Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine.
A/N: A bit of background - in the All Flash issue (the one where Wally returns and confronts Inertia for murdering Bart), Wally stated that Iris had packed up his and Linda's belongings when they disappeared.
Iris Allen unlocked the apartment door, shutting it softly behind her. It wasn't the first time she had been here since everything had happened…since everything had changed. She had visited soon after the disappearance to throw out any perishables in the refrigerator and the garbage. However, since that brief stop, almost four weeks had passed. Four weeks and no news. Four weeks and the future was looking bleaker and bleaker.
It had been one month since the West family had disappeared. One month since another Flash had sacrificed his life in response to a universal threat. Well, that wasn't completely true, at least it wasn't true according to Jay and Bart. They insisted Wally and his family were fine, that they were simply somewhere else. But when she pressed them on where, they could or would never give her an answer.
The West family's disappearance hadn't been the only change. Bart had also changed. Her sweet grandson had aged four years overnight. The playful, fun-loving teenager she had known and loved had been replaced by a reserved twenty-year-old. The speed force playing havoc on Bart's metabolism was nothing new. Thankfully, this time it seemed to have corrected itself. Maybe because the speed force was gone. Her grandson no longer had speed. He could no longer break the sound barrier. Jay confirmed the sudden absence of the speed force, however, Jay at least could still run fast, just not as fast as he had over the past few years.
Then there were the other changes the crisis had brought. Many heroes had died. Others seriously injured. Iris knew she should be thankful her grandson was still alive, be thankful that neither Bart nor Jay had been hurt, be thankful that Bart and Jay insisted Wally and his family were still alive. It was much better than the alternative. Still, she felt the right to be a bit selfish. She had lost a lot to the hero world over the years – Barry, Don, Dawn… Was it too much to ask that her nephew and his family be safe as well?
Iris stared grimly at the darkened room. After four weeks, the apartment felt closed up; the air stale. How quickly it had gained the feeling of abandonment. She pulled up the blinds and opened the windows. The bright sunshine and fresh air helped, but it didn't disguise the reason for her visit. It was time to move on.
Walking through the apartment, it felt as if she were invading Wally and Linda's privacy. It felt wrong to be there when they weren't around. Yet something had to be done. If the Wests were gone, keeping the apartment seemed foolish. She had discussed the options with Jay and Joan. Together they had agreed to put everything into storage. It seemed the best thing to do. When Wally and Linda returned – she insisted to think of it as "when" not "if" – they would just need to find a new place to live and unpack. They would have to start over, but at least they wouldn't have to start over from scratch.
The blinking light of the answering machine caught her attention. Pressing the button revealed three increasingly frantic messages from Linda's mom. Iris sighed. A cover story of some sort would be needed. Hopefully the Justice League could concoct something. Then again, the League seemed to be absent these days. Jay would know who to contact. If not Jay, she supposed she could ask Hal. No matter the eventual story, the thought of lying to Linda's parents unsettled her. They should be told the truth, but the truth wasn't an option. They didn't know Wally was the Flash and now didn't seem the best time to break that news to them. Besides, she shouldn't be the one revealing Wally's secret. Given everything Wally had gone through to regain a secret identity, revealing his identity should be Wally's decision.
Once a cover story had been defined, Iris realized she should call Wally's parents as well. Since regaining his secret identity, her nephew hadn't shared the news with his parents either. Iris didn't blame him. Wally wasn't close to either of his parents. Still, Iris suspected that Mary would call eventually. Rudy, though, was highly doubtful…unless he wanted money or had some scam up his sleeve. On second thought, maybe she would just call Mary.
Walking down the hallway, she paused inside the nursery. The twins were almost five months old. The story of their birth – of which few people outside of the hero circle would ever know – was simply a miracle. Seeing Wally in the role of a parent was a pleasant surprise. Iris knew Wally had worried he would be like his father. She had long since given up trying to convince her nephew he was nothing like Rudy. At least through Barry, Wally had been exposed to a positive role model. Watching him interact with the babies, Iris could see Barry's influence shining through.
She absently fingered one of the stuffed animals scattered around the room. She smiled to herself as she remembered Wally telling her about some of the baby gifts they had received from the superhero community. He had been mildly insulted by the gifts of money from Dick and Bruce, even though not insulted enough to return the gifts. Besides, cash was safe compared to some of the other gifts such as the Amazonian bracelets and shield, the bow and arrows, the all-terrain mecha highchairs, the virtual playpen… Infants among the superhero crowd were a rarity. After seeing what they considered to be appropriate baby gifts, Iris suspected maybe that was a good thing.
