Brave New World: Flash

Chapter 17

"Hey Eddie, can I talk to you for a second?" Barry asked as he entered the precinct the next day.

"Yeah, what's up?" Eddie asked as Barry led him into his lab.

"You'll know in a second." Barry said as he pressed the memory ring up against Eddie's arm, immediately restoring his pre-crisis memories.

"So, I guess this means we're even since I punched you for hitting on Iris while I was with her and you punched me when I made the mistake of hitting on her when she was with you, though I did not see her being an air force lieutenant." Eddie said and Barry chuckled as he held out his hand to Eddie, who took it.

"You more than made up for it when you sacrificed yourself to try and get rid of Thawne." Barry said.

"Though it sounds like that didn't take." Eddie said.

"Yeah, Thawne found a way to preserve his existence, even after you killed yourself." Barry said.

"So I died for nothing." Eddie said.

"I'm sorry Eddie. We thought that you deserved to know the truth, especially since now I am more than fast enough to deal with Thawne, so you don't need to kill yourself again." Barry said.

"That's a relief. I was really dreading getting my life back only to have to give it up again. Though it sounds like you're the one who got the girl." Eddie said and Barry smiled.

"Look, I am sorry about that, but Iris and I didn't choose to love each other, but we do and neither of us ever wanted to hurt you." Barry said.

"I know. But honestly, now that I think about it, can I ask you a question?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah sure." Barry said.

"I have this memory during the time Hartley Rathaway attacked my descendant and honestly, it's too bad he didn't succeed in his plan." Eddie said.

"Trust me, if I'd known then what I do now, I would've handed him over to Hartley without a second thought." Barry said.

"Right, anyways, I remember you asking me to do some kind of video for Iris's birthday, but it wasn't really that was it?" Eddie asked him and Barry smiled.

"Busted. No, it was not. That was me from a year later, going back in time to learn how to increase my speed for a different threat, but I also saw that Iris was having a tough time moving past your death, so I thought that seeing that message from you might actually help." Barry said.

"And did it?" Eddie asked.

"It did. She did love you Eddie, never doubt that." Barry said and Eddie smiled.

"I know. But she loves you more. And I get now why Joe wouldn't give me his blessing when I asked for it. It's because he knew that Iris was in love with you and he knew it wouldn't be fair to her or to me if she realized it while we were married. At least this time around, we skipped that awkwardness, though I do hope I'm back on the wedding invite list." Eddie said with a smile.

"We never took you off it. I just said that because I was pissed." Barry said.

"I don't blame you." Eddie said and Barry chuckled.

"Well, bygones now." Barry said and Eddie nodded.

"If she can't be with me, then I'm glad she's with someone who loves her even more than I did." Eddie said.

"Did, past tense, does that mean that you're starting to move on from her?" Barry asked.

"Yeah. Honestly, I never should've gotten involved with someone who clearly had an interest in someone else. But, what's going on with Caitlin, is she still with Ronnie?" Eddie asked, since he'd honestly thought that Caitlin was cute, but had never made a move on her since he was with Iris and she was with Ronnie.