Barry woke up with a stuffed head, and dry mouth. He shifted so that he was lying on his back. The curtains in this room was drawn, sunlight streaming inside. 'I probably forgot to close them last night. Last night? What happened-' Barry suddenly found himself remembering, but only pieces. He remembered everything clearly up until the point of when he ran out of the bar.

A headache was growing and Barry found himself forcing his eyes closed. He tried to recall the rest of the details. He heard the rain falling around him, but he was dry. Why? Oh- he was sitting under the bus stop. Sitting with...Ethan? He tried to recall the mans face but his headache flared in such a way that it left Barry gasping for breath and silent tears slipping down his face.

"Oh no-" Barry, still feeling weak, jumped off the bed and rushed to the luxurious bathroom. He dropped to his knees In front of the toilet, and dry heaved into it. After a few minutes of nonstop coughs and flares of pain, he leaned back and found him self resting on the opposite wall. He weakly lifted his foot and extended it to flush the toilet, then settled back into his previous position.

His breath was still labored, but his headache was starkly going away. Barry put his hands to his face and then quickly retreated the actions, holding his hands in front of him. "What?" He lifted one hand again and touched his cheek and found a trail of tears, still flowing. He groaned as he rubbed his face to wipe away the salt water, the action shaking his head.

After He had calmed down, he carefully stood back up, and walked over to the bathroom mirror hanging above the sink. As he walked he winced at the freezing floor tiles. For a moment they reminded him of when killer frost had kissed him, almost entirely dropping his temperature. Only that time, he was pumped with the adrenaline of the fight, now he was alone and exhausted.

"Whoa." Barry physically took a step back when he saw his reflection. He looked awful. His hair was sticking out everywhere. His face was bright pink with bloodshot eyes. He was shaking from some unidentifiable cold, but his clothes were patted down to him from sweat. The speedster stared at his reflection for a little while longer, before flashing into the shower and a new pair of clothes. In just a few seconds, he was in front of the mirror again, only this time he looked like his normal self.

-re and now. My universe will never be the same. I'm glad you came-

Barry stepped out of the bathroom scanning his room for his phone. He gave a little smile at his ringtone as it continued to play. College was one thing he would never forget. Shaking his head with a laugh, he continued to search for his phone.

He found it on the coffee table among other things. Brushing them off to the side, he grabbed the phone and sat down on the leather sofa. He answered the call without checking the ID. "Hello. This is Barr-"

"Barry." Oliver may have said his name as a casual greeting, but he could sense the slightest bit of anger and relief in the word. Barry laughs nervously. "Oh hey, Ollie! Just woke up and got ready. Oh dang. Are the others already at the Arrow Cave? Shoot sorry- give me just a se-"

"Barry. Barry! Stop talking." Barry stopped as Oliver requested. He could here the man mumbling about speedsters, before turning back to the conversation. "Calm down. We're all meeting up later after breakfast. I just called ask if you wanted to have breakfast with me."

That was a surprise. 'I thought he wanted to talk about what happened last night.' "Oh. Uh- sure. I can go."

"Great. I'll be in the hotel lobby in five minutes. Meet me down there."

"Yeah okay. Bye."

Oliver ended the call without so much as a good bye, but then again that was Oliver always. Barry smiled to himself, but that grew int a quick frown. 'Should I tell him about what happened this morning?' Barry thought for a second, rolling his phone around in his hands. 'No. I was probably just a little tired from spending the night in the rain.'

As Barry turned the phone around in his hands, he noticed that three minutes had already gone by. "Shoot!" Knowing the man, Barry guessed that millionaire was probably already at the lobby.

The speedster grabbed his jacket; it was nearing the end of fall after all. But he didn't put it on, as the ling sleeve sweatshirt he was already in did the job perfectly. Instead he grabbed his room key off the table.

As he grabbed the room key, he noticed a little white card. It was Ethan's business card. Barry couldn't explain why the look of the card suddenly sent shivers down his spine, yet oddly enough, the card was warm in his hands. Too warm. But that didn't matter as he shoved the items into the back pocket of his jeans.

He left his room, and headed toward the lobby. The path that led to the front doors of the hotel passed by the hotel's cafe and restaurant. Barry felt his feet stop, and someone behind him mumbled about ungrateful young people before shoving past him. But Barry couldn't hear that over the sound of his heart cracking. At a breakfast table, HR and Caitlin, both decked in dark sunglasses, were laughing along with Cisco. They looked happy. He then realized how the others had woken up and gone ahead to eat without saying anything to him.

