Vanessa Part 1

IMPORTANT A/N- This is a little 'A Mother's Nightmare' and Flash crossover, where Barry is Chris. If you haven't seen AMN, here's a little synopsis: Chris Stewart (Grant Gustin) started dating a psychopathic girl, Vanessa Redlynn (Jessica Lowndes) who murders her boyfriends and makes it look like suicide. After trying to end his relationship with her, Vanessa makes Chris' life a living hell and almost kills him. But he survives. So... here's the story.

This takes place before Barry becomes the Flash.

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Barry's day was a pretty normal day. And pretty boring.

He sighed as he waited for numerous tests to finish. He didn't have much to do and it was almost lunchtime, so he was rather hungry.

He sighed again, "bored bored bored bored bored..." One of the tests beeped, interrupting his series of 'bored'. "Alright," he said.

After a grand total of fifteen minutes, he finished the case files he was working on.

"Sweet," Barry said to himself, "Now I can go eat." He thought for a second, "After I bring these to the captain."

So he made his way down the stairs to the captain's office. He knocked.

"Come in."

"Hey Captain Singh," Barry said. "I finished these case files and I was heading out to lunch."

He set the files down. Singh looked up, "Nice Allen. Here's one more for you to do later."

"Thanks." Barry said. He left for lunch.

While he was eating though, he got a phone call from Joe. "Hey Joe. What's up?"

"Hey Bar. We need you at the pet clinic on 5th. There's been a suicide?"

"Why did you say it with a question?"

"Just get here."

"Okay. I'm on my way." Barry hung up and hailed a taxi to the clinic.

He got there and hustled inside. Joe handed him his case. "Hey Bar. The body's that way."

"So what happened?" Barry asked.

"Well," Joe said, "It's an apparent suicide. The victim hung himself."

Barry cringed. "Do you think it's something else? A murder?"

"It could be." Joe said, "I talked to the man's mother, and she said that she never would've thought he'd do something like this. He's 19, and was a very good student, so it just doesn't make that much sense."

"Hm." Barry hummed. "I'll look into it."

After he was finished at the crime scene, Barry wasn't that hungry anymore, so he went back to his lab.

Barry sat and rubbed his neck. He felt like this case was familiar somehow, he just couldn't place it. He frowned and looked up the victim.

Jason Cooper. Star athlete for CC High school. Set three records in track. Lived with his mother, father, and younger sisters. Barry found a picture of him. Tall, lean, and muscular. He had brown hair and blue eyes.

Barry shook his head. He needed to talk to Singh about this. Something wasn't adding up.

He made his way to the Captain.

"Hey Captain Singh." Barry said.

"Do you need something Allen?" Singh asked, slightly annoyed.

"I wanted to speak with you about the suicide from earlier today." Barry said.

"What about it?" Singh asked.

"I don't think that it was an actual suicide." Barry said, "It doesn't add up."

"Allen," Singh sighed, "Just because he didn't seem like the type to commit suicide, doesn't mean that he wouldn't."

"I know..." Barry said. He sighed, he had no real evidence that it was something other than a suicide other than the strange feeling he had.

There was a small commotion outside. Captain Singh frowned and looked towards the door. "Allen, what's going on?"

Barry stepped outside and looked. He turned to the captain, "It's just some arguing between a girl and a cop. I think she's mad because..." he listened, "...her bag was stolen."

"Ah."

Barry looked back at the girl. She faced him.

Barry paled and stopped breathing. It couldn't be. She couldn't be here.

Singh noticed Barry freeze up. "You okay there Allen?"

Barry just nodded. Then to his horror, the girl saw him. She smiled.

Barry's eyes widened, and he backed into Singh's office. He was hardly breathing.

Singh looked at his CSI with concern. "Allen..." He started, but was interrupted when a girl burst in.

"Chris!" she squealed.

Singh frowned and looked at the girl. Who was Chris? He looked back at Barry who seemed petrified.

The girl frowned, "Chris, you don't look happy to see me?"

Barry didn't say anything, and the girl moved closer.

"Miss..." Singh said. He was about to ask her to leave, but she spoke again, cutting him off.

"Chris, do- do you not love me anymore?" she had tears in her eyes.

Barry's eyes seemed to soften for a second, before hardening.

"I never loved you Vanessa. Now stay away from me." Barry said. He tried to keep the shaking out of his voice, but failed. Not that it mattered.

Vanessa stood up tall, let a tear slide down he cheek and marched out of the room. She shut the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Barry slid down the wall and started sobbing.

Singh's eyes widened in alarm. He was so confused. Who was Chris? Who was this Vanessa girl? How did she know Barry? He remembered Barry, and he shot up from his seat.

He knelt next to Barry and placed a hand on him. Barry jumped and his eyes shone with fear. Once he saw it was just the Captain, he settled a small amount.

He sniffed, "S-sorry Captain Singh."

