Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Making this decision was a real struggle. Like a battle between what she wanted to do and what she should do. She even felt bad for not telling the rest of the team about her discovery. Then again, she knew once she did that, there would be no choice to be made. They would probably seal the breach and tell her not to talk to the other side since it might be dangerous. And she got that, she really did. Traveling to a whole new universe which should be just like the one she was born in, but in the same time slightly different, was scary. In fact, it was downward terrifying and dangerous. Yet, she was still considering doing it.

The truth was that Caitlin hadn't been happy for a very long time now. Maybe she'd felt that way ever since Ronnie had passed away, she wasn't sure. She'd tried to move on. She really had. She even thought for just a second that maybe, just maybe she could develop some real feelings for Barry. Which was stupid, she knew that now just because the man didn't see anything and anyone else but Iris West. He'd always had. Yet, for a moment, he and Caitlin seemed to connect really well, both still grieving over someone they loved, both trying to move on and finding themselves stuck in place. Only when Caitlin suggested finding someone new to be crazy about, Barry just started dating some girl named Linda whom he met in a karaoke bar while… with Caitlin, actually. Not that she thought it was really a date, but she was hoping for something new to start there. She never got back to thinking about Barry ever again, actually finding herself easily forgetting about any romantic feelings that might've developed there. It made no sense and would only end in more heartbreak since the man clearly did not understand the sense of the phrase moving on.

It only got worse since then.

Dr. Wells, the one man she could truly lean on whenever she needed someone, turned out to be a fraud and betrayed them all. At first, Caitlin didn't want to believe he was the Reverse Flash and defended him fiercely even to a point of having a major fall out with Barry who was shocked that she could care this much for the man. And how could she not if she wouldn't even be standing there with the whole team if it hadn't been for Harrison Wells? He'd given her strength when she needed it the most, he was her anchor. And then he really did turn out to be the Reverse Flash and everything went to hell.

Caitlin couldn't trust anyone anymore. She couldn't find herself again after losing Ronnie and dr. Wells and then Ronnie again. She had Cisco who was still her best friend, but that wasn't enough for her. Besides, she felt like a big mess inside and wasn't sure she would ever be able to put her life back together. It seemed broken. She was broken which she actually told Barry once when he got so consumed with trying to save Iris from the future speedster Savitar. She understood that the girl couldn't just die, she really did, but Barry was so obsessed that he didn't even think clearly and therefore wasn't really in the right state of mind to even approach saving her.

And Savitar turned out to be Barry from the future. Just wonderful. Like they didn't have enough problems. And in the meantime, when Cisco was supporting Barry, when Barry was finally beginning a relationship with Iris and was still working on saving her in the same time, Caitlin was thrown into the backburner, forgotten and remembered only when someone needed medical attention.

She understood the need to save the one Barry loved, she really did because she'd loved once as well. She just couldn't comprehend how Barry could forego everyone else. It was as though Iris was in the centre of his universe and nothing mattered anymore, not his friends, not his father, nothing but Iris. And it hurt. It hurt to be treated like something needed only for medical advice or solving a problem. Caitlin had stopped feeling like a person a long time ago and that was why she was truly considering just leaving.

She'd stayed in the S.T.A.R. Labs for dr. Wells. She'd stayed because everyone else but her and Cisco turned their backs on him and she still believed in that man. Besides, he helped her survive. He always had a job for her to perform and he always offered his shoulder. Those nine months when Barry was in a coma and the three of them, the initial team, were doing their best to find and neutralize all the metahumans created by the particle accelerator explosion, were the worst of her life, yet she survived.

Once dr. Wells – or maybe rather Eobard Thawne since apparently they'd never really known the real Harrison Wells – was gone, she could go on and work for the most prestigious laboratories in the world. She finally rid of her disgrace and was wanted in the field of her expertise again. She even went to work for the Mercury Labs, yet, Cisco and Barry both convinced her to come back, promising teamwork, promising fighting for something meaningful, something bigger than all of them, promising friendship.

It seemed like it ended with those promises.

It wasn't the life she wanted nor needed, Caitlin knew that much now and she felt awful about it, so… trapped by it that if she didn't make a change soon, she would just keep on watching her life go by, going to waste. If Ronnie was alive and by her side, he would tell her to do what would make her happy for a change, to stop putting so much on her shoulders just because she thought she had to. The truth was that everyone was replaceable when it came to their skills. It was the person they were that was the irreplaceable part and Caitlin had the worst of feelings that none of her team mates would care if she was someone else. They occasionally needed a medic, but they didn't seem to need her anymore.

And then, one day when she felt particularly depressed, she wandered to the speed lab and saw the device Cisco had been working on. He'd been trying to understand his powers fully for quite some time now, so he made this multi-dimensional thingy that would in theory help him with his vibes. It was then when Caitlin noticed the small whirlwind up in the air appearing and disappearing just as fast. But that was not the end. There was a note lying on the floor right below where the portal appeared. And she didn't tell anyone about it.

Someone was looking for help, for someone they could trust, someone experienced with speedsters and that was definitely Caitlin since the person actually required medical training as well. In fact, it was as though that note – which must've been sent to multiple earths through multiple dimensions – was written specifically for her. The one thing that prevented her from writing back on the spot and offering her services was the name at the bottom of the note, though printed out of a computer and not signed by hand, it said dr. Harrison Wells.

Caitlin wasn't stupid. She realized this wasn't the dr. Wells she knew and worked for, but still, it seemed weird to even consider this job offer. It would be a completely different person who just looked like dr. Wells she remembered, but it still made her feel strange.

Then, there was the other thing she didn't even want to admit to herself – she missed working with him. Not that she missed the murderer he turned out to be, but before that, she actually loved working for the man and ever since he died, the Labs didn't seem the same anymore. She knew Barry did his best while having a daytime job, owning the Labs now as dr. Wells had signed it over to him, not to mention being the Flash and having a successful dating life with Iris, but still… it pained her that he just ran the Labs to the ground. The place was a ghost town, no employees, no fascinating break-throughs or projects, just the cortex and the speed lab with the Flash doing his best to save the city every day and night and having a life of his own. Maybe Cisco was all right with it since he also worked as a consultant for the police now, but Caitlin wasn't. In fact, soon she would run out of money to support her own living as Barry couldn't pay them well or at all for that matter. Maybe for him owning the Labs and letting it be was convenient since he didn't have to look for another secret place for team Flash, but… yes, for Caitlin it just seemed like such a waste. She never knew the real Harrison Wells, but she suspected he wouldn't like what happened to the Labs at all. He would love for someone to turn it back into the place it'd used to be, a place of innovation and development, not this shadow of its past glory.

The note was left unanswered and Caitlin still didn't say anything to anyone, but she was thinking more and more of the possible trip to another earth all the same. Maybe that was the answer to all of her problems. Maybe if she couldn't seem to start over where she was, she would have to go somewhere else – to an actual another universe. She was kind of interested in meeting the real Harrison Wells even though she knew he wouldn't be the same man who'd used to live on her earth. Still, he was the owner of S.T.A.R. Labs and a genius all the same, right? He couldn't be that much different. Maybe in character, but not in mind.

She would just do it, she decided one day when she was so bored she was dangerously close to falling asleep on the job. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. With Iris saved along with the West-Allen future, Barry was out enjoying his life with his now fiancée as nothing bad was happening around the city and Cisco was on a CCPD assignment. Caitlin was left all alone with nothing to do and no life to lead.

That was when she answered the note, including her resume and a history of work she'd done so far for the Flash. There was nothing left to do but wait.

And she didn't have to wait for long since the answer came almost immediately, surprising her. She was in just like that. She could leave any moment. She could actually start a new life now.

She was really terrified when she went home, made some arrangements for her apartment to turn off water and power for indefinite period of time and… and just left.

The thing was that her fear of the unknown, of the new to come, was also exhilarating her. She was scared, but also excited for the first time since she could remember. She welcomed a new challenge with open arms just like she'd used to do back in the day when the Labs had been open and running and she was working to actually earn money and discover new things.

She couldn't bring herself to face her 'friends', though, so she left them a letter. She explained everything as best as she could, telling them she couldn't say all those things in person because she was afraid they would make her change her mind and then she signed it – I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Caitlin.

The portal opened in the appointed time and she just jumped through without looking back.

Chapter Text

Caitlin had never travelled between dimensions before so the world spinning sensation was completely new to her. It was as though the middle of her stomach was the centre of her body and it was turning and turning and before she landed on the other side she actually thought she was in danger of throwing up. That would be just great, she thought, fighting the nausea. She couldn't land right in front of dr. Harrison Wells of Earth Two and throw up on his shoes, could she? How unprofessional and lacking of tact that would be!

Only when she did actually land on all of her fours – which she was still embarrassed about, by the way – she heard a completely different voice than she was expecting. In fact, it belonged to a woman.

"Are you all right?" she asked and then Cait felt a pair of hands on her shoulder, helping her up.

Once she got to her feet and straightened up, her bag left forgotten on the floor; she stumbled, feeling dizzy out of the sudden.

"Easy there," the same voice said in concern, yet Caitlin could also tell it was slightly giddy, if that made any sense. "We haven't actually worked this inter-dimensional travel out yet, so… yeah, you might be a little nauseous there. I'm just glad the portal was stable enough to actually get you here and not throw you somew…"

The string of words kind of died out when Caitlin started blinking, trying to clear her view, to calm herself down and to actually find her centre again. When she finally managed to do just that and looked at the woman standing in front of her, still chattering away, she frowned since she turned out to be a teenager. She might've been sixteen, seventeen years old? That was odd.

"How impolite of me… I haven't introduced myself. Hi, I'm Jesse," she then said when reaching a hand to Caitlin and when Snow shook it, she took a look around.

They were in a room looking similar but different to the speed lab she was familiar with on her earth. She would have to get used to all those subtle differences, she knew that, but there also seemed to be a completely different style to things here, reminding her of retro.

"Are you all right? Do you need anything? Like water or…?" the girl kept on rumbling.

"I'm sorry. I thought there'd be more people welcoming me here. Maybe that's silly of me, but where's your team? I came here to work, right?" Caitlin just asked.

"Right," Jesse repeated that last word. "Right," she did it again when nervously wriggling her fingers and suddenly, Caitlin had the worst of feelings. "Yeah… listen… the team is kind of… well, the Flash team is kind of nonexistent just yet, but… but hey, you're the first member, so that's a start!"

Snow raised her eyebrows, now just feeling plain stupid. Oh, wait, she'd been feeling that way ever since she'd crossed over and that sense only deepened.

"Jesse… whatever your last name is… why do I have the strangest feeling that dr. Wells didn't really send that note through dimensions?" she finally found the courage to ask, but seemed to already know the answer. And boy, was she in trouble!

Jesse was already opening her mouth when they heard a deep, husky male voice coming from the door. "No, he did not."

Both of the women turned in that direction and Snow froze, seeing the man in question himself. Somehow, she couldn't seem to stop staring even though she knew it was impolite. He just seemed so similar to the one she knew, yet there was something different about him, too. For starters, he wasn't in a wheelchair. His hair was more messy than she remembered dr. Wells's had ever been. He was dressed in a suit as though he just walked out of a business meeting, hands in the pockets of his pants. He was slim and tall and yes, very handsome with a rough look to it, but that only added character. She always wondered whether versions of people on different earths varied only in character or maybe in age, too, but he seemed to be in the exact same age dr. Wells she'd known was or it was close by anyway. There was also something else. Something that Snow had missed at first, too fascinated with seeing a doppelganger of a person she'd used to know. Then again, that dr. Wells hadn't even been real, just wearing the body of the original person, so maybe she had never known him, after all.

The thing was that his eyes didn't seem kind at all. In fact, he was just glaring at the teenager in the room, beyond furious with her.

"What were you thinking when recruiting a person behind my back; added to that a person from a completely different universe, and revealing your secret identity in the process?" he just asked in a voice that was seething with rage.

"Wait… You're the Flash?" Caitlin picked up on that. What he said wasn't exactly clear, but she was always quick with connecting the dots and Jesse actually being the Flash seemed like the only logical explanation here.

There came another awkward moment when dr. Wells's eyes actually set on her in a disapproving manner.

"Gee, thanks dad," Jesse just turned to him in exasperation. "Just so you know, I didn't, but you did just that right now."

Before he managed to react to that piece of information, Caitlin gasped again, "Dad?" Ok, that was definitely the most interesting news. This Harrison Wells actually had a daughter. She wondered whether Tess lived in this timeline and honestly, she felt a weird sensation inside of her on the very thought of that. She couldn't understand it just yet, so she let it go since she had more important things on her mind anyway. Like trouble. Lots and lots of trouble coming from this so far unpleasant version of dr. Wells. She had to admit this so was not what she'd expected when making the trip.

"Dad," Jesse spoke to him again, ignoring Snow, "she's actually been working with the Flash on her earth! Isn't that cool?! I mean, we do need help around here and she was willing to come!"

"Oh, really? Am I not enough of help to you?!" her father nearly growled. "Why do you insist we need more?! Oh, wait, I get it. You're still angry that I won't let you face another metahuman, but it's dangerous, Jesse, ok? How many times do I have to tell you that I am not losing you after we already lost your mom?!"

Caitlin felt even worse now, being the unwilling witness to the father-daughter quarrel. Apparently, Jesse's mother was dead and Harrison was just an overprotective father. Yeah, that wasn't something she had experience with and she suddenly wished she'd never come to this earth in the first place. What had she been thinking anyway?!

"You're just desperate to find a way to convince me that you're ready, which you are clearly not!" Harrison continued, raising his voice. "You can't let some stranger into our lives and our secrets just so she would support you! Protecting this city is a very dangerous task and you can get hurt!"

"So I hear every single damn day!" The girl argued louder as well and Caitlin just felt like crying. It was obvious to her now that she wouldn't be able to stay here. That she would have to accept her failure, come back home and face her friends after they'd already read her letter. What a disaster! She was ashamed and she actually wished it all to just be a bad dream so she could wake up already.

"Fighting metahumans isn't just pushing some pedestrians out of the way and running away, nor stopping someone from stealing, Jesse!" Harrison continued, clearly working himself up.

"But, dad!"

"It's not your job and I won't change my mind! Leave that to the police."

"But…"

"This discussion is over!" dr. Wells growled again and Jesse was finally silenced. "Now, do you realize that you put me, not to mention this poor woman here, in a terrible position? You can't just do things like that behind my back! You can't just hire people without my knowledge and uproot them from their homes!"

"It's all right," Caitlin decided to speak just then. "It's all right," she repeated. "Don't punish her for this. I'll… I'll just go…" She hated herself for that, but her voice did break at the last word, betraying her true state. But no, she decided, fisting her hands and then releasing that hold when she reached for the bag still forgotten on the floor. She would be strong. She would not cry. She would exit this situation with dignity.

She grabbed her baggage and turned to the portal, only… it was gone.

"It's gone," she said, surprised by that.

"Yeah, that one's closed," dr. Wells pointed out.

"You don't say," Caitlin murmured under breath, scared that if she said that a little louder, she really might start crying.

"We can't open it right away," he explained, "the technology is still new to us. I can't believe you, Jesse," he then turned to his daughter again. "Do you have any idea how many things could have gone wrong while you were operating this thing? You know well that it's all still very unstable and…"

"It turned out to be just fine. My note got through. Actually, I'm not sure how many earths it reached, but…" The girl paled under her father's scrutiny. "I'm sorry," she finally apologized when looking down at the floor.

"Excuse me," Caitlin spoke again, finally having found her voice, the tears gone. Quite frankly, she was angry now. "You let me get into a portal that is still unstable?" She turned to the girl.

"I had it all under control. I swear! I have PhD in bio-chemistry and physics and…" the girl started and Snow was just rendered speechless.

"I'm sorry, but how old are you exactly?"

"Sixteen."

"Yes, she's a very bright kid," Wells said quickly, dismissing that information and then he glanced at his watch. "I have a meeting I need to attend and I'm already late. And I am never late," he then threw Jesse's way, his anger returning. "Better take care of this... situation," he told her and before he finally left, he added, "My office after. Don't be late."

While Jesse left still shaken up Caitlin in one of the empty labs, she ran to meet her father. She did feel awful about the whole thing, especially now that she saw that the woman who'd come through the portal was actually so pretty and nice and caring. She hated that her father was so mean to her and she wanted to fix it, but she wasn't sure how to. She could've sworn miss Snow had tears in her eyes by the time Jesse headed for the meeting, so that made her only feel worse. This was so not how she imagined it. Then again, she should've known she wasn't really good at all those socializing stuff, meeting new people or… putting two people together, she admitted. She'd spent most of her life running from one class to another, doing what she loved, being completely invested in science and somehow she'd missed on social interactions on her way, finding herself studying with people whole decades and even more older than her. And she didn't even blame her father since he'd told her at the beginning that he would prefer she just went to school like any other girl her age. The thing was that she didn't want to. She wanted to lean more and more, become smarter, more intelligent and he would do just about anything to make her happy, because she'd already been through so much when watching her mother die. She knew that her father loved her above everything and anything and she always came first, but sometimes he could also be such a jerk that she hated him for being shortsighted. She just wanted to do something nice for both herself and him and it all backfired. Like always.

Maybe she should just give up and stop trying altogether.

She finally entered his office, seeing him already waiting when sitting behind his desk.

"Dad, we really do need help!" she started right away before he even managed to say anything. "We're grasping in the dark and you know it! And Caitlin… she has experience with the Flash! I mean, medical experience, so she can tell what's happening to my body, what I need, how do I work on my speed… Why do you have to be so stubborn about it?"

"And you think that you won't be able to find anyone on this earth with similar expertise?" he just asked. "Jesse, listen," he then sighed, "I know what this is all about and don't even try to deny it. I don't need you to find me a girlfriend, ok? So drop that one. It's time," he added in a surprisingly soft voice. For the last few months Jesse had been trying to introduce him to such a string of women that he'd been going crazy with what was in the girl's head. Maybe she was desperate for a mother figure in her life, but that was the one thing that couldn't be easily fixed and probably would never be, so it would be for the best if she just stopped.

"It's not about me, dad. It's about you. You can't be alone for the rest of your life. Do you have any idea how painful it is for me to see you just hang out all by yourself, spending hours in the lab when not going out at all? You're not living. You're hiding, burying yourself in work."

"Jesse," he sighed again and then took off his glasses as though he was tired of wearing them. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are all that I need in life?" he asked her and then put them back on, having nothing better to do with them.

"But I won't always be here, dad. One day I'm gonna move on and have my own life and what then?"

"Don't you worry about that now. I have S.T.A.R. Labs. This place will always need me."

"Yeah, you got your job," Jesse actually snorted at that. "And that will actually make you happy? Just think about it! You'll be tinkering alone in your empty lab for the rest of your life?! You're not that old, dad! You can still…"

"Stop this, ok?" Harrison was getting angry again. "And what were you even thinking? She's too young for me even if I was willing to get interested, which I am clearly not!"

"Well, I didn't exactly ask for her age when I sent that note…" Jesse admitted when scratching her head.

"Oh, that's right. You didn't think," Wells reminded her.

"But she did include her resume and you should really take a look at it. It's very impressive! She's majored in my number one field of expertise and I hope…"

"Jesse, stop." Harrison raised from his seat. "My decision stands. We don't need her. You're gonna have to send her home."

"You can't ask me to do this! I mean… she's gonna be so let down!"

"She already is!" he reminded her when throwing his hands up into the air. "I promise you that this poor woman probably already feels more humiliated than she did in her entire life and it's on you! It's time you'll do some growing up, young lady, because having four different degrees, though it's impressive, has nothing to do with it."

Jesse knew the portal could be safely opened soon, but she decided against staying downstairs with Caitlin and waiting for that to happen. Despite everything she just heard from her father, she wasn't ready to give up that easily, because yes, even though she hoped her dad would like this woman, that wasn't the reason why she'd reached out. He was really being too hard on her when not letting her reach her full potential and become the hero the city so desperately needed. She was so sure she was right on this one, that he was the party who was actually wrong when blinded by his fatherly feelings. She understood he was just trying to protect her, but he wouldn't be able to do this forever and he had to understand that, too. She was almost an adult and the last thing she needed was an overprotective father as it wasn't hard on her already that she was a Wells and that boys usually ran away when hearing that and knowing who Harrison Wells was, not to mention the fact that they were so intimidated by her knowledge and all those degrees she had. And so what that Caitlin was so much younger? Jesse then thought when getting to the woman and asking to come with. Maybe she herself one day would have to settle for a man much older since she was so many years ahead of her peers.

"Jesse, I don't think that taking me for a tour of the place is a good idea. You should just send me home," Caitlin protested when the girl told her to leave the baggage behind for now.

"Sure, I will, but I won't be able to open the portal again in a few hours, so you may as well enjoy your stay here, right?"

"And why exactly is it taking so long?" Caitlin asked with a frown, already feeling very suspicious of the whole thing. She couldn't just trust Jesse on this after everything she head from her father.

"As my dad said, it's still all new to us. Come…" The girl took Caitlin's hand and pulled her down the long corridor.

"Isn't S.T.A.R. Labs on your earth all up and running?" Curiosity got the better of Caitlin as always and the woman just had to ask that question since so far she'd seen no one else beside the Wellses.

"Yes. But this part is closed off. It's always been private, only for my father's eyes. All those labs scattered in here are for his convenience since he doesn't really want to work with his employees."

"Go figure," Caitlin murmured under her nose. So far this version of dr. Wells seemed angry and grumpy to her; not to mention lonely, but not in the way that would mean he was in a need of company. He just didn't seem to want it.

"He used to work here with my mom, but when she died… well, he just works alone now," Jesse continued and Caitlin felt sorry for the girl again. She had to keep reminding herself that Jesse had been growing up without her mom and having a jerk for a father. She then kind of wondered whether he'd always been a jerk or life just made him into one. Either that or the tremendous amount of money he had, that was. It must've been hard to let people close to him when he always had to wonder whether they wanted to use him or just wanted to be with him for him.

Then Snow brought herself back to the ground. She would not feel sorry for the man since he was so mean to her. It was no wonder, really, that he had a whole private part of the Labs to himself.

"Then when I got my speed, we just turned half of it into headquarters," the girl continued, oblivious to Snow's thoughts. "I always expected we'd eventually have a whole team helping me out when saving the city, but… yeah… that never happened. My dad's idea was to just keep me here so no one would know my secret and no one would ever know the Flash."

"But you are the Flash, right?" Caitlin picked up on that. "How come the name stuck?"

"Oh, I just run very fast and sometimes push people on the streets when I see they're in trouble. That sort of things. You know, when someone crosses the street and there's a car they didn't see coming and they're suddenly standing on the other side. A few people saw a streak of red – that's my favorite hoodie – and some reporters joined in and called me the Flash."

"Oh, so you don't have an actual suit," Caitlin said.

"Does the Flash from your world have? That's so cool!" Jesse got interested immediately. "You see? We do need you!... Oh, this is the operations," she then said when they stepped into a room that reminded Caitlin of her own cortex. She wanted to tell Jesse that she wasn't really going to stay, but then she forgot, too interested in picking up on all the differences in this place.

"Where I come from, we call this room the cortex," she then informed when walking around.

The thing that stroke her as missing the most was the lack of a suit in the bay, but that was easily explained.

"How fascinating," she then heard the all-so-familiar hard and husky voice belonging to Harrison Wells.

She turned on her heels just to see him standing in the door and leaning against the frame with arms folded on his chest. He'd changed, now dressed all in black sweater and pants. Something told her he didn't really know any other color beside white for a business shirt.

"I… I'm sorry. Jesse brought me here while we're waiting for the portal to open again. I hope that's ok," Caitlin quickly said.

"For the portal to open? That's interesting." Wells shot his daughter a look.

"Which is totally a lie, I get it," Snow then caught up. "I'll be out of your hair in a second. Don't you worry."

She walked straight to the door, hating that she had to pass right by him on her way. She felt like crying again and she hated this man. Who did he think he was when being this mean?!

"Good riddance," she heard him say.

"You know what?" She came to a sudden stop. "I was just gonna return home without saying anything and never think of you again, but… I won't do that. You, mister, are a jerk!" She pointed a finger at him. "I understand that your daughter went behind your back and did something you do not approve of, but that doesn't give you the right to speak to me like that! You need to learn some respect! Just because you're this huge tycoon with billions in your pocket and S.T.A.R. Labs in your possession, doesn't give you the right to treat people like this! I deserve some respect. I'm just as smart as you are!" She kept on going, oblivious to the delighted expression on Jesse's face and the shocked one of the girl's father. "And even if you now told me I could stay, I still wouldn't! You know why?! Because I have my freaking dignity! Goodbye, Harry, I hope to never see you again!"

After that, she strode off, heading straight to the speed lab. She didn't care if they didn't call that room this way here. She just wanted to go home. And she would. Even if she had to figure out how to turn that stupid portaling device on again all by herself!

"Damn it," Caitlin cursed when tinkering with the device.

She hadn't figured that one out yet, but the truth was that she wasn't even sure she wanted to. Once she pictured herself her comeback home so soon after leaving, the faces of her friends registering that she'd already got kicked out, that no one on that other earth actually wanted her to begin with, it was just horrible, shameful and awful. She didn't want to come back. She actually considered just grabbing her bag, finding an exit and disappearing on this earth, becoming someone knew, starting somewhere different. She knew it was crazy and actually unmanageable since she didn't even know this earth's customs or if they even have the same currency when it came to money, but…

She just hated feeling so hopeless, so… unwanted, unneeded.

In the end, she decided to come back home, after all, but not to S.T.A.R. Labs. She would have to cut herself off from the team, maybe accept a job in a different city. Yes, that was the best idea, she could see it now. She could also see how crazy and desperate it was of her to just come to this earth, having nothing but a silly invitation and no knowledge of this world whatsoever.

Then, finally, with a decision made and cheeks still wet from her tears, she managed to turn the portal on. She just had no idea whether it would take her where she wanted to go, she just then realized and cursed again. Should she just risk it?

She considered actually getting Jesse to help when she heard footsteps in the corridor. Someone was running.

Next thing she knew, Harrison Wells stood in the door and said, "Snow! Thank God you're still here!"

She stared at him for a while, trying to decide what changed and why he suddenly needed her help. Why he was so out of breath and… terrified? She realized. For the first time he actually seemed human to her.

"I need your help! It's Jesse! She went off to face some metahuman and she got hurt! Please!" he explained and all the pieces fitted together.

"What happened?" Caitlin just asked in a professional voice. She was used to this. With this she could work. It was clearly a medical emergency and she had the needed experience to help. This was truly not a time for arguing or yelling at this man. Now he was just a father worried sick about his daughter.

"The infirmary!" He led the way and they both ran in that direction. "She ran off and then she barely came back! She just collapsed! I think her leg is broken or fractured… I couldn't really tell. The man was made of steel!"

Caitlin frowned. A metahuman of steel? That sounded familiar, actually. And yes, very, very dangerous.

She finally reached the infirmary which didn't differ that much from the one she remembered except for the instruments. All of them were designed differently than she was familiar with and she had the worst feeling that she would have to figure out which one did what before she managed to use them and then it might be too late.

Jesse was lying on a lab bed and it was clear that she was in a lot of pain.

Snow disregarded Wells completely, just heading to the girl and pulling up her pant leg, studying the injury.

"My guess is a fractured bone, but I need an X-Ray machine. The shoulder… definitely dislocated. Dr. Wells, quickly, hold her up…"

It was remarkable, really, how this man could change when his child was in pain. He did everything Caitlin told him to without asking any questions and listening to every piece of information she gave him.

"Speedsters heal very quickly," she informed while working on the foot, "so you're lucky I'm here. If the bone healed without me setting it up, someone would have to break it and then put back together again."

By the time Snow was done and Jesse was sleeping it all off, her bones already healing, Wells just stood by the door, watching it all happen with eyes widely opened. He didn't move even when Caitlin came closer.

"Are you all right?" she eventually asked him.

Finally, he seemed to have woken up from his stupor and his eyes met hers. His were a nice and fair shade of blue and she might've been looking into them for a little bit too long than it was appropriate, she realized.

"You saved her life," he just said in a hoarse voice.

"Hardly." She smiled at him. "I just set a few bones."

"But you did this many times already, didn't you? You saved the other Flash's life before?" he asked.

She suddenly felt uncomfortable with that question since it sounded like he was considering actually hiring her for the job Jesse had intended for her.

"Well… yeah, that would be correct."

He just nodded in response and shifted his eyes back to his daughter.

"Will she be ok?"

"Definitely. Her bones will be all healed in a just a few hours."

"Hours?" he asked, having trouble actually believing that.

"I assume you did do some tests on her when her powers manifested," Snow said.

"I did," he admitted with a nod, shifting his eyes back to her, "but my background is technology, not biochemistry."

"Then I dare say you're lucky I'm here. At least right now," she quickly added, because that, on the other hand, sounded dangerously close to agreeing to stay.

She walked right past him and found herself in the cor… the operations, she reminded herself.

"Hungry?" dr. Wells suddenly asked and she turned around quickly, looking at him in shock. "It's the least I can do to thank you," he added when avoiding looking at her. He must've been feeling awkward.

"Sure. I'm starving," she answered because she actually was now that the adrenaline in her veins ran off.

"Is Big Belly Burger all right?" he then asked another question.

She laughed to his astonishment and just said, "Some things never change."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Yes, Belly Burger will be just fine. Thank you."

When Jesse woke up, she was shocked to find her father and Caitlin Snow just sitting in the operations and talking over empty boxes with Big Belly Burger logo on them. She would rather expect to wake up in a hospital and have her father furious with how reckless she'd behaved, but this… this was so much better.

"Oh, you're awake!" Wells turned to her as soon as he spotted her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like new. Just starving," Jesse admitted when holding onto her stomach.

"That's normal, too," Caitlin told her with a smile. "I was just telling your father everything I know about the speedster on my earth, Barry. You need to eat, Jesse, and a lot. Healing exhausted your body."

"I left you a few boxes," Wells pointed the untouched ones on the other side of the huge desk they were sitting by. "Eat on."

"So… you're not mad at me?" Jesse dared ask when tentatively coming closer and finally taking a free seat and reaching for the boxes.

"I am. I am furious," Harrison's voice grew serious, "but I am also glad you're all right, so as long as you promise not to act like that ever again, I am willing to let it slide."

"I do. I just… I wanted to make you see that I… that I was ready…" Jesse confessed and her lip actually trembled since she felt like crying. "And you were right, dad. I'm not. And that's why I need help. I can't just keep having those powers and not use them to help, don't you see that? The Flash from Caitlin's world is actually a real hero. He does whatever he can to help and I wanna be just like that, too. This world needs me. People need me. People who lose their loved ones every day and we should know how that feels."

Harrison, on hearing that, seemed to have closed off out of the sudden and Caitlin didn't feel welcomed there anymore. In fact, she felt as though she should leave those two to talk it all out and maybe finally return to her earth. After all, her job here was done. The knowledge she had, passed on.

She got up from her seat and left the room while Harrison was hugging his daughter.

"You're just gonna let her leave like that?" Jesse asked her father when he let her go and she noticed the older woman gone. "Dad, ok, I admit that I wanted her here because she's so pretty and so super nice and definitely your type, but… there's so much more to that now. Just give her a chance. You saw how much we need someone like her here. You can't deny it any longer. What would you have done if she hadn't been here?"

"Lock you up in your room and never let go?" Harrison tried his poor attempt at joking, but then he just sighed and scratched his head.

"Dad, please. For me."

Caitlin didn't think it would be this hard. She was just standing right in front of that damn portal, ready to take off now with no interruptions, but… but she didn't really want to. For the first time in months she actually felt like she was appreciated. Not only needed for her expertise, but also for the company. Yes, she'd decided Harrison Wells was a jerk, but then she got to actually talk to him and she discovered he wasn't all that bad and despite the conversation being mostly about what she knew about speedsters and how she worked on her earth, she could also tell he needed company. Jesse was right, after all. He was lonely. They both were and they were just running blind when trying to get a handle of those powers of hers.

So no, Caitlin didn't really want to leave. But she had to. Because she would not ask them to let her stay. She would just not.

And then, just when she was reaching for her bag with a heavy sigh, she heard, "Did you adjust the settings?"

She turned around only to see Harrison Wells standing there.

"I'm just showing my concern," he assured her when raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "You don't want to end up in a completely different universe, do you? I guess you have enough of that like for one day."

Snow couldn't help it and she actually smiled to him.

"Well, thank you for being so concerned about me, Harry," she emphasized the shortage she came up with just so she wouldn't think of the other Harrison she'd used to know. But honestly, it was mostly because she wanted to annoy him. He deserved it, after all.

To her satisfaction, he did frown.

"Listen…" he then started when spreading his hands and putting them together again, "I should apologize to you. I…" It was so clear that he had trouble admitting to his own mistake and it actually gave her a pretty grand satisfaction to discover that. "I was wrong," he finally got it out with difficulty. "And Jesse was right, so… will you stay?"

Caitlin expected an apology, yes, but she so did not expect this.

"What?" she ended up asking stupidly.

"Well, don't make me beg here," he then tried joking, but seeing her serious expression, he gave up. "Ok, here it goes. I'm generally a jerk, so you shouldn't take any of what I said to you before personally."

"Oh, gee, how wonderful!" she teased. "You know, out of all the features of your character, being a jerk was one that I never actually thought of."

"You knew the Harrison Wells on your earth well?"

"Yeah. I actually worked for him. Well, until he turned out to be someone else, an evil speedster from the future who killed Barry's mom and then tried to kill him, too."

"Oh," was all Harry could say to that, suddenly taken aback by that news.

"But he's not you, obviously."

"No, he is not. I may be a jerk, but I am not evil."

Snow actually started to laugh and she could see that the corners of his lips were dangerously close to elevating and doing that as well. He held on, though and then just said, "So I took a look at you resume and it really is impressive. I already admitted my daughter right and I already asked you to stay. What else can I do, Snow?"

The question hung in the air between them and she hesitated, thinking of what her answer would be. Then, in the end there was only one way she could reply.

"Nothing. I'm in."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why not? Since you apologized so nicely," she teased him again with a smile and then she truly couldn't make out his expression. This man was really a puzzle to be solved, she decided.

"Great. You know, for Jesse," he added.

"Definitely," she agreed. "For Jesse."

When Caitlin came back to the operations with Harrison carrying her bag, Jesse squealed in joy and ran to hug the woman.

"Well, I believe we still have SteelMan to fight," Caitlin pointed out when smiling. "What?" she then asked, seeing the frowns on both the father's and daughter's faces. "I have a friend on my earth who always comes up with all those cool names for metahumans…" she started explaining, "so I thought…"

"Well, I certainly hope his ideas are much better," Harrison just said.

What a jerk, Caitlin thought.

Chapter Text

Caitlin was truly in awe as she was walking down the halls of S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth Two. The design of the building was exactly the same as she remembered from the days of its past glory on her earth, but the décor was all about art-deco and it was absolutely breathtaking. What was most amazing, though, was how alive the whole building seemed, how many people kept on passing by her, either dressed officially for work, wearing lab coats or just being visitors sightseeing the parts open for the public. She already passed by one school trip, the teacher smiling at the kids whose faces lit up on seeing all those wonders. It just hit her straight in the heart when she actually discovered she missed it on her earth. Still, even years ago when the Labs had been at the peak of their glory, it hadn't been this. She kind of suspected it was because of Eobard Thawne who'd been more occupied with trying to get himself back home rather than exploring all the possibilities of rebuild and growth of the place. Everything on this earth seemed better, perfected and from the various presentations Caitlin saw here and there, she found out it was all thanks to Harrison Wells. The real mystery, though, was why he was such a mean person when all of this clearly stemmed from his passion and love for science and teaching. Maybe he'd just forgotten how to deal with people, Caitlin figured, maybe after the death of his wife – she still hadn't found out how that happened, not that she had the courage to actually ask – he'd closed himself off, retreated to a much safer environment. At least safer for his heart. Maybe he was the wizard behind the curtain, being the owner of this place, but remaining in shadows, rather telling his people what to do and how to do it and spending his time in the closed off parts of the Labs with his daughter. Jesse did have powers now, so he must've had his hands full at the moment. Yet, he was so stubborn he'd almost sent Cait back home, refusing the help he clearly needed. In fact, they both did.

Eventually, tired of walking and not even having seen everything there was to see there, Caitlin came to a stop on the second floor, leaning against the railing and looking down at the people crowding the ground floor and the entrance to the impressive building. The look of pure awe was still on her face. She wondered if she'd ever get tired of seeing S.T.A.R. Labs being so vibrant, so full of life. The one she remembered from her earth was truly a ghost in comparison to this. A ghost and such a wasted potential, she nearly sighed, getting angry at Barry all over again. She did understand that the man had no time to even begin to think of returning the Labs to its previous glory, but he wasn't alone, was he? She could've helped! God knew she'd felt useless there anyway.

"Impressive, isn't it?" she suddenly heard a hoarse voice so close to her ear that she nearly jumped. "Did I scare you, Snow?" Now there was a hint of amusement in it as he leaned against the railing right next to her. "I never get tired of seeing this."

"You must be very proud," Caitlin said to Harrison Wells. "Building something like this… accomplishing so much… it's a lifelong dream coming true, isn't it?"

"Well, my life isn't over yet, Snow," he pointed out, clearly offended. Or pretending to be, she couldn't tell with him just yet. She still needed to get to know him better, but quite frankly, she wasn't sure if she should even bother. Then again, who knew, maybe in the end he would surprise her. They'd both lost someone very important to them, so maybe they had something in common, after all. She did know how it was to be cold and detached from everything and everyone all the same, so she would have to give this man a chance. That just was who she was, wasn't she? Always nice. Never giving up on people. Always trying to help first.

"What's next, then?" she asked, just to carry on the conversation. "Training the Flash to become the best speedster in the multiverse? Or maybe conquering another earth's S.T.A.R. Labs? The Labs on mine kind of need revitalizing."

"Because the Flash there is running it to the ground?" he chuckled. "I don't think so, Snow. This is my home. This is my life's work and I'm not sure if I could ever leave this place." There was a sad tone to his voice now, some kind of melancholy and just then she realized that maybe he truly had nothing better to do, no one else to visit on this earth or another. He was all alone, only having Jesse who would eventually – maybe rather sooner or later when considering her age – leave him. And then he would just have this place, but though impressive, it couldn't love him back. Yes, Caitlin started to feel compassion for this man rather than dislike more often now.

"I know he's doing everything he can," she spoke again, clearly meaning Barry. "You know, with getting married and having a daytime job on top of his secret one, but… yeah… he could've been a little bit more creative, hire someone else to put on top of the Labs."

"Like you?" Wells guessed when looking at her, so she gazed into his blue eyes, too.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I don't think I could do this all alone."

"Something tells me you could. You just need to have more faith in yourself, Snow. Nothing is impossible when you truly put your mind and heart to it."

"Heart, hah?" she teased immediately. "And here I thought you had none."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. Anyway, I came to tell you that I got you an apartment."

"Wait… you did what?" she gasped when staring at him with her mouth hanging open.

"It's not like I bought it for you," he explained, "just rented. It's across the street and since you're staying for now and will be working with Jesse, I thought you could use some place to actually stay in that doesn't include a gurney bed in my lab."

"Well… I didn't have much options of how to spend the night here," Caitlin said slowly.

"I know. Hence the apartment."

"Thank you, Harry. It's very nice of you. Especially since this earth is so new to me that I wouldn't be able to do it myself for quite some time, I guess."

"You're never gonna stop that, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Calling me Harry. What am I? Twelve?"

"So you'd rather I get all official and make you ancient?"

He only sighed theatrically in response.

"You're making this very difficult, Snow."

"I'm just trying to maintain some humor here. My friend, the one I told you keeps naming metas, he's the biggest joker in the world and the only person I truly miss, so I guess I'm trying to fill into his shoes."

"Very poorly, I presume," Harry immediately gibed. "Unless he's not so good, after all."

"You'll just have to meet him one day and decide for yourself."

"I think that having one of you here is all I can handle for now, Snow."

"Oh! Aren't we for a treat!" they suddenly heard a voice coming from behind them and when they turned, Caitlin recognized the teacher whom she'd seen leading the school tour earlier. Apparently, it hadn't ended yet. "Ladies and gentlemen," the smiley woman started, directing herself to the kids. Maybe that was a little official, but they clearly liked to be treated like adults in such a place. "I give you the hero of Central City, doctor Harrison Wells!"

Caitlin's eyes opened widely when she heard that. She knew that Wells was kind of a legend around those walls, but a hero?

"Yeah, he did kind of invent the metahuman app along with other cool gadgets that are helping the police track and fight the worst," she then heard a new voice and while Harrison was busy saying hi to the kids – hiding his exasperation really well, Cait could tell – she turned to the man who just showed up.

And nearly sucked in a breath, biting her tongue in the last moment before she would call him by his real name and reveal that she really wasn't from around here.

"Ray. Ray Palmer," he introduced himself with a huge smile plastered to this face. This boyish and nerdy grin she actually knew very well, too.

"Doctor Caitlin… um, Snow," she hesitated there for a moment before introducing herself fully and shaking his hand. She still had no idea if there was a Caitlin Snow on this earth and in the close vicinity to this town. She would have to check that one to avoid any misfortunes.

"Nice to meet you, Caitlin," Ray responded with an even bigger smile.

"And what did you want?" Harry asked, suddenly back to his mean self and clearly done with talking to the teacher who retreated with her tour.

"Good morning to you, too, boss," Ray turned to Wells with a nod, the smile still in place. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"Well, I don't know. I haven't exactly been outside yet," the mean and sarcastic answer came.

"Oh, right, another all-nighter? You really need to get some life, boss!"

Caitlin actually enjoyed their interaction and was smiling the whole time, trying very hard not to burst out laughing. She still hadn't figured out if those two actually liked each other or not.

"I see we have a new member of our staff," Ray then pointed out when turning his curious eyes back to her.

"Not exactly," Wells quickly dismissed that. "Doctor Snow is here on a special task and won't be a member of any staff. You won't even see her around all that often," he explained and Caitlin discovered a rather rough tone to his voice. What was his deal? Did he hire the best and brightest minds, but forgot to actually like those people? She wondered. Maybe he was afraid one day some of them might actually outsmart him.

"So, what do you do here, Ray?" Caitlin asked.

"I'm the head of the engineering department," he answered proudly. "What's your specialization?"

"Bio-chemistry," she answered, eager to see if this Palmer differed much from the one she knew.

"That's cool. So, what are you working on?" he wanted to know, his attention now focused only on her person as though his boss wasn't even there.

"Ok, all right… we don't have a whole day, Snow," Harry cut in when taking her arm and pulling her in the direction of the closed off part of the Labs. "We have to go, Palmer. Get back to work, will you?"

Caitlin smiled apologetically at Ray when she turned to say her goodbye and then walked away with Harry.

"You treat all your employees this way? Gee, I wonder what the appeal of the job is beside the prestige," she tried teasing one more time and frowned, seeing that it still wasn't good enough for Cisco's standard.

"Are you flirting with all your co-workers on your earth as well, too?" Harry answered her back and her frown only deepened.

"I wasn't flirting. I was just being polite. That's what good people usually do when meeting other people," she explained. "A feature you clearly lack. I can give you a crash course if you want, you know."

"Oh, what a great idea!" Harry pretended to be enthusiastic about it. "Not!" he added then and she just rolled her eyes. He was right about one thing, though, there was still so much to do that day including testing Jesse's speed and moving to a new apartment. Which he'd gotten her, she reminded herself, yeah, so maybe she'd be just a little bit nicer to him.

"That was amazing, Jesse!" Caitlin called out to the girl when she stopped right in front of her father, having just completed her run. "You're actually faster than Barry was at the beginning," she paid her a compliment. "Your technique might be a little sloppy, but…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jesse admitted. "I kind of didn't make it there on that turn, but I'll definitely work on it!"

"Great. We're done here for today," Harry just said and both the women stared at him. "What?"

"Harry, I'm sure we can do more," Caitlin told him.

"Why? So she'd overtax herself? Do I have to remind you that barely yesterday she actually had broken bones?!"

"And she healed. In matter of hours. She's fine."

"She should rest. Maybe go out meet some friends or work on some projects. Why the rush?"

"You're stalling," Caitlin suddenly realized when placing her hands on her hips. "You're totally stalling on this! You wanted me to stay, so here I am. I stayed. But I didn't stay to patch your daughter up from time to time. I stayed to teach her to be a better speedster and to actually help people."

"You know what, guys? I think I'm gonna…" Jesse started when pointing the door. "Yeah, definitely hungry here. Be right back!" She sped off.

"We need more tests, I agree," Harry said slowly and Caitlin could by now tell that he was trying to maintain his anger and not to snap at her again, "but we also have time."

"Tell that to people who are being attacked by metas every day." She wasn't giving up that easily.

"Jesse isn't their only means of saving!" he yelled then when turning around, his breathing actually quickening since he got so angry.

"Harry, I understand she's the only person you have left that you love, but you gotta let her go do her own thing someday…" Snow tried gently, but she immediately knew she made a mistake since he just grabbed some small thingy from the desk and threw it across the lab where it broke into pieces on the floor.

"Throwing things… yeah, that's very mature," she commented.

"I don't want her to go out there, get overconfident and then get hurt again just because she has you now, ok?" Harry finally turned back to Caitlin, his voice coming back to normal, his rage clearly unloaded on the device. Snow actually wondered whether it was expensive, but then again, with the whole Labs at his disposal, he was probably a billionaire or something.

"That's exactly my role. To teach. To guide," she tried one more time, adjusting her tone to his own. "And above all, to keep her safe and healthy. You will have to trust me on this. You already let me into this team."

"I'm still considering that one, just so you know."

She rolled her eyes at him again. She somehow couldn't help it when in his company.

"Ok, once she comes back, we'll do some more tests, but just a few and she'll be free," Caitlin tried compromising in the end. "There's still a metahuman on the loose and he's made of steel."

"And we haven't heard about him since Jesse got banged up, so maybe he's given up," Wells pointed out.

"I hope so," Caitlin agreed to his astonishment. "What? I don't want her to go up against someone so powerful just yet. She needs to start small."

"At least on that we can agree." Wells nodded and then brought his hand to his face to rub his forehead. "What else?"

"We have to talk suits options."

"Hell, no!"

"Why not? She will have to eventually come out as the Flash to the world and we can't risk anyone finding out her real identity."

"But suit? Really? Is that really necessary?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes, it is reeeaaallllyy necessary. And cool," Caitlin added with a smile to which he just sent her another disapproving look. "I'm sure your daughter will like to be cool. Ah, there's one more thing!" she quickly added when seeing him slowly retreating to the door.

"Yes?" He turned back to her with a sigh. "What there could possibly be yet?"

"A very important issue, actually," Snow started. "What do we do with the metahumans Jesse will bring in?"

"What do you mean bring in?" Harry failed to understand.

"Well, on my earth all the bad guys the Flash captures, he brings to the Labs and we keep them in the pipeline," Caitlin explained.

Wells blinked a few times before he got the meaning of the pipeline.

"No! Out of the question!" He gesticulated widely at Snow. "Are you out of your mind?! We are not turning this place into a prison! I am not keeping captured metahumans under a facility filled with my employees!"

