Redefining history, a flash fanfic

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine.

A/N: This is an AU story. While there are references to several DC storylines, liberties have been taken to make those storylines better fit this story.

Morning sunshine brightened the room. Iris Allen awoke slowly. Her amber eyes opened, taking in her surroundings. The room wasn't familiar. This wasn't her bedroom. Where was she? As her mind struggled to recall the previous night, she registered an arm curled possessively around her hip. Immediately the memories tumbled back. Everything became crystal clear. She remembered the dinner, the conversation, the wine. What should have been a simple goodbye kiss on the cheek had transformed into something else…something more…something definitely unexpected but not necessarily unwelcome.

Turning slowly, she shifted her position to look at the man lying next to her. He continued to sleep soundly. It had been many years since she had shared a bed with a man. Too many years. Too many long and lonely nights. It wasn't that she didn't have the opportunity to meet other men. She had simply chosen not to. Barry's memory had been enough. Or at least it had been enough until last night.

Strangely, it was Barry's memory that had put her in this position. Looking at the sleeping man, she wondered what his reaction would be when he awoke. Actually, she was fairly certain what his reaction would be. His reputation preceded him. Waking to find a woman in his bed wouldn't faze him. However, waking to find her in his bed, well, she expected him to quickly grow uncomfortable, maybe even a little panicked.

Yet, it didn't seem strange to her that she was sharing his bed. That was not to say that it felt exactly right, but definitely not totally wrong either. It wasn't like she had gone to bed with a stranger. They had known each other for years. Barry had shared countless stories of their adventures together. He was one of her husband's best friends.

She gently pushed a stray lock of hair from his face. Her touch caused him to stir. His brown eyes slowly opened. She smiled as the situation and shock registered.

"Iris…why are you…what…oh, fuck."

The corner of her mouth quirked upward. "Well, I can't quite say we made love, but I will not say we fucked. We did something in between." Her smile broadened as he flushed at her bluntness. It was most likely the first time he had ever heard her swear. She kissed his cheek, her lips feeling the roughness of his whiskers. "Hal, it's okay."

"Okay? It's not okay! We…I…oh, Christ." He lay onto his back, running his hand through his already disheveled hair. She propped herself up on her elbow, her fingers lightly playing against his chest. He cocked an eyebrow and looked at her. "This doesn't bother you?"

She shrugged. "Why should it?"

"Because you're…Barry would…oh, man…"

"I love Barry. I always will. But he's dead. He's been gone for years. He'd be happy to know that I'm happy."

"You're happy?" The disbelief was evident in his voice. Obviously he had been expecting her to be horrified, or at least deeply embarrassed, by what had happened.

"I didn't expect this to happen. I didn't come here planning on going to bed with you. I just wanted to talk to you. I felt I owed you that much, that you deserved some explanation for why I wasn't dead, for Bart's existence. But seeing you again, talking to you again…I just…we got caught up in a moment. We got caught up in the memories."

"Yeah, memories of Barry." He sighed. Then he lifted a hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I feel as if I cheated on my best friend with his wife."

Iris reached for the hand and kissed its palm. "You didn't cheat." Twenty minutes later she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. When she and Barry had made love, she had always enjoyed the afterglow. She savored the closeness and contentment, maybe because it was one of the few times Barry wasn't restless, when he was content to just be still. Right now she enjoyed the closeness with Hal.

"You realize your nephew is not going to take this well," he commented eventually, his fingers casually playing with her hair as her head rested on his shoulder.

That was an understatement. Like his uncle, Wally lived in a mostly black and white world. Unlike Barry, Wally had allowed one or two shades of gray to enter, but overall, everything still remained either right or wrong. Wally would categorize this as wrong. He would most likely view this as a betrayal. Wally wasn't going to understand. Then again, he didn't need to. "It doesn't matter," she said softly. Glancing up, she saw the confusion in his brown eyes. "Hal, do you actually think this – us – is going to go somewhere?" She watched him grow uncomfortable. It made her like him all the more.

"Iris, I…this…" Once again, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I know you don't have a problem with one night stands."

"Yeah, but, this time…I…" He sighed. "Okay, I'm a jerk. I know it should bother me. I know women are more than just objects to be lusted after. I know-"

Iris put her finger against his lips, laughing. "Hal, just shut up. I'll admit that I'm not thrilled with how you treat women, but in my case, it's okay. I knew the dangers. I accepted them." She sat up and tossed back the covers. "Besides, maybe I'm the one who used you." She smiled slyly, catching the look of disbelief on his face as she slipped into the bathroom.

Closing the door, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed. Her eyes sparkled. She felt good. It felt good to be wanted. It felt good to be desired. It had been too long since she had felt either. Still she wondered what she was doing. This was so unlike her. Maybe that was the reason. Maybe for once, just once, she needed to be a little wild. At least with Hal she knew she would be safe. He would never knowingly hurt her.

Less than an hour later, she was ready to leave. She had a flight to catch. Hal had changed into a pair of jeans and t-shirt. By the door, she kissed him once more. Desire flared in his eyes. It warmed her heart. "Iris-"

"I need to go." She knew if she didn't leave soon, they would end up bed again. Maybe she had been lying to herself about being satisfied with a one-night stand. Yet, she knew they didn't have a future. Apart from her husband and the hero business, they had nothing in common. Besides, she was from the future. There was nothing about her and Hal. It was a one-night stand, no more than that. "I'll see you, Hal." She quickly slipped out of the apartment before she could change her mind…or he could change it for her.

Keeping her mind off Hal Jordan proved to be difficult, much more difficult than she had anticipated. Yes, he had his reputation. He was a womanizer, a skirt-chaser. But that reputation was built on some facts. He had to be good with woman, otherwise why would they keep showing interest in him? Now, Iris knew that he was good, very good. She loved Barry. He had been her first and only lover…until Hal. Barry had satisfied her. But then she hadn't known what else to expect, what else to want. Hal had shown her. Oh, boy, had he shown her.

"Hey, Iris, you with us?"

Iris started, feeling her cheeks flush when she saw her nephew looking at her. Wally would die if he realized she was thinking about how Hal had touched her. She smiled. "Sorry."

"You were a million miles away," Wally commented.

"It's nothing. Would you mind getting me a glass of water?" she asked.

"Sure thing."

Iris breathed a small sigh of relief when he walked – yes, walked – to the kitchen. Maybe having twins was going to slow him down. She could only hope. She didn't need her nephew having extra time on his hands and asking too many questions. While others may disagree, Iris knew her nephew could be perceptive…at least when he took the time to actually think things through, to really look at the facts. Generally, though, those times were few and far between. It brought her a small amount of reassurance.

"So, who is it?"

Iris turned and looked at Linda, keeping a neutral expression on her face. "Excuse me?"

Linda smiled. "Iris, don't play games with me. One, I'm a reporter. Two, I'm a woman. I recognized the look on your face. You met someone. Who?"

She really liked Linda. Wally had fallen in love with the perfect woman for him. They balanced each other perfectly. As Wally had said more than once, Linda was his lightning rod. She kept him grounded. Right now, though, Linda was just too sharp. Iris knew she wouldn't – couldn't – win. If Linda sensed a story, the younger woman wouldn't give up until she had the facts. Obviously she should have been more worried about Linda than Wally. "I can't say."

Linda grinned. "So, you did meet someone?"

"Yes, and you can't tell Wally." As soon as she said it, she realized she had said too much. She should have just said "yes." Damn. She knew the rule. Always answer with a yes or no, never go beyond the yes or no. She was a former reporter. How many times had she smiled when someone had said one word too many? Not surprisingly, Linda didn't overlook the error.

"Why not?" Recognition quickly dawned on Linda's face. "He knows who it is. It's someone in spandex?"

"Linda, please."

"Iris-"

"No."

"Here you go, Iris." Wally reappeared, handing her a glass of water. "Hal sent a text. He's running a few minutes late." Iris choked on the water she was drinking. Wally immediately pounded her back. "Iris, you alright?"

Iris nodded her head. She stole a glance at Linda, even though she knew the action would tell Linda what the younger woman wanted to know. Linda's eyes widened in surprise as she put the facts together. Iris fought to keep her tone casual. "I didn't know you were inviting Hal, too."

Wally shrugged, missing the look exchanged by the two women. "Yeah, well, I figured this would be a great time to let you two get reacquainted. I mean Hal knows you're back and all, but still… It's better if you tell the story." He shrugged again.

