A/N: Written for Day 25 of my 25 Days of Westallen Fanfiction event.

*Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 5 –

The cold rain poured down over Collin Woods with a distinctly cruel wind the day young Barry Allen was transferred from county jail to the royal prison.

Said to spend the rest of his life there, because so severe were his crimes – according to Sheriff DeVoe and Prince John. Until the next full moon, he was allowed no visitors. No one but the guards walked silently passed his cell. He was slid cold grit underneath the impenetrable bars. Being chained as he was to the wall by ankle and wrist, a heavy iron ball latched dragging behind one ankle, he would not eat on the days he could not reach the food shoved into his cell. He would have to watch from just out of reach as flies flew in and devoured his sole meal.

Most of the time Barry lay still on the large cement slab meant to be his bed, the wadded fabric a makeshift pillow beneath his head. Even the birds did not come and chirp by his window, and when he tried to look out of the small square hole in the wall, all he could see was shades of gray – more of the prison, the ground, the guards' attire. There was no color except the blue of the sky, and even now that seemed more void of color than it had ever been before.

He couldn't look at his parents or anyone at the trial. He could hear his mother crying, but he couldn't meet her eyes. His mother and father must be so ashamed. He wouldn't have done a thing differently, but he hated that they had to see this. He hated all of it. And most of all he hated that he didn't know what had happened to Iris. If he thought he was helpless to see what had become of her before, now he was completely incapable. He was more caged up than she had been, and the likelihood of ever seeing her again was slim to none. He would have to be broken out, and he doubted even Cisco, for all his strengths, could manage that.

On day thirty-one, Henry and Nora Allen came to see their son in prison. Nora's eyes were brimming with tears. Henry's face was crestfallen. But Barry forced himself to look at them, so they could see the regret and apology in his eyes, to show that he understood the shame that had befallen them because of what he had done, and even more so because he could no longer contribute to their household. They deserved that from him. They had been deprived of it for thirty days.

"Son," Henry said, stepping forward and wrapping a hand around one of the bars.

Barry couldn't reach him. He could come close, but even with Henry reaching his hand into the cell – which the guard nearby growled at – Barry could only meet him halfway. Henry's arm fell to his side, and Barry succumbed to tears.

"I'm s-so, so sorry, Father. For…for everything. For disappointing you, for-"

"No," Henry interjected. "I'm sorry for not telling you how proud I am of you. To see how determined you are, how much you want to help, and how deeply you love your mother and I and…and Iris."

Barry's eyes widened.

"I know you did exactly what you thought needed to be done. You cause me no shame, nor your mother."

Nora nodded. "We just love you, Barry. We just love you."

And Barry broke down completely, his words almost incoherent.

"I love you both, s-s-so much. I-"

"We know. We know." Nora nodded.

"We love you, too," Henry said. "And we always will. And we will visit you. We will come. You will not be forgotten."

Barry could hardly contain himself. The outpouring of love from his father was more than he'd ever felt before. Not that his father had been unloving before, but since his rejection of the medicinal trade. things had been a little strained. He knew his father still loved him and was doing his best to respect his wishes, but he hadn't felt this level of support in a long time. He only wished it hadn't taken something like this to come to an understanding.

"All right, that's enough!" The guard said gruffly, forcing Henry and Nora Allen to retreat.

"No, no! That's my- That's my baby!" Nora pleaded, but both Henry and Barry reassured her. They would see each other again. This wasn't the end.

…

Late that night, the wind howling outside his window, Barry found it impossible to sleep. He shivered in the cold, no blanket provided. And while rain didn't drip or pour into his cell, the sound of the wicked air still kept him painfully awake, his mind buzzing yet his body tired from the emotional strain put on it that day.

Guards had moved on from his hall. There were none to be seen, and he knew they must be either only walking the main passageways or pacing in front of the entry to the prison. Many slept, never expecting an escape attempt. Barry didn't know if there had ever been one in the history of Collin Woods prison to put this impression upon the lax guards in the night time hours, but he was grateful for it.

