A/N: Finally! Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I have been really distracted lately. But I have been determined to not let this story go. One thing that kept me going was having such an amazing friend and beta withaflashoflove on AO3.

So i just want to explain a couple things before you read. This takes place 14 years from where the last chapter left off, making Barry and Iris 25 years old. Iris lives in Austin, Texas and Barry is in Central City (which in my headcanon is in Oregon). That's it! Thanks, enjoy!

~*~*~Barry~*~*~

It was just before noon on on a Friday morning, the only day he managed to get off work this week, when Barry found himself elbows deep in dishwater, scrubbing hurriedly at a stubborn spot on a plate that just refused to come off. He surprised himself every week with the pile of dishes that stacked up in the sink when he was the only one eating off of them. That and the fact that most of his meals consisted of hot pockets and microwave popcorn. He supposed there was a better way to go about this. To actually clean the dishes he uses right after he was finished with them. But when he spends all day at his job cleaning up after other people- mopping floors, taking out the trash, scrubbing down toilets- picking up after himself was the absolute last thing he wanted to do when he finally made it home.

But Officer Singh had called early that morning, warning him that he would be stopping by to have a talk with him, and Barry felt that if he was going to prove he could be an upstanding citizen of Central City, he had to at least show him that he could take care of himself.

Barry should really consider himself lucky. It wasn't often that he was notified of a visit with his PO beforehand. It was the kind of thing that made him anxious whenever he left the apartment, worried that he would miss him during an unexpected visit and wind up landing himself into even more trouble. He had missed him twice over the last few months he's been on parole, but at least he got off easier than some. Barry had heard stories from inmates who had gone through it before. Some parole officers would look for any excuse they could to land you into serious trouble, sometimes to the point where they were thrown back into prison. Officer Singh might have been a bit of a hard ass, but he was at the very least least fair. If Barry wasn't there when he showed up he would call, annoyed as hell, and tell Barry to get his ass home, or they would just reschedule if he was tied up.

So yeah, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it still made Barry nervous every minute he was gone.

He wasn't finished with the dishes when he heard a knock at his door. Barry cursed to himself as he pulled the rubber gloves off of his hands and threw them down next to the sink. He fumbled with the tie of the apron strings behind his back, getting frustrated when he realized how knotted up it was. "Hold on!" Barry called to Officer Singh on the other side of the door, and when he couldn't undo the knot quick enough, he told himself 'screw it', pulled the loop that was around his neck over his head, and shimmied the rest of it down his body. Of course, with his lack of grace, he managed to trip while trying to step out of it, losing a shoe in the process.

When he finally managed to open the door he was greeted by the sight of Officer Singh standing on the other side of the threshold, arms crossed and an unamused look on his face. But really, that was nothing new. He looked him up and down and obviously noticed he was only wearing one shoe. "Do I even want to know?"

"Uhhh, see, I lost track of time and I was in the middle of doing the dish-" Barry started to explain, but Singh raised a hand to halt him.

"Please, not another one of your blundering excuses. I meant the question rhetorically." He put his hand down and stepped inside the apartment. "You know the drill, Allen. I'll make my sweep of the place then you and I can have our brief chat."

Barry brought his arm up and rubbed the back of his neck as he let out a long breath of air. "Yeah sure, go ahead. I'll just wait here." He moved to the couch and slumped down, allowing the other man to do his job.

He truly hated every moment of this, sitting around while Officer Singh went through each item he owned, just looking for any sign that Barry had gone back to his miscreant ways. He wouldn't find anything, that he knew. He had a feeling that Singh knew it too. Still, he had to try to accept the fact that nothing in his life would be private as long as he was still being punished for the crimes he committed.

Barry wouldn't say that he didn't deserve it. He didn't think he would ever see a day where he wasn't painfully ashamed of the things he had done in the past. It might have been nothing he'd ever even wanted to do, but he still did it - more than once- and he had yet to figure out a way to attone for his mistakes. So, he let him look. He let him ask the same questions over and over again. And he would continue to answer them the same way every time.