"But you said it yourself," Caitlin pointed out, "that you didn't really like your employees… Too bad?" she then asked, seeing the face he just pulled. She actually discovered that she started to like this version of Harrison Wells with all his mean attitude. It was quite amusing seeing him worked up like this.

"Let's just come back to the part where you wanted to create an actual prison in my Labs, because that, Snow, is so not happening!"

"Give me a better idea, then. Be my guest." She challenged him when folding her arms on her chest.

"We'll just go talk to the police. They're already fond of me for creating the metahuman app. In case you haven't heard, I am the hero of the city, so we'll just make a deal with them."

"Oh, I so heard that and quite frankly, I still can't see how it happened."

"Oh, guys, you're still arguing?" Jesse came back, chewing on a burger. "I know I'm fast, but I took my time to… and… oh, never mind. What tests do you want me to do next?" She turned to Caitlin with a sigh.

"Let me guess," Ray said when placing his tray of food on the table Caitlin was sitting by in the S.T.A.R. Labs cafeteria. "Tough day at the office?"

"And it's not even over yet," she sighed when biting into her bagel.

"Harrison Wells is a tough bastard, trust me, I know," Ray informed her. "He's the most demanding boss you will ever have, but in the same time he will make you the best. He will trust in your skills and help you achieve more than you could possibly imagine… What's wrong?" he then asked when seeing the strange look on Caitlin's face. "Did I say something?"

"I was kind of bothered by that 'bastard'," she admitted when looking her companion in the eye, "but I think I will let it slide just because the rest of that sentence was quite nice."

"Oh, wait… you actually like the guy?" he seemed shocked. "Well, ok… sorry, then… Just… can you please not repeat to him anything I just said?"

"I'm not gonna tell on you. Who do you think I am?" She felt offended just then. "I just think that it's rather impolite to say all those mean things behind Harry's back and call him names. He's been through a lot, you know."

"Harry?" Ray picked up on that and suddenly he was all nervous. "Are you spying for him?" he wanted to know and Caitlin's eyes only enlarged.

"What? Why would you…?"

"I don't know. You two seemed pretty cozy with each other, so I thought maybe he finally got himself a girlfriend… God knows he's been alone ever since… yeah…"

Caitlin couldn't believe this. Then again, she kind of thought that she shouldn't expect anything else, really. Harrison Wells was – or maybe rather seemed to be - a jerk, so it was only natural that his employees were gossiping about him behind his back and calling him all kind of names when he pushed them too hard. Then again, they must've also respected him for that since this place was glorious and the work done here actually helped a lot of people, making their lives easier and safer. In the end, she just decided it must've been so terribly lonely for Wells to be the head of all of this, but not being able to bond with anyone for real. He was like a lonesome captain of this huge ship, always locked up in his lodging.

"I'm sorry," Ray apologized with a sigh when rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I am so, so sorry. This was terribly mean of me. And they say men don't gossip… I guess… I just thought you were just like anyone else in here, but you're not, are you? You're something else."

Caitlin was already opening her mouth, still not convinced and now also feeling a little intimidated by his words, but she had no idea what to tell him.

"Can we just start over? Hi, I'm Ray Palmer. Engineer. Please?" his voice had a pretty miserable tone to it now and she was Caitlin Snow, the nice girl, the forgiving kind, so she did send him a smile.

"Doctor Caitlin Snow. Bio-chem," she eventually said and he smiled right back at her. "Engineering, hah?" Melancholy was clear in her voice. "Did you happen to maybe know… Ronnie Raymond?"

"Never heard of him. Why?" Ray got interested and she just shook her head.

"Nothing… I mean, he was my husband. And he died. You two share the same occupation, is all," she then explained, wondering whether Palmer worked in the exact same position Ronnie had on her earth.

"Oh, my… I'm so sorry…"

"It's ok. It was a long time ago," she said then, shaking her head. "Anyway, tell me something more about the work you do here."

As the conversation progressed, Caitlin quickly discovered that Ray was nothing like Ronnie. She did notice some traits that reminded her of someone she liked very much on her earth, though. In fact, the man was her best friend and the humor both he and Ray possessed was quite similar.

She didn't see Harry walking close by, actually looking for her and then coming to a stop when seeing her talking to Ray and smiling at the guy so brilliantly.

Jesse was disappointed when there was no new meta crisis that day, but Harry couldn't be happier about that. Well, it was at least one thing he was happy about. Just now as he walked into operations with the intention to turn everything off, he came to a sudden stop when seeing that Caitlin was still there, working on her computer.

"You're still here?" he asked when making his way to her.

"I already told you, you won't get rid of me that easily," she teased, but he was so tired that he didn't even have the strength to come up with a good enough answer to that. Instead, he went with, "Don't you actually have an apartment to get to? I didn't rent it for a ghost, you know." Or maybe he did, he decided when folding his arms on his chest when standing right behind her and taking a look at the computer screen. "Who's Ronnie Raymond?" he then asked, seeing whom she was looking for.

"Eh… he was my… um… husband, from where I come from. He… died," Caitlin slowly answered and Harry stilled, seeing that he was treading on thin ice now.

"Oh," was all he could say to that before he actually reminded himself the polite way to respond. "I'm sorry. I know how tough that can be, but even if you find him, it won't be the Ronnie you knew," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone. "That person is gone."

"I know it'll be a completely different person, trust me," Caitlin assured him. "I just… I guess I wanted to know if he existed here. If he's… happy. I know it sounds sappy, but…"

"No, it doesn't," Harrison dismissed that when walking from behind her and taking a free chair near her to be able to actually see her face when he was talking to her. "I would like to know the same about my wife."

"Can I ask…?" Caitlin hesitated when meeting his blue eyes.

"Cancer," came the short answer.

"Oh, sorry, that must've been awful."

"As awful as losing your husband, I imagine. How that happened?"

"Particle accelerator exploded," she cut her answer short. "But the worst part is that… that after almost ten months of thinking he was dead, he turned out to be actually alive, just a metahuman… We found our way back, I guess," she proceeded, the words somehow pouring from her mouth. It was as though a dam broke somewhere and she felt the need to just get it all out, to tell someone. "We even got married… until he died. Again. Because he just needed to be the hero again. The worst part is…" she cut it short right there, but it was too late. Wells already picked up on that.

"What is the worst part?" he wanted to know.

Snow looked away and bit on her lip, somehow creating a very appealing sight to him before he reminded himself of the nature of this conversation and pushed those naughty thoughts aside. "He wasn't the same Ronnie I knew after he… changed," Caitlin said carefully. "It was as though something changed… I guess I still loved him, but… I don't know…" She shrugged, finally facing Harry again, "maybe not the same. Maybe not… enough. And I felt guilty because of that."

"And that's why you're looking for him? Because knowing he's all right and happy here will make you feel better?" Wells guessed and she just shrugged again.

"Maybe… I don't know."

And she was biting that lip again, damn it, he thought.

"Snow, listen…" he then started and sighed. "I've spent enough time with you to know without a doubt that you are a good person and you would never hurt anyone, not even a fly." She smiled at that sweetly. "God knows you're even nice to me. Well, most of the times."

"Technically, not when you become too infuriating," she pointed out, still smiling.

"I'll take that," he nodded and reciprocated. It was actually nice to see him smiling for a change, she thought. "The thing is… we all just human. We do the best we can whenever we can. Most of us anyway. You did nothing wrong as you cannot possibly control the way you feel. And if it makes you feel better, I… well… Jesse doesn't know this, so I would appreciate if you didn't tell her…"

"Of course."

"Her mother and I… we… had… problems," he finally confessed. "Right before she got sick. It was bad. It wasn't as any one of us did anything wrong. We just… drifted apart, I guess and that's even worse since there was no passion in our parting. She thought of getting a divorce and I… well, I didn't even care about that. I always put my work first and she knew that when she married me…" He hesitated when looking at the wall, but Snow was sure it wasn't the décor he was admiring, he was seeing something else with his mind. "Anyway," he continued when shaking his head and looking at Caitlin again. "She got sick shortly after and I took care of her, of course, but… this breach that was between us… it made me feel guilty for not doing enough, for not trying enough."

"She didn't get sick because your marriage hit a rocky path," Snow told him.

"I know that. Of course I do, but… I could've been there for her more, you know? And I wasn't. And maybe that's why I'm so overprotective with Jesse. I'm just trying to make up for that."

"I don't see any fault in your actions, Harry," Caitlin said slowly when thinking about it. "People drift apart. Sadly. We all want to hold on to our 'happily-ever-after', but so often… life just doesn't let us, it gets in the way instead." She sighed. "That said, you could use a little social life, you know. Love for work, for this place… it's all fine, but it will never replace a real one that's in people's heart."

"Wise words. Harder to practice, though," he commented.

"Try it sometime. Maybe you'll be surprised," she advised.

"So, did you find him? Ronnie?" he asked then, adding the name because he noticed confusion on her face.

"Did you find her?"

"Honestly, I never needed to. It wouldn't really be her even if I did," he revealed.

"So you do think it's sappy of me to look for Ronnie."

"Hey, I'm learning to be polite, ok? One of Jesse's conditions," Harry said, bristling a little and Snow actually laughed at that. He soon joined her and somehow they felt as though maybe some kind of a bond was created between them in that moment.

"Well, here goes nothing," Caitlin said when finally pushing the execute button on her keyboard. "Ronnie's… missing here," she then said with a frown and Harry just had to get up from his seat and get behind her again to take a look at the screen. "And there's no listing of any Caitlin Snow at all," she then said, oblivious to his expression when he realized how alike Ronnie was to Ray.

"That's good, right?" he just asked in the end. "At least you're not a murderer in this world like I happen to be in yours. Just let me know what I have to do to conceal my identity if I ever want to travel there."

"You and the Wells I used to know are nothing alike," she commented when turning in her revolving chair and looking up at him. "Other than your looks, that is," she then added.

"Don't even get me started on how you and the original Harrison Wells worked together. Were you close?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes," she answered to his surprise. "He really helped me a lot. He actually helped me survive after Ronnie died. The first time around anyway. Then he just broke me some more."

"How come you can stand me, then?" Harry followed with another question.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because of your sparkling personality?" she joked with a teasing smile.

"Haha," he pretended to laugh whereas his face remained unchanged. "Seriously, though, Snow. Don't hold back. Lay it all on me."

"You're not him," she simply said.

"Touché."

Chapter Text

This morning Caitlin actually woke up in her new apartment. Well, technically it wasn't hers since Harrison Wells's name was on the lease, but they worked up an agreement that he would rent the place for her and just pay her less for the job she was performing for him at S.T.A.R. Labs. It all worked well for her. She was actually grateful that he suggested such a solution since this earth was still foreign to her and whereas the money seemed the same, they were tiny details that differed, so she was afraid to even go shopping and pay with her dollars in fear of being found out and arrested. The taxes and stuff was also different and she reminded herself to study those things in her free time. Which she probably wouldn't find all that soon, considering that she was doing her best to train and test Jesse while there was no meta danger around. Maybe she subconsciously looked for the girl's father's approval, doing her best so he wouldn't regret letting her stay. Although, she reminded herself when turning on her back in that deliciously comfy bed, they'd had a moment the night before, so maybe they'd bond some more and eventually even become friends. She then almost laughed when imagining the looks on both Cisco's and Barry's faces if they knew what she was doing and for whom she was working. Yes, life could definitely surprise you sometimes. Or most of the times, she thought, feeling down out of a sudden since those surprises didn't necessary have to be good. Ronnie dead on her earth and missing on this one, not to mention the lack of any Caitlin Snow… that was weird and she just really wished she hadn't looked for that information in the first place. Harry was right, no matter whether there was Ronnie in this world or not, he might look the same, but was not the man she'd known and loved. And she'd changed so much since then. She wasn't the same person she'd used to be when agreeing to marry Ronnie and she wondered where they would've been now if he hadn't died…

…which was pointless, she decided, pushing away the idea of having a baby and living in the suburbs when working for some renown laboratory away from her mind. She most definitely had to get up before her mind would take the best of her. She had no way of knowing what could've been. Maybe the life she'd used to want back there just wasn't in her cards. Maybe she was cut out for something more, something greater than just a typical family house with white picket fence.

With that on her mind, she finally pushed the covers away and got up, heading straight for shower and still finding herself surprised by the strangely old décor of the bathroom. She guessed the style that in her world had long passed, was still new to this earth. In the end, it just seemed off with all the advancements in technology she saw at work every day.

This day Caitlin didn't go straight to work as she promised Harrison to meet him at the police station. Hating the idea of locking metahumans in the pipeline of his Labs, he'd rather make a deal with the police and asked her to come since they were both in it. She didn't mind at all, but she did kind of hate that she couldn't make a quick stop on her way to buy something for breakfast. She still didn't have any money from this world and felt uncomfortable to ask her boss for an early payment.

"You're late," he welcomed her in his typical gruff fashion when pacing back and forth in front of the station.

"Well, excuse me if I'm not familiar with this earth just yet. And I don't exactly pay my phone bills here, so my cell is still out of service, therefore I couldn't find this place via GPS and I actually had to actually ask some people…"

"I told you it was right around the corner," he interrupted her impatiently and then suddenly, there was a paper bag in her hand with something smelling deliciously good and still warm.

"Wait… did you actually buy me breakfast?" Caitlin asked when looking into the bag he so unceremoniously handed her over, her anger at him quickly dissipating. She actually forgot what she was mad about in the first place.

"I'm not a monster. I know you don't have this earth's money yet, so I thought you might be hungry. The coffee is for you, too," he gave her the cup he was holding. "I already drunk mine while waiting for you."

"You really are always like this, aren't you?" she asked with her mouth full of the delicious bagel he'd bought her. It actually amused her that he also seemed to hate when people talked to him with full mouth. Well, that was all his fault, actually since she was starving, she decided, taking anther bite and then taking a sip of the coffee. "What's in this stuff? I haven't eaten anything so go… What?" she asked then when stilling. He was most definitely staring at her. "Did I get some of it on my face?" She wanted to know when wiping her mouth with her hand and then licking her lips.

In the end, he just shook his head, his eyes somewhat darkening and she truly didn't know what that was all about.

"Your cell phone is not out of service," he finally informed.

"What?" she asked, yet, once again.

"Are you deaf, Snow?" he retaliated impatiently. "No? So stop repeating this word. Your phone is not out of service because I took care of it this morning. You should have checked."

"Well, excuse me for not thinking that you might've done it already. I was in a rush."

"Sleeping in?"

"But it's all your fault that I overslept!" she said and then her cheeks grew red when she realized how it sounded. "Sorry. That came out wrong," she added quickly and saw him folding his arms over his chest with a sigh. "I meant that the bed was way too comfy and I was super tired after those two days of work and sleeping in that stupid lab bed the other night. Why don't we get in already?" she then asked, pointing out the obvious.

"So you could charm all those policemen with your astounding abilities to eat and talk in the same time? I don't think so. I deliberately asked you to show up earlier than our appointment and despite you being late, we can still wait till you actually finish your breakfast," he informed mater-of-factly and she just rolled her eyes at him before saying, "Gee, it's only been two days and you already know me so well!"

"Sarcasm aside, I also created you a new identity and a bank account. Here's the card," he reached to his pocket and presented her with the thingy. "The first payment is already there. Feel free to use it."

"Thank you," this time Snow didn't mock nor make fun of him. She was just grateful and actually felt bad for saying all those words to him just seconds ago.

She swallowed the last of her bagel and reached for the card, seeing the name put there. In that moment her enthusiasm faded. "Katherine Smith?" she asked when looking back at him with a frown. "Why? I couldn't find any listing of Caitlin Snow in this world, so why the change?"

His lips were just shut and she didn't know what to make out of his expression.

"Harrison?" she prompted, seeing that there was something he wasn't telling her. "Why did you put a different name here?"

"Because you needed it. End of discussion. Officially, you're Katherine Smith. Unofficially, you're Caitlin Snow. Let's just go in before we'll really be late. And I am never late for a business meeting."

"Well, that's not true, actually…" Caitlin was already pointing out, but he just opened the door for her, letting her inside with such an expression on his face that she immediately shut down and switched her professional mode on. After all, it was all her fault he was late the first time around and would be again, right?

"Who are we seeing, exactly?" Snow asked in curiosity as Harrison led her inside. She kept on looking around, never getting tired of how similar this precinct seemed to the one she knew so well and yet, it was so much different.

"Detective West-Allen and her boss," the answer came and Caitlin just came to a sudden stop, her hand going to his arm so he had no choice but to follow her.

He did sigh, though and then asked, "What now, Snow?"

"West-Allen?" she repeated stupidly. "You mean… Iris West-Allen?"

"Oh, right, you did say something about her and Barry from where you come from, right?"

"And you didn't think I might want to know that she's married to him on this earth, too and added to that, she's an actual detective instead of a journalist?"

"Her husband is a journalist, actually," Harry provided the answer and Snow just rolled her eyes. "What?"

She was the one to sigh in response now. Some things just never changed no matter where you went, right?

And then something even freakier happened.

"Caitlin?" she heard someone's voice and froze again, feeling goose bumps all over her body.

Did someone just call her Caitlin? As a Caitlin Snow? Who looked like her and actually lived in this city?

She really didn't want to look at this person in fear it may be another doppelganger and she kind of had enough of those for a while.

Only no, as she finally faced the man, she didn't recognize him. He was a stranger to her.

"I'm sorry, you must've mistaken me for someone," she said calmly, not even knowing where this confidence was coming from and why she wasn't freaking out yet. "I'm Katherine," she then added.

"Sorry, my mistake." The man, clearly being British as his accent betrayed, raised his hands up into the air with a sheepish smile. "I guess you reminded me of someone I used to know a very long time ago."

"Doctor Wells!" they heard Iris West-Allen and Caitlin was actually grateful for the woman's appearance. She was trying not to stare too much, though. "I'm so glad you made it! Please, let's step into captain's office and talk everything through."

"Mrs. West-Allen," Harry said his greetings and shook her hand before proceeding to introducing Caitlin. "This is my colleague, Katherine Smith. She's been working on the issue with me."

"Oh, working so closely with Harrison Wells," Iris chirped, "must be an honor! You're definitely something special, miss Smith, aren't you?"

Caitlin could only shake the woman's hand and smile politely, being too shocked by all the events so far. Who was that man? Did it even matter? Was Caitlin still here? Was she dead? Why couldn't she find her while she'd managed to find Ronnie?

Harry shot her a look and she forced herself to pull back together as they followed Iris into the chief's office. At least that thing didn't change, Snow realized with relief as she saw the familiar figure sitting behind his desk.

Yet, she barely even registered the conversation between Harry and the captain, too busy thinking, going over everything she'd found out so far, trying to put the pieces together. Which was pointless because she didn't have enough of them. Luckily for her, her presence seemed to be enough and she didn't have to engage in any conversation, just listen.

She did notice Iris being all jittery and jumpy around Harrison and she could've also sworn the girl was blushing, although it didn't show for obvious reasons.

When the happy captain and Wells stroke a deal, agreeing to cooperation, Iris immediately said, "It's truly an honor, sir to work with you! And I think it's so noble that you decided to help the Flash and the city."

Harry just smiled at her politely, completely ignoring her behavior when he finally shook the captain's hand and then her own as a goodbye.

"Oh, Katherine," Iris then said when both Snow and Wells were just leaving. It took Caitlin a while to register that the woman meant her. "I heard you're new to the city, so if you want to hang out or need any help, don't hesitate to give me a call! Oh, and you're so lucky, girl! Working with the legend!" Iris winked at her and Caitlin could only say a polite thank you, doing her best to keep her face straight.

It was only when she and Harrison finally found themselves outside the precinct that she said, "Damn, that woman was all over you!"

Wells came to a sudden stop and looked at her with a frown.

"Are you jealous, Snow?" he just asked, because truly, nothing else came to his mind at the moment.

"What?!"

"What did I say about using that word?"

"I am not jealous! Are you kidding me?! I am shocked! Everyone in this town just loves you! Does no one actually see the real you?!"

He was folding his arms on his chest again and Snow so far guessed it wasn't a good sign. He did that whenever he started to be angry with her. Or maybe when he was offended. Whoops…

"You're gonna throw me out now, aren't you?" she just asked. "I can't go back to my earth just yet."

"I am not doing such a thing. I simply wonder why you hate me so much."

"I don't hate you!" she immediately denied.

"Then why do you keep insulting me?"

"I don't know… defense mechanism, maybe?" she guessed, wriggling her fingers nervously.

"Against what exactly?"

"I don't know! I'm sorry!" she suddenly raised her voice and people on the street actually started looking at them. "Oh, let's just walk," she encouraged him and pulled him towards the direction she thought the Labs were to which he just shook his head and sighed before pulling her in the opposite.

"I guess you just make me nervous and I swear I don't act like that all the time," she started babbling away. "All those doppelgangers are different versions of people that I know, but they don't know me here… I think it's taking quite a toll and then you… you're on top of them all."

"I don't follow," he admitted, just leading her down the street and not looking at her.

"I knew you… well, the other you who wasn't exactly you, I mean… not Harrison Wells…"

"Your point, Snow?" he interrupted her impatiently.

"My point is," she finally pulled herself together and said it straight, "that I'm used to one version of you and I don't see him in you. You may look the same, but you're not the same. You dress differently, your hair is different and God, even the way you move, the gestures you make… they're all different. I thought I would be comfortable around you because when taking my doctor Wells' betrayal out of the equation, I was very familiar with him, his character and his work and you… you just keep surprising me. In the end, I don't really know you. I don't even know whether I actually like you, considering the welcoming you gave me and the mean exterior, but… yeah…"

"Snow?"

"Yeah?"

"First of all, I told you that people here have nothing to do with those on your earth, so it shouldn't be so surprising to you that I am different than what you expected. Second of all, you don't have to like me. You work for me."

"I'd rather work with you, you know? That's what we were doing on my earth," she said and then added quickly, "and before you give me another speech how this one is different, I don't buy that we can't be equal or like each other when working together with Jesse. That's a completely different story altogether, because it's not typical work. It's like pro bono... wait, no, because you do actually pay me, but… It's like doing something for a greater good, doing something good for the world."

"Funny, I didn't peg you for an idealist."

"There you go again. You're being mean. Is this some kind of your defense mechanism?" she wanted to know and then looked at his face closely when they stopped at the lights. She welcomed with relief the fact that red on this earth still meant stop. "People either worship you from afar or don't really like you, do they?" she then asked and must've struck a chord because one of the muscles in his jaw twitched.

"They don't have to like me," he then said when they resumed their walking, directing themselves straight to already visible and not covered by any tall buildings S.T.A.R. Labs. "You think I don't know how they talk behind my back?" he suddenly asked. "But I'm allowed not to care. I'm their boss. I wouldn't have gotten so far if I cared."

"You should. And they should," Caitlin found herself saying, feeling sorry for him. She didn't know what it was about him, but he had the power to cause her to keep switching from one emotion to another so fast that her head was spinning. One moment she hated him, the other she felt sorry for him and wanted to comfort him.

"I would definitely like you from the beginning if only you weren't so awful to me," she then confessed. "I didn't deserve that. Just so you know, I came here to work for you. I answered your letter. I didn't know it was Jesse who sent it. So why don't you think about that?" she just asked and fastened her pace to get to the entrance before him and disappear when he called her.

"Snow, wait."

She came to a stop, hating that she listened, after all.

"I think I already apologized."

"Not really, no. You just explained and that's a difference."

"Then I am apologizing right now," he said to her astonishment. His voice didn't sound like his, though, when he did so. "Come," he then pointed a path that seemed to go around the Labs instead of inside and most importantly, it was secluded so no one would overhear them. Where they were now, there was a lot of people passing by.

Snow sighed, but eventually followed him, curious of what he would say next.

"I realize it was wrong of me, but I already said I'm overprotective of my daughter and what she did was very foolish. How was I supposed to know that someone like you would come through? It could've as easily been someone wanting to use and exploit my little girl."

"You already explained," Caitlin reminded him then when they finally left all the people behind them.

"Maybe not enough. I wasn't angry with you, but with her. And well, ok, maybe a little with you, too, but I couldn't have known who you really were back then and you already seem to know how stubborn I am, don't you? I thought we could do it all alone."

"And you were clearly wrong… How do you know I'm not here to use and exploit anyway? You've known me for a total of two days," she then asked.

"I just know," he told her and somehow it was enough even if it didn't make sense. Some things one just knew or simply sensed. "I hope you realize how rare it is for me to say all those things to anyone," he then added a little teasingly, but she knew he tried to turn it all into a joke just because it was too serious for him.

She nodded.

"That being said, I am actually glad that you're here. It was a lucky accident."

"Such a man of science as yourself should know there are no accidents."

"Or just the opposite. That everything is one."

"No," she disagreed when shaking her head, "I may be a doctor myself, but I don't believe that. I believe there's a certain order of things, that universe or God… they sometimes stir things in the right direction. I was looking for a fresh start and I got one. You needed help without even realizing it."

"Why did you leave your team anyway?" Wells asked as they walked past some gate he opened, simply taking a stroll, entering a green space leading to a garden. Snow guessed it was Harrison's private place, not open to the public or his employees. "Did it have something to do with lovely miss West-Allen?" he followed with then.

"No. It was… maybe a little bit of everything. When we formed the team, it was great. We were all friends, working together, caring for one another… and then something broke… maybe it was Barry's fault. He's always been in love with Iris and would do anything for her, so when we all thought she was going to die, he did just that, disregarding everything and everyone else. It's not that I was jealous or in love with him or anything. I just felt… left out, put aside like an object to be used when someone needed medical attention. Even my best friend, Cisco, found himself a girlfriend and it just wasn't what it used to. I don't blame him for spending time with her. I just… I guess I was the only one left with no one to come home to and I got lonely. I was also… unhappy."

Wells was silent for a very long time after she finished telling him all of that and then, finally, he just said when stopping right in front of her and looking her in the eye, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" She didn't understand his intentions now.

"For almost sending you back. I… I didn't know. I guess I've spent so much time alone that I forgot how it is to be human. I've been so immersed into my own battle that I forgot that everyone else has their own and we know nothing about it."

"Thank you," she said when smiling to him sweetly. "I really needed to hear this."

"But don't get used to it," he warned her, not able to stop himself from smiling to her as well.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it! I'm all set and ready to deal with the mean Harry again. Yet, before you make the switch from Jekyll to Hyde, there's one thing I need you to be honest with me about."

"Yes?"

"You told me there was no Caitlin Snow on this earth, yet, the man in that police precinct clearly recognized me. That couldn't be a coincidence, Harry. He called me by my actual name."

Wells sighed when putting his hands into the pockets of his coat and then looked up into the sky.

"I never said there was no Caitlin Snow here. You assumed that yourself."

"Because I looked and couldn't find her."

"Ok, I admit that I blocked the search results on the Labs' server," he finally confessed when facing her again. "I did it to spare your feelings. Obviously, I was such a fool that I didn't think you might want to try and find someone else connected to your past, so I couldn't do the same with Raymond."

Caitlin was silent for a moment, processing those words, not able to decide whether to be plain angry with him again or not.

Eventually, she went with, "Tactful jerk, you don't say. But that wasn't your call to make and you know it."

"It was just another jerky move, wasn't it?" he made sure. "Even though my intentions were good."

"You know that hell is paved with them right?" she reminded him.

"And there's no chance now for you to stop calling me Harry?"

"Nope."

"Ok, listen… I guess I'm still rusty when it comes to dealing with people the right way…"

"You don't say."

"…but I'm actually nice to those I like."

"Oh, really?" Snow folded her arms on her chest, just eyeing him up. She couldn't understand this, but she really wasn't angry. She was just... amused and it only confused her more. "Ok, then it means you don't really like me so far," she added.

"Wasn't I… just nice you?" he reminded her. "Well… before admitting my guilt?"

She could only shake her head and actually laugh. "Oh, so you do like me! Just give me some time, Harry and then you will most definitely love me! After all, I am Caitlin Snow." She grinned.

Only then that grin faded away.

"Ok, now is the time for the ugly truth. Just tell me what you know about Caitlin Snow from this earth. And no playing games. If you blocked the search results, you must've checked her up first."

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Lay it all on me. I can take this."

"Caitlin Snow of this earth developed metahuman powers years ago," he slowly started explaining, "and she hasn't been heard of ever since. I didn't think you were in any danger because she wasn't from around here, she never even worked in this city. What more, she doesn't even look like you now."

"So someone recognizing me at the precinct was just another weird accident?" Snow asked with a frown.

"I'm afraid so."

"Too many of them happen around us recently."

"It appears so."

"So… what are her powers? Is it something cool?"

He almost chuckled when she asked that and she couldn't understand why.

"What did I say?" she asked immediately.

"Yes, they were," he confirmed. "They were exactly that, in fact. She could… or can since she's probably still somewhere out there… turn everything she touches to ice. Her designation name is Killer Frost."

She had an evil doppelganger. Go figure! She, the sweet, caring and loyal Caitlin Snow had an evil doppelganger just in the world she decided to escape to. What more, those powers were super deadly since Killer Frost could turn everything into ice and Harry had also mentioned something that her hair was all white and she had a completely different style, so that was why he assumed Snow was safe in Central City. Right after that he received a call and disappeared to take care of some crisis in the Labs, leaving Caitlin to her own thoughts.

And she had enough of them.

Jesse was out, meeting some friends and the training that was awaiting her when she got back was already programmed, so for the lack of better things to do, Caitlin looked for the engineering department, eager to talk to Ray and take her mind off of things she didn't really want to think about.

"Oh, hi there!" Ray paid her a warm welcome as soon as he spotted her.

At least someone could, she thought morosely when coming back in her mind to how Harry had greeted her this morning. There was just something warm and cheerful about Ray and she had her suspicions that the guy didn't even know the words 'sad', 'let down' or 'depressed'. Maybe that was exactly what she needed now.

"Hi," she sent him a smile. "What are you working on?" she immediately pointed the robotic hand that he was tinkering with. It kind of reminded her of her lunches with Ronnie back in the day when he'd worked and she'd just come over to talk or the other way around, depending on which one of them had something more important to focus on. As she realized now, working so much might've not exactly been healthy for them, but she still came back to those memories with a fond smile on her face. Things had been so much easier then.

"Why would I tell you if you still refuse to share what it is exactly that you do here?" he asked with a question, the tone of his voice playful.

"You know dr. Wells and his stance on spilling the beans on secret projects," she answered smoothly and winked at Ray.

"Aha… listen," Palmer suddenly added when straightening up his back and putting his tools away. "I… I don't want to get out of line here, but… there's something I've been wanting to ask and… would you… would you maybe sometime want to have dinner with me? Or lunch? It could be lunch or even coffee… no? Tea, then?" he stammered when she just stood there, staring at him and having no idea what to say to that.

Because she thought of him as of a good friend, as something maybe of a replacement for Cisco whom she missed so much and here he just went with this.

"Um…" she stammered.

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have…" he added, feeling even more awkward now. "Wow, not even a no… will you say anything at all?"

"I'm sorry," Caitlin quickly rectified, shaking her head. "It's just… I'm still very new here and you caught me off guard… Let me just think about it, ok? I'll get back to you." And then she just left the engineering department as fast as she could on those heels she was wearing.

Chapter Text

"Are you even listening to me?!" Jesse's annoyed voice reached Caitlin like through a broken phone line and finally, the woman looked at the girl.

"Sorry, must've spaced out there for a sec," she quickly apologized and Jesse just sighed heavily.

"A sec? I've completed this run twice already and you haven't said a word!"

"I'm sorry," Caitlin repeated, actually embarrassed about how unprofessional that must've seemed. She really hoped Harrison wouldn't find out about it because then she wouldn't hear the end of it. "Both your runs were excellent," she quickly commented when going through the fresh data. "That was a really great job, Jesse. You deserve a break now."

"Ok, but not before you tell me what's wrong," the girl wouldn't let go that easily. "I can see that something's bothering you since you always pay attention to me and today… you're just not here."

Caitlin thought for a moment when biting on her lip. Jesse wasn't that young as not to hear about her problems, but on the other side… Then again it was either lay it all on Wells's daughter or actually giving Iris from this world a call and the latter didn't sound that much appealing to Caitlin. In fact, it was not appealing at all.

"It's just… it's been a while since I was on… on a date, you know?" she finally spilled the beans and saw that Jesse's eyes lit up immediately. The teenager just nodded energetically, encouraging Snow to tell her more. "So I thought maybe I should just try it and put myself out there." Another energetic nod and an even bigger smile. "I mean, I've been lonely for a very long time now and…"

"I know someone just like that!" Jesse cut in, her enthusiasm seeming to be contagious and it even got Caitlin a little excited, too.

"So, should I go out with Palmer?" she finally asked and was met with a shocked glance. Jesse just stood there, the smile dying out on her lips, her eyes wide as plates.

"What… what?!" she immediately asked. "NO!"

Caitlin was completely taken aback.

"Why not? You just said…" she said in confusion. Maybe laying it all out on a teenager wasn't such a good idea, after all, she thought.

"I mean… nothing… just… womanizer," Jesse finally stuttered out. "Yep! Total womanizer that Palmer is! And you're still new here… ah, but in the end you will do whatever you want," she seemed to have given up, resembling a deflated balloon.

Caitlin was studying the girl's features for a second, trying to read them, to guess why she was acting so weird, but in the end she just said, "Well, it's not that I care… I just… I guess I was looking for an advise because I just don't feel it," she confessed with a sigh. "Ray seems like a really great guy, but… a friend and nothing more. Maybe I should just get to know him closer, but… I just don't feel the chemistry there at all." She bit on her lip again.

"And good for you! That guy is such a jerk!" Jesse said and Caitlin really wanted to point out that Ray wasn't one in comparison to a certain someone, but eventually she just bit her tongue and went with, "What's the deal with your dad, then?" That seemed careful enough, right?

Jesse seemed to have gotten that because she answered, "Don't mind his jerk mode. When he cares about someone, he protects them fiercely. He would give absolutely anything and everything for them, he loves just like that," she painted her father in the most colorful way she could muster and Snow really wanted to laugh at that. She might even have an inkling to why Jesse was behaving so strangely. She didn't get the chance to ask about that, though, because they suddenly heard Harry's voice coming from the door.

"Who says anything about caring?" He entered the door, hands in the pockets of his black pants, "I just said I liked her."

"Well, that's definitely progress," Caitlin decided and then directed herself to the door after gathering up her stuff. The whole conversation with Jesse and Harry's sudden appearance, not to mention Ray asking her out, it was all very stressful for her and felt weird and uncomfortable. In fact, she needed to find someone right now to clear the air once and for all.

When they were left alone, Jesse turned to Wells.

"Dad!"

"What?"

"Don't you see what's going on here? You really wanna let her slip through your fingers like that?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"Palmer. Interested," Jesse gave him the bullet points.

"Jesse, for the last time, I am not interested in Snow that way and besides, I'm too old for her. We just happen to work together and it's nice and please, don't ruin it with your machinations," Harry said with a sigh.

"Aha, so you keep saying," Jesse only nodded. "I'm going for a run."

"What's that supposed to mean?! Hey! Don't turn away when I'm talking to… I hate that," he acknowledged when Jesse was long gone, actually possessing super speed. "I really hate that. And didn't you just have a run?" he asked the empty room and then shook his head before heading for his lab.

Caitlin accidentally chose the lunch hour when she appeared in Ray's department again and wasn't sure whether seeing him there all alone, choosing to work than actually socializing with other people and eating was a good or a bad thing. Maybe the latter because she could just get it over with, but then again, they were alone and she didn't feel all that comfortable with that either.

What was worse, once he saw her, his face just lit up and he sent her way a huge smile. Maybe that was why she still couldn't understand Jesse's words. Maybe the girl had mistaken him for someone else? Because this Ray Palmer definitely didn't seem like a jerk. In fact, he might've been just the nicest person Caitlin had met on this earth so far.

"Before you say anything, take a look at this!" He presented her with the same robotic hand she'd seen earlier.

"Will you finally tell me what is it?"

"Why don't you guess," he encouraged.

"Um… a prosthetic hand?"

"Oh, come on! You can do better than that! No prosthetic is this thick! Where would you put the artificial skin and stuff?"

Well, ok, the advancement in technology on this earth must've come further than on her own, so she might've just made a mistake. Only Ray wouldn't know about the existence of the multiverse, so she should be safe. At least as long as he didn't google her. Why did she give him her real name? Or maybe the proper question should be why Harry hadn't stopped her?! Maybe she should really keep her distance from now on and only refer to herself as Katherine Smith? Damn it!

She didn't even register the look on Ray's face while she was thinking, still staring at that damned robotic hand.

"It's gonna be a part of a whole body armor! I'm making a super suit! Well… ok… that didn't sound as cool as it did in my head," Ray kept on saying, so proud of his device but in the same time a little ashamed of his geekiness. That was why he reminded her so much of Cisco and that was also probably why she couldn't think of even the possibility of dating him. "Anyway. That's still cool, right? Imagine soldiers going into battle with this armor on. They wouldn't get hurt… In fact, I'm still working out some kinks about the size. I will have to consult dr. Wells on this, but I think we can actually shrink it and then…"

"Ray, listen," Caitlin interrupted him, suddenly feeling sick. Did she give him the impression that she liked him this way? The poor guy seemed so sweet and caring and nice that it seemed ridiculous that she wasn't into him, but she really wasn't. Something about this just felt terribly wrong and she couldn't put a finger on it. It definitely wasn't because she knew Ray Palmer on her earth.

He finally stopped talking.

"I'm sorry, I'm probably boring you with this…" and then he came to a stop when his eyes met hers.

What is going on? Caitlin wondered and then she was stunned when instead of taking his gaze away from her, his eyes actually got closer and she realized he was the one getting closer with the clear intention of…

She turned away in the last possible moment, sick to her stomach.

"Oh… yeah… that was awkward," he said sheepishly when turning around and avoiding looking at her. "I'm so sorry…"

"No, don't be…"

"I guess I read things wrong… I mean… not many people… especially women… are so eager to spend their time with me one on one and…"

Caitlin frowned at that.

"Why?" she just had to ask. "You're a handsome guy, nice to that and you actually work for S.T.A.R. Labs. I'm surprised women don't throw themselves at you."

"Yeah… like you?" He finally turned around and she could see the red on his cheeks and the hurt in his eyes. "That's what I thought. Women generally don't do guys whose passion is… well, this…" he gestured to the table with all those robotic pieces. "Mostly not guys who can only talk about technology."

"Ray, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to lead you on. In fact, I came here to lay you down gently and ask if we could stay friends," she finally confessed. "I guess I should've said that sooner."

"It's ok," he assured her. "I know I moved too quickly. It's just… I don't know," he shook his head when looking at her, "there's just something about you, Caitlin Snow. Something… different, refreshing even. You don't seem to fit into this world and maybe exactly that was what captivated me so much and so fast. But yeah…" he suddenly realized what he just said and made a step back, his hands raised up into the air, "I would be honored to be friends with you."

"Are you sure? Because if this is going to get difficult for you… maybe we shouldn't do even that," she said gently. Was that the reason, though? She thought. That she was something new? That even though people, beside the Wellses, had no idea she was actually from an entirely different world, could somehow sense that she didn't belong and it was exotic to them? Her sense of style might've been a little different from the one she noticed here and she kind of wondered whether she looked dressed old-fashioned to people around her or maybe this fashion wasn't here yet and they would soon start asking where she got her clothes. Or maybe… she would be responsible for starting an entirely new trend just because she brought it with herself from her earth and therefore would change something in the future history of this world? She stopped herself right there since that was the kind of thinking Cisco would engage himself in, not her. Was it a good idea to come here? She always seemed to wonder. She missed Cisco the most and despite the guy not really having that much time for her anymore, she would love to spend a few hours here and there with him and it just wasn't possible now.

"Caitlin, are you ok? I really didn't mean to put you off like that," Ray said then and she blinked a few times, coming back to reality.

Who knew that moving to a different universe would be this hard? Well, then again, she should have known. It wasn't like taking a vacation and being able to call or chat with your friends on the net. Here there was no connection that would make it possible for her to do that. Had she acted too impulsively when just leaving it all behind? Was this really her home? Or maybe she'd made the biggest mistake ever when leaving home?

"I'm sorry. I feel a little lightheaded. I guess I need to grab some lunch," she told Ray and then made her way to the door on wobbly feet.

That was a lie, of course, but she needed to get herself out of there. She needed to feel like Caitlin Snow again, not some shadow of an original Caitlin that had used to lived on this earth and now was somewhere out there, killing people with her icy powers.

"Just breathe," Caitlin whispered to herself as she found herself in the elevator. Luckily for her, it was empty. "Just breathe. It's gonna be all right. You're all right."

What she knew so far, yet, was that she might be in a little over her head.

Just then her cell beeped, letting her know she was needed in the operations since there might be a metahuman problem. And that was exactly what helped her. She was there to aid the Flash. She was there because she was needed and if she felt comfortable around anyone, it was around the people who knew her real identity.

She had work to do.

"What's wrong?!" Caitlin asked Harry when she ran into the operations. Jesse was gone and he was just standing in front of the computer, staring at the screen.

"There was a metahuman alert and she just… took off, damn it!" he raised his voice in anger and then he nervously rubbed his jaw. "She's gone there unprepared and…"

"What the meta's power?" Caitlin just asked when stopping right next to him and then actually pushing him aside so she could look at the screen and assess the danger herself. "Wow… I guess we have ourselves… Firebreather," she christened the newest meta. Yes, the guy could apparently breathe fire.

"That's a terrible name," Wells immediately commented and she just rolled her eyes. "And way too predictable! Also, it's completely impropriate to be having fun right now! My daughter is in danger!"

"Listen, Harry!" Caitlin got angry and she faced him then. It was remarkable how fast this man could cross her wires. Back on her earth she'd been the calmest person in the team, always patient and very rarely screaming or telling anyone off. And then she just had to meet him. "I have been training your daughter, pouring as much of knowledge into her head as I possibly can, telling her everything she needs to know, telling her how to act, what to do to fight those metas, so don't you dare unload yourself on me, understood?! She can handle it! She's built for this! We knew that sooner or later this would happen, so just stop losing your shit and help me! She can't do this alone, I agree, but she has us and you arguing with me right now or insulting me is not going to help her!"

He was speechless for now which just gave Caitlin enough time to turn back to the screen and then connect with Jesse.

"Flash, can you hear me?" she asked into the speaker, praying it worked.

"Yeah. I also heard everything you just said to my dad and… yeah, good job on that. Can we please now take care of this meta?" they heard Jesse's cheerful tone. Snow almost breathed out with relief. She was worried there for a second that Harry would turn out to be right, but so far not a chance and good. The only problem was the fire itself. If Jesse already had a suit, she wouldn't have to be bothered by it since it would be fireproof, but…

"We're lucky it's not the Steelman," Caitlin just said, trying to comfort the Flash and convince her she could do this since faith was always the first step towards success. "Harry, can you…? Harry?" Only when Snow turned around, the room was empty. "Damn it!"

"What just happened?" she heard Jesse's worried voice.

"Well, I'm afraid your dumb father just ran to your rescue, not caring that he has no powers," Caitlin informed. "But still, we can do this. It actually seems very easy, Jesse. Just avoid the fire and crate a small whirlwind. It should snuff those flames in no time and let you cuff the meta and hand him over to the police. It'll be an easy win."

Jesse actually cursed.

"Yeah, especially when I'll have one jackass more to protect!"

Caitlin would laugh if it wasn't for her worries. She was confident that she could handle Jesse and Firebreather, but adding Harry to the mix… that wasn't a good thing.

Just as Caitlin predicted, Jesse came back to the Labs with no scratch on her when not counting a slightly singed hoodie and the end of her hair. Firebreather was now safely put into special prison for metahumans with power dampening walls.

"You shouldn't have gone to help her. I told you we could handle this," Snow then started when she spotted another silhouette walking in. This one dressed all in back. "And I also remember telling you that Jesse needs a suit. If she had one today, she wouldn't be… what happened?" she immediately followed with, the smile fading away as she ran to Harry since he was clearly in pain. "Did he hurt you?"

"You were right. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Harry just asked through clenched teeth and then she noticed the hole in his sweater and the burn on his upper arm. She didn't even have the heart to tell him the I told you so. He'd learnt that one the hard way.

"So your daughter didn't get hurt like you predicted, but you did when… actually running over there to help her?" she still couldn't stop herself from asking that and the look he shot her was just hilarious. Yet, she managed to keep her poker face on whereas Jesse was the one to start to laugh.

"Jesse," Harry warned her.

"Let's just get you to the infirmary," Caitlin advised with a sigh, pulling him that way before he would start another fight.

Harrison ended up sitting on a gurney, his sweater discarded and once Caitlin tossed it into the trash since it had a huge singed hole in the sleeve, she turned to the man again and spotted that he wore a black undershirt underneath and… Her mouth opened all on its own when she saw him flex the injured arm as though that would stop him from feeling the pain. Damn it, she didn't expect such upper arms. For a lean man, he was pretty muscular. Well, not the Oliver Queen way, but yeah… it suited him well and…

"Snow?" she suddenly heard him ask and she snapped out of it. Damn it, what was she even doing?!

"Yeah?"

"Is it that bad?" he asked. "Just lay it all on me. I can take it. I can even admit that it was my freaking fault. Just take care of it already," he told her and she was relieved that he didn't seem to notice her staring not at the wound but at his muscles.

"Sure. Sure…" She moved away to get the necessary things and then started working on the burn. He hissed in pain, which only caused him to flex even more and Snow wondered how on earth those kind of arms were hidden so plainly in those sweaters of his? How did she not notice them? The truth was that she didn't peg him for the working out type. Well, maybe he just did it to stay healthy… or maybe not, considering his love for the Big Belly Burger. Maybe he was just unloading his frustration this way and that was definitely a more plausible explanation.

"Is there something wrong? I'm not losing this arm, aren't I?" he asked gruffly just then.

"Nope. Noting of the kind. And I think you, despite not having a medical degree, should know that much," she teased him, pretending to be pissed at him again just to lighten up the heavy mood. Or maybe it was she who just felt flushed out of the sudden? "Third degree burn here, mister!" she then gave him her diagnosis before he even managed to retaliate with something snappy. Good thing he didn't see her face as she was working on his side, because then he would definitely see her cheeks being so red.

"There, all done," Caitlin said in satisfaction as she finally finished with the burn. "You need to apply a special ointment for the next few days, but other than that, you'll be fine," she told him when he jumped off the bed and looked for his sweater before remembering that she'd thrown it out.

"All right," he just acknowledged with a nod, "I'm gonna go and grab some S.T.A.R. Labs shirt then," he said, but still turned in the door to look at her before he did. "Snow… I just… I guess I wanted to say that you were right and you must know how much it pains me to admit that. I… I try not to do something like that again."

Caitlin smiled at him when meeting his blue eyes.

"I know. And I appreciate you actually trying to be nice for a change," she teased quickly before going with, "I just want you to understand that most of the times, running out like this just to help your daughter may actually put her in more danger. She has powers, Harry, but you don't. In the end, it may be her trying to deal with the meta when rescuing you. Not to mention that if you jeopardize her identity by showing up like that, you'll put a target on all of our backs."

Harry just nodded and then he swallowed. Apparently, no more words could get through his throat now, so Snow sent him one final smile before he disappeared for good.

Then she leaned against her desk and sighed deeply, bringing her hands to her forehead and rubbing it.

