CHAPTER THIRTEEN
And I'm back! How's it going? You all good? Well I am great! No school for me until I go to college next year and that means I have all the time to make a good chapter for my fans.
After two months we finally get chapter 13. Did you know that I have been writing thiss fic for about thirteen months now? That means that I've been writing a chapter a month and I personally feel that it is terrible. But with me done with my exams and on vacation, more chapters would be coming on.
And please, don't forget to review :)
Now on with our story
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
Everyone stared at Barry in complete shock as he held the knife inches away from Darryl's chest. Darryl stared at his former employee as if he had just seen a ghost. Bart was confused and scared on what he had nearly done to Darryl. Caitlin, on the other hand, was going through several emotions at the moment.
First of all , she was surprised that her son had nearly killed her captor in self-defense. She didn't know if it was Bart's powers reacting or it had been out of his own will but judging from the look on his face it was the former. Caitlin was also confused by the stunt Barry had just done. He had just moved fast. Not just fast but at super speed. The sort of speed that Bart moved at. Caitlin was happy that Barry had just saved Bart from doing something dangerous and life-changing but she was hurt that Barry had kept his speed a secret from her.
"Barry?" she called out barely above a whisper with a confused expression on her face, her eyes looking at his, seeking an explanation for the events that had just unfolded right in front of her eyes. A sad smile crept on Barry's face as he looked at her painfully, thinking of a way to pan the truth out for her. His brain racking up for a solution to the mess he had just made.
Suddenly, Darryl tried to use their distraction to his advantage by taking out his gun to fire at Caitlin but Barry was quick to react and dismantled the gun before giving Darryl a right hook faster than anyone could blink, knocking him conscious. A gasp escaped Caitlin's lips as she witnessed what Barry had just done. She took Bart by the hand and shoved him gently behind her protectively while looking at Barry in confusion.
A lump formed in his throat as Caitlin's hurt expression started hammering itself in his mind. Painting a picture that ached his heart. He had never meant for her to find out like this. Even though Lyla had advised them not to tell anybody, Barry had intended to confess everything to Caitlin possibly after the particle accelerator when he had woken up from his coma. But now, it seems like life just wanted to fuck up with him.
"Cait I know that this is all weird and you are confused but I can explain everything." Barry began, walking towards her slowly as he put the knife in his belt.
"B-b-but you...you just.." Caitlin stuttered, still shocked at the turn of events. "You just went fast, Barry. Fast fast...I don't know what to...How did...How long have you been like this?"
Barry did not need any more words to understand what she meant. He understood the specifics of what she was talking about.
"I've been having my speed for the last six years, or in your case two months." Barry began, not taking his eyes from her.
"Wait what?" Caitlin asked, her face masked in confusion.
Barry took a deep breath. "It's a long story Cait and we aren't in the right place to have it." he indicated to their environment. "I promise I'll tell you everything when we get home Cait but the basic summary is that I'm Barry Allen from the future living in the past."
Caitlin and Bart's eyes widened in shock that for a moment Barry thought that they were going to pop out.
"I know it sounds crazy but I'm telling you the truth, Cait. I'm from the future." By this time, Barry had managed to get himself in front of Caitlin. Taking her hands in his, he stared right into her eyes, looking at her pleadingly. It was almost as if they were begging Caitlin to understand the reason why he had kept it from her. "I know this might seem a lot to take in but I want you to know that even if you don't believe in me, just know that I will never do anything to hurt you and Bart. I'll rather die before anything happens to both of you, Cait."
Caitlin stared at Barry in complete shock, the wheels in her head reeling and numbness overtaking her as she tried to make sense out of what Barry had just revealed to her.
He was from the future.
Barry was from the future.
She quickly removed her hands from his and took the knife from Barry's belt and pointed it at him while she had her other arm around Bart protectively.
"Come any closer to us and I swear to God I will hurt with this." she said, her face hardening. "Who are you?."
A heavy feeling settled on Barry's chest as Caitlin withdrew from him. He couldn't blame her. He wouldn't expect her to just believe him. A warm feeling coursed through his body as he noticed how Caitlin was protecting Bart even though he was his son. She did not know who Barry was at that moment and after what she had just witnessed, it was best that she protected Bart until she knew that the circumstances were safe.
"My name is Barry Allen." he said softly, answering her question.
"How do I know that you are dad?" The voice was coming from his own son, and the pain associated with it pierced Barry in the heart.
"Ask me anything, Bart. Ask me anything and I'll prove to you that I am your dad." Barry answered, eager to prove himself to his family.
Bart looked at him, unsure about what to ask Barry. He looked at Caitlin, waiting for her to give him the go ahead. Caitlin nodded her head before turning to face Barry with the knife still in hand.
"If you are dad," Bart began, "then what is the worst moment of dad's life?" Bart asked Barry.
Caitlin wrinkled her face in confusion at Bart's question. For her the question seemed to have a simple answer that anyone who would make a background on Barry would get. The death of Nora Allen. But Caitlin reminded herself mentally that Bart was smarter than the average child and thought like an adult to a particular degree. If he was asking this question then it meant that the answer wasn't one anyone would know.
"There are three worse moments of my life." Barry began, staring intently into their faces. "The third is the day your mother left us when you were born Bart. We were living in Paris at the time, it was just after your mom and I first day in college. I took you to the store to get you some baby clothes while your mom decided to take a nap because you had been giving her hell in the last couple of days with your cries and nagging and constant tantrums. When we got home, your mother was nowhere in the apartment. She had taken all of her stuff and left the house. The only thing she left was a note and a picture of the three of us which you have in your drawer in your bedroom. That day is one of the worst moment of my life because your mother was the one I loved more than anything else at the time. And I couldn't love anyone as I loved your mother until I met Caitlin."
He looked into Caitlin sincerely as if to tell her of how much she meant to him and how much she had helped him after Felicity's take off. "The second worst thing in my life are two events that are tied. The night my mom died and the night you were kidnapped from me. You were six and we were still in Paris and your Aunts Iris and Lucy were living with us. Some bad guys broke into our home and took you away. I was shot while I was trying to protect you. You were gone and you were nowhere to be found until you were found three months later where I had managed to track you to Russia."
A tear escaped Caitlin's eye as she pictured a young Bart being taken away from Barry who had been shot while trying to protect his son. A shudder crept through her spine as an image of a hospitalized Barry and a kidnapped Bart. She gently shook her head to erase the mental pictures forming in her mind. Then something caught her attention.
"...two events that are tied..."
Caitlin thought that the worst moment in Barry's life was the moment he lost his mom but here he was saying it was his second.
"What's the worst thing to ever happen to you?" she asked, voicing out her thoughts.
A tear escaped Barry's eye as he recollected the worst moment of his life.
"Thursday, 29th October 2009." he answered, tears slowly prickling out of his eyes. "It was your sixth birthday, and we had been kicked out of our apartment because we could afford to pay the rent." He felt a knot tightening in his stomach as he recalled that night. The night were he had failed to be a father.
FLASHBACK
29TH OCTOBER, 2009
PARIS, FRANCE
Barry settled on the bench in exhaustion, Bart following suit as he also sat on the bench and nestled his head at his father's bosom. They had been walking for hours now and had been looking for a place to sleep in for the night. Unfortunately, no one had been willing to lend them a bed or a pillow for them to sleep on for only one night.
