"You're not going to move away again, are you?" Cisco asked as he watched Caitlin aggressively stuffed some clothes into a bag.
"No, Cisco," Caitlin assured him, "I'm not going to move again. I can't do that to Melony again, she already likes the school here."
"Then where are you going?"
"My mother," Caitlin responded. "It's clear that Barry-"
"He's just going through some things," Cisco quickly cut in. "I'm sure once he thinks things through, eventually you guys will make up, and then we're back to happy OG Team Flash."
"That's what I'm hoping Cisco. But I think we just need some time and space, then maybe we can talk things through. I going to my mother's so that we can do some testing on Melony, make sure that power outburst won't be a common thing."
"Can't you do those tests here?" Cisco asked.
"I can, but again. Time and space. Plus, it's a long weekend for Mel, and I promised to take her on a trip. And also, my mother hasn't really known about my whereabouts for the past six years so nor does she know about having a granddaughter yet... so this will be interesting."
"Ouch, good luck," Cisco winced, imagining the upcoming earful of yelling and nagging Caitlin would soon endure.
"That won't help with my mother, but thank you," Caitlin responded, zipping up her bag. "So you guys will be okay for the weekend without a resident doctor?"
"We will, hopefully..." Cisco responded, "but we'll have you on speed breach."
"Okay," Caitlin laughed. "Melony, you ready sweetheart?" Caitlin called out as little Mel ran in with her backpack stuffed with clothes and stuffed animals.
"Ready!" She yelled, giving Cisco a goodbye hug before running out the door.
"Have fun!" Cisco said, but she was out before he finished. "She seems excited."
"It's been a while since we've had a mommy-daughter trip. We use to have them every other weekend in Midway." Caitlin smiled.
"What do you think Barry is going to do?" Caitlin said as she picked up her bag.
"I don't know," Cisco assured her. "I understand why he feels betrayed, but at the end of the day we're all still a family."
"Mommy, hurry up!" Melony yelled from the end of the hall.
"Now, I think you should get going before she drags you out," Cisco laughed hearing his niece.
"Barry. Barry!" Iris yelled, trying to get her husband's attention.
"Oh, yeah, hey. What's up?" He said sitting up on the couch. He fell asleep speed-watching TV.
"What's going on with you? You've been silent since you got home, and you've literally speed watched all season of Game of Thrones like twice."
"Nothing," he responded.
"Barry..." Iris replied. "I know something's up, you can't lie to me."
Barry sighed. "It's stuff with Caitlin, we got into an argument, but it doesn't matter. We don't have to talk about it."
"It seems like it does matter," she said, taking the TV remote away before Barry could start speed watching all ten seasons of FRIENDS for the third time that day. "Barry, you can talk to me about this stuff. I know it's weird, the whole situation, but before I was your wife I was your best friend. And Caitlin is still one of our closest friends and I want it to stay that way. So we can talk about it. What's wrong?"
"I found out Melony has powers," Barry said. "That necklace that Cait makes her wears is a power dampener because she is too young to handle them."
"Okay, so..."
"Cait got that necklace from Savitar..." Barry sighed. "I know it shouldn't have bothered me but I couldn't. He was literally all the darkest and most evil parts of me, he tried to ruin my life, he turned our best friend evil, killed HR, and tried to kill you! That necklace, it reminded me of all of that. I didn't know she had powers or that the necklace was a power dampener. I don't know a lot of things about her. So I took it off... Mel could've gotten hurt..."
"Did she?"
"No, thank god. I would've killed myself if she got hurt because of something I did," Barry replied. "But... I don't know... I was still angry after that and... I can't forget how much I hated Savitar, Iris. I wish he never existed, but also without him, Mel wouldn't exist."
"Do you wish you were actually Mel's dad and not Savitar, not just her uncle?" Iris asked.
"I- I don't know... I love you, Iris. You're my wife, my lightning rod. I want kids with you, in the future. But I just want Cait to stop keeping me from- from her," he stuttered. "I know I technically didn't conceive with Caitlin, but Mel is mine too. Genetically speaking. Plus, I'm not an evil psychopath. I'm here, I'm basically becoming a father figure to her. That necklace... he doesn't deserve to be her dad, I should. I'm the good guy, I'm not evil, Mel shouldn't grow up thinking that he's what she should look up to. What if she?-" Barry stopped for a second, thinking back to his dream.
"What if she... becomes like him? Turns evil?" Iris finished his sentence, causing him to sigh.
"I don't know Iris, I just-"
"Barry, Mel is only 6 but she is very smart for her age. And I am sure when she is older and learns all about what happened she will understand. There's no way she could grow up to be bad. She has Caitlin, you, me, Cisco, Cecile, and Dad. We're a family. Honestly, I think it might be a bit of an overkill to have all of us combined, making sure she grows up to be the best person she can be."
Barry chuckled at the last statement.
"Whatever label you have, dad, mom's friend, or uncle," Iris continued, "you're always going to love her and she'll love you back."
"Yeah, you're right," Barry told himself.
"Now can we watch something new at regular speed?" Iris said turning the TV back on.
.................................................................... Next morning
Barry left early that morning and headed to Star Labs. Cisco hadn't arrived yet and wouldn't be for a few hours, so he went to the Time Vault.
Sorry I haven't been updating y'all. I've been really busy with work, school, and you know sometimes life can throw some unexpected obstacles at you. But, hopefully, more updates are one the way.
