Notes: Earth 5 AU. Francine West is alive, Henry Allen was acquitted of Nora Allen's murder and Barry Allen has died in a house fire. Looking at that scar on Sav-Barry's face got me thinking about a WA Phantom of the Opera AU, which somehow transformed into a Count of Monte Cristo AU. Don't ask me how, I couldn't tell you, the muse sometimes leads you along strange paths. Hope you enjoy and please me a review when you're done reading.

Iris pressed her foot on the gas, anger growing with each passing moment. She didn't know what kind of game Barry was playing, but she was determined to put a stop to it, now.

She ran a red light, cut off the driver of a gleaming black SUV that swore at her as she left them behind. Breaking a few more traffic laws, Iris pulled into the perpetually empty S.T.A.R. Labs parking lot with a screech, laying a coating of rubber on the pavement and filling the air with a heavy burnt stench.

Her anger grew with each step. Barry was going to tell her everything. No more secrets, no more absurd cover stories.

Iris jabbed the call button for the elevator and snapped her nail in the process tearing a long jagged strip across the bed.

"Damn it!" She bit off the offending nail and looked away from her reflection in the gleaming elevator doors: smudged eyeliner, wild hair, soot covered clothing and a face streaked with ash and the trails of black tears.

The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped inside pushing the button for the cortex. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, foot tapping with impatience. The flimsy lies Barry told to try and hide the fact that he was The Flash were one thing, this was something else altogether.

She strode into the long empty corridor, each step punctuated by the echoing click of her heels. The concrete walls making her think more of an underground bunker than a laboratory.

It had been more than a year since Barry had woken from his nine-month coma, but Iris still remembered her way to the cortex. When he'd been a patient at STAR Labs, she had visited him almost daily, talking to him and reading to him. Praying for him to wake, promising God that if he only let Barry wake-up, she would tell him the truth about her feelings.

Her confidence cracked for the first time since she'd realized the police had to be wrong. The memory of Barry complexion sheet white, tubes, wires, and electrodes connected to him swam before her eyes. Doubt bloomed, and Iris felt her stomach twist, bile rose in her throat carried on a swell of emotions pounding beneath her anger.

Iris pushed her doubts aside.

Nothing else made sense. The police's so-called facts, the story the coroner had told her- Barry was The Flash, a super hero, they didn't know him.

Iris marshaled her arguments before stepping into the cortex. She and Barry were engaged. Being The Flash was his secret to tell, but how could they be partners when he was hiding something that such a big part of his life? The secrets, the absurd cover-ups they ended now. If Caitlin or Cisco tried to dissemble on his behalf, she had words for them.

Iris took a deep breath and stalked into the cortex, fists clenched at her sides to determined to get answers.

Caitlin sat eyes red-rimmed, her white face nearly colorless. Cisco Ramon's usually warm complexion was ashen, face swollen, eyes red. Despair, thick and undeniable hung heavy over both of them, and Iris ground her teeth.

"The Flash isn't dead."

Caitlin Snow's eyes widened, and she stared, a deer caught in headlights while Cisco's mouth worked. The two looked at each other for a moment, and then Caitlin sighed shoulders slumping, and Cisco shook his head.

"So you know," Caitlin said.

"I'm not stupid Caitlin. I've known for months. I don't know what's going on, but I do know that you better get Barry out here right now and tell me everything, because." She paused to take a breath, push the swelling tide down as she held up one trembling hand. "The Flash doesn't fall asleep-" she paused and pressed her lips together, holding back tears. "The Flash doesn't fall asleep and get overwhelmed by smoke inhalation and die in a house fire."

She could feel tears pricking under her lids. Which was stupid, because it had to be a trick, a plan to deceive Captain Cold or the Mirror Master. A trick to confuse The Flash's enemies. Barry couldn't be dead; it was a trick.

"Iris," Cisco spoke now, his voice soft and calm. Too soft as if he feared setting her off, he took a step toward hands held out.

"It's a trick."

"I didn't believe it either." It was Caitlin's turn to speak, the tremor in her voice clear to Iris' ears. "That's why I took a sample from the body they found at Henry's house. It's him, Iris, I'm sorry, but it's Barry." Caitlin shook her head. "I didn't believe it at first either, but it's him."

Cisco tried to put an arm around her, but Iris shrugged him off.

"No!" Iris pulled away from them as she started to tremble. This wasn't what was supposed to happen he was supposed to be here. It was supposed to be a trick, a plan to capture some meta-human wreaking havoc on Central City. He was supposed to be alive.

Iris started to tremble, her stomach sick twisting.

"Please. He's supposed to be alive." This wasn't what they were supposed to say. "Cisco if it needs to be a secret, you can tell me please."

"I'm sorry." Cisco shook his head.

"But we sent out the save the dates, we're going to have our honeymoon in Paris, because Barry got that big bonus, I'm moving in-" She sounded like a child in her own ears, bewildered at the canceling of Christmas or some other longed for event, rattling off a list of irrelevant facts as if they could somehow remake an indifferent world.

"I'm so sorry Iris." The other woman met her eyes now, words clear and deliberate. "I know how you feel and I wish with all my heart that there was a plan and we could bring Barry out of a secret room for you."

Caitlin took her hands now, and Iris felt the swell breaking over her anger and objections, a tide of grief washing through her life. It pounded through her heart opening a hole where Barry had been and sweeping away all else.

"But he can't be-"

Iris' words dissolved into sobs and Caitlin put an arm around her shoulders.

"I know Iris, I know. You were getting married; you were going to spend the rest of your lives together, you were supposed to be happy. "

End Notes: So I hope you liked it. Next chapter is already done and should be up soon. Please don't forget to leave me a review. :D Hope you're all enjoying summer, toodles.