Barry had tried to get his former colleagues and former schoolmates a place for the night but they too had rejected to even negotiate for a single night. A growl interrupted his thoughts and his lips curved up to a smile.
"Looks like someone's hungry." he said, running his hand through Bart's hair.
"Actually Dad, I'm kind of hungry but not much." Bart said, putting his hand on hs stomach in pain. "When are we going to eat?"
"Soon kid." Barry replied, trying to mask the anxiety he was feeling.
He took out his wallet from his pocket and opened it. There was nothing. Not even a dime. He was broke. He and Bart had not eaten the whole day because their attention had been on getting a place to lay their heads. He was actually surprised that Bart hadn't complained of being hungry the whole day, but Barry felt it was because he understood what was going on and didn't want to burden Barry with more problems. Now, looking at his wallet, he wondered how he was going to get something for Bart to eat.
He felt a paper being slipped through his hands. He looked at it and found a couple of Euros being given to him by Bart.
"Remember when Aunt Lucy gave me money all those months ago?" he said. "Well I never got anything interesting to buy so how about we buy some fries?"
A smile crept onto Barry's lips. He kissed Bart on the top of his head. "Thanks a lot, kid. I owe you one."
"Nah, it's nothing." Bart said, snuggling in his father's bosom.
Half an hour later, after a couple of fries and a milkshake which they shared, they were snuggled together in the bathroom of the subway. They had laid toilet paper on the floor and slept on it to avoid the cold ground. Bart was snuggled tight and was already asleep with a smile on his face. Barry, meanwhile, had his eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling. The smell of piss filling the air and the sight of the worn out paint on the walls. The peeled paint of the ceiling forming a number which he saw as the number 29.
29.
And then it hit him.
Today was Bart's birthday.
Today was his son's birthday.
Today he was six.
Birthdays were meant to be joyous occasions for kids but for Bart, today was probably going to be the worst day of his life. Here they were sleeping on the cold tile floor with cockroaches around and the air smelling like piss and shit. His kid didn't deserve to be here. He had done nothing wrong to deserve this.
Barry deserved this.
It was all his fault.
A lump settled down in his throat and his chest began tightening. Tears started to flow down his cheeks as he looked back and forth between Bart and the toilet. His hand coiled into a fist and he bit his hand so hard that he started to taste blood. His body was shaking and his head was spinning. He felt like smashing his head against a wall and let his mind go numb in pain.
"Dad?"
He looked down to see his son staring at him groggily.
"I'm sorry, Bart." Barry choked, tears streaming down his face as he tried to focus his attention on his son. "I'm sorry for today. You don't deserve this. You...you deserve better. You deserve a better place, kid. You don't deserve me. I'm a failure. Today was your birthday and I forgot. And now..." he choked as he gestured to the room they were sleeping in.
He felt a soft hand wipe the tears from his eyes and Bart snuggling closer to him. "You're the best dad in the whole world. You are still here with me and I am here with you. That's enough to last me a lifetime. I know that today is a bad day but I know that tomorrow, you are gonna be sleeping in a penthouse with Grandpa Henry living with us. " he closed his eyes and after a few seconds, Barry noticed the gradual rise and fall of his body.
Barry stared at the sleeping form of his son as the entire bathroom went eerily silent. He too closed his eyes and snuggled Bart closer to him and started to drift off to sleep.
He might not be the best of fathers today but tomorrow he would be the greatest. Bart was willing to stick to his side and not abandon him. Bart was not ready to leave Barry. And even if he had not spoken about it, Barry knew that Bart had faith in him and Barry wasn't going to fail him.
The weight of the day's events started to settle onto Barry and he drowsed to sleep with Bart's words ringing in his mind like a lullaby.
END OF FLASHBACK
"That day was one of the worst moments of my life. Our lives." Barry concluded, "but you still stuck with your old man. It was because of you that I never gave up until your Aunt Lucy and Iris came to our help and things started to get better."
By this time, tears were flowing freely down his cheeks and Caitlin loosened her grip on the knife as Barry walked slowly towards them.
"That day is the worst of my life because I failed to be the father you deserved on your birthday. And it's because of that day that I have resolved to be a better father for you and to never have you experience anything like that ever again."
"I know that I may have kept my speed away from you guys and a whole lot of secrets as well." Barry continued, his attention drawn to Caitlin. "But one thing is that I will never hurt you, and that is because I love you."
He was so close that Caitlin could feel his hot breath against her nose as she stared at him. He placed his forehead against hers with is eyes full of love and plea. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you of who I am and I am sorry you had to find out like this and I don't know how I could ever get you guys to forgive me."
She could feel his hands were brushing her cheeks compassionately. She looked deeply into his eyes as if searching for a sign that this was not the Barry she had fallen in love with, that this was an imposter who was after its own gain and advantage and that this was not the man she had fallen in love with. But all she found was sincerity, honesty, compassion and love.
The qualities of Barry Allen.
Her Barry Allen.
The man she had fallen in love with. The one that she always craved for to be with in her sleep. The one that always sing whenever he cooks. The one who had been through so much but always keeps his head high and looks forward to a better future. The one that had given her a whole new world to explore.
The love of her life.
Barry Allen.
She leaned her head against his and their foreheads were touching each other. She parted her lips and gave him a kiss, a kiss to confirm that she trusted him. She believed in him. She had faith him. She had forgiven him And most of all, she loved him. And it was because of her love for him, that she could understand him. And she was willing to be kept in the dark for just a bit longer until he cleared everything up.
"I'm sorry for threatening you with the knife." Caitlin apologized softly, feeling his tears fall onto her face with her lips still lingering against his.
"It's okay, Cait." Barry assured. "You were doing what you could to protect Bart. You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who needs to apologize."
They felt a pair of young arms embrace them, and they looked down to see Bart hugging them tearfully. Smiles warming their faces, they both used their arm to wrap him into another hug, this time taking in the presence of the other.
"I'm sorry for not believing in you dad." Bart apologized to his father.
"It's okay, kiddo. I promise I'll explain everything the moment we get home and we are settled, okay?" Barry replied.
He felt their nods from underneath his chin (Caitlin) and at his waist (Bart) and he felt an ease in his insides that he didn't know had stiffened. It was okay. For now.
"Barry are you there?" a voice said through his earpiece.
"Barbara?" he answered, getting curious looks from Caitlin and Bart. He pointed to his ear, signaling to his earpiece. Their eyebrows relaxed in realization.
"Barry, I think I managed to find out Darryl's link to the cases you found in his safe." Barbara informed him. "I don't think it's something that you are going to like and you need to get to his location fast before he does something to Caitlin."
"Caitlin is alright and safe." Barry assured, stealing a glance at his girlfriend. "I managed to get here in time to save her."
"Oh thank God." Barbara said in relief. "Look, Darryl did some bad stuff and I think it would be better if I didn't tell yo-"
A silence suddenly followed from the other end of the line and Barry started to get worried.
"Barbara are you there?!" he yelled, anxiety welling up inside him. Caitlin and Bart were sending him worried looks of their own.
