Take a Chance on it
"If we could just find out the frequency that Zoom vibrates at, maybe we can create some device to take him down," E2 Barry suggested hopefully.
"How are we supposed to find that out?" Cisco asked incredulously, "It's not like Zoom is going to just waltz in here and let us run a bunch of tests on him."
"Actually, that's exactly what he did," Barry said. Then he looked at Caitlin, "Do you still have all the data you collected from 'Jay' when we first met him?"
"I do," Caitlin said, but she bit her lip, "The only thing is that most of it is unreliable, considering he was just slipping me false samples the whole time when my back was turned."
Barry sighed in disappointment.
"Maybe we don't need to know Zoom's frequency," E2 Barry said suddenly, "Maybe we just need to know the vibrational patterns that the speedforce operates at. If we can disrupt those, maybe we can take away Zoom's speed, at least temporarily."
Caitlin nodded enthusiastically.
"I think we might be able to do that," she said excitedly, "Barry can give us whatever samples we need."
She left the room in an instant to grab her blood collecting kit, returning quickly. Without a word of complaint, Barry rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm and allowed her to take whatever samples she wanted from him. E2 Iris seemed to be surveying him closely, although he didn't really know why. When Caitlin and his double left the room to study their fresh samples, Barry stood from his chair, slowly pulling his shirt sleeve back down.
"You're a really good sport about all of this, you know that?" E2 Iris's voice said from behind him. Barry turned to look at her. She was still giving him that same surveying look.
"What do you mean?" Barry asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"I mean all of this medical stuff. You never complain," she said, "You always just let Caitlin run whatever tests and take whatever samples she wants, and I haven't heard you complain once about it."
"They're not that bad," Barry said dismissively with a smile.
"No, they're not," she agreed, "But I could see how you might find them exhausting after a while. She's given you three MRIs this week alone. Not to mention all of the treadmill analysis exercises you guys have been doing. I've also completely lost count of how many blood samples she's taken from you this week. It seems like an everyday thing."
"It is," Barry said, "She likes to monitor my blood sugar and electrolytes among other things. She's taking care of me."
He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to explain this to her. Caitlin wasn't always just trying to use him for medical research. She was also trying to take care of him. It was all a part of her job as his doctor.
"I know she is," E2 Iris said understandingly, "I just could see how you might start to feel a bit…used sometimes."
Barry shook his head firmly.
"I don't feel used," he assured her, "From the start, I've only wanted to help people, and I'm willing to do that both as the Flash and as…"
"As a test subject," E2 Iris finished for him.
"It's not like that," Barry said in a strained voice, "Caitlin and Cisco aren't trying to use me. They've always done right by me, and I trust them wholeheartedly."
"I do too, Barry," E2 Iris said calmly, "I just wanted to doublecheck that you're really okay with all of this. I don't want you to be forced into doing things you don't want to do."
"I'm fine," Barry assured her, "They would never force me to do anything against my will. They've always been respectful of my wishes and my rights."
"Good," E2 Iris said with a warm smile, "Sorry, Barry. I didn't mean to upset you. I think it's just the cop in me coming out."
Barry smiled at her.
"It's okay," he said, "I appreciate you checking in and caring about me."
His smiled almost looked sad to her. It didn't quite reach his eyes, and he looked down as he spoke.
"It's not just me, you know," she said to him, "She cares about you too. Your Iris. She cares about you a lot. She loves you."
Barry smiled sadly at her.
"Not enough though," he said quietly.
…..
"Wow, someone looks fancy today," E2 Iris said as Barry came into the kitchen wearing a dress shirt and tie.
"I have court," Barry answered curtly.
Iris and Joe both exchanged a knowing glance. Barry hated it when he had to testify at court trials. It wasn't that often, but every now and then they would need a forensic specialist there for "evidence consultation." Barry absolutely hated it.
"But it's Saturday," Iris protested.
"Tell that to the captain," Barry said bitterly.
He didn't mean to be snippy. He just really hated wasting his day off in court. He also hadn't even gone to bed the night before because of a busy night out on Flash duty. Needless to say, Barry was more than a little wiped out and cranky.
