"Allen!" Singh yells as soon as I step in the building. I quickly try to muster up an excuse for my absence at this mornings meeting.

In seconds his eyes are staring holes into me. "What excuse do you have today Allen?" He asks arms crossed. Man am I lucky that I'm incredibly gifted, and that they haven't found someone else able to fill my position, or I would be gone so quick. "I, uh-" I stumble thinking of what I did last night. I worked on a case all night and forgot to change the time of the alarm to adapt to the meeting. "I forgot about the meeting." I tell him eyes down. Grumbling he mutters, "at least your on time for a normal day." Turning his back I move a hesitant foot toward the stairs that leads to my safe haven. "And Allen!" He turns suddenly, "yes," I whisper. "Just don't be late to that wedding of yours."

With a nod I rush upstairs. Out of breath when I reach the top I quickly turn into my lab. Opening up my bag I pull out the file I was working on last night. "Babe," I hear my fiancé calling out for me. Laying the file on the table I turn to her.

"Hey," I breathe finally being able to breathe normally. "You were late weren't you?" She asks with a kiss to my lips. Her hands go to my neck. "Yes. I was," I tell her kissing her back. "You know when we live together," she pulls away from me slightly allowing me to take in her appearance. She's wearing black jeans with black boots and her red leather jacket. "You will be on time every day. I will see to it." She goes to turn toward my desk. "Oh, Thea Queen is planning to change me." I grab her waist spinning her back to me; gaining me a small laugh. "Is that why you agreed to marry me?" I ask with a huge smile. Rolling her eyes she places a hand on my chin, "if my mission was to change you Barry Allen I wouldn't have risked your life in telling my brother that we are in love." Ducking my head down slightly I capture her lips once more. Her hands move to my hair and mine slide under her shirt to her waist.

"How did it go last night?" She asks pulling back slightly to look at the file on the desk. I nod my head to the file as I step away from her.

She reaches for it with her left hand, my ring sparkling on her finger. Opening it she is greeted with pictures of Nora Allen, the arrow, and many others. "What does The Arrow have to do with any of this?" She asks reading one of the news articles from Starling.

I step behind her looking at the files contents that I have looked over a million and one times over her shoulder. "It's all connected somehow. I'm not sure how Thea, but it is." She closes the file setting it on the desk. "And there is even a new archer," I continue, I  head toward my board I pull up the paper hiding my research. "She wears red." Thea is still facing my desk when I turn around. "Have you heard anything in Starling? Is Lance any closer to capturing the Arrow?" "No." She says it in a voice that tells me she doesn't want to talk. Her whole body language changed after reading the file.

"Okay," my hand goes up to my hair. After my mom died no one believed that my dad didn't murder her. Until I met Oliver and then Thea. "You don't think there's a connection..?" I ask pulling her hands so she faces me. "Barry I just think you should stay away from the archers in Starling. They aren't tied up in this." I nod my head slightly not in agreement but just trying to clear my head.

We have always been able to read each other. And now, no for about a month now, I have sensed that Thea is hiding something from me. I hadn't wanted to bring it up. No that's a lie. I wanted to, I need to, but not now. But that look in her eye is killing me. I need to know.

"Where were you last night?" I ask holding my breath. I know the answer. She was supposed to be with me looking over these files, but she said she had gotten sick. Yet Felicity let slip she saw her yesterday. "I told you," her eyes go to my collar, "at home. I was sick." I take a light step back.

Why is she lying? It's simple she wanted to hang out with her brother. Why lie? "Thea," I look down at my shoes, "I know you weren't sick. I was talking with a Felicity," her eyes snap up to mine. "You asked?" She raises her voice defensively. "You-" she fumes thinking I hadn't trusted her. I take a step closer to her taking her balled up fists in my hands.

"No she let it slip." I try to examine the fury in her eyes. "Why lie? You know I don't care if you stay with Oliver," she is thinking that I don't understand which fuels me even more. "What did you not want to look over the evidence with me?" I ask wondering if she believes now like everyone else that my dad murdered my mom. She pulls her hands away from mine and backs up.