Because stealthily, quiet as night, a figure came into view before his cell, and it was not a prison guard.

Barry's eyes widened, and he sat up immediately.

"Cisco?"

"Shhh," his friend hushed, pulling out the keys he'd obviously stolen and unlocking the door.

"What are y-"

"I'm getting you out of here is what I'm doing," he whispered harshly. "Can we not wake up the good-for-nothing guards?" He glared up at him, but Barry saw past it and the genuine worry there, and the relief.

"Thank you, Cisco," Barry said, watching as his friend unlocked every shackled locked on him until he was free.

"Yeah, well, what are friends for?"

Barry hugged him tightly.

"Okay, okay, we can hug it out later." Cisco pushed him off, and Barry chuckled quietly. "We've got to get you out of here."

"And then what?" he asked, once they were out of the cell.

"We'll figure that out later."

"You don't have a plan?"

Cisco put a finger to his lips, and Barry silenced himself. Miraculously the two escaped unnoticed, a cloudy sky shielding their sight in the open once they'd passed the prison doors.

…

Barry and Cisco ran to the thick of the forest where Cisco thrusted a bag at him from behind a tree. He changed quickly, so he was out of his prison garb and returned to his friend.

"It's your satchel. A different one. This one has food and some money, and a hat newly made by your mother."

Barry glanced up at him. "My…?"

"Yes." Cisco nodded. "This escape plan was not solely put together by me. The Dibnys, your parents and Mr. Raymond all contributed, and we all won't know a thing as soon as you're gone. Everyone loves you and they can't bear to see you locked away. But you have to go, and none of us can come with you or it will raise even more suspicion. People could be-"

"Tortured," Barry concluded. "I understand."

Cisco nodded again. "So, you have to go now. And don't look back. You can't-" He stopped, and his face fell when he realized Barry had found something inside the satchel that he hadn't expected.

Barry pulled it out and found a glittering ring staring back at him. He lifted his wide-eyed gaze to his best friend's.

"From your mother," Cisco told him. "To give to the woman you intend to marry, whoever that may be."

"Cisco."

"It can't be Iris."

"Cisco!" He heaved a heavy sigh. "It can't be anyone else."

"The last time you went to see her, you were arrested. Do you know how hard it was to get you out of prison? You can't go back there. You have to go."

"Not without seeing her."

"I knew I shouldn't have taken the ring," he muttered under his breath.

"Even if I hadn't gotten it, I would risk going back to prison to see her just one more time."

Cisco ran a hand through his hair, exasperated.

"Okay, look, you can't- Would you risk all of our lives too? Everyone who went out on a limb to save you?"

Barry hesitated. "Okay."

"Thank you."

"You have to do it."

"What?"

"You have to rescue her and bring her here, so I can say goodbye."

"No."

"Cisco."

"No! She'll insist on running away with you, and then everyone who has helped you will be as good as dead."

"Cisco, I can't leave without seeing her. I have to say goodbye. Our last time can't be when I was dragged off to prison. I won't let it."

"Arggh." He sighed roughly. "Okay, fine, look. I'll see what I can do. Don't- Don't move."

Barry nodded. "I won't."

"The things I do for you," Cisco muttered under his breath, and then he was gone in the thick of the trees.

An hour later, just when Barry was really starting to worry, a figure emerged from the trees. Holding his breath, Barry nearly fell to his knees when he saw it was Iris. Cisco was there too, but he hardly saw him, and his best friend knowingly stayed behind so the two lovers could bid their final farewells.

"Oh, Barry." She clutched him tightly, refusing to let go. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought-"

"I know, I know. Me too."

"It's been so horrible without you. I've cried every night. Marlise told me horror stories of what you must've gone through in prison. I so wanted to visit you, to make it just a little bit easier for you, but I couldn't leave. I couldn't-"

"I know, I know."