"Well, when you go up to the stand, just make sure you speak with confidence," E2 Iris advised, thinking maybe Barry just hated public speaking and was nervous about standing and talking in front of everyone.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Joe said with a shake of his head, "Barry knows how to talk in front of a crowd. You should have seen his valedictorian speech at his graduation ceremony."
Barry rolled his eyes at his overly proud foster dad.
"It's not the public speaking part I dislike," Barry assured her, "I just think it's a huge waste of time for me to go in just to authenticate a simple GRT. Since when do they need a specialist present just to verify a gun residue test? Anyone can do that!"
Joe and Iris both looked at each other. They both knew that wasn't the only reason Barry hated giving forensic testimonies. Barry hated it because it all reminded him of his father's trial after his mother's murder. He hadn't been allowed to attend as a kid, but he had seen enough of it on the news to know what all happened during the trial. He hated it. He hated all of it. He hated the judge. He hated the jury. The lawyers. He hated everything about court.
Just setting foot in the courthouse, the same one where his dad had been convicted, still upset him to this day. It had gotten a bit easier since his dad had been freed, but Barry was still somewhat bitter that the justice system had failed his father so badly. This was why vigilantes were necessary. When the law failed, someone needed to take matters into their own hands. Barry understood that, and he believed it fully.
They had tried to tell Barry that he should really sit down for breakfast with them so he could eat a decent meal, but Barry insisted that he was late and would have to make do with Cisco's calorie bars. They all sat around the breakfast table after he had left.
"That's too bad Barry's not going to be around today," Joe said sulkily, "I was going to ask him for his help working on the car. Wally said he'd take a look at it for me, but he decided not to come home from school this weekend."
"Probably for the best," Iris said, "How exactly are we planning on explaining the fact that there are two of me and Barry living in our house?"
"Yeah, I haven't quite figured that one out yet," Joe admitted.
"What car?" E2 Barry asked, "You're working on a car?"
"Yeah," Joe said with a sigh, "I'm trying to. I haven't driven it in years. It's vintage and a collectible, but it doesn't run quite right. Barry was going to help me fix it if Wally couldn't."
"I'm surprised you would let Barry anywhere near your car," Iris said with a laugh, "Didn't you say neither of us were allowed to even touch it?"
"Yeah, well last I checked it was you who was driving when you and Barry wrapped my last one around a tree while you were joy riding," Joe said.
"We were sixteen!" Iris said, "When are you going to let that go?"
"I'm starting to," Joe said with a laugh.
"Remember when we took my dad's car?" E2 Iris asked her husband with a grin, "And he caught us making out in it?"
E2 Barry blushed.
"I'll never forget the look on Joseph's face," he said with a shudder.
He couldn't help but glance nervously at Joe, even though he knew it wasn't the same man. E2 Barry cleared his throat before changing the subject.
"Well, I know a thing or two about cars," he said sheepishly, "I could take a look at it if you want."
His wife smiled widely at him. He had completely given up on making an effort to get along with her late father on their own earth. She was glad to see him trying to get to know this earth's version at least.
"That would be great!" Joe said happily, smiling at E2 Barry who then smiled back nervously. He was really hoping he wouldn't regret this later.
…..
Iris didn't know why she was so fixated on watching the earth 2 couple version of her and Barry. She tried not to stare, but she couldn't help it. The way they were constantly looking at each other, sharing the same small smile, as if they knew some sort of secret that no one else knew. It somewhat reminded her of the way Barry and her often looked at each other. Being best friends, they had always shared these looks, almost as if they could communicate telepathically with their eyes, like they had their own secret club. Of course, now she knew that in those moments Barry hadn't been looking at her as a friend. He had been looking at her in love.
Iris was definitely sure now that she without a doubt felt something more for Barry. Her feelings for him were more than just what someone feels for a best friend. She felt something for him romantically. The only problem was whether or not she should act on those feelings. She knew she didn't have to worry about rejection. It was simple. She liked Barry, and Barry liked her. This should be easy. She already knew Barry returned her feelings. That, in itself, was the problem though. Barry had held his feelings for her in for years, and she was only just now recognizing hers for what they were. She couldn't confess these feelings to him unless she was sure. To go and get his hopes only to break his heart all over again would just be cruel.
