Be Your Hero - Barry Allen/The Flash (Book 1)

Welcome Home

Ella's POV.

Ella finally arrived in Central City. She was finally home. Ella stood outside of the train station looking at the Central City skyline. The buildings towered above her. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon and Ella hadn't had anything to eat yet. Ella called a cab and checked into a hotel.

She walked into her hotel room and laid down. Now all she has to do was find an apartment. Then she would look for a new job. Suddenly Ella's stomach growled. She just remembered that she hadn't eaten. Everything else would have to wait. On her way to the hotel she had seen a coffee shop down the street called Jitters. Ella grabbed her coat and purse, and headed out the door.

As she walked down the familiar streets of Central City she began remember her childhood. She remembered how she, Iris and Barry would go to the park and play. She smiled fondly at the memories. She looked across the street and saw a person selling flowers. Then a special memory came to her.

****************flashback******************
She and Barry were walking down the street as kids and he saw a flower along the side of the walk. He ran ahead and picked it, hiding it behind his back. Then he handed it to her. "Here. It's pretty. Like you." He said shyly. He blushed. She smiled and laughed slightly, accepting it. "Thank you, Sir Bartholomew."   He rolled his eyes. He never liked his actual name. She giggled, then she curtsied and he bowed. They both laughed and linked arms.
**************end of flashback**************

Just then Ella realized she was at Jitters already. She walked in. She walked up to the counter. A girl was standing with her back turned. She was probably making a capichino. Ella waited patiently. Finally the girl gave the coffee to the man who ordered it, then she walked over to Ella. "Hi, how may I help you?" Ella looked at the woman. She looked so familiar. "Yes...umm...I'm sorry, it's just you look so familiar. Have we met before?" Ella asked.

"Ummm...I don't think so. I'm Iris West." Ella's eyes widened. "Iris?!" Iris shifted her eyes. "Yes?" "It's me. Ella! Ella, Peters!" Iris scrunched her eyebrows together, as if she didn't remember. After a few seconds her eyes grew wide. "Ella? Ella Peters? Oh my gosh!" She squealed.

She walked around the counter and hugged Ella tightly. "You look wonderful! When did you get back?" She asked. "You too! This afternoon! I had no idea you still lived here!" "Yeah! All my life! Oh my gosh! How have you been? I haven't seen you since..." "Since we were kids?" Iris smiled fondly. "Yeah." "I left when I was going into 5th grade and you and...Barry were going into 6th grade." "I remember. We really missed you after you left." Ella smiled. Barry had obviously moved away. Iris hadn't mentioned him once. "I missed you guys too."

Iris pulled Ella to a table and they both sat down. "So tell me...what made you come back?" "Well...I went to college and after I graduated I went to work at the Daily Planet in Metropolis. I worked there for two years and then..." "Then what?" "They made some budget cuts and I was one of them." Iris gasped. "Oh no! Ella I'm so sorry!" "It's fine. After I was let go, I decided that I needed to go back to my roots, so I came home."

"Well I'm personally glad you did. How are your parents by the way?" Ella looked down sadly. "Umm...they're actually...they passed away." Iris looked sadly and apologetically at her. "Oh Ella. I didn't know. I'm so sorry! How?" "Well, when I was...16 my father was in a car accident and then my mother died from a terminal illness when I was 18." "I'm so so sorry Ella." Iris said.

Ella smiled sadly. "It's okay. They're in a better place now. Anyway...so tell me about you. What have you been doing?" "Well...I work here at Jitters, but I really want to be a journalist." "Really?! So do I!" "That's so cool! That's why you worked at the Daily Planet! Were you a reporter?" "Well...not exactly. I was a photographer. There was too much competition to be a reporter." "I see, well at least you were involved in news. My work is stuck making coffee for impatient businessmen and women." Iris laughed.

"Anyway... I went to Central City University, with Barry and-" "You guys went to college together?" "Yeah. We did." "That's great! I'm sure you guys keep in touch a lot." "Keep in touch? We see each other everyday!" Ella began to feel her heart speed up. "Really? You mean...Barry's here in Central City?" "Of course!" "That's great! I'm sorry I interrupted you. Go on." "It's fine. Anyway we went to college together and that's basically it."

"Wow you two must be the best of friends." Ella said. She felt saddened that she had missed out on their lives. "Yeah he's just like my brother. It's wonderful. He's going to be thrilled that your back! I'll tell you what I'm going to see him after my shifts over. Why don't you come with me?" She asked. "Umm...okay sure." "Great! Just let me finish some orders and we'll go."

Ella nodded. She couldn't believe she was going to see her best friend again. She finally was going to have them back.