Within Seconds: Flashpoint Edition

If It Ain't Love

After breakfast, on the porch steps of his childhood home, Barry swept Parker from her feet and carried her across the city. On the edge of the water, under a small gazebo, he came a stop. She released her deep breath when he let her down. It was then she noticed where they were. 

"Oh, Bar," she sighed. "It's pretty here."

"It's about to get even prettier," he admitted, then showed her a bottle of wine he had set on the edge of the gazebo. 

Parker grinned. "A man after my own heart."

While she went to work on popping open the wine, Barry decided to begin the start of his speech. With her back turned, he withdrew the piece of paper with his notes to shape his words a little.

"I've told you stories and stories about my life back in the other timeline. I didn't have to tell you about how stupid in love my parents were because you see it every time we're with them. A-And, growing up, all I wanted was to be lucky enough to find a girl that could be my other half, to have what they have, and... Well."

"You did," said Parker.

"Yeah," he said softly, smiling. "Yeah, I did find her, but I lost her. So, I came here, hoping to find that the version of her that I searched for could patch me up and make me feel whole again. Instead, I found you."

Parker winced, drowning half her wine cup in response. 

"Wow. That sounded better in my head," he admitted instantly. He rubbed his temples. "No, like, you do make me feel whole. It hurt, at first, but now every second I spend with you is just another moment I have to be thankful for. You're giving me memories to add to the ones I have with my girl. You're an honest dream come true."

"That's very sweet, thanks, Bar," mumbled Parker. She took another sip.

"But, I think, it's time that I let her go."

With those words, the wine spewed back into her glass. Hastily wiping her lips, Parker shook her head in absolute certainty that he was choosing the wrong decision.

"I think, if we tried, we could make this work for real and for the best," encouraged Barry. "The only way I can make this work is if I let go of her. You're my Parker. You're my new beginning. I need to stop living in the past, because--"

"If you say I'm your future, I'm honest to God going to kick your ass," snapped Parker.

Barry shut his mouth.

Eyes closed, wincing, Parker shook her head again and again. She was in shock. By the time she opened her eyes, she wasn't able to look at him. She took a seat, hands over her mouth.

Barry squat in front of her, softly saying, "Parker, I'm ready to be all in on this. I am all in."

Parker raised her head, hands clasped. Thoughts were racing through her head, Barry could tell, but he didn't allow her time to talk herself out of it.

"Some people are just meant to be in your life. That's my point here. I was lucky enough to find parts of her in you. Now, I'm realizing that I'm just lucky to find you. I'm going to remember how we used to... Oh. Oh."

Suddenly, Barry was clutching Parker's knees for support. His head was spinning. Memories of her flashed before his eyes. Behind his eyelids, he relived their first encounter at the CCPD, their first kiss on New Years, the moment he told her about his ability. Barry saw them before his eyes, then, they were gone.

"Barry?" asked Parker cautiously.

"Uh, sorry, yeah," he said, confused by his abrupt dizziness. "Where was I?"

"I don't know. It's not important. What's important is that we talk this out, that you let me talk, because... Uh... Because..."

Parker had trailed off by accident. Her eye caught on two cops rushing to their cars on the street behind Barry.

"What's going on?" she called.

"Flash and the Rival are going at it in the Werther Building," explained one cop.

"Everyone needs to evacuate this area immediately," said the other.

Barry stood, pointing over his shoulder. "I should..."

"Get out of here," encouraged Parker, waving her hand. "Just... Come back to me, okay?"

"Always."

xxxx

Memory loss happening to Barry was gone the second he ran to inspect what was going on with the Flash and the Rival. It wasn't until after he figured out the Flash was Wally, that Iris was working with her brother to fight crime, or until he was taken to Ramon Industries and exposed to a rich and slightly snobby Cisco Ramon when another case occurred. It was memories with Cisco, this time. He relived them, then they were gone. 

"Barry?" asked Iris cautiously. 

Shaking his head, he started to stumble out the door. "I-I have to go see someone," he said, then sprinted into the hallway. He ensured it was empty, then he used his speed to run to the only person he knew could help. 

"And here I was starting to think you'd forgotten all about me!" said Eobard Thawne when he heard the door to the warehouse slide open. 

"But I am forgetting," agreed Barry. "What's happening to me?"

"I was wondering when you'd notice."

"It's like I'll be thinking of a moment from my past, then it vanishes. I can't get it back. Why?"

"Flashpoint side effect. See, I told you before: you don't know what you're doing. This new reality you created is starting to overwrite the reality that you and I know. So, your original life, your friends, your family-- pretty soon all of that will just fade away," explained Eobard, a hint of a smile on his face. It only widened when a new thought popped into his head: "And she will, too."

Barry ignored him. "Why isn't it happening to you?"

"Not sure. Unless..."

"What?" asked Barry eagerly. 

Eobard glanced around the cage, his smile widening until he was laughing uncontrollably. He was forced to lean on the bars, finger pointed lazily at Barry, as if to place blame on him.

"What the Hell's so funny?!" shouted Barry.

"Your speed!" choked out Eobard. "The more you use it, the faster you lose your memories!"

"No. No, you're lying," said Barry instantly. "You just want me to let you out. That's not gonna happen."

Eobard waved his hand. "The you I know from the future is not this stupid. Pretty soon, you won't even remember you're the Flash. When that happens, this world will become permanent. Time will set like concrete and nothing will be able to change it back to the way it was."

"Fine by me," agreed Barry, walking back to the door. 

"You know what you have to do!" he called after Barry. "You have to take me back to that night and let me finish what I started."

"You go to Hell!" snapped Barry.

"You're taking both of us there!" yelled Eobard, spitting a vicious, "Who's the villain, now, Flash?!" after him.