Space

Barry asks Iris for space and gets what he asked for.

This is my first attempt at Fanfiction. After watching episode 16, this idea came to me and wouldn't go away. Space takes place after Barry askes Iris for space and goes AU until episode 18.

Chapter One

Iris walked briskly from her car, hugging herself from the chill of the cold wind as she headed towards the apartment. The street was oppressively dark and she chided herself for choosing to stay at CCPN after midnight. As her heels slowed to a steady click against the asphalt, in preparation for the door she was approaching, she sighed loudly and fetched her key from her pocket. Maybe she should have gone to her dad tonight after all. She hadn't wanted to seem like a child, didn't want to include him in their mess and, maybe if she was willing to admit it to herself, she even hoped Barry might have changed his mind, but she'd chosen to stay at the loft. Now that she was standing at the front entrance of the apartment building where she'd been sharing a home with the man she loved, she was regretting that decision. Regret turned into deep melancholy as she entered the lonely lobby and found the elevator. It arrived quickly and she stepped inside. He hadn't called her once today. He'd sent a solitary text in the afternoon. Hope you're okay, it had said. No, I miss you. No, I love you. Of course. It hurt to receive it and made her angry. That anger was returning now. She dropped her bag at the door as she entered the apartment and let her coat slip from her arms. She didn't reach for the light, choosing to let the darkness of the room swallow her instead.

He'd been waiting in the shadows for her to arrive. She walked pass him with determined strides and he'd remained easily unseen in the periphery of her gaze. When she opened her door and stepped inside without immediately closing it, he didn't hesitate.

Iris had just piled her hair into a ponytail, preparing to tie it away from her shoulders, when she felt a sting against her neck. A bee sting? She didn't have time to consider it.

Barry zipped pass the bus just in time to snap up the little boy, who had darted across the road for his ball. In a fraction of a second the child was standing before his mother, both too bewildered to react. Barry slowed just enough to give the woman a nod before vanishing before her eyes.

Feeling satisfied that there was no other emergency that needed his attention, Barry headed in the direction of Star Labs. In a few moments, he was pulling off his cowl and walking towards a lively conversation. He guessed it was about him since all the voices hushed as he turned the corner. He was silently grateful that he hadn't made out what exactly was being said. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to any of his friends about how he was feeling. Cisco offered him a frigid 'Hey'. Barry already knew his friend didn't like his recent decisions regarding his relationship with Iris – from lying about the reasons he proposed to now, moving out. It wasn't that his friend minded that he was crashing on his couch but as he'd said so clearly this morning before he headed out the door. "You need to go home to her man. This decision doesn't make any sense." Barry nodded at his friend. Caitlin's gaze on the other hand seemed a lot more sympathetic. Once he had flashed out of his suit and was standing before them in his day clothes, she moved towards him until she was face to face with him. "How are you doing? Cisco told me what happened." Barry thought she was going to hug him. He was grateful when she didn't.

"I'm fine," he replied and then, side stepping her to face the team, he continued, "How are things here?"

"Pretty quiet BA." HR chimed in. "You took care of every criminal or potential criminal before lunch time so…" He was right, Barry had been really busy. All his paperwork had been filed at work at 4 am this morning – the last thing he wanted to do was run into Joe -, and he'd spent the rest of the morning looking for people to help as the Flash. Still, no amount of busy work could stop his mind from going to her. He missed her. It'd been two days now since he told her he wanted space and every day was becoming harder than the last. He hadn't expected not to see her. He'd assumed she'd still be around and it would be easy to keep an eye on her but she hadn't shown up at Star Labs or at CCPD in two days. A nagging part of him was beginning to worry but he tried to suppress it. He was the one who had said he needed space. She was obliging. Besides, she had responded to his text yesterday with – I'm fine. So at least he knew she was alive. That thought arrested him the moment it came to his mind and his eyes flew towards Cisco immediately for some reason.

