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Iris sat on the roof crying.

She couldn't believe what was happening in her life. First, she'd discovered that instead of her mother being dead like her father had told her all those years ago; not only was her mother alive but she was sick and dying and wanted a chance to get to know her before she died. As if that wasn't enough to rock a girl's world to pieces, Iris had discovered that her mother had a son, her younger brother and she'd kept him a secret from them all these years.

She had a brother. Her father had a son and Francine hadn't told them.

Iris wished that she hadn't dug into her mother's life, she wished she'd just written her off like she'd said would but no, she had to be all inquisitive and nosy and want to know if her mother was telling the truth about dying and she'd found this as well.

When she'd found out and even learned that her brother's name was Wally; the first thing she'd wanted to do was run to CCPD and tell her father but then she thought about how hurt and disappointed he would be that he hadn't looked for Francine and known about his son and she had immediately decided that she needed to spare him that. She needed to protect her father, which is why she was sitting on the roof crying. She didn't know who she could talk to about this; none of her friends could help her and Linda was still out of town. Just the thought that she couldn't even tell about this made her even cry harder.

She really wanted to call Barry; but she barely knew the guy and as understanding as he seemed she wasn't quite ready to dump all her problems on him.

000

"This new suit is really cool."

"Yeah," Cisco was uncharacteristically unenthusiastic.

"What?" Barry asked him. "It's great."

"I'll never really know if it was my idea or I was influenced by the article from the future," Cisco replied, he would have added more but he remembered just in time that Barry had never actually read the byline. Iris West-Allen. Cisco couldn't believe it when Barry had said that he was being interviewed by a reporter called Iris West and somehow how he felt compelled to keep everything he'd discovered secret.

"I'm sure you thought it up in the future," Barry assured his friend, "it's just that you got an advance screening of it and did it now and not then."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Cisco said.

"Fine," Barry stood up, "I'm out of here."

"See you tomorrow." Cisco turned to work on the new gadget he was designing.

000

Iris stood on the bridge staring into the water; she'd left Jitters when a group of teenagers had joined her on the roof and she could tell that they weren't intent on keeping quiet.

"Iris?"

She turned and saw Barry standing a few feet away from. Barry had been patrolling the streets when he'd noticed a lone figure standing on the bridge; though they had never been a suicide on the bridge he'd decided to check it out and changed his clothes when he'd realised that it was Iris.

"Barry, hi." She didn't look at him.

"I was just walking -," he stopped when he finally got a better look at her face. "Iris, what's wrong?" He asked instead, he wished he knew he well enough he take her into his arms.

"Nothing," Iris lied, and then stopped talking, bursting into tears instead.

Barry took her into his arms and held her close. He would make it right, whatever it was.

"I'm sorry for crying all over you," Iris said, as she stepped back a few minutes later. "I'm usually not such a crybaby." She forced a smile that failed miserably.

"Iris, what's wrong?" Barry asked again.

"It's my mom," Iris began, "she's dying."

"I'm so sorry," Barry told her.

"That's not all, though," Iris replied and proceeded to tell him the whole story.

"You have to tell your father," Barry told her. "He deserves to know the truth."

"I know," Iris nodded. "And it's been killing me since I found out. I should have told him sooner."

"But you were afraid of hurting him," Barry finished for her. "Iris, you do realise that this isn't your fault, don't you?" She nodded but he clearly wasn't convinced. "Your parents are the one who did this; not you and if it will help I'll come with you and we'll tell your father together."

"Thank you Barry," Iris hugged him. "Thank you very much."

They stood on the bridge on a while and then Iris said, "Let's get out of here."

"So, where do you want to go?" Barry asked her once they were off the bridge.

Iris shrugged; she hadn't really thought about, she'd just wanted to go somewhere – anywhere, with Barry.

"I could take you home," Barry suggested, "or we go for a coffee and brownies, I'm pretty sure there's a movie we would like to watch at the cinema or we could just walk."

"A walk sounds good," Iris said. It would help her clear her head. As they walked Iris looped her arm through his and Barry glanced down at her smiling gently. He really hoped that no one would need his help because there was no way he was leaving Iris.

He freed his arm from hers and before Iris could protest he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Iris smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around his waist. She had never felt more cared for and protected in her life.

They walked towards the park and decided to walk inside. They were quite a few people sitting there and there was a band playing.

"I'd forgotten that there were free night concerts in the park this week," Iris said. "Barry, I'm sorry about earlier."

"What?" Barry laughed, "It was good to finally discover that you're only human like the rest of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Not only are you a great writer," Barry told her, "but you faced those gunmen at the Baldwin building and stopped Doctor Light from killing your friend."

"You make it seem like I go out looking for trouble."

"I'm sorry," he sounded anything but.

She scoffed.

"Iris, you're one of the strongest people I know," Barry assured her, "jumping out of a building takes a lot of courage."

Iris stared at him. Hard. "How did you know that I jumped out of the Baldwin building?" she was pretty sure she had not him about that.

"The Flash told me." Barry could have bitten his tongue. "He was very impressed with what you did."

"He was?" Iris couldn't help but feel good about that but she couldn't stop the question. "You know the Flash, then?"

"Yes."

"You know the Flash!" Iris hit him on the shoulder. "He's pretty great, isn't he? I won't ask who he is because I know you have to protect his identity and all that." Barry could have kissed for that.

Iris stared at Barry again. She'd known that he was hiding something from her – maybe it was the Flash's identity and something told her that it was more than that. She considered asking him but decided to let it be. For a while. She would return to it at some future date.

"Thank you, Barry," she said instead.

"For what?"

She just shook her head. She didn't even know what she was thanking him for, but there was something about him that made her feel good about herself.

"You're very welcome, Iris West."

Barry looked at her and then in a sudden movement, he swept her up against him, and then slid his palms up her cheeks to hold her face tenderly. He wanted to say something but he knew it was too soon; instead he smiled at her and kissed her.

000