He watched as Singh made his way through the small living space. Like always, he started in the bedroom, then moved to the bathroom, the closet in the hallway, the kitchen, until he finally made it back to the living room. He'd look through boxes and cupboards, dig through drawers, flip through books, never finding anything suspicious. When he was satisfied, he sat down in the chair across from Barry, pulled out a notepad and pen from the pocket inside of his coat, and began his usual series of questions.

"Have you been associated with any known criminals?"

"No, I haven't." Barry answered simply.

Singh made a quick mark on the paper before moving on to the next question. "Have you crossed over the state line at any time?"

"Honestly, I haven't even been outside the city."

"How's your job?" He shifted his eyes from his pad of paper to look up at him. "Caused any trouble there?"

"Other than showing up late for a shift or two, I haven't heard any complaints."

He raised a questioning eyebrow. "And why, Mr. Allen, haven't you been able to make it to work on time?"

Barry fought the urge to groan at the question. Instead, he just shrugged. "I don't have a car and transportation in this city could be better."

"You should be able to learn to allow time for that."

Really it was more than just a transportation issue. Every morning when he got ready for work, it always seemed like everything that could go wrong, would go wrong. He'd sleep through his alarm. He'd lose the key to his apartment. He'd accidently get the time of his shift wrong. But if he did learn anything after dealing with Officer Singh over the last three months is that piling on the excuses only made things worse.

So Barry just nodded and said "I'll do better."

"I'll put it in my notes that your new PO makes sure you do." He said casually, even though him being reassigned was news to Barry.

"Wait, new PO?" he widened his eyes and leaned forward. "Since when?"

"Since I've made the decision to move out of state about a week ago. So yes, it looks like this will be our last visit, and you'll be meeting your new parole officer within the next week."

"Do you know who?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. Sure, Officer Singh could be firm, and at times a little frustrating, but he most definitely wasn't the worst case scenario.

"They haven't given me the details yet, but I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Easy for him to say.

"Yeah, that isn't really all that comforting."

"I'm not here to comfort you, Allen. I'm here to make sure that you continue to abide by your parole. So is whoever they assign you. Keep doing that and you won't land yourself back in prison." Having said that, he placed the notepad back in his pocket and stood up. "Alright, we're done for today."

Barry got up and walked him out. When Officer Singh went to open the door, he paused and turned back to look at him. "Look. I know you're not a bad guy. You're on the right track. Just don't suddenly go and do something stupid to screw it up."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Barry gave him a small, tight lipped smile. "Hope everything goes alright with your move."

Singh nodded and said, "Take care of yourself, Allen." and then turned back around to leave.

~*~*~Iris~*~*~

Tonight was going to be a long night, Iris thought to herself as she stared into the mirror, deciding whether or not she was satisfied with her make-up for the evening. It had already been an incredibly tiring and stressful day at work, and yet she still had to go out to a party she really wasn't all that excited to attend. But she promised Eddie weeks ago that she'd go, and she knew how important tonight was to him.

It didn't help however, when he came into the bathroom multiple times to check if she was ready.

"Iris, come on. We need to leave in the next few minutes if we're going to be there on time." Eddie urged when he poked his head through the door for the third time.

"You know, I would have been done by now if you hadn't hogged the bathroom for an hour and made me pick out your suit afterwards. You only left me 20 minutes to get ready." Iris reasoned and he hung his head down, knowing she was right.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous about this party."

"I get it, I do. But you shouldn't worry about it so much, babe. I really don't think that the captain will base whether or not you get the promotion on one dinner party." Iris pulled him closer and placed her hands on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. "It all will come down to how capable you are for the job, and you are. I promise you, you are."

If Iris was completely honest, she was surprised that he seemed so frazzled over the whole thing. Her husband never had a problem with schmoozing the higher-ups, always coming off as charming, if not a little sure of himself. His boss loved him, he got on well with his fellow cops, and while he might have been a bit boastful, he always took his job seriously.

