•Rose's Pov•

Ever just hated the sound of Christmas music?

I know I'm being a grinch but you would be one too if you haven't spoken to your sister in the last three months.

I mean sure we speak when dad is around but when he's not there, man Iris can give a mean cold shoulder.

So here I was in the kitchen helping her, correction trying to help her make Grandma Esther's eggnog.

"Bourbon." My sister says in a harsh tone.

I go to hand it to her but she snatched it out of my hand.

"You're welcome." I take a deep breath and she pours the bourbon in the mix.

"Mugs."

"Iris, please talk to me." I say as I hand her the mugs.

"What is there to talk about with you Rose? Let's just get through this holiday and get on with our lives."

Can she really stay mad at me forever?

She leaves the room with two mugs and I stare into the eggnog liquid.

I twirl my finger around it and the eggnog slowly spins in the pitcher.

"Nice talk sis..."

I hear the kitchen door open so I stop and find Barry coming in.

"Are you okay?"

"Peachy." I cringe as I hear jingle bells and I raise my hand at the radio and it shuts off.

Barry gives me a raised brow look.

"Sorry, it's just I don't want to hear about someone's balls jingling...wait that came out wrong."

Barry chuckles and walks over to me.

"I understand Christmas songs have been playing since November." He places his mug down and stands beside me.

"Well it's not just that. I mean Iris is still not talking to me which is driving me crazy. There's so many things I want to talk to her about."

"Like what?"

Like how much more in love with you I have gotten.

I shrug.

"You know, girl stuff."

"I hope you two will start talking again."

"Yeah..."

"So, I got you something that should cheer you up." I see him place a long box on the table.

"Funny, I don't think a strawberry milk machine is going to fit in that little box Barry."

"Just open it. It's an early Christmas gift." I sigh and rip the paper off of the box.

I don't know what I was expecting, but a locket with a rose and wings attached was defiantly a surprise to me.

"Barry, oh my god I love it." I hug him and he wraps his arms around me which makes my heart flutter just like a pair of butter fly wings.

"Here let me help you put it on." We let go and I turn my back to him as he helps me with the locket.

Once he's clasps it, the pendant hits my chest.

"This is so perfect. Oh I got you something too, wait right here." I spring off into the living room and notice my dad and Iris weren't there.

Hm I wonder where they went?

Does it matter, you and him are alone...

With beds upstairs...

Make your Christmas miracle come true, Rose...

"Shut up..." I grab the present wrapped decently in bacon gift wrap and bring it to the kitchen for Barry.

"Okay, so I know this is probably the lamest gift I could get you-"

"Rose, it's from you I'm sure I'll like it." I hand him the gift and he shakes it.

"I wonder what it could be?" He says with a smile.

He rips it open and I see his eyes light up.

"Rose, you got me the first edition of Einstein's theory! This is perfect."

He hugs me and I can't help but burry my face into his chest.

Make a move Rose....

You know you want to...

Right on the kitchen counter...

My inner voice giggles and I let Barry go, internally glaring at her.

Barry's phone rings and he answers it.

"...Yeah, I'll be right there..." He hangs up and looks at me.

Gosh, Allen don't stare at me like that or I'll actually listen to my inner thoughts and jump your bones.

"As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day with you I have to go to the office for a little bit. But I'll be back soon okay?"

"Okay." He kisses my cheek and smiles.

"I'll see if I can talk to Iris for you."

"Thanks Barry." He walks out with his gift and I look after him.

"Love you..." I whisper to myself.

I walk into the empty living room and think.

"Here's another Christmas without you mom." I think about when I was little and mom was alive...

She use to always let me put the star on the tree after it was all finished.

"Be careful Rosebud."

"I will mommy." I would sit up on my dads shoulders and put the star right on top of the tree.

I wipe my tears as the memories begin to fade.

"Time to play Santa." I grab the presents I have for everyone back at S.T.A.R. Labs and pour some of the eggnog into a thermal.