"I totally saw that!" she suddenly heard Jesse say and she nearly jumped since she thought she was alone.

"I don't know what you mean," Caitlin said honestly when seeing the girl coming back into the room as she'd left before to get clean up shortly after Snow had started working on Harry.

"It's my dad, so technically eww, but also kind of awesome!"

"What?" Caitlin was only even more confused now. "I still don't know what you're talking about!"

"Please, you were practically salivating when working on him," Jesse provided the answer and left the room when using her speed before Snow could react to that.

Well, maybe in the end she truly wouldn't. Because all she could do was to stare at the place where she saw Jesse last with her mouth hanging open, stupefied.

Chapter Text

"No, no and once again no," Harry tried to discourage Jesse, but as it was usually the case with his daughter, he couldn't succeed no matter how hard he tried. He wondered after whom she'd gotten that and decided to rather not think about it or else he might not like the answer. Just like attending that stupid gala.

"Dad, you have to go. You're the owner of S.T.A.R. Labs and in the same time the most powerful person in this city. They expect you to show up. And it's for a good cause!"

"What we do here in the Labs is for a good cause. Isn't that enough?" He sighed when taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

"You know what? I'm sick of this! I've majored in four different fields and I so do not need to be your freaking secretary!"

"Then drop it!"

"No! You have to go! You can't just do whatever you please all the time! Sometimes you need to do something for someone else as well whether you actually enjoy it or not!"

They heard clapping coming from the door and once Harry put his glasses back on, he saw Snow standing there and actually applauding Jesse.

"Oh, I am so glad I just witnessed that!" Caitlin turned to the younger woman. "Thank you! You've just made my day!"

"Are you done?" Harry asked in exasperation. "What are you even doing here? I thought you went home."

"And I forgot to ask about your burn. How's your arm? Is it healing all right? Do I need to take a look?" she offered, trying to do her best and ignore the way Jesse was smiling at her knowingly. Seriously, she was just asking as a medical professional!

"It's fine. Thank you. I don't even remember it's there," Harry brushed her off in the same tone he'd just done with his daughter.

"Ok, so what's up with you two?" Snow wasn't taking the hint and leaving. In fact, she walked into the operations instead and grabbed a chair.

"Dad needs to attend the annual fundraiser at the mayor's and he refuses to go. I told him it's only polite to accept the invitation."

"But I don't want to go! I'll hate it like all the times before!" Harry complained.

"God, you're even worse than the mayor was!" Jesse chastised. "You know, he used to be a spoilt rich brat too, so maybe we should take you to a deserted island and just leave you there! … Actually, maybe I should show up at that fundraiser instead. That man is so... "

"Ok, I will stop you right there," Harry raised a hand. "I so do not want to hear how much you love and admire the Green Arrow. He's too old for you! In fact, he's older than I am!"

"So? Relationships with age difference are quite all right if you love each other," Jesse voiced her opinion.

"Sure they are, but not when you're still a teenager and when the age gap is over thirty years old, Jesse."

"Your dad is right," Snow surprisingly backed Wells up and Jesse shot her a look. Caitlin couldn't truly understand why the girl seemed to be so let down. It wasn't like she actually knew the mayor. "Wait a sec… Oliver Queen is the mayor of Central City?" she then asked.

"Oliver?" Harry frowned. "He's dead. I mean his father and Star City. He survived his stay at the deserted island after his boat crashed and his son died. Only recently he revealed himself to actually be the Green Arrow."

"Uh… where I come from…" Caitlin started and Harry raised a hand again so she would stop talking.

"How many times do I have to tell you that this isn't your earth and everything and everyone…"

"At least one more, I guess!" she interrupted him angrily. "Seriously, Harry, what's gotten into you?!" In fact, she realized he was just about the only man that existed that could take her off balance so fast and so effectively. Not even Barry had managed and she'd been plenty of mad at him.

"It's because he knows he has to go to that thingy, but he doesn't want to," Jesse explained instead of her father, folding her arms across her chest. "You'll see, in the end he'll just put a suit on and gonna go anyway. You should take Caitlin, dad. Maybe then you'll have some fun," she suggested.

Caitlin's eyes opened in surprise as Jesse said that and Harry just reacted by telling his daughter, "Oh, come on, she doesn't want to come with me! It'll be boring!"

"Actually, I'd love to," Snow said to his astonishment, for once effectively rendering him speechless. "What? I have nothing better to do anyway and I would actually love to see how parties like that are made on this earth."

"It won't be a party, Snow," Harry pointed out. "It's just a boring fundraiser."

"And you're a technological tycoon, so you need to be there. Or maybe taking me with you will actually increase your suffering?" she teased him with a knowing smile and in that moment Jesses just beamed, immediately causing Caitlin to come back in her thoughts to what the girl had said to her the other day. Could it be that she actually liked this man? He was older than she was, yes, but did that really matter when people fitted together well? Then she almost burst out laughing, stopping herself only to avoid the questions that would surely follow. She and Harrison Wells of Earth Two fitting together as a couple? They worked together in synch, yes, but she really didn't think that… No, she told herself immediately. That was just crazy!

Yet, she tended to come back to thinking about it all the same.

She should really stop overthinking this or questioning her feelings, Caitlin decided when Harry led her into the ballroom of the Queen manor. This wasn't a date. It was merely a favor for a friend. She simply didn't want him to have to suffer through one more of those events without a pretty woman by his side. Jesse had already filled her in the details of the real reason to why Harry hated such events. Many years ago he'd been attending them with his wife and once she died he always came alone and was sick of people looking at him with pity in their eyes. He was the most powerful man in Central City and yet, he couldn't even bring a date to a fundraiser. In fact, Jesse provided Cait with the info that Wells was the only person who never brought a date. Even though some of the men there were single and paid for an escort, everyone always looked at Jesse's father with pity. Snow kind of respected the fact that he'd rather go alone than find himself a date by either paying her or using his wealth as a motivator.

Well, now he did have a date. Not a date per say, Caitlin knew that, but could those men present say that they were honestly bringing all those girls there for other means than showing them off? Nope. She didn't think so.

It felt weird and strangely comforting to be holding Harry's hand as they walked in together. He only reached for her to help her up the stairs of the manor since she was wearing a long gown, but it was still nice. His skin was dry and warm to the touch, soothing even and if she could feel it was rougher in some points, it was probably the outcome of always tinkering with things to build another amazing device, she guessed. She still remembered the look on his face when he'd picked her up from her apartment. She'd gone shopping on her lunch break, actually perusing the clothing shops on Earth Two for the first time and liking most of the things she found there. The style wasn't that different from what she knew, after all. And the dresses… the dresses were just gorgeous and she quickly bought one that was long and blue and fitted her body so well that she felt like a princess.

Not that she usually entertained herself by thinking she was actually royalty when in fact she silently felt sorry for all the modern princesses of her world, always having to act accordingly to the rules and make the perfect examples of themselves, always being under the scrutiny of the public eye. Snow would rather live a free life.

The gown itself was a good choice since Harry's mouth opened widely as he saw her. Caitlin had also been to a hairdresser, deciding to go all the way and let the woman in the shop do her hair, arranging it in a nice bun that was very fashionable on this earth. And she liked it. She really did. Her hair was mostly up, but some curls were deliberately let down, falling softly to the back of her head and the sides of her face. The dress didn't have much of a big cleavage, but it still left a lot of room on her neck, so she also put on a simple and small silver necklace, one that she'd brought with herself from Earth One.

When Harry finally spoke, he just told her in a deep and low voice that she looked stunning and he led her to a limo already waiting for them downstairs. Like for a non-date, this truly looked a lot like an actual date, Caitlin thought, trying not to show her companion too much excitement. She'd never been in a limo, after all.

"Oh, there's Queen. Let's say hi, mingle a bit and then we can go back home," Harry told her once they barely walked into the room.

"You really do hate those shindigs, don't you?" Caitlin asked when looking at him in amusement.

"Harrison!" they heard someone calling and then the stranger patted his back. "Who is this?" he immediately asked when looking at Caitlin with his eyes widely opened. "You've truly outdone yourself!" the man congratulated. "All those years of being single and you just bring this in here? Man! Good catch!" With every word leaving this man's mouth, Harry's lips were pressed tighter together.

"It was nice to see you, too, Scott," Wells immediately dismissed him gruffly and pulled Snow further into the room.

"So he hasn't changed at all," Caitlin could still hear what Scott said after they walked past him. "How did you manage to catch her, Wells?!"

"Why were you so mean to him?" Caitlin wanted to know.

"Did you hear what he said?"

"I did, but don't you think you could've come up with something equally stinging? You could've even flaunted me if you wanted," she suddenly suggested.

To her astonishment, he laughed merrily as though she said something funny when in fact she didn't think so.

"Oh, Snow, thank you for the generous offer, I really appreciate that," he told her with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "but I don't have to. Everyone in here has known me for years and they also know I would never diminish myself and actually used my money or power to get a date."

"So they're all probably wondering what on earth has made me fall for you," Snow said before actually thinking it through. "I mean… not fall… I mean… you know what I mean," she tangled herself, feeling her cheeks growing red.

Harry only chuckled to her relief. Wait… was he actually having fun?

"Let's finally go say hi to Queen, dance a bit, drink some champagne and leave," he suggested, leading her to the gray-haired man he just pointed.

It was then that Caitlin realized he was still holding on to her hand, neither of them actually wanting to let go. It felt quite natural and it wasn't awkward, she discovered in surprise.

"I really don't see why Jesse has a crush on this man…" she then said when taking a closer look at Robert Queen. "He's like sixty five or something! And she's…"

"Oh, trust me, it's the leather and the vigilante in him, not the actual person that's so appealing to Jesse," Harry put Caitlin's mind to rest. "The truth is that once she found out who was actually hiding behind the mask, her enthusiasm about the masked hero kind of dropped, so I really don't understand why she brought that up earlier."

I think I do, Caitlin thought, but did not say it aloud. It was meant to be a hint, not quite successful when it came to Jesse's father, but she got it all right. She still didn't know how she felt about it, though.

"Doctor Wells! I'm so glad you came!" Robert Queen welcomed Harry with a smile on his face and then he shook his hand. "Always a pleasure to see you! S.T.A.R. Labs' recent advancement quite literally blew my mind! I don't know what this country would've done without you!"

Country? Caitlin picked up on that, actually just now realizing how much of a change in the world Harry had already made with his developments.

"And who's the lovely lady?"

"Katherine Smith," Harry introduced Snow without giving much information and she was grateful for that.

"Lovely young lady! You know, doctor Wells, just between you and me," Robert lowered his voice so only Harry and Caitlin could hear him, "I always knew there'd come a day when a beautiful woman would finally see you for who you truly are. And was I right? You did see past the gruff exterior, didn't you, Katherine? May I call you Katherine?"

Caitlin smiled since she really didn't feel like she had a choice in the matter. Then again, she truly wanted to. She suddenly felt sorry for Harry that people used to judge him so quickly. She really did see past all those things.

"Of course. And it was my pleasure, Mr. Queen."

"Oh, you can call me Robert. Now, excuse me, I have to mingle a bit more."

When the old man retreated, Snow turned to Harry.

"He likes you!"

"What a brilliant observation," Harry retorted, using his usual sarcasm, but she could see that he was amused and maybe didn't actually hate this party like he'd thought he would. Maybe he didn't hate it at all.

"You know what I mean. Oh, and Harry?" she then asked.

"Yes, Snow?"

"You did kind of promise me a dance," she hinted.

"And a promise to a lady must be fulfilled." He nodded and actually smiled to her. In fact, it was so honest and nice that it did something unexplainable to Caitlin's heart.

Then he was leading her to the dance floor and she found herself in his arms way too fast, feeling a little dizzy out of the sudden. He proved himself to be a really excellent dancer, which came as a surprise to her because she had trouble picturing him spending a lot of time on the dance floor. Then again, she really started to doubt that there was anything this man couldn't do. Well, except maybe brushing up on his people skill, she reminded herself and was just about to laugh, already expecting him to ask her what that was all about when… their eyes met as they were gently swaying to the slow rhythm of the music and she found herself lost in them. They were so crystal blue that she had the impression she was falling into a deep well or maybe a stream since no well in the world could be so clear and beautiful. In fact, it felt so good to be held by him, so natural as though they fitted together perfectly, as though everything was right in the universe. And Caitlin realized she hadn't had this feeling for a very long time, if ever. She'd never felt like she fitted on her earth. Not after she lost so much and everyone else gained everything. There she was just sticking out like a sore thumb, always lost, always single, never actually moving forward. It was different on this earth and despite the moving being so hard on her, in the end she was glad she took the leap and left her home. It might be hard to adjust to a completely new world, but somehow Harry and Jesse were making it all that much easier for her and eventually she decided it truly came to her with no effort whatsoever.

For now, she just enjoyed this moment. Still, it didn't take long for her to actually feel a little uncomfortable, but in a good way, if that made any sense. The close proximity to Harry, the heat that was coming off of his body as he pulled her closer so she rested her chin at the side of his neck, it all made him feel so much real to her that she didn't remember how to breath. He seemed more real to her than any other Harrison Wells she might've known or could still meet, considering the vast multiverse. And his smell… the cologne he was using invaded her nostrils, causing her blood to flow faster as she inhaled the surprisingly delicate but spicy scent. It was actually nice to the nose and not bothering. It also fitted him so well that it didn't take long for her to associate this smell exclusively with his person.

Next thing she knew, the music shifted smoothly and she felt Harry's hand sliding up her back a little. Yes, he did promise her only one dance and then a glass of champagne, didn't he? Only when they parted, their eyes met again and she could've sworn she saw something more in those blue depths. She truly forgot how to breath when she thought – was he going to kiss her? Was he actually going to…?

But then, the moment was suddenly broken when some couple bumped into them so forcefully that Harry needed to hold Snow up so she wouldn't lose her balance in the heels she was wearing.

"Told you," she heard him say after the couple apologized profusely and disappeared. "I hate social events."

"Why am I not surprised?" she just asked him playfully. "But you have to admit that it's not that bad."

"How would you know? You've only ever been to one of those on this earth," he pointed out. "But well, I have to admit it wasn't just because I had a good company," he eventually said when leading her to the bar.

"Why are you using past tense?"

"Because it was good just until that uncoordinated couple nearly knocked us down. How is it even possible to bump into someone when dancing so slowly?"

"It beats me," Snow just sighed, snapping herself out of what she'd felt just moments before. The truth was that she actually knew well how that was possible. When you got lost in someone, everything and everyone else around you just stopped mattering.

After the fundraiser, they drove straight to the Labs since they'd been gone for a while and Harry wanted to make sure Jesse hadn't done anything stupid like facing some metahuman when being all on her own. Caitlin had half a mind to tell him that he was overacting when it came to his daughter, but then she didn't really want this night to end just yet, so she went along with it.

The moment they walked into the operations and found it empty, she did say, though, "See? Nothing to worry about! You really need to loosen up a bit when it comes to Jes…"

Barely had she spoken those words when there was a sudden movement and they both watched in shock as something resembling a portal just opened in the middle of the room.

"What the…?" Caitlin asked while Harry just moved in front of her, holding up a gun, not wasting any time.

The moment a very familiar silhouette jumped through the opening, Snow screamed to Wells, "Wait! Don't!"

The portal closed right after a young man with long hair.

"What the hell is this?" Harry just asked angrily when lowering his gun as he saw Snow running from behind his back to cover the stranger with her own body.

"He," Cisco corrected him, "has a name."

"I can't believe you carry a glock around." Caitlin turned back to Harry.

"I can't believe you're actually on a date! I mean this dude looks just like…" Cisco started, clearly having no tact. And it was Harry out of all people who just thought that.

"Ok," Caitlin sighed when standing between those two seemingly equally angry men. "First of all, this wasn't a date," she turned to her best friend. "Second of all, what are you doing here? How did you even get here?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked! I finally figured out what my powers can do!" he said proudly. "Which is traveling between dimensions on top of other things. Besides, you were the one who sent me a note, so… I'm here!" he announced happily when pointing himself and Wells just frowned harder before asking Caitlin, "You sent him a note?" in a menacing voice as he folded his arms over his chest.

She looked at him.

"Was that a crime? I missed my friend, so I tried and sent him that note, yes," she answered honestly, not understanding what the big deal was. "I didn't think it would go through, though."

"And what about the one my daughter sent to you?" Harry continued. "That one wasn't supposed to go through as well and it did." He was clearly mad. In fact, he was seething with anger and Caitlin accepted with defeat that the nice evening they'd had going was over.

"You know what?" Cisco asked Wells then. "Our dr. Wells might be evil, but you're just a dick!"

Caitlin chose that moment to burst out laughing, the whole situation and the fight between those two seeming so comical to her out of the sudden.

"That's exactly right!" She had to agree with Cisco on this one, then laughed even harder when seeing the appalled and horrified expression on Harry's face.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Jesse chose that moment to pop in. "Aha. He's about to lose it," she decided when taking a quick look at her dad. "And who are you?" She turned to Cisco.

"I'm glad you ask, nice lady," he said, happy that someone else he was, yet, to meet wasn't so hostile towards him. "You must be Jesse, right? The Flash of this world?"

"Have you told him everything?" Harry cut in.

"It's not like I haven't done the same when it comes to my world and relaying the information about it to you." Snow shrugged.

"I'm Cisco Ramon. A miracle worker," Cisco introduced himself to Jesse when reaching his hand to her. "At your service!"

"Hey! She's off limits!" they immediately heard coming from her father.

"Man, I'm taken, relax!" Cisco informed. "Now, a certain friend of mine, that is like a sister to me, mentioned something about you actually going out there with no super suit?" he then hinted at the girl and her eyes quite literally lit up. "Well, that's just unacceptable and I am here, my dear Jesse, to change it!"

"What the hell?!" Harry bristled even more. "You asked him here to make her a suit?!"

Caitlin shrugged again. "It's not like you were eager to do it and after the last fire fiasco, I think she needs one to both protect her body and her identity."

Wells knew that made sense, but still, he was pissed seeing that Snow contacted her best friend behind his back and asked him for this. Then again, he started wondering whether he was really pissed about Ramon showing up or maybe about the fact that Caitlin might've done it because she didn't feel like home on this earth and started to regret her decision to move here. She missed her friends more than he initially thought she did.

"So," Cisco said with a nod, "let's get to work, shall we?"

"Let me just slip into something more comfortable and I'll be right back," Caitlin said with so much enthusiasm and cheerfulness in her voice that it was like a punch to Harry's guts.

Chapter Text

Caitlin was shocked when coming to work and hearing as far as from the corridor Harry and Cisco arguing loudly. She fastened her steps to get to the operations sooner and then she came to a sudden stop in the door, seeing those two standing on the opposite sides of the room, just yelling at each other. At this point she couldn't really make out what they were saying and she figured they were just insulting one another instead of solving the tech problem Harry seemed to have with his computers. Caitlin asked Cisco to look at that for obvious reason that they couldn't get any S.T.A.R. Labs specialist down to their secret liar. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea, after all, she thought then when biting on her lip and watching those two, not really knowing how to stop the stream of screaming and already feeling her head ache.

She was just opening her mouth to holler at them so they would keep quiet since at this rate they might even attract employees from the other side of the building that would surely send security there, blowing Jesse's and her father's covers.

Just then Harry took a swing and some device flew in Cisco's direction. The younger man dodged and when he straightened himself up again, he screamed in clear shock, "Did you just throw something at me?! Man! That's so not cool!"

"And how about you just shut up already?!" Harry yelled back, running his hand through his hair and turning his back to Cisco, just now seeing that Snow was standing in the door. "Oh… hi," his voice suddenly got back to normal.

"Hi?" she parroted back. "Seriously? I thought we were all civilized people here, but clearly, I was wrong. How much that was worth?" She then pointed the device lying shattered on the floor.

"I can afford it," the answer came.

"Oh, great! Just brilliant!" Cisco raised his his hands up into the air. "Caitlin, please, tell me how you can stand this man, because this is just beyond me!"

"He's actually quite nice when you get to know him," she said and Cisco's eyes grew as big as plates. "What? Nah. No, no and once again no," he murmured when shaking his head. "I'm taking you home. You can't stay here any longer."

"Excuse me, but I decide about my own actions, not you!" This time is was Caitlin who got mad as she faced Cisco and placed her hands on her hips. "I admit having a pretty rough start in here, but after we… bonded…" she risked a glance in Harry's direction, really not sure how she should put it all into words, "I actually like this man. He can even be sweet when he wants to," she teased then, this time her eyes lingering a little longer and boring into his blues.

Wells suddenly felt uncomfortable and he stuck his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. He had half a mind to tell Snow that he never was and never would be sweet, but there was just something in her expression that made him wonder whether he should even bother. Maybe he just wanted to be nice to her…

"Oh, my God!" Cisco yelled again when looking from Caitlin to Harry and back. "Seriously?! No, I can't! This is just too crazy! And I mean crazy even with our usual load of crazy!"

"What are you talking about?" Caitlin got confused.

"You know what? Never mind. You," he turned to Wells, "if you really don't want me to lay a hand on your precious hardware… ok, that so did not come out right…"

To his astonishment, Caitlin laughed merrily and when he looked at Harrison Wells again, he noticed that all the angry tension that had been building in him before while they were arguing, was somehow gone, replaced by a strange serenity and relaxation. Was this truly all Cait's doing? What this world had come to? Then again, she always was the one who could get through to their doctor Wells before he revealed his true identity. Those two had seemed to understand each other. Still, the pair right here in front of Cisco, that seemed to be an entirely different story and he didn't really want to think why.

"So, what do you guys think?" Suddenly, Jesse appeared right in the middle of the operations with a whoosh of air.

The moment they took a closer look at her, they all forgot what they'd been arguing about.

Because Jesse wore a suit that was custom made by Cisco. It was dark red and fitted her perfectly with the small emblem of a lightning on her chest and a delicate but effective mask over her eyes.

"It's… wow, it's just perfect! Cisco, you've truly outdone yourself!" Caitlin squealed when coming closer and examining the suit from all the sides.

"Well, you haven't seen the upgrade I've recently given to Barry's suit, girl!" Cisco just said. "This one is fireproof, of course, and has a various load of cool gadgets. Here you go…" He handed Jesse a very thick binder.

"Eh... What's this?" she asked, clearly taken aback.

"Manual! So you wouldn't miss any cool…"

"Aha… yeah… yay!" she pretended to be cheerful when she saw the amount of the pages Cisco had written down for her.

"Oh, come on! You can speed-read it!" Caitlin reminded her when taking the binder from the girl and placing it on the desk from where Harry immediately picked it up.

"I can't," he announced, "and I need to read this before you take this suit out. I need to know it's perfectly safe."

"Dude, do you really think I would put your daughter in danger? You think I'm so careless with the Flash of my world, too?" Cisco started to get angry with the man all over again and Caitlin felt the need to just get in between those two before it would get even worse.

"Okeeey…" she said in a cheerful voice that sounded a little exaggerated and everyone could hear it. "Let's go for some lunch! What do you, guys, say for a Big Belly Burger?"

"I am not eating lunch with this guy. I can barely stand him in my operations room," Harry said immediately. "Besides, I have some heavy reading to do." He pointed the binder.

"What's wrong with you?" Snow asked him just then and he seemed to be taken aback that she was so blunt in front of the rest.

"What do you mean? This is me."

"No. Nope. It isn't," she decided when folding her arms on her chest and looking at him expectedly. "You were such a nice guy the other day when we went to that gala and now it's like you switched places with some other Harrison Wells from the multiverse."

"She's got a point, dad," Jesse backed Caitlin up. "You've been acting unusually weird recently. I know that you get mad a lot, but not that mad. This is real fury and mostly you're just teasing. Besides, you didn't even tell me what you think of my suit."

Cisco was watching them all with clear interest.

"The suit is great. It really fits you and it's not revealing, which is an added bonus and one that I would not expect from Crisco here," Harry finally answered, deliberately twisting Cisco's name, his voice plain and lacking any emotions. Then he just turned around and left the room, forgetting about the binder.

"I really don't get this," Caitlin said sadly when watching him go. "What happened? I thought we were getting along so well."

"Yeah, almost too well," Jesse provided with. "So, Big Belly Burger, yeah? I'm starving!"

Caitlin watched her sped out and in, now wearing her usual clothes, but she didn't seem to even register that, too busy thinking about what the girl just said.

"Can't a guy even eat his meal in peace?!" Cisco complained when Jesse sped him, Caitlin and takeout food from the Belly Burger back to the operations. They was an alarm, indicating that a metahuman was wrecking havoc in the city. Harry was already there, looking at the computers and cursing when some didn't work as they should. He then actually slap the device with his hand.

"Yeah, that will help. Keep on going," Cisco encouraged him, clearly being ironic. "I told you, you should let me take a look."

"Like we have the time now!" Harry complained.

"What's the problem?" Caitlin wanted to know when coming closer to him. Once she actually leaned forward to see the screen and smelt the same spicy cologne she'd had while they'd been dancing the other night, she felt way too hot. Maybe they should open a window or something…

"Cait, are you all right?" Cisco asked her then when looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"What…? Yeah. Yeah… sure…" she quickly said, nearly jumping away from Harry as though he burnt her. Then he, too, looked at her strangely, a frown marring the space between his eyebrows and she really wished this day was over already. Because damn it, if she didn't actually like that frown. She discovered she actually liked all the lines on his face since they told her he lived and hurt and pulled himself back together, if that made any sense. She almost sighed when moving away from him. He was strong and had been through some pretty crappy things in his life just like she had, so maybe she just felt this kinship because she simply understood him.

"Oh, crap, it's the Steelman!" Jesse called out and Caitlin just then realized that she, indeed, had leaned forward to the computer screen, but somehow forgot to actually register in her brain what she was looking at.

"Wow, wait a sec…" Cisco said with a frown. "Are you seriously telling me that Steelman is the best you, guys, could come up with?!"

"Ramon, I don't think it's the time to argue about the name choices," Harry pointed out angrily.

"But it's a terrible name!"

"Caitlin named him," Jesse provided with the information and Snow got angry at her for saying that aloud.

"That actually explains everything." Cisco just nodded knowingly.

"Hey!"

"Well, he is kind of right," Harry suddenly backed Cisco up to everyone's astonishment. "I told you the moment you came up with it, it's a terrible name."

"That's right, man!" Cisco's face was suddenly illuminated in a huge smile. "We're bonding! I knew you'd come around eventually!" He had to duck as a pen suddenly flew in his direction. "Or not," he added when getting back up.

"How do we defeat the guy?" Jesse asked. "Because all we do right now is waste time and he can actually hurt someone."

Cisco shot Caitlin a knowing look and she immediately shook her head.

"No!"

"But…"

"I said no! We are so not doing that!" she protested again.

"But Cait!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Supersonic punch, baby!" Cisco exclaimed enthusiastically.

"A what?" Jesse wanted to know.

"She's not ready! Remember what I said when you convinced Barry to do it?" Caitlin turned to her best friend. "I said that he could break every single bone in his body when doing it wrong!"

"Technically, yeah, but Barry was still a newbie then, so I think Jesse here can totally pull it off!"

"Over. My. Dead. Body," they heard Harry saying with as much venom as he could muster. He was standing there folding his arms over his chest and glowering at Cisco. The guy got so scared that Caitlin could tell he was estimating when exactly another object would be flying in his direction and whether he should prepare himself and duck already.

"Where's Jesse?" she then asked, noticing the girl gone.

"The suit's gone, too, damn it!" Harry cursed when seeing the empty dummy in the corner of the room. "Ramon, if she gets hurt, I swear to God…"

"She'll be fine!" Cisco dismissed the man's fear. "Cait, remember that time when Iris told Barry to throw a lightening ball at himself when his suit malfunctioned and there was this self destruct mode? I told her that it could destroy the suit and you that it could kill him, but in the end… it actually saved him and nothing bad happened!"

"Wait a second," Harry growled, "the suit you made malfunctioned?! And after everything I heard about how great a team you all were back on your earth, this is the plan you usually come up with?!"

"Eh… he he…" Cisco laughed nervously, truly not knowing how to react and that only made the whole situation worse. "For my defense, there was this metahuman who could control technology, so I didn't actually design a flawed suit…"

"Guys, guys!" Caitlin shut them down when raising her voice. Her migraine only worsened and quite frankly, she wasn't sure she would be able to stand those two at once for much longer. "Jesse's already on the scene. What should we do?"

In the end, surprisingly for both Harry and Caitlin, Jesse had come through, giving a fantastic performance and putting the Steelman behind bars. She quickly sped back to the Labs, happy about her accomplishment and praising Cisco for what he'd so far done for her.

"This suit is just AWESOME, man! And that punch…" her eyes quite literally lit up, "there's still so many things I don't even know I can do! I love this job!"

"Well, technically, it isn't a job as you don't get paid and still live off of my…" Harry started but Caitlin shut him down with a glare before making her way to Jesse, hugging her and telling her how proud she was.

Then, when Jesse started to talking to Cisco again, desperately wanting to know about everything she could do, Caitlin realized that Harry wasn't in the operations anymore. She frowned before heading down the corridor and to the main lab where she hoped to find him.

And she did, not even registering the fact that she seemed to get to know him well enough by now to know where he would go. It would surely not be his official work place, not when he was so… What did he feel exactly? Why did he act the way he did today? She wondered.

"Harry?" she called his name tentatively, afraid he would push her away. When he didn't, but also didn't say anything indicating he was actually registering her presence, she made her way into the lab and then straight to him sitting on the stair there. She recognized the place perfectly. She'd actually come through in the spot not so far behind him. When he still didn't say anything, she took that as an invitation and joined him on the stair.

"What's wrong?" she simply asked when looking at him.

"Nothing," he finally answered, but still didn't move, just playing with his fingers.

She actually looked at those hands that had created so many wonderful things, things that actually saved lives, that made lives easier for people with diseases and disabilities. She'd already googled him, finding herself more astonished with every second as she read about what S.T.A.R. Labs had come up with those past years. She didn't question that people called Harrison the hero of the city. To her, he could be the hero of the whole world while doing so much good. Of course, he also created technology that helped with the national security or even weaponry, but Snow knew well that every single thing that could potentially help could be eventually turn into a weapon as well. Then again, she even found out that he came up with something to help with that problem – a gun that was successfully neutralizing people when putting them to sleep for a few hours instead of making holes in them.

"I can see that something bothers you," she tried again, this time even more gently. "Harry, you know you can talk to me."

Eventually, he sighed and then finally met her eyes. She didn't know what she saw in there exactly, but it took her breath away. Everything about him seemed to do just that recently and she really didn't understand those reactions. Or maybe she refused to for now.

"It's ok, Snow, I understand," he finally spoke and she frowned, not understanding what he meant by that.

"I don't follow," she quickly let him know.

"Coming here was an adventure for you, some kind of an… escape from your life, but that is your life and Earth One is your world. I understand that you want to come back there. And we'll be fine, trust me. You've already taught me and Jesse enough, so we can handle things on our own here." Once he said that, he shifted his gaze back to his hands. She noticed he never stopped playing with those fingers, betraying his nervousness.

For a moment, Caitlin clearly didn't know what to say to that, how to react. She'd never before heard something so raw and so honest coming from this man and it did something to her stomach. Her heart started beating faster when it finally got to her that he didn't want her to leave and didn't know how to say it. She understood that he'd been so angry ever since he'd seen Cisco pop in just because he saw how she was with her friend and how much she actually missed him and the team. Which wasn't entirely true, she realized, shifting her eyes to the wall ahead of her, but not really seeing it. She missed Cisco. And a lot. That was true. That was part of the reason she asked him for help in the first place, but in the same time she didn't really feel the need to see Barry or Iris. The first was her friend, but there was enough bad blood between them, which he didn't even notice, that made her want to prolong not seeing him and as for the latter, Iris didn't really matter to Caitlin at all. The girl was nice and she loved Barry, so technically Cait didn't have a reason to hate her. And she didn't, not really. She just didn't see how Iris fitted into the team every single day, actually pushing Caitlin to the background. So, no, Caitlin didn't really want to go back.

Harry took the moment of silence as a confirmation, fighting the feelings he seemed to be having and trying to repress them, feeling like an old fool, because seriously… what Jesse wanted so badly to happen between him and Snow, that was just impossible and he was stupid to even think about it.

Then Snow actually said, "I'm not going anywhere," and he just had to look at her, stunned, thinking he didn't hear it right.

"What?"

"I said I am not going anywhere. I do miss Cisco when he's not here or when I'm not there, that's true, but it's not enough to actually want to come back," she said slowly when meeting those blue eyes again and damn it, why they had to be so pretty?! "There was no room for me there anymore and there still isn't. Just because I called him for help didn't mean I desperately wanted to come back. I'm staying."

When Harry heard that, he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. And damn it, he hated that Snow had that effect on him, because he did not smile so often, if at all!

He kind of got uncomfortable when feeling her eyes studying his face, knowing that the age gap that was between them was noticeable and once again admitting that this, whatever it was, would never happen. Snow deserved better.

In the meantime, Caitlin actually liked what she saw. The smile that she brought to his face – the very thought of it actually made her feel so light and so happy inside – might've revealed more lines there, but she liked them all. They gave him character, they made him… handsome, she realized, not even understanding why she thought that.

Then Eobard came to her mind and she still marveled at the fact that two men who looked exactly the same, could be so different from one another.

Once Caitlin and Harry came back to the operations, wanting to check with both Cisco and Jesse, they only saw the latter, her hair wet since she'd clearly taken a shower.

"Where's Cisco?" Caitlin asked, actually afraid that he left without saying goodbye. Then again, she really should have known better than that.

"He had to go somewhere." Jesse shrugged. "Said he'd be back soon."

In response, Harry only sighed heavily, "I can only imagine what kind of damage that guy can do to my city."

Caitlin shot him an amused look.

When Cisco finally came back, he wasn't alone.

"Who the hell is this?!" Harry asked while Caitlin didn't even manage to look up just yet as she and Jesse were updating the metahuman database on the computer.

Once she did raise her head to see whom Cisco apparently brought in, though, her eyes opened widely.

"Felicity?!" she called the woman's name as she jumped to her feet.

She must've scared her since she kind of made a step back, clearly not liking all the attention around her person and actually recoiling when Harry turned to Cisco with, "What the fuck are you doing bringing strangers into our hiding place?!"

Caitlin narrowed her eyes when watching Felicity and studying all the differences she so far noticed. The Felicity she knew was cheerful and talkative and all over the place whereas this one was quiet and rather timid.

"She's not a stranger where I come from," Cisco just said and Harry was already opening his mouth, probably wanting to point out, yet, once again that it wasn't the same world when Caitlin asked, "Harry, please, just stop this," as she turned to him, seeing that he was only making the whole situation worse. To her astonishment, he actually listened. "Cisco," she then said to her friend, "what is going on?"

"I… I'll just… I think I'm gotta go…" they suddenly heard Felicity informing quietly when she turned around with clear intention to leave. Caitlin was surprised they all heard her, considering the tone she used.

"Wait. Don't go. I promise it's gonna be fine," Cisco stopped her, his voice soft and calm when he placed his hand on her arm.

"There's no way she can leave now. We need to make sure that she doesn't tell anyone about this… oh, God," Hary groaned when seeing that Jesse wasn't wearing her suit. "She freaking knows everything now! Cisco, what were you thinking? Why did you bring her here without consulting me?"

Well, with that Caitlin had to actually agree.

"Cisco, I hate to admit this, but Harry is right…" she started slowly, trying to use as calm voice as possible.

"I should've known you'd take his side!" Ramon cut in.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm so sorry for all those morons," Jesse came over to Felicity who looked more scared with every passing second and reached her hand to her. "I'm Jesse Wells. The Flash."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Harry hissed.

"Dad, can't you see she's harmless? And where are you manners anyw… oh, wait, that's right, you never had any to begin with."

Cisco laughed at that. "I like you, young Wellsie!" he told Jesse and she smiled at him right back.

"If Cisco brought her here, it means she can be useful to us," Jesse turned back to Caitlin and Harry once she introduced herself to Felicity and the woman actually managed to smile. "Right, Cisco?"

"I think my daughter has a crush on your friend," Harry pointed out to Caitlin when standing right next to her.

"I think you might be right, but it's definitely better than Robert Queen, isn't it?"

Harry didn't say anything to that, but Snow could sense that he inexplicably tensed up.

"So, this is Felicity Smoak," Cisco finally introduced the woman when gently pushing her forward and ignoring the comments. "She's an IT specialist and would be honored to work for you and take care of all the computer problems," he said, clearly very proud of himself. "And these are doctor Caitlin Snow, my best friend and doctor Harrison Wells who's clearly the biggest jerk of them all, but somehow Cait likes him, so you might come around eventually as well. Now… Felicity used to work for…"

"Wait a sec," Harry reached out his hand. "I actually recognize the name now. Wasn't she working for the rival company? Cisco, this is poaching! I have my work ethics…"

"She was wasting away and she hated it there anyway," Cisco explained. "She told me herself! Besides, no, you don't! And team Flash comes first!"

"I actually like that. Team Flash, I mean," Felicity dared say and everyone smiled to her except Wells.

"You know what, Cisco?" Caitlin asked then. "I think no matter what the earth, some things just stay the same."

"Yeah," Cisco agreed. "I mean she's not so cheeky as the Felicity we all know and are used to, but she's equally brilliant and I am sure she has a sparkling personality as well! Just give her time since… yeah, it may take a little longer since she's so shy… I just thought… you know, you clearly have trouble with all that hardware here and without me none of you can actually handle all those computers, securities and stuff, so… I found my own replacement!" he said, still feeling very proud of himself. "And hey, I heard she's single. Can you maybe introduce her to Oliver Queen?"

Felicity shot Cisco a surprised look.

"What did I say?"

"Oliver Queen died. It's his father who's the Green Arrow here," Harrison provided with.

"Oh," Cisco just said, having no idea how to react to that. "Ok… then other things just don't stay the same… yeah… but it'll still be awesome, right?"

"I'm sure it will be. I already like her!" Jesse said and then led Felicity to the nearest computer, asking her to do her magic. "What?" She noticed Caitlin and her father staring. "If she's already here, can't we test her skills? And just look at her, I don't think she'll tell anyone about what she's seen here!"

"Of course not!" Felicity denied fiercely when shaking her head. "Your secret is safe with me, guys! I'll totally take it to the grave… but I'm not in any rush, you know… yeah…" Her cheeks turned scarlet for some unknown reason and then she started working on the keyboard before exclaiming, "Oh, my God!"

"What's wrong?" Caitlin asked immediately.

"Didn't you guys put any good firewalls?! Are you crazy?! This whole place is just vulnerable for cyber attack! And you need to put better securities at the door…"

Cisco flashed his teeth to both Harry and Cait, smiling widely and so proud of himself for bringing this new addition to the team.

"Fine, she can stay and we'll see how well she does," Harry decided, feeling everyone stare at him beside the woman who was busy hitting the keyboard. "After all, it's what I did with Snow and she came through," he added, albeit reluctantly.

"Fantastic!" Cisco beamed when putting his hands together. "Now it's time for me to go! I wonder what the team on the other side screwed up already…"

Caitlin smiled at him fondly before hugging him tightly and telling him she would miss him.

"You know that I can just pop in any moment, don't you?" Cisco winked at her. "Just wait for it!"

"Please, don't," Harry asked, but he did smile.

"I told you I'd come through to you, old man!" Cisco joked and the smile faded away immediately. "Sorry," he added when swallowing, "you're not that old… I guess…"

"Go before I throw something at you again," Wells warned him.

Cisco shrugged, turned around and opened a portal. He noticed Caitlin sending him one last smile before heading towards Felicity and starting to talk to the woman. He decided to use that moment.

"You know, what?" he said to Harry, "you're not that bad, man, honestly. And…" he hesitated before lowering his voice even more, "take care of Cait, will you? She's been through a lot on my earth and she needs stable and... well, forever."

Harry didn't understand what Cisco was implying.

"What are you…? I don't… I mean…" he suddenly stammered, thrown completely off balance.

"I'm just saying, pal. Don't let her fall for another dark, tall and handsome that'll wreck her heart, ok?"

"Because it's so motivating when you put it that way," Wells eventually answered, deciding that finding out more was better than fierce denial.

"You'd be surprised." Cisco winked at him. "I'm not saying I actually like you, but… she seems to and I think you should hold on to that."

Before Harry, by now stunned, managed to say something else, they heard Caitlin asking, "What are you two whispering about? I hope it's not me!"

Cisco just sent her a smile. "I couldn't resist to annoy him some more! It's my new hobby! See ya!" Then he jumped through the portal and was gone.

"How did you do this?" Snow asked when walking towards Harry.

"What do you mean?"

"He hated you. How did you make him actually like you when you didn't even try?"

"Oh, simple, Snow. You know that I'm brilliant and he's smart as well. He recognized my genius and great minds attract."

Caitlin shook her head, amusement clear on her face.

"I'm glad you took a chance on Felicity. I believe she can really come through."

"I have no doubt," he said to her astonishment, "because those words just came from the one person I did take a chance on and she never let me down."

They smiled to each other, the newly found tension still there between them, yet, none of them was ready to act on it, if ever. Then they slowly turned back to Jesse and Felicity, ready to talk about some improvements to their computer system.

Chapter Text

It'd been two weeks and Felicity felt at S.T.A.R. Labs just like home. In fact, Harry even teased that maybe she should move into the building since she was glued to the computer screen for most of the day and sometimes even night. Caitlin chastised him for it since he was the only person that the woman still didn't felt comfortable around whereas she was already friends with both Snow and Jesse. In the end, Cait figured it would take some more time getting used to the new dynamics of the team and that Harry would eventually warm himself up to Felicity and vice versa. What truly bothered her, though, was the fact that ever since the new addition to the team had appeared, he'd been spending less and less time in the operations and Snow kind of missed him. She also wondered why he was so distant even when he was there and had half a mind to just talk to him about it. It was pretty weird since they're been so cozy and comfortable with each other at the fundraiser and now it was as though he'd somehow pulled away from her, keeping all his guards in place, refusing to let her in. Or maybe she was just reading too much into things and maybe, she actually felt very ashamed of that discovery, he just decided she'd acted like there was gonna be more between them during that dance they had and he never had any intentions of letting that happen.

Yeah, great. Just peachy! She thought, biting on her lip and staring at the wall, forgetting on what she was even working in her lab.

And just then, he came running to the operations, calling her name.

"Harry? Harry, what's wrong?!" she got out of the room and met him half way, alarmed by his scream. Both Felicity and Jesse raised their heads to look up from their computers. While Felicity was still working on upgrading the system, which brought her so much happiness that both Snow and Wells were shocked that it could be someone's actual hobby; Jesse worked on her career project as she was readying herself for one of the S.T.A.R. Labs departments.

"I just received a phone call on my way here," Harry explained quickly in a professional voice as though Caitlin was just an employee to him. And maybe she was. Maybe she was the one stupid enough to read more into it. "There's been an accident in an engineering. Palmer got hurt and we can't wait for the ambulance to get here. Can you help?" he just asked.

The moment she heard the news, she felt fear rising inside of her. She hadn't actually talked to Ray ever since that misfortunate meeting during which she told him they could ever only be friends. It wasn't even that she was avoiding him, she just… didn't have the time with the gala, Cisco appearing, training Jesse and showing Felicity the strings. And now there was an accident.

"How bad is it?" was all Caitlin could ask.

"There was some kind of an explosion," Harry provided with and she visibly paled which did not miss his attention.

"Oh, my God!" she raised her voice and without saying or asking for anything else, she took up running.

"I'll take you there! It'll be faster!" Jesse immediately offered and Caitlin suddenly felt herself being swept off her feet and taken somewhere in such a speed that she felt dizzy when Jesse put her down just a second later. She stumbled and then, when regaining her balance, she looked around, registering the corner where she landed. There was no one there and she just had to walk out of it to get to Ray's office.

"Let me through! Let me through! I'm a doctor!" she quickly yelled when running into the slightly smoky room. The fire was already extinguished, the charred remnants of some kind of a device along with the table they must've been previously lying on now in the far corner of the room. And then, there was a male figure also on the floor, unmoving. "Ray!" Caitlin called out his name, pushing her way through. "Give him some room! Let me through!" She got to the floor right next to him, checking the pulse before proceeding to the heart massage. "Ray! Stay with me! Don't you dare die on me, do you understand?! Ray!" she kept on calling out to him. One might say that an unconscious person didn't really care if you talked to them or not, but Caitlin learned while she was being trained that talking like this might actually help bring someone back, that they might eventually register someone calling them by their name and fight their way through. It wasn't exact science, but it worked every time she tried this with Barry. Then again, she might be scientist, but she did believe in magic and the power of love even if that made her silly. Not that she loved Ray, but some things just couldn't be explained by sheer knowledge. Some things were just miracles.

Eventually, after what seemed like a whole eternity for her, Ray opened his eyes and took a deep breath, looking around in surprise.

"Wha…? Caitlin?" he asked when he spotted her there, leaning towards him.

"Oh, thank God!" she called out in relief when taking her hands off of his chest and sitting up on the floor, completely exhausted. Such an action might not take long, but it always left the person trying to bring someone back depleted of all their strength since it was both physical and emotional.

Her work wasn't done, yet, though, she reminded herself when now checking his body for any possible injuries when running her hands though his chest, his sides, his legs…

"What… what happened?" he asked, barely even registering her touch.

And then she found it. Blood. The back of his thigh was bleeding and she quickly assessed the danger and figured some shard of the device must've stuck there.

"You've been in an accident. What you were working on, exploded," she explained to him as her hands kept pressure on the wound. "Don't you remember?"

"Should've known this sucker would go off when I crossed those wires," Ray just sighed. "But I'm gonna live, right?"

Caitlin couldn't help but smile at him.

"Yes, Ray, you're going to live. I just recommend more caution next time you try something like this."

Suddenly, she heard clapping and just then she realized that they were being watched. She looked up, seeing dozens of employees gathering at the entrance to the room and in the hall, watching her work. And then she spotted the one face that truly mattered to her. She didn't even know he was already there when her eyes met the blues of Harrison Wells. Yet, she found no softness in his gaze, no gratitude or relief, nothing of the kind. What was actually there was so foreign that she couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when they heard the medics getting through to the room, carrying a stretcher. Caitlin shakily got to her feet, trying not to touch her clothes with the hands she had now stained with Ray's blood as the medics took over.

"Great job, m'am!" they told her before taking Palmer out of the room on the stretcher. "You've probably just saved his life!"

"I'll buy you dinner as a thank you!" Ray called out to her when they were leaving with him and the employees gathered there cheered again.

Caitlin couldn't help but smile, feeling such a relief that it was nearly blissful. She just had to find a bathroom now to wash that blood off before it would get on her blouse, she decided, directing herself to the door and then almost bumping into Harry.

"Do you always mix your feelings with work?" he asked completely out of the blue, causing her to stop and rendering her speechless for a moment.

"Excuse me?" she finally asked him with a frown marring her features. What was he even getting at?

"You and Palmer. The whole damned department could see it between you two. How long has that been going on?"

Caitlin could just stand there and stare at him with her eyes widely opened. She didn't understand a thing. Wells was technically her employer, so he should have thanked her for a successful resuscitation of his employee. He should have been relieved no one died that day in his Labs and here he was, just…

She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down because the rage that suddenly raised inside of her was quite overwhelming and ridding her of all the control she had.

