Actions

Work Header

The One The Left Behind

Chapter 3

Notes:

Here's a little something sweet wrapped in a whole lot of mystery ❤️😍

HAVE FUN!

XOXO 😙😍💙

Chapter Text


[Flashback]

The steady thump, thump, thump of his heart seems to echo in the background of the inexplicably irritating ring in his ears. In the distance a single beat of thunder booms, announcing the storm that nears. Officer Joseph West closes and opens his eyes, shutting them tight then opening wide, in an attempt to expel the dizziness from his mind. With his coherence, somewhat intact, he feels the unmistakeable drip of liquid from the side of his head and without swabbing at it he can already tell its blood. Through the haze in his mind he tries to look around to get a sense of where he might be.

There’s smoke everywhere.

The potent smell of gasoline.

His windscreen is cracked and bloody (probably the reason why his head hurts so much) and the airbag from his steering wheel is puffed out in front of him.

Another rumble of thunder, this one much louder. The storm is near.
Joe closes and opens his eyes again, trying to push down a sudden wave of nausea. He might have a concussion. With much effort he gets his airbag out of the way and undoes his seat belt. He steps out of the car with wobbling legs, holding onto the sides of the damaged vehicle for support. His attention falls onto the car on its side across the road and his sense of duty as an officer kicks in.

Disregarding his own injured state, Joe tries to run to the vehicle to offer his assistance. He barely manages to make it half way before his vision blurs out and the world starts spinning around him.

His legs give in and he falls in the middle of the road just as the first drops of rain hit the tar. Joe tries to master up the strength to drag himself away but even that seems like an impossible feat. The nausea returns with a kick and his eyes seem to grow heavy. The sound of a distant blaring horn causes him to turn his head in the direction of on-coming traffic where he’s blinded by speeding headlights. The lights grow brighter and, helpless to do anything else, Joe utters a single word in prayer:

“Please.”

The subsequent event’s become an amalgamation of senseless pictures. He feels himself elevated to his feet, almost as if his body had been possessed. The lights reach him, surrounding him in a flood of brightness, before he feels himself soaring through the air. Was he hit? Is he dreaming? Is he dead?

He can’t tell for sure.

He hears footsteps coming towards him and just before he loses consciousness there’s one thing that stands out in his surroundings…
An overwhelming perfume. It smells like purity. Like life. Like his salvation.

Like irises.

[Present day]

Knock-knock

Crash!

“Iris!”

Joe’s holler sends his heart racing and without meaning too, Barry runs past the worried father in the general direction of the sound, leaving Joe behind to close the door he’d just rushed in from.

“Iris, are you alright?” he asks breathless as he reaches the pantry and finds her on the floor with a pained expression on her face. Her hand covering her ankle.

“Yeah, I think I might have twisted something,” she says. Without hesitating, he tiptoes his way around the shards of broken glass to where she sits, perched against a step ladder, and kneels before her.

“Here, let me help.” He offers, sliding his arm under her knees. Her eyes widen.

“What? Barry no, I’m alright really. I can walk, I might just need a little support.” She protests.

“Come on Iris, don’t be stubborn. Now, hold tight,” he says and before she can try to fight him, he stands, lifting her up in the process. Left without a choice, Iris wraps her arm around his neck and the adrenaline still pumping through his veins is enough help him ignore the moment his heart skips a beat.

“Ready?” he asks, speaking despite his dry mouth.  She nods and looks up at him with a grateful yet bashful smile.

Just remember to breathe Barry. Keep breathing.

He thinks to himself as he carries her out of the disaster zone. His entire body feels warm suddenly. Outside a harsh wind blows, taking with it the evidence of last night’s snow fall, yet despite the drop in temperature his entire body seems blanketed by a comfortable warmth. He knows that feeling all too well. It’s something uniquely hers. Something he only feels when he’s around her. When she holds him close. When she smiles at him across the room. Which is why when the cold gets too much to handle or when that hole in his heart becomes a little too pronounced, he finds refuge in her company.

“I’m sorry,” she says but Barry doesn’t get to ask her why because Joe’s worried question interrupts their, somewhat, intimate dialogue.

“Iris, are you ok?” He asks and she nods.

“Yeah I’m-”

“We should take her to the hospital.”  Barry interjects and she looks at him helplessly.

