To make up for last week's shortish chapter and my extended absence, enjoy this super long one!

Barry's mouth turned dry as he looked on at his injured nephew. The questioning fear he felt when Bruce first made the call now made sense. Something bad indeed had happened and as he drew Wally into a hug he reminded himself of the other man's earlier words, be strong for him, be strong for you. Thinking that something had happened to his young nephew while he wasn't around had shook Barry to the core.

They both remained in silence for a little while before Flash began to examine Wally for other injuries while the boy remained compliant, enjoying being in his protective uncle and hero's presence. While it had been nice to receive some form of affection from Bruce and Alfred after this terrible day, it couldn't compare with his uncle's embrace and companionship. It was as if he knew at that moment everything would be alright. As Barry finished up with his makeshift examination, he released the boy and both seemed to stare briefly at one another.

Finally it was Barry, who had just removed his Flash mask, that spoke into the quiet room.

"I don't understand Wally, what happened? Are you okay?" Small specks of water prickled at the corners of Wally's eyes as he looked back at his uncle. He didn't want to break down crying, not yet anyway, until he had the opportunity to tell Uncle Barry what had been happening in the West household for years. At this point there was no going back, and Wally realized that he would have to tell the truth from the very beginning and hope that his uncle would understand why he kept the important secret for so long.

"I…I got into trouble at school again today," Wally began.

"So you got into a fight? Is that what happened?"

"N-no. Not exactly." Fidgeting a little Wally absentmindedly pressed his hand over the healing bruise that was covering his eye and cheek, remembering distinctly when the tip of his fathers belt had sprawled against the bone.

"It was Dad." Wally chocked, casting down his eyes from the other speedster. "Dad has been hitting me for a while now. It wasn't always this bad, not really anyways. I mean he had his ups and downs but he was getting better. I know I get out of hand at school sometimes, but…but…" At a lose of words, Wally struggled to form what his mind wanted to say. He wanted to say that he didn't deserve to be treated that way, but a part of him still felt the guilt about the trouble he was causing for his parents.

Barry's mind struggled to comprehend what had just been said to him and resorted on autopilot to comfort the hurting boy. He once again spread his arms around Wally's shaking frame, careful not to disturb any bruises he had seen earlier, and brought him towards his chest. He spoke numerous reassurances, over and over again hoping that it would give them both some courage and hope. The grip on Wally's shirt tightened as Barry replayed the few words Wally spoke. It was Dad.

Barry first met Iris's brother Rudolph on Thanksgiving day 8 years ago. Iris and him hadn't been dating that long, perhaps 5 months, but both were eager to share each others lives with one another. Being lovestruck and young, Barry disregarded the dangers of dating a civilian and favored at attempting to have a normal life while not in costume. He'd only been Flash for a year or so, and had fallen for the news reporter that had been covering his stories and interviews. Unlike the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane, Iris West never got herself into danger and their only meetings had been during light-hearted interviews and the police department sponsored debate about whether to allow the Flash to continue helping the city. While covering a murder, Iris had also been introduced to forensic scientist Barry Allen who had been diligently working on the case. The two at first chatted professionally, giving statements about the homicide, that casually progressed into friendly conversation. Barry, who knew Iris as both the Flash and Barry Allen, had fallen for the young reporter as Iris found the scientist fascinating and funny. They both gradually let go of the professional aspect to their relationship and started dating romantically.

When the holiday months started to approach Barry, who had no other close relatives, accepted the invitation to join Iris's brother, sister-in-law and four year old son for the afternoon feast. He remembered the embarrassing struggle with his tie as he approached the single home with his girlfriend by his side carrying flowers and pie. She had reassured him that her family would love him, but he was less convinced.

A few seconds after he rang the doorbell, the sound of a scurrying pair of feet echoed through the home before a short, petite woman opened the door. She held a very kind smile as she greeted the couple.

