Hey everyone!

After almost a year, I finally figured out how I want to finish his story. Or how to move on at least. So this is a filler chapter to cover some lose ends. I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 31: Interlude

19 y/o

2nd year of College

New York City.

Sebastian was fiddling with his mug in the coffee shop. He had a book opened on the table. But neither the coffee or the book was being absorbed. He stared blankly on the pages while his brain was on a whirlwind.

He was a performer, he was out and proud. But he was more nervous on what was to come.

Life was a little more complicated than normal. He had started his short course in NYADA a few weeks back. It wasn't that he was having a hard time. The truth was he was having the time of his life. Studying at Dalton and leading the Warblers had trained him enough to handle the workload of almost two courses. Taking a little more than half a semester at a time at NYADA wasn't too much of a challenge.

So academically, he was fine. Socially, however was a different story. True, he has a few friends from both campuses. He was having a blast living with Barry again. Even with the few hiccups with him and his brother's quirks like his consistent tardiness. But other than that, he had a different situation that he had no idea how to face.

Santana dropped her bag on the chair in front of Sebastian.

"Hey Seb."

"Santana." Sebastian greeted as she settled herself across him.

"What's up." Santana asked concerned. "You sounded weird on the phone."

Sebastian sighed. He had never actually done this before. "Santana…"

"We should stop this."

"What?"

"We should stop trying so hard on this relationship." Santana said. "It's nice and all. But honestly, I'm getting bored with all this. It's just not the same as when we started."

Sebastian released a sigh of relief.

"Oh God, I didn't know how I was going to bring it up." Sebastian said. "I mean, as much as this is nice and all. I realized at twelve I was gay. This is fun and all, but after a while it just seemed…"

"Dull." Santana finished. "Yeah. Same here."

"So, I guess we'll settle on being each other's gay best friend?"

"Definitely." Santana agreed wholeheartedly. "Porcelain and Blaine Warbler are nice and all. But they don't have the same… flare that I need."

"Well good thing you have an equally and much more handsome male double." Sebastian said shamelessly. "So, what's up with you and Brittany."

"What made you think that?"

"Well, Brittany came for a visit last week, and you had these glassed over doll eyes every time we went out with her." Sebastian said. "I swear, it was like I could see the hearts come out of them. Even Barry saw it."

"Don't be mean to my straight teddy Bear." Santana scolded. "He isn't that bad."

"Only when it comes to his own relationships." Sebastian murmured and looked at her expectantly. "So?"

"I will tell you more, after you tell me what's going on with you and the Douche."

"He's not a douche. He's just…" Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Who told you."

"I told you not to mess with my straight teddy Bear." Santana said with a smirk. "He is my inside man."

"Touché, Lopez" Sebastian leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. His eyes filed with mirth and a mirroring her smirk. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, after all, I am the most handsome best gay friend you'll ever get."

Santana laughed. "And no one will tell you otherwise. Britt texted me the other day…"

~()~

Age 26

Westerville Ohio

Sebastian was walking around his room with the boot on his broken leg. He was finally going home to Central. Don't get him wrong, the whole situation with the Reverse Flash made him mad. And being stuck with his adoptive parents in Ohio is not helping. There was so much that happened in Central City, the Reverse Flash, a Giant Black Hole opening above Central City where he was sure he saw Barry run into. His cases were also starting to pile up and he desperately wanted to go home.

So, having his husband and physical therapist tell him that he was ready to go home was a relief. As soon as he could he started packing his stuff for the trip back home. With his flight the next day, he was so ready. He had said goodbye to the Duly Noted and had treated them to a small pizza party in an Italian Restaurant just outside Lima. After a few promises on keeping in touch and some teary goodbyes to the more sensitive boys, he met with Santana who gave him some surprising news.

"I'm going with you." she insisted.

"What?"

Santana shrugged. "I need to check on my teddy Bear. And you know as well as I do that he probably isn't taking it as well as you are."

"What do you think Barry isn't taking so well?"

"Puh-lease." She drawled. "Barry is like Sunshine Warbler with your face. If you had trouble with dealing with this…Reverse Flash character, what more Barry."

"He can handle himself."

"I'm sure he can." Santana said. "But Auntie Tana needs to check he's okay especially since he never texted or called or anything after that coma of his and I would love to chew his ass out for that."

"I'm sure you would." Sebastian said into his coffee.

"Anyways, I need to go check on him especially since he may have been affected by that Particle Machine thing that caused all those comic book characters to show up in the city."

Sebastian choked. "What? Who told you about the Metahumans?"

"You did." Santana smirked. "Just now."

"I know about the Metahumans." Sebastian covered. "I work in the justice system. There were so many unusual cases that I had to consult some of the people from S.T.A.R. Labs just to figure out how to handle it."