“Barry, come on, you’re over-“

“Just to check if nothings broken. Please? I’m sure we’ll all feel much better being certain that it’s just a mild sprain.” He pleads and she can see the worry shining through his deep, beautiful pair of greens.

“Fine.” She gives in, “But if I get crutches the first thing I’m doing is hitting you with them,” she adds.

“Me? Why?” Barry asks, already walking her out the door with Joe laughing and shaking his head behind him. The little banter that’s about to ensue between the two, acts as a calming agent for his fatherly heart. If she’s teasing Barry, she’s fine.

“For interrupting my sentences. You know I hate that.” She squints her eye’s playfully at him and he tries to hide away his smile.

***
“How is it that you always show up just as I get into trouble?” She asks as she hobbles into the house, on crutches that, despite her threats, she didn’t use against him.

“The question is: why are you always in trouble when I show up?” Barry answers as he walks in slowly behind her and locks the door. Joe was called into the station as Iris got her leg bandaged, so Barry (being the “good boy” that he is, with no ulterior motives what so ever), offered to escort her back home. It was just a sprain so a little rest and care would have her back on her feet in no time and Barry was going to ensure she got it all, even if he had to endure her whining and protesting about it.

“Hmm, good point. I think it’s a bad omen. We can’t be around each other.” she says with a straight face and Barry feels his heart drop to his feet. A small smile plays on her lips before she nudges him and says,

“Breathe Allen, I was kidding.”
Barry lets out an awkward chuckle followed by a disoriented:

“Yeah, I- I knew that.”
Iris chuckles and shakes her head as she hops her way over to the couch. Barry hurries ahead of her to prep the seat for her. He places a cushion on the coffee table for her to rest her foot and one against the back of the couch to support her back then helps her sit down.

“Can I get you anything? A snack, or something to drink perhaps?” He asks once she’s settled down.

“No thank you, I’m alright Bear and really, you don’t have to wait on me. I’ll be fine.”

“Cup a cocoa it is. I’ll be right back.” He answers before leaving the room in a hurry. He hides behind a wall for a second, waiting to see if she follows but to his relief the sound of the TV going on assures him that she’ll be staying put. In the kitchen, Barry puts the kettle on and pours some milk into a pot to warm it up. With his back to the door, he senses her presence the minute she walks into the room. Holding his breath, Barry waits for her to make a move by pretending to be overly interested in a sachet of instant hot chocolate. Her arms wrap around him from behind and he prays that she can’t hear his heart beat quicken through his back where she’s rested her cheek.

“Is everything ok,” he manages to ask and feels her nod on his back.

“I’m sorry,” she says again and this time he gets to pry her about it though he’s pretty sure he already knows the answer to it. 

“Sorry for what?”

“For putting you through so much trouble. I promise I don’t do it on purpose.”

“Iris,” he says sweetly while turning around in her arms. With his hands gently braced on her shoulders, he continues.

“I’ve told you this before and I’ll say it again. You don’t have to apologise. I love you and caring for you is how I show it.”

She smiles teary eyed and says those three words that he loves to hear but shatter him every time.

“I love you too Bear, thank you. I know I said it as a joke earlier but you really are always there when I need you and I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.”

There seems to be a note of longing in her declaration but Barry brushes it off as a figment of his imagination. His mind, or his heart rather, tends to see things every time she tells him that she loves him. A side effect of his lack of courage to tell her that his love runs deeper than friendship, dooming him to the curse of having to hear her confess but never in the way he truly needs it. Still, he’ll take her love in whatever form he can get it.

“They say that how you meet a person defines your relationship with them, guess I did it to myself saving you from those horrible monkey bars.” He teases.

“I was short ok…”

“Was?” he laughs down at her and she slaps his chest playfully.

“…and the ground seemed way too far away for my little heart’s liking.” She justifies, recalling the afternoon they met…

She was at the park and when her father stepped away to get her a hot dog, Iris decided to be a little adventuress and climb the monkey bars. She hated heights and had avoided the playground toy for as long as she could, yet for some reason, that bright afternoon, she talked herself into it and was determined to concur the beast. Her courage was loyal to her till she reached the midpoint. That’s when she made the horrible mistake of looking down. Fear paralysed her to the spot and before she could stop herself, a stream of tears rushed down her face.

“Daddy!” she yelled. “Daddy, I’m scared!”