"Have you heard from her? Have any of you?" He asked, embarrassed to even have to ask. Keeping his tone even, even though the nagging feeling in his head was quickly turning into fear. Everyone shook their head.

"Have you tried calling?" Caitlin asked.

Before Barry could admit that he hadn't. Cisco cleared his throat, his eyes glued to Barry's. "I called her." His look was a challenge, "Last night. We spoke around 10pm. She was still at work."

"Why didn't you say something?" Barry said.

Cisco paused intentionally and Barry bit his tongue. Cisco addressed Caitlin. "I told her I would call to check on her again this morning but her phone went straight to voicemail when I did."

Barry ran a hand across his neck where it was becoming stiff. Caitlin voiced what he was thinking, "We should at least know where she is and that she is okay…with Savitar on the loose anything could happen."

And there it was. The reason why he was an idiot, Barry decided. Savitar was still on the loose and Iris was in mortal danger. Why on earth did he think leaving her at a time like this made any sense at all? He pulled out his phone and turned away from them as he called her. There was no ring. Just her warm, soft voice as the voicemail picked up the call. He turned around and with only a quick meeting of eyes with Cisco's, he flashed out the room.

Barry ran to CCPN first. It was some minutes after 1pm in the afternoon. It made sense that she would be at work. He steadied himself, fixed his clothes, his hair and walked into the newsroom and headed towards her office. This was one change he'd really liked when he had returned from Flashpoint. Iris had her own office and had received a promotion from the cub-reporter position she'd been in for a year and a half. He was always happy when her talent was recognized. He smiled a little at the memory of a night a few weeks okay. Her story had made the front page. He'd been so proud to purchase a copy from a vendor and see her name on the byline. That night she'd been working late, finishing another story, and he had surprised her as the Flash by whisking her away from her desk. She'd feigned disapproval when he put her down atop Jitter's rooftop. "Miss West," he'd greeted, voice vibrating for effect.

"Flash." She had responded, startled and still catching her breath. "What're you…Barry, what's going on..."

"I read your story today and I just had to see you," he'd continued. Deciding right then and there to commit to the role. "I was really impressed by your take on the recent real estate boom in Central City and its possible connection to the drug cartels in Star City." Iris had seemed surprised and impressed, almost as if she hadn't thought he'd really read the article. He'd filed away her reaction as a sign that he needed to make it more clear just how impressed he was with her work. "Sounds like dangerous stuff though Miss West."

Grinning, and reflexively running a hand through her hair, she'd replied, "good thing I have a guardian angel who's always ready to whisk me away to safety." Barry faltered, forgetting what he'd wanted to say next and just stared at her. She was so beautiful. So mesmerizing to look at. She was just standing there in front of him, her hair windswept, her cardigan hanging loose off her shoulders, her fitted dress hugging her perfect body. She'd taken a step towards him and he had covered the remaining space between them in half a second and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so proud of you baby." He'd whispered against her neck. "Can I take you home and show you how much?"

As Barry approached her office now, his body responded to the memory of that night and the longingness he had been feeling since he walked out two days ago pounced on him. The moment he saw her, he would apologize for allowing his fear to cloud his judgement and then he would spend the rest of their lives making her forget he'd ever made such a dumb decision! Only, she wasn't in her office and by the looks of it, there was no sign of her ever being there today. Refusing to jump to any conclusions, he found the nearest co-worker, a man with striking white blonde hair and blue rimmed glasses, who had been standing near her door.

"Barry Allen," he greeted before Barry had uttered his own. Barry looked on curiously now.

"How is our Iris today?" The stranger asked. Barry frowned at 'our' and then immediately tried to shake off the undeserved annoyance he was feeling towards the man.

"I came to check on her." Barry admitted. "She wasn't feeling well when I left for work this morning…" Questionable excuse he knew. After all, why not just call her. It's not like this stranger new he could zip across the city in minutes.

"Oh. I thought she was home, sick today."

