Wally was used to waking up in the middle of the night because Berry was returning from handling an emergency. Waking up was followed by a prickle of annoyance that Berry had not taken her along for whatever it was. They were partners, even if Wally had already been asleep, and that meant Berry didn't have to work alone. The Flash was one of the best heroes on her own, but she was even better with Kid Flash watching her back.

She heard something break downstairs, possibly a dish, then decided to go down to see if Berry was all right. Knowing her guardian, she was going to have to break out the medical kit they kept.

No lights were on in the house. Wally crept through the hall, down to the kitchen when she didn't see Berry anywhere else. She took in the broken glass and water on the floor, the tap still running, the audible sobs, hushed words and two figures curled up together on the floor. Wally quickly ducked behind the wall next to the doorway and listened in.

"...okay," she heard Jay Gerrick's voice, "You are going to be okay. It's over. He can't hurt you anymore."

Was Professor Zoom back in town? Wally's hand fisted as she thought about that psychopath daring to come back, even after Berry left him for dead near the end of time. If he was, Wally wanted to see him, make him pay for what he had done to Berry and for taking Aunt Iris away.

"I saw him! I saw him! I saw him!" Berry was frantically sobbing out.

"No," Jay was using that tone all heroes had to calm hysterical civilians, "It wasn't him. I promise, it wasn't him. He won't come back. Wally isn't in danger. Everything is going to be all right. It's okay."

For an hour, there was little more than Berry sobbing and Jay soothing her. Wally knew she wasn't supposed to be there. Berry wouldn't say anything against it, if she knew, but Wally knew she wouldn't like it.

She dashed up the stairs when the sobs ceased and things went silent. She listened and it wasn't long before she heard someone trudge up the stairs with a groan. She heard them in the hall, then in Berry's room, then going back down the stairs. Sleep encroached not long after, her mind not so worried knowing that Jay was taking care of Berry.

When she traipsed downstairs in the morning, it was Jay in the kitchen to greet her. The first Flash offered a smile and opened the freezer to pull out a few boxes of waffles, because for all of Jay's qualities and skills, he was an awful cook.

"What are you doing here?" Wally knew Jay wouldn't take offense to the question.

"Berry had an encounter with fear toxin last night. She's going to be fine, but she might be feeling rather rough for the next couple of days."

"So Thawne isn't back?" Jay turned and set the freshly toasted waffles in front of Wally, a deep frown on his face.

"You overheard?"

"Yeah," Wally started digging into breakfast, not looking up.

"Wally, he's not back," Jay sounded like he was so tired of saying that, "And he is not going to come back."

"Okay," Wally smiled, wanting to be as easy as she possibly could this morning, because Jay looked so exhausted.

Jay accepted that and picked up his mug of coffee. He looked ready to drop right into bed at the first opportunity. Had he slept at all the night before? If he hadn't, was it a good idea for him to drink caffeine right now? Wouldn't that keep him wired for hours? Wally didn't remember ever seeing Jay drink coffee before, so she had never given a single thought to it before.

"Wally, are you ready for school?" Berry walked into the kitchen, looking worse than the time she'd been infected by a stomach flu that had been strong enough to take down Superman for a week. Red eyes sunk into grey tinted skin, somehow making her face look hollow. Her bruised and cut hands shook as they held and dug through her purse. It couldn't be possible, but it looked like Berry had lost enough weight to almost be skeletal overnight. It looked like the slightest touch would break Berry Allen.

"Uh, yeah," Wally tried to swallow the lump in her throat after seeing her closest family flinch at the sound of her voice.

"Berry," Jay's tone was low and soft, back to the one from the night before, "Are you planning to go to work?"

"Yes," Berry's voice was so defensive and shaky, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Wally, how about you go get your school things together?" Wally listened to Jay, a little happy to be sent away so she didn't have to see Berry, though she didn't go far.

"I already called in sick for you and I am taking care of everything else," Jay said after a long moment, "I know why you didn't want me to do that, and I'm sorry if it feels like I overstepped, but your health is far more important than any of that. Take today and the weekend, do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel safe until the toxin has fully worn off, and then you may get upset with me. Until then, don't try to drive, don't try to go to work, and maybe don't try to cook either."

"Okay," the lack of fight was a relief. Wally zipped upstairs before Berry or Jay could come out of the kitchen.

Hurrying back down the stairs a few minutes later, she bumped into Berry, making her jump and bite back a small cry.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Wally rushed out. After a moment, she was wrapped in the kind of tight hug that only one person could give to make her feel better.

"Don't worry, kiddo," a kiss was dropped into her hair, "Have a good day. Love you."

Berry dashed upstairs, breaking the no speed in the house rule she enforced more than curfew. She didn't reappear.

"Time for school, Walls," Jay led the way to the car.

Berry was gone when they came back that afternoon. A quick search led to them finding a message from Hal Jordan saying that she was with him.

Berry was gone for two, long days. Jay was awesome, he really was, but he didn't know how to cook, he didn't have a cellphone and he didn't know what Wally was or was not supposed to do, so he didn't let Wally go off by herself at all. It led to a boring couple of days that threatened to melt Wally's brain.

She was in the living room, hanging upside down on the couch and flipping through channels when the front door opened.

"Berry!"

"Whoa!" Wally ignored Berry nearly falling over and just squeezed around her middle even tighter, "Hey, kid. I guess you missed me?"

"Are you all better now?" Wally didn't want to look up to see if she had scared Berry.

"Yeah," Wally heard a smiled as Berry's hand stroked through her hair, "All better, and I'm starved. Do we still have a kitchen?"

"Berry," Jay came out of the den, coming out from doing whatever it was that had been taking up the majority of his time, "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Berry moved Wally to her side, keeping her arm around Wally's skinny shoulders as she started walking across the room, "You hungry? I was just about to get Wally to help me make pork chops."

"As long as I am not the one cooking, I would love to."

Wally knew she and Jay were watching Berry closely as they sat in the kitchen, helping with this and that. She flinched three times, but she did seem to be fine. By the time they finished eating and dishes were all dried and put back, Jay seemed satisfied enough about Berry being back to normal and left soon after.

Wally wasn't satisfied. She never forgot what happened, and she never stopped watching for those flickers of fear on Berry's face.

End