Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Snarts are officially moved in across the street.
Cisco takes his girlfriend out for the day. Caitlin is at a medical seminar out of the City. Barry decides it's time to talk to Len in private.
So that means Grampa Joe gets to babysit Wentworth.

"Thanks again, Joe," Barry says as he makes his way out the door.
Joe waves him away. He had gotten his paperwork down to a reasonable amount, so there wasn't a strain in that area. In fact, the detective could use a break from the stress of his job.
He looks over to the bright blue eyes and messy crop of brown hair that's rearranging his dining room chairs. What do you do with a two year old?
Then Joe remembers the boy's toys and his lack of anything stuffed and he gets the perfect idea.
"Hey, Wentworth," he catches the toddler's attention, "You wanna build a stuffed animal?"

In Central City Town Plaza, there's a little shop where children can pick an animal and "build" it. It's really more pretend than anything else, but Joe's walked passed the glass walls and seen boys and girls of different ages enjoying themselves. He figures his grandson needed a stuffed friend anyway, so why not make it an experience?
There are yellow barrels holding different animals with different colors lining one wall and that's where the lady at the door directs them first.
"Which one do you like?" Joe asks Worthy, holding him up so he can see into the barrels that are a head too tall for the little boy.
Wentworth shakes his head 'no' passed the brown bear, the pink cat, and the orange monkey before he reaches in to grab a yellow lion.
"Good choice," Joe smiles, putting him on his feet, "Now we've got to stuff him."
He holds his grandson's hand as they walk to the 'fluffing' machine. It has a large clear side where people can see the fluff being pushed around by the air inside. There's a tube coming out one end where the children can 'add fluff' to their plush friends.
The young, male attendant smiles at Worthy as they approach.
"Did you pick out a new friend, buddy?" the attendant asks, pointing at the lion clenched tightly in Wentworth's hands. The little boy nods bravely to the stranger.
"A brave lion for a brave boy," the attendant grabs the hose and offers it to Worthy, "Let's make sure he has all the stuffing he can hold so that you can hug him as tight as you want."
Wentworth takes the hose and puts it to the lion's mouth like bottle to a baby. The little boy smiles as the machine makes a noise as if it were actually pushing something into the animal. When the machine stops, the attendant claps his hands.
"Good job! Your new friend is all full now," he gently takes the hose from Worthy and puts it back in it's place, "Now you can wash your new friend so he's clean and ready to go to his new home!"
Joe takes the little boy's hand again and walks him to the 'washing' station. There are 'tubs' painted blue and decorated with white, plastic bubbles. A small shower head hangs over each of the tubs.
"Here we go," Joe helps Worthy put the lion in the tub and clicks the button on the wall to activate the 'shower.' Warm wind blows out of the shower head and pushes the lion's fur around. Wentworth giggles as he 'washes' the animal.
Since Wentworth is so little, Joe makes up a name for the 'birth certificate' of the lion. "Leo" pops into his head immediately and he types it. The certificate will be more of a memento for Joe than his little grandson.
Joe pays for the animal and Worthy is fascinated by the cardboard house they give him to carry the lion home in. He holds tight to the box that's as tall as he is and Joe carries him to the car.

