A/N: Um... heyyy, guys. I know, I know - it's been months since I posted anything for this series, and I apologize. I really do. Life has been chaotic. Sorry. I can't guarantee these updates will happen as quickly as before. But, uh, yeah...

I haven't watched the Flash in a while; since the midseason finale, in fact. And it's not on On Demand (at least not mine, anyway) so I can't watch it all over again and I hate watching stuff online on my computer. So... yeah. This is going to be AU quite a bit, hope that's okay. I'm still trying to figure out where I want to go with this one so it's not a bumbling mess like before, but... well xD we'll see how it goes. I am really sorry, again, for the wait; I didn't mean for that to happen. If anyone is still reading this series... well, congrats, you finally have an update xD If not, I don't blame you. Sorry, again.

A few quick notes:
- I haven't watched season 2 in a while. I've seen every episode once, up until about episode 9. I'm going solely from memory, so I know things will be incorrect. Sorry. I'm not gonna be super picky; I've done that in the past and it's no fun for me that way.
- If the name of Wells' attorney was ever mentioned, I don't remember. So I made up a name. No, I have no desire to change it.
- I'm taking some liberties with some things. Hope that's okay.
- I'm picking and choosing what I want from season 2, and it probably won't be in any real order. I might deal with Zoom; I might not. I might deal with the Family of Rogues episode; I might not. I haven't decided how long I want this to be. So anything could happen, I guess. Sorry if this bothers you.
- There might be a lull between updates. Sorry. I'm busy with work, my wrist is acting up again, and I still have my migraines. Life gets in the way sometimes. But I'll try to update when I can. I thank you for your patience.
- And as before, comments tend to make me update faster xD I can tell you right now re-reading the comments on the other stories is what made me even finally sit down to write this. So, there's that ;)
- Hope you enjoy :)

PS I definitely recommend reading IGSBINAS first. You don't have to read the one-shots but definitely that one at least.

Chapter length: 3205

Begin!

More Than This

CHAPTER 1

When Barry decided to answer the call coming from the unrecognized number, he thought it was just a wrong number and he would just tell them it was wrong, and then continue with his night off, even without Len. Len is at his sister's, since Lisa begged him to 'come play', and they are apparently having a movie marathon. Len invited Barry but Barry said he was just going to relax at home, in their apartment, and catch up on his crime documentaries, which Len finds boring.

That doesn't seem like an option anymore.

"Mr. Allen, are you listening?" the smooth, baritone voice asks.

The man asked if he was speaking to Barry Allen, and when the answer was a tentative 'yes', he introduced himself as Quinton Pearce, Dr. Wells' attorney.

That in and of itself is enough to make Barry sick to his stomach.

Dr. Wells' died about fifteen years ago, after Barry's mom was killed. He was killed by a speedster named Eobard Thawne, and was deposited into an unmarked roadside grave while Eobard disguised himself as Dr. Harrison Wells, and for the next decade and a half, lived another man's life.

And ruined Barry's.

Six months ago, to the day, the man died. Eobard Thawne died. A singularity occurred over Central City. Eddie Thawne sacrificed himself to kill the speedster from the future.

Six months ago, Barry's world tilted on its axis, and now it is doing so again. All because of a few simple words.

"You have the wrong number," he says.

"I don't believe I do, Mr. Allen," Pearce says. "It has been six months since the singularity and the city is declaring all individuals missing from this event officially dead so that their families can move on and get a little closure. Dr. Harrison Wells disappeared then, too, and is now being declared dead."

Good, Barry thinks. "So why are you calling me?"

"Dr. Wells left behind very specific instructions should he meet an untimely demise," Pearce tells him. "It is not something I wish to discuss over the phone, however. Would you be available at all today, so that we may chat privately?"

Barry's gut curls. Anything coming from Wells won't be good, but he can't just not go hear this guy out, can he? They can meet, and he will tell Pearce he and Wells weren't as close as they might have appeared to be, and so Pearce really has no reason to contact him again.

"Big Belly Burger," Barry says finally, his stomach growling at the mere thought of his favorite place. "One hour."

"Very well, Mr. Allen. I will be there."

xXx

The city is quiet this late; after the six o'clock traffic ends at about eight, the streets are surprisingly empty. Slowly the city is being rebuilt after the Singularity; everyone's efforts have not gone to waste. Barry helps out where he can, though he's not sure how much of a carpenter he is.

