Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Part 1

Caitlin once again woke up early in the morning in an empty and seemingly cold apartment. It hadn't been warm in there, no matter what the temperature, ever since she'd lost everything a person could possibly lose in her life. Her fiancé, then husband, died saving the world; her once promising career, now only a distant memory. Yet, just like every other morning, she turned off the alarm clock on her phone and got up, heading straight to the bathroom and warming herself up with hot morning shower.

She was wrong, she thought when applying shampoo on her hair and lathering her curls. She hadn't lost everything. She still had more than a lot of people in this world had. She still had a pretty steady income from S.T.A.R. Labs she just couldn't seem to leave in order to pursue something else. She still had friends. She was a part of something big and amazing and even though sometimes, especially alone when in her apartment that supposed to be warm and cozy as it was her home, she felt alone and freezing, those feelings disappeared once she met with her friends. Friends with whom she saved the day, city or the world – depending on occasion – therefore doing something worthy, something meaningful, something she could be proud of. It was both a calling and an escape from real life. She didn't want to admit that her job was all she truly had, that she seemed to have no interests beside it, no friends other than Cisco, Barry, Iris, Wally and Joe. Not that she had the strength and energy after a difficult day to go out there and try meet someone new and even if, she would have to lie to them from the start. Caitlin knew better than that. She wouldn't be able to do something like this to anyone she cared for, not to mention a potential boyfriend. She got over Ronnie's death, she did. She might've buried herself in work, living in denial for a while, but now she was truly over what happened to her. The problem was that once she did try to meet someone new, once she did try to maybe go after what her heart seemed to secretly desire, she would lose the life as she knew it now. And she didn't want to because she loved it too much.

In the end, she remained where she was and chose to accept this calling that sometimes – or maybe most of the times – felt like a heavy burden on her shoulders. This was her life now and nothing worth doing came without a price, therefore she sacrificed all hopeful and happy versions of her future, threw them out of her mind, locked them deeply into her heart so they wouldn't bother her. She would never be a world renowned scientist. She would never become a mother. She would never fall in love again. Maybe it would be too much pain anyway, she decided when getting out of the shower and reaching for the towel and then the hairdryer. She might be strong now, but she knew she wouldn't handle another loss. And there was always such a possibility in love.

The easiest way to find it would be among her friends, but despite all the sayings that you should marry your best friend, Caitlin just didn't see herself falling for Cisco or Barry. The latter was actually a couple of years younger than her, but even if that wasn't an issue, he was head over heels in love with Iris and… Caitlin just couldn't picture herself with Barry Allen, no matter how magnificent a hero he'd become. Feelings didn't work this way. Then, there was either Joe or Wally. One too old, the other too young again, but in the end, thinking of any of them made her want to laugh because it just seemed so ridiculous.

Once done with her hair, make-up and clothes, Caitlin grabbed her coat and then her bag and she was out the door, leaving her apartment cold and empty for the whole day. Provided she would even get back there tonight. She never knew when the next crisis requiring her full attention would come up. There was always a possibility that she would stay in S.T.A.R. Labs for the night, using the change of clothes she always had there, the shower and the bed in one of the few make-shift guest rooms.

Yet, before she reached S.T.A.R. Labs, she dropped by the Jitters to get a cup of coffee, something that was also a part of her morning routine. She didn't usually sleep for long. If she got six hours of sleep per night, it seemed like many compared to some. And being busy during the night hour didn't mean what everyone else would quickly assume, oh no, she nearly sighed, not even trying to think when was the last time she'd actually had a man in her bed.

The truth was that she could sleep more as she didn't always need to be at work so early, but the longer she stayed in her empty apartment, the colder and loneliner she felt. So she got up, prepared for work, get a cup of strong coffee on the way and was ready for action at S.T.A.R. Labs.

Once she pushed the main door open and directed herself towards the main part of the building where they usually hung out and worked, she thought that just about now Cisco must've been waking up, groggily looking at the clock and cursing that he should've been at work already. As far as Barry was concerned, he might've slept in again as he'd probably stopped a robbery or two the night before and would once again face his angry boss at the precinct. Although, Barry had the advantage of his speed so technically he could've still made it on time.

Caitlin smiled fondly as she thought of her two boys and finally, she reached the main room, walking over to the computers to see if anything came up during the night. The data was being cross-referenced all the time, the computer picking up anything that might seem connected to metahumans or just suspicious. Felicity's last visit also upgraded it to sort out the reached conclusion and estimate the danger. If it was high, an alert was immediately sent to all of their cell phones.

After she saw that not even a minor event was picked up, she sat behind her desk and while drinking her coffee and eating the fresh bagel she also got, she checked her e-mail.

She was nearly finished with her breakfast, just sitting there peacefully and enjoying the meal when suddenly, a terrible shrilling sound caused her to jump to her feet.

"What the hell?!" she heard Cisco's voice as he just now entered the room. "What did you do?" he asked her as though it was her fault.

"Good morning to you, too, Francisco!" Caitlin growled, her good mood evaporating. She loved her friend, but he could very easily piss her off.

"Caitlin, seriously, what's happening?" he repeated when dropping his bag to the ground and running to the main computer to check out the source of the alarm. "Did you activate the cortex?" he finally asked her.

"Of course not! It just happened!"

"Wait… those readings don't make sense…" Cisco said, typing on a keyboard. "Better get Barry! Something's happening!"

Caitlin reached for her phone and pushed the panic button that Felicity had also installed on all of their cellular devices, angering Cisco that he hadn't thought of it himself. Then she and Ramon took up running, directing themselves to the cortex. Caitlin didn't think twice about running in heels. She seemed to have mastered that particular skill to perfection. Barry and Cisco used to tease her that she still showed up to work dressed in costumes and heels as though the S.T.A.R. Labs was full of employees, as though the place still required a dress code. They learnt to leave that topic alone, though. The truth was that Caitlin had already lost too much and she didn't want to lose any chunk of her own self as well. Dressing up elegantly for work wasn't just something that used to be required of her, she liked to look and feel professional. It made her feel better, it made people respect her more and treat her seriously, which frankly wasn't easy when being a long-legged, long-haired and slim brunette. She'd dealt with people – especially men – in her past that had actually the audacity to ask her why she hadn't chosen an easier career, like modeling, apparently something she would've been great at. To her, she was great at being a scientist, she had an amazing head full of fantastic ideas that she could actually bring to life and she was proud of it. She'd worked very hard in college, sacrificing her private life and any possible entertainment she might've had in order to be the best and the brightest. She was quickly rewarded by S.T.A.R. Labs' and therefore, Harrison Wells' attention. Barely had she graduated, she was already working hard for the man, doing everything in her power to be better than anyone else in there. And she was. She was also loyal. Maybe even too loyal or… there was something else that caused her to stay when the particle accelerator exploded. Maybe there was another reason to why she never left Wells' side, but that was just a foolish illusion, something she actually had the chance to realize.

Barry appeared in the cortex a moment before Caitlin and Cisco reached the room, making them feel like they didn't move at all. That definitely wasn't a benefit of being friends with a speedster who could make even the most athletic person in the world feel like a slug.

"What's happening?!" Barry screamed so they could hear him in the noisy room.

Something seemed to be hanging in the air there, a whirring hole, like a portal, moving faster and faster, emitting more and more noise until… it all stopped as fast as it started and there was a man jumping out of the portal and landing swiftly on his feet right in front of them.

Once Caitlin saw his face, she felt dizzy and needed to grab the railing of the stairs she had behind her.

Because this didn't make any sense. This was impossible. Period.

The man standing in front of them was Harrison Wells and she couldn't help but remember that particular time with a drop of her stomach.

It wasn't grief after Ronnie. That wasn't the reason why she stayed at S.T.A.R. Labs. That wasn't the reason why her career came to a sudden stop. It was simply what she wanted. She made the decision to stay with dr. Wells and Cisco. She dedicated her life to finding and neutralizing the metahumans that started to appear everywhere in the city ever since the explosion. Ever since the day she lost it all.

It happened when Barry was already a part of the team, when they established a common goal, a rhythm with which they worked together. It came as naturally for them as breathing now and none of them actually suspected that within just a few hours it would all go to hell with the real identity of the man they were working for revealed.

Caitlin and Harrison – or maybe rather Eobard in dr. Wells' body – were the only people left in the lab that day. Nothing eventful happened and everybody cleared up pretty fast, having their own lives and families to get to. It was then that Harrison asked her what she was still doing there as he drove over to her in that wheelchair of his, stopping just inches from her sitting by her desk.

"I could ask you the same thing, dr. Wells," she told him when meeting his eyes and feeling something clench in her stomach.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that? I'm Harrison. We're friends, Caitlin. Everything we've been through brought us too close to be called just colleagues, don't you think?

There was something in his eyes. Something that she couldn't possibly ignore any longer. The problem was her. Her and her conflicted feelings. And they weren't conflicted because she thought he was on a wheelchair or older than she was, no, they seemed to be conflicted because she liked him, she liked the way he looked, the way he moved even if incapacitated, but what she had trouble liking was the inside. She couldn't quite figure this man out, never seemed to get to the core of who he truly was. That pretty much frustrated her and caused her not to fully trust him – something she would never admit to Barry or Cisco or pretty much anybody. It was like she instinctively felt that this, those feelings, whatever they were, they wouldn't get her anywhere. They were purely physical.

