{Author's Note: I HATED this chapter and not only changed the title, but rewrote it. I hope you enjoy this new spin!}

It was only a few days later that Phantom saved Eddie Thawne's life.

I hadn't returned to S.T.A.R. Labs and instead threw myself into the new task force on metas that Singh had put Eddie and I on. Barry would appear at the station as per usual and smile at me. Often, he'd get in trouble for standing at my desk for so long to talk to me.

On one such occasion after he left, Eddie smirked at me. "Did you tell him how you feel yet?"

I hesitated. "Well, no, not yet."

"Why?" Eddie asks with a laugh. "Did you not see him look at you like that just now?" I went to give a retort when he stood up and left the desks.

"Eddie! What are you doing?" I asked as I got up and cursed under my breath as he rounded the corner to go up the stairs. "Eddie!" I yelled and chased after him, dodging around officers as he went upstairs to Barry's lab.

I caught him just as he said,

"Hey, Barry!"

Barry looked up from what he was analyzing at his desk. "Hey, Eddie! What can I do for you?"

I stopped and Eddie held a hand up to silence me as he said, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Um... nothing to my knowledge. Why?"

I felt my cheeks begin to burn as he said, "Well, there's this new restaurant Iris and I wanted to try. You should totally come with us tonight. With Maddie." He says and reaches back to grab my arm and pushes me forward and towards Barry despite my protests.

Barry smiled slightly. "Sounds fun, Maddie, what do you think?"

I glared at Eddie as he grinned at me and I turned to try and smack him, but he dodged away. "Also, Maddie has something to tell you." Eddie said and laughed as I swatted at him again. He then left the lab and closed the doors behind him so I couldn't escape.

I was fuming. "I'm gonna kill him, Barry. I swear it." I turned to face him, moving my hair from my face to see he was smirking at me, his arms crossed. My face burned even more if it was possible.

"Maddie? Are you ok?" He asks.

I looked at him, the way he stood leaning against a bookshelf with his arms crossed. His head tilted to the side and his brown eyes looking into mine with such certainty. The way he smiled at me.

"I- yeah... yeah I'm perfectly fine." I say, my voice coming out stiff. C'mon, Maddie this is Barry.

"He said you needed to tell me something?" He frowned. "Maddie, what's wrong? You can tell me, it's ok."

I frowned, then wrapped my arms around myself. Then, steeling my nerves said, "Barry... I... I don't know how to say it other than really plainly."

"Then say it plainly." He says gently, stepping closer to me.

I looked up at him, then shifted from foot to foot. "Listen, the relationships I've seen in my life- other than Eddie and Iris- they haven't been healthy. I don't really know how to have a relationship like that, and frankly it scares me. My family is so messed up and none of them have remained consistent, and yet, you're the first person in my life that has been consistent." I sighed heavily.

"Gosh, this sounds so stupid, but Barry, I... I am so head over heels for you it feels like every time you're near me I am safe and happy and any time you take my hand I just don't want you to let go. You've been my best friend for so long, and I didn't want to ruin that, so I kept it to myself, but recent events have made it very difficult to avoid these feelings anymore."

I looked up at him to see he had only gotten closer, and was smiling, his eyes slightly misty with what I realized were tears. I frowned. "No... don't cry." I said as I stepped forward and lifted my hands to his cheeks. "Because then you're going to make me cry."

He laughed slightly and lifted his hands to my wrists as he said, "Madeline Kennedy, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear something like that from you."

My eyebrows shot up. "Wait- what?!" I moved my hands from his face and he caught them and held them tightly in both of his. "Y-You feel the same way?"

He nodded. "Maddie, I thought I was making it very obvious."

"I guess we're both just super oblivious, which says a lot coming from me of all people."

He nodded with a small laugh as he moved my hands behind his back and I stepped in closer. His hands moved to my face, one of his thumbs rubbing across my cheekbones.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead and my eyes fluttered closed as I merely hugged him closer, my arms moving up his back. I opened my eyes to meet his and smiled.

He smiled back and said, "You know, if I had known you'd felt this way for so long, I would've asked you out years ago."

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I always thought you liked Iris."

He actually started laughing at that and I scowled at him. "Iris and I? No. She's my best friend and like a sister to me. And she has Eddie. They're a much better match, anyways."

I sighed heavily and dropped my head on his chest and his arms moved around me. "I'm sorry. This is not how I would have told you."

"How would you have told me?" He asks.

I hesitated. "I... don't know. But I do know it wouldn't have been because of Eddie."

He chuckled. "Certainly makes it memorable."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

"Maddie?"

"Barry?"

"Would you like to go get dinner at that place Eddie mentioned with me tonight?"

I smiled. "I'd love to."

He nodded. "That's great. I'll see you tonight, then, Mads."

I smiled and he squeezed my hands as I reluctantly pulled away and went back downstairs and returned to my desk to find Iris sitting on Eddie's desk and the two of them grinning at me.

I scowled at them even as my cheeks burned. I stacked files on my desk and said, "Barry and I will see you both at dinner tonight."

I then turned and left before they could continue teasing me.

******

I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom at the West house and attempted to fix my hair up for the fourth time. I dropped my hands with a heavy sigh.

I decided to keep it down and attempted to curl it when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Maddie?" Iris called, "You good in there?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Can I come in?"

I sighed and opened the door and saw she was completely ready for the night. My jaw dropped. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" She asks as she turns me to the face the mirror and begins to comb my hair back.

"Look pretty, like, all the time." I said with a heavy sigh and picked some stray hairs off of my dress.

