Dedicated to @CamrynKissel, @bloodypunkk, and NoraXSWest-AllenFam for their amazing support of my Arrowverse work!

I cannot thank you both enough for your kindness :)

Author's Note:

I thought that I could start this series off with a nice nostalgic callback to the first family we ever saw in the series, the Allens. I feel like Nora and especially, Henry Allen are such underrated characters in the grand scheme of the show so, I was really excited to get to write with them.

This one-shot is based on the story Barry vaguely talks about in the third season involving his parents and his favorite ice cream shop. Ironically, that specific story actually changes in the fifth season when Nora mentions that his favorite ice cream shop is Happy Harbor instead of it being located in Masonville so, I kinda had to improvise a little as to its location. Lol.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy reading this story as much as I did writing it :)

"I can't believe today's finally the day! Mom and Dad are going to take me to Masonville so we can see Einstein's Exposition of Scientific Invention!" Thought Barry as he hurriedly stuffed his remaining necessities into his red backpack, excitement practically radiating off of his wide smile.

There was nothing Barry was more obsessed with than learning every single wacky scientific theory brilliant geniuses like Albert Einstein or Galileo Galilei discovered (well, other than the indescribably wonderful Iris West. But personally, I don't think that really counts because that's not an obsession, it's true love). This fact clearly didn't go unnoticed to his perceptive parents either for they not only managed to get all three of them tickets to the expo, but had also agreed to take one of their only days off of work that month to take their son there.

They really are the bestest parents ever!

Barry quickly grabbed his bright yellow pencils and notebook from his bedroom's short, wooden desk (he'd always loved drawing pictures of his favorite scientists' inventions), his feet skidding against the ground with almost as much impatience as the six year-old felt.

"What else, what else, what else?" Contemplated Barry, his fingers pressed to his temple, thoughtfully.

After everything his parents had done to give him a perfect day, there was no way he was going to mess it up by forgetting anything.

"Did you forget to grab your lucky Aquila keychain?" Asked a calm man's voice as he leaned up against Barry's bedroom door frame, his decently muscular arms crossed over one another, playfully.

He wore a casual tan dress shirt that was untucked from his black jeans, his unruly brunette hair dancing goofily atop his oval head. Never had Barry met someone as supportive as his hilarious father.

He always knows how to make me laugh, especially when I'm sad. Like when I accidentally burned those cookies with mom and he taught me his special trick of whipping icing into star shapes. But really any trick I get to learn from him is special.

"My Aquila! That's exactly what I was forgetting!" Exclaimed Barry as he raced around the room, running straight towards his dresser for a speedy grab-and-go, only he didn't exactly calculate his movements as well as he intended to.

"Barry, look out for the-" started Henry as he swiftly extended his arms out to try and stop his son, but he was racing past too quickly for his father to catch.

"Ahhhhhh!" Screamed Barry, his arms flailing out in panic as he flew towards the large piece of wooden furniture.

Why didn't I just walk?!

Barry slammed his chest into his dresser's middle, his ribs hitting roughly against its center silver metal handle. A tiny gray telescope teetered on the edge of the old dresser for several seconds before finally rolling backwards, its aperture touching timidly against one of the little boy's notebooks stacked high on its top.

"You alright, Slugger?" Asked Henry as he kneeled down next to his dazed son, giving him a gentle hand upward.

"I think so, Daddy," replied Barry as he held his right hand to his lower ribs, a slight sensation of pain ringing throughout his chest as his father pulled him back to his feet.

"Good, because your mother would've never let me live that one down," joked Henry as he pretended to wipe his brow in relief.

"But Daddy, I was the on who fel," commented Barry, sheepishly.

Mommy always says that being a klutzy just makes me unique, like my own special superpower.

And I mean, if being clumsy is a superpower then, I must be a pretty great hero!

"Ah, but when it comes to us Allen men, we always have to cover for each other," winked Henry as he patted his son on the shoulder, jovially.

"Oh, so when Mommy gets mad at you for forgettin to buy her a Valentine's gift, I should take the blam for you?" Confirmed Barry, an energetic bounce carrying his entire voice.

