looks just like-you, Chloe." I nodded my head and beamed.
"Yeah, and he looks just like Barry," Wally pointed out, looking over her shoulder.
"Excited to be Aunt Iris and Uncle Wally?" I asked, looking up at the two, who were continuing to stare at the twins. They nodded crazily.
"Never been more excited in my life," said Wally, looking up at me with a smile.
"Would you like to hold them?" I asked, a wide grin spreading on Wallys' face. His eyes suddenly lit up as if a switch had been flipped.
"I'd love to," said Iris and Wally in unison. They walked up to the side of the bed and I handed the babies over gently. Wally and Iris slowly rocked the twins in their arms as they cooed. I couldn't help but stare at the two amazing people in front of me.
"Barry would have been proud of you Chloe, y'know, doing this on your own." I turned my attention to Joe, who looked down at me. I stroked arm and nodded my head slightly.
"He would have...He propably would have been crying all over the place," I said, a tear of sadness rolling down my cheek. "I remember the look on his face when I first told him...His eyes were even brighter than a kid on Christmas...And they way he looked at me, it looked like he could die of happiness..." I smiled while reminiscing about Barry. Thinking about the good moments made me Barry even more, but it didn't hurt as much as when I thought about the future...A future without Barry. "But like he told me, we have to keep running....And that's what we're gonna do."
     "But before we move on from this happy moment, there's still one thing that has to be done. What are you going to name the twins?"
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6 months later:
     "I can't find her, Chloe," Wally said through the earpiece angrily, frustration evident in his voice. I furiously typed at my computer as he sped along the streets of Central City.
     "Im working up a sweat," said Cisco, panting. "I gotta work out more." I looked into my other monitor, wheeling my chair across the floor to the other table. Pulling up the traffic cameras, I could see that Cisco continuously hope out of portals. "She's really stepped up her game."
     "Were not gonna let her have all the fun, are we?" I asked into my earpiece. I began using Cisco's satellite to track her, and shared the news when I got a hit. "She's coming your way. Duck."
"Where?" Wally asked frantically as he spun around. At that moment, Shawna appeared and punched Wally straight in the jaw. He fell back and grunted in pain as Cisco rolled his eyes.
"Not an actual duck," Cisco sneered.
"Peekaboo," said Shawna with a wave as Wally got up, rubbing his jawline. "Where are the Flashes?" Shawna asked with a devious smile. "Did mama and papa have their little cubs?" she asked, disappearing and reappearing infront of Cisco, not giving him enough time for a full thought. "Your only warning...Stay back." Shawna disappeared again, and I was quick on finding her location. I cross checked her with every camera and every result the satellite could find.
"She's headed for the Keystone Bridge...If she gets out of the city, we're gonna lose her for good..."
"Oh, I'ma catch her this time," said Wally as he began chasing her as she went from building to building. I tracked all three of them, noticing that Cisco and Wally would always miss right at the last second. They even tried splitting up, but that didn't work. I continued to look for a solution or a pattern, still unlucky. Wally and Cisco began to get impatient and grew more and more frustrated. It wasn't until I looked closer that I realized:
"Three--She jumps every third rooftop," I said into the earpiece as Wally chased her tail. "Cisco, she's gonna jump to the Broome Tower. You know what to do," I said before focusing back on the monitor.
"On it," he replied. I then looked at Joe's icon on the monitor and pressed his icon.
"Joe, you copy?" I asked into the comlink.
"Hear you loud and clear."
"Meet them at the bottom. He's almost got her."
"Gotcha," he replied before his icon moved quickly across the screen to the building where Cisco and Wally would be. I watched over the cameras as Wally caught Shawna and handed her off to Cisco. After that, Cisco brought her down to Joe, where he electrocuted her with some new meta technology. Shawna fell to the ground and I turned to my side in relief, looking at my twins who had been sleeping beside me.
"We got her."
"Coming in," Wally said before speeding Shawna to S.T.A.R Labs and placing her in the pipeline. Cisco followed after him, jumping through a portal into the cortex. The twins were now alert and awake, making little noise to get the attention they wanted. Cisco disappeared into another room to change, and emerged with a grin. He walked up to the crib and picked up one of the twins, cradling him in his arms. By this time, Wally was already changed and sitting in one of the extra chairs.
"Nice hustle out there, team Vibe," Cisco said as he tickled the boy's chest. "I thought we did a pretty good job. I brought Shawna to Joe, and Wally helped with the assist. A classic, but clever maneuver." I rolled my eyes as Wally chuckled:
"Actually, I did most of the work, so I think I should get name credits. I mean, I am the only speedster in action right now, so--"
"Gentleman. We've had this discussion 10 times before. The name remains: 'Team Flashes', and that's that. Yes, you may be the only speedster out in the field, but that doesn't mean you're doing all the work. Managing a team while raising two kids alone is enough work on it's own." I stood up from my chair and looked into the closet, where my empty suit sat, collecting dust. "Besides, Barry's the real hero, and that's why the name stays the same."
"One out of every three metas we've caught have escaped. Who's the one doing all the cleanup work? Me," replied Wally, crossing his arms.
"So let's improve upon that. The only way we're going to get better is if we improve our skills and speed," I suggested, easing my eyebrows. "It's up to us to continue forward while Barry's not here. In the speed lab, I've programmed another training session for you, why don't you go check it out? It'l only take a few hours." I picked up the other twin, rocking her slowly in my arms as I turned my attention back to Cisco.
