[Iris]
Dear Iris
Every letter started that way. Each one more desperate then the next. Each filled with some form of pain and each revealing a piece of information about his life. Letters written over seven years and with every word she read a piece of her heart tore off....
Dear Iris
People might call me and idiot for still trying but after the year I've had I need something good and you're the only thing I have left.
I couldn't find a skating partner so my career might be over. My mom got shot and though she's better now the doctors say the area around her heart might never fully heal. To top it all off we might not be moving to Keystone. That means that I'll have to be away from you for who knows how long. I'd say that maybe that's what's best but like I wrote before you're the only good thing I have left.
That's why I keep on writing. That's why I keep on texting and trying to call. I can't let go of our friendship Iris and I can't help how I feel about you. Hoping that you're at home, thinking about me too and waiting for me like I'm waiting for you is the only thing that keeps me going. The only thing that brings me joy even though you don't write back. Maybe someday, by some miracle, you will.
I love you Iris, I always will. I'll see you again someday. Say hi to your dad and Wally for me.
Lots of love
Barry
She let the tears stream down her face as the realisation cleared her thoughts. He hadn't forgotten about her, he hadn't replaced her nor abandoned her. He'd loved her just as much as she'd loved him over the past few years and they might have found a way around the distance if only they'd been able to talk to each other...
I got kicked off the ice hockey team today. Eddie was acting up again for the billionth time and once again I smashed his head in. Don't be upset for me though. I'm not. I never liked ice hockey any way, I just bare it cause my agent thought it was a good idea to keep me on the ice while I waited for a partner. I know that's never gonna happen, there's only one girl in this world that I can skate with and that's you.
Iris put the puzzle together. He lost ice hockey because of her. A career that kept him close to the ice he loved so much. She knew that he was probably lying not to make her feel bad and she found it endearing. He sacrificed his career for her honour and loved her to the point of being willingly blind to the truth that her and Eddie had actually been an item.
I'm sorry Iris. I've failed you. Patty's expecting and it's mine. I'm not in love with her but I can't just abandon her now. I'm really scared Iris, I don't know what this means for us. I really wish you'd write back.
Poor Barry. If he only knew that Patty's child wasn't actually his. The paper had spots of imperfection on them. Spots that look like they were made from tear drops. He was petrified both of being a father and of losing her. The main doors opened again and three sets of foot steps echoed in. She heard the bedroom doors unlock and stood up from her place on the floor to greet her kidnappers with a defying look of bravery on her face. She refused to let them know just how broken she trully was.
"Ah, Ms West. I see you're still awake. Good. Now if you'd follow me into the living room please, and don't get any ideas. We've secured the doors and Patty has incredible aim with a knife." He warned before he walked out and Iris obliged with his orders. She sat down on the couch and looked at each of them with disgust.
"How's Barry?" she asked trying to keep the urgency out of her voice and a satisfied grin crept over the villains faces.
"I see you've read your love letters Ms West," Snart pointed out while pouring himself a drink.
"Yes I have," she answered shortly, trying to keep the teary quiver from her voice.
"Perfect. So here's how things are gonna go down." Patty said while peeling herself from the wall she was leaning against and walking over to them. In her hands she twirled the dagger she had used earlier to threaten Snart.
"Before you make your demands can you please answer my question," Iris requested, keeping her voice low in order to maintain control over it.
"You're awfully worried for someone who doesn't care about him," Patty taunted with a malevolent smile.
"He hurt me. Yes. But that doesn't mean I don't still care about him." Iris explained.
"Well he's fine. Just a little dehydrated but he'll live. For now," Snart answered.
"What do you mean 'for now'?" Iris asked, growing agitated.
"Well. Let's just say that he's at the hospital and with you're recent rejection he's in an extremely vulnerable place. That being said, if you don't do exactly what we want we'll make sure he meets a quick and untraceable death." Party threatens.
"What do you want?" Iris asked.
"That's simple. We want you to go into that hospital room and be a super supportive friend. Pretend like you've realised what a mistake you've made by rejecting Barry. Make up some big old sap story thats believable and as your big finish you are going to tell Barry that you want to skate with him." Patty explained.
"Why me? Why don't you skate with him?"
Iris queried.
"Because Barry and I have no compatibility on the ice." Patty answers.
"Or in life clearly. Tell me one thing are you even sure the child you lost was Leo's?" Iris challenged and the scowl that smeared over the other woman's lips was evil enough to raise the dead.
"Yes I'm sure. He was the only one I'd been intimate with when it happened. Fortunately for me, Barry is a lightweight when it comes to drinking and I prefer to sleep with my clothes off. You get the picture," she expalined.
"Wow. That's alot to go through to keep a man you clearly have no interest in. Tell me what was your end goal? To become the next Mrs Allen?" Iris asked and folded her arms as she leaned back into her seat. Her confidence was growing.
"Oh goodness no. That woman was a pain in my ass. Always so nice and polite and just. Boy was I glad when she kicked the bucket," Patty spat.
"You mean when you killed her." Iris corrected.
"How the hell do you know that?" Patty asked confused.
"I didn't. I assumed. You just gave me confirmation." Iris answered with a smug smile which she kept on her face when Patty's blade was on her neck.
"Now Patti. Calm down. We need her alive." Snart tried to talk some sense into her and though her gaze was fiery with anger she stepped back.
"Again. I don't understand why you need me. Barry has a perfectly good career as a speed skater." Iris pointed out.
"Had, a very good career as a speed skater. The whole miscarriage fiasco got him in deep waters with his coach and since this was his second offense, well the board wasn't too happy," Snart explained.
"Why are we even explaining all this to her?" Eddie asked.
"Because we're going to give her a choice. Either work with us or watch the love of her life perrish. If she's as smart a girl as I think she is she'll pick the former in which case we need her to know exactly who she's dealing with," Snart answered.
"Oh I am smart Leo. Smart enough to realise that it's not worth being scared of third rate thieves," Iris spat and tried to keep her voice steady.
"Oh but you should be scared Ms West. You should be petrified, in fact, because for the past sevens years we've been controlling you and Barry like puppets." He boasted.
"Oh really? How's that?" Iris questioned.
"Oh my goodness what is this an interrogation?" Patty exclaimed.
"Look bitch. 60% of what Barry earns has been ours for the past seven years and he hasn't got a clue. His dad's new job? Yeah that was us. His mom's death? Yeah us too. The two of you not talking? Guilty as charged and I'm sorry to say but your relationship with Eddie was a sham too. Every little detail of your pathetic life has been orchestrated by us, besides your mom's death that is, although I must say that would have been a nice touch. There. You happy now?"
A satisfied grin crept over Iris's lips as she stood up and said,
"Extatic. Come on in Dad."
At that, the doors to the suite burst free of their hinges and the room was immediately swarmed by armed men in uniform. Joe West walked towards them and reached for Patty as two other guards hand cuffed Eddie and Snart.
"What the hell is going on here?" Patty asked bewildered as Joe tightened the cuffs around her wrist and Iris answered with great satisfaction,
"I believe you're being arrested. Bitch."