"So, this Reverse Flash is a Metahuman."

"Yeah." Sebastian admitted. "He's a speedster."

"Sounds about right." Santana said. "Then how is he the one who killed your mom."

"Barry told you?"

"That he saw a man in a whirlwind of electricity. Yeah, back in college." Santana confirmed. "Of course, Britt has some theories. Something about speed and time travel. But wasn't there also another speedster in Central. The Flash?"

"He's a Local." Sebastian said "Or at least we think he is. He showed up right around the same time the other metahumans turned up. A few months after the Accelerator exploded."

"Which is more reason to check on the Teddy Bear." Santana insisted. "He was injured after that explosion. So, I wanna know what's going on."

"That might not be a good idea." Sebastian said. "The City seems to be recovering from that giant black hole that turned up above Central City."

"You know something." Santana accused. "Am I going to have to start pulling teeth?"

Sebastian smiled innocently. "You know that doesn't work on me."

Santana shrugged. "It won't hurt to try. Talk."

"No." Sebastian said. "And only because I don't know anything either. I know the gist of what's happening from my contacts. But I don't know details. All I know is that something happened that caused a swirling vortex to appear and the Flash fixed it."

"I'm still going."

"There's no stopping you is there?"

Santana smiled. "Nope. And you wouldn't really stop me from visiting my favorite twin wouldn't you."

"I thought I was your favorite twin."

"Sure, you are." Santana rolled her eyes and laughed.

~()~

The flight back home to Central was amusing to say the least. Sebastian and Santana were truly two people cut from the same cloth. The had both started whispering to each other on the attire and the faces of the people around the Airport and the plane itself. Hunter shivered slightly at the look on their faces when he saw them at the terminal. He knew that face. That face usually meant trouble.

"Hey Hunt." Sebastian said wrapping his arms around Hunter. "Did you miss me?"

"Well, I went to visit you two weeks ago. I would only imagine what kind of mischief you could've done in those two weeks."

Sebastian pouted playfully at Hunter who laughed at his indignity. Hunter nodded to Santana. "Miss Lopez."

"Commander Douche."

Hunter laughed. "Nice to see you too. I hear you're here to see Barry."

"That and to see where this Meerkat decided to make his nest." Santana said. "After all, he never invited me over after you guys moved back here."

"You were busy moving to your apartment in New York yourself." Sebastian defended. "How's everyone?"

"It's a good thing you guys are back." Hunter confided. "Maybe you and Santana can get Barry out of his funk. Cisco and the others are worried about him. Not even Joe can talk him out of it."

"What happened?"

~()~

Barry climbed up the stairs of the precinct to his lab to drop off the evidence on the newest case to get a head start on it. He was going to be repairing the deli right across CC Jitters that night and he wanted to finish this case before a new one lands on his lap.

Just when he put down his evidence bag, he heard someone on his desk chair he groaned.

"Joe, I don't need another pep talk. I told you I'm not going."

"Going where?"

Barry turned suddenly to find his brother sitting on his chair playing with the rubik's cube that Barry kept on his desk.

"Bas!" Barry exclaimed as Sebastian got to his feet. He wrapped his arms around his brother. He hadn't seen Sebastian since he went to Ohio nearly five months prior. Seeing the metal boot that covered his brother's leg made the guilt more real. Even to his family, he was a walking disaster area. "It's good to see you up and about again."

"No speed freak in yellow will take me down." Sebastian said with a wink. "And besides, that costume is way too tacky. I mean mustard yellow with those black details make him look fat. It's so unattractive."

Barry laughed half-heartedly. "Only you would get hurt and comment on their clothes. What are you doing here? And when did you get back?"

"I got back last night actually." Sebastian said. "And I didn't come alone."

Barry turned and paled slightly he put an innocent smile on. "Santana."

"Shut it, Allen." Santana stepped up in front of him. "I have a bone to pick with you. A year Allen. No news, no text, not even a call. You were in a coma!"

"I just didn't want you to worry." Barry defended. "I was fine. Tell her, Seb."

"No can do, Barry." Sebastian said back on the chair watching the situation unfold. "I've been dealing with her for the past few months. Now it's your turn."

"Thanks."

"What the hell is going on?" Santana demanded. "First, you go in a coma for nine months. Then right as you wake up weird freaks started popping around Central. Auntie Snixx needs to know what's going on or I will go Lima Heights Adjacent on your ass."

"I would love to tell you more, Santana." Barry said hands up in surrender. "But I have a lot of things to do. As you can see."

He motioned to the pile of documents on the desk. "We can go out tomorrow night if you want. I promise no more secrets. I'll treat you to dinner. Then you tell me all about you and Brittany and married life. I'll tell you all about my nonexistent love life and my very boring and tiring job as a forensic scientist."