Her mind was full of thoughts once again and she didn't seem to remember what they were even talking about, which he took as an invitation. Before she knew it, his face was getting dangerously close and her brain finally registered that he was going to kiss her.

In the last moment, just when their lips were about to touch, when she already felt his breath on her skin, she pulled away, realizing it wasn't what she truly wanted. If she was to continue working with this man, she couldn't let things get this far because she knew that she could never truly be with him.

Luckily for her, in the same moment her phone started ringing. It nearly looked as though she pulled away because she was startled by it. She could only hope Harrison thought that.

Only he didn't because he was a speedster himself, so he knew better. He saw better.

Then again, it wasn't like she knew it that very moment.

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They never had the chance to talk about what happened because that very night Barry told her the truth about dr. Wells. Later on, Cisco and Joe went to Star City to check the spot where the accident in which Harrison Wells had lost his wife, Tess Morgan, happened. And they found more than they bargained for. It was a body and no near female. It turned out to be the real Harrison Wells.

And now Caitlin was entering the make-shift prison in the cortex and facing Eaobard Thawne. She now knew her intuition never let her down. She now knew why she seemed to feel attracted to this man, but couldn't find with him what should have been there. It was because he wasn't the real Harrison Wells and she could as well found herself falling in love with a ghost. The terrible truth was that she'd never even met the real man, just a shadow, a fraud wearing his body.

"Oh, hello, there, dr. Snow," he said with a smirk on seeing her. "Did you come here to set me free?"

"Why would I do that?" she asked with a frown, folding her arms across her chest as though in a defensive gesture. "You're nothing but a murderer and a fraud."

"Oh, is that how you want to play it? We both know the truth. You like me. You're attracted to me."

"Maybe I was," she admitted, looking him in the eyes bravely, "but I always knew something just wasn't right. You're not Harrison Wells. You never were. You're nothing more but a monster who've been deceiving us all in the worst way possible for the last few years."

"Is that why you came to see me? To tell me all of this?" he wanted to know, seeming exasperated with her by now. "You're wasting my time."

"You have nothing but time," she reminded him. "After all, you're locked up in here."

"You might deny it all you want, but in the end we both know the truth, Caitlin. There's darkness inside of you. I just regret I won't see it come out. I wish I could see the amazing person you'll become one day."

"I'm all of that right now and I choose what's right," she told him and then turned around to walk away.

Now, as Caitlin Snow once again faced Harrison Wells, she didn't know what to think or do. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. Not after what he apparently felt for her, but his words, still ringing in her head today, unsettled her.

"Stay where you are!" Cisco yelled when grabbing a gun from the nearest shelf.

"Wow! Wow! Wow!" were the first words they heard coming from the newcomer and it was enough to take them off their tracks. This man didn't sound like the one they knew. His words, even if all he said was a repetition, sounded differently in his mouth and didn't match the dr. Wells from before. They didn't much Eobard Thawne.

"Dr. Harrison Wells?" Barry asked, feeling just as much confused as every one of them.

The only logical explanation would be time travel as Eobard could have done it and traveled to the future, but the breech that was still hanging in the air didn't match that. And why would Eobard travel like this, showing himself to them, risking his identity when he'd spent so many years trying to conceal it?

"Do you know me?" the stranger asked with a frown. "Is there a me in this world, too?"

"Ok, what are you talking about, dude?" Cisco asked, flabbergasted as he lowered the gun.

"Ok, listen to me. My name is…" the man came to a sudden stop, "well, you already know my name, but what you don't know is that I come from another Earth, another… universe, so to speak. Something happened here a few months back, an event that ripped the time continuum and created breeches between my world and yours."

"You mean the anomaly?" Barry asked, surprised whereas Caitlin just remained quiet, still in shock, millions of thoughts crossing her mind.

"Yes, that's exactly right," Wells agreed. "I'm from another world and even if there's a man that looks like me here, he is a completely different person."

"We heard that one before," finally, it came out of Caitlin's mouth and all the three people looked at her. When hers and Harrison's eyes met, she felt her mouth going dry. Why was this happening? She wondered. She truly thought she put all of her past behind her and there it was again.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Wells just said.

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It was crazy, they all knew and thought that. Crazy as hell. Impossible. Yet, it was happening to them. Probably again.

"So, my doppelganger basically killed your mom and a bunch of your friends," Harrison Wells summarized the long story both Barry and Cisco relayed to him, Snow remaining quiet.

The way he said it though, made them all think that he didn't care. He didn't care that his counterpart had done all those terrible things, that he nearly destroyed everything and everyone they held dear. All he cared about was… what exactly? Caitlin needed to know. Himself? Was that why he made the jump through the breech? To save his own skin? Then, as on cue, she got her confirmation.

"There's someone like your enemy…" Wells started and stopped, waving his hand energetically as though it could help him remember the name.

"Thawne," Cisco reminded him sharply.

"Right!" Harrison pointed Ramon, but didn't make the effort to repeat the name. "Someone like that is on my Earth, too and he's also a speedster. We call him Zoom. He's terrorizing the city and soon, I'm sure he'd go global and maybe even…" he swallowed hard, "hit the multiverse."

"You mean he can get here just like you did?" Caitlin asked and Wells looked at her again.

She wished he ignored her completely. His blue eyes, they were too vivid, too focused. She didn't want to be under his scrutiny and had the worse suspicion that he saw how nervous around him she was.

"Exactly," to her relief, he only confirmed that. "Not like it's my fault, though," he added and turned ostentatiously to Barry.

"Well, yeah… I know," the younger man seemed to feel ashamed. "I need to fix this."

To all of their astonishment, Wells started to laugh out loud.

"Yeah, that's a great idea! Why don't we do just that, hah? Why no one came up with this?" It was obvious that he was mocking Barry and even more so, that nothing about him reminded them of Eaobard. Well, maybe the looks, Snow frowned.

"So you're here because Zoom has it in for you and you bailed?" Cisco asked unceremoniously, clearly deciding to treat Wells just like he seemed to be treating them.

"No, that's not it," the man denied and they all looked at him with interest, even Caitlin who so far tried to avoid those radiant blues. "If it was just about me, I would fight Zoom and that would be it. He'd probably kill me, but that wouldn't matter. He has my daughter," he then said those last words quickly and there was silence in the room.

Finally, after what seemed like a whole hour, though must've been a minute or a half, Barry said, "You have a daughter."

"Yes. I'm supposed to protect her, damn it!" Wells raised his voice, fisting his hands, anger clearly taking over. "I promised her mother when she died that I would and now Zoom took Jesse and I can't help her! I came here because there was no other option for me. The Flash in my world hates me, but even if, he's been MIA for quite a while now, maybe dead."

"Or maybe watching you," they suddenly heard a voice coming from the door and all turned there, seeing a stranger once again.

"Speaking of which," Harrison said, clearly exasperated with the man's appearance. "Now you decide to show up?" he asked him.

"I followed you and jumped the breech," the man informed, "in case you'll decide to do something stupid."

"You…" Wells marched straight towards the man, but Barry appeared right in front of them, separating them. "First, calm down! And second, who are you?" he turned to the newcomer.

"Jay Garrick. The Flash from Earth 2."

"You're like Barry?" Caitlin's professional curiosity was piqued. She couldn't wait till she would run some tests on him to decide whether he was just like Barry or there were some differences between them. And that would also help her keep her mind and focus away from Wells, version two. A better version, something told her; maybe a good man, someone worthy the name and not a killer. And while she was pondering over that issue, unfortunately for her, Jay looked at her with interest that had nothing to do with hers or his career.

"You had no right!" Harrison snapped at Garrick, mad again. "I would've handled things perfectly on my…"

"…own?" Jay finished after him. "Yeah, I can see that. Is that why you're asking those strangers for help? Oh, and let me refresh your memory. Didn't your doppelganger betrayed just about every single one of them? Do you think they'll help you now when seeing his face asking?"

Caitlin actually felt sorry for Wells as she saw his expression. He fought so hard to remain calm, to be strong, but she could see the hopelessness, the grief that was pouring out of him. He was a single father who just lost his daughter in the worst way possible, after all.

"Couldn't you just help me, putting our differences aside?" Harrison retorted.

"For your information, I would because whatever this is, it's between us and has nothing to do with innocent kids. The thing is that I lost my powers. Zoom attacked me and left me like this. I came here looking for shelter just as you did."

"Ok, now I'm definitely doing some tests on you," Caitlin pointed a finger at Jay and he smiled towards her, clearly appreciating her interest. That smile actually put her off her track because the last thing she needed right now was the interest of Earth 2 Flash. She had too much on her plate and definitely didn't seem to return that. Her curiosity was purely academic as she used every chance she could to conduct tests, not having to do as many as she would like to when working with the Flash of this world.

"All right. Caitlin, take him to the exam room and you," Barry turned to Wells, "tell me more about your world and your daughter."

Chapter Text

Part 2

"Caitlin?" Jay's voice reached her like through a broken phone line. "Caitlin! Are you all right?" he elevated his tone slightly, trying to get her attention and finally, she turned around in the open door and looked at him.

"You're free to go. I've done all the tests I needed," she informed him in a strictly professional voice.

