"You're insane." I mumble, scooping ice cream into my mouth, as I stay seated on the couch with Barry, my hair messy, my cheeks strained with dry tears, my eyes puffy and slightly red still, as I was dressed head to toe in Barry's clothes.

"Why am I insane?" Barry's voice is raspy, laced with exhaustion, as he continued to eat his own ice cream from his bucket.

"It's four am- and you're awake eating ice cream with me." I sniffle, looking at him, "You're insane."

"Or- I'm just in love." Barry cheekily says, tiredly winking at me.

"Barry." I huff, sniffling again, "You're honestly insane. But I love you for it. So- it's okay."

"At least you love me for it." Barry leans his head against my shoulder.

"We both have work tomorrow." I sigh, taking another bite of my ice cream.

"So?" Barry kisses my cheek, "You were upset and couldn't sleep. I can't sleep knowing you're upset."

I silently shrug, picking at my ice cream with my spoon, looking at him, thoughts filling my mind, causing me to slightly tear up again.

Barry sat up, keeping eye contact with me, "I'm listening."

"I never wanted to admit that I was scared of losing you in the future." I broke eye contact and looked down at my ice cream, "But- in reality, it's my biggest fear."

Barry's expression softens, as I went on, my voice becoming weak and cracking towards the end of my sentence, "I fell in love with the man who would give his life to keep the people he loves- and the people of this city safe. And- I love you so much for it- because your heart is bigger than anyone I've ever known. But, you've always taken more than you can handle and I-"

I looked up at him, my bottom lip quivering lightly, as I refused to let the tears in my eyes fall, "I know- one day I'm going to lose you- as much as I dread it. I'm so- scared, Barry. I'm so scared- that I'm going to lose you forever this time."

"Hey- hey-" Barry pulls me into him, wrapping his arm around me, "I love you. And- just like you said- when this problems comes- we're gonna face it. And we're going to change the future if we have to."

"Don't quote me at a time like this-" I pout, Barry letting out a little laugh, kissing my cheek, as I blinked away my tears, a weak smile forming on my lips, "I guess you're right."

"I don't want you to be upset over this, okay?" Barry leans his head against my shoulder, "I know everything with Nora- triggered every emotion you've kept bottled up, but, I want us to be happy- I don't like seeing you cry."

I give him a weak nod, looking at the time, "We have to be up for work in a few hours." I look at him, "I feel bad now."

"We can both just call in late." Barry kisses my neck lightly, "Problem solved."

I hum in response, "I guess so."

I looked at him, a weak smile on my lips, as he gave me a soft smile. I peck his lips, only for the kids to turn deeper, the ice cream buckets moving to the coffee table, clothes off and the blanket over us, the next many moments we shared together filled with lust and love.

-

"Good morning." Sherloque greets us with his tea cup as Barry and I walked in around 8 am, small bags under both of our eyes.

"Oh, his accent is so soothing- I could fall asleep right now." I mutter under my breath, Barry lightly nudging me playfully.

I was dressed in a pastel mint green long sleeve, which was tucked into a pair of blue ripped jeans, my legs once again exposed due to the amount of rips in them, Barry's jean jacket on, my hair wavy due to me not having the energy to do it this morning, as we were both tired out of our minds. Barry had his arm around me, holding me close, as I slipped my coffee that Barry held for me, my head leaned against his chest.

"Morning, Sherloque." I tiredly greet him, sipping on my coffee, Sherloque walking over to me, a look filled with suspicion crossing his features.

"Flushed cheeks, slightly swollen lips, glowing skin, your undone hair, the scent of Monsieur Allen, the smile that hasn't wiped off his face since he got here-" Sherloque looked at me, "It can only mean one thing. Monsieur Allen satisfied your sexual needs last night."

I choked on the cold coffee that was slowly making its way down my throat, as I fell into a coughing fit, Barry's face instantly going red at Sherloque practically exposing us, even if we were the only ones here.

Barry puts down the coffee's onto the desk, rubbing my back to calm be down, and once I had, he pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me from behind, burying his face into the crook of my neck to hide how embarrassed he was.

"Your reactions just proved me correct." Sherloque hides a grin, sipping his tea, heading back over to the clear board which he was previously writing on.