With a sigh, she realized it was time to start packing. If she didn't, she knew she could lose herself in the memories for the rest of the day. She hoped packing would help her accept Wally and his family were gone – not dead – just gone. She hoped it would help her stop holding her breath every time the telephone rang, wondering if it was Wally…or whenever someone knocked on the door…or, well, just about any of the ways her nephew had impacted her life.
Time passed. To her relief, Iris lost herself in packing. It seemed oddly wrong that someone's life could be categorized into a series of neatly labeled boxes. Is this what Barry had done when she had "died"? Is this what Wally had done when Barry had died? She pushed those thoughts from her mind. Wally and his family weren't dead or "dead."
The knock on the door surprised her. It surprised her even more when she glanced at her watch and saw almost three hours had passed. Wiping her hands on her jeans, she walked to the door. She had specifically asked Jay, Joan and Bart to not disturb her. She had both wanted and needed this time to herself. Apart from them, no one else knew where she was or what she was doing. Looking out the peephole revealed a red-headed man standing in the hallway. Briefly, irrationally, she thought it was Wally. The thought left as quickly as it came. Wally wouldn't knock on his own apartment door. Besides, while the man in the hallway had red hair, he did not have her nephew's build. Her mind quickly ran through the possibilities and settled on one name. The name surprised her. He was one of the last people she would have expected to see. In fact, she hadn't seen him since Wally and Linda's first wedding. She opened the door.
The man grinned. "Hey, Mrs. Allen, long time, huh?" Even after all these years, she would recognize that grin anywhere. A grin that managed to look cocky and smug at the same time. Pure Ollie. Yes, Wally had managed to mirror Barry in many different ways. Likewise, Roy managed to mirror Ollie…and not always in the best of ways.
"Roy," she greeted with a smile and hug. "Come in."
"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you."
"It's not a bother," she reassured.
"Are you sure?" he repeated.
She heard the hesitancy in his voice, a hesitancy that had been there years ago, too. The boys, because that's how she would always think of them, had been so much alike and yet so different. Wally, Roy Harper and Dick Grayson. Three boys from very different backgrounds. Three boys wanting to prove to their mentors they could be a hero. Three boys desperately seeking love and approval. Of the three, Wally had had it the easiest. Not only did he have his natural parents, he had her and Barry who made up for all the shortcomings of the Wests. Next came Dick. On the surface, an orphan living with a billionaire would seem like a dream come true. Iris knew Dick and Bruce had had many an argument over the years. She knew they had had their ups and downs. She knew – through Wally – Dick had questioned his place in Bruce's life on several occasions. Yet, through it all, Bruce and Dick managed to make it work. Then there was Roy. Like Dick, it should have been a dream come true. Maybe Ollie wasn't a billionaire, but he was a millionaire. Like Dick and Bruce, Roy and Ollie had had their arguments. Like Dick, Roy had questioned his place in Ollie's life. However, unlike Bruce and Dick, Ollie and Roy hadn't managed to make it work. In the end, Dick had had one distinct advantage over Roy – Alfred. Iris wondered if Alfred ever realized the true impact he had on the lives of the Bat family. She knew his worth could never be measured. "Come in. Let's talk. It's been a long time since I last saw you. Besides, it will give me an excuse to take a break."
Even though he stepped inside, Iris still sensed Roy's nervousness. A true sign that something was bothering the young man. "Jay told me you'd be here," Roy explained. "I thought…well, things have been such a mess since the crisis. Wally being-"
"He's not dead."
Roy managed a small smile. "I know. Jay gave me a very strong lecture on that point. Guess I'd feel a little better if he could actually tell me where the hell-," he glanced sheepishly at her, "sorry, where Wally is."
Iris returned the smile. "I know. I feel the same way. If they know he's fine, then why can't they tell me where." She shrugged. "I learned long ago that there are certain aspects of the hero world I'm not meant to understand. This is obviously one of them."
Roy nodded. "Anyway, I just thought I could, I don't know, help I guess."
Looking closely at the young man, Iris sensed he didn't so much want to help than that he needed to help. Perhaps, like herself, this would help him accept that Wally was gone, at least for the moment. Yet, she found it a bit strange. Wally and Roy were friends, good friends, but she never would have guessed this was something Roy would do. Dick was a different story. She patted his arm. "I'd like that."
Roy smiled, the relief evident on his face. "Dick would be here, too, but he's still recovering."
"How's he doing?" Iris had heard that Dick had been seriously injured.
