(Author's Note: This story is being written for the awesome MythologyGirl, who gave me the idea for the story and greatly improved on the original title I had. Thank you for letting me write it and I hope you enjoy!)

"Too slow, Flash," Professor Zoom's fist slammed into Barry's jaw with the force of a pickup truck. He went down hard in the street, cracking his head on the asphalt painfully. Barry's vision went black for a split second and he rolled to the side when he heard a garbage truck honking at him frantically. The tires passed by inches from his head and Barry jumped up lightning fast. Sight returned to him amidst a flurry of grey specks and he felt for the vibrational disturbances Zoom was carelessly leaving in his wake.

He was heading west.

Barry gave chase, weaving through rush hour traffic and down sidewalks packed with people going home for the night. He sped around a corner, ruffling clothes and blowing half the newspapers from a stand into the street, and spotted a yellow streak of lightning burning up the side of a skyscraper. Barry raced the six blocks to the building, closing the gap in under three seconds.

He was pushing himself faster than he'd dared to run in the city before. Glass and concrete buckled beneath the soles of his boots as he ran up the side of the building. Barry was usually more careful in his city, but he couldn't afford to hold back when he was fighting Eobard Thawne. He'd learned quickly that Thawne wasn't afraid of murdering innocent bystanders as a way of taunting Barry and sending a crystal clear message.

If he was too slow, people would die.

Barry didn't know if it was just Professor Zoom's sadistic nature, or a sick way of pushing him to be a better hero. He gritted his teeth and closed in on Zoom, feeling the lightning arcing off him stinging his chest and shoulders like static.

Thawne veered left suddenly and ran around the side of the skyscraper to throw him off, but Barry didn't fall for it. He continued straight up, remembering that Thawne had a nasty habit of trying to knock him off the sides of buildings. When he reached the roof, Barry started looking around on high alert, expecting Professor Zoom to come charging up at him any second.

Suddenly, a woman's terrified scream rent the air. It echoed in Barry's ears and turned his head to the direction that Zoom had disappeared to. Oh God… This office high rise had a balcony garden seating area attached to that side.

More screams and the sounds of dishes breaking and chairs being overturned rose up to the roof. Barry felt his heart stop and he dashed to the edge. Damnit! He'd made a mistake. Five stories below, Professor Zoom was standing with one foot braced on the ledge of the balcony. He held a sobbing woman dressed in a dark business suit by the throat and was dangling her off the edge, face turned up and grinning darkly up at Barry.

As soon as Thawne saw that he was looking, his fingers let go and he dropped the woman. She plunged out of sight and Barry launched himself down the building. He jumped onto the balcony in a roll, landing amongst fleeing diners running back inside, and went right passed Zoom without sparing him a second glance. He chased the woman's fading scream instead, pounding his feet down the wall and putting gravity to shame.

"I've got you!" Barry reached her in a second and wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close and making sure to keep running so that the momentum didn't snap her spine. He gradually decreased his speed as he neared the ground, fluidly making the transition from a vertical track to a horizontal one. He was just setting the trembling woman on the ground when he heard another deeper holler from above.

Barry looked up and saw an older man falling from the balcony. He could just barely make out the bright yellow figure of Professor Zoom waving down at him before he disappeared in a crackle of sparks. Barry cursed under his breath and quickly calculated where the man's trajectory was going to make him land. He zipped to the correct spot and held both arms above his head. He aimed for the falling man and rotated his arms in circles at superspeed, creating one giant funnel of air that slowed his descent enough for Barry to safely catch him.

The man was ruffled from the fall, but he looked largely unharmed for the most part. Barry set him on his feet and kept a hand on his shoulder in case he collapsed, "Are you okay?"

He nodded shakily, eyes still wide with fear, "He-He said 'Three strikes, you're out.' He told me to tell you that. I don't know what that means…"

Barry frowned in surprise. Three strikes? Since when were he and Professor Zoom playing a game? What did he mean…? Thawne had attacked him three times this year so far – each time just taunting him. He'd attack out of nowhere, run a path of destruction through Central, and then just leave. But, he'd never left anything like a message before. And this time, he'd gone after Barry at work. He'd just burst right into the CCPD and started tearing the place up. Did that meant he knew Barry's identity? How? Barry had always been so careful to keep it concealed. He had to be exceptionally cautious because his wife, Iris, would be in as much danger as he would.

