A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy.

"I'm going to pick up Wally before I head to the prison," Barry said as he grabbed his keys.

"Ok," Iris said, not looking up from the two legal pads spread in front of her.

Barry left and headed for the zeta tube. He yawned loudly. 'It really feels like there aren't enough hours in the day.' Work, Flash, and Wally kept him busy. The category of 'Wally' included everything from signing him up for summer school to enforcing his punishments. Weekly family counseling sessions added to his busy life, but it was slightly more relaxing than everything else. When he reached the zeta, he walked through, then ran to Wayne Manor. Barry vibrated through the gates, then stopped right in front of the door. He quickly patted out the fires on his clothes, then knocked.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Allen," Alfred greeted as he opened the door. "Right this way. Your nephew is downstairs with Master Bruce and Master Dick."

"Did Wally eat today?"

"He had half a sandwich and a few carrot sticks at lunch. Not much, but-"

"But it's something." At this point, Barry would take something over nothing. Especially if that something was positive. He followed Alfred through the grandfather clock into the Bat Cave. First, he stopped by the computer, where Bruce was trying away. "How was he?"

"Relatively quiet but busy," Bruce replied. "He and Dick have been over in the gym all day."

"Doing what?"

"Dick is teaching him how to fight."

"Fighting?"

"It was his idea."

"And you didn't think it should be stopped?"

"I think Dick has enough experience with this kind of situation to know what he's doing."

"He's 14." When Bruce didn't say anything, Barry sighed. "We're going home. Thanks for taking him again." All he got in response was a nod. Barry walked over to the portion of the Cave that constituted the "gym" area. He found Wally punching at Dick, who had mitts on his hands to catch the punches. The lack of tension in Wally's body was obvious from the way he moved. He drove his punches with enough force that Dick's arms quivered with an ease of movement that Barry hardly saw at home.

Dick smiled as he lowered his hands. "Good job, bro," he said to Wally, apparently ignoring Barry. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Wally replied. "…Less tense."

"Great!" Dick looked at Barry. "Time to go?"

"Yup," Barry replied. "I have something important to do this afternoon, but I have to drop Wally off at home first."

"Ok." Dick tore the mitts off, using his teeth to undo the velcro, then unwrapped Wally's fists. "You're doing great, Walls. Maybe next week you can come to Mount Justice and do some light training with the Team? I know they'd love to see you and it'd be good practice." Wally's eyes flickered to Barry, then back. All he did was shrug in response. As soon as his knuckles were free, he flexed and stretched his fingers. "Bye, bro." Dick hugged Wally, then gently shoved him toward Barry.

"Come on, kid." The two speedsters left silently. Wally didn't even look at his uncle as they walked through the Manor. Once they were outside, Barry scooped his nephew into his arms, then ran to the zeta. He slowed down just enough to get through but didn't come to a stop until they were in Central.

Wally squirmed out of Barry's grasp. He jerked away from his uncle as soon as his feet hit the ground. Hurt twinged in his chest when he noticed Barry didn't reach for him like he normally did. 'See? He hates me,' Wally thought as he shoved his hands in the front pocket of his sweater. It created a weird discrepancy in Wally's mind. On the one hand, he'd hated Barry trying to make him feel better the last couple of months; but the idea of his uncle emotionally abandoning him angered him even more. Wally pulled his arms closer to his body. 'God, I really wish I could take something to just…make the emotions more manageable.' Wally shivered. "Why couldn't I stay in Gotham longer?"

"Because you're still grounded," Barry reminded him. "Iris kind of…unilaterally decided it was good for you. And I don't want to fight with her, so I agreed to let you go for a few hours."

"But-"

"Don't, Wally."

Wally glared as he followed his uncle into the house. "You're such a hypocrite! You keep saying you want me to get better, but when I show the slightest interest in seeing my friends again, you say no!"

"I'm the hypocrite?! I wasn't the hero who was messing around with drugs! So, don't try to make me feel bad, because I don't! You made the wrong decisions, so you have to deal with the consequences!"

"I hate you!"

"Good! Go to your room!" Barry slammed the door behind him as he left.