He was still sitting on a cot, completely shirtless and exposing a pretty muscular chest, but none of that seemed to get to her. She totally dismissed all of his attempts to flirt and treated him purely as a test subject. Not that she was completely oblivious to how he seemed to be trying to get her attention and interest. He was asking a lot of questions, bordering on them being too personal, but she didn't let him get to her. She answered some and the rest she dismissed with a few, insignificant answers. She didn't want to know more about him than it was necessary, typing all of his replies into a computer, creating a database of him, his physical health, the changes in his DNA and his life that was connected to being a speedster. Needless to say, in overall Jay was quite frustrated, sure that every other woman in Caitlin's shoes would use the opportunity and get to know him closer just like he wanted to get to know her. He'd only known her for a moment, but she picked his interest immediately with her unusual intelligence and body that could easily belong to a model. What more could he possibly want? He secretly wondered if she had the metahuman gene, because then they could conquer the world together. He would make her and they would be the perfect power couple, terrorizing the city. Of course she was very nice and seemed to be that kind of a person that wouldn't say a bad word about anyone, but he wasn't fooled by that. He was sure he could find darkness inside of her. It was in every single person. All one needed to do in order to get it out was to find the right switch. And seeing Caitlin Snow destroying that nice woman she was and becoming something better, something greater, nearly exhilarated him. He would conquer the world and he would conquer her, he had no doubt of that. He knew it wouldn't be as easy as he'd initially thought, but that would make things just more interesting, the challenge that much sweeter.

"Are you sure?" he asked her and she frowned.

"We will have to wait a little until I hit the lab and take a closer look at the sample of your blood, but yeah, I'm sure. You can put your shirt on and you're free to go," she said in the same matter-of-fact voice and for a while there, Jay was confused. Apparently, he did not make much of an impression on her. Didn't she like well-built men? He wondered when grabbing his shirt and finally putting it on.

Meantime, Caitlin turned back in the direction of the open door and looked at Harrison once again. He was sitting on a stair that was put just between the huge entrance into the main room and the room itself, making a perfect circle. His arms were hung down, his back hunched, an expression of defeat and hopelessness clear on his face. She could see the dark circles forming under his eyes, betraying the lack of sleep. He was playing with his fingers as though he didn't really know what to do with himself now that every information seemed to be given and all the people around him were just talking over the matter, trying to figure out as much about Zoom as they could from the data they'd collected so far. Wells's hands were shaking slightly. To Caitlin he looked like a broken man and despite everything, she felt her heart want to reach out to him. He seemed to be a complete opposite to the dr. Wells she'd known. Or maybe, in the end, she'd truly never known any of the real Wellses at all. At least this one had a heart despite his gruffness and the hard, mean exterior, she could see it clearly like she could see right through him. She could also tell that life had treated him terribly so far, all the pain of loss and suffering he'd been through, clear to her. He'd lost his wife many years ago as he'd briefly relayed to the team, immediately moving forward to seemingly more important information as though he didn't really want to touch the sore subject. The only thing he had left beside his career, that was apparently going really well despite the event with the particle accelerator, was his daughter, the apple of his eye. The only child he had, the only thing he had left after his wife and now she was kidnapped by Zoom, an evil speedster from Earth 2, a speedster that seemed even more dangerous than Eobart himself. All Thawne had ever wanted was to come back to his timeline, so he'd assimilated himself into the world, playing the hero, playing the mentor, the savior; he'd killed only when he'd absolutely had to in order not to be exposed. Zoom killed as he pleased and thought nothing of it. To him, taking someone's life was like a hobby and it terrified Caitlin and her team to the bone. Did they really want a monster like that in their lives? In their city and the world they lived in? Yet, it might already be too late. He might already be here, picking up his prey just because the breech was open. And that monster took Harrison's daughter just because the man wanted to protect his city. She might as well be dead already. Or worse, Caitlin swallowed hard, imagining all the horrible things Zoom might be doing to Jesse. It was truly enough to drive a single father crazy, she decided when still staring at Harrison.

As she watched Wells from afar, him being completely unaware when immersed into his own agonizing thoughts, she noticed the creases on his face, the evidence of worry and sleepless nights. Still, they didn't make him any less handsome. Wait… she stopped herself. Did she just…?

"He'll be all right, you know," she suddenly heard Jay's voice right behind her and he briefly put his hand on her shoulder. She might not like him the way he seemed to be interested in her, but for now, she was glad for that particular distraction. "Where I come from, Harrison Wells is the biggest jerk of them all," he informed her matter-of-factly, oblivious to the frown that formed on her face. "He's just an old, rich bastard who cares about nothing but his empire, his research and his money. Trust me, he doesn't care who he hurts. In fact, he doesn't care about anything as long as it's not his own family. Maybe he's gotten what he deserves," after that, Garrick just patted Snow on the back and left the room.

Caitlin stood still, her eyes widely opened as she watched Jay leaving. This way she couldn't see the smirk that formed on his face as he was so sure that he diverted her attention from the old fool. The next step would be getting her interest. It all backfired though, because Snow was big on compassion and she couldn't stand people suffering around her. It didn't matter who they used to be, she decided right then and there. All that mattered was that they changed and the man she saw now in Harrison Wells didn't seem like a careless jerk. Yes, his words were sometimes harsh, but she could tell he was trying too hard to come out as a jerk, a man who doesn't really care as to prove it to the world that he couldn't break. The reality was different, though. He could break and it'd probably already happened. And she would help him even if he tried to push her away.

With her mind made up, she walked over to him and sat down on the stair right next to him.

"I'm sorry about your daughter," she said.

He didn't answer her, but he stopped playing with his fingers, just staring at the floor now.

"What is she like?" Caitlin tried one more time, desperate to make this man smile, to make him feel better, to show him that he wasn't alone. After all, it was what he came here for, wasn't it? He couldn't do this alone and he knew that Barry might help him, that just with a little bit of luck, the Flash from this world wouldn't turn out to be a jerk like the one from his.

To her surprise, a small smile appeared in the corner of his mouth at the memory of his daughter. He raised his head, still not looking at Caitlin, but it was an improvement, after all.

"Brilliant," his answer was. "Just like her mother." Then he sighed heavily and suddenly, he hid his face in his hands, breathing heavily and raggedly as though he couldn't take this impossible situation any longer. "I'm sorry," she heard him say. "I just don't know what else to do."

"It's gonna be all right," Caitlin whispered when reaching her hand and touching his shoulder, then brushing it gently before she could even think about it. "Barry will help. We will all help you find her and you'll get her home safely." Home, she suddenly thought. For him it wasn't her Earth, she realized, wanting to know how different that place was from the one she lived in. Then she decided that she didn't want to know because one day, once Jesse was safe and sound, she and her father would return there and… Caitlin shook her head and took her hand away, suddenly feeling as though the innocent touch burnt her.

"She finished five majors in college, you know," Harrison informed as though nothing happened, as though there was no gap in the conversation and he didn't just almost break.

"Wow," Caitlin was truly surprised. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Wouldn't dare, dr. Snow," he finally looked at her and this time his eyes seem to smile and she loved that sight. It was much better than the hopelessness she saw there before. "Isn't that common here?"

"Of course not. Two, maybe, but not five."

"Well, she's very smart, my Jesse Quick," he followed.

"I can see that."

"She's also majored in your field of expertise," he added.

"Then I can't wait to meet her, so we could talk," Caitlin said with real enthusiasm. "How old is she?" she asked, not really sure she wanted to know now. So far she'd imagined a little girl of six, maybe ten years old. Harrison had never told them exactly how old Jesse was, so that was a well-grounded assumption. Was Jesse actually a grown-up? Caitlin didn't seem to like that. She didn't seem to like that Harrison's daughter might've been close to her own age. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Snow would soon hit thirty and Wells couldn't be…

"She's seventeen, but as I said, brilliant," she finally received an answer and could exhale a breath of relief. "She graduated high school years before her peers."

"That must've been lonely for her," Snow pointed out.

"Well, yeah," Harrison sighed again, his smile disappearing. "But it was her decision. I wanted her to finish with everybody else, but she was just too stubborn. She already wanted to learn about the big stuff, so before I knew it, she was studying the theory of relative physics and biochemistry with a lot of other things."

"You must be very proud of her."

"I am."

"Ok, guys, let me get through this one more time! I need you to tell me everything, absolutely everything you know about Zoom, Harry," they heard Cisco's voice, breaking the moment Harrison and Caitlin seemed to be sharing. They both got up and faced Ramon and Barry.

"Harry?" Caitlin asked her long-haired friend, her eyebrows elevating.

"To tell him apart from dr. Evil, because calling them both the same is just too creepy," Cisco explained. "Hey, where did Jay go?"

They all looked around and saw that the Flash from Earth 2 wasn't there.

"I knew his coming here would mean trouble," Wells said in a harsh voice. "He's the hero from my world and all, but be careful, all right? I always thought there was something off about him."

"I actually agree," Caitlin backed Harrison up. "He seemed nice, but then, just as he was leaving, he said some pretty nasty things and I'm truly confused towards his person."

"Well, he didn't even leave a phone number," Cisco scratched his head. "I guess he went out to see our world as he actually can." Ramon's gaze quickly shifted to Wells and then to Barry as though he didn't want to say out loud what they all thought. Wells seemed to be trapped in S.T.A.R. Labs because technically, he was a murderer in this world.

"Caitlin, we need to know if Jay's cells and mine are similar. Can you hit the lab and check that out now?" Barry then asked her.

"No problem. I'm dying to find out what caused him to actually lose his powers. We don't want that happening to you, Barry, don't we? Excuse me," she looked at Harrison and then back at her friends and she disappeared, her heels echoing in the corridor.