It wasn't like he was never high-strung over anything. While he might have been able to keep it cool around the general public, she had come home on several occasions to find him pacing, working out a problem in his head. He'd see her, and all of a sudden all of his worries would come spilling out, and she would be there to talk him through it. She was the only one he trusted to see him like that.

He takes a moment to consider her words, then a small smile pulls at his lips. "I'm sorry if I've been acting kind of ridiculous. It's just that I am getting so close to everything I've been working towards for years. Part of me is waiting for something to get completely screwed up and I lose it." He paused and took a few moments to look into her eyes before letting a smile draw on his lips. "Thank you for agreeing to come with me tonight. It would be so much harder if I had to do this without you."

She moved her hands from his shoulders and wrapped them around his waist, leaning back so she could continue to look at his face. "Well, you've come to almost all of my work functions. Not to mention the fact that you moved across the country to be with me when I decided I wanted to stay in Austin. I'm not going to make you do this alone."

He moved down to give her a short soft kiss, and when they pulled away she said, "Okay. I'm ready. Let's get out of here."

~*~*~Barry~*~*~

Later the same evening, Barry found himself at the bar a block away from his apartment, spending more time staring at the gold liquid slosh around in his glass than actually drinking it. He wasn't much of a drinker, mainly knowing just how big an idiot he could be once he's had too much, and it wasn't like there was anyone around that cared enough to keep an eye on him.

Yes, Barry didn't really have any friends, but that was nothing new. Ever since he was placed into the foster care system when he was 11 years old, the ability to connect to people was something he struggled with no matter where he went. Sure, he had people he associated himself with. People he wanted to believe would have his back when things took a turn for the worse, but really all they wanted from him was his quick hands and nothing else. They never really cared about him or his well being, that much was evident the moment he found himself in prison.

His mind often drifted to girl who stuck by him through it all. The girl who still had a strong presence in his life, feeling each other's pain and joy and every other emotion they found themselves going through. But the older he got the more he worried that she was something his subconscious conjured up to fill the silence and loneliness plaguing his life. First, she was the friend that brought a little light to the darkness that surrounded him as he tried to sleep. Then she became the only good in his life as the happy home he grew up in was destroyed in one night.

There were the days that logic prevailed and he'd convinced himself that she was just an "imaginary friend" as his parents often described it. Other days, however, he let the feeling in his gut, the feeling that she was out there somewhere, come to the surface and take him over. To be honest, those were the days where he felt he was at his best. They were the days that made him want to get past all the bad things he'd done and find his place in the world again. That supernatural feeling that his heart was still connected to someone he didn't know, still played a significant part in why he got up in the morning. So even if it made no sense, even if her existence was impossible, he was never really able to let the idea of her go.

Tonight was one of those nights when he really needed her. More change was coming and he was terrified. His meeting with Singh earlier did nothing but remind him of the control he lacked in his own life, and there was no telling what this reassignment would bring. It took him back to the days when he would be moved from home to home, never knowing who would be taking care of him, never knowing what kind of pain he was expected to endure next.

It was feelings like this that made him wonder if he would ever find some kind of peace.

Barry drew a line through the condensation on his glass, feeling the stark contrast in temperature between the cold drink and incredibly warm room. He was about ready to raise the glass up and press it against his forehead when the sound of a woman's voice stopped him.

"You know, this is the fifth time this month you've come into this bar and do nothing but stare at your drink for a solid hour." Barry looked up to see the bartender smirk at him from the other side of the counter. "Then, after looking at your watch, you down your beer in record speed, throw some cash on the counter, and run off without a word."

"I didn't realize I have become so predictable." He attempts to laugh it off. "Or that anyone was keeping track."

She swept her long dark hair back over her shoulders and leaned forward against the counter, her arms crossed each other on the wooden surface. "Noticing these things is what makes the job more interesting. Bartending wouldn't be nearly as fun without it's regulars."

