*Not Edited*
THEN
Everyone watched with baited breath as they could see Barry climbing up a building from a distance, working his way towards the wormhole. Spencer grabbed ahold of Cisco's hand who was the closest one to her. He gave a tight squeeze as they continued watching Barry. All of their breaths simultaneously hitched as they watched him enter the vortex.
They all collectively seemed to realize that after this, nothing was going to be the same.
None of them knew, though, just how much this one day would impact the rest of their lives.
And not in a good a way.
Cisco had grabbed his cell phone from his pocket to communicate with the speedster. Blood curdling screams of fear could be heard from miles away, Spencer's stomach tightening as she watched Barry circle the dark hole.
"Brilliant," Professor Stein called out, "He's contained the Singularity by adding to its angular momentum!"
"Barry, it's stabilizing," Cisco shouted into the phone, "Keep doing what you're doing!"
"I'm not sure how much longer I can," Barry responded, his breath labored. When his friend didn't reply, he exclaimed again in panic, "Cisco!"
"Now what?" Spencer asked Stein anxiously.
"We have to merge the inner and outer event horizons," He told everyone, observing the swirling dark mass in the sky.
"How do we do that?" Ronnie questioned.
"By separating in the eye of it." Everyone stared back at the professor. "The amount of energy from the fissure should do the trick."
That's when the group turned to Ronnie who was already thinking through what Stein was insinuating- that Firestorm was the only way to help save the city.
"It's our only hope, Ronald," He spoke out to his other half.
The man began separating himself from his newly-named wife and Caitlin latched back onto him, "Ronnie, no! It's too dangerous. What if you can't escape the inrush?"
"Cait," He sighed, placing his hands on either sides of her face, "We have to try."
Ronnie pulled Caitlin in for a kiss, a goodbye that hurt everyone to witness. When they finally pulled apart, Ronnie took a few away from her before he was beside Spencer and Cisco. He shared a look with the man he considered a brother. Cisco nodded back, not needing words to understand what had to be said. Ronnie focused on the blonde who was barely keeping her emotions in check.
"Ronnie, I-" She began but he engulfed her a hug before she could reply.
"I love you, too, Spence," Ronnie whispered into her shoulder. He placed a light kiss to the side of her head before pulling away.
Spencer could feel the tears in her eyes as she watched her oldest and best friend walk feet in front of them with Stein. They stood across from one another, before merging before everyone's eyes. In Ronnie's body, Firestorm set aflame before flying into the air towards the wormhole and Barry, who was still running in circles.
The group continued to watch helplessly. When a fire erupted from the vortex, they knew what Stein had stated had worked. Seconds after, bodies belonging to Ronnie and Barry fell from the sky, Barry racing faster to catch him. They noticed the speedster race them back through the city to STAR Labs, stopping on the other side of the building. None of them wasted anytime running towards them.
When they all arrived, they found Barry getting to his feet, Stein on the ground, leaning against the wall. They stopped, and as soon as Spencer looked over Barry and Stein's face, along with the notable absence of her best friend, the harshest reality overcame her.
Ronnie hadn't survived.
Tears immediately began clouding the blonde's vision, as she glanced between both Caitlin and Barry. The man, still clad in his read suit, let out a deep breath and shook his head.
"I'm so sorry," He whispered.
Before Spencer could react anymore, she felt herself being pulled into the arms of Caitlin and immediately latched on. She squeezed her so tight, she was worried about cutting off some of her circulation. But she knew the brunette didn't care, especially with the sound of her sobs into her shoulder. Spencer felt another presence beside her before an arm squeezed her other shoulder. Her eyes flickered to the side and noticed Iris, tears forming in her eyes as well.
Caitlin had just lost her husband- for the second time now. But Iris had also just lost the man she loved mere minutes ago. Spencer's eyes squeezed shut as she thought about the two men. Ronnie and Eddie, while both playing different parts in her own life, were so important to her in a multitude of ways. And within the last half hour, she had lost them both.
Tears were streaming freely down her face now, the full reality sinking in. She pulled her eyes open again to face Barry, who was still in front of her. She stared at him over Caitlin's shoulder, noticing how his own eyes kept wandering to the sky where the wormhole had been. She instantly knew he was already taking all the blame and the guilt for the whole thing and that made her feel even worse. When his eyes landed back on hers, the guilt melted into a look of hurt and sympathy. She tried to convey through a look that what happened wasn't his fault, but with the added tears on her face, she knew it couldn't have been very convincing.
