Happy Friday! :) Have a chapter to get you away from that terrible cliffhanger.

I really hope you enjoy this one, I think it makes a large step towards where these two need to be. These two dorks are going to be the death of me.

Guest KyannaLashae, don't be sad! :( *hugs* It will get much better, and very soon! If you need a pick-me-up, go back a re-read Barry revealing he's the Flash, and picture it as a comedy. Iris throwing things is hilarious, and Joe is very funny. At least until the vase breaks. ;)

Thanks to you all for the reviews and support. And as always, thanks for reading! :)

Chapter 15

In hindsight, Iris had to admit she wasn't perfectly focused on the road. She was driving and paying pretty good attention. But her thoughts were on Barry and the Flash. She was sure when she arrived Barry would be sitting outside her door again. It hurt to send him away. He'd been getting quieter and quieter every night. She was pondering the idea of actually talking to him when red lightning darted in front of her car.

Instinctively she swerved and braked. Her car screeched to a stop, sliding sideways as it did. She looked up and realized that four cars were now bearing down on her at high speed.

Everything happened fast. The lead car came right at her, fishtailing wildly as the driver tried to stop. The sound of shattering glass and crunching metal combined with each other. The scream that had half-emerged was reduced to air ripped from her lungs as she felt herself flying backward. The world spun, tipped and whirled as the air abruptly went from warm to cool.

When the world finally righted itself she realized she was standing in a small area surrounded by overgrowth twenty yards from the roadside. The vegetation was so high that she couldn't see the road, just the twinkle of lights through the gaps. She could hear car doors slamming and voices. But that wasn't what truly drew her attention.

What captured her complete focus was the man standing in front of her. He was big, tall, and dressed in yellow. His entire body seemed to vibrate, not just his face. This was not the Flash.

And he had red eyes.

Iris stared into them, and immediately knew she was in grave danger.

The growling sound he emitted only confirmed it.

Her entire body seemed to freeze. She could feel the blood run out of her face.

Iris felt that she was made of pretty tough stuff most of the time. She had handled some serious situations and come through pretty well. But this was different. Never had she experienced such deep and utter terror before. Looking at this thing, this creature that must be a man underneath but still seemed more like a monster, Iris felt that somehow childhood nightmares had suddenly come to life. She looked into his face, and could see nothing but utter destruction. She swallowed hard and forced her thoughts to obey.

From what she could tell, he was just looking at her. It was like she was a fascinating code he was trying to decipher. He seemed deep in his own thoughts yet not anywhere close to distracted. She thought about running, but since she was pretty sure he had powers similar to the Flash, she didn't see the point. She could feel the adrenaline fight or flight response starting to kick in and tried to hold it at bay. She needed to keep her wits about her. Her heart was pounding. She watched him cautiously, hyper aware of every movement he made. The wail of sirens drifted into the clearing.

"Iris West." He spoke slowly and deliberately. "What is it about you?"

His voice was distorted, lower than Barry's. But that wasn't the only difference. It was almost devoid of emotion. There was more of a clinical, assessing tone to it than Iris would have believed possible. The gravelly sound went right through her, making her tremble a little more. His head cocked to the side, looking her up and down.

"Wha – what do you mean?" Her throat was so dry that her voice came out far weaker than she was going for. She was trying to be strong, but this was not Tony. This was not someone she could trick or attempt to reason with.

"Barry broke the sound barrier for the first time – to save you. And now…" His voice drifted off, like he was thinking so much more in his head and couldn't be bothered verbalizing it. "You seem to have an effect on him. Maybe you are the key. Over and over, he always seems to come back to you."

She stared at him, or what she could see of his blurred face. He knew far too much about her and the Flash for comfort. She didn't even know how to respond to what he'd said.

They were both distracted by a sound in the distance. That sound went through her as well, but for an entirely different reason. It was almost primal in its desperation. It hurt her to hear it, because she knew in an instant who was making it.

"Iris!"

It echoed in the open air. She never thought she'd hear such agony in Barry's voice. She never wanted to hear it again.

Before the sound fully died out, and before Iris could react in any way the man in yellow's mouth curved up in a very pleased smile. It didn't reassure her at all.

