Here is chapter 2, I hope you enjoy it! It's pretty long for my usual chapter length. Maybe I'm getting more confident on that. I'm already working on chapter 3 so it is going pretty quick.

As always, thank you for your wonderful reviews and support! It does me so much good. Thanks for reading! :)

Shout out to Guest Flash Fan! Your comment this morning gave me warm fuzzies. I am tickled that you enjoyed the first chapter so much before you realized it was me, and I am so happy that you are so excited! (Also, I love Behind the Mask too, so it is nice to hear you say that. *hugs*)

Chapter 2

The house was quiet when Barry arrived, but he didn't stop until he was in the front door.

It only took a few steps more to reach the right room. He made them stealthily, the absolute quiet making him uneasy.

When he reached the doorway he saw what he already knew would be there. Time slowed down, making the next moments stretch for what felt like minutes.

The man in the yellow suit was standing in the room, no more than six feet away from his mother. One of the family kitchen knives was in his hand. Nora Allen was staring at his red eyes, his blurred face. Her mouth was open but no sound emerged. She looked frozen in fear.

Barry had expected to repeat certain memories when he had decided to come back to this night, but nothing could have prepared him for this: The nightmarish vision of his childhood. The man in the yellow suit had dominated Barry's life after this single event. He forced away the helpless feeling he'd felt as a child, the fear, and the memory of his last encounter with this man. He focused on his mother instead: His mother, still living and breathing.

The Reverse Flash's head moved just a bit, enough to take in Barry standing in the doorway. Even through his continuous blurring, Barry thought he saw the other man's mouth twitch in a pleased smile. If Barry didn't know better, he could swear his enemy had been waiting for him to arrive. Nora followed his gaze and spotted Barry as well. Her eyes went wide. Barry could read her silent plea for help.

There was a single moment of stillness.

Then both Barry and the Reverse Flash moved at the same time.

The room filled with light streaks.

Barry had studied the images captured in the mirror so often he had them memorized. There were only a few exposures from the period before Barry's 11 year-old-self had made it downstairs. One specifically showed Barry's red blur tackling the yellow one in a head-on attack. Barry knew that would be his first instinct, so instead he went with his second one.

He went straight for his mother.

As he swept in and wrapped an arm around her waist, he was fully aware that the move was making him more vulnerable. Sure enough a split second later he felt the sharp pain of the knife in his shoulder. It pierced the thick material of his suit and then the skin and muscle underneath before he could twist away. Blood droplets flew as the knife pulled out. He couldn't hold in an exclamation of pain but it didn't stop him from sweeping Nora Allen to the far corner of the room. He pushed her against the wall there and whirled in time to see the Reverse Flash almost on top of him. He had no time to get Nora completely out, but it was a change at least.

This time his mother was no longer trapped in the middle of the room and surrounded by their fight.

However, she was far from any exit and unable to chance attempting to leave. Barry knew he had to keep the focus on himself. So now he attacked the yellow blur. He lowered his head and charged like a bull. The Reverse Flash caught him mid-tackle and whirled, launching Barry into the opposite wall with a crash. A delicate table splintered under Barry's weight, along with a vase and some porcelain knick-knacks. Barry rolled and was back on his feet almost instantly thanks to his extra training. The quickness of his recovery allowed him to gain a momentary advantage on his opponent. As he moved in he managed to punch the Reverse Flash full in the face. He had been practicing speeding his fist at the last minute to increase the velocity and thus do more damage. He had his prior humiliations at the hands of this same man to thank for that.

It worked. Blood splattered from a split lip. Unfortunately his opponent managed to sink his fist into Barry's stomach. Both men staggered back from each other for a moment. Nora Allen found her voice.

"Henry! Help!"

Barry's own memories were enough for him to realize that he had probably less than a minute before himself and his father appeared on the scene. Those were extra factors he couldn't allow. He couldn't predict how each one would react now that he had changed things, and there would be too many people for him to protect at once. It left room for casualties, one of which was especially dangerous in this particular case.

The Reverse Flash was circling the room, attempting to come up behind him. It had been one of his favorite moves at the football stadium. Barry could only assume that was because it showed off how fast he was and left the victim feeling powerless. Barry kept moving, simply to keep the other man from actually getting his hands on him. But he still wasn't sure if his training had made him faster than his enemy. They were now going in circles, their positions reversed. Barry could feel the intensity in the room increasing along with the wind. He had to end this now.

Other images had shown a red blur in pursuit of a yellow one, going around the room. Just like now. So Barry figured doing the exact opposite would change things up a bit.

He abruptly about-faced in the middle of his pursuit, at the same time detaching the two devices from his belt.

The move was so unexpected that the Reverse Flash was moving too fast to immediately check his momentum. He crashed right into Barry, who allowed it to happen. They both flew into the back wall of the room. Another table and the plant on it were the casualties. Nora's hands came up to protect her face from flying pieces of wood, ceramic and fern.