Her well-meaning nephew had just thrown a huge wrench into everything, or at least everything as it related to Hal. Now, she would be seeing him again. Yes, Iris had realized that sooner or later she would eventually cross paths with Hal again. She had just hoped it would be later, much, much later. Maybe if enough time passed, she could forget about how he had made her feel.

Now, she would be seeing him when the memories were still vivid. Not a good thing. Her mind quickly dismissed the idea of leaving. Even Wally would find that suspicious. She would somehow have to get through the rest of the afternoon and dinner. She and Hal were both adults. They would manage…somehow.

Surprise covered Hal's face when he arrived and saw her seated in the living room. As the minutes ticked by, they managed to act nonchalant, even though Iris thought it felt forced. Her nephew remained oblivious. When Linda asked her for help in the kitchen, Iris had to keep from running out of the living room in relief. "Thank you."

"Well, both you and Hal look as if you're about to break." Linda placed the ingredients for a salad on the countertop. "So…when? How?"

Selecting a knife, Iris began to slice a pepper. There was no point in keeping the facts from Linda. Besides, maybe Linda would have a suggestion or two on how to deal with it. "About a week ago. I went to see him. I felt I owed him an in-person explanation for why I wasn't dead. One thing sort of lead to another."

"You slept with him?" Linda asked in surprise.

Iris frowned. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that…well, one, I know how much you love – loved – Barry. Two, I met Hal shortly after Wally and I started dating. I just…between that and hearing the stories about him, he just doesn't seem like he'd be your type."

Iris smiled. "He's not. Believe me, he's not. He's a wonderful man, but he has issues, particularly with women and commitment. And for the record, I still love Barry. I always will."

"Then why?"

Iris shrugged. "I don't know. As clichéd as it sounds, we got caught up in the moment. Besides, you have to admit he's attractive."

"Well, yeah, but lots of men are." Iris frowned, grabbed a tomato and started to chop, her movements a bit harsher than necessary. Linda quickly backpedaled. "Sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm just…" Linda glanced into the living room. Iris followed her gaze to the two men. Both were smiling and laughing at some story. "I guess I'm being protective of Wally. It sounds strange to say, but I don't want him to get hurt."

"Neither do I." Iris set aside the knife and met Linda's gaze. "It was a fling. I won't say it was a mistake, because I don't believe it was. Obviously he and I needed something and we fulfilled that something. It was a one night stand. That's it."

"Are you sure about that?"

No, she was anything but sure about that. Iris remained silent and grabbed another tomato. Linda took the hint and let the conversation drop.

Iris locked the back door and leaned against it, thankful to be home. She had somehow survived the rest of the evening at the West's apartment. Wally continued to remain oblivious to the tension between her and Hal. She trusted Linda to remain quiet.

Seeing Hal again, and so soon after, was…discomforting. As Wally had prattled on from topic to topic, she had found her mind recalling Hal's every touch, every kiss, with startling clarity. It hadn't taken long for the thoughts to stimulate the physical sensations. Years without sex followed by one night of passion had left her wanting more. It was not a welcomed feeling, particularly since the wanting seemed focused on Hal. Worse, every time she stole a glance at Hal, he seemed to be looking at her and she had no doubt about what he was thinking.

Why couldn't this be easier? She kept reminding herself that Hal was a love-'em-and-leave-'em sort of guy. He flirted and didn't even realize he was flirting. He could walk into a bar and have his pick of women. Then there were his issues with commitment. The man may have been a Green Lantern, he may have been a man without fear, but when it came to commitment, the man ran the other way as fast as he could. Yet, she didn't care. She knew what she had gotten into. She knew Hal, and as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted more. She liked how he had made her feel. She wanted to feel that way again. She wanted more than a one night stand.

What she needed was a long soak in a hot bath. Maybe that would somehow get her mind off of Hal Jordan. If that didn't work, a cold shower. And if that didn't work…well, as Wally would say, she was screwed. Or maybe it's just that she wanted to be screwed. She smiled at the thought, and at the picture of Wally hearing her say such a thing. Once again, her nephew would die.

Turning off the kitchen light, she almost made it to the stairs when she heard the knock on the back door. It was Hal. Who else would it be? Who else would knock at the back door after eight o'clock at night? She should ignore him. She had the rest of her night planned out. Maybe if she ignored him he would leave. Then again, who was she kidding? What was a hot bath and remembering one night of passion when she could relive it all again? Because there was no doubt in her mind what Hal wanted…or maybe it was what she wanted.

Pushing aside the curtain, she saw Hal standing there. He tried to give her a small smile, but failed. He was most likely facing his own battle with his conscious. She unlocked the back door and opened it. Hal stepped inside without a word. She had barely managed to relock the door when he whirled her around and pushed her against it, his mouth hungrily devouring her own. They didn't make it to the bedroom, but at least they managed to make it to the living room…or at least the living room floor.

Afterwards, Iris looked around the room, their clothes were haphazardly thrown. They were rapidly approaching the out of control phase. Correction. They were already out of control. Yet having him here made her happy. It made her feel content. Besides, what woman wouldn't crave the desire of a lover? There was no mistake what had been on Hal's mind and that knowledge was a natural high by itself. To know she still had "it." To know someone other than Barry found her desirable.

"I'm sorry," Hal whispered. "I didn't know you were going to be there, otherwise I would have said no."

"It's okay. I didn't know Wally's plans either." She idly ran her fingertips over his chest. "Linda knows," she said eventually.

"What?"

"She figured it out. She won't tell Wally." Iris waited to see if he would say anything. He didn't. "I…this…" Her fingers lightly caressed his cheek. "I thought it would be easier to just move on, but I keep thinking about you. I don't mean to sound cruel, but how do you do it? How do you just say goodbye to a woman and continue on as if nothing happened?"

Hal shrugged. "I don't know. Most times it's just…" He signed. "You know, whatever I say, I'm going to sound like an ass." Reaching for her fingers, he kissed them. "This time is different. I can't get you off my mind either and it's driving me crazy. I think about all the things I want to do to you, with you. But then before I know it, I'm thinking about Barry and feeling guilty as hell."

"Hal-"

"I know what you said, but it's still hard. Obviously, though, I don't feel too bad. I still came here tonight."

"I'm glad you did."

"Really?" The disbelief was evident in his voice.

"Yes, really." Minutes passed. Iris was content to let silence reign. She was slightly surprised Hal also seemed comfortable with the silence. Maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit. Maybe "death" had changed him.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."She truly didn't. The one night fling had evolved into a two night fling and she highly doubted that would be the end. She didn't want it to be the end. She doubted Hal did either. "Enjoy ourselves?"

"I think we're already doing that."

"Yes, we are."

Time passed. Life continued to be complicated. She and Hal found ways to meet…or at least found ways to have sex. But Iris had to admit, something was changing between them. As much as she thought it wouldn't be possible, a relationship of sorts – a relationship beyond just sex – was developing. It scared her. It was easy to compartmentalize the sex, to just keep things physical. But something else was slowly creeping in. When she heard news stories, she found herself wondering what Hal would think, what Hal would say. She found herself want to share things her own ideas and views with him. It seemed impossible to consider, but yet she knew she had to – she was starting to fall in love and that was a road to disaster. Hal had changed. There was no doubt about that. Who wouldn't change after being dead? The true question was how much had he changed. Would he still run if he sensed love or commitment? Because running was the last thing she wanted him to do.

Then there was her nephew situation. Wally was still in the dark about the relationship. Hal had admitted that Ollie – not really a surprise – had figured out Hal was seeing someone. Worse, but again not really a surprise, Ollie was readily sharing his opinion with anyone who would listen, and even those who didn't want to listen. One of those individuals had been Wally. So far, though, no one had figured out the who. Besides, was it really a surprise that there was a rumor Hal was seeing someone? This was Hal. He did have that reputation. The news wasn't really news…as long as she and Hal could keep her name a secret.

Neither she nor Hal were ignorant of the risks. It was just a matter of time before someone saw them together or one of them accidentally let a name slip. Iris wished she could be reassured the news wouldn't hurt her nephew. That reassurance would make it easier to share the news. It would also allow her to enjoy herself more. Not that she wasn't enjoying herself. The physical side of things was very enjoyable. It was the emotional side that continued to be a mess.

