What Brings Us Together (A Ralph Dibny/ The Flash Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Thirty-Seven: I Really Really Like You

I went back home to my apartment that night significantly more concerned about my testimony than I was before. I don't know how they could use the similarities of my brother's case against me, or Barry for that matter, especially considering I was fourteen years old at the time. I flopped down on the couch, running a hand over my face. I sighed, when I heard my buzzer go off. I groaned, getting up and trudging over to the intercom.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice a lot more chipper than my current emotions.

"Laura?" Ralph's voice replied. I straightened up a bit before buzzing him in.  I walked back over to the couch and sat down, glowering at the TV directly across from me. My door opened and I heard Ralph's footsteps enter the hallway. "Nice place," He said, before noticing my current state. "Everything ok?" I shook my head and he sat down on the couch next to me.

"I'm just...I'm freaking out about my testimony tomorrow."

"You're gonna do fine. Laura, you're an incredibly charismatic and upstanding citizen. What could they possibly have on you that could convict Barry?" I bit my lip. "Is there something they could have on you to convict Barry?"

"I..." I put my elbows on by knees, burying my face in my hands. I felt Ralph's hand on my back.

"What ever it is, Laura, it can't be that bad." He skimmed his thumb back and forth. "Do you want to talk about it." I looked up at him, tears already beginning to form in my eyes. His eyes were filled with concern. "Hey...it's ok. You can talk to me. Unless you don't want to."

"I...It's something I have never told anybody. Barry doesn't even know, and if the prosecution does...not only are they going to reveal it to my friends in front of everyone...what if it plays a part in sending Barry to jail? They would hate me."

"Nobody in their right mind could hate you." He said. "If you told me what it is we're talking about here, maybe I could help." I wrapped my arms around myself, looking forward again.

"Barry's case...or his 'alleged' case anyway...I've seen on exactly like it before. My brother, Thomas is in Iron Heights prison for exactly the same thing that Barry is being accused of, the difference being he's actually guilty. " My voice broke slightly. "It was his ex-girlfriend. She broke it off, but he didn't want to. He completely lost it, going to her work, her home, calling her all of the time, until eventually he got her cornered. She rejected him again and...he snapped. " I ran a hand through my hair, refusing to look at Ralph. 

"Why would that affect Barry?" He said, his voice soft. 

"I don't know. I'm hoping it won't but...it could I guess, is some lawyer mind-set that I didn't anticipate." I felt his hand come down on my back and I took a deep breath. 

"Everything is going to be fine." He assured me. "You just need to make sure Cecile knows. If there is something there, she can counteract it." I nodded.

"I wish you could be there," I whispered. He sighed. "It's weird...I feel like...if you're around everything really is going to be ok."

"Yeah...I know what you mean." His fingers touched my face and he turned my head to look at him. "But everything will be ok. Even if I'm not there." I swallowed, nodding. "Now...we should probably go talk to Cecile."

"I...I really, really like you. Have I mentioned that?" He smiled.

"Not in so many words," He replied, "But to be fair, most of the time when you talk, I'm more focused on your mouth then what's actually coming out of it." I laughed and he pressed his thumb lightly against my bottom lip.

~~~

I rang the doorbell, bouncing nervously on the balls of my feet. Ralph put a hand on my lower back, trying to calm me down. The door opened and revealed Cecile and a tired looking Joe.

"I'm sorry, if I woke you up. I just...I remembered something that the prosecution could use against me."

~~~

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?" I asked. I sat on the couch with Ralph beside me and Joe on the other side of him. Cecile was pacing in front of us.

"Nine, nine point five." I buried my face in my hands. "If they think you've had experience with this, chances are they will ask you to corroborate the fact that Barry was acting in a way similar to that of your brother." I started thinking about my brother's behavior, and had to admit there were some similarities. "However...I think if we just show what a good and honest person Barry was, as a co-worker and a friend, I think that maybe the Jury will see that there aren't any similarities. You may have to re-account Ralph's story." I looked at Ralph, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He nodded, putting a hand on my knee.

"It's ok. If the alternative is Barry in prison, I think I can survive my name being dragged through the mud a bit." I leaned up, pressing my lips to his cheek. Cecile nodded.

"We can do this. It will be ok. I mean, it's circumstantial evidence at best, so it shouldn't be too detrimental. It's going to be ok. But I'm glad you told me, so it didn't take me by surprise in court tomorrow." I nodded.

"Again, sorry for waking you up. We just really felt like you needed to know." She put a hand on my shoulder.

"Get some sleep. You got this." I smiled, hugging her before grabbing my coat and following Ralph out the door. We stood on the porch for a moment after the door closed behind us. I ran a hand through my hair once again.

"I love you." I looked at Ralph with wide eyes. That came out of nowhere. "I don't expect you to say it back. I know you haven't had enough time to develop the same feelings. But you know...I've liked you for a long time, and every moment I spend with you now that I've gotten to know you? It just reminds me how in love with you I am."I smiled.

"That kind of came out of nowhere. I'm not discouraging it by any means but...where did that come from?" He put his hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet.

"Your brother is in prison," He said, "That's something that I imagine was terrible for your family and for you...and all you were worried about is how it would impact other people. Not that it was hard for you, but because you thought it would hurt Barry, and in turn hurt the others." I bit my lip.

"I want to say it back," I replied, "And there's no doubt in my mind that someday I will be able to, but...I'm not there yet." He nodded.

"I know. I don't expect anything, I just wanted you to know. And like, you said that you thought it would make everyone hate you...I don't think you could ever do anything to make me hate you...or anyone else for that matter." I put a hand on his face and he looked up at me.

"I really really like you." I took a step closer to him, standing on my toes when the door opened.

"It's dang near midnight! Go home, don't be makin' out on my porch!" Joe scolded. We both chuckled.

"Sorry Joe." We said together.