"How dare you?" she eventually couldn't stop herself from getting that out. "One of your employees almost died and you're mad about this?!"

They both looked around, just now realizing they were still in a public place, therefore probably making a scene. Luckily for them, though, everyone was already gone and the team that would soon take care of the destroyed room didn't show up yet.

Harry didn't say anything more, he was just standing there, glaring, clearly beyond pissed, all the energy coiling up in him and nearly electrifying the air around them.

"For your information, Ray kind of reminds me of Cisco, my best friend, not a boyfriend, so that is why I like him!" Caitlin felt the sudden urge to explain.

"I don't really see the resemblance," Harry actually had the audacity to point out.

"Oh, my God! Are you fucking kidding me right now?! What's gotten into you?! Why have you been acting so strange and distant out of the sudden?!" she screamed at him and they heard someone cough.

Great, now she really did make a scene. But she didn't care.

He did, apparently, because he just hissed angrily that he was gonna take a walk and disappeared, leaving her to the shocked eyes of the clean up team.

Having no other choice, Caitlin walked in the opposite to Harry's direction, heading straight to a bathroom.

When a few minutes later she finally emerged from the women's restroom, she didn't have the energy to come back to the operations, so she just texted Jesse that everything was all right and that she was heading home.

Home, she pondered over those words when getting to the ground floor of S.T.A.R. Labs. It was such a foreign concept to her now that she thought that maybe despite having her apartment – that technically wasn't even hers – she didn't find it yet. Not really. Was home supposed to be a person? A building? A friend? Did she leave hers on her earth? She wondered one more time. In fact, she did that every single day when she finished her job and headed back to the place Harry had rented for her. Was this really home? She asked herself when pushing the door of the Labs open and getting outside. It was raining. Just great, she registered but moved on anyway, knowing her destination wasn't that far away and she really didn't feel like going all the way to the other side of the building to the operations to grab an umbrella, if one was even there.

Every day she just got to work, did her thing, was needed – yes, that was the difference – but at the end of said day, she simply came back to her apartment, watched TV, browse the net or read a book and despite the fact that she was always busy and never had the time to be bored on this earth as everything still was so new and so exciting to her; she was lonely. She wasn't happy. And it'd only gotten worse since the moment Harry had brought her back to the Labs after the gala. She really thought they were getting along well and now… She sighed, thinking of her future, because despite the drastic change she'd made, nothing seemed to move forward and the years ahead seemed just as bleak to her as they always did. Maybe that was just the thing with people, she decided, maybe they always thought that somewhere else was better, that they never had a good enough life and they felt the need to change something only to realize that they didn't. Not really. Maybe the key was to actually find the right person, not place, but that was just as complicated to Caitlin as everything else. Because finding that person only seemed easy in the movies. And even if it didn't, one could always be sure that eventually the right man or woman would come along on the screen just because it would make for a boring show if they didn't, if the hero of the story would be alone forever. And some people were destined for just that.

With all those morose thoughts on her mind, Caitlin slowly moved towards her apartment building across the street, hugging herself as she felt cold from all the rain falling down on her. It only intensified and made her feel more depressed.

It was then that she saw the red and blue blinking lights coming from the street and she just had to look up. Police cars and an ambulance, she realized. Only they couldn't still be there because of Ray as his ambulance was let on the Labs ground to get as close to the door as possible. This was new. This was something else. And inexplicably, it made her sick to her stomach.

She quickly came closer and grabbed the arm of some bystander when asking, "What happened?"

The older woman turned to her and kindly relayed, "It's terrible. It must be the rain. I don't think this man will survive."

"Man?" Caitlin picked up on that, already feeling her heart racing. But no, she told herself, denial being the initial response, it can't be.

"Some middle-aged guy. He was dressed all in black and the poor driver couldn't hit the brakes fast enough. He's going out of his mind over there." The old lady pointed the stranger responsible for the accident, but Caitlin couldn't care less. All she could care about was the middle-aged man dressed all in black.

No, something screamed in her. Something that felt like panic and a thorn stuck deeply into her heart, leaving a sliver in there that she would never be able to get out, that would keep on aching until…

"Oh, no," she whispered, feeling her whole body shake.

"Are you all right, dear?" the old lady got concerned and she put her hand on Caitlin's arm, trying to calm her down. "It's ok. Accidents like that happen. It was no one's fault."

"No. NO!" Catlin shook her head frantically. "No, it can't be… Harrison! Harry!" she screamed as though someone was killing her and she moved forward, making her way through the crowd, desperate to get to the scene of the accident and see the victim. Desperate to find out that he was alive.

She heard the medics electroshocking him. She heard them giving out various commands that she should be familiar with, but right now they all sounded foreign to her. And then, when she finally pushed through hard enough to get out of the crowd of onlookers, she heard the dreadful words, "We lost him!"

"NOOO!" she screamed, not even caring that everyone shifted their attention to her now. "No! No! Harry!" She wanted to get to the lonely dark figure lying on the cold and wet street, but she was stopped by the police. "No, I need to… I need to get to him! Harrison!" she kept on screaming, trying to get away from the men holding her up. She couldn't see the face of the dead man on the street just yet, but she was so sure…

"Get her out of here!" some policeman yelled.

"Lady, calm down…" another said to her.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" This wasn't happening. She didn't come all the way here to this earth, to an entirely different universe just to meet this wonderful, gruff, infuriating and wonderful man who was just as desperate for someone to appear in his life as she was even if he didn't realize it yet. And now he never would. First Ronnie. And now…

"Snow?" she heard and stilled, everything around her freezing as well. All that mattered was this voice. This familiar and dear and deep voice that didn't reach her from the front, but from the back. "Snow, what's going on? What are you doing?"

She could only stand still, desperately trying to catch her breath, trying to believe this was real and wasn't all happening in her head. That she wasn't going crazy with grief.

The men who were holding her back, released her and she heard them asking, "You know this woman?"

That was when she finally turned around. Because if they could hear and see him, too, then it meant it was real.

She met his eyes. Blue and wide as plates as he was watching her standing there, soaking wet, tears on her face mixing with the rain, her hair all messy now and starting to curl from the humidity.

"Snow?" he asked one more time when making a step closer and that was it. She didn't need anything else. All she needed was him. She needed to know he was really alive, that he wasn't the casualty in that terrible accident.

He looked miserable, too, his locks all wet from the rain, sticking to his forehead. But he wasn't so angry with her anymore, he wasn't so furious. He was just concerned.

"Oh, thank God!" Caitlin exclaimed and suddenly ran straight into his arms, winding her own tightly around his neck, pressing her whole body into his and breathing him in, sensing his heat despite the cold weather, the skin of his neck that she pressed her face into.

For a moment he just stood there, clearly shocked by her sudden actions, but then she felt his arms going around her and pressing her even harder into his body, locking her in his tight embrace. He didn't seem like he wanted to let go either.

"What happened?" he asked straight into her ear and the vibrations of his voice caused her to shiver.

"They said… they said a middle-aged man wearing black was killed… I… I was so afraid it was you…" she whispered, her voice ragged along with her breath and she only tightened her hold on him, if that was even possible.

"Middle-aged? Really?" he asked then and the insult she heard in his voice was familiar and so him that she suddenly laughed when still holding on to him. Maybe she was hysterical.

"Well, you're most certainly not young," she teased him and immediately feel him tense up. "Hey, don't be like that. I was only joking," she assured him when reluctantly letting go because she felt the need to look into those eyes of his. She still held on to his arms, though, as she did so.

"You were worried about me," he said like he just now registered that information.

"And what did you think, doofus?" She nearly laughed.

"Never call me that again," he threatened immediately.

"Oh, shut up."

She didn't know how it happened. Maybe she found his mouth or he found hers or maybe they simply found each other, but they were kissing, lips pressed tentatively together at first and it felt like an electric current that shook their bodies, like an eruption of fireworks that destroyed everything and everyone around, leaving only them. It was slow and gentle at first, as though they were testing out the waters, but yet, that simple and delicate touch of his lips on hers brought her back to life, caused her to finally find her ground, her purpose, her goal in life, the sense of it all. She clang to his body again, leaving no room between them, clothes the only undesirable barrier as they kissed, opening their mouths and letting it grew deeper. At the first sensation of actually tasting him and feeling his tongue meet hers, Caitlin's whole body trembled and she felt like she was going to melt into him. And she still wanted to be closer to him, she wanted to make him hers, especially now after everything that she'd emotionally been through. In the end, they were both tired of fighting this, just giving up, not thinking about the consequences, accepting the sweet surrender.

It was then that they suddenly registered the flashes of blinking lights. And this time they didn't come from the police nor the ambulance.

Oh, crap, Caitlin thought when reluctantly pulling away from Harry and realizing that this was still a scene of an accident, therefore press was bound to show up sooner or later. They were screwed. Harrison Wells was well known in this city and the reporters just took their pictures.

Yet, before she even managed to react to that or say something, to actually apologize to him, she felt him taking her hand and pulling her to the other side of the street, to her apartment.

While already in the door, they completely forgot about what happened down below on the street, kissing again, not able to get enough of each other. They stumbled inside, consumed by passion, mouth bruising, teeth scraping. The door slammed shut after them and Harry pushed Caitlin gently until her back was pressed against the wall in the hall and then he suddenly froze, looking her in the eye.

"Snow…" there it was again, this deep throaty voice that seemed to sound differently every time he addressed her. It was lower, sexy, driving her crazy…

"Harry?" she asked, suddenly afraid that he was going to back out, that he regretted this.

"Are you sure?" was all he followed with and she felt so relieved she could actually sing and dance.

Instead of answering, she just fisted his sweater and brought him to her lips again, crashing her own against his, capturing his lower lip in between her mouth and sucking on it. In response, he groaned deeply in his throat, pressing his body against her, letting her feel the bulge that already formed at the front of his pants, both of his hands cupping her face now as he ravished her with his kiss.

She quickly pulled on that damned black sweater that did nothing to actually outline the muscles of his arms hidden beneath and when he reluctantly tore his mouth away from her, she took it off and threw to the floor, her hands immediately running down those shoulders of his and lower…

He didn't waste any time when following with ripping her blouse open, buttons scattering the floor, but she didn't care. His touch was driving her crazy, even through the bra since she'd grown cold and wet outside and now her nipples were poking through the fabric, tantalizing him, driving him mad. Only then it was his turn to drive her crazy when he captured one of those nipples in between his mouth through her bra, the sucking and hot sensation causing her to lose her mind as she reached to his pants and undid the button and the fly before sliding them down his legs. It took some effort since they were wet and got plastered to his body, but she managed. By the time she was finished, she inexplicably lost her bra that must've been his doing and then she was standing right in front of him and he was ready and in her hand.

She froze, looking at his naked body, just within her reach, down his chest to the V line outlined so deliciously that she had the sudden urge to run her tongue along it and then to the hard member that was actually quite impressive and now resting within her grasp. And he was Harrison Wells. It suddenly hit her. She'd never thought she would grow to want this man so badly when she'd first met his doppelganger, yet she did. But this wasn't the doctor Wells that she'd known and that betrayed her. This was a completely different mad.

"Snow?" Harry asked, his voice strained, sweat breaking all over his body as he struggled to keep himself still, to hold on while she was touching him like this.

"Yeah?" She raised her head to meet his eyes, registering the blue in them actually darken with desire that could only be quenched by her. She liked that.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes," she answered when letting him go and cupping his face, kissing him with all her might as he came forward and took her into his arms again, his length now trapped between them, pressing into her stomach.

Just when his hand rested on the waistband of her skirt, he stopped.

"Do you have…?" he hinted, pissed that he didn't actually think of that. But then again, why would he? It wasn't like he was planning to have sex tonight. In fact, he hadn't been planning that for years.

"Actually…" she started then, "when you got me this apartment, it came with a box of condoms. I wanted to throw them out, but I checked the expiration date and… well, it was all right, so I decided to keep them."

"Just for the record," he said before kissing her again and taking into his arms to carry her to the bedroom, "I wasn't the one who brought them here, but I'm grateful to whoever did."

He unceremoniously dropped her on the bed in her bedroom and disappeared in the bathroom to get the condoms. While he was gone, she actually managed to take off that skirt of hers and the tights she was wearing along with her underwear, now lying on the side on the bed, waiting for him and inviting him in.

"God, Snow, you'll be death of me," he just said and then he was in the bed with her and his body was all over her, his mouth were kissing hers with frenetic fervor, her legs opening and he lined up and then finally entered her with a loud groan which she reciprocated and then held on to his arms as he immediately started moving in and out, fucking her fast and hard, not able to stop himself and slow down. Good thing she liked that, he thought and soon their pants and cries and groans filled the room. He only went faster, desperate to feel more, to claim his release. She felt so good around him, so deliciously tight, so warm… he was truly getting himself lost in her, not able to control his pace, giving her all he got after all this time he hadn't found her yet. And God, why hadn't she come to his earth sooner? They'd already wasted so much time being apart.

Her cries of pleasure only intensified and then he felt her hold on his strengthen and her nails diving into the skin of his back as her channel squeezed him over and over again, causing him to let go as well with a throaty groan. He suddenly froze and then gave her a few more pushes, riding out his climax.

When it was all over, he retreated, removing the condom and lying on his back, panting heavily, feeling like his whole body just turned to liquid. Snow was lying right next to him, trying to catch her breath and when he looked at her, he was once again mesmerized by the beauty of her and truly couldn't understand what this woman saw in him.

"So… that happened," she finally broke the silence and suddenly, they both started to laugh. "We'll have to do it again, you know. It's been a while for me, after all," she then added.

"I'm sorry. It's been way too long for me and I kind of… lost control there," he finally confessed, avoiding looking at her as he did so.

"Yeah, I never pegged you as a man who would just have a random hook up," she agreed. "And I'd rather not know how long it's been for you."

"Good. You don't even want to ask."

"Hey!" she suddenly realized something and she supported herself on her elbow when turning to the side to look at him. "Maybe that's why you're so angry all the time." After coming up with this, she laughed again, not able to stop herself in time.

"That wasn't very nice, Snow," he quickly commented when raising his arm and putting it behind his head. "But I guess I deserved that. And yes, we most definitely need to do it again."

"No objections coming from me," she agreed when he looked at her. "Don't get me wrong, though, because this was amazing."

"Yes, it was," he admitted with a nod, "but it wasn't the first time with you I imagined," he said then before realizing his mistake.

"Harrison Wells!" she picked up on that right away, somehow understanding perfectly what he meant by it. And maybe exactly that was why they made such a good match. "I also didn't peg you for a romantic!"

"I am not!" he immediately denied. "It's not about being romantic, but about treating you the way you deserve to be treated and the hard fuck we've just had had nothing to do with it!"

"Well, just for your information, I was there, too and I enjoyed it plenty. Oh, and if I remember correctly, I told you to go faster. But feel free to show me what you had in mind. What you thought of doing every night we were apart," she teased.

"God, you're not going to let that one go now, are you?" he just asked when covering his face with his hands.

"Not anytime soon, nope. Not a chance," she assured him with an amused smile.

"I guess I'm gonna have to punish you for that, then." Their eyes met again as he turned to the side, facing her. "Snow, what are we doing?" he then asked, his voice suddenly growing serious.

"Whatever we want," she simply answered.

"So you do want this." Why did he still have to be so insecure about this? He wondered.

"I thought I made that clear already," she said and there was truly nothing else to add as he reached for her face, touching her cheek gently and marveling at how beautiful she was.

Then he rolled over and was suddenly hovering above her again, looking her deeply in the eyes. She sucked in a breath as she looked into the blue depths of his and saw so much unspoken things in there. Saw feelings that ran way too deeply to just be casual.

Somehow this moment seemed more real and more intimate to her than what they'd just done so frantically before.

Then he kissed her. Gently. Slowly. Taking his time when moving his lips against hers before eventually deepening the kiss, tasting her, nearly savoring. And she moaned without even realizing it, feeling she was truly melting into him, as though he was everywhere at once, his body pressed against her own, his naked chest teasing her breasts, his mouth tracing a slow path down to them, slowly sucking on the nipples before retreating back to her mouth and hands that caressed her thighs to eventually find their way to her core and then his fingers sliding inside.

Snow didn't even remember her own name. She could just feel and be with him in this moment. She already felt him hard again and she held onto the bed frame, bracing herself for the next wave of pleasure. He reached for one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers while kissing her and finding his way back inside, this time entering her slowly, sweat beading on his face as he did so. The pace was agonizing, yet this torture felt so good that she never wanted him to stop.

Finally, he buried himself all the way to the hilt with a groan before retreating slowly and repeating the process, leaving her feeling strangely empty until she felt him there again, hot and firm.

The next time he did that, her channel clenched around him as though desperate to keep him there, but he still slid out and then in, this time jerking his hips upwards, hitting just the right spot and earning himself another delicious cry of pleasure released from her lips, their hands still holding on to each other strongly whereas her free arm moved lower and then grabbed his own, feeling the bicep there flex.

Just like that, slowly, they were getting lost within each other again, everything else around them, the whole world, the whole multiverse even, ceasing to exist.

Chapter Text

Caitlin was slowly being stirred awake by the light invading the room through the curtains that she must've forgotten to close the night before. She winced without opening her eyes and felt herself unconsciously snuggling up to a warm body. She stilled for a moment, realizing that she wasn't alone in her bed and that she was actually being spooned by someone, his arms put around her, securing her within his hold.

And then it all came back to her and she actually felt herself blush at the memory of what she and Harry – Harrison Wells! – had done. No, she had no regrets, she didn't even have to think about it. Maybe she'd been in denial this whole time as she was, indeed, attracted to him and very much so. After all, even Jesse saw that. And she didn't. Or maybe she refused to, thinking it wouldn't work out. Then again, why wouldn't it? There were no obstacles when not counting the fact that they came from two entirely different universes and there was a significant age gap between them. But what if it was? Caitlin knew enough to say with confidence that love and life never happened the way it should or the way one expected them to. Still, in the end, one somehow managed to get exactly what was needed instead of what you wanted and that was the biggest difference since people usually chose wrong.

This choice was right, though. She could feel it. She didn't care about anything, she realized when actually hugging Harry's arm that was holding her with her own and pressing her face to it. This was the best choice she could ever make. She shouldn't have thought that with her scientist's mind, but she did believe that Jesse's note had gotten through to her world for a reason, that maybe she and Harry were meant to find each other, to finally be happy after all the cards of their fortune dealt wrong. She had no doubt about that. She just hoped he felt the same way. And maybe in the end she didn't even have to worry about it since he didn't seem like a man who would just hook up with her in the spur of the moment. Besides, he was jealous, she just now realized and almost released a gasp. How could she not see it? All this time he'd been jealous of Palmer and then when he didn't see Cait meeting him anymore, he was so comfortable and happy around her on that gala. He even had good time! And next thing they knew, Cisco came along and though he was just a friend, Harry was jealous again. Not to mention the day before when his jealously just went overboard. Caitlin couldn't hold it in any longer and she giggled. Next thing she felt was happiness, just exploding from within her chest and affecting everything around her. As she felt that, the laughter came to a sudden stop. She also quickly realized that the worst part of being happy was the fact that one could lose it all once having it. Although maybe this time her fate would be different after she'd already lost so much.

"I wonder what can be so funny," she then heard Harry's husky voice so close to her ear that she felt his breath there and her body shivered, reacting to him being awake immediately. There was also another reaction she could feel, pressed tightly against her ass.

"You were so jealous yesterday," she told him when quite reluctantly turning to face him. She hated that his hold on her loosened, but she was quickly awarded with seeing his beautiful blue eyes in the light of the morning, which looked at her with so much feeling that it truly took her breath away.

He didn't answer but his lips crated a thin line, betraying what he thought of her pointing that out.

"Hey, it's a good thing and I have to admit that… it was even hot," she added and couldn't stop herself from kissing him just then. His lips were beautiful, too, she decided when running a finger over them, marveling at his lower lip that was just perfectly shaped before she brought her face to his and kissed him slowly, sweetly. Her hand ran up his arm and she felt the scar left on his shoulder. The one from the burn she'd herself treated. It was good that it healed.

"Good morning," he finally whispered against her lips, clearly pleased and placated with the kiss.

They briefly pulled away, just looking at each other. Snow didn't remember the last time someone looked at her like that. It was as though she was the centre of Harry's universe and nothing else mattered. She liked that. She wondered whether she looked at him the same way, just now seeing him smile to her, the skin on the side of his eyes stretching, revealing the crinkly lines she grew to love so much.

They kissed again, slowly and deeply and she didn't even realize when she basically climbed him, remembering about the hard thingy that had poked her in the ass before. It was still there, maybe now more urgent than before.

She leaned forward, running her hands up his chest until she cupped his face and then buried them in his messy morning hair. She kissed him again, slowly rocking into him though he wasn't inside her yet.

"You want to kill me, Snow?" he chuckled when eventually tearing away and reaching to the bedside table when he'd previously left the found box of condoms.

"Wouldn't dream of it." She smiled brightly at him. "I intend to keep you in my life for a very, very long time."

"Maybe indefinitely, then?" he suggested hoarsely, actually touched with that declaration.

"We'll see." She shrugged, clearly teasing him as she watched him rolling on the condom.

He raised his eyes to meet hers with a frown.

"It depends on how much you're going to drive me crazy," she made it clear.

"Oh, ha, ha," he pretended to be amused when in fact all that came out was pure sarcasm. "May I remind you that you have actually chosen this?" He pointed himself.

"And I like it so far," she assured him when leaning forward on his chest to capture his lips again with hers and then she reached to his length to guide it inside.

She did feel kind of sore even before she let him in again - it had been a while for her, after all and she wasn't used to his length, though she had no complains about it - but she couldn't stop herself, just feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened between them and with the love she clearly felt for this man. She didn't want to let that go just yet. She didn't want to leave this bed and their safe cocoon to get up and get to work. She needed to hold on for a little bit longer.

After all, they both deserved it.

Needless to say, both Harry and Caitlin weren't exactly on time at work that day, having taken a shower together and then grabbing breakfast in the nearest bistro. When Caitlin finally appeared in the operations, trying to tune down her happiness and giddiness just a bit so no one would notice as they hadn't talked with Harry yet about how they would breach the subject to Jesse, not to mention Felicity with whom they worked closely; Harry wasn't by her side as he needed to drop by his house to change into a fresh pair of clothes.

"Hi, guys!" Caitlin still said a little bit too cheerfully when walking into the room, carrying a takeout coffee cup since the sleep she and Harry had gotten the night before wasn't really all that much. "Sorry, I'm late, I…"

"…was busy romancing my dad?" Jesse quickly provided with and Caitlin nearly dropped the cup she was holding. The incessant thumping rhythm Felicity usually tapped on her keyboard ceased as she looked up, fascinated.

Caitlin was at loss for words. In fact, all she was able to do at the moment was to just stand there frozen with the cup securely held in her hand.

"What? You, guys, didn't know it's all over the papers?" Jesse asked when grabbing one and holding it up right in front of Cait's eyes.

Snow swallowed over the lump forming in her throat when she read the headline about Harrison Wells finally finding love just above a picture of them making out in the street. Well, there were reporters there, she remembered. It was just sad and so, so wrong that they chose to decorate their front page with this instead of the poor man who'd died in that accident.

"I'm so happy for you, guys!" Jesse continued on chirping away. "Although… your tongue is kind of in his mouth on this pic, so eww…" she then added.

"Actually, I would loved to be kissed like that," they suddenly heard Felicity saying and immediately looked at the woman. "I mean… not by doctor Wells… because… not really my… and taken and… oh!" she then exclaimed when looking in the direction of the entrance to the room.

"Ok, I'm happy for you and my dad, Caitlin," Jesse turned to Snow and then back to Felicity, "and just so you know, you should stay away from him. Don't you worry, though, we're gonna find you an awesome guy and… Felicity, what's wrong?" she then asked, just now realizing the woman wasn't taking her terrified eyes off of the entrance.

"Have you finished?" they heard coming from that way and they all turned to see Harry standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms folded on his chest. He didn't even seem happy anymore. He was just pissed.

"Trust me, sir, I so do not want to kiss you!" Felicity quickly followed with and then her face turned scarlet. "I mean… not that there's something wrong with you as a man… I just…"

Harry only rolled his eyes and then walked straight towards Caitlin, taking the coffee from her hand and drinking some.

"Hey! That's mine!" she protested and eventually he handed it back to her.

"It's not you like mind since we already kissed," the way he said it made it obvious to her that he was being ironic, that they didn't just did that, but she hoped no one else would pick up on it.

"How long have you been standing there?" she just asked, already feeling herself being affected by his closeness and he didn't even touch her! He was just right next to her, but still, it was close enough so she could smell that amazing scent of him and feel her head spin. She was still sore, especially after what happened this morning, but God, did she want him again and soon!

"Long enough. I can't say how happy I am for our picture to end up in the papers," there was obvious sarcasm in his voice as he moved towards his computer. "Then again, everyone thought we were together at that gala we went to, so it's not like it really matters."

Caitlin could tell that he wasn't really happy about the paper, but she had to admit him right since it wasn't as though they could do something about it.

"I'm sure it'll die down soon enough," Jesse tried comforting them. "And I want you, guys, to know how happy I am!" She nearly squealed. Then she looked away when her father sent her anther unpleasant look, so she refrained herself from saying 'I-told-you-so-dad' just yet. She shifted her eyes to Felicity for a change and barely even saw her face as the woman was hunching over her keyboard, trying to hide herself behind the screen, her face still red.

Then, they were rescued from all the awkwardness when an alarm sounded, indicating they had a metahuman problem.

"Oh, thank God!" Snow just exclaimed.

While they were dealing with the newest metahuman who, surprise, surprise, could create a poisonous gas; Harry eventually retreated to his lab, feeling much more comfortable there. Snow came to find him about an hour later, really wondering and quite frankly, being a little scared of what he thought of this whole awkward situation in the operations.

She just walked in when he angrily threw a pen at the wall.

"Whoa!" she called out to him when coming closer and placing her hand on his arm, in the same time kind of enjoying the texture of his muscles. She really was screwed, wasn't she? She thought. She was so into this man, it hurt… "What are you doing?"

"I can't find the right solution!" he said, still angry when running his hand over his mouth. "Everything I come up, every fucking equation just doesn't work! We need to find a way to neutralize the gas before Jesse faces this guy again! And you know how impatient she is!"

"Gee, I wonder whom she got that from," Caitlin just murmured under her breath, earning herself a glare from him. In fact, she was so far gone that even this – technically meaning to be insulting – made her hot for him again.

"You know what I also wonder?" she then asked Harry when he moved away from her and started scribbling something on the whiteboard again. "That you should've remembered that I'm also a chemist and you should've asked me to help you. I'm certain that together we can do this."

The hand holding the marker lowered as he sighed heavily. "I'm not used to this, you know," he suddenly confessed without looking at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked when coming closer.

"This… us…" he revealed when finally facing her. "I'm not used to having a partner."

"Oh," was all she uttered because she really didn't know where he was going with that.

"I guess… what I'm trying to say here… if you're really sure you want… this," he gestured towards his person, "you're gonna have to give me some time to find… a new dynamics, so to speak."

"Why do you keep acting as though I didn't want you?" she just had to follow with.

"Honestly? It still seems incomprehensible to me," he admitted and she actually smiled. "What? What did I say?"

She shook her head, the smile still on her face. "Nothing. You just don't really like yourself, do you?"

"What? I'm a genius!" he denied fiercely.

"I know, but that doesn't mean you like yourself, the person you are and I am telling you, Harrison, that you are worth betting on," she said when making that one last step closer and cupping his face before looking into his eyes. "I see a lot more in you than you seem to."

He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Um… ok…what are your suggestions about the toxic gas, then?" he asked as though disregarding their whole conversation, but she knew better than that. It would take some getting used to this relationship for him, to her actually accepting him for who he was and having feelings for him. Maybe it'd been too long since he felt like he was worthy of that kind of affection, especially after his wife filed for divorce, deciding she didn't need him anymore, that he wasn't enough. Snow really wanted to tell him that he was enough and so, so much more, but she knew this wasn't the time for that. They would get there. It was all about baby steps.

"Toxic?" she picked up then and he shot her an incredulous look.

"Please, tell me you just heard me wrong and needed to make sure what I meant, because this is so not a name."

"Why not?"

In response he only sighed when coming back to work, but this time he actually invited her in…

…only to get to his desk and sweep everything that was there to the floor with a loud rumble when once again, their solution didn't work.

"Oh, I was so wrong…" Snow just said with a sigh.

Harry turned to her, not understanding what she meant by that.

"What are you talking about?" he just asked in exasperation.

"You're not angry because of sexual frustration. It's actually your default mode," she teased then, bursting out laughing when seeing his stupefied expression. "Well, unless I did something wrong there," she added then and actually saw his eyes darken with sudden desire.

Without saying anything, he just grabbed her and sat her down on the now cleared table, kissing her widely and burying his hands in her hair. Her legs wound around his middle all on their own, pulling him forward until their bodies collided. Despite what happened during the night and then again in the morning, she still felt the need to just…

"Oh, my God!" they suddenly heard a scream and they froze, caught red-handed. "I know I wanted you guys to get together, but please, spare me the details before you'll scar me for life!" Jesse yelled at them from the door.

Harry and Caitlin quickly jumped away from each other, not able to look at the girl standing there.

"May I remind you that this is technically my lab and the door was closed, so you should have maybe… I don't know? Knocked?!" Harry then screamed and Caitlin, to both his and his daughter's astonishment, started laughing again.

"I'm just… Yeah, I'm gonna go," Jesse murmured and ran away.

"And what are you laughing about?!" Harry growled at Caitlin.

"Nothing. This is just gonna be way crazier than we thought! And damn it, I really hoped for some action on this damned desk!" she then complained and that finally did it, Harry couldn't hide the smile that fought its way to his face.

"Have I said that you'd be the death of me already?"

"Only about a few times," she informed.

"Come here." He reached for her, taking her into his arms and was just about to kiss her when…

"I got it!" She screamed in enthusiasm when pushing him away and getting to the whiteboard. "I got the solution! I'm sure it's gonna work this time!"

"Talking about letting a man down," Harry only complained with a sigh.

"So…" Caitlin started when the day was slowly coming to an end and the metahuman was locked safely behind power dampening bars, "another victory for Jesse. I'm sure you're very proud of her."

"And also terrified every time she goes out there," Harry confessed when turning off the lights and waiting for Cait to join him, so they could leave this place together.

"I guess it's what takes to be a parent," she said. "But just so you know, despite her eagerness to get out there and fight crime, she is careful, Harry. I am sure she'll do just fine. She's already had less injuries than Barry when he started this and that is something."

"I think it's all thanks to you," he surprised her when those words left his mouth so softly.

In response she smiled at him sweetly and he wanted nothing else than to make her happy for the rest of his life. God, what was this woman even doing to him? He wondered. Then again, he wouldn't trade this life for anything. There had used to be a time when he'd wanted something different, when he'd been constantly unsatisfied and unhappy with the way it'd all turned out, but now he knew what he'd seemed to be waiting for all this time. And he didn't want to change anything at all anymore.

He reached for her and she fitted perfectly into his body as he pulled her closer, putting his arm around her. They walked like that to the exit, taking their time and enjoying a successful day at work.

"Wanna grab some dinner?" he asked. "Big Belly Burger?"

Caitlin pursed her lips. "You know what? We may be kind of… together now as we already had sex, but you haven't taken me on an official date just yet. And I'll let you know, mister, that I deserve to be treated like a lady and taken just there."

He chuckled in response and then nodded. "It's a deal. I will take you, but not today. I will have to plan everything carefully."

"Fine by me," she assured him when snuggling up to his side. It seemed to have happened so fast, she thought. One day they were just co-workers and then the next they were suddenly together. Yet, she wouldn't have it any other way. What had happened the night before might've been tragic, but honestly, she wasn't sure they would've even gotten to this very point if they hadn't been pushed into it. Instead, they might've just kept on dancing around each other, almost touching but always retreating in the end when never actually meeting.

Yes, there were still issues they had to address and things they needed to work out. Their lives needed to change, to find a new dynamic, but she was actually looking forward to it.

In fact, she was looking forward to the future for the first time since she could actually remember and it made her feel good.

"Who the hell is this?!" she screamed as she grabbed the paper he just brought her.

"My first guess is that it's definitely not you," he answered.

"Oh, really?!"

"It's probably your doppelganger," he then followed with. "She must've come into this world and fallen into this guy."

"Why would she, though? Can't she see that this world already has me?"

"Well, technically, you're not Caitlin anymore," he told her when coming closer and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"And thank God for that because that girl was just pathetic. Now, what are you gonna do with her?" Killer Frost asked when meeting Firestorm's eyes.

"Whatever you want, my love, whatever you want." He smiled to her before leaning forward and kissing her, her ice extinguishing his fire.

Chapter Text

It's been more than a week since Harry had promised Caitlin a date. It wasn't as though he had trouble planning it, in fact he made a reservation in the best restaurant in town just the day after and they were to go there during the weekend, yet, they didn't make it. The reason to their stalling was a particularly dangerous metahuman they just couldn't seem to defeat and Jesse even got hurt the first time she went against him. Luckily, it all ended well with both Snow and Wells actually working together on a naturalizing device that Jesse eventually used to put the bad guy behind bars. Still, the date was ruined and Harry was forced to postpone the reservation, being lucky that his last name was Wells, because it was the only reason to why he managed to get the table again so fast.

Few hours before their official date, Caitlin was actually freaking out, trying on all the dresses she'd so far bought on this earth – well, ok, she had to admit it was during that one time she went on a shopping spree, enjoying her paycheck and might've gotten a little too many things, including lacy lingerie that she wanted to present to Harry tonight. Then again, it was all his fault, really, since the paycheck itself was so big. At first it was a little awkward for her to accept payment from him and have a relationship with the man in the same time, but he just rolled his eyes at that, saying she was technically working for the team and that couldn't be pro bono; besides, how did she imagine her life on his earth without that money? He had a point there, she had to give him that. There was no way she could afford her own living without his help and even if she got another job, she would soon be fired since she dedicated herself to the team full-time and usually stayed after hours as well. All the time she had left she spent with the man of her dreams, though recently they hadn't even managed to do that, so Caitlin was looking forward to the date, her body already on fire, it wanted Harry again so badly. They hadn't even had time for sex recently, just dropping dead in a bed in the Labs because the last metahuman had exhausted them so much. She would eagerly see that change, already forgetting how his body felt moving in hers, how he touched her, how… Ok, she should really stop right there, she pulled herself together since Jesse was in the room with her and she shouldn't be daydreaming about having sex with her dad. Besides, who was she kidding anyway?! She remembered it all too well, actually and couldn't wait for it to be repeated. Those last few days spent in his company in the operations and in the lab had been pure torture to them both and they'd grown frustrated. They didn't even have the time for a quickie with Jesse being hurt and Felicity always around. The woman just kept popping up everywhere they went, giving them the newest update on the metahuman as she'd been tracking the guy and they so did not want the incident with Jesse happening all over again, the very thought of it still coloring Caitlin's cheeks red.

"Jeez, Louise, just relax!" Snow heard Jesse's voice as the girl watched her going over to the mirror, wearing, yet, another dress. "I swear, you and dad are acting like crazy teenagers in love!"

"Why? Was he this nervous, too when you saw him?" Caitlin got interested.

"This dress is gorgeous and don't you dare change," Jesse just told her, admiring the woman's small figure in the little black dress that fit her in all the right places but wasn't too revealing. She already noticed Caitlin wasn't really a fan of revealing clothes, but then again, she didn't really have to be as her body looked good in just about anything. In fact, Jesse would kill to have it, too and in the same time she knew she never would. She was too short for that.

"Ok, I won't change, but tell me already!" Caitlin huffed, now picking up an envelope bag.

"He was freaking out!" Jesse confirmed. "And more so than even you! You do realize it's been ages since he was on a date, right? Oh, wait… maybe it was back in the Middle Ages, I don't know," the girl laughed at her own joke.

"That wasn't very nice and if only he could hear you…"

"Seriously, Cait, just relax! You should be happy to hear that since you can be sure that he's dead serious about being with you. There hasn't been a woman in his life that made such an impact on him and I have seen a lot."

"Wait a second…" Caitlin came to a sudden stop and faced Jesse again. "What do you mean? I thought he didn't date anyone seriously nor casually those past few years…" she hesitated, wondering whether Harry lied to her and might have been, indeed, sleeping around. Not that it would be her business since he hadn't been committed to her then, but the fact that he might actually bend the truth to…

"Oh, no!" Jesse denied, laughing it off. "Are you crazy?! Nothing like that! I just meant that there was a lot of women eagerly throwing themselves at him, but he always walked away and left them in shame. And good. Because they deserved that, you know?"

Now instead of being mad at Harry, Caitlin actually cringed, feeling bad for all the women who had the misfortune to find out firsthand that Harrison Wells was no prince charming.

"Was he harsh on them?"

"Oh, you have no idea! Some of them actually cried!" Jesse provided the information with a happy smile on her face.

"That wasn't very nice of him."

"That's just who he is." The girl shrugged. "So, ready?"

"Yeah." Caitlin turned to the mirror one last time, checking if everything was in place, but at this point even she had to admit that she looked gorgeous.

"He'll drop dead once he sees you!" she then heard coming from Jesse.

"Hopefully not," Snow teased with a smile when turning back to her, "because I'm planning to be with him for a very, very long time. In fact, indefinitely is just about what I'm looking for."

"And good."

"So, are you all right with it all?" Snow asked when she and the girl directed themselves to the door.

"Sure I am! I am the one who worked so hard to bring you two together, after all!"

"I know," Caitlin nodded in acquiescence, "but trying to make something happen and seeing it happen are two different things. It may actually be difficult to you to see him with me and know that he has less time for you."

"Will you stop that crazy talk already?" Jesse dismissed all of Cait's fears with a wave of her hand. "In case you haven't noticed, I am almost a grown up and I did not exactly look forward to spending my adult years with a father breathing down my neck. I couldn't be happier that he's finally found someone else to focus on." After that, she winked at Snow and wished her a good evening.

Harry was waiting for Caitlin downstairs, not even catching his daughter presence in his girlfriend's apartment since Jesse used her speed and was gone in a jiffy.

He already felt impatient, but maybe it was just the nervousness that hadn't left him since morning and only gotten worse when he wanted to see Caitlin at lunch in S.T.A.R. Labs, but she was nowhere to be found. He truly hoped she was out shopping for a perfect dress for tonight, because there really was no other excuse to why she would refuse to spend the little free time they had, with him. Or maybe he just missed her. And hated the idea of her actually having a life outside the Labs and team Flash. Which was stupid. And didn't make any sense. But then again, feelings could do just that to a person, he reminded himself the conversation he'd had with Jesse earlier that day. His cunning daughter only made him more mad as she teased him about being nervous before the first official date he was to have with Snow. Stupid.

In that moment, the door of the building finally opened, revealing the woman in question who looked… truly, he forgot how to breathe when his eyes set on her and then traveled down her beautiful body, seeing the little black dress that was so deliciously tight that he wanted to reach out and trace her curves through the fabric. The best thing about this dress was that it was short, ending inches above Snow's knees, revealing the long gorgeous legs he could easily imagine wrapping around his middle when… He needed to look away and take a deep breath because at this rate he would have to walk into that restaurant with a huge boner at the front of his pants.

"Are you ok?" Snow asked in an innocent voice as she walked over to him and placed a soft, yet such a sweet kiss to his lips.

"You… Yeah… you just look… stunning," was all he could say before he shut up for good, staring again. She let her hair loose and it fell in a cascade down her back which was just so… He cleared his throat and then finally forced himself to move, walking to the other side of his vintage car and opening the door for her.

"What a gentleman, thank you." She smiled at him brilliantly. "I didn't expect this after what Jesse told me about all the women throwing themselves at you those past few years," she teased then and he frowned.

Once they were both seated in the car, he followed on that, "What do you mean? Jesse actually talked to you about that?"

"Oh, yeah!" Snow answered with a smile. "Don't get me wrong, I kind of feel sorry for them, but… yeah, also so honored to be the chosen one of the grumpy introvert, Harrison Wells."

"I am not…" he started, but then closed his mouth and just started the engine instead. "Maybe you should," he eventually finished with.

"Or maybe I'm foolish since I am the one who's gonna have to put up with you," she teased again when placing her hand on his knee.

"I suggest you take that hand before something happens and we won't even make it to the restaurant," he warned in a deep and throaty voice and she was actually tempted. "They won't postpone the reservation again, even for me," he then added and she changed her mind. He was right. After all, she was the one to suggest they'd go on a date, so she couldn't just change her mind now and decide she'd rather have sex instead. Even if she did.

"All right," she agreed with a sigh.

"So, where were you today?" he asked when making a turn.

"I had to meet Ray for lunch. You know, I promised after I saved his life and I couldn't find the time before. And it's not like I can have him find out about what I'm really doing in the Labs."

"Wait… you did what?!" Harry suddenly raised his voice. "We couldn't be alone for a freaking five minutes this past week… or was it more?… and you'd rather see Palmer?"

"Are you jealous, mister?" she only asked, looking at him in marvel. "Harry, we already had this conversation. I don't want to date Ray. I want to date you."

"I know," he eventually admitted with a sigh and took one of his hand from the steering wheel to run it over his mouth in a nervous gesture. "It's just that… it's just…"

"What?" she prompted.

"He's just another tall, dark and handsome, ok?" he finally got it out. "So there's definitely no resemblance to Ramon and Ramon himself said…"

"Wait… wait a minute," Caitlin cut in immediately. "What did Cisco say?"

"That doesn't matter here."

"It does to me!"

After another heavy sigh, Harrison finally confessed, albeit reluctantly, "He said not to let you fall for another tall, dark and handsome, ok? He must've seen… something… between us."

"Ha," Caitlin just said when looking at the road ahead. "That's interesting."

"Interesting?!"

"Yeah. I never pegged Cisco for being this perceptive nor did I for actually playing a matchmaker. At least not with you."

"Gee! Thanks!"

"Seriously, though, Harry, don't you see that I already did fall for a tall, dark and handsome?" she asked and he nearly stepped on the breaks hard.

"What?" was all he managed to get out.

"You," Snow replied and then laughed. He hated that even in such a situation her laughter was music to his ears. "In case you haven't noticed, you are dark, tall and handsome. Or are you not?"

Just like that, she did it. She could always turn it all around and somehow instead of being mad, he was just damn happy. She had that gift, that woman of his.

"And just for clarification, it's Ray's character that is just like Cisco's," she added.

The restaurant Harrison had brought her to was really impressive with glass walls and spacious main room. Their table was very private, away from the usual commotion and different conversations blending into one. What more, besides the seclusion, it offered a nice view on a bay outside upon which just now a moon shined, making for a romantic atmosphere. Snow couldn't help looking around in awe at the tastefully and elegantly furnished restaurant, from the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings to the dark wooden floors. It was only when she took a look at the menu that this awe turned into astonishment as she couldn't even recognize half of the dishes enlisted there.

"What? It's not what people usually serve in restaurants on your earth?" Harry asked when watching her expression in amusement.

"No…" she slowly answered, shaking her head, "so I think I'm gonna need some guidance."

His face lit up in a smile as he moved closer, leaning over the table and explaining various dishes to her, but she didn't really understand all that much, too affected by how close he was and how amazingly he smelt. When his eyes raised from the chart to bore into hers, her lips parted and he couldn't help it, he moved even closer and stole a kiss before retreating.

"I would very much prefer you to be the first course, but we have to wait for that," he told her, his blue eyes ablaze, causing her to flush all over.

"Just so you know, I wouldn't mind that either," she assured him before winking at him. "I think I'm gonna go with… wait… that… oh, vegetarian thingy with those… liquid stars (?) in the title?" she tried to remember the name as she was searching for it in the menu. "You have really crazy names for fancy dishes, do you realize that?" She eventually gave up and put the chart away.

"I'm sure I could say the same thing to you once visiting your earth," he retaliated and when the waiter arrived, he ordered everything smoothly. "The stars in the title points to the heavenly taste of the meal," he then explained when turning back to Snow.

"Well, the only star I see when I look into the sky is sitting right in front of me," Snow paid him a compliment and his eyes widened. "Too cheesy?" she then asked with a frown.

He smiled again, which already was way too often than he usually did, but then he thought about something and ran a hand over his mouth in a nervous gesture again.

"Uh oh, what's wrong?" Snow immediately asked.

"Why do you think something's wrong?"

"Because you either run your hand over your mouth or through your hair when you're nervous. Just tell me," she encouraged, noticing that he was surprised there for a moment that she seemed to read him so well already.

"I've just realized that once we're actually here to enjoy our meal, we will have to have a conversation."

"And is that a bad thing?" She couldn't understand where he was going with this. "It's what people usually do on dates, right? And so far, we've enjoyed our conversations."

"Of course," he confirmed with a nod, "but the thing is… dates make things get more real, the conversation to run just a little bit deeper, don't you think?"

"Harry, honestly, I'm not following."

"We would have to talk about our relationship," he clarified, but it still wasn't enough for her. "Snow… Caitlin, look," he then started very fast just to come to a sudden stop, "it's just… all those things I told you before about my wife… I realize that I put myself in an incredibly bad light and… I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

Ok, Caitlin acknowledged that she might have not seen him exactly this nervous yet. Furious, yes, but not as nervous, so she cut in before he tangled himself up even more, "Harry, it's ok," she assured him when reaching her hand out and resting it on top of his. "I won't compare us to that," she promised him.

"Good," he just said, clearly relieved before meeting her eyes and going with, "because the truth is that I care about you in ways I didn't think were possible for someone who's not exactly blood related like… well, Jesse…" when a tiny wrinkle appeared right between Caitlin's gorgeous eyes, he quickly clarified, "not that I treat you as such… God… what a romantic date, hah?" he then chuckled nervously and leaned back in his chair, effectively relieving Caitlin from the hold she had on his hand. "Me comparing you to my daughter…" He covered his face with his hand.

"Yeah, that is quite disturbing," she admitted, but she knew the poor man just wasn't good at saying the kind of things he wanted to tell her. He could talk math or physics for hours without missing a single term, but his feelings? That didn't exactly go as smoothly.

"What I feel for you is clearly romantic and has nothing to do with relatedness," he tried one more time when placing his hands on the table and looking Snow straight in the eye. "What I'm trying to tell you here is that I never thought I would care for someone so deeply, Caitlin. It's like… I know I was married and all, but it's like a completely uncharted territory for me. It's like…" he thought for a moment and then bit his lip before finally blurting out, "I know it's not the right thing to say, but… it's like this is the first time I'm actually feeling this way. Who would think, hah? And old prick like me?"

They both laughed at his joke and then Caitlin leaned forward and took his hands into hers once again, looking at him and assuring him, "You'll never be old to me, Harry," before going with, "and I understand. Trust me, I do. To be honest, I feel the same way and it actually scares me a little."

"Really? Good, because me, too."

They smiled at each other again.

"Glad we're on the same page, then," he said and noticed a tear in the corner of her eye. "Snow, are you crying?"

"I can't help it. You're just being so sweet," she complained when letting go of him and wiping that tear away whereas he just stared at her incredulously. "What? What you said was kind of beautiful."

She just couldn't take that ablaze look in his eyes. He was looking at her as though she was at the centre of his universe – or maybe multiverse – and she just had to get up, circle the table and sit in his laps when winding her arms around his neck and kissing him straight on the mouth.

