wanderess ; barry allen

chapter twenty one

chapter twenty-one;
rosie

"Hey," Barry sighed as Joe entered the cell where he and Adley had been for just under half an hour. She stood in an odd position, her left foot resting on the back of her right knee. Joe quirked a brow at this before passing over it.

"The security cameras in half the prison are shut down," Joe explained. "Then Clay Parker, according to this data log, who was still locked in his cell, somehow vanishes."

"Not completely." Adley grinned in pride as Barry showed off his intelligence with some crumbs in a vial. She didn't know what it was, really she never knew what anything Barry ever talked about meant.

"What's that?" Joe voiced her thoughts.

Barry smirked, bringing the vial closer to Joe. "It's some kind of organic particulate residual. I found it on the floor in here, just outside the cell, out in the hallway," he jabbed his thumb out the window behind him, "Trail led me all the way outside." Then a silence fell upon the cell, Barry looking up, his jaw falling slack at the doorway. "Dad," he whispered, stepping forward. His dad's lips curled in a huge grin, and Adley turned just in time to see it.

She looked at the sight in awe, twiddling her thumbs but still smiling all the same.

"Who's this?" Mr. Allen asked, turning to the girl stood in the cell.

"Uh, dad," Barry gulped, "This is my girlfriend, Adley." She stepped forward, extending a hand.

"Adley Rose Heap," she grinned, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Don't look so scared, Rosie." Adley's face broke into the happiest expression Barry had ever seen her have at the use of the nickname. Henry wrapped his hand around hers shaking it. "Thank you for taking care of my boy."

"Thank you for raising mine," she bit her lip, and Henry smiled at her unkeeled nerves. "So word around here is, Parker pulled a Shawshank?" Henry switched the subject, stepping back closer to Barry.

"Yep, and none of the other prisoners heard or saw anything," Joe continued.

"Well, they wouldn't talk to you about it," Henry teased.

Barry raised his eyebrows. "Leaves us with not a lot to go on."

Henry sighed in content. "Well, if there's anyone who can figure out how Parker got out of here, it's you, Son."

The guard from behind Henry looked up and down the hall before turning back to the cell. "Come on, Allen, let's go."

"Duty calls," Henry teased, Barry whispering a goodbye.

"So, my dad just happened to come by?" Barry narrowed his eyes at Joe.

"The guard owed me a favor." Joe shrugged.

"Thank you." Barry smiled warmly.

On the way out of Iron Heights, Barry reached down to grasp Adley's hand. "So what was with the whole, Rosie, thing?" He asked. He could feel her gears turning, searching for a response.

"My dad used to call me Rosie. I think it's a dad thing," she replied. "That's why I always introduce myself as Adley Rose Heap, because Rose is as much of my name as Adley is. Always has been, always will be. My dad was the only one who called me Rosie."

"Ads," Barry frowned, stopping her. He grabbed her hands. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she sucked her cheek.

"No," Barry shook his head, dismissing the false answer, "I want you to answer me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm sad," Adley curled her hands into fists and uncurled them. "I'm always sad."