I was with Iris in Forever 21 looking for cute dresses or anything in particular. "So, what's up with you and Barry?" Iris asks and I look at her in confusion. "What do you mean, Iris?" I ask her still looking through the rack of dresses. "Come on, Tori, I see the way you look at him and I can see that you like him." she says and I blush. "Come on, Iris, I got over that when I went to Starling University. I told you about Dave." I say and take out a strapless metallic dress. I wasn't gonna wear a metallic dress at the launch, but I'm gonna save it for something that's special. "Yeah, you told me about Dave, but you also told me that after a year together you didn't like him in that way. You didn't have the look on your face with him that you had with Barry." she says and I freeze. It's true what she's saying. I didn't have that feeling that I have with Barry when I was with Dave. I couldn't keep dating him, besides, every time we'd go on a date he'd always try to end the night with getting laid.
When I was with Barry I always had butterflies in my stomach that I could never get rid of. I still have them right now. Iris sees the dress I have in my hand and smiles. "Try it on, I bet you'll look amazing in it." she says and I go to the fitting rooms and try it on. When I step out of the room, Iris looks at me and smiles, "You look hot." she says and I smile. I bought the dress and Iris bought a purple mini dress. She heads back to her house and I go to my house and hang the dress. "Tori, honey, is that you?" my dad yells and I shake my head. "Yeah, dad it's me." I yell back and head downstairs. I grab myself a coffee and sit with my dad at the table. Soon, Barry comes and I smile and hug him. "Ready to go?" he asks and I nod. I grab my purse and head out with Barry to get Iris.
*~*~
We walk to S.T.A.R. Labs I look at Barry who looks around amazed. Everyone was here from press to paparazzi to just people, that would be me, Iris, and Barry. I'm not into science like Barry, but I'd do this with him anytime. "So, Barry, how was your trip?" Iris asks and he smiles. "Yeah, was it worth finding the impossible, or did we just come here for no reason?" I ask him and he smiles at me with a raised eyebrow saying that I went with him and I laugh. "I have to say, while I was away I had a chance to think about relationships." he says and my heart flutters as he looked at me with a smile then at Iris. I had time to think about relationships when we were in Starling too. At least Felicity gave me advice on it, but then again she is still hung up on Oliver. Iris looked at me with a smile then at Barry and he said, "I'm not in one, and you two aren't in one either, and you guys are my best friends.". My heart drops when he says "best friend". That's all he thinks of me. His best friend. Barry turns to me and I look up at him putting on a fake smile as best as I can, "Your ours too, Bar." I say and I see his big smile turn into a small smile. "I mean, why else would we be here?" Iris asks and Barry just keeps staring at me. "Yeah." he says and I get lost in his green eyes and smile.
"But that's not what I meant, Iris. Can I talk to Tori alone?" he asks Iris and she nods. She walks away and looks back at me and gives me a thumbs up and I roll my eyes. I look at Barry and say, "I know what you meant, Barry." I say getting ready for the worst. "I don't think you do, Tori." he says and I look at him. "I mean, we grew up in the same house together and were kind of like brother and sister," that hurt me when I said that, especially to the man I love, "but, if were not brother and sister. Then what would it make us? You know?" I ask and his smile was completely gone and mine too. I've always liked Barry. I leaned on him every time I'd get hurt and tried to tell him how I feel, but it always ends up failing. Maybe, it's time I give up. Maybe, I should move on, but I just don't know how. "I mean, will it make it awkward, or do you think something might... happen?" I ask and I realize how close he was getting to me. Almost like he was gonna kiss me, but it was all ruined when Iris came back.
"Hey, guys." she says and that makes Barry jump back.
"Iris, sorry that took so long." he said and I look down with a sad look and glaring at Iris.
I just want to reach across from Barry and smack her arm. Soon everyone started cheering when Dr. Wells came out and I slowly clapped but I looked over to Barry and wondered what he was gonna do earlier. "Thank you. My name is Harrison Wells. Tonight the future begins." he says but I then tune him out and stare at Barry taking in his features. His green eyes sparkled, his eyebrows were bushy, and his lips were perfect. I could kiss him, but I know I couldn't. Suddenly, a guy bumps into Iris and takes her laptop. "My laptop! It's got my dissertation." Iris says and Barry runs after him. I look at Iris and we follow them into an alley. Barry tries to reason with the guy but he rams Barry's stomach with the laptop and runs away. "Barry!" I yell and run to him and help him stay up and make sure he's ok. "Are you ok?" I ask him and he nods and we start to run where the guy ran.
We stopped at a fence and saw the man get arrested by a detective I don't know. Being friends with Barry and Joe helps me know all the officers and detectives in the force, but I didn't know him. The man had blonde hair and blue eyes and looked at us. He walked over to me and smiled, "I think this may be yours." he says and I roll my eyes. "Wrong person, this belongs to my friend over there." I say pointing to Iris and he smiles at her. He must be one of those guys that want to get laid then breaks up with the girl. I look at Barry and see his nose bleeding and I suggest that we head back to the precinct. Everyone agrees and we head over there.