"I am one of the fastest minds in the whole multiverse," Harry said right after the kiss, their faces still close together, "but I seem to be terribly slow when it comes to this, to…" he hesitated as though not sure he should call it that way so soon, "love," he eventually went with, knowing he wouldn't scare her off, "am I?" He was holding her in his arms and she had the impression she would soon catch fire just from the intensity of it all.

"I'm glad you admitted that yourself," she told him, "but seriously, Harry," her tone grew so much less serious, "in the whole multiverse? Don't you give yourself way too much credit here, mister?"

"Nope," he denied fiercely, loving to watch her laugh.

In that moment, the waiter brought them food, so Caitlin was forced to come back to her seat, albeit reluctantly.

An hour later, they left the restaurant happy and having no care in the world as they slowly walked to Harry's car, his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. They were both looking forward to what would come next and Harry already decided to take Caitlin to his house, using this opportunity to show her around. Maybe one day she would actually come to live with him there? He knew it seemed awfully fast and that was why he didn't say anything to her just yet, but the truth was that if only he could, he would drop on one knee right in front of her right now and propose. Which obviously, he wouldn't do. It was too soon and he himself was shocked every time he had a thought like that. Because it so wasn't like him. He was always a serious, calculated man who never did anything on a whim and thought everything through meticulously. And then Snow appeared and turned his entire world upside down. In fact, she was affecting him more than even she herself realized and it was quite scary. One thing he was sure of, though – despite all the obstacles and things that differed them, he never wanted to spend one moment apart from her ever again.

And just then it happened.

"Well, well, well, what do you say? I can still pull off brunette," they suddenly heard a female voice that dragged on the syllables and once they looked in that direction, they were both frozen in shock.

Because the woman walking straight towards them wore the face Harry knew so well and loved. The face of Caitlin. Which could only mean she was her doppelganger, the Killer Frost that he'd read about. The question was what she was doing here.

"You…" Caitlin started and stopped, not able to find the right words to say, just staring at herself. Only not exactly because her hair was white as snow and something told Cait it wasn't because it grayed ahead of its time. It was this way because of the icy cold powers the woman apparently possessed.

"Get behind me," Harry advised when pushing Snow there with one of his hands whereas he reached for his glock with the other.

Just then something flew towards them from the sky and soon enough, a man literally set on fire stood right next to Killer Frost.

When Caitlin looked at him, finally recognizing him, she paled, "Ronnie?" she asked in a feeble and shaky voice.

"You were right. She does look just like you… you know, from before." The man in question turned to Killer Frost and the woman just laughed before stepping forward.

"Stay where you are!" Harry screamed at her, but she just laughed harder. He wished someone helped him, but the people inside of the restaurant were probably too scared to react any way and he couldn't really blame them. Jesse, then crystallized in his head and he wondered whether she could take two metas at once, but maybe she could just take Snow and himself out of there. If only he could reach to his phone without arousing any suspicions...

The burning man moved and Harry pointed his gun at him, actually shooting, but he missed when Killer Frost used her powers and soon enough his glock turned to ice and shattered when it hit the ground. He was left defenseless. What was worse was the fact that Snow was with him and he had to somehow save her because he just couldn't lose her. Not now.

Yet, before he could react again, he heard her scream and she was just gone, being carried up into the sky by Ronnie, the doppelganger of her dead fiancé. In that moment, Harry risked it all and grabbed his phone, choosing Jesse's number that he had on speed dial.

"HELP!" he just screamed when pressing the cell into his ear and desperately watching as the Burning Man was leaving with Snow, soon remaining just a bright spot far away until disappearing completely.

"You're useless to me," he then heard Killer Frost and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact as she would surely use her freezing powers on him. And everything would be over just like that, he thought. He wouldn't care for his life, he truly wouldn't, but Snow was out there. Snow was taken and he just…

There was a sudden whoosh of air and he felt himself being swept away by the Flash just a millisecond before the icicle hit him straight in the heart.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the operations, both Jesse and Felicity boring their terrified eyes into him.

Chapter Text

"Anything?!" Harrison screamed again, causing Felicity to jump. She'd been trying to locate Killer Frost and her accomplice for the last ten minutes and he was already at the verge of his patience. In fact, Jesse was seriously worried about him, noticing the sudden change - he wasn't just furious, he was beyond that now. His body was slightly shaking and he seemed not to even notice that; his hand kept going up to his mouth and then to his already messed up hair. He reminded his daughter of a volcano in danger of erupting any moment and Jesse was afraid once that happened, there would be nothing left from her father. And she hated that. She hated that he finally, after so many years of being alone, found someone, that he was falling in love. And now all of it was just snatched right from his hands and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"I'm totally onto creating an app for your smart phones that would work as a panic button in case of a crisis," Felicity finally spoke, the sound she was making while hitting the keyboard never ceasing.

"What a great idea!" Harry hollered, throwing his hands up into the air. "So why haven't you done that already?! Maybe then we could've saved Snow in time!"

"Dad, don't yell at her! It's not Felicity's fault!" Jesse decided to defend the poor woman and was just about to say something to make him feel better when he suddenly lowered his voice, confessing, "I know, it's mine," before running his hands through his hair again. "I let us get photographed on that street and that's probably how they found out about Snow."

"No, dad," Jesse denied quickly when making her way to him and putting her hand on his shoulder. "Caitlin was bound to be made sooner or later because this just isn't her world."

She didn't want to hurt her father even more, that really wasn't her intention, but once he heard the last part, just that happened. Because it was true, he thought. Snow didn't belong to this world. She should have never come here and maybe then she would've been safe. Only he wouldn't have met her and right now he just couldn't imagine his life without her.

"We need to find her," he eventually said. "How about… Killer Frost's powers are icy and the Burning Man's hot. Why don't we cross-reference heat and cold signatures when using our satellite? We should be able to locate them that way."

"On it, boss!" Felicity nodded and the typing only grew louder.

Caitlin was sick of those things happening to her. And angry. Actually, she was beyond angry as she struggled with the ties binding her hands and legs. It was hopeless. This whole situation was, she finally realized with a sob escaping her lips as she let go, relaxing her muscles so the ties wouldn't chafe her skin anymore. Even if she managed to get free, she wouldn't get far as Killer Frost was always watching her, being in the near vicinity. If Caitlin tried to run, she was alone against two metahumans and she didn't have any powers to protect herself. She still couldn't get over seeing Ronnie like this. She remembered him as a good man, a hero who was ready to risk his life just to save others, just to save her. The thing with Ronnie was that she never actually wanted him to be a hero, she just wanted a normal guy to be her husband, a normal guy to share her life with and maybe one day have a family of her own. Now she had Harrison and she barely stopped another sob that threatened to escape her lips. Because did she, really? She had no way of knowing what Killer Frost had done to him, if he was even alive.

Yes, Caitlin Snow was most definitely close to her own breaking point. She'd held on to her life, to her sanity when she'd lost Ronnie twice, when dr. Wells betrayed her and the whole team, when she was all alone, but this was just too much. She knew she wouldn't handle it if Harry was gone as well. And it wasn't just her anymore. There was also Jesse. How could she look the girl in the eye and tell her that because she'd come to this earth and fallen for her father, he was killed?

She was sick. She was sick of this life. She was sick that every single damn time she was just a little bit closer to her happy ending, every time she was happier and actually looked into the future with hope for a change, it was all taken away from her, leaving her in an even worse position than before. She was done fighting. If this was it, then be it. She would simply give up, give in. She was just done.

The worst part was that she had no way of knowing what Killer Frost had actually done to Harry. Whether she hurt him or just followed Ronnie here.

That was why when the next time the monster checked on Caitlin, she finally dared ask, "Is Harrison safe?"

Instead of an answer, the woman that wore the same face, yet looked so different from her, laughed.

"Why don't you wonder?" she teased in a voice that dragged on the syllables. She must've really loved the sound of it.

"Bitch," Caitlin called her, rage welling up in her again and she struggled against the ties, but had to let go eventually because of the pain.

"You do realize you're talking to yourself, don't you?" she just received in answer.

"You're nothing like me! You may look the same, but you are not me!"

"You know, I'm a little bit jealous, I have to admit that much," Killer Frost suddenly said when coming closer and completely ignoring Caitlin's last remark. "You're so lucky, Caity, having all the choices, all the men that you can pick from. You can kiss them without turning them into an icicle… not to mention sleep with without them losing a certain… appendix." She laughed again and Caitlin cringed at the very thought of what Killer Frost implied. Then she actually saw the pain and jealously in her eyes, which made her scared even more, because if Killer Frost hated her so much, then why was she even still alive? Was this woman planning on killing her slowly and painfully? Why had she taken her in the first place?

"But you're not alone," Caitlin dared point out, clearly meaning Ronnie. "So that worked quite well for you."

"I only have one choice and yeah, I probably should feel happy about it, shouldn't I? But I am not. I love having choices. It's the whole point of being human, isn't it? Then again, I'm not human anymore."

The Burning Man suddenly appeared, flying into the room and Killer Frost ceased to talk.

Interesting, Caitlin thought, choosing to focus her mind on anything else just not on worrying about Harry. Otherwise she would drive herself crazy. Or maybe she'd already had.

"He wants to procede as planned," Ronnie provided Frost with the information and Caitlin asked immediately, "Who?!" Was it possible that they were working for someone even more powerful? And if so, why did they need her?

"Like I'm gonna tell you," Killer Frost only smiled and then retreated with her other half to the adjacent room, leaving Caitlin all alone and freezing.

"Please, be all right," Snow started praying, not able to push those thoughts away any longer, not able to find any other much needed distraction. She didn't care about herself anymore. She just wanted Harry to be safe. "Please, be…"

"…all right," Harry was just murmuring absentmindedly under his breath when Jesse found him in his lab.

"There you are."

"Do you have anything?" he immediately whirled around, asking.

"Yeah, Felicity has a location. I'm heading there right away," Jesse gave him the info and when she was about to speed off, he stopped her, calling her name. "Yeah, dad?"

"I…" he cut off, fisting his hands. "Damn it! I don't want you to get yourself into this, Jesse. I know it's Caitlin and it's killing us all, but in the same time it just feels wrong to risk your safety like this."

"But we both know I need to go because there's no one else. Unless… you wanna call Cait's team on the other earth?"

Wells shook his head with a sigh. "We can't. Ramon can pop in and out, but it will take too much time to send them a message and then wait until they find it. Snow…" he came to a sudden stop, closing his eyes in distress, "she may be gone by then."

"Dad, I will get her back, I promise," Jesse assured him when walking over to him and giving him a hug. At first, he was reluctant, but eventually he put his arms around her as well and tightened his hold on her before letting her go.

"Just be careful. Please," he said in the end.

Killer Frost and Burning Man were waiting for their informant to show up; the woman pacing back and forth.

"Frost, calm down. You know well that we're doing this because we won't survive any other way," Ronnie tried to reason with her.

"I just don't like this. We were in hiding and life was good. No one was hunting us, no one could even find us and then we had to reveal ourselves to the world and worse, we had to kidnap her!" she voiced her frustration and then Ronnie closed the distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Look at me," he asked her and once she finally did, he said, "I promise you that we'll be fine. You know well that no matter how well we can hide, we can't survive an actual end of the world, don't you?"

She sighed and then nodded. "I'm just… I don't like this. It's not safe."

"Oh, I hope you're not backing out now," they heard a third voice and once they turned around, they spotted Reverb finally making his appearance.

"You're late," Ronnie told him.

"And you're impatient. And impulsive," Reverb added when shifting his gaze to Killer Frost. "You know that the master won't like this once he finds out."

"Then maybe you just don't tell him?" Frost retaliated with.

"I may do just that," the man agreed with a nod of his head, "but consider this your last warning. We all need to choose a better side before it all begins. Now, do you have the information he required?"

"We're working on it," Frost answered.

"Work faster."

"So far we know Caitlin Snow came through a breach that exists in S.T.A.R. Labs. She's from Earth One," Ronnie provided with the information. "We still don't know the details, unfortunately."

"Maybe they won't be necessary, but keep working on it. She'll tell you everything eventually with the right… incentive. Now, I guess we would have to do with this… oh, we got company," Reverb suddenly announced and before Jesse, who finally got to the right spot; managed to react or attack any way, he focused his mind on her position. "You're no match for me, Flash," he said when she fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

Caitlin was gone for two days and Harry was really close to losing his mind. Especially when Jesse got hurt. It was nothing life threatening, but she'd been having a terrible headache for hours and it just refused to go away. All the tests Felicity ran on his daughter didn't show anything out of the ordinary, but needless to say, Jesse couldn't get out there like this. She did mention meeting the doppelganger of Ramon who was clearly evil and used his powers to mess with people's mind, so maybe whatever he did to Harry's little girl would have to run its course or… he didn't know what. Truth be told, Wells was out of options. He even went to the main lab to finally send a message through to the other earth, but something didn't work right and he couldn't fix it. Well, ok, technically he could, but not fast as it would probably take weeks and he didn't have that much time. He truly didn't know what to do anymore and how to help Snow.

"Damn it! Damn it! Fuck!" he cursed, literally pulling out his own hair, feeling more helpless than ever. Maybe the last time he'd come close was when he found out Jesse's mother was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"There has to be a way," Felicity said, still determined to find it, but then she only hid her face in her hands. "The worst part is that I just got a possible location," she then said and Harry immediately turned away.

"Where?!"

"Does it matter? We'll both die if we go there with no backup! Even if we call the police, they won't help us either. We'd be just risking their lives… God, I hate this!"

"Maybe I could help?" they suddenly heard a voice and both turned to the entrance, seeing Palmer standing there.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Harry hissed, not able to comprehend how the man even got to this place.

"Whoa! Your secret's totally safe with me!" Ray immediately swore when raising his hands up into the air.

Harry wanted to say something else, to just throw him out of there, but then he realized it was already too late. They'd been made. Jesse was sleeping her headache of in the other room which, unfortunately, had glass walls, so she was clearly visible. So was the suit that right now was on a dummy in the corner of the room. Just great. And what the hell was Wells thinking when designing this place anyway? And how Palmer had even gotten past the security? He had half a mind to tell Felicity off, but…

…something else occurred to him.

"Did Snow actually tell you what she was really doing here?" he asked.

"No!" Ray immediately denied, risking a glance at Felicity before looking back at his furious boss. "She never did! I swear! It was all me! I mean… I'm a pretty damn good engineer and I don't go out much… yeah… Ok, I did once wander into the garden at the back of the Labs and I know I wasn't supposed to be there because it's private and all, but… yeah… I saw this flash of red and then it occurred to me that the Flash might actually has his… I mean hers, obviously, now that I know it's your… I'll shut up now," he finally finished under the scrutiny of his angry boss.

"Fine! You know what?! I don't give a fuck!" Harry erupted, throwing his hands up into the air. "I don't care! All I care about is saving Snow!"

"That's why I'm here, actually," Ray said in a timid voice. "You see… she was supposed to get back to me about some chemical compound she promised me and she never did, so I texted her and called and there was just no response, so… yeah, eventually I wandered in here. I figured this must've been the secret liar, giving how much tinkering with the security system it took and… well, I kind of overheard your conversation with the lovely lady here," he looked at Felicity and she actually turned scarlet. Harry just rolled his eyes at that. "I may be able to help."

"How much did you hear?" Wells just asked, by now desperate to grasp at any chance of rescuing Snow, no matter how ridiculous.

"I still don't really get the part of the different world she's apparently from, but… I've been working on this supersuit and I finally got it done."

"Supersuit? Why don't I know anything about it? Wait a sec… was that why you blew up my lab?!"

"I almost blew myself up, but yeah," Ray admitted with a nod. "It was kind of… a side project."

"You know, normally I would fire you, but I really am desperate here, so just keep on talking," Harry encouraged him.

"My suit can shrink to a very small size and when I'm wearing it, I can do that, too. I can sneak in anywhere undetected. I can save her, dr. Wells, just tell me where to go and I'll go," Palmer offered and Harry's eyes opened widely.

"How did you…?"

"Does it really matter now?! Just let him do it!" Felicity backed Ray up as she jumped to her feet. "I have a location, but that might change, so we have to move fast! We have a chance here and isn't this actually what we've been waiting for?!"

"Fine," Harry agreed. "Go. We'll talk about this later."

Palmer just nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Is it done?" Ronnie asked Reverb when the guy came back from his mission.

"What do you think?" he just asked. "I always follow through. The device is temporarily out of use. It will probably take this fool, Wells, weeks before he can fix it."

"Wait…" they suddenly heard a weak voice from the dark corner of the room. "Harry's alive?!" Caitlin seemed to have woken up after this piece of news and she struggled against the binds again, yet hopelessly. She was too weak and too hungry and thirsty to even begin to think of fighting off three metahumans. She had to be stupid to even try, but the fact that Harry was all right and alive seemed to have given her a new life and she found sources of energy deeply inside of her she didn't even know were there. She had to get out, she just didn't know how. Maybe she should just use her brain instead of her muscles, she decided. Maybe she could somehow outsmart them, pretend she was ready to give them what they wanted from her and maybe then somehow escape…

"See what've you done?!" Killer Frost hissed. "And I was having so much fun watching her squirm!"

"Hey, did you hear that?" Ronnie asked when looking suspiciously at the ceiling above them. "I swear I heard something."

"There's no one here. I would sense them approach," Reverb told him.

"Well, maybe you can't just sense everything," Ronnie still argued. "You know, this mind of yours isn't limitless. I'm sure it can be outsmarted."

"Oh, don't you dare insult me."

When Ronnie finally managed to convince Reverb to go out and check the perimeter, Killer Frost just rolled her eyes and retreated to the other room. Caitlin was left alone.

Only she really wasn't. Because she just heard someone calling her name.

She looked around, squinting her eyes, not able to determine where this silent voice was coming from and eventually, she spotted the small moving figure on her hand.

She opened her eyes widely, seeing what looked like a little moving and talking toy before she actually recognized the voice.

"Ray?" she hissed in surprise. "How…?"

"Maybe I can officially join team Flash now, what do you think?" he asked, taking off his head cover and smiling to her. "I think saving the woman the boss is apparently dating – totally saw that one coming, though – will get me into his good graces."

"Wha…? How…?" Caitlin was still speechless, but then she actually felt it. It was hope. And it was all she needed.

Ray, still small, quickly dealt with all the ties binding her before stepping back so she could watch stupefied how he grew larger until he was his normal size, wearing some kind of a robotic armor.

"Is this… is this what you've been working on?!" Caitlin asked in excitement. "Ray, you did it!"

"Yes, I did! But quickly, we have to move fast!" He came closer and grabbed her before aiming his hand at ceiling and making a hole while firing. Needless to say, the noise alarmed just about everyone.

Killer Frost was first on the spot, but she couldn't reach them as Ray just flew them up and away and straight towards the sky.

Caitlin, while holding onto him tight, looked down, seeing both Reverb and Ronnie coming back and… there was a blue flash of light and some unknown entity was standing among the rest of the villains.

"No worries! I'll get them right back here," Reverb said, reaching his hands up, ready to use his superpowers when the stranger just vibrated a hole in his heart, killing him on the spot.

"That's not my plan," he said, actually allowing Caitlin and Ray to escape.

Snow just wished she'd known why.

"What?! Are you crazy?! We have to kill her! Frost deserves to take her down!" Ronnie argued and almost flew up into the sky when Zoom's fist dived into his chest as well.

There was a scream echoing in the room, released by no one else but Killer Frost as she got down to her knees, shocked with what she was seeing and terrified that she was going to be next.

"Will you oppose me as well?" Zoom then turned his ugly mask towards her and she shook her head frantically, still staring at Ronnie's body.

"No, sir, never," she then pledged her loyalty to him. "I swear!"

"Because I heard you were the one who had a problem with how I do things," he mentioned when making a step towards her.

"Never! It was just something I said, but… I don't think that at all! I'm loyal to you!"

"Good." The mask formed a smile. "Because Caitlin Snow is off limits. At least until she gets us through to the other world at the right time."

"Harry."

The moment he heard his name coming from her, he stilled, not able to believe she was actually there, that Palmer had actually come through. He turned around slowly, finally seeing her standing in the entrance and looking at him with so much love and relief in her eyes that it caused his heart to literally ache. Snow was alive and safe and she was right there.

His legs moved on their own as he ran towards her and she must've had the same idea because they met half way, her arms immediately closing around his neck as he pulled her in and put his own tightly around her as though he never meant to let her go ever again. And that was actually true.

"Oh, my God, I was so afraid you…" he started and stopped when burying his face in her messy hair and feeling the raging beating of his own heart. Or maybe it was her own as well as they seemed to be beating as one. "Snow, I love you," the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and once he realized what he said, he didn't even care. It was all out in the open now. It may be fast, but all they'd been through so far just seemed to have brought them closer. He was in it for life and there was no point hiding it anymore.

"Harry…" she sobbed with her face pressed against his neck, breathing the familiar and gorgeous smell of him in, finally feeling the heat of his body pressed against her own. She clearly couldn't believe he was there safe and alive, that Killer Frost hadn't hurt him, that he was hers and she was his. "Harry, oh God, I love you, too. So much," she then said, still sobbing and tightening her hold on him even though it seemed impossible, they were so close.

"Ohhh! Isn't this the sweetest thing you've ever seen?" Felicity asked Ray when watching the couple snuggling up in the middle of the room, oblivious to what was happening around them. "So sweet! So romantic!"

Ray took a closer look at Felicity and then he said, "By the way, my name is Ray. Ray Palmer."

"Oh, right!" she suddenly remembered. "I totally forgot to introduce myself, did I? Felicity. Smoak." She shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Felicity." He smiled brightly at her and her cheeks burnt red, yet, once again.

"Caitlin! Dad! Oh, my God!" Jesse just now got to the room, having woken up.

"Oh, come here!" Caitlin invited her and the three of them hugged together for a few more moments. When they finally let go, Harry's hand grasped her own as he still needed to hold on to her.

"So, does anyone want to explain this? Do we have a new addition to the team or what?" Snow pointed Ray.

"Like that's gonna happen!" Harry immediately bristled. "Better tell us where you were. Did they hurt you?"

"No, not physically… I… I think they had specific orders not to do that," Caitlin informed. "There was this… this monster there, too. He showed up in the last second... he actually had superspeed." She turned to Jesse. "Reverb and Ronnie… they wanted to chase after me and Ray and stop us, but he… he killed them," she finally revealed. "And I don't know why. Nothing makes sense anymore. I'm… I'm afraid they'll come back for me."

"No one will come for you here," Harrison assured her when cupping her face. "Not with the security Felicity set up. She really is brilliant, you know? … Wait, on second thoughts," he shot the girl in question a look. "How about you make sure this," he pointed Ray, "doesn't happen again?"

"So is Ray. You just need to give him a chance," Caitlin wasn't letting it go and Harry just rolled his eyes, but he did smile while doing so.

"Anything the woman I love says," he finally agreed.

"I like that. The woman you love," she said with a smile. "But there's more…" her voice then grew serious as she said that and the smile disappeared. What more, Harry sensed her body starting to shake a little. "They actually wanted to know how I got here from my earth. They wanted to know about my world. Something tells me they don't want to do bad here… they actually want to leave."

The whole team listened to that, thinking hard on it.

"But the device that brought you here doesn't even work. I tried to send a message to team Flash there, to ask them for help, but couldn't," Harry explained and Snow felt like crying when thinking what this man must've gone through those last two days. Well, then again, she'd been through the same, so she knew already.

"Harry, just… I don't want to think about it. I just wanna go home," she finally said, being on the verge of crying.

"Absolutely," he agreed, "but I'm taking you to my house. The security there won't even let a meta through, I promise," he assured her.

Yet, before they left, he looked at Jesse, "How are you feeling? Is the headache gone?"

"Did you have a headache?" Caitlin followed up on that.

Jesse nodded. "Reverb did something to me, but… when I just now woke up, it was gone."

"It's probably because he's dead. At least it's one lucky break," Caitlin figured out with a sigh. "Will you please now, Jesse, speed me and your dad to your house?"

"Say no more."

Harrison's house was an impressive residence, yet, Caitlin barely registered that, just wishing to find herself inside already and feel safe. Only once she was within its walls and stepping into the shower in the master bathroom, she was still shaking in fear, still seeing the monster ending Reverb's life so fast she didn't even manage to blink. It could as easily happen to her and all the people she loved and now, apparently that monster sought passage to her world, to the world in which her friends lived. She didn't know how to handle that and had no way of contacting them, so she had to wait till Ray fixed the device as he suggested he would.

It was really good to have him as a new addition to the team because it seemed like they would need any help they could get and soon. Yet, for now, Caitlin wished she could just forget about all of her problems and find some relaxation. She just didn't know how.

Harry came back to his bedroom, carrying a few bags with the Big Belly Burger logo on them and some sodas Jesse had gotten for them all. Caitlin must've been starving, so maybe this dinner in bed would do her some good, he thought and then realized she wasn't there.

He left the bags and the sodas on the bedside table and directed himself to the bathroom from where he could hear the hum of running water. Apparently, Snow wasn't done with her shower yet, even if she'd been there for way too long.

Without thinking it through, Harry pushed the bathroom door open and saw her naked silhouette standing still under the stream, hugging herself and shaking slightly despite the hot water running down on her.

He sighed, seeing that after being through so much, Snow was still in distress. He wondered how to help her and eventually discarded his own clothes and joined her, opening the glass door. She shivered when she felt the waft of cold air on her back, but then Harry just pulled her into his arms, closing them around her.

It wasn't an invitation for sex or anything of the kind and they both knew it. He just wanted to be there for her and to hold her in her time of need. While doing so, he slowly begun to feel her body relax as the tension escaped her and she eventually leaned backwards into his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. His hands covered her own on her stomach and they just stood there, breathing together, being together and giving each other comfort. It was in that exact moment that Harry realized she wasn't the only one in need of this. They both needed to be together, to hold onto each other. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling so happy out of the sudden and so relieved that he got her back safely. Right now nothing mattered but his family being safe under one roof. He couldn't care less for his team mates, for the whole world or even the multiverse, however wrong that sounded. All that mattered was them being safe. And home.

Chapter Text

Surprisingly, after the shower they took together, it was Harry who needed a moment to himself. He didn't want Snow to see him this weak and vulnerable and it wasn't as though he tried to hide anything from her, he just felt like he needed to protect her, to shield her from this after everything she'd been through. He had to be strong for her now. He needed to give her the right support, so him breaking along with her didn't exactly lay in his plans for the night.

When he finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing only his pajama bottoms, naturally all black, that lay low on his hips; Snow was already sitting on his bed, dressed in her own clothes Jesse had brought from her apartment earlier and gulfing down the food. She seemed better somehow, more cheerful even as she was biting on the best burger The Big Belly had to offer. Once she looked up at him, though, she stopped eating, her eyes tracing down his chest until they focused on the clearly visible v line.

"I was just gonna grab a shirt," Harry said then, gesturing to his wardrobe.

"Don't," she told him, so he joined her on the bed instead. "I guess I need all the distraction I can get. And better eat up till there's still something left," she encouraged him.

"Snow…"

"I'm fine, Harry. Really."

"But what you've been through…" he tried one more time, clearly taken aback by her behavior. Because this woman didn't remind him at all the one he'd joined in the shower.

"No, you don't understand," she then said, meeting his blue eyes, "I'm kind of used to getting kidnapped," she explained. "What really got to me was the thought that you could've gotten hurt," she confessed before reaching her hand out and placing it gently on his face.

"You shouldn't be," he decided right then. "Damn it! You shouldn't be used to this. This isn't… this isn't normal. It shouldn't be your normal, Snow."

She took the hand away with a sigh and picked up her forgotten burger.

"Those friends of yours shouldn't let you get kidnapped so many times," he refused to just let it go.

"It's not like they let it happen," Snow defended her old team. "It just happened. You know it well now. Besides, it wasn't that many times."

"God." Harry just ran a hand through his still damp hair. "Listen, Snow," his voice grew serious and deep when found her eyes again, "you are not going to lose me, ok? Not ever. Actually, you're stuck with me," he joked in the end.

He looked so domestic just sitting there with her on that big master bed, eating burger and fries, but also… vulnerable, she realized, bare and accessible.

"I surely hope so," she teased him with a smile, choosing the lighter tone.

He welcomed that with happiness reflected in his eyes.

"You know, I'm sure there'll come a day you're gonna regret saying that."

"No, I don't think so. Because simply put, Harry, I love you and that means putting up with you and accepting you for the infuriating man you are."

"Oh, is that so?"

"But you know what? You're my man."

"Right back at you, Snow."

They eat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again, "Damn it, I am all very grateful to Palmer, but I wish I could've done something to help you myself. I hated feeling this… powerless," he confessed.

"And Ray out of all the people just had to be the one to go to my rescue? Get over yourself, old man!"

"What did you just call me?!" Harry pretended to be furious.

"This is the last time I am telling you there's nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm pretty sure there might be something between him and Felicity. And when not counting that one almost kiss…" she stopped abruptly, having just now realized what she said.

"Wait…" Harry immediately picked up on that. "What kiss?" he hissed, watching her face carefully.

"It was nothing, really," Snow immediately dismissed his concern. "He just asked me out at the beginning when we met and tried to kiss me, but I moved away and said no, is all," she explained it all quickly. "So you can see, there was never anything to worry about."

"I'll kill him," he decided right away.

"It was before we even liked each other, Harry," Snow told him.

"I always liked you," he disagreed then.

"Yeah, right. And I have superpowers."

"Do you now? What kind?"

"I don't. That's the whole point! I don't even have the metahuman gene, genius!"

"Oh, that right there!" He pointed his finger at her with a smile on his face. "You can call me that."

"You do realize I was being sarcastic?"

"Doesn't matter. It's still a fact."

To his delight, she burst out laughing and he hoped to at least have taken away some of her burden that night.

Soon enough, Harry got up and picked all the discarded bags and boxes to carry them to the trash. When he returned, Snow was lying under the covers, but she wasn't sleeping.

"Waiting for me?" he asked. "Good call. Here you go. It'll help you fall asleep."

She sat up, eager to discover what he brought her this time and it was hot cocoa.

"You're truly spoiling me, Harry," she said when accepting the cup and taking a sip before coughing violently.

"Careful there. It's spiked," he provided her with the information when settling himself on the other side of the bed with his drink that was just pure scotch.

"You don't say. But thanks, it's really good, though it could probably put an elephant to sleep."

"Can't handle your liquor, Snow?" he asked teasingly.

"Well, actually… yeah. The one time I went with Barry to a karaoke bar, I got drunk so fast... let's just say it wasn't pretty. The hangover from that night still haunts me today."

"So you and Barry…?" Harry immediately hinted which caused Snow to roll her eyes.

"Nope. Never. Like I wanted to date someone who's entire world revolves around Iris West."

"You must really hate the girl."

"Not really. No. She's actually quite nice. It was Barry's obsession that usually pissed me off, but then again, I could never say anything because you know, we worked together and were friends on top of it all."

"I wonder if I meet him one day and share your opinion."

"Maybe you will. After all, we have to fix that damn machine to send a message to the other side that they might have visitors soon. It's not over yet."

"Yeah, I know," Harry sighed and scratched his head, hating that they somehow came back to this. Then again, as they were already there, he might as well ask something that had been bothering him for quite some time now. "How was… Ronnie?" he finally managed to get it out, but he avoided Caitlin's eyes.

She did notice the change in him immediately.

"All three of them…" she started and then shook her head, "they were strangers, Harry. I mean, Killer Frost… it was weird and scary to see myself in her, but after a while I realized that all I saw was just a reflection of my face, the rest was all foreign to me. Ronnie… Reverb… they were all so familiar, but in the same time so strange, you know?"

"I can only imagine," he finally admitted, by now playing with his empty glass.

"Hey," Cait covered his hand on that glass with her own to still him. Then she took the vessel away from him and put it on the bedside table. "He wasn't Ronnie. I didn't make the mistake to take him for the man I used to know. Not even once. Just like I never mistook you for the dr. Wells I knew first," she assured him and finally, he dared look at her and discover the truth in her eyes. "It was just hard at first to see his face, is all. Just like Killer Frost's."

"But it's not hard for you to see mine," Harry pointed out.

"With you…" Caitlin hesitated, "it's different," she finally went with. "I never truly hated dr. Wells. Even when I found out what he did to Barry… who he was… he never hurt me. He actually... cared for me, so I couldn't find it in myself to hate him. I never actually told that to anyone, but I hurt when he died," she confessed. "It wasn't that I loved him or anything. It just… hurt… And that is why I never felt scared of you or disliked you… well, your sparkling personality aside."

He didn't laugh this time.

"Harry, what I had with dr. Wells will never even come close to what I found with you," she then added, not really knowing what he was thinking, but trying to make him better anyway.

"I get it." He finally nodded.

And then she opened her mouth and yawned.

"I see that my drink works its magic." Harry finally smiled.

"Either that or I'm just supertired," she still argued just for the sake of it and then turned the lamp on her bedside table off and he followed her example with his. "This bedroom doesn't strike me as one of a single man," she still pointed out when they lay down and his arms enveloped her. She liked that he still hadn't put on any shirt because the feel of his bare skin against her face felt nice and soothing and it made her feel closer to him.

"It's just what a master bedroom should be like," Harry said, his voice already drifting away. "And just so you know, you're the first woman that isn't Jesse that stepped over the threshold of this room. Well, not counting the house keeper."

Snow wanted to say something to that, something witty and cutting, but she didn't have the strength. She was already falling asleep.

Harry was woken up in the middle of the night and for a moment he wondered what it was that stirred him awake in the first place. And then he both heard and felt it.

Because Snow was tossing around in bed and she was also screaming from time to time.

"Snow?" He immediately turned to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Snow!" he raised his voice a little when that didn't help and he finally shook her awake.

She stilled the moment her eyes opened, searching for him in the darkness and when her hand finally found his, she said his name.

"It's ok, I'm here," he assured her when giving her hand a little squeeze. "I'm fine and I'm here. You're safe."

He reached for her and pulled her back into his arms from which she must've slipped away while they'd been sleeping. She clang to him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He could actually feel her tears on his bare skin.

"I'm right here," he continued to soothe her, running his hands up and down her back. "I'm here."

"Then show me," she finally asked and he stilled, not really knowing what she meant by that.

And then he understood when her hand reached down only to disappear inside the waistband of his pajama bottoms and gasp him, immediately causing his whole body to tense up and his member to harden.

"Snow, are you…?"

"I'm sure," she cut in, pulling onto his arms until he found himself half-lying, half-hovering above her. It was still dark and he couldn't trace the outlines of her face, but he did she her eyes. Once he looked into them, he just captured her lips, kissing her slowly and gently before opening his mouth and tasting her. And he tasted tears, though he didn't mind. All that mattered to him at the moment was that she was back home within his arms and that she'd survived. That they'd both survived. So he didn't waste any time questioning her wishes as he needed the very same thing. He kept on kissing her, his hand running down her side and then up to cup and massage her breast before going back down again to tease between her legs and feel that she was ready. The shirt she was wearing to sleep was soon discarded on the floor.

He was fully erected and she was driving him crazy and after those two days of being worried sick about her, he didn't have the strength to hold on for much longer, so he was glad she was so eager to take him in.

Her legs went around his waist, making room for him, so he just slipped inside, still kissing her, still cherishing her like this.

Despite what they'd both been through, there was no rush and nothing erratic in their coupling. Harry just made love to her, wanting to show her how much he cared, needing her to know that his world revolved around her now. That she had now what she'd once seemed to be jealous of when it came to Barry. He knew it wasn't about the man himself, that it was just about the way he felt for the West girl and Harry made a silent promise to Snow that he would cherish her like this for the rest of his life and maybe even beyond if that wasn't enough.

"Why are you still crying?" he suddenly asked when he moved in and out again, but so slowly it felt agonizingly good for the both of them. They took their time, not wanting to reach their finish line just yet, because it made them feel alive.

"It's happy tears," she whispered when holding on to his arms and then pressing her face into his shoulder, clinging to his body. "I'm just so relieved I'm back here, with you. I really thought I was gonna die and I just found you… I thought you were… gone."

He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers, looking for her eyes in the dark when still slowly making love to her. She did eventually raise her head to look back at him. She didn't know how it was possible, but she could see his blue irises clearly as though they were shining.

"I'm here and I love you."

"I love you, too."

He groaned just then and she responded with a quiet moan as their coupling became quite unbearable without them fasting things up, so he did move faster, raising his hips to hit that delicious spot inside of her, to bring them both to climax.

Snow was the first one to wake up in the morning and she quickly discovered that she was lying with her head placed just above Harry's heart. She noticed his whole body was completely exposed as he was on his back and had lost his pants in the middle of the night when they'd made love. The light getting through the badly closed curtains was enough for her to see his body clearly. It was so hot, she decided when biting her lip. He was both literally and figuratively speaking hot. There was no denying that.

For the next few minutes she was just watching him slowly, tracing a line with her eyes down his toned chest to the v line that was so tantalizing. She wanted nothing more than to run her finger through it, which she actually did and saw him harden a bit at her touch.

"What on earth are you doing?" she suddenly heard Harry ask and she stilled, his length only hardening some more.

"Admiring your body," she finally answered honestly, though feeling a little ashamed. But then again, women were constantly gawked at by men, so why shouldn't she enjoy gawking at him for a bit?

"God, now I know how all the pretty women feel when men are staring at them shamelessly," he complained and she had half a mind to actually laugh when having discovered that they were basically thinking the same thing.

As in retaliation, he turned to his belly.

Well, for Cait that was just another show as she now studied his back and butt.

"Snow, seriously? Just stop it! I'm too old for this light anyway," he complained, still feeling her hungry eyes set on himself.

"You're perfect," she said and he just had to turn his head and look at her.

And then he felt her hand on his bottom.

"Ok, no," he decided, turning back to his back. "This was uncomfortable," he complained again and she laughed deliciously when seeing that he was fully erected now and that must've been why he felt so uncomfortable. "And what are you laughing at?! Look at what you've done!"

"You just said to stop looking!" she teased and the look he sent her way had her laughing even harder. She loved driving him mad.

"Happy now?" he finally asked in exasperation when the laugher ceased altogether.

"Very," she assured him, reaching her hand to his hard member and touching it tentatively before closing her hand around it and pumping gently. God, he was so hard, she marveled at that, but didn't have the heart to actually ask him if men his age could even get this hard anymore. Oh, wait, she was a doctor, right? So she should know. Then again, there really was no one answer to that question as a lot of various factors had to be taken under account. Besides, something inside her screamed in satisfaction that she had that effect on him.

She played with him for a moment and he didn't oppose, just lying there with his eyes closed and breathing elevated. Clearly, he liked that turn of events.

Truth be told, she'd never before in her life played with a man's part so openly and there was actually something empowering in it, she discovered and decided to go all the way and took him into her mouth.

"Oh, fuck!" Harry cursed when he felt her licking him like a lollipop and then she gently begun sucking him off, first slowly as though she wasn't sure about it, but his vocal responses quickly told her how to do it.

Caitlin just couldn't believe she was actually engaging herself in this activity, always thinking it to be too dirty, but she quickly decided that it wasn't about the act of sex itself. She was so in love with this man that she wanted to give him just about anything and everything and that was beautiful. She took him as deeply as she could without gagging and massaged his balls with her hands.

"What… What did I do… to deserve this?" Harry asked in the huskiest of his voices and she felt his hand gently burying itself in her hair, sweat beading all over his body at her ministrations.

"You love me," she simply said in between taking him in and out of her mouth. "And I love you."

"You know… ah… you don't have to… to do this," he panted then, his body already out of control.

"I want to."

His responses grew more vocal before he froze and then called her name as he came straight into her mouth and she swallowed without thinking and actually liked the way he tasted. She then gave him no respite, tracing a path with her lips up his body and through that delicious v line that was driving her crazy until she reached his nipple and sucked on it for a moment before arriving at his mouth and kissing him deeply, letting him taste himself.

"I might just have the perfect way to repay you properly," he then said, his damp chest still raising and falling rapidly when he suddenly flipped them over, so he was the one on top now, enjoying a trip down her body until his nuzzled in between her legs.

"You don't have to do this," she told him quickly.

"Oh, trust me, Snow, I want to," he said in that deep husky voice of his and then she felt his tongue down there, truly taking her to heaven and hell as he begun sucking her off.

She could get kidnapped more often just to have a welcoming like that, she thought, but of course, she wasn't really serious.

Luckily for the both of them, once they were done with various bed activates and after hitting the shower, Jesse was nowhere to be seen. Harrison's residence turned out to be huge, but Caitlin was still afraid Jesse might've somehow overheard them and she would feel so damn ashamed if the girl actually had. But nope. Jesse wasn't even home and it looked like she'd gotten an early start and probably just headed to the Labs.

While Harry was making breakfast – an activity Caitlin really did not see coming from him, but had to quickly remind herself he did have to raise his daughter alone, after all – she took a quick tour around the house, loving the tasteful and modest décor. There wasn't exactly much color in it, but she couldn't really expect it from Harrison, could she now?

As she wandered back into the spacious living room in creamy tones, she spotted pictures sitting in various frames on the shelves.

"I'll be damned," she said under her breath when picking one up and deducing it was young Harrison. He might've been in his late twenties or early thirties.

"What do you have there?" she heard his voice and turned to find him leaning against the doorframe.

"Is that you?" she asked stupidly, because obviously, that much was clear to her.

"Do you see me having a twin brother? Oh, wait… don't answer that, considering all those doppelgangers," he then said.

"It's not that." She looked back at the picture and then at him again before saying, "You know you're way hotter now?"

He blinked a few times, clearly surprised by that blatant comment.

"Come again?"

"You heard me."

"I think your feelings for me are clouding your judgment, Snow," he eventually decided.

"Oh, no, my judgment is just fine," she assured him when putting the picture back on its place and making her way to the man of her dreams. She wound her arms around him neck, pulling him closer. "I'm serious, Harry," she said before kissing him. "I like your face better now."

"Women," he sighed when the kiss was over. "They'll always remain a mystery to me."

Caitlin just smiled at him brightly in response and then asked what was for breakfast.

Chapter Text

It'd been three weeks since Caitlin had been taken and then rescued by Ray – who decided to go with a name the Atom – and there had been no sightings of neither Killer Frost nor the mysterious speedster. The team wasn't exactly sure whether this was good news or not, still waiting with bated breaths for the other shoe to drop, but so far, nothing happened. Whereas Harry claimed that no news was definitely bad news as it was always quiet before the storm hit, the rest of the team did their best to establish a new dynamics and together they battled metahumans on the daily basis. Wells had been working on fixing the device that would open up a breach to Earth One and send a warning since Cisco hadn't deigned them with his appearance. Of course that one also didn't go without a comment as Harry pointed out that it was go figure, Ramon was never there when needed, but when to annoy. That last comment did nothing to Caitlin despite the fact that she usually made the effort to either laugh or say something to tune Harry down a bit. Now she was just immersed into her own thoughts, not even registering the talk Ray and Felicity seemed to be having in the corner. She'd known the moment she'd seen those two in a room together that they had chemistry and apparently, they were getting closer. Still, none of that got to her now as she played with her pen and kept biting her lower lip.

"Cait, are you ok?" Jesse startled her with that question. Then again, the girl made it an habit to just appear out of nowhere, so Snow could as well get used to jumping up in her chair.

"Yeah, sure. Why?" Caitlin quickly followed, putting the pen away.

"You've just… seemed off lately. Is everything ok between you and my dad?"

"Sure!" Cait answered immediately because the girl clearly seemed worried. "Jesse, when it comes to me and your dad, there's nothing to worry about, I promise. We're together and we're staying that way."

"Good." The Wells female smiled. "And just so you know, if there is something bothering you, no matter how insignificant, we're all here for you, Cait. You have friends here. Family."

Family, Caitlin thought, feeling like maybe running away to cry in a corner and hugging Jesse in the same time. She did none of those, though. Instead, she just forced another smile to her face and then excused herself. She had to make a quick run to the pharmacy, after all.

"What's with her?" Harry asked his daughter when walking into the room.

"Beats me. Maybe you should talk to her, dad. She seems fine, but… it's either what she's been through or maybe she just misses home."

Caitlin never really came back to her apartment, somehow picking up living with Harry because at first she was just scared of being left alone – or maybe simply put, of being away from him - and then it just felt easier. They were so in love and so in this that her coming back to that apartment seemed pointless. Living together came as naturally to them as breathing and Harry never felt as though she was out of place in his house; quite the contrary, he didn't even want to remember how it was to live without her.

Only now this seemed to have come up and Caitlin truly didn't know how to even breach the subject. It wasn't as though it was a big thing. In fact, she might as well not tell him, but then again, she had to. Because he deserved to know no matter the outcome.

At first she was terrified, nearly getting out of her mind as she suspected what might be happening to her and actually knowing exactly why and when. Next, as it actually sunk in, she felt… happy? She discovered she wouldn't mind at all, that she actually wanted this. Then came the disappointment and that hurt the most.

It was remarkable, truly, she was just pondering over when Harry entered the lab she was hiding in; as she could suddenly go from being surprised and terrified to actually discovering she might actually want this. In fact, it would be the most natural thing in the world, but maybe not for him and that was the problem. That was also what she couldn't exactly deal with.

"I figured I'd find you here," she heard his voice and nearly jumped, hiding something she had in her hand behind her back.

If he noticed the sudden movement, he didn't let it show and just came closer to join her. They were in the exact same lab she'd come through to this earth. It was also the place she usually retreated to when she wanted to be alone.

"So?" he prompted when she remained silent, just staring down at her hands. He gently bumped her shoulder with his. "Talk to me, Snow. What's going on?"

"Actually…" she started and then stopped. He heard her sigh and then she said the words that shook his entire being, "I thought I was pregnant."

Just like that. No preparation. She just shot straight out and he was left speechless. She thought she was pregnant. And did that mean…?

"I'm not, so you can just go on and feel relieved about it," she then followed with, but there was no breath being released from his mouth, indicating said relief. He was just this coiled, tensed presence right next to her and she truly didn't know what to make of it. She didn't want to ruin this amazing thing they had, but in the same time she felt like she needed to be honest with him, because what was a good relationship without that? "I want you to know," she then started again, seeing that it might take a while for him to process all of what she told him and his own emotions before he would say anything, "that I was terrified when I suspected I might be," she explained. "I bought a test and then when I was waiting for the result… Harry, the truth was that it actually felt like the most natural thing in the world for me to be having this baby. Your baby," she added and he nearly sucked in a breath, overcame with foreign emotions he couldn't process just yet. "When I realized it was a false alarm, I actually felt… disappointed," Caitlin finally confessed. "The thing is, Harry…" she sighed heavily before finally bringing herself to look at him and finding his radiant blue eyes fixed on hers, not quite able to read the expression in them just yet. Maybe it was a little shock, a little awe, she wasn't sure. "The thing is that I actually wouldn't mind… doing this… some day," she finally got it out.

She received a reaction when he inhaled sharply and then lifted his hand to run it through his already messy hair. And God, she loved this man so much, she could feel it in her heart that was nearly bursting with this powerful emotion. Every move he made, every word he said, she just always absorbed it, relished it. She loved everything about him and it nearly brought her physical pain to imagine what their actual baby would look like, how smart he or she would be, how… amazing.

