When I opened my eyes, Barry was standing next to me. His arms were crossed and his eyebrows rolled. (In short, he didn't look pleased!) I was lying in one of the beds at S.T.A.R. Labs. My moss green superhero mask stood on a table to my left. I could spot Caitlin and Cisco, leaning over another patient across the room.

After the others had arrived to the boathouse, Barry took Walker to S.T.A.R. Labs while Cisco and Caitlin gave me a ride in a car. I think I dozed off, cause I don't remember getting out or entering the lab.

"Why didn't you contact us earlier?" Barry inquired.

"I can't predict the future, Barry."

I sat up, with a clear head, and winced slightly... The bruises from the fall wanted to make themselves known.

"But you sensed that something was wrong and that's almost the same thing! You chose to do this by yourself."

"And everything worked out just fine!" I pointed out, as the optimist I am.

Barry's serious frown did not leave his handsome face. (Wait, handsome?)

"You were lucky. You could have been hurt."

I sighed and got on my feet. Again, wincing.

"I am hurt," I confessed. "but it's probably nothing compared to Walker."

I nodded to the other side of the room. Barry followed my lead and joined Cisco, Caitlin and Iris by the other bed. Walker was sleeping and currently receiving drips.

"How is he?" I wondered.

Caitlin met my gaze.

"He is malnourished, therefore weak, and his body has gone through serious dehydration."

I was relieved that he hadn't broken anything, though he was pale as a sheet. I felt sorry for him. Despite of his horrible book, I wouldn't wish his fate on anyone - not even my worst enemy. (I don't think I have a declared enemy…) I put myself on a chair next to Walker. The hard material was not comfortable to my sore thighs, but I wanted to be there when he woke up.

I called Adam and filled him in on the passing events. His breathing became uneven and he had a hard time imagining it, mostly cause I was so calm when I told him. I didn't know how long I would be held up and asked him to contact Lauren for me. She would want to be aware of what had happened.

"Sure! Absolutely… I'll do it right away." Adam declared. "And… I love you, sis."

I smiled and instinctively put my free hand on top of the unconscious Walker's. (Pretending it was Adam's? I don't know. Just felt like doing it.)

"I love you too, Adam."

When I lay the phone down I noticed a change of color in the writer's face! He was opening his eyes! They were grey and had that flickering light in them for a second, just like I've seen several times before. I drew back my hand out of impulse. (Had I caused that?!)

"Whe… Where am I?"

"At S.T.A.R. Laboratories, Mr Walker." Barry said and introduced each and every one of us. "You're safe now."

"Would you mind telling us what you've been through?" Caitlin wondered, as always affirming to people's feelings.

Walker shook his head slightly and said it was important for everyone to know, cause the city's not safe.

"I w… I was watching TV... in my living room, my wife was out of town, when I heard... a deep dark voice out of nowhere…" Walker continued. "Before I knew it, a giant bull-beast came through the wall! Splinters of glass and wood tore my skin but I couldn't…"

He swallowed.

"I couldn't run from it."

The minotaur took him in and placed him in a place with only darkness. It smelled rotten - fishy. He got isolated inside the trapdoor, in the dark, and the voice was always there…

"It told me that I was a monster.. It said I wasn't worthy a life above ground."

He had been buried alive, poor man! There was some bread on the floor which he ate and the only water he drank came from puddles on the floor. It felt like he had been imprisoned for years - not a week and a half.

"Then there were terrible noises! The monster screamed and then... A light. It was a very bright but warm light. The weakness inside me subdued and transformed into strength! I became convinced that everything… was not jet lost."

I felt so happy by his words that I couldn't help grinning and the light showed itself inside my chest. The man turned his head and gave away a laugh when he realized I was the one who'd found him.

Mrs Walker arrived shortly after and the rest of us walked inside the main lab to give them some privacy.

"What are we going to do?" Barry asked and looked at me. "We have no idea how to tackle this thing."

"You're right." I said. "I'm out of ideas."

Caitlin sighed deeply while Cisco picked up something that looked like a grey, metal cookie. Barry put his arm around Iris and I couldn't take my eyes off them.

