Summary: It starts with Barry seeing a ghostly image of himself while running to a crime scene and ends with a tidal wave threatening the city. Or maybe it begins with Barry getting a second chance to do things right.

(A Westhallen side story for The Pied Piper's Army of Rats)

Notes: In case anyone was wondering what was going on with Barry during the events of "Moments in Time"...

If you've read my other stuff regarding the Out of Time/Rogue Time duology, I absolutely loathe the WestAllen kiss that happens in Out of Time. Iris was still dating Eddie and by kissing Barry she was cheating on him. Barry's behavior regarding Iris after the timeline reset was super entitled and skeevy. And the fact that kiss gets romanticized as Barry and Iris' first kiss later on in the show... ew.

But I am such a fan of Barry/Eddie/Iris, so if there's a chance for me to slide some of that into this series, well... let's have a satisfying conclusion to this triangle, shall we?

Hurricane

Chapter 1

The Current Timeline

"Iris, Eddie," Barry took a deep breath and tried not to lose his nerve. He needed to do this.

He should have done this months ago.

"There's something I need to tell you two."

Iris was going to be angry. Eddie too... probably. Barry was still learning how to read Eddie's moods.

"Barry..." Iris started to say, but went silent when he shook his head at her.

"I'm the Flash."

One Timeline Earlier

Barry was running to a crime scene, which wasn't really anything remarkable. He'd run to countless crime scenes over the last few years, though admittedly the super speeds and the friction proof suit were still relatively new. But he was still going to look for clues and investigate crime. Ultimately, the same old, same old.

Until he glanced to his left. Honestly, Barry's not even sure what prompted him to look over. But he did and nearly tripped over his own feet because of what he saw. As it was, Barry came to a stop on the sidewalk near and intersection, dragging breath into his lungs like he was actually affected by all the running he'd just been doing.

"Barry?" Cisco asked over the comms. "Something wrong, buddy?"

"I just... I think I just saw myself."

"Like when you time traveled?" Caitlin asked next.

Barry hesitated a second. "I'm not... I'm not sure. It was like... seeing an echo or a reflection..."

"A speed mirage, perhaps?" posited Dr. Wells. "Keep an eye out in case it happens again, but for now let's just proceed as normal. But, Barry... do let us know if it happens again. Or if you do run into a time displaced version of yourself running around out there."

"Of course," Barry promised. "I guess I'd better get a move on to the morgue," he added. Though this time he ran a little slower and looked around him more as he ran.

But though the other Barry didn't appear again, he couldn't help but think that what he'd seen was nothing like a mirage at all.

Barry isn't sure when he fell in love with Iris. It's been a constant of his life for so long that it really doesn't matter. Roses are red, the sky is blue, and Barry Allen loves Iris West too.

He knows, however, when he fell in love with Eddie Thawne. Entirely against his will, at that.

It isn't when Eddie taught Barry how to - finally - throw a punch. Though it is when Barry realized that, yes, he was attracted to Eddie and totally got what Iris saw in him. Because, well, having Eddie's hands on Barry, repositioning his hips and his fist and giving Barry the first lesson in punching that was genuinely effective? Took a while for Barry's flushed cheeks to cool off after that one. And learning more about Eddie's past highlighted how much in common they had. And, to be honest, if Iris weren't dating Eddie already? Barry probably would have asked him out after that.

But, well, Iris and Eddie were dating. The girl Barry had been in love with forever and the hot guy that Barry could easily see himself having a crush on as they got to know each other better. A match made perfectly to torment Barry.

As for when Barry realized he'd slipped off the slippery slope of that led falling in love? When Eddie got shot and Barry brought him flowers. Seeing Eddie drugged off his ass and ridiculously loopy was funny, but it had also sent cold chills running up Barry's spine to realize how close he'd come to losing Eddie all because he'd gotten the yips about his powers.

So here Barry was, trying to do the right thing by coming clean to Iris about his feelings for her and getting some distance in order to finally get over her and... he goes and falls for Iris' boyfriend on top of everything instead. Way to go Allen.

At least he'd tried to make things work with Linda, though they'd fizzled out after a few weeks. It hadn't really been fair to Linda anyway. Even discounting the whole 'in love with someone(s) else' thing, Barry hadn't wanted to tell her he was the Flash and, well, he was demi-romantic. And if things didn't click then they didn't click; much as he liked Linda, he'd realized he was just never going to feel that way for her.