Iris, who'd heard the whole argument from the living room, waited a few seconds after Wally stomped up the stairs. Eventually, his door slammed. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. 'I would've never thought the people I needed to keep from killing each other would be Wally and Barry.' The two had always been so close, it deeply unnerved her to hear them fighting like this. 'I could use a break from going over notes anyway,' she thought. Iris mentally prepared herself as she climbed the stairs. She stopped outside Wally's room and hesitated for a moment before she knocked. "Wally?" No response. She cracked the door open. Wally was laying on the floor in the middle of the room glaring at his ceiling. Iris pushed the door open more. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Wally huffed. "Not really…." he mumbled.

Iris hesitated in the doorway. 'We usually wait for Wally to come to us if he wants to talk, but that's probably how we got to this point.' She bit her lip as she tried to figure out how to reach out to Wally without setting off his temper. "Would you mind if I talked then?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Well…I understand you don't want to talk about what's bothering you, but I'd like someone to talk to. And our family therapy session isn't for another three days. Would you mind if I at least talk?"

Wally shrugged. "It's your house."

Iris walked in and laid on the floor next to him. "I've been worried about Barry."

It took every ounce of willpower Wally had to not register his surprise. "You are?"

"Mhm. I mean… Everything has been so hard on him for the last couple of months."

"It's hard for him?!"

"He's the Flash. Being a hero is a lot of responsibility. I'm sure it was a huge blow to his confidence to lose his own family members like that. And he's struggling to make things better now. It must be difficult for someone like him who's always been seen as a great hero."

Wally rolled his eyes. "Barry's never given much stock in what people think of him."

"Maybe he acts like that but secretly, I think Barry likes knowing the people of Central approve of him. Not in an adoring crowds way but in a…paternal way. I think it gives him the confidence he needs to be a great hero to know people believe in him. With all the challenges he's juggling…I'm worried he's having a hard time reconciling his reputation as a hero with his actions right now."

"So, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Barry?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're implying it."

"I'm just venting my worries." Iris glanced at him. "Unless it's not ok for me to just talk about how I'm feeling with you?"

"…I didn't say that."

"I'm just worried is all, Wally. Being Flash is such an important part of who Barry is… I'm worried what else he'll start to doubt about himself if he loses faith in his alter-ego."

The genuine concern in his aunt's voice made Wally flinch; but only slightly. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Aunt I. Barry always is."

"Thanks, hun." Iris squeezed Wally's hand. "It's nice to just vent sometimes. You know?"

"…I guess."

"I'm thinking of making mac and cheese casserole for dinner."

There was something in her voice that caused Wally to look at her. "What?"

"Do you want to help?"

"…Help you with dinner?"

"If you want to."

She didn't bring up what Wally would've assumed was her main reason for asking: it was something he used to do with her when he was a kid. Withholding the memory was a salve on Wally's grated psyche. Hearing people constantly remind him of how things 'used to be' usually made him want to throw something. So his guard was raised when Iris asked but the longer she just stared at him, not bringing up the past, the less Wally felt he could be angry with her. "…Sure."

"We need to go to the store to get the ingredients."

"Ok." They got to their feet and Wally followed Iris out of his room. 'It's just buying food and cooking. Nothing all that fun anyway.'

— —

Barry went through security at the prison on autopilot. Partly because he couldn't stop thinking about the fight with Wally and partly due to how many times he'd gone through it. He dropped his arms when the correctional officer finished his pat-down and another handed him back his belongings.

"You look tired, Barry," one of them commented.

"Just been a long couple of weeks, Greg," Barry replied. He signed the logbook, then walked into the visitation room. Three walls of the room were lined with one-person cubicles separated from the prison by plexiglass. Barry sat in the corner, where he was two spots away from people on his left, and three spots from someone on his right. His fingers tapped off his leg while he waited, doing his best to ignore the conversations happening around him. Even if prisoners were never afforded the right to privacy, he felt it was rude to eavesdrop.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long before his father sat across from him on the other side of the plexiglass. Both men picked up the phone beside them. "You look tired," Henry Allen commented before his son could say anything.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Barry asked a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Because you look like you're about to fall over."

"I don't look that tired."

"Mhm. What's been keeping you up?"

Barry sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand. "My in-laws were murdered a few months ago."

"…Oh, Barry…"

"Yeah…"

"I'm so sorry, son."

