Author's note: Because no Memorial Day weekend is complete without a cookout and party. Team Flash finally gets to relax some. If you're a fan of Classic Flash, you may find my little nod to the series. As always I welcome feedback and I'm only borrowing the characters. They aren't mine and I make no money from this. Enjoy!
The sun was shining overhead; it had turned out to be a beautiful weekend for Memorial Day. Unfortunately, Detective Joe West was not enjoying the weather. Instead, he was sitting in his car watching the house of Harrison Wells. So much had changed since Eddie had shot himself. Barry had barely managed to close the black hole that had generated and then, to everyone's shock, he'd been patched up by Harrison. It was almost as if time was trying to repair itself. None of them trusted him, but he'd acted as if he knew most of them as friends. He'd been a bit confused by Joe and Iris.
Caitlin and Ronnie were more interested in celebrating their wedding. Cisco and Martin Stein were fascinated by the idea of time travel and were back at the lab going over all the data. Barry had been exhausted and injured, so he and Iris were back at the house. That left Joe to keep an eye on the suddenly appeared Harrison Wells.
First Joe had gone to the precinct and looked at all the video footage that had been taken from S.T.A.R. labs the night the accelerator had exploded. As he'd flipped through it, he'd found the moment Harrison Wells had been injured. It seemed Dr. Wells had been overseeing the evacuation after Ronnie had redirected the blast. As he was following the last person out, Caitlin, he'd pushed her out of the way as a part of the ceiling had collapsed. With some investigating, Joe had gotten a hold of the x-rays the hospital had taken when Dr. Wells had been brought in with other victims of the explosion. It seemed the man had been permanently paralyzed from his injuries.
Looking back even further in time, Joe discovered that the car accident that had killed Tess, and caused the death of the real Harrison Wells had never happened. In fact, Joe had found the wedding announcement for Harrison and Tess from nearly 14 years ago. Going through old newspaper, Joe had managed to piece together a small history for this new stranger. Harrison and Tess had moved to Central City together nearly ten years ago. Together they'd started work on the accelerator, but Tess had died five years ago in a car accident while Harrison had been out of the country. From everything Joe could find, it looked like it was the real Harrison Wells.
Despite all he'd found, Joe didn't trust the man who had helped Barry. So, he found himself parked outside of Dr. Wells's house, watching and waiting. Around mid-morning the doors opened and Harrison Wells came out, using a manual wheelchair, dressed in a white tee shirt and blue shorts. Pausing to look up, he smiled and then turned the chair and set off. Joe ducked down as Dr. Wells passed him, sitting up after a moment and watching Dr. Wells follow the road. Curious, Joe started his car and followed at a distance, wondering where the good doctor was going.
Eventually, they ended up in a cemetery. Joe parked his car and watched as the sweat covered Dr. Wells guided his chair through the headstones, stopping eventually before one. Unable to get a good look, Joe got out of his car and tried to get as close as he could. Peaking around a large angel tombstone, Joe frowned at the name on the headstone Harrison was sitting near.
"To you, Bette," Harrison said, holding up a flask before taking a sip. He sat in silence for a long moment. "You going to hide behind that headstone all day Detective?" It took Joe a moment to realize that Dr. Wells was talking to him. Sighing, Joe stepped out, coming to stand next to Dr. Wells. They were silent as Joe stared at the headstone, trying to figure out what to say or do.
"Here. If you're going to be here," Harrison handed Joe a metal shot glass. "Toast to the lost." He filled the glass using his flask.
"Who was she?" Joe asked, uncertain if he wanted to drink with the man.
"A woman changed by the accelerator," Harrison answered. "I promise, it isn't drugged or poisoned. Bette wouldn't like that. She was a soldier. She preferred to face the danger." He lifted the flask, never once having looked at Joe. "May you find a better life Bette." He knocked back another sip from the flask.
"I don't get it," Joe said.
"Today is a day we honor the fallen heroes," Harrison replied. Finally he looked up at Joe, his clear-framed glasses now acting as sunglasses, hiding his eyes. "You can't tell me you haven't lost people you cared about. What about Det. Thawne?"
The comment made Joe frown. While it had been a shock to discover this new Harrison Wells with Barry, the group had done a good job of not reacting. That meant they hadn't spoken with him about Eddie. Apparently Dr. Wells saw the look, as he spoke before Joe could, "I'm paraplegic, Det. West, not deaf. The group of you were a bit loud as you were leaving the lab the other day. Eddie Thawne was your partner and your daughter's fiancé. Was he not?"
"He was," Joe agreed.
"And I gather he shot himself to prevent the birth of an insane time traveling face stealing evil genius. Thus why you were all so shocked to see me with Barry."
"You got all that from our conversation?" Joe was shocked. He hadn't thought they'd spoken about it that much.
