A/N: I will be taking a break for about two months, at the most. There's some real life stuff that I need to take care off that's been weighing me down while writing these stories, and I'd like to get them out of the way (I thought I could do those, and write these stories at the same time; but my other personal stuff has been suffering). The first being writing another draft of a research proposal for admission to a few PhD programs, and the second being learning SAP and Data Management techniques at the local university. I hope you guys understand the need for this break, and I will get back to uploading the newest chapters at the end of the two months. Any further updates will be on my profile.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The plots and stories of The Flash belongs to CW and DC. And the plots and stories of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Mr. Joss Whedon. I'm just playing in the universe that the creators created.

The West Household, 2100 hours.

Alone.

That's how Barry 'the Flash' Allen felt as he sat on the steps leading to the front porch of the West home. He looked at the door that had been just closed by the object of his affections, Iris West, and then looked back at the stairs. The both of them had been living together ever since his mother died, and his father was sent to prison. He had a crush on her that he wasn't able to act on just due to the fact that they knew each other too well… and that Iris saw Barry as a brother. However, recently, following the death of her ex, Eddie, things had changed. It was only a few days ago that Iris revealed her feeling for him, feeling which he had reciprocated last night.

It was a night that felt so long ago. Only seconds after telling Iris that they should give a relationship a try, Barry's newest enemy.. the murderous Zoom, also known as Jay Garrick, and whose real name was Hunter Zolomon; kidnapped Henry Allen. Barry chased Zoom to his old family home… where Zoom murdered Henry in cold blood.

So now, Barry lost another parent. And he never felt as alone as he did right now.

Joe West, Iris' father had taken him in after Henry was sent to prison, was essentially Barry's foster father. He had his friends around him; Cisco Ramone and Caitlin Snow.. both brilliant scientists with STAR Labs. They were the best of friends.

But Barry still felt alone.

Iris had just told him that she loved him. That she cared for him, and that they would get through this together. And Barry admitted to her that this heavy toll on him would prevent him from getting into a relationship. Barry knew he loved Iris with all his heart, but he also knew that the loss of both his parents left a gaping hole in his heart. A hole that he was desperate to fill.

With Iris' kiss still lingering on his lips. The young man made a fateful decision. He knew he was going to change the fates of everyone in his life, but the hole in his heart demanded that this had to be done. That he should do what he was thinking because he had the power.

No matter how selfish it seemed.

Barry then stood up and walked down to the front lawn. There, he saw Cisco, Joe, Caitlin, and Iris clicking their glasses together in celebration of a brand new day. They defeated Zoom and sent the Earth-Two version of Harrison Wells and his daughter back to their home. And with them went the real Jay Garrick, a man who was Henry Allen's doppelganger.

As Barry looked at Iris through the window, memories flooded his mind of all the fun they had. But he knew now that Iris loved him too, and he knew in his heart that whatever new timeline would be created because of his actions, Iris would still love him. Barry knew that they were destined to be together.

And they would be together again.

He would have his parents in his life, and Iris in his life as well. The three people he loved would be together. And he wouldn't be left with a hole in his heart.

Whispering a goodbye to the people that he cared about, Barry ran off down the street. A blur with yellow lightning trailing behind him, the Flash was the guardian of Central City; the Fastest Man alive. He ran faster, the tachyon device underneath the lightning emblem on his suit boosting his speed until he was hitting Mach 14. The man broke the sound barrier as he continued to run down the street past several cars, and smiled when a blue-hued tunnel opened in front of him. Barry ran into it, and entered the Speed Force, the very source of his power. He watched his past, present, and future flash by before closing his eyes and concentrated.

He was listening for the screams of himself as a young boy; the night when he ran into the living room in his old house and caught sight of the violent swirls of red and yellow electricity whirling around his screaming mother. The young man focused on that moment in time, but his concentration broke when he heard a growl. Snapping his eyes wide open, Barry gasped when he saw a black figure with red lightning rush past him. However, it wasn't like the Time Wraith that had gone after him the last time he travelled back in time to learn how to run faster from the fake Harrison Wells.

