Finally! Here is the very last chapter for this fic. I ran out of time to get it done before the season finale and seriously that thing left me in the dust for a few days while I tried to process it. It was impossible to get into a different story! Ah, the challenges of writing fic for a show that is still putting out episodes!

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this, it's more of a capper to bring things around full circle. I do enjoy that.

Thank you for reading, reviewing, and supporting. I have the most awesome readers and I appreciate you all. *hugs*

I'll be taking a small break for a month due to a completely insane schedule, but I'm sure I'll be back after that. A month already sounds very long.

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 22

The sun was streaming in through the upper windows of S.T.A.R. Labs when Barry woke. It took him a moment to get his bearings and realize where he was, though not because of the hospital bed. He'd awakened many times there by now. It was familiar.

What made it different was the woman cuddled up next to him in that hospital bed. His arm was still around her shoulders. She was still lying on his chest, snuggled up to his sweatshirt. They'd obviously been that way all night. He gazed at her sleeping face, illuminated by sunlight and as beautiful as ever. S.T.A.R. Labs was quiet and it felt like they were the only people in the world.

He thought about all the times he'd been ready to give up the idea that she would ever love him as he did her. Before he'd time traveled the first time. When he'd returned from the other timeline. Telling her he was the Flash. A part of him was still afraid to believe it was real now.

But it really was.

It was mind boggling to realize how much had changed in such a short amount of time. It was still hard to accept that Harrison Wells was the Reverse Flash. That the man who had served as a trusted mentor and friend for the past several months was his enemy, and had been using him all along for his own purposes. That he had killed Barry's mother, threatened those he loved, and tried to kill Barry. That betrayal hurt, because Barry had truly looked up to Wells. It made him leery of trusting people all of a sudden. If Caitlin and Cisco hadn't raced to Joe's house yesterday and worked so hard to save his life he'd wonder if they were trustworthy.

But they had. And they did. And Iris had come to his rescue and been there with him every step of the way.

There is good and bad to everything in life. Happiness and sadness exist side by side.

His mother's words had so much more meaning now, far more than they had when he'd heard them as a child in either timeline. Betrayal and near-death should be shattering his world right now. In some ways they were. But at the same time all he could think about was the fact that Iris West had told him she loved him, and was lying next to him as the sun rose on what was promising to be a beautiful day.

He couldn't stop looking at her. The sunlight gilded her features, bathing her in gold and rendering her an illusory quality. His free hand rose to touch her face. He ran the backs of his fingers from her temple down her cheek, resting a thumb on her chin. Her eyes fluttered open, and her soft brown eyes blinked at him for a moment before she returned the smile he couldn't keep off his face.

"Sorry." He whispered. "You're so beautiful when you're asleep. I had to make sure you were real."

She laughed softly, torn between pleasure that he saw her that way and the deep desire to permanently allay his fears that she might disappear somehow. "I'm real. Are you?" His face had that little crinkle in between his brows that he had when he was confused. His look asked for further clarification. She pushed up to a sitting position and obliged. "You're too good to be true, Barry Allen." The blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks was very rewarding. She gave him a light kiss, and then looked him over.

"Are you all healed up now? How's the stab wound?"

Barry put a hand to his chest and pushed. "No pain. I feel much better."

"Good. I don't want to have to worry about you when you go get us some coffee." She winked at him, which made him laugh. It was gratifying not to see him reach for his chest or express pain. Now that she was sure he wasn't hiding any residual injuries, she gave him a tight hug, squeezing him until he groaned. But the smile on his face and his arms wrapped snugly around her belied the sound.

They made the bed and straightened rumpled clothing. Iris tried to restore some kind of order to her hair while Barry made a quick food and beverage run. The wind that heralded his arrival also smelled of her favorite morning pick me up from Jitters, which he proudly presented to her as she sat on the edge of the bed. He put his own drink on a nearby table, far more intent on opening the giant box of pastries he'd bought as well.

"Got your favorite." He lifted a large brownie out of the box and held it aloft between them.

Iris gave him a look. "Brownies for breakfast? Really?"