As he speeds through the city in his Flash suit, he smiles faintly to himself despite how fast he is traveling. Not too long ago he couldn't run like this without the risk of getting dizzy and passing out, thanks to a parting 'gift' from a meta-human named Kyle Nimbus. The spots are gone from his lungs now, and he feels fine when he runs – better than ever.

There is no feeling like it in the world.

Barry Allen loves being the Flash.

He stops in the alley behind Big Belly Burger and quickly strips of his suit and back into his normal clothes, combing fingers through windswept hair before he enters the establishment. He smiles at a few of the regulars and makes his way to a table in the back, occupied by only one man, who stands out in this place. His dark hair is smoothed back with gel, keeping it in place, and his collar looks a little too tight. He is the only one here with a suit, and his blue eyes blink at Barry's casual attire.

"Mr. Allen, I presume."

"Pearce," Barry says, taking the seat across from the attorney. A waitress scurries over and quickly takes their order, though Barry knows he will be order a lot more to-go.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I said 'private'," Pearce drawls as the waitress leaves the table.

Barry shrugs. "It's private enough, and you're funny if you think I'm getting into a suit to come to your office."

"You wouldn't need a suit."

"Uh huh, and just have all your suit buddies snobbing it up with their noses in my face? No thanks," Barry says, shaking his head. "Besides, I like it here. If we're going to discuss Well I need to be somewhere I like, and you agreed to meet me here."

"Very well," Pearce sighs, pulling a thin silver briefcase from next to him on the bench seat. It hits the table with a soft thud and then there's the telling click-click as Lance opens it, and then spins it to face Barry.

"What am I looking at?" Barry asks, frowning.

"This is the deed to STAR Labs," Pearce tells him as Barry stares at the papers in the briefcase.

"I don't… I don't understand."

"Harrison Wells left everything to you, Mr. Allen."

xXx

"What about this one?"

"Lenny – the ring doesn't matter," Lisa bemoans from next to him. She invited him over to drink a few beers and catch up, and she also happened to have jewelry stores opened up on her laptop. What was Len supposed to think about it?

How can he not look at rings? He is getting married in December, after all.

A familiar shiver runs up his spine.

Married.

He will be getting married, and it's still so hard for it to sink in completely.

"Lenny, please, I invited you over to get shitfaced, not to look at pretty rings!"

Len snorts, sparing his sister a glance. Her hair is shorter now, her once long, wavy brown locks are now just past her shoulders, and she tucks a few strands behind her ears as she sticks her tongue out at Len. Which is uncalled for, honestly. Nevertheless, Len puts the laptop down and closes it, giving Lisa his full attention.

She smiles at him. "Now, dear brother, let's get our scary movies on!"

Len shakes his head, unable to believe he even agreed to this in the first place. When she first recommended he come over for a few drinks and to catch up and maybe watch a few movies, he thought it sounded fine. He won't drink much because he's not going to wake Barry so late at night and have the kid come get him because he can't drive. But he can still enjoy spending time with Lisa.

And he does, he finds.

It reminds him of when they were kids, before things went to hell.

Just a boy and his little, annoying sister.

Things are more complicated now, but movie marathons like this let him forget.

"So," Lisa says as the opening credits to the first movie start, "how's your fiancé?"

Fiancé.

It is still so hard to wrap his mind around sometimes. Len is engaged, and in December he and Barry will get married. It is only a few months away, and he still hasn't even gotten the kid a ring. Barry told him not to worry about it; he doesn't need a ring, but Len wants to get him one. It's tradition, after all. While it is true they aren't a traditional couple, he feels like some things need to be traditional, at least.

"He's fine," Len replies, taking a sip of his beer. "He's watching his documentaries tonight."

"Ugh. I hate those. They're so boring and that voice almost puts me to sleep."

Len nods, silently agreeing with her. He'll put up with them for Barry's sake, but the kid knows he's not particularly fond of the documentaries and now tends to only watch them when he has the apartment to himself.

Sometimes it's still hard to believe he and the kid are sharing an apartment. Lisa kept the safe house, moving into Len's old room, the master bedroom. Cisco has been here recently; his shirt is strewn over the back of a chair in the kitchen. Len does not mention this.

He does not want to hear about his sister's sex life.