"I'm alright, Barry! But you guys need to get out of there asap!" Barbara exclaimed. Barry could hear her typing furiously through his earpiece. "It looks like the FBI, ARGUS and some other organizations are heading your way!"
"What?"
"It looks like there was some energy signature that made its way across the city to that warehouse you're in and based on the reports I'm seeing, pedestrians say it was a lightning bolt."
Barry's eyes widened in realization.
Bart.
He suddenly remembered that he had asked Gideon to call the cops to their location. He hadn't expected Bart to arrive and with his presence here and with him speeding over, he had just put his son in a shitty situation.
"Gideon, what did you tell the cops?" Barry asked the AI.
"I informed the cops that there has been an attempted murder at your location, Barry." the AI answered. "I pretended to be a frightened passerby who had heard a gun shots from the warehouse. Did I do anything wrong?"
"No Gideon. You didn't." Barry assured the AI. He couldn't blame her for doing her job and if he was to break it down, Gideon was the Most Valuable Player of the day and had been key to saving Caitlin and stopping Darryl and Floyd. He turned to Caitlin who was looking at him with her arm wrapped around Bart wondering what was going on.
"We need to get out of here." Barry said gently, holding her hand while she held Bart's as they walked out of the warehouse. "I may have brought the cops to our location."
Caitlin looked at him quizzically demanding a further explanation.
"I asked Gideon to call the cops to take care of Darryl. That was before I came here. And when I did come, then Bart arrived and you know.."
Caitlin nodded her head in understanding, rubbing her hand against Bart's shoulder while they made their way to the door. The moment they got outside, the cold wind didn't do justice to the cold feeling that coursed through their bodies as Barry and Caitlin opened their mouths in shock while dread quickly overtook Bart's face.
Cars, electric wires, shattered windows, streetlights, fire hydrants and more were destroyed and were all connected by a scorch created by what Barry and Caitlin guessed to be created by Bart's lightning which lead right up to the warehouse they were coming from. Screams of pedestrians and the noises from cars and traffic filled the air, and Barry knew that they had to get away as fast as possible.
Suddenly, a boom could be heard from the sky and landed a few meters away from them. Barry immediately went in front of Bart and Caitlin protectively but his muscles relaxed when he saw who the figure was and his lips curved to a smile.
Standing all in blue with the boy scout's smile on his face was Clark Kent.
Or as the world knew him...Superman.
Floyd's nostrils flared as he glared at the blonde who had her gun pointed at him. The past few hours had been one hell for him. He had managed to get the fucking Barry Allen into his car without interruptions and was sending him out of the city were Floyd would do justice to him. But then these nobodies had to just interfere with everything and now here he was, hands tied behind him with a blondie pointing a gun at him and a bullet in his shoulder.
It was a disgrace!
He needed to get out of there. He needed to escape. If the cops were to find out who he was he probably would be sent to be dealt with by ARGUS and Floyd would probably never see freedom again. His jaw clenched as he plotted mentally on how he could get himself out of this mess.
He mentally kicked himself when he remembered that he had weapons all over him. He had penknives and other weapons that he could use to free himself. The bulb lighted above his head and his lips curved into a smile as he started to put his plan into action. Trying to behave as if he was inconspicuous, he made an attempt to "grab" the knife from his jacket. A bullet suddenly made its way to his right shoulder and Floyd howled in pain.
"Stand down!" the blonde yelled, keeping her gun fixed on him.
"Really?" Floyd said, jerking his head backwards as if wincing in pain before picking up a gravel and throwing it at the blonde's head. While she yelled in pain, Floyd used the little distraction created to take out his penknife and throwing it to her leg. A yelp escaped blonde's lips as the knife pierced through her thigh into her bone. A punch followed by a spin kick from Floyd tumbling to the ground.
"Hey, you!!!" a voice called out.
Floyd turned to see a man take out his gun to fire at him. But the Floyd was quicker. In a flash, he rolled off the ground before hurling another penknife right at the man's chest.
"FUCK!!!" the gruffly man howled, clutching his chest in pain. He made an attempt to shoot but Floyd quickly took out his own gun from his back and fired three shots at him before firing another at the blonde's chest.
"MICK!!!" a voice yelled. Floyd looked up to see a man with long hair run towards the fallen gruffly man. Floyd fired at the Latino before firing at the black woman who was a few meters behind.
"Shit!" the long-haired Latino exclaimed, ducking and searching for cover. He was just about to hide when Floyd fired and shot a bullet at his right shoulder, causing the man to stumble to the ground.
The screams of civilians and honks of cars was the music filling the air and it was slightly starting to annoy Floyd. But he did not bother himself with the noises in the background. He had a job to do. These were friends of the Allen guy he had been sent to kill. With three of them down, all that was left for Floyd was to finish the Latino. He might not be able to kill Allen today but his friends could serve as bonus for Darryl.
"Please, don't kill me." the Latino begged. "I'm still a virgin. I don't want to die a virgin. I want to have kids and a...a...a family."
"At least you get to tell that to Jesus." Floyd said, lips curving to a smirk at the Latino's words. He raising his gun to Latino's face with a the smile still on his lips. "Adios amigo. Hasta la vista."
But just before he could pull the trigger, a felt his back being pierced by something small and cold. His lips parted and his eyes widened in astonishment as he realized what was happening to him.
He had been shot.
He stumbled to the ground and raised his hand to fire but three more bullets also followed suit, hitting him in the chest. His eyes searched frantically for the one who had shot him, the great Deadshot, hopefully to deliver his last message. But his eyes suddenly caught upon something beautiful. Running up to him with a gun in hand was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.
An Asian Goddess.
Floyd couldn't help but smile as he took to note her curves and wonderful shape as she held the gun fixed right at him. A chuckle escaped from his lips as he noticed how ready her eyes were to kill and Floyd couldn't help but wonder if it was God blessing him with a gift just before he was sent to hell. But his mind didn't have time to register as drowsiness overcame him and his eyes were heavy. A smile formed on his lips as he took a last look at the last thing he would see before leaving this earth.
The Asian Goddess.
And he gave out his last breath, a smile on his lips, happy for the last moments that he had lived on the Earth.
"WHAT IN THE F*CKING NAME OF JESUS JUST HAPPENED??!!!" Cisco exclaimed, staring at Floyd's dead body with his hand on his chest. "WHY IS HE SMILING? HE SHOULD BE DEAD!!"
"He IS dead." Nyssa answered coolly.
"Yeah, but why is he smiling?!" Cisco exclaimed. "If he's dead he shouldn't be smiling."
"I don't know, Cisco." Nyssa answered, getting a bit annoyed.
Cisco's whitened in fear before he turned his attention to his friends on the ground. He walked up to Mick while Nyssa went to help Cecile. Cisco poked Mick playfully as he knelt down beside him.
"Come on lazybones. The dude's dead. The boss killed him." he said, watching his friend's eyes open.
"Who's the boss?" Mick asked grumpily, getting up from the hard concrete ground.
"Nyssa."
Mick snorted before stretching his legs, chest and muscles. He took out the bulletproof from underneath his shirt and he noticed the others, except Nyssa, removing theirs as well.
"What's up with him?" Mick asked, gesturing to the dead hitman on the ground.
"Honestly, I don't know." Cisco answered.
