You And Me (Hartley Rathaway/Pied Piper - The Flash) Fanfiction

2. Why Did You Leave?

I step foot into the big main hall. Finally, I think. I never really go away from this place, only to go home of course. But Star Labs is like my second home, especially because I get to work here with my dad, my friends and even the Flash! I wake up from my thoughts as I continue walking to the work space of the facility.

"What? Why can't she know about this?"

I hear a voice say from far away. The voices get louder as I come closer, I hear Caitlin say...

"Doctor Wells, I think she deserves to know."

"Know about what?" I now find myself behind my dad, Barry and Caitlin.

"Hey sweetie, you're home early." Says my dad surprised.

"Hey Riley, it's good to have you back." Adds Barry.

"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you guys by coming back a little earlier." I replie with a smile on my face. "Where's Cisco?" I look around but I don't see him here. Cisco and I have been great friends since the first couple of days he started to work at Star Labs, mostly because we share a common interest. Movies!

"Hey Ry, I didn't know you were coming back today." I look behind me and see Cisco appear from one of the hallways.

"So. How has Meta hunting been going without me?" I smile. But no one answers. Everyone just looks at my dad concerned. "Why are you all being so weird?" I ask.

"Uhh yeah, we found a Meta but he's in the pipelines so we don't need to worry about him anymore..." Says Barry still looking to my dad with the same expression on his face.

"Oh great! Who is it? What are his powers?" I ask as normal as I can.

"Doesn't really matter. Does it?" Says Cisco. I can see he's hiding something.

"Okay... What's going on with you all?" I ask. I see Caitlin looking away. I know she hates lying. "You know what, I'll just go to the pipelines and see for myself." I say and turn around and walk towards the pipelines. I feel wind rushing on my right and yellow lightning right behind it.

"You know, I really don't think it's necessary..." I'm standing in front of the pipeline door. Barry didn't even get to finish his sentence. I opened the door and walked inside. Behind me I can here Barry sigh. I'm somewhere proud of myself knowing that my attitude won again. In front of me there's the familiar blue cell with a man sitting on the ground his head down. I see he has glasses and brown hair. I walk up close to him and say...

"Hello there, I would like to introduce myself. I'm..." The man lifts his head up. I can now clearly see his face. The face I know so well, the face I missed so much this past years. I can see his beautiful blue eyes behind his round glasses. His expression changes. His face went from confident to the same expression my face is showing.

"Hartley?" I can barely say the name out loud. He stands up and get's closer to the glass wall.

"Riley!" 

"Wh-what? But you-you're... how is this even possible?" I ask. I see that Hartley doesn't know what to respond. "You were dead." I add. I can feel tears coming up. He still doesn't say anything. I look away not wanting him to see me cry as I do almost everyday. I look back at him.

"Why did you leave?" I feel tears streaming down my face. 

"I didn't want you to see me like this. In pain." He turns around so I can see what's in his ears, it's some sort of hearing aid.

For some time there's silence, we're just looking at each other. I don't know how to feel. Happy because he's back? Angry because he lied to me? Scared of what he has become?

"I'm sorry..." He says all of a sudden.

"Hartley you pretended to be dead for almost two years." It seems to be the only answers I can think of.

"I know, and I'm so sorry." He says. I feel less mad and more happy that he's alive. I walk away from him, to the screen where the doors of the cells can be opened. I open his cell door. I know that everyone upstairs is watching and will probably kill me for opening the cell but I don't care. Not right now. I walk back to Hartley as he steps out of the cell. We're now standing in front of each other, and I look at him. This moment seems to feel like an eternity, until the moment I hug him. I start crying.

"I missed you so much." I say through my tears.

"I missed you too." He whisperes softly.