Author's Note: Moving right along! I own nothing.

55. Shock

Barry and Joe headed for Star Labs as soon as they could get away. Barry still hadn't said anything since she'd been told that the man in yellow was back. Joe typed in the code Dr. Wells had given him and drove into the garage. Barry quietly exited the car and walked along the hallways towards the Cortex. Cisco grinned at Barry as she entered holding up her half drunk eggnog. But he frowned as she slipped quietly into a chair far away from Cisco himself and Dr. Wells who was sitting at the main desk and Joe entered. There was a frown on the cops face and lines around his eyes that spoke of stress.

"What's going on?" Cisco asked setting his own cup down. Barry didn't speak, instead Joe stepped forwards.

"Where's Caitlin? We should have everyone here." Cisco shook his head.

"She went out to grab some stuff. What's going on?" Barry finally spoke, her voice was quiet and rough like she was holding back tears.

"The man in yellow is back." That was all she said before she slipped back into silence. The whole room was quiet for a moment before Cisco swore. Joe began to describe what had happened.

"The witness described seeing a blur, a man in yellow. Just like Barry saw the night her mother died." Cisco nodded.

"Then we need to get cracking and stop this speed psycho." He flinched. "That wasn't me trying to name him…" He said jamming a candy cane into his mouth but Barry didn't even blink. She did speak though, her voice flat.

"The floor he broke into was full of highly secured vaults. The scientist we spoke to said he was looking for something." Dr. Wells nodded and began to type on the computer. Cisco stepped over to Barry.

"Barry?" Barry glanced up at him, her eyes were slightly glassy. Cisco didn't have to have all the degrees Caitlin did to know that Barry was in shock. He held his arms open and Barry stared at him for a moment before she seemed to realize what he was offering. She buried herself in his hug and he felt tears wet his shoulder as Dr. Wells and Joe discussed Mercury Labs and Tachyons. Barry took a deep breath and pulled back from Cisco's shoulder. She smiled at him briefly before standing and wiping at her eyes.

"He's gonna go after it again. We need what Mercury Labs has." Dr. Wells nodded slightly.

"And what do we plan to do with it?" Barry's smile was small and hard and looked out of place on her normally sunshiny face.

"We're gonna trap the bastard."

Hours later Barry was sitting in her lab back at the CCPD. Caitlin had checked in a little after noon, she and Cisco were working on the trap. Dr. Tina McGee had come in a little after that, she was being no help whatsoever, seemingly entirely because Dr. Wells was consulting on the case. But Barry had an idea on how to change her mind, she didn't want to have to go that route though. She barely heard the door to her lab open and close again.

Iris frowned at her sister. She was still wearing the same white coffee stained top from that morning, she looked like hell. Her face was streaked with tears, her hair a mess. She was staring at a board that normally displayed a map of Central City. But now Iris could see that under that map had always been a collection of news articles and evidence that Barry had compiled on her mother's murder. Iris cleared her throat and held up a large peppermint mocha. Barry didn't even glance away from the board, so Iris spoke.

"Your mom's case huh?" Barry nodded and spoke, eyes still wandering over the board.

"I used to look at this board every day. I'd sit here for hours while I was running tests for other cases and just look over every piece I had of my mom's case." Iris frowned, Barry looked so broken, she'd never wanted to hear her sister like this.

"I didn't know you did that." Barry nodded.

"Not many do. I haven't looked at it in so long. Everything has been moving so fast lately, I haven't had time." Barry buried her head in her hands for a moment before she felt Iris hugging her. She returned the hug half heartedly and forced a smile.

"You look like you have news." She said taking a sip of the drink Iris had brought her. Iris grinned.

"I do actually. Really good news. Eddie asked me to move in with him." Barry's smile went from forced to genuine in a moment and she wrapped her sister in a real hug.

"That's fantastic Iris!" Iris laughed loudly and smiled wide her eyes wet with happy tears.

"I know right!" Barry pulled back slightly and laughed lightly. It was good to remember that not everything in the world was going to hell in a handbasket. Her eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Have you told Joe yet?" Iris pouted slightly.

"No. I kinda wanted you to be there too." Barry nodded.

"When were you planning on telling him?" Iris grinned, bouncing in a way that reminded Barry very much of Cisco.

"Tonight." Barry hugged her sister again and sent Iris on her way with a promise to be there. But as Barry went to gather up her papers she glanced out the window and all thoughts of her sister's happy news went flying out of her mind as she made eye contact with the glowing red eyes of the man standing on a roof across the street. Red lightning crackled around him as Barry froze the papers slipping forgotten from between her fingers.