Chapter Text
She's resting her head against window, the sturdy pounding of the train moving gives her a sense of calm. It was the one thing her mother always said calmed her down when she got fussy. Her dark curls bounce with the steady movement. The window is cool against her tawny cheeks, allowing her peace. Peace she needs as her mother calls for the eighth time.
She didn't want to speak with Tiana Baker. In fact she was the last person that she wants to speak with. She needs her space to sort this all out and hopes that her mom gets the message.
Give her space.
Space. That's all she asked for. She needed time to process that the man she thought was her father actually wasn't and she did know her real one.
She ignores the call, sending it straight to voicemail and the song continues. She closes her eyes and let's the lyrics sink into her mind, giving her peace of mind. Her mother is the last thing on her mind right now. Lena Baker had more important things to do, more important issues that awaited her once she got to her destination.
Soon enough though, she'll be in Central City, soon she'll get to meet the man that's eluded her life for the last twenty-three years.
-~-
"You're getting a lot faster Barry!" Caitlin acknowledged. She's standing near the treadmill, her tablet In hand. She watched the numbers go up, watched as Barry ran faster and faster. He stops momentarily before starting again. And Caitlin furrows her brows. "But you dont want to over-exert yourself. Even the flash needs a break."
"I have to. You know that." Barry responds. He steps down and the two of them walk towards a small table that hosted drinks and snacks. He picks a bottle of water and the special bars that were made specially for him and takes a seat.
"I know. With that new speedster...."
Both go silent. There's a bit of tension in the air. Three years and yet another speedster was attacking his city and once again he had to stop them. Except this one was different than all the others. He was powerful than every other one and according to Jay, he was one of the first ever speedsters. He would be impossible but Barry wasn't going to give up that easily. He wasn't going to lose anyone else that he loved and that meant stopping him at all costs.
"But Barry. He wouldn't want this. He'd want you to have some fun. You've been swamped in this mess. I haven't seen you out and having fun since you found out the truth about what happened to Leonard. I'm grateful that you're getting faster but trust me, after losing someone and burying yourself into work isn't the answer. Take a break. Go to Jitters or to the park or anywhere but Star Labs."
Barry opens his mouth to object but Caitlin throws him a worried glance. She's right. He knows this. He saw what it did to her all that time ago when she lost Ronnie, how she was. Len wouldn't have wanted him to waste so much time in Star Labs.
Come on Scarlet. Where's the fun in staying in this place?
All work and no play makes the flash a dull speedster
Let's go out and have a little bit of fun
He can hear his voice in his mind, telling him to get out and enjoy himself. He's in his twenties for crying out loud!
Barry pops the top off his water bottle and takes a sip. The bottle is poised halfway to his lips when a sly grin cross his features. He hasn't been the only one holed up in Star Labs.
"I'll go out if you come with me. Ever since Zoom and Hunter you've been stuck here. In flashpoint you at least had a life. I'll go if you come with."
Caitlin sputters. "I can't. I have things to do! And I'm not dressed and I don't have the right clothes and----"
"Ronnie wouldn't want this." He fires back and it's not an insult. He wouldn't. The short time that Barry has known Ronnie Raymond he knew the man would want Caitlin to be happy and joyous.
She sighs, defeated. "Okay. Okay. Pick me up at eight and we'll spend the night on the town."
Barry smiles. "Good! I'll invite Cisco and Iris too. Maybe Wally if he's not speeding around saving other cities."
Caitlin nods her head. "Alright, alright. Let me Go and get ready. Not all of us are speedsters."
-~-
She arrived in Central City without even realizing it. She had fallen asleep sometime during the trip and the little girl with freckles next to her had tossed her doll at Lena to wake her up. She grabbed her bags and exited the train, 7:45 pm. She would find a motel, get some sleep and then start her day trying to find her father.
"Hey. There's this bar. I heard Captain Cold and Heatwave used to frequent it." Lena has the key in the lock when she hears a few of the other occupants nearby. Lena whips her around and two girls dressed in shirts of the crooks stand just a few feet from her. She heard of Captain Cold before, she had heard the name. Both of them. No one really knew who they were, at least their real identities. The persona was what all people knew.
