Greetings! Welcome to another in the Meta-Tests series. I'd recommend you read the others in the series first (Meta-Tests, To the Rescue, In the Lab at Night, In Grief, and Lost and Found). I'm still writing without a beta (I know Lost and Found was far from my best), but I'm trying to move ahead with the series. I may try to go back and re-work Lost and Found once I complete the series. For now, I'm doing my best on my own. Questions, comments, and concerns are always welcomed! I still don't own the Flash and I still make no monies from this insanity. - CT
Chapter 1: Lunch
They'd gone out to lunch. Detective Joe West had offered to buy Dr. Harrison Wells lunch. "Okay, so explain this to me again," Joe requested. Harrison had just finished explaining how Rupert Carters, a five month old they'd found one morning on a run, was genetically Harrison's son. The boy's mother had explained it to Harrison a few weeks earlier and he'd waited until now to tell his best friend.
"Judy is a meta as well," Harrison began again.
"Yeah, I got that. Something about having complete control of her body. So, her subconscious decided she wanted a little boy and boom nine months later we have Rupert," Joe summed up.
"Right. It's called parthenogenesis. Happens a lot in reptiles. Anyhow, it seems that Rupert was doing poorly because he didn't have any genetic material from a male. I guess reptiles have more experience with female only reproduction. Anyhow, for whatever reason, when he came into contact with me he apparently decided that my DNA was suitable. He was exposed to my blood in the first attack so it looks like his body assimilated some of it for the DNA." Harrison paused to make sure Joe was following the conversation. "He initiated the telepathic bond to determine if I was acceptable. At least, that's what Judy says."
"So now when a paternity test is done on his DNA you turn out to be the daddy?" Joe asked, still amazed at the world. Harrison nodded, his look unreadable. "How do you feel about that? I mean, is Judy going to let you be part of Rupert's life?"
"I'm not certain how I feel about it yet," Harrison said honestly. "But I told Judy I'd be there in whatever capacity she needed." He shrugged and sighed. "So I'm now chaperoning a trip to the zoo his daycare is taking in a few weeks." Joe started to laugh and quickly covered his mouth, trying to stifle his mirth.
"Well, should I congratulate you or console you?" At Joe's dry comment Harrison laughed.
"Congratulations will work for now," Harrison agreed. "So, how are things in your world?"
"Fine. Iris and I are finally really talking. She's still not sure how she feels about you." Joe paused to sip at his coffee.
"I wonder that sometimes myself," Harrison mused.
"So what's the story with Dr. McGee. Why does she remember Eobard Thawne?" It turned out that Dr. Tina McGee remembered Eobard Thawne's version of Harrison Wells. The reason wasn't completely clear to the team.
"Caitlin, Cisco, and I have been discussing that," Harrison said after a moment. "I have a theory but it's rather difficult to test."
"Yeah, what's the theory?"
"Time," Harrison declared. Joe gave him a look and Harrison waved a hand. "No, I mean we think it has to do with the amount of time people spent with Eobard. It's entirely possible that prolonged exposure to your timeline made it impossible for memories to be rewritten."
"Yeah I think I can understand that." Sighing, Joe sat back content. It was nice to sit down and share a pleasant meal with his friend. "Well, I guess I should be getting back to work." With a sigh he stood. "I got lunch. Consider it a little celebration." Pulling out his wallet Joe plucked a few bills from it and dropped them on the table.
Harrison followed him to the cashier. They earned a few angry glances as Harrison waited while Joe paid. For whatever reason most people seemed to think the two men were a couple. Neither man saw the point in trying to say otherwise. It did earn Joe some nasty looks but every time Harrison offered to do anything about it Joe would just shake his head. Harrison was his best friend and it bothered Joe that nobody took the time to really look at the other man.
"Thank you for lunch," Harrison said as they exited the restaurant. "Are you headed back to the precinct?"
"Yeah." There was screeching noise and a car went flying. Following the direction it had come from the two men saw a familiar figure dressed in a black hood stalking towards them.
"Oh Harrison!" Hartley Rathaway stalked down the street, sending people and vehicles flying with the concussive power of his gloves. "Good to see you." The young man stopped a few feet away from the other two men.
"Hartley, what can I do for you?" Harrison asked, hoping Joe would know enough to get away before he got hurt.
"Suffer," Hartley declared with an angry snarl. He threw his hands out and hit Harrison and Joe with the full concussive force of his gloves. Both men cried out and the world went black for them an instant later.