"You know, I don't really want to--" Wally said before I crossed my arms, giving him a stern look. "Family dinner's tonight, and--" he continued before I cleared my throat. Wally knew now that I wasn't fooling around and sped down to the speed lab without further hesitation. I then looked at Cisco, who looked down at the baby, his eyebrows furrowed.
"What's up?" I asked before he looked up at me.
"Every time I look at these two, I can't help but miss Barry even more. How can I not when they look exactly like him? Think about it, we'd be way better off if we weren't one man down."
"Cisco, I--"
"Think about it. You two could go out into the field and it'l be just like old times..." Cisco trailed off. "I know the twins aren't the only reason why you don't want to go out there again. That suit haunts you, doesn't it?" he asked as I looked over at the closet where my suit was for the last 6 months. "That suit brings back memories. Painful ones. Times like when Barry saved you from Zoom or Savitar. You can't look at that suit without it reminding you of the one you lost."
"Cisco, stop," I whispered, my teeth clenched. Not wanting to scare the twins, I kept my voice down, though I wanted to scream as loud as I physically could. I was overcome with emotion and needed to be somewhere where I could think. I walked over to Cisco and took the twin he was holding, placing him in the carriage with his sister. I then grabbed the rest of my belongings and turned to walk out of the cortex, but saying anything further. Cisco now saw the effect of his comments and didn't dare to make any more. "See you tomorrow." I walked out if the cortex, the only sound being my footsteps as I continued to walk down the hallway to the elevator, and eventually to my home.
When I arrived home, I put my things away from work, got the twins ready to leave, and headed over to Joe's, where I met the family for dinner.
"Just a few more boxes, and I'll be completely moved in," said Cecile as she played with the salad in her bowl. Joe looked up at her with wide eyes:
"We have no more room in the garage or the basement," said Joe, placing his fork down on the rim of his plate, sighing.
"Yes, but we could always get rid of some stuff. Y'know, things we don't really need or use anymore." Joe looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, curious as to what her next comment was going to be.
"Like the records, or the--"
"You mean my vintage jazz LP collection?" Joe interrupted, placing a hand on his chest with a gasp. "The records I've collected over the last 30 years of my life? Honey, those are coming with me to the grave. I want them in my coffin when I die."
"Or maybe we could bury them now, and you can just join them at a later date?" She joked, picking up her fork and filling her mouth with salad. I giggled at the remembrance of Barry and I having a similar conversation once before.
"You're lucky I already gave you the key, because I'm starting to rethink this whole move-in thing," Joe joked. He laughed, making me chuckle.
"No you're not," replied Cecile.
"You're right, I love you too much," Joe said before I cleared my throat. Joe looked over at me quickly and nodded, moving past that subject before it brought up something else. He knew that lovey dovey stuff was not a dinner time discussion topic.
"Why don't I go make some coffee?" Cecile asked, quickly getting up from the table. Joe waited until she disappeared into the kitchen before speaking:
"You're not very talkative tonight, everything alright?" He asked.
"It's great. Just...talking about that kind of stuff makes me think of--you know who."
"The excuse of Barry being on sabbatical in the Czech Republic isn't keeping Captain satisfied. He knows you're on maternity leave from the office, but you don't have much time left before you have to go back to CCPD. Without Julian, they haven't had a permanent resident in the lab since you left."
"And they want a replacement..." I replied. Joe nodded. "I guess I'm getting a new partner then. Tell Captain he should hire another CSI. It will help them greatly until I can come back. We all know Barry's not coming back, so--"
"You don't know that," said Joe, interrupting.
"Yes, I do," I reassured him. I looked quickly at the baby monitor before looking back to meet his gaze.
"Chlo, there's no way of understanding how proud of you I am," Joe said, reaching his hand across the table and taking mine in his. "Taking over the team...raising the twins...doing it all without Barry. And I know how hard that is for you," he stroked my hand softly.
"I'm alright, Joe," I assured him, nodding.
"We lost him, Chloe...He was my son, S.T.A.R Labs' friend, your everything...How could you just let it go so easily like that?" Joe's voice raised a bit higher and he spoke a little louder.
"What other option do I have?" I asked, taking my hand from his and shifting in my chair. "I'm not gonna curl up in a ball and cry all day. Barry told me to be strong, and i'm only trying to live as he told me to live."
"When H.R. died, we had a funeral...We spoke about his life...
Maybe we should do the same thing for Barry...It will give us all permission to grieve."
"What's gonna be buried?" I asked, my tone getting a little darker. "An empty suit in the lab?" I asked, standing up from the table. This discussion had again, opened a wound that wasn't fully healed. Wanting to get out, I walked up the stairs to the the twins' room. I carried downstairs and got them settled in their carriers. I turned back to Joe and Cecile, who had now just returned from the kitchen.
"Thank you for dinner, Cecile, it was delicious. It's past their bedtime, so I'm gonna bring them home," I said smiling and opening the door.
"Anytime," she replied before I opened the door and walked out, the carriers in my arms. I then closed the door behind me with my foot and drove home.
After getting the babies safely inside, I walked into my house, sighing. I noticed all the picture frames that I had faced down, as well as my blankets and pillow that lay on the couch.
With a yawn from the twins, I moved aside from my sorrow and carried them to their rooms, where I changed them and tucked them into bed. Placing a kiss on their heads, I grabbed the baby monitor and closed the door quietly behind me. I then changed quickly and laid down on the couch, turning on the tv. A few minutes into the episode I was watching, sleepiness began to take over.