She is wrestling with herself. There is a part of her that wants to tell me and another that doesn't. "You wouldn't understand," she whispers. I again take a step closer to her but this time she matches my step but only backwards. My hands go up to my head in frustration. "You are my fiancé." I tell her. "You are going to be my wife. There is nothing you can tell me that will make me stop loving you or run from you."

She refuses to meet my eyes as hers fill with water. She like all of the Queens refuse to let her tears fall. "I think I just need some space." She backs towards the door. I close my eyes, "you can't-" she cuts me off, "I'm not calling it off Barry. I just need space. I need time." She turns. "And Barry," she look back at me, "I will always believe you."

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

Tonight is the night the world will be forever changed. Tonight the Particle Accelerator is set to go off. "Barry!" Iris yells swinging into my office with a Big Belly Burger bag. I just sit staring at my desk with that file. I have sat here all day. Thinking. Thinking of what could be going through Thea's head.

"Hello," she sits on my desk and pulls out a French fry, "earth to Barry." She looks at me crinkling her eyes. "Come on. Your supposed to be excited. All geeked out. I mean this is like your wet dream right?" I snatch the bag away from her.

"Don't eat my fries," I try to force a smile. "And you are my sister. Don't talk to me about wet- ugh just don't. That's gross." She reaches her hand in the bag and quickly takes another fry. "So why are you so mopey?" She turns to look at my now covered board. "Thea was here today." I pull out my burger. "Yeah," she turns to look at me, "she's feeling better I hope." "Actually she wasn't really sick," I say in between bites. "What do you mean?" Iris crosses her arms over her chest.

Putting down the wrapper I grab a napkin and wipe my mouth. "She lied. And you know what's ridicules she still won't even tell me why. She's been so distant," I ramble on to my self.

Iris is my best friend, second to only Thea, and my sister. She is always there when I just need to rant. "Barry," she puts a hand on my shoulder, "just give her space." I look up in her brown eyes. Eyes that I've grown up with. "That is what she asked for but we shouldn't need time apart we should be working it out together." I tell her angril .

Iris pulls me into a hug, "and you will. But trust me she just needs time to sort out her thoughts." After a minute she pulls back with another fry in  hand. "Hey!" I reach for it but I'm to slow. "Now," she turns to pick up her purse, "let's go fulfill  your-" I jump off the desk, "Let's go!" I grab her hand pulling her out of the door.

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

"My bag!" Some jerk pushes past me and I see Iris's bag in his hand. I take of running. The Big Belly Burger not yet through my system is uneasy as I run. Stopping I lean against the the brick wall trying to catch my breath. "Hey!" I shout seeing the man stop. Pushing of the wall I run toward him. He's trapped there is a fence. "Hey," I try to ask in a nice voice but it comes out labored, "can I just have the bag back? My friend won't press charges." He then Rams the bag into my rib cage. Causing me to lean over giving him time to jump the fence.

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

"So after that I decided to come back here," I stop and look out the window of my office. I can see S.T.A.R. Labs. Tears fill my eyes as I try to clear my throat, "Thea please just answer the phone. I swear oh I swear," my voice cracks slightly, "whatever it is I will try to understand. You just have to talk to me baby. Please," my forehead pressed up against the window I see odd colors on the glass. "Oh no," I say momentarily forgetting about the phone. I look over at the Particle Accelerator, something I have dreamed about for forever yet it didn't hold a candle in the dark world when Thea wasn't there to light it, and above it are clouds swarming with brightly colored lighting bolts being released. My mind immediately  goes to the open roof. "I love you Thea," I tell her before running to pull the roof closed.

"You didn't see the look on his face," I tell my brother as I sit in our base of operations. Jumping off the counter after earning a look from Felicity I continue, "he looked at me like I just broke his world." Oliver stands there cleaning the blood off his hands from our last outing. "And I did!" I continue, "I lied to him! I lied to my fiancé Ollie!" Oliver doesn't look at me he's just contemplating.

