Saving Her

T W E N T Y - S I X

"What did you need help with?" Barry breathed as he ran into the room startling Beth.

"That guy down in the accelerator. We haven't been down to question him, but first I've been looking at apartments, and I was wondering if maybe you would want-"

"You want me to move in with you?" Barry interrupted surprised.

Beth's jaw dropped in surprise, and her face turned red. "No! Barry I was wondering if you would mind checking some out with me. Since well I thought maybe you'd like to see how safe they are? Not that you would need to I-ugh...I just thought you'd feel better looking at apartments with me." Beth was mentally face palming at the all too awkward rant. She just wanted Barry to hang out with her. Kind of like an awkward date with people thinking about living together. Of course she had thought of that.

An awkward Barry trying to tell the apartment owner they weren't would make her day.

"Of course I would Beth." Barry chuckled hugging Beth as her face became even more red than before.

"Awesome."

"Now that we've established that why don't we go interrogate the guy who attempted kidnapping you?"

"Oh I'd love to." Beth said rolling her eyes as Barry led her down to the ring.

Barry and Bethany stood in front of the door that separated them from the man who tried kidnapping Bethany. The man who wanted to take her back to a living hell.

"Are you sure you don't need me?" Barry asked looking worriedly at Beth.

"Yeah I'm sure. This is something I have to do on my own."

Barry nodded giving her an encouraging smile as he opened the door, and she stepped inside. She looked back at him giving him a nod, and she watched as he disappeared while the door closed again.

"I knew you'd come down here eventually Bethany. You'll want answers. The doctor needs you to go back Beth. Whether you come willingly or not."

"How'd you find me?"

"Straight to the questions I see. It's funny that you think we found you as if we've been looking for you. We never lost you Bethany. There's no need to find you." The man smirked.

"Liar. Who are you?" Bethany spat taking a few steps closer to the glass door separating the two.

"Don't you recognize me? Have you truly forgotten?" The man mocked. Although there seemed to be a look of hurt in his eye. Oh she knew him alright.

"I have never seen you in my life." Bethany lied. Jack Wise had died. She saw the body even checked for a pulse. There was no pulse, yet an older version stood in front of her.

"You feel it don't you? Your time is running out Bethany Stone."

"Where is he? Where is Siward!?" Bethany yelled trying to get something out of him aside from a bunch of bullshit. "Tell me where he is!" She screamed banging on the glass.

He only laughed in response enraging Bethany further. She wanted to make him talk. Force him if she had to. The angrier she go the more she seemed to disappear inside herself.

The man was being lifted off the ground his hands grasping at his neck. Beth dropped him hard. Before doing it a second time. Bethany blinked a little scared she had taken it too far. "Where is he? I will ask one more time." Bethany said shakily.

"I don't know Beth I really don't. He dropped off the map. No one has heard from him in weeks. I came looking for you. He didn't ask me to. Beth you have to go to him. He is only trying to help you."

Beth turned on her heel ignoring his calls for her as Barry opened the door for her. Closing it behind her. He went to pull her into a hug, but she held up a hand. She looked up at him silently telling him she needed a minute. Beth motioned for him to follow her so he did entwining their fingers together.

They walked out of S.T.A.R. Labs, and towards her apartment. They were stopped at a busy intersection when Bethany talked. "Were you watching?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you stop me? I could've killed him. Barry...I could've killed him. I know I can get mad, but that...that was scary I didn't feel like myself. I felt...I didn't feel. I was emotionless. I just wanted him to talk." Bethany whispered covering her mouth with her hand in disgust. She whipped around buring her face in his chest.

"I didn't think you would kill him. I would've stopped if it had gotten out of hand I promise. I was seconds away from opening the door trust me. We will figure out what happened. You won't have to go through that again Beth. I'll always be there for you."

She wiped her tears giving Barry a half-hearted smile leading him up her apartment steps.

"I had Caitlin drop off some white paint. Want to help me paint the wall? Maybe then I can actually talk to the owner and discuss my new living arrangement."

"Or I could do it in like forty seconds, and then we could cuddle and watch this new documentary I've been dying to watch. It's not long I promise." He smiled looking like a little kid trying to convince his mom to let him get desert.

"Well I guess. It's not like I wanted to paint the wall." Beth shrugged pointing at the gallon of paint, and roller in the corner. "Knock yourself out."

She waited patiently while Barry zoomed across the floor as he painted the wall. He finished with the front of his shirt dotted with white paint from the wind blowing it everywhere. Groaning he mopped the floor before it dried.

"Nicely done Allen, but I think we learned not to use the super speed next time." Beth giggled looking at Barry.

Spots of white paint in his hair, on his face, bits of his clothes covered.

He looked down at himself shrugging. He tugged of his shirt smirking at Beth. "Who needs clothes anyway."

Beth forced herself not to check him out even though she really wanted to. She's seen the abs once before and dang.

Cuddling on the couch Barry put on his lame science-y documentary about microorganisms while Bethany drifted off to sleep on his shoulder.

She could've sworn that when she fell asleep she was in her bed with Barry's arms wrapped around her, but she was too groggy to tell. She hummed in appreciation before finally falling asleep.

****
Writing is hard.

Fun fact: I have eight chapters that I haven't posted because they don't fit the story just yet. I keep them just in case I can manage to work them in...like this one.

StayGolden<3

~B