𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭: ᴢᴇʀᴏᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ² − b. allen ((editing))

∟ 𝐭𝐞𝐧.

          Barry returned his hand to his lap, his gaze softening. "You had nothing to do with Alyssa's death, Anna."

          "It's eating me alive, you know? We were best friends before I screwed with the timeline, and then I screwed up and she didn't like me, and then I thought I fixed it and now she hates me," Anna explained quickly, the words leaving her lips before she could fully process what she was saying. Her throat itched with a sob, her bottom lip beginning to tremble. "I can't handle her hating me anymore, Barry. What did I do? How can I fix it?"

          "She's mad at you because you refused to run back in time to save Alyssa and her girlfriend," Barry stated and clenched his jaw once Anna let out a shaky breath after hearing the reason Shannon hated her so much. "We both refused, but she took it out on you more than me. She hates you because you wouldn't alter the timeline to save her little sister's life."

          Anna brought her fingers to her mouth, halting the shake that her bottom lip had been doing. She cleared her throat to get rid of the sob that kept her from fully breathing, her eyes glossy with tears. Anna knew that Shannon knew the consequences of time travel, but if she were in her best friend's shoes, she would ask for the same thing. Family was more important than any screwed up timeline, no matter how screwed up it got.

          While Anna knew she had messed with time too many times in the last few months, she wondered if she could do it once more to prevent Alyssa Gates from dying and keep Iris from getting hurt. In the end, Joe and Shannon wouldn't hate her anymore and she'd get her happy ending — or so she hoped, anyway.

          "Anna," Barry whispered and scooted closer to the brunette, resting a hand on her back as he searched her face with his eyes. "I know that look and no, don't do what you're thinking."

          Anna blinked, a tear rolling down over her cheek. She shifted her gaze to meet Barry's, dropping her fingers away from her lips. "I didn't get my happy ending yet, Barry," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke too loud, sobs would come flying out to replace her words. "I can't live happily if everyone hates me."

          "Not everyone hates you, Anna. I don't hate you, that's for damn sure. Harry, Jesse, Cody, Caitlin, Cisco — they don't hate you. Everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay to say no, Anna," Barry started and took Anna's hands in his own, giving them a light squeeze. "You are one of the strongest that people I know, Anna, and I also know that everything will be okay. Things will go back to normal. Joe and Shannon will come around."

          "But I can fix it and they won't have to come around. I can run back and save Alyssa and keep Iris from getting hurt. They won't be able to come around if they don't hate me to begin with," Anna said and stood up, almost pushing away the words that Barry had said to her. She looked down at her boyfriend, looking into his eyes that silently pleaded for her to stay put. "I can try to fix this."

          "You prevented someone from dying before and look where that got you, Anna," Barry snapped, his tone making his girlfriend jump slightly. He sighed deeply and stood up, resting his hands on her biceps and lightly squeezing them. His gaze softened slightly and he pressed his lips together, his brows furrowing just a little bit. "You threw yourself into a timeline that destroyed you, my love. It was a quick change that took seconds and it tore you apart, didn't it? Now, imagine the pain you'll go through if you change two things."

          "That's a risk I'm willing to take when the time comes, Barry," Anna stated and squared her shoulders, preparing herself for the run. She rested a hand on the side of Barry's face, taking in the feeling of his skin against hers; the feeling she would never get used to.