chapter twenty-two ; time works in mysterious ways
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The next morning, Natalie sat in front of Captain Singh's office, waiting anxiously and bouncing her foot up and down to focus on something. She watched through the glass as Singh, Joe, Barry, and Eddie spoke but could only hear muffled voices and yells. Ever since the threat Mark Mardon had made to Joe, everyone has been tense and angry with each other, consumed by worry. It was funny the way time worked, Natalie thought, how five minutes could feel like so much more than that.
As soon as the door to Singh's office swung open, Natalie jumped up and walked towards the three men, under the wary eye of Singh himself from his desk inside. Natalie began to open her mouth but stopped when she saw Joe's expression change and his line of eye led to Iris, who was walking off the elevator doors. He motioned for the three to move closer and lowered his voice, "If you want to keep that smile on that pretty face, she doesn't hear about any of this." Barry, Eddie, and Natalie nodded their heads and put on fake smiles as Iris approached them.
Natalie felt Barry's arm wrap around her shoulder tightly and he brought his lips down to her ear, "Just remember what we talked about last night, okay? You're my present." He pressed his lips to her cheek and leaned back up, waiting for Iris to get to them.
"Hey, sweetheart," Joe said as he welcomed Iris with a hug.
Iris moved her attention from her dad to Eddie, "Hi-"
"Hey," Eddie greeted coldly before walking off to his desk. Natalie looked at Barry and figured they weren't the only ones who had noticed the way Iris was acting around Barry last night.
Iris turned back to Joe, Barry and Natalie after watching Eddie, "So, what are you guys working on? Any good leads for an honest reporter?"
Barry casually leaned against a cabinet, removing his arm slung around Natalie's shoulder and opted to hold her hand, "Uh..things are actually pretty quiet around here right now."
Iris nodded her head and looked back at Eddie, "Can you guys give me a minute?"
Joe looked between his daughter and her boyfriend before motioning to the three of them, "We were all actually gonna go grab lunch."
"We were?" Barry asked looking up from the floor and Natalie nudged him with a slight smirk on her face, "Right, right duh." He gave a forced smile before starting to walk off, still holding on to Natalie's hand.
"I uh, have to take a rain check on lunch, guys. There's some stuff upstairs I still have to finish. Just bring me back some food," Natalie said letting go of Barry's hand. Joe nodded and Natalie gave Barry a quick kiss before jogging up the stairs to Barry's lab.
Natalie went straight to work, organizing some of the files and papers Barry had strewn across the place, most likely from the wind that results from his speed. Placing them in their correct folders, Natalie moved from organizing to analyzing, looking over the photos of the Mark Mardon case. She knew she shouldn't be doing it, but she couldn't help but feel like she wasn't contributing to Team Flash. Most importantly, she was more worried about Joe, who treated her with the utmost care and respect. She just wished that by looking over the photos she could find something that was a clue. A clue to stopping Mardon or finding him.
Too focused on the photos, the knock at the door caused Natalie to leap, clutching her chest as the photos fell back on the desk. Her heart racing, Natalie looked up to see Iris standing in the doorway and quickly but casually placed the photos in their folder and set them in the crate, moving to another folder and "assure" the contents were correct.
Iris looked down at the floor before stepping inside, "So, last night was fun.."
"Hm..yeah," Natalie replied, focusing on the files and reigning in any feelings that could potentially cause trouble.
Iris seemed to notice and shook her head, "Look, I just wanted to apologize-"
"Apologize..for what?" Natalie asked and finally looked up at Iris. Her chest filled with a flutter of hope, thinking maybe Iris realized what she had been doing.
The hope fell when she spoke again. Iris brushed her hair out of her eyes, "Well for interrupting your date with Barry. I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry." Natalie looked Iris in the eyes, a bit of anger, jealousy, and hurt bubbling in her chest replacing the hope. As she looked at Iris, it didn't seem that she was really sorry, that she was saying it for herself.
Natalie shook her head and smiled at the ground in disbelief before speaking again, "You know, Iris, Barry told me what happened between the two of you, last Christmas. Barry said he told you he loved you and you didn't reciprocate those feelings. But I don't think that's true. You may not realize it, but you do have feelings for Barry. "
Iris hesitantly shook her head, "No I- It's not like that."