I woke up quickly to the sound of screaming by the twins. I rubbed my eyes and could hear that the tv was still on. Putting on my slippers, I trudged up the stairs to the nursery, where the twins both cried in their beds. I picked each one up, trying to figure out the reason why they were distressed. The flickering of the lights outside and intense sounds of glass breaking gave me a hint of what was going on. Car alarms blared on the streets next to mine, and I then knew something was wrong. I brought both of the twins downstairs, quickly dialing Cisco's number and waiting for him to pick up.
"I'll be there in a few. Tell Iris--"
"She's already on her way," Cisco replied, hanging up the phone quickly. I anxiously awaited her arrival, and sped out immediately when I knew the twins were in good hands.
"What are we looking at?" I asked as I joined Cisco's side in the cortex. I looked at the monitor he pulled up and was shocked at what I saw. Police were surrounding a Japanese figure, the figure holding two swords.
"A Samurai? What's a Samurai doing in Central City?" I asked. "I'm assuming this isn't just a Halloween costume."
"I'm looking for The Flash," said the Samurai sternly. One of the cops shook his head:
"Aren't we all pal? He's busy right now, Flashette too...I'm sure we can all agree that they won't be back for a while."
"I'm sure he can make time for this. Bring me The Flash, or your city falls."
"Did you not hear him?" Another cop asked, pointing to the one who had previously spoken. "The Flash ain't coming." The Samurai suddenly slammed his sword on the ground, electrical energy spurting over the city. More alarms beeped, and cops could barely stay grounded with their shields.
"You have one day...If The Flash does not face me, Central City dies..." Samurai said before mechanical wings sprouted from his back and he flew into the darkness of the night. I then turned to Cisco, trying to talk about a plan. We were then interrupted by the nightly news, which Wally had turned on:
"Neither of The Flashes have been seen in almost 6 months, leaving us to speculate what can save us from this newest threat," said the anchor before Wally had clicked the button, turning it off.
"There are other superheroes in this town."
"Yeah, but your boy, Kurosawa, over there blew the cops away like ragdolls performing his reverse Excalibur. We haven't faced anything like this before," said Cisco, rewatching Samurai's footage.
"Why do you think he wanted Barry? Why not ask for me?"
"Maybe because he knows that getting to you means going through Barry first."
"Maybe--" I said inbetween a yawn. "Any ways--" I said, yawning again. "Why doesn't Wally-," I put my hand up and apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm just so--" I said before Cisco cut me off.
"You need to get home. We'll discuss this tomorrow, okay?. The countdown's already begun. We can't move foreword with a plan until we're all focused and ready. I know those twins have been keeping you up all night, so just go home and sleep. Call me if you need anything," Cisco said, walking me towards the door.
"But, I--"
"Chloe, go," Cisco said, looking at me with a serious expression. Giving in, I proceeded to leave the building, wishing I could be more of a help. But because of my twins, I had a job all on my own.
When I arrived home, I bid Iris goodbye and watched over my beautiful twins as they slept peacefully in their beds. I had been doing this many nights since they were born. With no one else in the house, I was afraid something was going to happen to them.
A few hours later, I woke up to the sound of my baby girl screeching down the hall. Her screaming, ofcourse, caused her other brother to scream eventually. I got out of bed groggily, rubbing my eyes and taking note of the time, which read: 2:03 am. I then walked to their room and picked up my twins, rocking them both slowly in my arms. I sang to them softly, the twins eventually getting tired. When they settled back to sleep, I placed them softly in their cribs and walked back to my room after placing a kiss on their foreheads.
It wasn't hard for me to go to bed after that. These last few nights have been the worst for them, especially because it's been just me. But the singing always brings them back.
A few hours later, I was then woken up once again, my babies telling me it was time to get up. I walked over to their room and notice their little bodies squirming in their beds. With a smile, I picked them up one by one and changed them out of their pajamas. After carrying them down the stairs, I placed them in their high chairs and grabbed two bottles out of the fridge. While they were eating their breakfast, I prepared mine, sitting down to join them. After breakfast was done and we had all finished, I prepared the rest of my things and headed out to S.T.A.R Labs for the day.
"Who are these cuties?" Cisco asked as he met me in the entrance of the cortex. He placed his finger out for his favorite little boy, which the boy accepted with a smile. Cisco then took him from my grasp and walked toward his computer. "Ready to fight some crime, little man?" Cisco asked, the baby producing a small giggle.
"I guess he just wants to follow in his daddy's footsteps," I said with a small smile.
"Since we're on the topic of: 'daddy', not to be taken out of context, I may have figured out a way to solve this Samurai problem."
"Really? That quick?" I asked. "Because we only have a limited amount of time."
"And that's why I've made this plan," Cisco said, walking over to his computer. He sat down in his chair, the baby wiggling on his chest. "This plan requires getting Barry back."
"Cisco, I--"
"Listen, us doing this without him is hell. You're up at all hours of the night with the twins, and you need someone. I know it's been hard for you without him. But it's also been hard without him at work, too."
"I understand, Cisco, but--"
"But, what?" Cisco asked. "I know you out of all people want him back. I'm not just thinking about you, but for the city as well. Without you out there, we're not getting anything done. The Samurai wasn't lying. If he is that serious about fighting Barry, he won't accept anyone else, even if it's you. People are going to die if we don't follow through, and those deaths will be on us...He needs to come back."
"What if it goes unstable?" I asked. "The city or even worse, the world, could be destroyed. We can't afford another lightning storm reeking havoc on Central City. Theres too much to risk. How can you be sure that the speedforce won't take the twins, Wally, or I in place for Barry?"