"Then tell him," Felicity states. "And then what?" My brother asks her snapping out of his thoughts. "And then he is forever in danger." Turning to me he continues, "he will forever be worried about you speedy. You may tell him now and save him a few moments of pain but you will fill him with worry until you hang up that hood."

I take a look down at my engagement ring. I think back to the day Barry came into my house and I was flipping through a magazine full of wedding rings. Instead of freaking out as most guys would he pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of his moms wedding ring. And I fell in love. "Then I'll hang up the hood." I tell him.

I expect to see anger in his eyes but all I see is love. "Thank you," I tell him and I move so that I am in his arms. "I love you," I whisper. He squeezes my waist telling me in his own way that he loves me too.

Grabbing my phone I go to call Barry telling him I'm coming to Central. Maybe we can catch the Particle Accelerator together. But when it flashes on there is  a missed call from Barry. I try to call him back, but the call goes directly to voicemail. I look at Ollie funny, "thats odd Barry never lets his phone die," he might always be late but he always has his phone working and on him. I than check the voicemail he left me.

"Guys!" Felicity's panicked voice comes from behind me. "Speedy," Ollie shakes me as my heart drops. He's crying. And then it sounds like the world collapsed. "Guys!" Felicity snaps us our attention to her. My eyes go to her computer and the massive storm over Central City.

At that moment my body takes over. My mind is frozen on Barry's sobs and the storm to close to his office. I grab one of the keys to whatever vehicle. Running I hear Ollie calling after me but I don't stop. I hop into the elevator and Ollie jumps in after me. Slamming the buttons I sob, "why won't it go!" He grabs my arms pulling me against him. "Shh," he whispers trying to calm me. "I need to-" I sob. I Thea Queen who just snapped a mans arm can't stop sobbing. I feel like my world has been shattered. "I can feel him Ollie. Somethings-" I choke, "somethings wrong." He takes the keys and pulls me through the club.

__________________________

The wedding date was, is set for next year. Plenty of time for Barry to wake up. I moved into his apartment. I needed to be close to him. I visit him every day at STAR Labs. I know something odd is going on, but Barry trusted Dr. Wells, at least in the medical field, so when he approached Joe and I about moving him there I gladly accepted.

When I visit Barry I play his favorite music and tell him about my now mostly boring and lonely days and how much I miss him. I haven't told him about my other job that is now mostly in the past. I want to tell him when I can see his hazel eyes. I know that those eyes will hold betrayal and maybe even anger but it will be his eyes conveying those emotions not my mind as I speak to his sleep like form.

Some days like today I can't go. Oliver has been great with not asking for my help, with the mask that is, but even the Arrow needs help sometimes and he said something about a monkey... I send a text over to Dr. Caitlin Snow. In these long months she has become a close friend. Iris is always there and I know that she was Barry's best friend before me and that should solidify a connection between us but it doesn't. She is Barry's friend not mine. Caitlin from the moment I met her took full action to help Barry. She was fighting to save my fiancé even though no one could save hers.  We bonded almost immediately. Both of our lack of showing emotion as our common ground. Together we pulled a few bricks out of the walls that we built around ourselves. But even she doesn't know about the hood.

I'll be back tonight. Can you leave the lab unlocked?

She responds instantly

Be safe. You don't even have to ask. I was planning on staying late and Wells as it seems never seems to leave Barry's side.

Thanks

I reread the line about Wells. Shaking my head I shake off a thought. "Ollie I'm on my way," I tell his voicemail. Unlike Barry my brother never answers the phone. I'm honestly not sure why he has one.

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

"Poker Face? Really?" a women's voice asks interrupting one of my favorite songs. "What its one of his favorites," a man responds. Everything is hazy but I am almost certain that I've never met these people. "Thea said that this was his cleaning song," my eyes flutter at the mention of my fiancée's name, "now I'm not sure why someone would waste a perfectly good song on house hold chores-" his ramble is cut off as soon as my body reacts to my mind. my eyes shoot open just as I force my self into a sitting position at a speed that should have made me dizzy. "Golly dog!' the man screams jumping about half a foot in the air nearly spilling his drink everywhere. All of a sudden hands are all over me. "Go inform Wells,'' the female voice commands. Her eyes are glazed over as if she is seeking another world to escape to, but her hands have a purpose. She checks my pulse, my eyes, ears, everything except my sanity. "Thea?" I manage to choke out.

