A/N: An update! Also, a reminder that I started writing this fic right after 3x05 aired, so anything that takes place after that point is canon divergent in this fic. You'll see what I've changed as time goes on, but if anything confuses you before it's explained, please don't hesitate to let me know and I will try to address it as best as I can without giving too much away.

*Many thanks to my awesome beta, sendtherain.

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

...

Chapter 4 -

"I got him."

"Woo hoo!" Cisco pumped his fists. "You got him! You got the thieeeef."

An awkward silence follow and Cisco cleared his throat.

"Glad you got him, Barry," he said, softer this time, more normal.

"I'm going to hang here until the cops show up," Barry said. He sounded tired. Too tired. "Unless you have anything else for me?"

Cisco shook his head until the odd look he got from Caitlin reminded him that Barry couldn't see him.

"Uh, nope. No criminal activity showing up on our radar over here."

"Good."

Silence lingered again.

"Are you…going to come in after you hand the guy over?" Cisco asked, trying not to sound too hopeful, since he knew what the answer would be.

Barry sighed, the exhaustion clear again.

"No, I gotta get back to CCPD. Julian's already suspicious enough as is. I can only come up with so many decent excuses to leave mid-morning when no new case has landed on our desks."

Cisco nodded once. "Right. Well, we can celebrate later then."

"I have to go now. The cops just showed up."

Cisco's lips parted, debating one last thing he could say, but the static click informed him that Barry had turned off his comm. Caitlin shook her head, reminding him that getting Barry to turn his com back on last time had not proved successful and likely wouldn't this time either.

Cisco sighed and plopped into the chair beside Caitlin's.

"Is it just me or is it more painful saving the bad guys all of a sudden?"

Silence ticked away again, but this time only briefly, because H.R. emerged from the hallway into the room and deposited a tray of bagels and carefully selected coffee drinks.

"Hey, guys, sorry it took so long. I…" He paused a moment to chuckle. "I overslept." He nodded cheerily, smiling to himself. "I guess I didn't realize how early criminals get up to commit crimes."

Cisco's brows narrowed. Caitlin blinked. Joe dragged his hand down his face. Wally brooded in the corner.

"I think you guys need some coffeeee," H.R. said, lifting the drink tray enticingly. "Caffeine makes everything better."

When no one made a move toward the much-needed drink display, H.R. took it upon himself to walk around to each of them and hand them their personalized beverages.

"Why is…Randolph crossed off on all of these?" Cisco asked, spotting the permanent marker first on his cup and then on Caitlin's next to him. He saw Wally and Joe analyze their cups as well.

"Funny you should ask, Francisco. Apparently, this earth requires you to give just one name when ordering drinks." He ignored the incredulous looks of those around him. "Since none of you have my name, and here –" He paused to laugh. "Well, even I don't have my name!" He shook his head, clearly amused with himself. "I put all your names on there, so I would remember who belonged to what."

He took a sip of his drink, then his head snapped back.

"Whoa-hoa-hoa, this is not mine." He shook his head, walked over to Joe and took the drink out of his hand. "This is yours." He dabbed his lips with a napkin.

Joe glanced down at the drink being held out to him, then back up at H.R. He forced a tight smile, so he wouldn't be tempted to strangle the man being so naturally cheery when everyone else was anything but.

"I think I'll just get some coffee at the station, thanks."

Joe set the drink down he'd initially been given and turned to leave.

"W...Wait, Joe, come on, I mean…" He looked down at both drinks, briefly dumbfounded on how to fix the situation. "I barely touched it!"

"I should go, too," Wally said, sounding as tired as Barry had.

H.R. spun around. "Wallace, no, please stay. Drink!"

But Wally was gone as quick as Joe had been. Cisco and Caitlin were back at their computers by the time he spun around. The elephant in the room parted from his lips as soon as he found his seat on a vacant chair on the far side of the room.

"Where is Iris?"

Caitlin typed faster on her computer, determined not to make eye contact. Cisco stopped what he was doing and glared at H.R.

"You're an ass."

H.R.'s eyes widened. He pointed to his chest, jaw dropped, shock evident.

"Yes, you." Cisco got up from his seat and tossed the half-empty drink in the trash.

"Hey, now, that wasn't necessary, was it?" H.R. complained.