"Ok, here it goes," he finally spoke, his voice rough and hoarse and delicious to her ears as always. Only now she just wasn't sure she'd like what would come out along with it. "I admit I never actually planned nor thought of having another baby. Out of all the things I still wanted to do in life, having another child was never one of them," he informed slowly and she swallowed over the gulp forming in her throat. She hated that she felt like crying. Then again, what else was she really expecting? That he would be all happy and giddy and tell her they immediately needed to try again? "I just think I'm too old for that, Snow," he then added.

"You're not," she said despite her better judgment. Then she frowned. She wasn't trying to convince him. It just happened that she answered with a natural denial.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed or were in denial this whole time," he started, once again proving to her how much in synch their minds were, "I am almost fifty years old."

"Gee, you're that old?! You should've said something sooner! I might've actually rethought this whole…" she started, really trying for a lighter tone there.

"Snow…" he stopped her immediately and she actually felt her eyes sting a little. She would not cry, she decided right then and there. She couldn't. Wouldn't. Not in front of him. Not because of this. She would simply not destroy this because no matter what the future, she just couldn't imagine her life without him anymore.

"I was just kidding," she eventually said, swallowing the tears.

"Well, I wasn't."

"So?" she then picked up the topic again, not really knowing why she was doing this to herself. "Lots of movie stars…" she begun.

"Are you actually suggesting I possess the charm of a movie star?" he played along.

"No, but the looks? Yes. Definitely," she admitted openly and he was so amused that he smiled at her. Good. It made her feel better to see this beautiful smile. "I'll do you one better," she then added, "what about a technology tycoon… billionaire? Millionaire?" she hesitated then. "How rich are you exactly?" she wanted to know.

"And everything becomes clear now," he said with a nod of his head, "you're with me for the money! I should've known! How typical!" It was obvious that he was playing along, just teasing her, trying to make her feel better, trying to make her laugh. She also should've known better than to try to hide her tears from him. If she could read him this well, he could do that with her, too.

"Just so you know," her voice grew serious again, "I'd still be with you if you didn't have a penny on you."

There was sudden silence and he was actually deep in thoughts, which she could tell by the expression she saw on his face and by the wrinkle on his forehead and another one between his eyes. Then she frowned when he saw those features growing morose.

Still, she let him ponder until he was ready to talk again. Eventually, he suggested, "Maybe you'd be better off with someone else. Someone…" he hesitated and it was clear to her that those words caused him pain, "younger," he finally got it out. "Someone who hasn't already lived through half of his life or… actually, probably most of it."

She knew she should've just kept her mouth shut. She knew she shouldn't even breach this damn subject again, because now… It just felt like she was losing him.

Next thing he knew, she suddenly grabbed his arm, turning to him and boring her eyes into his, "Harry, that baby… it was just a suggestion. I didn't mean… I wasn't…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, searching for his hand and then taking it and lacing her fingers through his, enjoying the touch of his skin. "I don't want to lose you," she told him when she opened her eyes to meet his again, "ever. I don't want anyone else, ok? It's taken me so long to finally find you and I've already been through so much in life that I can't possibly see myself falling for someone else. This is it for me. It's you or no one."

He smiled sadly at her. "I get that, Snow and I am not trying to push you away, I swear. I love you so much that you leaving… I think it would kill me," he suddenly confessed and the heat in his eyes was a little too much for her. "But I want you to have the wonderful experience of motherhood. I want you to know how amazing it is to raise a child, to watch it grow…"

"And become smart?" she hinted then with a dreamy smile on her face. And she only allowed herself for it because she could see the same expression mirrored on his face out of the sudden.

"Our child would be a genius," he agreed with an even bigger smile, "and that one goes without saying."

"And cute."

"And handsome."

They were looking at each other for a very long time, just smiling and eventually Harry sighed heavily, taking his eyes off of hers.

"Damn it, Snow!" he cursed, pretending to be mad, but she knew this particular feature of his. He was just teasing her, not really being mad. Because she already saw how a truly furious Harrison Wells looked like. "What are you doing to me? Am I actually considering this crazy thing?" he then asked and they smiled at each other again.

"Then don't consider. Let's just do it," she suggested when raising his arm so she could fit into his side and snuggle up to his body.

He immediately pulled her closer, loving how she felt in his arms, how well she fitted there. How well they both fitted together, seemingly against all odds.

Yet, before Harry managed to say something else, the alarm coming from the operations sounded.

By the time Harry and Caitlin reached the operations, Jesse was already gone and Ray just finished suiting up.

"What happened?!" Wells growled.

"It's… Zoom," Felicity provided with the info and the couple frowned, clearly not understanding. "The speedster Caitlin saw," the woman explained, "he just said on the national news that his name's Zoom and he wants to face the Flash."

"And you let Jesse leave?!" Wells screamed again.

"How was I supposed to stop her exactly?!" Felicity actually yelled right back and it would've shocked them all if it wasn't for the circumstances.

They quickly realized Ray was already gone, probably having shrunk and flown away to aid the Flash and that was actually good news.

"Trace them! Now!" Harrison barked an order and Felicity obliged, until…

"That's weird," she immediately said, a frown marring her features.

"What is?" Caitlin asked, already feeling panic welling up inside of her. Because of course they couldn't get by just fine for a few weeks and arrive at the nice place they were now, actually talking about having kids without something bad happening on the way. It was as though every time they let their guards down and allowed themselves to focus on something else than protecting this city and surviving, they were painfully brought back down to the ground.

"Got it!" Felicity finally exclaimed, having traced Jesse's location. "Damn it, that… Zoom meta… he's so much faster than she is!"

"Tell her to get out of there and come back!" Harry growled and then he actually did it himself when picking up the comms. "Jesse, can you hear me? Get right back! Don't fight him! He's too strong!"

"Dad?! Dad, I can do this! Atom's already here!" they heard Jesse's voice, but somehow it came out distorted.

"I don't like that feedback," Felicity decided. "There's something interfering. We may lose… ops," she then added when just that happened. Everything went silent and they couldn't hear nor see anything anymore.

"Damn it!" Harry cursed, throwing the comms to the ground where it broke.

"Boss, you can't just destroy…" Felicity started, but then went silent after the glare he sent her way. That one moment of glory she had today would have to suffice, Caitlin figured.

"It's my money. I can afford it," Harry just grumbled and started pacing back and forth. "Smoak, what do I pay you for?! Why can't you reestablish the communication?!" he growled again seconds later.

"It's… it's not me. It's like… it's like they're…"

"…gone," Ray provided as he just now arrived. And he was alone.

"Palmer, where the hell is my daughter?" Wells asked, already rubbing his forehead in a nervous gesture.

"That's the thing… she's… um… she's…"

"Where. Is. My. Daughter," Harry repeated, this time slower and in a changed voice. One that indicated he truly was furious. That was also a signal for Snow to intervene.

"I'm sure she's fine and will be right back," she said when running over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Let's just…"

"No, Ray's right," Felicity disagreed. "She's… quite literally not here."

"What do you mean?!" Wells hissed through his clenched teeth.

"That monster… Zoom… he snatched her right from my hands and I am so, so sorry doctor Wells," Ray finally came through with the explanation. "He said something about needing her and taking her to…"

"Where?!"

"Earth One," the answer eventually came.

"Oh, fuck!" Harry cursed, turning around and making a step forward, Snow's hand leaving his shoulder and his own hands wandering up to cover his entire face.

"Zoom has my daughter," he then said when taking his hands away and placing them on his hips for a change. "And he's taken her to Earth One. To your earth," he then turned around, facing Snow who truly didn't know what to say.

In the end, she just went with saying his name.

"Snow, don't. We… we need to fix this," he simply said, disregarding her feeble attempts at calming him down. What good would that do anyway? She thought when he walked right past her and left to somewhere. What good would that do if she couldn't even calm herself down?

"I'll see what I can find out," Felicity offered and Ray just retreated to take his suit off. He looked defeated and in need of some comfort as well, but Snow didn't have it in her. She needed to pull herself together and be there for Harry because that was her job. Harry came first.

Only for now, she just stood still, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She should've known they were in over their heads the first time she'd sent Jesse to fight off a metahuman. She should've known that sooner or later something would happen to her and that would only leave an impact on Harry. She nearly couldn't believe that not so long ago they'd been both sitting in the lab and talking children. Now that was obviously out of the question as Harry's first and so far only child was missing.

They needed to get her back safe and sound. Otherwise, Snow truly didn't know what that would do to him.

"Harry," she kept starting by saying his name that day and then stopping for the lack of better words. Only what could she say to him that would be the truth in the end? That they would be all right? That they would get Jesse back? And what if Zoom didn't take her to Earth One and instead to some other universe? What then? Could she protect herself? Did Jesse even know enough by now to be able to fight such a strong opponent?

Snow found Harrison in the lab, tinkering with the portal device.

"Are you trying to send a message through?" Caitlin eventually settled for asking.

"No," the surprising answer came. "We're not sending anything through. We are going through."

"You want to go to my earth?" she asked stupidly as though his answer wasn't enough for her to get the whole picture.

"This isn't just about some unusually powerful metahuman planning on destroying your earth, Snow," Harry followed with, still focused on the task at hand. "This is my daughter we're talking about and I'll be damned if I let them save her on their own. I need to be there. Otherwise, I'd go crazy."

"Harry, I understand. You don't need to explain yourself," Caitlin assured him when coming closer and placing her hands on his shoulders. She truly wished she hadn't been this helpless, but words and simply being there for him was all that she could give him at the moment. "I just wish our first visit to my earth together were under slightly different circumstances." She sighed then.

"Things very rarely go as planned, Snow," he simply said, ignoring her touch and acting as though her being there didn't matter either. She didn't like that. In fact, she hated that behavior.

"Harry…" she tried one more time when actually making that one more step forward and putting her arms around him from behind, snuggling up to his back. "Harry, don't do this. Please, do not push me away. I'm in this with you and I'm here as your partner. I love you and I can't watch you closing yourself off like this. I understand you want her back. I want her back, too, but you can't do this. You can't just focus on the task at hand and push everything and everyone away…" When he stilled, she added, "It's ok. I just want you to know that you don't have to do this alone. I'm here."

As she kept on holding on to him, she eventually felt him relax and exhale a breath. Then, finally, he slowly turned around, opening his arms and then closing them around her, pulling her into his body and burying his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to her surprise. She didn't exactly expect that.

"It's ok," she assured him again when running her hands over his back. "I get it. Now, let's finish this and let's get us to my earth. I'm sure Barry and Cisco will help."

Harry pulled away and met her eyes. His expression, too, seemed closed off, but one thing at the time. At least she got him to let her in. Besides, maybe prompting his true emotions forward would be a little too much. After all, he needed to be strong for Jesse. He couldn't lose it now. Snow then swallowed over a gulp in her throat as she reminded herself that merely three weeks ago he'd been going out of his mind because she was the one gone.

"We don't have to finish anything," Harry just said when gesturing to the device. "It's already finished. Now we just need to get home and pack a bag. We're leaving ASAP."

She liked that he called his house their home. It was the little things she needed to pay attention to, she realized, seeing that he couldn't seem to allow himself to break once again because he needed his cool to actually help Jesse. And she needed that, too. She would not leave his side, she decided right then and there. And she would make damn sure his daughter came back home safely.

"If needed, just send a message through," Harry was quickly instructing both Felicity and Ray who were obviously staying behind because someone needed to protect the city. "Just don't make it an habit. We'll let you know how it's going on our end. Snow?" He walked towards the exit, waiting for her.

Caitlin quickly gave both her new friends a hug and then grasped the hand Harry reached in her direction, relieved that he listened to her and they were in this together.

They quickly moved to the portal and once activated, Harry gestured to it, "After you?"

"Are you actually apprehensive to get in first?" she teased him, just trying out whether she'd be able to make him forget just for this little moment and make him smile.

"What do you take me for, Snow? A coward?" he answered right back, a little amused. "It's just that ladies are usually let in first." Soon after he said that, though, his face lost all its shine as he reminded himself why they were making the trip in the first place.

"Together," she offered when taking his hand again and pulling him to the other side.

"Together," he agreed with a nod.

"Well, look at that," Zoom said to terrified Jesse. "Raymond actually came through in the end. Such a pity he's not here to see it," he then added, pulling Jesse with him through the portal. The speed he'd so far acquired got past even the sensors both Felicity and Ray installed.

The ploy worked. The device The Burning Man had created before his untimely demise killed any communication from Jesse's comms and in the same time made her and Zoom invisible to any radars or satellites on Earth Two. Now they emerged on the other side, on Earth One and immediately disappeared again.

Chapter Text

The welcoming they received when landing on the other side wasn't exactly warm. In fact, it couldn't be further from it.

Caitlin's vision was a little blurry, her whole world spinning once she emerged from the portal and the only thing that kept her steady and prevented her from losing her ground was Harry holding her hand and not allowing her to fall. Great, she nearly huffed, of course he wouldn't be affected by a multidimensional travel at all!

Next thing she spotted was the barrel of a gun pointed at her. No, that was wrong, she then decided, realizing there were two guns and actually pointed at him, unless she saw everything doubled.

She truly wished she didn't feel that dizzy because she really needed to cover Harry with her own body, making sure her friends wouldn't shoot him on the spot.

"Stop!" she heard Cisco's scream when she actually made that one step in the direction of the man she loved more than life itself and was half way shielding him. "It's Cait!"

So there really were two guns, Caitlin realized when finally covering Harrison fully and blinking a few times so her vision would sharpen. The first gun belonged to Cisco, but he was also the first to put it down. Next, Joe, though still a little hesitantly, lowered his own gun as well. Besides those two, Caitlin also spotted shocked Barry and terrified Iris. Well, she couldn't care less at the moment that seeing Harrison Wells or any version of him evoked memories the girl didn't exactly want. Maybe Snow was too harsh, but then again, she could already feel herself getting sick of the glances Harry would be getting as everyone would immediately assume he was Eobard at first and therefore responsible for Nora Allen's death along with Eddie's.

"Cait?" Barry finally asked, stupefied when again shifting his eyes to the man she was with.

"Maybe a little warning next time?" Cisco hinted when coming over and giving her a hug. "And you don't have to hide. I'm sure they'll behave," he then threw Harry's way. "Guys, this is so not what it looks like. Cait didn't cross over to the dark side…"

"Are you sure?" Joe suddenly cut in and Snow felt even worse. This wasn't exactly what she expected from her friends. "Because it seems to me like she's left without saying goodbye and just popped right back in with Harrison Wells."

"Yeah, but this isn't Eobard Thawne. This is the real Harrison Wells... just of Earth Two and… oh," Cisco just now noticed that Cait and Wells were still holding hands. "That escalated pretty fast. You hit it off, I see. And here I was giving you at least another year to figure that one out."

"You're together?" Iris asked in shock, her eyes opening widely.

"That's… unexpected," Barry backed her up. "But… well, it's… nice to meet you, I guess," he finally finished with when coming over and reaching his hand to Harrison.

The man looked him up and down and his hostile expression didn't exactly help. Eventually, he shook Barry's hand.

"Allen, I presume, the Flash of this world."

"Yeah. I mean… really? You told him?" he turned to Cait.

"You can trust him, Barry," Caitlin just said, her voice not even sounding like hers anymore. She was already bristled and it was just a matter of time before she would explode. And boy, she so did not want that to happen. Maybe she shouldn't have left without saying goodbye, after all; maybe she should've talked to the team about her feelings and then leave. Well, it was already too late and the reason to her actions was that she hadn't wanted to make a scene then, too. In fact, she didn't want any bad blood among them, only that now seemed unavoidable.

Once the initial greetings were made, though they weren't very warm and Joe with Iris didn't even approach Wells; Cisco asked, "So, is this a social call or…? Because if you ask me, you two don't exactly look like freshly baked love birds."

"We… need to talk," Caitlin eventually went with. "The cortex, then?"

"So, let me get this straight…" Cisco said after Caitlin finished her story, glancing in Harry's direction worryingly from time to time since he was just wandering all over the cortex, checking various things and devices and eventually coming to a stop right in front of a dummy with Barry's suit on it. "You were kidnapped by doppelgangers of us?"

"That must've been so hard on you," Barry agreed, still keeping his eyes fixed on Wells. And Cait could understand that, she really could since it was the first time he actually encountered a doppelganger of the man who murdered his mother, but couldn't he just let it go for now and take Harry for the completely different man that he was?!

"Guys, it's ok. They weren't really you. You should figure that out by now. I admit it was shocking at first, but then I quickly saw how different they were from us and that in fact, they were strangers. Like he was at first." She again looked worryingly in Harry's direction. His back was turned to them as he was still staring at Barry's suit. "It's what I've been trying to make you realize. This man… he's nothing like dr. Wells we knew and I am able to see that. What more, I fell for him. I fell for who he is and that's actually a wonderful person. It's just… I guess it takes a while to really get to know him in order to like him," she eventually had to go with because Harry, as always, was acting like a jerk. Then again, he had the right to be extra mean just because his daughter was missing and instead of perusing this earth in search for her, they were sitting in the cortex, talking it all over.

"I heard that," he still said and despite the gruffness of that sentence, it warmed Snow's heart because it meant he was still there with her and he hadn't shut down completely.

"No, sorry, but I just don't get that. How can you…?" Joe started and then shook his head when sighing heavily and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I really don't get how you, guys, just see someone else when he looks…"

"…exactly the same?" Iris backed her father up, he arms folded on her chest. In fact, the both of them were standing as far away from Harry as possible.

"No one asked you!" Caitlin suddenly raised her voice, actually surprising them with her outburst.

"Caitlin, I'm sorry… it's just hard for us to understand," Iris said, trying to make it all better, but she failed and miserably.

"Hard to understand?! What exactly?!" Caitlin couldn't play it cool any longer. She was sick of the way they were all looking at her. Well, except Cisco. And maybe Barry, but she could tell he still didn't trust Harry.

"Hey, just give the girl a break, ok?" Cisco stood in Cait's defense when coming over to her. "She's been through enough. In fact, they both still are going through some tough time," he added when glancing in Harry's direction.

"Cisco, it's ok. You don't have to protect me," Caitlin told him in a normal tone of voice.

"But I feel like maybe I have to, because they're being jerks," he still argued when turning to their friends. "Guys, listen, I've been to Earth Two and I told you that Cait was fine and she was actually happy."

"Yeah, but what you neglected to mention was her working for Harrison Wells," Barry pointed out.

"You didn't tell them?!" Caitlin seemed appalled.

"Ah… I was… I was waiting for the right time?" Cisco seemed abashed.

"You didn't tell them because you knew what their reaction would be!" Caitlin burst again, throwing her hands up into the air. "I can't believe this! Guys, this is the man I love and I am not ashamed to admit that!" she screamed at Barry, Iris and Joe and Harry finally turned around. "I shouldn't hide that! No one should! This is my life now! And I am happy, damn it!"

"Hey, and I'm happy for you," Cisco assured her. "And I did grow to like Harry, I just… I thought it might take them a little more time to accept that, is all."

"Cisco, you should've told us straight away," Barry disagreed, "because this today would've gone so much differently if you had."

"You know what? I think this was a mistake," Harry suddenly said and purposefully walked over to Caitlin, taking her hand and pulling her towards the exit.

"Harry, no, wait!"

"They don't want to help us. In fact, they don't even want me here, so I won't beg."

"Stop!" Caitlin screamed, not letting him move her and he looked at her in surprise. "Harry, we have nowhere else to go. I mean, there's my apartment, but how's that gonna help Jesse?"

"She's right," Barry surprisingly backed her up. "I'm sorry, man. I truly am sorry for judging you based on someone you didn't even have the displeasure to meet. We were just… surprised with your sudden appearance and learning that you two… well, anyway, of course I am going to help. Both of our worlds are in danger and we have to work together."

"Work together you say," Harry just nodded with a sigh, letting go of Snow's hand and making a few steps towards Barry. Iris and Joe moved even further away and Caitlin really wanted to roll her eyes at them. Or maybe punch them. "Do you even know why she left? Do you have any idea how left out of your team she felt?!"

"Harry, that's enough." Caitlin tried to stop him, walking over to him and taking his arm.

"No, Snow, it's not! They deserve to know! Otherwise, we won't be able to cooperate here!"

"What is he talking about, Cait?" Barry just asked and the worst part was that he truly had no idea what grudge Caitlin might hold against him.

"That doesn't matter. I'm happy now on the other earth," she still tried to dismiss that.

"What?" Barry frowned. "I understand the need to search for something more in life, Cait, I really do. I understand you might want to explore some other world, but… this is your home. It's always been your home and we're you family."

"Not anymore, you're not," she then said, meeting his eyes with tears in her own. Because damn it, if that didn't get to her. He and Cisco were her best friends and she finally admitted to herself that she did miss Barry and a lot. She missed hanging out with him and working with him and even treat him when something bad happened to him. And after all of that, after all that had changed between them, he still didn't see it. "This place stopped being a home for me a long time ago. I felt… left out. I felt as though you only needed me to set some bones or provide medical attention for you, guys. You didn't see me anymore, just a doctor. All you saw was…" she hesitated, risking a glance in the woman's direction. "Barry, I'm sorry. I know how selfish this sounds, but all you saw was Iris. All you needed was just to save her and it wasn't healthy. You just didn't care about any one of us but her and I get that, I really do, but it still hurt."

"That's bullshit," Harry cut in. "I have a daughter that's missing and possibly in a mortal danger and I still care for you, Snow. That's no excuse!"

"Cait…" Barry started, clearly shocked with her revelation. "I… I never knew that you…"

"That she's totally in love with you?" Iris provided.

"I swear, Iris, one more word and I will punch you in that pretty face of yours," Caitlin suddenly threatened and they all started at her in shock. All except Harry who just told her, "I don't know, Snow. Your face is much prettier than hers."

"I never had any romantic feelings for Barry, ok? Is that clear enough for all of you?!" Caitlin yelled then. "The love of my life is standing right next to me and is the kind of a support for me that you never were! Minus Cisco. Cisco was always there." She turned to her friend and he smiled sadly at her before turning to Barry, "Dude, I hate to say it, but I need to back Cait up on this. You were pretty crazy when trying to save Iris. And I mean… crazier than a normal person would be."

"Wouldn't you do the same if that was Gypsy?" Barry just asked.

"Probably, but I wouldn't push everyone and anyone away in the process," Cisco said.

"But still, that couldn't be the only reason to why you left," Iris spoke again and Snow actually felt guilty for saying all those mean things to her when she didn't even try to bite back. "I mean, I'm sorry, Caitlin, if I presumed too much here, but it sounded just like Barry was the only reason to why you left."

"No, he wasn't." She had to agree with that. "I just felt so terribly alone despite having you all here. But in the same time it was like you didn't even see me anymore. Everyone had someone. Barry had you," Caitlin told Iris softly, careful not to be mean again. "Joe had Cecile and Cisco found Gypsy and I… I was left alone and I didn't see any way out. I needed a change," she simply explained when shrugging. "Also, this place reminded me of everything I lost including Ronnie and dr. Wells."

"Dr. Wells?" Iris frowned at that.

"It wasn't like that." Caitlin sighed. "Can we just… can we just start over now that all of that is out in the open? And maybe, I don't know, start looking for Zoom and Jesse for a change?"

"You got it," Barry agreed easily and gestured to Cisco who was immediately at his computer. "Oh, and Cait," he turned to her, "just so you know, I had no idea. Maybe if you, guys, said something sooner or put me straight then, I would've…"

"It's ok. It's in the past and after all, all those things led me to accepting the invitation to travel to Earth Two and find everything I was looking for there, so all's well that ends well, right?"

"Amen," Cisco only confirmed when popping his joints before getting down to searching for Zoom's signature. "This might take a while. Do you, guys, maybe wanna grab something to eat or…?"

"It's ok. I'll get Harry to my place and you just text me when something comes up, ok? I swear, the multidimensional travel is fast, but it's also exhausting."

"Try dealing with powers like that," Cisco just said.

"Cait, will you be ok?" Barry made sure one more time when she pulled Harry towards the exit.

"For now," she admitted. "I guess. Oh…" She then looked at Harry. "Did you take your ball cap with you?"

"The one in which you claimed I looked ridiculous?" he just asked.

"Well, you can't show your face here," she pointed out.

"Oh… right," he suddenly understood, seeing what she meant. "Honestly, I didn't think of that." And how could she blame him? She thought. When his daughter was gone and that was probably all he could think of.

"That's fine. I'll just take you there. Hold on," Barry offered and they were all gone.

It'd barely been a day since Caitlin and Harry were either cooked up in her apartment or in the Labs and they were both already going crazy. Because no matter how many times Cisco ran a search for Zoom's and Jesse's respective signatures, he came up with nothing. He even popped into Earth Two to see if they maybe were there, but he came out with nothing and then said he was not going to do this again, having the worst of lucks to walk into Ray and Felicity… he would not say what they were doing exactly. And it would've all been funny and they would've all laughed if it hadn't been for the circumstances. Caitlin was worried sick about Harry, his attitude not helping at all and not convincing the team to actually like him. And she couldn't even blame him for that because if she really was pregnant and if their baby was taken by an evil speedster… she wasn't sure she would manage to be this cool if she were him. She would probably be freaking out. And she actually was a little, because she'd grown to like Jesse. She was a part of the family and Snow didn't want to go on without her in her and Harry's life. That would truly be the end of their happiness and her dreams of having her own baby. Because if God forbid, something terrible happened to Jesse, she wouldn't even dare suggesting she and Harry had another child. The idea itself seemed so cruel and appalling that it made her cringe.

And then, another day later, she walked into her lab where Harry usually hung out when they were in the Labs, not really taking to her initial team and she couldn't even blame him because of the looks he was still getting. She said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, "They're on this earth."

"How do you know?" he asked, immediately turning around to face her. "Did they finally pop up on the satellite's image?"

"Not exactly, but Cisco thinks they might be able to conceal themselves somehow. Well, at least Zoom can. People in the city just started talking about a speedster that clearly isn't the Flash. Zoom's here, Harry. We don't know what his agenda is just yet, but he's here and he's taunting us. Barry's already on it. No matter what differences we might have and no matter how he may still look at you sometimes, I promise you that he can be trusted. If there's anything he's good at, it's helping people. He just wants to help whomever he can and however he can."

"I know." Harry nodded to her surprise. "I saw that in him right away. That's why he's still alive," he joked, but Caitlin didn't laugh. "Too soon?"

"I'm afraid so."

She jumped when he suddenly turned around and hit his fists against the counter of his desk.

"I just can't do this anymore," he hissed through clenched teeth, his body shaking slightly. "I am doing my very best to remain calm and steady, but… ah, I can't do this anymore, Snow! I just can't!" he erupted when whirling back to her. "I can't stand the idea of my girl being out there at the mercy of a monster! The same monster who took you! I couldn't take it then and I can't take it now and it's driving me crazy! Snow, I can't lose her. I can't lose you. I just… can't lose anyone else anymore."

She could just stand there with her eyes widely opened, not knowing what to do or what to say to make him feel better. She should've known, though, that this was bound to happen sooner or later. He was bound to lose it eventually. Keeping it all inside was slowly becoming inhuman.

So she did the only thing she could and she walked over to him and put her arms around him, whispering, "I'm here."

"And thank God for that," he rasped, finding her lips and kissing her so hard it was nearly bruising. But she liked that. It'd been a while since he kissed her like this and with so much passion. It'd happened before Jesse was taken, so maybe not exactly that long, but for her any moment in which she wasn't kissing him was a wasted one.

She didn't expect him to take things further than just kissing, though, suddenly feeling his tongue sliding along her own and then his lips descending to suck on the pulse on her neck, his hands sliding inside her blouse and cupping her breasts before massaging them the way she liked and teasing her nipples with his thumbs.

Before she knew it, he had her sitting on the desk, her legs wound around his waist and she was whimpering at his ministrations that were driving her crazy. And she loved every second of it.

She quickly reached to his belt and undid it, hearing the click of it with satisfaction and in delicious anticipation. His length soon sprung free, already hard and she grasped it and once he tore her blouse off of her body and got rid of her bra, once his lips closed around one of her breasts, sucking on the nipple there and running his tongue over and over it, driving her even more mad; she guided him inside, not even bothering with taking her panties or her skirt off, just wanting him there already, pushing the lacy material out of the way and feeling him enter her hard and fast.

And he didn't stop once he did that. He kept on groaning, fucking her hard, his hands set on her hips to keep her in place and then his lips found hers again and gave her another ravishing, bruising kiss. She reciprocated with eagerness, loving how rough he was and knowing that she could trust him completely because if he sensed that this wasn't what she wanted, he would retreat immediately.

The thing was that she did want and need this just like he did. Because this was now the only way to unload at least some of their frustrations. This was how he could go on afterwards. Because she took some of his burden, because she let him lay it all out on her in a pleasurable for them both activity. She knew this would help them both. At least in this they weren't so helpless. At least in this they could be good for a change.

He didn't slow down, actually fastening up when he felt her channel already contracting around him as she was climaxing, successfully milking him and he let out one more loud groan indicating that he was coming and that it was so good for him before he released himself inside of her and then his body went lip against hers as though he had no strength left in him. And she held on to him, running her hands over his back, holding him in her arms, feeling his hot and panting breath against the skin of her neck where he buried his face in her hair. He was still inside her, too, and she would stay this way with him as long as he needed. Until they were ready to face the rest of this cruel world again and start working. Start hoping all over.

Before going to the cortex, they actually took a shower in one of the Labs' bathrooms, Snow still enjoying standing under the hot stream when Harry left the cabin, dried himself off with a towel and put a fresh pair of clothes on.

"I'll meet you in the cortex," she called after him and then heard the door closing.

And she wished she hadn't enjoyed that shower so much. She wished she hadn't stayed there and just followed him. She wished for a lot of things during the next five minutes, but that still couldn't take it all back.

Once she finally emerged from the cabin and was ready to leave the bathroom, she heard it. It was truly the worst sound she could have ever heard.

It was a gunshot.

She stilled, shocked by the sudden pop and then she just opened the door and took up running down the corridor, not stopping, just fastening up, wishing to just get there already and see that nothing…

"Oh, my God!" she screamed when coming to a sudden stop, seeing the terrible scene in front of her. No, that couldn't be, she was still in denial even when having the proof of what just happened right in front of her. This couldn't be happening. God, please no!

Some woman was standing in the cortex with her gun still smoking and Harry… Harry was lying on the floor. Lifeless.

"What have you done?!" Snow screamed in such a heart tearing voice that at first she didn't even know it came from her.

Then she got down to the floor, bruising her knees and not caring for that, frantically pressing her hands into the bloody stain growing on Harrison's chest.

"Harry! Harry, stay with me! Harrison, can you hear me?! Stay with me!"

She was falling to pieces, losing it, feeling the raging pulse still there in his heart, feeling and seeing his blood flooding her hands, coloring her skin red. His blood. Harry's blood. It truly felt as though it was her own blood, she was by now connected to this man so much. It was like her soul was his soul and if he died… with Jesse still being gone…

Why did those things keep happening to her?!

"Oh, my God!" she heard Cisco's voice. "What the hell?!"

"Patty! Drop the gun!" Barry screamed at probably the woman who just shot Wells. "It's not what you think! He's not dr. Wells! God, what have you done?! Joe… Joe, I need you here ASAP!" It sounded like Barry was calling his adoptive father, but Caitlin couldn't tear her eyes away from Harry, rhythmically pushing on his heart, performing the CPR when moving to his lips and breathing her air into his lungs. They did share everything, she realized, body and soul and air between them and… she couldn't lose him. She just couldn't lose him. She wouldn't, kept on running through her head.

"Cait, you can do this!" Cisco was there right by her side, his hands a warm pressure on her tensed shoulders. "You can save him!"

"Barry, you need to take him to a hospital!" she screamed, still working on Harry, still doing her best no to break, not to think of how she'd almost lost him once already and how they made love afterwards. How he looked at her, said her name, how he always pulled her close into her arms, how he kissed her and how his naked skin felt against her own and how he felt inside of her…

She started crying, not able to hold on any longer. She was losing it.

"We can't… if they see him… they'll arrest him once they save him and that won't help Jesse," Cisco answered her and she knew he was right, but maybe, just maybe they could and then Cisco could breach Harry to his earth before the police…

"Snow."

Caitlin sucked in a breath, stilling. She could've sworn she heard Harry calling her in that special way he always did, but he was still unconscious, so it just wasn't possible.

But that was exactly what prompted her forward, what caused her to keep it cool, to keep on working on him until she could feel his pulse beating steadier. He believed in her to bring him back, to save him and she needed to trust that. If there was a person in both the worlds that wouldn't give up on him and wouldn't let him die on the table, it was her. She just needed to believe it herself. If she handed him over to another doctor, they might not truly care since they would be operating on Harrison Wells, known murderer of Central City.

She would save him. She was Caitlin Snow and she was brilliant and resilient. And the original dr. Wells she'd used to know had told her once that the best doctor he knew was right in the room with him. And he was right.

"Cisco, here's what I need…" she started enlisting the items she would need to perform the surgery on Harry. By now she deduced that luckily for him, the bullet didn't even graze his heart. In fact, it was a clean shot, by some kind of a miracle one that didn't make a hole in any of his important organs, just his flesh.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Harrison was the worst patient ever, Caitlin decided when she struggled to keep him in bed the first few days after his operation. The man wanted to just ignore all of her warnings and get up, ready to work, but then she always reminded him that he could do it all from bed as well and that she wasn't going to risk losing him again. He just couldn't put himself to any unnecessary risk now, especially when he had both her and Jesse by his side. If something happened to him, what would they do, exactly? In the end, he did reluctantly listen to the woman he loved, doing his best not to let her see how much her words actually affected him. He saw what losing him would do to her, so he relented, yet still making a point by complaining about lying down. He could see, though, that despite Snow laughing at his jokes and grumbling, she knew better than to take him seriously and actually picked up on what was really going on. Good thing she didn't try to talk about it, because quite frankly Harry was sick of being emotional lately with both her and then his daughter disappearing. Right now he was just happy he could focus on something else and that was work.

He kept on studying the blueprints Barry had gotten him from Mercury Labs and making his own notes, trying to figure out the purpose of the device Zoom had stolen and doing his best to do it fast because God knew how much time they actually had left before the monster would put it to some use.

"Anything?" he heard coming from the glass door leading into the small lab in which he was recuperating. He'd chosen this place just because it also had glass walls so he could see the people in the cortex through it.

"So far this device seems harmless," Wells informed Allen when scratching his head, "and that's exactly what I don't get. It's not a weapon, at least it wasn't built to become one. It can open breaches to another worlds, though, so maybe Zoom wants to be able to travel freely."

"Is that really all there is?" Barry asked with a frown. "I mean, I get that he wants to move multidimensionally, but what for? So far he hasn't attacked anyone yet and Cisco's keeping tabs on the other worlds. There's no sign of Zoom there."

"That's probably because there's something he wants to do with the device that hasn't occurred to us yet," Harry said angrily, dropping the blueprints on the covers besides him.

"Hey, it's ok. I'm sure we'll figure it all out eventually."

"That might be too late and I just want to deal with Zoom, grab my girls and head home," Wells said brusquely.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Barry followed up on that and the older man just lifted his eyes to him in a hostile glance. "Caitlin, I mean."

"I know whom you mean. What I don't know is what made you think that I'd be willing to actually talk feelings with you, Allen."

"Ok, I get it. You're a reserved man, but I just want you to know that despite it being hard for us that Caitlin moved to Earth Two, I'm happy for her. I really am. She deserves all that's best and I hope you will take a good care of her."

"That I already got covered," Wells assured him with a nod and then he sighed, looking away. "You know… I actually have to thank you for saving my daughter. I might've not said it to you before, but it truly meant a lot. You saved not only her but myself as well. And Caitlin. Because I don't know what her life would be like by my side if I lost Jesse." He'd just told Allen he wouldn't be talking about feelings and then did just that, Wells thought in frustration. Then again, he had to thank the man eventually. It was the right thing to do.

"I was happy to help," Barry said with a huge smile on his face and Wells just rolled his eyes at that. "And honestly, I'm sorry for judging you too soon. I should've trusted Cait and known you're nothing like the Wells we knew."

"Oh, are you guys actually bonding?" they suddenly heard her voice coming from behind Barry and the man moved to let her in.

"Oh, yeah, totally. Not," Harrison just followed with and whereas Snow made her way to him to kiss him, Barry chuckled and turned around to leave.

"Any news?" she asked then, placing the takeout food she'd gotten for them on the table near the bed.

"No," he answered, "but I… damn it, Snow, I feel like I'm close to something here, but cannot grasp it just yet. It's truly frustrating."

"I can only imagine." She nodded with a sigh. "Well, let's have a look together. Maybe we can figure something out this way. I've actually studied Zoom's biology based on the little information I and the rest have, so maybe I'll be able to see something you don't."

Few days later they all felt like they already memorized the blueprints and knew every nook and cranny of the device. Also, Barry actually managed to cross paths with Zoom a few times, just to watch him closely and study his speed like Caitlin advised him to. He didn't get too close, though, unable to catch up with the monster. The real mystery was that the villain seemed to be in hiding for now, waiting for something and none of them knew what that could be exactly.

Caitlin finally decided to talk with the team about the color of Zoom's lightning which was so much different from Barry's. At first she thought it was because of the different earths those two were coming from, but she wasn't so sure anymore. And then, when she actually performed some tests on Barry's blood in her lab, she came up with the answer. She got to the cortex as fast as she could, eager to share that information with the rest.

By now, Jesse was gone, returning to her own earth to help the team there, but Snow and Harry stayed behind, determined to see this Zoom problem through just because they were somewhat responsible for letting him come to this earth.

Harrison was standing in front of a white board when Snow approached the team and she could see him holding the marker in his hand before lifting it to scratch his head with it, a gesture indicating he once again reached a dead end.

"Guys, there's something you need to know," Caitlin started then and he turned to her immediately, all of his attention now focused on her. Her heart swelled with love just like every time their eyes met. Truth be told, she was still a little scared around him, still seeing him lying on the floor in the pool of his own blood and sometimes she could even feel that blood on her hands. She needed to constantly remind herself that he was alive and well now, though a little sore, and that she'd actually saved him. That she had him back and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "I figured out why Zoom's lightning is actually blue. It's because his powers are quite literally running out. I'm not able to tell what exactly caused that deterioration, but my guess is that he was experimenting with various dangerous drugs to get even faster. There's this formula that had been sitting in my lab fridge for a while. I began developing it the first time around when Barry lost his powers. Luckily, he got them back without needing to use it, but when I exposed his blood to it just now, something happened. His cells started accelerating and everything looked normal until they began dying and judging from the amount of speed left in that blood, the lightening could technically change color to blue."

There was silence as they all just stared at her until Harry voiced his appreciation, "I knew I fell for you for a reason. You're just as brilliant as I am. Also, I think you're wasting away by just working with the team on my earth and as soon as we deal with this crisis here, you will get a well-deserved job at my S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Oh, that would be so sweet if it wasn't so cocky," Cisco pretended to be touched by what Harry just said. "Seriously man! Telling everyone you're a genius won't make them like you more!"

"I don't care if you like me or not, Crisco," Harrison turned to him impatiently, deliberately twisting his name. "All I care about is my family and science."

"Seriously, this guy is his own antithesis," Cisco murmured under his breath. "It's like trying to put science and God together."

"Wait…" Harry suddenly gasped, looking at Ramon as though he saw him for the very first time.

"What did I say?"

"You're right," Wells agreed. Only that made Cisco even more confused. "You know, maybe that's how things are seen on your earth, but on mine science and God actually come together. On my earth the more people are trying to dissuade the theory of existing God, the Architect of the Universe, the more they actually start to believe in Him."

"You lost me. I don't follow," Cisco admitted whereas Barry and Caitlin were just watching those two, trying to understand in silence.

"But I am," Wells just said and turned back to the board, starting to scribble on it.

"Is he always like this?" Cisco just asked and all Caitlin could do was to shrug and let Harry do his work. Because in the end, he really was a genius.

By the time Harrison actually figured out what was going on with Zoom and connected all of that to the device the monster stole; Jesse made a quick come back from Earth Two, complaining about Felicity and Ray becoming such love birds that she couldn't even stand being around them, especially when there was no metahuman on the loose at the moment.

Caitlin just smiled when hearing that because she cared for and liked both of her friends from Earth Two and couldn't be happier for them that they seemed to find what she had found herself with Harry.

"Oh, hi," Jesse finished her rumbling and just now noticed a new face in the crowd. "And you are?"

Wally West, the actual brother of Iris, was just staring at her in awe.

"Oh, no," Wells suddenly said, throwing his marker across the room. Well, technically, Wally was lucky the older man didn't hit him with it. "Stay away from my daughter. Now, can we maybe finally focus enough so I could actually tell you what Zoom's plan is?"

"We're all ears," Barry assured him, really curious to hear that theory.

"Ok, when doing some research on this earth in comparison to mine," Wells started, immediately focusing himself only on his work and on passing on the result, his voice all professional. In fact, he looked like he was attending a business meeting, idly discussing company strategy with his employees or putting some new rules down to them. Caitlin was rather new to this side of his as she'd never had the pleasure of seeing him heading over a board meeting. She was really looking forward to it as he'd already suggested she took some real job at the Labs. "It turns out this Earth, Earth One," he added rather reluctantly as though he didn't like that at all, "is actually the centre of the multiverse. The Mercury Labs' device when activated, can potentially open breaches to all the remaining earths which are actually accumulated all around Earth One like a planet around a sun, only not entirely because all those earths exist in various other dimensions, therefore they don't really lie next to each other."

"Yeah, I'm already lost," Iris admitted just then, but Wells ignored her.

"So all those earths exist in different dimensions, but if we put them in one dimension together, then they would circle this one?" Caitlin asked and Harry nodded, sending her a proud smile, once again admiring her intelligence.

"Precisely," he confirmed. "Next question would be why Zoom needs the device if he doesn't use it to travel from one earth to another and why we haven't even seen so much of him recently. I think he's resting, gathering up all the strength and speed he can muster to power the device with it."

"Power it?" Barry cut in.

"Yeah. If he runs really, really fast once he activates it, he will give the device enough power to… well… create an actual rift in the universum. Simply put, it will implode, destroying everything and anything on its way, destroying the whole multiverse."

There was silence as they were all processing those words and eventually Jesse asked, "But why would he want to? Won't he die then?"

"That's the thing. Taking into account the existence of a higher power and the speedforce, it could either obliterate him completely or… transfer all the power from the implosion to him, therefore creating a being that would be beyond any of our minds. At least when I take into consideration the discoveries on my earth. He may possibly become comparable to God Himself and therefore would be able to create his own world, maybe even challenge the Maker. I don't know. At some point all of this is just theoretical."

"Yeah, because we never before saw theoretical turning real," Cisco pointed out.

"The question is how do we stop Zoom," Barry said.

"I would start by actually locating the device and maybe trying to steal it right back," Harrison suggested. "Ramon, can you vibe its location?" he asked then.

"With the thingy that Zoom uses to keep himself from being seen? I'm not sure."

Wells raised his eyes to the sky. "Seriously, Ramon, where was the last time you actually tried to work on your powers and expanding their potential? Because it seems to me like you're slacking off."

"I am not doing such a thing!"

"Oh, really?! Then why can't you do this simple task!?"

"Oh, boy," Caitlin sighed, exchanging glances with Jesse. Those two would totally work together now, Harry trying to get to the core of Cisco's powers and that would not be pretty.

Few hours later, both Harry and Cisco got back to the cortex.

"Damn it!" Harrison cursed. "It may already be too late! Allen, we need you on the scene and now!"

"What happened?" Caitlin got up from her chair. She was just enjoying a cup of coffee when talking to both Jesse and Wally when those two just ran inside.

"Ramon's too slow. Whatever Zoom's trying to do, he's doing it now. There's no time! Go!" he then screamed at Barry who was already suited up.

"But… what am I supposed to do?" the Flash asked in confusion.

"Stop Zoom from charging the device! GO!"

Finally, the Flash sped off and Jesse was already getting up from her seat when her father asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Going with him?" she answered with a question.

"No. Absolutely out of the question! You're staying here unless he really needs you!"

"But dad!"

"This discussion is over!" Harry growled angrily and Caitlin could actually feel the intensity coming off of him in waves. He was so terribly tense and… He was actually terrified, she realized just then and she was immediately on her feet, her coffee long forgotten as she reached him and placed her hands on the sides of his face, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Harry, calm down," she said softly, still worrying about the wound that was healing in his chest. "Just breathe, ok? Relax."

"What am I supposed to do, Snow?" he finally asked her, his blues boring into her hazels. "There's nothing we can do about this whole situation anymore. Maybe we should've come up with it all sooner…" He sighed when he shook his head before looking at her again, "I just don't know. This could be the end of everything."

"At least we're together," she found herself saying and then her arms were around him as she pressed her body into his and just stood there like that, holding him. "I love you. Nothing that happens will ever change that. Besides, hey, if you believe in the intelligent Maker, then death shouldn't even mater to us, should it?"

He actually chuckled, seeing what she did there, how she managed to take some of his anxiety away or maybe even most of it by simply being there for him.

In fact, Jesse, seeing them embracing like that, was already moving towards them to put her own arms around them as they were her family when…

They heard Barry's voice echoing in the cortex, coming from the comms.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Cisco immediately asked, checking the computer. "Oh, boy…"

"What is it?" Wells queried when moving away from Snow and making his way to the computer, her still following, holding on to his arm.

"He's not fast enough. He needs more speed."

"I'm on it," Jesse immediately said and disappeared before her father could protest again.

In the end, Harry just took a deep breath, trying not to become a nervous wreck. He had to believe Jesse would be fine and he had to let her go because without her Barry would surely fail.

"Ok… ok… I think he's got it… they got it, I mean," Cisco informed, but it was all unnecessary since they could see the feed from the street cameras on the screen. Barry and Jesse were both outrunning Zoom just now. Zoom who was already getting tired. Caitlin actually pointed that out by mentioning the color changing in his lightning. The blue was almost fading, leaving only white behind.

"Just a little more… He probably didn't expect us to interrupt," Cisco said. "If it wasn't for that, he might've actually… oh, yeah! YES!" He suddenly jumped with his hands reaching for the sky. "YES!"

While Jesse pushed Zoom out of the track, Barry managed to hit him with his lightning, the monster crashing into the device and it all blew to smithereens, the breaches that might've temporarily opened there before they exploded, all closing right back. Both the Flashes managed to escape just in time and now appeared in the cortex, breathless.

"That was close," Harry just said, turning around to hug his daughter and then to kiss Snow as they all started embracing and celebrating.

And while they were doing just that, they didn't notice a dark shadow slipping through just in the place the device had used to stand.

Harrison and Caitlin weren't exactly in any rush to leave this earth behind just yet. Now, that the danger was over, they all gathered up in West's house to celebrate, for the first time since they'd all met actually able to chat idly without having to worry about any crisis.

Yet, they were oblivious to the two figures standing outside the window, watching them from the shadows.

"That was a lucky break we caught with the breaches opening for that split of a second so we could leave Earth X," the Reverse Flash said to his companion.

"Maybe now we'll be able to do something with the fact that I can't even kiss you without trying to kill you," Killer Frost turned to him with an evil smile forming on her face. "And God, I am dying to rip that suit off of you and have everything that's underneath," she added when eying him up and down, fire reflecting in her icy eyes. "Ronnie was the only man I could be with, but you are the only one I want to be with."