She looks into my eyes and for the first time she looks to have pulled her head above the currents that are pulling her under, just for a moment that is. "She just left to Starling. She will be back tonight." Her hands pause for a moment taking a moment to thank God for the air in her lungs. "That's okay," all I hear is Thea. Central City. ''Ill go to her," pushing of the bed I am greeted with my shirtless reflection. "What the hell? " I say to my self.

"Good Morning Mr. Allen," A man I immediately recognize to be Dr. Harrison Wells greets me, but my eyes narrow in confusion at his current state. I try to think back. The Particle Accelerator. Thea lying. Thief. Lightning. Crying. And then an explosion. "What happened?" I ask the man who should have changed the world. "You were struck by lightning and I am Dr. Caitlin Snow,' The blond doctor informs me holding out a shirt, "Caused by the Particle Accelerator," the male voice that spoke the name I needed to hear continues, "and I am Cisco." he gives me a wide smile. ''I thought that it was safe?" I direct my question to Dr. Wells. I need to find Thea. All I can process is that something went wrong and now I'm all alone. I need Thea. "And why am I here?" Another thought creeps into my head. "Lightning gave me abs?" I ask when I am met once again with my reflection. "Your cells are-" Dr. Snow begins to explain but my head is muddled. "I need to go to Central City," I tell no one in particular. Push my past Dr. Snow and Cisco I walk towards to what looks like the main hall.

"Ba-Mr. Allen," Dr. Snow corrects herself, "you need to have some tests done." Her words ask me to stay but her voice body language everything about her tells me to go. I nod my head at her real meaning. Harrison Wells doesn't say anything but at the moment I don't question it. Walking out to the hall I stop for a brief second looking down at my shirt. "Can I keep the shirt?" I yell. "Yes, Mr Allen," Wells replies with a look of a man who is patiently waiting. With a quick glance to the left and right I decide to take the right. As the door gets closer my walk turns into a fast paced walk than into a jog and then I'm running. Finally reaching the elevator I jam the the first floor button. "Barry!" Dr. Snow shouts sprinting down the hall after me. Oddly she is breathing heavily and every more off I am not. Reaching half of my body out of the elevator I stop the doors from shutting.

I don't say anything. She is a stranger. I wait for her to catch her breath, "Thea has your keys," she tells me. My eyes narrow and my brows knit together. "Umm," she reaches in her bag, "here are my keys." My hands go forward automatically not questioning why a stranger would hand over their car. " "Iris is my friend," she explains nodding to the keys.

"Thank you," I take a step back into the elevator. "You aren't afraid that I have some sort of brain injury?" I ask just as the door closes. If she is it's to late now.

<><><><><><><><>

"Speedy!" Oliver bellows in my ear. I let go of my bow letting the arrow pierce one of the alarms to the building. "What!" I snap. It comes out a lot harsher than I meant. "Sorry Ollie," I start but he interrupts me. It's been a long 4 months. "Speedy I need you in here now." He tells me it in such a calm way yet there is fear laced in his voice all the same.

Entering the building my eyes examine the room. "Careful. Slow." Moving up the stairs I take special care to watch the ground level for incomers. "What's going on?" I whisper. Felicity's breath is heard on the other side of the mic, "it's a um," she stumbles over her words. "Godzilla," Diggle concludes. I nearly lose my balance on the last step as his serious voice interjects. "What!" My voice raises an octave. I immediately regret the decision as I fill the whole building shake with a growl that shakes my bones.

"What's the plan?" Diggle asks as I join them behind the half wall. I still can't see the beast but from the tremble it must be massive. "It's smart," Felicity responds. "Smart?" Oliver asks in disbelief. "Haven't you noticed how every time we try to go against this thing it changes it's tactics. It's more than just animal instinct something is genetically different or modified. I know it sounds crazy," at that moment I throw a quick glance around the half wall. I am met with a clouded vision but something massive sits in the other room.

