Cured

"You're almost there, Barry," Caitlin said happily, "A few more months of treatments should do it."

Barry smiled at her. He couldn't believe it. He was almost done with this whole nightmare, and he couldn't wait to put it all behind him. He was doing so much better now. He didn't require an oxygen tank everywhere he went, and he had so much more energy than before. They had been cutting back on the chemo and radiation treatments now, making them way less aggressive now that they had the upper hand. The treatments were still once a week, but now they could afford to make them way less intense, and Barry was much happier for it.

To add to his happy mood, Barry would be going back to work tomorrow. It was only going to be for three days a week for now, but it was better than nothing. It was probably for the best to start slow anyways so he didn't overwhelm himself right away.

Barry was excited but also sort of nervous to be going back to work. He wasn't sure how it was going to be on the first day back. He was still so thin, and he still didn't have hair. He was nervous as to how people were going to react and how they would treat him when they saw him. He just really didn't want anyone to comment on it. Then again, they probably won't be too shocked considering quite a few of them had gone and visited him a while back when he was still really sick.

Barry wasn't sure if he should wear a hat or not. He felt like he would be a little more comfortable if he had a baseball cap or something covering his head, but at the same time, what was the point in trying to hide it? Everyone would know that he was bald underneath the hat anyways, and it seemed silly to attempt to conceal it. For that reason, he went hatless on his first day back to work.

The next day, he walked into the CCPD alongside Joe with his head held high and a grin on his face. Several people came forward to hug him and welcome him back. Barry was glad no one made any comments on how thin he was when they hugged him. They all just smiled at him and told him how happy they were to see him there and doing so much better.

He was especially happy to see Carl. The young man's reaction when Barry walked into the lab was touching. He was so happy and excited that he dropped the beaker he was holding.

"Between the two of us, I think we've dropped more than enough beakers in this lab already," Barry said with a laugh.

Carl didn't care about the beaker though as he moved forward to give Barry a hug.

"Welcome back, Mr. Allen," he said enthusiastically, "I'm so happy you're here! The lab hasn't been the same without you."

"It's good to be back," Barry said happily, looking warmly around the lab.

"I have everything exactly as you left it," Carl said excitedly.

"Thank you, Carl," Barry said, grateful for the young man's enthusiasm, "You didn't have to do that."

At that moment, Singh walked into the lab.

"It's good to have you back, Allen," he said happily.

"I'm happy to be here, sir," Barry said with a smile.

He was still so thankful towards the captain for allowing him to return so soon.

"How are you feeling?" Singh asked him with a surveying look.

Barry was still sick after all, just not as sick as he was before. The captain knew that he was still going through treatments, and he was still fighting his illness, which made Singh a little unsure about his decision to let Barry return.

"I'm feeling great," Barry said for what must have been at least the tenth time that day already, and he had only just gotten there.

"Good," Singh said, "That's really good, Barry."

For a moment, the captain gave him a soft look, not the usual piercing frown of disapproval that Barry was used to, but a look of genuine caring and relief. A couple seconds later though, he was back to all business again.

"Allen, I'll need you to fill out all of this paperwork now that you're back," he said seriously, handing Barry a stack of papers.

Barry tried not to laugh at the sudden change in the captain's tone as he looked down at the files. Barry was shocked by the sheer amount of forms that needed to be filled out.

"Why are there so many?" he asked, "Shouldn't it just be sick leave forms?"

He flipped through the papers and was surprised to find that the captain had given him an entirely new employment contract.

"What, did you terminate my position or something?" Barry joked.

"Yes, actually I did," Singh said calmly.

"For real?" Barry said with a shocked expression, "I was joking."

He looked down at the documents, not sure how to feel about it.

"I suppose at the time you didn't think I'd be coming back," Barry said quietly, "So I guess that makes sense."

"I didn't do it when you were on hospice, Barry," Singh said, a small smile forming at the corners of his lips, "I did it just this morning."

Barry gave him a confused look.

"I'm not hiring you back as a forensic assistant," the captain said, full on smiling now, "I'm hiring you back as our new CSI director."

Barry's eyes widened. He wasn't sure if he had heard correctly.

"So, I'm…?"

"You're now the head of Central City's Forensics Department," Singh told him, "Congratulations."

When the captain reached out to shake Barry's hand, Barry's face broke out into a grin. He shook Singh's hand eagerly.

"Thank you, sir!" he said happily, tears starting to fill his eyes, "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"It was nothing, Allen," the captain said dismissively, although he was amused by the young man's excitement. It felt so good to see Barry smile after all this time. "You've earned it. You were the obvious pick for the job, and I've been intending to give you the position ever since Southworth was transferred. I was just waiting for the right time."