"You won't have to wait for long, my love."

Chapter Text

Caitlin and Harrison weren't in any rush to leave this earth, her apartment or the bed they were currently in, continuing their celebration when slowly making love. It'd been quite a while since he'd been shot on the way and they had to figure out the Zoom problem that now, luckily, was over. They were finally free to do whatever they wanted and Cait decided they would prolong their stay on Earth One since they weren't needed back on their own. Yes, she actually felt like Earth Two had become her home and couldn't wait to get back to it in order to start her life by Harry's side, but still, she also wanted to show him all her favorite places in the city on this world, so she wasn't trying to rush anything. There was time. In fact, they had a whole lifetime.

Now, with Jesse back on Earth Two, they had Snow's apartment all to themselves and they put it to some good use, spending all their time that night in bed, but not sleeping.

Harry was moving slowly inside her, taking his time making love to her, cherishing her and she just held on to him, her hands all over his back, the nails digging into the skin there gently before grabbing his arms or sliding down lower to his buttocks or thighs. She loved this man between her legs, loved his body and soul and decided never to take him for granted, never to stop showing him the magnitude of her feelings for him.

Finally, he sped up a little, unable to hold on for longer, groaning deeply in his throat as they were so, so close. Caitlin gasped before calling his name and digging her nails into the skin of his back again as she came, a powerful wave washing all over her body, rendering her breathless and boneless and leaving feeling deliciously relaxed and light as a feather. They stayed that way for a while, just holding on to each other, his face buried in the crook of her neck before he finally slip out of her and lay right next to her on the bed.

"That was…" she started, still trying to catch her breath.

"…amazing," he finished after her when raising his arm and then putting it around her, already missing her touch and pulling her closer to his side.

She rested her head on his chest, stroking the flesh beneath her fingers gently and meeting the dressing that she still insisted to put on his healing wound.

"Are you all right?" she then asked with worry. "I know it's been a while since you got shot, but still…"

"Snow, I'm fine. It will take more than a bullet to stop me," he assured her, half-seriously, half-jokingly, but she didn't like that at all, the memory of him bleeding out still fresh and vivid in her mind. She knew better than to actually talk about it now, though. They'd been through enough bad things recently to bring it all up again. She just wanted to look into the future for a change and so far she saw nothing but happiness.

They slept till noon the next day and as they left the apartment hungry, Caitlin offered she'd go to Jitters to buy them some breakfast and would bring it to Harry at S.T.A.R. Labs as they still needed to be careful about him showing up in public even if he was wearing that ridiculous ball cap she insisted on. One could never be too careful, especially after what happened with Patty. Barry already informed Snow that the woman was on the metahuman police taskforce with Joe and was actually as sweet as pie. Well, Caitlin thought that a sweet girl didn't just shoot unarmed men, but didn't exactly tell that to Barry. What was his deal with Patty anyway? Wasn't he head over heels with Iris? Then again, she knew first handedly how good Barry could be to other people even when they happened to be women. He'd been that to her once and the memory of what she'd actually thought back then made her laugh now. No, she could never fall in love with Barry, but she had thought he'd been hitting on her once when obviously, he hadn't really been, Iris being the only female he had his eyes on.

Having finally left the Jitters and carrying bags full of fresh bagels with some take out coffee, Caitlin directed herself to the Labs with a huge smile on her face. She was in love. She was all right and so was her family, so life was good and could only get better from now on.

She just didn't know how wrong she was and how much she would still have to go through before that turned out to be true.

"Caitlin," she heard Harry's voice coming from behind her when she was just reaching the Labs' door.

She came to a stop, frowning because she clearly remembered that she'd told him to go ahead and straight to the building. She was just turning to him to tell him off for not listening to her when something else attracted her attention. His voice. The way he said her name sounded different somehow. He did occasionally use her first name, but that happened very rarely and…

The moment she saw him standing there in the light of the day, she knew something was so, so terribly wrong. Because even though she could see that it was Harrison Wells standing right in front of her, something was off. He seemed… older somehow. In fact, he looked much older than her Harry, though it did not miss her attention that he was still hot. If it wasn't for the circumstances, she would actually be happy that Harry would age this well in the next ten years.

"You're not Harry," she threw the stranger's way and then turned around, making a dash for the door.

Only it was too late anyway. She could never possibly outrun him since he grabbed her and sped off with her, the bags full of bagels and the coffee lying forgotten on the street.

It was then that she realized who he was – Eobard.

Harry abandoned the project he was to help Cisco with and glanced at the clock. Once he did that, a frown marred his face as he started counting.

"Ramon?" he threw the younger guy's way.

"Yep?"

"Where's Snow?"

"Shouldn't you be privy to that information?" the answered came.

Wells rolled his eyes and made his way to the computer by which Ramon was just sitting.

"She was grabbing breakfast at the Jitters, but I don't think the queues could be that long in there."

"Fine. Let's see…" Cisco said when grabbing his phone.

"You know, if her phone worked on this earth, I would do that myself," Harry pointed out, now just plain angry and on top of that also a little scared. Because he could clearly felt that something was very, very wrong.

Ramon just sighed. "Tell me again why she changed her cell operators to those on your earth without leaving her old number active?"

"Oh, I don't know? So she wouldn't have to pay a bill here for something she doesn't use anymore? She's moved to my earth and she's not moving back here. Deal with it. Now, find her!"

Luckily for Ramon, he didn't answer anything back, instead he got down to his computer, breaking into the street cameras' feed to locate Cait and…

"Holy shit!" he cursed when pausing at the one that was actually installed outside the Labs.

"That's… me," Harry said, not understating what he was seeing. "But… wait a second…"

"Yeah, this guy looks even older than you, doesn't he?" Cisco asked and Wells really didn't have to mind to tell him off now. "Crap!" the younger guy cursed then when they clearly saw both Snow and Wells disappearing in a blink of an eye. "I think I know who this is… but… but… this just isn't possible!" he yelled, immediately getting to his phone and sending an alert to Barry who came running right away.

"What's wrong, guys?"

"Thawne's back," Cisco just said and Barry paled.

"Wait…" Harry started again when reaching his hand out. "You want to tell me that this guy… that it's the first Wells you knew, the one who was actually Eobard Thawne from the future and who died? If he's dead, then how he's even here right now?"

"It's not like this would be the first time since he resurfaced after his death," Barry just said, scratching his head. "But… but why would he take Cait?"

"Time travel and its fucking repercussions," Harrison understood just then, covering his mouth with his hand. "What does he want with Snow?"

"How are we supposed to know?!" Cisco asked, clearly on the verge of actually losing his mind. He stood up and placed his hands on his head. "I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. What do we do?" He turned to Barry.

"What we always do," Barry just said. "Locate him. Get to him. Get Caitlin back."

"And then what? How do we get rid of this guy if technically, he's already dead?" Wells just asked, trying to hold himself together, but frankly, he was so sick of bad stuff happening around him recently that he knew he would soon lose it again. And to think that just this morning everything had been fine, Jesse safe on Earth Two and Caitlin in bed with him. Of course everything had to go to shit, yet, once again.

"Send him to where he came from?" Barry suggested and Harrison just groaned, already bracing himself for the newest task at hand. He needed to get Snow back, damn it. Again. At least this time he could hope Thawne wouldn't hurt her. After all, she herself had told Harry that the guy never would. The real question was what did he want with her.

Poor Jesse was making trips between two earths every day, Wells thought when trying to convince her to go back to Earth Two since he didn't want her to disappear again as well. Still, she was having none of it, saying she could handle herself and that she needed to be there and help if Caitlin was gone. Besides, Harry was also a little afraid that the other reason to why his girl was so eager to visit was Iris's younger brother. Not that he truly had anything against Wally, it was just that he was superprotective of his daughter and therefore bound to hate any potential boyfriend of hers. And the fact that said boyfriend was from an entire different universe just made the whole situation more complicated. Go figure, maybe such complicated relationships ran in the family.

"Anything?!" he asked for the umpteenth time.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to track them?" Cisco just asked from behind his computer.

"Actually, I do. Still, you should've been able to do it already! Just trace his speed signature!"

"Newsflash, pal! He's not exactly using it at the moment!"

"Then try locating some metas!" Harry suggested. "Maybe he's not working alone!"

"He doesn't seem like the type who would work in a group," Barry pointed out, coming back from his recon run.

The glare Wells sent his way was enough to render him silent and just do what the man asked.

Caitlin couldn't believe her own eyes when once Eobard set her down, the first person – or was she still? – she saw was actually Killer Frost.

"You," she gasped, stunned by her discovery, watching now those two standing side by side and seeing the obvious. "How?"

"Oh, I always knew how to survive. I managed to escape to another earth and find him," Killer Frost explained when glancing at the man right next to her with what Caitlin could only describe as devotion. Which seemed ridiculous, because she didn't believe such a bad person could actually truly love someone.

"Why?" Snow eventually asked, really wanting to know the answer to that question. Running away despite her not being bound by anything was pointless anyway since Eobard would catch her in no time. She just chose to stall, to gather as much information as she could. If they took her, it meant they needed her for something, but she couldn't figure out what that was since obviously, Thawne already had a version of her, didn't he?

"Because it seems like Caitlin Snow and Harrison Wells are just meant to be no matter the universe," Killer Frost provided the answer. "Isn't that romantic?"

"But he's not Wells. Not really," Snow disagreed. "He's just wearing his body."

"You're wrong there, Caitlin," Eobard finally spoke and his voice froze her to the bones. Because she suddenly remembered everything he'd done to her, to Cisco, to Barry. He was the reason to all of their distress, the reason to why Barry had to grow up without a mother and watch his father being sent to prison for her murder. And if Barry hadn't accidentally gone back in time, Cisco wouldn't even be alive now. Yet, Caitlin had been then and would still be. Because somehow she knew Eobard had a soft spot for her and just now she truly realized what it was. And it made her sick, all the good feelings she might've still had for him, all that she'd told Harry about him was now gone, simply not being true anymore because she could feel he was going to hurt her now, she just couldn't tell how. Maybe he didn't want any other Harrison to have his Caitlin or maybe there was another reason. She couldn't know just yet. "Once I took over Harrison's body, I also took over his memories and feelings," he then explained. "I never told you that one before, did I?"

"Oh, really? If you could feel what he felt, then why didn't you help Tess Morgan? You must've had feelings for her," she pointed out.

There was a grimace passing through Eobard's face.

"I did what I had to do. I might've taken over Harrison's mind and body, but I am still here, too."

"You know, I think that was exactly what I just said, but yeah… if you truly think you love this man, go ahead. I don't care," Caitlin turned to Killer Frost. "After all, you're worth each other."

"You're right. We are," Frost agreed. "And you will help us be together for real."

Caitlin felt her mouth actually going dry as she realized the implications of what her doppelganger meant. She just didn't know how that was even achievable. The only man Killer Frost could touch was Ronnie, the Burning Man, and he was now dead. Somehow she'd fallen for this twisted version of Harrison Wells, but apparently couldn't be with him. Maybe she managed to kiss him, Caitlin estimated, taking into account their respective powers. Maybe she managed that much and he survived the kiss, but he would surely not survive any longer session or… well, more.

Then again, giving him Caitlin's body to use wasn't exactly solving anything, so Snow remained confused.

Until they started preparing something, that was. And just then she knew she was screwed.

"Yes, my dear," Eobard nodded with an evil smile as he noticed the look on her face. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? It's a pity that DeVoe's gone, but his inventions remain. How about you say goodbye to being yourself and prepare for your mind to be taken over?"

Harrison's hunch turned out to be right and they did locate the Reverse Flash when actually finding a cool signature on the satellite.

"Are you sure?" Cisco just asked Wells who was still looking at the feed in stunned silence. "Cold signature? I'm pretty sure the Reverse Flash would have a hot one."

"It's not him, but I recognize this one all the same. It belongs to Killer Frost, Caitlin's evil doppelganger from my world."

"Wait… come again? She's here?!" Cisco started freaking out. "But what does that have to do with Eobard?"

"Time for questions will come later!" Harry raised his voice in anger. "Allen!"

"I'm on it!"

"Me, too!" Jesse offered and was gone with the guy before Wells could protest. In the end, he just had to take a deep breath, steadying himself and telling himself the time to panic would arrive if Jesse didn't come back with both Barry and Snow.

Caitlin screamed and screamed for help and then she struggled, but nothing could save her from being taken under and having Killer Frost's consciousness transformed into her own brain.

Though, once everything was over, she still felt like herself and that was the part she couldn't quite understand.

"Why… Why do I… Why am I still me?" she asked Eobard in shock, seeing the immobile body of her doppelganger now lying on the floor.

He crouched down by it and reached his hand to his lover's face, stroking it gently before picking up her body and carrying it in his arms.

"Because I improved the device," the answer came.

"I don't understand!" Caitlin yelled, by now terrified.

"You see, the goal was to put her in your mind altogether with her powers," Thawne started slowly when meeting her terrified eyes. "It will just take a while before your body accepts the powers she gave you and learn how to control them."

"What? I still don't get any of it!" She was terrified on top of it all, so she couldn't even think clearly.

"You'll see. With time, you'll see. And once you become her, you – or much rather she – will find her way back to me. Till then…" He was gone in a flash.

Caitlin just screamed again.

Technically, she was free to go, but she couldn't seem to move, just screaming, going out of her mind, scared that any moment now she could take over and Cait wouldn't even notice, just going to sleep or… stopping to exist.

"Cait… Cait! Hey! It's me!" Suddenly, there was a pair of hands on her shoulders, steadying her and then she found herself looking at Barry. "Cait, you're ok. I'm here. You're safe."

"No," she finally said when calming down just a bit. Her face tear stricken. "No, I am not."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Caitlin truly didn't know what to expect from her own mother and sadly, it could only mean one thing. They'd grown apart over the years so much that she didn't even know the woman anymore.

"So it took you landing up in here and actually developing powers to finally call me," she heard her say and she swallowed hard, doing her best to steady herself before turning to face the older woman. The truth was that she was actually scared a little. She could already feel it coming. The judgment. She didn't even want to think about the face her mother must've pulled when seeing Harrison Wells striding into her office and asking her for help for a woman he loved and who also happened to be her daughter.

"You know, it goes both ways," Caitlin eventually spoke when turning to face Carla Tannhauser. "You could've called as well. Hi, mom," she then added, looking at the woman closer, trying to decide whether she'd changed over all those years they hadn't seen each other and in the end she decided that maybe her mom looked just a little bit older than Cait remembered. Yet, beside that, everything stayed the same altogether with her icy cold attitude that she was showing even now. Gee, no wonder the only powers she could ever get were frosty, Snow thought.

"Well, I guess we're here now, aren't we?" Carla just asked, folding her arms across her chest and looking more out of place in the pipeline than anyone ever did to Cait. It was obvious that she felt uncomfortable without the walls of her own building, of her lab. Caitlin started wondering whether it was even healthy for her mother to just bury herself in work like that. And she'd herself actually done the same once, hadn't she? Thank God she'd found enough courage to go and visit Earth Two, because truly, she had no idea what her life would turn out to be otherwise. One thing she was sure of – it would not be as happy, despite all the problems she was facing now.

"Are you happy, Caitlin?" Carla asked as though reading that word straight from her daughter's mind when carefully watching her face, studying her features and actually seeing how much she'd changed. She wasn't a girl anymore, she was a woman and a beautiful one to that. The features she recognized Caitlin got from her father actually caused Carla's heart to ache, the loss, though happened ages ago, was still very painful to her. She guessed that was what one got for losing the love of their life. Would Cait have to go through the same? She then wondered, still feeling all icky when it came to the man her daughter actually loved. How old was he anyway? How many good years did he still have ahead of himself? "Listen, I know I haven't been there for you after…" she began again, but only to come to an awkward stop. "I just…"

"Mom, I know," Cait cut in, seeing Carla's struggle. "I get it. And that's the thing. I am happy," she finally answered the question. "Harrison makes me happier than I ever thought I could be, actually."

Carla did her best not to wince before she asked the one thing she truly cared about at the moment, "How old is he, anyway? Is he older than I am?"

"Actually, no," Caitlin responded. "You beat him by a few years."

"Yet, in our age few seem so insignificant, Cait," Carla sighed. "Are you even sure about this?"

"I never told you that, but I was actually married once," Caitlin suddenly revealed and Carla just had to open her eyes in surprise, immediately wondering what happened there. "He died." It was the one thing Mrs. Tannhauser never wanted to happen to her daughter and now she actually realized it already had. And she hadn't been there. She truly didn't know which one seemed worse and had no idea what to say to that when the younger woman continued, "I thought I would never find happiness again, mom and I actually did. In fact, I found so much more than that. I found everything I could ever dream of and still, more. And right now I desperately need your help because I'm in danger of losing it all again."

When Carla finally opened her mouth once more, all that came out was a question about the one thing she was the most shocked to discover, "You were actually married?" she made sure, still not believing it, still not comprehending how on earth her daughter hadn't even thought of inviting her. Then again, it was all her fault, wasn't it? Carla was the one to blame here.

"And he died right after," Caitlin followed with an explanation. "He was actually a metahuman."

"Oh."

"He died saving this city." Cait smiled fondly at the memory of Ronnie. "You'd like him, you know? Probably more so than Harrison, but…" She shook her head, the smile fading away as she met Carla's eyes again. "The thing is that my heart truly belongs to Harry and I can't help it. Mom, I know things between us haven't been all that good, if at all, but I need you now. I love him so much and I want nothing more than to just be with him. I hope you can understand and respect that and… most importantly, I just want to be me again. So, can you help me?" Her voice actually shook a little at the end as though she was truly afraid Carla might say no, then turn away and leave whereas what the woman really did was to just nod, feeling herself overcame with emotions she'd long forgotten.

"I'm not promising to understand your life choices, Caity," she eventually said, "but I am your mother, so of course I am going to do what's in my power to help you."

"That's all I need," Caitlin said in obvious relief. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet."

If Carla thought that seeing her daughter again after so many years would be hard, she clearly didn't consider having to work side by side with the man Caity claimed to love. In fact, she couldn't seem to stop staring as Harrison Wells of Earth Two was patiently explaining everything there was to know about Caitlin's condition and the cure they had to come up with. And all she could do was to study his face and wonder what on earth her little girl saw in that man.

"You know, this whole process would be much less painful if you just stopped staring at me and actually helped," he eventually pointed out, catching her off guard.

"Um… yes, you're probably right," she quickly agreed.

"Mrs. Tannhauser, I truly love your daughter and if you have a problem with that…" he started then, actually losing his patience when they suddenly heard Cisco's voice.

"Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy there, man!" The younger guy ran over to them and patted Harry on the back, earning himself an angry glare. "Maybe we should actually be nice to lovely Mrs. Tannhauser here?" he suggested.

"No," was all that Harry said before throwing the device he held in his hand to the table with a clatter.

"No?" Cisco seemed surprised to hear that. "Man, what are you doing?" he then asked in a voice so changed that it didn't seem to belong to him.

"This just isn't me!" Harry growled, making a step backwards and running a hand over his mouth whereas Carla just kept on staring at those two. "I'm not this nice, polite guy who does his best to make everyone feel comfortable! And you know what?! This is the me your daughter fell for!" he suddenly exclaimed to the older woman. "You don't have to like me. In fact, most of people don't, but I just don't give a damn! I am mean and rough on the edges sometimes… or most of the times!" he added when seeing Cisco's expression. "This is simply who I am and I don't care what you think of me or of my relationship with your daughter! And you're no better either! Because you weren't here when she suffered! You weren't there when she got married and watched the man die and then when everyone seemed to be moving on with their lives and she was the one left behind, eventually traveling to a whole other universe just for a second chance! And she found me there! Lady, you have to deal with the fact that you were the one who abandoned your daughter in her time of need because of grief. And you know what else?! I actually know grief!" he screamed and Cisco could only watch this with a terrified expression on his face. Carla, on the other hand, was beyond shocked. "I have a teenage daughter whose mother died of cancer! And what did I do? Did I turn my back on my little girl because I couldn't handle the loss? No! I protected her, I did my best to be there for her and I loved her through all of that! So don't you look at me like this, like I was somehow not worthy of your Caitlin, because I am telling you, I am! She loves me and I love her more than life itself and I am not going to give up on her, so better work on that damn cure!" After having said that, he just left the lab, leaving the stupefied Carla there in the company of an equally shocked Cisco.

"Yeah…" Cisco said after a moment of awkward silence. "I guess you just met Harry… yeah… but I promise you… he just grows on you… usually… yeah…" He made a dash for the door before the woman could actually respond.

Harry truly didn't know where to go after his outburst as Ray was just putting finishing touches to the device they'd come up with. Eventually, he made his way to the one place he wanted to be the most, but in the same time he was actually afraid of what she would even say. He did just scream at her mother and pretty much offended the woman for life. If she didn't hate him before… Boy, were they in trouble! He could only hope she would stick around long enough to actually produce the cure, because honestly he so did not feel like going back to that lab to apologize. Yet, if that could save Snow, he would fall to his knees in front of Carla Tannhauser all the same.

"Oh, hello there, my love!" Caitlin called out to him as soon as she spotted him entering the pipeline. She was just having lunch with Barry, both of them sitting on the opposite sides of the glass.

"You know what, Allen?" Harry just asked the younger man. "I think it's enough. She's not turning into Killer Frost, so we can just let her out."

"Harry, we both know we can't," Caitlin just sighed on hearing that. "I know it's been hard on you, but this is the only way."

He nodded unwillingly, his head hanging low, his whole attitude seeming defeated as he leaned his back against the wall and stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Barry, why don't you leave us alone?" Caitlin asked her friend, reading Harry all too well and the speedster just nodded before disappearing with his burger. "So, I heard you gave quite the performance there," she started playfully, "turning my mother to stone. How speechless was she, actually? Did her mouth hang open? Come on! Give me all the juicy details!"

"Are you actually serious?" Harry just had to look Caitlin in the eye, stunned that she took it all so well and that she was having fun. "And how did you hear about it anyway?"

"Apparently, you were screaming so loudly that half the Labs heard you. Not me, though," she then added with regret. "Nothing can get through to me here, but Barry was kind enough to give me the details."

"Go figure. Brutus," Harry murmured under his breath.

"Oh, come on. I was actually very proud of you."

"You were?" Ok, this time Wells truly had no idea what was happening. How could she be so cool about the whole thing? He had, after all, told her mother off completely and the woman was bound to hate him for life now.

"You said all the things I was always too scared to tell her myself," Caitlin shrugged. "And good. I never cared whether she liked you or not. I just care that she's willing to help and I care that you love me so much. And that what's important, right? I am the one who loves you. She doesn't need to."

Finally, Harry actually broke a smile and it was a wonderful sight to Cait.

"In that case, you should see the look on her face. It was priceless," he teased and she smiled right back.

He came closer then, placing his hand on the glass and sighing heavily. "God, all I want right now is to just hold you," he confessed.

"You will. With time you will. And then we'll never be apart again," she assured him, covering his hand with her own even though she couldn't really feel it. "The moment all of this is over, we're getting back to our earth."

"Our earth? I like that… Snow…" he suddenly started and then stopped just as abruptly. "Ok, here it goes," he finally began again. "This whole situation got me thinking and… if something ever happens to me…"

"Harrison, don't you even dare say stuff like that." The mood was broken and she was just back to being sad and frustrated, taking her hand away from the glass.

"But I need to say it just in case. If something ever happens to me," he started again, holding her gaze bravely even though he could see it in her expression that his words were truly hurting her, "can I trust you to take care of Jesse?"

"Of course, Harry. That's what I'm here for," she assured him, trying to show him how much she loved him with her eyes, the lack of physical contact killing her.

"I'm glad. I know you're stronger than your mother ever was, Cait. In fact, you're invincible. I believe you can get up after anything and be there for those that still need you."

"But you will be there as well," she said then. "You will," she emphasized. "We both will and we will be happy."

He smiled sadly at that.

"Happily ever after."

"Totally."

They did not notice Carla standing at the entrance to the pipeline. She'd only come over to ask Caitlin something about the test results of her blood when she heard her and Wells talk. She couldn't possibly interrupt and now she just leaned back against the wall and closed her tired eyes. Those two truly loved each other and there was no room for her in their lives, she suddenly understood. And it was all her fault.

In that moment, an alarm sounded and both Caitlin and Harry looked at the exit, Carla actually jumping, startled by the sudden noise, making her presence known. Yet, none of them managed to comment on that as Harrison just ran straight towards the cortex, wondering what that might be all about and having the worst of feelings.

"What happened?!" Harry screamed at the team already gathered up in the cortex, not even registering that Carla followed him there.

"The sensors picked something up… Crap!" Cisco then cursed, switching to the feed in the pipeline and seeing not only Caitlin there but also Reverse Flash. "I guess he's got tired with waiting for her."

"Because she's stronger than he thought," Harry said, scratching his head and then making a dash for the door.

"Stop!" Barry stood in his way. "You can't go over there! He'll kill you and how's that gonna help Cait or Jesse? I'll go! And you're right. She is strong, but only because she's holding on to love!" he yelled and before he disappeared he shot Iris a well-known look. She only smiled sadly in return.

"Damn it!" Harry cursed, coming back to the screen. "Come on, Allen! Come on!"

When Reverse Flash just showed up right on the other side of Caitlin's prison, she recoiled, walking backwards, her pulse elevating, causing her to begin losing her control. And she couldn't. Wouldn't let Killer Frost come forward. That was out of the question!

"I guess I underestimated you," Eobard said when taking his mask off and then walking to the panel on the wall to set her free. "I'm done waiting patiently, Frosty. Come on out!" he raised his voice when turning back to her, the door now open.

And Caitlin just stood there, desperate not to leave the cell, desperate to hold on to herself now more than ever.

Right until he actually used his powers, that was.

She reacted then, shooting out with ice before she could stop herself and… she lost it. She just lost it. Disappeared. Went to sleep while Killer Frost took over, her hair growing white and her complexion pale.

"God, I want to kiss you right now," she said to Eobard.

"And you will. Once you'll get a hold on your powers. That and so, so much more," he added in a low, seductive voice and she smiled at that, not able to wait.

"Oh, please, don't make me sick," they heard a voice coming from behind and they turned to see the Flash there. "Now, I can't really let you leave, can I?"

"Like you have a choice, Allen," Thawne said, but before he managed to use his powers to which Barry was already preparing himself; they were both surprised by Frost who shot out with ice, effectively immobilizing Barry within a trap.

In that moment a portal opened and Cisco jumped through, trying to stop them as well, but they were faster. Eobard simply grabbed Killer Frost and sped off with her, hissing as the touch of her skin actually hurt him a little. That was nothing, though, he would soon heal and they would be together once she learnt some control.

"Damn it, Allen, I trusted you!" Harrison was just screaming and then he actually swept everything from the nearest table to the ground, along with the computer sitting there.

"Dude, that is so not cool!" Cisco protested immediately when getting into his way. "Calm the frack down!"

"Calm down?! Snow's gone! She's in the hands of a psychopath!" Wells roared, his eyes growing mad. "How are we supposed to get her back now?!"

"They can't leave this earth because there's no way out, so that's a plus," Iris pointed out. "We'll just proceed as planned. We'll figure out a way to get Cait back and we will."

"Yeah?! How!?" Wells still screamed.

"Actually," Carla just now spoke, still shocked by the turn of events and by the life her daughter seemed to be having. She truly couldn't understand why Caitlin would want to engage herself into the matters of any kind of a team while danger awaited every step, every moment. Maybe in the end she was just much braver than Carla ever was, but still… this was so not the life she wanted for her girl. Not that she had much of a say in it as she hadn't exactly been reaching out to her daughter ever since her husband and the girl's father had died. "Actually, I might have found a way. It just occurred to me now. I'll go and finish the cure."

"I wish I could say it was about time." Harrison sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Carla passed by Ray in the door, the guy walking inside the cortex, holding a device in his hand. "It's ready," he informed. "I'm pretty sure we can get Caitlin back with this."

"Then let's go find them and concoct a plan that actually makes sense," Harry decided. "Cisco?"

"On it!"

"Where's Jesse?" Wells then wondered, knowing they would need all the help they could get.

"Busy with a meta crisis on Earth Two," Ray provided with the info, "but I can suit up instead."

"Good, you do that."

Chapter Text

Once Caitlin's – or maybe rather Killer Frost's – cold signature was picked up by the satellite, they didn't really want to sit around and wait till Carla Tannhauser handed them the cure ready. They decided to act, taking the device the boys had come up with for a spin, figuring that even if they couldn't get rid of Cait's powers just yet, it didn't mean that they couldn't try and restore her back to her old self.

Once Barry, Cisco and Ray showed up on the scene, it turned out it wouldn't be as easy as it seemed even with the odds in their favor. The Reverse Flash was there, obviously, and he was a fierce opponent with years of experience on him. He wouldn't let them get to Caitlin, immediately attacking whereas Killer Frost didn't just stand there. She used her powers as well until she finally hit Ray, successfully managing to freeze his suit so he remained incapacitated. While Barry looked away from Thawne for a moment to make sure his new friend was all right, the Reverse Flash used that opportunity to strike him with a lightning bolt and before they knew it, Cisco was the only one remaining uninjured and making the choice to take his friends back to the Labs rather than try and fight. They stood no chance like this anyway and were definitely in need of a much better strategy.

The absence of Caitlin, who was usually the one taking care of the injured, made itself painfully known and they actually considered asking Carla for help when Jesse showed up, having already dealt with the meta on her earth and started checking the boys up. In the end, there was no actual danger. Ray would be fine, but he needed to keep warm as he suffered from slight hypothermia, his suit thawing in the lab. Barry was in much better condition, but felt defeated.

"We need a better plan!" he raised his voice when hitting the table with his fist, being so close to actually losing it. The truth was that he hated the fact that Caitlin had once again found herself in the crossfire on this earth. Right now it seemed safer for her to stay away from the team, to just come back to Earth Two. Barry missed her as she was his friend, but he saw now the reason behind her leaving. Who was he to deny her that anyways? If she wanted to look for her own happy ending, she should just do it and she did find it. Only now everything was once again shaken in its core and he truly didn't know how to help anymore, how to get her back. He risked a glance at Wells, but he was just sitting by Caitlin's old desk, his head in his hands, the counter supporting his elbows. He looked defeated as well and worse even, he reminded Barry of a man completely broken down, teased and let down by life over and over again.

In that moment, Carla showed up in the entrance to the cortex, looking around and registering the morose mood. She guessed she came just in time.

"It's ready," was enough for her to say for Harry to get up from his seat and made his way to her, taking the small vial from her hands without a word and just staring at the cure in there.

"Will it work?" he asked and she tried not to frown at his brusqueness, by now a little used to it. The fact that this man seemed to love her daughter with all of his heart and be there for Caitlin for better and worse – something that her own mother couldn't do – made it all better in the end, though.

"I'm positive," she answered him. "Also, I think you should be the one to admit it to Caitlin," she then said and Harry looked at her in surprise. "I think that if anyone can get close enough to her, it's you," she then added in explanation. "I…" she started again while he was just standing there, staring, "I don't really know what to think of you as a person," she was determined to just let it out, "but then I realize that I don't have to. My daughter has chosen you for a reason and when I see the two of you together I actually see how much you love each other. I used to have that, too, you know. And I lost it. So I know how devastating that feeling can be. It…" she sighed before saying, "it simply sucks all the life out of you and leaves you this empty shell that doesn't even know how to go on living anymore without the other person there. I might not entirely like you, dr. Wells, but I do respect you, because you already lost your first wife and still did a wonderful job taking care of your daughter, so… you're already stronger than I've ever been. You've been there for Caitlin and I am grateful for that. You… somehow you saved her."

When the woman finished, there was awkward silence in the room and eventually Harrison cleared his throat before speaking roughly, "Well, thank you, dr. Tannhauser. It really means a lot to hear that and… yeah, I should probably apologize for…"

"Don't mention it." Carla actually smiled to him when waving her hand. "I deserved that."

"Well, that you did. I couldn't agree more," he admitted, remembering how he screamed at her and he knew he made a terrible mistake just then. "I mean…"

"Yeah… Harry… we really need to brush you up on some social skills once all of this is over," Cisco came to his rescue when getting to the man and patting his shoulder. "Now, I don't think we'll get a third chance at this, so we must come up with the perfect plan. I get you, dr. Tannhauser, when it comes to Harry being the only one that can get close enough to Cait, but the thing is that it's not Caitlin anymore…"

"Actually," Harry broke in, a strange glint appearing in his eyes, "I might just have the perfect idea."

They had only one shot, but they truly believed that this time they would manage.

As soon as Cisco opened a breach again, having located the Reverse Flash who was apparently out, training Killer Frost how to use and control her powers; Barry got through, keeping his arch nemesis occupied and doing his best to pull him away from Frost.

Just then, Jesse came into action, attacking the evil version of her step mom, making sure the woman's vision of her equally evil partner was obscured.

Finally, Cisco opened another breach so Barry and the Reverse Flash would run straight into it, giving Harry the opportunity to show up.

Jesse, seeing that, deliberately ran into Killer Frost's line of fire, pretending to be horribly injured and falling down to the ground.

"Caitlin!" Frost then heard Eobard calling her and she whirled around with relief obvious on her face as she spotted him making his way to her. He had his suit and the mask on.

"I was worried there for a moment," she admitted when closing the remaining distance between them herself. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, please. You should know better than to think that Flash is actually a match for me," he answered her. Then he made a sudden movement and she was rendered shocked when she felt the stab of a needle in her arm.

The look she gave him as she made a step backwards, holding on to the place where he injected her with something, was full of betrayal and disbelief. And then he pulled the mask back and she saw the difference clearly. He was Harrison Wells all right, but it wasn't her Wells.

"You may get rid of my powers," she then said in a voice full of venom, already feeling the ice receding, already feeling herself turning back to human, "but you will never get her back!" she threatened.

"I beg to differ," he just said and before she could react, now actually having no powers to defend herself, he stuck something to her forehead. "I'm sorry, but you were the one who started this," he added when she placed her hands to her head, screaming because it hurt so much. "You decided to leave your own body behind and take someone else's and I cannot let you get away with it."

He was watching her intently, looking for any sigh of his Caitlin coming back in those blank eyes of hers when… her whole body went inert and she simply collapsed to the ground.

"Snow!" Harry screamed, getting to her and holding her up just in time so she would have a soft landing as he got down to the ground with her. "Caitlin! Wake up!"

Only she didn't.

There was a whoosh of air and Harrison could tell that the Reverse Flash was back with Barry, Jesse and Cisco in toe, but he couldn't care less at the moment. He left that problem to the speedsters and Vibe, not tearing his eyes away from Caitlin.

"You cannot win," he heard Barry telling Thawne just then. "Your Caitlin is gone and you're just one person against all of us."

Harry didn't know if Thawne escaped or not, but he was still on the ground, holding Caitlin without being attacked, so that was a plus.

"Snow, please, wake up," he said it one more time and then checked her pulse. It was faint, but it was there. "Snow, please. I love you and I cannot lose you, ok? You are the love of my life, so please, just come back to me, ok?" He hated that his voice was coming out all broken, that he himself seemed to be on the verge of crying, panicking more than ever before because he'd never actually come so close to losing her. He couldn't even bear the thought of it. "You know, your mother told me today that I was strong because I could handle a loss, but the truth is that I cannot. I simply can't lose you, Snow! In fact, you and Jesse mean so much to me that I would leave everything else behind without any regrets just for you," he kept on telling her, feeling her breathe, but still not able to explain why she wasn't waking up. He wasn't even sure there was a person left in this body. He couldn't tell whether Killer Frost got rid of her counterpart forever or not… He reached his hand to her cheek and stroked it gently. "Snow? Caitlin," he tried one more time, now actually feeling his tears escaping his eyes, but he didn't even care anymore. Because without her nothing mattered. "Snow, I love you so much that I'd even move to this earth just to be with you if you wanted to stay here. Just don't you dare leave me!"

He came to a sudden stop, not able to say another word as he buried his face in her hair, sobbing, knowing he was making quite a scene for the rest of the people who were gathered up around him, waiting with bated breaths, praying so that Caitlin would just open her eyes already.

And then a miracle happened. He heard her say, "That was just about the sweetest thing I have ever heard."

He stilled and then slowly, as though still not able to believe it, prolonging the moment he would have to check whether that really came from her and whether she was awake; he pulled away and looked at her. Her eyes were opened and there was a bright smile on her face and fresh tears in her eyes. "And just so you know, even in this ridiculous suit I can still tell it's you. I can always tell."

He ignored that remark, just gasping, "Oh, thank God!" And pulling her in, crashing his lips against hers, kissing her with all his might, pouring all the love and life he had into her.

They ended up hugging on the ground and then Jesse joined them, happily putting her arms around her father and Cait.

"Damn, we did good," Cisco commented when patting Barry's back.

"It was a damn good plan," his friend admitted with a smile. "Only it's too bad this team will be down three people soon."

"Four. You're forgetting Ray."

"Oh, right. Four."

"Then again, it's not really our team. It's theirs," Barry pointed Harrison and Caitlin.

When they all got up from the floor, Harry reaching his hand to Caitlin to help her out and steadying her, they heard him asking, "Will you marry me?"

They watched the couple in stunned silence. There was surprise on Caitlin's face at first but then she just smiled brightly at her partner and answered the only way she ever could with fresh tears glistening in her eyes, "Of course!"

"Now, who would think we'd actually be having an engagement party tonight?" Cisco asked Barry and they both smiled, watching the happy couple embracing on the street. "Though never ever in my wildest dreams had I thought I'd be watching Cait kissing the Reverse Flash after he actually proposed."

"He's not the Reverse Flash!" the woman in question heard that and immediately felt appalled by the insinuation.

"Yeah, we all know that, Cait!" Cisco argued. "But just… just look at him! He can totally pull it off!"

"How about you just breach us back to the Labs, Crisco?" Wells just asked.

"Or not."

They were all back in the Labs, celebrating with some music playing from the speakers in the cortex and some Big Belly Burger takeout with a dessert that Barry ran to get. It was the perfect party as Cisco even breached Felicity from Earth Two there. She was a little apprehensive around all the new faces at first, but she quickly relaxed, now sitting in Ray's laps, his arms around her.

Caitlin was just slowly kissing Harry, something that she felt the need to do again and didn't care about the crowd surrounding them at all. When they tore apart from each other, not wanting things to get too heated up, she settled comfortably in his arms, watching all the people celebrating there with her and feeling so grateful that they were all in her life, that they'd all come to an understanding after all the trouble they'd had. She was happy to be able to call all of them her friends, happy about the team she and Harry had completed on his earth and most importantly, she was looking forward to the future as she was now engaged, Harry promising to buy her a ring once they were back on Earth Two when actually enlisting the superiority of that jewelry over the one available here. She did point out to him that he was probably just saying that because he was quite literally penniless on this earth, in answer only receiving that once she'd see the rings in his world, she'd change her mind. She did state then that she didn't really need one, just him by her side.

They wanted to come back to Earth Two because no matter what he'd said to her that time when she'd struggled so hard to just wake up and come back to him, able to hear him but somehow not able to move her body just yet; she would never ask him to move. Her home was in his world now and she couldn't wait to make her way back there. Although, she thought when watching Wally and Jesse talking in the far corner of the cortex, they might actually travel back and forth quite often, seeing how well those two were getting along.

In that moment, Caitlin's mother stood awkwardly in the entrance, taking into the scene in front of her eyes and finally locating her daughter. When she saw how happy and relaxed Caitlin seemed to be in the arms of the man she loved, she decided to leave, but her daughter spotted her just then and got up, walking over to her.

"Mom, I… I can't even begin to thank you for all your help. You're the reason why I'm here today and to why I'm finally so free and so happy," she said through constricted throat because what her mother had done really saved Cait's life and her future with Harrison.

"I just did what a mother should," Carla dismissed that, clearly feeling awkward when met with so many emotions and actual affection from her daughter. "Besides, the real credit goes to your friends. They're the ones who brought you back."

"But you got rid of the powers I never wanted and made the future I truly want possible, so don't try to diminish all your credit, ok?" Caitlin asked and then she actually put her arms around Carla. She truly couldn't remember the last time they'd hugged, the gesture feeling so strange now, but she knew they had to start somewhere. Once her mother was back in her life, she didn't want to let her go again because she knew now that time and people around her, her family, it was all too precious to just let go.

To her surprise, her mother did eventually hug her back before pulling away hastily, feeling all awkward.

"Why don't you join us?" Caitlin suggested then, but Carla said she really needed to return to her work. "Just… please, drop by every time I pay this earth a visit, will you? I'd hate for us to become strangers again."

"I will," Carla promised with a nod and her daughter could swear a stray tear appeared in the older woman's eyes before she wiped at it stealthily. "Caity, your father would be very happy for you and so very proud of the woman you've become."

Caitlin smiled brightly. "Thanks, mom."

"And just so you know… I admit it was hard for me to get used to the man you've chosen, but Cisco was right when he said Harrison will grow on me," she then added. "Because in the end, the only thing that truly matters to me is that he makes you happy and that he loves you more than any other man could."

"Your acceptance really means the world to me," Caitlin smiled again through her tears. "I love you, mom."

"Bye… and… yes, I… I love you, too," Carla added but she did avoid her daughter's eyes when saying that. Finally, she left and Snow just came back to the man she loved.

"Ready to go home?" he asked when standing up and reaching for her hand.

"Oh, hell yes!"

"So soon?" Cisco seemed disappointed. "Well, all right! I will breach you all there, but remember to drop by from time to time, ok?"

"You got it," Harry assured him with a smile and then he surprised everyone present when putting his arms around the man.

Only once Cisco hugged him back, Caitlin immediately noticed the change in her younger friend's expression. It actually turned terrified.

There was something dark seeping into their world from a small rift… It was coming from a place where nothing resided but darkness and emptiness. It was incomparable to anything on any of the earths and dangerous as nothing they'd faced so far. In fact, Cisco's brain couldn't just grasp what it was before he was pulled into another vision.

Harry was running down the hallway, leading a small group of terrified people, urging them on as he stayed behind to make sure they all got in all right… then next thing Cisco saw was Harry disappearing around a corner briefly before he heard a small pop, like an explosion and all that he registered was the shower of blood in its wake that stained the floor, leaving nothing behind.

Cisco pulled away from Harrison, horrified and it was just then that the older man registered something happening.

"Cisco…" he heard his fiancée ask in fear, "what did you just vibe?"

"Oh, holy mother of…" Cisco gasped, closing his eyes and placing his hands on his head.

"Ramon?" Harry asked when his younger friend finally opened his eyes and looked in his direction, horrified.

Chapter Text

"It was… I mean… It felt like an emptiness, void of some kind… I can't really explain it," Cisco still did his best to try, all the pairs of eyes in the cortex now focused on him. He raised his hand and scratched his head before continuing. "It seemed alien somehow, like a dark substance slipping into our world to devour it or something. And I think…" he hesitated just then, risking a glance in Harry's direction. The older man folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes when listening intently. "I think we might've actually released it."

"Wait, what?" Barry asked. "What do you mean?"

"When we defeated Zoom," Cisco followed, "we thought that whatever he started, we stopped, but I think we were too late. I saw a rift of some kind and the only explanation that comes to my head is that it's a breach in time and space. I saw this world falling to pieces… I saw…" He came to a sudden stop, refusing to mention what he predicted about Harry and in the end he finished with, "people dying in a very… brutal way."

"Great," Harry summarized. "There goes our trip home," he said then and noticed Caitlin sadden. "Hey, it's gonna be all right. I know this sounds scary, but we're still here. We'll figure it out. We just have to work together," he comforted her when putting an arm around her and pressing her to his side. "We got the best and brightest minds here and if there's need for that, I can also mobilize the whole S.T.A.R. Labs on my earth to help. We will figure this out."

There was something that wouldn't let him rest, though and it was the way Ramon seemed to be looking at him when he thought Harry didn't notice. Exactly that told Wells to follow his younger friend down the corridor when he saw him leave.

"Ramon!" he called after him and the guy came to a sudden stop, placing his hands on his hips and sighing heavily.

"Great," he said before he slowly turned around to face Harrison, faking a huge smile on his face. "What's up?!"

"You know you're a terrible liar and your poker face is also awful, don't you?" Wells just stated, folding his arms over his chest again and looking at Cisco expectantly.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" It sounded more like a question in the end than an actual sentence or assurance, so it only made Harry more curious.

"Spill," he simply said.

"There's nothing to…"

"Ramon. The whole truth. Now. You must've vibed me when you touched me. I'm not stupid."

"Not exactly the words I would use…"

In answer he only received a furious glare.

"You're… You're just too smart for you own good, man!"

"I know, now give me the whole story."

"Ok! Fine!" The guy finally gave up and grabbed Wells's arm before pulling him into an empty lab nearby.

"Will she be all right?" Harry asked just then.

"Who?"

"Caitlin. Jesse. Take your pick," he enumerated quickly, rolling his eyes, clearly impatient.

"Yeah, man, totally. It's…" Cisco hesitated once more when he met Wells's eyes. "It's actually you I'm worried about."

"What about me?"

"Um…"

"Will I die?"

"Um…"

"Damn it, Ramon!" Harrison suddenly hollered, getting to Cisco, grabbing him and actually shaking him. "Will I die?!"

"YES! Ok?! Is this what you wanted to hear?! You die!" Cisco exclaimed and once Harry finally let him go, suddenly seeming lifeless, he felt awful for breaking the news this way. "Man, I'm sorry… I…"

"How?" Wells only asked through clenched teeth in the end.

"There was… or rather will be something after us. I can't exactly explain it just yet as you saw back in the cortex… So, I saw you leading us to somewhere… to the pipeline, I think… and then you suddenly turned around the corner, coming back for something or trying to stop something, I have no way of knowing… and I heard a loud pop like a small explosion and all that I saw was a quite literal shower of blood as though you… you know… exploded."

There was sudden silence while Harrison was processing those words and Cisco truly had no idea what else to add or maybe how to comfort the man. They might lean more towards friends rather than frenemies right now, but still…

"So you didn't exactly see me being blown to pieces?" was all Harry asked then, seeming immersed deeply in his thoughts.

"No, but as soon as you disappeared from my view, I saw that rain of…"

"…blood?" Wells pointed out helpfully.

"Yeah…"

"Why would I go back?"

"I don't know! To save the rest?! Sacrifice yourself?!"

"Ramon, you've clearly watched too many movies."

"How else can you explain it?!"

"I don't know," the older man finally sighed, giving up. He released all the air he kept in his lungs and now seemed deflated to Cisco, almost defeated. "Promise me Snow and Jesse won't find out," he then surprised him with asking.

"Harry!" Cisco protested loudly.

"Promise me," he repeated, emphasizing his words and adding a glare for a bigger effect.

Honestly, at this moment Cisco could swear he saw a glimpse of the Reverse Flash in those blue eyes.

"But they have the right to know, Harry."

"What for? To worry even more? Do you have any idea what losing me would do to them now? Jesse already lost a mother and Snow lost her first love. Losing me would break them, but in the end I guess I'm glad they will have each other."

"Hey! No!" Cisco suddenly exclaimed when seeing the defeat all over Harry's face. "No! You don't get to give up!" The older man turned around, so Cisco just faced him again, forcing him to look back at him. "You don't get to give up! The future isn't set in stone and we should all know it! Iris was supposed to die last year and she didn't! Just because I vibed something, it doesn't mean it'll come true!"