I stand on my roof and take off flying.

This is going to be the best Christmas ever.

I just know it...

"Merry Christmas. Just a few gifts for all of you helping Barry and me." I pass everyone a gift.

"I think I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say you and Mr. Allen have been the best gifts for us by far." Dr. Wells says with a smile.

"What's that?" Caitlyn asks as I take the thermal out of my bag.

"This is complements from my sister, with a dash from yours truly. Grandma Esther's famous eggnog."

"That's what I'm talking about." Cisco says as he goes to grab a few mugs.

"Maybe later for me, wouldn't want to drink and drive." Dr. Wells says as he wheels away with a sad expression on his face.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked in a whisper to Caitlyn.

"No."

"No, this used to be Dr. Wells favorite time of the year, but the accident happened before Christmas, so... kind of ruin the holidays." Cisco explain.

"I'm going to get him a present. Maybe that'll cheer him up. Again thank you very much for the gifts Rose."

"No problem."

I decided to keep spreading the Christmas cheer and go to Jitters where I know my sister will be.

As I open the door and walk in I see Iris and Eddie talking at a table. I walk on over, then stop, and prep talk myself.

"Okay Rose you got this just give Iris the gift. Say Merry Christmas. And leave."

I rolled my shoulders back, stand tall and walk over to my sisters table.

"Hey Eddie." I give him a smile and he gives me one back.

"Hey Rose. Haven't seen you around much."

"Well, Barry keeps me busy in the lab. Oh I wanted to give you this." I open my bag and hand Eddie a little gift bag.

"Thank you Rose. I'll open it when I get home."

"Sure thing. Iris this is for you." I pass a small box over to her and she just looks at it.

"Thanks." She says as she drinks her coffee.

"Well aren't you going to open it?" I ask trying to keep myself together.

"Later. Eddie I need to get back to work. See you later at the house?"

I feel myself about to cry but I take a deep breath and smile at her.

"Iris-"

"No, Eddie. Don't be mad at my sister. But I hope she will forgive me. Oh and spoiler alert, your gift represents mom. Love you." I give her a lame hug and wave bye to Eddie then leave.

I turn in enough time to see my sister open the box and her eyes light up for a second.

It took me forever to find a place that would replicate moms ring.

I know it won't replace the one mom gave her but I hope that it will serve some purpose for us.

I was eating a double bacon cheeseburger at Big Belly Burgers when Barry called me.

"He's back..." Barry said in a cold tone.

I swallow my food before talking.

"Who's back?"

"The man and yellow, the one who killed my mom..."

Suddenly the food in front of me was no longer appetizing.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"At a crime scene with Joe. A witness just told me that he saw a yellow blur that killed two of the guards and came up to the glass door that he was behind. He said it looks like the blur was looking for something. Rose, the man in yellow is back and I'm ready for him."

"Wait, Barry. You need to think this through. You can't just go and start kicking ass without asking questions. Like why now? Why is the man in yellow back now?"

"No, I've had plenty of time. About 14 years of time to think about this man. The moment I see him is the moment I get my answers." The line goes dead and I gather my things.

I run out of the restaurant and I bump into Travis.

Why does he always pop up out of nowhere?

"He-"

"Sorry, I have family emergency. Merry Christmas!" I yell as I take off down the street where no one can see me as I take off in the sky.

I dial Caitlyn's number and she answers on the second ring.

"Ro-"

"Caitlyn, sorry but please tell me where Barry is."

"How can I-"

I interrupt her again.

"Track his phone. I don't want to sound like a panic manic but I just want to make sure he isn't doing anything stupid."

"Okay, okay. Give me a minute."

That was the longest wait in my life.

"Okay he's..here. With Joe."

"Okay, I won't come but I do want you to keep me posted." We hang up and I take a few deep breaths as my body calms back down.

I land in an empty field and hold myself.