Barry was grinning for the rest of the day. He had been so nervous to go back to work, but now that he had, he was having one of the best days that he had had in a long time. People were congratulating him all day, both on his improved health and his promotion. It didn't feel possible that Barry could be this happy after all the hell he had been through over the past few months.

"Did you know about this?" he asked Joe when they were driving home from work, "Did you know Singh was going to promote me?"

Joe smirked at him.

"I've known for a long time," he said smugly, "Ever since Southworth left. At first I didn't tell you because it was going to be a surprise, but then you got sick, and then I couldn't bear to tell you because I wasn't sure if Singh was going to go and give the position to someone else or not. The state has been on him for months to fill the position, but he kept it open for you, even when it looked like you weren't going to pull through. He said you were the only person for the job, and he had to pull quite a few strings to make sure the position didn't get filled by somebody else while you were recovering."

"Wow," Barry said quietly, "I can't believe Singh did all of that for me."

"The captain really does care about you, Barry," Joe said, "We all do."

Barry turned to smile at him, but then he saw that Joe was starting to get choked up. His eyes were watering as he drove.

"Joe…" Barry said.

"Sorry," he said quickly, shaking his head and wiping his eyes, "I'm just so happy, Bar. I'm so happy that you're getting better."

Barry smiled and patted Joe's arm.

"Me too."

…..

Barry took his time adjusting to being back at work. Singh told him not to worry about his new responsibilities as director now. He could take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things before he started his management duties. Barry was grateful for it. He was excited to start his director position, but it was nice to start out by just running the usual fingerprint scans and gun residue tests while he was getting settled back in. He had really missed working in his lab, and Carl had definitely missed having him around.

Carl hadn't been kidding when he told Barry that he had kept everything where he had left it. Carl hadn't even erased what Barry had on his whiteboard. It still had the same equations and algorithms on it that Barry had written there months ago.

"Yeah, I didn't know what any of that meant or what it was for, but it looked important, so I just left it there," Carl told him.

"Carl, you really didn't need to do that," Barry said with a fond smile at the young CSI, "I want you to make this space your own too. This lab is just as much yours as it is mine."

"Thanks, Mr. Allen," Carl said gratefully.

Barry had been worried that in his absence, everything would change, and he would have to find a new way to fit back in at the CCPD once he returned, but he found that wasn't the case. He fit back in perfectly. Within a few days, Barry was running the lab again, and Carl was eager and grateful for the guidance and direction. He had been somewhat overwhelmed during Barry's absence and had relied heavily on the advice of other CSIs in the area when he didn't have Barry to turn to.

Some cases even had to be put on hold because there really wasn't anyone qualified enough to take them on. Even the CSIs at the other precincts in Central City were stumped by a few of them, and Barry welcomed the challenge when he returned back to work. There was a reason why Singh had said he was the only man for the director position. He was one of the best and most well-rounded forensics specialists in the state. Barry loved his job, and he was very good at it. He had most of the cases solved within the first two weeks.

…..

Because Barry had Tuesdays off, it was often the day of the week that he went in for his checkup with Caitlin. She would usually just take some fresh scans and do some bloodwork and then send him on his way. They had gotten so used to the routine that they had managed to narrow the whole thing down to take only about two hours.

That was why Barry was confused on one Tuesday when he had been there for nearly three and a half hours and Caitlin was still running tests. He was starting to grow more and more worried with each passing minute.

Henry, who had brought Barry to STAR Labs today, joined the doctor in looking over his scans and his bloodwork. Cisco sat with Barry in the med bay as the two doctors worked out in the cortex.

"Why is this taking so long today?" Barry asked nervously as he watched Caitlin insert a new slide under her microscope. His father was busy looking over his MRIs for a third time.

"I don't know, man," Cisco said, "I'm not a doctor. I just build the toys."

"Should I be worried?" Barry asked anxiously.

"Nah, don't sweat it, dude. You know Caitlin. She just likes to be thorough."

"What if I'm getting worse though?" Barry asked quietly, "What if I'm getting bad again?"

"You're not," Cisco said surely.

"But what if I am?" Barry persisted, "Cisco, I can't go through all of that again. I can't. If these test results aren't good…I don't know what I'm going to do. My life is just starting to get back together again. If I get sicker now, I don't think I can take it. I can't be sick like that again. The test results have to be good. They have to be. They have to be good."

"Barry, calm down," Cisco said, putting a hand on Barry's back to comfort him.

Barry was starting to breathe heavily, and his fists were clenched.

"Everything's okay," Cisco assured him, "Caitlin just likes to dot her i's and cross her t's. You have nothing to worry about."

