Disclaimer: Ok. I love the adorkable Barry Allen, but he seems like a bit of a pushover at times. Personally, I feel like Barry spends a lot of time getting beat up on physically and emotionally and he deserves to stand up for himself and kick ass a bit more often. Hence this series of related one shots where Barry surprises the people around him.

If you recognize it, I don't own it. I took some ideas from other fanfics I read that I really liked about the Flash. There will also be a touch of crossover from various things because I think it gives the characters a bit more depth and more 'people' for me to play with.

Chapter 1

Barry leaned back in his chair and sighed ruffling his hair. He decided for the umpteenth time since he woke up that comas really sucked. Don't get him wrong, the superpowers were awesome, but there were days that it still didn't make up for the downs.

Today, the coma was the bane of existence due to his work. He has been back for a week and only just starting to get his lab back to the way he liked it. He heard from several of the officers how bad it was when they found him. Overturned shelves and dented desk. Chemicals all over the place.

He looked over to the spot under the sunlight that still showed a slight burn mark on the floor from where they lightning went through him. He shuddered slightly at the memory of the smell of ozone, bright white light and heat. All things considered, he was lucky that the chemicals didn't spill until after he was already struck. The entire building could have burned down.

The officers and Captain Singh and been really thoughtful. They moved all of his furniture around so he wouldn't get caught up in the memory. The sunlight no longer opened and the chain that hung down was apparently the first thing to go. Also, all of his chemicals and machines that blown fuses had been replaced... well most of them. The centrifuge was still kinda on the fritz, but he had a personal solution to that now.

It was nice and kind that they put so much effort into the new floor plan. He absolutely hated it. Before his space was his. It was functional and it had flow. It allowed him to be efficient moving around the space. Now, everything was jumbled and it took time to find his things. Barry was slowly and covertly moving things to make the lab work for him again. He already reorganized the chemicals so they were in safer places based on the periodic table rather than alphabetical order.

Barry shook out his hand and turned back to the backlog of paperwork that built up over the nine months he was out and sighed again. It was probably a good thing that the captain was reminded of how much of an asset he was in his field, but he reeeeaaaallllyyy wished his replacement and the support CSI team weren't so incompetent. His status of lead CSI at the age of 25 was unheard of in the field, but at the moment it just meant a wobbly tower of papers that all needed his signature and a crick in his neck that he wasn't sure would ever go away.

Thank god he could speed read now or he wasn't sure he would ever get out from under the pile of work he had. Barry read and signed another five reports before reaching up to try and fix the newest knot in his shoulder when the door to his lab opened up and Iris strolled in.

"Barry, you do know that today is Saturday and your day off right? What are you doing coming in?" Iris stated leaning against the side of his desk with her hands on her hips.

"I'm trying to catch up a bit. Dr. Schultz may have been able to run most of the tests that the CCPD needed when I wasn't here, but he wasn't authorized to turn in the reports or did them all wrong." Barry replied adding his name to yet another document.

"Nope. I don't accept that answer. You just woke up from a coma and now your going to put yourself back into a bad state by over-working yourself." Iris said poking him in the chest. "The weather is great and it is going to be fall soon. You are coming with me and Dad and we are going to the beach."

"Iris, I really do have a lot to do..."

"It's cute how you think you have a choice." Iris said with a smug grin starting to pull at her lips. "No one even expected you to be back to work this soon after waking up and no one expects you to be caught up right away. You need to take it more slowly, so you are going to go to the beach and get a little sun and relax."

Barry looked at her with a hand on his chest in mock offense, but an answering grin starting to form on his face. "Iris! Are you calling me pasty? Kinda sounds like you think I should get out more often." He paused for dramatic effect, but the second he made eye contact with Iris they both broke out laughing at the age old joke. Once Barry got himself back under control he added, "Well, who am I to argue with the lady? I'll pack this up for now and come back to it tomorrow."

Iris crossed her arms and Barry quickly backtracked. "Monday."

She smiled saying better as she headed back out of his lab to collect her father. He couldn't help the incredulous shake of his head and lopsided grin on his face as he watched her leave. She had him so wrapped around her finger it was ridiculous that she still didn't realize it.

He put his papers into their respective folders and locked his computer before heading down. Seeing Joe and Iris they agreed to head out to pick up their things then meet up at Silver Shores for 3. Just enough time for Barry to run home, pick up beach things, and eat his fourth meal of the day before meeting them there.