"While I am not many things, I can put 2 and 2 together," Harrison lectured. He turned his chair so that he was facing Joe. "I'm guessing that the man Det. Thawne prevented from being born looked like me for some reason. I don't need to know why now. Today is a day to honor the heroes. Bette was a hero. So was your Det. Thawne. I'm guessing you have lost others."
"Chyre," Joe said, sinking into his memories. "He was killed the same night Barry was struck by lightning. He's buried here."
"Then perhaps you should take that to his grave and have a drink for him," Harrison suggested. Nodding, still lost in his memories, Joe turned and walked over to Chyre's grave. The headstone had been well cared for and someone had left flowers. Raising the shot glass, Joe said a silent prayer of thanks and then tossed the contents back. Turning away from the grave, he walked back to the main road, where Harrison Wells was waiting.
"Thank you," Joe said, handing him the metal shot glass. "Do you always do your workout with a flask and shot glass?" Harrison was drinking from a water bottle now.
"Only when I'm going to visit a friend's tombstone," Harrison replied. Taking one last sip of his water, he then capped it and returned it to a small bag he had on the back of the chair. "I'm headed home. See you there?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead just turning and leaving.
Joe watched Harrison race away. It was strange. While the man looked exactly like the Harrison Wells Joe had been so suspicious of, this man was different. Harrison kept his upper body low as he maneuvered the wheelchair, picking up a speed Joe hadn't expected. Making a decision, Joe returned to his car. Starting it, he pulled out, honking his horn as he passed Harrison.
When he got to the house, he parked the car and walked up to the front door. He didn't have to wait long before Harrison arrived. The other man didn't seem surprised to see Joe there, instead he simply nodded and keyed in a code so that the doors opened. "Make yourself comfortable," Harrison said as they both entered the house.
"Can I ask you something?" Joe asked as he looked around at the interior. The doors had been the same, but the rest of the house was different. It still had the skylight and fireplace, but for whatever reason it felt more welcoming. There was a framed photo of Harrison and a woman arm in arm.
"Shoot," Harrison said, heading into the kitchen. Joe followed him, feeling like this Harrison Wells was a little more energetic.
"Is that all you're going to do to honor her today?" Joe looked around the kitchen, a little confused. There were containers of food out as if Harrison was planning a party. "I mean, I know today is supposed to honor those who died while doing service to the country, but…"
"Of course not," Harrison said. "You want a drink?" He was at the fridge, apparently getting himself more to drink. "Beer?" A little surprised, Joe nodded, accepting the beer that Harrison pulled out and slid across to him. "Today I'm going to honor her by enjoying my day. Tomorrow, I'll honor her by doing whatever I can to help protect the people of this city."
"What's with all the food?" Joe motioned at the containers.
"Well, I thought perhaps you and the others would join me in a cookout," Harrison set his own beer down on the counter. "Pool is ready for the first swim of the season, grill is good to go. Tess and I used to always have a huge barbecue for Memorial Day. Five years without her and I still try to do the same. Well, not last year. Will you join me?"
"Have you asked the others?"
"No. Thought you could call them."
"Okay. Umm... why did you leave all this food out while you went to the cemetery?" Joe waved at the food that was spread out on the table.
"I didn't," Harrison responded as if Joe had asked a silly question. Before Joe could ask for clarification, he heard a sliding door open and a young woman wearing a bikini walked into the kitchen. "Hey Bette. Have you met Detective Joe West?"
"Hi," the woman greeted. "Bette Sans Souci. Nice to meet you. Harrison, I have the cover off the pool, towels out, and the coals are ready for lighting. Oh, and Earl is out enjoying the water. He was not happy you left him here."
"Hi," Joe said, suddenly confused. "Are you the same Bette from the cemetery?"
"Yeah. Harrison helped me get control of my power and fake my death so the Army would leave me alone," Bette said. "We try to get together every once in a while." She looked around. "I thought you said you were going to try to get Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin here."
"Detective West was just going to call them and invite them over." Smiling at Joe, Harrison took one of the containers of food off the table, set it in his lap, and turned his chair. "Come on out to the pool when you're done," he called to Joe as he left the kitchen.
"Don't mind him, he's always like that," Bette said. "Look, Barry and the others don't know I'm alive. Harrison and I felt it would be safer if they didn't know."
"So what's changed?" Joe asked.
"The General who was after me has lost interest. Apparently there are more interesting meta-humans out there. Plus, he seems to have accepted my death at face value." Bette picked up one of the containers of food. "Honestly, I'm ready to have contact with people I know. Harrison has been great. Bring out some food when you're done making your calls." She disappeared back the way she had come. After a moment of thought, Joe decided to make the calls. Cisco, Barry, and Caitlin deserved to know Bette was alive.