And then there was always that fear of change that was holding her back. What if she and Barry really were to take their relationship to that next level? Things would forever change between the two of them, more so than they already had. What if down the road things didn't work out between them? Would their friendship survive that? Was her friendship with Barry something she was willing to risk just so she could explore the possibility of a relationship with him?
Iris suddenly thought to herself that maybe she was being a little presumptuous. Maybe Barry didn't even harbor those feelings for her anymore. Maybe he had actually moved on, and she had missed her chance. She certainly had felt that way when he was dating Patty and things were getting serious between the two of them. But now Barry was single again. Except, he wasn't exactly doing anything to make her think he still had those feelings for her. When she had mentioned to him about her boss asking her out, he had been so supportive. He had even showed her that video he had taken of Eddie a year ago to help her move on. He had actually encouraged her to go out with somebody else, and that was after he and Patty had already broken up. Maybe he really had just moved on, and she should do the same.
Even when they went out to the club that night with the rest of the group, Iris had tried to read Barry to see how he truly felt, but she was left only feeling more confused after that night.
"If we ever do get married, promise me we won't do that dance at our wedding."
"I promise. About the dance thing, not the wedding thing," he had added quickly.
Iris was surprised by how disappointed she had been from his response. Really, though. What had she expected? Him to get down on one knee and propose on the spot and announce his undying love for her?
No. Iris was too late. Barry had moved on now, and even if he hadn't, she still had her other reasons for not wanting to explore their relationship any further. Still though. Having this earth 2 version of them so happily married and displaying their love in front of everyone all the time was starting to get to her. She felt a squeezing sensation in her heart every time she saw them so happy together. She wanted that. She wanted that with Barry, with her Barry. She was just too afraid to reach for it.
"Is something wrong?" E2 Iris asked as they were cleaning up the dining room table after breakfast. Joe and E2 Barry had already disappeared to the garage, E2 Barry with an extremely nervous look on his face.
"No," Iris replied quietly as she picked up a plate, "Just thinking."
"About Barry," E2 Iris said, not a question.
Iris gave her a weak smile, affirming the other woman's conclusion.
"It's just," Iris said, somewhat at a loss for words, "You and your Barry always seem so happy together. You two seem to have the perfect relationship. I just don't know if that would ever be possible with my Barry. He and I are perfect as best friends. I will never have another friendship quite like my friendship with Barry. I just don't know if we would be compatible the same way that you two are, as more than friends."
"There's only one way to find out," E2 Iris said with a wink.
Iris sighed heavily, despite the other woman's light tone.
"I don't want to risk our friendship," she said quietly, "If Barry and I were together, and things didn't work out…I couldn't bear to lose my best friend."
"Iris," the other woman said seriously, "You love Barry, right?"
Iris nodded. She loved Barry in the most confusing way. She loved him in more ways than one.
"And Barry is clearly in love with you," E2 Iris said, "When love is real, you'll know it. When you have it, you trust it. You believe in it and take a chance on it. Your friendship with Barry isn't going to go anywhere. It'll just become something better. My Barry and I were friends for years before we took that next step, and he is still my best friend, just in a more complete sense of the word."
Iris sighed.
"I don't know," she said, "You make it's seem so simple, and you and your husband make it look easy but…"
"The way I see it, your friendship with Barry has already changed," E2 Iris said bluntly, "And I understand that that scares you. You want things to go back to the way they were before. They won't. You can't go back. All you can do now is move forward."
Iris nodded slowly.
"And my husband and I aren't perfect," E2 Iris added, "We have arguments all the time. It just comes with the territory. In fact, we just had a huge argument last night."
"You did?" Iris asked in surprise. They seemed as if they never fought.
"Yeah," E2 Iris said with a sigh. She actually seemed somewhat upset by it.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to talk," Iris said with an understanding smile, "What's wrong?"
E2 Iris sighed again.
"It's complicated," she said, "For over a year now, Barry and I haven't been agreeing on something. He's become more and more adamant about it, and it's been putting strain on our relationship."