However, he does ask: "How is Cisco?"

Lisa smiles; it's this soft, dopey look he remembers her telling him he had when he and Barry first got together. He fights the urge to smirk and comment on the smile, but only just barely. "He's great," Lisa says with a happy sigh. "Things are great. Really great."

"As long as you're happy."

"I am, Lenny." She laughs quietly, under her breath. It contrasts with the ominous music playing in the opening scenes of the scary movie. "Look at us – both happy with our respective members of Team Flash. Are we crazy, or what?"

Len snorts. "What's life without some craziness."

"Cisco might move in," she says.

That causes his spine to stiffen somewhat. Knowing Cisco Ramon is somewhat dating his sister is one thing; to know their relationship is this deep, and have the tech genius moving in here… that's another thing entirely.

Though, he can't really complain. He really does like Cisco. He's a much nicer guy than all the usual guys Lisa dates.

He approves.

"Might?" he asks finally.

"Well… he's thinking about it. I asked him during sex."

"I didn't need to know that," Len says, scowling. "I need brain bleach."

Lisa laughs again. "He doesn't vibrate like a certain speedster, but he is quite talented…"

"Ugh, stop," Len says, taking a long chug of his beer. "I don't need these images."

"Turnabout is fair play, dear brother."

"I never went into detail; you asked me about it."

"Fair enough," his sister concedes. "Anyway, he's making new gear for the Meta-Human Task Force at the CCPD. Did Barry tell you about that?"

"He told me Cisco accepted the job offer, but haven't talked much about it," Len hedges. "He said Cisco's gotten his own lab in the basement level; he's usually there, busy at work making 'toys'."

"Ohh, toys, huh?" Lisa asks with a wink, and Len needs to seriously rethink his words when he is with her. "But he's making gear for them, and so he's still on a 'trial run' for the CCPD, and his lease is up soon on his apartment. I told him to move in here."

"So is he?"

"He hasn't said no," Lisa says with a shrug.

That means it's a yes, Cisco just doesn't want to seem too eager. Len knows this a little too well. Men have a hard time saying 'no' to Lisa.

"Well, I'm happy for you," Len says.

"Thanks, Lenny. Oh, I like this part," Lisa says, zeroing in on the flatscreen TV.

Len rolls his eyes; of course Lisa likes a scene where a man gets eaten alive.

The two settle back in silence, and the movie marathon continues.

xXx

Waking up alone used to be ideal for Len.

Any company he might have had left through the night, or he left prior to sleep. Sleeping next to someone meant the risk of attack, of betrayal, of strings attached.

But now, waking up alone means Barry has the early shift and Len has the morning to himself. He never realized how lazy he was until this routine set in; Barry will get up, usually without waking Len, and slip off to work at the CCPD. Len will sleep for a few more hours, until roughly ten or eleven. He will then wake slowly, and fix himself a pot of coffee while watching pre-recorded shows on TV, or reading the newspaper.

It is all so normal, so domestic. Everything he thought he never wanted, but suddenly it is everything.

That doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy Barry's off days, when he lounges around until the late morning hours with Len, and the two leave bed a rumpled mess and slip into the shower together. Then Barry attempts to make breakfast – but somehow, he burns ramen noodles, so Len does not especially trust him in the kitchen – and inevitably Len will take over, and breakfast is served. They lounge around on the couch watching TV, or go for a 'run' if the weather is good for it, not too hot or cold or rainy.

Life has become routine, and Len does not mind in the slightest.

If anyone told him even a year ago that his life would become this, that he would be happy with normal routine, happy with a normal life as Leonard Caldwell, and would soon become Leonard Allen…

He would have iced them.

Such a life was not in the cards for Leonard Snart. Never had been, never would be.

And yet…

It happened. Somehow, someway, it happened.

That isn't to say he isn't still Captain Cold. Because he most definitely is; he enjoys his heists, but for the most part, only robs for the thrill of it. What he manages to take he usually just hands over to Barry afterward, and the Flash returns the items. His items; Lisa's share are her own, as are the items heisted by members of his crew, the Rogues as they have been dubbed.