"I-" I put my hand on Barry's head, playing with his hair, "We just didn't get much sleep last night, that's all-"

"Because you two were up most of the night satisfying yourselves?" Sherloque wrote on the board.

"No- I-" I stammer, as I felt Barry start to softly laugh against me, slipping away from Barry, linking arms with Barry, Barry grabbing both coffees, "You know what, Barry and I- we have to go- and train. With- Nora. So- we'll be in the Speed Lab if you need us."

"No naughty business-" Sherloque calls out behind us, cause me to turn instantly.

"Sherloque-" I began to make my way over to him, only for Barry to wrap an arm around me, holding both coffees still, pulling me into the Speed Lab.

"Okay- okay-" I kiss his cheek, slipping away, grabbing my drink, sipping the caramel flavored coffee.

After an hour of waiting for Nora, Barry and I had fallen asleep on the ground, leaning against the railing, seated on the steps, Barry's back against the railing, as he held me tight in his arms, the both of us dead asleep.

Eventually, I had woken up, waking him up accidentally in the process, trying to get free of his hold, my eyes landing on the time.

I sigh, standing up, stretching lightly, "Let's just call it, Barry. She's not coming. Again."

"She's probably just helping with Jenna so Joe and Cecile can sleep in." Barry stood up, stretching also, resting his hands on his head, his muscles flexing.

"Every day for the past two weeks?" I huff, looking at him.

"They look really tired." Barry innocently tries to reason, as I shot him a look, "They do."

I roll my eyes lightly, my attention caught to the monitor when it starts to beep rapidly, my eyes landing on the screen, "Tripped alarm at Central City Art Gallery. Someone stole a Monet."

"At 10:00 a.m.?" Barry's tone was high, "That's bold."

"CCPD's en route, suspect heading west on Ruger." I looked at him, "Go."

Barry whooshes off, as I made my way back to the cortex, standing behind the console, slipping off Barry's jacket, "The thief just turned on to Ramirez off of Fifth."

"Almost there." Barry's voice came through the comms, and then seconds later he speaks again, "He's not carrying anything."

"Because he handed it off to someone else." Nora's voice suddenly fills the line, causing both Barry and I to be confused.

"Nora?" I question.

"Nora?" Barry's questions right after me.

"Uh, where's he headed?" I quickly ask, my eyes scanning over the screen.

"I got him." She snips, "I can stop someone on a motor cycle."

"No, Nora, let Barry help-" I began, only for her to cut me off, shutting off her comms.

I scoff, feeling frustrated, "I know you did not just cut me off, miss thing."

-

"This is why we train, Nora." My tone was louder than usual, Barry stood next to me, Nora seated in my seat, just staring at me, as I continued to yell at her due the occurrence of her actions.

She had gone after the guy herself, and she did catch the bad guy, but had almost gotten two people killed if Barry didn't get there in time and saved those two people from almost dying in an motorcycle explosion. Now, Barry was silent next to me, knowing that Nora needed to hear what I was yelling at her about, Nora silent as if she didn't care what I said.

"Every single day." I demand, "Not when you feel like it, not because you're mad, because this is what happens when you don't train- when you don't train- you're not aware of your surroundings, and it's either you, or the victims that get hurt in the process. And, this is exactly why you always have someone in your ear when you're in the field- to help you."

"I know that." Nora rolls her eyes.

"Then why did you turn me off?" I raise my voice into a slight shout, anger boiling within me, one that I couldn't understand where it was emerging from.

"Because I can't listen to you anymore." She snaps, "It's always the same condescending, I-know-better-than-you crap."

Barry's facial expression changes, as he stared at Nora in disbelief, scoffing quietly to himself.

"I do know better than you." I grit my teeth, "I have been doing this way longer than you have. You may think you've turned into a hero overnight because you discovered you had speed, but I've been doing this for over four years, Nora. I know right from wrong, I've trained in the Speed Lab every night with Barry- I made sure I was ready before I got out onto the field."

"You have no idea what it's like to be on the field. You've never fought against any type of metas before. If anything, you wouldn't be able to last against them. They have abilities and you don't." Nora said to me, scoffing.

Barry looks at me instantly, awaiting for what I was about to me.