"What is the argument about?" Iris asked curiously.
E2 Iris gave her a serious look before answering, "Barry wants to have a baby."
"Oh," Iris said, not expecting that response, "And you don't?"
"Of course I do!" the other woman said insistently, "I want to have a baby just as much as he does. He'll make a great father, and I want nothing more than to have his children."
"Then what's the problem?" Iris asked in confusion. The two would clearly make excellent parents, and they seemed deeply in love. She couldn't see what the problem was.
"Zoom," E2 Iris answered darkly.
"Oh."
"The timing is terrible," E2 Iris continued, "With everything that's happening back on our Earth, I wasn't ready to bring a baby into that world. Until now, Barry had always reluctantly agreed with me, but now he's pressing this again, and I don't know what to do."
"I guess I understand your confusion," Iris said, unsure what advice she could give to the other woman.
"Barry thinks that because we're safe now and the breaches are closed, we should be trying to build a new life. He's content to stay here and start again in a new world where we're safe. He's been talking about bringing our closest friends and family over to this world, and he thinks we should all just stay here permanently, safe from Zoom."
"Wow," Iris said, taking in this information. She had never considered this as possibly being a permanent thing. "But what about the rest of your Earth?"
"I know," E2 Iris said sadly, "I don't want to leave them all to Zoom's mercy. At the same time though, my husband and I for the past year have risked our lives to stop Zoom, and that ended with us being hunted and nearly killed by him. Your Barry saved us just in time. I don't know if our Earth is still savable at this point. Maybe my husband is right. Maybe we should just stay safe and get away from it all while we still can."
"You know my Barry isn't ever going to let it go, right?" Iris asked seriously, "He won't be able to leave an entire world in the hands of Zoom. He's going to try to stop him no matter what."
E2 Iris nodded slowly.
"And he should," she said, "Even if it's not really his burden to bear, someone has to stop Zoom, and Barry probably has the best chance of that. He's going to try either way, and that leaves for a lot of uncertainty about the future. My husband is so eager to move on, he's blinding himself to the issues that still exist. He's so anxious to start a family that he's ready to ignore all the reasons why we still can't. I've been trying to make him see reason, but I can't convince him. He's insistent that it's our time to finally be selfish for once. It's our chance to do what makes us happy and to actually have a life. For so long, our lives were centered around Zoom. He thinks that now is our chance to start over again, to start fresh."
"At least he's trying to stay positive," Iris pointed out, "He's just trying to make the best of your situation. I know it can't be easy for you guys, leaving your old lives behind you, starting over in a new place, an entirely different world. At least he's trying to make the most of it."
"I appreciate my husband's positivity," E2 Iris assured her, "I always have. I just don't want his optimism to cloud his judgement. I want him to be realistic. Now is definitely not the time for us to start trying to have a baby."
"Yeah," Iris said quietly, "You're probably right."
Iris felt they're disappointment right alongside with them. They clearly both really wanted a family, but they couldn't do that with so much uncertainty looming over them. Iris felt incredibly bad for both E2 Barry and Iris. It didn't seem fair that they had already sacrificed so much in the fight against Zoom, and even now they were still making sacrifices.
"Everything is going to work out in the end," Iris assured her, "It might all seem scary and uncertain right now, but things have a way of working themselves out."
"Thank you," E2 Iris said with a warm smile.
Iris smiled back at her, but she knew that her words couldn't have been much comfort to her double. No one knew how things were going to turn out, and no one could actually guarantee that everything was going to be okay.
…..
"You didn't tell me that the car was foreign," E2 Barry said, looking under the hood of the car with a confused look on his face. He was completely at a loss where to begin. The engine looked like it was made on another planet. Really, to him though, it was.
"It's not foreign," Joe said, confused, "It's American."
"This engine layout doesn't make any sense," E2 Barry said, reaching under the hood to tinker with it.
"It's a pretty standard engine," Joe said, "I don't know much about cars, but it looks normal to me."
"Maybe cars are built differently on your earth then," E2 Barry said as worked on trying to figure out how the engine worked and what went where. It was all backwards to him.
