Heres a new chapter, and a rather long one by my usual standards. So I felt it time for a good flashback before I continue on with the plot. Also the whole thing with Devoe's wife confessing about her husband's plans, I do kinda think that might happen in the show as especially in the midseason finale we saw her a little bit hesitant with everything that she had to do. But anyways that's just a theory of mind, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave reviews!
Joe had been the first to find out. He had been at CCPD, a job that was hard for him to return to after Barry's arrest but he went anyways. He was sitting at his desk late at night looking over a case file when he heard the doors to the elevator open with a small ping. Joe didn't pay much attention to the footsteps that followed until he heard the voice that went with it.
"I'd like to speak with the Captain" she had said with her familiar accent. Joe couldn't help but looking up from his papers. Marlize Devoe had been at the trial, and had sworn that she believed Barry to be guilty of her husband's murder. And yet now she stood back in the lobby of the police department, looking extremely nervous but also slightly...scared.
Joe completely forgot about his work at that moment and began walking towards her, wanting to know why she was here. Marlize turned her head and caught his gaze, tears began spilling down her cheeks.
"Mrs. Devoe" an officer said putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her to Singh's office.
"Wait" she said stopping in her path as she looked back over to Joe. "I think Mr. West should join us as well, please" the officer nodded and Joe slowly followed the two.
The next half an hour would be the worst of Joe's life, and possibly of Captain Singh's as well. With a video camera recording, she told them everything, starting from the particle accelerator with her husband being metahuman up until the planned murder. Leaving out everything that had to do with Barry being the Flash she went on to explain how her husband picked him as the perfect target to pin the 'murder' on.
"Why Barry Allen?" Singh asked. "It could've been any one in this city".
"My husband saw the brilliance in his young mind, all the cases he was able to explain" Mrs. Devoe half lied.
"And the video?" Joe asked, referring to the one shown at Barry's trial, the one that was supposed to be video surveillance.
"Merely a trick of my husband's powers" she replied, although she didn't seem happy about this fact. "You can make me take a polygraph, but I assure you that I speak the truth" she added, noticing the slightly unconvinced look on the Captain's face.
"It's been two years" Singh stated. "Why come out with this information now, instead of at the trial when it was needed?" He asked.
"Because at that time, I was blinded by love. He made me believe that this was all for the best, that this would allow him to continue to live on and we could make the future better together. Except he started going too far. With this new body that he stole, he felt invincible, and I no longer saw the man that I married" Marlize said, crying once more.
"But you stayed with him" Singh said.
"I felt obligated too, we were married after all and we had made our vows. He liked to remind me of this, every time I would advise him to stop. He had gotten new friends also. Criminals, I might add, people that didn't care about hurting others. My husband became too involved with them although I wanted no part of his plans. Not anymore. And so I wanted to leave, but Clifford didn't want that" she said before moving a lock of hair away from her face, showing a rather purple bruise on her left cheek.
"He would always apologize after, tell me how much he loved me. And I believed him. It was only tonight that I had the courage to come and tell over all this" she finished.
The interrogation room fell silent. Singh got up to check the video recording. Whole Joe held his forehead in his hands, not knowing what to do with himself.
"Do you know how much trauma and hardship my son has had to go through?" Joe asked quietly.
"Mr. West-" Marlize began.
"I wanted to believe he was innocent. But you looked at me in that damn courtroom, and you swore he was guilty" Joe said his voice now raised. He had put away one of his closest friends for eleven years and then he'd done the same thing to his son. What kind of parent does something like that?
"Mr. West, I'm so sorry-" she cried.
"Tell that to my son" Joe said bitterly.