The events they experienced that day had affected both of them tremendously and at that very moment, it almost seemed like they wouldn't even be able to come back from it.
NOW // SIX MONTHS LATER
"Are those pancakes I smell?" Spencer smiled as she entered the kitchen of what was supposed to be her temporary apartment. However, it's the place she'd been vacating since May. Now that it was creeping into October, the situation was becoming more and more comfortable much to her roommate's dismay.
"You have the nose of a blood-hound, Hathaway," Said-roommate rolled his eyes, as she walked up on the other side of the counter as he flipped the delicious breakfast food on the griddle in between them.
She laughed as she sat down on a stool, crossing her arms and leaning them on the countertop. She looked at the plate set beside the griddle and quirked an eyebrow, "And sausage and eggs?"
"Uh-huh," He nodded. He spun around once he had flipped the last pancake over. When he faced her again, each had was holding a large mug topped with whipped cream. He placed one down in front of her and took a sip from the one he kept. "Hot chocolate with cinnamon. Just how you like it."
"You sure know how to spoil a girl, Harper," She smiled, taking a sip of the warm beverage.
Roy chuckled, reaching his hand across the counter the wipe at her upper lip where a bit of whipped cream had managed to stay. He retracted his hand and licked his thumb. "Yeah, well I just thought you deserved a nice breakfast."
"Uh-huh, sure," She rolled her eyes, "What's the catch? You trying to get me into bed or something?"
The boy scoffed, as he began flipping the pancakes onto an empty plate. "In your dreams. And besides, after living with you for six months, I've begun to question what I ever saw in you all of those years ago."
"Oh, I see," The blonde nodded, "This is some sort of farewell breakfast. Yeah. You're trying to butter me up before you kick me to the curb. You're sending me to the streets, giving me one last meal before I'm digging through trashcans with the other homeless people in this city."
Again, Roy rolled his eyes, "I would never kick you out. But it has been six months, Spence. And while it's nice having company, I really think you should go back home."
Spencer bit her lip, "And what if I don't want to go home?"
Roy frowned. He walked around the counter over to her, taking the stool beside her. "I know how hard it was for you to lose your friends. Trust me, I've been there. But you can't hide out here forever."
"Why not?" She pouted.
The boy shook his head, "Because your life is in Central City. Your friends are in Central City. Barry is in Central City."
This time, Spencer was the one to roll her eyes. "I haven't talked to Barry since I left. And from what I've gathered from Caitlin, he hasn't been doing very well since that day either."
"But didn't you say you two were getting closer before everything happened?"
"Yes, but that's exactly it; before everything happened," she sighed, "A lot has changed since then."
"So are you saying you're over him?" Roy asked her skeptically.
She shrugged, "Maybe I am."
Roy shook his head again, standing up. "Whatever you say, Spence. Now, take some food. I made enough to feed an army."
Spencer nodded, turning to face the plates of food and began sorting items onto a plate of her own.
She spent the rest of her morning in the always enjoyable company of Roy before he had to go to work. Once she was alone in the particularly nice apartment Roy owned, she got comfortable on the bed that was appointed hers all those months ago. She held her cellphone in front of her face and scrolled through some notifications. She had a text from Caitlin wishing her a good morning. The two of them had kept in casual contact since she'd left. The brunette had taken a job at Mercury Labs to escape all of the memories of STAR Labs. Spencer had just fled the entire city. She knew that Caitlin was struggling through the loss of Ronnie again- but she could tell she hadn't sunken into a pit of depression and coldness like last time. Cisco was also struggling, but again he was doing better than last time. Spencer, however was taking it the hardest.
When Ronnie had "died" in the accelerator explosion going on two years ago, it felt like the worst thing Spencer had ever had to go through. He was her best friend and for the longest time the only good person in her life she really had. Losing him had been devastating. But the loss was also shared by Caitlin and Cisco, and she felt it was her job to help them through it and be there for them. Especially Caitlin who had lost her fiancé. After losing him again, Spencer had realized she never got the chance to fully mourn Ronnie while she was too busy helping her friends. This time she was really feeling the loss, especially knowing it was final. Then with the added loss of Eddie- who was closer to her than he was Caitlin and Cisco- really hit her hard. So her first instinct was to run. That's exactly what she had done when her parents had gotten to be too much all those years ago. And that's exactly what she decided to do again with the pain of loss got to be too much.