Barry could understand that from Cisco. He couldn't blame Cisco for it after all. But Caitlin and HR? Caitlin and he still had a rocky relationship, but he thought she had forgiven him to at least this extent. And HR wasn't even apart of the entire situation originally. Out of everyone, HR was the most open to him. 'They probably had a good reason.' He mentally reassured himself.

Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate and refocuses where he was. Barry didn't care to answer knowing that it was Oliver waiting for him. Barry speed walked to the lobby to see Oliver waiting beside. large potted plant near the receptionist desk.

"I still don't get it. The fastest man alive, but you are still always late. It's like a super power all of its own!" Oliver joked as Barry approached him. Barry laughed lightly, still stunned about what he just saw. He noticed Oliver stare grow harsher on him when he realized that he hadn't said anything. 'Better play it cool, if I don't want him to mention anything.'

"I don't know what your deal is Oliver. You seem to also have a super power. The power to manage to bring up, 'island in the North China sea', way to often in conversations. Like seriously. How does that fit into anything?" Barry retorted.

Oliver laughed and shook his head. He started to walk, and Barry fell into place beside him. They left the hotel and began to walk across the sidewalks. Cars were rushing past them, along with early birds running to their jobs. Barry tuned back into what Oliver was saying. "-ight. I'll stop mentioning that. Only, if you agree to stop bringing up the time I shot you with an arrow."

Barry mockingly gasped. "An arrow?! It was two arrows Oliver! Two!" Oliver chuckled again, and they continued to throw quips back at each other. Soon, though, they stopped. Barry hadn't even realized it as they walked, but they were standing in small diner. Above the door, a sign read 'Little Things' in a pastel green cursive. 'Odd name for a diner, I guess?'

Barry took a moment to look around, and he noticed the lack of people. Now that's not to say that there weren't people- there were quite a lot, but compared to the rest of the city itself, it was a lot quieter. Barry could see through the tinted windows that only a couple people were inside.

Barry followed after Oliver, as the man entered. The door had one of those gentle bells that rung when anyone entered or left. Inside, it looked like the typical diner, but it gave off a warm friendly feeling. Barry didn't know that he had sighed, until Oliver chuckled next to him. "Here lets-" Oliver stopped and Barry followed his gaze. A waiter, seemingly a bit older was waving, and Barry noticed that Oliver had waved back as well. A silent conversation passed between them before Oliver turned to Barry.

"Why don't you pick a booth. Just go ahead and order. I'll join you a minute okay?" Barry nodded his consent, and Oliver went over to the counter. Barry blocked out their conversation, not intending to be rude, and took in the details of the diner. The walls were the same pastel green as the inside, and oddly enough there were multiple miniature flower pots with a single flower growing, sitting on the window ledge beside every booth. Anyhow, there were probably only ten other people around, but they paid no attention to him, instead speaking amongst themselves, as they were sprinkled around.

Barry choose a booth near the front door, mainly because he would rather watch the coming and goings of people as they passed the diner through the windows. Barry slid inside, his hands rubbing the cream colored leather. He set his jacket beside him. Barry found himself staring at the little flower in the pot resting on the window ledge. Barry absentmindedly stroked it, not realizing that Oliver had returned from his conversation and had slid into the booth, opposite of him. "So, I take it that you like the place?"

Barry looked out the window for another brief second, before turning to Oliver. "Yeah, I really do. It's just so-" "Cozy?" Oliver finished Barry's sentence. "I know. I found the place a year or so ago. I like coming here in the mornings when I'm stressed. I've come here so often that even the waiters remember my orders." Barry smiled at Oliver's small joke. It was strange, he realized, because he never thought that Oliver was the guy to come to small places like this. But now that he did, Barry only felt pride at the man in front of him. He was getting better. At least a lot better than Barry was right now. 'Now is not the time to be upset, Barry.'

Barry gave a little cough to clear his head, and spoke, not missing the weird glance Oliver gave him. "Yeah. Then again who doesn't know Oliver Queen?" Oliver rolled his eyes. "Anyways, why is the place called 'Little Things'? Strange name for a diner, isn't it?" Oliver nodded at Barry's words. "It's called that because the late owner - his son runs the place now, that was the guy I stopped to talk to - always said, "The little things are what is most important. This place is going to be where people can come with their most important little things." And thus, he built this place, and gave it this name."