"He can't just go off and face the man in yellow. Not without me." I feel a sudden burst of air and I go flying back hitting my shoulder on the cold ground.

I land with a hard thwack and look up to see him.

The man in yellow.

How did he?

"Hello Rose."

•Barry's Pov•

Dr. Wells wheels into the room fifteen minutes later as Joe explains everything that happened at the crime scene.

"...Then we need to get cracking and stop this speeding psycho. That, I wasn't trying to give him a name." Cisco says as he eats a candy cane.

I had barely listened all because I kept thinking about him.

But the little voice in my head was repeating what Rose said to me earlier.

Why would the man in yellow come back after all of this time?

I catch the bud of the conversation and learn that one of Dr. Wells old colleagues named Christina McGee was working on some superluminal particles called Tachyons.

"Are you sure that this man in yellow is wants to get his hands on that, what is it?"

"Tachyons, and yes. I'm sure. Why else would he break into a high security building and kill two guards? If he were to get his hands on that then he would be unstoppable."

"Then we need to go to Mercury and see if she will let us use the Tachyons to trap this guy." I say as I stand up.

"Already ahead of you." Joe grabs his coat and I get the directions from Caitlyn. Before I leave with Joe she pulls me aside.

"Barry, Rose is worried."

"She doesn't need to worry about me. I'll be fine." I go to leave but Caitlyn grabs my arm.

"Barry, she was freaking out on the phone. Please don't do anything stupid." I move her hand and leave.

I won't do anything stupid, but I will get justice for my parents....

•Roses' Pov•

I can't move.

Dad?

Iris?

"...Barry?"

I cough up blood and feel myself about to black out again.

His last words before leaving, was that I wasn't strong enough yet.

What does that even mean?

Rose open your eyes...

I'm so sleepy.

I know, but you need to open your eyes...

Mom?

Rose, get up!

No, my mom is calling me, I need to go to her.

What about Barry?

Barry could get hurt just like you. Do you want that? Do you want Barry to die?

...No...

Then get up!

I open my heavy eyes and sit up slowly.

I can feel my ribs starting to heal but breathing hurts.

God my hospital bill is going to cost a fortune.

I dial 911 and try my best to give directions...

I wake up feeling warm.

I feel a hand on mine.

"Wake up..."

Iris?

My eyes flutter open and I see my sister, Barry and my dad.

God I'm so tired being the one in the hospital, can't it be one of them for a change?

Wait that didn't come out right.

"Uh." I groan and everyone looks at me.

"Who did this?" My dad says before anyone else could speak.

"I don't know." I look down at the hospital blanket

"Rose don't lie to me. The EMT said they found you in an abandoned field. Now tell me who did this."

"I said I don't know."

"Vincent!" I jump as he shouts at me.

"Dad, lets go get you something to drink."

"No, I want to know who's the punk responsible for doing this to your sister. Now tell me little girl or-"

I feel a cool chill to the corner of my eye.

"Or what? You'll ground me? You'll lock me away and throw away the key? I said I don't know, I got jumped. Now go and do something else other than bother me with questions I don't know the answers to."

I crack my spine and let go of my sisters hand.

My dads phone goes off and he glares at me as he picks up his phone.

"West." He answers before leaving.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Iris says with a small smile.

Liar...

She wants you gone.

She hates you.

Break her spine...

I press my fingertips to my temple.

"Iris could you get me some ice please."

"Sure thing. I'll be right back." She leaves the room and Barry stands beside me.

"You know the hospital is going to start charging you rent." He says with a smirk.

"He did this to me, Barry."

"Who?"

The strange whispers shush and I look at Barry.

"The man in yellow, paid me a visit." Barry's whole cool facade disappeared after he heard that.

"He did this to you? You went after him?"

"I didn't go after him. I don't even know how he found me."

"Rose, why didn't you call me?"

"Awe gee, Bar. How was I suppose to do that while he literally broke every bone in my body?" He winces hearing that.