Barry nodded at him and permitted him a small smile, but he was still tense. In his head all he could think was 'they have to be good' over and over again.

It was already starting to get dark by the time they finished. After over four and a half torturous hours of testing, Caitlin and Henry finally walked into the med bay to talk to Barry.

"What is it?" Barry asked them immediately, standing up from his seat on the medical bed, "What's wrong?"

"Sorry to make you wait so long, Barry," Caitlin said apologetically, "I just wanted to be absolutely sure before we told you."

"Told me what?" Barry asked nervously, looking back and forth between Caitlin and his father.

Both of them exchanged a look, smiles spreading across their faces.

"I'll let you tell him," Caitlin whispered to Henry, patting his arm.

Henry looked back to Barry, a wide grin on his face.

"You're cured, Barry," he said, hardly able to get the words out in his strangled voice.

"I'm…?" Barry said, his eyebrows raising in shock.

"You're cured," his father repeated, his eyes filling with happy tears.

"The cancer is gone, Barry," Caitlin said shakily, wiping her face with a smile.

Her tears had already spilled over.

Barry just stared at them in shock, still processing what they were telling him. Slowly, a smile started to form on his lips.

"I'm better?" he asked, his smile now turning into a full on grin.

Caitlin nodded and couldn't contain herself anymore. With a small laugh that almost sounded like a sob, she moved in and hugged Barry. Barry hugged her back tightly, tears starting to form in his own eyes now as the shock of what they were telling him started to wear off and he fully wrapped his head around the idea. He was cured. He was finally cured.

"Finally!" Cisco said loudly, laughing and clapping Barry on the back, "It's about time!"

Barry laughed and wiped the tears from his face, but new ones were already starting to spill over. He hugged his dad next. He felt like nothing in this moment could deflate the balloon of happiness that had swelled inside him. The nightmare was over. It was finally over. Just as he was breaking away from the hug, Barry's phone started ringing. With an apologetic look at the rest of them, Barry pulled out his phone. It was Joe calling. He quickly wiped his face and took a couple deep breaths to calm himself before answering. He could see that his hands were shaking.

"Hey, Joe," he said, trying to keep a level voice.

"Bar," Joe said tensely, "Are you still at STAR Labs?"

"Yeah," Barry answered, wiping tears from his face again. He couldn't wipe the smile from his face though.

"Why are you still there?" Joe asked worriedly, "I thought you'd be here by the time I got home from work."

"Um, yeah, sorry, Joe," Barry fumbled, "We just had a few extra tests to run. We're done now though. I'll be home soon."

"Is everything okay?" Joe asked with concern.

He had to have heard the shakiness in Barry's voice and sensed that something was off.

"Everything is fine," Barry answered.

More than fine really. Everything was perfect. Barry was bursting to tell Joe the news, but this wasn't the kind of thing you told someone over the phone. This was a special moment that had to be had in person.

"I'll see you in a bit, okay?" Barry said to him.

"Okay," Joe said, his voice still etched with worry.

After hanging up the phone, Barry turned back to the rest of them.

"I have to get home," he said happily, "I have to tell Joe and Iris."

"I'll drive," Henry said with a smile.

"You guys should come too," Barry said to Caitlin and Cisco, "You should be there."

"We will," Caitlin said, "but you should go first. We'll stop by the house in a little bit."

Barry nodded and then grabbed his coat. He smiled at them one more time before leaving the lab with his dad. He couldn't stop smiling as they drove. Neither could Henry. Barry's hands were still shaking with excitement, and his heart felt like it was trying to leap right out of his chest. When they pulled up to the house Barry had to stop himself from jumping out of the car before it came to a stop. He opened the front door to the house to find Joe and Iris waiting for him in the living room.

"Barry, what's wrong?" Iris asked worriedly, standing up and rushing over to him as soon as he stepped into the house.

Yep, Joe had definitely sensed something strange in Barry's voice over the phone, and he and Iris had clearly been assuming the worst.

"Nothing," Barry said quickly, "I'm sorry I worried you guys. Caitlin and my dad just had to run some extra tests today. It took a while."

Joe and Iris still exchanged worried looks, no doubt because of the tears that were forming in Barry's eyes. Barry couldn't help but smile at them. He ran his hand over his head, something he still did even though he didn't have hair now. He was trying to find the right words to tell them.

"So…um. My tests results came back," he said, his smile now turning into a full-on grin, "I'm officially in remission."

Iris and Joe looked shocked for a moment as they processed what he had said.

"You're cured?" Joe asked in shock.

Barry nodded, a breathy laugh escaping him. Iris covered her mouth with her hand as tears filled her own eyes.

