Within Seconds // Barry Allen

Clever Girl Parker

Wells pointed at her chest, where he knew the ring hung underneath her shirt.

"One day that ring around your neck will get its own podium at a museum,"
Wells informed, "I simply created a replica."

"What museum?" Parker asked.

"I guess you'll have to live and find out."

Parker chuckled, giving him props for the clever answer. She started to walk in slow circles, her mind processing the new information.

"So, if we do this," Parker started slowly, continuing to pace, "And he runs at the speed you need him to, I'm safe? I won't die? If Barry and I get back together, we'll break up because of normal reasons?"

"One cause of death will be avoided, and only one cause remains," Wells said, refusing to give a straight answer.

"Which is?"

"Old age."

Parker couldn't be used as leverage anymore. Her life was no longer on the line. She was safe; free from the hidden panic in the back of her mind.

Finally, Park stopped worrying about the future, now that her biggest concern wasn't true anymore.

She was free to live in the moment again. She was able to tell a special someone how she felt again.

==

The chance to tell him came faster than intended. On the way to the Cortex, Barry and Parker crossed paths in the hallway by bumping into each other.

"I was looking for you," Barry said.

"Same. Look, Barry, we need to talk," Parker said.

"If it's about me going back, I'm doing it," Barry said.

Parker's jaw dropped, her nerves disintegrating, the thought of her big news suddenly in the back of her mind.

"I know," Barry mumbled after seeing her face, "Come on."

Barry had gathered everyone in the Cortex to discuss the outline of the plan.

Cisco and Parker sat beside each other at the computer desks, coincidentally sitting the same way: elbows on the desk, chins in the palms of their hands.

Their faces were relatively similar as well, both showing varying degrees of concern.

"According to Wells' calculations, Barry has to super-speed inside the Accelerator ring.
Once Barry reaches optimimum speed, we then launch a hydrogen particle into the Accelerator.
Once the collision happens, a wormhole forms, opening a gateway into time itself," Martin Stein explained, "It's at that moment I plan on shouting something along the lines of, 'Eureka' or 'Excelsior.'"

Barry, leaning on the edge of the desk, turned to his two most trusted advisors, who continued their looks of concern.

"What do you two think?" Barry asked.

Cisco turned his head to look at Parker, giving her the chance to answer first.

Parker rolled her eyes to Barry, giving a depressing sigh.

"You know I'm not exactly happy about it. But I guess I have to give it up and be supportive," Parker admitted, a smirk raising the corner of her lips as she joked, "Just know it's fake support."

Barry sent her a closed-lipped smile, turning his attention to Cisco.

"I mean, on one hand, it does make a kind of sense. On the other hand, why?" Cisco groaned, "Why would you ever consider doing this?"

"You know why," Barry mumbled.

"So, for this to actually work, how fast does Barry have to actually go?" Caitlin asked.

"By my estimates, Mach two at a minimum," Martin answered.

"You haven't gone that fast," Caitlin said, her tone revealing doubt.

"What happens if Barry doesn't reach that speed?" Joe interjected, "I'm imagining a bug hitting a windshield. How far off am I?"

"Not very far, I'm afraid," Martin admitted.

"Let me worry about how fast I have to go," Barry said to Joe. He turned his head back to the duo at the desk, "We're going to need something else, too."

"Really?" Parker and Cisco said together in sarcastic astonishment.

"What now? Because, I don't know about you guys, but I'm not interested in helping you get yourself killed," Cisco grumbled.

"I need you to build a time machine."

Cisco's eyes softened, changing to interest, "Go on."

Parker spun his chair to face hers, slapping her hands on his shoulders excitedly.

She didn't wait for Barry to explain why they needed a time machine, she was too caught in the idea of designing one.

"Cisco, we're building a TARDIS," Parker said, "Allons-y!"