To her surprise, she also found herself worrying about how Jay might react. Jay, as well as Alan Scott, and to a lesser extent Ted Grant, commanded a level of respect from everyone in the hero community. They were some of the original heroes, the ones who had set the standards. Iris remembered how much Barry had looked up to Jay. The same could be said of Wally. Likewise, she knew Hal respected Alan. She wondered if Jay would be disappointed in her. For someone his age, he was surprisingly open-minded about things. But she imagined this could bother him. Or at a minimum he would feel the need to protect her, to remind her of Hal's shortcomings.

The only one she didn't worry about was Bart. Bart had proven again and again to be very accepting of anything tossed his way. His life had been uprooted more than once. If – when – the news of her and Hal became public knowledge, Bart would most likely wonder what all the fuss was about. Too bad his cousin couldn't be the same way.

Why did this have to be so complicated? She wished she could just announce to the world that she was seeing Hal Jordan and damn the consequences. Maybe it's what she and Hal should just do. Everyone would think she was crazy. Both she and Hal would be subject to many "conversations." But she and Hal were both adults. They hadn't entered this relationship blindly. And she wasn't stupid. She knew the risks.

Relationship. Is that what it had become? She rolled over and looked at the man sleeping soundly next to her. It was easier for Hal to come to Central City, but it was also riskier. There was a greater likelihood of Wally or Bart just dropping by. She knew she should wake him and send him on his way before morning arrived, but she didn't. She liked sharing a bed with him. It was comforting. She snuggled closer, enjoying the feel of his arm going protectively around her.

"Dammit."

Iris opened her eyes. She must have finally managed to doze off. She reached out to find the other half of the bed empty. "Hal, what are you doing?"

He looked up and came to sit down on the bed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, that's okay. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I – we – fell asleep."

"So?"

"Iris, I…it's…"

It's morning she silently finished. They had shared mornings together, but they were too few in number. When it had happened, they were in Coast City, not Central City. Hal was no doubt waiting for Wally to show up unexpectedly. She sat up, reaching for his shirt and slipping into it. "It's okay. I'm glad you stayed." She smiled when he looked a little surprised. "I think we need to start being honest with ourselves."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"That this is turning into more than just a fling." She waited for his reaction. It was the first time either of them had admitted it out loud. It was the first time Iris had hinted toward possible commitment. She was pushing Hal. He didn't disappoint. He quickly stood up, putting distance between them. Iris silently prayed she hadn't pushed him too much. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I said too much."

Seconds seemed like years. "That's just it. You didn't." He turned and faced her. "Damn it, Iris, I…" He searched for the right words. In frustration he turned away.

With a sigh, she also got out of bed and padded over to him. When she laid a hand on his shoulder, he tensed. "I care about you, too, Hal."

He reached up and grasped her hand. After another eternity, he turned. His hand gently cupped her chin, tilting it up to meet his gaze. "You are…" She watched him struggle, silently willing him to say whatever was on his mind. "Barry hit the jackpot when he found you. I…I…damn it, why is this so hard?"

Iris laughed. Then he did, too. He took a deep breath. "I care about you, too. I just don't want to ruin your relationship with Wally."

"You won't. Only he can ruin it." She stood on her tiptoes and lightly kissed him on the cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She closed her eyes. They had avoided using the dreaded L-word, but if things continued, Iris knew it would happen sooner rather than later. However, it was definitely something she was going to wait for Hal to say first. It would be worth the wait.

The monthly bills were neatly organized on the kitchen table. Iris wrote out the checks, reminding herself yet again to set up an electronic bill paying account. Even Jay and Joan were paying as many of their bills as possible electronically. Who would have thought that a woman from the future would be so far behind the times?

As she wrote another check, the kitchen door flew open. A sudden whirlwind caused the papers to fly. Iris looked up in surprise to find Wally standing there, anger contorting his face. Before she had a chance to say a word, he slammed something down on the kitchen table. Her breath caught when she saw it. Barry's Flash ring and the gold chain on which she wore it. She had forgotten it at Hal's apartment. They had…well, it didn't really matter what they had been doing. She had taken it off and forgotten it. Wally had obviously put the pieces together, or at least he thought he had. No matter. This was not the way she had wanted her nephew to find out about her and Hal.

"Care to explain what your necklace was doing at Hal's apartment?"

Taking a deep breath, she decided to go the nonchalant approach, hoping it would somewhat defuse her nephew's temper. "I forgot it there."

"What were you doing there?"

It took all of her willpower not to tell him it was "none of his damn business." She really had been spending too much time with Hal. "Spending time with Hal."

"Why?"

She cocked an eyebrow and moved around him. "Would you like something to drink?" If Wally had been at Hal's apartment, Hal had been there, too. Her nephew could move fast, but so could Hal. Hopefully he would arrive in another minute or so.

"Why were you there?" Wally demanded.

Iris coolly met the set of blazing green eyes. Remaining silent, she pushed past him and took a can of soda from the refrigerator. Not her beverage of choice, but it would do. Besides, it gave her time to organize her thoughts. She had almost shut the door when Wally yanked it open and quickly removed something too fast for her to see.

"Beer?" he asked, holding up a bottle. "Since when do you drink beer?"

Iris breathed a small sighed of relief when Hal appeared in the doorway. He looked worried and angry. The anger worried her. Barry had always said Hal and Wally seemed to share a temper at times. In so many ways her nephew was like Barry, but he was also so very much like Hal. Barry may have been his official mentor, but Hal had influenced him as well. With Barry he shared his naivety and compassion. With Hal he shared his temper and boldness.

"Wal-" Hal began.

Wally whirled around and threw the beer bottle. It barely missed Hal, crashing into the wall. Hal didn't flinch. Wally's gaze focused on his aunt. "For weeks Hal has been in a good mood. As Ollie put it, Hal was getting laid. Not really big news when you consider it's Hal. But I never would have guessed it was my aunt doing the fucking."

Without thinking, Iris slapped him. The sound seemed to echo in the kitchen. Iris looked at Wally in shock. A similar expression mirrored on his face. Never before had she hit him.

"Wally, that's enough," Hal said, an edge to his voice. "I think you should leave."

"Why? So you can screw her some more?" He angrily snatched the ring from the table and thrust it in Iris' face. "Does Barry mean nothing to you? How could you do this to him?"

Iris grabbed the ring from him. "I love Barry more than you'll ever understand."

"What? By fucking his best friend?"

Hal stepped between them. "Wally, leave now."

Iris pushed Hal out of the way. She wasn't about to have him fight her battle. "Hal and I are both adults. What we do or don't do is our business, not yours."

"So you are fucking him," Wally accused. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that if you say the f-word one more time, Wallace West, you will regret it," she replied coolly. "We can either talk about this like rational adults or you can leave."

Wally focused his attention on Hal. "Haven't you messed up enough lives already?"

"Look who's talking," Hal snarled back. Iris inwardly groaned. Expecting Hal to take the high road was a lot, but she had hoped he would do it. Now, things were going to get testier.

"How could you do this to Barry?"

"Barry's not the saint you think he is. I thought you had figured that out by now."

The punches came so fast Hal struggled to protect himself. Iris screamed for Wally to stop. He refused to listen. In desperation, she pressed the two buttons on her watch simultaneously. Jimmy Olson wasn't the only one with a special watch. Clark had modified her watch shortly after she had returned. Telling him she had the speedsters to watch over her had fallen on deaf ears. He had insisted…for Barry. Now she was glad he had.

It seemed like an eternity, but was merely seconds, before the man of steel appeared. Luck must have been on her side. Clark must have been visiting his parents in Smallville. "Wally! Stop!" Clark pulled Wally off Hal, restraining the younger man's arms. His gaze moved between the two men.

Iris knelt by Hal. "I'm fine," he muttered. She highly doubted that. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Even though it was hidden by his mask, Iris could tell his left eye was already swelling shut. Blood trickled from another cut on his forehead.

Wally shook free of Clark's grasp and left without another word. Iris saw the anger that was still simmering in her nephew. This "discussion" obviously wasn't over. She could only hope time would give him a bit more perspective. She had known he would be upset. She just never would have guessed he would be this upset. Maybe once he thought about it, he would become more rational. Maybe if he opened up to Linda, Linda could reason with him. Then again, who was she kidding? She knew her nephew.

Iris helped Hal into a kitchen chair. She wet a kitchen towel. In another towel, she packed ice cubes. She handed the towel with ice cube to Hal. Hal's mask disappeared as he put the makeshift icepack against his eye. Meanwhile, Iris dabbed away the blood.

"What happened?" Clark asked.