"Oh my god," she cried, and a moment later she was wrapping her arms around Barry in what had to be the happiest hug she had ever had in her life.

Barry laughed as he hugged her tightly, both of their tears now spilling over and running down their cheeks. When they finally broke apart, Barry was quickly embraced by Joe next.

"I can't believe it," Joe said while they hugged, "It's over. It's finally over."

It felt like they had all been waiting for this moment for far too long, and yet, now that it was here, it was hard to believe that it was really happening. The last time Barry had been this happy was when his father had gotten out of prison.

Cisco and Caitlin showed up at the house not long after that. Cisco, of course, had insisted on picking up a cake for Barry. According to him, it wasn't a proper celebration without cake. Barry couldn't remember being hugged so much in his life. They all just couldn't stop hugging him over the course the rest of the evening, and it had been a while since Barry had smiled this much. He was finally cancer-free.

Although Barry thought he would finally sleep easier once he was better, he barely slept that night. He was too happy and excited. He still couldn't calm down even hours later after hearing the news.

Although he was exhausted when he went into work the next day, Barry was the happiest he had been in a long time. The good news of his remission had spread fast, and throughout the day, everyone was stopping by the lab to congratulate him on his recovery. It took a few days for the idea to really sink in for Barry.

He was healthy. Well, not quite fully healthy yet, but his body was free of cancer. He was normal now. He could be like everybody else. He wouldn't have to worry about test results anymore. He wouldn't have his illness nagging at the back of his mind all of the time. He was free.

Well, almost. He was almost free. That Friday, Barry still had to go in for a chemotherapy treatment. Caitlin had explained to all of them that even though they were almost completely sure that the cancer was gone, they would have to do a few more weeks of treatment just to be safe. Barry, surprisingly, had taken this news very well. In fact, he didn't really seem to care. What were a few more weeks of treatment to him? As long as he was better, he didn't mind enduring a few more weeks of chemo and radiation.

Even as Barry was throwing up after his chemo on Friday, he didn't let any of it spoil his happiness because at least now he knew that it was only temporary. He finally knew that there was going to be an end to it. There was a light at the end of this very long, very dark tunnel he had been traveling through.

The three weeks seemed to fly by, and when he finished his final radiation treatment, Barry was over the moon about it. He was finally done. No more agonizing treatments. No more late nights hunched over the toilet bowl. No more nosebleeds or dizzy spells. He was free. He was completely free.

Now he could really focus on putting his life back together. He could try to resume where he had left off. Within a couple weeks Barry was working full time again. It was a lot easier for him now that he wasn't feeling sick from his treatments anymore. Barry was finally healthy again. Thin and empty of speed force, but healthy.

…..

Joe felt his heart swell every time he looked at Barry. His color had returned. He wasn't pale grey anymore, but now a healthy shade of tan. He had gained some weight back, and although he still looked like someone who was recovering from having been sick for a long time, Barry looked a million times better than he had when he was on his deathbed in STAR Labs.

"Can I help you?" Barry asked him with a smile.

Joe had been standing in the doorway, staring at Barry without thinking.

"Sorry," he laughed, "I was just thinking about how much better you look without all the tubes and wires all over you. The look didn't really suit you."

Barry laughed.

"Yeah, I'm not sure this one does either," he said running a hand over his head, which now was covered with short dark hair, "I think Oliver wears the buzzed look better."

Joe chuckled.

"It looks great, Bar," he assured him, stepping further into the room.

"Sorry to bother you," Joe said with a grin, "I know you're busy with all your director stuff. I just wanted to check out your new office."

Barry now had an office all to himself on the ground level of the precinct. It was actually pretty big, and it was right next to Singh's. Barry was still getting settled in, but he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it yet. He already had a desk upstairs in his lab, and something told him he was going to be spending more time up there than he would be in his new private office. Not that he didn't appreciate it. Even Joe didn't have his own office. Barry just liked doing the science in his lab so much that he knew he wasn't going to spend much time in here.

"If you ever want to use the space, you can," Barry told Joe, "I don't think I can bear to part with the lab. I'll probably only be in here when I'm filling out my reports from the other precincts."

"How has that been going?" Joe asked him, "Is it overwhelming? If it's too much for you, I can always go talk to Singh for you. I'm sure he could give you more time to adjust."

"Joe," Barry said, smiling but shaking his head slightly, "I'm fine. I'm cured now. You don't have to protect me. I'm happy to be getting back into all of this."

"I know you are," Joe said with a smile, "I just don't want you to take on too much too soon. With this new promotion, you're going to be even busier now than you were before."

