Title: Baby, Baby.
Chapter: Two. A Friend.
Word Count: 1,675
Pairings: IrisxBarry
Summary: A week after Wally exposes the Flash's identity, Iris is left with trying to move forward without her husband. She can't take any more surprises.
Why on earth was there so many different kinds? Honestly, Iris thought standing in the aisle where at least seventeen different kinds of home pregnancy tests was racked, what's the difference? Iris ran a hand through her red, loose hair.
She had to pick one. Just one. That's all.
She hadn't even picked up any of the boxes yet; she hadn't willed enough will power to do that yet still grappling with the fact that she could be pregnant with Barry gone. But even without reading the finer print they all seem to advertise the same thing as well as completely different products.
The one in the pink and green box said new technology. The monochromatic blue box, slightly bigger than any of the others, says record breaking response. The pink and orange box near the bottom said something about non-hazardous which made Iris worry about so many different things she stopped looking that far down.
"Iris? Iris West, is that you?" Iris turned to who called her name. She didn't recognize the voice and braced herself with the public. The public never stopped asking questions about Barry and Wally, never seemed to stopped bothering her or giving her looks. As if she shouldn't have kept their secret identity a secret. The cashier at the door had given her the dirtiest look when he recognized her; she had no doubt that the older gentleman fell into that category of people.
Iris' face lit up when her eyes took in the sight of the woman before her. Emily Rose, a tall woman even without those two inch heels she's wearing, looks ecstatic as she walks down the aisle towards her.
Emily wrapped her arms around Iris for a moment before pulling back. "How are you?" And it was that statement that made Iris remember why she became friends with the other woman back in college. There was no earthly way that Emily didn't know about Barry, Wally, and the Flash. She had to know and if Iris looked just right into Emily's dark eyes she'd know if for pure fact. However, Emily didn't ask about that. She didn't ask how she was holding up since Barry died. She didn't ask what she thought of Wally taking on Barry's role of the Flash. She didn't ask about her articles. She didn't ask about holding the big secret - how long have you known? She didn't ask about them or the world, but Iris. How is Iris West, the person not the news reporter or widow?
And Iris is glad to find that she still has friends in the real world that she can count on.
The redhead, briefly pulls Emily into another hug. Emily doesn't even pause before returning it. "I could be better. My head's all over the place and my heart is so still. I could be better. I wish I had more control of things.I wish I knew the answers already."
There must have been something in her voice, Iris thinks, because at that moment Emily takes the time to look at what surrounds them. "Answers...you aren't talking about the voting this Friday I see."
It takes Iris a full minute to shake her head. "No, I"m not. Not completely anyways."
A short silence, "Do you really think...I mean I know you and Barry were trying...are you?" Emily asked slowly, trying and failing to find the right words. To not give anything away if she was wrong.
"I think so." Iris paused. Emily didn't waste time in thinking over complications.
"Well you can't buy those." Iris furrowed her brow at her friend and then turned to the pregnancy test as if they spoke lies. Where these band brands? Should she ask for something behind the counter. Maybe they would trick her if she picked the wrong her. Emily placed a hand on Iris' shoulder. Iris shivered from the causal gesture. "Unless you want it making headlines - the Flash's widow is pregnant, of course."
It wasn't the first time Iris had been referred like that; it was the first time to her face though usually it was in the papers, the news channel, or on stranger's lips.
"Of course." It was all Iris could say. She didn't have the mind power to argue just yet.
Emily seemed to notice - of course she noticed - the quiet tone on Iris' lips cause she stepped forward and wrapped her Iris in a hug again. Stepping back, "Why don't you buy some chocolate or ice cream, maybe both. You'll need it either way this goes and no one will fault a woman for buying chocolate. I'll buy this and meet you outside?" Emily phrased it in a question but she had already picked up one of the many tests.
Iris nodded, glad that someone else was taking charge for once, glad that she had someone to lean on that wasn't already hurting. "Thanks." And the simply word wasn't enough, but Emily seem to understand because she nodded and turned away with a smile that said she understood. Iris left the aisle a short moment later.
