One year later

One year, two months, and four days ago, Stiles Stilinski became the hero he's always wanted to be; he had sacrificed himself to save the city, his friends, and his family but in doing so, he hurt them. He left a mark on the people who had came to care about him and they are still grieving.

When Stiles passed, Barry could not bring himself to get out of bed every morning for an entire month leaving Caitlin and Cisco to save Central City. Barry took it hard, his heart had been crushed to pieces and it felt as if he no longer felt his heart beating. The image of Stiles' body on the ground never left the hero's memory, in fact it was the whole reason Barry never could sleep at night.

Stiles' body fell to the ground with a thump, the hole in his head bleeding continuously and the sight was horrifying. Barry was the first to react, his feet knowing exactly what to do before his mind could even comprehend. He fell to his knees, the tears streaming down his face like a waterfall and he clutched onto his already sickly pale body and his sobs were loud.

"NO!" Emma cried out and she began to fell to her knees, but Cisco caught her and embraced her in a warm, tight hug. Her screams were ear-piercingly loud, her body shook with sobs and her chest physically hurt.

Oliver stood there shocked, his hands shaky and the silver weapon dropped to the ground with a soft thump. Nobody noticed when the British man took off running towards his truck, he was gone before anyone could blink. His heart was beating loudly against his chest as he jammed his keys into the ignition, and he began to drive off without any hesitation and not once did he look back.

Stiles will continue to be in everyone's hearts, protruding in on their every day lives. He was the hero in their story. Always will be.

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"Barry, let's go! We're going to be late!" Iris West yelled from the bottom of the stairs, fumbling to get the earring in her ear. Once it went through, she continued to put the back on it and then did it to the other ear.

Barry Allen, dressed up in a suit and tie and hair slicked back, hurriedly walked down the wooden steps. They were to meet their friends at a fancy and very expensive restaurant at 8 and it was 7:55. Iris jokingly said, "God, you take longer than a girl to get ready."

"Oh hush," Barry wrapped an arm around her waist tightly. "hold on tight." they were out the door and in front of the restaurant in a flash. Iris began to complain about her hair being messed up making Barry roll his eyes at the dark-skinned girl and they entered the place taking in their surroundings. The place was big, lots of tables inside that had people sitting in them eating their food and chatting with friends/family. Very expensive chandeliers hung on the top, their crystals reflecting against the light and the red carpet made Barry feel like he was a movie star.

Matthew Slover, Caitlin Snow's boyfriend of 5 months, was paying for everyone's meal. He was a billionaire, his father was the CEO of a huge company and at times, Matthew helped his father out but nevertheless since he was an only child, he was spoiled. He never acted as if he was rich; if you met him, you'd think he was just an average guy. He didn't even have a mansion, just a nice apartment. He didn't spend his money on silly things like most billionaires do, he mostly gave it to charity. What wasn't given to charity, he would keep for himself or spoil Caitlin and her friends like he's doing at the moment.

"Hey, Barry, Iris!" Matthew greeted them with a warm smile, standing up to give them a good greeting. "Sit down, we were just about to order some wine and champagne."

"I'm not having any alcohol tonight, but thank you though." Iris declared, taking a seat in between Caitlin and Cisco Ramon.

Cisco chuckled, "Hold on, Iris, you have a leaf in your hair." he picked it out of her curled, dark hair, blushing from the closeness of the two and pulled back to focus on the plate in front of him.

"So, what's new with you, Barry?"

Barry replied to Matthew, "Nothing really. Everything's kind of quiet around here. Its surprising but also kind of terrifying."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin piped in, confused on why he thought it was terrifying. "It's great not having to go around and get all those other metahumans."

"Well, think about it. Right at this very moment, a metahuman can be plotting against us just waiting for the right moment to strike. Ever since the particle accelerators explosion, nothing good has really happened. I mean first, you lose the love of your life. Second, we find out Dr. Wells was against us trying to kill me for the longest time. Third, Stiles finds out his dad is still alive but he almost loses him by a game of hide and seek. Four, Stiles dies. Five, Emma breaks Cisco's heart and leaves. There's plenty of more problems that have happened. It's part of being a hero; every action comes with consequences."

Nobody was expecting Barry's explanation to be like that. In fact, they just expected a simple answer. Upon hearing Emma's name, Cisco's heart clench and he sighed quietly, his mood no longer a happy one. He missed Emma. Everyone did. Last thing he heard about her was that she was in Starling City having the time of her life; partying, drinking, sleeping with random guys, just being the girl that's the opposite of the real her.

"You're looking at the negative side of this. Yes, saving the world is what we do. It brings us this happiness because we're helping somebody, we're helping the entire city. But it's also tiring. Out of it, you guys lost Stiles and that was the hardest thing any of you were put through besides Cisco who lost the love of his life too while grieving over his dead best friend. But you guys, look on the bright side. You're all breathing, you're all doing great. I know some of you are still grieving," Matthews eyes flickered to Barry. "but look at you right now. Are you breathing? Yes, well I mean, I hope so. Are you begging God to take your life? No. You're out with friends, no scratch that, family, people who love you. Now, you can't tell me that, that doesn't make you feel good. While saving the city, you never get to have nights like this. Just be positive."