"Better. It was touch and go at first. Bruce went a little crazy, not really a surprise I guess. Anyway, the shot messed up his nervous system. He has to relearn some of his muscle control." A knowing smile appeared. "With Babs as if his nurse, he'll probably act sicker longer just for the attention."
Ah, yes, Dick and Barbara Gordon. She knew of their on-again-off-again relationship through Wally who found the entire thing frustrating. He wanted his best friend to "get married already." Maybe this incident would push them closer. "Well, it's good to know he'll be okay. And I heard you are now being called Red Arrow and part of the JLA?" A look of surprise appeared on Roy's face. Iris smiled. "I'm not completely out of the superhero world. Hal stays in touch," she admitted. Hal had also shared that Ollie was bursting with pride. Becoming part of the JLA showed just how far Roy had truly come.
"Yeah, I have to admit it's a little weird. I never thought they'd let someone like me be a member. I'm not exactly known for following the rules."
"Neither is Ollie or Hal or even Bruce for that matter."
"Good point."
"And how's Lian?"
Roy's smile broadened. He quickly revealed a wallet and pictures. "She's great. She's…well, she's a handful, but I can't imagine life without her. She's my world."
Iris looked at the pictures of a smiling four-year-old girl. "She's beautiful."
"Yeah…just like her mother." There was a wistfulness in Roy's voice. Yet another relationship Wally had commented about. In this case wondering why Roy remained smitten with an assassin. She watched as Roy put the wallet away. The smile that had disappeared at the mention of Lian's mother quickly reappeared, his attempt to cover any feelings and emotions. Yes, the boys were very much alike.
Roy glanced around the living room. "So, where do you want me to start? You can either tell me what to pack or I just sort of mosey into the bedroom and get a closer look at Wally's sex life. I can just see the expression on his face when he finds out I was fingering through Linda's unmentionables." Roy waggled his eyebrows.
Iris laughed. Yes, this was the Roy she remembered. "Well, then, for Wally's sanity and your safety from both him and Linda, how about if you start in here?" She motioned at the living room. It seemed as if it should be one of the safer rooms of the apartment. Besides, she didn't want to have to explain to Wally how or why Roy had gone through Linda's "unmentionables."
"Sounds like a plan."
Iris pointed out where the boxes were located and explained her system for labeling everything. She waited a few seconds to make sure Roy would be okay before returning to the nursery. Even though they didn't talk, time seemed to pass a little quicker knowing someone else was in the apartment. It was still hard, though, to pack everything away. When would the West family be back? Would they be back? Were they okay? Why had they left? The why bothered her the most. Wally had a habit of internalizing his worries and troubles. Rather than ask for help or advice, he typically would decide what to do on his own. Sometimes everything worked out. Other times, it didn't. Iris couldn't help but wonder if this was the latter. Had Wally acted spontaneously, never considering all the impacts? Was there more to the story? No matter how hard she tried to understand, she couldn't imagine him placing Linda, let alone the babies, in danger. Did that mean they were safe?
She paused. The room was almost completely done. As she stretched her muscles, she realized all was quiet in the living room. Looking into the room, she saw Roy sitting on the sofa staring at something in his lap. When he turned a page, Iris realized it was a photo album. Conflicting emotions raced across his face.
"What did you find?" Iris sat next to him on the sofa and glanced at the photos. These two pages were filled with pictures of Wally, Dick and Roy. Iris guessed Wally must have been around fourteen in the photos. None of the boys were in costume. They all wore civilian clothes. Based on the background, it looked as if the boys were in Central City.
Iris had always been conflicted when the boys would stay with her and Barry. She liked watching Wally interact with his friends. It was something Barry was able to do much more easily than she ever could. More importantly, she knew how vital those friendships were. The boys lived in the spandex world of secret identities. Most of their problems, they couldn't share with other kids at school. The boys truly needed each other. However, while the boys were well-mannered, they were still boys. More specifically, they were three teenaged boys with very high energy levels. Trouble seemed to have a way of finding them. She didn't want to think about all the scrapes she didn't know about. Of those she did, the boys managed to get out of most situations on their own, but it wasn't unheard of for Barry or Hal, or even the Flash or Green Lantern, to lend a hand. And somehow, no matter how many precautions were taken, Bruce always seemed to find out in the end.
"It's hard to believe we were so young."
Iris smiled. One of the pictures showed the two red-haired teenagers on either side of Dick. "I could always tell when you and Wally were getting ready to pick on Dick about something or other. You two would exchange a look. It seemed no matter how many times Dick would beat you – and he always seemed to beat you – you two would never stop trying."
