"You're not going to lose your dad, Barry, because you're going to be there to protect him like you've done to so many people."
Quiver
Chapter 37; The Real Reverse-Flash
"We were able to identify the other Trickster," Joe announced to the group as the stood around in the Cortex. "His name's Axel Walker, age twenty-five. Apparently him and James have been corresponding through snail mail for over a decade."
Charlotte couldn't help but be impressed by how long the Tricksters had been planning the attacks. Snail mail was slow, hence the name. It must've taken a few years for the two of them to pull it off.
"I should have been there," muttered Barry in a dejected tone. He was sitting at one of the chairs with his forearms resting on his thighs. Charlotte, who was standing right next to him, put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"We're gonna find your dad, okay?" she promised.
"Definitely," Cisco added with a nod. Barry let out a small smile before his face returned to stoic. He glanced over at Dr. Wells with a regretful look.
"I guess I should have listened to you." Barry stood up and walked out of the room. Charlotte frowned as she watched his retreating figure. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She bit down on her lip before following him. She knew exactly where he would be. It was the place where everyone went to be alone with their thoughts. The pipeline.
She walked into the room and saw him sitting down at the top of the ramp, facing the closed door that led to the criminals. Her heels clicked on the floor, causing her to clench her hands together - she hated that sound. Charlotte sat down next to him, being careful to not show her underwear since she was wearing a skirt.
"You okay?" She could tell that he wasn't okay by the way that he was behaving, but she didn't know how else to start a conversation.
"Do you think my dad is still alive?" he asked her, not moving his head or his eyes from the door in front of him.
"Of course he is," she reassured even though she didn't know if he was or not. She wasn't usually an optimistic person, but she didn't want to upset him even more. "Jesse only took your dad to use as leverage. He might be crazy, but he's not stupid. And everyone upstairs is looking to find him."
"So now I'm supposed to just leave my dad's fate in the hands of a man who may have had something to do with my mom's murder?" Charlotte's eyes widened before Barry realized what he had said. He turned to face her and to see her reaction.
"Are you talking about Dr. Wells?" asked Charlotte in a soft voice. His eyebrows furrowed at her ability to figure out who he was talking about. "Joe had that suspicion earlier, and if I'm being honest... I'm starting to believe you two. He's too secretive, and I... also saw your Dr. Wells board in your lab when I was going to visit you one day."
"Charlie, I can't do this," he whispered. He shook his head before dropping it down to look down at the floor.
"Yes, you can," she insisted, placing one of her hands on top of his.
"It just doesn't make any sense," he started with an angry tone that Charlotte barely ever heard from him. "I mean, if Wells is a murderer, then why does he want to help me? Why has he helped me stop so many criminals? Or saved Ronnie? Why didn't I see this?"
"Barry, I have spent more time with him than you, and I believed him for so many years. Look, whatever else he is, he is Harrison Wells. You love science. He is science. It's like you made best friends with Einstein."
"You're saying I wanted to be tricked."
"You always want to be the person who sees the best in people," Charlotte told him. "I worked for the police for several years and worked with Oliver to stop the criminals in Starling City. All I can see is the flaws, the lies, the dark thoughts that people think I don't see. I wish I could be you." Charlotte looked down at their intertwined hands as she took a deep breath.
"As fast as you are, that is your real power. Don't let Wells take that from you. I don't know why he's helping us, but all that matters is that he is." Barry swallowed thickly as tears streamed down his face, breaking Charlotte's heart.
"I can't lose my dad, Charlotte." Barry broke down as she wrapped both her arms around him in an embrace that helped calm him down a little.
"You're not going to lose your dad, Barry, because you're going to be there to protect him like you've done to so many people," she whispered into his hair. She kissed the top of his head before standing up. She reached her hand down which Barry grasped. He wiped away his tears before the two walked up to the Cortex together.
"Anything?" Barry asked Cisco as he and Charlotte walked into the room.
"I'm scanning all the traffic cams in the city. I got nothing." Joe's phone started buzzing, and he fished it out of his pocket.
"Hey, baby. Iris?" Joe gave everyone a worried look as he put his phone on speaker so that everyone could hear.
"How many of you feel the Trimethylene 32 coursing through your veins, hmm?" they heard a voice say through the speaker.
"That's him," announced Barry. "That's Jesse."
"Cisco, can you ping her phone?" Joe asked, pointing his finger in the younger man's direction.
"I'm on it."
"Trimethylmercury 32 is a relatively fast-acting poison," Caitlin informed everyone.
"Is there a cure?" Charlotte asked, leaning closer to Caitlin's perfume.
"Yes. We can start synthesizing the antidote right now," Dr. Wells said, nodding his head at Caitlin.