Iris shifted her bag back up onto her shoulder as she and her father waited for Barry to show up. She would have invited Eddie too, but, unless she wanted to loop Joe into that information and/or wanted a very dead boyfriend, she figured it was better to keep that on the down low.

Plus, she really was worried about Barry. He joked before about being pasty, but he really was pale from not being outside in those 9 terrible months and he was also looking a little thinner too. A day away from work would do him good and if it reassured her that he really fine and taking care of himself all the better.

Joe looked down at his watch and chuckled. At Iris's questioning look he answered her unasked question. "It's 3:15. He should be here any second. That boy couldn't be on time if you paid him. I'm not sure why we bother showing up for what time we specify."

Iris chuckled to herself in agreement, but couldn't help that seed of worry that started in the back of her mind. In truth, Barry being late should be a sign that everything was right again in her world. Barry was never on time before he was struck by lightning, so why wouldn't he be late now? But she still couldn't shut down the part of her brain that said 'what if he relapsed' and 'what if there are complications that we don't know' and 'he could be hit by a car or passed out on his way here and we wouldn't know.'

It was stupid and she could see how much better (and awake) he was from his time in Star labs. But she also knew the voice wouldn't quiet until she saw him stumble up the walk sheepish and grinning (and awake! He was awake! Thank god.).

And there he was now looking a little wind blown and dressed more casual than any of his co-workers had probably ever seen him and the sheepish look on his face that she knew better than her own name. Finally the knot in her chest loosened again and if she playfully punched his arm a little harder than she needed to as punishment for the worry he didn't know he caused her, no one had to know.

Barry rubbed his arm and pulled at a loose thread at the bottom of his open plaid over-shirt and white T-shirt. Then he reached over and took Iris's bag for her. This was her sweet nerd of best friend, her Bear.

They continued to tease each other and try to shove one another as they made their way closer to the water while Joe trailed behind them. It was supposed to be a family day, but Joe was content to set up his folding chair and drink in the sun and laughter that had been missing for as long as Barry was.

As was tradition whenever Barry and Iris went to the beach they started their time by trying to build the best sand castle they possibly could. Iris traded her sundress for her bathing suit and sarong and couldn't figure out why her father was laughing so hard while Barry was turning red and sputtering. She figured he brought up some of the truly embarrassing stories from years long since past.

Iris started to scrape away the loose sand for a solid foundation their castle. Barry picked up a bucket to grab some wet sand from where the waves were breaking. The plaid was long since discarded from the heat beating down.

Three pails of sand and they started to shape a castle. "Iris! That part isn't wet enough. It is going to crumble! Water droplets are held together by surface tension, a clinging force. When water combines with sand, surface tension causes the water droplets to form tiny bridges between the sand grains. These bridges are stronger than the force of gravity. They hold the sand together..."

Iris tuned out as Barry delved deeper into the science content to just listen to the rhythm of his excited ramble rise and fall. This is what she was missing for the last 9 months she thought as she collected stones to decorate their castle. Annoying science rants that she didn't understand, lopsided grins, forever late, and abs.

...Wait what? Iris double took to take a closer look at Barry and nearly gasped. Barry must have finally given up the fight against the heat and stripped of his shirt. Iris couldn't help but covertly stare at her long time friend. When did this happen? Bear has always been her lovable dork with bashful smiles and optimism and sometimes a steely determination that gave him a hidden strength that few people saw.

Now though, Barry had abs. She was aware enough of him to know that he was attractive. Even when he was being bullied those first two years that they went to the same high school she remembers girls giggling over her friend. Barry had abs. Barry was always attractive, but now Barry was hot. Bear was hot. She watched as he moved over to her pile of collected things, muscles that she didn't know he had rippling below his skin. Well, logically she knew he had them. He had to move around some how. But Iris didn't know they were like that. All hard planes and sinew. And now she was rambling in her head... about Bear.

Huh. Iris shielded her face as she looked up at the sky fanning herself slightly. Did the sun get hotter? She should probably re-apply her sun block. In the background Iris could swear that she heard her father laugh harder as she tried to get over her shock.

Author's Note: So...? How was is? This is my first foray into Flash fanfic, so let me know if you like it and if you would like me to continue with other plot bunnies that I have jumping around in the back of my head.