"It's all good, Joe," Barry assured him, "I'm all caught up and on top of things. I already have a schedule for this month all laid out. Tomorrow I'll be visiting all the other city precincts to make sure everything's on track, and later this week I'll have to make a trip to Gotham. Apparently their CSI, Edward something, has been acting strangely, and they asked me to stop in and see what I can do."

"Barry, Gotham isn't even within your scope of duties. See, you're already taking on more than you have to."

"I've got this, Joe," Barry said, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I'm going right back to the way I was before, taking on more than I can handle and pushing my limits, but I promise you that's not what this is. This is just me trying to get back on track. I'm trying to get my life back together. I know my limits though, and I've definitely learned my lesson about pushing them. You don't have to worry anymore about me working myself into an early grave."

"Alright," Joe said, feeling a little more reassured, "Sorry. I'm not trying to coddle you. I just…"

"You've gotten so used to worrying about me all the time," Barry finished for him with a smile, "But now you don't have to."

"I'm always going to worry about you, Barry," Joe said, "Whether you're healthy or sick, I'm always going to want to look out for you."

"I know that," Barry said, smiling warmly at him, "Thank you, Joe."

…..

Joe wasn't the only one who was still trying to look out for Barry. Iris was slowly driving Barry crazy from all the mothering she was doing. Even though he was cured now, Barry was still not completely back to full health. His electrolytes were still off balance, which was still putting strain on his heart, and his kidneys and liver were still in the process of healing. Not to mention all the weight that he still had to gain back yet. Iris was taking it all very seriously.

"At least try it, Barry," she whined, "It's really good for you. Just give it a shot."

"Iris, now that my appetite's back, I'm going to eat what I want," Barry laughed, "I can't drink any more of these 'health shakes' you keep making for me."

"Come on," she pouted, "I've done my research. Mango and spinach are both supposed to be really good for recovering cancer patients. It's also a good source of iron and—"

"Iris," Barry said firmly as he set the shake down on the kitchen counter, "I appreciate all the research you've been doing, but between all the shakes and the yoga and meditation you keep trying to get me to do all the time, I'm going to start losing my mind again, and I only just got it back."

Iris laughed lightly, but then she quickly turned serious again.

"I'm just so relieved that you're in remission now, Barry, and I want to make sure you stay that way. I want you to stay healthy."

"I understand," Barry said, nodding, "But you don't need to do all this. Caitlin has put together an excellent diet plan for me to help me gain weight. I don't need you to be my nutritionist or my caretaker. I need you to be my best friend."

"Okay, Barry," Iris said with a sad smile, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so overbearing. I've just grown so used to taking care of you. It's a hard habit to break now that you're better."

Barry nodded understandingly.

"Joe was having the same problem. I just need you guys to know that it's unnecessary. I don't need all this attention. I'm going to be okay now. Caitlin said I've been making really good progress with my weight, and I've been really good about taking the ridiculous amount of meds and supplements she has me on. I promise, you and Joe have nothing to worry about now."

"Okay, Barry," she sighed, "I'll try to back off a bit. About your meds though…"

With a smile she pointed at the clock. It was that time of day again. Barry rolled his eyes, but he smiled as he walked over to the kitchen cabinet where they kept his meds. Barry had several different bottles in there, each med serving a different purpose. There were diuretics, hormone replacement therapy supplements, a blend of different vitamins, corticosteroids, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and the list went on and on.

Barry had lost track of what each of them were for, but he just trusted that Caitlin and his dad knew what they were doing, and he took all the correct doses at the times that they told him to. Now that he was cured, he was surprised by how many meds they still had him on, but if they were going to help him recover faster, then Barry wasn't going to complain about taking them.

Barry was still desperately trying to gain weight. On top of getting back on track at work, gaining weight was Barry's other main goal. Twenty-five pounds. That's how much he had to gain before Caitlin would even consider trying to give him his speed back. That, and his organs had to be back to full health. Barry was dying to run again, and he was doing everything he could to make that happen as soon as possible.

He was eating around the clock, taking in as many calories as he could each day. He didn't have a super metabolism anymore, but he still used Cisco's calorie powder and ate his calorie bars throughout the day. Barry had really missed eating. For his first couple weeks off of chemo and radiation therapy, all Barry wanted to do was eat all of his favorite foods, but Caitlin had also given him a strict meal plan to follow while he was recovering. He followed it happily. He didn't really care what it was he was eating; he was just happy that he could actually enjoy food again.

Barry was also trying to strengthen his heart. He couldn't do much in terms of cardio exercise. He couldn't go for runs (even at normal speed), but he went for walks every day with Iris and sometimes his dad. It felt so good to move after being in bed for so long, and Barry was looking forward to when he would finally be running again.