Iris scoffed and she began to pull my hair back from my temples. "Maddie, you're crazy. You're just as beautiful."

She turns me around to face her and sets her hands on my shoulders. "Hey. Look at me. You're going to be fine. This is Barry. He adores you just the way you are, so you don't need to feel this pressure to be perfect. He's seen you and cherished you at your worst, and at your best."

I nodded and smiled. "Y-Yeah... thank you, Iris. That means a lot."

She finished the braid and said, "That's what best friends are for. Now. Get your butt downstairs. We're starving."

I finished getting ready, then grabbed my purse and headed down the stairs. I could see Eddie and Iris talking with Barry, who had his back to me, and I stopped at the bottom step as Barry turned around at our friends bumping his shoulder and his eyebrows shot up.

I pushed my glasses up my nose. "Hey." I said.

"Hey- wow, Maddie. You... you look beautiful." He said and stepped closer to me and held a hand out to me.

I smiled and took his hand and stepped down the last step. "Thank you, Barry. You look handsome." I said and lifted my hand to his cheek and kissed his other.

His grip tightened somewhat on my hand as I did this and he looked back at Eddie and Iris and said, "Alright. Let's go."

Eddie drove, with Iris in the passenger's seat, and Barry and I sat in the back. He held my hand the whole ride, and I didn't mind it. He kept stroking his thumb across my knuckles, and then gently tracing the scar over my left wrist.

The gesture for whatever reason sent a chill down my spine and butterflies in my stomach.

We got to the restaurant and Eddie parked. Barry released my hand and quickly got out, then walked around and opened the door, offering his hand again.

I smiled and took it as I stepped out. "Why thank you, my good sir."

He grinned as he closed the door behind me, and then said, "You are most welcome, my lady."

We followed Eddie and Iris into the restaurant and I all of a sudden felt a wave of uncertain dread wash over me. I pushed it back, thinking it must just be nerves, and let Barry lead me over to the table the waiter had set up for us.

He pulled out a chair for me and I sat as he guided the chair in. He then moved and sat down next to me and I smiled at him as I set my wallet clutch on the table.

Eddie and Iris sat across from us and Iris smiled widely. "Wow! This is so exciting!"

"Yeah... thanks." I said and sent Eddie a look, but I knew this was for the best. They were right- I wouldn't have said anything. But I was glad I did.

We fell into companionable chatter as we ordered drinks and I just asked for a water with lemon. I was looking at the menu when Iris said,

"You can get something other than water, you know, Mads."

I looked up and blinked, then looked from her to my water. "Oh, I know. I haven't decided yet." I swallowed hard. None of them knew why I didn't drink, and we hadn't exactly been out to eat at a fancy dinner together since I turned twenty-one.

"What are you picking from, and then I can recommend something." She offers.

"Oh, I was looking at their tea selections. They have tea bags but I wasn't sure if I wanted to use my own or not yet." I say dismissively. I already felt uneasy to begin with- I didn't want to share why I never consumed any alcohol and make the feelings even worse.

Eddie raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Tea is good."

"So is alcohol on a night out with friends." Iris says.

"I don't like it." I said tensely, gripping at my dress under the table.

"Why? I don't think I've ever seen you drink, Maddie. How can you not like something you've never had?" She asks and frowns. "C'mon. You can try a sip of mine."

"No thanks." I said softly, my heart beginning to race as I picked up the menu to attempt to keep my hands from shaking.

"Iris... just drop it, ok?" Barry says gently, his hand moving to cover mine. "She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to, and she doesn't need to explain herself."

In that moment I couldn't have been more thankful for Barry Allen. I turned my hand and he laced his fingers through mine and gave them a squeeze.

"Just one sip won't hurt, Maddie." She says and slides her drink towards me.

I felt sick all of a sudden and swallowed hard. I bit my lip and then released a shaking breath and said, "Iris, I don't drink. Thank you for the offer, but my answer is still no."

She raised both eyebrows and pulled her drink back towards her and I closed my eyes for a moment and attempted to slow my breathing. My nails were digging into my skin.

Barry gently squeezed my hand and I looked over at him to see his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I-I'm fine." I said and squeezed his hand, sniffing as I tried to regain a control of my emotions. "Y-You want to share an appetizer, Barry? There's one that has a little bit of each on a platter and we could share it or something... what?"

He was still looking at me in concern and I looked over at Iris to see she looked just as concerned.

"Maddie... are you ok? I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean to bring anything up for you. I didn't know there was anything to bring up..." She shifted uncomfortably and Eddie was looking at me with that same apprehension.

I released a shaky breath, then said, "I guess you wouldn't have known because I've never told you. My biological father was an alcoholic and an abuser. He beat me. Then, Mr. Kennedy when he adopted me was worse- with the drinking and the abuse. I don't want any more alcohol in my life. It's as simple as that."

The air felt heavy and tense and I said, "I'm going to the bathroom. I-I'll be right back."

I set the menu down and said, "Just order me the broccoli shrimp Alfredo." I squeezed Barry's shoulder as I passed and made my way towards the bathroom.

I leaned against the sink, my hands gripping the counter as I tried to bite back my tears.

I suddenly felt nauseous and I looked up as sudden scream sounded through the restaurant and crashing noises.

I wiped at my eyes, teleported to the Lab and into my suit, and I was gone again as quickly as I had arrived.

I materialized in the shadow of a column and saw Eddie being cornered by a meta. Clenching my jaw, I teleported over to him, grabbed him, and teleported away just as the meta lunged for him.

I materialized outside and and he met my eyes, his blue ones widened in shock.

I merely smirked, saluted, and disappeared.