Iris made sure she hadn't been right behind Emily in the check out line. She also made sure to ignore any spiteful comment the cashier had to say over the Flash' situation and her knowledge. She simply paid for the two large chocolate bars and went outside. Emily was leaning against her car, plastic pharmacy bag hanging from her right hand. She was smiling but it was tight, worried.
Unlocking the car, Iris placed her own bag in the back seat where Emily placed the other bag as well. Iris removed some money for the test from her wallet in silence and offered it to Emily who shook her head. "If you really are about to have a child, Iris, you'll need all the spare cash you can get. And if you aren't I pretty sure I owe for lunch last month anyways."
They stood there for a moment, Iris not stepping in the car and Emily not walking away. Emily took Iris' hand. Iris' green eyes snapped up to see Emily's dark ones. "Everything will be okay. You're a strong woman."
"I was stronger with Barry."
"Yes," Emily hesitated, "that's true, but Barry isn't here." And didn't that knowledge just hurt? Iris thought. "You can do this."
Iris shook her head. Sure she knew, rationally, she could do this alone. She knew she could pull her life back together and step forward without Barry. She knew she had to for herself, for Wally. She knew that, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to go through life alone, without Barry. It was as simply that, she just didn't want to.
She didn't know she said that out loud until Emily responded. "Iris, I know this isn't very sensitive but you can't think like that. Barry wouldn't want you to give up living because he wasn't around. You need to continue living on for Barry, this could-be child, Wally, and most importantly for yourself. I know you don't want to know but...but you're just gonna have to push forward. Sometimes life is doing things you don't want to."
And Iris seriously thought about hitting Emily. What did she know? She still had her husband. Hell, two years ago they had a beautiful baby girl together. She had her family! Iris lost her husband, her best friend, her hero. She lost everything...and Iris paused, did she really?
As soon as Wally knew he came to Iris. He stayed with her throughout the funeral and longer. He was still spending most of his time with her. She had always saw Wally as a son. They were family and he was still around.
She had lunch with her brother and his wife at least twice a month. They talked and laughed and shared their lives. They too were family. Mary and Rudy both had taken most the heavy lifting from the funeral onto their own shoulders, letting Iris grieve. They were right there for her when ever she needed them.
With her other sister out in Alabama she only saw Charlotte family for special occasions but Charlotte had no problem calling Iris up or the other way around if either of them just wanted to hear the other's voice. They were family through and through.
She had her family. She lost Barry but she had the others, and the possibility of another member as well. She didn't lose everything, just Barry. But that hurt still. She was still hurting.
"Why don't I come home with you?" Emily asked, "I don't think you should or want to be alone. You're strong, Iris, but we all need support."
Iris nodded. It was true. They all needed support and Iris' was Barry. Was. Past tense. Now...now she was leaning on Wally, on Rudy, on work, on Emily. Barry had been so strong. She had only needed to lean on him, no one else. Now there was so many.
Iris shut her eyes, straining back tears. Now Barry was dead and she might be pregnant. Move on. It was time to move on. Life changes all the time. She needed to move on and not just pretend.
"Alright. Come home with me, then. We haven't talked in forever. Not really anyways." And the statement was almost like everything was the same. Almost cause the last time Iris had talked to Emily was at Barry's funeral, and they hadn't really talked then just exchanged cautious pleasantries and apologizes.
A/N: Next chapter! So happy I got this out. Sorry it took so long, I'm actually out in Fl for the next week and a half so I won't get too much writing done because of it. I'm kidnapping a friend and bringing her back to Tx with me so we're taking the long way back when we drive back home. I will try to get the next chapter up by the middle of May.
Emily is an OC, I needed someone that wasn't invested in Barry but Iris for the next couple chapters. Hopefully you don't hate the OC, she's important for Iris' development.
I haven't figured out how Iris travels to the future, not sure she should but I would like to follow Canon as much as I can with this alternate version of events so if you guys have any thoughts or ideas on the subject feel free to tell me!