Chapter 13: Memento
He ran until he was running on fumes, utterly exhausted and drained. He came to a stop on the sidewalk of an abandoned neighborhood, panting and out of breath. Finding himself in an unfamiliar area of Central, he began to walk until things looked as if he'd viewed them before. He walked neighborhood after neighborhood, glanced at house after house, until he found his feet glued to the sidewalk. There it was: the small house he knew so well. Vacant and scorched, the windows shattered and the paint burned horribly. The mailbox sat against the dirt of the front yard, the brass letters crooked and nearly unreadable: ALLEN. He pushed through the collapsing fence and walked into the yard, gazing upon the front of the house. The door was intact, but lying on the front porch with its hinges busted off. The wood was rotting and breaking apart with each second it stood in the open air, tilting the house forward a few inches each year. Barry found a small smile creeping across his lips as he approached the front door frame, his hand grazing the paint in remembrance. He found himself traveling the house, gazing upon the dozens of pieces of art, furniture and toys he was forced to leave behind in his escape of the fire in his childhood home. He headed up the stairs, hand trailing up the damaged railing before lingering longingly at the top as he emerged on the second floor. He searched the room, looking for any evidence that he could have brought with him. He entered his parents' room, finding an old photo album sitting on the floor. The cover was charred, but the picture of the Allen Family was still visible. With tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, Barry scooped it up, flipping through it. To his surprise, none of the images had been damaged in the fire. All the pictures were fine, each showing a timeline of his family history from the time his parents got together to his tenth birthday. He paused on the final image, gazing upon the solid memory as tears finally rolled down his cheeks: he sat at the dining room table, banners and streamers all over the room, with the massive birthday cake sitting on the table in front of him. His mom had managed to get the picture right as he blew the candles out, his cheeks puffed out and red with excitement. Barry closed the book and tucked it under his arm, dashing back through the city until he hit the front door of the warehouse, slamming his key into the lock and racing through the front door. Len, Lisa and Mick sat in the living room, waiting for him. Len got to his feet instantly, clearly agitated. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you!" he snapped, his eyes beginning to glow. Barry shrank away from him, moving to head upstairs. Mick moved to block his path, growling threateningly at him. "Where have you been, Barry?" he echoed, eyes sparking to firy life. "I-I-" Barry trailed off, eyes darting between Len and Mick. Len stepped forward, towering over him with his intimidating stare. Barry didn't retreat, instead looking at his feet nervously. Len took a step towards him, the newborn taking two backward. "Barry, tell us where you've been, sweetheart." Lisa pleaded from the lounge chair. Barry stayed silent, backing away when Len stepped forward again. "Barry, you're not going to like what happens next. Believe me, I know." Mick advised from over Len's shoulder. Barry glanced to him, hands clamping harder on the album under his arm. Len stepped forward again, Barry finding his back to the wall. "Barry, tell me where you've been. You disappeared without telling anyone and you're back hours late. Where were you?" Len growled, Barry replying with a quiet whimper. Len blocked all his exits, forcing the newborn to look into his eyes. There were glowing blue, indicating his agitation. Barry felt his heart speed up at the thought of Len forcing him to speak, his hand moving the album to rest against his chest softly. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like glass breaking from Len's hand, making a startled sound in his surprise. "Oh, he's pissed now. You'd better run, kiddo." Mick called as Len made his move. Barry didn't see it coming. Len's iced hand flew to the back of his head, cradling his neck while sending painful shock waves into his skull. In his shock, the book dropped from his hands, dropping unceremoniously to the floor. "Mick, pick that up. It's not a library book." Len said, Mick sliding in and scooping up the album. "N-no, p-please, L-Len." Barry whimpered, tears sliding down his cheeks. Mick flipped open the cover, gazing at the first page. "What's in it, Mick?" Lisa asked from her perch on the lounge chair. She seemed startled at Len's method in making Barry conform to his requests, but seemed willing to flow with it. Mick didn't reply to Lisa's question, instead closing the book and gently setting it down on the coffee table. "Len, it's serious." he said, Len's head turning to look at his lover's face. The second their eyes met, Len whipped back around and drew Barry into a warm hug. "I'm sorry I had to do that. I didn't understand…." he trailed off, grip tightening on Barry's shoulders. As the sense of relief and safety washed over him, Barry finally let the sobs tumble from his lips. He slipped to his knees, blindly grasping Len's pant legs while he cried. Len simply stood there, shocked and unsure of what to do. With some coaching from Mick and Lisa, Barry joined them on the couch. Len seated himself in his chair, intent on making Barry as comfortable as possible by distancing himself. Mick, on the other hand, seated himself directly beside Barry, allowing the newborn to share the images with him. He laughed, talked, commented and consoled Barry as much as a parent would have. Lisa did as much as complement his mother's taste in baking and clothing, and asked where she got her stuff. Len simply sat quietly, watching his lover, sister and now…..newborn share the moment together. Barry and Mick kept talking until Mick found the newborn curled comfortably against him as he lie on the couch, fast asleep with his face pressed against the Verdehile's sternum. His nose was going to be sore when he woke up, that was for sure. Len smiled at the sight as Lisa turned to him, a blanket in her hands. "A blanket, really? He's a living source of heat, Lisa." Len smirked. "For a Vulksrin, you really can be cold sometimes, Lenny. It's for comfort. Watch and learn." she said, unfolding the blanket. Mick shifted into a more comfortable position, setting Barry sleepily against him while he watched Lisa gently drape the blanket over the duo. Barry's arms curled against Mick's chest fetally, tucking the blanket under his chin. Mick sat patiently, reading his book before his eyes began to droop, within minutes of the blanket being placed. "Tired, cookie?" Len asked, Mick glaring at him for using his nickname in front of Barry, even if he was sleeping. "Not even a little bit, popsicle." he shot back, suddenly yawning loudly. "Doesn't seem like that to me, Mick." Len said, smirking. "Shut the f-" Mick didn't finish his sentence before he passed out on the couch, a soft snore rising from his mouth. Len stood up, planting a quick kiss on Mick and Barry's foreheads before heading to the lightswitch, flicking it off. "Dulce somnii, boys." he whispered, heading off into his bedroom.