He pulled back and kissed her, then pressed his forehead to hers.

"I know."

Iris sighed shakily.

"So, is this it?" She licked her lips. "Do we run?" A tear slipped down his cheek, and she caught it. "We don't, do we? We don't get our happy ending."

Barry lifted his head.

"If anyone but me leaves tonight, everyone in town will be suspect. People might think I had help. They might be interrogated, even tortured if it's more than one. And you? You and me? That's… They'll go after my family, after Cisco and his family, and the Dibnys with all their little children…"

Iris' eyes filled with tears.

"I understand."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way." He swallowed hard. "All I've ever wanted was just you and me and our happy ending."

She nodded, trying not to sob.

"Me too. That's all I want still."

He sighed. "I know."

"Where will you go?"

"Cisco gave me some ideas," he said, deciding not to tell her about the wild man in Black Pine forest. "I'll be okay."

"And will… Will you ever come back to me?"

Heartbroken, Barry tried to find the words. To help him, he fiddled around in his satchel for that most precious memento.

"I don't want to marry Julian. He's awful, just terrible. I can't marry him, Barry. I can't. I'd rather di-"

Iris held her breath as the ring came into view, a beautiful magenta jewel shining in the center.

"Barry." She took it from him to marvel further at its beauty. "It's… It's-"

"Yours."

Her eyes flashed to his. "What?"

"It's from my mother," he explained. "She wants me to give it to the woman I intend to marry."

Iris' heart leapt into her throat.

"I can't imagine that being anyone other than you."

"I…I don't know what else to say."

"Say you'll marry me, Iris."

Tears filled her eyes. "But…But you're leaving. And you'll be wanted the rest of your life. You can never come back here, or your life will be at risk. You have to go. And you won't let me come with you. I don't know how we could ever-"

"Is that a yes?"

Iris wanted to protest further. She'd given him so many legitimate concerns, and he hadn't addressed a single one. But she was so in love with him, and she wanted to believe. She would believe in their happy ending as long as he wished it of her.

"Yes," she said, giggles slipping out of her as soon as the smile spread across his face. "Yes, yes! Of course!"

He picked her up and spun her around all the while smiling, and he kissed her soundly when he set her down. Then he took the ring from her grasp and slid it onto her finger. She felt like she was flying.

"Make it into a necklace if you have to," he said. "Anything so you don't lose it. I need you to have it when I come back for you."

She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "You're coming back?"

He nodded. "I know it's impossible now, but I'm going to find a way to come back. I'll clear my name, and we can finally be together." He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed each finger, then met her eyes. "Do you believe me?"

And in that moment, she did. She really, truly did.

"Yes," she said. "I believe you."

He kissed her again and again and again, and then held her close because God knows how long it would be until he could hold her in his arms like this again.

"Barry…" Cisco said after a while, a warning in his voice as the sky started to lighten.

"I know." He took a breath and took a step away from Iris, holding onto her hand until the last possible moment. "I love you, Iris," he said, his heart pouring out to her with every word. "I'll always love you."

"I love you," she gasped, unable to keep her tears locked away.

"I'll come back to you. I promise."

Then he picked up his satchel, gave a quick, fierce hug to his best friend for whom he would forever be grateful, gave them each one more meaningful, loving look and disappeared into the night.

Her whole heart stolen from her, Iris forced herself not to break down. Not when Barry wasn't there to pick her up again.

"Iris…" Cisco urged, and she forced herself to snap out of it. To go back with him to her prison and be in her bed before either DeVoe was the wiser.

The return was a success. She thanked Cisco profusely, hugging him just before he left, and then tucked herself into bed. She looked longingly at the beautiful gem on her finger and then held it close to her chest.

"Come back to me, Barry," she whispered, imagining his arms wrapped around her in a room they could call their own. "Come back to me."