Iris met Hal's gaze. He nodded subtly. The truth was the easiest explanation. At least Hal seemed to agree. Besides, any other explanation would be difficult. Everyone knew that Wally viewed Hal as an uncle. Over the years Wally had defended Hal without hesitation when others hadn't. To make Wally attack the man he admired would have to be something bad. "Wally found out that Hal and I are seeing each other."

"What? Ohh…" By the expression on his face, it was obvious Clark had heard some of Ollie's comments as well. At least Clark would be discrete with the knowledge. "I…that's great," he said lamely. Iris smiled. So did Hal. Clark did, too. "Sorry. It's just rather unexpected. I never…well, I…it's just that…"

Iris decided to save Clark from further embarrassment. "We were both a little surprised, too." She placed a hand on Hal's shoulder. He reached up with his free hand and squeezed it.

"So, what just happened?"

"Wally found out," Hal answered.

"Oh. I'll talk to Wal-"

"No. You will do no such thing," Iris replied. "He's angry and hurt. He thinks I've betrayed Barry. I'll talk to him once he calms down." She noticed both men start to open their mouths. She looked at them sharply. "I know my nephew. This was…this was not him. Between this, being a new father, and dealing with whatever is going on in the league, it was just too much. Besides, he didn't find out in the best way." Both of them seemed to grow nervous when she mentioned the league. The league had been an educated guess. Something was always going on in the league. The looks on their faces, though, confirmed whatever it was, wasn't good.

"You have a Superman signal device?" Hal asked a few minutes later after Clark had left.

Iris shrugged. "It's not like I have a bat spotlight." Or at least it wasn't exactly a spotlight. It was yet another signal device. Barry had been well-liked and respected. That had translated into several of his former colleagues being too overprotective of her. Clark, Bruce and J'onn had all given her signal devices. Ollie had given her a gun. Pulling out a chair, she sat down across from him. She reached for his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think my pride took the biggest hit."

She smiled softly. Yes, getting beaten by a speedster when he had "one of the most powerful weapons in the universe" on his finger would batter his ego. "What happened?"

"Wally and I had checked out a disturbance in LA. It turned out to be nothing. He suggested we grab a bite to eat. We stopped by my apartment on the way. I had put your necklace on the kitchen counter so I wouldn't forget to bring it the next time I saw you. He saw it. You know the rest." His hand covered hers. "Look, maybe for Wally's sake, we should-"

Iris saw red. She had heard the expression before. She had used the expression before, but now she could honestly say it was true. The last thing she needed right now was for Hal to get cold feet. They had talked about this. She had thought he was ready. "Hal Jordan, don't you dare tell me we should slow down or take a break or whatever you had in mind to say."

"Even if what I was going to say is that we should be honest with ourselves?" He paused and smiled. "Iris, I think I'm falling in love with you."

Shock…surprise…astonishment…nothing seemed to correctly describe how she felt. It was something she hadn't expected to hear. "What?" She had to hear him say it again, just to be sure her ears hadn't deceived her.

"Iris, I've heard the rumors. I had a pretty good idea of Ollie's view on things. I know my reputation. But listening to Wally, it made me realize that this is different. I messed things up with Carol countless times. I set out to sabotage things as soon as I started to feel the way I feel now. I can learn. I want things to be different with you. Maybe this won't work out in the end. Neither of us knows for certain. But if it doesn't, I don't want it to be because I sabotaged it, or because I didn't say anything. I love you, Iris. The proverbial cat's out of the bag. Let's roll with it."

She had admitted to herself weeks earlier that she was falling in love with him, too. It had happened because of moments like this, moments when he did the unexpected. Her smile lit up her eyes. "I love you, too, Hal. But before we 'roll with it,' let me try talking to Wally." Hal nodded, giving her hand a squeeze.

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments. "What's going on in the league?" she finally asked. Iris listened in stunned silence as Hal explained. She had known about what Barry had done. He had confessed everything to her. That was why she had allowed Ollie to give Wally the letter Barry had written. Barry had hoped to explain his actions to his nephew. But in listening to Hal, she realized Barry hadn't told her everything. He hadn't told her what they had done to Bruce. And now that decision was threatening to tear apart the league.

Approaching Wally at work was probably not the best idea, but Iris didn't know how else to handle it. He refused to talk to her. She had tried calling him, emailing him, texting him. Every gesture went without a response. She had talked to Linda, only to have her fears confirmed that Wally was still very upset. At least Linda was supportive. Linda seemed to understand.

"May I speak to Wally?" Iris asked a mechanic in coveralls.

The mechanic looked her over and then shrugged. "West! Someone here to talk to you!"

Iris turned to see Wally roll out from under a police cruiser. His gaze immediately hardened when he recognized his visitor. "I'm working," he said tightly.

"Ten minutes, that's all I ask. Can't you take your break?"

Wally glanced at his supervisor. His supervisor nodded. "Go ahead."

Grabbing a rag and wiping the grease from his hands, Wally led them outside. His gaze remained focused on trying to scrub away the grease. "I'm sorry," she began. "I should have told you sooner. How you found out...it wasn't the right way."

"There's nothing right about it."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't want him to hurt you."

"Wally, I know Hal's reputation. I know the risks. So far…this…relationship caught us both by surprise. We didn't seek each other out. It just sort of happened."

"How? How did it 'just sort of happen'? You and Hal never hung out unless Barry was around. He was Barry's friend."

"And that's how it happened. When I heard he was back, I decided to explain my presence, explain why I wasn't dead. Since he was Barry's best friend, I felt I owed him that much. One thing just led to another."

"And you slept with him?" he asked incredulously. "How can 'hey, Hal, I'm not dead' transition into sleeping with him?"

Iris frowned. Wally wanted to do this hard way, fine. She could be blunt, more blunt than he probably realized. "You want the truth? The first time was unexpected. It did just happen. But the sex was…phenomenal. Hal's the first man I've been with since Barry. He's the only other man I've been with besides Barry. We both figured it was a one night fling, a moment of weakness. But neither of us could stop thinking about it. The second time was after dinner at your apartment." Wally balked. Iris ignored him. "After that, it was whenever we could get together. And somewhere along the way, it came to mean more than just really good sex. Somewhere along the way we fell in love."

Wally snorted. "Yeah, right," he muttered.

"Wally, I can't make you accept us, but I can tell you not to make me choose, because if you do, I will choose Hal. I love your uncle. I always will. So does Hal. To the point that at first, we both felt guilty. It felt like we were cheating. But we can't cheat on someone who's dead. Besides, Barry would be pleased that both of us are happy. Why can't you be the same?" Wally looked away.

"I love you, Wally. You've always been more like a son to me – and Barry – than a nephew. But it's my life. Either accept it or stay out." There was really nothing more she could say. The decision was Wally's to make. She took a deep breath. It was time to address the true heart of the matter. "Now, are you going to tell me what's really bothering you?" Wally remained silent. She wished just once her nephew wouldn't keep everything bottled up inside, that he didn't feel as if he needed to bear the burden alone. "Hal told me what happened in the league, or at least what happened all those years ago."

"He ruined it," Wally said softly after almost a minute of silence passed. "How could he have done that? How could he have ever agreed to it? How could any of them have thought it would be a good idea?"

Hal had shared how troubled Wally was with the decision to take a few minutes of Bruce's memories. Like his uncle, Wally had an idealized version of the world and the league. His ideals had been shattered. Worse, they were shattered by the knowledge that Barry had agreed with the decision. "I don't know. They got caught up in the heat of the moment. I would like to think that if they had to do it all over again, they would make a different decision." Even though in her heart, she doubted that would be the case. "Is that why you're mad at me? At Hal? Did we ruin it, too?" She watched for any reaction from Wally. There was none. "Wally, I know Barry and I were more like parents to you than your own, that you put us on some sort of pedestal but-"

"I never thought you would cheat on Barry. I never thought you would be like one of those bimbos my dad had."

They had finally arrived at the source of the problem. First, Barry had been disillusioned. Now she had been. She hadn't considered her brother's actions, the affairs he had had. She hadn't realized Wally had known about the affairs. She should have. Rudy had never been discreet, but Wally had never said anything. He had never acted as if he had known what his father was doing. "Wally, Rudy is…a confused man. How he treated you, how he treated Mary, was terrible. But I'm not having an affair. I'm not-"

"You're cheating on Uncle Barry."

"How? How am I cheating? Barry's dead."

"I…I…" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Would it be easier if it were someone you didn't know?"

