Hey guys! Guess who's back!? ME!
So, I'm horrible at keeping my word, whether it be "I'll update this story next week", or "I'll be starting this story in a few months." Never trust my word when it comes to stories!
Anyways, this is the sequel to Not Fast Enough, But Enough. Thanks to everyone who supported that story, you were all so kind and understanding when I couldn't update.
So, this story is dedicated to my friend aliqueen16, my sister Brentinator, and all of my readers. I love you all!
Also! aliqueen16 began a short story collection about Charlie! Go show it some love, it's called "Charlie's firsts."
So, I hope you enjoy this first chapter!
Chapter one.
Barry had changed a lot in the past six months, well, if you asked anyone at Star Labs, that is. He stopped laughing, his smile was almost always fake, he only left the laboratory when he had a mission.
He rarely worked at the CCPD. After Joe had explained Charlie's situation to Captain Singh, Barry had been excused from his work until Charlie was healed or had passed away. Even though Barry still went in to help with difficult cases. He had to get his mind off of his dying daughter every once in awhile. The pain of most likely losing his little girl was too much sometimes, not that it wasn't bad every moment of the day.
He was a shell of the man he had been just eight months ago, and it hurt Iris to see him this way. He had changed a lot when his mother had died and his father had been sent to prison, but now Barry had truly changed, he acted like he no longer wanted to be living. And Iris hoped she could find a way to change that.
Iris pulled into the parking lot of Star Labs, in the seat beside her was nine bags filled to the brim with deliciously greasy fast food. Enough for her, Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry, but mostly Barry.
"Hey, guys!" Iris greeted as she walked into the Cortex. "How's it going?" She asked, then put down the many bags of fast food.
Caitlin looked up at her and smiled. "Hey, Iris." She said, then Cisco echoed the same greeting.
Iris handed them both a burger and fries, then looked over at the test tubes that had taken up residence on the desk. "Anything yet?" She asked quietly, even though they were only dating at the moment, that didn't change the fact that her boyfriend's sweet baby girl was like a daughter to Iris, and the thought of her very likely death made her tear up. "How is she?"
Caitlin out down her burger and sighed. "Nothing yet, but I think we're getting close." She said, but Iris could hear the doubt Caitlin had in finding a cure in her words. "Charlie tried fighting the ventilator this morning, I guess the sedative had worn off, or was beginning to."
Iris bit her lip and nodded. "And Barry?" She asked. "How is he?"
"He's... he's shaken up from what happened earlier." Caitlin said. "He thought she was dying when she start choking."
Iris nodded again, then picked up the bags of food. "I'm gonna go check on him." She said. "Thanks for the update."
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"Hey, Barry." Iris greeted, then walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Caitlin told me about what happened. Are you okay, babe?"
Barry nodded, but Iris was unconvinced that he was actually okay. In Iris' opinion, he hadn't been okay since Zoom kidnapped Charlie. Barry seemed to get worse after he had saved her, ever since her diagnosis he had been broken.
Iris kissed Barry's cheek, then looked over at Charlie. Little Charlotte Olivia Allen had grown up in the past six months, the now ten month old baby had cut her first two teeth, and her soft fuzz had turned into silky black curls. She was much thinner now, which hadn't been the plan, but Caitlin said she was still at a healthy weight, and that waking her up to get her baby fat back would be dangerous.
Barry sighed. "I just want my baby back..." He whispered as he began shaking with tears.
Iris pulled him into a hug and began stroking his hair as he sobbed. "Not too much longer, babe." Iris told him. "They're working on a cure. We're getting closer."
Barry looked over at Charlie. His little girl was sleeping peacefully while her final days approached even too fast for the speedster. "I can't lose her, Iris." He sobbed. "I can't..."
So, I hope you enjoyed! (Even though you probably hate me for all of the angst and sadness.)
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Thanks for reading, see you soon!