And so would his toddler nephew, Wally. Barry and Iris had adopted him a year ago when he was two years old. At the time, they'd just celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary and Barry was so in love with Iris that he could never deny her anything. So, when she asked him if they could take in her nephew after his mother and father died in a horrible car crash, Barry said yes. And even though Wally had only been living with them for a year, Barry had grown unexpectedly fond of the adorable little redhead. He'd rather cut off his legs than let anything happen to Wally or Iris.

But, what was going to happen now that he'd hit three strikes?

"Thank you," the man he'd caught clasped Barry's arm tightly, staring at him intently. "Really, young man. Thank you."

"Anytime," Barry replied with a smile, patting him on the shoulder awkwardly. Several people on the sidewalk who had seen what happened started applauding him and Barry waved at them briefly before dashing off to double check the balcony for any more damage that Professor Zoom might have caused.

Four years doing this and he still wasn't comfortable with all the adoration he got when he was Flash. Jay Garrick had warned him when he passed down the mantle, but Barry hadn't been fully prepared for an entire city to worship him.

'Anytime…' he thought unhappily as he darted around the balcony garden righting tables and clearing broken glass, remembering his own lame response. Superman, Clark, would have come up with something heroic to say. It was all Barry could do to keep himself from blushing at the attention. He was twenty-seven for Christ's sake! And he could think at the speed of sound. He really needed to write up some dialogue for his Flash persona.

He finished the cleanup and booked it back to the police station where his coworkers in the lab and every available officer were still trying to hold it together after Professor Zoom's unprovoked attack. Barry dashed into the crime lab's supply closet before anyone could see him and changed out of his uniform, stuffing it back into the hollow compartment in the ring he wore around his finger. Barry slipped into the clothes he'd stashed there before going after Zoom and fished around in the pockets of the stiff white lab coat for his cell phone.

Barry had been in the opposite end of the police station when Thawne attacked, and had suited up before Zoom even got the chance to get near Barry Allen, forensic analyst. So, he was pretty confident that Thawne had no idea who he was. Nevertheless, the fact that Zoom had targeted his workplace had him nervous.

He speed dialed his wife and tapped his foot restlessly against the floor while he waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Iris," he breathed in relief, covering his forehead with one hand and grinning as he closed his eyes. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

He heard his wife's feminine laugh through the receiver, "At home, of course. You dialed the house, you goof."

Barry pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at the small square screen for an instant before bring it back up. Yes he had… He took a deep breath and cupped his hand around the mouthpiece, lowering his voice when the sound of running footsteps squeaked by the closet door from the outside, "Sorry, I'm a little frazzled. I just went a round with Professor Zoom again and I wanted to make sure you were safe. He attacked the station this time and that's a little too close for comfort for me."

"Wally and I are both fine," Iris' voice turned serious, tinged with worry. "You're not hurt, are you? Last time-"

"No," Barry cut her off before she had the chance to worry more. "I was just checking in. The forensics crew is probably going to be sent home for the night while the captain sorts all of this mess out. I should be there soon."

"Take your time," Iris replied easily. She was so effortlessly understanding of both his day job and his work as the Flash. "I'm almost finished with dinner, but I'll keep it warm for you." Then, her voice got a little quieter like she was covering the receiver's microphone and speaking to someone in the room with her, "Wally, sweetie, would you clean off the table for me, please? Just stick those magazines on the dresser in my room. I'll put them away later. Thank you, honey."

Barry smiled down at his shoes in the dark closet, "You sound like you're busy; I'll let you go. See you in a bit."

"See you soon," she mimicked. "I love you."

"Love you too, babe," Barry closed the phone with a snap and replaced it in his pocket, running his hands through his hair a few times to get rid of the matted down helmet hair look his costume sometimes gave him.

