Your broken promises {2}

~3~

"Are you here to play with me?" The child asked, no longer hugging onto Barry's leg.

"H...how are you here? You were meant to be an illusion!"

"What's that?" She asked.

'Barry, that child is not of our own power. We don't know who she is and have only just discovered that she had breached into the speedforce somehow and we had mistook her for one of our own illusions. She is of earthly origins however has powers but we have no idea how.' A voice in Barry's head said.

'What the... who are you?' Barry asked

'With your improved powers from being in the speedforce for so long, we can now contact you but only in dire emergencies such as now. The child doesn't remember anything of what happened. She had been stuck in there for 7 months, a month before your death. She wasn't controlling herself and had been living through that illusion the entire time.'

'So... she is from earth? What powers does she have? How is any of this possible?'

'Emotional manipulation'

'What am I meant to do with her?'

'That is your choice Barry and our time with each other is over. Blessed be'

Barry looked down at the child. She was quite cute.

She had short, curly hair that had reached up to her shoulders. Her hair was a similar colour to Barry's, a hazelnut brown. Her eyes did not mirror Barry's though. They were a dark shade of brown, extremely dark to the point where it could be mistaken for black eyes.

Barry knelt down to her height, smiling at her.

"Are you here to play with me?" The child asked, her hands behind her back as shyly shuffled.

"I'm not going to hurt you, don't worry. What's your name?" Barry asked.

"My name is... I... I don't have a name..." The child frowned.

"You don't? How about I give you a name then?" Barry offered. The child nodded her head in approval of the idea. Barry sat in thought for a while, deciding on a good name for her. He finally came to a conclusion.

"Adelaide? Do you like that name?" Barry asked. The child wore a huge smile, giving Barry evidence that she liked the name as she rapidly nodded her head.

"Okay... Adelaide. My name is Barry" Barry introduced.

"You're going to be living with me for a while until I can find you a good home. Do you know where your parents are?" Barry asked.

"I don't have any" Adelaide frowned.

"You don't? I'm sorry... I'll make sure to find you a good family. How old are you?" Barry asked.

Adelaide held up 6 fingers in response.

"6?" Barry asked, to which Adelaide nodded.

"Can we play?" Adelaide asked.

"Hmm, I don't have any toys. I'm guessing this is my new apartment." Barry said. He checked his pocket, pulling out a wallet to see some money. It was more than he needed and he also had a job according to the speedforce. As what, he didn't know. However the badge in his pocket said that he worked for the ECPD.

So he was still apart of the police force, whether it was as an actual police or forensics again he didn't know. What did the 'E' stand for? Maybe it was Nationals neighbouring city, Emmerton City. He wasn't sure though.

"Shall we go get you some toys?" Barry asked.

"Yes!" Adelaide squealed, jumping up and down.

"Come on then." Barry smiled as he put his hand out. Adelaide looked at it for a moment, shooting him a strange look.

"You have to hold my hand Adelaide. We can't risk you getting hurt now can we?" Barry asked. Adelaide shook her head to say no, wrapping her tiny hand around Barry's as the two left the apartment.

——

Barry came back home, Adelaide holding the fluffy, light brown teddy she had picked out.

"I love it so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed as she hugged it tightly.

"I'm glad you do" Barry smiled.

Adelaide looked down at her stomach as it made a sound catching both hers and Barry's attention.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. What are we eating?" She asked.

"I can tell, I can ma- wait, hold on. What did you call me?"

"Daddy!"

"Oh Adelaide, I'm not your dad I'm afraid." Barry said as he crouched to her height.

"I know but I've never had a dad and you look like one."

"How does one look like a dad?" Barry chuckled.

"I don't know, they feed you, play with you... what else do I see them do?"

"Oh... Adelaide..." Barry said, a piteous look on his face.

Adelaide had seen many fathers with their daughters when she had been wandering. They seemed to always be playing with the child or getting them food, like icecream! Barry had met those standards and she had immediately seen him as her own.

"You even have the haircut" Adelaide giggled, Barry self consciously touching his hair.

"I have the- I... you know what, nevermind. That's not the point. I only just met you!"

"Oh well, you're my dad now" Adelaide giggled.

"No."

"Yes!" Adelaide squealed.

"Oh god." Barry sighed, seeing it to be pointless. The child was stubborn, he could immediately tell.

"We'll come back to this later, seems like you need some food. What do you want?" Barry asked.

"I don't know. I'd usually just make people feel like giving me their food." Adelaide shrugged.

"Well, you aren't going to do that anymore. That's called stealing and we don't do that. From now on, you will just ask whoever is watching you and right now, that is me. And we will have the worlds greatest food"

"So... I can't use my powers to get food?"

"How about we try to not use our powers at all? Unless I'm teaching you how to use them? Or.. trying."

"You're going to teach me?"

"I'll need to if I ever want to return you to your parents safely." Barry chuckled.

"Hmm, Okay! Now what is this great food?"

"Pizza."

"Hmmm, peee... sa. Pisa."

"Close enough kid." Barry chuckled.
"Now come on, we'll eat outside." Barry said, grabbing Adelaide and lifting her up as he stood.

Adelaide, holding her bear in one hand, giggled, playing with Barry's hair as the two left the apartment to get pizza together, which Adelaide had greatly enjoyed.