"No matter how hard you try to deny it by saying you just love him as a brother, those feelings are there, Iris. People say "silence can speak volumes without even saying a word." Take my advice and come to terms on where your heart lies because that silence isn't just affecting you. It's affecting me and Eddie and Barry too." Natalie confessed, not taking her eyes off of Iris.
Iris looked at the ground and back at Natalie, opening and closing her mouth but instead opting to leave. As soon as Iris had left, Natalie let out a huge breath, feeling a huge weight being lifted off her chest as she finally got out her feelings. But that weight was filled with another, the risk of losing a friend, of Barry being angry at her for saying that to Iris, or Joe being mad. Natalie shook out her thoughts and went back to looking over the Mardon case.
After about 20 minutes and getting nowhere, Barry walked in and dropped his jacket on a chair before walking to the window and placing is hand on the sill. Natalie set down the photos, telling by the expression on his face he was mad.
Before she had even gotten up he spoke, "Mardon attacked us when we were in the car and I barely got Joe out of there. He's not even worried about himself!"
"Barry," Natalie started softly and walked up beside him.
"He's too focused on protecting Iris, me, and everyone around him-" Barry bowed is head and sighed as his phone rang. "It's Iris. She wants to meet me at Jitters. Says it' important."
Natalie's eyes grew wide and her hands clammed up, "Uh.. Barry you should-"
"I already told you, I feel nothing for Iris besides family. I'm just gonna go see what it is and then stop by S.T.A.R. Labs to try and find Mardon.Cisco said he came up with something that could help. Can you keep an eye on Joe? Captain Singh ordered him to stay at the precinct but Joe is stubborn. Just-"
"I'll watch him, Barry, and I'll call you if anything happens," Natalie interrupted.
Barry nodded and gave her his thanks before he kissed her goodbye and left. Time flew by as Natalie organized some more files and looked over the evidence again and again. Growing frustrated, Natalie headed downstairs to find Cisco placing a stick-like thing on a pedestal and talking to Joe.
Cisco glanced at Natalie as she walked over and explained what it was, the Wizard's Wand he had called it, that would stop Mark Mardon from controlling the weather. As Joe walked away, Cisco looked at the ground like he was deep in thought and looked at Natalie before he spoke again, "Hey Joe, I know you have a lot going on right now.. But you mentioned you thought..Dr. Wells may have had a part of Barry's mother's murder. Why did you think that?"
Natalie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but didn't speak, instead looking at Joe for him to answer Cisco's question. Joe looked between the two, "It doesn't matter. I was wrong"
Cisco shook his head and raised both his hands, grasping the air as if he could grasp his thoughts, "But you seemed really sure of it."
Joe patted Cisco's arm before he turned, "Look Cisco, I can't talk about this right now." Cisco reluctantly nodded and headed to the elevators while Natalie walked with Joe back to the receptionist's desk.
"I don't know Dr. Wells very well, but is he- I'm just really confused right now," Natalie said as she tried to wrap her thoughts around what Cisco had asked Joe.
Joe sighed and looked over the file a deputy handed to him, "It's complicated. After this is all over, we'll-"
"I heard you've been looking for me!"
Natalie and Joe turned to face the lobby where a man was standing, his palms facing them and his face distorted by anger. Natalie recognized him as the man from the mugshot photos in the file, Mark Mardon. Nobody else had seemed to notice the presence of the wanted man.
Mardon walked from the elevator doors and stood in front of the Justice artwork that hung on the wall, "Clyde was no saint, but he was family." Natalie glanced around the building as she heard thunder roll and rain begin to pelt heavily on the building's windows. "And if you can't protect family, the least you can do is avenge them."
Joe pushed Natalie back and took a few steps forward towards the wand, "This is between us. Nobody else needs to get hurt."
Mardon smirked and cocked his head, "But they are gonna get hurt." Joe lunged for the wand but was knocked back by a blast of wind from Mardon's hands, sending him into the wooden door frame. Natalie was caught in the edge of the blast and landed a little ways beside Joe. Eddie called out and ran in towards them while every person in the precinct focused their attention on Mardon, pulling out their guns and training them on him.
Joe held out his hand, warning everyone to stay back. Natalie clutched her side and scooted away from Joe and towards Eddie, wincing as her hands came into contact with the glass shards on the tiled floor.