"What if I was sure it would work?" Cisco asked before placing the baby down on the playmat and walking over to his closet, pulling out an all too familiar piece of equipment.
"Why do you have the speedforce cannon?" I asked, looking at Cisco, who was tinkering with the machine.
"It's my latest modification. The key to getting Barry home. I've consulted with Harry, Tina, Tracy, Felicity, and Curtis, and I'm pretty sure I figured out a way to stabilize the Speed Force Prison and free Barry without unleashing another lightning storm on the city."
"And this has been under our noses--"
"The night he left," Cisco said, looking down. He placed the cannon down and walked toward me slowly.
"I'm sorry, I just--I just miss him," Cisco said, sadness and loss evident in his voice. "And I only need a few more things before--"
"I miss him too, Cisco, but he's gone. We're just going to have to accept that," I said, stroking his arm. The mood then became somber and I turned away to continue working on a new solution to this problem. Cisco sighed heavily and picked up the twins, carrying them to their newly crafted play area so I could work.
A while later into our work, I began to think about someone I haven't seen since the day she left. I had always contemplated visiting her, but her words always pull me away. In need of talking to someone, I decided to pay my old best friend a visit.
Upon arrival, I recieved many cat calls and whistles as I walked down the staircase to one of the most popular bars in the city. But I wasn't here for a drink. I was on a mission.
"Excuse me," I said to the bartender, who had their back turned to me. The bartender turned around, sending me a familiar smile.
"What can I get you?" Caitlin asked, grabbing a glass and wiping off the counter.
"I'll just stick with water, not much of the drinking type."
"You never were," said Caitlin with another smile before preparing my drink. She slid the glass over the counter and I took a sip. "How are to holding up?"
"I'm alright. It's hard not having you around, Cait. Especially because Barry's--"
"I know all about that," she said, looking at me with a sad expression. "But aside from that, what's it like being a new mom? How are the twins?"
"Good. I can tell they're starting to miss their dad," I said looking down at the floor. "And it's hard, not having someone to talk about it with."
"Props to Cisco and Julian for doing that themselves. That must have been hard for them."
"Not really a big fan of the fact that they saw...everything, but what were we going to do in the moment? It was the worst timing ever." Caitlin laughed, me laughing along with her. Being like this reminded me of old times, making we wonder what she had been doing now with her life: "Why are you working in a dump like this with a PH.D. and two doctorate degrees?"
"Getting by," she said before tending to her next customer. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. At that time, I didn't want to go frosty on them, y'know? I had to stay away until I figured it out."
"And by the looks of it, I think that task was accomplished," I said, noticing how her eyes, hair, and lips were the usual color.
"For now," she said shyly. "And I should have known you were coming sometime soon. I had a feeling one of you was going to show up."
"Well when you have a giant satellite and have a technological genius, the possibilities are endless." Caitlin giggled as another man approached the counter. He wore a leather jacket and his face was heavily scarred.
"Is everything alright?" The man asked with a low growl, looking at Caitlin. He leaned over me as I stood a little taller, disregarding his attempt at intimidation.
"Yes, it is," I replief, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away. "Good seeing you, Cait," I said, finishing my water quickly and proceeded to leave the bar, giving the man another glance before walking up the stairs and back to S.T.A.R Labs. When I arrived, the monitors had been inactive and the lights were dim. Cisco, Wally, Iris, Joe, and the twins were no longer here, and it was evident that they had been gone for a while. Using the satellite, I was able to track down the twins, and sped over to their location. When I arrived to the similar scenery of: "Ferris Air", the S.T.A.R Labs mobile facility was set up, and all of those missing were present.
"Cisco?" I asked, angrily approaching him. He took notice and his face became flushed. He fiddled with papers on the table.
"If this is about the twins, they're safely inside the facility," he said, pointing to the door.
"What are you doing out here, and why is the speed cannon here?" I asked, spotting the device, which was facing the runway.
"This is my attempt at getting Barry back."
"I already told you, he's gone. There's too much at risk, here!"
"This place gave us good luck before, so I thought it would do the same this time around."
"But I said--"
"I know that you said you didn't want him here, but I know that's a lie. I also know that you sleep on the couch or in the twins' room.You can't look at any photos of Barry because it reminds you of how he's gone and that you won't ever get to hold him again. Repressing the memories of him is how you're coping with this loss, and I know you would be willing to do anything to have him with you again," tears filled my eyes and one escaped, making me realize how true to me Cisco's words were. "If we work together, all of us can bring him back," Cisco said, typing on the computer. Caitlin emerged from the facility, a twin in each of her arms.
"Gorgeous," she said, looking up at me with a smile.
"Cait, you're--"
"She's our Caitlin. She's here to help with this."
"You better be right," I said, punching Cisco's arm, playfully.
"Not the worst I was expecting, but I'm sure the worst is yet to come," he said before he walked over to the speed cannon and checked a few things.
"How are we sure this is going to work?" I asked, looking at the design plans, which were laid out on the table.
"I spelt some time working out the kinks in the Quark Sphere last night." Cisco held up a little ball and my eyebrows furrowed.
"You're gonna save him with some squeaky toy?" I asked, looking at the contraption.
"It's filled with Barry's unique genetic marker, and it's programmed to track his specific DNA, using the electrical current of the Speed Force."
"Once he's located and we pull him out, the Quark Sphere will trick the Speed Force into thinking he's still there..." He then turned to Wally, who stood off to the side. "Wally, can you place this on the--" Cisco asked, barely finishing his sentence. Wally took the sphere from him and sped it away, joining us back infront of the monitors in a matter of seconds.