"Anyone wants a Big Belly Burger? I can't be hungry if we're getting down to work," Cisco suggested and both with Barry shot Wells a surprised look when he eagerly declared his willingness.

"I guess some things never change," Cisco murmured under his nose, hinting that dr. Evil had had a weakness for Big Belly Burger as well. Then he sent Barry off to bring some. After all, he was faster than delivery.

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Hours later, the day was slowly coming to an end. All the data Harrison had given them on Zoom was already in the computer, cross-referencing any event happening in the city. Barry had had to get out a few times to stop a robbery or a mugging, but fortunately, there was no metahuman that day to deal with. Caitlin came back from her lab some time later, carrying the results of her tests and informing them of the different blood structures Jay and Barry had, probably because they came from two different worlds, and how there was a trace of speed in Jay's blood, but barely active for the moment.

In the end, Barry had to head out to the office, having already missed out on an entire day of work and Cisco declared that he was meeting a girl for a movie.

"A girl?" Caitlin's eyebrows rode up significantly. "You haven't told me about meeting any girl."

"Ah, just a recent thing. I don't know where this goes, but she's nice and…"

"She actually said yes?" Harrison guessed, earning himself a hateful look from Cisco. Those two loved to piss each other off, Caitlin could tell that much just after one day of being in their presence.

"Whatever, Harry. I'm out!" In seconds, Ramon was gone, leaving Wells and Snow alone.

Then, suddenly, something came to Caitlin's head and she felt even worse about Harrison's situation.

"Do you have any place to stay?" she asked, although she didn't even know why she did that since the answer was obvious. And heartbreaking.

"What do you think?" he just answered her gruffly.

"Right." She nodded, biting on her lower lip and noticing his eyes shifting towards her mouth. "Right," she repeated, this time actually licking it. "Ok. Come with me," she said and disappeared in the hallway.

Surprised but obedient Wells followed her into another part of the Labs and into a locker room.

She reached to one of the lockers and then turned around, looking him up and down.

"Snow, what are you doing, exactly?" he asked, taken off track as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"Measuring you," she simply answered and left him bewildered when she turned to the locker again. She soon retrieved a sweatshirt and a matching pair of pants, both grey and with a S.T.A.R. Labs logo.

"I'm not wearing that," Wells simply informed when she handed them to him.

"Well, you gonna need some change of clothes for the night," she just said matter-of-factly and stuck them into his arms when walking right past him. "And here," she opened another door, "is a room you can stay in."

She seemed very proud of herself as she showed him one of the make-shift guest rooms.

"I know it's not much, but it beats sleeping on a cot in my infirmary, does it?" she asked him when he, this time with no complains, walked towards the bed on which he dropped the clothes. "Because that's what you would do, isn't it?" she prompted.

"Maybe," he answered carefully. "Or maybe I'd just jump through the portal again and sleep in my own bed."

"Where Zoom could easily find and kill you? I don't think so. You're safe here," Caitlin told him. "You won't help Jesse if you get killed or captured, too and you know it."

"Is there something else you would like to enlighten me with?" he asked in an exasperated voice and she had to fight herself as not to laugh. She discovered that she liked to throw him off balance this way. She liked that he wasn't such a smarty-pants all the time.

"No," she told him, clearly pleased with herself. "All that's left to do is to say goodbye. See you tomorrow, Harrison." She was tempted for a moment there to call him Harry just like Cisco would, but eventually decided against it. She liked to use his full name and it didn't in any way remind her of dr. Wells because that was how she'd called his predecessor.

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Caitlin's next day seemed to have started like any other with her getting out of bed early, hitting the shower and leaving the apartment as soon as possible. It was only when she walked into the Jitters and waited in line to order to get her favorite cup of coffee that she stilled, thinking.

Few minutes later she left the coffee place with one extra cup and once again she hesitated as she reached her car, looking at the mall that was close by and biting on her lower lip as she remembered how displeased Harrison had seemed to be with S.T.A.R. Labs clothes the other day. There had to be a way for him to be able to leave the building, she thought. They would have to make it happen because quite frankly, she couldn't imagine him being stuck in the Labs for God knew how long and becoming more gruff every single day. Cisco would certainly not stand this and she herself would be tired of mediating between those two.

Without a second thought, she put the coffee cups and a small paper bag into her car and headed towards the mall, straight to the Gap.

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When Caitlin finally arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs, she was already fifteen minutes late and running in her heels clicking rhythmically on the stone hard surface. As she pushed the door to the main room open, she was relieved to see that no one had gotten there before her. If Cisco was the one to show up first at work, she wouldn't hear the end of it. She slowed her pace as she walked to her desk and put the coffee cups with the small bag there, silently hoping the liquid hadn't cooled off much and just when she was dropping the Gap bag on the chair, she jumped on hearing, "What's with the rush? Is there an emergency?"

She turned around to see Harrison Wells standing in the door, wearing the tracksuit she'd given him last night. At the sight of him like this, even if he seemed to be dressing more causally than dr. Well she'd known, she burst out laughing. Those clothes didn't suit him at all.

"Yeah, let it all out. Why don't you do just that?" his voice betrayed a high dose of sarcasm, probably his favorite tone.

"I'm sorry. It's just… You're lucky I'm not Cisco right now. You wouldn't hear the end of it otherwise."

"I'm well aware of that. Now, I really need to find a way to go out and buy a few stuff. I have cash and thank God that your currency is the same as mine."

"And thank God for me, I hope," Caitlin said and he frowned, not understanding. "I got you something, but first… I hope it's still warm," she handed him the extra cup of coffee she brought and then unpacked the CCC Jitters bag she'd grabbed as well. "You must be hungry. I got bagels, too."

She gestured for him to take some and then sit down, but he was just standing there, holding his coffee and staring at her incredulously.

"Is something wrong?" she eventually asked.

"No… nothing," he cleared his throat quickly as his voice seemed to come out too soft. Did she just make him feel welcomed and cared for? She wondered.

"But I'd better find something else to wear before Cisco gets here," Wells finally said when taking a sip. "And the coffee is great, by the way."

"I'm glad. I got you clothes, too, so don't worry. Oh! And something that would allow you to get out in public!" She showed him the pair of jeans and the black t-shirt with a sweater that she'd bought in Gap and then the ball cap. "What do you think?"

"A ball cap?" Harrison asked when seeing it "I don't think I…" but he was abruptly cut off when she came closer and unceremoniously put it on his head.

"There, not that bad. Although…" she tried hard not to laugh at him again. "Not with those clothes, nope."

To her astonishment, he actually couldn't help but smile at her a little as though he'd been trying hard not to just seconds ago.

"Well, thank you," he finally said when they just stood there, looking at each other.

"You're very welcome," she said with a huge smile on her face, looking into his blue eyes. And then she realized she was doing it for a little bit too long. Still, he wasn't backing out either.

"I'd better put this on," Harrison finally broke the sudden silence and grabbed the clothes. "Breakfast will have to wait."

"I don't think Cisco will be here anytime soon. He did have a date last night and knowing him, even if – and probably – he didn't sleep with the girl, he would still get here extra late just so we all think he did," Caitlin explained.

"That doesn't make any sense," Harrison acknowledged.

Caitlin shrugged. "If it makes him feel better. He doesn't get much attention from girls, you know."

"Well, then we have something in common."

"I wouldn't say so," the words were out of Caitlin's mouth before she could stop them and she actually blushed a little. Damn it!

Wells blinked a few times.

"Ok, maybe I would," she pretended to change her mind in order to cheer him up again. She actually liked that. When he seemed happy, he seemed so much younger and full of life than when he was worried and shut down. "With all that openness and the easy going personality of yours, I'm sure you have a string of women around you at all times." She blinked at him.

He wanted to get mad at her for the obvious dose of oxymoron and sarcasm, but somehow he couldn't, the corners of his lips elevating on their own once more.

"I'll go change anyway," he said, doing his best to be gruff and then he disappeared with the clothes, the ball cap still on his head.

And Caitlin just sat behind her desk, grabbed her coffee and a bagel and checked her e-mail. Despite the fact that her beverage grew rather cold by now, it was still the best morning she'd had for weeks.

Harrison came back about ten minutes later, dressed up in the clothes she'd gotten for him and with hair still wet from the shower, the ball cap in his hand for now.

He took the sit right next to her – the one that technically belonged to Cisco, so it made her think it was on purpose – and he finally grabbed the bagel.

"You could've brought a burger from…" he started.

"The Big Belly Burger?" Caitlin guessed. "How about thank you, Caitlin, that you actually care about my cholesterol level? Snow is fine as well," she added, clearly making fun of him again. She just couldn't seem to stop.

"I'm not that old," he complained when biting into the bagel and deciding he wouldn't tell her that it was actually delicious.

"I know you're not, but that's not the point. It's just not healthy. All that grease and…" She actually shook herself, "blah. It's not food, just poison and it's not a good thing to have for breakfast either."

"Well, then I'm glad that I have a disguise now and can go out and get my own breakfast," he answered her between the bites.

"You like this, though, don't you?" she asked, eying him carefully from aside and seeing the appetite with which he was eating the bagel. "Next time I'll make some sandwiches. That'll be even healthier."

Harrison left that one without an answer, tired of fighting – or maybe tired of fighting laughter that desperately wanted to escape his mouth. Then again, maybe he could use some good sandwiches, so why not.

When they finished eating, he suddenly said something that surprised even himself, "I don't remember how it is to be cared for, so thank you, Caitlin. It really means a lot. All my life I seem to be taking care of Jesse and just grabbing whatever I have under my hands."