"So am I."

"Was it just your in-laws? What about your nephew? Is he ok?"

"Wally's…healthy."

"And otherwise?"

"…He's struggling. Which is fine, I mean…after what he witnessed, I'd be more worried if he wasn't having problems."

"And?" Henry prompted when Barry stopped.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Dad. I really don't. We've tried reaching out to Wally, but he just pushes us away. Nothing we do seems to get through to him. He seems determined to handle everything by himself, even if it's resulting in his own self-destruction."

Henry's eyebrows jumped. "Self-Destruction? That seems like an exaggeration."

"I wish it was. He went from being on the honor roll to failing the 10th grade, pushed away his friends, and used some…less than ethical means of self-medication."

"He's 16, right?" When Barry nodded, Henry shrugged. "Sounds like a teenager to me."

"Wally's not your average teenager though."

"I'm aware. But Barry, he's 16. Exceptional or not, you can't change the immaturity of his brain. Especially after he's been through a trauma."

Barry rolled his eyes. "I never realized you were a psychiatrist too."

"I did a couple of rounds in the psych wards when I was in med school, but that's not the point. Wally's being stubborn about this because that's what kids his age do. They want to handle their problems on their own. His behaviors are self-destructive because his ability to think through his actions is impaired, on top of being traumatized."

"So what? I should just be patient? I'm always patient, but God… I just want him to be better."

"You of all people know it doesn't work like that."

"I know! I just- I don't know what to do, Dad."

Henry gave him a look of pity. "I know this is hard, Barry. Believe me. There is nothing worse than knowing someone you love is suffering and there's nothing you can do to help. It's like a prison all it's own."

"What do I do?"

"Nothing."

"…Nothing?!"

"Barry, you can't force Wally to deal with this before he's ready. All you can do is provide him with as much support as you can, given your circumstances, and accept where your limitations are. Let other people pick up your slack. Trust they'll do what they can to help Wally too."

Barry bit his lip as his eyes itched with tears. "…This isn't exactly the visit that I envisioned."

"I always love just talking to you, but I get so few moments to actually parent. Let me have this.

"You're pretty smart, you know?"

"I've done a lot of reading in the last couple of decades." Henry's eyes found the weariness in his son's face and gave him a sad smile. "I know you're used to handling a lot of things on your own, Barry. And I know you're protective of this family that you've built for yourself. Given everything, I can't blame you for that, but you need to recognize your own limitations. Maybe you can't reach Wally because you aren't the person he needs right now."

"How will I know when does need me?"

"You'll know. Call it paternal instinct, but you'll know."

"I hope so."

"You've always been a very empathetic person. I have no doubt you'll figure it out."

Barry quickly wiped his eyes with the sleeve on his free hand. "I know we agreed years ago not to focus on…something we can't have, but…I really wish-"

Henry put his hand on the divider. "I know, Barry. I know." Every fiber of his being wanted to reach through and give his son a hug. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, either. 'He can do it though. I know Barry will find a way to make it work. I know he can.'

— —

Wally found grating cheese from a block to the finely shredded pieces to be surprisingly meditative. Not having to talk helped. Iris filled the space with small talk, going on about sources for stories who'd blown her off and her plans to track them down. That combined with the repetitive motion of his arm put him in a meditative state of mind. For the first time in longer than he could remember, Wally felt calm. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last. The sound of the front door opening and then shutting sent immediate tension in his body.

From the corner of her eye, Iris saw him stiffen. "We're in here, Barry," she said.

"What're you doing?" Barry asked from the doorway.

"Making dinner."

"Looks good. I have some…work stuff I need to talk care of."

"Ok." After Barry left, it was quiet for a minute before Iris spoke again. "Can you dump the cheese in with the noodles, Walls?"

'She isn't going to comment on me not talking to Barry?' Wally wondered. 'But…why? Seems like something Iris would be angry about.' Whatever the reason was though, Wally didn't ask. He preferred to not be yelled at. Iris took the bowl from him and dumped the contents into a casserole dish. Wally covered it in more cheese and breadcrumbs. "Looks good."

"Mhm." Iris glanced in the direction of the living room. "Thanks for the help, but maybe you should go to your room until dinner's ready."

