He Didn't Run

By: Rhuben

Summary - Captain Singh had faced down a lot of criminals in his life. But, Barry Allen was different: he didn't run.

Returning to the Central City Police Headquarters, Captain David Singh felt like the world was pressing down on him. The soles of his shoes scuffed against the carpeted flooring – he was too downtrodden to lift his feet. His shoulders curled forward and his head hung low. Forward he trudged, eyes unfocused.

He couldn't believe what he had just said.

What he had just seen.

With a soft click, he closed his office door behind him. His chair groaned as he dropped his weight upon its seat. Burying his face in his hands, he started to shake.

"Barry Allen, you're under arrest for the murder of Clifford DeVoe."

Those words had actually come out of his mouth. He had arrested Barry Allen. It was the hardest thing he had ever faced in his career. And he had been through and seen a lot.

There were many aspects of his job. None of it was easy. Domestic cases, especially when kids were involved, were difficult. Drug overdoses – and the odd occasion where he chased down a drug user and watched them ingest the illegal substances all at once so as to not be caught with them on their person – was almost common place. Having to announce the sudden passing of a beloved family member to an unsuspecting family stuck with him and was the worst of all.

Before now, he had never before experienced arresting one of his own.

Barry Allen was a lot of things: perpetually late, extremely perceptive, a people-pleaser, the hardest working person Captain Singh had ever met, and Henry Allen's son. For years, Captain Singh watched Barry traverse a city that was waiting on pins and needles to see if he would ever go the route of his father.

Now, it looked like he was doing just that.

"No way." Captain Singh repeated those words out loud and in his head repeatedly. And he had done so ever since the anonymous tip had been called in. "There's no way Barry would do this." But he had to investigate the claims no matter how outlandish it was. "No way."

It wasn't too long ago that he had first met Barry Allen; fresh from the academy and eager to get started. Right off the bat, Singh didn't want him on the force. Not for a lack of experience, and not for a lack of passion because Barry had that in spades. He was worried about the young man and how being evident in some of the most gruesome scenes could impact him where his father was involved.

Everyone knew who Henry Allen was and as such, everyone knew of Barry. Would he end up like his father? It was the one question that had been whispered from civilian to civilian since that fateful night. That same worry passed through the halls of the CCPD.

"Barry is the best person for this job," Joe West had insisted to anyone that dared speak ill of his foster son. It was the fieriest Singh had ever seen him outside of the cop car. "I can vouch for him. He's a hard worker; he'll take whatever job you give him and go above and beyond; and he loves to learn. He'll soak everything up like a sponge. He won't let you down."

And he never did. Sure, his work may have been completed late. Yes, he may say the wrong thing here and there. And, yeah, Barry had the tendency to be late to work to begin with. But Captain Singh never hated him for it. Maybe got a little frustrated, sure, but he never hated him. He wanted to push Barry to be better than and more than the passing thoughts of any civilian on the street. He wanted to prove to everyone that Barry Allen was his own person and shouldn't be compared to the actions of his father.

Now this.

Captain Singh leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't get the image out of his mind: Barry Allen standing in his dark apartment, the harsh smell of copper in the air. Barry Allen in possession of an elegant knife that was used to end Clifford DeVoe's life. Barry Allen with a restraining order against that very same man. Barry Allen silently allowing everything to happen to him – much like his father years before. (Singh wasn't there for the initial arrest, but every instance he had even caught a glimpse of Henry Allen as he was guided to and from the courtroom, the man was silent).

That was what was so peculiar about him.

Whatever was thrown Barry's way, he found a way to push through. The most tragic event happened to his family and he would still come into the office every morning with a bright smile and a pleasant "hello" to each and every person he passed. He wasn't like the criminals Captain Singh had faced over the years. There wasn't an evil bone in Barry's body. He wasn't out for revenge. He didn't have a cynical view of the world that had taken so much away from him.

And tonight, he had done the one thing that set him apart from every other supposed criminal that he had ever faced: he didn't run.

"Damn it."

With a rough tough, Captain Singh pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk, revealing a partially consumed bottle of scotch. The special gift from Rob only to be used for special occasions. Promotions of his subordinates, retirement parties, celebrating a new year, it was all accompanied by a stiff drink.

Removing the tumbler carefully wrapped in spare paper from the back of the drawer and quickly filled it. Scotch sloshed over the sides of the glass, splattering his shirt, tie, pants, and wooden table top. The harsh smell of alcohol hit his nose, burning the back of his throat. He inhaled deeply before lifting the glass with his shaky fingers and downed the amber drink in one gulp.

"Damn it!"

His throat burned, bringing tears to his eyes. Tears he had pushed back with all of his might. He downed another glass. Screwing up his face, his eyes squeezed shut. Another filled glass. Another rough sigh. A cough. A ringing telephone he left unanswered (briefly glancing at the caller ID to see that it was his husband – he wouldn't understand). Another drink.

With a final slam of his tumbler on the heavy table, his free hand curled into a fist, pounding the arm rest of his seat.

"DAMN IT!"

How was he going to protect Barry now?

A/N: Seeing "Don't Run", the last few minutes were so intense. That's the kind of twists I look for in a TV show. But, what stood out the most to me, was seeing Captain Singh. Not only do I like his character and wish we saw more with him and the CCPD at times, but I wanted to know how it felt for him to have to arrest someone on his own team. Hope you enjoy.

-Rhuben