Now, here she was, in a two bedroom apartment with her ex-boyfriend-turned-vigilante-turned-friend-turned-roommate. She continued looking though notifications when an event popped up that her alerts notified her about.
Flash Day: An Event Honoring the Man Who Saved Central City.
Spencer bit her lip as she read the event information. The whole city was holding a rally in honor of the Flash for what he did six months ago. The mayor was even going to present him with a key to the city. Her heart swelled with pride for Barry briefly before it was replaced with a dull ache.
Another thing about leaving Central City was the fact it allowed her room to get over Barry Allen. Of course, Spencer didn't really want that. The night they had spent together before the Singularity was one of the happiest nights of her life. But the fact that he married Iris still loomed over her and any chance for them to be together. So, she thought this spur of the moment vacation from everything would be could for her in many ways.
But it still hurt to have to say goodbye to him.
It was only three days after the Singularity- Barry's time travel mission gone wrong that changed everything. They had a funeral for Eddie involving the whole police department and then had a smaller service for Ronnie, him already being declared dead a year ago making it harder to do something elaborate. The night after they let them go, Spencer went home and decided she couldn't stay in this place- a place with so many painful memories.
She called Felicity, asking for a way to contact Roy. And when she called him, she asked if she could stay with him, wherever he was. After explaining what she had gone through- through a lot of sobs and deep breaths- he gave her an address. And that night, she bought a train ticket.
The next morning, having thrown together a bag of her absolute necessities, Spencer was on her way out when she ran into another person as she walked through her doorway. She murmured an apology before realizing it was Barry and her stomach sank.
"It's okay," He assured her softly, "I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay." He realized it was a stupid questioned when he noticed her bloodshot eyes and messy hair. Then he glanced down and noticed the bag that she was holding. His eyes narrowed as his heart sped up, "Where are you going?"
She inhaled deeply. She hadn't planned on saying goodbye to him- something she would have definitely regretted later. Cisco and Caitlin she called the night before, but Barry...it was just too difficult. "I have to get away, Barry. It hurts too much being in this city."
Barry nodded, obviously understanding how hard it was for her. But his heart still ached at the thought of her leaving. "Where are you gonna go?"
Spencer bit her lip, noting the hurt on his face he was attempting mask. "I'm just staying with an old friend."
He didn't think to question her further and instead asked, "How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know," She told him honestly after a pause. They stood in silence for another few seconds, neither sure what to say. She finally managed to break it though when time caught up with her, "I should go before I miss my train."
He nodded vigorously, stepping out of her way and taking it upon himself to shut her door once she was safely in the hall. Spencer took a few steps passed him before stopping to turn around.
"Goodbye, Barry," She whispered.
Barry swallowed, trying not to let all the emotions he pent up the last few days escape, "Goodbye, Spencer."
That was the last time they had spoken to one another. It was hard being apart from him, especially after everything they had gone through. But because of that, she knew getting away had been good for her. She had mourned as much as she needed and recovered emotionally after a while. With Roy's help and support, she was functioning as a normal human being- just one without a job or a real social life outside of Roy. And not being around Barry everyday made it easier for her to accept the fact that they weren't meant to be. And maybe, just maybe, she could finally-truly and really- move on from him.
But now, looking over the Flash Day story, which led her to more articles of the Flash people had been writing the past few months, made all of those hidden feelings pop back up. It didn't crush her entire soul but it was enough to spark up old memories and make her miss him like crazy.
Spencer sighed to herself as she finished reading another article. She thought for a minute before her fingers were overpowering her brain's logic. She was typing quickly before should regret it and before she knew it a transaction had been made.
When Roy arrived home later that evening, Spencer greeted him in the living room.
"Hey, I'm going to sleep early tonight," She informed him. When he raised his eyebrows in question, she went on, "I have an early train ride to Central City in the morning."
~
Saying goodbye to Roy was hard- harder than Spencer had anticipated. But she knew it wouldn't be the last time she'd see him- not if she could help it. She waved to her friend as the train moved passed him before settling into her seat for the long journey. If she timed it right, she'd be back home in time to make it to the rally. She hadn't quite thought through how she'd approach her friends at this point but she hoped she figure it out on the way.
Turns out that didn't actually happen- she'd slept a good duration of the trip. So she just planned on winging it.