Barry looked over his shoulder while he continued to run, and recognised the horror that was now chasing, and gaining speed, on him. Barry recognised the red accents around the black suit, he recognised the shrivelled face underneath the half torn cowl; he recognised the aftermath of what happened when the Time Wraiths took Zolomon away.

"Zoom!" yelled Barry as he ran faster. It was then he realised that he had run past the time window he was meant to go through. But he couldn't stop. There was a part of him that still feared Zoom, and there was a part of him that hated him for everything he did. But at this moment, it was the fear that won out. Barry kept on running, lighting crackling along his body as he ran in the blue tunnel; the figure in black growling at him as he got closer. It was a few seconds later that Barry felt cold, gloved hands on his shoulder through his suit.

"Flash," hissed Zoom into his ear, "look at what you did to me, you made me what I am now.. a force of nature in the Speed Force. You made me the fastest man alive!"

"No!" Barry screamed. He felt his body's energy being sucked out through Zolomon's hand. Not wanting to die in the Speed Force, Barry screamed in anguish as he pushed himself even more, jerking his shoulder out of Zoom's grip. The young man pushed himself more and more, running faster and faster until he felt as if he was flying. Lighting was crackling around his body at a greater rate of speed than he had ever experienced before. It was then that parts of his uniform started to slowly peel away. First was his sleeve, and then parts of his trousers, and then parts of his top. Barry then felt as if his entire being was being stretched out lengthwise, while Zoom's laughter started getting further and further away.

In disbelief at how fast he seemed to be running, Barry then saw a breach opening up inside the Speed Force itself. Hoping it would be a way to escape Zoom. Barry ran through it, which then immediately closed behind him. It was a minute later that Zoom, the disfigured dark speedster, reached the area where Barry travelled through and screamed in anger.

"You may have approached light speed, Flash!" screamed Zolomon into nothingness, "but I'm still coming after you! There is no time here! Which means I have all the time in the universe to come after you! Run, Flash! Run! I will find you, and I will come for you!"

Sunnydale, California, 2100 hours.

What does one do when they discover they're not supposed to exist?

What does one do when they discover that the life they had been living was simply a lie?

These were some of the thoughts that were swimming through Dawn's mind as she trudged past a playground. She wanted to be out of her house, and away from her sister and her mother. At least the people she thought were her sister and her mother. The young brunette had just found out that she was something known as a Key, a mystical energy that was formed into a human being by some monks so that it could be hidden from a mad woman; so that it could be hidden from a hell-god.

To protect her, she was sent to the Slayer, Buffy Summers.

When she found out what she was, Dawn cut her arms and demanded to know from her mother, Joyce, and her sister, Buffy, if the blood was real. She wanted to know if she was real. But contrary to what they had told her, Dawn still felt differently.

The only thing going through her mind after she ran away from home was that she was nothing. She was a walking lie. Walking past the playground with her arms bandaged, and folded over her chest, the young girl looked out at the hospital in the distance and headed there. After taking a few more steps, Dawn heard the sound of distant thunder, and she looked up at the sky. She saw that the night was clear, with a full moon and stars shining in the poke-marked sky. Frowning at there being no clouds, Dawn looked around while her heart raced.

'Maybe this wasn't a good idea,' she thought while turning around and looking behind her on hearing the sound of thunder again. The young woman then felt a gust of wind just before she witnessed a blue-hued breach open several meters in front of her. Knowing that she should be running away - that thanks to the Hellmouth under Sunnydale, this breach could very well mean demons invading the Earth.

And she was right in the middle of it.

'As if sudden breaches out of nowhere mean puppies would be coming out of it,' thought Dawn to herself as she stepped back from the breach. She wondered what Buffy would say, 'probably nothing. I'm nothing to her and mom anyway, and… what the..'