"Then help me stop it," Harry simply said and in response Ramon could only nod.

By the time they came back to the cortex, the rest was talking things over, trying to figure it all out, but they were coming up empty-handed so far. Harrison avoided Snow's eyes when he entered the room and just then he thought that was his biggest mistake because she would immediately know that something was, indeed, wrong.

Luckily for him, though, Cisco provided the welcomed distraction when leaning against the wall, hit with another vision.

"What did you see?" Barry asked him as soon as it seemed to be over, everyone's attention now focused on Vibe.

"People… exploding. I'm sorry, guys. I can't explain it any other way," Cisco said as though he'd already told them that particular detail. Which he hadn't, actually, but he was too distressed by now to notice. Caitlin immediately picked up on it, getting worried.

"Exploding how exactly?" she asked in confusion. "Is there a bomb somewhere? But if you can also see the future, then maybe we have the time to stop it?"

Cisco just shook his head in response, wincing in pain.

"It's not that. It's like whatever is slipping through to our world somehow distorts it, puts it off balance… I had this terrible feeling during my first vibe and now again… I need to sit down…" He staggered to a chair into which Barry actually had to help him. "Something's happening to the people close to that… thing."

"Death?" Wells provided with his guess. "If all the earths are all about life, then I guess what's beyond is death. It's nothing. The polar opposite of life and growth."

"There must be something in it to destabilize the cells in human body," Snow just came up with, a characteristic spark appearing in her eyes that happened every time she was onto something. And it only brought so much of unexpected pain to Harry because he realized, as though it just now hit him, that he might not even manage to marry her, not to mention spend the rest of his life with her. He might not get to see that spark in her eyes every time she had an amazing idea or figured something difficult out. And he hated that. In fact, it made him so terribly sad he thought he might not take it in the end. He didn't care that he would die. All he cared about was leaving the people he loved behind and the fact that they would grief for him. That his death would bring such tremendous pain to them. Honestly, despite Snow and Jesse having each other, he wasn't entirely sure they would be able to handle it.

"You know, it could be that human cells are being depolarized, acting out, turning against one another instead of working together. They could all explode, the strain becoming too much and them… kaboom," Caitlin finished and Harry flinched on hearing her say that.

Kaboom – he thought, suddenly feeling sick. Kaboom – there goes Harry. Kaboom – there goes her future.

He could feel her eyes on him now, but he truly had no strength to look into them. She would read too much from it.

Though she could also read as much as by him not reacting at all, so he was basically screwed.

"Barry!" Cisco suddenly explained and then got to his computer. "There it is! I vibed this place," he showed it to his friend on the map. "Maybe you'll be able to stop it, but be careful, ok?"

The Flash was already gone and it was obvious to them all that Jesse also wanted to follow, but she hesitated. And good thing she did because Harry immediately forbid her and she did listen, probably too scared herself.

"I think other worlds are being affected, too," Cisco said when rubbing his temples.

"Obviously," Harry confirmed. "The whole multiverse is being affected."

"So Zoom wouldn't succeed if he managed to try this," Caitlin guessed, "because he would only release this… this… void onto the world."

"Who knows?" Wells shrugged. "Maybe with the machine used right he could actually harness this power, but it would not be, as I initially thought, a power to create. It would be the opposite. The opposite of what God does."

Barry came back, seeming breathless, which was strange when it came to him.

"Are you all right?!" Iris got to him, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady him.

"Guys… I…" He just shook his head. "I wasn't able to stop it. Whatever it is… it feels like it's draining the power from you, slowing you down… people seemed to sense it, but…" He only shook his head again and they understood perfectly what he meant by that.

"How long do we have?" Jesse asked, terrified and holding onto Wally's hand.

"It's hard to say. Maybe hours. Maybe days," Felicity informed when taking a look at one of the computers, probably doing some calculations and trying to build up a proper time line.

"Then we better get to work. We need to figure out a way to close the rift," Harrison said. "Come on! We don't have the whole day! I need the blueprints of the Mercury Labs machine back! If we reverse its initial settings and switch them to opposite, maybe we can work this out!"

Caitlin tried very hard to be helpful when they all gathered up in the cortex, Harrison actually opening up a communication line with the best minds of S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth Two; but she couldn't. In fact, all she could do was to look at him when biting her lip and wondering why he refused to meet her eyes. The truth was that ever since he'd come back with Cisco to the cortex, he'd been acting weird and there was more. There was some weight on his shoulders now, bringing him down, she could tell. She knew him all too well and she loved him too damn much.

That was why when he took a brief respite, leaving things in the hands of their friends and walked away to grab something to eat from the fridge in their social room, she followed and then closed the door behind them, trapping them inside.

"Snow," he sounded surprised when he saw her there, looking at him expectantly. "Did you want something, too?" he asked.

"Don't play games with me, Harry," she just said, her voice already sounding tired. And she had the right to be. After all, they'd already been through too much and she so wasn't ready for another crisis.

He did it again. He avoided her eyes.

"Talk to me," she encouraged him. "Tell me everything about Cisco's vibe, because obviously, the both of you are hiding something." She made her way to him until she was standing right in front of him, looking into his eyes expectantly and he finally caved, meeting her hazels. "It's that bad?" she just gasped, seeing the defeated expression there and the obvious pain. "Harry, what is it?"

"It's… me," he finally said and she didn't need anything more. She understood. Cisco vibed people being blown to pieces – oh, no, scratch that - she corrected since nothing seemed to be left from them anyway. Harry must've been the first person Cisco saw it happen to.

Next thing Caitlin knew, she suddenly burst out crying. And it didn't just start as it usually did but feeling something tightening in your chest and your eyes prickling until you couldn't possibly stop the tears from flowing anymore. It was a full on despair as she just started sobbing desperately and did the only thing she could, which was pressing her body into Harry's chest, his arms automatically closing around her, holding her as she cried.

It was as though the ground disappeared from under her feet, a void already pulling her in. Because he was the one who always seemed to be steadying her. He was her love, her anchor. She couldn't lose this. Without him… she'd be nothing, she realized.

"It's gonna be ok," he whispered then when his hold on her tightened and he buried his face in her hair, breathing her in while he still could.

"How can you know that?!" she screamed, her hands clenching over his biceps to a point when he actually felt pain but didn't protest all the same.

"It was just a vision. Besides, Cisco didn't exactly see it happen to me." Harrison quickly summarized it all for her, realizing how silly it was of him to keep it from her in the first place. She would find out eventually anyway because however hard he tried, he just wasn't that good of an actor to be able to hide it. And in the end, he always owed her the truth no matter how difficult it was to hear.

Caitlin, on the other hand, just realized that she might be a little too much in love with this man. That in the end it might actually not be healthy despite everyone dreaming about that kind of love.

Because losing him would destroy her, obliterate her completely and she knew that this time she would not be able to pull herself back from it. He was a part of her now, he was in her, in her heart and sometimes she swore it felt as though they shared one soul, so how could she possibly be without him?

"I love you so much," she eventually whispered as the tears ceased to flow. She pulled away a little to be able to look into those beautiful blue eyes of his that were so full of love. She couldn't even imagine them dead.

Not that that would happen with the whole exploding…

She shivered, so he put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her and she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything without him. In the end, she did the only thing she thought she was able at the moment - she kissed him. She kissed him lovingly, bruisingly, deeply and before she knew it, she was leading him out the door and into the nearest guest room.

Maybe they should be going back to the cortex to work some more, but Harrison had already come up with everything. All that was left was building, adjusting, setting. That Ray could handle in his suit and Cisco with his genius.

So Caitlin pulled Harry to bed with no remorse.

She slowly took his clothes off, watching him, watching his body, his eyes.

She undressed herself and sat on his lap, her legs winding around his waist, her arms around his neck.

She kissed him deeply again, never wanted to stop. She just wished to pour all the love she felt for him into that kiss and she felt as though it was working because he seemed to be doing the same. She wasn't herself anymore, she wasn't just one person. She was one with him on every level and love like that, love so deep and overwhelming was too strong to destroy, she decided when raising up a little to take him inside and groaning as she could feel him slowly sliding into her, filling her in so perfectly, giving her so much pleasure with every inch that was sinking in until he was there all the way, buried to the hilt.

He surprised her when he turned them over so he was the one on top now, still being inside of her and starting to move when looking into her eyes, showing her how much he loved her. Showing her they could fight this.

They would fight destiny no matter the cost.

What they didn't know was that destiny had a funny way of actually taking what it'd wanted anyway.

Chapter Text

It didn't come as a surprise to the team that one day wasn't enough to figure everything out. They hadn't even gone to sleep the night before, just hanging out in the cortex, desperately trying to stop a quite literal end of the world – or maybe words for that matter. Caitlin managed to get a little shut eye in the moment she wasn't needed for her biochemical skills and a few other members had been taking short breaks to rest, but in overall, in the morning they were all exhausted and just now as Caitlin appeared in the cortex again, her face looking green as she most definitely did not feel good; Barry was just speeding off to check out another place that the void as Cisco had named it was about to strike.

"Remember to take those measurements!" Harrison called after the speedster, wondering whether the man even heard him. He needed those, damn it, for the right settings for the machine. Though, even despite acquiring all the needed knowledge, they were still going blind and it was downward frustrating. In fact, trying to save the world by doing something no one had ever done in any of the worlds kind of tramped worrying about his own apparent and imminent death, so it provided a good distraction. At least until Harry's eyes shifted to Caitlin.

"My God, Snow. What's wrong?" he asked, immediately being by her side and placing his hands on her shoulders when looking her in the eye. "Are you sick? Can it have anything to do with the void?"

She shook her head, still too stunned by her recent discovery – or maybe she'd just rather finally admitted it as she'd suspected from quite some time. She thought she might've been doing that ever since Jesse had been gone and Harry had taken her in her lab.

She started to chew her lower lip when not even realizing it and Wells had trouble taking his eyes away from it, just wishing for the image to sink in. He wanted to make as many memories as possible before… What? Before he would die? Why would he need memories if he was certain that even in death he wouldn't leave Caitlin's side until she was dead, too? Or maybe he would have to eventually, because he didn't want her life to go to waste just because he was gone. Still, something told him that she wouldn't fall for yet another man. Losing two she loved seemed like enough. In fact, it seemed like enough to break a person completely and successfully render her unable to start any relationship ever again. And it was the last thing he wanted for her, therefore he needed to do everything in his power not to let that happen.

"Can we… Can we talk?" Caitlin eventually asked because she knew she couldn't keep this from him any longer. He deserved to know. And maybe exactly that knowledge would push him to fight harder for his survival. Not that she was questioning it. She just wanted to give him one last incentive.

"Sure. I have to wait for Allen to come back anyway," he agreed easily and then took her hand, leading her out of the cortex and into the nearest abandoned lab where they sat themselves on the single stair, of which there always seemed to be an abundance in the Labs on the contrary to actual chairs.

"Caitlin, I know this is hard for you. But I promise you, I will do anything in my…" he started again then, still holding on to her hand.

"No, Harry. That's not it," she interrupted him, not wanting to waste any time since Barry could come back any second. "There's just something I have to tell you."

"Oh?" he seemed surprised as he lifted his eyes to meet hers and just then he noticed how nervous she truly was. "Caitlin, you can tell me anything," he assured her, stroking her hand gently.

"I've been feeling… nauseous recently," she began slowly, looking aside. "Especially in the mornings and…" She bit that lip again and in the end decided to just blurt it out, "This morning I couldn't wait any longer. I made a blood test and it came out positive." Finally, she looked up into his face and saw a slightly stunned look there.

"What…?" he started and stopped, swallowing before he finally got the question out, "What are you trying to say, Snow?"

"That I'm… that we are going to have a baby, Harry," she finally revealed and the expression she just now saw on his face was the best and the worst thing. The best – because it was happiness and disbelief and maybe even a stray tear in his eye as he took the information in. The worst – because soon pain followed. Pain that he might not be there to see this child grow, to call him father, to relay on him and to let him teach him or her everything a father should.

A moment later the tear actually wandered down from his eye to his cheek as he was just sitting there in shock.

In the end, it was Caitlin who raised her hand to his face to catch it, feeling the drop of salty water on her fingers.

"Harry…" she said right then, but he only closed his eyes, pain visible all over his face. "Maybe we could run away together now that…" she hinted and was shut down immediately when he shook his head. "Why not? Shouldn't this baby be more important than anything else? Than anyone else but us? Our family? It's you, me, Jesse and the baby now, Harry."

"You don't…" his voice came out broken and he stopped for a moment, trying to compose himself. "You don't understand, Caitlin. It doesn't matter whether we run or stay. The void will get us eventually."

"I… I know that, damn it, but I just… I just thought we somehow… oh, God…" She was beginning to cry again and she hated herself for being this weak. Could she maybe blame her pregnancy hormones already?

"The best chance for us is to stay and to work together. This is the only way to save us," he told her when putting an arm around her and pressing her to his side. "If running away worked, I would've done it already because you and Jesse are everything to me. You're all that truly matters."

"We have to make it, Harry," Caitlin said in a broken voice then, clinging to his chest, burying her face in his sweater, breathing him in and listening to his heartbeat till she still could. And she never wanted to stop. She wanted him always there. In five, ten, twenty years… she wanted him. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Period. "You have to pull through."

"I will do my best. We will all do our best. I'm sure of it. We can always console ourselves by the fact that Cisco didn't exactly see it all happen with his eyes."

Caitlin nodded, not able to get any other word out. She just settled for enjoying the moment, enjoying being this close to the man she loved more than anything. The man who gave her the one thing missing in her life, the one thing she craved for – a baby. And she needed to make sure they would both be there to see him or her grow up.

As they were just sitting there, embraced, they didn't see Cisco standing in the open door. He'd come over to tell them that Barry was back and he actually did have what Harry had asked him for, but then the younger man just stopped, shamelessly eavesdropping. He wasn't even sorry. He needed to hear it. He needed to hear about the baby, about Caitlin's fears, about their love. And he needed to make sure they would both walk out of this alive.

Eventually, Cisco made a fuss of going down the corridor and to the room where Caitlin and Harry were in, so they would hear him in time and manage to compose themselves.

Once they were all back in the cortex, Harry quickly checking the data Barry had managed to get, a frown marring his handsome face as he was doing his best so it would simply be perfect, so there would be no room for error. Caitlin was watching him working with slightly terrified eyes, the magnitude of the whole situation catching up with her fully and she had trouble to even stand still, feeling dizzy out of the sudden. Because she might truly lose this man and she didn't know what to do next. She just couldn't go on like this without him. The baby she was now carrying, they were going to raise it together, to love it together. They were going to be a family. It was everything she could have ever asked for, her career and everything else be damned. This was all she wanted. And it might be taken away from her.

Jesse, seeing her distress and the panic slowly welling up in her, walked over to her soon-to-be stepmother and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I won't let anything happen to him," she assured her and Caitlin just nodded, swallowing tears.

In that moment, Harry raised his head and met her eyes. There was obvious concern mirrored in his, but then he just put his tools and pencil away, declaring the small thingy that would be inserted into the bigger machine they'd built on top of the S.T.A.R. Labs, ready.

Just like on cue, in that moment an alarm sounded before it came to a sudden stop, all the computer screens flickering and then dying.

"What… What just happened?" Iris asked, fear evident in her voice.

"I'm pretty sure the void is getting closer," Cisco said nervously, shifting his eyes from Harry to Barry and then to Ray. "Guys, better hurry! Get to the machine before it catches up with us!"

While Barry kissed Iris briefly and then sped off and Ray flew in his Atom suit, the rest just stayed behind, waiting in nervous anticipation.

They knew they didn't have much time. Judging from the electronic devices going down, they had actually very, very little time.

And it was just then that Harry had a light bulb moment, everything coming into place in his head.

"The pipeline!" he exclaimed.

"What about it?" Felicity asked, shaken up.

"We need to go there. If we lock ourselves up there… it may give us more time. The walls of the particle accelerator might buy us a few precious minutes before the void gets there, too."

"No! No, we can't!" Caitlin suddenly exclaimed, her face white as paper as she realized the implications. "Harry, did you forget Cisco's vision?! We can't go there! It's where… it's where…"

"… it happens," Jesse finished after her.

"We do not have the time!" Harry raised his voice, checking the clock and estimating how much time it would take Barry to activate the machine. How much time it would have to pass before it started working… or maybe rather if.

Getting to the pipeline was their only chance at survival.

"If we stay, we'll definitely die!" he added and turned to his daughter. "Jesse, speed us all there! NOW!"

Caitlin was just about ready to protest when she felt herself being suddenly grabbed and there she was, standing right next to the opening to the cell in the pipeline and… nothing.

She froze, looking at the entrance, terrified of why no one else was showing up.

Then finally, after few more seconds she heard a group of people running and that was when her heart sunk. Because this was already happening. Harry… Cisco's vision…

"I tried to open up a portal, but my powers don't work anymore!" Cisco yelled when running into the pipeline.

Caitlin was already there by his side, trying to get past him, but he held on to her.

"He's right behind me," he tired calming her down. "Don't worry."

"But…"

"Hey! I ain't gonna let you go there, ok?! You're pregnant!"

Caitlin stilled right then. "How…?" Her eyes grew bigger as she realized that Cisco must've listened on to her conversation with Harry, but she had bigger problems right now. Like maybe making sure Harry would get into that cell with her before being blown to minuscule pieces.

A few people quickly ran right past her and Cisco. She didn't even register who it was exactly. She just wanted to find herself in Harry's arms again…

Yet, Cisco began pulling her in the opposite direction and she really wished she'd had her powers back because then she would be able to ice him and set herself free. Truth be told, she was still too nauseous and weak to actually be a match for him, fighting this weakness first and doing her best not to throw up on the floor.

And then she finally saw him. And Jesse.

"Oh, thank God!" She was already reaching her hand out to him, so relieved to see that he was all right and already got further in than in Cisco's vision. For a moment there, she thought everything would be all right, that maybe Barry already turned the machine on and it worked.

Only then, just when Jesse was safely in the cell and Harry was reaching for Caitlin's hand, they heard Joe, who was apparently there already with Cecile, calling out Iris's name.

They all looked around. The woman wasn't there.

And when Caitlin looked back at Harry, he was also gone.

"NOOOO! HARRY! COME BACK HERE!" she roared as though someone was just murdering her. It actually felt like that. Like someone put a knife to her chest and kept slowly sinking it in inch by inch, cracking her open, sucking the life out of her. It hurt. It hurt so damn much.

And it hurt even more when they heard the ominous pop and there was a pool a blood on the floor.

"DAD! NOOOOO!" Jesse was screaming and she with Caitlin wanted to run out of the cell, not caring about the void, just caring for the man who was apparently gone.

Cisco paled, feeling his failure lying heavily on him, but he held on to Caitlin whereas Felicity kept Jesse in check. They couldn't let them leave or else they'd be killed, too.

And just then, when the door to the cell was already closing and Joe was still screaming for Iris… there was a figure running through the entrance and straight to the cell. Figure dressed all in black. A male. Male who made it just in the last moment and one of his arms was closing around Caitlin whom Cisco finally let go and the other reaching for stunned Jesse.

"I'm here. I'm ok. Snow, I'm ok," Caitlin heard his voice and could feel his body pressed against her, but she couldn't seem to move, too shocked with everything that just happened.

After a few more seconds, she finally managed to realize that she wasn't dreaming, that Harry was, indeed, alive and well and with her.

"I was… I tried to save her, Joe…" she then heard him explaining to the detective. "I'm sorry. She's gone. I got back for her, but it got her first."

"Who?" Joe still asked in a shaky voice as though the pool of blood they could see even from here wasn't enough of an explanation.

Caitlin still couldn't get over her shock, just now her arms finally seeming to work as she put them around Harry's chest, pressing herself into his body, breathing him in and sobbing frantically into his black sweater. And she wasn't the only one. Jesse was clinging to them both as well, laughing and crying in the same time.

"I… was so… I thought… Oh, God," Caitlin's legs gave up underneath her, but Harry held on to her strongly, keeping her in place. He then pulled away a little to look into her eyes.

"I told you, you won't lose me."

"Oh, you did? And how did you know that?"

He shrugged. "Just a wild guess. It seemed weird that Cisco didn't exactly see me being… um…" he came to a sudden stop as he realized that whereas Snow and Jesse were celebrating life, not able to get enough of him, of the fact that he survived; another father in the cell was just mourning the loss of his daughter. And Harry knew how that felt. Still, he couldn't really tell what West must've been truly feeling, because his Jesse had been kidnapped, yes, but not killed.

Snow pressed her lips against his tightly just then and he could taste her tears before she snuggled back into his chest, apparently refusing to let him go ever again, her body still shaking slightly. And he didn't mind that at all. He could stay with her by his side forever. He already made her a promise, didn't he?

Just then, the whole building shook and as they all closed their eyes shut, praying for the machine to work; they heard Barry's voice.

"Oh, my God! Wells… I'm so… Cait… I…" They all looked at Barry as he was watching them with a frown. "Harry?" He seemed surprised to see the man there alive and well. "Wait… where's Iris?" he then asked, making a step backwards as he reached his hands in front of himself, his head shaking.

Unfortunately, Harry started with, "Allen…"

"No!" Barry denied immediately, shaking his head frantically. "No! This isn't true! NO! Tell me she isn't…" He finally found Joe who was just stepping through the open door and making his way to his adoptive son, his face tear stricken, body shaking. "NO!" Barry was still repeating over and over again. "No! Not her! You!" He suddenly pointed his finger at Wells in his grief. "You were the one who was supposed to die! Not her!"

Caitlin was finally forced to let go of Harry. Instead, she looked at Barry with disbelief in her eyes as she covered her fiancé with her own body.

"Hey! Stop!" Cisco surprisingly spoke in Harry's defense whereas everyone else was just staring at Barry in horrification. "You don't get to say stuff like that! We couldn't have known! And Harry has done nothing wrong! He was actually trying to save Iris! He came back to help her, but he was too late!"

"SHE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE!" Barry kept on screaming, clearly getting out of his mind and Joe just ended up sitting on the floor, crying, now being held by Cecile. "You saw it all wrong!" he then accused Cisco.

"Barry, I am sorry," Cisco tried one more time when slowly making a step towards his grieving friend. "I truly am, but you know I can't exactly control my visions and…" he hesitated, but then he said it anyway. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe Iris was supposed to die all along? I mean, I know it's superdifficult to hear and to process, but…"

"WHAT?! NO!"

"We already saved her once and this time we didn't even know we were supposed to, because I couldn't see it in my vision!" Cisco raised his voice as well, desperately tiring to get through to his friend. He felt for him, he really did, but the state Barry was in right now was so volatile that Cisco was afraid he might do something stupid. "Maybe that happened for a reason. Maybe I didn't see her die for a reason, Barry. Maybe in the end you just can't cheat death."

"No. No. No," Barry kept on repeating, shaking his head, his hands in his hair. "She can't be dead!" She looked at Caitlin who was still keeping Harry behind her as though Barry might actually attack the man. He then looked at Jesse and…

"Don't you dare!" Cisco screamed, terrified that his suspicions might come true. "Don't you dare go back in time so Harry would take Iris's place! You can't do that! And even if you try and save them both…" He shook his head. "Barry, you can't do that and you know it. You can't risk changing all of our lives again. You know what happened the last time."

"I don't care! I need her back!"

"Ok," Cisco just said, proceeding to plan B.

He was relieved to be able to open a portal and he immediately turned to Caitlin, Harry and Jesse. "Go!" he told them. "Go to Earth Two before he actually runs back in time and it'll be too late. He won't be able to touch you in another timeline. Just… go!"

"But Cisco," Caitlin still protested when Harry was taking both hers and Jesse's hands and pulling them towards the portal already.

"I'll be fine! GO! Caitlin, you deserve this happiness! You're pregnant and engaged for God's sake! Just go!"

This time she did listen, shooting him a grateful look and letting Harry and Jesse pull her in, Ray and Felicity following before the portal closed.

"Pregnant?" Barry just asked, his voice broken.

They stepped into the operations on Earth Two, the portal closing after them.

First thing Caitlin did was to look behind, see that the breach was no more and then she just threw herself into Harry's arms, but this time with a smile on her face. She knew she shouldn't be smiling like this, but she couldn't help it. The drama of the last few weeks was way too much for one person to handle and she was glad she had the support of both the teams in battling her evil doppelganger. She didn't want to think about all the things that could've gone wrong, but hadn't thanks to… She swallowed hard just then, the hold she had on Harry tightening as she remembered how Barry helped them. Then again, she was sure Barry would never go back in time for her if it were Harry who died, so she didn't think she should feel guilty now.

"Oh, my God, we're going to have a baby!" Harry exclaimed just then, the excitement so evident in his voice that she finally had to pull away and look into his face, finally seeing the truest expression of pure happiness, not marred by imminent death or danger. Truly, she never wanted to stop looking.

Next thing she knew, he cupped her face and placed a hard and long kiss on her lips before finally pulling away. Everyone else around them was already cheering, happy about the baby news.

"I'm just glad you're genuinely happy about this," Caitlin told him as the cheers died out. "Because, you know, the one and only conversation we actually had on the topic kind of got interrupted…"

"And I remember clearly you convincing me on the spot," he assured her right there, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I love you and I'm all in."

"I'm all in, too." She smiled brightly at him again. Now that the crisis was over, the multiverse safe and she didn't have to worry about losing him anymore; she couldn't wait to jump right back into their lives on this earth. She wanted him there at all times and in that moment it hit her – just because they'd both been through so much pain and hardship, now they knew how to handle their relationship, how to make sure not to take the love they had for granted ever, how to always be grateful for it. Maybe in the end it was a good lesson, though Caitlin would rather it hadn't been this dramatic.

"Ah, God!" Felicity suddenly exclaimed with her hands pressed against her head. "I kind of feel bad that we're celebrating when… you know, when Iris…"

"I know," surprisingly, it was Harry who spoke and then followed with a sigh, "but there's nothing we can do about it. This wasn't our earth."

"You're right," Caitlin lit up, "it's not." She reached for his hand, so ready to finally go home. "This is home."

"Luckily, we finally found our way back here," Harrison agreed, giving her hand a little squeeze.

As they headed towards the exit, Caitlin suddenly remembered that a version of Iris still lived in this world. She made a mental note to treat the woman better once she ran across her.

Caitlin had never before in her life felt more at home than when she finally crossed the threshold of Harrison's house. She didn't even remember the small apartment across the street from the Labs that he'd rented for her. She couldn't imagine any other life but this one by his side to the rest of their lives. This was happiness. This was not a happy ending, but a happy beginning, she told herself with a radiant smile, not letting his hand go and just leading him to their bedroom and to the master bathroom.

They stripped silently and walked under the hot stream, enjoying the temperature of it. Water was pouring down on their bodies and with it, all their worries and troubles seemed to have disappeared, all of it just wiped clean. Caitlin finally turned to face Harrison, looking into his blue eyes, memorizing every single detail of his face. She knew she didn't have to do it in order to keep his image in her memory anymore. She knew they had their whole lives ahead of them, but yet, she couldn't stop looking. And he didn't seem to want to stop either.

She placed her hands on his chest and then slowly slid them down until she traced the v line of his and then cupped him, stroking gently, earning a deep groan escaping his lips, his eyes closing shut for a moment in pleasure before they opened to see her lowering down so she could take him into her mouth and suck him off.

She just needed all of him and now. This was a celebration of life and they finally had nothing but time.

He let her work on him since they clearly both wanted and enjoyed this and once she was done and Harry released himself, he turned the water off and pulled her out of the cabin, leading her to the bed on which he lay her, still wet from the shower, not even bothering with what that would do to the covers. He figured they would simply dry out, right?

He started kissing her attentively before slowly marking a path with his lips and teeth and tongue down her body, until he had her squirming beneath him, already sucking her off as well, sliding his fingers inside of her to increase her pleasure.

When he felt and heard her reaching her first climax, he was hard again, so he moved back up her body, kissing her lips gently, lovingly before deepening the kiss and finding a way inside her when settling himself between her legs.

When he was finally sheathed there, she felt it – it was pure, blissful happiness. Completion. Perfection. She had nothing to be afraid of anymore. She was free and happy and found her place in the world.

She finally had everything and anything that could truly make her happy.

Chapter Text

This was just another morning, but yet, it seemed just as special as all those following their coming back to Earth Two. Caitlin, as always, woke up with Harry by her side, stretching out lazily, feeling impossibly happy and content with her life, her eyes set on the engagement ring that was now on her finger. And boy, was Harrison right when he'd told her she should wait and see an exclusive jewelry store on his earth. Every single piece there seemed to look prettier somehow and shine brighter than everything she'd seen so far on her own earth, though she didn't need the biggest and brightest diamond. She just wanted something that fitted her, something pretty and simple and finally found it. In fact, it was Harry who spotted the ring first, all smug when he saw her reaction and was proven how well he knew her already.

"You're staring at that thing again," she just now heard his groggy voice and when she shifted her eyes from her ring to his face, she saw he was lying on his side, watching her.

"Because it's perfect," she simply stated.

"Oh, really? And here I thought you valued this ring more than me," he teased her, enjoying the smile that lit up her whole face.

She reached to him just then. Yet, what meant to be a simple peck on the lips for good morning turned into a much deeper and meaningful kiss. It was something that always happened whenever they were alone. In fact, ever since they'd come back home they'd been crazy in love with each other to a point when even Felicity was sick of it and that actually said a lot.

"What day do we even have?" Snow asked against Harrison's lips.

"Oh, who cares?"

"We already stayed in, in bed yesterday… and the day before… and… at some point we will actually have to show up for work on time."

"I'm the boss, so you don't have to worry about that," he assured her before stealing another kiss until he pulled her closer and she could feel his arousal.

"That's so hot," she moaned in appreciation of his words when straddling him and teasing his length. She moved over him but did not allow him in just yet.

"When do you think we should stop?" he asked then, tracing a line with his hands down her arms, to her sides and then stopping at her still moderately flat stomach.

"What? You mean this? Because I'm pregnant? During delivery, probably," she answered him when leaning forward and kissing him.

"That's good. Yes, I can totally live with that," he decided.

She smiled against his lips. "You know," she added, "provided there are no complications, but with everything that we had to face, I don't think there's any bad luck left. Only the good would follow."

"I… certainly… hope so," he groaned as she finally showed him some mercy when slowly sinking onto him.

"Still no news about Cisco?" Caitlin asked when she entered the cortex this morning. Or was it noon already? Everyone seemed to get used to the idea of her and Harrison dropping by late, so no one was even surprised by it anymore. At the beginning Felicity and Ray just shook their heads or teased them about it, wondering whether it was even normal and if they should be doing the same thing, but were immediately shut down by the look in Harry's eyes. He usually told them he was the boss and he expected them to show up on time, Caitlin being the exception since she was pregnant and could go on a leave anytime she wanted. No one dared question him later despite the obvious that Caitlin was definitely not resting at home.

"No, sorry," Felicity informed. "You think Barry might've really gone back in time?" she asked then.

"I don't know," Caitlin answered honestly, the smile disappearing from her face. She usually forgot about her friends from Earth One when with Harry, choosing to be happy instead of worried all the time, but whenever she thought of Cisco she felt sad since clearly, the guy had saved her and her future. She just wished he'd gone with them to Earth Two in the end. The worst part was the not-knowing. She couldn't have possibly known whether something was changed or not. She also couldn't risk a trip to Earth One either since she had no idea what she would meet with once there. Even if she was willing to risk it, she didn't want to. The life she and Harrison had built so far was just too precious to her to even take the smallest of chances.

"Here you go, your herbal tea," Harrison just then walked in himself, handing her a cup freshly picked from the nearest shop.

"I miss coffee," she complained when accepting the concoction she herself told him she should be drinking now.

"And that's what I get from bringing my lovely fiancée her tea," he pretended to be offended, releasing a theatrical sigh.

"Well, you're the one who always gets coffee for yourself! The smell alone is killing me!" she complained again and once he actually took a sip from his cup, she unceremoniously kissed him French style, causing Felicity's mouth to hang open at this display of affection.

"Whoa!" Jesse exclaimed when just entering the cortex. "Guys! Leave that to yourself, ok?!"

"I wanted to taste the coffee," Caitlin said with a shrug, leaving a stunned Harrison just standing there once she stopped kissing him.

"A cup a day would be perfectly safe for you, Snow," he told her then, but she just shook her head.

"Nope. I'm sticking to my resolution! You may say it's safe, but I'd rather be supersafe!"

Harry was just rolling his eyes and shooting Ray a look as though he was trying to say, 'see what I have to put up with?' when suddenly, a breach opened up in the middle of the cortex.

Palmer got his Atom suit on in an instant and Jesse got into her own when they saw…

"Wally?" Jesse asked in surprise as she spotted the man landing in the cortex.

And next…

"Cisco!" Caitlin called out happily, leaving her cup of herbal tea abandoned on her desk as she threw herself at her friend, putting her arms around him. "It's so good to see you! I was so worried!"

"How are you?" Harrison was the next in line to come near those two, nodding at Cisco rather than hugging the man, still a little apprehensive to do so after the last unfortunate time.

"It's ok, guys, you don't have to worry," Cisco quickly said when releasing Cait from his arms and facing Wells. "I'm sorry I'm dropping by so late, but with the funeral and… some heavy stuff you so do not want to hear about…" he risked a glance in Wally's direction. The guy was clearly down. "I thought he could tag alone, you know, since he definitely needed a distraction."

"So… Barry didn't…?" Caitlin hinted just then, not able to form an actual question for fear she might be wrong. Then again, Cisco did mention a funeral and Iris was Wally's sister.

"No, he didn't. In the end, I might've not actually given him enough credit or…" Cisco sighed. "I don't know. I was so sure he was gonna run back in time… I could feel it, but then when he saw you guys leave, something finally broke in him and I guess he realized the implications of what that would mean."

Harrison nodded, listening to Ramon, his arm going around Snow anyway as though he was still worried that what they had could be taken away from them. Maybe he would always fear this after everything they'd had to go through, but in moments like this one, he made the effort to remind himself of the right here and now and what he had. They were both extremely lucky and they would always appreciate the life they'd managed to build no matter the past wounds and scars they still carried.

"I'm afraid team Flash is over, though," Cisco continued, seeing that Jesse and Wally left the room, probably wanting to be alone to be able to talk freely.

"Over?" Caitlin gasped. "What happened?"

"Do you, guys, maybe wanna take a walk or something?" Cisco suggested. "I kind of need some air. I need to relax."

"You do know you're safe here, right?" Harry asked out of the sudden and Caitlin just had to shoot him a surprised look. "I get that you must've been constantly afraid that Barry could still break and run back in time, but you don't have to anymore. This is a safe place for you if you want to stay for a while or…"

"Oh," Caitlin cooed. "Harry, it's so sweet of you to care!"

"Snow, don't push it," he quickly threatened, shooting her a look that wasn't very pleasant, but his eyes remained soft and just that made her smile even more. Because he desperately wanted to play stoic or even gruff, but seemed unable to anymore. And she loved him that much more for it.

"Thanks, man," Cisco just said, "I might just take you up on your offer. I need to head to Earth Nineteen to see Gypsy, my hot girlfriend, but traveling between dimensions is kind of illegal there, so we might need a new place to stay."

"Wait… we?" Harry suddenly picked up on that. "I never said anything about you two, I just meant…"

Caitlin could only smile in response before she told him, "Oh, Harry, come on! You love Cisco! His skills will surely come useful to us here and I'm sure Gypsy will be a nice addition to the team."

"Team? We already have a team in case you haven't noticed!" Wells protested loudly whereas Cisco and Caitlin just started to laugh. Though, in the end he knew he would agree to anything just to make Snow happy and if having her best friend around, who was the only person she'd missed right after moving to Earth Two, was the way to do it, then he would not hesitate.

"Come on. The weather is so nice that we can take a walk in the garden," Caitlin then suggested, finally picking up her earlier forgotten cup of herbal tea to Harrison's relief as they headed out.

"Garden? Boy! Do I wish our S.T.A.R. Labs had a garden! Or looked like this," Cisco immediately marveled at the building which was so alive unlike the one he left behind.

"It's not my Labs anymore, Cisco," Caitlin reminded him, melancholy entering her voice as she held on to Harry's arm. "This is. And it could be yours if you wanted to. I'm sure Harry here can fix you with some great job and an apartment for you and Gypsy."

"Don't push it," Wells threatened again just for show.

"So… how's Barry?" Snow finally dared ask. "Is he…? Well, he's most definitely not ok, but…" her voice trailed off as she sighed and then held on to Harry, needing to feel his touch. It must've been awful for Barry to lose Iris like this, she kept of thinking.

"Team Flash's gone. Barry works alone these days and I barely even see him," Cisco explained. "The Labs' completely abandoned now and turning into ruin."

Caitlin frowned on hearing that. "That's awful. It seems like… such a waste. S.T.A.R. Labs, a place once full of glory, now gone." It might not be her home anymore, but she still had so many memories associated with that place. It seemed wrong to just let it rot. In fact, she remembered how it'd seemed wrong to her to just keep it closed, using the interior for the sole purpose of hosting the team.

"If you want, I can buy it," Harry offered out of the sudden and both Cait and Cisco just shot him stunned looks. "What?"

"With what? Earth Two money?" Caitlin teased him.

"For your information, with the multiverse slowly being discovered, there's already a black market dealing with exchange currency and I am sure that as the time progresses, there'll be an official one."

"Oh," Cisco said, "I did not know that. That's cool! So, technically, I can exchange all my Earth One money and move in here permanently!"

Wells just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, good luck with that. Especially with your doppelganger charged with multiple felonies and murders."

"Reverb is dead," Caitlin pointed out.

"Still a criminal."

"So was Killer Frost. And I was able to build a life here. Felicity helped a lot," she turned to Cisco with that information. "With a little bit of meddling, she can make it possible for you, too."

Cisco's face truly illuminated with a smile for the first time since his arrival.

"But coming back to S.T.A.R. Labs of Earth One," Cait picked up the topic again, "why would you buy it, Harry, if you already have Labs right here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked when coming to a stop, so she had to as well. His face conveyed too much and it would be all right if only they were alone. Caitlin knew that whereas it wasn't a problem for him to let her see his emotions, it was when someone else was around, so that was why he tried hard to pull himself together, to distance his expression from what he was feeling and as a result he pulled his lips tightly together, just being this coiled energy next to her. "For you," he eventually said, "because it means so much to you."

She still smiled at him lovingly, bringing just a little of those emotions to the surface as he couldn't help but react even though he knew Cisco was watching them intently.

"Harry, that's so sweet and generous," she started, "but even despite the fact that S.T.A.R. Labs' being turned into ruin on Earth One, it's not my home anymore. You and Jesse are and this baby growing inside of me. I have everything I need right here. Even team Flash. And boy, isn't it the best team I could dream of!" She could see at the corner of her eyes that this might've actually been a little too much for Cisco as the guy turned away, pretending to be interested in some of the plants and trees growing around the path they were walking. "I would love if you could exchange my money, so I could have it here, though."

"That's not a problem. I can arrange it even today," he told her with a small smile before they resumed their walk.

Epilogue

Days, weeks and eventually months began passing by and work in the Labs and in the team Flash flowed. Jesse with the help of Atom, Vibe and Gypsy was going strong, ridding Central City and even some of the cities nearby of criminals, effectively fighting them off, putting the bad guys away and defeating metahumans who might threaten the peace. They were really making a difference in the world – at least this world – and both Caitlin and Harrison couldn't be more proud of what they'd built together. Eventually, they stopped being so busy with work, the baby growing inside of Cait and team Flash that they managed to set a date for their wedding, throwing it in the gardens behind the Labs, making for a perfect scenery. Caitlin did tease her now husband that the people present, except those who knew their secrets that was, totally thought he knocked her up and therefore tied the knot, but he always laughed it off, saying that anyone with eyes could see how much they truly loved each other. In fact, she loved how he'd changed. It happened over a long period of time, so at first she almost didn't notice until one day she saw him being all open with the team, not trying to hide anything anymore, treating every single person as family and it truly melted her heart. She felt like they'd appeared in each other lives' when they both needed it the most and thanks to each other they'd become more open, more trusting and so, so much happier.

More time flew by and they slowly got used to the idea of not having to face another big crisis. With the criminal rate in the city nearly dropping down to zero and the team expanding their areas to more cities, slowly bringing peace into the world and collaborating with other teams of superheroes that were being created; they finally believed nothing could put an end to the life they'd built.

And just then, a few years later when Caitlin and Harry were taking their son to school, a somewhat tradition now as Harrison could afford being late to work just because he was the boss, so technically, people worked for him; they came to a sudden stop, the smiles gone from their faces as they saw Barry Allen standing in their way.

Harry's expression darkened for the first time for months or maybe even years, Caitlin truly couldn't tell. Their child that was between them, hanging on to their hands, came to a stop as well, for a change interested in the new person in front of them.

"It's cool," they suddenly heard Cisco who was just now approaching them with his hands held high in the air. "Cait, Harry, he just wants to talk. He got in contact with me and I swear, you're all safe."

Caitlin noticed a shadow passing through Barry's face as he realized they might feel threatened by him and her heart ached. She felt so sorry for her friend or… could she even call him that anymore? She wondered. It'd been way too long.

"Harry, can you take him to school?" Snow gestured to her and Harry's son. "I think this is a conversation Cisco, Barry and I have to have alone."

In the end, her husband just nodded, kissing her cheek before leaving for the school building nearby.

"It's… It's good to see you," Barry finally spoke to Caitlin alone, taking in her happy appearance and then actually noticing the baby bump. "You're pregnant again."

"Yeah," she admitted carefully. "A girl this time. We couldn't be happier."

"That's… that's wonderful, Caitlin, truly," Barry assured her with a tentative smile and then he ran a hand over his mouth. He grew beard since the last time she'd seen him. It suited him, she decided. He looked more mature. Maybe it also suited the new edition of the Flash he'd become. "Listen…" he started then and stopped. "I guess I should apologize," he finally got it out, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans as though he had no idea what to do with them. "I know I should've done it a long time ago, but…"

"Barry," her voice grew soft as she called his name, "it's ok. I understand."

He nodded, biting the inside of his mouth before continuing, "I just felt like it needed to be said. It hurt me that Cisco had to send you away just because I might do something stupid. I was… I feel ashamed of my actions, Caitlin, I need you to know that. I also need you to know that I'm truly happy for you. If anyone deserves everything that's great in life, it's you."

She smiled through her tears, not even able to blame it on the pregnancy hormones. Seeing Barry like this would always undo her.

"I never wanted to destroy your happiness," he assured her one more time and she just had to hug him then, stepping forward and putting her arms around him, realizing how much she actually missed him. He was the one thing that always seemed to be missing in her team.

"I think there's something I need to show you," Caitlin then said when pulling away and risking a glance at Cisco. Honestly, she wasn't sure he would approve, but he only nodded, opening a breach and allowing that to happen.

A few seconds later, the three of them stood on the other side of the street in front of the police precinct where Iris worked. It so happened that Barry Allen of Earth Two was just walking with his wife until they said goodbye and she disappeared inside the building whereas he headed down the street to his own office.

"I just wanted you to know that despite the fact that she's not there anymore on Earth One, there still is at least one Earth on which the story of Barry and Iris go on," Caitlin said in a careful and soft voice as she placed her hand on Barry's shoulder.

Honestly, she wasn't sure what to expect from him after showing him this. She wasn't even sure whether this was a good idea. Then she released a breath of relief she didn't even realize she was holding when he smiled and actually thanked her, tears in his eyes.

"Oh, here's an idea!" Caitlin heard when walking into her husband's office one Friday afternoon. She was supposed to drop by so they could head off to the restaurant to celebrate their wedding anniversary, their kids being currently at uncle Cisco's and aunt Gypsy's, probably driving them mad, though she knew the freshly baked newlyweds adored the two little geniuses Snow and Wells had managed to produce. "Why don't you find someone who can actually do your job for you?! How's that?!" Harrison finished screaming into his phone before hanging up.

"Oh, boy," Caitlin teased, "I feel sorry for that man!"

"Snow," he seemed surprised to see her there so early.

"Yeah," she admitted, "I couldn't wait. I needed to get an early start on our date!" she informed him when making her way to him and sitting in his laps, her arms going around his neck as she kissed him.

"Great idea," he hummed against her lips. "Though you weren't supposed to hear that."

"That was very sexy, dr. Wells," she assured him. "And I bet whoever it was, deserved it."

"Yes, he did." Harry sighed at the memory of the employee. "It's all Ray's fault, really! He felt bad for that guy and convinced me to offer him a job. Me! This is a prestigious scientific place! People should only be hired here if they deserve it!"

"Oh, someone must've melted your heart completely," Snow teased him again.

"I wonder who that might be," Harrison played along when burying his face in her neck and breathing her in. "You look beautiful today."

"Then you should see what's underneath," she whispered into his ear before she gently bit on the lobe there.

"Any chance we can skip dinner and head home?" he suggested, groaning as she moved over his laps, pressing her body even closer to his.

"Not a chance. I've been dying to try that famous dessert you mentioned earlier."

"Ah, I dug my own grave! All right, first a meal, then sex."

She giggled against his lips as he kissed her again and then she grew serious when looking into his eyes. "I come bearing news today."

"Yeah? What kind of news?" he wanted to know. "Good or bad? Don't tell me Ray and Felicity had another fight!"

"No. Everything's great between them. They finally decided to get married."

"I still have no idea why she refused to at first. She loves the guy!"

"Apparently, it was a sore subject with her considering her old and very ex boyfriend, but what I really wanted to say is that I got news from Barry."

"Allen?" Wells made sure, stilling. "What about him?"

"He's marrying Patty."

"Patty… wait," Harry finally remembered the woman. "Don't tell me it's the same Patty who shot me once!"

"Yep," Caitlin confirmed. "The very same one."

"Well, I certainly hope she won't accidentally shoot any part of his body."

"Oh, you are so mean, dr. Wells!"

"But this is the me you fell for, remember?"

"You do keep reminding me of that."

"And you always say you wouldn't have it any other way."

"Oh, that's so true, indeed…" she agreed when pressing her lips against his own again. God, how much she loved this man! Sometimes she woke up in the morning and just lay there, listening to him breathe next to her and she thought how incredibly lucky and happy she was. Sometimes she couldn't quite believe it and he needed to remind her when kissing her for good morning and making love to her. In the end, she loved her mornings because if she was still being surprised by her own luck in life, then it only doubled the pleasure.

Yes, Caitlin's life was amazing. And that wouldn't change. She was sure of it now.

The end

Chapter Text

I wanted to share my literary original debut, in case you are interested:

Welcome to Hell's Springs!

Following her parents' murder, Tessa is raised by the Church due to her special ability—she can see people with the potential to become demons. Just as she learns the horrible truth that’s been kept from her, she receives an unexpected inheritance, allowing her to flee to the town of Hell's Springs, where her mother's Gothic estate awaits. There, she finally begins to uncover her origins and what really happened. She’s also intrigued by a mysterious stranger named Alastair, who, for some reason, hides in the shadows. She quickly finds out things are never as black and white as they seem. Through her actions, Tessa puts herself in the crossfire—caught between two opposing sides and forced to make a choice. But can she face the consequences?

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