Iris slowly strolled into the Cortex at S.T.A.R. Labs. She had been looking for Barry all day. Her dad said that Barry hadn't been home in two days. She checked his job, but he was out until further evidence is obtained. There were still sightings of the Flash around town, so she knew he had to at least come here. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be here either. In fact, the only person that seemed to be here was Cisco typing furiously onto his keyboard.
"Hey Cisco, have you seen Barry?"
"Barry? You mean my best friend, Barry? Who I have been trying to get out of the house for a month to cheer up, Barry? Who instead goes behind my back and spends a day out with Caitlin? You mean that Barry?"
"Um. Yeah. I guess that would be the one."
"No. Haven't seen him."
They heard footsteps sounding up the hall. They both turned expecting to see the man in question. Joe made his way into the Cortex and was caught of guard by the irritated sighs that were expelled at his arrival.
"Okay. Does anybody want to share what's going on?
"It's nothing Dad. Barry isn't here either. Evidently he's out with Caitlin." At the mention of their names, they could hear more footsteps sounding up the hall accompanied by voices and light laughter.
"Sounds like the two traitors coming in now," Cisco scoffed crossing his arms over his chest. Caitlin and Barry entered the cortex with bright eyes and warm smiles. Cisco squinted his eyes shaking his head in disapproval.
"Hey, guys." Barry tried smile faltering just a bit.
"Barry where have you been? Dad says you haven't been home in two days. What? You just take off without telling anyone?"
"Look, I'm sorry. I just needed some time to clear my head."
"Well, it must have helped, Son. You seem...better?" Joe looked at Iris with eyes that begged her to wait a minute.
"Yeah actually." He looked back at Caitlin who gave him a reassuring nod. He turned his attention back to the group. "I'm thinking about getting my own place."
"Wow. That's great, son!" Joe walked over to Barry slapping his hand into a shake. "You sure?"
"Yeah. I think so." Joe pulled Barry in for a tight hug. A since of relief seemed to wash over him. Barry really wasn't sure how Joe would take the news. Iris, on the other hand, was frowning at the two of them. Caitlin walked over to a pouting Cisco off to the side.
"I'm guessing you had something to do with this," Cisco questioned her quietly mock irritation in his voice.
"Just a few words to encourage a friend." She bent down to rub her aching ankles. "It came at a cost, too." Cisco smiled down at her. She rose up bumping her shoulder lightly with his.
"Nice work." He draped his arm over her shoulders watching the exchange between Barry and Joe. The two men turned back to Iris who was shaking her head in disapproval.
"Iris?" Barry took a few steps towards her, but she immediately held up her hand stopping him. "I don't get it. Why are you so upset?"
"Barry, you've been isolating yourself for weeks. You barely talk to anyone, eat, or sleep. How is this not just another means to push us away?"
" It's not. Listen, I told you I was having a hard time, Iris. Getting my own place could help make things easier for me."
"You're having a hard time, because you keep pushing everyone away."
"What exactly do you want me to do, Iris? You want me to crawl in your lap and cry like I did when I was ten?" Joe reached forward placing a hand on Barry's shoulder trying to calm him down.
"It'd be better than you bottling everything up inside avoiding your own feelings."
"If moving out will give the boy some peace, who are we to deny him that."
"Barry doesn't feel like he's apart of our family anymore, Dad. He thinks he's still with us only because we feel sorry for him. That's why he's moving out."
"That's not what I said."
"In not so many words."
Cisco and Caitlin just watched wide eyed as the tension between them began to rise. Caitlin really hadn't expected Barry's desire for a change in his living environment could explode into emotional warfare. She felt a small twinge of guilt for suggesting it in the first place. Suddenly an alarm sounded throughout the Cortex. Cisco pulled up the alert on the computer.
"Robbery in progress at 7th and 9th avenue." Barry immediately grabbed his suit and flashed out of the room without a word. Caitlin and Cisco opened a line over the comms to communicate with Barry as he went. Iris stood there, her anger leaving her breathless. Joe approached her, arms stretching out to rest on her shoulders.
"Baby girl, what has gotten into you? Are you really that upset about Barry moving out?"
"Dad, I don't know. I am worried."
"Worried about what? Barry is more than capable of taking care of himself."
"No, not that. I'm worried that he'll forget about everything he still has. EveryONE he still has. If we aren't there to remind him, how will he find his way back to us, dad...to me."
"There's nothing in this world that would make Barry Allen forget about you. That boy has been in love with you long before he even knew what love was, but right now, I think he needs this. For the first time since he lost Henry, Barry looked lighter. He smiled, Iris. Just being there while he works through this is enough. One morning, before you know it, he's going to wake up. The loss won't be as hard, and he'll realize he's ready for more out of life. Who do you think he'll come looking for." Iris teared up at her dad's words. She knew she was letting all her insecurities about Barry's feelings get the best of her. She promised to wait for him, but she didn't realize how hard that would be. She wrapped her arms around her dad in a warm embrace. He brushed her hair down with his hand in a comforting gesture.
"It's taken care of," Barry's voice could be heard through the comms. "Not meta-related."
"Where are you headed now," Caitlin asked riddled with concern. The tracker showed he wasn't heading back in the direction of the lab.
"Not coming back right now. Need to clear my head." With that the comm switched to dead silence signaling that they had been disconnected. Cisco sighed.
"Back to square one."