"Joe" Singh said, looking up from the camera. "I think you better call Cecile. This looks good. We could get a judge to sign the release tomorrow. Barry could be out of Iron Heights within a day" Joe nodded but he wasn't really listening. All he could now think about was his son, and the new baby. Nora West-Allen was now a year old and at the time of her birth Iris refused to have anyone at the hospital with her a first. She just wanted Barry. Eventually she let Cecile and Caitlin come and calm her down. But she wouldn't talk to her father. Iris believed of Barry's innocence from the very beginning and refusing to think otherwise. The rest of the Team couldn't decide. The more arguments they made against Barry's ability to kill, the more it actually seemed more likely, and they all hated themselves for thinking so badly of their friend. But the way he'd been acting recently made them think otherwise. He had broken into Devoe's house and developed a dangerous obsession with this new villain. Maybe it was that Barry had just gotten married that he didn't want anyone ruining his happiness and killing someone else that he loved, so he took care of this guy before any of his plans could go into action. Maybe it was just one evil villain too many.
Joe left the room and pulled out his phone with a shaking hand. He scrolled down his contact lists and for some reason went straight past Cecile's name and instead went to Iris, although she knew his daughter would most likely not pick up. Cecile was probably with Iris right now, helping her take care of the baby. Over the two years that Barry had been in Iron Heights, Cecile and Iris had formed a very close bond. After Cecile's miscarriage she and Joe had decided that maybe this was for the best and they didn't try again. They did however, elope in a small church near the house, wanting to make their marriage as quiet as possible for Iris.
When Barry was in the Speedforce she stayed strong, leading the team in the best way possible. But after his arrest and conviction she left the team completely, focusing on her job at CCPN and now the new baby.
The phone began to ring, once, twice, three times and then it went to voicemail.
"Hello" Joe said beginning his message. "Baby girl, I have some really great news. Please call me back". Next he dialed Cecile.
She picked up almost instantly. "Hey Joe" she said.
"Cecile? It's Barry-"
"What?"
"He's going free" Joe's voice broke and Cecile could tell he crying.
"What do you mean? The judge said no parole" she asked.
"He didn't kill Devoe" Joe said. "My son's innocent" and in the background he could've sworn he heard his daughter crying.
They had waited until Cecile got his released signed to tell the rest of the Team. Joe had gotten all of them to meet him at their house while Cecile went to Iron Heights.
"Joe, what's this about?" Cisco asked jumping through the huge circling vortex that had opened up in the living room, Harry following seconds after. Wally arrived in a flash of yellow lighting with Caitlin making a not so impressive entrance by walking in the front door.
"You sent out a panic alert for us all to come here" Caitlin added, holding up her still blinking red phone.
"Well, this is going to be hard to tell you all this but-" Joe paused taking a deep breath. "Last night at the precinct Devoe's wife came in. And she confessed...everything".
"West, what're you saying?" Harry asked, keeping hold of one of the gun in his hands.
"Barry's innocent" he paused again letting the fact sink in for the rest of the Team. "That video from the trial? Apparently something with Devoe's powers that he whammied everyone that watched it-"
"Making it look like Barry killed him" Cisco said, his eyes wide.
"Meanwhile it could've shown anything else" Caitlin added.
"Ok" Cisco said as he began walking around the living room, playing with his dark hair every few seconds. "This is bad. This is extremely bad. How the hell could have let something like this happen?! And Barry..."
"Where is he, Dad?" Wally asked. "I mean, like is he out yet?"
"Cecile got the judge to sign his release almost immediately this morning, then she told me she was headed to Iron Heights to get Barry" Joe told them all.
"She's bringing him here?" Caitlin asked. Joe nodded.
"Oh man" Cisco said as his pacing began to get faster. "Barry's not gonna like that. He hasn't seen any of us in two years, cause none of us ever visited him"
"Iris did, once" Caitlin said quietly and Joe looked at her. "She wanted to tell him about the baby".
"Wait Joe, you did tell Iris about this right?" Caitlin asked.
"Cecile told her".
"She probably hates us now almost as much as Barry will" Cisco said. "Honestly if were him, I'd never want to see any of us again".
And then Joe's phone rang, it was Cecile. Nervously he answered the call.
"Joe Barry's gone" Cecile said into the phone, he could hear that she was driving.
"What?!" Joe asked incredulously as he looked back to the rest of the group, not knowing how'd they go forward.