Not a City of Angels

Chapter Eight

"Everything alright, here?" It was Joe who spoke first. The stranger had his eyes fixed on Lily, who stared back.

"Sebastian?" Blaine blinked in surprise, not paying attention to anything else. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Blaine," said the stranger, pupils equally reactive, as if he hadn't even seen him yet. "Barry. I mean, I...go by Barry, now. I work here, what are you doing- Oh."

Barry took note of the police officer named Cooper Anderson at the desk behind them, doing paperwork. Blaine followed his eyes, spooked, and nodding slowly.

Lily saw that Barry seemed less startled, now.

"Anyway," said Barry, with no front, "Long time no see, killer." They hugged, an awkward silence beginning. Blaine accepted Barry's hug like it was the most needed thing on earth. "So, here in Central City for Christmas? I thought you'd be with Hummel in New York. At least, that's where I thought you were." Barry said.

"I live here, now." Blaine said, nodding. Lily observed that it was like Blaine was trying to convince himself of that fact, and wondering if he believed himself. "Uh, Kurt's...somewhere..."

He trailed off, his gaze becoming troubled. After the Particle Accelerator explosion, Kurt and Blaine had made up after their most recent fight, but Blaine's long recovery process took a lot out of them as a couple. This time, it was officially over.

"Huh."

There was more silence. "So," Barry began again, "Blaine, meet my foster dad, Joe. Joe, this is Blaine. He's an old friend from Dalton Academy."

"Nice to meet you," said Joe. "Good to see you, too, Lily."

Lily's gaze was traveling around the room. "Hello, Mr. West."

"Hey."

Blaine took a deep breath, sensing opportunity, "I was actually just going to take my sister, Lily, out to lunch. Care to join us, catch up?"

Barry smiled, "Sure."

"Great!" Blaine beamed, "I'll go grab coats." He followed Lily out to the coatrack in the precinct lobby.

It was silent, up until Joe leant over to Barry and muttered, "Make sure she brings her drawing."

❦

Lily ended up sitting in a cafe with her second oldest brother and one of his old friends, a drawing between them of a man in a yellow suit with red eyes and a pair of people behind him. One was lying on the ground, a single wound marked on his chest. The other, a young child, stood above him, posted to run.

As Blaine and Barry spoke softly, Lily colored and shaded. They watched her as they talked, but there was one question in particular that Barry was dying to ask.

"...Who is your sister drawing?" Barry asked subtlety, motioning with his head, making Blaine pause. He had been silently watching the eleven year old start two new pictures during their catching up, both of the same scene, but different frames.

"I don't know," said Blaine, as he watched a little girl and a dying man take shape for the third time...