Barry lifted an eyebrow. "I'm considered a regular now?"

"I repeat. Fifth time this month and the same quirky routine every time you walk in here." She resituated back into an upright position, arms still crossed in front of her. She was cute, Barry noticed. That was sure to turn him into awkward bumbling dope if he wasn't careful.

Barry scratched at the nape of his neck as he thought of a way to respond. "I guess I'm just looking for a little normalcy in my life."

"Well, since you have officially reached 'regular' status, how about being on a first name basis? I'm Linda." She offered her hand and he reached out to give it a little shake.

"Barry."

"Nice to meet you Barry." She gave him a wink before moving on to another customer.

~*~*~Iris~*~*~

They had reached the part of the evening that Iris truly dreaded. She currently found herself amongst the other spouses and significant others, who've congregated around the dessert table, as their partners gathered in front of Captain Mendez, each one trying to gain his attention and approval. Iris wasn't exactly fond of being pulled into small talk with people she barely knew. She didn't mind getting to know people on a very basic level. It was just one question that was always bound to come up that, after past experience, she didn't enjoy answering.

"What is it that you do, Iris?" A man, Evan she thinks, asked.

It wasn't that she was ashamed of her job. She was rather proud of it, actually. While the magazine might not be something that she was planning on sticking with for the rest of her life, it continued to peak her interest in things she didn't realize were important to her. It was fulfilling. It was inspiring. It made her think.

But as good as she felt about her job, she didn't feel good with how people reacted when she revealed what magazine she wrote for. It was the slight pursing of their lips, the crinkles that appeared on their foreheads when they scrunched their eyebrows, the 'hmmmm' sound they made as they thought of the most polite way to respond. It would be different if it were the time or place where she was free to defend her work with fervor and fire resided in her. It was like a button in her heart that -if pushed- would send her on a one way path to a full blown argument.

But Iris wanted things to go well tonight. She wanted to make a good impression for Eddie's sake because he had only ever did the same for her during her work functions. So she took a breath and prepared herself for whatever would come next.

"I write for a magazine called Believing the Impossible." Iris replied and turned her eyes down toward the glass of wine she had in her hand, giving herself a second to look at something else other than the expression on their faces before finally taking a sip.

"Isn't that the magazine filled with stories about about tinfoil hat wearing hicks claiming they were abducted by aliens?" the women to her left questioned with airiness to her words that almost transformed into laughter.

Already Iris found herself gritting her teeth, trying to remember why she was making an effort to be civil as she was affronted by such uninhibited judgement. "Actually" Iris countered "Believing the Impossible explores many subjects pertaining to strange phenomena around the world. While stories focusing on aliens have definitely made it into the magazine on many occasions, it's so much more than that. It's very forward-thinking in a way where there are still many unexplained things on earth that people have trouble wrapping their minds around, but that doesn't mean that they aren't possible and we won't understand them eventually. Just look at all that we have today that would be considered magic 100 years ago."

She looked around at the half a dozen pairs of eyes focused on her as they considered her argument. She received a nod here and there but no one seemed to match her level of interest in the subject.

"So I'm guessing you must have a strong background in science to write for a magazine like that." Andrew, a man she recognized as the husband of a work friend of Eddie's, concluded.

"Not really, no." Iris took another sip of wine, worried that she would lose a bit of credibility within a single answer. "I've taken a class or two in college. But I am pretty great at research and we have a lot of scientists who are willing to consult with us so we can have an accurate grasp on whatever subject we're writing about."

"I'm curious, why would you take a job at a science magazine if you aren't passionate about science?" Alice, the same woman to her left who seemed to find her profession so amusing, asked. She wasn't laughing this time, but Iris could still detect a condescending inflection to her voice. Iris tried hard not to scowl at her.