"Wait so y'all have gone up against this thing before?" I whisper. "Yes. Twice," Diggle responds shaking slightly. "And you didn't think to call me?" I ask angrily. I know why they didn't. I would have felt guilty leaving Barry's side like I do now, but I also feel useless when I am at STAR labs or alone at Barry and i's apartment.

"Okay," my brain shuts out Barry. I need to focus. A plan starts to form in my mind. "Do we still have the parachutes?" I ask no one in particular. Felicity answers as my brothers thoughts catch up. "No," he growls just as I jump out from behind our safe haven. "Hey monkey man!" I scream. I sling my bow to my back but keep one hand safely on it. The said arrow with the parachute safely in my bag.

At that moment the tremble from early begins once again only this time the horrifying feeling is combined with sight. The shadow appears to stretch in every direction until Godzilla himself pushes through the wall. The building shakes. I fear for a second that the ceiling will collapse. "Hey Godzilla!" I yell. My voice and hands shaking. What is this thing?

His chest rumbles and I can't help the step back my body forces me to take. "I," he growls, "am. Grodd." There is complete silence as his chest releases sounds eerily translated to English. "He just..." Diggle starts to freak. "He talked!" Felicity, being the only person not in the same vicinity with the beast, exclaims in awe.

Taking a deep breath and thanking the sweet lord that my brother and Diggle are following my unspoken plan. "Grodd?" I pull out my inner Barry. "Are you sure?" Thinking of Barry my voice stabilizes slightly, "you look more like a Zilla." His reaction is what I hoped and yet prayed for the opposite. His beast and ape like features morph into something portraying anger. "Grodd!" He roars them charged at me.

That's my que. I take off running. Ok my way up stairs I noticed that one of the windows was busted out. The building is pretty isolated. It's in the worst of the worst part of town. No one is around. Pulling my bow around I clasp it with my left hand. As I jump out of the second third story window my right hand grasps for the bow as the Grodd beast barrels after me.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The normally short drive was excruciatingly long. Dr. Snows car allowed me to easily ride twenty over the speed limit. At first I had the radio on to distract me, but the news only made me worry. Six months. A lot happens in an hour, what can happen in six months?

Finally after what seemed like half a day Starling City's welcome sign comes into view. "Where are you Thea?" I ask out loud. I then think back to the last conversation we had. Why did I bring it up? I should have waited. I can't loose her.

Something in my stomach tells me to go to the Glades. Starling City's ash like city turned into complete ruin and chaos as the Glades come into view. Malcom Merlin's campaign signs are as startlingly as a yellow vase in a black and white film. I start to go to Verdant, but my heart tugs away. Choosing to listen to it. I am lead deep into the Glades. Pulling over I park the car in a semi okay spot. Locking it I shove the keys deep inside my pocket. The air is chilly yet I'm not cold. I walk until the side walk ends. There isn't a soul around. "What am I doing?" I mumble but I keep moving. She's here I just know it. The only thing around now is an abandoned three story building.

All of a sudden my heart starts to pump really fast. Some people may think it's odd but Thea and I have the connections that most twins are said to have. We can feel each other's emotions. And right now she is in danger.

Looking up at the building I am still at least half a mile away when a figure comes flying out of the third story window. I immediately take off running I barley register the huge fur thing that follows the figure. But this thing doesn't come through the window it come through the wall.

I am running and then I'm not. It's as if time itself has stopped. I see the figure clad in red frozen in the air. A thing slightly resembling a monstrous ape arms out seeking its prey. Arrows follow the beast shot from inside the building. I barley notice that I am still moving. And if I watch close enough So is every one else just in milliseconds.

The feeling that Thea is in danger forces my body to act. My eyes are screaming that this isn't Thea, but my legs keep moving. Somehow I end up on the side of the building  shoving off of the wall, less than a foot away from the beast, I grab the fallen figure and run. Wind is rushing past me at such a speed that it almost burns. After a few seconds when I think that I am back to my previous spot where I stood as a bystander I stop.

