Iris West-Allen slumped down on her couch after a long day at work. She wished Barry was here. Even though she knew that he probably was in the room with her, or had been recently.
Barry...oh how she missed him! She knew wishing that he could be here was pointless, but she couldn't help it; day after day she wished that he could just slow down enough for her to see him!
She should've stopped him, should've at least been able to say good-bye, but he was gone before she could. He'd recreated the Flash's experiment and successfully given himself super speed, but it went wrong, he was just too fast, so fast that everything around him seemed frozen in comparison. She knew, because he'd left a note.
That was all she had anymore, notes that she found or were pressed into her hands in a nanosecond, small notes written by Barry that were all he could do to communicate.
A tear trekked its way down her face, she missed him so, so much. There was a rush of wind in the room for a millionth of a second, and then something was in her hand. Gingerly, she opened the folded note; written in the oh so familiar handwriting was a short message: Stay strong beautiful.
She started crying.
In his makeshift lab, Wally West checked over his experiment one more time. Everything was identical, every little detail but the location. His message – his good-bye message – was recorded on the family video camera and now sitting in his parents room on the bedside table.
Even though he was ten, Wally fully understood the implications of what he was doing, but he had to do it.
He remembered Uncle Barry, with his stupid puns and forever being late, and smiles and hugs. He remembered how happy Auntie Iris and Uncle Barry were together, and secret trips to ice cream shops with 'don't tell your parents' and snowballs fights and water fights, and the way he'd always ruffle his hair.
He remembered everything about Uncle Barry, even though he hadn't seen him in so long.
He'd see him again soon though, if everything went right.
The storm outside raged, and when the lightning hit and chemicals spilt, Wally West had a smile on his face.
When he opened his eyes again, a familiar face was hovering over him worriedly; familiar features with familiar blue eyes full of concern and familiar blonde hair in familiar disarray.
Wally grinned like a madman.
"Uncle Barry!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around the elder man's neck. Barry hugged him back briefly, helping his nephew stand up, before pushing him back gently his hands on Wally's shoulders, worry still in his eyes.
"Why'd you do it Wally? Now you're stuck here, like me," Barry's tone held no scolding, only concern and worry that his nephew didn't understand the consequences of his actions.
Wally looked his uncle in the eyes before he replied:
"Because Uncle Barry, no one should be alone, especially not like this,"
Then another grin lit up his face.
"And maybe, we aren't stuck!"
It took a long time, a year in normal speed, who-knows-how-long in speedster time, but they did it.
It wouldn't take away their powers, it was impossible to do that, the speed was a part of them, so firmly ingrained that it couldn't be removed.
But it could be slowed down.
They both looked at the glasses in their hands, filled with the blue liquid, before downing the cure. They both stumbled then flew head-over-heels across the room as their bodies slowed down rapidly.
Everything was fuzzy for a while, but when the speedster came to the concerned faces of Mary and Rudy West and Iris West-Allen were hovering over them; both cried from relief, because it had worked and everyone and everything was moving.
If you're a dedicated fan – or Batman – you know the exact date that Flash appeared, you know when Kid Flash first fought by his side, you can name the Rouges and any other Flash Villain off by heart –or in Batman's case any villain.
But nobody, nobody but the two speedsters and their family, knows how long the speedsters have really been around. (Which the two actually laugh about sometimes considering how many times that they rushed off and saved someone while looking for the cure; seriously, how has no one chalked up all the 'amazing miracle saves' during that year to the flashes yet?)
The two share an unbreakable bond, one forged through living in the moments between the moments between seconds. Not even Batman knows the length of time the two speedsters have been speedsters.
Because Barry Allen and Wally West are more than just Flash and Kid Flash, the fastest man and boy alive. They're the man and boy who went too fast, and the man and boy who found a way back.
They know it could happen again any second, that everything around them could just grind to a halt without warning, but they aren't afraid. They'll just find another way back, and if they can't they still have each other.
Because even in the moments between the moments between seconds, Barry Allen and Wally West will be together, neither will ever be alone.
End!
This is what happens when I read Young Justice fanfiction late at night with an endless loop of the 'Ballad of Barry Allen' playing...
So, this is the second thing I've posted here, but I deleted the first because honestly, it stunk. I'm hoping that this one-shot it good though! If you liked it, or hated it, please review to let me know! I'd appreciate the feedback! I really want to know if I got them in character.