Wally nodded slowly. "It's like you and Hal are…I don't know…it's like you're somehow defiling Barry's memory."

"You know that's not true. I would never do anything that would hurt Barry. Neither would Hal. Wally, I love Barry. I always will. He will always have a special place in my heart. I enjoyed every minute I was with him. But he's gone. I wish he weren't, but he is. And I love Hal. As strange as that may seem, I really do love him." Silence fell between them. The next move was Wally's. Iris didn't know what else – what more – could be said.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He finally looked at her. "You're happy?" She nodded. He took another deep breath. "Then I guess I'm happy, too…or at least I'll try to be. It's just hard. It's Hal."

"Would it be easier if it were Ollie or Bruce?" Wally's eyes widened in horror. Iris laughed. "See, Hal's reputation isn't that bad when you put it into perspective." She gently touched his arm. "He's changed. As hard as that is to believe, Hal really has changed."

"I know. You aren't the only one who's noticed it. I'll talk to him and apologize." He managed a weak smile. "This is so...strange…unexpected."

"I know. Boy, do I know."

Wally smiled weakly. "You're really happy, aren't you."

Iris wondered how many times Wally would ask that question. Obviously he was having difficulty believing her. "Yes, and I'm just as surprised as you are. This…Hal…never in my wildest dreams."

"Yeah, tell me about it." He took a deep breath. "So, did you know?"

"That I would get together with Hal?" Wally nodded. She smiled gently. "As I've told you before, history – at least from the future's perspective – is constantly in flux. But no, there was nothing about me and Hal. I don't know what that means. It could be that history has already changed. Or it could be that this is just a temporary thing. Or it could just be that it is nothing noteworthy. But that's why this is as surprising to me as it is to you. I didn't expect this to happen."

"I'll…this is going to take some getting used to, but I promise I'll try. Just give me some time."

Iris kissed his cheek. "That's all I ask, kiddo."

"Just give me some time." Time. She should have known by now that time was always the enemy. She had been around the spandex crowd long enough to know there never was enough time. Only days after talking to Wally, the crisis had arrived in full force. The signs had been there. The murder of Blue Beetle. The murder of Maxwell Lord. The appearance of the OMACs. The bombing of Bludhaven. Yet, as usual, none of it had seemed particularly real. Who would have thought it was all connected?

Then Bart had aged four years almost instantaneously. Once again, the Speed Force had waged a war with his metabolism and won. Unlike previously, his metabolism had stabilized on its own. But the fun-loving, carefree teenager she had known was gone. So, too, were his powers…or so everyone had thought. Bart had grown serious and introspective. She missed his infectious laugh. She missed his humor. She missed her grandson. He just wasn't the same. But at least she still had him. And when he had put on the Flash costume, her pride had known no bounds.

While the Speed Force had aged her grandson, the Speed Force had taken her nephew. Wally and his family were gone. Bart and Jay had assured her repeatedly that they weren't dead. Yet they couldn't tell her where the West family was. Worse, the disappearance had occurred shortly after she had talked to her nephew. At least she had had the opportunity to talk to him. At least Wally had found the time to talk to Hal. Things weren't smooth, but the healing and acceptance had begun. Then the crisis had struck.

She was thankful for Hal. He had helped her cope with the changes as best he could. Yet the sudden changes tossed upon the speedster family had made her pause. Instead of making their relationship public, they continued to keep it quiet. It seemed the right thing to do. Everyone was trying to adjust to all the changes the crisis had caused. Their relationship seemed like one change that could be avoided. Maybe she had believed that her and Hal's relationship would have a greater impact than it really would have. But keeping it a secret had seemed like the right thing to do.

Then when everything had finally seemed to be settling into a routine, when she felt as if her life was back to normal, her world was uprooted again. She had learned Bart was going to die. Worse, she had admitted it all to him in hopes that he would stop being the Flash for at least a little while. Yet her actions were for naught. She should have known they would be. When it came to the speedsters, they did what needed to be done, no matter the personal risk or cost. Bart was still murdered, but his death saved millions of lives. And amidst all that sadness, there was also joy. Wally and his family were back.

Sitting in the West kitchen, she smiled as Linda and the no-longer-baby twins played outside. She could hear their laughter. It warmed her heart. Neither Wally nor Linda had yet shared the story the twins sudden aging. However, considering Bart had had a short-circuited metabolism at first, the fact Wally's kids also had issues with their metabolism was not really a surprise.

"So, are you and Hal still seeing each other?" Wally asked.

"Yes, that hasn't changed." She glanced at her nephew, noticing him trying to hide his look of surprise. Obviously he hadn't expected the relationship to last. Truth be told, she hadn't either. She hadn't made things easy. The events surrounding Wally and Bart had put her on an emotional rollercoaster. Yet Hal had remained by her side. He was the one who had put the effort into maintaining the relationship. She was glad he had. She smiled. Wally returned the smile. "Hal told me that you talked to him before all the strangeness occurred."

"Yeah, I apologized." He shrugged. "It was a start."

"Hal was glad you did."

Wally absently played with a spoon. "I guess I'm surprised he hasn't run yet."

"You and me both," she admitted. "Or at least I used to be surprised. Now, I know he's staying."

"Who else knows? Have you told anyone else?"

She shook her head. "Just you, Linda and Clark."

"That's it?"

Iris shrugged and rinsed out her tea cup. "With everything that happened, it seemed best." Looking back, it had been a good decision. The Sinestro Corps war had proven that. Hal had shared how Parallax had gone after his brother's family. Had Parallax known about her, she may have been threatened as well. Years ago she had accepted the risks of being connected to someone in the hero community. However, the possibility had clearly rattled Hal. For a few weeks afterward, he had hovered…until she had finally needed space and chewed him out. Even then, he had still continued to hover...just with a bit more distance between them. He had thought she hadn't noticed. He had thought he was being subtle. Rather than tell him the truth, she had let him hover. She had known he needed that bit of reassurance. Thankfully, that phase had passed.

"He's asked me to marry him." In truth, Hal had asked her twice. He may have made progress in the commitment department, but he was completely clueless when it came to finding the right time to pop the question. It made her love him even more.

Wally's eyes widened in surprise. "What? You're kidding!" Wally laughed. "Wow. I never thought Hal would…wow… What did you say?"

"No."

"What? Why? You love him. He loves you."

She loved her nephew. Even with everything that happened to him, life continued to remain largely black and white. "It was never the right time. The first time…well, you had disappeared and Bart had gone through a lot of changes. The second time-"

"He's asked you twice?"

Iris nodded. "The second time…" It had been only two days ago. He had even gotten down on one knee to propose. It had been so very hard to say no, but yet she had. He had promised her that he understood. She only hoped he was telling the truth. "You were back, but Bart was dead." She wiped away a tear.

"Iris, there's always going to be a reason. If you love him, if you want to marry him, just do it. Hell, if Dinah can agree to marry Ollie, I think you should be able to agree to marry Hal. Besides, just a few minutes ago you were telling me to stop thinking so much, to just do it. I think the same thing works here."

Iris smiled. "Maybe I will."

"You don't have to go through with this," Hal commented.

Iris rolled her eyes. She wondered who was more nervous – herself or Hal. For whatever reason, she had received a wedding invitation to Dinah and Ollie's wedding. While she had known about the upcoming nuptials – everyone seemed to know about it – she had been surprised to receive an invitation. She figured it was Ollie's doing. Ollie and Barry had never been as close as Ollie and Hal, probably because Barry was as conservative and Ollie was liberal, but the two men had respected each other. Or maybe it was Dinah's doing now that she thought about it some more… In the end, it didn't really matter who had invited her, just that she had been invited.

Much to Hal's relief, and her nephew's continued frustration, she was attending the wedding as a guest, not Hal's date. It was Dinah and Ollie's day. Announcing to the world that she and Hal were dating…well, the day would be tumultuous enough already. Whenever superheroes gathered together, things just never seemed to go as planned. She and Hal didn't need to add to the confusion that was already bound to occur.

She met his gaze in the mirror. "Don't you need to get going?" Iris asked as she put on her earrings. "You must have some best man duties to attend to…or at least keep Ollie and Roy out of trouble."

"I…yeah, I should go, but Iris, it's…"

"What?" She had learned whenever Hal started stumbling over words, he was trying to protect her from something.

"Well, there have been some threats made."

"Hal, this is a wedding where almost the entire superhero community has been invited. I think I'll be safe."

"Yeah, but…"

"Will Lois be there?"