Cisco walked up to him, then stopped, hands on his hips, trying for all intents and purposes to look menacing. H.R.'s smile waned some, and he figured he'd at least somewhat succeeded.

"Iris isn't here because she's at CCPN working."

"Well, yeah, but she's usually here some of the ti—"

"She and Barry have only been broken up a few days. Don't you think she deserves to come in when she's ready?"

"You can't just…let personal feelings affect—"

Cisco raised his eyebrows.

"Well, you can't."

"She's not getting paid to be here!"

H.R. flushed.

"I…I didn't mean—"

"Go!" Cisco's pointed towards the hallway.

"But what if Barry—"

"If Flash stuff happens you'll know it."

"Will you tell me?"

His eyebrows narrowed again. "Go."

Caitlin turned to Cisco after H.R. had left, eyeing him with concern.

"Do you think this will go on for a while?"

Cisco sighed. "Iris will come in when she's good and ready."

"That's not what I meant," she said softly.

Cisco met her gaze and sunk in on himself a little.

"I don't know."

…

When he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall, Julian mentally began to prepare himself. His partner – a loosely used term – was always showing up late or leaving early or leaving and coming back for extended period with no real solid explanation – he'd checked all the 'calls from Singh' or 'emergencies in the break room.' What kind of possible emergency could a CSI tend to in a break room anyway? There was already a first aid kit in there.

Barry Allen had always rubbed him the wrong way from the moment they met, but he'd become increasingly odd in the last seven months, and now the annoyance Julian had felt for over a year had become even more unbearable.

Other than bite his tongue, inflict on him some scathing insult, and occasionally report him to the higher-ups (which rarely put even a dent into the golden boy's reputation at the precinct), he had to accept the facts as they were.

Barry Allen wasn't going anywhere, and he, Julian Albert, Head CSI of the Central City Police Department, was going to have to accept that.

That didn't mean he had to like it though. And it didn't mean he would ever give him a free pass.

So, when the footsteps stopped just short of entering the forensics lab, Julian didn't even lift his head to address his co-worker on the delay in his return from 'getting some coffee downstairs.'

"Did you run all the way to Coast City to get your coffee this morning, Allen, or was there just an extremely long line to—"

The sound of Joe West clearing his throat abruptly thickened the weight of his tongue in his mouth. He quickly turned to face who had entered the room. Barry was there with Detective Joe West, but so was Captain Singh.

"Detective West." Julian stood to his feet and came around his desk to greet them, his chair scraping across the cement floor. "Captain Singh."

"Mister Albert," Captain Singh addressed him. "Would you mind coming with me to my office? I'd like to speak with you."

Julian couldn't remember the last time he'd been so flustered – or so professionally frightened.

"Am I… Are you going to terminate me?"

Singh raised his eyebrows. "Hardly. You're the best CSI in the state."

Julian saw Barry flinch out of the corner of his eye and took some satisfaction in that.

"It's good news, not bad news."

"Am I being… promoted?" Julian's jaw dropped.

But Singh's eyes only narrowed. "My office. Please."

"Right." He shook his head and grabbed a notepad from his desk before following the captain out of the room to his quarters.

When the sound of footsteps had dissipated, Barry wandered over to his desk and set his bag on the floor against it.

"What was that all about?" he asked Joe, who had meandered along after him.

"What – Singh?"

Barry nodded, not offering anything more.

Joe shrugged. "I guess he decided to give him a promotion."

Barry raised his eyebrows. "Higher than Head CSI?"

"A special project maybe?" he ventured, not quite meeting Barry's eyes.

"Joe."

The older man sighed.

"Alright, I may have mentioned to Singh how impressed I've been lately with Julian's competency as a CSI."

"Competency." He folded his arms across his chest.

"Yeah."

"And why would you do that? You trying to get me fired?"

"What? Of course not."

"Then…?" He let the question hang.

Joe set the files he'd been carrying on Barry's mess of a desk; carefully though, lest anything fall off it.

"I may have mentioned that you're having a bit of a rough time recently –"

"Joe."

"I didn't give any details, don't worry."

Barry ran a hand over his face, very sure he was about to suffer from a monumental migraine.

"What does that have to do with Julian?"

"There's a convention going on in upstate New York. Only the best and brightest CSIs are encouraged to come."