Still, they don't do it too frequently anymore, and he tries to take his main heists out of town so Barry isn't as conflicted. Although, Barry said he does kind of enjoy their games; he enjoys attempting to thwart Len, when in reality he won't capture him anyway. Len also tries to be less noticeable when he goes out as Captain Cold; becoming Len Caldwell is a slow journey, and would be ruined if he caused too much ruckus as Leonard Snart and Captain Cold. So when he does something big, something noticeable, he tries to take it out of town and always makes sure he knows where all the cameras are located so no one sees him. He used to revel in the cameras; they were there, but they could not stop him. Now, though, anonymity is what he wants; is what he needs.

This life can't flourish otherwise.

And he always feels so torn – wanting to be Len Caldwell, and wanting to be Captain Cold, caught as Leonard Snart somewhere in-between.

But it is worth it, in the end.

Barry is worth it.

There's a distinctive ding-ding from his phone on the bedside table, and he glances over with a scowl. It is only nine in the morning; who is texting him this early?

He reaches for his phone and looks at the text.

From Lisa: Found her

Another ding-ding.

The address.

Len yawns and sits up in bed; the mattress is soft and caves under his weight, but yet is still somewhat firm. If he didn't enjoy this bed so much he would have rejected it after he realized it was a 'gift' from Ollie, the Arrow. He doubts he and Oliver Queen will ever see eye-to-eye after what the Arrow did a few months ago, but that's okay; they don't really need to see eye-to-eye. As long as Ollie understands his place and stays in Star City until the wedding, then things are 'okay' between them. All is not forgiven, but it is a work in progress.

Such is life.

He climbs out of the comfortable bed – how is it Ollie can get such comfy beds? – and pads out of the room, his bare toes curling into the carpet as he does so. He walks down the hallway toward the bathroom, where he quickly relieves himself and brushes his teeth.

Normally, he would lounge around the apartment, but today is not like any other day. Today Len has an appointment he must make.

After finishing in the bathroom he returns to the bedroom to pull on clean clothes as well as his parka, and makes sure to grab his goggle glasses as well. Can't be without those.

Ding-ding.

He sighs and looks back at his phone, fighting the urge to reply to Lisa with 'I know, I'm on my way'.

From Barry: Meet for lunch at 1?

A slow smile works its way across his face as he replies.

To Barry: Sure kid

From Barry: Big Belly Burger?

He can almost hear the hopeful tone of voice, can almost see the pleading look on the kid's face.

To Barry: We just had that yesterday

From Barry: So?

From Barry: Craving it

To Barry: Fine but you owe me

From Barry: Oh I can make it up to you don't worry

To Barry: I expect nothing less

To Barry: See you at 1

With that, he pockets his phone and leaves the apartment.

The drive across town goes quickly enough, despite the thick city traffic. This is why he prefers a motorcycle over a car; it is much easier to slip through the traffic and arrive at his destination.

His motorcycle pulls to a stop outside of an apartment complex. For a moment he wonders if he is at the wrong place, but after rechecking the address, this is the right location. Strange for a criminal to be hiding out here, he decides; however, isn't he himself doing the same? Not only living in an apartment but also with someone, and in December he will be married.

Life enjoys its twists and turns.

He climbs off his motorcycle but leaves his helmet on as he enters the apartment building; better to not be noticed as Leonard Snart. Again, he is trying to keep a low profile these days.

Just inside, Lisa is waiting for him with a grin. His sister has gotten herself a haircut, and her once flowing brown locks are now just past her shoulders, and tucked behind her ears. Still the same twinkling eyes as always, though.

"She's on the second floor, apartment 21B," Lisa tells him in her usual sultry voice. "Go easy on her, dear brother; she seems to think she's not a criminal."

Len nods and walks past Lisa, heading toward the elevator.

"Oh, and Lenny," Lisa calls after him, causing him to twist to look over his shoulder, "do get rid of the helmet before you see her. You look slightly ridiculous with the parka and the helmet. Don't worry, though, I'm sure Barry still loves you."

Len rolls his eyes; normally he would fight the urge, but his face is hidden by his helmet so he allows himself this. He steps into the elevator and climbs it to the second floor, where he gets off and starts looking at door numbers.

Once he finally comes to the appropriate room, he reaches out and twists the knob. The handle turns and the door opens. He steps inside, quietly closing the door behind him, helmet now carried under his arm.

He looks up as he enters and notices icy brown eyes watching him.

"What do you want?" Shawna Baez asks, arms folded across her chest.