Dawn stopped as she stared with her mouth open as a blur with lightning trailing behind it shot out of the breach, which then immediately closed. She felt a heavy gust of wind that compelled her to take a few quick steps back before she looked at the male figure who had smoke rising off the red suit he was wearing, a suit that had various pieces hanging from it.

'That's something you don't see every day,' thought Dawn to herself as she stood rooted to the ground. There was one part of her mind that was telling her to run back to Buffy, and the other part was saying that she should just run to the hospital while the person in front of her was still panting loudly. She saw him hold onto the metal railings of the merry-go-round while he continued to take in a few more deep breaths. She looked at the hospital in the distance, just beyond the park she was walking through, and then she looked back at the man who was looking at his hands, and then at his arms, and then down his front.

"Umm…" said Dawn while she mentally kicked herself, "hello?"

"Huh?" asked the man as he turned around, and Dawn saw that the front of his suit had tears and strips hanging off. As did the front of his sleeves and pants. The young woman was drawn to his abs before looking up at the lightning emblem on his chest. She then looked up at the cowl over his head, from which some parts were torn apart with tufts of his hair showing through, "oh… hi?"

"HI," replied Dawn as she took a few steps forward while her feet were trembling, "ummm… where did you… I mean.. how did you…? I mean… who are you? What are you?"

"What am I?" he asked in surprise.

'Don't let this be another situation like when I met Kara,' thought Barry to himself while he looked around, and then back at the brunette in front of him, 'no… it can't be. I was aiming for the past… this has to be the past and…'

"What year is this?" asked Barry as he vibrated his vocal chords and spoke in a deep voice. He could see it was something that scared the young woman in front of him as she stumbled back with a gasp, her face twisted in fear. Barry reached out with one hand before asking, in his normal voice, that she had nothing to be afraid of, and that it was important for him to know the year.

"Why?" asked Dawn as she narrowed her eyes at him, "do demons like you…"

"Say what now?" asked a confused Barry who thought he had just heard the word 'demon'. The young man knew that magic existed thanks to what Oliver 'Green Arrow' Queen had faced against Damien Darkh, and their tussle against Vandal Savage to protect Kendra. But Barry still believed that there was a scientific explanation for magic, but demons were new, "did you just say demon? As in….?"

"You know….," said Dawn as she pointed at the spot the breach had opened earlier, "you came out from a portal leading to a demon dimension and.. I mean you're kind of the hottest… and a human looking demon I've seen but.."

"I'm not a demon," countered Barry while shaking his head vigorously and waving his hands, "I'm human and… look, where am I?"

"Sunnydale," said Dawn with her eyes narrowed while wondering how it was that a demon that just popped out of a possible hell dimension didn't know that he was in Sunnydale; the magnet for demons and vampires, "how can a demon like you not know? And… and what was that lightning and…"

"Not a demon," repeated Barry while pointing at himself, "and I run really fast. Anyway, ummm… the year?"

"2001," said Dawn while she stared at Barry confused.

"Thanks," replied Barry as he frowned. He knew he missed his time window, and now he appeared out of the Speed Force a few years late. Barry knew his mother was already dead, and he resolved to prevent that from happening again, 'just one more jump through the Speed Force. If Zolomon chases me, he chases me. I don't know how I beat him just now, but I will beat him again. I'll save my mom… and we'll be a family.'

"Hey," continued Barry as he brought himself out of his thoughts, "thanks for telling me the year, now..." Barry's voice trailed off while he looked around with concern on his face. At the same time, the young woman in front of him stared at him with eyebrows narrowed in confusion. Barry frowned before looking at the brunette in front of him once again, "umm…. Are you alone?"

"That question is just creepy," said Dawn as she took another step back.

Sighing, Barry apologised before saying that he was just worried since she was alone at night, "if you tell me where your house is, I can run you home before I leave again."