"Yeah."

"Ellen?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"I'm going." Whenever he started getting too protective, she had learned to play the cards of the other two women who weren't officially part of the spandex crowd – Lois Lane and Ellen Baker. If their husbands, in particular Clark, felt it was safe for them to attend, she would be fine.

"Did Barry ever win an argument with you?"

"Only if I let him."

"Why am I not surprised." He turned her around to face him. "You look gorgeous." He kissed her. "You know, we could…"

Iris knew exactly what he was going to suggest. In the process, he'd ruin her makeup, hair and dress. With a smile, she slapped the back of his head. "Go! And save that idea for later," she added.

Hours – and one slight superhero incident later – the wedding occurred. Iris had sat next to Wally during the ceremony. The ceremony had brought tears to her eyes. All weddings did. Through it all, she had found herself unable to tear her gaze off the best man. She had idly wondered if he realized he was being watched. She hadn't yet followed her nephew's suggestion. She hadn't yet told Hal the answer was yes. But being at this wedding, well, it definitely made the idea even more appealing.

"So, you going to dance with him?" Wally whispered once the ceremony ended, a gleam in his green eyes.

"It would be improper if I turned him down. He was Barry's best friend."

Wally grinned. "So, you going to kiss him?

"Wally!"

"Hey, just looking out for my aunt." Yes, Wally's acceptance of her and Hal was complete. He had gone from totally against it to matchmaker supreme. She had to smile.

The appearance of Iris Allen caused its own stir at the wedding. Since returning to the present, she had kept a low profile. While most knew she was back, most hadn't seen her or sought her out. They had respected her privacy. Attending the wedding ended it all. Finding a moment to actually dance with Hal proved to be much, much harder than she – and she guessed he – had ever anticipated.

The first dance had been with Wally. That had been an agreed upon given. It was natural. It wouldn't raise any eyebrows. The plan had been to dance with Wally and then Hal. After dancing with Hal, well, they would just casually stay together. That had been the plan at least.

After dancing with Wally, she found herself dancing with Dick. Not Hal. It hadn't gotten any better after that. She found herself being moved from hero to hero. Dick, Roy, Garth, Jay, Carter, Ollie, Bruce, Clark, J'onn. There was never an opportunity, or at least a subtle opportunity, for Hal to move in. While she enjoyed dancing and talking with all of them, she wanted Hal. He was the reason she had agreed to attend the wedding.

Not surprisingly, it was J'onn who sensed her frustration, which was probably matched by Hal's. She could almost hear Hal's inner dialogue on whether he should just cut in or wait and if he did cut in, what would people think, and was she expecting him to cut in… There was probably an endless cycle of what-ifs going through his mind. But J'onn had come to the rescue. How much he figured out on his own, she wasn't sure, but suddenly she found herself facing Hal. J'onn didn't push her into Hal's arms, but she would have sworn he gave her a small nudge. She would have also sworn there had been a sly smile on his face.

"That was awkward," she murmured.

"What was?"

"I'm fairly certain J'onn now knows."

Hal shrugged. "That's not too surprising.

Iris smiled. "You know, you could hold me a little closer."

"Better?" he asked with a grin as he pulled her closer.

It was a roguish grin. Classic Hal. If she could see his eyes, she knew they would hold a playful gleam. "Much."

"Spice it up a little already." They looked to see Wally standing next to them. "Or am I going to have to do something rash?"

Hal's grin grew. "How's this?" Before Iris could respond, Hal had captured her mouth with his own. Her toes curled as he took away her breath. When the kiss ended, Iris felt her heart pounding in her chest.

"All right! Now, that's more like it!" Wally clapped Hal on the shoulder, a huge smile on his face. "I think you got their attention."

Iris saw several staring at her and Hal in undisguised surprise. So much for the day being focused on Ollie and Dinah. "Guess it's out," she whispered.

"Just in case, maybe we should remove all doubt." He did.

After the wedding, the news of their relationship had quickly spread. It was no longer a secret. Her fears about Jay had proved to be unfounded. He was genuinely happy for her and Hal. Hal, however, had admitted that Alan had had a "talk" with him, as well as Bruce. Iris believed the talk with Bruce was most likely the more intimidating of the two.

Now that their relationship was no longer a secret, Wally's pestering had increased until it seemed like an almost daily question of "when are you going to tell him?" Hal had admitted that Roy and Ollie were dropping hints about marriage as well. Then again, even Jay and Joan, while not saying anything explicit, had shared knowing smiles.

But once again, when things had seemed to be going along too well, the fates had moved against them. Another crisis had arrived. Another crisis that had turned everything on its head. Once again, her world was turned upside down.

"Iris!" She smiled at the sound of the voice. Wally had told her he would be here, but yet she hadn't fully believed her nephew. Turning she saw Hal moving quickly toward her. He wrapped his arms around tightly her and kissed her deeply. "Thank God you're okay," he murmured in her ear.

She gently touched his cheek. "I could say the same about you," she said. One of the last things she clearly remembered was learning Hal had been charged with murder and hauled off planet by the Lanterns. The rest of his fate had been lost when she had been lost to the Anti-Life equation.

He smiled and kissed her again. "No more waiting, Iris."

"What?"

"No more waiting," he repeated. "First, it was because Wally was gone. Then because Bart died. I understand, I really do, but no more. J'onn is dead. Bruce is dead. No more waiting. I want to marry you. I want to be your husband." He dropped to one knee. "Will you marry me?"

She wanted to see his eyes, but he was in full Green Lantern costume. His eyes were hidden by that damn mask. She heard the sincerity in his voice. Tears filled her eyes. By his words, though, she realized he didn't know everything that had happened. He knew about J'onn and Bruce, but he didn't know about someone else. "Hal, I-"

"Don't, Iris, no excuses. Yes or no."

He knew her so well. She knew what she wanted to say, or at least what her heart wanted to say. She loved him. But, it just wasn't the right time. Once again, Hal's timing was bad. "Hal-"

"Hal!"

Iris watched Hal stiffen. He looked up slowly. "Barry," he whispered. Immediately his hands fell away from her. Immediately he stood up. Immediately he put distance between them. No, don't, Hal, her heart cried. But even with his mask, Iris could see Hal putting on another mask. A forced smile appeared. "Flash!"

Yes, the fates were never making things easy. Jay had shared the news that Barry was back before Iris had succumbed to the Anti-Life equation. The news had left her rattled. It seemed impossible, but Jay was positive. She hadn't doubted him. Something neither she nor Hal had ever considered had happened. Barry was back. While surprising, it shouldn't have been too surprising. How many times had it turned out that "dead" really wasn't dead? Hal was only one of the examples.

To complicate matters, it was Barry who had brought her back, saved her. A kiss had removed the spell, if that's what the Anti-Life Equation could be called. She had awakened to find herself in her husband's arms. Wally had been there, too. Like her, he had seemed torn between incredible surprise at his uncle's return and equally incredible discomfort. She had managed to quietly ask Wally about Hal, but he hadn't had any information to share. Last he had heard, Hal had been on Oa, Hal had still been accused of murder.

It had only been an hour ago that Wally had told her Hal was okay, that Hal was on Earth. His green eyes had been troubled when he told her the news. Iris had broken down, overwhelmed by relief that Hal was okay and confusion as to what to do next. She needed to face her husband and the man she loved. Her life had become a twisted country song. Wally had hugged her and told her he would support whatever decision she made. Those words had given her strength. Once again, her nephew had surprised her. She never would have guessed he would still support her relationship with Hal now that Barry was back.

Now, Iris watched as her husband and her lover hugged. How much had Barry seen? Had he seen Hal kiss her? She doubted it. Barry seemed oblivious to the emotions flowing across his friend's face. A smile lit up his face. "It's good to see you again."

"How?" Hal managed to ask. Iris heard the tightness in his voice. She noticed his hands were clenched at his side. She wanted to reassure him everything would be okay, but would it? Would Barry understand?

Barry smiled, casually putting his arm around her waist. Iris willed herself not to tense. Seeing the hurt expression cross Hal's, no matter how fleeting it was, made her want to push away. "I'm not really sure, but it seems I've been given a second chance."

"That's great. I…" He glanced quickly at Iris. "I should go check up on the other GLs. I'll catch up with you later."

"Hal, wait," she said quickly before he could flee. She noticed in relief that Wally was walking over. She needed all the support she could get.

