he got caught at the five and dime saving the day.

Barry had never been in so much pain in his life. It was like there was some foreign body coursing through his blood stream and making him ill. The only good thing was that he finally felt like he was coming back to reality, even though reality seemed to be very painful. He tried to open his mouth once, then twice, and finally on the third time, he found he was finally able to speak, though the nurse had to lean down to hear him. "What happened to me?"

"You were hit by lightning, Mr. Allen," the nurse said softly. "One in a million chance, but you did it. Must be awful special to survive something like that."

Could that be why his body ached? Could that be why he felt like an entirely different person altogether - like his body was half his and half someone else's?

---

Grace knew that she needed to get Peter out of her mind, so like she always did, she turned to baking. It always seemed to relax her when she was feeling most stressed, so she decided to go to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for a new recipe she had seen on Pinterest. After grabbing a small basket for her things, she began walking to the back of the store, headed to get a dozen eggs and a gallon of milk first, because it seemed like it was always the most basic of things that she forgot.

Ella fell asleep in the chair after a couple hours if waiting. They probably had questions and done so many tests in poor Barry. How he managed to survive that was beyond her she saw it as a miracle if some kind. She was glad he was awake though she was sure his friends and family would be there to see him.

Elle rubbed the sleep from her eyes when she was woken up by one of the doctors, "Barry wants to see his "angel" nurse" he chuckled. Ella just stared at him for a moment, "there's been so many nurses in there how does he know who he's looking for?" She asked confused. The doctor simply shrugged his shoulders, "he mentioned someone had held into his hand and a sweet soothing voice, well, the other nurses aren't quite as 'sweet' sounding but you're the only one that's close to his age so I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and say it's you." Ella stood up from her chair and nodded fixing her hair as she walked through the halls

---

As Peter made his way unto the supermarket he pulled out the crumbled paper that was waded up in his blue jeans. He grabbed a cart and started walking around the isles searching for the items on the list. He didn't mind shopping for his aunt, Peter just wondered if it was necessary to send him to the store. Especially after what happened last time, he didn't make it home with any of the groceries if course he had to make up some lame excuse about how he was robbed or something. He knew all too well what he had been up to. As he walked around dropping item after item into the cart he found himself distracted. Distracted enough to bump carts with someone else Peter looked up and open his mouth to apologise when he noticed the familiar face. "Well, hello there" he grinned, "funny bumping into you here"

Barry was lying awake in his hospital bed after they told him to get some rest. He didn't want to get rest - he had just been in a coma, so he felt like rest was the last thing he wanted. He felt so antsy and like he just wanted to move. He couldn't get out of that place fast enough, but they weren't going to release him anytime soon..

---

"Peter," Grace breathed out, so shocked by seeing him that she almost couldn't speak. She had thought she was never going to see him again, and though she didn't know why, that was absolutely something that she didn't want. She couldn't believe he was there. "What are you doing here?" She asked before looking at his cart and nearly slapping herself. "I mean, you're shopping clearly. I just didn't expect to see you here. Not that you shouldn't be shopping." Grace knew she was rambling again, so she quickly shut her trap before she said anything else and embarrassed herself even more.

Ella made her way to the room and stood in front of the new room they had moved him to. She really doubted that this stranger had asked for her everyone just wanted to see how he would react to Ella's presence. She but her lip before knocking on the door, she waited five seconds before opening the door and stepping in. She closed the door behind her Ella looked at a tired man in front of her. He looked exhausted poor guy, she cleared her throat, "hey.. Um my name's Ella i watched over you for well just 8 hours before you woke up.." She wasn't so sure what else to say.

---

Peter let out a soft chuckle as he watched the pretty girl in front if him ramble, it was endearing really. "Yes I'm shopping for my aunt, I didn't think I'd see you again, I mean outside the coffee shop, from the looks of it you just got off work?" He asked with a smile on his face. Peter noticed the girl was rather pink in the face, he thought that was cute. He often ruled himself so he understood. "Did you have a good day then?" He wanted to keep talking her and maybe at this moment he'd have the guts to ask her out. Though he wasn't so sure if he would or not.

Barry's body still ached incredibly bad, so looking at the girl was a struggle, though it was nice to finally put a face to the voice he had been hearing. "Well, it's nice to meet you," he said, his voice coarse and a cough coming from his lips when he finished. "If you could call it that." He coughed again, and it caused a painful rumble through his whole body.

---

"As good a day as you can have standing alone in a coffee shop," Grace joked, shrugging her shoulders as she pushed her hair behind her ears. "What about you? Did you take any miraculous photos I'll be seeing in the paper tomorrow?"

