Flashpoint Paradox || Barry Allen [3]

11| Love and Sacrifice

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Barry and I stood in a quiet neighborhood in the city, staring ahead at a cozy looking house. One where I could imagine an extremely happy family living in. Although Barry hadn't told me where we were going he didn't need to, I knew that this was his home. A home he was about to lose all over again.

"Thank you...for doing this with me." Barry said quietly after a long moment of silence.

"Of course." I replied, my voice almost a whisper. The sound of my own voice helping me realize that I felt a small sense of fear. The knowledge that in the next couple of hours I would be dead, starting to weigh on me. But, I pushed that fear aside knowing what needed to be done.

"I just," Barry took a shaky breath, and although I didn't know Barry for very long it hurt to see him in so much pain. I couldn't imagine what it had yo be like to get everything you could ever want and then get it ripped all away. "I always wanted you to meet her. I just never wanted it to be this way."

"I'm sorry Barry."

Barry shook his head as he turned to face me, taking one of my hands in his. "No, I'm sorry. What I'm doing to you is cruel. I just know I could never do this without you."

"It's okay." I stated firmly as I reached out to whip away one of his stray tears.

"It's not." He continued as he leaned into my touch. "But you've always been so brave and so selfless. That's why I love you."

I didn't know what to say, or if there was anything to say at all. What I did know was that Barry was going to continue carrying the pain of losing the woman he loved, I suppose I was lucky that after the timeline was fixed I wouldn't feel anything at all. "Are you ready?"

Barry nodded as he took a deep breath and began to walk up the step of steps leading up to his home. With a trembling hand he pulled his keys out and opened the door seeming to not want to rush any moment of this. I followed him slowly, unsure of how present he wanted me to be during his good-bye. When we rounded the corner into the living room Barry stopped as he watched his parents talking to one another for a moment before he made himself known.

"Hey, guys." Barry said softly as he stood by the hallway.

Mr. Allen put his book aside a stood as he greeted his son with a smile. "Hey, slugger."

"Who's this?" Mrs. Allen questioned as she too came forward.

"This is Diane." Barry replied with a small smile as he looked between the two of us.

"It's nice to meet you, Diane." Mrs. Allen said warmly, her smile was bright and brought out a sudden earning in me. The absence of my own mother and her cruelty making me realize how much I would have wanted a mother like Barry's. "Barry has told us a lot about you."

"And you're just as lovely as he's described." Mr. Allen added and now I understood why Barry couldn't live without these two. There was so much love inside this house that it almost hurt.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Barry's mother asked snapping me out of my thoughts.

I smiled as I shook my head politely. "Oh, no, I'm okay. Thank you, Mrs. Allen."

Barry's father seemed to have noticed Barry's odd behavior as concern took over his features. I glanced at Barry and watched for a moment as he fought back his tears. "You okay, Barry?"

"Yeah, I just... wanted to see you both one more time." Barry replied with a shaky voice and I had to fight the urge to take his hand in mine. And for the first time I felt that connection that Iris claimed she felt towards Barry. It was a pull or an instinct to want to comfort him. Even if I hardly knew him at all.

"What does... that mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing. I, uh...these last three months have been the best. Just getting to spend time with you." As Barry spoke these words I watched as the joy left his parent's faces, now replaced with deep concern. "I just... wanted you to know how grateful I am, to both of you, to be your son."

"Barry, you're scaring me." Mrs. Allen replied softly, clearly unsure how to approach her son's odd words.

"No, there's... there's nothing to be afraid of." Barry quickly replied as he fought against his tears. He reached out to take his mother's hand in his. And I wasn't sure if the action was to comfort her or himself. "Promise. I just... I love you both."

"We love you too," Mrs. Allen replied, tears forming in her eyes too. "my beautiful boy."

"Mom. Dad. We actually have to get going."

Mr. Allen smiled as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Date night?"

Barry seemed to be in a dream like state now as he forced a joyful smile. This was his final good but to his parent and he must be trying to memorize every bit of this moment. "Yeah, we have plans."

"Its was really lovely to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Allen." I said doing my best to keep my voice even and trying to normalize this conversation as much as possible, especially considering that Barry had failed to do so. Though I assumed it didn't really matter as this conversation would seem like it never happened to them. Just like me they would soon be gone. The only person who was going to remember us in this moment was Barr. And I suppose that knowledge brought some comfort.

"Please call me Nora." She corrected as she suddenly pulled me into a hug. I returned the embrace, and when I pulled it was Barry's turn to embrace his mother. And I was forced to look away, the moment feeling too intimate for me to witness.

No other words were said as Barry and I left the Allen home, and we walked in silence for a block until Barry groaned in pain. He was clutching his head as he seemed to visibly weaken. I knew he was losing his memories of the original timeline and soon this timeline would be set in stone. And Wally would still be in the brink of death.

"Barry?" I questioned as I helped him straightened, though it looked liked it took him every once of energy to take another step forward. "Are you okay?"

"It's getting worse." Barry struggled to say as he continued to clutch his side painfully. "We have to hurry before it's too late."

***