"Everything okay?" Wally asked, concern in his voice. She could only imagine the expression on her face. Worry about Hal. Concern about Barry. Wally had obviously picked up on it.

Damn it. She was supposed to be happy Barry was back. She wasn't supposed to be regretting his return. She wasn't supposed to be wishing he were still dead. As much as she loved him, and she truly did, he wasn't the man she wanted. That man looked as if he wanted to disappear. Hurt covered his face. "Barry, we need to talk. Wally, Hal, please stay."

They moved to a quieter spot. Now the three men looked worried but for vastly different reasons. God, this was going to be an extremely difficult conversation. She looked at Hal and Barry. Hal refused to meet her gaze. She could sense his discomfort. Barry looked confused. "Barry, I thought you were dead. I…it took a long time, but I finally moved on. I found someone else."

Barry's eyes moved quickly to her wedding finger. It was ring-free. It had been ring free for years, even before Hal. Around her neck, though, she still wore his Flash ring. Barry would always be part of her life. Even Hal had accepted that fact. Now it was a matter of whether Barry could as well. "What are you saying?"

Iris took a deep breath. A quick glance at her nephew gave her strength. He nodded at her in encouragement. A quick glance at Hal revealed him still ready to flee. Tears filled her eyes. "I love you, Barry. I always will. You will always have a place in my heart. But I…I…love someone else now."

"Oh." Surprise and hurt were in his voice.

"We've been seeing each other for over two years."

"Who?"

Iris took another deep breath and moved to stand next to Hal. She slipped her hand into his, squeezing it tightly.

Barry stared at her in surprise. "What? You're seeing Hal? You've got to be kidding me."

"Barry-" she began.

"Is this some sort of joke?"

"Barry-"

"Barry," Hal began, cutting off Wally. He slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer. "It's not a joke."

"'Not a joke'? Of course it's a joke. What…what would you and Iris even have in common?"

Iris felt the situation starting to spiral out of control. "I love her. She loves me. I asked her to marry me."

"You asked my wife to marry you? My wife? Over my dead body. Oh, wait, that's why you did it, isn't it?"

"Barry-" she tried again.

He faced Hal, anger in his eyes. "Hal Jordan doesn't get married. Hal Jordan doesn't do commitment. Your only interest seems to be how fast you can…" Barry's eyes narrowed. He glared at her. "You've slept with him."

"Bar-"

"You let him touch you. You let him kiss you. You had sex with him. You're having an affair with my best friend? Or I guess I should say former best friend. Or is it my former best friend is having an affair with my wife?"

Iris glared at him. "You were gone for years. Everyone said you were dead."

"So you just started screwing Hal?"

Like her discussion with her nephew, Iris had to remind herself that Barry was hurting and angry. The depth of his bitterness could be heard in his voice. "Two years, Barry. We've been together over two years. It started after Hal came back from the dead or wherever. And you were the reason."

"Me? How could-"

"Because I felt I owed him an explanation for why I wasn't dead."

"So, it's my fault?"

"It's no one's fault. We fell in love."

"Fine. You were lonely. Hal was available. He fulfilled your needs. Based on his reputation, he's good. Now I'm back. Your husband."

"Barry, I love Hal."

"You mean you're actually thinking of marrying him?"

"I love him," she repeated.

"And what about me? I'm your damn husband!"

"Who was gone for years," she finished. "Do you think this is easy for me? Do you realize how many nights I cried myself to sleep because you were gone? I missed you. What got me through was our children, then our grandchildren. What got me through was knowing that Wally was okay. It took me a long time to accept you were dead, that you weren't coming back. In all the years you were gone, Hal is the only man I've dated."

"Well, good for you," he said bitterly.

She ignored him. "Do you realize how hard it was for both Hal and me at first, especially Hal? He only knew me as your wife. His guilt was off the charts. But you were dead. There was nothing to feel guilty about. In my mind, there still isn't."

Barry looked at her closely. He ran his hand over his face. "You're my wife." Iris remained silent. "So, you feel nothing for me?"

"I didn't say that. I love you. It's just changed."

"He'll hurt you. It's just a matter of time. He's not going to change. He-"

"Uncle Barry, they love each other. It wasn't easy for me to accept at first either, but they make each other happy. They're good for each other." Barry glared at Wally.

Iris realized they would only continue to go round and round in circles. "Barry, I'll make this easy. I want a divorce."

Barry glared at the three. "Go to hell." He took off.

All the emotions she was holding back broke free. Tears flowed down her cheek. Hal pulled her into a hug. "It's…we'll figure something out," he whispered hoarsely. It seemed unreal that only minutes ago he had proposed.

"Iris, I'll talk to him," Wally said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "He just needs time."

Iris rested her head against Hal's chest. She heard Wally and Hal trying to remain optimistic. She wished she could do the same.

"So, how is he?"

"Excuse me?" She had been reading the newspaper. Barry's question had seemingly come out of left field.

"How is he? How's Hal in bed?"

Oh, God, she didn't need this. Her life was complicated and stressful enough. Three days had passed since Hal's reintroduction to his best friend. Three excruciatingly long days in which she had neither talked to nor seen him. He was constantly on her mind, though. She missed him, missed him terribly. At a time when she should have been happy – Barry was back, Bart was back – she was incredibly sad. She wanted to be with the man she loved, instead she was with her husband. How ironic.

"Does it matter?" she asked, hoping Barry would drop the topic, knowing he wouldn't.

"Hal has quite the reputation. Or at least he did. I'm just curious as to whether he lives up to it."

Iris hid her scowl. The few conversations they had seemed to always be of this flavor – Barry making snide remarks about her or Hal. The tension in their house was already high. His attitude and remarks only made it worse. This wasn't the Barry she remembered. This wasn't the man she had married years ago. Her revelation that she had fallen in love with Hal had hit Barry hard. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. In his eyes, both she and Hal had betrayed him.

She could leave him. That was always an option. But it wouldn't solve the problem. Barry was not going to agree to a divorce. At least not yet. He needed to work through his feelings first. God only knew how long that would take. And as strange as it sounded, she did believe in the vows she had uttered – "for better and for worse." She had thought the worse was when he had died. How wrong she had been. This was definitely the worse. Then there was the "until death do us part." What happened when someone who was supposed to be dead was alive? What happens when that someone was "dead" for years? Was she supposed to have kept her life on hold just in case dead wasn't really dead? Barry needed to accept that she no longer loved him that way. She had moved on.

"Fine. He's good. He's really good. He rocks my world. Want the explicit details?"

Barry scowled. "You slept with a murderer."

"That's right. I slept with you." Two could play this game and he wasn't the saint so many thought him to be.

"Damn it, Iris!"

"What about Fiona?" she fired back. It felt wrong to dig up history that had been settled years ago. After Barry had killed Professor Zoom, after he had found her again in the thirty-first century, he had confessed that he had been engaged. He had confessed that he had killed Zoom on what was supposed to have been his wedding day. "How is what happened between me and Hal any different than you and Fiona? If Zoom hadn't shown up that day, you would have gotten married. Hal proposed. My God, he's proposed three times."

"If you loved him so much, why didn't you say yes the first time? Or the second time? Obviously something is holding you back. Maybe it's that you really don't love him. Maybe you just think you do."

Iris' gaze narrowed. "The first time Wally and his family had disappeared. The second time Bart had been murdered. He stood by me through all of that. He gave me strength."

"And who saved you? Why wasn't he protecting you? Where was he? He let you become vulnerable. He let you become influenced by Darkseid. If he loved you so much, he would have protected you."

"Then the same could be said of you. If you loved me so much, you wouldn't have let me be murdered." Thankfully, neither of them had heat vision, because the glares they sent each other were deadly enough without powers.

A loud pounding came from the back door. Now what. Iris watched as Barry opened the door to reveal Wally standing there, a worried look on his face. "Everything okay?"

Barry glared at his nephew. "Fine, everything's just fine." He stormed out of the house.

"Iris?" With Barry gone, Iris felt the tension begin to drain away. She covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook. Wally sat next to her and pulled her against him. "What happened?"

"Why are you here?"

"I felt a blip in the Speed Force and figured I should check up on Barry."

The mythical Speed Force. Everyone agreed Wally had the strongest connection, followed by Bart. Through that connection, Wally seemed to sense his uncle. Iris could only imagine the emotions he picked up from Barry. She wiped away her tears. "We were just…having a discussion."

Wally cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, a discussion that left you in tears. What happened?" he asked again.