Ella walked over with a cup of water and set it next to him, "thank you, well.. you know what I mean" she smiled politely as she took a seat next to him. "I wanted to see how you were feeling, they keep telling me you've been asking about me, but I think they're lying, you don't even know me" she chuckled softly. "If you're too sore you probably shouldn't be talking or even moving so much, oh here drink some water maybe it'll help you" she stood to help him with the cup.

---

Peter chuckled at her response, "well, I guess that's not so bad," he watched her as they talked, she had this really amazing glow to her he couldn't really explain it. It was weird. "Not today, all they ever want from me is pictures of Spider-Man so.." he shrugged his shoulders. "Unless he's done something "bad" I have nothing" it was true, they were trying to make Spider-Man look like a villain of sorts. Which he wasn't.

Barry quickly downed the cup of water Ella had given him like he hadn't had anything to drink in weeks, though the water did feel strange as it hit his lips. He looked up at the girl, who was hovering over him with the empty glass in her hand, and gave a small cough. "How long have I been out, anyway?" He asked, realizing no one had given him a definite answer. All they had told him was that he had been struck by lighting, put in a coma and that he couldn't leave the hospital.

---

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Grace asked as she bit her lip. She had always had fond thoughts of Spiderman from the beginning. "He can't really be bad. And, well, you'd know better than anyone, right? I mean, since you're his number one photographer." Grace refused to believe what the tabloids were saying about Spiderman. Someone who had done so much good couldn't possibly be bad, right?

Ella pulled out another water bottle from her bag which was pretty cold since she just bought it, she poured more into his cup. "Drink you need water, you're obviously dehydrated" she gave him a soft smile before answering his question. "Eight to nine months from what I've been told" she whispered, she wasn't sure if she was supposed to tell him that or not but she didn't want to lie to him.

---

Peter chuckled, "of course not, the guy saves people from destruction I don't think he's as bad as the press likes to paint him." Peter laughed nodding, "yeah he's a good guy, just a loner since he's constantly saving people" it was true. Peter became sort of a recluse after Gwen's death he didn't really feel like he should put another life in danger. Especially if he grew to love that person, he didn't want to have another relationship. He also knew Gwen wouldn't like that, Peter was conflicted about everything lately. Peter stared at the girl for a moment, "So baking?" he chuckled staring at her cart, "sorry I don't mean to be nosy or anything just curious"

He had just put more water in his mouth, and he spit it out immediately when she spoke. "Eight months? You can't be serious." He looked straight ahead, his eyes far off somewhere else, though his body was still in the room. How could it even be possible that someone could be asleep for that long? He let out a long, deep breath, trying to get into a headspace that would minimize his freaking out. "What... what did I miss?"

---

"I think you're right," she said with a nod of her head. "No one that heroic could be bad." She chuckled nervously when she noticed him staring at her cart. She must have looked like an old cat lady or something. "You guessed it," she said as her cheeks went a bit red. "I need to get my mind off of... things," she finished carefully, nearly letting it slip that she couldn't stop thinking about him. "Baking usually helps, so I thought I'd try this new recipe for chocolate lava cake. It looks delicious."

Ella blinked maybe she shouldn't have told him, he was clearly freaking out, "please calm down, I don't even think I was supposed to tell you until you were feeling better, god, I'm such a twit" she mumbled to herself getting her bag and putting whatever she had out back in. "That's what I heard.. and I don't think I should tell you anymore, you'll just have to ask them" she put her bag onto her back, "I should.. I should go I've cause way too much trouble today" she'd probably be kicked out after this little incident. "Well, I really hope you get to feeling better, maybe I'll see you again some day..." Ella started to walk towards the door.

---

Peter nodded, "he's just a complicated guy but he means well, obviously" he chuckled. Peter watched the girl's cheeks grow pink it was cute, "oh yeah? is that how you take your mind off things? that's cool, I just burn things, my aunt won't let me cook, afraid I'll burn the house down" he let out a laugh. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at her when she mentioned lava cake, "oh yeah? I'd like to try that, hey, be honest with me?" he leaned moved his car so he could be closer to her. "Those danishes at the coffee place, you made those didn't you?" Peter asked with a grin on his face.

Ella's voice snapped Barry out his trance, and he instantly felt bad when he saw that she was freaking out. He didn't mean to worry her, but his reaction was almost primal. She was rambling incessantly and seemed terribly nervous. Before Barry could get ahold of what was happening she was throwing on her pack and moving towards the door, rambling the entire time. "Please, don't go," he called out to her, not sure if she could actually hear him or not. His throat was still raspy and difficult to hear let alone understand.