He carefully slipped out of the closet and jogged down the hall to where Captain Frye was addressing the entire crime lab. Barry squeezed in beside two of the blood spatter analysts and tried to look like he'd been there the whole time. The captain ordered them all to evacuate while the building's integrity was being decided and give their statements about what happened to the officers outside.

Barry did as he was told, moving outside with the rest of his coworkers and giving a heavily doctored statement to one of the beat cops making their rounds. He was just about to leave after they'd all been dismissed and given leave to go home when Captain Frye approached him in the parking lot. Barry felt a little funny standing around in his lab coat, but he shrugged it tighter around his body against the deepening chill of dusk.

"You alright, Barry?" he asked, brushing dust and a little bit of soot out of his grey hair. His normally perfectly creased suit jacket was slung over his arm, and his shirt and suspenders were rumpled and stained.

"Better than you, Captain," Barry nodded to his obvious state of dishevelment.

"Oh, I was in the station's lobby when Professor Zoom burst in. The friction from his speed set a small fire and we had a little trouble putting it out," Frye looked down at himself with a wry shrug. "And you can call me Darryl, son. I think we've known each other long enough that you don't have to call me Captain."

It was true. Barry had known Captain Frye since he was a boy. He'd been a close family friend and had let Barry stay with him for a year after his mother's death until he was able to support himself. Barry considered the police captain family, but that wasn't going to stop him from showing the man the proper respect he deserved at work. He couldn't help flashing a cheeky grin at him, "That's probably true, Captain."

Frye just fixed him with an exhausted stare and shook his head, smiling, "I'm glad you're okay. I'd heard that the crime lab was untouched, but you never know. You could've been flirting with the ladies over in evidence lock-up."

Barry raised an eyebrow and gave Frye an unamused glare. Marge, the evidence and property technician was sixty-two and had grandchildren older than he was. "I don't think Iris or Marge's husband would appreciate that very much."

Frye burst out in loud, belly laughs.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Barry smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "I know I'm not much of an action and danger guy like your detectives, but I've seen my fair share over the years. I'm not going to go post-traumatic stress disorder on you, don't worry."

"With all the crap the Rogues pull in this city, I'm surprised the whole damn town isn't desensitized to the attacks," Frye sighed wearily and eyed the flashing red and blue lights of the squad cars surrounding the station. He jerked his thumb towards his own car and gave Barry an amiable slap on the shoulder. "You need a ride home tonight?"

Barry shook his head, looking up at the rapidly waning sunset, "It's not too dark; I think I'll just hoof it. Thanks for the offer though, Cap."

He'd be able to make it home faster on foot than letting Frye drive him.

"Well, you be careful," Frye warned him with a small smile even as he squinted out across the darkening plaza. "You never know what's out there. Especially in this city."

Barry knew better than most, but he didn't let on. He just nodded good-naturedly, "Will do, sir."

Barry made his way passed the large fountain decorating the plaza in front of the station, receiving several waves and calls to have a good night. He turned onto the sidewalk and went down a few blocks at normal speed before he ducked behind a vacant pawn shop to change into the Flash uniform. He wanted to do a quick once over of the city before he turned in for the night and went home.

He flicked the secret clasp on his Flash ring for the second time that day and caught his suit once it shot out. He changed into it in the blink of an eye and then he was burning across Central City, doing a thorough circuit through the different sections and across the bridges spanning the Missouri River.

It was a quiet night. The Rogues seemed to have retired early – at least they respected normal sleep schedules. Barry didn't know how Batman stalked his city all night and handled a day job. Come to think of it…what was his day job? Barry honestly couldn't imagine the dark protector of Gotham doing anything like working a drive-thru or stuck in an office cubicle. Maybe he was like a pro wrestler or a football player or something. He was way too built.

He stopped a few muggings, a convenience store robbery, and talked down one lonely teen preparing to jump off the Keystone Bridge.