Caitlin was still very leery about the whole idea though. Her simulations told her that they would be able to give Barry's speed back to him without any problems. His cells were still primed for the speed force, and when they had removed his speed Cisco had found a way to store it in a small cylindrical container that he had created. He joked that he had literally bottled Barry's energy. Bottled lightning, he called it. All they would have to do is inject it into him, and Barry's body would take care of the rest.

Although the simulations they ran all checked out, Caitlin wasn't sure if it was a good idea to attempt it. Barry's body had been through a lot, and he was still recovering. She was afraid that suddenly reintroducing speed force into him like that would shock his system if they didn't give him enough time to adjust. To her, it seemed like an unnecessary risk to take, but Barry assured her that to him, it was completely necessary.

When Barry came in one day for one of his weekly checkups, Caitlin seemed very irritated about something. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but at the same time he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. He found out soon enough though when she finally turned and snapped at Cisco.

"Cisco!" she barked, "Do you really have to do that in here?"

Cisco looked up at her from what he was doing. He was sitting behind the desk in the cortex with the Flash suit laid out in front of him.

"I'm just improving a few things on the suit," he told her, "Why? What's the problem?"

"Do you really have to be doing that right in front of Barry right now? You don't have to go and get his hopes up by having the Flash suit out. We don't know anything for sure yet regarding his speed."

"Caitlin," Barry said, "It's fine. I'm not made of glass. You don't have to tiptoe around me when it comes to Flash stuff. I know there are no guarantees."

"I just know you've been very hopeful about the whole thing, Barry," she said, "but I'm still not sure about it. I still don't know if we should even try it."

"Of course we're going to try it," Barry exclaimed, "We have to, Caitlin. I need to get my speed back, and you said all the simulations look good. I should be able to get it back without any problems. The speed healing might even help me recover faster."

Caitlin shook her head.

"It could help you, but it could also hurt you, Barry. It's a huge adjustment for your body."

"Like I said, you've already ran the simulations. There's no reason why we shouldn't at least try it."

"Well, there is another reason," she said seriously, "Your speedforce is what was fueling the cancer in the first place. If you get your speed back, what if it causes you to relapse? The cancer could come back, Barry."

"So we'll watch it," Barry said simply, "I'll let you run as many blood tests and body scans you want. And if it comes back, we'll just treat it again."

"Is that really a risk you're willing to take, man?" Cisco asked.

He had been completely on Barry's side with all of this up until hearing that it could cause the cancer to come back. That was a horror show that he was not keen on seeing again.

"We have to try," Barry insisted, "This isn't just about me, guys. Yes, I would love to run and have the feeling of the speedforce in my system again, but this is about more than just that. Central City has gone from having the lowest crime rates in the state to having one of the highest. We're almost as bad as Gotham now. The city needs the Flash."

"We almost lost you," Caitlin said quietly, "We almost lost you, Barry. We were already given one miracle. Don't you think we'd be pushing our luck by asking for another one?"

"This isn't about me," Barry said again, "Zoom is still out there. He hasn't come back because he probably thinks he killed me, but he'll find out I'm alive eventually. He'll come back."

"Don't you think you'd be making yourself more of a target by getting your speed back, Barry?" Caitlin asked.

"So I'm supposed to just let him come back and attack innocent people? I'm supposed to just leave the city defenseless?"

Caitlin and Cisco both looked down. They didn't really have an answer to that. Neither of them said anything so Barry continued.

"And it's not like I'm asking you to rebuild the particle accelerator and blast me with it. Now that would be crazy. In this case, all we have to do is inject the speedforce back into me. It's simple."

Cisco and Caitlin both exchanged an unsure look.

"Barry," Caitlin said, "This is far from simple."

"Guys, this isn't your decision to make," Barry said firmly, "It's mine, and I'm doing this."

Both of them exchanged another look of uncertainty. They both thought it over for a moment.

"Okay, man," Cisco finally said with a sigh, "We're not going to change your mind on this anyways, so I guess I'll just respect whatever you decide to do."

They both looked at Caitlin who still seemed to be at war with herself. She looked at Barry with pleading eyes, but she knew she wasn't going to win this one.

"Fine," she said in a small voice, "But be prepared for a lot of medical tests afterwards."

"Thank you, guys," Barry said with a smile. His expression quickly became worried though.

"Could you both do me another favor though?" he asked, "Can you please not tell Joe and Iris about this? About the whole relapse thing? I don't need to have this conversation with them too. I'm not going to change my mind, so I'd rather not argue with them about it and make them worry unnecessarily."

Caitlin sighed.