Singh shook his head and helped Barry into a seat. "Barry, what's wrong? Who was that? Why was she calling you Chris?"

Barry wiped his eyes. He started rubbing his left forearm, and had a blank stare as if he were remembering something. He shook his head. "Why is she here? She knows I'm here." Barry mumbled.

"Who is she?" Singh asked. He was filled with concern for his CSI. He had never, in his entire life, seen Barry with that much fear before.

Barry took a deep breath, "That was Vanessa Redlynn. My ex-girlfriend."

Singh frowned. It didn't make sense for him to react that way if Vanessa was just his ex. "What did she do to you?"

Barry's breath hitched. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Singh was really concerned now.

"Where did you meet her?" Singh asked instead, "And why did she call you Chris?"

"I met her in Fairview, when I left to finish high school out of Central City. I had changed my name to Chris Stewart and I met her my junior year." Barry explained. His eyes were still shut, and he was still rubbing his left forearm.

"Will you be okay Allen?" Singh asked, "Do you want to go back to your lab?"

Barry's eyes snapped open and he frantically shook his head.

Singh frowned. "Do you want to stay in here?"

Barry swallowed, "Could I?"

"Sure. Just set up over in that corner." Singh said.

Barry quickly ran back to his lab and grabbed the things he needed and ran back to Singh's office, ignoring the questioning looks of other officers. He left any food or drink in the lab, not willing to risk that Vanessa might have done something to them.

Singh watched Barry move in a record time to get his things in here. He stared searching for a Chris Stewart when he heard Barry start mumbling in the corner. Singh heard him mutter something about moving, an asylum, and PCP. Then Barry's head snapped up in realization.

He stood up, "Captain, the suicide wasn't a suicide."

Singh looked at him weird. How did he know.

Barry took a breath. "It was Vanessa Redlynn."

Singh stared at Barry, "Allen. You can't just accuse people of murder because you don't like them."

Barry huffed, "No. I know she did it. And I can tell you how."

"Oh really?"

"Yes." Barry said confidentially, "PCP. Check to see if Jason Cooper had any sort of relation with Vanessa recently. I'm positive he did. She would have brought him to the pet store, where she probably got a job, and gave him something to drink. It would just be a harmless drink, except she put PCP in it, which made him entirely incoherent. From there, she manipulated him and put him in the place to make it look like a suicide. She told him that if he really loved her than he would do it. And with him in the incoherent state, he did."

Singh stared at him, "And how, might I ask, do you know this?"

Barry licked his lips. He looked down and said quietly, "She tried to do the same to me."

Singh's eyes widened.

"She didn't though," Barry said, "she didn't get the chance. My foster mom interrupted her and saved me." Then quieter, so Singh almost didn't hear, "twice."

Singh shook his head, "I'll ask Joe and I myself will look into it. Why isn't Vanessa in prison?"

"Because she used to be in a mental hospital." Barry answered. Then he went back to his work corner.

Singh put more effort in his search of Vanessa Redlynn and Chris Stewart. He found an old, confidential, article and read the heading:

Boy Hospitalized

After Crazy Girlfriend Tried to Kill Him

16 year old Chris Stewart was found by his mother, Maddie, bleeding to death. His girlfriend, Vanessa Redlynn, had drugged him with PCP and manipulated him into cutting himself to prove his love for her. When they were found, Vanessa had tried to keep Chris' mother away. Chris did survive, and Vanessa Redlynn was put into a mental institute. After some digging, it was discovered that Vanessa had done the same to at least two other boys.

Singh stared at the article. No wonder Barry was so terrified of this girl. She had tried to kill him and make it look like a suicide. Singh licked his lips and stared at Barry. "Barry, Come here."

Barry looked up, confused, "Okay... what do you need?" he asked once he was seated in front of him."

"How many people know about your... experience... with miss Redlynn?" Singh asked.

Barry paled slightly, "How?..."

"I found an article."

"Oh." Barry rubbed his left forearm.

Singh noticed. "Can I see your arm?"

Barry sighed, it wasn't like he didn't already know. He pulled his sleeve up and held out his arm. There were six scars climbing up his arm. Singh felt his heart break a little for his CSI. He had such a hard life, with so much pain. It was amazing that he could still smile, let alone be the happy person he is.

"So who knows?" Singh asked again.

"In Central City? No one except you." Barry said.

Singh raised his eyebrows, "Not even Joe?"

"No."

"You should tell him," Singh said, "especially since Vanessa is here in Central."

Barry shuddered.

Singh looked at his CSI, "What do you remember? Of that day?"

Barry raised his eyebrows, "All I remember is drinking a cherry soda and wanting to fly."

"I'm sorry Barry."

Barry nodded. "I think I'm going to go home."

"Alright. Stay safe Allen."

"Thank you Captain. I'll see you tomorrow." Barry said.

***** TO BE CONTINUED*****