---

Every time Peter talked, Grace found it impossible to look away from him. His voice was just so captivating, and Grace found herself hanging onto every word he said. "It's a McCall family recipe," she said softly, embarrassed he had discovered her secret. She didn't have many secrets, and he just found out one of the few she had actually managed to keep to herself. "I do all of the shop's baking, but you're not supposed to know that. The customers all think that Bob's been making the food for years."

Ella stopped at her tracks hearing him speak again, she turned around staring at him, "you really should be resting, I'm simply a distraction" she sighed softly. She just stood there looking at him, "if I stay you're not allowed to ask me anymore questions, unless you need water or something, got that?" she told him crossing her arms. Ella didn't want to blow this opportunity by telling him everything, she hadn't meant to even tell him about how long he's been "sleeping". Ella walked over and took a seat in front of him, and opened her bag to pull out another water bottle.

---

Peter listened to Grace and smiled, "oh yeah? well, you've got to let me try them, your danishes by the way, best I've ever had" he grinned. It was cute the way she got all flustered and how her cheeks grew pink, he wanted to feel the heat that radiated from them. He knew better though, that would be crossing the line, "I still can't believe they make you make all of that, so I guess you have to be there pretty early huh?" Peter couldn't believe they made that poor girl bake so much, he wondered if they paid her as much as they made her work. Probably not, he couldn't image. "Well, I'll keep coming by if I know it's you making all those delicious pastries"

Barry couldn't help but smile as she walked back into the room, an uncertain look on her face. He was happy to have her back, because she was the only company he had and being alone in that room made him feel like he was dead. As she sat down, he looked at her again and a small smirk fell to his lips. "In that case, can I have some water?"

---

"I'd much prefer early mornings to late nights," she said softly. "I know it's only a few hours difference, but I feel better on the streets at 4 in the morning than 2 at night. As long as I avoid eye contact, people leave me alone, for the most part. It can get to be pretty creepy sometimes." She paused, realizing she was rambling on about herself again. She didn't mean to let him in on her fear of the dark and the city streets, but it seemed like he had a way of getting all of her secrets out of her. "What about you, Peter? You're line of work must have you working pretty sporadic hours."

Ella looked up at Barry and rolled her eyes grabbing her bottle and getting his cup, "try not to spit it out this time all right?" she chuckled and poured some in the same cup from earlier. She didn't mind staying, and he seemed to be one of those goofy smart guys. She could already tell, Ella handed Barry the cup filled with water before taking a seat, "I'm sure once your friends know about you they'll come see you and you won't need me to keep you company" she said softly before grabbing a magazine from her bag. Once she was settled she looked back up from her magazine noticing that he was just staring at her, "what?"

---

Peter stared at Grace for a moment, maybe he should keep an eye out for her; he nodded in response though, "Guess that makes sense, I don't blame you, I'd prefer early hours to late hours" he thought about what she said and he didn't feel right. If someone was going to try and hurt her, he wasn't going to let that happen, sure he just met the girl the same day but he felt like he should protect her. Always playing the hero Peter, you can't save everyone.. remember. He shook his thoughts away before looking up at Grace, "yeah sometimes I'm up as early as you to see if the Spider is out there, doing whatever it is he does on his free nights, if there is such a thing" he laughed.

"Try not to scare the living hell out of me this time," Barry joked, laughing once before a cough filled his lungs, sputtering out once before Ella handed him the cup. Barry graciously accepted and welcomed the cooling sensation that soothed his throat so well. Once he'd finished his drink, he looked over at her again and found that she was reading a magazine. "Would you mind reading that to me?" He asked softly, hoping his quiet voice would presage her into saying yes.

---

"Well, if I see him, I'll be sure to let you know," Grace said, smiling widely. "Who knows, maybe I'll just take your job." She paused, looking at the ground as she crossed her arms then looked up at him again. "Can you bake? Maybe we could switch," Grace joked, knowing that wouldn't happen in a million years. Peter must have been an insanely talented photographer to be getting paid to do it, and there was no way she could compete with that, though the idea sounded nice in her mind.

Ella rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I'll try not to" she took the bottle and took quite a few drinks out of it before setting it down. She flipped through the pages of the magazine when she heard him speak again, she looked from the magazine and raised an eyebrow. "You want me to read Vogue to you? Seriously?" she asked teasingly. She let out a soft yawn before looking at her magazine, "it's mostly Ads and articles on clothing that you probably won't be wearing any time soon"

---

Peter chuckled, "good luck with that" he smiled as he watched Grace speak. Peter shook his head, "no I can't cook, I can't bake I won't be burning down any buildings," He chuckled thinking about all those times he and Gwen tried baking and it all just fell apart on both of them. Quite hysterical, Peter shook his head, he shouldn't be thinking about her, not when he was talking to another girl. That wasn't fair for Grace, he smiled softly. "Well as much as I enjoy talking to you I better finish this shopping other wise my aunt will strangle me, last time I brought nothing home and well... you know. It's not pretty" he rubbed the back of his neck trying to get the guts to ask her out or something. "Well, listen I know we just met this morning but, maybe you'd like to hang out sometime?"