"Cisco, where is she?" Joe demanded. Charlotte understood why he was being very pushy. His daughter's life was on the line. She knew that if she could ever have a child and they were in danger, she'd do anything and everything in her power to help save them.
"City hall," he announced.
"The mayor's having a fundraiser there tonight," Charlotte recalled. She remembered that someone on the mayor's campaign team wanted her to be there so that he could have the luxury and privilege of having a Queen at his fundraiser.
"Barry, do not underestimate The Trickster," Dr. Wells rushed out. Charlotte quickly yelled at Barry to be careful as he ran out of the Cortex, taking his suit with him. Barry arrived at the City Hall and slammed the Trickster into the wall, demanding for Henry Allen.
As the older man distracted Barry, Axel Walker attached a kinetic bomb to Barry's wrist. Jesse explained how the bomb would explode if he went any slower than six hundred miles-per-hour, the bomb would explode. Walker turned it on, and Barry sped out of the City Hall.
Barry shouted out Cisco's name as the team was watching his computer screen. The suit scanner had detected something on the wrist, which just so happened to be the bomb.
"He wasn't lying. That thing's linked to a speedometer," informed Cisco, "and it will blow if you stop moving."
"Well, I can't run forever," he argued, already becoming fatigued from running as such a high speed.
"There's gotta be a way to get it off him without damaging it," Charlotte said. Her lips were pursed together as she stared at the bomb on Barry's wrist that was shown on the screen. She had no idea how they were going to get it off, and that worried her.
"Barry, do you see any walls nearby?" Dr. Wells asked him.
"Why?"
"Because I need you to run into one. Or more accurately, through one," proposed Dr. Wells, scooting himself forward in his chair to get closer to the microphone.
"What?" the others said in sync, turning to face the other man with wide eyes. They didn't know Dr. Well's plan, and were very confused and shocked as to why he wanted Barry to run into a wall.
"If you vibrate at the natural frequency of air, your body - your cells - will be in a state of excitement that should allow you to phase right through that wall, leaving the bomb on the other side."
"Should?" Barry repeated in a skeptical tone.
"You can do this. I believe in you."
"I can't," Barry insisted.
"Listen to me, Barry. Breathe. Feel the air. Feel that wind on your face. Feel the ground, your feet lifting you up, pushing you forward, and the lightning Barry, feel the lightning. Feel its power. Its electricity pumping through your veins, crackling through you, traveling to every nerve in your body, like a shock.
"You're no longer you now. You're part of something greater. You're part of a speed-force. It's yours. Now do it." Charlotte stared at Dr. Wells with an unsure look as he explained what to do. He seemed at peace, almost. It looked as if he was reminiscing about the feeling, like he knew what it felt like.
There was a sudden gasp, along with an explosion, from the other side of the communications, and Charlotte turned her attention back to Barry. She called out his name to make sure that he was okay.
"Oh, that felt weird," he commented before sighing. "I'm good." Charlotte leaned back in her chair and visibly relaxed, along with the rest of the team.
Barry was able to give everyone at the fundraiser the antidote and put both of the Tricksters back in jail. He also rushed off to the warehouse where Henry Allen was being held, and quickly rushed him out. Barry pulled his cowl off in front of his dad, revealing who The Flash really is.
Barry brought Henry back to S.T.A.R. Labs where the latter was able to meet the rest of the team. Charlotte grinned when she saw how happy Barry was with his dad walking around and appreciating everything in the room.
"Half of this stuff didn't even exist when I was practicing," Henry stated in awe as he looked at all of the technology that was in the Cortex.
"Yeah, well, I'd be happy to give you a crash course on all of it if you get out," Cisco smiled before realizing what he said. "I'm gonna shut up now."
"It's okay," he chuckled, resting a hand on Cisco's shoulder.
"Henry?" Charlotte called out his name, walking closer to him. "I'm feeling the need to give you a hug."
"Absolutely," Henry grinned at the blonde before pulling her closer to him. "I will always accept a hug." Barry's heart warmed at the sight of Charlotte and his dad hugging. He grinned at the pair's interaction. Charlotte pulled away from the hug and looked over at Barry with the smile that he fell in love with.
Henry followed her gaze before beaming down at her. He was happy for his son finally finding someone that cared for him as much as he cared for them. Henry excused himself from Charlotte and strode over towards his son who was looking at the Flash suit that was on display.
"You gotta tell me," he started, staring at the red suit in front of them. "What does it feel like when you're running down the street like a bat out of hell?" Barry glanced over at Dr. Wells before turning to face his dad again.
"There's no feeling like it."