Henry just laughed, always enjoying how quickly his son caught on to his lessons about helping others.

"Yes, please do," urged Henry, thankfully as he hoisted Barry's fallen backpack back onto his lean shoulders, tightening its black straps for extra insurance that he wouldn't lose anything.

Barry smiled happily at his father's response, loving nothing more to help his old man out in any way possible.

I mean, he does so much for me, why not help him too?

"But the real question I need to ask you is, do you have your special keychain now?" Questioned Henry as he pretended to shift his tone to a much more serious one.

He'd always been great at entertaining kids, and Barry was far from an exception to that rule.

"Yes! I have it here!" Answered Barry, excitedly bouncing up and down as he held the little aqua blue and gold keychain up in the palm of his hand.

"Great job. And why do you carry an Aquila with you at all times?" Asked Henry, expectantly waiting for his son's answer.

"Because it stands for a thunderbolt eagle and they're strong like us, Allens," explained Barry, proudly.

Talking about the constellations was one of Barry's many favorite things to do with his father.

"That's my boy," smiled Henry as he pulled his son into a tight hug, his long arms wrapping around Barry's small body in a loving embrace.

Yes! I love getting answers right!

"Henry, Barry, it's time to go!" Called the sweet-sounding voice of Barry's mother, Nora, from the base of their house's staircase.

"Coming, Honey," Henry called back, both father and son exchanging a mutual look of playfulness before they headed out of the little boy's bedroom.

There had rarely been a time in Barry's life where he wasn't late, though his parents had long since gotten used to his natural tardiness and therefore, always started getting ready to leave for an event an hour in advance.

Plus, then it'll give us more time to explore the expo before we have to go home.

Barry felt his blue sneakered feet squeak against the staircase's old wooden steps as he and Henry joined Nora in the living room.

"Sorry about the delay, Honey, I just couldn't seem to find my tie," lied Henry as he planted a gentle kiss on his wife's right cheek, the latter raising an eyebrow, skeptically.

"I probably would have believed you if you know, you were actually wearing a tie," reasoned Nora as she tapped his chest gently, a soft laugh following after her words.

Nora's smile was a sight Barry could never forget, her kind blue eyes bringing warmth to his heart every time they met his. Her long, red hair loosely brushed against her green-sweatered shoulders whenever she walked, leaving a scent of lavender perfume in her wake.

Mommy smells just as sweet as she is.

"Uh, well..." started Henry, though his excuse seemed to stick to the inside of his throat like aged honey.

"He was just helping me get ready," interjected Barry, a bit of excitement coursing through his veins at the concept of helping cover for his dad.

Here's your chance, Barry. Don't blow it.

Nora looked between her husband and son for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether or not to believe them.

"That sounds like a reasonable excuse to me," Nora conceded as she kneeled down beside her son, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead.

"I thought so too," commented Henry, a small smirk covering his mischievous face as he flashed a thankful nod at his son.

Yes, it worked!

"Don't push your luck," warned Nora, playfully as she stood back up next to Henry.

"Got it," smiled Henry, agreeingly before he suddenly swooped their son up in his loving arms.

Barry smiled happily as he wrapped both his arms around Henry's neck, pulling his small body as closely as he could to his father. He wasn't usually a fan of heights, but his dad made even the scariest of fears seem like fantasies.

He makes me feel like I can do anything, even the most impossible of things.

"Alright, you two, let's get to that science expo before it closes," stated Nora as she gestured towards the open front door.

"Yes! Let's go!" Exclaimed Barry, impatiently as the three Allens exited their house, closing the door softly behind them.

Nora had already loaded their luggage into the maroon-colored Ford Mustang that was parked in their driveway, so that there would be no wait time before leaving.

Ooh, I'm so excited! I wonder if they'll have any of Einstein's notes on his discoveries?

"I'm gona be mighty king so enema beware," sang Barry happily, his voice being in perfect harmony to their radio's blaring music.

He was surprisingly great at singing despite his rather young age, a talent that both his parents would only get sweeter as he grew older.

I wish I could pronounce words better, though. But mommy does say it's cuter the way I do it.