There was that panic again and that stiffness in Barry's neck was getting worse. "Sorry. I have to go." He said and walked away abruptly. He was desperate to just flash out of there but he knew, without even looking back that the man was still watching him. He probably had a crush on Iris, Barry decided and filed that thought away to potentially pick at later. After knowing Iris West for almost twenty years, if there was one thing he was used to, it was other people finding her attractive. There was no way he could survive being with her if he didn't know how to let stuff like that go or at least convince himself he was. As soon as he was outside he called Cisco.

"Something is wrong. Check the location of her phone. I'm heading to the apartment."

On the outside, the apartment building seemed just as he had left it. He found Iris' car, parked in its usual parking spot by the side of the building and was fleetingly hopeful. He ignored the elevator and flashed up the stairs to the loft, impatient to see her. The moment he crossed the hall to their door, all the fears he had been trying to keep at bay came crashing down. Their door was open. He stepped inside the doorway and saw her bag by the side of it – her coat on the floor. He didn't need to call out her name. Iris would never leave their door open. Not after what happened with Clive Yorkin. She was also not likely to leave her things lying around. That was his thing. Barry stumbled in the doorway, falling back against the wall, he fished his pone out of his pocket. "Cisco?" His voice sounded shaky even to him. He hated that.

"Barry her phone is completely off the grid. I can't –"

"I'm heading to CCPD. Call Wally."

Barry took off before the conversation ended on his phone. He found Joe in mid conversation with Cecile and interrupted them abruptly, vaguely apologizing as he pulled Joe aside.

"Have you seen Iris?" Barry asked.

Joe's brows knitted. "Today? No. I mean we were supposed to have lunch but she didn't show, I thought work…what's going on?" Barry ran a hand cross his face and paced for a second or two before turning to face Joe.

"I – I can't find her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's missing."

"What?" Joe's eyes widened, Barry saw his jaw tense, knew he was beginning to lose his cool. "When was the last time you heard from her?"

"Two days ago."

"What?!"

Barry took a deep breath and - "After Wally and I returned from the Speed Force and we went home, I – I told her we needed some space and I went to stay with Cisco. That's where I've been for the last two days. I sent her a text yesterday and she responded but that is the only communication I've had with her." He kept eye contact with the man who had assumed the role of father-in-law years ago. Something tilted inside him at Joe's expression.

"I will fix this Joe. I'm heading back to Star Labs right now. Maybe you could do something here." Joe blinked. That look of death etched on his face; a scar now. Barry nodded at him one final time before flashing away.

Everyone, except Joe, was in Star Labs and this time Barry flashed right into the middle of the room.
"Cisco, vibe her," he ordered, interrupting whatever it was the group had been saying. Barry tossed the cream jacket Iris had left on the floor, to Cisco, who caught it expertly. Cisco nodded and as everyone stilled so that he could do his magic, Barry's eyes caught Wally's from across the room. He was already a mess since his time in the Speed Force, now he looked utterly dejected. Barry pushed down the need to blame himself for Wally's added distress too. He had to focus.

Cisco was in deep concentration for a few protracted minutes before his eyes widened and he turned to meet Barry's desperate gaze.

"She's alive but she's scared Barry. I couldn't tell exactly where she was but wherever she is, she's not alone."

Barry bristled. "Who is with her? Did you see a face?"

"No. I just kind of knew there was someone there because of how she was reacting."

"Is she hurt?" Caitlin asked.

"No – no. She didn't seem physically hurt."

"We've got to get her back." Wally said with gravel in his voice.

"Was there anything else Cisco. Anything that could give us a hint?!" Barry asked. The team recognized his thinly veiled dread. Cisco tried to think, searching for something, anything but all he saw was Iris in an empty room. "Keep trying. Use the computers too. Do all you can please! I'm going out to search the streets. Contact me on the com if something comes up."

"I'm going out too." Wally added, both suited up and flashed away.