"It's a little nostalgic don't you think? Going?" The other one speaks. She's wearing the Captain Cold shirt and her eyes and features are, well, ice like.
"Captain Cold and Heatwave just vanished. This is paying respect and hoping that maybe they're going to be there. Come on Cindy! It'll be fun."
The one, Cindy furrows her brows and frowns but gives in to her friend. "Okay, okay. But we better have fun."
"We will! A lot of fun people hang out at this bar."
Lena thinks. From what her mother told her about her father, if Captain Cold and Heatwave hung out there and her father was someone that might have run in his circle....
"Hey!"
The two girls snap their attention to her and she smiles. "I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear, I'm new to town and looking for a scene mind if I tag along?"
The two girls nod. "Yeah! Of course. The more the merrier!"
-~-
"He's so awkward." Caitlin grins. She's on her first drink and they're watching Cisco as he dance with some blonde that he met the moment he entered the bar. "At least when he dances. I feel so embarrassed for him."
Barry grins. "Don't. Kelly is a wonderful person who can't dance either."
Caitlin nods. "How do you know her? How do you know most of the people at Saints and Sinners?"
Barry looks down into the glass. It's just sitting there collecting vapor. He sips every once in a while but it doesn't do anything for him, to him. He can't feel a thing and moments like this he wishes that he could.
"I used to come here all the time with Len. He wouldn't let me get hurt or anything!" Barry quickly adds when he catches Caitlin's gaze. "It was the one place we could be happy with each other without the stares or anything."
"We didn't judge." Caitlin adds.
"Yeah. I know that but Joe.... He still wasn't completely sold on us being together and the looks he would give Len. I didn't want him to keep being subjected to that."
Caitlin frowns. "I know. But he's.... He was there for you when you found out. That was--- he told you that he didn't feel that way about Leonard."
Barry downs the drink and places the glass upside down. "Yeah. After the fact. Doesn't make up for the time that he kept telling me he'd take Len in the moment he stepped out of line."
Barry looks ahead. The bartender, Chad is grinning back at him, holding a bottle up. Ever since people found out about what happened to Len, they think its open season with him. And he's always rejected them, but maybe... Chad isn't bad on the eyes and he's lonely. It's been nearly seven months nearly. Not enough time to move on but he needs to.. he can't take this ache. He lost his dad and then he found out, months later that the man he loved was gone.
Maybe Chad isn't a bad idea....
-~-
After Lena dropped her stuff off into her room Cindy and Martha (as she found out the other girl's name was) piled into Martha's two door and headed to Lower Central City. She looked out the window. The city was quiet. A little too quiet to what she was used to and she saw signs. A lightning bolt across much of the stuff and a name: The Flash. She's never heard of him.
"Who's the Flash?"
Cindy and Martha look at eachother.
"You don't get the news in Keystone do you?" Cindy jokes and Lena grins.
"We do. But not all that much. Who is he?"
Martha looks back at her with find eyes. "Thats the flash. The hero of Central City. He's a meta human, one of the good ones anyway."
"Meta Human?"
"A while back the particle accelerator malfunctioned---" Cindy begins.
"I know about that."
Cindy continues. "And the blast created people with powers. Meta Humans. The flash is one, he's a speedster, fastest man alive. We love him. He keeps us safe."
"Yet you don villian attire?"
Martha and Cindy let out a loud giggle. "They're hot!"
Lena shakes her head and continues staring out the window. What has she gotten herself into?
-~-
A box drops on Barry's head but it's not hard enough to cause damage to him. He looks down: Coldlightning, it's a new brewery that's opened. Barry had joked about the name when he first heard about it.
Cold and lightning. Just like you and me
Maybe it was a sign? Len was sending him some obscured message and he should listen to it.
"I never thought I'd be here." Chad moans. He presses a finger against Barry's stomach. "Never thought I'd be here with you. The first time that I saw you with Snart, those lips and that body. I knew I wanted you. You know I asked Snart to let me fuck you. He nearly froze me.''