Back home, Joe opens the cardboard house and lets Wentworth take the lion out himself. The little boy hugs it tightly, then looks at Joe with such happy eyes he thinks he's going to break.
"Now, for some lunch," Joe stands, going to the kitchen for the deli meats he hopes Barry hasn't eaten yet. Luckily, there still there, "You hungry, Wentworth?"
Joe closes the fridge and jumps when he sees his grandson standing on the other side. The lion is no longer in his hands.
"You scared me," he smiles. He lifts the meats in his hands, "Ham? Or Turkey?"
"Ha!" Worthy points at the ham to make sure Joe knows his choice.
"Ham it is," Joe drops the food on the table and puts his grandson in the highchair.
He should look into getting a booster seat. Wentworth's too big to sit in the chair with the tray on. Joe has to lower it and push it against the table so the boy can have a surface to eat on.
"You'd think with you Dad's baby know-all, he'd have thought to get you a proper sear," Joe smirks, rolling individual pieces of meat on a plate. He gets a sippy cup and puts juice in it to go with the food. Wentworth dives it, both hands gripping ham as if someone was going to take it from him.
"Calm down, buddy," Joe tells him, "I'm not going to take your food."
His grandson doesn't seem to believe him as he chows down on the meat one fistful at a time. Joe snorts as he makes his own sandwich. He hopes he has enough to feed the little carnivore.
Another plate of meat and a piece of bread later, Wentworth is full. Joe wipes the boy's face with a wet napkin then lets him down. His grandson is toddling away the second his feet touch the ground. He goes for the lion to give him another hug.
"Should've invited him to lunch," Joe says, smiling as his grandson comforts the inanimate animal. Joe stares, realizing that, yes, Wentworth was reassuring the stuffed lion that he had returned to him. His grandson was slowly turning side to side as he stroked the lion's mane and Joe could faintly hear the baby babble.
Joe took a picture.

They played circus together. Wentworth was the brave lion tamer while Joe was the ring leader, directing the show.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have the great, the stupendous, the fearless, Wentworth the lion tamer!" Joe cheered as his grandson made rawring sounds for the lion while he carried him over his head.
"Wentworth will now make Leo the Lion jump over the flaming pillow!"
Joe had moved the coffee table out of the living room for extra space and now placed a pillow in the center for the stuffed animal to 'jump' over.
"Aroo!" Worthy moved the lion from the ground to an impressive arch over the pillow and slammed him on the other side. Joe cheered again.
"Amazing, ladies and gentlemen! Absolutely amazing!"
They played for what felt like hours. Wentworth either had the lion jumping over pillows or across them to prevent the animal from falling into the lava.
By the time Barry came back to the house, both Joe and Wentworth were standing on the cushion-less couch trying not to be burned by the imaginary lava floor.

"I've never seen this side of you before, Joe," Barry smiles, holding back the laugh at seeing his foster father cower at the carpet.
Joe cleared his throat, instantly straightening and stepping off the furniture.
"Day!" Wentworth climbed off the couch as well and toddled over to Barry to show him his lion.
"What's this?" Barry crouched down and took the animal in his hands.
"Day, ga mo me ya!" his son explained.
"Oh, well that was so nice of Grandpa to do," Barry returned the lion to his son and smiled at Joe, "You guys have a busy day?"
"Nothing much," Joe shrugged, returning the cushions to the couch, "Went to the Plaza, got the lion, came home and had lunch."
"Jumped on the couch to avoid the lava pit," Barry added as he stood.
"Lava pit?" Len's voice asked from the doorway.
"Da!" Wentworth walked around one of his Dad to get to the other, "Ga mo me ya!"
"A lion," Len smiled, crouching down like Barry had done earlier, "Does he have a name?"
"Leo," Joe answers from his spot by the couch.
Len grimaces, but doesn't comment.
"Mmwa!" Wentworth uses the lion to kiss Len's face.
"Thanks," Len smiles, picking his son up as he stands, "I think I'll take him home for his nap now. Thank you, Detective West."
"You can call me Joe," the detective says before Len can turn to leave, "We're family after all. It only seems right."
Len stares at the detective astonished. His eyes soften as he replies, "Then I guess you can call me Len."

Chapter Text

Barry wanted to wait, he had every intention to, but as time passed it became more and more obvious that Len was never going to willingly open up to him about what happened. So, the speedster decided to take matters into his own hands.
The Snarts were officially moved in and Cisco had taken Lisa out for the day. Caitlin was at a medical seminar, so Barry asked Grampa Joe to babysit Wentworth.
Joe immediately agreed, which was a relief to Barry.
"Thanks again, Joe," he said as he made his way out the door. Joe just waved him away.