"I feel like I do better when I am met with a challenge." Iris stated, but that was only a part of the truth. There was still a whole other side to her chasing the impossible, but it wasn't something she felt like she could talk freely about, especially around people who stared her down with overcritical eyes. Maybe they didn't all mean to come across that way, but she couldn't help but notice skeptical spirit of their expressions.

The truth lied in the feeling she got whenever she would hear a new remarkable story. Iris felt a tug on her heart when asked to open her mind and accept something that to most people are unable to believe in. She felt that if she could do that, maybe she would be able to accept that part within herself that felt different. That felt special. Supernatural, even.

To this day, Iris couldn't explain what happened to her as kid. From the moment she saw a pool of water replaced with a bright blue sky, she knew that something had changed in her. Ever since that day, or maybe even long before that if she really thought about it, she had felt a presence. It wasn't like this person, or spirit, or whatever the hell it was, occupied the space beside her. It felt like it took up a place in her mind, always present in anything she ever did. But Iris spent over a decade keeping it to herself, never telling anyone -not even Eddie- because she knew what they would think. They would think that she was going through the same thing her mother did.

Iris would be lying if she said she hadn't thought the same thing. Sure, it felt real, but how could she trust it after everything she witnessed growing up? She remembered hearing her mother on the other side of her bedroom door, speaking to someone even when she was alone, and Iris couldn't help but notice the fear in her voice. Her mother was scared because she believed the voices taunting her were real. It made her feel like maybe she should be afraid too.

So she tried to push the presence out. Even though it might have felt comforting at times, like she wasn't alone during the hardest parts of life, Iris was also aware of the fact that it could also be a serious cause for concern. If she let it in, if she let the presence grow stronger, who knew what form it could potentially take. Who knew how much of her life would be taken up by something she couldn't even be sure was real. And it couldn't be, could it?

Then the magazine came into her life. Once Iris graduated she sent her resume out to every publication that was looking to hire. She didn't even realize how much she needed to write for Believing the Impossible until the day she met with the editor and listened to what they were all about. Through her reporting she got to talk with all different kinds of people who've witnessed or experienced things that couldn't be easily that most people would call them crazy for believing in. There were stories about aliens, ghosts, past lives, soulmates, hypnosis, telekinesis, telepathy, and alternate universes. The list went on. Everyone dealt with it in their own way. Some were consumed by finding the truth. Some were just happy that they were a part of something special. Some were so terrified they could barely leave their house. But no matter how these experiences changed their lives, they were all united in something bigger that the world had yet to understand.

So while Iris might never know for certain if what she was experiencing was real or something she'd created within her own mind, at least now she was allowing herself to explore a side of it that could potentially lead her to the truth.

Something broke Iris away from her thoughts.

Out of nowhere, she began to feel very warm, almost as if she had just stepped into a sauna. Sure enough, her skin started to bead with sweat and she looked down at her glass to see that she hadn't even drank that much. Then the room got louder, and when she didn't see any new guests wandering into the party late, she decided to excuse herself from the group and head for the bathroom.

Once she was alone, she was alarmed by the fact that the chattering voices around her hadn't stopped. Iris went to the sink, ran her hands under some cold water before bringing the back up to rub her neck in an attempt to cool herself off. Why did this have to be happening it now? She quickly tried to come up with excuses. She was just tired. She was getting a fever. Maybe she drank more than she realized. Iris was not willing to accept that tonight out of all nights, and after 14 years, her senses were being overtaken by things that weren't there.

Was all this because she allowed herself to think about what had happened to her when she was young? It wasn't like she had never thought about it before. But that never brought on anything more than a few unfamiliar emotions here and there.

Iris steadily took a deep breath in and a deep breath out, trying to focus on what was around her. It took a minute or two, but eventually the added noise quieted down and everything seemed to go back to normal. She let out one last breathe of relief before deciding to return to the party.

But things weren't as back to normal as she thought. When she was only a few feet away from where Eddie was talking with the captain, Iris let out a yelp when something that felt like a long wooden stick struck her hard in the back, and she fell forward on to the ground.