It was near 7:00pm when he finally headed towards Danville where he and Iris lived. He preferred living in the quiet, residential section of Central as opposed to the city's center. Two seconds later, he was back in plain clothes and on the front porch of his house. He stuck his key in the lock and shouldered his way inside, "I'm home, babe. Sorry I'm extra late; I wanted to look for Thawne one more time before I…"

He trailed off when he saw that the entire living room was slightly hazy with thin smoke. Further in, the fire alarms were going off shrilly. Barry shut the door with his foot and shrugged off his coat, dashing into the dining room and fanning the detector at superspeed until it went quiet. He grimaced and buried his nose in the crook of his elbow as he smelled the overpowering, acrid odor of something burning, "Iris! You fall asleep cooking or something?"

He was smiling when he said it; both he and Iris were prone to forgetting things when they were cooking. In Barry's case, it was setting timers. His powers messed up his sense of time occasionally, and he'd let things overcook all the time. Barry zipped into the kitchen next, intending to turn off the stove and fan the smoke detector in here too.

He made it four steps in and rounded the counter only to catch his foot on something and be sent stumbling into the cabinets. Barry braced himself before he fell into the sink, bending his wrist the wrong way painfully in the process. He shook his hand to relieve some of the stinging ache and found his balance again.

'Right,' he thought, turning off the two burners on the stove and moving the frying pan full of what used to be food but was now charcoal into the sink. 'That's why there's no superspeed in the house.'

Plus, Wally was getting old enough to know who the Flash was and make the connection. Barry and Iris still weren't sure yet whether they wanted him to know the secret or not. He was so young that he wouldn't understand the need for secrecy and he might let it slip without meaning to.

Barry turned around to see what he'd tripped over and almost slipped on something spilled all over the floor. He looked down and saw thick red smeared where he'd stepped and the body of his wife sprawled motionless on the ground by the dishwasher.

He just stared at her for a long minute, not really processing what he was seeing. In the background, one of the smoke detectors started going off again, but he barely heard it. Barry slowly sank down to his knees and brushed his fingers through the red liquid uncomprehendingly, "…Iris…?"

She was lying on her side with her eyes closed and a limp hand resting over a dark red hole in her chest. There wasn't any response to his question.

Barry started trembling as he looked down at his bloody hands. The numb shock that had taken over broke suddenly and Barry felt his heart rip in two. He scrambled forward and pressed his fingers to Iris' neck, "Iris?! Honey, look at me!"

She didn't budge.

He pulled her into his arms, feeling his eyes burn with frantic tears, "Open your eyes, please! Iris?"

Her head lolled back in his arms and her hair spilled back away from her face, revealing the words 'Strike Three' written on her cheek with her own blood. Barry's trembling ceased and he went completely still. Professor Zoom had done this…? He did know Barry's identity – and Iris had paid the price for it.

He carefully ran his fingers through Iris' hair and saw the pretty red strands seem to slow as they fell until they were frozen in midair. Barry knew he was slipping into relative time, but he didn't try to fight it as everything stopped around him.

He knew that it was dangerous to exist in a frame of reality so much faster than the rest of the world – knew that there was always the possibility that he could get stuck in it forever – but he didn't care. If he could stay just like this with Iris, living through seconds as long as days, it would be okay.

Barry just pulled her closer and wrapped both arms around his wife, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He closed his eyes and completely detached himself from time, letting his speed run wild. There was no point holding on; Iris had always been his anchor. Without her, there weren't many people capable of bringing him out of it.

It felt like weeks that he sat there cradling Iris' body before anything changed. He heard the long drawn out sounds of someone entering the home. He didn't even bother looking up until they'd reached the kitchen days later and that's when he saw who his guests were.

Wonder Woman and Superman.

Diana was frozen in a walking position and Clark looked like he was moving in extreme slow motion. It was impressive that Barry could perceive him as moving at all. He hadn't known that Clark was that fast. His expression morphed at a snail's pace from confusion and concern to shock once he saw all the blood.

"Barry," Clark spoke in a deep, achingly slow voice. "What happened?!"

"Zoom…" Barry said as slowly as he could manage. He pulled back and looked down at the blood all over his chest and arms. Iris' blood…

Again, Clark's expression changed painfully slowly and Barry watched it cycle through dread, anger, pity, sadness, and concern again. It felt like another day had passed before he spoke again and started leaning down to touch Barry's shoulder, "You need to slow down. I can barely see you."