"Take him down!" Eddie yelled as he focused his on Mardon who was approaching Joe. Everyone held out their guns, preparing to shoot as Mardon created a storm in his hands and Joe screamed at everyone to run. The power of the wind built in his cupped hands and Mardon thrust his arms out, sending the blast towards Joe. The blast knocked out all of the glass from the panels and windows, all of the papers and furniture flew in the air. Eddie jumped on top of Natalie, shielding her from part of the blast. Mardon began to summon a lightening strike from the storm outside and used his other hand to transfer it inside the building. Seeing this, Captain Singh leapt into the middle, pushing Joe out of the way and taking the blast fully, sending him into a desk in the back.
Natalie and Eddie sat up glancing at the scene around them and determining where Mardon, Joe, and Singh were. Natalie saw a blur of red and felt relief when she saw the Flash kneeling on the ground, was the Wizard's Wand in the air and zapping the storm of its power. Mardon realizing this ran off while Eddie, Joe, and Natalie ran to Captain Singh.
"Captain. Captain wake up!" Joe yelled desperately as he shook him. He was unresponsive and crumpled up on the floor.
Natalie placed two fingers on his neck, moving them around to find any sign of life. "He has a pulse, but it's faint!" she exclaimed shakily and looked at Barry in his suit. The next thing she saw was a red blur and in a blink Captain Singh's body was gone as Barry took him to a hospital.
After the events of the precinct, everybody was checked up on by an EMT. Joe and Natalie were sent to the hospital for further examination and to remove the glass from Natalie's hands. Once she was released, Natalie joined Barry and Joe in the hallway in front of Captain Singh's room. When the doctor informed that she suspected he wouldn't be able to walk again, Joe started to storm off with Barry chasing after them.
"I need to end this!" Joe claimed, a sad and angry expression on his face.
"Not by yourself," Barry started.
Joe spun around and pointed at Barry, the veins on his forehead protruding as he angrily whispered, "Yes by myself! I know him. I don't want anybody else getting hurt. Especially Iris and you, Barry.
Barry shook his head in disbelief and started walking after Joe when he began to leave again, "Iris is fine-"
Joe turned around once more, his eyes red and watery, "Mardon said that he is going to avenge his brother. That goes beyond me. It goes all the way to you and her. You stay with Iris and you keep her safe. Do not leave her side." Barry nodded and let Joe walk off for a final time.
Natalie watched Barry's solemn expression as he turned to her, "I'm sorry that all of this happened-"
"Barry, I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises. You need to worry about Joe and Iris. You just spend the day with her tomorrow to keep an eye on her. The best we can do is relieve Joe of some of his worries. I get the day off tomorrow because of what happened so I think I'm just gonna stay home or spend part of the day with Caitlin. I'll be safe. Focus on your family, Barry." Natalie said as she walked them down to the entrance of the hospital and hailed a cab to take them home.
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The next day, Natalie headed over to Caitlin's. The two cousins sat on the couch, binging on a Bring It On movie marathon when Natalie's phone rang for the twelfth time that day.
Caitlin groaned and paused the movie, "Barry does know you're safe here, right? I understand he cares but it's a little..weird."
Natalie laughed a bit and checked her phone, "He's just telling me what he's doing with him checking up on Iris for Joe. He says..he went to Picture News and she wasn't there so he headed home and that she was there."
"So he just wants to make sure you're not worried," Caitlin concluded.
Natalie nodded her head and was about to hit play before Caitlin turned off the movie entirely. "Wait. What are you doing?"
Caitlin hurriedly stood up and began grabbing her coat and keys, "You're gonna have to come with me. I promised Cisco I would watch Dr. Wells. Keep him out of the lab. I can't believe I almost forgot."
"What is with all of this Dr. Wells suspicion? I thought he was the good guy. He works with you," Natalie asked as she buckled herself in once they got into the car.
"Someone at Central City Picture News has strong suspicions against Dr. Wells and supposedly has evidence that is against him. They told Iris about it so she started asking Barry about it and he told us. Now that has Cisco thinking he could have done something to this trap we set up around Christmas to catch the man in yellow, the person who killed Barry's mom. So he's at S.T.A.R. Labs looking over the trap while I am supposed to distract him. I don't know what I'm going to do, I trust him!" Caitlin explained as she drove to Jitters.