"Look I'll heal. It's no big deal, I just want you to promise me you won't try to fight him by yourself."

He was silent.

"Barry, promise me."

Silence.

My heart monitor spikes up high and I grab him by his shirt feeling my eyes go cold.

"Promise me..." I say in a calm voice.

"I promise." He mutters. I let him go and a nurse came in the room.

"Are you alright?" She asks. "I'm fine. See?"

My heart monitor beeps back to normal again.

"Alright, don't even think about leaving. Your father has two police officers guarding your door."

I roll my eyes and then look at Barry.

"I mean it Barry."

"I got it."

I lay back down and watch the nurse check my chart.

I look back at Barry and I don't like the look in his eye.

If the look in his eye could kill...

It's been two days since the beat down and I still can't help but feel as if Barry is plotting his epic revenge party.

"So, I'm all healed up now."

"That's nice Rose..."

"I'm also thinking about shaving my head and becoming a monk."

"That's nice Rose..."

I sigh and grab him by the shoulder.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"No, yes. I don't know."

"Well which is it? Because this isn't my fault. I was worried about you and he ambushed me."

"So you're saying this is my fault somehow?"

"God, Barry. No. I'm saying this isn't anyone's fault. I just want both of us to be prepared if he shows up again. I've been practicing a lot at S.T.A.R. Labs."

Barry pulls me to the side away from everyone and prying ears.

"Do you see why I don't want you helping me? You got hurt. All because of me."

"I got hurt because I was ambushed. We can't predict the future. I know the risks and I'm taking them. Now what's up with trapping him?"

"What are you talking about?" He says as he looks away.

"The big plan to trap the man in yellow. I heard some of the guys talking about it in the break room."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Barry touches his nose and I narrow my eyes at him.

"You really wanna play it that way? Fine, don't tell me. As a matter of fact I hope the man in yellow beats the hell out of you too."

"Rose, I didn-" I snatch away from him.

"No, you just don't get it. People care about you, Barry. Me, my dad, Iris. Our friends. We care about you. I care so much it hurts me knowing that you'll go in blind to fight this guys after you saw what he did to your mom..what he did to me." Barry's face becomes somber.

"I know-"

"No you don't know, you're smart but you're an idiot when it comes to the people around you. Barry, I care about you a lot and if something ever happened to you, like you getting hurt or worse. I would lose my freaking mind."

Just tell him, Rose....

I open my mouth to say the words.

Really I do but what comes out is...

"Alright, bro?"

Did I just bro him?

Ugh mental slap in the head.

You wuss...

My inner thought hisses.

"Um, okay. Well I won't do anything. But if you need me I'll just be in the lab thinking..." Barry walks off and I watch him go.

"I'm sorry I'm not helping, Barry." I whisper after him...

•Barry's Pov•

I sit there in my office looking at the photos, news paper clippings and theories that all relate back to my mothers murder.

I just want to find this man and get some answers. But the way I saw how Rose was.

I want to beat him just as bad as he did to her.

I close my eyes thinking about that night my mom was murdered.

Everything was normal up until a loud thunder clap woke me up.

I had sat up in my bed and I saw the water from my fish tank just floating in mid-air.

I get out of bed and walk down stairs to find my mom in the middle of the floors and I see a flash of yellow and red.

"Mom! Mom!"

"Barry, stay back! Don't let it touch you!" My mother screamed. "Nora!" I hear my dad yell...

I snap out of the memory and rub my face.

I don't know if I can keep my promise to Rose.

He killed my mom and put my friend in the hospital.

I get up and decide to crack open the window to get some fresh air.

In the reflection I see Iris.

"Hey, what's up?" I say as I turn around.

"Nothing...something...everything. Can I vent to you how much I've been a crappy big sister to my little sister?"

"Go ahead." Iris walks in the room and stops looking at the board.

"Your mothers case...I didn't know you still looked at this."