"I think I do." Mick said, glaring at the dead body. "I think he finally found his soulmate before he died."
Cisco looked at Mick comically before shaking his head.
"I swear I'm not going to live a single day without these." Dinah said, walking up to them and gesturing to her bulletproof vest. "This is going to be my new bra till the day I die."
"Me too." Cecile added in agreement, walking right by her side.
"Me three." Cisco added, wincing in pain as he nursed his shoulder.
"But you don't have boobs." Dinah pointed out.
"I don't care, Di. Whatever it is, this is my bra." Cisco said, receiving snorts and chuckles from his friends.
"Are you guys okay?" Nyssa asked, masking her worry with a cool face.
"We're fine. Just a couple of bruises which would be healed with a hot tub and a nice massage from my loving girlfriend." Cisco answered. "By the way, what are you dong here? I thought you were supposed to take care of Bart."
"I was taking care of him until he just sped off to Caitlin's location and I was going to go over to him but Gideon said that Barry has things in control.."
"Huh?" Cecile asked in confusion.
"Bart's powers kicked off and I think he sped off to Caitlin's location when even I didn't know where she was." the Asian answered. "I was going to head over to their location when I was just a few meters away on my bike and Gideon mentioned that you needed help."
"And we did. Thanks." Dinah said.
"You're welcome."
"Guys I think we might have a teeny weeny problem." Cisco said, gaining their attention.
"What? Dick problems?" Dinah joked.
"Nope. Bigger problems."
They followed Cisco's gaze and their eyes captured the crowd surrounding them and taking pictures and videos of them. They could hear sirens from a distance indicating that the police were near.
"How am I going to explain to my boss who happens to be a psychopath from the future and is pretending to be something else the reason why I was hanging out with you guys?" Cisco said, voicing out his thoughts.
The others couldn't answer because a similar question also rang in the depth of their minds.
STAR LABS
TIME VAULT
Eobard Thawne, or Hunter Wells as the world knew him, stared at the screen calculatively. He had been working on the accelerator when he had gotten the notification from Gideon that Caitlin Snow had been kidnapped by Darryl Frye. Normally, Thawne would take pleasure knowing that his adversary was suffering, but in this case, he still needed Barry Allen to gain his speed and Caitlin's kidnapping might be a cause of distraction.
Pen in hand, his thoughts went to Darryl Frye who was busy chasing Caitlin with his face red with anger. It had been years since Thawne had last met the Chief of Police. The last time they had met, Thawne had threatened to kill him if he ever spilled a word about what happened to Nora Allen. Unfortunately for the officer, he had just broken the one thing Thawne had instructed him to do. Normally, Thawne would have killed the cop for disobeying orders but today he was not in the mood.
Thawne's eyebrows furrowed when Barry entered the warehouse and pushed Caitlin behind him protectively. When had the brat gotten to the warehouse? And how did he find out Catlin's location?
But he never had the chance to answer his own questions when Darryl suddenly threw a knife right at Barry and Caitlin. Thawne's eyes widened in bewilderment and he got and was ready to head off to the warehouse and save his prized possession. But just before he could take his eyes off the screen, a figure wrapped in red lightning came from out of nowhere, grabbed the knife and hurled it at Darryl, missing him inches away from his head. Thawne's lips curved to a smile when he saw who the mysterious figure was.
Bart Allen.
A chuckle escaped his lips when he saw what Bart had nearly done. Eobard knew that the boy had only reacted due to the control of his speed. The more he suppressed it, the more harm it was going to cause.
He felt twinge of sadness when he noticed that Bart had been unable to make the kill but he shrugged it off.
"That'll be for another time." Thawne said out loud. His gaze was fixed on the screen and a thought suddenly came to mind as his brows furrowed. "Gideon?"
"Yes Dr Wells?"
"Show me the street cams from the Allen Penthouse to the warehouse." he ordered. A second later, he was staring at footages showing the havoc Bart had made while racing off to save Caitlin. Thawne couldn't help but smirk as he saw the chaos created from his manifestation.
The Negative Speed Force.
Even though it had been years since he had created it, Thawne himself didn't even know the full extent of the power he had created. The only thing he knew was that it served as a dark side to the Speed Force like the way the dark web was to the world wide web. Thawne knew of the immense power his Force generated but even he himself could not attain his full potential.
Yet, he added mentally. Sooner or later, all shall be revealed and he would have the absolute power to the destroy the Flash.
Thawne also could not understand the reason why Bart's speed was so chaotic. He had been trying to figure it out but yet it seemed beyond.
"It will all be revealed in due time." he said to himself. And he had all the time he needed. The Negative Speed Force was his and he held control (partial) of it. He could deage and age himself whenever he pleased. And his cells regenerated all the time. Death wouldn't be a problem for him even since he had used Theylecridae compounds to prevent himself from being erased from time.
Booooooommmm!
He startled as he looked through the cameras frantically searching for the source of the noise. He had heard it and seemed to be a bit far away but in Central City. His eyes stopped to a halt when he noticed the familiar man in blue with a cape.
Superman.
Thawne cocked his head thoughtfully as he wondered about what he should do. It would be better if he sat down while he watched things go on. On the other hand, he could have some fun.
Thawne had never once fought with the Kryptonian and today seemed to be like a good opportunity for him to do so. He wondered what it would be like and besides, he was bored. Not using his speed for a few months now to hide who he was a bit frustrating but wouldn't interfering change the timeline??
In the end, Thawne's calculative mind won the mental debate and he decided to just sit and watch how things panned out. Going against the Kryptonian would be risky and it wouldn't help in keeping his nemesis' father in prison and Thawne wanted his nemesis to suffer just a little while longer before the real games begin. And besides, at this state where he had not achieved the power he wanted, Superman could easily win this battle and Thawne was not in the mood to have his ass getting kicked.
Relaxing in his chair, he took the sandwich that lied on the side table and began eating, watching the footages of what was going on.
Caitlin's mouth hang open as she stared at Barry having a casual conversation with Superman.
The Superman.
Earth's Mightiest Hero.
If there was anything that she had learnt in the past hour, it was that her boyfriend was full of surprises. Here they were, talking to each other casually as if they were old friends and based on what Caitlin was seeing, it seemed as though they were friends. Her gaze dropped to the boy who was standing beside her with his popping out in amazement.
A smile tugged on her lips when she remembered how much of a Superman fan Bart was. He was a Batman fan first and a Superman fan second. She wanted to tease him about him fanboying but she decided against it. Now was not the time to do so. She still didn't know what Barry was keeping from her, but Caitlin's love for him erased the doubts that lingered on her mind. She trusted him. And even if he did not tell her or Bart, Caitlin felt that it was a big secret that Barry was holding and he probably kept it away from them to protect them.
She wouldn't deny that a part of her was furious at him and rightfully so. But a larger part of her was in love with him. And her love for him was built on the trust she had for him and it was that trust that she was willing to respect why he kept secrets from them.
Her intense thoughts were cut off when she noticed Superman walking towards them, or to be more specific, towards Bart. He knelt down so that his gaze was closer to Bart. She could see the wheels malfunctioning in Bart's mind as he stared at the hero in awe.
"So your dad told me what happened." Superman said, a warm smile on his face.
