146

Barry and I rushed into the cortex when the alarm started blaring loudly, catching us both completely off guard.

"It's a system-wide power surge." Barry types on the keyboard, pulling up the system diagnostic, the Time Vault glowing red.

"It's coming from the Time Vault." I stared at the screen, "We just left the Time Vault."

Then, all the lights when out, everything powering down.

"What's going on?" I did a 360, looking around, "Are we under attack?"

"I don't know." Barry grabbed me, "Whatever's going on started the moment we left."

He ran us into the Time Vault, where Nora's video was glitching, "I wasn't perfect. Please remember that I love you both and I always will. And I always will- and I always will, always, always-"

Electricity crackled as the video cut out, the plinth fried and smoking, a gasp leaving my lips, as I took a step closer, "No!-"

Barry grabbed me, pulling me into him, shielding me away from the sparks until they died down.

Barry slowly stood up straight and walked over to where the plinth rested, reaching to pull it out.

"Careful-" I quickly said, as he grabs it, hissing at the burning, pulling it out, as it rested in his palm, "Her message- Nora's message-"

"I know- I know." Barry wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into his side as if he could sense the tears coming, as we both stared at the destroyed plinth.

-

"This is nice, Dad." Iris smiled, fixing the fedora on her head, "We should do this way more often."

"Agreed." Joe agreed, handing me tongs as I helped him flip the patties on the grill, "Hey, before I forget, congratulations on The Citizen."

We were all having a barbecue in the backyard of the West Household, as I was dressed in a yellow spaghetti strap dress, as it was also tied in the back, my hair in loose curls, ending right at the end of my chest, as my aviator sunglasses on my head.

"Yeah, congratulations." I nudged her lightly, "We're all really proud of you."

"Yeah, well, you know, there's millions of people in Central City and I've only got a couple hundred thousand subscribers." Iris shrugs lightly, "You know, I'm no CCPN."

"Well, not yet, but in about ten years it'll be a Pulitzer Prize-winning empire." Joe smiles at his daughter, as I handed her the tongs I held.

Iris flips a patty, "Baby steps, Dad."

"Mm, damn, this is good." Barry sipped the drink he picked up, walking with Caitlin towards us.

Caitlin looks at him, "You know you can't get drunk."

"I don't even care, that's how good this is." Barry shot back, taking another sip as I walked over to them.

Barry's eyes rake up and down my body, pulling his lips away from the glass, quickly swallowing the liquid in his mouth, "Wow- wow, are you wearing a dress?"

"Oh, God-" I place my hands on my hips, holding back a small smile, "Yes, yes I am-"

Caitlin smiles at us, before leaving us alone, walking over to Iris and Joe.

"I can't believe you're wearing a dress." Barry was acting like this was the first time he had ever seen me in a dress, "Who made you?"

"Neither can I." I gently laughed, then a pout fell onto my lips, "Iris."

"Oh, thank God she made you-" Barry wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into him, "Because, you look stunning."

"Barry- stop, it's just a dress." I embarrassingly hid my face behind my hands, letting him hold me against him.

"I'm not missing out on any chance of making my beautiful wife feel good about herself." Barry's words still made me blush as I only revealed my eyes to him.

He purposefully holds his drink with his teeth, making me gasp, hands pulling away from my face and positioning themselves under the glass so it wouldn't fall onto the ground.

Then, I realize what meant to do by doing that.

He knew I was reach for the glass and I would no longer be hiding my face from him.

I purse my lips, as he lets go of the drink, as I held it in my hands, handing it back to him, holding back my smile.

"You've been wearing yellow a lot more often lately." Barry puts a strand of my hair behind my ear, "I love it."

I lean up and press my lips into his for a few seconds, sharing a kiss with him.

The second I pull away, I point to his drink, "Is that strong?"

"Not to me, no- but try it." Barry puts the top of the glass to my lips and tilts it back, as I let the alcoholic beverage slip into my mouth, "It tastes great."

I took the sip, pulling my face away so he stops, nodding my head as I swallowed it, "Not strong-"

"Never fear, the party's here!" Cisco walks down the steps, arriving with Kamilla, imitating an air horn, holding hotdogs and bread in his hands.

Kamilla held up the dish she was holding, "We brought my famous ambrosia salad and veggie dogs for Ralph."

Barry looks at them, "Guys, Ralph's still in Peru."

"He's in Peru?" I looked at my husband, "I thought he was in Monaco."

"Or Texas?" Caitlin trials off, none of us knowing where he was at this point.

"All that for a missing person's case?" Iris speaks, looking between us all, "That's dedication."

"Guys, guys, what are we doing?" Cecile joined us, holding a platter that held two dishes on it, "Baby Jenna is napping like a little angel and I have creamed corn, I have candied yams, I have collard greens. ."

This earned a laugh from all of us, as we all joined around the table, seating in our seats, filling our plates and sharing laughs, conversation and happiness.

It felt good to be with everyone. It felt good to not think about everything that had happened and was going on.

Barry dusts his hands off, "How's the MAC coming?"

Kamilla sits up, "There's mac and cheese too?"

"Oh, I wish." I lean my head against Barry's arm, as this earns a laugh from all of us.

"No, the Mental Augmentation Chamber." Caitlin told her when the laughter died down, "Basically, it allows us to tap into the Speed Force to boost Barry's cognitive abilities. It would allow him to see every possible outcome to a scenario at the same time."

Kamilla slowly nods, "So, speed-thinking."

"Which means we'll be able to catch all the bad guys faster." Barry softly smiles, nodding.

Cecile takes a sip of her drink, "With all the ones that you brought in this summer, Barry, the DA's office can barely keep up with you."

"Hey, since the MAC's done, we should take it for a test run." Barry suggests, but Cisco shook his head.