Santana nodded content. "Good. I will hold you up to that. And I want to meet your friend Iris as well. But that is for after. I need to know about this girl you're pining over."

Barry looked over to Sebastian incredulously. "You told her?"

"Nope. You've mentioned Iris multiple times in College." Sebastian said. "Anyways, now that Santana is satisfied. We best be off. I need to do some things and Santana wants to go around Central City and look for a good coffee shop especially since CC Jitters is still under renovation."

"You know it. I need my caffeine and to do some work of my own." Santana said. "I will see you tomorrow night Fievel or else."

"Sure thing, Santana."

~()~

Sebastian walked around the dim cortex of S.T.A.R. Labs. He was so used to this area being so bring and so full of mischief and geeky silliness. What had he missed while he was at Ohio?

While he was looking at the computers where they kept most of their records on Metahumans, a whirlwind of electricity came into the cortex. Barry heavily sat down on one of the chairs. He laid multiple construction tools on the floor in front of him.

"You know." Barry jumped as he sees Sebastian standing in the small computer room. "When you started hanging out with Cisco and Caitlin, I never thought I would see this place so quiet."

"Bas," Barry exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing." Sebastian said "Where's your team?"

Barry shrugged. "Probably at home."

"And they're not working with you anymore?"

"After what happened to Eddie and Ronnie, we thought it was best if I started figuring this out on my own."

"That is bull, and you know it." Sebastian scolded. "Now what is this really about."

"It's safer for everyone involved if I started doing this it on my own.

Sebastian's glare softened, "Barry what happened to Eddie and Ronnie is not your fault."

"You wouldn't understand, Sebastian."

"What won't I understand?" Sebastian demanded. "Eddie was my friend too, he saved me down there. I wouldn't have made it if he didn't help. Both Eddie and Ronnie sacrificed themselves so that the people that they care for are safe. Don't waste their sacrifice by spiraling into your little isolation depression."

"You're not getting what this means."

"That freak is dead, Barry." Sebastian reminded. "He's gone. No one else would be hurt by his schemes anymore. No one else has to suffer."

"No one else except dad." Barry exclaimed. "We have no way to save him now, Sebastian. He's stuck in Iron Heights for the rest of his life. For something that he didn't do all because I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't fast enough to catch him."

Sebastian rubbed his temples and sighed. "Barry, dad wouldn't want you to hurt yourself for him."

"But…"

"No!" Sebastian exclaimed cutting Barry's excuses. "We may not have grown up with dad in our lives. Not in the way that he should be. But from what I remember of him. From our lives, up to the point of mom's death, I know that he wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want you to waste your life away for revenge."

The two started glaring at each other. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"Fine." Sebastian started walking towards the elevator. Barry followed him to the hallway. Sebastian walked in the elevator and gave Barry a hard look. "But I want you to think this through, Barry. With what happened to Eddie and Ronnie, you aren't the only one who's suffering. Maybe you should think about what they're sacrifice was really for rather than wallow in your self-made purgatory."

~()~

After Iris confronted him in CC Jitters, Barry went back to S.T.A.R. Labs slightly irritated. Both what Sebastian and Iris said was going through his head. Part of him knew that he shouldn't hog all the guilt for what happened. But it hurt. It was all his fault. He need to make up for it. Regardless of what everyone thinks.

He saw Sebastian head home on his way back to S.T.A.R. Labs. Barry sighed in relief before heading back to the Cortex. He knew his brother means well, but he just wouldn't understand.

He changed out of his outfit when he heard heels moving around the Cortex. He sighed.

"Caitlin…"

He was surprised to find Santana leaning on the chair where Cisco used to sit. Her heel tapping on the floor while the other leg was crossed over. She had a flier in her hand looking at it with false interest.

"The Flash, huh?" Santana mused. "I knew that something was going on with you, Fievel. But I never expected this."

"How are you here?" Barry demanded. "Did Sebastian bring you? Did he tell you?"

"Well, Sebastian left to see you yesterday. And it wasn't hard to trail your brother." Santana fiddled with the poster in her hand. "So, Barry Allen is the Flash."

"Why are you here, Santana?"

"Well, somebody owes me a dinner and stood me up."

Barry groaned. "That was tonight wasn't it."

"Yes, it was." Santana said. "You stood me up. No one stands me up, Mr. Allen. I don't care if you're the fastest man alive, from where I am standing, you're being very slow and needs to get your ass kicked Lima Heights Adjacent Style."

Barry pouted slightly then sighed. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

"No." Santana said standing up from her seat.

"No?"

"You are making up to me now. We are going to a bar or restaurant that is open this late at night. And you are going to tell me what the hell is going on to you."