"Well, I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair," continued Henry, his left hand free of the steering wheel reaching back and playfully ruffling his son's brunette hair.

Nora laughed gently, loving nothing more than to observe her two favorite people having fun with one another.

"I'm gonna ba the main evet, like no king wa before. I'm brushin up on lookin dow, I'm workin on my roar," smiled Barry as he watched various colored cars racing past them on the road, seemingly rushing to get to their destination.

They must all have the tardy power, too.

"Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing," scoffed Henry, his voice intentionally dropping a few octaves to add an extra layer of humor to his character.

"Oh, I jus can't wait to ba king!" Belted out Barry, his excited exclamation filling his parents' hearts with warmth.

They turned right on the intersection, their maroon mustang about halfway to the expo by now.

"Na one sayin, "do this," continued Barry, though the attitude of the usual lyrics didn't really gather much form in his enthusiastic tone.

They just make me smile so much that it's impossible to be mad.

"No one saying be there," added Nora, her dulcet words practically flowing from her heart.

"No one sayin see here," shouted both Barry and Nora in unison, their voices becoming one with the upbeat song.

Now it was Henry's turn to laugh at his family's sweetness.

"Free to ru around all da. We'll do it all my way!" Barry sang as he threw his hands out proudly, both of his parents immediately clapping afterwards.

But as if on cue to Barry's last words, the three Allens felt a large bump underneath the car's flooring, throwing them backwards slightly in their seats.

Nora and Henry exchanged concerned looks as the latter slowly pulled their car to a stop on the side of the road.

"Why are we stopping, Daddy?" Asked Barry, confusedly looking out their window.

I don't think we're at the expo yet, are we?

"Oh, your father and I just have to check one quick thing, Sweetie, but we'll be back in a moment," explained Nora, gently as both parents unbuckled their seatbelts.

"Okay, Mommy," nodded Barry, understandingly.

Nora and Henry smiled appreciatively before pushing open their car doors and walking outside.

Being patient was far from something Barry was good at, but if that's what his mother needed him to be, he figured he could manage.

I can wait as long as they need me to... I just hope it's not for too long...

Ten Minutes Later...

"Hey, Slugger, we finished taking care of the problem," stated Henry as he opened his son's car door.

"Yay! So can we get ba on rod?" Asked Barry as his father carefully lifted him out of the vehicle, taking extra care to tie his son's shoelaces so as to avoid another tripping accident.

"Well, not exactly..." Began Henry, his right hand scratching the back of his neck, awkwardly.

Barry cocked his head in confusion, his big blue eyes staring up at his father.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie, I know how much you wanted to go to that expo, but the car has some issues that need to be fixed first so, I don't think we're going to be able to make it, today," interejected Nora, apologetically as she bent down beside him, tears glistening in her eyes.

There was nothing the two parents hated more than letting their son down.

"Don't cry, Mommy," whispered Barry as he immediately threw his arms around his mother's chest, his eyes shining with compassion.

At that moment, he didn't care about visiting the expo or drawing sketches of any scientists' inventions, all he cared about was making sure that his mom was okay.

"Oh, baby," smiled Nora through tears as she gently placed her hand on the back of Barry's head.

"I jus don't lik seeing you cry, Mommy," admitted Barry, tears in his own eyes.

"How did we get lucky enough to have a son who cares so much about his parents?" Commented Henry, gratefully as he slowly pulled both his wife and son to their feet.

"Must be by an angel," replied Nora, a similar expression of love covering her face as she used her right hand to gently wipe the tears off her son's face.

Barry smiled widely at his parents' praise.

Yay! I got Mommy to stop crying!

"So... wha exactly are we doing?" Asked Barry as he innocently tapped his right foot against the sidewalk, excitedly awaiting his parents' answer.

"Hmmm..." thought Henry as he looked around, seemingly formulating what the best way was to keep his six year-old entertained.

"Ooh, I know a great ice cream place just a few blocks from here," suggested Nora, thoughtfully.

"Yay! Ice cream!" Exclaimed Barry, happily locking one of his hands within each of his parents'.