Barry waved the brownie in the air slightly, as if shifting the scent towards her. "Come on, don't act like you've never done that before." He waited, sure of the outcome.

Iris rolled her eyes. "It was one time! We were out of bread!" Barry's sly grin was getting larger by the moment. She giggled. "Give me that thing. It's a special occasion. It's not everyday we all survive a Reverse Flash attack and bring you back from the brink of death." She took the brownie out of his hand and took a bite, enjoying the treat.

Barry was already working on the second bite of his. "Technically it was yesterday." He mumbled around a large mouthful.

"In that case I get a cronut too." She nabbed one out of the box. Barry nodded in agreement as he took one as well.

"Hold on, save one for me!" Joe was standing in the doorway and lost no time making his way to the pair and the box between them. He too grabbed a pastry and sighed in contentment as he took a large bite.

There were several minutes of silence as the three finished their breakfast. They were about to clean up when Cisco came in and immediately noticed that there was food present.

"Yes! Thanks guys, I need this today." He took a large pastry out and moved to his station. Joe wiped his hands on his napkin and cleared his throat.

"So some things occurred to me last night. We still have work to do."

Cisco waved a hand in the air, swallowing a bite so he could speak. "Yeah, like the fact that there is still a Reverse Flash around?"

Joe nodded. "Yes. And-"

"What his plan has been this whole time?" Caitlin interjected as she walked in the room and continued straight to Barry to check on his condition.

Joe pointed her way. "That too."

Barry spoke up around the stethoscope Caitlin had on his chest. "He said he wanted to go home and he needed my speed to do it."

There was a moment of silence as everyone present digested that information. Cisco spoke first.

"He time traveled. That has to be it. That's why he was so weird about it. There's nowhere else his home could be that is so unreachable. He's from a different time and he somehow lost his ability to go that fast and needed to take Barry's speed to be able to time travel again and go home."

Barry was nodding. "That makes sense. In the other timeline he was talking about the future. Like he knew that timeline wasn't going to end up in the right place. How could he know it unless he was from there?"

"Well if that's true he's definitely not Harrison Wells. We should start looking into that famous accident he had that killed his wife." Joe was already writing in his notepad.

Iris spoke up. "If he's had these plans all this time, wouldn't he need some kind of secret lair or something, to keep things he didn't want you to see? I mean, where did he build that device he had? Where does he keep his suit?"

They all stared at her for just a moment, astounded. Barry recovered first. "A base of operations, kind of like S.T.A.R. Labs is for me. You are brilliant, Iris." His tone was very impressed. Iris just smiled.

Cisco had both hands pressed to his head. "Oh it has to be here. I mean Dr. Wells (or whoever he is) spent all of his time here. We have to search the building. I'll start scanning for spaces that shouldn't be there. See, I told you Barry should've let you in on this months ago." He gave Iris an approving nod.

Caitlin was looking very nervous. "But, he built this building, and he knows so much. How do we even keep ourselves safe? How do we stop him from going after Barry's speed again?"

Joe was nodding along, having come to a similar conclusion. "Yeah. Now, I crushed his device last night so he doesn't have that option right this second, but I don't think he'll just give up. We need better security and a some useful weapons." He zeroed in on Cisco.

Cisco gave him a look. "Oh I'm on it. More cold grenades, maybe I can make a pistol-sized cold gun, and we need to look into other options." It was clear his brain was already buzzing with ideas.

A long discussion followed as the group agreed on plans to look into the history of Harrison Wells, and to develop new ways to fight the Reverse Flash and protect each other.

When everyone present had a job to proceed with they all parted ways. Barry was still sitting on the bed, a worried look on his face. Iris moved to sit next to him, taking his hand and gaining his attention. "What's up?" She murmured quietly.

Barry's face was serious. "It's just frustrating to know that he's still out there, and could still be a big danger to us."

She smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Bear. We'll get through this together. Right?" He relaxed slightly as their hands squeezed.

"Right."

Barry started to head home to change for the day. He and Iris were about to leave with Joe when Cisco had a new thought.

"Hey, guys. If S.T.A.R. Labs belongs to Harrison Wells but he's an impostor who is also the Reverse Flash who is also on the lam, who exactly owns this building and should we be staying here?"

