Summary: Henry's not quite sure what to do with himself now that he's been released from jail. Sure, moving in with Barry is a good start - finally getting to really know the man his son has grown up to be is wonderful. But what's Henry supposed to do with himself now when the life he used to lead is completely gone with no going back.

Who is Henry Allen and how does Henry Allen figure out the answer?

Notes: The Flash Rarepair Bingo G1 - Meet Cute

Life Moves On

The problem with spending fifteen years in jail is that Henry can't just walk out the doors and pick his life back up where he left it. The life of Dr. Henry Allen is just... gone.

His wife was buried long ago, the funeral arranged by Joe and held while Henry was in custody, bail set too high for him to get out in time to be there. Which is, perhaps, for the best considering everyone who attended Nora's funeral likely believed Henry guilty. Except for Barry, which likely made that day all the worse. Henry couldn't imagine how painful it was for Barry watching his mother put into the ground while everyone around him quietly disparaged his father.

But that means that while Henry can visit Nora's grave, he can't get the sort of catharsis he once craved but has long since resigned himself to living without. (And he does visit Nora's grave, with Barry at his side, a bouquet of Nora's favorite flowers in hand to leave by her gravestone. The stone itself and the words engraved on it are well chosen and Henry reminds himself to thank Joe for that later.)

The house where he lived with Nora belongs to someone else now. Sold to help Henry cover lawyers fees on appeals that went nowhere. Family heirlooms sold off without his permission instead of stored as he'd ordered and the proceeds... well, Henry never saw any of that money and neither did Barry. Suing over that from prison had proven pretty much impossible and while he was grateful that the woman who bought his old house gifted him back Nora's grandmother's mirror when she heard his story - Joe had told him she still had it - he's not quite sure what to do with it anymore. The images held within the silver backing may have eventually helped prove Henry's innocence, but they also showed Nora's last moments before death. For now it goes into the storage unit that does contain at least some of the remnants of Henry's old life.

His license to practice medicine is well out of date and it'd take a lot of self learning to earn it back. Henry tried to keep up with some things, but... the truth was that he didn't even know if he still wanted to be a doctor anymore.

After spending fifteen years in jail for a crime he didn't commit, the only thing Henry knew about himself for certain anymore was how much he loved Barry. Everything else... Henry felt like a stranger to himself. He didn't know who that man wearing nice clothes in the mirror was, feeling himself unrecognizable outside of his prison clothes. And Henry didn't know how to start figuring out who that unknown person was now.

Though he supposed moving into a condo with his son wasn't a bad start.

Harrison Wells - or whoever he really was - had left everything he owned to Barry, so it was the wealth of the man who'd killed Nora that paid for the condo and ensured Barry's speedster metabolism had enough to eat. Certainly Henry's small remaining funds and Barry's city paycheck couldn't cover those things. Both of them were uncomfortable with the money's origin, but neither of them could really afford to give all that money away. Though Barry did donate a lot of it to charity anyway.

Accepting that money also meant that Henry could take his time in figuring out what he wanted to do with his life going forward. He didn't have to feel the need to jump right into finding a new career either as a placeholder for renewing his medical license or to take the place of his former career as a physician.

He could do things like visit museums and tour the city and just... try to get a feel for the changes that fifteen years could have on a city. There was no rush. Henry could figure himself out one step at a time. Which was what brought him to Jitters - which both Iris and Barry insisted had the best coffee in the city - to try out their new signature drink, the Flash. Mostly because Barry was caught between embarrassment and excitement that people were naming stuff after him so it'd be funny to tell Barry he gave it a try later.

Jitters, however, turns out to be pretty popular. It's more packed than the Starbucks Henry'd gone into a few days earlier, that that makes more sense when Henry realizes that no only is the internal set up of the coffee house nicer than Starbucks but the coffee is much better too. The Flash is fantastic. Henry manages to snag an open table once his drink order is called and he settles in planning to people watch a little and read on his phone - Barry set him up with an Android and some books on an eReader app since Henry didn't have the first idea of what to do with a phone beyond make calls. His last cell phone was a flip phone and it really just acted as a phone, a way to send text messages, and a pager all in one. It's impressive, and intimidating, just how far the technology has come since then. Now it's a genuine mini-computer, combining in the aspects of web browsing and a PDA into it as well, far outstripping the usability of the Blackberry phone Henry remembered coveting for his next device. Admittedly there had been iPhones and Androids around in 2000, but they were still relatively new and neither Henry nor Nora had seen the practicality in them yet. Now people were practically glued to their phones, getting everything from the latest news to cat videos and so much more.

Everything was so different. Though, to be honest, Henry thinks he might actually like these changes. The world is so much more accessible than it used to be. Though he can see the downsides to it as well.

Henry's about halfway through his drink - savoring it - when a business woman who looked to be around his age came over to his table. "Do you mind if I sit here to wait for my drink? It's a bit of a full house today."

"Of course not, please have a seat," Henry said and he'd have gotten up to pull the chair out for her, but she was already doing that for herself. He wondered if it'd be seen as polite or rude to introduce himself. She was a lovely woman - shoulder length brown hair and lines on her face that spoke of a beautiful laugh. She's dressed for success, though, and seems likely to be someone a whole world away from the recently exonerated Henry Allen who feels a bit like he's floundering with what he wants to do with his life.

He decides it's probably rude for a strange man to hit on a busy woman at a coffee shop these days and swipes his phone screen back awake.

"I'm sorry, but... you look familiar. I don't suppose we've met before?" She gave him a questioning look.