Barry moved away from him and stared at the fingers still outstretched towards him. It would take another day for them to reach him, "No point."

Behind Clark, Diana still hadn't moved an inch. He kept trying to appeal to Barry in slow motion, despite the difficulty he was having keeping up, "Come on, please don't give up. Your wife wouldn't want that. Just slow down for her."

Barry felt a tear roll down his cheek as he looked at Iris. She was the only one he'd ever wanted to slow down for. Being with her didn't feel slow at all. The rest of the world could drag on and on at times for him, but Iris had made it all normal somehow. Now she was gone.

But, Clark was right; Iris wouldn't have wanted him to collapse and give up. He could slow down one more time for her.

He took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes. His mind started to pull against the almost irresistible force that was calling him to go faster – to get up and run – and he felt its influence retreating. Barry kept breathing, willing his heartbeat to decrease and picturing Iris' face as he fought to return to the rest of the world's time.

"Flash?" He felt a soft hand on his shoulder after what felt like several hours and opened his eyes to see Diana crouched in front of him. Her blue eyes were fathomless with sorrow and compassion, and Barry couldn't stand to look at her. "Are you back with us?"

Clark already knew that he was and he was scanning the rest of the house cautiously, "Where did Professor Zoom go? Did you see him attack her?"

"She was dead when I got home…" Barry mumbled in stunned numbness, afraid to move any more in case he woke up Iris. She looked like she could be sleeping – but she wasn't. "Why are you here…?"

"J'onn called us," Diana told him quietly, dropping her eyes to the ground. "He always keeps part of his mind open to us and he picked up on a sudden spike of severe emotional distress coming from you. He was worried and asked us to check on you."

"Do you want us to go after Zoom?" Clark offered his help immediately, but Diana held out a hand to silence him.

She curled gentle fingers along Barry's jaw and lifted his head until they were eye to eye, "Who should we call for you?"

Her peaceful voice helped keep Barry calm. He blinked slowly and shook his head disjointedly, trying to answer her but coming up with nothing.

"Not yet?" Diana supplied graciously with a tilt of her head. She settled down on the floor opposite him. "That's okay. You want to spend a little more time with her. May we stay here until you're ready?"

Barry's throat constricted painfully and his eyes welled up with tears as he nodded.

Clark didn't ask any more about Thawne. He just remained silent and stood back, clasping his hands in front of himself respectfully. Diana reached for Iris' hair, pausing long enough to give Barry the opportunity to tell her to stop if he wanted. He didn't. She brushed aside the vibrant red tresses gingerly and wiped off the words Zoom had written on her cheek.

"She's very beautiful," Diana commented with a tentative smile.

Barry had always thought so. He couldn't remember a time before he and Iris were together. She was his whole world. He knew he talked about her incessantly to the other six Leaguers, but they'd never complained – at least not to his face. His heart gave another agonizing twist and Barry could feel the loss of Iris digging into him.

"I remember you always said that you loved her eyes the most," Diana finished removing the blood and sat back to give him space. Clark continued to watch them both mournfully.

Iris' eyes had been breathtaking. They were what had drawn Barry to her the first time they'd met at a crime scene. She'd been one of the many reporters clamoring against the tape perimeter to get a statement from the police, but her eyes had made her stand out. They'd been so full of intelligence and spirit that Barry had to chase her down later and ask for a date. He'd never seen eyes so green before.

…Except…

Terror hit Barry over the head like a baseball bat. He jerked upright, startling both Diana and Clark, and felt his body begin to vibrate again with nervous dread, "Wally!"

"Who is Wally?" Clark asked quickly, getting ready to stop him if he tried to slip into relative time again. He exchanged a concerned expression with Diana, who was looking just as startled.

"He was here!" Barry gasped in horror, clutching Iris' body convulsively. He'd heard her talking to Wally on the phone earlier when he was at the station! Where was he?! Barry started to rise to his feet, but stopped when he remembered that he was still holding Iris. He floundered in a panic for a moment, wanting to run and find his nephew but not wanting to leave his wife by herself.