"Yeah, thought I don't look at it as often as I should. But tell me about you." I say as I pull another board over my mothers.

"I've just, as you know Rose and I haven't talked in months for reasons I'll just have to explain later. But I guess I'm being selfish. She came to me multiple times asking for an apology and I just pushed her away. Ans you know what she did?"

I don't talk, I just let Iris go on.

"She gave me this..." She holds up a ring attached to a chain.

"Is that?"

"A replica of my mothers ring? Yeah, remember when I lost of on our fifth grade field trip?"

"Yeah, you were devastated and all Rose wanted to do was help. Remember when she made you a ring out of foil?"

She chuckles at the memory.

"Told tell her I told you, but I still have it tucked away in my room."

"I won't say anything if you won't."

Iris sighs and looks at me.

"What's that look for?"

"No reason, just wish Rose would just tell you already."

"Tell me what?" She just smiles at me and walks out of the lab without saying another word.

What is it that Rose has to say to me?

I feel a gust of wind and it blows my papers to the floor. I pick them up and place them on my desk.

Then something catches my eye outside of my window.

Him...

I run after him and we stop on a street corner.

"It was you. You were the one in my house that night. You killed my mother, you attacked my friend! Why?" I spent at him.

"If you want to know that, you're going to have to catch me."

He runs and I can hear Rose's voice in my head, but I can't let him get away it after what he did.

So I run after him all over Central City.

We end up at a stadium and face-off.

We both charge at each other and my fist goes up in the air.

But he's quicker and he drives his fist deep into my gut making me gasp for air.

"Not fast enough, flash." He says in his menacing disguised voice. We chase each other again all over the stadium, and just when I feel like I got him right where I want him he just smiles and runs farther away from me.

We get to the middle of the stadium again and I try to land a punch but he just moves quicker and kicks me right in the chest.

"You know, I did this to your friend, Rose as well. Only much harder to the point where I heard her bones give out."

"Gahhh!" I charge him but he moves across the field.

"Who are you!"

He was suddenly in my face grabbing the front of my shirt.

"You know who I am, Barry." He throws me across the field then grabs me again sending me flying into the bleachers.

"I don't know who you are!"

"But you do. You, Rose and I have been doing this for a long time. But I'm always one step ahead."

I get up but he slams be down holding the back of my neck.

"It is your destiny to lose, Flash. And it is hers to become a God in her own image. Remember this." I feel a kick to my face and feel my nose leak as he disappears.

No...

The next morning I was talking to Dr. Wells and Joe at S.T.A.R. Labs.

"He acted like he knew me, and The Avenging Angel. He kept taunting me."

"He was trying to get in your head, Barry." Dr. Wells comments.

"Yeah well every time I got close he would pull back. Like this was some sick game to him."

"We'll catch him."

"How? He's faster than me and he's faster than her, how are we going to catch someone who's faster than both of us?"

"The beautiful thing about force fields, Mr. Allen is there impervious to speed. Now, we're almost finished fabricating the trap, and all that remains is for Detective West to procure the bait."

"I'm in it." As Joe leaves I go to follow. "Barry why don't you stay here?"

"No, Joe. Today is not the day to tell me to stay behind."

I'm getting the Tachyon and Joe isn't going to stop me.

•Rose's Pov•

I was at S.T.A.R. Labs playing chest with Dr. Wells.

This game was a lot more challenging than I thought.

"Are you alright, Rose?"

"I'm fine I'm just concentrating. Why?"

"Because if you concentrate any harder you're going to make the desktop behind you break costing us a few grands."

I turn and sure enough the desktop was on the ceiling.

It floats back down and I give a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, I still don't know how to control that."

"But you're getting better. If this was two month ago you would've dropped it and we'd be out of a desktop." He moves a piece in the board.

I frown at his move.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Just make your knight commit suicide. Check." I take his piece and he nods.

