Iris West doesn't have a death wish, okay? (tellsyourstory) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-12-13 04:20:00 |
|
|||
His first day at the station hadn’t exactly gone fantastic. It started with a missed alarm, then a cold five minute shower, and then lack of actual food in fridge for any sort of breakfast. Everything else was downhill in a blurr by that point. Who even cared what happened anymore?...Except Barry Allen still did. He still tried. He waited in line forever to get coffee until his patience ran out, and yet tipped the barista. It wasn’t her fault his morning was going to shit, she was providing him with coffee, the kiss of life. Even if it was generic starbucks, he didn’t care. He needed caffeine. Badly.
Barry had slept like shit the night before, only having fallen asleep sometime in the wee morning hours just before the alarm was supposed to go off and alert him of this, but nope. He ran across town from his apartment on foot to Orange County P.D. half an hour into his shift only to be greeted coldly by the Captain. “Allen, glad you decided to join us.”
The brunette just cringed internally. “Sorry Captain, won’t happen again…” The man just rolled his eyes. Glad the young man didn’t offer any more excuses, he just went to clock in instead with a half hearted sigh.
When Barry returned to the floor he looked around for his desk. That was when Joe appeared, and the young man grinned.
“Joe!” He called,giving the man a friendly wave as he headed toward him. “Bar. “ He greeted with a proud look in his eyes, the young man had finally made it. All those years of talking about joining the Force, there he was. Joe began to give him a tour of the department’s ground floor.
---
Another day, another story to chase. Though really, most of Iris’ current stories were either wrapped and so she mostly just needed to polish them up for print, or she was still gathering information. Some were in the planning stages to get permission to pursue the story officially, others at different interview stages. Such was the nature of the business. But as she had finished the story for her current deadline, Iris had some extra time on her hands.
It wasn’t rare that Iris was down at the sheriff department. Sometimes she was there to get follow up for a story, other times she was there to make sure her dad ate and just visit. Today it was the latter. Not like she needed to visit given they lived together, but that was beside the point. That, and you never knew what sort of story might come up.
Arriving at the station, Iris was told that her dad was giving a tour to some new guy and that she could wait at his desk. Those in the station knew her by now, and while some would always side eye her as she was a reporter, they never held it against her. Thanking the person who had pointed her in the right direction, Iris was about to go to her dad’s desk when she noticed the man plus a very familiar person.
Right. Barry was here, she had noticed him on that network thing she was investigating. Well, two birds one stone and all of that.
“Dad, Barry, hey!”
---
Both of them made their way toward Iris. Neither wearing uniforms, and Barry looking a little awkward like a fish out of water because well-he was. First days were always stressful, and when they started out like his had, anyone would be frazzled.
“Iris? Hey, uh what’re you doing here?” Barry asked in confusion, and then realized she probably came to see Joe. “...Oh. right. Heh, long time no see.” Go figure he find her over the internet, on the same strange website of all places.
Joe of course being who he was, hadn’t eaten at all. He’d been busy with cases and then with Barry. “Iris, not chasing another story here are you? You know I’ve got no comment.” Same old line. Joe didn’t allow himself to give her statements, at least not officially.
--
Iris looked at Barry in amusement. “Yeah, long time no see.” Which did happen when lives took different paths once university hit. She had been in the area a few years now, but that network. Strange place. She still wasn’t too sure what to make about it, but if it led to answers on the strange things that kept happening here as she felt it would, then it would be worth it.
Which exactly was why she never went to her dad when she needed a quote. Oh sure, she would ask - you never knew - but she got her quotes and stories based on her own merits, not the people she knew. No matter what some might think. But no matter, she would prove them all wrong.
“Not today, dad.” She had no need for follow up questions right now with anyone here, there were no current updates to the one crime related story she was slowly working on. Nope, it was making sure Joe ate. Which was why she handed him a bag from a nearby take away. “You need to eat.”
Then she looked to Barry, “I would have brought you one as well, but I didn’t know you’d be here.”