"Let's find out."

Iris had no time to even attempt to decipher his meaning, because everything suddenly shifted again. A blur of motion and a heartbeat later, Iris realized she was standing alone in the middle of the road.

There was a fire truck almost on top of her.

She barely had time to register the headlights and grill. There was no time to draw breath before something red enveloped her and knocked her off her feet, propelling her to the side of the road.

Barry saw the red lightning streak from the overgrowth and was already in pursuit when he realized what the other man had done. Having started from further back but on the same trajectory, he was left precious seconds to get to her on time.

He wrapped his arms around Iris as he dove for her, pivoting mid-air so he would land on his back. They hit the ground hard and slid in the loose gravel. The fire truck blew past them, tires still squealing from the driver's frantic attempt to stop. It was several yards more before it finally came to a halt.

Barry was lying in his back. Iris was sprawled across his chest. Both his arms were around her. They were both breathing hard, but Barry didn't waste a second before he was gently cupping her face in both hands and looking into her eyes.

"Are you hurt? Are you all right?" His tone was so intense and urgent it was almost harsh.

Iris swallowed. "I'm okay…I'm fine."

He went limp at that, letting his head fall back on the gravel. His eyes stared at the sky for a moment before they returned to hers. She had never seen such fear in them before. His face showed naked emotion, even through his mask, and she could see him trying to get control of himself. She was feeling much the same. They stared into each other's eyes, each trying to reassure the other. For just a moment, time was suspended.

No one spoke. Not even Caitlin or Cisco over the comm. Both had gone quiet, listening intently since Barry was too distracted to acknowledge them.

The sound of footsteps intruded. A firefighter had exited the truck and was running over to them.

"Oh my God, are you okay? I didn't see you! It was like you just appeared there. I'm so sor-." He abruptly broke off as he recognized them both. "Flash! And you're that reporter I talked to!"

Both of them realized he was one of the firefighters Barry had rescued from the chemical warehouse fire. The man stood with his mouth open, trying to make sense of it.

Barry quickly shifted Iris to the side and stood up, helping Iris to her feet. He didn't disguise his voice but his tone was solicitous and polite.

"Are you okay, miss?"

Iris quickly fell into step. "Yes. Yes I'm fine. Thank you…Flash."

The firefighter stepped forward. "I never got the chance to say thank you last time, Flash. Thanks for saving my life. My wife and kids were awful glad to see me come home that night."

Barry smiled and dipped his head in acknowledgement, looking just slightly bashful. The firefighter smiled back and turned to head back to his truck, where others were already jumping out to get to work.

Barry was looking around them in all directions. She knew who he was looking for.

Iris looked around too, suddenly very nervous. "Is he still here?"

Barry scanned their surroundings once more. If the Reverse Flash were here, he'd be moving in order to get Barry's attention. He saw nothing. "He's gone. He must have left you in the road to distract me so he could escape easily." He was already trying to figure out the man's ulterior motive.

She looked at him, deeply disturbed at that. A uniformed police officer caught her attention. He was walking over, probably to get her statement about the accident. She turned to Barry. "You should go."

His face changed, and it became apparent that he thought she was telling him to leave because she was still angry with him. Suddenly quiet, shoulders slightly slumped, he nodded and turned to go. Her voice stopped him.

"But." He stopped with his back to her but turned his head a little. "I want to see you again. Soon." Her smile was just a little off. It had a slightly pleading quality behind it. He could tell she was still trying to get a handle on what had just happened.

Barry's eyes swiftly met hers. "Yeah. Soon." He smiled a whisper of a reassuring smile and then sped away.

It was only then that he finally spoke into his comm. "Guys it was him. It was the Reverse Flash." _

It took a while for the police to get statements from everyone regarding the accident. (Iris blamed a dog in the road.) Paramedics assessed all present and took care of any injuries, most of which were not severe. Tow trucks arrived to take care of the cars too damaged to drive. One of those was Iris's. She declined to have anyone called to come get her. She really didn't want to deal with her father right now. She kept herself tightly shut down. She just needed to get through all of this and get home.