The first thing Spencer did when she arrived back in the familiar town of Central City was try to stop herself from having a panic-attack at the train station. She had underestimated how hard it would be for her to be back home again after all of this time and the minute she stepped off of the train, all the painful memories came rushing back. She calmed herself down, though, telling herself that it was over- The Reverse Flash was gone, evil was defeated and both Ronnie and Eddie had died heroes. It was okay- or as okay as it could be.
She went to her apartment next, trying to shake the weird feeling that instantly hit her as soon as she entered. She hadn't been in there in months. However, it didn't seem like it had been left untouched for six entire months. It was too neat and clean. And when she checked the refrigerator, it was fully stocked, everything fresh. Then, when she reentered the living room, she noticed a new photo on the end table beside her couch. She picked it up and felt tears prick her eyes.
It was from Caitlin and Ronnie's impromptu wedding, featuring everyone in attendance- everyone she cared about. Her fingers ghosted over the smiling faces of Ronnie and Eddie. It was crazy how much she missed them. But something told her they were looking out for her in some sort of way. Her eyes then wandered to her own beaming face, standing between Ronnie and Barry. Her head was in close proximity to Barry's, reminding her how close she had felt him then. And now thinking about him, she worried next time they'd speak they'd feel like total strangers.
She really hoped not.
Spencer shook her head, putting the picture back down. She made a mental note to track down whoever was responsible for keeping her house up for her while she was gone. It could've been Caitlin or Cisco- and possible Barry- but she didn't let her mind wander that far. She was running out of time to get to the rally so she had to freshen up quickly before heading down.
When Spencer arrived to the middle of the city, a huge crowd of people were gathered, all adorned in red or yellow. Vendors were around, selling Flash tee-shirts and action figures. She had to physically stop herself from buying one. The mayor was on stage amongst others which made this whole event feel so surreal. For the longest time, Barry was a myth to the city, someone hardly anyone believed in and someone the police barely trusted. Now he had a whole day dedicated to him, everything single person looking up to him and she'd never felt more proud of anyone in her life.
She wandered around before her eyes landed on a pair of familiar faces leaning against a parked car- Cisco and Joe. A smile crept on her face as she looked at both men for the first time in six months. The younger man seemed to sense her presence and looked in her direction. His eyes widened as he began nudging the detective and pointing in her direction. Joe turned to her, his eyes surprised as well. With the smile still on her face, she lifted her hand to give them a small wave. They returned the gesture, their own grins making their way on their faces.
"I guess I wasn't the only one planning to cameo at this thing," A voice spoke up from behind her.
Spencer spun around, her grin growing even larger when she saw Caitlin walking up to her. She quickly closed the gap between them and hugged her friend as tight as possible without hurting her. "Oh, my God, Cait, I've never been so happy to see a girls face."
Caitlin chuckled lightly, hugging her back with just as much enthusiasm. "Likewise, Spence."
The two pulled apart but kept their grip on one another's hands. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Caitlin told her and Spencer could tell it was the truth, "Things it better every day- granted it sucks but it's the life we live." Spencer nodded. "How about you?"
"Better," Spencer sighed but she meant it. "Being back here is kind of crazy but I'm easing in."
"Good," Caitlin squeezed her hand once, "So, you're back for good?"
"I'm back for good," She assured. Spencer dropped her friend's hands, her arms coming to cross her chest as she turned to the stage where the mayor was stepping up to the podium. "Do you think Barry will actually show?"
"I honestly cannot say," Caitlin shrugged, "Like I told you over the phone, he's been doing everything on his own since that day."
Spencer nodded, biting her lip as she tuned her ears in to the mayor's speech.
"Good morning, Central City!" He called cheerfully into the microphone, "A year ago, our world changed. Our city became ground zero for some pretty weird stuff. We got a new breed of criminal: Men and women who defied not only our laws, but physics and reason. But we got something else, too. We got the Flash!"
Spencer's heart involuntarily warmed as the crown began cheering. Based on what Caitlin had been telling her along with her previous knowledge about the type of person Barry is, she knew he was taking on all the guilt and responsibility form the singularity- probably believing he didn't deserve all of the praise and attention. But every fiber of her being told her that he did. He really did.
"Our wounds run deep, and I know many of you are afraid of what threats tomorrow may bring," The mayor went on as everyone quieted, "But the Flash doesn't just protect us, he restores hope where it was lost. That's why I'm honored to present the key to the man who saved Central City: The Flash!"