"Oh Iris, how are you? I swear you get prettier every time I see you. Oh, both of you, please come in. Here, let me take your coats. If you don't mind putting your shoes in the corner over there, ah thank you." The busy woman graciously accepted the flowers and pie, thanking the couple for the thoughtfulness before turning towards Barry.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr-?"

"Allen, but please call me Barry. You have a beautiful home Mary, and whatever your cooking smells delicious."

"That would be the turkey, it's taking a bit longer than I prepared for I'm afraid so dinner will be a bit late. I still have to take care of the mashed potatoes and gravy so I hope it's okay if I leave you two with Rudy and Wally for a while. They're in the living room watching football."

"Oh Mary! I thought you said your mother was coming over, I didn't know you were making the dinner all by yourself. My brother hasn't been a bit of help has he? Just like when we were kids." Shaking her head, Iris walked beside the woman and insisted she help out. Mary was at first reluctant to let Iris come into her kitchen, but since she'd been up since the early morning her resistance was weak from exhaustion.

Not wanting to seem like the inconsiderate date, Barry called out, "Hey wait, I can help to!"

Iris looked blankly at her boyfriend and frowned. "Barry Allen, you are staying out of this kitchen! I know you mean well but with your cooking techniques…I think it's best if you stay out okay?" Casting him a smile she continued, "Why don't you go and say hi to my brother? You haven't met him or Wally yet, I'm sure they'll love you. Wally is the most cutest thing, believe me you'll have a much better time."

After watching the two women retreat into the kitchen, Barry hesitantly eyed the hallway he'd been directed to that led towards the living room. As the Flash, Barry had faced many dangerous challenges but at the moment none came close to the one at hand. Since Iris's mother and father were no longer around Rudy had taken the place as the head of the household name, which made Barry nervous. It was as if meeting the girlfriends father for the first time and he was determined to not mess this up. Barry understood the importance of family, and eagerly wished that someday he'd be part of one like Iris described. This need for acceptance stemmed from his own family troubles that continued to haunt him to this day. His mother had been killed while he was young, while his father had been blamed for the crime leaving him alone in the world. It took one action to take away both of his parents, one in death and another in miscalculated blame, to spur Barry on in his quest for justice and the need to value family. Once the later was gone, it can leave those left behind to feel isolated and alone.

Now as Barry stood in the entranceway of the living room, he glanced at the back of Rudolph West's broad shoulders who was still paying close attention to the game between the Central City Cougars and Star City Stags. The Cougars were up by two points and the next play would determine who would become victorious. The Stags' quarterback shuffled backward at the upcoming fury of men and hastily threw the ball to an open wide receiver.

"Come on…come on…" Rudy mumbled. Like a child he sat poised at the edge of his seat, hand gripped in a whitening fist as he told off the players on the television.

"Yes! Ah fucking yes!" Rudy yelled as one of the Cougars tackled the Stags' receiver right before he would have made the game winning catch. Cheeringly loudly, Rudy punched the air in a fit of celebratory victory.

Barry continued to stand there awkwardly, unsure if it was safe to approach the yelling man now or retreat. Suddenly, he felt a stiff tug on the bottom of his shirt that brought his attention downward.

"Hi." A little boy with frizzy red hair said, staring back up at him with wide and inquisiting eyes.

"Umm, er, hi." Barry stammered back. While it was true that the Flash had saved numerous children before, he nor Barry ever had to personally interact with them.

Feeling the grown up's unease, young Wally let out a set of giggles that alerted his father to the newcomer.

"Ah, I though I heard the doorbell ring." Rudy said with a smile. Putting down his beer, Rudy held out his hand.

"Rudolf West, Iris's brother. Looks like you already met Wally here, the little scamp." Barry returned the handshake in earnest, the nervousness from earlier starting to dissipate.

"Great to finally meet you, I'm Barry. Barry Allen. I can't thank you or your wife enough for inviting me over."

"Don't mention it," Rudy waved his hand away. "It's about time little Irey brought a boyfriend over. Though you know, you will be interviewed for the position and if I deem you inadequate you might get your ass kicked out." A smile formed, "Shall we get started? Here, take a seat."