"…Ok." On some level, Wally knew he had no right to complain. He had done something illegal, but it was hard to turn off the part of his brain the argued it wasn't fair. But he went back up to his room none-the-less. He passed behind Barry in the living room, but the man didn't so much as glance his way. 'Not like I want to talk to Barry anyway,' Wally thought as he walked up the stairs. 'I don't need him yelling at me again.' It seemed like lately, all his interactions with his uncle had two settings: awkward silence or yelling. Something in his heart ached longingly. Wally curled up on his bed with his knees pulled to his chest. 'Why is everything so hard? I just wish everything could back the way it was.' It was a stupid thought, but he couldn't help it. 'Why can't I have anything nice?'

— —

The following Sunday was Mother's Day. Iris was the first one awake. She rolled over to look at Barry, who was still passed out. 'He's been overworking himself all week,' she thought with a sad smile, brushing back some of his hair. Not that it surprised her. There were two times a year Barry committed more time than normal to his duties as the Flash: the anniversary of his mom's death and Mother's Day. 'I wish he wouldn't hold himself to such an impossibly high standard. He's a great hero and everyone knows it.' Everyone but Barry it seemed. Iris gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she got out of bed. She toped-toed down the hall to Wally's bedroom. When she poked her head inside, she found Wally fast asleep. 'Thank God. I think he needs the sleep almost as much as Barry does.' As much as Wally maligned counseling, he did seem to be sleeping better. Iris sighed quietly as she shut his door. "Today is going to be a long day." It was already a touchy holiday for Barry, but for Wally…Iris didn't want to think about how hard it would be. Choosing to try and make the best of it, she silently got dressed (even though Barry was dead to the world) and went down to the kitchen.

A little over an hour later, Barry wandered into the kitchen. His blonde hair stuck up in weird angles and he rubbed his eyes. "Morning, beautiful," he mumbled.

"Morning, hun," Iris replied.

They kissed and as soon as he pulled away, he sniffed the air. The smell led him around Iris to look at the oven. "Mmm… What smells good?"

"How do you know it's not me?"

Barry gave her a playful smile. "Please, I know the smell of breakfast."

"It's banana nut muffins. They're almost done, can you go get Wally out of bed, please?"

Barry hesitated for a second before he nodded. "Yeah. Sure." He ran his fingers through his hair as slowly walked to Wally's room. When he got to Wally's door, he waited a few seconds before knocking. "Hey, Wally? It's time to wake up." There was no noise on the other side, so he opened the door. Wally was wide awake when he walked in; laying in bed and staring at the room. As soon as Barry walked in, he rolled over so his back was to his uncle. "Uh…Iris says breakfast is almost ready… And it's banana nut muffins and I know you love those…" Wally didn't even move. There was silence for ten seconds before Barry sighed and moved closer. He sat on the floor next to the bed, resting his arms on his bent knees. "You know, the first Mother's Day after I lost my mom, I thought for sure I'd never be able to celebrate it again.

"My dad was in prison and I was…very alone. I tried to spend most of the day hiding under the front porch of my group home so I could cry without anyone noticing. But then, one of the boys in my room, Nick came looking for me. He said there was something he wanted me to do with him and some of the other boys. I told him to leave because I wanted to be alone, but he kept bugging me. So, I went with him. We went down to the creek near the house. Instead of spending the day hiding under the porch, I threw rocks at trees, trying to knock pine cones off the branches with four other boys. Which is how they spent every Mother's Day because they understood how much it sucked." Barry watched Wally's still form, but there was no movement. "I didn't even think about celebrating Mother's Day again until Iris and I started dating.

"When we'd been together for a year, she asked if she could come with me to the cemetery on Mother's Day. It took me by surprise because I'd never done that. For years, I just avoided Mother's Day and when she asked, I told her that. But that year, I decided I should do something. It had been a long time, but I wanted to try. So, Iris and I went to the cemetery and I put flowers on my mom's grave. It was hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. Plus, I had Iris there, asking me about her. We were there for over an hour while I talked about my mom. It was…so nice. And I've celebrated every Mother's Day since then." Barry rubbed his hands on his pajama pants. "I know the first few Mother's Days are hard, but it's not going to feel this debilitating forever. So, if you don't want to come-"

"I don't…" Wally mumbled. "I-" He let out a long, pained sigh. "I don't want to go…"

"That's ok. You can stay home with Iris while I go."