The silence was thick as everyone gave that idea consideration.

Joe gave the group a look that indicated he was at a loss. "Well, possession is nine tenths of the law, right? I say we stay here until we run into problems doing it. But we need to beef up the security around this place. Wells knows it inside and out."

"I'm on it." Cisco looked like he was ready for the challenge.

Joe gave an approving nod. "You're the man, Cisco." They headed out.

Cisco gave Caitlin a smug grin. "Did you hear that? I'm the man."

Caitlin rolled her eyes, laughing.

When Barry, Iris and Joe stepped into the house it was impossible to ignore the evidence of the fight the night before. Exhausted by the time he got home last night, Joe had simply walked in the door and headed straight to bed.

The coffee table was still broken in half. The shattered remains of the tech device littered the floor. Barry noted a large wet mark on the rug and looked up to see watermarks on the ceiling. Small droplets still clung to it. He realized the frost and ice from the cold grenades that had deposited on the ceiling had been melting off all night. Barry stepped into the living room and sank down onto the couch as Iris and Joe headed upstairs.

"Barry? Weren't you going to change?" Iris was halfway up to her old room and turned back to look at him.

"Yeah I'll be right there." He offered her a smile.

When he was alone in the room, Barry sat back and looked at the ceiling again, letting the droplets trigger the memory that was trying to come through. The ceiling of his childhood home had looked much the same in the hours after he had saved his mother. Neither he nor his parents had slept much that night. He had been eleven, but he could still remember the water dripping off the curtains as his mother sat in a chair with a blanket around her, clutching a mug of warm tea that she never drank…

"Mom?" Barry approached her chair, casting a glance back at his father busy cleaning up the mess of ferns, dirt and wood.

His mother was obviously deep in thought, but she turned to him immediately. "Barry, what is it honey?" She put her mug on the floor and opened her blanket, inviting him to sit with her. She was quite sure that he needed reassurance. They had already discussed the intruder, and the mysterious man in red who had come to their rescue. Nora had kept many details back, worried about giving her son nightmares. But the damage had been done. The destruction in the room and the idea that someone dangerous had been in their house had left Barry very nervous and afraid to go back to bed. Nora couldn't blame him much.

Barry crawled into the chair next to his mother and let her wrap her blanket around both of them. It took Barry a moment to find the right words. "Mom…is he going to come back?"

"No, honey. I don't think so. The man in red seemed to think it was okay to leave. We're safe."

Barry looked at her, very serious. "Was he, the yellow one, was he going to hurt you?"

Nora's eyes shadowed over for just a moment, before she smiled warmly at him. "He might have tried. But we had a guardian angel."

"What if we didn't? What if he…killed you?" Barry was almost shocked that he'd said it, afraid that saying it could make it true.

"He didn't." She pulled him close and hugged him. He pulled further away to look at her, and she could see the fear in his eyes. The very real fear that she might have died tonight.

"But…what if he did?" His voice was almost a whisper, hesitant. He obviously couldn't let go of the idea.

Nora hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was damage her son further tonight, but she knew that brushing off his concern wouldn't help him. Barry spent a lot of time worrying. That thought that had entered her head as she stared into the man's red eyes flickered back to life. That knowledge that she was going to die. She looked at her son, and truly tried to envision what could have happened. What should have happened…she pushed the thought away.

"If…I had to leave you tonight…you would go on, Barry. You would go on with your life. You'd know that I love you. You'd know that no matter where I am, I'm always happy if you're safe and happy. You would accept that bad things happen sometimes, but you wouldn't let it beat you. You'd keep that good heart, that part of you that wants to help people, and you'd live your life and be happy. That's what would happen…if he did."

She looked into his eyes, hoping that somehow she had helped him. Barry looked disturbed at the very idea; his lower lip was trembling. He blinked back tears and hugged her tight. She returned the embrace, kissing the top of his head and ignored the thought that Barry's eyes looked so much like the eyes behind the mask of her savior in red.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too."