"You see, Rose. I like the game of chess. Its calming and it helps you think. For example think of this chess game as life. You have your King, Knights, other Pawns and the most important piece, the Queen. Some people strategize the game just for their benefit but I do it in a way where the only piece standing is the Queen."

"Sounds like a cut throat game is you ask me."

He nods.

"It is but it gets good results. All because if I can make sure my Queen is okay I know she will conquer and take on the world."

I raise a brow at him.

"Okay, Dr. Wells..." I mentally move a piece and he smiles.

"Checkmate."

"That's not fair."

"No this is chess." He says in a matter of factly tone.

"Again." I take my pieces back and he wheels off.

"Later, I need to go finish up some more paperwork."

"Come on just one more." I call after him. But it's too late he leaves me alone and I stare at my pieces.

"His method makes sense even though it sounds creepy as hell."

I play a mental game against my inner thoughts which you'd think would be easy but this jerk beat me every single time.

"I give up."

You just suck at this Rose...

"If you were in front of me I'd push you down a flight of stairs and not think twice about saying sorry."

Oh that sounds like a sore loser talking...

I walk away from the table and my phone rings.

I look and see its Travis.

"Hey."

"So, what's up?"

He's trying to ask you something...

"Spit it out Travis."

He chuckles. "Okay, so do you want to hang out?"

"I don't know, Tra-"

"Are you going to make me beg?"

"I don't know hearing a guy big is a major turn on." I say with a smile.

"Please, Rose West. Will you go out with me?"

"Well which is it? Hang out or a date?"

"Rose, you're making me work for this huh?"

"Look, I promise to get back to you. I just need to sort something's out."

"Alright, but don't forget about this."

"I won't." We hang up and I feel a pang of guilt.

Almost like I'm cheating on Barry with Travis.

Guess who I find in my living room staring at the Christmas tree, an hour later?

"God if this is a joke I'm not laughing." I close the door and Barry looks over at me.

"Hey, hope you don't mind I went into your strawberry milk stash."

"I think I'm going to dip into it too. So what brings you here?"

"I just got back from seeing my dad. Also Joe and Dr. Wells kind of kicked me out of the trap the man in yellow plan."

"Oh so you know how that feels." I say as I grab a milk from the fridge.

I plop down next to him and raise my bottle.

"Cheers?"

"To what?" He asks.

"To being kicked out of the trapping party."

"Cheers." We clink our bottles and I take a long drink from mine.

"You know I always wondered why you loved strawberry milk so much."

I shrug. "Cause it reminds me of my mom. She use to always make me milk until I got sick and refused to drink it. I guess she wanted me to get some kind of calcium so she started mixing strawberry syrup in my milk. So when I drink this, I feel like my mom is still here..." We both sit quietly.

"I saw him."Barry blurts out.

"Barry..."

"And I went after him and before you get mad, yes he did kick my ass."

"Good..." I say chewing the lip of the bottle.

"Okay...not good."

"Rose, the next time I face him...I want you there so we can both take him down."

I look up and he was staring at the Christmas tree.

"Really?"

"Yeah, last night he told me that all three of us have done this for a long time. I figure that we can both get faster and that way we can both beat him."

"Sounds like the grand plan." I go t get up to throw my bottle away but my shirt gets caught under my knee so I slip and collide into Barry.

He catches me and for that split second we don't move.

"I'm sorry." I scramble off of him and accidentally knock down the tree.

Barry moves quick and catches it before it falls.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Oh your sister said something about you telling me something." I play it cool just so I don't give myself away.

"Did she? Oh, that's nice."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Rose tell me."

"Now isn't the right time."

"Honestly if anything can take my mind off of my bad luck then you'd be the one to do it, so tell me."

I take a deep breath.

"You're right, maybe telling you this will take your mind off of things. Can you sit down?"

"Sure."

I've practiced this time and time again, and now that I'm actually going to tell him I don't know how to begin.

"Are you okay, Rose?" He asked me with a concerned look on his face.

