A/N: My Flash-adapted fic version of the movie, It's a Wonderful Life. Enjoy. :)
*Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.
*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
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Prologue -
Cold. Ice cold. Freezing, whipping wind that burns every cut and scratch from the treacherous tree and from car parts that split open when crashed into wood. Snow, six inches deep, filling shoes and dampening pants. It falls and sets, and it isn't beautiful? It's horrid, like a nightmare. Just one more thing to confirm the necessity of what he already knew.
A gasp.
Trudge, slip, waving hands, frozen fingers, red cheeks, chattering teeth.
Cold…cold metal. A railing, columns.
The snow slows. It clears.
He can't hear his breathing anymore. Only the sound of the rushing river beneath his feet.
He's made it to the old town bridge.
"No, no, no, not yet! I'm not there yet!" sounds under a muttered breath a few yards away.
But Barry Allen doesn't hear it. He's too absorbed, looking too intently at the waves of water on this cold night, the night before Christmas. He doesn't see the significance of it. All he can see is one option, one way to escape this living nightmare his life has become.
He grips the railing hard and starts to bend over. He's tall, and it's cold and icy and slippery, so he nearly loses his balance.
"No, no, no, stop it!" Comes louder, almost breaking Barry's trance.
But it doesn't break it, and he sees no other way.
The man jumps into the freezing water to trigger at Barry's good heart, and the great starting point of their long adventure tonight.
"What were you thinking?" Barry asks, leading the man towards some cover after he'd jumped in and saved him.
"What was I, indeed?" he ponders, pulling a top hat out from under his sleeve and setting it on his head.
Barry blinks, beside himself.
"Who – What? Where did that-? Who are you?" he demands.
The man grins and crosses his arms cheerfully.
"HR Wells. At your service."