"Wow." What else was there to say? Barry's took another sweep of the place, before settling back on Oliver. "I wish I could have met him." Oliver absently nodded. Suddenly Oliver's odd open mood morphed into what Barry remembered as Oliver's interrogation face. 'Shoot, shoot, shoot.' Barry audibly sighed, Oliver staring harder, when a young lady walked up to their table.

"Hi, Mr. Queen!" She greeted Oliver with a bright smile, before nodding to before with the same enthusiasm. Barry lamely raised his hand slightly, "Barry. Barry Allen." She save another smile. Oliver greeted her back. "Morning, Jessica." The girl, Jessica smiled brighter before she pulled out a miniature notepad from the pocket of her apron. She pulled out a pen as well, and clicked it. "What would you guys like today?"

It was then Barry realized he had no idea what he wanted - let alone what there was. Luckily for him, Oliver was there. "I'll gave my usual. But add a stack of buttermilk pancakes and some light coffee." "Yes sir!" Barry laughed along with Oliver, as the girl mock saluted and went off on her way. Barry was too busy watching her back, not realizing that Oliver was watching him like a hawk.

Oliver took in Barry's appearance. He noticed the guarded way the kid held himself back in the lobby. The small grim look on his face when he thought no one was looking. He knew something was up. Flashpoint was what's up. However, he had no idea what it was, but he was going to find out.

Barry turned away when Jessica disappeared behind a few doors, and turned back to Oliver. Barry leaned back, as Oliver sheer force of power in his glare made Barry want to run away. Barry felt nervous. His hands were squeezing the seat under the table. He felt the sudden cold spasm, and he willed himself not to shake under Oliver's gaze. If anything, that would make him look more suspicious.

Barry mentally sighed in relief when Oliver leaned back and frowned, his gaze just confused and worried. "Barry. Felicity and I were talking yesterday. It was about how Team Flash was aloof, but the term Flashpoint came up." Oliver didn't miss the quick spurt of tension in his friend's shoulders, but right after the quick second, Barry crumbled.

Barry curled in slightly. He leaned his elbows on the table, putting his head in his hands. Oliver reached across and gently grabbed Barry's elbow, causing him to look up. "Barry. What's going on?"

Barry sighed before explaining everything to Oliver, like how he had done so to Felicity only the day before. In the back of his mind, he thought about how the last day had felt like over a week.

Oliver, on his part, nodded to every word Barry said. He had different feelings raging throughout him. At first it was anger that Barry could have made such a selfish mistake, until he heard about what the kid needed to do to reset the timeline. Then the little changes, which eventually led to everyone finding out. Oliver felt like shooting Cisco for the way he treated Barry. All throughout Barry's talking, he rubbed circles into Barry's elbow.

When he was done, Barry leaned back and turned away from Oliver. Oliver did the same, leaning back, but he noticed the quick swipe of the hand in which Barry wiped growing tears out of his eyes.

"Barry, about what Cisco said-" It infuriated Oliver the way Barry waved it off.

"No Ollie. It's my fault, really. He's right in some sense. Tell me truthfully; I never have cared to look at the consequences."

Oliver didn't say or do anything, but that was enough confirmation for Barry. Blunt and honest- it was just how Oliver acted. Yeah, when they first met, Barry thought he was an absolute egotistical idiot, and he still does, but Oliver never danced around him. He told him everything plain and simple.

Oliver sighed. "It doesn't mean that he has a right to beat you down for it though." Barry shook his head again.

"He's grieving Oliver. I did the same thing when my mom died. Ask Joe. I was a total pain in the back for like a few months."

Oliver huffed and tried to reason. "Yeah, but you were a kid. Someone directly murdered your mother. Cisco is an adult and how is it your fault that you couldn't save him from that drunk driver. Sure, it happened because you changed the timeline, but we're not gods Barry. Dante would have died eventually. If not then, then tomorrow or the day after. You - both of you - need to see this and move on." Barry couldn't say anything, and Oliver knew he had backed the kid into a corner.

Barry finally opened his mouth to argue, but Jessica walked by with their plates just in time. She set down the plates and glasses as she called them out. "Buttermilk pancakes and light coffee for one Barry Allen. And dark coffee and yogurt parfait for a Mr. Queen. Anything else sirs."

"No, thank you."

"Everything's all good."

Oliver and Barry smiled at her. She returned it and walked away. However the moment she walked away, they went back to their previous conversation. Only this time, Oliver beat Barry into speaking. "Where'd you go last night?"

Barry suddenly had a flashback to his conversation with Ethan. And with that flashback, he was accompanied by another one of this morning. 'Should I?' Oliver was expectantly waiting for him with an answer. Barry did what he normally did under pressure. "Oh. Haha. I just sped back to the hotel room." He lied. Oliver glared at him.