I open my mouth but the words are stuck in my throat, so I just kneel down and hug him.

"I love you, Barry."

He rubs my back. "Well I love you too, Rose." I know the love that he thinks that I'm talking about is the one between family but I can't keep on doing this to myself.

I need to put my cards on the table and just be one hundred percent honest with him.

I let him go and shake my head.

"When I first met you Barry, I felt something. Call me crazy to think that a six year old could fall in love with someone before they even knew what the word 'love' meant. But then you're mother died and the boy I had a crush on started living with us."

Barry looks away and I feel A small pain in my chest.

Please understand, Barry.

"There were so many times that I wanted to tell you. When your good for nothing dates stood you up at your Senior prom. When you went away to college, when you got back from college. Nights when we just sat on the porch talking about random stuff. every birthday, all the Christmases, but I--I never said anything until now. I just kept it to myself. I know this is poor timing on my part, but I can't keep living like this... living this lie anymore..."

He just sat there with a blank look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Barry."

I go to touch him but he gets up.

"Okay..." And with that he just left.

I didn't cry when I heard the door close behind him.

I didn't even cry ten minutes after he was gone.

But I'd be lying if o said I didn't shed a few tears as my eyes roamed over to the Christmas photo from last year.

Barry and I had wore matching ugly Christmas sweaters that Iris had made us wear.

We looked so happy, like a couple.

I move the picture face down and hear vibrating coming from my pocket.

I look and see a text from Caitlyn.

*S.O.S your dad needs help!*

I push my feeling to the side and take off running.

My wings rip through my skin and I embrace the shock of pain.

"I'm coming, dad. I'm coming.."

I hear the commotion and see the man in yellow holding my dad by the throat.

I see Eddie on the ground as well as Dr. Wells but in much worse shape.

I see a flash of red but I pay him no mind.

I just fly across the room and kick the man in yellow off of my father.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

He looks me in the eyes and I just knew behind my suit and mask, he knew it was me.

I hear a crash behind me and see that Barry as the man in yellow both took the fight outside.

"Stay here." I order him as I take off after them.

The man in yellow was kicking Barry across the parking lot and I can hear my inner voice yelling for me to help him.

Rose...

Barry needs us...

"No, he needs me..."

Suddenly all noise is hushed and I crack my spine.

I leap in the air and grab the man in yellow.

He hits me in the side but I don't feel it.

I don't feel anything.

"Is that all you got?" I grab him and throw him into a car.

"Finally you're showing your true potential, Angel. Or should I say God?"

I like the sound of that...

I raise my hand ready to finish him off but flames burst out of no where and I was yanked back.

Barry and I both look and see some homeless looking guy engulfed in flames looking right at Caitlyn.

The man in yellow glares at Barry and I.

"This isn't over...." He runs and vanished in a blink of an eye.

"Ronnie..."

"Don't look for me anymore." The homeless man says before flying off with his flames.

I look at Barry and suddenly the emotions all crash back and he lets me go.

I back away from him and take off flying.

I feel everything again and I really wish I couldn't anymore...

I hear voices down stairs as I pull the pillow over my head.

"Go away." I say as I hear a knock at my door.

"Rose its me." Iris opened my door and I get up, hugging her.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you? Hey look at me. Were you crying? What happened?"

"You sound like dad."

"Rose, talk to me."

I look at her and tell her everything.

"He just said okay and left?"

"Yup..."

"That jerk. I'm going to kick his ass."

"No you aren't."

"Watch me." She gets up to leave but I raise my hand and the door closes in her face.

"Rose did you?"

"You will not say anything to Barry because I want to pretend that this night ever happened. Got it?"

"Y..yeah."

I nod and stand up.

"Let's go out the star on the tree."

"Yeah about that..."

As we walk down the steps I see dad had invited Cisco, and Caitlyn. Eddie obviously was there with Iris and Barry was talking to him.