"That explains the Big Belly Burger," she said just to lighten up the mood, knowing how much it cost him to acknowledge her help and to thank her for it.

"Oh, Cisco wouldn't agree," Harrison argued.

"Sure, he wouldn't!" After that, they laughed together.

Their eyes locked and they got caught up in the moment, staring at each other when suddenly, they were interrupted by an angry voice, "You!" Joe West was standing in the entrance with his daughter and on seeing Wells there, he charged him immediately, making sure that Iris was behind him.

Harrison seemed to do the same, unconsciously protecting Caitlin as he raised from his seat and faced West bravely when saying, "Wait, I can expl…" is was then that Joe's fist met with his jaw and it exploded in pain.

Chapter Text

Part 03

Caitlin was terrified and truly didn't know what to do, how to stop Joe from hurting Harrison. Finally, when West's fist connected with Wells's face for the second time, she screamed, "Joe, stop! He's not the Wells you think he is!" Only that didn't work at all. Joe didn't seem to have heard her, a blind rage taking over him on seeing the face of the man who'd caused Barry so much pain and suffering throughout his entire life, the very man who even though dead, was still haunting them all.

Snow was slowly panicking, seeing that West had the advantage as he took Wells by surprise and even if Harry tried to defend himself, it was obvious that his strong field was physics, not combat. Iris just stood there, her hand over her mouth, not understanding what was happening at all, so she was no help either.

There was one thing left to do and Snow just got to Joe and grabbed his arm, trying to stop him from hitting Wells. Unfortunately for her, West didn't see her coming and before she managed to do anything, he elbowed her in the stomach so hard that she felt the air being knocked out of her lungs completely and she fell backwards, her heels finally betraying her as she slip and painfully landed on her butt. Still, even though she was out of breath, her bottom definitely ached now and she would probably find a couple of bruises there the next day, all she could think about was Harrison. The poor man who'd lost his daughter in the worst way possible to a monster, who'd had to travel to a completely different dimension and to an Earth on which he was a killer on top of it all.

Joe finally seemed to notice the damage he'd done and he froze, looking behind at Caitlin who was still on the ground, dazed. Well, at least he stopped hurting Wells, she thought.

"What the hell is going on here?!" they suddenly Barry's angry voice.

Thank God, Snow thought as she saw him standing right next to Iris and looking at what was happening in front of him. "Joe, stop!" he screamed exactly what Caitlin had been yelling just a few moments ago. "Let him go! He's not… Well, he is Harrison Wells, but he's not that Harrison Wells!"

Both Iris and Joe just gaped at Barry, even more confused now, so he had to explain how Wells had come from a different Earth and was no near similar to the dr. Evil – as Cisco had christened him recently – they'd known and trusted before.

"Wait… so you expect me to work with this man? But he looks just like…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It'll be hard, but we have no choice. There's this new threat… oh, damn it! There's so much I need to tell you, guys."

"Well, if you already managed to find time to do just that, maybe we wouldn't be here right now and this wouldn't have happened either," Iris pointed out resolutely.

"Well, yeah. I was…"

"What? Busy?" Caitlin asked, still sitting on the floor. She felt like crying when having not strength to pull herself up as it seemed impossible in those shoes. She could run in them, yes, but somehow losing her balance and falling down turned out to be a completely different story.

What happened next melted her heart completely and left her speechless. Because Harrison, the man who'd actually been attacked and now had a bloody lip, walked over to her.

"Are you all right?" he asked as though nothing happened to him and then he reached out his hand to her.

She could only stare at him blankly and she wasn't alone in that. The rest of them was just as equally surprised that he actually was the first one to help Caitlin out and that he, indeed, wasn't like the Wells they'd known at all.

"Yeah," Snow finally breathed out and grasped his hand, accepting his help and feeling his strength as he helped her out. It wasn't easy though, she did have to lean on him completely and trust him enough not to let her go.

Then, there were just standing there, looking at each other, his hand still holding hers and she was at loss for words, not even registering the people that were still around them. Luckily for her, she spotted the blood on his mouth and she was able to just switch into her professional mode, hiding any feelings she might've revealed. They didn't have much sense, anyway, she told herself, brushing them off. She just felt attracted to this man. God, couldn't he just come here in another body or something? Only then it wouldn't really be him and she knew she would be in danger of liking him anyway as his personality, beneath all the sarcasm and rudeness, was actually very likeable. Besides, a man was supposed to be a little hard on the edges, wasn't he? Someone too nice wasn't interes… She shook her head and just said, "I should take a look at this," she pointed to his mouth. "Come to the infirmary with me."

"You know, I think you should get those ribs checked out," Harrison told her, taking her off balance completely once again. Ribs? Oh, right, she did get elbowed there.

"Caitlin, I really am so…" Joe started, making a few steps towards her, but then stopping when Wells turned to look at him with eyes that could kill.

"It's ok, Joe, I understand. You didn't mean it," Snow dismissed all of that, so not in need of any apologizes right now. What happened, happened. Besides, she knew Joe and knew that he would never hurt her on purpose. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Wells repeated after her, his eyebrows elevating. "You fell down, Snow!"

"But I am fine now. Let's just go." Without checking if he followed, she directed herself straight to the infirmary and once she heard the door closing behind him, she turned to him.

"Ok, let's take a look… What-what are you doing?" she almost jumped when she felt Harrison's hands on her waist, then higher, checking her ribs.

"I might not have a medical degree," he said in a calm but authoritative voice, "but I did treat a fair amount of bruises and scraped knees."

At this point she decided to just shut up and work on her breathing which accelerated slightly when she felt his touch. She hoped he didn't notice how fast her heart seemed to be beating. Then again, his hands were so close to that place. What if he…

"Nothing seems to be broken or badly bruised," he finally said, taking his hands away and she finally seemed to be able to breathe normally. At least more so than a moment before.

"Well, I know. I can tell if my bones are broken," she told him, nearly running away from him in order to grab an antiseptic. "Now, you, sir!" She came back to him, professional once more and happy that she managed to regain her composure so fast. "This doesn't look good."

"I'm sure it seems worse than it really is," Wells dismissed her words, but obediently perched on the cot.

"Well, let me be the judge of that," she decided and worked on him for a few seconds.

She was relieved that her hand didn't shake while she was cleaning the cut, but then she just had to meet his eyes which surprise, surprise, looked at her with curiosity. He seemed to be studying her face as she had that serious expression she always worse when working on something, when she tried to fix something or was simply patching Barry up. To that she was actually used to. She was used to the Flash constantly needing her medical attention and thought nothing of it. With Harry it was different, though. And then, there was this one time she'd got to treat dr. Wells.

"Are you all right?" Harrison asked when she was throwing out the used-up gauze pad.

"Nothing's wrong with my ribs and I seem to breath, so that's a yes," she answered, thinking he meant her physical health at the moment.

"No, that's not what I'm asking. It's actually…" he came to a stop as though he wasn't sure he should continue. "You always seem to be friendly and caring around me, maybe even a little bit too much… which isn't a bad thing," he added quickly, tangling himself when she shot him a look. "But then, it's as though you're thinking hard about something and your eyes are distant to finally come back and you seem… I don't know, different somehow, apprehensive even. Is it… because of the other Wells? Are you afraid of me because of him?" he finally asked, genuinely concerned.

"No!" Caitlin protested a little bit too fast. "I mean… Maybe it sounds crazy, but I was never really afraid of him," she tried to explain it better but failed miserably because that would require giving him information she wasn't sure she wanted him to have. "He would never hurt me," she repeated in confidence. "He just failed my trust. He failed and deceived us in the worst way possible, is all. But don't worry, it has nothing to do with you. I know you're a different person. I know you're a… good person," she finally got it out, but he was still staring at her, trying to figure her out and it was driving her crazy. She didn't want him to look this closely at her. It unsettled her, made her nervous and she had no idea how to behave while he was doing it.

"He cared about you, didn't he?" Wells just asked matter-of-factly as though it was nothing. "And deeply."

"How would you know?"

"Just the way you said it that he would never hurt you. If he was willing to kill Barry and Cisco and not you, that means that he… liked you."

"Well, maybe he did, but I could never return those feelings because I could feel deep down inside that there was something wrong with him," she finally got out carefully, folding her arms on her chest. The protective gesture did not miss Harrison's attention. "I never liked the person he truly was."

"That's understandable." He nodded and after a while he said, "I can see it, though."

"See what?" she frowned, confused.

"Why he liked you so much," Wells said before he jumped off the cot and headed to the door, leaving her alone and completely taken aback. Maybe it was a good thing that he didn't see her face at the moment.

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When Caitlin put herself back together and finally came back to the main room, she saw not only Cisco there, but Jay as well. She avoided looking into Harry's direction. She had enough of an eye contact with him for the moment and just needed some space to breathe freely.

Her appearance piqued Jay's attention immediately and his face illuminated as he saw her. She only nodded, not even sending him a smile. She had enough of the attention he was giving her and she was pretty sure she knew why he came back. It had nothing to do with her, although she was confident he would like to see her again.

"Guys, I wouldn't be asking, really," he then turned back to Barry and Cisco, "but I have no choice here."

"You mean you're dying and you're in a desperate need of a cure," Caitlin spoke and suddenly every single pair of eyes was on her. She couldn't fight the urge to look at Harrison and saw that he already had his suspicions and was curious to find out what the matter with the Earth 2 Flash really was.