Henry smiled, setting his phone aside and rather pleased for the opportunity to actually talk to her after all. "I don't think so, though... I guess maybe you might have seen my picture in the papers recently. Henry Allen..." he hesitated, knowing saying he just got out of prison was pretty much a conversation killer, but if she really did recognize him from recent news then she already knew.

"Barry Allen's father, yes. I read about it in the paper, you were finally cleared of all charges in your wife's death some fifteen years ago. I'd imagine your son must be quite pleased." She smiled fondly. "He's struck me as someone very determined to see justice done, the few times I've met him."

"You know Barry?" Henry lit up.

"I'm Dr. Tina McGee, of Mercury Labs. We had a few incidents this last year that brought me into contact with the CCPD and, as a result, your son. I admit, I let his association with Harrison color my first impression of him rather negatively, but he's proven himself a kind and dedicated young man. You must be quite proud of him."

"I am. Very much so." Henry knew that Harrison Wells, or at least the man pretending to be Harrison Wells, had been a manipulatively charming man. He wondered what had happened to cause Dr. McGee to dislike him.

"I don't suppose he's looking for a change in careers? Mercury Labs would find a scientist of his caliber quite the asset." Tina's voice is somewhat teasing, but the compliment sounds quite honest.

"I think he loves his job too much to change careers," Henry admitted. "I always thought he went into forensic science because he was sacrificing what he really wanted for the impossible chance of proving my innocence. But I've learned since getting out of prison that while that may be why he chose the career path he did, Barry genuinely loves the work he does more than anything. Maybe he'd have wound up in the field of forensics regardless."

"Well, the CCPD is certainly lucky to have him." McGee's voice is warm and Henry might just be a little bit smitten.

An order is announced for Tina and she gets up to retrieve it. Henry figures that's it and unlocks his phone once again, though he's still watching her more than anything. She takes a step towards the exit and then hesitates before coming back over to sit with him.

"Did you know that one of the science museums destroyed in the singularity has just announced that when it reopens it'll have an entire wing dedicated to the science behind meta humans? They're calling the new wing the Flash Museum." There's a coy amusement in her eyes and Henry has to wonder if, somehow, she knows Barry's the Flash.

"I had no idea, but it sounds fascinating." Henry grinned. "And like a great way to catch up on what's been happening in the city these last two years. News - and technology - can take a long time to filter into Iron Heights."

"Well, maybe I can help you with some of the new technology side of things," Tina offered.

"I'd like that, Dr. McGee."

"Call me Tina, please."

Henry grinned.

"How'd your day go?" Barry asked, buzzing around the kitchen making a truly impressive amount of food for dinner.

"I met a beautiful woman at that coffee shop you recommended," Henry said, settling at the breakfast bar seating.

"Oh really?" Barry paused and grinned at him. "Did you get her number?"

"I did, actually." Henry chuckled at his son's pleased expression. "Apparently she recognized me at first because I resemble my son so much."

Barry frowned, thoughtfully. "Who..."

"Dr. Tina McGee." Henry chuckled as Barry's eyes went wide. "If you ever quit as a CSI, she'd apparently like to hire you."

"I thought I'd made an awful impression on her," Barry muttered and Henry knew there was definitely a story there. But he let it alone for now.

"She answered some of my tech questions and we talked about some things I might be interested in catching up with. I was pretty fascinated with what she had to say about her biochemistry department at Mercury. Not exactly my field of study but... maybe it's time for a change. I've been thinking about going back to school." It's been an idea in the back of his head for some time now, but talking with Tina had given Henry a specific direction to point his new studies towards.

"Well, maybe she'll have an Allen working at Mercury eventually after all," Barry teased. "I like Dr. McGee, she's a really impressive person. Are you going to be seeing her again?"

"We agreed to meet for lunch in a few days."

"Ooooh, someone's got a da~ate," Barry sang teasingly.

"It's not a date," Henry retorted. "It's just two new friends meeting up."

"But you'd like it to be a date. I can tell. You should go for it."

Henry hesitated. "It doesn't bother you that I... might start dating someone?"

A sad look crossed Barry's face and he grabbed two beers from the fridge, handing one over to Henry and keeping the other for himself. "I think we're both always going to miss mom. But she'd want us both to have happy, full lives. You reminded me of that when I nearly let Wells bait me into going along with his plans. If you find someone you like, then you shouldn't feel like you have to hold back. I want you to feel able to move on and find yourself again, dad. And mom would have wanted that too."

"You're a wise man, my son," Henry said, raising his beer and toasting Barry's with it. "Thank you." Then, he waited until Barry was in the middle of a drink and asked, slyly, "have you heard about the new Flash Museum?"

It was absolutely worth it to see his son choke and splutter over the news.

The sun is shining brightly overhead as Henry joins Tina at the little outdoor café table for lunch. And maybe it's a little cheesy, but he can't help but think that as beautiful a day as it is... it can't possibly hold a candle to the lovely Dr. Tina McGee.

Henry thinks about Barry's advice. About finding himself and moving on. Having a happy, full life. So he takes a chance and relates his cheesy, sappy sentiment to Tina.

Her cheeks turn a very becoming shade of pin and she smiles widely at him. "Flatterer."

"Is it really flattery if it's the truth?" He beamed at her and took a seat.

"I knew you were going to be trouble," she teased back. "Lucky for us both, I like trouble." And then she laughs.

Henry had been right, the other day at Jitters. Tina McGee had a gorgeous laugh.