Barry snorts. "Lenny is very jealous. Didn't like anyone touching me."
Chad nips at his collarbone, it would leave a mark.
"If he would see this now."
"Yeah." Chad turns him around and pushes his pants down.
"I can't believe this. So beautiful."
He's doing it to forget Len. The cool criminal isn't coming back.
Move on.
He hears the unwrapping of a condom and a slight pressure against his ass....
"Barry!" Caitlin's voice interrupts them. Chad turns around quickly and tries to hide. Barry does the same, except he stares at Caitlin. She has her eyes covered with her purse.
"I was kind of busy Caitlin."
"Yeah, yeah. I can see that but Barry. We need you at Star Labs. Emergency.''
Barry nods. He pulls his pants up and places a kiss on Chad's cheek. "Not today buddy."
Not today. Or ever. This had to have been a sign from Len. He didn't want this. He didn't want Barry to move on.
Caitlin follows him out; Cisco is already making his way towards the door with his phone in hand, most likely talking to Wall and getting the details of what the big issue is today.
He walks. His mind is somewhere else and he doesn't notice when he bumps into a girl making her way inside.
"Watch it!" She yells. Barry stills for a moment. She's not that tall, about Linda's height but for a moment he had to do a double take. She looked so familiar to him. Her dark hair fell over her bare shoulders, She looks up more and Barry freezes: eyes so similar.... Cool.... warm...Len's.... No.
"I'm sorry. I'm..."
"Barry!" Caitlin rushes back and grabs his arm. "No time to flirt."
Barry shakes his head. "No I wasn't... wait."
"No time. Trouble. Now."
He's pulled out of the bar before he has a chance to look at her properly. She looked exactly like Len.
But it couldn't be. Could it?
-~-
"Who was that guy?" Cindy asks. Lena sits at the table that the two girls picked out and sips at the drink that they ordered.
"Dunno know. Bumped Into me. He was kind of cute though."
Martha nods In agreement. "Yeah. Kind of old though."
Lena grins. "We're twenty-three. He looked at least twenty-six. Not that old. And didn't you say you have the hots for both Cold and Heatwave?"
Martha holds up a glass. "Got me there."
Lena rolls her shoulders. She's a little tense. It was a habit she picked up from her mother.
"So this is where those two used to come?" Lena looks around. A lot of unsavory types seemed to be here.
He was a crook, a thief. The only good thing he ever did was take care of his sister
At least she had a name though. If it was up to her mother she wouldn't even have that. She was grateful she found it sitting in her mother's books. A picture to go with the name would have been better too.
She thinks, while she's here she might as well start asking around. Downing her drink she stands up and walks towards the bartender. He's cute, bright eyes and a grin that would make anyone blush. His name tag read 'Chad'.
"What can I get for you?" He asks. "Or do you need a refill?"
His voice is sincere and it's not like he's flirting. For once Lena's a little relieved.
"Information actually. I was wondering if a guy by the name of Leonard Snart ever comes through here."
Chad's features change. That sly grin is replaced with a worried look. Okay so he knew Leonard.
"Why are you asking about Snart?"
"Look, does he come in here or not?"
"He hasn't been in here in a while. His boy says he's off somewhere but given what his boy does lately, they ain't together anymore."
Lena orders another drink. This was a bust.
"What's his name though? The guy that Leonard Snart was seeing?"
Chad goes to open his mouth just as Martha rounds forward. She grabs Lena's hand.
"The flash has been sighted! Come on. You get to see our hero in action!"
"Wait!" She looks back at Chad who has now turned away. She needed that name.
-~-
"Who is this guy?" Barry says into his comm. Caitlin and Cisco are back at Star labs, going over every file that they have. They've never seen a meta like this one before. He wasn't even in the Central City database.
"I don't know Barry but be careful. We've never seen anything like this before."
Barry nods and continues on fighting. He can't let this guy lose on the city.
"Give it up Flash. I can't be stopped."
Yes he can.
A familiar voice sounds in his head.