"I don't get it," said Dawn with her arms waving, "who are you?"

"A friend who's not going to harm you," Barry replied gently as he looked around, and then saw the hospital in the distance. He then turned back to Dawn before telling her that he really needed to leave and that he'll run her over to the hospital, "you could call your parents from there. I…."

"I don't have any parents or sisters," said Dawn as she looked away.

"Adopted parents?" asked Barry. All the young man wanted to do was get back into the Speed Force, and then travel back in time a few more years so that he could save Nora. But his sense of responsibility was also telling him that he couldn't leave the young woman alone in the park, in the middle of the night. He guessed that she was about fifteen or sixteen, and the protective part of him was screaming for the part that was obsessed with saving his mother to just make sure the girl gets home safely.

Sighing, Barry told the young woman about how he was adopted after his mother died, and his father was wrongfully imprisoned for her murder. He saw the young woman look down at the grass while telling her that he loved his father, and didn't understand why he couldn't be with him, "I didn't want to be with Joe."

"Joe?" asked Dawn as she lifted her head back up.

"The man who adopted me," said Barry, "I'd sometimes run away from his house and try to visit my dad, but Joe was a cop.. and he'd always know where I was. Eventually, I did visit my father in prison and..."

"I don't have a dad or a mom," interrupted Dawn.

"I'm sorry," said Barry as he kneeled down and looked into Dawn's eyes through his cowl, "I didn't have my dad and mom too. My dad told me, when I visited him, that he didn't want me to visit him again. He didn't want me to see him in prison. He told me to stay with Joe, that he'd look after me instead. And Joe did loko after me, and I love him for it. And… and my dad, not Joe, my biological dad died… he was murdered before my eyes."

Dawn looked away from Barry, and down at the green grass that was swaying in the gentle breeze.

"I'm sure you have people who are worried about you," said Barry as he placed his gloved hands on her shoulders, "I don't know if they're your foster parents or legal guardians, but I'm sure they miss you."

"They don't," said Dawn while she looked down at the grass.

"If Joe didn't love me," said Barry as Dawn looked back up at him, "then he wouldn't have come after me every time I ran away. I mean he would have to come after me since he's a cop, but after finding me, he could have said he was tired of what I was doing, and sent me into the foster system. I could have been raised by someone else entirely. But he didn't. He took me in despite the ass that I was. He loved me, and I loved him."

Dawn simply looked around her surroundings and not directly at Barry. At least until he spoke again.

"How about I sit with you until you make up your mind to go home?" said Barry after he figured that he could wait a few hours since he was going to travel back in time again anyway.

"And if I decide not to go home?" asked Dawn as she rested her hands on her hips while staring at Barry.

"Everyone wants to go back home, umm…. Sorry, I don't think I've asked your name," said Barry while he rubbed the back of his head guiltily.

"Dawn, I'm Dawn,"

"Dawn," said Barry, "everyone wants to go home. I bet you that the people who love you will be coming after you."

"They won't," whispered Dawn.

"If I win," said Barry, "you go home and give your foster family another chance."

"And if you lose?" asked Dawn as she looked at Barry with an eyebrow raised. But before Barry could even answer, Dawn spoke up saying that since he seemed to have a secret identity because of his costume, "I want to know your secret identity, and I want a ride. I mean I want to feel what it's like to run fast."

"And then you go home?" asked Barry.

"And then I go home," replied Dawn while she was nodding her head. Barry and Dawn then sat down on different sections of the Merry-go-round in silence, with Dawn occasionally asking him again if he really wasn't a demon, and then asking how fast he could run, what else he could do, and if he really was human; and if he was, then where was he from. Barry just told her that he wasn't a demon, and that the fastest that he had ever gotten up to was Mach 14; something that surprised Dawn. However, he didn't tell her that he was from the future, instead he just told Dawn that he ran all the way here through a portal from Central City.

"Where now?" asked a confused Dawn.