She accepted a ride from the friendly firefighters, who were passing by her apartment on their way back and seemed to think anyone who wrote about the Flash was now a friend of theirs. They entertained her with stories of various rescues they'd either heard of or witnessed during the drive. Iris hid a smug smile as she realized she'd blogged about nearly all of them. The Flash was quickly reaching star status in Central City.

The firefighters dropped her at the curb and drove away, waving as they went. A few neighbors looked on curiously. Iris avoided them all and headed inside.

As she climbed the stairs a fine tremor began in her limbs. She could tell that the shock and adrenaline caused by the events of the evening, held tightly under control so she could function, were now beginning to kick in. It took her a few minutes to get her keys out of her purse, and once she did the trembling in her hands simply would not allow her to get the key in the lock. She was on her third try when the door was abruptly opened from the inside.

Barry stood there, and he had obviously been waiting for a while.

"I'm sorry. The neighbors were starting to stare."

Iris didn't even bother to ask how he'd gotten in. At the moment she didn't really care. What she did care about was the fact that the shakes were getting worse, and in front of her stood the one person she really wanted to see right now. She stepped in the door, dropping her purse and coat on the floor as she reached for him.

Barry didn't need his speed to immediately react to her. He could see what she needed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a moment, trying to let his warmth sink in and soothe her.

The shakes just got more violent. Barry kicked the door shut and helped Iris to the couch, where he wrapped a blanket snugly around her and sat right next to her. The adrenaline needed to work its way out, and that took a little time.

"It's okay. Everything's okay. You're safe." His words were for him as much as her. She leaned in close to his chest, putting her head on his shoulder. His arm automatically went around her shoulders. She whimpered a few times, trying to hold back tears. He started rocking slightly without realizing it, holding back tears of his own. He was used to the adrenaline rush by now, but this was so much different. He had been so terrified of losing her.

It was several minutes before the shaking subsided. Iris's breathing finally slowed to a normal pace. It was several minutes more before anyone spoke. Both were just staring at random points, each deep in their own thoughts.

"I would've done it."

Barry pulled back a little to look at her. "What?"

Her eyes were focused on a far corner, hands still in her lap. "I would've lied. I was so angry with you, and I still am a bit. But when I looked into his face…when I saw his red eyes and heard his voice, I was so afraid. I would have lied to anyone I loved to keep them far away from him."

Barry swallowed hard. "Thank you. But it's not the same thing. I didn't know he was around at all when I started lying. It was only the other metahumans."

"The other metahumans who have killed and hurt so many others with powers we can barely understand? I don't want anyone I love near them, either."

They looked at each other. He didn't need her to say it out loud. He understood that she had mostly forgiven him. He could register some relief, but it was hard to detect under the lasting stress he was still feeling over possibly losing her. And part of him understood that he had gotten off easy. He almost felt he didn't deserve it.

Iris had been rolling things around in her mind since the incident, and things were clicking together.

"That's him, isn't it? The man in your house that night. The one who killed your mom."

"Yeah." She looked into his face and could see the pain there. "We call him the Reverse Flash." Barry shook off memories and turned so they could see each other better. "Did he say anything to you? What did he want?"

She told him everything she could remember. The crinkle between Barry's brows appeared. "An effect? What does that mean?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But he was out there for me, and he wanted you to be there."

Barry ran his hands across his hair. "But what was the point? He didn't take you. He didn't hurt you. He didn't get anything out of it."

"Maybe he did." Iris was finally feeling better. Thinking about the puzzle presented was helping her get past the experience.

Barry looked at her with brows raised, waiting. She continued. "He said 'let's find out' before he left me in the road. After he heard you. It's a test…an experiment. He thinks something about you and me will affect your speed somehow."

Barry got up and started pacing a bit, trying to focus. Neither realized how quickly they'd slipped into discussion about these things, as if it were completely natural. "Okay. The last time he did this, it was to get my attention. He wanted to tell me something. But this time it was all about you. He left you in the road with enough time for me to save you. Barely. I almost didn't make it." He looked at her. "It's like he's checking to see how fast I am. Maybe he's gearing up for another fight. But he figures you'll make me…what? Slower? Faster? No that doesn't make sense. I have been a bit slower lately…"

Iris had about ten different things to say to that. From the fact that she hated the idea of a fight involving Barry and this man, to indignation that she was just a pawn, to questions about the last time. But she didn't get any of them out.