When he finished his calls, Joe followed after Bette and Harrison, finding his way to a patio and large outdoor pool. Bette was stretched out on a patio chair. Harrison was manning a grill next to a table loaded with covered food. The scientist had shed his shirt and removed his shoes and socks. Hearing a splashing noise, Joe looked to the pool. To his shock, a beautiful golden retriever was apparently swimming laps.
"So, they're all on their way. I also invited Dr. Stein and his wife, Clarissa" Joe said.
"Excellent. Shed a layer, throw on some sunblock, jump in the pool if you want. There's some spare swim suits in the bathhouse," Harrison said waving towards an outbuilding. "If you're hungry feel free to grab some grub."
"Uh, is that a dog?" Joe pointed at the dog swimming in the pool. In response, the dog barked.
"That's Earl," Harrison replied. He didn't say anything else, as if his answer was sufficient. "Any food requests?"
"No. Thanks. Can I ask you something?" Joe watched the man work. It seemed this Harrison Wells was comfortable and relaxed hanging out by the pool manning a grill. Instead of speaking, the other man simply nodded. "How long had you known I was watching you? If she's still alive, why the scene at the cemetery?"
"That's two questions. Still, I'll answer. Probably from the beginning," Harrison replied. "It was pretty obvious none of you were expecting to see me when you came into the lab. Made me a bit curious. You've never come by the lab all that frequently. I've spoken with Henry a time or two, but not you. Everything just seemed a bit odd. As for my toasting Bette's grave… well, I try to keep up appearances. Helps throw the Army off the scent I think."
"Why do you suppose we remember how things were before Eddie changed everything?" Joe sat down in a chair next to Harrison.
"You were all in the lab the second time the accelerator was activated. That may have caused you to be out of sync, so to speak, with the rest of time. So, when it all adjusted, you didn't." Harrison shrugged as he turned a foil wrapped item on the grill. "We can investigate it more later. Today, we enjoy ourselves." Turning his chair a little, he called out to the woman sunbathing. "Bette, can I talk you into helping me get sunblock on?"
"Sure. Though I'm sure Det. West would be just as happy to help," The young woman said, sitting up in her chair and stalking over to the two men. "However, I'm more than happy to help you out." Grinning widely, she took the sunblock Harrison nodded towards and sat down in a different chair.
The doorbell chimed and Harrison glanced at Joe. "That's probably some of the others. Joe, would you be willing to get it?" Nodding, Joe stood and went to let the group inside. Oddly enough, everyone had managed to arrive around the same time.
"Hey, Joe, what's going on?" Barry asked as his former foster father led them through the house. "You said there was something we needed to see to believe."
"Harrison wanted you all to come for a Memorial Day celebration," Joe answered. "He has a surprise for you all as well."
"Is this a good surprise or a bad surprise?" Cisco asked as they followed Joe through the sliding glass doors and out onto the pool deck. "Cause we've had worse…" Cisco trailed off as his gaze fell on the woman applying sunblock to Harrison Wells. Barry, and Caitlin also pulled up short. Ronnie looked to his wife in concern.
"Bette!" Barry managed to say. The young soldier looked up and beamed at her friends.
"Hi guys. Give me a minute. Don't want Harrison's back to burn," Bette said, smearing lotion over Harrison's scarred backside. He was leaning forwards in his chair, allowing her easier access to his lower back.
"How are you alive?" Barry couldn't keep the shock from his voice.
"How are you touching him?" Cisco asked, perhaps a bit envious.
"Oh, Harrison figured that a serious injury would cause my body to go critical, however, by containing the explosion, it acted as a purge. Not entirely sure how I survived being shot and then blown up, but when I woke up, I swam ashore. Turns out, I have a lot more control now," Bette explained. She patted Harrison on the back. "All done grill-master."
"Thank you," Harrison said. "Welcome everyone. There's extra swim suits in the bathhouse, plenty of towels, tons of food, and a pool just waiting to be used. Earl has been waiting for someone to come join him." He motioned towards the pool where the golden retriever was sitting on the top step. At his name, the dog barked happily, his tail wagging and sending water flying.
"Why didn't you tell us she was alive?" Caitlin glowered at Dr. Wells.
"Because we didn't want General Eiling to go after anyone. I didn't want to endanger anyone else," Bette declared, standing up to face Caitlin and the others. It seemed the young woman was more than willing to get between the others and Harrison Wells.
"Hey, no fighting," Harrison said, moving to pick up the tongs he'd been using earlier. Fumbling, he dropped them so that they clattered to the ground. Barking, Earl leaped from the pool, racing up and picking the tongs up, wagging his tale as he offered it to Harrison. "Good boy Earl."
"I'll go wash these off. Be right back." Giving the others a look that spoke volumes, Bette took the tongs and headed to the kitchen. Sighing, Harrison turned his wheelchair so that he faced the crowd.