I let out a pathetic laugh, my eyes instantly turning crystal white as I looked down at her, "There's so much you don't know about me. Man- props to future me."

"I can't believe you." Nora scoffs once more, "First you hide my powers, and then you don't even tell me you're a meta yourself."

"We're not talking about this right now, Nora." I dismiss, crossing my arms, "You can't just cut me off during a mission. Two people almost got killed."

She looked at me, her fist clenching, "Well, you know what, Mom? That's exactly what I'm gonna do. I just want to be me and you sit behind your desk and you say "no" every time and I've been hearing it my whole life and I'm sick of it."

"Your whole life?" I repeat, staring at her.

"Yes, Mom." She yells, staring at me dead in the eye, "Since I can remember, and you never change."

My tone falls dangerously low, "Being a hero doesn't mean catch the bad guy. It means keeping innocent victims safe from said bad guy, sacrificing yourself- giving your life if you have to. Today's mission showed me you can't tell the difference. I'm really starting to agree with my future self for suppressing your powers."

She sat up, her jaw clenched, "I hate you."

I huff, turning around, starting to walk down the hall, away from the both of them.

"Zee." Barry began, only for me to put my hand up and stop him from saying any further, continuing to walk away.

"You know, Nora, I wish you would try to understand who your mom is today, and stop seeing her as who she becomes in the future." Barry quietly said to her, before following me right after.

"Zee, babe-" Barry grabs my arm, stopping me, as I looked up at him, staying silent, "This will get better. I promise."

"I'm going to take your word for it." I slowly nod, weakly smiling up at him, trying to be strong.

-

"Can you describe the man that you saw?" I question the victims of today's crime scene, writing down small notes on my notepad.

"I'd barely call him a man, the way he moved." The woman explained, frightened by the thought of last night's events, "And when he looked back at me, it was terrifying."

I nod, the cool breeze that blew through the air blowing at my hair lightly, "Could you see his face?"

"No." She shook her head, "He was wearing some sort of clown mask."

"And you're sure the necklace is the only thing that was stolen." I ask, my eyes glued to my notepad.

"Yes, and it's irreplaceable." The man next to her said, "Thank you for helping, we really appreciate it."

"Yeah-" I nod, closing my notepad, stepping away from them, looking out into the street, clicking my pen over and over.

"Hey." Barry's voice catches my attention, pure happiness laced in his tone.

I turn and looked at him, "Hi-"

"How's everything going so far?" Barry smiles down at me, happy to see me, especially since we'd been carried away with different things all day.

"A million dollar jewelry theft is interesting enough to keep me awake." I shrug, looking at him, "You?"

"I literally just finished all the cases I missed during my absence. My brain is exhausted." Barry admits, his smile not leaving his lips.

"Awh." I weakly smile at him, "Well, I have to work on this case, so I'll see you at Star Labs later, all right?"

"Okay, wait, hang on-" He grabs my arm quickly, his tone ranging high, stopping me from turning away, "I mean, we're working on the same case."

"As we always are." I trail off, staring at him, not knowing where he was going with this.

"Why don't we pool resources, maybe solve this one together." Barry suggests, shrugging lightly, smiling wider at the thought, letting go of my arm.

"Oh?" I was speechless, my eyes scanning around me, "I mean, I don't know-"

"Come on, grab some Big Belly on the way to Star Labs." Barry persuades, his teeth shining as he smiled, a look on his face that I couldn't deny to, his tone boyish and romantic, "It'll be like a date."

I exhale through my nose, giving him a genuine smile, "Okay, fine."

"All right, come on." Barry wraps his arm around me, leading me towards his car.

-

[ nora's pov ]

"This is the life." I giggle, sipping my Killer Frost drink, "Seriously, I could stay here forever. No worries, no schrap from mom-"

"Wait, wait, wait, what was that?" Cecile stopped me, looking at me, seated on the ground still.

"Schrap." I told her.

"Schrap?" She repeated in a questionable tone.

"Schrap." I began to explain, "You know, like all the nagging that mom does. I mean, she acts like she supports me, but what she really wants is a boring, quiet daughter who just wants to stay inside all day instead of go out and do anything that might be the least bit dangerous."