"Hey! Wait for me!" Henry's face still looked a bit distressed after the events of the night, but he laid his broom aside and put on a smile as he wrapped his arms around his wife and son. He squeezed them until they laughed and then joined in himself…

"Barry?" Iris was sitting next to him, a hand on his arm. Barry blinked away the memory and glanced her way. She had a questioning look on her face. He breathed out a sigh, sitting forward to lay his hands on the back of his neck for a moment before he looked back up.

"Just had a memory. I'm okay." She took his hand and he immediately let her, wrapping his fingers around hers with a smile. Joe came into the room as well. Barry exhaled. "I think I've been fighting this battle for a long time, what happened to my parents. And I've never been able to accept it. Going back didn't turn out how I'd hoped, but it did teach me some things. Some things are meant to happen. And even when there is sadness, you can find happiness too." He gave both of them a smile that they readily returned. "When I first got back I felt hollow. Just…empty. And it's taken me a while to realize my life is full. I am full. I have so much going on, and so many people in my life. And one thing I'm never going to do is stop trying to get my dad out of prison."

"That makes two of us." Joe interjected.

Barry acknowledged him with a grateful smile. "But I think I'm finally ready to move on and have a life. My dad's only been telling me to do that for fifteen years." Iris and Joe smiled slightly. "I'm very grateful that I get the chance to do that with both of you." Barry gave them both another small smile. Iris squeezed his hand and gave him a kiss, blinking back tears. Joe moved closer to the couch, skirting past the fractured coffee table to give Barry a hug. Barry stood and the two men embraced. Then Joe held his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.

"And don't worry about the Reverse Flash. We will get that bastard. Together."

Just like last time, his look gave Barry strength. Barry returned his look and nodded.

Joe stepped back. "Okay, I think it's actually time to start cleaning this mess up."

Iris shot to her feet. " I think I need to head home and take a shower, actually."

Barry laughed. "I think there's some paint on your nose." Joe agreed with him.

Iris gave them both a smirk. "You don't want me complaining the whole time, do you? Plus if Barry does it I'll just be in the way."

Barry laughed again. "I knew you were going to say that."

Barry rapidly cleaned up, including drying the ceiling. Iris headed to her apartment for a shower. Joe stepped into the kitchen and offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving.

He also made a mental note to go visit Henry soon.

Epilogue

Time seemed to speed up as everyone moved forward with their lives. Work, relationships, metahumans, criminals, and the constant flux that came with life kept everyone busy.

But there were moments that stood out in Barry's memory, and would for years to come.

Telling his dad via comic book story code all about the Reverse Flash and their battle. Henry's face had been pale and worried at first, even though his son was right in front of him. But as he related Iris's bravery and Cisco's cold grenades Henry started beaming.

"I always did like her, son. Your mother did too."

"Thanks, Dad,"

Or the time Barry was happily racing to intercept some jewel thieves after a dull patrol and a familiar voice suddenly came over his comm.

"You are so cute when you get excited."

He missed a step and then accelerated, laughing aloud with pure joy. At the console, Iris smiled indulgently as she realized she'd inadvertently repeated something from the other timeline. He'd never mentioned it, but she knew it. Some things never did change.

"Only one person has ever said that on my comm before." Barry's grin could be heard it was so loud.

"Did she say 'I love you' too?" Iris smiled coyly.

"As a matter of fact, she did. And that is amazing because I told her the same thing-"

Cisco's voice came over the line. "Keep the comm clear, please." He threw a mock annoyed look at Iris across the cortex, but she just stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. Caitlin was giggling next to her. It was interrupted by the sound of Barry taking down jewel thieves.

The night Joe came home with paint samples and told them he was thinking about repainting the living room. Barry was already shaking his head, but when Iris pulled out a deep russet color Barry couldn't hold in an emphatic "No!" Iris and Joe stared at him, surprised. A short conversation later they'd all agreed to repaint the room the same color, since it did need a new coat. Iris did more than get paint on her nose, Joe did the edge painting because his hands were the steadiest, and Barry painted at regular speed to avoid splattering. They celebrated at the new dining table Joe had bought. Barry and Iris spent the next day online looking for the exact same coffee table to replace the first one.