"Wow, okay that's a lot. Um.. since I'm going too, we can thank him for helping with Ronnie. Or we can talk about how I'm supposed to fit in at S.T.A.R. Labs. Stuff like that and busy work," Natalie said, listing things off in her head. If there was someone anyone thought had a part in Barry's mom's death, she was going to help.
The two pulled in just as Dr. Wells was wheeling up to the door. Jogging ahead, Natalie put on a smile and held it open for him, "Nice to see you again, Dr. Wells."
He simply nodded his head and smiled, "Same to you Mrs. Reed. I'm sorry to hear about what happened last night."
Caitlin went to the counter to order the three drinks as Natalie and Dr. Wells sat at a table, Natalie moving a chair away to clear him a space. "It's fine. It's all new and.. intense, but I'm okay."
Dr. Wells nodded his head, "I want you to understand that you are a liability. With your.. relationship with Barry, it distracts him. Distracts him from focusing on what's important. It's hard enough on our group that you and Caitlin have an unbreakable connection-"
"Dr. Wells, I don't mean to be blunt, but I am a part of this. Whether you like it or not. Yes it your lab in which they work, but it's not your team. As you said, I have a connection with them. Not you. Your opinion on the matter won't change my mind," Natalie stated. She hadn't really held an opinion on the man, but it was quickly going down hill. Caitlin came back and said the coffees would be there soon and proceeded to speak to Dr. Wells about the scientific community. Natalie, not understanding any of it, focused on every person in the room. Watching the way thy interacted with one another.
She only focused back on the table when the waitress gave them their drinks and Caitlin informed him she thought they could enjoy them here. Natalie only half listened and nodded here and there as Caitlin thanked Dr. Wells for his help with Ronnie and Professor Stein. Taking a sip from her coffee, Natalie saw her phone light up and picked it up, seeing a voicemail from Barry. Excusing herself, Natalie stepped away from the table and checked her messages.
After hearing the monotone voice, Natalie hard Barry panting as the message began, as if he was running at a normal pace and could hear the fear in his voice, "Mardon took Joe. He has Joe. Iris, she got a call from Mardon telling her to meet him at the waterfront. On the south side. We're headed there now. Don't call the police. I- I think Joe's hurt." Natalie's eyes stung as she heard the panic in his voice and turned around to walk back to the table. Seeing Caitlin picking up two cups, she carried the other one and walked with her to the counter.
"Can we get these in to-go cups, please?" Caitlin asked the lady who nodded and took the coffee.
"Mardon has Joe. He told Iris to meet him at the waterfront. We have to help him," Natalie rushed.
Caitlin nodded her head and turned around and gasped.
"What? what's wron-", Natalie stopped as her eyes fell on the table they were previously sitting at. The table was unoccupied, Dr. Wells glasses and wheelchair left remaining.
"Cisco was right," Caitlin muttered in disbelief. She turned around and faced Natalie, "Take my keys and go find Barry. Cisco made a second wand but it's just a prototype of a different version in my car. Give it to Barry and get Iris out of there. And tell Barry about Dr. Wells. Go!"
Natalie and raced to the car, the tires screeching as she peeled out of the parking lot and headed to the waterfront. As she got closer and closer, she could see the storm building over the water and sped up. Pulling into the lot, Natalie scrambled in the car, opening every holder and searching the seats for the prototype before popping the trunk and finding it. Natalie pulled out her phone and tried calling Barry, spinning in a circle and straining her eyes and searching every face.
"Damn it!" Natalie exclaimed when it went to voicemail. She kept running around before she saw Barry and Iris standing next to each other. Sighing with relief, Natalie ran towards them but slowed down when she was able to hear what they were saying, not wanting to interrupt what she was stumbling upon.
"You have to go!' Barry yelled, trying to wave Iris away.
"No. I'm not leaving you! Ever since the night you told me how you feel, I have not been able to stop thinking about you. And then I realized that the reason that I couldn't stop was because I didn't want to." Barry at first didn't seem to be listening and kept glancing at the water until Iris raised her voice.
Barry shook his head, "Iris I-"
Whatever Barry was going to say was cut off as Iris reached around Barry's neck and pulled Barry down to her level and kissed him. Barry eye's went wide in shock and he pushed away from her, "I don't feel that way about you! Not anymore. I'm with Natalie and she's the only person that I want."