"I'll keep her safe for you," Diana held out her arms to him and Barry's thoughts whirled trying to come to a decision. He hesitantly handed Iris over and watched Diana cradle her delicately for a few seconds before he was satisfied. She looked up at him patiently and nodded to show him that she wouldn't move until he got back, "Go."

Then, Barry was zipping all over the house at superspeed, calling Wally's name desperately. He checked behind the couch, in the den, under all the beds, in the bathroom, even the shed in the back yard. He ran back inside the house and started all over again, tearing doors off their hinges and overturning furniture, "Wally!"

Oh God, what if Thawne had killed him too?!

"Barry!" Clark was suddenly in front of him, holding him by the shoulders with a steel grip. "Calm down and think. I don't know who Wally is, but just take a second and think about where he would go if he was threatened."

Barry vibrated anxiously, letting his mind run a thousand miles per hour to come up with the answer. Where would Wally run to if Professor Zoom was after him? He wouldn't have time to go anywhere. Thawne would have killed him right on the spot. Unless… Unless he wasn't in the room when Iris was killed. Barry remembered the conversation he'd had with Iris again. She'd asked Wally to take some magazines into their room. That must've been right before Zoom attacked.

"The closet!" Wally always hid in their closet during thunderstorms because it wasn't by any of the windows.

Clark frowned in abrupt confusion and released Barry's arms, "The closet…? Who-"

Barry didn't stay long enough to hear the rest of his sentence. He sprinted into his and Iris' room a second later, grabbing the doorframe to swing his momentum to the side. There were magazines lying crumbled on the floor right beside the dresser and one of the bottom drawers was pulled out like Wally had used it as a step to reach the top. Barry dashed to the closet and yanked the slatted doors open violently, dropping to his knees and crawling forward in the dark, "Wally?! Wally, are you here?!"

A small sniffle came from the very back of the closet and Barry started shoving aside coats and pants frantically. He pushed away one of Iris' long dresses that she'd worn for the policeman's ball last year and almost cried out in relief when he saw Wally's tiny body huddled underneath the skirt's hem. He had his tiny knees pulled up to his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs, sniffing and crying silently in terror.

Wally looked up with red, watery eyes and hiccupped. He was shaking like a leaf and sobbing quietly, but he was unhurt.

"Thank God," Barry breathed, hanging his head bonelessly. He reached out to grab Wally and the little boy flinched, letting loose a pitiful sob. He just pulled Wally out of the closet and into his lap, crushing him against his chest. "You're okay…"

Two little arms wound around his neck desperately and Wally clung to him like a koala. He cried into Barry's shirt and it broke his heart. Barry kept one hand on his back and smoothed down his unruly mop of fiery hair. Fresh tears streamed down his face as he heard a small voice cry 'Uncle Barry' into his collar.

"It's okay, kiddo," Barry said soothingly, unable to believe that he'd forgotten about the young child in his grief. He held Wally close and rocked him back and forth slowly. "You're safe. I've got you."

"Wally is your nephew… He was here when it happened?!"

Clark was standing in the doorway looking shocked, the red and blue of his uniform somehow seeming less impressive in the dark room. He must've heard Wally call him 'uncle'.

"He's my son now," Barry corrected him, already feeling better with Wally in his arms. He didn't feel that frantic need to run anymore – to lose himself in time. "Iris and I adopted him last year."

"How come you never mentioned him?"

Barry checked to see how Wally was doing before he answered. The young redhead was very still and his breathing had evened out. He didn't know if Wally had cried himself to sleep or just dropped from sheer exhaustion, "It was a little before the League was formed. We wanted to wait a while until Wally was settled in and more comfortable with us before telling anyone. Hal knows, but that's it."

Clark nodded like he understood completely, "Barry, I'm so sorry. If you need anything, just say the word."

Barry didn't move from his spot on the floor. He absently rubbed Wally's back and gave him a kiss on the top of his head, "Find Professor Zoom."

"Where does he hide out?" Clark asked without offering any complaints.

"The future," Barry spoke bluntly. He looked up at Clark with hard eyes. "He doesn't operate like the Rogues. Clark, he knows who I am. He probably didn't know we'd taken Wally in and that's why he wasn't attacked. But, if he finds out…"

"I won't let that happen," Clark vowed firmly, looking down at Wally as he spoke. "He'll be in Belle Reve before the night's over. Leave it to me."