Roy chuckled softly. "Yeah, we always ended up on our asses. Still do whenever we try to get him." He paused briefly. "I always loved it when we came to your house. It's like I finally got to be around a real family. You and Barry…well, I know you weren't Wally's parents, but you seemed to be. I know he wished that you were."
"Yes, I know." How many times had she and Barry had discussed the pros and cons of adopting Wally? At one point, they had even talked to an attorney. They attorney had confirmed what they already knew. Adopting Wally wasn't an option. There was no physical abuse. Wally was getting cared for – he had clothing to wear, food to eat. He went to school. Lack of parental involvement was not a factor that could be used. If they had tried to adopt Wally, contested Mary and Rudy's fitness as parents, it would have only worsened an already tenuous situation, especially since there were no guarantees she and Barry would win. In the end, they hadn't wanted to risk not being able to see their nephew at all, which given Rudy's penchant for holding a grudge, would have been a huge risk. It was easier and safer to just remain Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry.
Since her return, she had never told Wally what she and Barry had considered all those years ago. It hadn't seemed important. Maybe it wasn't. Yet, a part of her wondered whether Wally had a right to know…to know how much she and Barry really loved him. She quickly pushed the thoughts from her mind. She could feel tears starting to threaten. She forced lightness into her voice. "We always enjoyed it when you boys were here." Roy raised a questioning eyebrow. She smiled. "Well, maybe not always," she clarified.
Roy grinned. "Yeah, you guys were great. I know neither Ollie nor Bruce would have ever put up with us, at least not as often as you and Barry did. Besides, it was fun to see how uncomfortable I could make Barry."
Iris smiled at the memory. "Yes, you did have fun teasing him. So did Ollie. Neither of you had a difficult time."
"Well, he was a little straight."
"Just like his nephew."
"Yeah, Wally was – is – too, but he's nowhere near as bad as Barry was. Besides, Wal hung around with me enough. He knew when I was joking around."
"You still rattled him, though." Iris recalled the countless time Wally would put a smile on his face and later vent his frustrations to her. He had hated Roy's teasing, mostly because he was never quick enough with the one-line comebacks. That's where Dick had always excelled. Thankfully, Wally had had Dick to back him up.
Roy shrugged. As Roy flipped through more pages of the album, Iris realized the album had been sanitized – no pictures of anyone in costume. It was safe to display in public. Soon pictures of Wally and Linda seemed to dominate the pages. "He really lucked out with Linda. I know I give him hell and all, but it's mostly because I guess I'm a bit jealous. A beautiful wife who understands the hero biz. All the Flashes seem to luck out, don't they?"
Iris remained silent. There really wasn't anything she could say. Roy was right. The Flashes did luck out. Wally would be surprised to know Roy was jealous of his and Linda's relationship.
Roy closed the photo album. "Well, I guess that's enough of a break. Time to get back to work, huh?"
She smiled. "Sounds good."
When they finally called it a day, almost the entire apartment had been packed. They had worked on packing the kitchen together. Roy had chatted almost nonstop about one topic or another – Ollie and the Arrow family, the JLA, Lian… Some of the names she recognized, others she didn't. Just listening to him ramble soothed her nerves. It seemed to help him as well. He looked more relaxed than when he had first arrived.
Iris shut the apartment and checked that it was locked. Satisfied with the result, she faced the young man. "Thanks for your help, Roy. I really appreciate it."
"No problem. I…it felt good…like I was able to help Wal."
She patted his arm. "Roy, you don't need to be a stranger. Feel free to stop by for a visit anytime. I enjoy talking with you. And if you do stop by, please bring Lian along. I'd love to meet her."
"Thanks, Mrs. Allen. And if you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
"I'll do that. Titans together, right?" Iris knew it was the right thing to say when Roy gave her an impromptu hug.
"Yeah, Titans together." He pecked her cheek and walked away.
She watched him go. On several occasions, Wally had commented about how different the Titans were from the JLA, how he preferred the Titans to the JLA, not that he was about to give up his JLA membership, though. Unlike the JLA, the Titans were family. They laughed together. They cried together. They teased each other. They fought. No matter what, thought, they were there for each other, no questions asked. Wally and his family were gone, but in spending time with Roy, Iris realized she had more than just the speedster family to rely on. She also had the Titan family and through the Titans, even though Wally may not be with her himself, she would always know he was with her in spirit. "Titans together," she whispered and walked away.