"Maybe," Joe said with a laugh, "It's okay if you can't fix it. Wally or Barry will get to it eventually."
"I'll give it a try," E2 Barry said, already busy at work taking things apart. Joe didn't understand any of it, but he looked like he knew what he was doing, so Joe just stood back and let him do his thing.
"So," E2 Barry said, trying to make small talk as he worked, "Does Wally usually come home often? It would be great to see him again. I've missed Wally. Our Wally, I mean. He went to school out of state."
"You have a Wally on your earth?" Joe asked.
"Of course," E2 Barry answered, "Why wouldn't we?"
"Oh," Joe said, "I don't know. I guess it just feels weird considering we only just found out about Wally a few months ago. It's all so new to us."
"What do you mean 'just found out about him'?"
"We didn't even know he existed until now," Joe explained, "My wife walked out on us when Iris was very young. I never knew that she had been pregnant when she left and that I've had a son all these years that I never knew about. It's been kind of hard, finding out about all of this and getting to know Wally."
"Wow, that's intense," E2 Barry said, looking up from his work, "I can't imagine what that must be like, for all of you guys."
"Yeah it's been tough," Joe said, nodding, "So, what is your Wally like? On your earth?"
"He's great!" E2 Barry said enthusiastically, "I've known him for as long as I've known Iris. He and I have always been close. We're practically brothers anyways, so I really couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law."
"Really?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah," E2 Barry answered, "Why the tone of surprise?"
"No reason," Joe said quickly, "It's just that my Barry and Wally haven't exactly clicked yet. They haven't been hostile or anything towards each other, but they both haven't really gotten the chance to get to know each other so far. Actually, I get the feeling that Wally feels somewhat threatened by Barry."
"Why is that?" E2 Barry asked.
"I don't know," Joe said, "I think it's because of my relationship with Barry. He got to be my son for years, and now Wally's entering the picture and I think he feels the need to…I don't know…compete. It's been making it hard for Barry and Wally to get along and get to know each other."
"That must be hard," E2 Barry said, "I never had that problem with my Wally. He and I were practically like brothers, but his father, your earth 2 counterpart, he never really took a liking to me. We didn't ever have to worry about vying for his affection. There was no sibling rivalry feeling to our friendship."
"That would be nice," Joe said, wishing his two sons could get along in the same way. After a moment of thought, he added, "Why didn't your Joe like you?"
E2 Barry laughed lightly at that.
"Simple," he said, "From the beginning, he knew that I loved his daughter."
Joe laughed lightly then too.
"Yeah," he said, "I've watched my Barry be in love with my daughter for years. I know what that's like."
"But you never hated him for it?" E2 Barry asked curiously, "You never felt the need to shield Iris from him, like my wife's father did with me?"
"Are you kidding?" Joe said, "I've been trying to push those two together for years."
E2 Barry didn't look at him for a moment or two as he thought that over.
"Maybe it was because you knew him better," he said quietly, "You helped raise him, and you felt closer to him."
"Yeah, that's probably it," Joe agreed, "Lord knows I've found reasons to dislike all of the other men in Iris's life. I never felt the need to protect her from Barry though. I know he would never hurt her, and nothing would make me happier than to see them both happy together."
"You and Barry really are close, aren't you?" E2 Barry quietly observed.
Joe smiled.
"Yeah, we are," he said proudly, "I really do consider Barry like a son to me. He's just as much of a son to me as Wally is. Bringing Wally into my life won't change that."
"It must have been hard," E2 Barry said, ducking his head back down by the car engine as he worked.
"What?" Joe asked.
"Raising Barry," E2 Barry elaborated, "It must have been hard raising a kid who had lost his parents like that. My double's childhood was drastically different from my own. It still continues to shock me. I can't imagine what it would have been like if my mom had died and my dad had been put away for it. I grew up with both parents, and I never had to suffer the losses that this earth's Barry did."
"Yeah, Barry's been through a lot," Joe agreed sadly.
"I was a bit envious of him at first," E2 Barry admitted.
"You were?" Joe said, "Why?"
