Almost - A Flash and Arrow crossover

Chapter 27

That night, at S.T.A.R Labs, was quite enjoyable. With Marco now confined to the Meta-Prison, the others could sit back and relax.

Ronnie and Martin, who had returned back to the lab before anyone else, greeted them all as they returned. Barry smiled as he saw the two and gave Ronnie and Stein both a quick hug in thanks. Oliver decided against the hugging and shook both their hands heartily.

After a cup of coffee, Joe said something about needing to catch up on sleep and with a last pat on the back with Barry, bid everyone good night.

Diggle practically strangled Oliver with the force of his embrace, mumbling words like "You're an idiot," and "Why did I ever decide to become friends with you?" Oliver merely chuckled and pulled back, a grin on his face.

Felicity and Cisco were trying to locate the lost ear-pieces. It seemed the trackers were damaged from the electricity that had pulsed through them. Never mind.

Caitlin and Ronnie shared a quick kiss before Firestorm left together, saying they would come by soon to collect their new merger.

Diggle nudged Felicity with his elbow, eyeing the two heroes sitting awkwardly in their plastic chairs, still in their suits. Knowing that they both needed a long over-due chat, the blonde grabbed a startled Cisco by his jacket and pulled him from the room, Caitlin soon getting the message to follow.

The room was quiet, except the beeping of machines or the buzzing of computers.

"So," Barry huffed, sinking lower into his chair. "Been a tiring few days, am I right?"

Oliver didn't look up from where he was staring at a point on the floor.

Twiddling his thumbs, Barry tried again.

"Guess the bank'll get a surprise when they get there tomorrow morning."

Smiling at his own humour, Barry raised his eyebrows waiting for the slightest twitch at the corners of the vigilantes mouth.

Nothing.

Admitting defeat, Barry put his hands on his knees and stood up, making his way from the cortex.

"Right, well, good talk, I'm gonna go get changed into something a little more … breathable."

Just as he was about to walk around the corner, he heard the smallest of voices.

"Do you remember?"

That couldn't be Oliver Queen's voice? Intimidating, tough, mysterious, I'm-too-scary-for-my-own-good Oliver Queen?

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific." Barry joked, picking up on the irony of the question.

"Do you remember when I almost killed you?"

Barry froze.

"What?"

"I almost killed you Bar'."

Closing his eyes for a second, the speedster turned and walked back to his chair in the cortex, bringing it closer to the Vigilante.

"Listen to me Olly," All humour was gone from his voice, causing Oliver to look up in curiosity. "Neither of us were who we are now. We were rash, arrogant, childish, angry. I provoked you, and you retaliated. If it was anyone's fault, it's mine. I pushed you. And I'm sorry, I can't apologise enough for the events of the past few days." Taking a deep breath, he mumbled. "If it wasn't for me being so stupid in the first place, we wouldn't have been in that mess."

Oliver shook his head, his tone stronger now. "Barry, that isn't your fault! You didn't know what he was doing. Hell, I didn't even know until it was too late and he'd grabbed your wrist. It's not your fault! It's nobodies fault-"

He paused, and locked eyes with the sparkling, mischievous ones opposite him.

Barry smiled.

"It's no ones fault, and we couldn't of known this would happen."

They sank back into their chairs, Barry grinning and Oliver tapping his foot nervously.

Noticing there was still something on the vigilante's mind, Barry turned and asked. "What is it?"

For a second, he thought the man hadn't heard him, only to be proven wrong when Oliver slumped in his shoulders.

"Bar', way back before this started, you were on the treadmill, remember?"

Casting his mind back, Barry nodded.

"And me and Felicity asked about why you're still pushing yourself after Wells is gone and you went back and-"

He pulled short, realising what he was about to bring up. Snapping his head in his partners direction, he saw Barry's eyes wide and staring through him, as if somewhere distant.

"Bar'?"

Barry didn't move, didn't flinch, just swallowed and said, "If I'm busy, or exhausted, then I don't have to think about it."

Oliver knew exactly what he was talking about. But the boy continued, his eyes now looking at his trembling hands.

"I can't get it out of my mind. I thought, if I didn't talk about it, it would just go away. But-" He swallowed again, and Oliver noticed a tear sliding down his cheek. "But I see it all over again. I see me screaming for her, I see my Dad running in, I see him and me fighting around her. I see it all. And then I see me, telling me not to save her." More tears were sliding down his cheek now. "I had the chance to save her but I didn't. I can hear her die, and then I see her face, and the blood and-"

Oliver didn't let him continue. Before he got totally hysterical, he pulled Barry's shoulders close and did something he never thought he would do. To Barry least of all. He hugged Barry Allen.

It seemed to work. Whether it was the shock of being hugged by Oliver Queen or the point of the embrace, either way, Barry stopped talking and sunk into Oliver's arms like a little brother would to an older sibling. They stood there for some time, in silence, waiting for Barry to stop trembling and his breathing to slow. When Barry finally pulled back, it was to reveal puffy red eyes and soaking wet cheeks.

"Sorry," He murmured, his face reddening slightly in embarrassment.

"Don't be stupid, Barry." Oliver said lightly, cuffing him around the ear. "Now let's go get out of these-" He pointed to the suits they were still in, "-and join the others."

Nodding, Barry smiled. Who knew Oliver Queen had a soft side, eh? He knew everything would be okay eventually. I mean, if the Starling Vigilante voluntarily hugged someone he found extremely annoying, then anything was possible. Looking at the man's face now, he could see a slight wetness in the creases of the man's own eyes.

He'd almost made Oliver Queen cry! The thought made him laugh out loud, and as soon as he did, Oliver sent him a confused look. Trying to keep a straight face, he patted his partner on the arm.

Almost …

XXXX

She walked into the bank, her high heels clicking on the hard marble floor. Her long, fur coat trailed the floor behind her.

She reached the centre of the room and, bending down, she reached out her thin, spindly fingers and let her blood-red nails clasp around the two ear-pieces abandoned and forgotten about on the floor.

They smoked and sparked, but she didn't need them to work.

Turning the metal over in her hands, her mouth twisted into a creepy smirk.

The S.T.A.R Labs logo was etched into the side of both.

Finally, she thought, I get to have some fun.

THE END!

{A/N}

Not sure I coulda lasted longer. Hope you enjoyed this final chapter. I lost motivation after the last chapter, so that's why it took so long. There will be no sequel.

At any rate, I'll see you in the next chapter of the next book. Peace!