The stiffness in Barry's back never relaxed as he answered a few questions about himself. He talked about his job at the station, how he met Iris, where he went to college, and if he owned his own house or not. They seemed like normal enough questions, but the unease of the possibility of getting rejected by the family never seemed to relent. Finally after about a half hour of interrogation, Rudy announced that he passed.

Taking a gulp of beer, Rudy leaned back and grinned. "Alright, it seems you passed the preliminary questionnaire. Congrats, you're in the finals." Wally gave a little "congrad'lations" before Rudy continued.

"Now these are probably the most important questions that need to be asked tonight. And for your sake as well as my sanity I hope you make the right ones.

"Now, are you a serial killer?"

"No."

"Do you currently or plan to take any illegal drugs?"

"No."

"Have you ever been arrested for violent activities?"

"No."

"Do you love Iris?"

That question nearly stopped Barry's heart. Did he love Iris? They'd only been going out for a few months but he had friend's who got married in fewer, albeit they were on the crazier and impulsive side of the spectrum. The countless dates and conversations they both shared came to mind. Both had nearly bared their souls to one another, sharing hopes and dreams among secrets of blossoming futures. He wanted to say yes with all his heart, but there was still some hesitation. One major flaw in their relationship took the form of his megahuman alter-ego. Barry had thought about sharing that side of himself for a while now, but something kept holding him back. The fear of getting rejected crushed his inner strength and he instead decided to blatantly ignore the problem. This secret among secrets constantly pulsed with guilt, making him question if his withholding meant that he didn't love her as much as he thought.

"I…I don't know." Barry answered honestly, shifting his gaze uncomfortably. "Iris is amazing, the greatest and most loving person I've ever meant. I love her, but at the same time I'm not sure if I Love, with a capital L, her yet." Scratching the back of his head he continued, "I've never been in a serious relationship like this before." He confessed. "I want to take it slow with her, make sure that we both are what we're looking for before I throw around the L-word."

Rudy's unreadable expression caused Barry to perspire with anxiousness. All of a sudden, the older West stood up and crossed the short distance from his La-Z Boy to the couch where Barry was seating next to Wally. Thinking he might have answered the question wrong, the younger man quickly stood up as well in case there was some sort of unexpected brawl.

Thankfully Barry's short-lived fear of getting into a fight with Iris's older brother died when the man simply clamped his hand down on Barry's shoulder and laughed.

"You are way too nervous," Rudy proclaimed with a smirk. "You need to relax already, here have a beer." Gingerly accepting the slightly cool bottle, Barry let a small smile of his own show.

"Yeah…I guess it's pretty obvious eh?" he said. "I know I must look like a complete mumbling idiot, I don't normally act like this. It's just, I care about Iris and want to make a good impression is all."

"You're doing fine, and I approve of your last answer by the way." Rudy said. "I only realized how much I loved Mary on our wedding day, don't tell her that by the way, she'd skin me alive." Taking a sip of his drink, Barry sat back and nodded.

"The woman is a mysterious and fearful creature, it's smart of you to take it slow. You seem like a good kid," he added, even though they weren't that far apart in age. "and I look forward to getting to know you better. Iris is an important part of my life though, and if you hurt her in any way you'll get a stereotypical beating from the older brother, understand?" The threat was told jokingly, but Barry knew that it would be followed through.

"Of course, I could never imagine hurting Iris but if I somehow lose my mind along the way I'd appreciate it if you knock some sense into me." Clinking drinks, both men toasted to it.

"I guess I passed your test then? I mean if you don't have anymore questions."

Draining the last bit of his beer, Rudy shook his head. "I still have one more question for you, and it's the most important one. Failure to answer correctly will get your ass kicked out to the curb, whether Iris likes it or not." Looking over at his staring son who had been paying close attention to the conversation of the adults but had remained silent, Rudy asked, "Are you a Central Cougar's fan?"