Bart's face immediately changed to worry. "I'm sorry Mr Superman. I d-d-didn't mean for it to happen. I don't-"
"Hey, it's okay." Superman assured, his gaze soft and warm. "You're not the only one who destroyed stuff when learning how to control their powers."
Bart eyes widened in amazement.
"I caused quite a lot of damage and I may have caused some injuries on my friends." the blue cladded hero narrated. "But you know what helped me to get control?"
Bart shook his head a bit furiously while staring at wide-eyed at the hero before him.
"Family." Superman said. "My parents helped me and I know your parents would also do the same for you."
Bart turned to look at Caitlin who was beaming at him and his father who had a soft smile on his face before turning back to look at Superman.
"Thanks a lot Superman." Bart said gleefully.
"You're welcome." the hero said with his sincere smile. "Looks like the cops are on their way. You guys get going and then I'll-"
"Superman!"
They all turned to see a large crowd coming at them. It was then that they all realized that they had been standing out in the open for the entire time. A woman carrying- her child by her side quickly run up to Superman.
"Superman! Please, you have to help us!" the lady exclaimed, anxiety written all over her face. "There was a lightning bolt and it shattered the windows of my car and my baby is hurt!"
Everyone quickly noticed the blood oozing from the child's forehead and bruises and marks all over his face.
"Superman! My daughter was knocked over by some weird lightning!" "Superman, there's a man who fell of a ladder from a stormy wind!" "Superman! There's a car crash in the 7th Avenue Junction! The cars were trying to dodge a red streak!" "Superman.."
Barry stared at Bart, his face weighed with guilt, and turned to Caitlin. He gave his wife a nod and mouthed a grateful thank you to Clark before stealthily taking his family away from the crowd leaving Clark to handle them. The sounds of sirens filling the air alerted him that the police had arrived and after thoroughly making sure that no one was watching, he grabbed Caitlin and Bart and sped off just before the wails of the siren erupted.
FOUR HOURS LATER
TEAM FLASH SECRET BASE
"OW! OW! OW!" Cisco yelled, clutching his chest in pain and shirking away. "That hurt!"
"Well it' going to be a lot worse if you don't let me clean it." Cecile said impatiently. Despite the fact that he had worn a bulletproof vest, the bullet that Floyd had fired at him still managed to hurt him a little bit in the form of a light bruise. At the moment, they were in their secret base with the team and Cecile had taken Cisco to the med bay to disinfect his wound but the Latino was not making it easy for her.
"Ow! Why do you have to make it so painful?!" Cisco whined.
"Cisco! It's barely even visible! All I'm doing is just making sure it's not infected but I can't even do this with you whining!" Cecile said, practically screaming at him. "What are you, a girl?"
"Hey!" Cisco yelled back. "Are you try to ruin my ego?"
"Ego?! What the hell does ego got to do with this?!" Cecile asked in disbelief.
"I don't know. What do you have to do this?!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"GUYS!"
They both turned to see Barry standing at the doorway with a tired expression on his face. "Do you mind toning it down a bit? I could hear you all the way at the training room."
Cisco and Cecile looked at him apologetically. "Sorry." they both said sheepishly.
"It's okay but please, tone it down a bit." he repeated, tiredness weighing down on his face.
His friends nodded their heads apologetically before he gave them a warning look and leaving the med bay. Cecile eyes sent daggers to Cisco as she finished cleaning up his wound and leaving him in the med bay.
Barry walked through the hallways deep in thought, dragging his feet in exhaustion. He had taken Bart and Catlin to their apartment only to see their living room charred with lightning and the bulbs and electric appliances sparkling with electricity after being destroyed. Their window to ha also been shattered and the side of the building was charred by Bart's lightning which lead to their penthouse apartment.
Barry had immediately reacted and grabbed Bart and Caitlin and sped them to the Team Flash secret base. He run and brought in Barbara and Nyssa to stay with them for the meantime while he handled things at their penthouse with the cops. When he had gone back to the penthouse, the police and fire department as well as the press had just arrived which had made him think of what would have happened if Barry, Bart and Caitlin had stayed a little longer.
Barry had then been put to questioning asking what had happened and what caused the destruction. Fortunately, Clark had come to his rescue when he arrived a told the cops that there had been a lightning powered alien on the lose which had wreaked the havoc in the city. Thankfully, the press had bought the story since it was coming from "the Man of Steel. Barry was later interviewed by Eddie who asked where Bart and Caitlin were but Barry answered that Superman had sent them somewhere safe.
After the interview, Barry called Lyla and told her of Darryl, whom ARGUS had discovered unconscious in the warehouse, and what the man had nearly done to Caitlin. He also told her of what Bart had done with his speed and how he came to also rescue Caitlin but nearly killed Darryl who was saved by Barry revealing his secret. Lyla had been silent and told Barry that they would meet later to discuss more about what to do.
Barry was pulled out of his thoughts when he found himself in front of the door that Mick had mentioned his family were in. Their base was considerably large and in addition to their cortex, med bay and others, there were room an mini apartments in the building. Thirty-five, if Barry could remember correctly. Considering the fact that it was an old military base that was being used for a superhero base, it was kind of cool.
Not cool cool but okay cool.
He made a mental note to renovate the place better since it would be their main base of operations and would be in use especially after the particle accelerator explosion. The team had agreed that Star Labs would not be safe enough to use especially if Barry was planning on using the labs after Thawne would hand it to him.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized
that he was already knocking on the door that Caitlin and Bart were in. The door opened to reveal Caitlin who immediately engulfed him into a hug the moment she saw her boyfriend. Barry, who had been a bit startled at the gesture, slowly wrapped his arms around her while she nestled her head at the crook of his neck.
"I missed you." she whispered softly.
A small smile quirked Barry's lips. "I wish I could say the same but I've been too busy dealing with stuff." he joked, stroking her hair . "How's Bart?"
"He's asleep." Caitlin said, raising her head to look into his eyes. "How was it?"
"Great. The police and media don't suspect Bart was behind the..." Barry trailed off, unsure of what to say. But Caitlin nodded her head in understanding.
"Come in." she said, gesturing for him to enter. "As much I love you, I don't think I would be able to stand you when you smell like my brother's football socks in high school."
A chuckle escaped Barry's lips and he raised his armpit and smelled it. His face changed to disgust as he turned his nose away.
Damn, I smell like a garbage truck, he thought, entering into the room.
Half an hour later, after a thorough shower pizza for an unhealthy supper due to there being unavailable food stuff in the base, Barry found himself staring at the sleeping form of his son lying quietly on the bed. To the average eye, it would seem as if the boy was fast asleep, but Barry knew that he wasn't.
And he knew why.
A twinge of pain surged in him as the events of the day flashed in his mind. From the time that his powers had started in school which had him unconscious, to nearly killing Darryl after using his speed to the time that the civilians had made their troubles known about the lightning wreaking havoc.
"Hey." Barry whispered, removing a strand of hair from his face. He was met with silence instead of a response. "I snuck in some pizza." he added, lifting the plate of three slices of pizza in front of the boy's nose. In a flash, Bart immediately woke up and grabbed the plate from his hand.