"And I'm not one of the best and brightest."

"I didn't say that."

"Well you suggested that to Singh if Singh is only considering sending Julian there, and for how long?"

"A week."

"A week?"

"Don't tell me you won't be working better – and sleeping better – with Julian not harping on you for everything he thinks you're doing wrong."

Barry sighed.

"Plus, I did emphasize how valuable you are to us as well, and that we wouldn't want you gone for even a week, no matter how bright you are."

"And Singh just…went with it. No pushing or prodding required."

Joe shrugged. "Maybe he's having a good day."

Barry looked away, his eyes scanning the room with no real effort to see anything in plain sight.

"Please just take the olive branch, son." Joe squeezed his shoulder. "I'm trying to help." He paused. "I can't fix you and Iris, but I can make life a little easier on you until you fix yourselves."

Barry met his eyes, searching for something he couldn't define. He ached to let out his emotions, but he was too scared he'd unravel and wouldn't let himself do that. Not here, and not as the Flash either. He had to be strong. Even at home he wouldn't let himself cave to the flood of emotions pushing to be released.

I don't know if we can be fixed, he wanted to say. But that would be one breath away from pacing and tears and hyperventilating, so he didn't say it.

"Alright," he said instead, then forced a smile. "Thanks, Joe."

He nodded, dropped his hand to his side and headed towards the doorway.

"Oh, hey," he said just before leaving. "I know you're…not showing up at STAR Labs because you think Iris might be there."

"Joe—"

"Well, she hasn't been."

Barry pursed his lips.

"She didn't show up Monday or yesterday or today, I'm guessing for the same reasons you didn't."

He swallowed hard.

"So maybe you wouldn't mind dropping by one of these days? Cisco and Caitlin miss you, and I think H.R. is driving all of us a little bit insane with his relentless cheeriness."

Something almost resembling a laugh slipped out between Barry's lips.

"Alright," he said. "I'll consider it."

"Great." Joe smiled. "I'll see you around then, Bear."

"Hey, Joe," Barry called out, coming around his desk before the older man could leave. "How is…Wally doing? I assume Iris has told him what happened."

"He's processing," he said. "He doesn't hate you, but…you are the reason his sister is currently miserable, so…"

"He doesn't know how to feel about me."

Joe shrugged.

"What makes you think Cisco and Caitlin will feel any differently? I mean, last time I really talked to Cisco he was trying to convince me to just get back together with Iris and pretend like nothing happened."

"He's still your best friend. He knows you did what you thought was best, even if he wishes it hadn't hurt Iris. Plus, he misses you. So does Caitlin." He paused, watching the forlorn look spread across Barry's face.

"What about Iris?" Barry swallowed hard. "How is she…" His tongue ran dry, and he couldn't finish the sentence.

Joe didn't miss a beat.

"Iris has Linda to confide in and help her cope."

Barry looked away.

"Who do you have, Bear? Have you talked to anyone?"

The 'besides me' was implied, so Barry didn't try to make a joke by saying it was him.

In fact, saying anything at all right now felt dangerous.

"I'll think about stopping by STAR Labs later." He hesitantly looked up and met Joe's concerned gaze. "Okay?"

Joe studied him a while, but then obviously realized he wouldn't get much more out of him.

"I hope you do."

Barry forced a tight smile and watched as Joe left, then returned to his desk and sat in his chair. The paperwork spread out before him, it took a moment till he realized Joe had left his files from the morning case amidst the endless forensic reports.

"Oh, Joe!" He called out, jogging down the hall to chase down the detective. "Joe, you forgot—"

He stopped suddenly, three feet away from Joe's desk, because there chatting and smiling affectionately at her father was Iris.

And when he took one step back, eager to get away and regretting even making the journey to the first floor, she turned and looked at him.

Her face dropped, and he felt prickles of heat and cold spreading across every inch of his skin. He saw her throat move as she swallowed and knew his had done the same.

Her voice was tight and emotionless, even though her eyes were not.

"Barry."

The word seemed to echo in the noisy room that suddenly fell silent, even though no one other than Joe was paying them any attention.

Dragged from the depths of his soul, scratchy, breathless, came her name from his lips.

"Iris."

...

A/N: Thanks for reading! Happy reviews are love. :)