"Santana, I have work tomorrow."

"It's not that late." Santana said. "And according to your foster sister, you're finish your work in around half a workday. Which I'm assuming is because of your super speed. And I would assume that you are hungry. Since you missed dinner from running around."

They went to get Big Belly Burger, which at that time of night was practically empty except for the staff.

Barry resigned on having to update Santana. At least partially. He knew Santana. She and Sebastian were kindred souls. And one thing that he realized is that a female version of Sebastian is much more insistent and intense. And there was no way he was getting out of this.

After two hours and about five burgers and hundreds of fries, Barry finished telling Santana what she wanted and was waiting for her to respond.

Barry was used to Santana's breed of sass. But he was still startled by her blunt response.

"You are an idiot."

Barry looked at her blankly.

"What did you expect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. The whole 'it's not your fault, they sacrificed themselves for you' spiel. I don't sugar coat anything. Not even for you Teddy Bear."

"I just don't want any more people to get hurt."

"What happened to you is a tragedy. True. Your friends can make their own decisions. If they choose to risk their lives while helping you. That is their choice. And you have no right to take that away from them."

"I'm protecting them."

"You're protecting yourself." Santana rebuked. "You're afraid that with this line of work, your friends, who sacrificed so much for you, would get hurt. So, you've got it stuck in your head that if you push them away, they wouldn't die."

Barry moved to protest, but Santana was on a roll and was having none of it. "News flash Barry, if they decide to spend their unfulfilling lives helping you and making a difference here at Halfway Hallway. Isn't that a much more worthwhile use of their time and skills rather than just sitting in a lab and trying to figure out how to do this and that into scientific advancement that they might not even live long enough to see in action."

Barry sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Good." Santana leaned back on her chair. Full from one burger while watching with mirth and amazement as Barry finished his fifth burger. "Now that you're all fueled up. Mind giving me a ride back to Seb's. I would wait for tomorrow but we're here. I'll just wait for your whole costume reveal tomorrow on Flash Day."

"I'm not going to the rally."

"You will." Santana said. "Now, come one. I'm tired. I can't bust your ass for being an ass if I don't get my rest."

Barry chuckled as he cleaned up the last of the fries and brought Santana to Seb's place. He had a lot to think about.

~()~

Outtake

Dinner

Santana knew what she was doing was pretty devious. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Why else had she put an audio recorder in her underboob? She followed Sebastian to this old abandoned building which had signs all over the gates. She looked around and saw a sign in the corner. So, this is S.T.A.R. Labs.

She was curious. Was Sebastian doing illegal activities. If he was, she would go Lima Heights Adjacent on his ass.

Then a flash and blur of electricity passed her and she peaked inside the cortex and found Barry Allen standing inside. She was sure he wasn't in there before the blur passed her and she would've heard him.

She could hear them both talking. But she knew when it was time to back off, so she made her way out of the building. She was still wrapping her head around Barry's sudden… powers.

The next night, she was supposed to meet him at the C.C. Sip and Brew, who Santana admits had better Coffee than Lima Bean. Sebastian had however sworn that C.C. Jitters had the better brew and she hoped they opened before she left Central City.

While sipping on her Latte, she thought on her time here at Central. She could see why Sebastian and Barry had come back. It wasn't like back in Lima. Central City was a homey urban society unlike Lima where everyone and their sister wants to just up and get.

Hours past, she had texted Barry multiple times. But she never got a reply.

The barista looked at her with a sympathetic smile. She thought that Barry stood her up. Growling under her breath Santana took her second latte out of the shop and went to get a cab. She needs to have some words with Mr. Barry Allen.

Whoop. Finally finished the chapter.

I had more than half of this chapter finished for almost a week. After reading a few more fics and watching some series I've gotten the drive to write again. Which should help with this never ending boredom.

The next chapter should be the Last chapter in terms of plot. But I will be adding another chapter after to fill in some of the meetings that I missed. Like how Seb met Thad, Oliver, Patty and Linda. And how Barry's Date care of Santana would've went. If I missed something that you want to see, please leave me a review or a comment and tell me. I am debating on making a sequel to cover the Flashpoint Timeline.

Please Check out my other stories. I may be diving into the Avatar Fandom. Hence some familiar lines in this chapter care of Azula. I've been watching waay too much Avatar and Pokemon while working on these fics. And I am working on a fic for a well known Xover fic here in Fanfic and on AO3. It's a multiverse world for the Karry Universe fic. The authors had made this elaborate and very complex multiverse that is just amazing. I had to try and add a world. Which I currently have the first chapter out if you are interested to check it out.

Anyways. Thanks for reading, Please leave me a little something down at the review box.