Barry's lips curved into a smile as he watched Bart quickly devour the first slice of pizza. He knew how strict Caitlin could be when it came to their diet. They rarely ate junk food and Barry guessed that even if there was no food stuff in the base, Caitlin would have ordered for the most healthy take-away in the city for them all. Judging from the way Bart was eating the pizza, Barry guessed that he was right.
"Let me guess. Salad and a healthy three course take-away healthy meal for supper, right?"
"Yep." Bart answered, eating up his second slice.
A chuckle escaped Barry's lips. That was his Caitlin.
A minute later, Bart was licking the plate clean after eating the last slice of pizza. Barry guessed that his son's metabolism had started kicking already.
"You know, your mom was giving me the evil eye when she saw that I came with pizza." Barry said, remembering how Caitlin had been glaring daggers at him when he ate the pizza. Barry had only managed to eat five and lied to her that he would throw the rest in the trash, which wasn't the case since Barry brought it for Bart. "Your mom can be a health freak sometimes."
"Yeah," Bart said in agreement, crossing his legs on the bed, "Remember the time you and mom were going house seeking and you left me off with Grandpa Joe and Uncle Wally? Did you see mom's face when she found out that Grandpa and Wally gave me chicken and fries for lunch?"
"Oh, she was really, really mad." Barry answered. "And I think that was the first time I've actually seen Joe really scared." In this timeline, he added mentally.
"I actually thought that she was going to explode with rage." Bart laughed.
A smile tug on Barry's lips as the image of a hot-headed Caitlin flashed in his mind. "It's not until I reminded her that we bought the penthouse before she started to cool down."
"Yeah." Bart said, before his happy face slowly turned into a sad face.
"What's wrong?" Barry asked him after seeing his down expression.
"I'm sorry for ruining the penthouse." Bart apologized, staring at the bed as tears started welling up in his eyes. "I didn't mean to do it. And I didn't mean to hurt all those people. And I-"
"Sshh. It's okay." Barry whispered, hugging him close and rubbing his back. "Everything is okay."
"But it's not." Bart cried. "Someone could've died because of me."
"But nobody did." Barry assured. "It's okay, B. I'm here."
They fell into a comfortable silence, and after what seemed to be about half an hour with no words being exchanged between them, Bart finally spoke.
"Dad?"
"Yes, B."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Barry slowly shut his eyes and bit his bottom lip. He didn't need to ask to know what Bart meant. A sigh escaped his lips and he stared at the doorway deep in thought and wondering what to say.
"I didn't tell you because I wanted to protect you." Barry answered.
"From what?"
Barry smiled as he entered deep in his thoughts. This was harder than he had expected. He knew that this conversation was going to be unavoidable this evening and he had expected Caitlin to be the one to ask him first but then she hadn't. He guessed that she wanted him to tell her first at his own will rather than for her to ask him and demand for an explanation.
"I didn't want to tell you because I wanted you to live your life." Barry answered, and he mentally slapped himself for not using better words to explain to the boy.
"Huh?" Bart stared at his father with a confused expression on his face.
Barry raised his head towards the ceiling before looking down at the boy in his arms. "Soon life is not going to be normal again." Barry said. "Soon we will be living in a time where the things you expected to be impossible are actually possible."
This time Bart had completely confused expression all-over his face. "I don't get it."
"I know." he said in reply, brushing Bart's blonde hair. "I wish I could tell you everything B, but all I can say is that soon, our world is going to face one hell of a change that is going to change history forever."
A bewildered look suddenly appeared on the younger lad's face. "You mean aliens are going to invade us?" his eyes popping out in fear.
"No, no. Not aliens. No aliens." Barry assured, chuckling at the boy in his arms. Technically, it wasn't a lie since the Denominators won't be coming to Earth this time since he definitely wasn't going to create Flashpoint and he couldn't afford to screw the timeline any further. "I wish I could tell you B. Believe me, I wish I could tell you everything. But it would be safer if you were kept in the dark for just a little longer. There are some things that I will tell you that you won't be able to handle and for that, I will need you to grow a little bit older. Once you are of age, I promise I will tell you everything. Let's say, thirteen. The moment you turn thirteen, I will tell you everything. All I need you to do is for you to trust me. Can you trust me?"
A sudden eerily silence crept into the room the moment Barry finished speaking, and for a moment, Barry feared that Bart was going to shake his head for a no. Instead, Bart simply glanced at him, uncertain of what to do.
"Does mom know?" he asked. "Did you tell her everything?"
"Not yet." Barry answered. "The moment I walk out of this door, I am going to tell her everything."
Another silence erupted and Barry could feel the knots in his stomach tightening as he glanced at Bart who was deep in thought. Barry didn't want to tell Bart the full story at the moment because of a number of things. Barry didn't understand the full extent of Bart's speed. While he had been eating dinner at the base's kitchen, Caitlin had told him that Bart had mentioned hearing Caitlin's plea for help and could even see what had been happening to Caitlin when he had been in the penthouse with Nyssa. That was a bit troubling for Barry and it made him question if Thawne could do the same but Gideon had assured him that he couldn't which had made Barry sigh in relief.
Despite Gideon assuring him that Thawne couldn't ''see'' like Bart had done today, Barry didn't want to take any chances. And if Bart found out that he didn't exist in the timeline, Barry feared that it would hurt the ten year old. For now, it would be safer if he didn't know the full story for now until when he was a bit older.
"If you tell mom and she agrees to this," Bart began, "then it's okay if you don't tell me anything. If mom thinks that it's better that I don't know then I don't have a problem."
His words left Barry speechless and at loss for words. Barry was not surprised at his answer. Barry was just unsure of what to say. He was quite familiar to Bart's way of thinking, how superior it was to kids his age. Maybe, it was an effect of his speed or maybe, it wasn't.
"Are you sure?" Barry asked, wanting to be completely certain.
"100% affirmative, dad." Bart answered, not looking at Barry. "There are two people I trust the most in this world dad. You and mom. You're the culprit today and mom and I are the victims. I don't know who my dad is and I thought I know my dad. But I guess not."
A pang of guilt hit Barry and it took him all of his power not to break down. His shut his eyes and licked his lips as more waves of guilt coursed through him. It was as if his worse nightmare was coming to pass and it made Barry want to howl in pain. But he didn't.
Summoning his inner strength, Barry pulled Bart close to him and kissed his forehead.
"I'm sorry, B." he apologized. "I understand why you are mad at me. I get it and maybe, I deserve it. But I promise you, that I never meant to hurt you. Okay?"
The boy nodded underneath his chin.
"I might not know who you really are dad, but you are still the best dad ever." Bart whispered, eyelids heavy as they slowly drifted off to sleep.
Barry's lips curved to a smile and he held Bart closer, hugging him and enjoying the moment, his heart content that he was still the best dad in the world.
"You know something?" Barry whispered. "Barbara used to be the Batgirl. She was Batman's sidekick."
Bart's eyes widened immediately, all signs of drowsiness disappearing into thin air. "Really?"
"Yep." Barry said, "if you like, I can introduce you to her. Besides, she'll be staying with us when we head back home."
Bart's lips turned into a wide grin and he hugged Barry so tight that Barry though that he was going to die.
"Thanks dad." he said with glee.
"You're welcome B."