"Thank you," Barry told him whole-heartedly. He wiped his forearm over his eyes and blinked to clear them.

"Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?" he asked with concern. "It's not safe here."

"I can stay in Keystone. I have a friend there," Barry sighed tiredly. He carefully got to his feet and shifted Wally more comfortably to his hip. "But, I need to call the police first. God, I don't know what to tell them. I'm a forensic tech and I absolutely destroyed my own wife's crime scene…"

"I'm sure they'll understand," Clark put a hand on his shoulder, his eyebrows turning downwards worriedly.

Barry just nodded, digging in his pocket for his cell phone, "I'm going outside to make the call. Can you tell Diana for me? I…I don't want Wally to see…I don't…all the blood-"

"Of course," he pushed Barry towards the door. "She'll come up with something to tell the police; don't worry about that."

Barry kept his eyes on the ground as he made his way through the house to the front door. He didn't want to accidentally see anything that would tempt him to back into the kitchen – anything that reminded him of Iris. It still didn't seem real. She was dead…how-?

He numbly slipped through the door and closed it behind him, stepping out into the night air and hearing crickets chirping softly in the grass. Barry walked down the porch to the bottom step and sat down, leaning back so that Wally could rest against his shoulder. His cell phone screen glowed brightly against the dark and Barry scrolled through his contacts slowly. His bloody fingers left sticky red smears on the buttons.

A shudder ripped up Barry's spine and he roughly scrubbed his hand against his pants to try and clean it off a little. He inhaled sharply and held it, blinking rapidly against the tears filling his eyes again. Did he want to call Captain Frye's private line? What would he say? Barry desperately wanted to hear the older man's reassuring voice and was too afraid to call at the same time. He closed out the list and dialed 911 instead, putting the phone on speaker and resting it against his forehead.

"911. This is operator 29. What is your emergency?"

Barry opened his mouth and spoke mechanically, "My wife was murdered. I need…I need a deputy sent out to Danville. The address is 3837 Phil Tyner Road."

"Are you alone, sir? What's your name?"

"I'm with my son and…Wonder Woman. My name is Barry Allen. I work at the CCPD under Captain Darryl Frye."

The operator paused for a moment. Barry didn't recognize her voice over the phone, but she obviously knew his name, "…Barry? Are you alright? Is the attacker still on the premises?"

"No," he croaked. "He's not here."

"I'm sending an ambulance and as many squad cars as I can," she said clearly, and Barry could hear the concern in her voice now that she knew he was a cop. "You said Wonder Woman was there? Do you know the attacker?"

Barry's mind thought up a plausible excuse for Wonder Woman's presence and spoke loud enough for Clark to hear him inside the house. He could relay the words to Diana to coordinate the story, "Yes. She showed up shortly after I arrived. She was chasing Prof…fessor Zoom… I think he did it."

He shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath to cover the nauseating rage that swept over him at the thought of Thawne.

"Alright, Barry. Just stay calm like you are right now," the operator told him firmly. "Help is on the way."

"Thank you," Barry mumbled miserably, closing his cell phone with a snap and setting it on the step beside him. He wrapped his arm around Wally again and rested his cheek atop the boy's head, staring disconnectedly at the walkway leading to the sidewalk. Wally snuggled closer to him in his sleep and Barry felt his heart twist painfully.

They sat there for around five minutes until the sound of sirens approached from far away, the wailing getting louder and louder. Red and Blue lights started bouncing off windows and the sides of houses at the end of the street and Barry readied himself for the inevitable. All the noise startled Wally awake and the young boy looked up at Barry in alarm as six squad cars pulled into the driveway in front of the house.

Barry just squeezed his son tighter and felt his heart crumble. Captain Frye got out of one of the squad cars and started towards them at a run with two other officers at his sides. Again, they seemed to move too slowly in his perceptions, but Barry didn't feel the warning pull that told him he was slipping into relative time. He was firmly held in the present by the small child in his arms.

Wally was his anchor now.