"I bet." Henry turned to face everyone. "Actually, you're all heroes in my book, especially you, Dr. Wells. Thank you for everything that you've done for my son." Charlotte saw Barry tense up at what his dad was saying, and she didn't blame him. Her hand slipped into his for comfort as they watched Henry walk over to Dr. Wells.
"Well, your son is an extraordinary man, Dr. Allen," Wells said, shaking Henry's hand, "and I will do everything in my power to ensure Barry's future." Henry turned to his son and opened his arms. Barry let go of Charlotte's hand before him and his dad embraced for the first time in many, many years.
"It's time, Joe." Henry stuck his hands out in front of him, expecting Joe to put handcuffs on his wrists, but the cop just shook his head.
"No."
"No?"
"No." The two walked out as Charlotte wrapped her arms around Barry. He gladly accepted her hug before she peeled away from him.
"You seem like you could use a hug too." She smiled at him before Dr. Wells started speaking.
"Your father is an extraordinary man," he complimented. "You're lucky to have him."
"I'm lucky to have you too," Barry lied, sticking his hand out to shake Dr. Wells'. The speedster turned around, and his face hardened. He was clearly agitated by having to put up an act and pretend to like a man who helped murder his mom.
Charlotte arrived at the C.C.P.D. like Barry asked her to do - not like she had much choice since he literally ran her over there. She knew why she was there, but Joe didn't. When she walked into Barry's crime lab, Joe seemed nervous.
"Now's not really a good time, Charlie," he told her, trying to usher her out. Him and Barry were going to tell Eddie about Barry's alter ego, and he didn't know if he wanted her there.
"Barry told me to be here," she explained before crossing her arms in front of her. "I know about yours and Barry's suspicion of Dr. Wells." Joe raised his eyebrows at the girl, preparing for her to start yelling at him over why they shouldn't think that. "And, I believe you."
Joe relaxed at her statement before he grew confused. "You do?"
"I do," she nodded, sitting down. Before either of them could say anything, Eddie walked into the lab with his coat in one hand.
"Hey, Joe," he greeted before he noticed the blonde who was sitting on the edge of Barry's desk. "And Charlie. Desk Sergeant said you were looking for me."
"Eddie, yeah," Joe started with a hesitant voice. He reached out to Barry's swivel chair and turned it around for Eddie. "Uh... Sit down. It's about Iris. She's looking into Mason Bridge's disappearance. We can't let that happen." Barry rushed into the room in his Flash costume, his cowl pulled over his face to hide his identity.
"Detective." Eddie turned to Joe and Charlotte as Barry pulled his mask off.
"Eddie, we need your help," Joe said as Eddie stared at Barry in awe and shock.
After Eddie agreed, Barry rushed back to the Cortex with Charlotte to change back into his regular clothes. Once he was changed, he walked up to the blonde and asked if she wanted to come over to Joe's house for dinner. She agreed to it before wondering why he asked her.
Joe, Barry, and Charlotte arrived at the West residence in Joe's police car. Charlotte wished that she had also brought her own car seeing as it was at S.T.A.R. Labs, but it was too late; she was already at their house.
"Wow," Iris said as the three walked in. Eddie and her were sitting on the couch, and the three hoped that Eddie actually told her what they told him to say. "I guess you really don't know anyone."
"No, you don't," agreed Eddie, glancing over at Barry. Charlotte linked her pinky with Barry's to comfort him, and he gave her a slight smile.
"Hey, baby, everything good?" Joe asked her as he hung his coat up on the coat rack.
"Yeah, yeah," Iris said, brushing him away as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Of course. Um, dinner will be ready in a jiff, okay?" She stood up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen.
"She buy it?" Joe asked once he made sure that Iris was in the kitchen and not listening.
"I think so," sighed Eddie. He felt guilty about lying to Iris. He didn't understand how Joe, Barry, and Charlotte could do it to her every day.
"Keeping her in the dark, it's for her safety," Joe assured him.
"That is debatable, and we will have that debate." Joe raised his eyebrow at his daughter's boyfriend as he continued. "But for right now, what's our next move? How do we figure out what Wells is up to?"
"When Wells was talking me through phasing so I could get the Trickster's bomb off my wrist, the way that he described my being The Flash, running, feeling the wind and the power, it's like he was talking from experience."
"I thought that, too," Charlotte agreed, nodding her head. "It sounded like he knew exactly what it had felt like. Almost... nostalgic."
"What are you two saying?" Charlotte and Barry shared a look before turning back to Joe and Eddie.
"I don't know how but he's the man in yellow," Barry answered. "Harrison Wells is the Reverse-Flash."
__________
unedited
a/n: oooh! they know now! i'm excited for the rest of this season because we have six (i repeat: SIX) episodes left of season one. i'm so close to being done and then we are onto the next book!