Half an hour later, Barry pulled the covers over the blonde-haired ten year old and kissed his forehead. After taking the plate that once had the pizza slices, Barry made his way to the door, turning off the lights. He stared at the sleeping figure of his son for the last time and quietly shut the door.
Caitlin sat cross-legged on the bed in a pair of yoga pants she had borrowed from Nyssa and one of Barry's sweaters. Her eyes staring at the TV while her mind drifted elsewhere. She had decided to let Barry spend sometime with Bart while she needed to clear her head a bit. It wasn't everyday that her boyfriend's ex-boss wanted to rape her and Caitlin had been so relieved when Barry had come to her rescue.
She shuddered as she recalled the cold touch of Darryl's hand on her skin against hers and his breath against hers. She felt dirty even though he hadn't done anything to her. She wondered what would have happened if Barry had not arrived. Her mind started spinning and her vision became Barry as images of what could have happened flashed in her mind.
It's okay, she assured herself. Nothing happened and she was safe. There was no need to think about it. Barry had come to her rescue and had saved her from him. Barry had made sure that she was safe. Barry-
Barry.
Barry Allen.
She didn't know why but she couldn't stop thinking about him and about what he had done. He had used his speed to save her. Normally, it would be a good thing to be grateful for what he did. But her heart had other ideas. Her soul had other ideas.
She was hurt.
It wasn't because of the fact that he had kept it a secret from her. No, it wasn't. It was his secret and it was his to keep. It wasn't like she had her own secrets so she didn't mind that he had kept it from her. Maybe, she was hurt because he had lied to her when she had asked him if he knew if Bart's powers were related to his.
She didn't know what had hurt her more and she couldn't point out why she was so hurt.
Maybe, it was because she felt that Barry had thrown Bart under the dirt and did not try hard enough when Bart needed him the most. She knew that she was wrong to think that since Barry had been extremely supportive when Bart's speed had been revealed. But she couldn't deny the inner anger in her that felt that Barry could have done more to help their son.
They both knew how Bart's powers had been affecting him to the point that he could barely even sleep on some nights. Barry could at least been the more serious guide that Bart needed. And judging from the way Barry had used his speed to save Darryl, carry she and Bart to the penthouse and then to this place (base of operations) without any harm, Caitlin could see that Barry had full knowledge and control of his speed and powers.
A yawn suddenly escaped her lips and she found the needed urge to sleep. She was so tired. Exhausted even. And despite the fact that her eyes were drowsy, she needed to stay awake. She wanted Barry to explain everything to her. She had decided not to ask of it during the time he ate his dinner in the base's kitchen. She wanted him to explain everything to her on his own accord and free will. However, she had made a mental deadline giving him up till tomorrow morning to explain everything. If he didn't do so, then she could have the right to demand for an explanation.
Barry played with his fingers nervously as he sat opposite to Caitlin. They were both sitting cross-legged on the bed and where both trying to avoid each others gazes. Tension filled the room and it was so eerily silent that Barry could hear his heart thumping out loud.
Say something, his inner voice told him.
"Are you okay?" he managed to say out loud.
At first, Caitlin was startled because it had been sudden. But she nodded her head. "I'm good." she said hoarsely. "You said that you had something to say."
Barry nodded his head. "Yeah." He didn't need to ask what she meant. She wanted to know what was going on. She needed a full explanation. Taking a deep breath, he began,
"My name is Barry Allen. Bartholomew Henry Allen. I come from an alternate timeline." Caitlin quirked her eyebrows but didn't say anything. "When I was a kid, my mother was killed by something impossible. My dad was sent to prison for her murder. For a crime he didn't commit. In order to prove the innocence of my dad, I swore to find the impossible and free my father from prison. Get him the justice he deserved. One day, fourteen years later, I became the impossible. I was struck by lightning from a particle accelerator explosion."
"Wait," Caitlin interrupted, wheels turning in her head, "A particle accelerator explosion?"
"Yes, a particle accelerator explosion made me the impossible." Barry repeated, his face cool and relaxed. "A particle accelerator created by Star Labs and activated on 29th December, 2021."
Caitlin's mind was reeling. She thought of how anytime she mentioned the particle accelerator in recent months, his expression always changed to worry. She nodded for him to continue.
"The particle accelerator failed and exploded creating a lightning bolt which sent me to a coma."
"You were in a coma?!" Caitlin exclaimed in shock. Barry looked at her softly and shifted forward on the bed and held her hand reassuringly. She didn't flinch at his touch but instead, swelled on the fact that the particle accelerator she had help to make sent her boyfriend to nine month coma.
"After being in a coma for nine months," Barry continued, Caitlin's eyes widening again, "I woke up and discovered that I had super speed. I was the impossible."
Caitlin's brows furrowed in confusion.
"I discovered that I could move at high .super speeds. Speeds that were faster that the eye could see. And I decided to be a superhero known as the Flash."
Caitlin raised her brow.
"I know it sounds a bit weird but..."
"It's okay. It does make sense." Caitlin said. "You move in a flash. In a blink. I get it."
A small smile tugged Barry's lips and he continued. "At first I was using my powers to fight other metahumans that were also affected by the particle accelerator and were using their powers for evil."
Caitlin felt a lump in her throat. Because of her, she had made a lot of bad people have powers that would obviously cause mass destruction.
"Together with you, Cisco and Doctor Wells, I was able to fight off every bad metahuman that came our way. Then one day, I found the Man in Yellow. His name was Eobard Thawne. But we knew him as Dr Wells."
And then Caitlin's blood run cold.
Dr Wells was the Man in Yellow?
"How do I know that you are not lying?" Caitlin asked Barry, her expressions mixed with hurt and confusion. "What makes you think that Dr Wells is the Man in Yellow?"
"Because Cait, you know that deep down in your heart, I am not lying." Barry said slowly.
And as much as she tried to counter with his accusation, not even a single word escape her throat. Because she knew that he was right. She felt a pang of pain in her heart. Dr Wells, her boss and one of the people she trusted in her life, was the Man in Yellow. The one responsible for the death of Nora Allen.
And Barry kept going, telling her of how Thawne was Eddie's descendant and how the cop had shot himself for the villain to die. He told her of Ronnie and how he and Caitlin were married only for him to die the very day he got married to save the city. He also told her of the multiverse, Zoom and his reign of terror and Zoom killing Henry Allen and how Zolomon, the man who was Zoom, used to date Caitlin. Barry then continued and mentioned about how he had created Flashpoint, Alchemy, Savitar and Killer Frost.
"So you are telling me that I..I have...another person inside of me that has ice powers?" Caitlin asked, her words sounding almost ridiculous to her.
"Yeah." Barry said softly, his gaze not leaving her.
Caitlin couldn't describe the emotions welling up inside her. It was becoming a bit too much to bear and for a moment, she had thought that Barry would stop and say that it was all just a joke or a story. But that didn't happen. Barry went on by telling her of how they stopped Savitar and how Barry needed to enter the Speed Force to serve his time as his punishment for creating Flashpoint. He also mentioned of how he had returned and had fought with the Thinker and Cicada. He then talked about Ramsey and his blood work before finally speaking about the Crisis.