"Central City," said Barry, his eyebrows narrowed in response to the confusion on Dawn's face.

"Never heard of it… but there's a lot of places in this country I haven't heard of, so what do I know," said Dawn shrugging her shoulders.

"Right," replied Barry as they then sat in silence again. It was fifteen minutes later that Dawn and Barry heard two voices getting closer to their location.

"Dawnie!"

"Li'bit…. Dawn!"

"See," replied Barry with a smile on his face as Dawn looked at him, and then she looked over her shoulder at the top of a blonde head. It was then that she felt a gust of wind; Dawn looked back to her left and saw that Barry was gone.

"Dawn!" screamed the blonde as she and a platinum-haired man ran up the footpath, and into the playground where she was seated. Dawn stood up, and was about to tell off the blonde; that everything she and her friends knew was a lie. But before she could say anything, Dawn;s eyes opened wide when the blonde hugged her tight.

"Buffy?" asked Dawn as she felt her sister's grip tighten around her back while they hugged.

"You're real to me, Dawnie," whispered Buffy into her ear. The two of them then parted as Dawn looked into Buffy's eyes while she held on to both of her shoulders, "Dawnie, we share the same blood… Summers blood. You're my sister and, and to me, you're not the Key. I'm not protecting you because you're some mystical thing. I'm protecting you because you're my sister."

"I'm not…"

"You are my sister, Dawnie," repeated Buffy with tears in her eyes as she hugged Dawn again while the man in the black jacket patted Dawn's shoulder.

"Hey, Spike," whispered Dawn.

"You had the Slayer worried," he replied, "got Red and the others out everywhere looking for you."

"Oh," whispered Dawn as she closed her eyes and remembered what Barry had told her.

"To mom and me, to Willow, to Tara, to Xander, to Anya, to Giles, and heaven help me… to Spike," whispered Buffy as she gave Spike a quick glance and then looked away, "the memories we have of you are real. We experienced everything, Dawnie. You are everything to me, you're everything to all of us. We love you. I love you."

"I… I love you too," whispered Dawn as she gently wrapped her arms around Buffy's back, "do you think mom's gonna forgive me for running away?"

"On account of this whole trauma about find out you're the whole Key thing?" asked Buffy as she stepped back and looked at Dawn while stroking the back of her head, "most likely."

"Think I could get a raise on my allowance?" asked a hopeful Dawn.

"Don't push it," said Buffy as she placed her hand around Dawn's shoulders, "let's go home."

As the three of them walked away, Dawn looked back over her left shoulder and looked at a shadow that shifted in the distance behind some trees. And then, there was a blur and a trail of lightning. Dawn smiled before she looked forward with a small smile on her face.

Barry ran as fast as he could out of the city. He ran past people, who only noticed a streak of orange followed by a gust of wind before he passed a sign that said 'Thank you for visiting Sunnydale. Come back soon', and ran out into the open road. He ran faster and faster, until he hit Mach 14. But nothing happened.

There was no fissure that opened into the Speed Force.

Skidding to a stop, Barry looked around confused while wondering what was going on. He knew that he reached the speed to open a doorway into the Speed Force, so it not opening was a concern.

'Maybe I need to go faster,' thought Barry to himself as he ran. He went faster until the device under his emblem released a burst of tachyons into his very being. With lightning crackling all over his body as he ran, Barry screamed out loud as he pushed himself even more.

Still, no fissure opened up.

Barry skidded to a stop again before he turned around and panted hard. He then looked around before taking off in another direction. Barry was nearly at Santa Barbara when he stopped… there were still no fissures into the Speed Force.

"No," thought Barry to himself before he ran back towards Sunnydale, "no, no, no."

Nearly at the city, Barry skidded to a stop again. As he stumbled down onto his knees, Barry took off his cowl and screamed into the night sky. No matter what he did, he couldn't enter the Speed Force… he was stuck on another Earth.

TBC.