Setting the jumper down my hands don't remove themselves from her person. They are glued to her by a power that I can't describe. "What the hell!" She screams. I take note for the first time the bow in her hand, but that thought is quickly snatched away as her voice reaches my ears. My breath is caught in my throat as her eyes meet mine.

"Barry!" She gasps her hands still glued to my chest go up to my chin then cheek. We are broken out of our daze by a sizzling sound. Jumping back Thea yells, "Your on fire!" Her hands go back to where they were before only now the STAR Labs shirt is burning. Her patting does nothing so I replace her hands with my own until the fire is out. "How?" She asks looking at me and then at our surroundings. We are out in the middle of no where. Literally. We are at least five miles outside of Starling. "Umm I was struck by lightning," I recite what I had been told. I know that she knows this but my newly awake brain is processing a lot. Not to mention my fiancé, or I hope, is standing before me dressed as one of the vigilantes. "I woke up today. Dr. Snow lent me her car and I took off after you," my hands go to her waist needing to feel her. "I knew you were in danger I could feel it. So I just let it pull me toward you." Tears fill her eyes but she doesn't let them fall.

She takes a step closer to me breathing in my scent. "I am so sorry that I wasn't there." She carefully chooses her words so that it conveys double meaning. "When you were in your coma," she pulls back slightly so that she is looking in my eyes. "I talked to you everyday. I told you about how I moved into your apartment and what will hopefully if you will let it be our apartment. I told you about everything. Every boring little detail, but there is one thing I couldn't tell you with out looking into your beautiful eyes. Even though I know I knew you would be mad." My eyes never stray from hers.

I listen as she pours out her heart. "But I guess you already know now, huh?" She sobs. Her tears fall from her eyes. "I lied to you Barry. You were right. I kept a huge secret. And I yelled at you for calling me out and then," she chokes, "and then I thought I would never hear your voice see your eyes feel you touch," her chest shakes but she stay slightly parted from me looking me in the eyes. "I am the red Archer of Starling City. Oliver is the Green Arrow. Every night that I wasn't with you I was here fighting crime." Each word is broken with a sob. "I understand if," I cut her off. "Thea," pulling her closer to me I still keep the eye contact they she so desperately craves. "I will always believe in you. I will always love you. No matter what." My voice is unwavering. Stern. Solid.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" She asks in a whisper pressing her forehead to mine. "How did we both?" I ask before connecting our lips. Our hands pull at each other. Seeking a way to meld together. To become one. Our tongues meet in fiery passion. We both pull back as thoughts enter our heads "So what was that?" We both ask at the same time. A smile spreads across my face as our minds reconnect. "I don't know," I answer her question, "that's a question for Harrison Wells."

She looks at me with a small smile than a quizzical look but accepts my answer for the time being. Her features than change to panic setting me on edge. My hands fun along her sides thinking she might me hurt. "Grodd!" She exclaims her eyes wide. My hands go to her shoulders trying to get her to tell me. "That thing that you saved me from," she doesn't mention the fact that she apparently had a a very stupid survival plan, "is a highly intelligent ape thing and his name is Grodd. Oli and Diggle are in that building!"

Her fear again makes my instincts take over I grab her waist and pray that whatever time slower thing I did earlier still works. Sure enough it does and we are running.

"Stop!" She yells. I place my feet on the ground hoping to stop our movement, but it only slows us down slightly. "Wall!" She shouts. Sure enough the building is less than a foot away. I turn us so that my back collides with the outside wall and her with my chest. "Ouf!" I huff as the air in my lungs is suffer out.

She pushes off of me seemingly unfazed our collision. It suddenly occurs to me I saw that file on the archers. Their wounds. "I'm okay," she reaches her hand back grasping for mine seeking to comfort me.  Looking around I take in the sight before us.covering the ground is part of the wall that Grodd jumped out of but he is no where to be seen.

"Grrroddddd!" I growl shakes the ground. "Was that?" I ask faintly hearing shards of English in the animal sound. "Yah," Thea whispers looking back at the building she jumped from.