"So Oliver, Sara, Kate. Kara, J'onn, Lex, Ryan and I all fought the Anti-Monitor. And the last thing I remember is the Anti-Monitor killing Oliver and the Monitor using his powers to send us back in time. To a new timeline." Barry continued, holding himself as he tried not to breakdown at Caitlin's teary form. "I woke up and found myself in a room I have never been in and there was a kid calling me from the other side of the door. Bart."
Caitlin's hand curled to a fist as Barry went on.
"I then opened the door and found myself with Cisco, Dinah, Cecile, Mick and Nash in some sort of place in space. The Monitor told has the timeline had reset and that there were a lot of changes. He told us that Earth-38 and Earth-78 had merged with ours to create Earth-Prime. This Earth. And he mentioned that we were to be training and prepare ourselves for our fight with the Monitor. And that was how we ended up here. I have memories of this timeline but realistically, I've been in this timeline for three months. Together, the team and I have been training these last months with Gideon and Nyssa's help."
Caitlin sat there. Numb. Immobile. Unable to move. She couldn't bear all the information Barry had just told her. She couldn't process it.
"Water." she croaked. In a flash, Barry returned with a cup of water and put it in her hand softly. She shakenly gulped the water, not focusing on the fact that Barry had just used his speed. She gave the empty cup to Barry, her eyes begging for more water. In a flash, Barry returned with another full cup of water, this time, carrying a bottle alongside him. Caitlin gulped the cup of water and placed it on the nightstand.
She slowly dropped off the bed to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest with her back at the bed. Barry quietly followed suit, sitting next to her and rubbing her hand to comfort her while his other arm was at her back, drawing her closer to him. He looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was 10:38pm. That meant that he had been telling her everything for about half and hour now.
"So you are telling me that this Earth is what, a fake?" Caitlin said finally.
"No, Cait. It's very real. It's the same Earth but things have changed. Like the ages for most of us is five years later rather than five years earlier like in the old timeline."
"And Bart? I noticed that you never mentioned his name. Not even once. Let me guess, he didn't exist in the old timeline?" Caitlin said bitterly, turning to face him. "Are you saying that he's an aberration? That he wasn't meant to exist?"
"Cait, just because something didn't exist in the old timeline doesn't mean it's an aberration." Barry said, trying to avoid the answer.
"Really? Because I know that we are both scientists." Caitlin said, standing up and her face red with fury. "Scientists who know their science like the back of their hand. And as far as I can remember, if an object or organism happens to be in a timeline where but didn't exist in a new timeline, there are aberrations. So that means that my son is an aberration!"
"He is NOT Cait." Barry said firmly, standing up to face her. "Bart is not an aberration."
"Really?" Caitlin asked bitterly. "Then what is he? What is he Barry?"
He looked at the floor before looking up to her face. "I don't know Cait. I don't know what he is but one thing that I know is that I love him." He held her arms as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I know that I love him. And I know that there is no person in the world you love more than him. And I know that he loves you more than anything else in the world Cait. He loves you more than me, his dad. I'm his dad Cait, but he loves you way more than he would ever love me. Hell, he loves you so much that sometimes I'm even jealous when I see the two of you together. He loves his mom. You are his mom. We might not know what he is. Maybe, he's an aberration. But that doesn't change the fact that he is our son. And we love him."
At this time, there were more tears flowing freely down her face as she sniffed profusely. Barry gently brushed the tears with his fingers, caressing her cheek lovingly. He placed his forehead against hers, ready to tell her something he had omitted out and hadn't plan to mention.
"In the old timeline, I was married to Iris." he began. He noticed the hurt that splattered on her face the moment the words left his mouth. "But right before the crisis began, do you know who was my last kiss?"
Caitlin shook her head.
"It was you." Barry said, holding her hand. "You were my last kiss, Cait. You were my last kiss before I went to fight a war. A crisis. But you do you know the promise we made right after our kiss? We promised than when the Crisis was over and I returned, we will build a new chapter of our lives. And you know what I think? I think this is the chapter."
He leaned in and kissed her lips, tasting the salted tears that on her face.
"You are the one and only woman that I love Caitlin." Barry whispered. "Don't forget that."
Caitlin nodded. She pulled him closer and nestled on his shoulder, breathing in the masculine smell she was so familiar with.
"I love you, Barry Allen." she whispered.
Barry smiled. "I love you too Dr Snow.
Aaaannnd done. What a run! This was probably the most difficult chapter I have ever written. I actually rewrote some paragraphs more times than I can probably count. And I may have rewrote this chapter about three or four times. I just hope that you all loved it.
1. Like I have already mentioned, I am done with my exams and this means I have more time to write. I've already started with chapter 14 so you'll be seeing it next week. Possibly, Friday or Saturday.
2. In case you noticed, I made Barry live in Paris, France for sometime before coming back to Central City. There's a reason why I did that and it would be a key factor that would tie-in with my future chapters.
3. The scene where Barry and Bart are sleeping in the toilet was inspired by Will Smith's portrayal in the Pursuit of Happyness movie. It is also a key factor that would also tie-in with future chapters. How? You would find out soon.
4. Maybe you might not have noticed it but Thawne was looking at edited footages made by Gideon and not the real ones. So this means that he still does not know that Barry an the others are from a different timeline. And it also means that he does not know of Barry's speed.
5. Bart's ability to ''hear'' Caitlin when she was in danger is actually an ability some speedsters have. I remember reading a particular comic (can't remember the name) where a speedster was able to use the Speed Force to see and hear things from afar. He could also sense danger immediately someone he cared about was in trouble. There was also a speedster who had super strength
and another who could teleport easily at will. I later found out that each speedster connected to the Speed Force can have special abilities that other speedsters won't/cannot have. I don't think the show has applied that principle so I decided to apply it here.
6. The particle accelerator would explode in the next two or three chapters and I was wondering if you wanted me to end the story at that point and write a sequel or you would prefer that I continue. Please, review on that.
7. If you are a huge fan of SnowBarry, I would suggest that you read these fanfics:
Their Inevitable Someday by AExupery
Covert Affair by DestianaCaldin
Photograph by DestianaCaldin
Con Games by DestianaCaldin
What If? by DestianaCaldin
A New Adventure by VVSINGOFTHECROSS
Pain caused from within by Fragmentsofemotion
Hiraeth by fandm-writer
Evolution of SnowBarry by Lilteds
The Art of Love by Snowflake
If At First You Don't Succeed by thestarkswillendure
If you have read a good SnowBarry story, feel free to comment on it.
8. I'm also thinking of rewriting the first four chapters of this story. I feel like I did not do a good job with then and because I improved as wrote chapters, the ones from five to this one are better. If I need readers and viewers I would need to up my game :)
9. I also plan to start posting on Wattpad, AO3 and WebNovel. Do you think it's a good idea?
10. I didn't do Eobard's flashback in this chapter because I felt that given the context of this chapter, it wasn't necessary. Don't worry, his flashbacks would resume in the next chapter.
Stories on fanfiction are free and they are written by authors who are sacrificing their time and energy to produce something that the public would love. So whenever you read a fic, make sure to leave a review. Reviews work wonder :)
If there are any problems that I have in regards to writing or storytelling, feel free to tell me about it. I need all the help I can get.
Also did you know that the 29th of October is my birthday? he he.
Wishing you an early happy Halloween to you all.