"I guess so," she said, "I have to respect HIPAA regulations, don't I?"

They all laughed lightly at that.

"Yes," Barry laughed, "Yes, you do."

…..

"I think you just put an extra scoop of calorie powder in that," Iris said, watching Barry mix his breakfast shake. Barry nodded with a smile.

"Can't hurt, right?"

"Yeah, well be careful. Caitlin said too much of that can make you feel sick, and I think you've thrown up enough to last a lifetime," she said with a small laugh.

"Agreed," Barry said, also laughing, "I'm just anxious to get my weight back up to where it needs to be."

"You're looking much better," Iris said happily, "Not as sickly."

Barry grinned at her.

"I'm only five pounds away from my goal weight, and then we can start looking into getting my speed back."

"That's great, Bar," she said, smiling warmly at him.

"And my hands are warm again," Barry said happily, "It's been so long since I've had warm hands. Caitlin said it's because my heart is getting better."

Iris tried to blink back the tears in her eyes, sure that Barry was sick of seeing her cry all the time.

"I'm so happy for you, Barry," she choked, smiling widely now.

He really did look a million times better. His cheeks looked fuller. His hair was longer, although not quite as long as it was before but getting there. Most importantly though, Barry had a glow about him that Iris hadn't seen in a long time. He was starting to be her Barry again. He was smiling and laughing more, and there was light in his eyes again. All that seemed to be missing now was his speed.

…..

"Now, Barry don't be disappointed if this doesn't have the effects that you want it to," Caitlin warned, "We're only giving you back twenty percent of your speed force to start, and we're going to take it in increments from there."

Barry nodded enthusiastically. He was sitting on the edge of the medical bed, the same exact one that he had laid in for months while he was sick, but the atmosphere was far from gloomy. The room seemed to be filled with nervous anticipation and excitement. Barry was hooked up to several different monitors so Caitlin could assess how his system reacted to the speed once they injected it.

Iris sat next to Barry and held his hand while smiling at him. She knew this was a big day for Barry. He had been waiting so long for this, so she tried to share his excitement, but at the same time she felt nervous for some reason. Joe stood next to his daughter, feeling the same way she did, excited and nervous at the same time.

Henry stood a ways away in the corner of the room with his arms crossed over his chest and a worried frown on his face. He didn't say anything though. He had said his piece on how he felt about this whole thing. He was adamantly against it. To him, it was lunacy to risk his son's life just so he could be the Flash again. He hated that Barry felt so incomplete without his powers. Didn't he see that he was perfect just the way he was? He was perfect just being Barry Allen. He didn't need superpowers to be amazing, and he certainly didn't need them to be his son.

"Here, Caitlin," Cisco said, handing Caitlin the syringe, "Twenty percent bottled lightning."

Barry smiled at them and shifted eagerly where he sat. He gave Iris's hand one more squeeze before letting go of it to offer his arm to Caitlin. Caitlin gave him one last look of uncertainty. When Barry nodded firmly at her, she took a deep breath and finally injected the speed force into him.

Barry's entire body tensed. It was kind of like being struck by lightning again but not nearly as intense this time. The feeling of electricity spread throughout his entire body instantly. The sensation of lightning coursing through his veins made his every nerve awaken and his senses seemed to increase tenfold.

"Barry?" Caitlin said worriedly, "How are you feeling?"

Barry opened his eyes. He hadn't even registered closing them. He took a deep breath and then smiled at her.

"I forgot how good this feels," he said happily.

Everyone seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief. Barry laughed. He felt so good. After feeling so weak for so long, to now have all of this power coursing through him again made him feel like he could do anything. It made him feel invincible.

"Dude," Cisco said, laughing at him, "You look like a drug addict who just shot up some heroin or something."

"Heroin is a depressant," Barry said with a laugh, "Speedforce has the opposite effect."

"Fine, crack then," Cisco said with a grin.

"Are you calling me a crackhead?" Barry joked.

"No, more like a speed addict," Cisco bantered.

Barry just laughed. He held out his hand in front of him and made it vibrate. He could tell right away that it wasn't anywhere near his normal speed, but it was still fast, and fast was good. Barry, Cisco, Iris and Joe were all smiling, but Caitlin and Henry were not. Both doctors were watching the heart monitor apprehensively.

"His heart seems to be holding up," Caitlin said with a small hint of relief in her voice, "All of his vitals appear to be normal. For him anyways."

She finally let herself smile slightly. She couldn't help it. It was so nice to see Barry so happy.

"When can I run?" Barry asked excitedly, standing up from the bed. His father stopped him, placing both hands on Barry's chest and forcing him to sit back down.