He's can produce fire Scarlet. And you've taken Mick down plenty of times. Think about that, all those times. You've got this Red
The voice was right. He might be been made out fire but it's no different.
He can do this.
-~-
"There he is!" Cindy shouts. She's holding onto Lena tightly. "And fuck he's hot."
Lena watches. She's never seen anyone like that before, anything like that before. The way that he moved, the way that he took down that meta human without a problem.
"How do you know?" Lena surmised. She had a grin on her face. "He's covered in red leather."
"Oh come on! You can tell with the way the suit hugs his body. He's hot."
Lena rolls her eyes. She didn't have time for this. She needed the name of that man that her father was involved with and that meant going back to that bar.
"Can we head back now? I want to finish my drink."
Martha glances at her, a smirk on her face. "Or do you wanna continue talking to that cute bartender? I saw the two of you. Flirting and whatever."
"Don't. I wasn't... look can we go back please?"
Martha grimaces. "Okay. Fine. Go and get your flirt on."
"I wasn't----" She was exasperated. She wasn't going into this right now. "Can we just go? Please?"
Martha nods. "Okay let's go. Cindy, eyes off the flash and let's get Lena back to that cute bartender."
Martha and Lena grab each side of Cindy and leads her back to the car.
She was going to get her answers.
-~-
"No!" Lena shouts. The moment they got back to the bar Chad was gone. Clocked out early and now... She would have to wait.
"Looks like lover boy left ya." Martha mocks. "Maybe he'll be in tomorrow night?"
Lena shrugs. "Yeah. Yeah. Take me back to the hotel?"
Lena heads back towards the door. "About that. Martha and I don't actually stay there. We were asking for help and I was thinking that, we have an extra room. We like you. Stay with us?"
Lena watches with wide eyes. "You just met me."
"And we have a good eye when it comes to people and you are the best." Martha adds.
Lena shakes her head. It would save money and she does like them.
"Okay. Just let me go get my stuff and we can head to your place."
Martha and Cindy throw their arms around Lena's shoulders, both with Jubilant smiles on their faces.
"Great!" They say in unison.
"Great."
Her smile was forced, she was happy on the inside about this but she still needed that name. She needed to find her father.
-~-
"Dude that was awesome!" Cisco shouts the moment that Barry enters Star Labs. He gives him a high five and Barry gives him one of those half lazy smiles that he gives when he's tired or doesn't feel like talking. "And that meta. Fire."
"Fire? I hope that wasn't the name you gave him." Caitlin grins. "It's awful."
Barry agrees. "Dude she's right."
Cisco holds up his hands. "I'm working on it still."
Barry leans against the console. His heart heavy and he needed to get the sound of Len's voice out his head.
"You guys still need me? I need some sleep."
Liar. Len's voice is back. You need a night alone. Naughty boy
"Uh, No I think that's all." Caitlin is already packing up her stuff.
"Okay."
He speeds out of his suit and out of Star Labs.
He does need some alone time.
"I miss you." Barry says to no one. "So much."
-~-
Lena is adjusting in her new room. Martha had gone out for food and Cindy was taking a shower. She sits on her bed, a picture of her mother and her in her hand. She stares. She has her mother's hair, the curls fall onto her shoulders the same way that her mother's does, she has her mother's smile.
Those eyes, however.
You have your father's eyes. Those wicked eyes. Convinced me to dye my hair orange once.
She had told Lena the story. The fondness in her voice over it, she even wonder what happened between the two of them. They seemed happy from what she said, from the stories she told.
"Oh Leonard. Where are you?"
She tosses the picture back into her back and closes it.
"Dinner's here!" Martha yells from downstairs.
She stands just as her stomach growls.
"I'm on my way!"
-~-
The next morning Barry finds himself sitting in the back of Jitters, his back towards everyone. He couldn't face seeing all the smiling faces around him. Hence why he was here alone. He didn't want to be around Caitlin or Cisco and them asking a lot of questions that he didn't want to answer. Especially with last night's memories sit on his mind. All of Len's pictures that he took without him knowing sat on his bed and he cried; He spent the night actually crying.
He misses him.