"Please, enjoy yourselves. Bette and I have discussed it, and we feel that now it might be safe for you to know that she's alive. Don't be angry with her for keeping it a secret. I made the decision that it was safest for everyone if we kept it all a secret. Since then, however, she has established a new life for herself."
"So, you were both just trying to protect us all? That's why you let us think we failed her and she died?" Barry's anger was evident. Oddly enough, the dog, Earl, came to stand between Harrison and the group, growling lowly.
"Guys, knock it off," Joe said, standing from his chair. "Earl, show me to the bathhouse. I'm going swimming. Barry, Harrison just did what he thought was best for everyone. Bette apparently agreed with him, since she didn't tell you guys either. Now, stop pouting and enjoy the day." Done with his lecture, Joe turned and followed Earl towards the building that Harrison had indicated earlier.
"What are you grilling?" Cisco asked, coming over to take the seat Joe had just vacated.
"Anything I can," Harrison declared. "If it fits on the grill, then it is going on the grill." Bette came out then, the tongs in one hand and a small pizza in tinfoil in the other.
"Harrison, can you get my pizza on the grill?"
"Sure. Toss it on there." Harrison opened the lid so that she could slide her pizza onto a clear spot on the grill.
"Thanks." Pausing, she kissed him briefly on the lips before turning and running towards the pool. With a shout, she jumped in, splashing a large number of still confused people.
"Dr. Wells," Martin Stein said, coming over with his wife on one arm. "Thank you, for inviting us."
"Harrison. Dr. Stein, I don't like to hold to formalities," Harrison replied.
"Thank you. May I join you with grill-master duties?" Martin pulled a chair over, moving to sit next to the other man.
"Actually, if you'd be willing to take over the duties for a bit, I'd like to get in the pool," Harrison replied.
"Oh, of course. Are you and the young woman?" Martin didn't finish the sentence as Harrison was already shaking his head.
"No. We're just friends. That kiss was just Bette's way of saying thank you. Until my help, she'd been unable to touch anyone for nearly a year." Harrison smiled at the couple. "Feel free to help yourselves to anything in the fridge. I believe there's some wine chilling you might enjoy." Handing the tongs over, he then turned the wheelchair and went to the edge of the pool. Joe came out just in time to see Harrison sort of lean forwards and do a sitting dive into the pool from his wheelchair. The detective waited until the other man came up before he jumped in as well.
"Welcome to the pool Joe," Harrison said with a childish grin. "Noodle?" He offered a foam noodle to Joe, already having one for himself.
"Don't mind if I do." Taking the noodle, Joe laced his arms overtop of it and leaned back. Cracking an eye, he glanced over where Caitlin and Barry were watching looking confused. Cisco was out of sight, appearing a moment later wearing a pair of swim trunks. With a shout, he cannonballed into the pool.
"Cisco!" Caitlin shouted as she was splashed.
"Oh, now it's on," Barry shouted. Vanishing into the bathhouse, the speedster returned a moment later also cannonballing into the pool. Caitlin cried out, getting splashed once more, but her shout became a shriek when Ronnie lifted her and threw her into the pool. The young man then peeled his shirt off and dove in after her.
The party rapidly became a splashing competition, with Earl jumping in and joining. At one point, Harrison even climbed out and managed to pull Martin into the pool, with a bit of help from Clarissa. Cisco and Bette seemed to be hitting it off, with Bette showing off the extent of her control. It seemed she could cause single particles to explode now, and she was happy to show off.
As the party continued into the evening, they wore out, eventually ending up sprawled about the pool deck eating and drinking. Bette started setting off some "fireworks" as the sun went down. Looking over the group, Joe nodded. It had been a rough year, and Team Flash had needed some time to wind down. Iris had even showed up an hour or two after the others. While she hadn't joined in on the fun completely, she'd smiled some.
"Okay, quick announcements," Harrison said, his voice lifting over the chatter. "There's plenty of extra room if you're too inebriated to drive home. Bette's already called the biggest guest room, but I'm certain we can find space for anyone else who needs or wants to stay the night."
"I feel I should tell you, Harrison makes the best homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast," Bette declared.
"I'm staying," Cisco quickly called out.
"Certainly. Bette can show you to the extra rooms later," Harrison said, not at all surprised that the other man was staying. "Second, at some point, someone is going to have to get to the bottom of the pool for Earl's collar. He's already pouting about it. Third, take any food you wish. Last… Last I want to propose a toast." He held his glass up. "To all those who didn't make it to the party. To everyone we lost in the last year and earlier. Thank you for your sacrifice. We will remember you, and keep fighting."
"Amen to that," Joe agreed. "To Chyre and Eddie!"
"To Chyre and Eddie," Barry and Iris agreed reverently.
"To Chyre and Eddie," the others voiced. As one they all drank while the sun went down on a near perfect day.