"No, because Felicity hacked into the security system-"

"Not much of a security system then?"

"-at the hotel, and no one had checked into the room since you had left. You did check in around 30 - 40 minutes later though. What took you so long?"

That last question had Oliver hissing, and it irritated Barry. He bit off a retort to Oliver, with the same attitude. "What Oliver? I just chose to walk around the city before going back! I may not be the Arrow, but that doesn't mean I'm scared of the dark. I'm an adult! I was fine!" Oliver's eyes widened. Barry had never spoken like that to him before, other than the incident with Bivolo. The kid, always annoyed with him - who wasn't? - never got angry so quick. The kid always looked for a safer, more thoughtful way out of a confrontation.

Oliver noticed some other customers sitting at the counter glance back at their booth, so he took a deep breath, and spoke softer. "It's not that Barry. Remember the reason why you're here? We don't what the guy looks like, he keeps changing appearances. You can't trust just anyone on the street."

Oliver stopped speaking when Barry scoffed. "What?" He demanded. "You can't trust anyone on the street? Oliver, you can't just do that. There are tons of people in star city. If everyone treated everyone else like they were secret murderers, then where would we be? Anyways, he wasn't even dangerous. He literally was coming home from work." Barry snapped his mouth shut. 'Dang it! I spoke to much!'

"Who's 'he', Barry?" Oliver was sounding accusing again, and it was grating on Barry's nerves.

"Nothing. I told you. He was just going home." They stared each other down for a minute, and Barry was prepared to test his luck against Oliver, but the other man dropped his shoulders in defeat. It surprised Barry ho quickly Oliver was admitting defeat.

"I'm sorry, Barry. You're right. It's just that you have a thing for attracting trouble, you know?" Oliver lightly jokes, and Barry silently nodded. Barry realized he was still tense and bound up with nerves. 'Sheesh. Oliver - Oliver just apologized. I need to calm down.'

Barry leaned back, and too took took a deep breath. Oliver nodded at Barry's seemingly calmer nature. But, it was a lie. He put on the show for Oliver that he was fine, but inside Barry was vibrating. It wasn't just Oliver who noticed Barry's sudden temper. 'I've never done that.'

Barry couldn't fathom why he had suddenly exploded. He was still buzzing with energy, and not the good kind either. It was energy one felt as a teen where you wanted to pick a fight for sake of picking one. That didn't settle well, and Barry felt sick again. 'Sick' The word sent him reeling into what happened that morning, and he was filled with the sudden chills again. Outside though, Oliver noticed Barry - less tense now - simply grow distant.

Oliver called out, "Barry?"

Barry shook himself into reality. He gave an sincere apologetic smile. "It's alright. You were right to Oliver. I need to focus on why I'm here. And that includes looking for clues."

Oliver shifted and hummed in agreement. As he shifted, he pulled out his phone from his back pocket, reading a text on the lock screen. When Oliver scrunched his eyebrows, Barry grew concerned and confused. Then Oliver got glance at their breakfast for a quick second, further confusing Barry. "What's wrong?"

"Felicity just texted me that everyone has already gathered there, and Cisco has noticed some things from the footage. I was login to text we'd be on our way ion a minute, but you haven't eaten yet-" Barry shook his head, already pulling on his jacket quickly, hoping to be nonchalant, but it was growing harder to hide the cold chills falling down his back. "I'm fine. We can go."

Oliver shook his head. "Don't you need to eat more often, because of your-" Barry interrupted, "Metabolism. Yeah, but I have coupe energy bars Cisco made me two years ago. I'll be fine with them. Come on." He said all this while getting up and pulling Oliver up with him. Barry stepped back when Oliver nodded his consent, and waited patiently as Oliver quickly went over to pay the bill, even tough neither had touched their food.

Oliver returned. "Okay, ready?" Barry nodded, and he followed Oliver out of the diner.

They made their way to the Arrow Cave.

3,690 words. That's around three times what I have written in every other chapter.

I hope this will make it up for my absence, but this chapter was hard to write, truthfully. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

I want to thank all of you again! I wish you all a happy day/night!

-OnlyEscape

(Special note from Nindragon, OnlyEscape's Beta: OnlyEscape worked really hard on this chapter so make sure you give them some love by favoriting and reviewing! \(^-^)/ )

[Special Note returned: And send thanks to Nindragon as well, for being an amazing Beta. Not anyone can just deal with this author's sloppy writing skills! :D]