"I've created this for you." Cisco informed, making no one notice my rather awkward stare. "A tracking device, so next time Turbulent Bull shows up we'll be ready."

"Turbulent Bull?"

I turned to Cisco and my eyebrows climbed up on my forehead.

"I name all the metahumans, remember? Well, except for you and Barry…"

"We don't even know if this is a metahuman." Iris pointed out.

"Yeah but, still, it has to have a name!"

Turbulent Bull. I wonder about that beast's backstory, if it's really a beast at all. (Didn't Disney teach us anything?) We all came to the conclusion that we should lay low and wait until it showed up again.

"I'd like to have a dog." I said and everyone looked at me like it was weird to change the subject that quickly. Well, weird indicates a creative force!

Days passed and no more kidnappings or aggressive feelings were detected. I felt free to go back to CCMA. In their eyes I returned after an intense diarrhea… Urgh! Leaving that behind me, apparently we are putting on Pocahontas as our next musical! I love that movie so much - the songs are amazing and it truly is a magical story of love and female strength. I've always wanted to play that character and I felt pretty confident when I auditioned for it.

After the audition, I spotted Eric in the other end of the crowded corridor. Without hesitation, I hurried in that direction and tapped him on the back just when he was about to enter the men's locker room.

"Hi stranger!"

He turned around and gave me an empty look. I smiled obligingly and said:

"I'm not contagious."

Eric's one dimple showed in his charming face, but I could tell that he was sad about something.

"Good to have you back, Olivia."

I decided there was no point in prolonging what I wanted to say.

"Look, Eric: I really like you! And it's not that I don't like you enough, only that things were going a little fast for me. (Ironic, cause I've gotten used to Barry's speed by now.) You caught me off guard. Would you mind slowing down?"

Eric sighed but let go of his wallowing.

"Sure." he said. "I'm sorry, you just… Well, you bring out the crazy in me."

"You have always been crazy. Organized and thoughtful, sure, but still crazy."

We giggled.

"So you really were sick, then?" Eric wondered. "I thought you were avoiding me!"

I was tracking down a gigantic, hairy criminal - but that's not for him to know about.

"No, I wasn't! I promise…"

My phone started ringing inside my tote bag and I managed to get it out, quite ungracefully. On the other end, Barry sounded save-the-city-from-something-bad serious.

"Code red again, Olivia. Suit up and meet me and the others at S.T.A.R. Labs as soon as you can."

"Got it!"

I leaned forward and kissed Eric on his newly shaved cheek.

"Gotta run."

As I was leaving, the doorknob caught hold of my blouse! I tried to pull it off but that turned out to be better in theory than in execution. My shirt got torn all over the back!

"Shit!" I cried. "Why now?"

"Here!"

Eric threw one of his spare sweatshirts at me and I thanked him before putting it on. Then I headed towards the subway.

I wasted another couple of seconds trying to unlock the front door when it was actually open. (It happens to the best of us!) But guess if I got surprised when seeing my friends from S.T.A.R. Labs standing together with Adam, Lauren and my dad in the hallway!

"SURPRISE!" they shouted.

I realized there was no emergency and started laughing. "The Heart" by Needtobreathe played in the background, adding to the warmth coming from these people.

"Dad!" I managed to say and Luke Zoe embraced me.

"Hello, hon!"

I turned to the others.

"What's this about?"

"We wanted to celebrate Little Heart's first successful mission!" Caitlin explained. "Long live Little Heart!"

They cheered and I took turn hugging both old and new family members. When Barry approached me, I smiled meaningly:

"Who ordered me to never mess with the code red?"

I felt his grin against my ear. I liked it.

"Guilty as charged!" he confessed. "But now we're even, Oz."

"Oz?"

His face turned long.

"You don't like that? I figured since we've known each other for a substantial amount of time now, I'd be obliged to give you a nickname."

Adam put one hand on Barry's shoulder.

"You're wasting your time, she doesn't like having nickna…"

"No, I love it! Thanks, Bear."

The kitchen table was full of chinese dishes and we sat down to enjoy them. I wondered if they'd cooked all this food by themselves.

"No, we haven't." Barry said.