"I take it you got a closer look at my blood cells," Jay figured out. "Caitlin, I just want to say that the man I used to be is gone. I know I screwed up, I do. But I know better now."

"Now might be a little too late," she said dryly.

"Wait a sec here," Cisco spoke, reaching his hand out, "I don't get it. You told us that Jay's blood has the remnants of the speed force, but it didn't sound as bad as you all make it now to be."

"I took another look at that blood sample afterwards," Caitlin revealed, "and I haven't told you yet about what I discovered. Jay's blood cells, they… they deteriorated. Jay," she now turned to the man in question. "I don't care who you used to be or what you did, my job as a physician is to make sure you get better. You're dying because you were experimenting with different speed drugs. You wanted to be faster, am I right?"

She could tell she hit the bull's eye.

"That doesn't surprise me at all," Wells just said, folding his arms across his chest. "You never really cared about doing the right thing, you only ever wanted to be a star. That is why every time you fought a metahuman, you stayed for the pictures and oh, yes, don't let me forget, all the fangirls."

Jay was clearly uncomfortable.

"You just wanted to be in the centre of attention, you wanted to be faster, you wanted to be a superstar, not a superhero!" Wells continued.

"Stop!" Garrick finally raised his voice, falling completely out of control. "Yes! Ok?! Is this what you all wanted to hear?!" He turned around, looking at them all, but avoiding Caitlin's eyes in the same time. "All of what you just heard is true! But I've changed! I have! I understood that fame was never what I really wanted, that I was only filling up a hole that was always in my life! I was a screw up, a nobody with no family, nothing and no one in my life! Then I was hit with the particle accelerator and finally, I became somebody! It's true that it got to my head, that I wanted more and more, but then…" he stopped for a moment, shaking his head, regret all over his face, "I understood what the point truly was, but it was simply too late. I was dying, my cells degenerating, the speed force leaving my body. I would gladly get rid of it, I would gladly come back to being that nobody, but it's the only thing that keeps me alive now and once that runs out, I'm dead." There was silence.

Caitlin knew her team would never be the first to judge. Barry had already tried to abuse his powers in order to save his mother's life. Cisco had once revealed the Flash's identity to Captain Cold to save his brother. They all did things they weren't proud of. Snow herself had used to be a cold and closed-off person with no friends and then there was Ronnie and Cisco and dr. Wells and she'd finally managed to open herself up to people and to experiencing new things. When she lost her love twice, she could've just as easily close herself off for everything again to maybe become… She didn't want to even go there as this was a secret she never even told her best friend. All that she was certain of, though, was that without Barry and Cisco, she might've ended up in a completely different place than she was right now. She might've gone the other way, taking upon the wrong path. So no, she wasn't first to cast stones.

"It's ok," she said it out loud. "We're not here to judge you, Jay," she made her way towards him, "we're here to help you and we will. We'll do everything in our power to help you," she repeated.

Jay had to fight to urge to smile in victory. He'd seen enough of her by now to figure out her weak points. She liked to help. In fact, she loved to save people who went off their right paths and desperately wanted to come back. Well, that didn't necessary applied to him, but she didn't have to know the whole story for now. All she needed to do was to help him keep his speed and stay alive, the rest would follow.

"So he basically screwed up majorly and you'll pat him on the head and fix his mistake for him?" Wells asked, not affected by Jay's story at all.

"That's exactly what we've done with you, Harry," Cisco turned to him.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not…"

"It's not about you being Wells' doppelganger," Barry spoke in a calm voice. "It's about you building a particle accelerator and giving all those people on your Earth powers. I know you're not evil and you wouldn't have done it on purpose, but it still happened. I messed up as well. In fact, we all did, but the only thing we can do now is to move on and live as best as we can."

Caitlin nodded, already feeling excited for all the research she would have to do. She couldn't wait to start experimenting with the speed both Jay and Barry had in their veins. She couldn't wait to find the right solution, a cure that would help Jay and maybe in the process even help her and the team understand Barry's powers better.

In that moment, an alarm went off and Cisco nearly clapped his hands.

"Metahuman alert, guys! Let's get some action!"

They all seemed to gather around the computer, watching the feed from the street cameras and getting familiar with the newest metahuman on the loose when Jay caught up with Caitlin who turned around and headed straight to her lab. She knew that if her friends needed her help, they'd call for her.

"Caitlin! Hey, wait!" Jay stood right in her way, forcing her to stop. "I know a lot is happening around here and you're superbusy, but I just wanted to ask if maybe you'd like to have lunch with me tomorrow." He got it out, just standing there, waiting for her answer, waiting for the yes. Why would she refuse? She seemed to do that very rarely, especially when someone seemed to desperately need a friend and he just said he did. "We could talk some more about my powers and well, get to know each other."

To his astonishment, Caitlin only sighed, "Jay, I… Don't get me wrong, but I can't. This… this wouldn't be professional as technically, I'm your doctor right now."

"Oh," slipped his mouth. He was surprised and disappointed. "Then maybe we could go as a patient and his doctor."

"I'm sorry, but this isn't going to work. You've just come here from an entirely different world and it'll be for the best if our relations remain strictly casual. Now, excuse me." She walked right past him and straight to her lab, not looking at him even once.

"Hey, Harry, did you hear what I just said?" Cisco noticed Harrison wasn't paying much attention and the older man had to tear his eyes away from Jay and the door Caitlin had just disappeared behind to start to pay attention to what Ramon was just telling them about the metahuman and to actually listen to him naming the poor bastard in the most ridiculous way possible.

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It was remarkably surprising as easily Harrison Wells from Earth 2 fit into the team. Few days went by and it seemed like he was always there, offering his dry wit, his intelligence and his personal experience to help. Together, they battled metahumans, built weapons that were supposed to neutralize them, worked on the cure for Jay and did their best to track, understand and figure out a way to defeat Zoom. Garrick had actually helped Barry once and the both of them had had fun working together as the Flash, though afterwards Jay didn't feel well and had to stay under observation. Caitlin was genuinely worried about his health and told him straight away that he was not to run around using his powers because that might not end up well. He had to be patient until she and dr. Wells created a safe enough cure. So far she'd enjoyed working with Harrison immensely as their minds seemed to work in a perfect synch and both their fields of expertise completed one another. They'd developed a few possible cures, but were hesitant to give them to Jay just yet as they could potentially kill him. They had to be absolutely sure, so Jay had to give his blood a lot and Caitlin was mostly busy with testing the newest cure on it while Harrison joined the rest of the team to help them with metahumans and Zoom itself. The big bad wolf hadn't showed up yet, but they were still waiting with bated breaths till he finally struck as he could just be waiting for them to let their guards down.

Two weeks since both Wells and Garrick's arrival on this Earth, Caitlin actually got to like the latter. Maybe she'd misjudged him in the beginning, she wasn't sure. Still, the one thing that didn't allow her to let her guards down around him completely was those mean, spiteful words she'd heard coming from him about Harrison the first day. Even though Jay seemed likeable and nice and wanted to be a hero now for all the right reasons, something just didn't let her trust him and she was scared because the last time she'd felt this way it was towards dr. Wells – or maybe Eobard Thawne as his real name was. She did share her concerns with the team – that of course included Harrison now – and they admitted there was, indeed, something off about the man. They swore not to make the same mistake twice and be careful, but in overall, all the information Wells had given them about Garrick from the Earth 2 matched and there was no reason to suspect the guy. Maybe it was just because of Jay's past, Caitlin thought, maybe he was full of conflict, bordering on being the hero and the villain. She knew there was a fine line between the two because she still had mixed feelings about Oliver Queen. He seemed to be a hero, but then again, he thought nothing of taking someone's life that could just as easily make him into a villain.

Chapter Text

Part 04

"Shouldn't you be at home or out, having fun?" Harrison asked when he saw Caitlin walking into S.T.A.R. Labs around noon at Saturday.

"I actually had nothing better to do," she admitted. "Besides, I knew you'd be here, working on either the cure for Jay or on finding and freeing Jesse from Zoom, so the best I can do is help, right?"

"You know, it's either very disturbing, very sad or very noble. I haven't decided yet."

"Oh, stop it! Unless you want me to throw these out," she showed him a bag she was carrying with the Big Belly Burger logo.

"You're not serious!" he called out to her, jumping to his feet and getting to her in order to grab the bag and look inside. "For real?!"

"I decided to sin today and have lunch with you that consist of food from Big Belly Burger, yes, that would be correct," Caitlin stated, watching him with a fond smile on her face. She knew this food was bad for the both of them, but she couldn't help but enjoy the happiness it caused him. It did bother her that he hadn't showed this much enthusiasm when she'd actually brought him some home-made sandwiches, but oh well, pleasing a man was always simple, right? You didn't have to try too much. Speaking of pleasing… She blushed when she watch him turn around so he could place all she got on the table and she caught herself staring at his bottom.

"You have to have some with me!" he then said when turning back to her and thankfully, she managed to raise her eyes just in time for him not to notice at what exactly she was staring.

"Just tell me what's the best," she encouraged him, "and enjoy this moment, you know. Because it probably won't happen again for a very long time."

"Will do!"