*~*
I gave Barry a tissue to wipe his bloody nose and he thanks me and I sit on the desk. I look over to the man that helped us and look down, "Who is that guy and what is he proud of?" Iris asks from behind. "I know. I mean, so he caught a mugger, big deal." I say looking at Barry. "He's a transfer from Keystone. Started a few weeks ago. Eddie Thawne" Barry says and I look at the blonde man again. "Oh, so that's detective pretty boy." Iris says and me and Barry look at her confused. "Detective pretty boy?" I ask her and she just looks at me and Barry. "That's what my dad calls him. He says he actually keeps score when it comes to arrest." she says and I look back at Eddie. "He is pretty though." she says and I roll my eyes and look at Iris, "He's not that pretty." I say and she gives me a '"yeah right" look. I look at Barry and he looks at me and we both roll our eyes in unison and smile.
Eddie walks over to us and looks at me and Iris. "Hello ladies. Allen." he says and I roll my eyes while, Iris smiles at him. "I never got your names." he said getting closer to me and Iris. "Victoria Gomez." I say giving him a fake smile then turning away. "Iris West." Iris says. "Oh, your Joe's daughter." Eddie says and Iris nods. I just get up from the desk and walk into the staff room and make myself some coffee. "Hey, Tori, is something wrong?" I hear Barry ask behind me. "Nothing's wrong, Bar. Hey, you don't mind if I stay here until you get off, right?" I ask him and he shakes his head. "Great, I'll call my dad and tell him I'll be home late." I say with a smile and walk off.
*~*~
Barry's still cleaning his nose and I just smile at him. We walk into his lab and see that it's pouring outside. I sit on one of his stools and see him turn on the computer looking at the news. Everyone was trying to find shelter from the storm and the news lady had an umbrella over her head protecting herself from the rain. Then they start to talk about the Particle Accelerator that was supposed to launch. I look over to Barry and see him lift the map of the city and showing old newspapers of his mother's death and some evidence that he collected, with my help. There was red string everywhere on the board and pins holding the papers up. Barry pins the new paper on the board and I get up and hook my arm on his. I lean my head on his shoulder and stare at the board, "I know how you feel, Bar. I lost my mom in an accident when we were 11, remember?" I ask.
"Yeah, Tori, I remember, but that's different. My mom was murdered and your mom died in an accident." he says and walks away from me.
"Barry, there's nothing to be angry about." I say to him.
"Tori, the murder is still out there and I'm gonna catch him and get my father out of prison."
"I know, and I wanna help. You know how your dad is like my second dad. Him being in jail broke my heart too."
"Barry, me, you and your dad are the only ones who know what actually happened in that house that night. I know that you want to prove this to everyone and you know that I'm here to help. Ok?" I say and he nods. Barry runs a hand through his hair and walks to the board again. I walk back to the stool and type on the computer, 'Nora Allen's Death' I scroll through all the sites, but everything was the same. Accusing Mr. Allen for the murder. Soon lightning struck and I knew the storm was getting worse by the minute. I hear an alarm go off on the news and I go back to that page. Barry walks towards me and watches in anticipation like me. People were evacuating the building because the cooling system had malfunctioned due to the storm. I look at Barry and he looks shocked about it. The news was off and I look up and look out the window to see S.T.A.R. Labs explode. "Barry, what's happening?" I ask and turn to him. "I don't know, Tori." he says to me and I look back at the explosion in fear. An orange force came out of the building and I looked at Barry, who's looking at it in curiosity.
"Tori, take cover behind the wall. You'll be ok, I promise" he says and I nod and run out the lab and behind the wall. I was scared of what might happen to us. Were we gonna die? Were we gonna survive? I have no clue. But I'm hoping that we'll be ok after this. Suddenly, I hear things shaking and I look back in the lab to see the chemicals floating, just like when we were 11 and the water in the fish tank floated. I heard lightning coming closer and Barry looks up at the roof. The glass breaks and Barry was hit by lightning and thrown halfway across the room. "Barry!" I yell and run over to him. Suddenly another force was coming and hit me. I fell to the ground, but I was ok. I stand back up and run over to Barry. "Barry, wake up." I say turning him over and shaking him. I see something red go up his face and I wondered what it was. "Barry, wake up!" I yell and was crying now. He can't go, not yet. I love him too much to see him die.
I call the hospital and they come fast. I was still crying on the ride to the hospital and I text my dad, Joe, and Iris that Barry's in the hospital. When we get there they rolled Barry into the emergency room and stopped me from coming in. I didn't want to leave him not yet, but I waited in the waiting room. Soon, my dad, Joe, and Iris came and were worried. I explained to them about what happened. "Did the doctor check you? Are you ok?" my dad asks. "I'm fine, dad. They checked on me and said I was ok. I just have a minor concussion and need to lay down. "Barry Allen's family." a nurse says and me, dad, Joe, and Iris walk up to the nurse. "How is he?" I ask worriedly. "He's in a coma. There's no telling what might happen to him. All we can do is wait." the nurse says and I feel the tears roll down my face. "Can I see him?" I ask the nurse and she nods. I walk in the room and see an unconscious Barry. Wires sticking out of him and his eyes were closed. I sat on the chair next to his bed and looked at him. "Barry, it's me, Tori. I really need you to wake up." I say and the tears roll down my face faster. "I don't want you to die. Please don't die on me, Bar. I need you to be with me, Bar." I say. I stayed the night at the hospital and I never left Barry.