Pounding on the door interrupted them.

Barry and Iris both jumped slightly and looked at each other, until Joe's voice could be heard on the other side.

"Iris, open up I know you're in there."

Her face settled into a look of pure stubbornness as she contemplated leaving him outside. Barry awaited the verdict nervously. Finally she stood up slowly and went to the door. She opened it with a grand gesture, leaning on the door and giving him her best frosty smile.

"Yes, Dad?"

He walked straight through the doorway into the living room. His eyes flickered over Barry for a moment before he turned to face his daughter, who had closed the door and moved a few steps into the room.

"You get in a car accident and I have to hear about it when the police report gets filed? Are you just not going to tell me anything anymore?"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Iris returned his frustration with some of her own.

Joe's face registered his surprise. "That's not the same thing, I was trying to keep you safe." Before Iris could put in her opinion on that, he gestured to Barry. "I see you're talking to Barry now."

Iris shrugged. "He was there."

Joe's detective insight was too strong. He looked between the two of them, noting how Barry couldn't quite meet his eyes. Iris had that look that she'd had many times in her life. Like she was daring him to challenge her. Which meant she was hiding something. And she was suddenly talking to Barry, which meant more had happened than he just arrived there.

"It wasn't a dog, was it? What happened?"

Iris pressed her lips shut and said nothing. Barry sighed.

"The Reverse Flash caused the accident."

Joe's face sagged in horror. Real fear registered in his eyes. He looked at Iris, then Barry, searching for injury. When he found none, anger took over.

"The Rev – oh my g – do you see?" He rounded on Barry, who simply stood there looking at the floor. "Do you see now why we kept it from her? This is on you, Barry! No sooner do you tell her about the Flash than he shows up! She could have been killed!"

He would have kept going, but suddenly there was a small, powerfully dynamic force between him and Barry. Iris was in his face, and she was livid.

"Dad, stop it! It's not his fault! That thing knows who Barry is and he knows who he cares about. He would have been after me whether I knew Barry was the Flash or not! It would have been far better for me to be a little prepared than have it dropped on me out of nowhere. You should've let me in on this from the start. I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"You are still my daughter-"

Her voice reached true yelling capacity. "I'm your grown-up adult daughter! I am capable of handling much more than you think! Who tricked Tony so she could pull the fire alarm and let you guys know where she was? Who punched him out? Who shot the Clock King? Me! I may not have super powers but I am a grown woman and I am sick of you making decisions about my life! It's time for you to decide, Dad. What do you want? No daughter, or a daughter in the know?"

Her raised voiced echoed through the space as she finished. Joe just stared at her. Barry was standing behind her with his mouth slightly open, deeply uncomfortable at being present to witness this.

The silence was thick and heavy as Joe composed himself. It was clear he didn't know what to say. "We'll talk about this later." He gave Barry a meaningful glance. He looked back at Iris, who was still staring him down. "Glad you're not hurt." With that, he left the apartment and closed the door.

Iris blew out a breath as she moved over to sit back on the couch. Barry didn't move from where he was standing until she looked at him. He couldn't decide if she was angry with him as well or not.

"Do you want me to leave too?" He looked unhappy at the idea, but willing.

"No. I want to know if you meant what you said about telling me the truth now. If you are, sit down. If not, you can go."

It didn't take Barry long to sit on the couch.

"Tell me why you were so depressed."

Barry nodded slowly. "Okay."

She listened quietly as he explained all they had discovered about the night his mother died, and how he had time traveled to prevent it. She put her hand to her mouth when he told her that Joe had been killed in that timeline, and that he and she had apprehended the Mardon brothers. He told her how his team was gone and she had replaced it. By the time he related the events that led up to his return, she had tears shimmering in her eyes. Her hand went to his arm.

The only detail he held back was their engagement. He'd meant what he said about telling her the truth from now on, but he also didn't want to saddle her with that burden. She shouldn't have to feel that she was expected to be the same in this timeline.

"Barry…" She looked lost for words. "I had no idea. How could you keep this all locked up inside?"