As they settled themselves in chairs and started eating and talking about trivial matters just to keep the flow of conversation, she realized that he was always different with her than he was with the rest of the team. Among them he was always back to being his mean self, even though both Barry and Cisco got to like him and they made fun of him, especially Cisco who loved to be the pain in Harry's ass… speaking of… Caitlin shook her head, focusing. When she was alone with Harrison, he always let his guards down, showing her the real him and it meant more to her than she would like to admit. Because he was apparently comfortable enough in her company that he didn't feel the need to hide anything. He trusted her. And she trusted him as well, knowing that whatever prevented her from truly trusting his precedent was gone now and there was nothing holding her back. Well, maybe he himself and her common sense, that was.

Should she be spending so much time with him anyway? She then wondered, realizing that he was the one person she was around the most those last few days, maybe even those last two weeks. Yes, she kept telling herself and her friends that it was because they were working together and she wanted to help both him and Jay desperately as they didn't have much time, but she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit it was also something more. She had feelings for this man, feelings she could no longer deny and it had nothing to do with what she'd seemed to feel once for dr. Wells. That hadn't been real. This was.

Then again, Harrison never seemed to make any move on her. Everything he did, everything he said, even the ways he touched her didn't seem to convey any deeper meaning. He did seem to look at her in a different way, but was that enough to suspect something? No, it wasn't, she decided. All she knew for sure was that they were good friends now, laughed together, even had their private jokes as they worked so closely. Also, they seemed to understand each other without words.

Finally, another thought came to her mind and it made her feel like a bitch because she was dreaming of something more to happen between them whereas his teenage daughter was still gone, still with Zoom. Once Caitlin remembered that simple fact, she hated herself for thinking of any possibility of a romance here right now. All Harrison could think of, even if he pretended he didn't, must be Jesse. Even if he started to feel the same for Snow, his daughter was still his priority and Caitlin could never ask him for it to change. She wouldn't even want to. She admired that he wasn't giving up and she loved the way he loved his daughter, being the devout father, the best one he could be and still thinking it wasn't enough, still thinking he wasn't good enough because Jesse was gone now. Only he couldn't protect her. He couldn't possibly watch her twenty four seven.

"Harry, are you ok?" Caitlin asked after she admitted that the Big Belly Burger's stuff was, indeed, delicious, but she couldn't make it an habit to eat there. Then he told her to loosen up a bit and to enjoy life and suddenly, there was silence. She kind of guessed that he couldn't truly enjoy his life because it wasn't complete, because something or rather someone was missing.

"Yeah, fine," he answered quickly what he thought he should. Only they both knew it was one, big and fat lie. He could lie like this around Barry or Cisco or Joe - who still couldn't get used to the new Wells, by the way – but he couldn't do it in front of her. Somehow she got to know him way too well as not to see right through the mask he seemed to be putting on every day.

"You have to have hope, Harry," was all she said and that was actually all she could do for him, all that he needed. There was no one out there who could promise him his daughter would be all right, but they could do whatever was in their power to make that true. Then she put her hand on his, a seemingly innocent gesture, but one that spoke mountains to the both of them even though they refused to admit it.

"I just don't know how I can go on for much longer without her. She was the light in my life, you know," he finally admitted, his voice hoarse. "She was all I had left and the only thing that kept me human. Without her, I would've buried myself in work with no care in the world. I know that I would've gone along with any of my research, even those who seemed most dangerous, just to achieve something, to create something new or to learn about things that other scientists couldn't even dream of. But I didn't do any of those things. The particle accelerator, yes, that was my fault, but it was also something I hadn't foreseen. Me and my team, we were all so sure everything would be all right." He shook his head, taking his hand away. Maybe Caitlin held it for a little bit too long and it got awkward. She just forgot that she shouldn't linger for this much time, but he didn't react any way to that. He now rubbed his eyes with both of his hands. "I always tried to do my damned best so Jesse could be proud of her father, so she could say I was a good man. When the explosion happened… I spent so much time trying to clean my own mess, trying to help those whom I hurt, trying to protect the city… And then she was just gone and I didn't care anymore."

There was silence for a moment as Harrison was just staring at the wall in front of him and Caitlin studied his face, biting on her lip when trying to figure out something to say to him. Then she finally came up with, "I understand, Harrison. I know how it is to lose someone you love. I also hope that what happened to me will never happen to you. I know that with Barry's help, there's a strong chance that we'll get her back."

"I just hope she's all right," he sighed and finally, he looked back at Snow and she found herself getting lost in those beautiful blue eyes. The silence was pregnant, their shared gaze meaningful and she wondered if she read things correctly, if they weren't just a figment of her imagination.

What the hell was she doing anyway?

"Why do you do this?" the words were already out of his mouth, but she needed a minute to fully register them, her mind long gone. She seemed to have forgotten about everything when looking into his eyes.

She blinked a few times and finally asked, "Why do I do what exactly?" she asked for clarification, a frown marring her forehead.

"Why do you choose to spend so much time with me outside of work?" he wanted to know.

"I like you," she simply said.

"No, really," he didn't seem to believe her. "You could've been doing so many other more interesting things."

"You know already that I don't really have many interests or friends beside my line of work or maybe even none, for that matter. And I truly do like spending time with you." She couldn't really believe she actually said it again. Did he know? She wondered. Did he know what she felt for him? She suddenly avoided his eyes, feeling her mouth going dry.

And then he just had to ask, "What about Jay?"

"What about him?" She seemed taken off track. Why would he mention Jay anyway?

"He likes you. That much is obvious," Harrison continued digging and she didn't know what his agenda was.

"Well, the feeling is not mutual," she said and to her surprise, Wells laughed.

"Yeah, the guy's a jerk," he told her.

"That he is," Caitlin agreed and he laughed even harder. "Although, we probably shouldn't. He might die, you know."

"I know, but he did it to himself. He was stupid and proud."

"A dangerous combination, indeed," Caitlin followed and couldn't help but join Harry in laughter. After all, he needed all he could get right now. "Can I ask, though, why do you two hate each other so much?" she then wanted to know when the laughter finally died out.

"It's simple, really. He always seemed to be doing everything for show. He was looking for appreciation and wanted people to worship him. Being the hero of the city didn't seem like enough for him. You see, Barry is a true hero, but not Jay and no matter how much he wants to change, he will never be Barry. And why does Garrick hate me? That's also simple. I always disapproved of the way he was and then I had the audacity – as he told me once – to create an app that exposed metahumans to the world. He took it as a personal affront, paradoxically trying to protect those he usually fought when showing his disapproval in my piece of technique. Maybe he was afraid I would expose his real identity to the world, but still, it just doesn't add up."

"Maybe he chose to believe that there were good metahumans out there, too. Ones that deserved to live in hiding," Caitlin tried to guess.

"Now, I would believe that with Barry, but not with Garrick. To him he was the one and only true hero and everyone else was a villain."

"Then why are you trying to help him now?" Snow wanted to know.

"Because one day my daughter might look me in the eye and ask why I didn't when I could," was all Harrison said. Then, after a moment of thought, he added in a playful tone, "Besides, I need all the points I can get so Barry would help me." He winked at Snow and she smiled to him sweetly. She truly admired the strength Wells possessed. Even when hopeless, he could still joke and make everything just a little bit brighter if just for a moment.

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"Have you seen Jay recently?" Barry came to find Caitlin the next day.

"Why are you asking me?" she wanted to know when she turned to him. "It's not like I spend most of my time with the guy." She was actually spending almost all of her time with another man under the pretext of working together.

"Well, no, but…" Barry started and stopped.

"But what?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Bartholomew Allen!" she then referred to him by his full name.

"Well, ok, ok!" He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's just that Cisco and I thought you two could be good for each other. Well, at least at the beginning."

"Because what? Because we're the same age?"

"Well, no… because Jay looks at you like… like I look at Iris when she doesn't know it," Barry finally admitted, scratching his head.

"And how well is that working out for you, exactly?" Caitlin regretted her words the moment she said them. "I'm sorry. Barry. I didn't mean that," she quickly apologized, feeling awful. "You and Jay are two completely different people and to be honest, you're a much better man than he'll probably ever be."

"Well, that you can never know, but it's fine. I just wish we had a better way of contacting him and I thought that if you two… maybe…"

"Or maybe not," Caitlin followed immediately.

"Well, ok, but I just thought you might know how to contact him."

"You know, despite the fact that we are not dating, I should have been able to," Caitlin bit on her lip when thinking about that. "He's just so mysterious. He comes and goes as he pleases. How would I even let him know I have a cure for him ready if I don't know where to find him?"

"Yeah, it's weird. But maybe he's closed off because that's all he's known his entire life," Barry guessed. "A guy can't just change overnight, can he?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it. I feel like he's hiding something. Or is just ashamed of what he's done to himself."

"Yeah, that's probably it… anyway, Caitlin?"

The way he said it made her listen closer. It sounded as though he wanted something from her, but wasn't sure in the same time.

"Yes, Barry?" she prompted, suddenly interested.

"I mean… what you said about Iris…"

"I already…"

"It's not that. You were actually right. And I've been wondering recently whether I should try and make a move. The last thing I want is to lose her friendship, but if we could be, maybe, something more…"

"You know, I think you should go for it," Caitlin advised him, "but be gentle and careful about it, ok? She's seemed to move on from Eddie and dealt with what happened, but she still is in a vulnerable place."

"I know."

"But I say that we should all stop living in the past and move on, Barry," Snow suddenly told him. "Don't you think we've done too much of thinking things over, of trying to change them, of grieving?"

"Yeah." He nodded in agreement. "I do. Too bad there's this threat coming from Zoom hanging over our heads."