Any anger Natalie had was pushed back as her heart fluttered at Barry's words, any doubts diminished. Shaking her head, Natalie focused her attention at the situation at hand and looked back at the water. Squinting her eyes, Natalie saw the storm intense and the shoreline recede as a wave of water built in the distance.
"Barry!" Natalie yelled as she ran towards them again.
"Natalie? What are you doing? Get out of here!" Barry yelled in frustration, pushing past Iris and running to Natalie.
"Caitlin, she wanted me to give you this. Another prototype of the wand. I don't think its gonna be of much use against that now," she said as she pointed at the incoming tsunami. "Dr. Wells he, Barry he-"
Barry cut her off by shaking his head, "Where's your phone?"
Natalie handed Barry her phone as he called Caitlin. While he was doing so, Natalie stole a glance at Iris who looked hurt and guilty but also scared. "We're talking about this later! But we're gonna have to get out of here!" Natalie yelled over the roar of the wind that was picking up. Iris nodded her head and went back to staring at the water.
Barry hung up and grabbed his duffel bag before looking at Iris, "I am so sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this." Iris looked between the two confused until Barry sped around, in a red and yellow blur, until he stopped, stepping forward in the Flash suit. Iris stared at Barry in shock as he stepped towards Nat.
Cupping her face, Natalie saw the fear shine bright in is green eyes, "I don't know if I'm going to be able to stop it-"
Natalie cut him off and reached up, crashing their lips together and wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss was rough and desperate, they didn't know what was going to happen. Natalie pulled away and rubbed her thumb across his suit covered cheek, "I know. Just save us." Her eyes stung and she blinked several times, sending the tears down her cheeks.
Barry wiped them away as he felt the tears well up in his eyes as well. He couldn't stop himself, feeling the need to say it before they parted. The fear that he my never be able to say those words again and that he may no survive to see tomorrow overcame his sense, "I love you."
Natalie looked shocked for a moment before laughing through the tears in disbelief, "I love you too." She felt the need just the same, the fear of the moment. Barry pulled her in for one last kiss before he took a full step back, taking deep breaths as his face stoned over with determination, lightening flashing across his eyes, "Go!"
Barry took off and began speeding along the coast as Natalie grabbed Iris' wrist and the two began running with the crowd. Stopping on the top of a small hill, they both looked back to see a blur of red and the wind blowing the sand that kicked up under his feet as Barry ran back and forth, creating a wall of wind to try and stop the incoming tsunami. Iris tugged Natalie's arm and the two continued running again, towards the car, speeding away to the road to get as far as possible from the city.
Barry pushed forward, running and running and running. Back and forth. Pushing his legs forward, urging them to go faster and faster. Occasionally stealing a glance at the tsunami, Barry steeled his fear and focused. He thought of Caitlin and Cisco, his friends. He thought of Joe and Iris, his mom and dad, his family. He thought of Natalie, who he just confessed to loving. Barry glanced back at the tsunami and pushed forward as he ran. It was getting closer and closer. Barry screamed as he continued forward, flashes of lights passed and the world around him darkened into spots of lights.
He couldn't stop himself from running. In the habit of pushing forward, Barry kept moving but looked around. He wasn't at the waterfront anymore. He kept his speed and looked to his left, his breathing increased when he saw something that confused him the day before. Yesterday, when he ran to the morgue with Natalie in his arms, he thought he had seen himself or another Flash running beside him for a split second. But now, he saw himself in the Flash suit holding Natalie in his arms. Barry blinked rapidly and more flashes of lights passed as he ran before he slowed to a stop, almost dropping the weight that was now in his arms.
Barry stared at Natalie as she looked at him.
"Barry? Barry, what's wrong?" Natalie asked as she looked at Barry. He could see the way he was acting was scaring her, but he was scared himself.
He spun around in a circle. He was in the same spot he was yesterday, the intersection. He saw the two people holding back their barking dogs, the man spinning a sign, and the woman failing to a hail a taxi.
Barry breathed heavily, trying to reign in his thoughts, "Oh boy."
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7 July, 2015
I am sorry for the long chapter but I felt it was absolutely necessary to put it all in one. But boy was this a lot. Let me know what you think!!
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