Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash

I'm sorry this has taken so long. I've been very busy with school and other things. Remember to review! Thank you everyone for your patience!

Chapter 1

"No one has to get hurt!"

"No one except you!"

"Daddy!"

The five year old girl clung to her mother's leg, watching the man in yellow fight her father with wide eyes. Iris West-Allen glanced down at her daughter's outburst, then back toward the fight.

I pulled on my mom's sleeve, still staring at my dad fighting with the Reverse-Flash.

"Mommy, I'm scared for Daddy."

Iris picked me up.

"Me too, Ruby. Me too."

We watched the flashes of red and yellow until suddenly, there was a sonic boom and a flash of blinding light. When we could see, people in the large group that had gathered started standing on tip-toe to get a better view. I had a front row seat.

There was only one speedster in the clearing.

It was not my dad.


The Reverse-Flash surveyed the group that had gathered. I felt tears running down my cheeks, but refused to break eye contact when his eyes landed on me and my mother. When he broke eye contact, I still refused to turn away, though I reached up to wipe my eyes.

"From now on I'm in charge of this city," he said, looking at a little boy about my age next to a woman about my mother's age who were both crying. "Anyone who so much as mentions the Flash will be silenced. Permanantly."

He disappeared in a flash of red light. When I looked over where the boy and his mother had been, there was only a hint of smoke. Around us, people had started to disperse. My mom turned slowly and carried me to the car. It was then that I allowed myself to bury my face in her shirt, sobbing. Her eyes were moist with unshed tears as she put me in the back seat before climbing in herself.

She started the engine and drove in the direction of our house.

"M-mom, what are we going to do?"

"We'll just have to lie low for now, Ruby."

She turned onto our street before continuing.

"We'll change our names. You can stay Ruby Eliza, but you'll use my maiden name, West."

"W-what about you?" I asked her.

"I'll be...Becky Cooper for now," she replied.

I swallowed, wiping my eyes as the last of my tears subsided, leaving me with silent hiccups. We pulled into the driveway. My mother got out and I followed her. The house seemed so quiet and lonely without Dad with us. My mom went into the living room and sat down on the couch. She grabbed her laptop and logged in. A picture of her and my dad smiled at us from the desktop background.

I sat down next to her and sat in silence as she emailed my school's principle explaining that I would be homeschooled for the rest of the year. She then proceeded to write an article about the fight that had just occured.

"Time for bed, Little Gem," she whispered.

I kissed her wet cheek and headed upstairs to my bedroom. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.