As a surprise, Iris found a new vase that was actually two vases fitted together to look like one. They placed the intertwined vase set in the middle of the mantel and gave the lone one away.

One occasion stuck out the most. Barry and Iris had been out to dinner downtown and were walking afterward, deep in discussion about the most recent metahumans Barry had fought. The night was dark and warm, but that didn't stop them from holding hands as they strolled. Barry had one hand in his pocket and the other was swinging their hands gently.

"But that was genius, that idea you had to flush him out with your article. It worked like a charm!" Barry's voice was enthusiastic and energetic.

Iris gave him a fond look. "I've read a few books in my time. Sometimes a false fact or two makes it into the paper. But everyone believes it if it's in the paper. I'll print a correction tomorrow."

"Did you know that the first modern newspaper was actually printed in the year 1605?" Barry's excitement spilled over to his hands as he used the one he'd pulled from his pocket to gesture. Iris came to a stop and Barry followed suit, too busy staring at her and talking to see anything else. She laughed slightly as he continued. "It was called 'Relation' and it was in Germany-"

His words came to an abrupt stop as she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. When they parted he was pleased and sheepish at the same time. "Getting nerdy again?"

Her eyes were gleaming at him. "Oh so nerdy." She took the hand she was holding and guided it around her waist, then held his other one up so they were in dancing position.

"Dance with me, Barry." She smiled up at him.

He tore his eyes away from hers long enough to realize exactly where they were. He looked back at her, amazed.

They were at the fountain in the park. The lights were lit and beautiful, glowing in and around the water. The soft sounds of falling droplets whispered around them. They automatically started to sway together, mindless of their surroundings.

"Did I- tell you about this?" Barry's face was slightly confused, his lips twitching in a bemused way. She gave him a smug smile.

"No. I figured it out. You forget how well I know you, Barry Allen."

He gave her a happy grin. "Well done."

"Thank you." She leaned a bit closer, so he could hear her whisper. "Now sing to me."

Barry hesitated a moment, his mouth open in wonderment. Did she know? "Umm, what should I sing?"

She gave him her classic look, which was pretty much the answer he needed. She leaned close, and he sang softly.

I put diamonds on my promises

So you know that they will stay

And on your finger is where my vow will live

So you can see it every day

By the time he was done singing that he would do anything for her love, her head was resting on his chest. He lifted her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers, and when she pulled her hand back to look at it she was blinking back tears and smiling. Barry was too.

"Do I need to ask?" His look told her he'd do it if she wanted.

"Do you need to hear it?" Her expression told him he should already know the answer.

His shoulders relaxed as he looked at her. His tone went lightly apologetic.

"I've had that for days." Her knowing look told him she'd been aware of that. "But I wasn't sure if I should recreate it exactly because that felt a little weird like I'm living in the past or a past or something…"

"Even if I don't remember it, it's still our past. And now all we need to worry about is the future together."

Her words made perfect sense to him. It was their past. How else could she have figured out this evening? But their future sounded even better. He smiled at her, chest full of emotion. She smiled back. He swept her up in a passionate kiss, the fountain behind them.

When they parted he gave her a self-assured smile, looking around to make sure no one was nearby. "Just so you know I'm not living in past memories…"

He was gone from her side in a blink, the wind lifting her hair as usual. He zipped around the fountain multiple times, leaving a golden trail of light ringed around it. Iris admired its beauty. It stayed for just a moment before fading away, and Barry was already back at her side when it did. He smiled down at her, reaching out a finger to lightly touch the ring on its chain still around her neck. "Couldn't do that last time. Now there are three."

She shook her head, giggling. "You adorable nerd Barry Allen, I love you."

He kissed her again. "I love you too." He took her hand and led her out of the park. "Let's go tell Joe. We'll have to visit my dad tomorrow."

She held his hand and giggled as they walked. They both looked down at her hand at different times, each smiling and happy to look at her third finger.

There was a ring on it.

Before they were out of the park Barry's happiness kicked in and he lifted Iris into his arms. She settled in, happily curled up next to his chest as he began to run. The wind and power flowed over them, leaving them in a world all their own.

Just the way they liked it.

Have a great summer! :)