"Sounds like that's a yes to me," concluded Henry, jokingly as he smiled at his wife.

Nora and Barry spent the next fifteen minutes walking to the diner while Henry called the car company to fix their flat tire.

"Will Daddy be coming soon, too?" Barry asked Nora as she pulled open the quaint little diner's glass doors, letting her son enter first.

The delicious scent of sweet ice cream and fresh French fries consumed both mother and son's senses, sending wide smiles to their faces.

"Let's hope so or we might just have to order without him," answered Nora, playfully as she took her son's hand and led him to the front counter.

The whole place looked like something out of one of the many musicals his mother had shown him (I think she said it was Grease, right?) throughout that past year. Large red and white seating booths lined each dining arrangement, metal tables placed in front of them in perfect order. Every customer the young boy's eyes passed by seemed to be smiling and or laughing with their family, his favorite guest being the little chocolate labrador that wagged its tail avidly as it begged for food at its owner's feet.

I NEED to ask Mommy and Daddy for a dog next year.

"You ready to sit down, Sweetie?" Confirmed Nora, softly as she stuffed a short receipt into the big brown purse that hung over her left shoulder.

"Yes!" Replied Barry as he practically skipped over to the closest table that was empty, his mom following close behind.

This was a great pick of Mommy's.

"Barry, please be careful," cautioned Nora as she filled two white paper cups with orange soda from the nearby machine.

"What?" Asked Barry, though he soon discovered exactly what his mother was trying to say via the large root beer puddle his feet slipped on moments later.

"Barry!" Exclaimed Nora, though she was much too far away to be of any help.

He suddenly fell backwards, his arms and legs once again failing to maintain any semblance of balance within his clumsiness.

Not again!

But just as he was about to hit the ground, he felt the firm hands of his father steady his body, carefully pushing him back onto his feet.

Nora breathed a breath of relief at Henry's successful rescue.

"I wasn't going to let you fall twice in one day," whispered Henry as he patted Barry gently on the back.

"Thanks, Daddy," Barry whispered back as his father slowly removed his hands from his son's shoulders.

He really is the best.

"Anytime. Now, let's get dinner ordered because I'm starving," commented Henry, his other two family members laughing jovially.

Thirty Minutes Later...

"That may just be the second greatest ice cream I've ever tasted. Happy Harbor being the first, of course," declared Henry as he used the plastic green spoon to scoop the last bite of mint ice cream into his mouth.

Nora just giggled at her husband's joke, a happy expression held on her face.

I love that they love each other so much.

"Yeah! Wait, what's Happy Harbor?" Questioned Barry, curiously as he dropped his and his mother's empty paper cups into a nearby trash can.

Nothing will ever beat cotton candy ice cream with my parents.

"Oh, my boy, you haven't experienced life until you've eaten ice cream from Happy Harbor," answered Henry, thoughtfully as he placed an arm around his son's shoulder.

Barry smiled at his faaher's comment, already picturing exactly what the fantastical place known as Happy Harbor would look like.

That has to be our next family trip.

"Boys, look!" Urged Nora as she pointed out the nearby diner window, alerting the other two Allens' attention to the view.

And wow, was it a sight that Barry would remember.

Streams of pretty lights shot up straight into the sky, their distant points angled upward at a perfect angle. They seemed to stay suspended in the air for only a few seconds before bursting open into a powerful wave of vibrant rainbow colors. Sparks of energy danced in the air like tiny firecrackers forming various shapes such as stars and hearts.

It's so beautiful.

"Someone must be celebrating a birthday," whispered Henry to his wife as Barry's eyes seemed fixated on the magical light show out of touch.

"Or we're just that lucky," countered Nora as she looked over at Barry, affectionately.

She gently nudged her son closer to her chest, letting his head rest against her shoulder, lovingly.

Henry smiled gratefully as he wrapped an arm around both his wife and son, all three of the Allens now snuggled up closely to one another as they watched the wonderful show outside.

"Thank you for making toda specil," whispered Barry, his words even kinder than he'd intended them to be.

"Anything for you, Barry," whispered Nora back as she gave her son a quick kiss on the forehead.

Yep, best day ever.