"Someone very wise once told us that eating the result is the best part." Cisco added, widely smiling.

Iris reached out her arms.

"Hence, a lot of take-out!"

Barry, who had taken place opposite me, suddenly looked quite thoughtfully at my breasts! I felt really uncomfortable as everyone began passing the food around...

"I didn't know you were in Slytherin?" he finally said.

I exhaled out of relief and looked down at the sweater I was wearing. It sure had a green snake and a large S on it!

"Oh, I'm not. I'm in Ravenclaw! This is Eric's shirt."

"Eric?"

My dad put four dumplings on his plate and seemed interested.

"He's a friend from CCMA." I explained.

"Eric Winslow is a terrific guy!" Cisco said.

"Special too, it seems, if you're wearing his sweater?" dad inquired on.

Lauren leaned closer to him.

"That's what I've been saying."

All these remarks about Eric didn't belong right here and right now, did they?

"He's special alright, but no more than another friend." I said. "We're friends. Nothing more."

Barry grinned like someone better knowing.

"Wearing his sweater talks to the opposite."

"Is that so? Does that mean you usually walk around in Iris' clothes?"

I couldn't take my gaze away from his kind blue-green eyes (which have a little yellow in them). There was a few seconds silence but then we laughed.

"While we're on the subject of clothes," Barry continued. "I want to show you something."

He got up, left the table and walked into the livingroom. When he came back he was carrying my green superhero suit in a hanger. On the chest, we could spot a pink heart with red and blue lines around it. I gaped and stood up too as he handed it to me.

"What have you done to my creation!" Cisco exclaimed, making everyone stare at him. "Alright, our creation."

"We thought it was time for you to get a symbol." Iris said and met my gaze. "So Barry made that for you."

"I've adapted it for your current energy capacity and…" He stopped himself. "It will shine when your heart does."

"Thank you so much… All of you! I'm not going to make some sentimental speech, cause it's not really my style..."

"Oh, I was looking forward to that!" Lauren joked.

"... but you have no idea what this means!"

Barry and I looked at each other.

"That you like getting the attention?"

I gave away a rather abrupt laugh and he got showered with my saliva! (How unsmooth can one get?!) This caused more laughter and Adam gave him a towel to wipe the watery substance off.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried multiple times but Barry kept saying it was fine.

Still, my face turned red like a tomato and I avoided looking at him. Apparently flames appeared on my cheeks. My dad took a hand on my shoulder and his touch made me calm down. The flames disappeared and Barry sat down next to Iris again. He kissed her on the cheek and made her lean on his shoulder. I remember thinking that something's not right with their relationship…

He's a bit obsessed with her, actually, and she plays way too cool! Maybe it's just my opinion, but I can't help believing that with great emotions come a great necessity to live them up: Love should show in the way you do things as an individual and not just be a comfort of having someone to "be a couple" with. You can grow separately without growing apart!

Where's the passion? Has Iris ever howled to the moon over her love for Barry or has Iris made Barry come out of his tense, handsome shell? (Again, handsome?)

"There are lots of ways to show passion." is what the reasonable Adam-voice was saying in my head. And that's also true. But there's only one kind of passion I want when it comes to romantic love - the freeing one.

"Olivia, I've been asked to invite you to the opening of Asterion next week."

I woke up from my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Dr. Kirsch. His exhibition is called Asterion." Lauren continued. "He told me you gave him the impression you'd come."

"Oh. I suppose I did."

Iris leaned away from Barry's shoulder.

"Jonathan Kirsch invited you personally?!" she exclaimed, clearly updated on the topic. "You know, as a reporter, I think that man's project is a wonderful subject to base an article on… I'm just saying!"

I smiled at her. She's so cute.

"Would you like to go with me, Iris?"

"Well, if you insist."

Everyone had a wonderful time throughout dinner and even if Lauren forgot the fortune cookies at home, I felt fortunate to know these people. To love them and have them appreciate me. In my book, that's as good as it gets!

Olivia Zoe

19th of May

So, things are getting more complicated now for Olivia... :) THANK YOU, dear reader, and feel free to leave a review if you want!