Barry landed with his back to the wall and immediately bore the weight of his opponent's landing as well. He felt what might be a rib cracking under the crushing force, but ignored the pain and clicked the buttons on the two devices. He stuck them to the yellow suit in front of him and felt a flash of gratitude for Cisco's ingenuity. Then he pushed with his hands to gain enough room to bring up a foot and shove it as hard as he could against the Reverse Flash's torso. The impact sent Nora's would-be murderer careening backwards into the middle of the room.

In the few seconds it took his opponent to land on the floor, Barry immediately went to his mother. He grabbed her and pushed her to the floor in the corner, using his back as a shield for them both as he faced her and braced his elbows on both walls. Crouched low, he successfully cocooned her into the tight space. She instinctively curled up as small as possible. Their eyes met for a split second before they both closed them, braced for impact.

The devices detonated. A cold chill swept the room as the sound of crackling filled the air. Barry felt the frigid blast sting across his back, causing minor frostbite. There was a grunt of pain and then silence.

Barry quickly looked over his shoulder, ready to fight again if necessary. When nothing moved he slowly stood up and turned around, but made sure he was still directly in front of Nora. She peeked around his legs.

The Reverse Flash had taken the brunt of both of Cisco's cold grenades directly to his chest. He was alive, but his labored breathing told Barry that he probably wouldn't be getting up to fight any time soon. Two large crystallized areas were spread over his torso. Barry was reminded of the times he'd taken hits from the cold gun Cisco created and was sure that had to hurt.

The man in the yellow suit slowly rolled to his side and raised his head off the floor. His face was still blurred, which Barry found impressive under the circumstances. He knew his enemy was slowed now due to the grenades and he must also be in serious pain. Barry wasn't sure he'd be able to focus on hiding his identity under the same conditions.

Their eyes met across the room. The Reverse Flash emitted his trademark growling sound. Barry tensed for battle.

"You have no idea." The Reverse Flash said. Barry stared him down, disregarding the words.

Then the man in the yellow suit left. Slower than usual, but he left. Barry ignored a slight uneasy feeling. Was that it? He'd spent most of his life afraid of this man. Had he really beaten him? While the fight had not been what he would call easy, part of him was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The entire altercation had taken less than a few minutes. Barry was pretty sure the sounds of their fight and Nora's call for help had alerted both Henry and the Barry upstairs in his room. It was almost time to go.

Barry turned around and held out his hand to Nora, who took it and stood up.

"Are you all right?" Barry disguised his voice, just in case.

Nora was staring at him. "Yes." Her eyes darted to his shoulder, where blood was welling up from the puncture in the suit. She also noted the way he was hunched as he stood due to the cracked rib. "Are you?"

That actually surprised a small laugh from Barry. He'd come to save her and she was more concerned for him. "I'll heal."

But it was clear she knew he had just saved her life. The shock was starting to set in, bringing trembling and tears. "Thank you." Her voice was wavering.

Barry smiled at her, his heart full. "My pleasure."

Henry Allen appeared in the entryway. His shocked gaze took in the splintered tables, the mess of broken plants and glass. He stared at the frosted ceiling and iced curtains. "Nora! What happened-"He stopped abruptly as he noticed Barry standing next to his wife. "Who are you?"

Nora rushed forward and hugged Henry like she thought she'd never see him again. Henry held her tight and stared at Barry, obviously trying to decide if he was a threat or not. Nora's voice put her husband at ease. "It's okay. I'm alright." At the same time they all heard Barry's younger voice call down the stairs.

"Mom?"

Barry took that as his cue to leave. He smiled briefly at both of his parents. They were standing together gazing at him. His mother was smiling; his father looked confused but grateful.

He left his childhood home as eleven-year-old Barry descended the stairs and was embraced by his parents.

The adrenaline was wearing off and Barry was starting to feel the pain of the stab wound in his shoulder and the frostbite across his back. His rib was aching, and it hurt to breathe in.

He didn't care.

They would heal. They were healing already, actually. And his mother was alive. He had saved her. His father wouldn't go to jail. Barry honestly didn't think he could feel any better right now, injuries and all. He allowed himself a triumphant whoop as he accelerated. It was even easier to run than usual. Were his feet even touching the ground?

He raced down the street, building up speed. He really hoped this worked without a treadmill. Choosing the longest stretch of road he could find, he built his speed up faster and faster. He headed for the field S.T.A.R. Labs would be built on. After a few moments he again felt that familiar feeling of energy in every cell of his body. The field around him slowed and went still.

He felt the shockwaves again, and he was time traveling once more. This time as he raced past images he was well aware that some were unfamiliar to him. He felt like he should know them, but they were just slightly out of focus. His mother and father were now intertwined with Joe and Iris.

But the emotions were the same. Happiness, pain, and everything in between.

Barry wasn't quite sure how he was going to recognize the correct exit this time around. But it turned out he didn't have to worry about it. The emotions connected with it were so strong; Barry knew it was the right one.

The feel of ground under his feet tripped him up again. This time he flipped and rolled, landing on the muddy riverbank, half in and half out of the water. He slipped and slid to his feet, shaking off loose mud. A quick check of his injuries showed that they were already healed or almost there. He could breathe easier now.