"Let's bring our boy home," said Cisco, pressing buttons and flipping switches on the control panel. He then pulled a lever and the machine made a loud whirring sound. His eyes stayed glued to the screen as we watched his plan unfold:
"Quark Matter scanning electrical current," Cisco said as he typed and swiped the screen. "Triangulating Quark Matter on his location..." Cisco said before the screen beeped. "I've got a lock on something!" Excitement filled my heart at the idea of Barry's return.
"It's him..." I whispered.
"It's him! Now, Cisco!" Caitlin yelled as Cisco pulled the lever, the speedforce cannon firing. It's beam stayed focused on the ball for a few seconds, only to stop quicker than expected. The ball disappeared, and Barry was nowhere to be found. We all looked around at each other, struggling to describe what just happened. My heart sank at the realization that we had failed, and Cisco was more frustrated than ever:
"It should've worked," said Cisco, tapping buttons furiously. "This is impossible. Every algorithm was cross checked."
"You did this behind my back, and it failed. Why did I believe that anything would happen?" I asked, agitated. "It was just a waste of my time," I said, walking over to the mobile lab. "And we all got or hopes up, thinking this was real." My eyes brimming with tears, I opened the mobile lab doors and brought my twins home, hearing no further comments being exchanged by the team.
When I arrived at home, I brought the twins into the nursery and sat them down on their playmats. I watched as they reached around, grabbing onto the objects dangling infront of them. Every time I looked at them, I couldn't help but think of Barry. He was the reason why they were with me today, and I couldn't ask for more.
It was a few hours after that when I got a call from Joe. I picked up, expecting it to be something about CCPD. But the moment the words escaped his lips, my phone fell to the floor and disbelief washed over me. Hearing the words I never thought I'd hear again, I grabbed the twins quickly and sped to CCPD.
Joe met me outside of the elevator, greeting me and bringing the twins to Iris. I then saw the team standing outside of an interrogation room in a big circle, and I joined into their discussion.
"Are your sure this isn't just some doolelganger. How can we be sure it's--"
"He was found outside of Ivy City up on 112th. A keystone vet recognized him and they ID'd him before bringing him over."
"I knew it would work," said Cisco, rubbing his hands together.
"Just prepare yourselves," Joe said, walking over to the door. My eyebrows furrowed, thinking about what he meant by it.
All of those thoughts dispersed when Joe opened the door, allowing me to head inside. A man's back was turned to us, symbols written all over the walls in black marker. Soft mourners filled the room as the man whispered to himself.
"Bar?" I asked, walking up to him. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped out of his seat. He stood up defensively, causing me to jump back. His hair was overgrown, and he had a full beard and mustache. He looked completely unrecognizable
"Nora shouldn't be here," he said, holding his arm out, pushing me away. I tried taking his hand, but he stepped back.
"Your mom isn't here, Barry," I said, taking a step closer. He stood back as I approached him. "It's-it's me, Chloe...You're home." He stared at me for a second before turning around and ranting once again.
"Your Honor, I'm innocent...I didn't do this...I didn't kill anyone..." He looked down at the floor for a moment before quickly looking back up. "Can you hear the stars singing? Rhyming, chiming, timing every hour, every minute..." Barry sang. He then bowed his head and tugged at his hair as his words got louder: "You said the city was safe, that there was no residual danger, but that's not true...What really happened that night--"
"The city is safe," I said, trying to get close once again. "You saved it.
You saved us all," I said, placing my hand on his, Barry jumping up and ranted once again as if he didn't hear me.
"Stars melting like ice cream, dream, gleam...Nothing seems--Nora shouldn't be here."
"What is the cause of all this?" I asked, looking at Caitlin. "I can assume that this isn't just shock from being away for so long."
"Shock results from a drop in blood pressure," Caitlin said, walking up to the wall and taking a look at the symbols, which Barry continued to write in any empty space he could find. "This is neurological."
"It's a whole new way of looking at physics," Barry exclaimed. "It will change the way that we think about everything, from a single atom to an entire galaxy..." Barry exclaimed, continuing to write. "Stars so loud.- Loud, cloud, proud.--Dad and I are both okay...We're gonna be fine--
I'm just not sure I'm like you, Oliver," Barry continued to speak, his mind wandering to any and all directions.
"We need to examine him back at S.T.A.R Labs," said Caitlin. With a nod, I lead the team out of the room. I then took the stroller from Iris, and we headed back to S.T.A.R Labs. Upon arrival, Caitlin gave Barry a full examination, the team waiting for the results in the cortex. We didn't say a single word to each other, the tension growing in the room. We all sat in silence until Caitlin emerged from the med bay.
The team bombarded her as she stared down at her tablet, her attention quickly turning to the sea of people rushing towards her.
"What's the diagnosis?"
"Is he okay? Does he have brain damage?"
"Is it something--"
"Despite his lunatic actions, he's very healthy. His neurotransmitters are functioning at five times the normal speed."
"So what's with all the crazy symbols and the words that make no sense?"
"I have two theories. Based off of the crazy symbols, he could be suffering from some type of schizophrenia. Maybe the words don't make sense to us, but to him, they could be perfect sense... Similar to assigning the wrong definitions to words."
"Maybe some kind of translator would help?" Cisco asked, pointing his finger in the air. He then stood up from his chair and ran down to his workshop.
"And the second?" I asked.
"We know that the Speed Force exists beyond space and time.