It was rather ironic if she thought about it. "Before all of this, Barry and I never really fought. Oh, we had disagreements, but nothing major, nothing that could be considered a real argument. Now, that's all we seem to do." Taking a deep breath, she gave Wally a small smile. "Trust me, you don't need to know the details." She could easily imagine the look on her nephew's face if he learned Barry had asked how Hal was in bed. Yes, Wally's world had been rocked enough. She grasped his hand. "How's Hal?" She shouldn't have asked. Whatever her nephew told her wouldn't make her feel any better.

Wally looked at her closely, as if weighing whether she could handle the answer. Iris prepared herself for the worse. "He's thinking about trading spots with Kyle. Kyle and John would cover Earth. Hal and Guy would be on Oa." Oh, god, he was getting ready to run. First Barry reappeared. Now the old Hal Jordan was reappearing. "He's not running," Wally said gently as if he could read her mind. "Things are very tense, as you already know. If he and Barry are in the same room, well, everyone is on edge. Everyone is confused. No one knows what to say or do." Wally shrugged. "Hal thinks if he leaves for awhile things will settle down a bit."

"When…when would he leave?"

"After the festivities."

Festivities? "Excuse me?"

"Um, well, it's no secret that the Flash is back. The League will be issuing a press release. A few welcome back parties have been planned. It's making everything more complicated because of…well, everyone knows about you and Hal, and people – more than just me – were starting to ask if you know, you guys were going to get married, and now with Barry back…but if there aren't any parties, well, it would be suspicious as hell, so it's just a mess," he finished lamely.

When a public persona and private lives intersect she thought sadly. With Barry having a secret identity, she wouldn't be expected to participate. One small ray of sunshine. But Hal, as Green Lantern, would. She had known the marriage question had become more commonplace. Even Jay and Joan had jokingly asked her if wedding bells were in the future. While she hadn't given them a direct answer, she had smiled knowingly because she had known they were. It wasn't a matter if she and Hal would be married; it was a matter of when. Or at least it had been. Now…yes, it was just a mess.

When the day of the welcome back festivities arrived, Iris purposefully kept the television and radio turned off. She didn't read the newspaper. She didn't turn on the computer. As awkward as it was, the JLA, JSA, Titans and Teen Titans had all planned events. As Wally noted, and Iris agreed, they had to. Not doing so would only raise questions that couldn't be answered. So as the world celebrated the return of the original scarlet speedster, Iris stayed home and tried to remain optimistic about her own future.

Life with Barry continued to be tense. She hardly slept. Her appetite had disappeared. Nothing was right. What was worse, after today, Hal was leaving for Oa. More than once she thought about escaping as well. She could time travel. She could go back to the future, spend some time with her granddaughter Jenni. Then again, her nephew could time travel…and her husband had built the damn cosmic treadmill. She really couldn't escape if she wanted to.

Despite her difficulties with Barry, despite the tension in their relationship, despite readjusting to his life in general, Iris knew something else was bothering Barry. But given their current situation, she didn't feel comfortable asking him. No good could come from it.

And then life had once again done the unexpected. Barry was in trouble. Actually, all the speedsters were in trouble, but the trouble had seemed to originate with Barry. When the crisis – which proved to be Professor Zoom – had passed, life had returned again to normal. Or at least the new normal. It would take time to adjust. Time. She couldn't help wondering how everything would have turned out if she had agreed to marry Hal the first time he had asked…or even the second. Would it have made things easier when Barry returned? Or would it have been just a different type of complicated? "You kept this?"

Iris looked up from the book she was reading. Barry was going through a box that had been in the attic. It was one of those boxes she had never quite gotten around to unpacking. Barry held a lightning wand in his hand. She clearly remembered the day she had found the wand lying on the sidewalk. She had been on her way to meet the handsome young man from the police crime lab. It had been her first date with Barry. "Yes, I did."

"Why?"

Iris shrugged and remained silent, turning her attention back to the book. It didn't really matter anymore. With everything that had happened with Professor Zoom, one good thing had occurred. Barry had let go of some of the bitterness. She wished she could do the same. Or maybe it wasn't bitterness she felt. Perhaps it was just that she felt nothing. She moved through her days trying not to think about anything, because if she let her guard down, eventually she found herself thinking about Hal. She missed him. She would give anything to just hear his voice.

Barry sighed, setting the wand back in the box and placing the box on the floor. "I'm sorry."

Iris glanced at him, unsure of where he would take the conversation. The tension had eased considerably. Barry had stopped tossing the conversation bombs that resulted in arguments. They had managed to be civil to each other for more than twenty-four hours, a new record.

A small smile appeared on his face. "I never realized how hard it would be to say that, but with everything that happened with Thawne, I owe you and Hal a huge apology. You were both there for me even though I didn't deserve it. Neither of you hesitated."

She carefully marked her spot in the book. "Barry, I'll always be there for you. What I feel for Hal doesn't change that. The same for Hal." Her mind recalled how things in Iowa had quickly deteriorated, and when Barry had realized she, Wally, Jay and Bart were in danger, he had turned to Hal to take him away.

He stood up, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his pants. "I realize that now." Iris waited to see if he would say anything else. She didn't wait long. "I see how much Wally's grown, that he's married, a father. I see Bart. I see all these new heroes. I…intellectually I know the world moved on, but for me, it didn't. Seeing Wally and Bart in action brought it all home. It's time for me to move on, too." Barry handed her a plain white business envelope. "It's what you asked for."

Iris glanced at it, unsure of whether to open it. She carefully tore it open and removed the papers. Divorce papers. She looked at Barry in surprise.

"It's time for you to move on, too. I've been a jerk, something Wally has repeatedly reminded me of. Jay's been a bit more subtle, but the meaning is the same. They aren't the only ones. Hal's remained quiet on the topic, but I can tell…I know he's hurting. I know you're hurting. I just…I want you to be happy, and as much as it hurts to admit, that means you need to be with Hal, not me. We had good times together. I love you. I always will, but it's time to move on." He smiled. "Iris, I want a divorce and I won't take no for an answer."

She searched his words and face for some hidden meaning. Was this a joke? It seemed too good to be real. Yet all she heard, all she saw, was sincerity. Iris smiled and hugged him. "Thank you." Her eyes scanned the papers again. "I'll always be there for you. So will Hal."

"I know."

She wanted to race to the telephone and call Hal, but she didn't. She couldn't. He had left for Oa. He had left without saying goodbye because he – they – couldn't. As much as it hurt, she understood. Besides, he was coming back. Of that she was sure. She would call Wally. He could contact John or Kyle and they could contact Hal. Maybe he could come back a little earlier than anticipated.

"One more thing." Hitting the button on his Flash ring, Barry quickly donned the costume. Then he scooped her into his arms. "I'm tired of seeing a moping Green Lantern."

What? "But he's-"

"Still here. Can't leave until he finishes his league reports."

Iris barely had time to digest what Barry had said before they were standing inside the Hall of Justice. Hal sat in front of a computer monitor. The sudden breeze caused him to turn. "Flash, what's-" The question died on his lips when he saw Iris.

Barry set her down. Iris felt her heart warm at the sight of him. He wasn't wearing his mask. She saw the pain in his eyes. She also saw the worry about her sudden appearance. Hal stood up slowly. He tore away his gaze from Iris and looked at Barry. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"Wrong, no. Happen, yes," Barry answered cryptically. Hal frowned. Iris waited. This was Barry's news more so than hers.

"What…"

"I thought you should be the first to know that Iris and I are getting a divorce," Barry stated, fighting back a smile. Iris saw the skepticism in Hal's eyes. She couldn't really blame him. She hadn't believed Barry at first either. "Truth be told, she's slowing me down. Besides, rumor has it she's met someone else." Barry clapped Hal on the shoulder. "If you ever hurt her, I, along with the rest of the speedsters, will hurt you." Barry zoomed away.

Hal looked at her, a stunned expression on his face. She held up the divorce papers which were still in her hand. With tears in her eyes, she threw her arms around him. He held her tightly in return, resting his cheek against her hair. She closed her eyes and just savored the moment, the feeling. "Do you still have to go?" she eventually asked.

"I'll talk to Kyle and John."

She nodded. It was the best he could do. The arrangements had been made. Hopefully now, though, his time away would be shorter, much, much shorter.

Tears blurred her vision as she looked at him. "You had asked me a question."

"What?" He looked confused. Oh, she loved him.

"You had asked me a question before all this happened," she repeated. "And the answer is yes."