Everyone at the table let that sink in for a moment. Barry realized he was in fact correct and he may not be wishing for his life to be taken to see Stiles but he was wishing it was him and not the love of his life. A year later, Stiles still had a huge impact on everyone. There was a crack in their hearts that couldn't be repaired. That made Barry start to think. What if it could be repaired?

"Oh no, Barry, what're you thinking about? I can just see that glint in your eyes and the wheels turning in your head." Cisco observed, leaning forward in his seat and getting a good look at Barry.

"I know this is a long shot and this may not ever be able to happen but what if we could go back in time and somehow save Stiles?"

"Barry, are you crazy?" Iris laughed. "There's no way we could-"

"No, no, no, think about it. Barry can travel as fast as the speed of light. What if he was faster? Faster than he already is." Cisco questioned. Caitlin thought about it, it could very well be possible but she didn't want them to get their hopes up. She couldn't agree to it. After seeing Barry so miserable for months, it was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

"No. We can't do that." she finally spoke up. Barry and Cisco gave her a look of hurt and anger, her heart tearing into pieces just by looking at them and she began to feel bad.

Barry spoke at a level that gave off a vibe that he was angry with Caitlin, "Cait-"

"No, Barry. I said no. We can't do that."

"And why not, Caitlin? Please enlighten us on why we can't even-"

"Because what if you get your hopes up, Barry? What if you can't go back in time? You'll get so depressed, I'll have to drag your ass out of bed again and force you to continue your life. I can't see you like that again, Barry. It broke my heart knowing I couldn't help you and I couldn't take your pain away." Caitlin exclaimed, pouring her heart out to her close friend who gazed at her in shock.

Barry was silent for a moment. If it didn't work, he would get his hopes up. But what if it did work? A life with Stiles in it is better than a life with no Stiles. "Cait, I'd rather try and fail than not try at all."

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the next day
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco and Barry were relaxing in their chairs eating Chinese food and playing a game of iSpy. Currently, Cisco was attempting to find whatever Barry was talking about but failing miserably making Barry laugh hysterically.

"Oh c'mon! It's seriously not the letters on the keyboard?" Cisco shrieked, a noodle flinging on the floor from his flailing arms. The sound of heels clicking against the hard, white floor rang in their ears, both of them instantly knowing it was Caitlin. Neither of them haven't seen her since last night when they got into an argument about going back in time.

The red head made an appearance, three coffees in her hand and hanging on her elbow was her purse. She greeted them with a smile and individually handed them their coffee. No one said a word, sipping their scalding hot coffee in silence.

Barry took this time to think things through about traveling back in time. If he traveled back in time, would Caitlin still meet Matthew? He knew Emma would still be here and would still be with Cisco making him happier than he's ever been. He'd be sacrificing Caitlin's happiness for his own and that's not something he completely agreed with. But it's Stiles, it's the love of his life and the light of everyone's day. His existence made a difference in this cruel world and he made it a better place. Tears brimmed Barry's eyes, the pain from his death increasing and he set his food down.

"Barry?" Caitlin called out from where she was sitting. She noticed the tears that were threatening to fall and she became worried. Her friend glanced at her, a look of sadness flashing across his face and her heart dropped. "Barry, what's wrong?"

"It's just...Stiles didn't deserve to die, Caitlin. He should be here."

That silenced Caitlin, the only thing being heard was the sobs that racked from Barry's body. The traveling back in time plan crossed her mind, the thought of it sounding ridiculous but the outcome may be worth it. She couldn't agree to it though. He could very easily get his hopes up. Caitlin, angry with this, stood up from her spot taking her purse and coffee with her. "I am not agreeing to that stupid plan, Barry. I get it. You miss Stiles. We all do. But it's too freaking risky."

"Oh come on, Caitlin. It's not that risky." Cisco stated his opinion, on board with the plan.

Caitlin shook her head, chuckling a little bit, "You don't understand, Cisco. While you were at your apartment heartbroken and alone, I was the only one there for Barry. He didn't get out of bed for days and every single day, I had to make him something to eat and bring it to him. I had to force him to eat it. Then when I was done with helping him out, I had to come back here and try to save Central City by myself. I get it you guys, you miss Stiles and Emma. Hell, I miss them. You seem to be forgetting they were my friends too. But going along with this plan, you guys will probably get your hopes up at the end of it. And let's not forget, it'll change the future. If you do that, I'll probably never meet Matthew and Barry, I'm in love with him. I'm finally happy. I probably sound selfish right now but you didn't see what I saw, you don't see what I see now."

She continued her way out the door, a couple tears falling down her face from the frustration and anger she was feeling. She won't agree to this plan that they've cooked up in their brains. Nothing will make her agree to it.

Back in the Cortex, Cisco and Barry were still in their seats taking in the information Caitlin had just given them. Barry hadn't realized how bad he was when Stiles died, he just remembered the pain and heartbreak he felt back then. He still feels it to this day but it's not as bad as it was. The hero stood from his seat and in a second he was in his Flash suit and out the door. He was going to make this plan happen. He didn't care if he has to do it alone, he will bring Stiles back. There will be no 'getting his hopes up', he is going to succeed in bringing the love of his life back into the world.

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So, after a long break from writing, I am back with the first chapter! I had lost my inspiration for this series and I needed to take a break from it. I recently started missing writing it so I'm going to continue this series. This is going to be a trilogy:) and you're probably thinking, "This can't be a trilogy without Stiles". Well just keeping reading and I'm sure you'll be happy:)