---
The man looked amused as she handed him the bag instead. “Good lookin out baby girl.” He’d been busy giving tours to new rookies and running his usual beat. He reached out to give her hand a squeeze before taking the bag of food in front of a slightly jealous looking Barry who just shook his head with a bit of a laugh.
“Never did become a psychic then?” He asked Iris as he folded his arms and shrugged. “It’s cool, there’s a nasty cafe down the street. I can go grab some crap.” That caused Joe to frown a bit. “Or you can go finish setting up your office before you get reprimanded again. Don’t think I missed that Bar.” The young brunette just grinned sheepishly as Joe sat down at his desk to look through what Iris had brought him.
“Iris, you know the offices upstairs don’t you?” He had a slight feeling Barry would rather be shown his office by his daughter anyway. She’d been there enough times. “Last door on the left.”
Barry hadn’t quite been there long enough yet to take a break, and Joe was already looking out for him. Joe had his entire life after all so what was a little more.
---
“Unfortunately not.” While it shouldn’t be too surprising Barry would be there, it wasn’t like Iris had known if he was going to be with one of the city police departments or the county sheriff department. Now she knew though and that information was filed away for when she did food runs for her dad to know that Barry would be added to her list when she stopped by. The chiding about setting up his office was met with a brow quirk as Iris looked between Barry and Joe before shrugging. She would undoubtedly get the story later anyway.
“Yeah, I can show Barry where they are. But last door on the left, got it.” After all, it wasn’t like she would know specifically which office would be Barry’s. She did however know the layout of the building. So she motioned to her best friend and led him to the stairs so they could go upstairs and lead him to the offices and specifically to the office which would be his own.
---
Even Barry hadn’t known where he was going until literally the last minute. He didn’t even have a chance to tell anyone he was packing up and leaving for Orange County. Barry watched Iris with her dad and just smiled. It was like being home again. Both people he loved right in arms length again. He could actually reach out and hug Iris now if he wanted. Or could work up the courage to. “What was that you told me, Ace Psychic reporter?” He smirked. Or was that one of the weird ones he’d made up? He wasn’t sure anymore.
Barry was more than willing to follow Iris to his new office, which was once an evidence room now abandoned-but whatever. It’d still work. “Stay out of trouble for five minutes alright Bar?” Joe half threatened half teased as Barry gave a sheepish shrug and made to follow Iris wherever she was going.
“Weird isn’t it? This?”
---
Laughing some, Iris shook her head in amusement, “I’m pretty sure I’d been drinking when I said that.” And a quick look to her dad, “After I was of age. Of course.” It did sound like something she would come up with after a drink or two. Though how would being psychic work with being a reporter? Well that was the question. Still, not a big deal. Iris did her job and she was good at it. Even if Ace Psychic Reporter had a nice ring to it.
But now it was up to the office, pointing things out to him that would probably be necessary. Joe was right. She was there enough that she could easily give Barry a tour and he’d get all the information he needed.
“What, both of us ending up in Orange County at the same time? Yeah, I guess it is.” Opening the door to Barry’s office, Iris let him go in, “But at the same time it also isn’t. We’re always going to be part of one another’s lives. So in that way, running into one another again isn’t the strangest thing to happen.”
---
Joe gave her a look that read You’d have better been. but then smiled anyway and went off to finish what he needed to do leaving his two kids to it. Technically Barry wasn’t his, but the boy might as well have been with his past..he was practically a live in at Joe’s when they were younger anyway. Joe hadn’t minded. He’d rather Barry been safe than scared and worried all the time with his family history. And then there was his parents. If only they could have seen him now. All grown up and doing good work.
“I did tell you I’d always find you even if we got separated.” Even as a kid Barry had been a sap and completely in love with Iris. The worst days of his life had been when they both went off to different colleges. He really tried to make it work with going to hers, but they had different dreams. In the end Joe had convinced him not to just follow Iris because he was afraid to be without her, and it’d turned out to be the right call. Now they were there together again and he couldn’t stop smiling.