"He's a superhero," E2 Barry said, as if it was obvious, "He has superpowers and he fights crime. Even my wife seemed a bit infatuated with him when we first got here."
"Right," Joe said with a laugh, "I guess I can sort of see where you're coming from."
"I don't envy him anymore though," E2 Barry said thoughtfully, "As cool as it would be to have superspeed, I would not want to trade lives with your Barry. Seeing his life here, it's made me appreciate how great my own life is on my earth. I have both parents. I have a boss that doesn't treat me like dirt. And I have Iris. I wouldn't switch places with him even if I could."
"Well, I'd like to think that Barry wouldn't want to switch either," Joe said, "I'd like to think that he's happy enough with his own life, even if it's not exactly perfect."
E2 Barry nodded understandingly.
"I'm sorry, Joseph," he said after a moment, straightening up from the car, "I don't think I can fix this for you. Your earth's car engines just don't make any sense to me."
"That's alright," Joe said with a laugh, closing the hood of the car. With an apologetic look, E2 Barry turned to head back into the house.
"Oh, and Barry," Joe said, stopping him. E2 Barry turned to look at him again. "I won't call you Bartholomew if you don't call me Joseph."
E2 Barry smiled at him.
"Sounds good," he said, "Joe."
…..
Barry didn't return home from court until the late afternoon. He walked through the front door with an irritated look on his face.
"How was it, Bar?" Joe asked nervously.
"Awful," Barry spat, sitting down on the couch, rubbing his tired eyes, "The defendant's lawyer was grasping at straws, making outrageous claims, saying I tampered with the evidence and my latex test was a false positive because of the gloves I wear to crime scenes. I had to prove to them all that I wear latex-free gloves. It was absolutely ridiculous."
"Why would you want to tamper with evidence?" Joe asked, laughing lightly at the idea.
"I don't know," Barry said, "The lawyer was attacking the entire department, saying we were all in on it and we were all out to get his client."
Joe just laughed.
"There's no way the jury believed that."
"You'd be surprised by what people will believe," Barry said humorlessly, "The media makes cops out to be the bad guys all the time. Plus, everyone loves a good controversy. Never mind the lunacy of the idea. You know how many people would have to be in on it to pull something like that off? It's just ridiculous that anyone would take that lawyer's claims seriously."
"It's like the Avery trial all over again," Joe said quietly, "Sorry, you had to deal with that, Bar. It sucks being accused of tampering with evidence. I've had it happen to me, myself."
Barry nodded.
"Yeah, I remember," he said bitterly.
Just then, E2 Barry and the two Irises joined them in the living room.
"You should take a nap, Barry," Iris said immediately, "You look exhausted."
"Yeah," Barry said, stifling a yawn, "I think you're probably right. I should get some rest before going out on patrol."
"Bar, maybe you should skip Flash duty tonight," Joe said gently, "We can leave it to the police for one night."
"I'm fine," Barry said, yawning again, "Once I get some sleep and some food, I'll have plenty of energy."
"He's right, Barry," E2 Iris said, "You're overstressing yourself. You need a break. You need to have some fun for once."
When Barry still didn't look convinced, she continued.
"I know!" she said excitedly, "We should all go out tonight!"
"What?" E2 Barry asked, looking at his wife like she had just suggested something ludicrous.
"Come on, Babe. It'll be fun," she whined, "You're the one who keeps saying we need to let loose and live a little now that we're safe."
"Yeah," he said, "But you know I was saying that in a different context. Going out wasn't what I meant."
"Well, I'm all for it," Iris said happily, smiling at her double, "How 'bout you, Bar?"
Barry looked around at all of them for a moment before giving them a small smile.
"Alright," he said, "I suppose we've all been working hard and deserve a night out. I'll give Cisco and Caitlin a call and see if they want to come too."
"Great!" E2 Iris said, grinning ear to ear, "After Barry gets some much needed rest, we'll all go out and have some fun! Tonight's going to be great!"
…..
Yeah, this chapter was mostly dialogue. I won't be writing Barry out of the next chapter though, and it will have a lot more going on ;)
Please, let me know what you think, both with the two Iris's girl talk and with Joe's and E2 Barry's little heart to heart.