"Well, uh…" In all truth Barry had been an avid fan while in high school but had been steadily distancing himself from sports as his free time continued to trickle away. He hadn't had an opportunity to go to a game in forever and it seemed that whenever they were playing on TV the world needed an immediate saving.

"Your hesitation is concerning me Barry," Rudy mocked, crossing his arms into his chest as he waited for a definite answer.

"I, yes. I'm a fan of them. Huge fan while I was playing football in high school, my role model used to be Bernstein Edwards."

That brought a smile to Rudy's face. "Ah, 'The Burns'? Haven't heard that name in ages. Good to meet a man who knows the real hardcore players. What position did you play while in school?"

"Quarterback, I was pretty quick on my feet."

"Oh yeah? Well, I have a few office buddies that get together a few Sunday's a month who play a friendly game of touch and tackle. We're sometimes short a QB, maybe you'd like to join us sometime?"

The invitation was quickly accepted, even though Barry knew it would be unlikely he would have the time to participate in any sports teams while preparations of creating a new superhero league were underway. He accepted the offer anyway, not wanting to offend his host.

"Alright then I guess you get my approval of dating my baby sister, but I nearly forgot one more vote you need. Wall's, come over here my man."

The 4 year old grinned at the invitation while he strategically placed himself beside his father and in front of their guest. Crossing his arms with authority, Wally tried his best to look intimidating at the new man but with his short stature it didn't come off as anything but cute.

"Wally," Rudy began. "You care deeply for your Aunt Iris right?"

"'Course Daddy!" The boy peeped while staring back at his father.

"Well this man here wants to date her, which means they're going to spend lots of time together. It's our job as her family to make sure she's with someone who would take good care of her, understand?" A confirming nod followed. "It's important for a family to look out for one another, and we're going to make sure this guy here is a good fit for Iris by asking him a few questions. Now, I've already asked my share but I think it's important that he gets your approval too." A broad smile emerged on the youngsters face while he realized that his father was giving him something important to do. It was now Wally's job to make sure that this man was going to take care of his favorite aunt, and he planned to be as thorough as possible.

Focus now back to Barry, Wally straightened and put on a serious tight-lipped look. His eyes squinted comically, slightly studying the man.

"What's the best color?" Wally began, figuring an easy question would put his interviewee at ease.

"Um, red?" Barry grasped, giving a questioning look to the older man who had a smug smirk plastered on his face.

"Wrong, it's blue." Wally deadpanned with a steady frown. "Whose the best Ninja from Ninja Power Squad?"

"Umm, that's a TV show right?" Barry mumbled while anxiously scratching his head. "The…the blue one?" he guessed.

"….good guess." Wally grumbled. "What's his secret ally animal?"

Having no idea what the show was about, Barry hoped to put his forensic police skills to work by scanning the living room for some clues. It took him a few seconds to notice a small action figure laying on the cream carpet, with a small emblem of some sort of bird on it's back.

"Uh, a bird?"

"What type of bird!"

"A falcon." Barry guessed, which was quickly followed by a dramatic roll of the eyes.

"Wrong! It's a hawk!"

Putting on a surprised face Barry looked questionably at the boy. "What? Didn't you know? They changed it to a falcon a while ago. Wow, aren't you late to the party."

Wally stared wide-eyed, unsure if he should take on the bluff. "No…" he said softly, narrowing his forehead in thought. "Win-Wings is a hawk."

"Ah, but in episode 304 called "Birthright", it was determined that Win-Wings mother had lied to her son about his father. Instead of being the honorary ninja-hawk of her tales, he was really a poor stage falcon that did tricks at fairs. And," he said to his focused listener. "She wasn't really his mother at all, but a skilled conartist that had kidnapped him as a child and convinced him that she was his mother the whole time. His real mother had been looking for him, wandering the streets calling his name in hopes of finding her forgotten son. It wasn't until a chance encounter during an apocalyptic battle did Win-Wings save his real mother from disaster and learn the truth. It turns out his mother wasn't even a hawk at all, but like his father, a falcon. The Blue Ninja Guy always wondered why Win-Wings was so tiny for a hawk, and now that the truth was out they had to confront the fake mother he had been living with all this time. Apparently it was an ingenious plot by some angry villain, named the Freezasaur, hoping that Win-Wings would spiral into inner chaos as he tried to figure out who he truly was; a hawk (he afterall went to a hawk high school and only had hawk friends), or a falcon like his parents."