"Hey, there's no reason a guy can't be up to date on the latest fashion," Barry said, smiling at Ella as he shrugged his shoulders. "I went shopping just before the storm, and I need to know whether or not the loafers I bought will clash with my coat." He looked at Ella with the most convincing face, he could muster, though he was sure she didn't believe him. "Please," he continued, pouting at her now. "I feel like I'm dying in here."

---

Grace thought her heart nearly stopped when Peter asked her about hanging out, and she had to quickly take a deep breath so she wouldn't look insane just staring at him in disbelief. She gave a soft nod of her, attempting to look much more confident than she was. "I would love that," she said, trying not to smile like a lunatic. "I could try to teach you how to bake if you'd like, but you'd have to be up pretty early in the morning." Grace knew it was farfetched to think that Peter would want to wake up at 3:30 to bake with her, but she thought she'd give it a shot. Truthfully, she'd be thankful to have someone to walk to the coffee shop with, since the darkness was beginning to get to her more and more the longer she worked there and the more creepy things she saw.

Ella's eyes widen at the man sitting right in front of her, he sure knew quite a bit of fashion she looked down at her magazine for a moment. He's so gay. I mean.. that's not a problem. It's just too bad for me since I think he's kinda cute. She cleared her throat and flipped the pages. "Yeah, all right... I guess" she started to read some samples from the magazine, before too long she stopped, "I'm gonna stop right there because to be honest I don't read the articles on these things... I just like looking through the pictures and read the captions" she put the magazine back in her bag and took out a book, "I'm not going to read this to you if that's what you're thinking," she shook her head and opened it.

---

Peter couldn't believe he actually asked this girl out on a date? was that what it would be considered, considering it would just be the two of them alone, yes it was a date. Even though he worded it differently it was still a date. He ran a hand through his messy chestnut hair and smiled, "great.. where.. oh that sounds even better yeah. I'm- I can do that, I've been up that late recently so that's cool" he was starting to ramble . He took out a piece of paper and a pen to write down where to pick her up from, "you want to write down your address that way I know where and when to pick you up?" he grinned. Peter still couldn't believe this was happening, he hasn't been on a date in a year.

"What is it you're reading?" He asked, sitting up in the bed just a bit so he could try to lean over to see, though that made his body ache in places he didn't know existed. He was dying over here and he thought the least she could do was read him a book. When he couldn't see the cover, he slugged into his bed again and grabbed the remote from his bedside. "We'll, if you won't entertain me, I guess I'll just watch tv then." He quickly pressed the power on and turned up the sound as loud as it would go, knowing she wouldn't be able to handle the loud noise for too long. She'd either make him turn it down and entertain him again, or someone else would come in and tell at them both.

---

Grace smiled at Peter, her hand shaking nervously as she took the pen and paper for him. She quickly wrote down her address, making it as eligible as she could with how much her fingers were trembling. When she had saw him for the first time, she thought he was the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen, and now she couldn't believe that he'd actually asked her to hang out. "Does 3:40 sound good? It's about a 20 minute walk from my apartment."

Ella looked up at Barry, "A Fault in Our Stars" she said simply before turning the page and kept reading, she had just started reading the book everyone was reading and talking about, it was good so far. She frowned when she heard the TV that was unbearably loud. She slammed her book on the table next to her and grabbed the remote from his hand turning it off, "I don't understand why you have to be so loud" she rubbed her temples as she didn't know what to do. Ella sighed and took a seat, "do you treat every girl like this? or just me because you don't like me?" she asked softly. It was almost like she was supposed to do all these things for him, she did want to but he was being kind of rude and it almost kind of hurt her feelings because he seemed so nice.

---

Peter thought Grace was beautiful and he was sure his aunt would be happy that he finally started dating again, he needed to get out of the house and make friends and have another girl in his life. Of course he would make sure she didn't find out about his secret identity. Peter didn't want the same fate to happen to the next girl that would be his girlfriend, he didn't want that for anyone. He took the piece of paper and smiled, "I'll probably be there early, so I hope that's okay, I like being punctual" he would have to check out all her surroundings.