Linda's Surprise Announcement

Disclaimer: I own nothing but what you see here. This was something I thought of awhile back but the deleted bonus second scene from episode 1 of season 2 on Vimeo helped to bring it in more clearly to me.

Summary: What if Barry and Linda had managed to have plenty of time to get all hot and heavy during the Nuclear Man episode before he got called away? What if something came of that experience?

In the months since she and Barry had split and decided to remain friends, Linda had been hiding something from him and considering he was pretty scarce for whatever reason after the break up, she hadn't had much trouble keeping it quiet. Though Iris and others were pretty awfully curious over her growing condition but all she would ever say was is that its the result of a one night stand she had that obviously had shoddy protection. But at seven months pregnant, Linda Park finally felt it was time she told Barry a certain detail about the one time they'd actually managed to have sex without something getting in the way. The Sports reporter was feeling the most nervous she'd ever been in quite some time over this and as she got to the open door to Barry's lab at the precinct, she could hear him talking to someone about how fighting some kind of thing wasn't in the other person's job description.

Though what that thing could be was beyond her aside from the news earlier about a meta-human who could increase his size and she had to wonder if he was talking to his surrogate father about putting his life in danger in the way he had to try and stop that guy. Linda continued to stay by the side of the door as she listened to Barry and Joe's talk as it gradually grew into a very unhappy one. She quickly came to realize that Barry is actually the Flash, which was shocking as Hell and made her worried about how this might affect her baby. Hearing the news about Eddie and someone named Ronnie dying was another shock to the system and it explained so much about how Iris had been so sad for awhile after that Black Hole had been thankfully stopped.

Barry sounded so harsh on himself and it made the expectant reporter want to cry as she never thought she would hear him speak in such a way since he was usually such an upbeat guy. Which was one of the things she had really come to like about him as well. As she listened to him, she moved directly into the doorway where she could be easily seen by both men without her fully realizing it and it wasn't long before Barry spotted her after his declaration of everyone being better off away from him and the look on his face would be pretty amusing if the situation wasn't so serious.

"Linda! How much… How much of that did you hear?" Asked Barry in a worried tone of voice while the other man just watched on with a concerned look on his face.

She stepped up to him slowly before responding to him. "Pretty much all of it. I'm sorry for over hearing all that as I hadn't meant too."

Especially when she had come for a far more important reason and she knew this was going to probably add more pressure on to his shoulders but he deserved to know. "Yeah well, I guess better you then someone like the Captain."

Oh yeah, he was definitely not happy about this turn of events! She came right up to him and put a hand on the side of his face as a comforting gesture and while Barry wanted to remove her hand he honestly didn't have the strength for it at the time. That and her obvious condition was something he didn't want to somehow cause an issue for if he moved her hand away in a less than gentle manner. "Its so easy to see you're hurting Barry, but pushing away everyone you know is not the answer and it never will be." She told him softly and Joe hoped that maybe this girl will get through to him a lot better than what he had been able too so far.

Barry closed his eyes in response, almost as if he was trying to ward off what she was saying but she wasn't about to let that happen. "You need your friends just as much as they need you and the sooner you stop fighting that, the better off you'll be."

Placing a hand of his own on hers as he opened his eyes and looked right into hers with what looked to be tears waiting to be shed from him, he told her that he can't take the chance of someone else he cares about getting hurt or dying. Linda's only response was to hug him tight and refuse to let him go. Things were silent for the three occupants while Barry fought hard against the tears that wanted to fall until he finally asked why she was even there to begin with. Something that made her want to slap him since he was being so darn stubborn.

She braced herself for the potentially bad reaction her child's father may have as she kept a good grip on him by the shoulders. "You know the one time we ever managed to get pretty far with one another?" And boy had that been a fun night! Him walking her back to her car some hours later was the final touch of icing on the cake for her too cause of the kiss they shared before she left.

Joe instantly realized where this was going as the dots all came together for him and a good long talk with the boy was going to be needed very, very soon. Your father and I are way too young for grandchildren! He groused to himself while fighting not to react outwardly so as not to ruin Linda's news.

"Yeah… I remember. It was the only time you and I were ever really able to well, you know, do stuff. Stuff we both really enjoyed a lot. And it could have been repeated several times if it wasn't for other things getting in the way cause that's my life and all." Joe had to facepalm himself while Linda couldn't help but smile at the near babble fest Barry was having.

Realizing what he was doing, Barry cleared his throat while looking awkward about the whole thing and the mother to be found it rather cute. "So uhh… Not to sound rude or anything but what about that night?"

Bracing herself yet again, she tightened her hold on him. "That night left me with something."

Looking confusedly at her as he tried to figure out what that meant exactly left Joe wanting to shout out what the girl was talking about but he fought the urge down. "What, what do you mean? If you're looking for more of that night between us I don't really do that kind of thing outside of a relationship."

The slap to the side of the head was highly unexpected as she glared at him while he stumbled away and Joe bursted out laughing. Staring back at her with a pained and confused look on his face while rubbing the side of his head, he asked her what the heck was that for. "Its because you're a jerk! I'm not looking for that from you or anyone else right now!"

"Okay then! Why bring that night up then!?" He exclaimed, getting fairly frustrated at the way things had gone shortly after that conversation he'd just had with Joe.

"Because I'm pregnant you ass!" Shouted out Linda and making our boy Barry go wide eyed in shock and surprise.

"Y-you're what!?" No way he heard that right! He just couldn't have!

"Oh you heard me sweety, I got a bun in the oven that's due to come very soon thanks to that night!"

He gaped at her like a fish and both Linda and Joe wondered just how he was going to handle this. "I uhh.. Well that's… You know… And kind of..." A chuckle that sounded pretty nervous then came from him and then he was gone faster than either one of them could blink.

Linda turned towards the door somewhat disappointed but also understanding why he would react like that. Joe definitely intended to talk to the boy after that reaction, but he still first had to finally get through to him. Walking to the expectant mother, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze to reassure her that things would be okay. She gave him a grateful smile for it and hoped that things got better for Barry sooner rather than later.

Author's Notes: And there we go! Thank you deleted bonus scenes on Vimeo and I hope you all enjoyed this one! Will likely be more added to this one in the future. R and R!