"Nora," Cecile's tone was suddenly strict, causing me to shut up quickly, "This is the West house. In it, every parent is given respect, most especially your mother. Everyone family member, every elder, every person is given the rightful respect deserved. With everything your mother has gone through, I am sure she raised you as best she could."

I sat up, "She raised me to be afraid of the world. But I'm a hero, you know, like dad. And we have to keep moving until everyone that needs us is safe."

"Okay." Cecile stood up, tossing a screwdriver at me.

"I'm sorry, what is this for?" I question, putting down my drink.

"When Papa Joe comes back, this table is going to finally be built." Cecile instructs, a pout falling onto my lips, "You wanted to keep moving."

"Do I have to?" I whine.

"All right, I'll make you a deal." Cecile began, "For every chore you do I'll tell you one thing Papa Joe told me about your father that didn't make it into the precious Flash museum."

"Oh, Mama Cecile, the museum has a complete record of all of Dad's accomplishments." I nod towards her.

"Including the time Barry ended up in an alternate past filled with golden giants called "Grodans"?" She looked at me with her eyes wide.

My eyebrows furrow with confusion, "Wait, what?"

"Grodans." She taunts.

I shrug, getting up, whooshing around, quickly setting up the table, sitting back down on the couch, "Done. So then what happened?"

"Not done." She stared at me, "Wait for it."

Suddenly, the entire table falls over and breaks apart, Cecile holding up the bag of screws, a pout falling onto my lips.

-

[ zee's pov ]

"I want to cancel my subscription." I mutter, shoving a fry into my mouth.

"Of what?" Barry looked at me confused.

I shot him a look, "Motherhood."

"Zee." Barry softly laughs, eating a fry.

"What?" I throw my hands up dramatically, "This stuffs complicated. I'm stressed."

"Well, you got me to make sure you remain stress-free." Barry kisses my temple, feeding me a fry.

"Dude, if I knew we'd be the best married couple that ever existed-" I looked at him, "I would've married you sooner."

Barry laughs again, kissing my cheek, then looks at the screen in front of us, "That's weird."

"This is the part where you explain to me what's weird because I don't understand science." I told him, sitting up.

"It says the hair I found is human but it can't pull any DNA." Barry reads, looking at me confused.

"Maybe run it again?" I suggest, as he shrugs, running it once more, eating a fry.

The alarm starts to blare, my head snapping towards the monitor above us, "Somebody called in a bomb threat at Seaver Architects."

"I got it-" Barry got up, rushing off.

-

"So, he squeezed his way through an air conditioning vent?" I question, staring at him.

"Yeah, he could stretch kinda like Ralph, except he was wearing a-" Barry started.

I sigh, finishing for him, "Clown mask."

"Yup." Barry nods, leaning against the railing.

"Just like the guy that stole the Winehouse necklace." I huff.

"We got a stretching clown meta." Barry pieces together, standing up straight.

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all." I say sarcastically, "Did you find any more of those weird lines?"

"No, and if there's more, they're buried underneath tons of rubble, just like our meta, unless he was able to stretch out of that one too." Barry starts to say in realization. "Which I'm sure he was. The lines."

I look at him, confused, as he rounds the console, now next to me, leaning over me, loosely having his arms around me, typing away on the screen in front of me, "Huh?"

"Well, I mean, our meta can stretch and contort, right?" Barry began to explain, "What if his fingerprints can too?"

Barry pulled up the recognition, "Got him. Peter Merkel. And he was arrested for B&E two years ago."

"Peter Merkel." I repeat, pulling up an article, "As in the son of Billionaire Theresa Merkel?"

"Yeah- apparently." Barry stood up straight, as I remained seated in my chair.

"How does someone go from being a member of high society to stealing heirlooms and blowing up buildings?" I question, looking up from the screen and at him.

"Maybe we should attend this gala she's hosting and ask her ourselves." Barry suggests, putting his hand on my back, looking down at me with a sly smile.

"Uh, I don't know, what if Merkel's there?" I hesitate, making eye contact with him.

"So what?" Barry shrugs, "We'll come prepared. Some meta handcuffs for me, a taser for you, and we get to dress up."

"Barry." I stare at him in disbelief, a small laugh following.

"What?" Barry boyishly smiles down at me.

"This is a meta investigation; this is not date night." I stare at him with an amused look, trying my best not break out into laughter.