Something wrapped around her ankles and Iris looked down to see a blurry pair of little green eyes looking up at her worriedly.

“It’s ok, I’ve got you. You can let go.” He said and she sniffled and blinked in disbelief.

“Are-are you sure?”

“Mm-hmm” he nodded. “Let go, I’ll catch you.”

Iris called upon her courage one last time and closed her eyes before letting go. They both fell to the ground but Barry cushioned her fall, dislocating his shoulder in the process. She got off of him and he rose to a sitting position, his good hand flying to support his injured arm. Iris could see the pain in his teary eyes, yet somehow he rose beyond childish immaturity and didn’t let it show. Instead he asked if she was ok and she nodded.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled with a grimace.

“I’m sorry.” she sniffled, wiping away her tears.

“It’s ok, it only hurts a li-” Barry stopped himself short but by then it was too late, he’d already made his confession.

“Did you make a new friend baby girl?” her father asked as he made his way to her with two hot dogs in his hands.

“Daddy, my friend’s hurt. Can you help him?”

Joe’s face immediately changed and he kneeled to Barry’s level to ask,

“What’s your name son?”
“B-Barry.”

“Alright Barry, does your arm hurt?” Barry nodded slowly, afraid to move any more of his body.

“Ok. I’m Joe and I’m a cop, I’m going to help you ok? Are your parents here?”

“No.”

“You’re here alone?”

Barry nodded again.

“Liza left me here and said to stay put.”

“Is Liza your baby sitter?” Joe asked and Barry nodded yet again.

“Ok, well look around for me Barry, do you see Liza anywhere?” Barry did as he was told then turned back to Joe and shook his head, ‘no’. Joe sighed out then recomposed himself and smiled up at Barry.

“Do you have anyone’s number? Someone I can call? Your mom or dad maybe?”

“I know my dad’s number off by heart.”

“Ok good, why don’t you give it to me and I’ll give him a call?”

Barry recited his father’s cell phone number, just as he and his dad had practised many times before and Joe placed the call. A young woman answered.

“Dr. Garrick’s phone, how may I help.”

“Hi. I’m Joe West I’m calling concerning Mr. Garrick’s son.”

“Barry?”

“Yes. He’s a new friend of my daughter’s and seems to have gotten hurt here at the park. His baby sitter isn’t around so if you could ask Mr Garrick to meet me at the hospital I would appreciate it.”

“That won’t be a problem, Dr Garrick is currently in surgery at CCH if you could bring Barry down I’m sure the doctor would thank you for it.”

At that Joe was flooded with a wave of relief.

“Alright, thank you Ms...”

“McGee. Just ask for Nurse Tina when you get here.”

“Alright, I’ll see you soon then Nurse Tina. Thank you.” 

A flash of recognition lit the boy’s eyes at the sound of her name and gave Joe a bit of reassurance that she can be trusted.

“All right champ, I’m gonna take you to the hospital so that you can get that arm checked out and see your dad ok?” Joe asked and Barry nodded.

“Thank you mister.” He said weakly while trying to smile.

“Alright, let’s get you up. Iris, you take these so daddy can give Barry a hand ok?” Iris took the hot dogs from her father’s hands, with plans to share them with her new friend later as an ‘I’m sorry’ for getting him hurt. Barry winced in pain despite the support Joe offered but quickly tried to hide it away, looking over at Iris to see if she noticed. Joe held back a chuckle at the sight, the little man seemed to have developed a crush on his baby girl.

“Ok let’s go, stay close you too and Iris watch out for Barry’s arm.”

And the rest is history.

“What are you thinking about?” Barry asks, bringing her back from her trip down memory lane.

“Oh nothing much just... I think you’re right.”

“So you agree that you’re always getting into trouble?”

“No!” she hits him playfully again.

“I agree that you came into my life to save me. You’re like… my guardian angel.” She clarifies and Barry’s cheeks tint.

“Yeah,” he chuckles to hide his embarrassment even though the description fills his chest with a warmth that makes him think she might be right. He wasn’t planning on coming to see her, he was just going for a walk and somehow found himself in front of her house.

It’s no secret that he’s drawn to her. Part of him has been ever since the first time they met but the pull seems to become harder to ignore with every year that goes by with her in his life. It might seem crazy but sometimes he thinks their connected somehow. He just can’t quite put his finger on how.

Yet…