Wally's mouth hung open in recognition, unable to comprehend the major plot twist that had been revealed about his childhood heroes.

"Wow…" Wally breathed. "Win-wings is a falcon! That's so cool! What happened next?"

The remainder of their time together consisted of Barry telling imaginative tales about the Blue Ninja Guy and his pet/sidekick Win-Wings that Wally had never heard before. When confronted on their credibility, Barry explained that there were some episodes that only adults could watch because, well, adults liked to have better things than children sometimes. Satisfied with the answer, Wally continued on the conversation happily.

Barry was also surprisingly enjoying himself. He liked telling the kid stories, and he got a funny feeling of giddiness in his chest whenever the kid giggled at his story-telling abilities. They were both having fun with one another, that is until Rudy had to spoil it for the both of them.

"Wally," Rudy laughed. "You're way too gullible."

Looking back at his father Wally held a confused expression.

"Ga-Galble? Whats that?"

"It's when it's easy for you to get tricked into believing something. What Barry has been telling you is a lie."

"A…a lie?" Wally's heart sank as he looked at the man he'd been making friends with. The hurt and confused expression he showed Barry made the young man seep with guilt. Afterall, he didn't want to hurt Wally's feelings. In hindsight his joke probably did extend a bit too long, but with the fun the two of them were having it was easily overlooked at the time.

"I…" Barry whispered. "I don't really watch the show Wally, I'm sorry. It was just a joke. I mean you did like my stories though, didn't you?" The younger boy, with glistening eyes that were threatening to water-over, stared at the man accusingly.

"You did lie! That's mean! You tricked me!" The hurt on the child's face slapped Barry with a canon of remorse. While his intentions were good, he supposed he could have proceeded a bit differently.

"I...I know I did." Barry squeaked. "I really am sorry Wally, won't you please forgive me?" Wally looked away from him and instead focused on the floor.

"No. You can't be with Auntie Iris either." Wally said grudgingly.

Iris, who had been silently studying the scene for some time now, decided to make an appearance. Giving a half sneer towards her brother that reeked with, "how could you say something like that?", she proceeded to a crouched down Wally and a crestfallen Barry.

"Wally," she began, voice soft and kind. "I know what Barry said was a lie, but theres something you have to know about him." Seating down between the two, she continued. "Barry is a very nice person, he was just nervous about meeting you today, that's all. He told those stories to entertain you, you thought they were pretty fun right?"

Looking up at his aunt, Wally shrugged his shoulders in response. He did think the stories were fun and entertaining, but at the same time this man tricked him! Made him seem silly in front of his Dad, which had angered Wally greatly.

Noticing his unrelenting posture, Iris skillfully opened her purse that she had with her and motioned Barry to come over. He obeyed, walking ever slightly towards the woman who placed a small and wrapped object in his hand.

"Wally," she chirped, moving back over to the small boy she excitingly smiled at him. "You know, Barry was really looking forward to meeting you. So much so that he wanted to give you a little gift, right love?"

Dumbly looking at his hand, Barry noticed the small package that Iris must have wrapped beforehand. Thankful of having a peace offering to the boy, Barry nodded. "Of course, though you should know Iris had a lot of input into this too. I hope you like it." As he watched the child accept the present with ease, he felt Rudy's hard eyes on him. It didn't occur to Barry at the time that Rudy might have gotten a bit jealous of the attention Wally was giving to the newcomer, but now as he felt the hard eyes pierce into his back it had become evident.

Barry chanced a glance at the man but Rudy had no ill expression that showed his obvious disturbance. The father casted a smile over at Wally who was hurryingly opening up his unknown gift that showed obvious love, making Barry think his suspicions were wrong.