He raised the symbolic key into the air as triumphant music began playing from the orchestra that was in attendance. The crown erupted into cheers again, everyone glancing around to see if the famous red streak would show up to accept the honor. Spencer and Caitlin did the same thing, eyeing every direction for any signs of Barry. The applause died down as everyone thought maybe he wouldn't show up. However, a burst of red past through the crowd and stopped on the stage a few feet from the mayor, proving everyone's doubts wrong.
The crowd erupted in cheers again, being to chant "Flash" over and over as Barry scanned the crowd nervously. A smile made its way to his face and he waved to the audience gathered to celebrate him. Spencer was far enough away from him to not be overwhelmed by his proximity for the first time in months. A smile even made its way on to her own face as she watched him walk towards the mayor to accept the key.
"The doors to Central City will forever be opened to you Flash," The mayor stated as he presented the key to Barry.
Barry nodded, reaching out to take it before a loud shriek was heard from the crowd. Everyone looked up to see a large, metal grill flying quickly towards the stage. Barry reacted quickly, flashing both him and the mayor to safety.
After watching the commotion, Caitlin's hand found Spencer's and tugged her away, towards where she parked. However, the blonde kept looking over her shoulder where a black-hooded man in a mask approached Barry. The large man swung his arm and sent Barry flying into a car's windshield. That's when Spencer pulled away from Caitlin's grip and ran closer to the scene, careful to stay hidden from attention. Caitlin called after her, following cautiously on her heels. The two ducked behind a food truck and continued watching with held breaths.
Joe and other police officer began firing bullets at the attacker, but every bullet flew right off of him. He took off his hoodie to show he was wearing what looked to be a bullet-proof vest. He stepped to the side and pushed a police car toward the cops, all with the effortless use of one hand. Spencer and Caitlin glanced at one another, sharing the same thought: metahuman.
Spencer refocused her gaze on the action to see Cisco running to the scene with some sort of large gun. He handed it to Joe who aimed it for the meta. He pulled the trigger which released a metal boot that attached to the meta's ankle. Spencer assumed it was meant to slow him down or prevent the use of his powers. However, it seemed to have done just the opposite as a bolt of electricity shot up the meta's body as the man grew large, the boot breaking off of his leg.
Caitlin gasped, "Spence, we need to get out here. There's nothing we can do."
"I'm not leaving," She shook her head forcefully, "Not until I know they're all safe."
The two of them watched anxiously as Joe told Cisco to get out of there before Barry appeared beside the detective with two gasoline tanks. You were always the clever one, Barry. Hopefully it doesn't backfire.
Barry threw the tanks at the meta while Joe shot at them with his gun. The tanks exploded on the man, Barry pulling Joe out of the line of fire. Barry, though, didn't escape unscathed, a hunk of metal from the tanks lodged into his leg.
The attack left the meta without a mask and shrinking back to his normal size. Spencer noticed how Joe seemed to recognize the man as the meta reclosed his mask. Then the mysterious man ran off before anyone could stop him. The blonde watched him go before glancing back at Joe and Barry who were still lying on the ground in partial shock.
"Spence," Caitlin tugged her arm lightly, "He's gone and everyone's okay."
Spencer continued watching the two men, the younger of the duo in particular as they stood up. Her heart thudded loudly as she noticed Barry speak brief words with Joe before taking off to who knows where. She sighed and turned back to Caitlin with a nod, "Yeah, we should go."
A crazy meta terrorizing a city event- it seemed like she had never left. But just from the last few minutes, Spencer was beginning to see that in reality, nothing was the same.
~
Authors Note: And season 2 is a go! Really quick FYI though, I can't promise frequent updates like I've been doing the last few weeks because I have school in a few weeks I need to prepare for but I'll try to write this and Escape as often as possible.
Anyway- what are you guys thinking so far? How are you liking how decided to do things post season one finale? I know you guys might be disappointed with the lack of Spencer/Barry (in terms of togetherness as well as literal scenes together) but in the next chapter there will of course be some good interaction, but I can't promise you a romantic reconciliation...at least not yet.
In other news, you all need to vote for the youmatterawards ! I got nominated for Connecting Best with Readers aka you guys! So if you want to vote for me that would be absolutely awesome but there are a lot of amazing authors/people nominates so go show them some love!!
I love you guys so much for all of the support and love you give me! Let's keep this going for season 2!
xoMegan
QOTD: What was your favorite Sparry moment from Book 1?