Len was back at the other house. Barry had told him he was bringing lunch and to discuss training dates. Part of that was true, the speedster had brought food. Two of those Italian subs from the deli Len had showed him. They just weren't going to talk about training.
The front door was open, not surprising since Barry was expected. He found Len reading a security manual of all things in the living room.
"You're not planning on breaking in somewhere, are you?" Barry asked, unsure all of a sudden if his partner in crime-fighting was itching to get back to the other side.
"Just keeping my mind fresh," Len drawls, marking the book and putting it down, "There might be a day when even a hero has to break in. Wouldn't want to embarrass ourselves by being caught by the cops, now would we?"
"Fair point," Barry nods. This was going to be the hard part. He dropped the sandwiches on the coffee table and decided to just go for it, "We need to talk."
"Ah, yes, I was wondering why our boy couldn't be around to hear us talk about training date," Len crossed his arms, "Go on."
"You were with that guy for three weeks, Len, three. Not days, but weeks. When Lisa and I found you, you weren't necessarily jumping for joy to see us," Barry took a breath to settle his nerves, "I want you to tell me what happened."
"We don't always get what we want, Barry," Len deflects.
"I need to know, Leonard," and that's an odd feeling, saying the man's whole name like that. Barry didn't even know why he did, but it felt needed, "If you keep it bottled up, who knows what will happen?"
"You think I'm dangerous?" Len snaps, rising to his feet, "Are you honestly worried I'm going to hurt someone because I've got pent up anger issues towards a dead guy?"
Barry flinched at the snapped words. Len never snapped. He drawled and mocked and sneered, never snapped.
"I'm worried something happened to you down there and you won't let me help you!"
"Help me with what, Scarlett?" Len smirks, cold eyes staring Barry down, "You want to hold my hand and sing songs together?"
"I want to be someone you can trust," Barry's voice is near pleading, "I want you to be able to tell me anything and for me to be able to do the same to you."
"Because we're partners?" Len scoffs.
"Yes!" Barry moves closer to Len, "We are on the same team now. We fight against criminals instead of against each other. We even have a son together!"
That pushes a button because Len is now glaring icy daggers at Barry.
"This whole 'worried about you' speech isn't about me, is it?" Len's grin sends a shiver down Barry's spine, "You think I'm a danger to Wentworth."
"No," Barry puts a lot of control into that one word, "You'd never hurt our son. Not in a million years. This is about you and what happened to you and that fact that you aren't talking about it."
Len's glare melts and he rubs a hand over his face. Barry watches as all the strength drains out of the man who was once a hardened criminal.
"It's not what you think," Len says quietly, "I wasn't tortured or anything."
"Then what?" Barry prods, voice just as quiet but firm.
"He threatened everyone, Barry," Len turns moist eyes to the speedster, "Everyone."
Meaning Wentworth, Lisa, Cisco, Caitlin, Barry, maybe even Joe or Iris.
"He wasn't about to let me go after I knew about his little," Len searched for the right word, "hideout. There was a bomb on my leg he could detonate at any second and another one connected to the building and every day he reminded me what I had to lose," Len took breath, "So, I had to stay there, helpless, just like when I was a kid. Unable to save myself or protect those I care about."
Helplessness. Barry was familiar with the emotion. It ate at you until you wanted to scream or lay down and give up. Barry's fists clenched tightly in his palms. He was almost glad the Waco was dead, but he would have preferred it if the man was imprisoned. Just like he had imprisoned his friend.
Friend? That word didn't seem to fit right after everything they've been through. 'Partner' was closer but still didn't seem right somehow.

Without thinking, Barry pulled Len into a hug. Len stiffened instantly.
"I'm not a hugger, Scarlett."
"Sorry!" Barry pulled away, "Sorry, I don't know-sorry, I'm just, sorry."
"Got it the first time," Len smiled, and it was that rare, natural smile Barry has only gotten to see a few other times before.
They stood there, staring at each other with an awkward silence filling the room.
"Hungry?" Barry snatched the sandwiches off the table where he had put them, "I'm starving."
Len smirked, "I could eat."

They talk about everything and nothing at the same time while they finish their food.
Afterwards, Barry goes back to his house to get Wentworth only to discover his son and foster father playing 'avoid the lava' on the furniture.