Figures, really, the two people who give him the warm fuzzies are off limits because they're with each other.

They're also two of his best friends. So when dthey noticed how he was feeling down more lately, they took him bowling. Just the three of them having fun, Iris and Barry regaling Eddie with high schools stories of their not so epic bowling rivalry. And they gently cajoled Eddie into sharing a few stories of his own. Like he'd told Barry before, he hadn't been popular in school. But there were a few good friends and Eddie apparently skipped prom to go bowling with those friends instead.

It was fun, though it didn't do Barry and his feelings for Iris and Eddie any favors. But Barry wished that he could come up with an excuse to do it again nonetheless.

That's what's on Barry's mind when he hears the commotion downstairs. It takes longer than it should have for him to realize it wasn't an uncooperative arrestee or a rowdy witness.

Mardon's down there and Barry runs into action. He's in his suit before he can think about it and practically flying down the stairs. The Weather Wand isn't finished yet and even if it were, there's no time for him to run to STAR Labs and come back.

The fight is over fast. Mardon hits Barry with lightning and for a moment... for a moment he thinks he remembers holding the pull chain on the skylight and looking up at lightning arcing down towards him... and then he's rolling back to his feet, but Mardon has already flown out a shattered window.

(There's a spike of jealousy in Barry's chest because flying? That's so awesome.)

And that's when he sees Captain Singh on the ground. Laying all too still.

Barry glances at Joe and then, carefully, picks up his Captain and runs for the hospital.

"You're, uh... you're Barry Allen, right?"

Barry nodded, recognition setting in. He'd seen this guy before, visiting the Captain. Rick? No. Rob. "You're the Captain's fiancé," Barry filled in.

"Rob McKenna." He shook Barry's hand on autopilot. "This isn't how I thought I'd finally meet David's co-workers. He speaks very highly of you."

"Really?" Barry felt guilt curling in his chest.

"David's all bark," Rob said with a watery half-smile. "A very loud bark."

Barry snorted softly and tried to smile himself. He's not sure how successful he is, but Rob looks a little less wavery.

But that's when the doctor walks up and starts talking about paralysis and neurocognitive deficits. How he might not be the same person when he woke up that he'd been before the lightning.

For Barry, that meant unearned abs and super speed. For Captain Singh, it meant not being able to walk and personality shifts. It wasn't fair. It wasn't...

If Barry's mind had been on his work, maybe he'd have made it downstairs in time. Maybe Rob wouldn't be facing...

"Can I see him?" Rob asked.

"I'm sorry, visitations for family only," the doctor replied.

"Being his fiancé makes him family," Joe spoke up firmly.

Joe, who had been the actual target of Mardon's rage. It could Iris standing there instead of Rob, hearing that someone she loved had been struck by lightning again. Going through... everything she'd already been through once with Barry, but there wasn't going to be some miracle healing cure this time.

David Singh wouldn't be waking up in nine months perfectly healthy and whole.

Of course, Barry's not the only one blaming himself. Joe's clearly indulging in some self blame of his own.

"Where are you going?" Barry demanded when Rob headed after the doctor and Joe made to disappear.

"I need to end this."

"Not by yourself," Barry insisted.

Joe shook his head. "Yes, by myself. I know him! I can find him. I don't... I don't want anybody else getting hurt, especially Iris and you."

"Iris is fine..."

"Mardon said he was going to avenge his brother. That goes beyond me. That goes my family. My kids. You and Iris." Joe's expression allowed for no arguments. "You stay with Iris and you keep her safe."

Barry agrees. Because it's Joe asking.

But it's just another mistake.

Looking for Iris at the CCPN earns Barry an unsettling conversation with Mason Bridge that raises more questions about Dr. Wells loyalties than Barry's comfortable with. He goes to Eddie next because if Eddie is with Iris then she's safe enough and Barry can go find Joe again.

The first thing Eddie does when Barry shows up is pull him into a hug and... Barry feels safe. For a few moments he can just decompress and take a deep breath.

"Joe thinks Mardon will go after Iris or me to punish him for Clyde Mardon's death," Barry said, pulling back and staring at Eddie. "I went by the CCPN first, but she's not there and Bridge didn't know where she is. And she's not answering her texts either."

"We were going to meet for a late lunch by the waterfront," Eddie said. "If you and I leave now, we'll get there a little early but that's where she'll be headed. Come on."