"Not yet, Slugger," he said seriously. He still hadn't smiled. He still kept glancing at Barry's heart monitor nervously, as if he was waiting for the worst.

"He's right, Barry," Caitlin said, "I can't let you run until we know for sure there won't be any adverse effects. You need to allow your body time to adjust before you strain yourself like that."

"Last time you let me run right away. I was running on the first day after getting my powers," Barry reasoned.

"Yeah," Cisco said sarcastically, "You only had nine months in a coma for your body to adjust to it."

"That was different," Barry argued, "This time my cells were already primed for the speedforce. Last time my DNA was mutated and my body was still adjusting. You're comparing apples and oranges."

"Barry," Caitlin said seriously, "You said if we did this, you were going to listen to my medical advice."

"Okay, okay," Barry said with his hands up, "No running then."

"It's only temporary, Barry," Caitlin assured him. He nodded at her, but she could tell he was practically sulking. He looked like a five year old who was pouting after not getting his way, and Caitlin had to fight the urge to laugh at him.

Caitlin had told him to expect a lot of medical tests, and she certainly kept true on her word. Henry made the whole thing take even longer. He seemed to be even more thorough than Caitlin when it came to his son's health, and they all didn't leave the lab until both doctors were one hundred percent certain that Barry had absorbed the dose of speedforce successfully and without any complications. Once they were sure he was in good health, Barry was finally allowed to leave the lab (via car).

It took everything he had for Barry not to take off running as soon as they were outside. It was hard, but he managed to control himself. It was a different kind of torture to go through the next couple days without running. He had all of this pent up energy in him now and no real way to expend it. Barry tried to find an outlet with his work, which was keeping him plenty busy nowadays, but at the end of the day he was still itching to run.

It wasn't until two weeks later, when Barry had about sixty percent of his speedforce back, that Caitlin finally gave him the go ahead to run. That first time was probably the best run Barry had ever had in his life. Better even than the first time he ran after getting his powers in the first place. He had imagined this moment so many times, had even dreamed about it, but the actual thing was even better than he remembered.

Air couldn't get out his way fast enough. The whole world seemed to slow down as he practically flew through the city. Barry laughed as he ran. He suddenly didn't have a care in the world. He didn't care about all the time he had lost because of his illness. He didn't care that his shoes were starting to smolder or that his clothes were being singed in places. All he could focus on was the wind on his face, the ground beneath his feet, and the yellow lightning crackling out behind him as he ran.

They still forced him to take it easy. He was only allowed to run so much each day, and most of the time he had to keep it on the treadmill where they could monitor his vitals and his speed. At least he was done riding in cars now. Barry ran everywhere he went now, and he felt freer for it. It didn't take long for people to notice the streak of yellow light racing past them down the street. Word spread, and rumors that the Flash had returned buzzed throughout the city. It wasn't long before Barry finally was out on the streets saving people again.

The first time he put the suit back on, he nearly cried. He was glad he had managed to put some weight back on because it wouldn't have quite fit him right otherwise. Even now, he could tell that it was a bit looser than it was before, but he didn't care. It felt amazing to finally be back in his suit again after all this time. It felt even more amazing to be saving lives and helping people again. Being the Flash was a part of him that Barry just didn't feel quite whole without. Now, he felt truly complete. Now it felt like everything had finally come together.

He now had all of his speed back, and although it would take him a while to get back to where he was before regarding his speed, he was happy just to be the Flash again. If everything he had to endure was to get here, then it was worth it. It all had been worth it. Sure, things weren't completely perfect. Zoom was still out there, and Barry knew he hadn't seen the last of him. Harry and Jay had never returned from their scouting trip to Earth 2, and Barry would mostly likely have to travel there to find out what had become of them. They all still had a long way to go in order to take down Zoom, and there were still many dark days ahead of them, but for now, Barry felt lighter than air. He didn't have a care in the world, and he felt like he could do anything. For now, Barry felt invincible.

…..

Thank you everyone for sticking with me for this very long, very emotional journey. This final chapter was such a relief to write after writing so much pain in the previous ones. Being me, I couldn't help but put just a hint of darkness in the very end here. We all know from the canon storyline that Barry has some very dark days ahead of him from this point on, but I still consider this ending a happy one.

Important:

This story has been rewritten. You can find the much better version, Vitality, through my profile. It's revised to the point where it's practically an entirely different story, particularly in the earlier chapters.

I also wrote a mini sequel, Relapse, and an alternate ending, Departed, both of which aren't quite so happy with their endings.

Thanks again, everyone, for sticking with me this far. I hope you take the time to leave a final review for me after this last chapter, and I hope to hear from you all as I continue to post on my other stories! Thank you!

RedQ