That was good, because a rueful laugh escaped him as he surveyed his suit. Cisco was not going to be happy. He'd only just allowed it to be called "their suit".

Barry's happiness made him quite magnanimous, so he rinsed off in the river and ran a few circles to air dry. It was only as he finished his last circle that he realized what was wrong.

This field shouldn't be here.

He checked his surroundings to make sure and determined that he was in the right place.

But S.T.A.R. Labs wasn't there. And neither was Joe.

This time he did run into the city to check a newspaper.

Barry made his way into the city and noted minor differences here and there. A business with a different name, a few buildings that hadn't been there before. What didn't feel minor was the overall feel of the city. It felt darker somehow. Night had fallen, but that wasn't the problem. There was an edgy vibe to people he passed, tension on a level he didn't usually feel in Central City. If Barry wasn't sure of his location he'd think he had wandered into Starling City instead.

Barry located a newspaper stand still open and checked the date. It was the same as when he'd left. He passed through quickly to avoid being seen by the owner, and then stopped around a corner. He couldn't stop himself from checking for the familiar silhouette of S.T.A.R. Labs again, but it really wasn't there.

Joe was either at the station or his house then, but Barry wasn't entirely sure he'd remember any of their last moments now. He decided to worry about that tomorrow. He had someone else he needed to check on. Just to make sure.

His home looked the same as he approached it. But Barry was perfectly aware he shouldn't be entering the front door dressed as he was. So he sped up the side of the house and wiggled his bedroom window rapidly until he felt the lock slip out of place. Cautiously he slid the window up and crept inside.

His room looked familiar and strange. His bed was the same one he'd grown up with. The fish tank was gone. New posters adorned the wall. He could tell it was his room, but as he stood looking he got the feeling the room was unused at the moment. Did he live on his own now? He was pretty sure his parents still lived here.

He headed for the closet and scrounged some clothes that fit reasonably well. He could tell he still dressed the same. Jeans, a shirt and sweaters were still the majority of the selection. Digging around on the floor of the closet, he came up with an old backpack and carefully folded his suit into it. Then he climbed back out the window, closed it, and ran down to the ground. He fluffed his hair, slung the backpack over one shoulder, put on a casual air, and headed in the front door.

There was no one there as he entered. He stood a moment, looking around. The house was still the same one he had known as a child. He could see minor differences, a change in furniture layout, different pieces acquired over the years. As he stood there, memories of a new fifteen years unfolded. Certain out of focus memories he'd passed in the continuum now became clear. He remembered growing up in this house with both of his parents. He remembered the happiness that filled it. This house now held fifteen more years of memories. Every birthday, coming home after every bad day at school, leaving for college. Moments washed over him, filling him with emotion. It took a few minutes for him to absorb it all. When he finally had, he realized that he now had two sets of memories. Two different timelines. He could remember both of his pasts now, one where his mother died and one where his mother lived.

His mother. He suddenly wanted to see her badly.

"Mom?" He called as casually as he could. "Are you home?" He waited, and had just wondered if something was horribly wrong when he heard the back door slam. His mother entered and caught sight of him.

Nora Allen was fifteen years older, but still beautiful. Her smile was delighted. "Barry! I didn't know you were coming over. Is everything okay?"

He couldn't speak for a moment, so he hugged her tightly instead. "Yeah," he murmured. "Everything is great."

She could sense the emotion in his voice and gave him a questioning look. He just smiled, hoping she wouldn't actually ask.

They were interrupted by the sound of the back door slamming again. Henry Allen walked in and spotted his son as well. "Hey, Barry! Want to stay for dinner?" He came up next to his wife and laid a hand on her shoulder, grinning at him.

Seeing his mother alive and his father out of jail was just too much for Barry. He grabbed both of them and hugged them with all his might. They were a bit surprised but returned the embrace. Barry fought back tears since he was pretty sure that would just freak them out. He was glad they couldn't see his face right then.

They looked worried anyway as he finally stepped back. Henry gave voice to what they were both thinking. "Son, are you all right? What's going on? Is Iris okay?"

Barry was just about to reassure them when there was a soft knock on the front door. It opened, and Iris strolled in. "Hello- ah I knew I'd find you here! I thought you were meeting me at work when I was done for the day."

Barry was so filled with gratitude that he couldn't stop the happy smile that parted his lips when he saw her. He hadn't been able to smile that freely at her since Christmas, when his confession had made everything so different between them. It felt perfectly fitting to have her here, just as he got both of his parents back. She and Joe knew how hard it had been.

Iris moved toward them, giving him that smile that just couldn't be explained by science. Her hand reached for his, and he didn't think twice before he gave it to her. She took it, leaned forward, and planted a light kiss full on his mouth before she turned and greeted his parents.

But whatever she said to them Barry didn't hear. He was frozen in surprise. Her kiss still tingled on his lips. They were holding hands. The conversation was muffled background noise as he finally unfroze and looked down at Iris' hand, still holding his own. It was her left hand he was holding. The third finger drew his attention the most.

There was a ring on it.