To us, Barry was only in there for six months, but to him, it could've been 10,000 years...All that time in isolation, it could've caused dementia...That may be all of him that's left."
"So how do we find out which one it is?" I asked.
"I could decrease the sedatives I gave him and wake him up," said Caitlin, walking towards the med bay. "Maybe he'll say something that can give us a clue."
"I think I've got the perfect song for that!" Cisco yelled, running into the cortex.
"I thought you were making that translator," I said, looking at him, his face now a pale pink.
"What?" He asked. "I was running up here to get my tools when you coincidentally said you needed someone to wake him up," Cisco said before grabbing his phone and playing the song: "Poker Face" by "Lady Gaga." "It's a good luck charm. It worked before, didn't it?"
"But in that situation, Barry was in a coma and not some form of interdimensional psychosis."
Rolling my eyes, we all piled into the medbay, Lady Gaga playing in the background as we watched Barry. His eyes fluttered, and I looked down at him with a smile.
"Hey, Bar."
"It's me, Cisco, AKA Vibe, BKA your BFF," said Cisco, patting his chest. Barry looked around, puzzled. He stood up quickly and spoke again:
"The stars are raining...Draining, Paining...Too soon--I think maybe later, No, thank you, I'm not hungry.
He didn't do those things...He didn't hurt my mom...I was there that night...There was a man, plan-
No plan," Barry said with a distressed laugh. "We're gonna need more diapers," he chuckled, swinging his legs over the bedside and standing up. None of his other comments made sense, other than that one. I thought maybe he was referencing the twins in that moment, but it was hard to tell. "Diapers..." He repeated, grabbing a marker and continuing to draw, ignoring us around him.
"You keep drawing, buddy," Cisco said, patting Barry's back. "I'm gonna figure this out," Cisco whispered to himself before leaving the med bay. I then turned to the other members of my team
"Is is okay if I have a minute alone with him?" I asked. The team left, closing the door behind them. I then looked over at Barry, who's main focus was on the symbols he had written all over the room.
"Bar," I said, walking up to him. He didn't even turn around, but I continued to speak. "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're trying to send us a message somehow, but I want you to know that I kept running for you. And that was one of be hardest things I've ever done in my life. I've never been away from you for this long, and it was the most painful 6 months of my life. I knew that if I stopped to look back, i'd remember that you weren't behind me anymore. And then after you left, I had the twins all on my own and I didn't know what to do," I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. "When Cisco said that he could bring you back, I didn't know what to think. My mind continuously pondered the thought, being overcome with thoughts of doubt or that it wouldn't work. I just didn't want to feel as if I was losing you all over again. But out of all the thoughts I've had over the last 6 months, I never imagined this. I don't know what I would do if this is all that's left of you. Just please, if you can hear me, please come back to me. I know the man I love is still in there," I said, Barry turning to continue writing. Feeling helpless for him, I sighed and wiped the stray tears from my cheeks. I turned to walk out, but was swept off my feet in a rush of wind. In the blink of an eye, I was sped into the cortex, a red flash circling around me. As Barry sped around faster, the oxygen within the cyclone began to become depleted, and I struggled for air.
"C-Isco," I managed to yell out. Cisco came up to the cortex through all of the commotion and looked at me in horror. When I felt dizzy and was beginning to fall out of consciousness, the speeding stopped. An ice blast was evident on Barry's chest as he lay stunned in the corner of the room. I then looked over in Caitlin, relieved to see that she was holding the cold gun.
"Expecting someone else?" She asked before placing the gun down and walking over to Barry. I remained in the center of the room, catching my breath.
"We need to get him in a containment cell before he does that again," Joe said before Cisco walked Barry down to the pipeline and placed him in a cell. When we came back to the cortex, Wally was at the computer wearing Barry's suit.
"What are you doing?" I asked. "Trying to replace The Flash? I knew you wanted to be number one, but I didn't think you'd go that far."
"Samurai's back...He wants The Flash, so I'm here to give it to him," Wally said before speeding away, not giving us time to respond. I quickly pulled up Wally's tracker and the nearest traffic cam to his location. From there, I could see Wally facing off the Samurai.
"You're not The Flash," Samurai said before pulling out his sword and blasting Wally. He then walked up to Wally slowly, Wally being unable to move. With a swift flick of the Samurai's wrist, Wally's leg gushed with blood. He rolled around in pain as the Samurai turned away. Before it got any worse, I sped to him and brought him back to Caitlin, where she could clean him up.
"If I don't get the real Flash by nightfall, this city comes down," he said into the camera before pointing his sword to it, the signal cutting out.
"Well, that's it," I said, stepping away from the computer and walking into the med bay, where Wally was sitting on the bed. "How bad?" I asked, looking at his fully bandaged leg.
"He sliced right through his fibula. Thank god he's a speedster. If be amputating if he wasn't," Caitlin said, continuing to bandage his leg.
"How long until it heals?" Wally asked.
"Four to five hours," Caitlin estimated.
"We don't have that kinda time."
"I'm fine," Wally said, trying to stand. He then stood with a groan, and fell back onto the bed.
"Relax," I said to Wally, making sure he stayed down.
"Guys! I may have gotten something!" Cisco exclaimed from the other room. I then followed his voice to the cortex, when he furiously typed at his keyboard. I pulled up a chair next to him and watched as he continued typing.
"At first, the system kept telling me it was just random jibberish. But then I began to think if it was monoalphabetic."
"Like the symbols each correspond to a letter?" I asked.
"Exactly," Cisco replied. "But when that didn't work out, I began to wonder if it was polyalphabetic."