"Iris!" She heard Eddie yell out amongst the gasps of others guests as he rushed to her side. "Baby, what happened? Are you okay?" He helped her back up, cautiously checking her over.

"I'm fine. I felt like I was hit by-" She looked in the direction she was walking from and her eyes widened when she saw there was nothing there. "-something."

~*~*~Barry~*~*~

"Shit, Barry!" He heard Linda exclaim as she knelt down beside his lying form. "You alright?"

Barry groaned in pain as he moved to sit up. "I'm fine. Just remind me never to sit in that man's seat ever again."

Moments ago, Barry was close to finishing his drink when an older bearded man with a pool cue came up behind him, hammered as all hell, and started yelling for his spot at the counter. Not wanting any trouble, Barry moved from the stool muttering an apology, but either he wasn't fast enough for the man's liking or he'd just wanted to teach him a lesson because before he knew it the man swung his pool cue across Barry's back, sending him straight to the floor.

"Yeah, Tom's a raging asshole, especially after he's had a few. Don't worry though. I think this incident will finally get him barred. Do you need help getting up?"

"No." He groaned again as he started to hoist himself back up. "But thanks. I think I should probably head home and ice my back if I'm gonna be able to stand up tomorrow." Barry pulled out his wallet and started fishing for some cash to give to her, but Linda put a hand up to halt him.

"Don't worry about it. Your beer is on the house."

"That really isn't necessary." Barry contested, but she wouldn't hear it.

"You took one for the team. I've been waiting for that jerk to be kicked out of this place for like a year." She stepped away before he could insist and returned to her spot on the other side of the counter. "If you feel weird about it, just tip me super well the next time you're here."

"Will do." Barry chortled and gave her a little wave. "Thanks, I'll see you around."

~*~*~Iris~*~*~

They left the party soon after the incident.

Iris closed her eyes as she leaned her body against the passenger side door of Eddie's car, trying to keep herself from stressing over what had happened. But Eddie wasn't as willing to let the subject go.

"What was that?"

"I told you, I don't know. Can we just talk about it tomorrow?"

"I don't think we should. You collapsed, Iris. I think you need to go to the doctor." He tried to reason with her and Iris snapped her eyes back open. There was no way she was taking this to a doctor.

"I don't need to go to a doctor." She said firmly. "It was probably some weird muscle spasm or something. I'm fine now."

Iris watched as Eddie drove. He looked like he was debating something in his head, opening and closing his mouth like he was about to ask a question but kept deciding against it. Curious, Iris asked him to say whatever it was. He took another moment before finally coming out with it. "You weren't just trying to get out of the party, right?" Eddie took his eyes off the road for a second to see the intense scowl that Iris was shooting his way.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Iris raised her voice in disbelief.

His face fell, immediately ashamed for the suggestion. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't have asked that."

"You shouldn't have even thought it! You know how supportive I have been of you through all of this. You know how much I wanted for things to go well for you tonight!" Iris reminded him, not holding back on her anger. She spent all night standing around a group of people who were obviously looking down on her, all the while biting her tongue and plastering on a smile. She couldn't believe it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know. You've been amazing. I just wish I knew what happened. I guess I would rather have it be that than there being something wrong with you."

After hearing that and seeing the obvious worry on his face, Iris relented. There was just too much going on in her head to continue fighting about this and she could tell that he was being sincere. "Look, if you really want me to see a doctor, I can take a half day at work tomorrow and get checked out."

He calmed at that and Iris went back to resting her head against the window, this time keeping her eyes opened and watched as they sped past the streetlights on the side of the road. She'd go to the doctor just to ease Eddie's mind and just hope they could offer her a simple excuse that she could give to him. Iris would just keep from revealing the details of what really happened, hoping she could find the answers herself.

That's it! Hope you liked it. I also made some cover art, so if you wish to check that out, you can check it out on my deviantart: angstyporcupine