"…but…doesn't Aunt I usually go with you?"

"Yes, but I don't want you to be alone, Wally. You shouldn't be alone today. I wouldn't want you to be."

Wally rolled over. "Why?"

Barry frowned in confusion. "What do you mean why?"

"Why do you care if I'm alone?"

"Because you're my nephew, Wally. I love you."

Instantly, Wally's face went from confused and slightly dazed, to angry. He jerked up and glared at Barry. "No, you don't!"

"What- Of course I do!"

"Why?! After all, I've done?! The stress I put you and Iris through! And all the mistakes I've made?! The drugs?! The drinking?!" Wally shook so hard he would've been vibrating if his speed had been working. "I don't understand why you don't hate me!"

"Oh, Wally…" Barry grabbed Wally's hand, holding it firmly but gently in his own. "Of course I don't hate you. I could never hate you."

"But…you're always mad at me…"

Barry winced. "I know. I've been…very angry lately. But it's not just at you. I've been angry with myself for not fixing this for you. For not being a good enough guardian. For just…not knowing what to do. I've been angry at the whole universe!" Barry threw his free hand in the air. "I'm just angry, Wally. I'm so angry all the time and I don't…I don't know what to do anymore."

"But…you're not angry with me?"

"Not anymore."

"Even- even after the drugs and the drinking?"

Barry sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "I was mad, Wally, and I had a right to be. But I promise it isn't like I'm going to hold it against you for the rest of your life."

"But- But I've caused so much trouble and It's not like I'll ever be Kid Flash again…"

The last statement hit Barry like a punch to the gut, but he tried to keep it from showing. Instead, he moved so he sat on the edge of the mattress. He pulled Wally into a tight hug. "You will always be my Kid Flash, Wally West."

Wally closed his eyes and cried silently into Barry's shoulder. He stayed like that for a while, not willing to move. Eventually, though, he mumbled, "I'm angry all the time too."

"I know," Barry whispered, stroking the back of Wally's head gently. "But we'll work on it. I promise." The two of them stayed like that for several more minutes before Wally pulled away. He wiped at his eyes with his palms. "Are you ready to go down for breakfast?"

"Mhm."

"Let's go." Barry kept his arm around his nephew as he led Wally down to the kitchen. If Iris noticed the red, puffiness of Wally's eyes, she didn't comment on it. All she did was place the plate of muffins in front of him, then gently squeezed his hand.

The three of them at breakfast silently, but it wasn't the tense silence that had permeated their lives lately. It wasn't quite the familial silence they'd enjoyed prior to everything…but it was something. When they finished, Wally moved to the couch while Barry and Iris got ready to leave for the cemetery. He spotted the journal the counselor had given him, stuffed on a shelf under the tv where he'd hidden it a few days before. Wally stared at it for a few seconds, then, before he could change his mind, he retrieved it from the shelf and retreated back to the couch.

"What do you have?" Iris asked as she joined him in the living room.

"Nothing…" Wally replied quietly. He glanced up at her. "Uh…Aunt Iris…I think you should go with Barry to the cemetery."

"We don't want you to be alone-"

"I know, but…I don't want Barry to be alone. Besides, it's your guys' thing. I can't go because…" Wally swallowed and closed his eyes against the sudden burning of tears in his eyes. "I'm just not ready to go there yet."

"That's ok, hun." Iris hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure you want me to go?"

"100%. You need to go."

Iris studied him for a moment before she reluctantly nodded. "Ok." She stood and walked around the back of the couch. "Bye, Wally. She leaned over to hug him. "We'll be home soon, then we'll head to Joan and Jay's. Ok?"

"Ok," Wally replied quietly.

"Be good, kid," Barry added, ruffling Wally's hair gently.

"I will." He watched as they left then turned back to the journal. For a few seconds, he just stared at it, then grabbed one of the hundreds of pens his aunt kept around the house. Despite having had the journal for a couple of weeks, it was completely blank. The pen hesitated over the first page for a few seconds before Wally added the date, then slowly and deliberately wrote: Today I learned Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris still love me.