Cisco continued to type as we all stood over his shoulder. After he typed some more, the screen beeped, bringing up a translation none of us understood.
"'This house is bitchin'?" We asked in confusion. I looked down at Cisco, hoping he'd have some kind of input.
"Well it's not something he'd say," Cisco noted.
"That's because it's not him," I said, my stone cold expression taking over. Cisco stopped me and turned me around.
"Chloe, I'm sorry, I just," Cisco said, following me down the hall. I looked into his eyes, which were glossy. "I should have know it was just something random. I'm sorry for getting your hopes up that I could solve the problem. It's just--I missed him so much, I just wanted an excuse to bring him back. This wasn't just about Samurai...This was because I needed an excuse to get my friend back. Sometimes, I just believe in something so much, I just immediately assume a miracle will happen and that these issues will be resolved. I'm sorry."
"It's like I lost him all over again," I said, pushing past him and walking down to the pipeline. When I walked in, Joe was there. Barry was shaved, and his long hair was cut.
"I thought cleaning him up would make me feel better, but it makes him look more like his old self," Joe said, stepping back.
"And the more it reminds you how lost he is," I said, taking a seat infront of Barry's cell.
"You have to believe that things can get better. There is an answer for every question," Joe said, taking a seat beside me.
"I don't think I can anymore."
"I was struggling with it too.
But Cecile helped me figure it out."
"If you're saying--"
"No, I'm not. We've been going to church together, and it's really helping me."
"You haven't set foot in a church for years."
"But it's been helping tremendously. It's like one of the homilies was meant for me. 'Strength means nothing without faith'...And I started realizing that my strength didn't stop me from thinking I lost you to Savitar, or that we'd never see Barry again. I was reminded, and I believed. Here you two are," said Joe with a smile. "I tell you all the time, you have strength. You just have to believe," said Joe before Cisco's voice came over the loud speaker.
"24 hours are up," he said before Joe stood up and dusted himself off. I stood up and met his gaze.
"Gotta go," Joe said before kissing my head. A small smile appeared on my lips before Joe walked out, and I stood in thought, thinking about what Joe had said. I then walked up to Barry's cell, an idea popping into my head. It was either me, or the city, and I knew just what I needed to do:
"Come get me," I said to Barry before I sped out of the pipeline. When I arrived on the scene of the standoff, Wally, Joe, and Cisco were there with the Samurai. Before CCPD fired on him, I ran up to the Samuai, causing Joe to yell.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" The men put their guns down and I didn't bother turning to talk to him. "Chloe, what are you doing?" Ignoring Joe, I walked closer to the Samurai, getting close to his face. I knew the Samurai could kill me in a fraction of a second, but I knew he want going to.
"You want The Flash?" I asked. "Take me."
"Why?" Samurai replied.
"I know he'll come for me, I'm sure of it...I believe," I said before his wings expanded and he took off, taking me with him. He flew all over the city, almost killing me in the process. My strength in believing that my choice was correct slowly faded away as time ticked on and Barry didn't come. As we got further and further from Central City, I began to lose hope. But as soon as I saw that familiar flash of red, I knew I wasn't going any farther from home. I watched as he sped up windmills, trying to get a hold of me. He came close a few times, but just missed. It wasn't until he sped a little faster that he caught up to me. He jumped off a windmill, landed on the Samurai's back, took hold of me, and speed me back to the ground. He then proceeded to fight Samurai, sticking him with a lightning bolt. Samurai fell to the ground and I was happy to see my Barry back.
I turned to look at The Flash, who had just saved me. The sun was setting, and he towered over the Samurai's body, bending down to reveal it's mechanical face. When the threat was terminated, Barry turned his attention to me. He walked over slowly, standing square with my body as the sun set around us. I reached my hands up to the edge of his mask, pulling it off slowly. I began to cry when Barry was now looking down at me, his big green orbs meeting mine. I reached my hand up, caressing Barry's cheek, him not flinching or pulling away. That's when I knew my Barry was home, and I couldn't be more relieved.
"It's really you," I whispered, closing the gap inbetween our two bodies. I pulled him in for a tight hug, feeling the familiarity of Barry's body against mine. Barry rubbed his hands up and down my back, holding me tighter than he ever had done before. "You came back to me," I said, pulling apart and looking into his eyes, which had been glassy like mine.
"I'll always come running home to you," said Barry before I placed my hands on his cheeks and gave him a passionate kiss. Our lips never parted as we held the kiss, his hands traveling to my cheeks and neck before resting on my waist. We pulled away for air, Barry's forehead resting on mine as we stood there catching our breath.
"Pupils are equally reactive to light, and your vitals are amazing. Perfect condition," said Caitlin, looking down at her tablet. Barry took the receptors off his muscled chest as she continued to speak. "I'd like a urine sample, just to confirm, but everything looks great." She placed her tablet down on the table and Barry stood up.
"Anything you want. You've always had a thing for urine." Barry put his shirt back on and stood up from the chair he was sitting in.
"Well, I'm a doctor. I only use it for--" Caitlin tried to defend herself, and Barry interrupted her with a laugh.
"I understand," he said before running to the bathroom and placing the cup in the medbay. With a nod, she went back to work and the rest of us remained in the cortex.
"How are you feeling?" Joe asked.
"I feel great...Almost like I've been 'reborn'."
"Alright Speedy Jesus, whatever you say," Cisco replied, typing at the computer.
"I don't know what it is, but I feel amazing. I should feel tired, but I don't at all. I feel like I've been sleeping for ages."