The car ride to the waterfront feels like it takes forever. But Barry's phone chirps with a text alert right as Eddie's parking his car.

"Was that her?" Eddie asked, looking over and voice tense.

"Yeah. She wants to know if I can wait to talk until after lunch. She's probably on her way here already." Barry let out a shuddering breath. "She's fine." Another deep breath in, shuddering breath out. "And I let Joe go off on his own."

"Barry." Eddie took his hand. "Sometimes Joe makes some really reckless, stupid decisions. It makes being his partner really obnoxious. I can only imagine how annoying it is for you and Iris."

"Iris and I honestly aren't any better," Barry admitted quietly, leaning back against the headrest. "Iris is just like Joe, whether she's willing to admit it or not. And what I didn't pick up from him, I must have gotten from my parents."

"Oh, I've noticed," Eddie said with a laugh. "But Barry, it's not your fault that Joe went off on his own."

"I could have stopped him. I should have." Barry looked out the window towards the public docks. "I feel like all I've been doing lately is making terrible decisions."

"Bar..."

Trusting Dr. Wells was turning out to be a bad choice. Hiding the truth from Iris and Eddie was turning into a distraction that Barry couldn't afford. Doing what Joe told him to meant agreeing to things he wasn't comfortable with anymore.

There's a knocking at Eddie's window. Both of them jump, startled, and turn to look at Iris' amused, smiling face.

Once out of the car, Iris greets Eddie with a kiss and Barry with a hug. "Okay, so what's going on that I get to have both my guys meeting me for lunch today?"

"Mark Mardon attacked the station today. He went after Joe and put Captain Singh in the hospital. Joe's fine, but he's gone looking for Mardon," Barry said, leaning against Eddie's car. "He's afraid that Mardon is going to go after one of us."

"Because he shot Clyde to protect me," Eddie said, sounding a bit distraught himself.

"To protect both of us," Barry corrected quietly.

"What?" Eddie frowned. "You... weren't there... were you?"

Barry took a shaky breath. "There's something... there's something I should have told both of you months ago. And I'm sorry I didn't. I promised Joe to keep it a secret, but that stopped being the reason and started being the excuse pretty quickly."

"Barry... what are you talking about?" Iris asked.

"I'm..." They were going to be angry. Barry needed to tell them anyway.

If they were angry, if they didn't want him around anymore...

It'd be the least he deserved. "I'm the Flash."

Iris laughs at first. And then belief sets in... and so does the look of betrayal.

The sky is getting darker which seems like an appropriate thematic reaction from the universe until Barry realizes that there are people screaming.

They all turn to look over the river and the lake beyond... where there is a storm building over the water.

No... not a storm. A hurricane.

Barry's phone is in his hands in a second and he intends, at first, to call Cisco. But... he might be at his brother's birthday party. Caitlin was with Ronnie. The only person who was, without a doubt, definitely at STAR Labs that moment was Dr. Wells.

So that was who Barry dialed.

As soon as the call connected, Barry said, "Dr. Wells, we've got a problem."

"Barry?"

"Mardon's creating a hurricane over the lake. It's building up a tsunami headed for Central and Keystone." If the tidal wave didn't destroy the cities, the hurricane would.

"I'm headed to the cortex now. But... a tidal wave. You'd need to..." Dr. Wells hesitated. "If you can create a vortex barrier along the coastline, a sort of... wall of wind, it would sap the tidal wave of its energy before it hits the city. But Barry... even if you can go fast enough to do that, the hurricane will still be there and you'll be too exhausted to stop that too."

"How fast do I need to go for the tidal wave?" Barry asked, feeling numb.

"Barry, I don't think you can go that fast. Not yet."

"How fast?" Barry repeated.

Dr. Wells answered. The call ended.

"I promise, I'm gonna come back and you two can yell at me all you want," Barry said, starting to step away.

Eddie grabbed Barry's arm. "Be safe, Barry. You promised, so you have to come back to us."

Iris threw her arms around him in a hug and kissed his cheek. "I'm still angry with you."

"I know." Barry hugged her back and then looked to Eddie. "I will."

Then Barry slipped away from them and ran.

The day started with Barry seeing an echo of himself. And that was how it ended too.

And when Barry came to a stop and realized what had just happened, he breathed out a sigh of relief. He had a second chance to do it all right.