"Oh…what is it?"

Turning his focus back at the opened package Barry felt his voice get caught in his throat.

"Why it's the Flash of course!" Iris beamed. "I have some connections that said these action figures will soon be hitting the shelves of stores across the nation. A friend of mine gave it to me to write a story on it, and Barry thought it might be fun to give it to you." Giving Barry a wink, Iris urged him forward.

"Right…" Barry mumbled. Noticing the child had no inkling on who the Flash was, he explained, "Well, the Flash is a superhero in our city. He runs really fast and catches bad guys. You know how Gotham has Batman? It's kinda like that."

"Oh." Wally said, staring at the figurine. "What makes him run real fast?"

"We don't know," Iris contributed. "He might have super charged shoes for all we know. I've met him a few times and he seems like a nice guy. He has an obvious sense of justice that has really infiltrated our city. Ever since he's appeared I've been doing a lot more reports on community service acts than homicides. It's been a nice change."

As Wally continued to study the figure his mouth started to form a small smile. This first piece of Flash memorabilia would unknowingly cause an obsession to spur in the boy for years to come. He would grow to love what the Flash stood for and the justice he would instill in the community, something that Wally's personal home would later sometimes lack. As the years rolled by, Wally would look upon his role model with praise and admiration, knowing someday he too would become strong enough to fight his own villains that had constantly haunted him.

The four year old looked up at the person who gave him the gift and let out a bigger grin. "Thank you Barry!" he yelped while jumping up and giving the blonde a hug. The surprise embrace knocked Barry slightly backward as he whispered a thank you to his savior, Iris. Patting the boy's back, Barry knelt down and spoke.

"I'm really glad you like him Wally, I really do. You know though, I really am sorry that I deceived you like that. Do you forgive me?"

Wally remained silent for a second or two before smiling, "Yeah I guess so. You can even date Auntie Iris."

A toothy grin showed, "Aww, thank you kid. Maybe I'll even give you another present every once in a while."

"Yay!" Wally yipped, "And I'm gonna trick you next time!"

"You are eh? Well good luck with that, it's gonna be hard to trick the master trickster."

"Nu-uh. You're goin' down!"

The rest of the visit was a lot of fun for Barry. The meal was delicious, Wally was hilarious and adorable, and the West's seemed to be a loving and attentive family. It was only before dinner that Rudy seemed a bit aloof at Barry's presence while he was with Wally, but overall it was unnoticeable. They seemed to be what an ideal family looked like, and not remembering much about his own anymore, Barry clamped on at the vision. As the years passed, the outlook of the family never changed and he always saw them as when he first met them during Thanksgiving.

As the memory faded, the present situation took over. Barry continued to hold Wally in his arms, secure and unrelenting, protecting him from whatever future endeavors they will have to go through to right this situation.

Leaning slightly so Barry could become eye level with Wally, he gently rested his hand under the boys chin and lifted it up so they could hold the boys gaze.

"Wally," Barry licked at his dry lips, "I swear he will never hurt you again, I will not allow it. I'm not exactly sure how yet…" he trailed off, "but mark my words we will set this right."

The strength that flowed through Barry's determination and protection latched onto Wally with full force. He no longer felt threatened and small, but rather glad that the torch of responsibility was passed along so he didn't have to directly deal with it anymore. There were still details Uncle Barry needed to know, but at the moment Wally felt relief flood through him. There were no more angry thoughts of Barry acting disappointed or threatening to take Kid Flash away because of how weak Wally was for not being able to deal with his father, which left him in a state of peace. He now had someone on his side, and together they were going to fix his life for the better.

I know this chapter was mostly flashback, but I thought it was important to show more of Rudy before he became abusive and his relationship with Barry. I hope to post the next chapter soon, but I don't want to promise an exact time because my track record isn't exactly great haha. Please review/comment/critique, I want to improve both my writing and story delivery so you all can get as much out of it as possible. Thank you all again for the continued support, it really means a lot to me.