"It's still not too late, I can drag him out side and it would take weeks to find his body."

I smile at my sister.

"Love you."

"Love you more." She whispers back.

"Love you most..."

Man I've missed saying that to her.

I look around as I stand beside my dad.

"Hey dad, where's Dr. Wells?"

He turns and gives me a big hug.

"He couldn't make it and we need to talk later. But for now enjoy yourself."

"Okay..."

I let him go and turn as Barry stood there with his hands in his pockets.

Dad walks away leaving us and I speak up first.

"Merry Christmas and forget what I said."

"Rose you basically told me you loved me."

I pull him onto the stairs so we can have more privacy.

"I know and obviously you don't feel the same way so here's the thing, we forget this happened. You and I still fight crime and I won't come to the lab anymore."

"But I like when you come to the lab."

"Barry you can't have it both ways. Loo-" I take my phone out of my pocket and was about to press ignore but instead I answer it.

"I gotta take this." I walk up the steps and and take my first step from my unrequited love.

"Yes."

"Yes to?"

"Hanging out, going out. My answer is yes."

"Took you long enough." Travis says with a chuckle.

Fourteen years too long...

I roll my eyes and we just talk on the phone for a little while.

"Rose, hurry up!" Iris yells upstairs.

"Coming! Hey I gotta go."

"Pick you up tomorrow night for a movie? Around 7?"

"Can't wait." We hang up and I jog down the steps.

"Hey no running."

"Yes father." I say as I take the star out of the Christmas box.

I stand on my tippy toes to put the star up.

"Do I need to have Eddie grab your stool, Rosebud?"

"Shut up, Iris." Everyone laughs at our little bicker and dad turns the switch on the star.

It shines bright and I feel warm inside.

I turn around in enough time to catch Barry looking at me. He looks away and I look back at the shinning star on the Christmas tree.

I'll admit it, I still have feelings for Barry but hopefully in time I'll wake up one morning and those feelings will be gone....

•Dr. Wells' Pov•

Merry Christmas to me.

I have my tachyon prototype and Rose is getting stronger.

All that's missing now is for Barry to get more speed.

But I can wait.

I've waited fourteen years for this, what's a few more months.

"Checkmate..." I place the tachyon prototype onto my yellow suit and feel my one step become an entire leap forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HEY GUYS! I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR READING THIS BOOK, TO THINK ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO I CAME UP WITH THIS CRAZY IDEA AND PUBLISHED IT THE READS WERE CLIMBING AND NOW THIS BOOK IS AT 2.32k READS! I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS AND TODAY I SAY A FAN EDIT WITH BARRY AND ROSE WHICH WAS AWESOME AS HELL AND THAT MADE ME HAPPY ENOUGH TO UPDATE.

ENOUGH ABOUT MY GEEKATUDE LETS TALK ABOUT HOW ROSE FINALLY TOLD BARRY AND HE JUST...DIDNT EVEN GIVE HER AN ANSWER...JERK MUCH? BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SHES GOING TO START DATING TRAVIS WHICH I KNOW A LOT OF YOU ARE LIKE NOOO SHE BELONGS WITH BARRY ANS I AGREE BUT I WANNA MAKE THESE CHARACTERS NEED EACH OTHER, SO BARRY IS BASICALLY THE PEANUT BUTTER TO ROSES JELLY ( SEE WHAT I DID THERE?) LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK? WHAT PARTS WERE YOUR FAV! DONT FORGET TO VOTE AS WELL. (YES THAT IS THE GIFT BARRY GAVE ROSE, ISNT IT CUTE?) NEXT CHAPTER LOVE IS IN THE AIR AND SO IS JEALOUSY HAHA BUT WHO? WAIT AND SEE UNTIL THEN UP UP AND AWAY!!

P.S. I HAVE AN INSTAGRAM SO IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME LOOK UP FLASH_POINT_PARADOXFREAK I WILL FOLLOW BACK ;P