"When you were running in Danvile, you ran faster than any other speedster before. It hurts to admit, but you might just be the fastest speedster ever," I said, poking Barry's chest. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist. I laughed as he began ticking my sides. "You ran faster than I ever did. Maybe when you were in the speedforce, you soaked up all the energy."
"Possibly, but I don't remember much. Just leaving with my mom and now, being here with you guys."
"You missed a lot, Bar," I said, looking up at him.
"I know," he replied. "A lot of catching up to do."
"We still have the "Samur-oid" mystery to solve, so I'll work on that while you two catch up."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Because we can stay if--"
"Speedy Jesus' luck isn't over yet," Cisco said with a smirk. "You two have a lot of catching up to do," he winked. With an eye roll, I took Barry's hand and proceeded to walk out of the cortex. We both stopped and turned back when Cisco began speaking:
"Just so I'm not interrupting anything later, does: 'This house is bitchin' mean anything to you?" Barry looked back at me, not knowing how to respond to the question:
"Should it?" Barry asked, looking at me for confirmation.
"Just forget I asked. When you were in your 'Beautiful mind' phase, you were talking all sorts of Bologna."
"Well thanks for bringing me home," Barry said with a smile before we turned back and sped home.
"We have to be quiet incase they're sleeping, okay?" I asked as I opened the door slowly. Barry walked in first, looking around at our shared home. "I didn't touch a thing since you left," I replied, closing the door slowly. I peered down the hallway to see Iris pop her head out of the nursery. She then walked down the hall, embracing Barry and I. I thanked her before the front door closed behind her, leaving Barry and I alone. The squealing of the babies was all that could be heard. I nodded, Barry walking past me and standing in front of the nursery door. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at them for the first time. His hands cupped his mouth as he crouched down, taking in their every detail. I then joined his side on the floor, rubbing his back as he continued to sob.
"They're beautiful..." Barry looked at me with tear stained cheeks and red eyes. I began to cry happy tears along with him. "Thank you," Barry whispered, kissing my cheek. "Having a family with you is all I've ever wanted. I just wish I could have been here for them...For you..."
"I kept running, and so did you," I responded before he wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He placed a kiss to my temple before picking up the little boy, cradling him in his arms. Barry's eyes shined brighter than they ever had before as he watched every little move the baby made.
"Hey there, little fella," Barry said, patting the boy's stomach. "He looks just like me," Barry said, noticing all the resemblance. He then traded with me, taking the baby girl. "I'm going to protect you until the end of the world..." said Barry, the baby girl stirring in his arms. I smiled and teared up at the sight of Barry with the twins. I was glad to have him back, and I knew he was too.
When the babies became tired, Barry and I placed them in their cribs and we stood, watching over them as they fell fast to sleep.
"Destiny Hope Allen," Barry whispered, looking down at our baby girl. I nodded, smiling at the beautiful name Barry picked out.
"And Sampson Luca Allen," I replied, looking up at him. He smiled up at me and I brought my lips closer to his, sealing the moment with a kiss.
After a night full of tender and loving memories, I woke up to a crying baby. I slowly got up out of bed, turning on my bedside lamp to see that Barry wasn't in bed anymore. Growing with concern, I put on my slippers and walked to the nursery. The door was open, and I saw Barry holding one of the twins in his arms. He was rocking her as the moonlight danced along his glowing face.
"Shh, we don't want to wake mommy up now, do we?" He asked as the baby continued to squeal. Barry then began to softly sing the song: "Runnin' home to you." Happy tears filled my eyes as I watched this side of Barry I had never seen before. When she began to fall asleep, he placed her in her crib and turned around to leave. His face was overturned with worry as he noticed me standing in the doorway. He walked up to me and took my hands in his.
"Why are you up? Is something wrong?" He asked, leading me away from the room and standing outside the door.
"Everything's fine," I said, hugging him. "I got up to see if they were alright, and then I saw you in there and I couldn't look away. You've only been home for not even a night and you're already acting as if you've been here for ages. You're just so good with them."
"I didn't want you to worry because I know that you've been doing this every night for the past 6 months."
"What did I do to deserve you?" I asked, looking up at him with a smile.
"What did I do to deserve them?" Barry asked, looking at the nursery door. "You game me the most beautiful thing anyone can give. Thank you." I kissed Barry, a salty tear rolling down my cheek. He then lead me to our bedroom, where he pulled me under the blankets with him and brought me close to his chest.
"It's been hard without you here, Barry. Thank you for coming back to me."
"I'll always come back," Barry replied with a smile. "And I'm not going anywhere again. Not now, not ever."
"I tried to move foreword, like you said. I kept pushing on, though it was difficult for me without you."
"You kept everything and everyone going while I was gone, and I'm so proud of you for that," Barry said, stroking my hair. "Maybe this was something bound to happen. Maybe it was a blessing that I was gone and fate brought us back together."
"You being gone was a blessing? It was hell, Bar."
"I can't describe how I feel right now. It's like, everything that was wrong in my life, the pain of my past, my mistakes, it's all just washed away, and all I see is our family. It's like the weight of everything is off my shoulders, and for once it's not weighing me down." And with those words, I knew that we were going to be okay. Barry was back, and that's all I could ever ask for.
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CHARRY IS BACK WITH ALL THE FEELS! What did you think of this chapter? It took a LONG time to write, and I hope you enjoyed. Lots of you have been dying and anxiously waiting for this update, and here it is!
More updates coming soon, and I'll talk to you in the next update!
-Flashette1 ❤️⚡️❤️⚡️❤️⚡️