Another chapter up for you guys. I should have the, hopefully, last chapter up later tonight.


The nightmares had lessened and Wally was slowly getting back to fighting fit. Barry had been great over the last few weeks. Anytime he needed something Barry was there with a warm smile on his face and understanding.

Barry had been distant at first assuming he'd bounce back and when he didn't he was too afraid to push and make things worse. It had taken time but he'd regained his nephew's trust and he was never letting it go again.

It had been exactly two months since Wally and Dick had left the hospital. Wally stood in front of the mirror in his room staring at himself wearing his Kid Flash suit. For the first little bit he'd been too afraid and ashamed to even look at the suit let alone put it on but here he stood in a brand new one and it almost broke his heart. He felt ashamed that he'd been captured and let those things happen to himself and his best friend. But that slowly melted away and he clung to the suit like it was his only life line. Kid Flash was stronger than Wally; he wouldn't be sitting around his house for two months sick and scared.

But wasn't Wally Kid Flash? Weren't they the same person?

No. He shook his head bitterly, there would come a day when someone else would occupy the suit and the persona.

He ripped the costume off and glared down at it, he didn't deserve to be Kid Flash. But a part of Flash would always be a part of him; he looked into the mirror at the healing scar on his chest. It would always be there reminding him about what happened. He grabbed the suit again, maybe it could be a reminder that Flash- no Kid Flash, saved him.

He slept in the suit that night, and the next night and the night after that. Of course wearing the suit and actually leaving the house in it were two very different things. Barry invited him to come out with him more than once but he was scared. He wasn't worried about bumping into joker or anything as silly as that, Joker was in Gotham. But what if he screwed up again and something happened to Barry? He couldn't bring himself to put anyone else in danger. He curled into a ball in his bed wearing the suit. Maybe tomorrow he'd give it another try.

Tomorrow wasn't as soon as he thought it would be. He tried a few times to gain the courage but it just wasn't as easy as he wanted it to be.

"Uncle B?"

"Yeah kid?"

They were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast, Wally was yet again in his Kid Flash suit. "How long have you been wearing that?"

"Aunt Iris makes me take it off to wash don't you worry about that."

"That really didn't answer my question."

"It wasn't supposed to."

"Alright alright." He said waving the topic off, "What would you like of great nephew of mine?"

"I think I'm ready."

"Ready for what? Oh man are we supposed to be going for ice-cream or something?"

"That would be amazing but no you know what I mean."

Barry nodded he knew exactly what his boy meant and it made him nervous. He'd become a mother hen and he didn't hate it as much as he thought he would. He put his hand on Wally's forehead and turned him around, "Are you sure?"

"Why are you checking if I have a fever? Is it that strange a concept?"

"No, I just want to make sure you're ok kid." He muttered pulling him in for a hug. It had become a regular occurrence between them, hugging. They hugged before but not as often, Wally wasn't sure how he felt about it but he didn't dislike it.

"I'm fine Uncle Barry." He whined pushing him away.

Barry laughed and nodded inhaling the last of his cereal and bolted up the stairs to change. Wally seemed nervous when he got back to him but he knew that if Wally was ready for this step then it was time to take it, he wrapped his arm around his nephew's shoulders and steered him out the front door.

"Should we really be leaving the house in our suits Uncle B?" With a quick nod of acknowledgement Barry steered them back into the house.

Downtown was a bustle and it only took about five minutes to find some trouble. Captain Cold was destroying one thing or another when the speedsters ran into him, literally. Witty banter was exchanged and Wally was starting to feel like his old self until, "Are the rumours true? Did the joker really have his way with you?"

That brick wall really came out of nowhere. Wally picked himself back up and stared shockingly at the captain. "Oh that's right Kid, news is traveling fast." He somehow managed to get close enough to touch him, "Is it right here?" He taunted touching the lightning bolt on his suit.

Wally jolted back like he'd just been electrocuted. Barry slipped in between them and swung at the captain. He went down with a thud and was handcuffed.

"Don't listen to him." Barry whispered putting his hand on Wally's shoulder. He nodded but it had already done the damage that was intended.

Doubt lingered in his mind the next time he went out. Captain boomerang stood waiting for them but instead of his usual barrage of boomerangs he was holding something very familiar, a crow bar. Wally started shaking. Any confidence he'd gained completely drained from him. "I need to go home." He whispered.

"You know where to wait, I won't be long." His uncle whispered back.

He zipped all the way back to their meeting place. It was only about a half hour wait before his uncle dashed in with open arms. "Come here."

They changed and headed home. Wally headed right for his room and fell right to sleep. Less than an hour later the screaming started again. Barry was there in an instant pulling him into a bear hug whispering comforting words.

The relapse was shortly lived. Barry had let him sit in his little pit of self pity for a night and then sat him down for a very long heart to heart.

"They're only doing this to bother you." He said attempting to be stern, "If you show them you don't care they'll stop."

Wally smacked himself in the forehead, "You're absolutely right why didn't I think of it sooner? Oh that's right because it's hard as hell to pretend you're cool when the world is spinning."

"Kid if you can't do it no one will blame you."

What was this? Was his uncle giving up on him? "Are you telling me to quit?"

"No I'm just saying that if you can't get past this it's alright." Barry by no means wanted his nephew to quit nor did he want to leave this situation unresolved, he was just hoping it was the right push to make the gears start turning again.

"I can't believe you're telling me to throw in the towel." Wally snapped.

"I'm telling you to do whatever you want."

"I'm not quitting." He snarled, that was the end of their conversation.

He never did find out whether Wally had successfully resolved the situation but the next day he seemed like his old self running circles around the bad guys, attempting his old one liners. He even stood up to the crow bar jokes. Things seemed back to normal.

Wally still had the odd nightmare but he wasn't screaming through them anymore. The scars were finally starting to heal.

"So it's been almost five months since you saw any of your friends last. I think it's about time to go visit them?" Barry suggested.

"I think you're brilliant sometimes Uncle B."

"Only sometimes?"

"Only sometimes."

He saw superboy first, he seemed incredibly uncomfortable to be around Wally. "Seriously it's not like I have some kind of contagious disease or something." He mumbled walking away. M'gann wasn't any better. She baked him cookies, attempted to watch a movie with him and all but babied him over lunch. He wanted nothing more to do with her at that point and walked off.

There were no signs of Robin anywhere. He wondered if he was doing ok, he needed to know how often Robin was here before he would feel better and set off to find anyone who wouldn't treat him like a freak long enough to get some answers.

Aqualad was next on his list but once again he seemed uncomfortable around him and wouldn't come too close, "I won't break." He whispered. Of course they wouldn't believe it until they saw it so he moved on looking for the last member of the team, Artemis.

She was training with her bow in the training room and stopped when she heard him come in. She seemed uncomfortable just like everyone else but she handled it much better. "What took you so long." She snapped. Much better.

"Oh you know mental breakdowns and what not, they really hold you back." He said scratching the back of his neck.

He saw shock flitter across her face but quickly into her usual cool composure.

"So where's Rob?" He asked. It must have been the wrong thing to say because she looked away. He could recognize the babying mode coming in and took a step back, "Look if you aren't going to give me a straight answer then whatever I'm out."

"Wait!" She called before he could leave, "He-he hasn't been back yet. You're the first since..."

He nodded not needing any elaboration on the since part.

"How long are you going to be staying?" She asked attempting to force conversation. She talked to him like he was a cousin visiting for the weekend.

"I'm just leaving now. My aunt and uncle are expecting me home." He lied.

She bought it and waved to him as he left.


Hope you guys liked it.