"One coffee, black with three sugars and a drop of creamer." The barista smiled. She placed the cup in front of him and bounced off towards the next customer. Barry picked up the cup and bought it to his lips. It was still a little hot. He blew into it to chill it a bit.
How can you drink that hot? It's better cold.
"Make It ice cold."
A voice sounds and Barry freezes. Len used to say that, those words.
His words.
Barry quickly turns around and he nearly drops the cup.
The woman who said the words, turns around. Her smile, a dazzling one shows on her tawny cheeks, tinted just slightly with a tad of red from a blush that the barista behind the counter put on her cheeks, and it's her, the girl from last night. The one who had eyes, his eyes, eyes that looked exactly like....
Lenny's
The barista hands her drink and slips her a piece of paper along with it. He could be right about this or he could be completely wrong. Either way, he needed to find out. He puts the cup down and heads out the door where the girl and her friend had exited through.
-~-
"Jitters huh? Sounds like it's going to be bad." Lena mocks and that earns her a slap on the ass from Martha. Cindy was going to go with them but a sudden phone call from a guy at Star Labs had her attention occupied.
"Hey. I've been coming here all my life. I love this place." Martha holds the door open for Lena as they walk though.
"You're whole life? You mean all twenty-four of it? This place opened like ten years ago."
Martha rolls her eyes. "Okay fine but still. Jitters has the best java in the world. If you don't think it's the best thing in the world Then you can boast about it all you want."
Lena gleams. "Deal."
The line today isn't surprisingly long and they don't have to wait that long. Lena walks up to the counter and the barista, who's name reads 'Cherie' smiles at her. The woman has a shade of blue hair that Lena's never seen before and it suits her well. Her eyes are bright with anticipation.
"Welcome to Jitters! I'm Cherie but you can call me Cher. What can I get for you today?" She's a little chipper with the hype but Lena expects it.
Lena's eyes are glued to the board above Cherie and she doesn't know what to get. It all seems good. But Martha knows exactly what she wants.
"I'll have a Flash."
Lena frowns. "You named a drink after him? Really?"
"He's our hero. Of course we did." Martha states. "You know what you want?"
Lena looks back at the barista and gives her order.
"Make It ice cold." She adds for good measure.
"Of course hotness." Cherie winks at Lena before turning around, a shade of pink scattered over her cheeks, making her blush. Something she's never done.
"She's cute. You should ask her out." Martha suggests and Lena shakes her head. She's not here for that. She's here to find her father and that's that. Not looking for hookups.
Cherie comes back with their orders and slips a piece of paper with Lena's before winking again.
"And she's into you!"
The two walk out of the building, just as a voice calls for them to stop.
-~-
"Wait! Please." Barry calls and they stop. The girl who's eyes were so familiar froze.
"You! You're that guy from last night." Lena gasps out. "What? Are you following me?"
Barry shakes his head. That's probaly what it looks like but he isn't.
"No. No. I'm just---"
How to say it without sounding like a creep?
"You look really familiar to me."
"I've got one of those faces you know."
She turns to leave.
"Wait! Your eyes. They look like my.... my ex-boyfriend's. You have his eyes."
Lena turns back around and faces him, a smirk so much like Len's on her face.
"My mom says I have my dad's eyes."
Could it be?
What are you doing Barry? You don't know this woman
He wants to tell him to shut up. But he can't bring himself to.
"Might I ask, his name?"
Stop Barry. She's going to think you're weird.
"Leonard. Leonard Snart. That's why I'm here. I need to find him."
Barry's heart skips a beat. She doesn't look more than in her early twenties. A little younger than he is. Len.... Len's daughter?
Lena notices the expression on his face.
"Wait, are You the guy that the bartender was talking about? Are you my dad's boyfriend?"
She doesn't know. Barry thinks. She doesn't know that she's never going to meet him.
Barry gives her a weak smile. "Yeah. I'm your dad's boyfriend." He holds out a hand. "Barry Allen."
She takes it with a vice-like grip and a large smile. "Lena Baker. It's nice to meet you too."
"Same here."