"I didn't want to talk about it at all at first. It took me days to tell Joe. The worst part was trying to deal with my part in it. I was responsible for so much pain."

Iris squeezed his arm. "You didn't hurt your mother. That thing did."

He nodded. "I know. I've mostly come to terms with that. But I messed around in things I didn't understand at the time. There were a lot of people hurt when I had to change it back. My parents…you."

It was surreal to hear him talk about her in a reality she had no knowledge of. But she could see that it had been painfully real for him. She squeezed his arm again, and he gave her a small smile.

"Thank you for telling me."

He nodded. "I wish I'd told you everything from the start. I'm sorry I was lying for so long. In the other timeline we told each other everything. Everything. And I realized I wanted that back again."

She smiled a little. "Good. That's how it should be."

They were both quiet for a moment. Iris started remembering some details. "What helped you get better? That was you at the warehouse fire, and you smiled at me. And the next day you were doing better. What happened?"

Barry avoided her eyes for the first time that night. "I guess I hit rock bottom in that warehouse."

"What does that mean?" He paid unusually close attention to a crease in his pants. "I saw you rescue those men and then you went in one last time. What took you so long to come back out? Did you lose someone in there?"

"In a way."

She could tell Barry was willing to tell her about it, but couldn't quite find the right words. At least he wasn't trying to lie to her. She sat back, her mind collecting and arranging facts from that night. Maybe she could guide him in the right direction.

"The firefighter you went back in for made it out on his own, right? No one died in there."

"No. No one died."

His cryptic responses started to come together. She knew him too well, and his silences were starting to communicate more than the words he couldn't figure out how to say.

"Barry." Her voice was soft. "Who did you lose?"

His face looked almost embarrassed. "Me. I got knocked down when some chemicals exploded. My ears were ringing. The catwalk I was on was going to fall soon, so I should've gotten up right away. But I didn't."

"You were going to-" She couldn't quite put words on it. He nodded, still avoiding her eyes.

There was a pregnant pause. Barry didn't like thinking about those minutes on the catwalk. He preferred remembering his mother's voice and the peace that had been the outcome of that night. He was busy wondering if Iris was ashamed of him too when she moved in front of him and got right in his face, forcing him to meet her eyes.

Still holding his gaze, she smacked him on the arm. Hard. He recoiled, a hand going to the abused area.

"Don't you ever-" she gritted out "ever do that again! You talk to me! You're not alone!"

Still rubbing his arm, Barry met her eyes again. "It's not my proudest moment. I certainly don't plan on it again. I'm in a better place."

"What did it that night?" She was still right in his face, refusing to back away.

"Something my mom said to me. She told me when I got back not to be sad. That I should think about her, and then save one more life…so I did. That made me get up, and when I got out you were there. It was really good to see you."

Her look softened somewhat. She leaned back. "Well thank goodness for your mother." He nodded. "I wish I remembered knowing her as an adult. She was wonderful when we were kids."

Barry smiled. "Yeah, she was."

A sudden laugh escaped her. "Do you remember when we decided we should do that lame 'get married' thing when we were six?"

Barry laughed in return. "Yeah. She went all out. I hear other people had pillowcase veils when they did it. She made you a child-sized one and had a reception afterward. Didn't she make little tea sandwiches?"

She giggled. "She sure did. PB&J, no crust. And lemonade, right?"

"Right. She was…she was wonderful." Barry's eyes shadowed slightly, but he pushed the darkness away and focused on the happiness of the memory.

Iris slid closer and held his hand, remembering she still had that little veil in her closet somewhere tucked in a box. Her heart felt uncomfortable in her chest, huge and pounding. She looked at Barry's profile and realized she felt so much closer to him right now. Closer than she had in a long time. It was a bit terrifying. Just as terrifying as the realization that hearing him scream her name tonight left some tiny hope in her that he still had feelings for her. But she couldn't bring herself to say anything about it.

It was discomforting to realize that she was still holding back something from him, when he had been so truthful tonight. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks for telling me the truth Barry."

"Thanks for listening. And if it makes you feel any better, no one else knows that last one. Not even Joe. So now you know stuff he doesn't."

She couldn't hold back a giggle. She indulged herself a slightly vengeful smile. "Good."