"Something always happens around here," Caitlin reminded him. "It shouldn't stop us from having a life, should it?"

"You know, to me it sounds like you already made up our mind, Caitlin. But you don't have to wait for permission. You should just do it. We all should."

She nodded, smiling at him a little, acknowledging what he said.

"Then go get her and stop wasting time," she advised him one more time.

"Will try!" He saluted and was gone in a jiffy.

Caitlin's smile grew wistful as she thought of her own advice. It would be much harder for her to follow if only she could. Still, every journey began with the first step. All she had to do was to stop living in the past. Only then, when she thought about it some more, she discovered that she already had. She didn't miss Ronne anymore, didn't grieve for him. What was more surprising, she'd actually been thinking more about Eobad Thawne recently than her own dead husband. Yet, those thoughts led her to a conclusion that the man had absolutely nothing in common with Harrison Wells from Earth 2 and it was actually a relief. Yes, she almost smiled to herself widely. She was done living in the past and regretting all of her mistakes. She would now live in the present, looking into the future with maybe hope, something that she hadn't managed to do for a very long time.

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A shrilling, horrible alarm sounded once again at S.T.A.R. Labs. Still, this one was different from when Wells arrived. In fact, it could raise the dead – at least that was what Caitlin thought when she heard it, her hands immediately going up to cover her ears in an involuntary response. A second later, both she and Harrison left the lab and ran to the main room where Cisco was just turning the alarm off.

"What the hell was that?!" Snow asked, her ears still ringing.

"That would be… Zoom," Cisco said slowly when staring at the screen.

"You're sure?" Barry asked, appearing right in front of them in a blur of red.

"I made sure the system let us know when another speedster will be detected and… it did just that, so yeah, 80 percent… no, 86… I'd say a solid…"

"Ramon," Wells scolded him. "There's no time."

"I'm on it!" Barry just said and before Caitlin and Cisco managed to stop him, advising to wait and see what happened, he was gone.

"That was very reckless of him," Harrison decided, but Caitlin could tell he was not only nervous but maybe a little bit excited as though he'd just woken up from a very long dream. What she couldn't be sure of was that it was a good thing. If Zoom finally revealed himself on this planet, it didn't mean he had Jesse with him or that she was still alive. Even if Barry managed to fight him and win, they'd still have no clue of where to look for the girl.

"There's Barry!" Cisco called out when showing Caitlin and Harrison the red dot on his computer screen, although it was all unnecessary since the both of them were already standing on each side of his, watching the dot getting dangerously close to the black one that must've been Zoom.

"Oh, that's no good," Cisco then commented when seeing the black dot running after the red one and eventually catching it.

"No, I can't," Caitlin shivered when turning her eyes away from the screen. "He's not prepared! He doesn't even know what he's up against!"

"I'd say he kind of does already," Cisco disagreed.

"Well, yeah, from what he heard. But he'd never faced Zoom alone!"

"He had to someday, Snow," Harrison just said, trying to comfort her as he walked over to her and looked her in the eye. "Barry eventually had to get to know his enemy because no simulation and no computer in this world could ever really prepare him."

"But this means… this suddenly means it's all real. Zoom is no longer a story, someone evil we heard about, he's here. He's in our city."

"That's weird," Cisco said when still staring at the screen.

"What is?" Wells was immediately back by his side.

"Barry slows down…"

"Barry, can you hear me?!" Caitlin grabbed the mike and spoke those words, hopeful Zoom hadn't damaged Barry's earphones.

For a moment she couldn't hear anything, so she waited with bated breath, her heart pounding widely in her chest.

"Yeah… yes…" finally, after what seemed like a whole eternity of silence whereas the dots on the screen were still moving, she heard him. There was something wrong, though. He sounded weak, almost depleted and she didn't remember the last time it happened.

Then, the two dots on the screen came to a stop and Caitlin heard the sickening sound of Barry being completely out of breath, nearly choking.

"Barry!" she screamed. "Barry, you have to make it! Run! Run to S.T.A.R. Labs! Leave him!"

"His ribs are broken!" Cisco informed when getting up from his chair as though he didn't want to be near his computer anymore, his hands on his head, his expression hopeless. He exchanged looks with Caitlin. "What if…?"

"No!" she refused to think it could all just end this way. With Barry, the greatest hero she'd even known, being killed barely minutes from meeting Zoom for the first time. "No, he's stronger than that!"

Wells grabbed the mike and screamed, "Allen, listen to me! Get away! The most important thing right now is not to fight but to simply run to fight another day, do you hear me?! Use your speed and kick him in the guts. That should give you enough time to get some distance. RUN, Barry, RUN!"

For a moment nothing happened. Well, maybe Wells proved it one final time that he could never be his evil counterpart as dr. Wells would've talked to Barry about using his speed in a specific way as though he, himself, could do it.

Few dreadfully long seconds later, a flash of red appeared before their eyes and then there was Barry, lying on the floor and wheezing, out of breath and in pain.

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"I double-checked all the exits," Cisco informed when entering the infirmary where Caitlin tended to Barry's broken ribs and few other bone fractures.

"We double-checked them," Wells reminded him when standing right next to the guy and Ramon just had to nod.

"Yeah, yeah, we did, whatever." That caused Wells to roll his eyes. "Anyway, Zoom, even being the evil speedster who can defeat Barry and all, won't be able to get in. As soon as our system detects him using his powers, it'll block him for good."

"Then at least one good thing came out of our encounter," Barry groaned as he tried to sit up. "Is this supposed to hurt this much?" he asked then, laying back on the covers, powerless.

"I'm afraid not. Your healing abilities slowed down significantly," Snow said in a worried voice when looking at her friend's chart. "It's like… Zoom somehow took some of your speed," she then said slowly. "Otherwise those vitals don't make sense."

"He did what?!" Barry tried to heave himself up one last time and then he just gave up, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "How is this even possible?"

"Maybe that's what he wants," Harrison said, thoughtfully, "maybe he doesn't want to kill you or defeat you, maybe all his wants is your speed."

"Wait a second… Jay said he lost his speed because of all the drugs he'd been taking, but what if…" Caitlin started.

"What if Zoom did something to him as well." Wells nodded. "Maybe he depleted Garrick of his powers and now came to this earth to take Barry's…" Then, suddenly, his whole face paled so much it was nearly white. Next thing they all knew, he was turning away and leaving the room.

"Harry? Harrison!" Caitlin called after him, but he didn't react, so she just followed him, passing by Iris who just got there.

"Where is he?! Is he all right?!" the young woman asked Cisco and then walked over to the cot on which lay Barry.

"Fine, Iris… I'm ok," he tried to be tough in front of her, but he wasn't fooling anyone, especially her. They knew each other too well.

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"Harrison!" Caitlin finally got to Wells in the corridor leading to the cortex. His steps were so big and fast that she had to take up on running.

Now she stood right in front of him, effectively cutting his way out.

"Talk to me," she encouraged him. "Don't shut off, please. Just tell me what's wrong."

For a moment he avoided looking into her eyes, staring at the wall on his right, his face pursed.

"Harrison," she repeated his name slowly, gently and then she touched his arm. "What is it?" she asked the question again. "You can tell me," she encouraged him.

"How do I know she's still alive?" he suddenly asked when finally meeting Caitlin's eyes, his own trying to hide so much pain that it shook her core. This man was truly on the verge of breaking and it was a miracle that he was still holding on.

"What?"

"Jesse," he said as though she hadn't figured that one out yet. "If all Zoom truly wants is more speed, why would he keep her alive? He took her because I crossed him. What reason does he really have to keep her alive?"

"I…" Caitlin started and stopped, finding herself at loss for words. Because she had no idea. Because what Wells just told her made an awful lot of sense. "No," she then shook her head, deciding to be strong and hopeful for the both of them. "No. She is not dead."

"How can you know?" he just asked, barely holding on.

"Because… because if he'd really killed her, don't you think he would've showed you her body?" she asked, knowing it brought terrible images to his head, but she had no other choice. She knew she was onto something. "Don't you think he would've wanted you to suffer even more? She's still somewhere out there, alive, Harrison, I know it. Maybe he wants to use her as leverage after he gets bored torturing you with not knowing what's happening to your daughter. It must be the truth."

"If it is, then he wants me to give up Allen, doesn't he?" Wells just asked bluntly. "If Jesse's still alive and I'm close to the Flash on this earth, he might want me to give him Barry."

"We won't let that happen, I promise. If Zoom proposes anything of the sort to you, then we'll deal with it the way we always do. As a team," she promised him when squeezing his arm gently.

Yet, he just shook his head and made a step backwards. He wanted to turn away and leave, but she stopped him again when taking his hand and pulling forward.

"You won't last a second out there alone," she reminded him in a hard voice. "Either the police or Zoom will eventually get you and then you'll truly be of no use to Jesse. It's one thing to get out in disguise from time to time, but another to actually not have a roof over your head."

He hated that she was right. He hated that there was nothing he could do at the moment. He hated the not knowing part. He hated feeling this weak and powerless as though Zoom had depleted him from his strength as well. Then again, in a way he'd done just that.

"I'm here for you, Harry," Caitlin said in a softer voice. "We're all here for you and we will help you because you are already helping us so much. I promise. Zoom is just one metahuman and we have Barry and Cisco and there's Joe, the cop and Jay. We can do this. We will do this." She didn't know what else to say, so she just surprised him with flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, pressing her body against his to share some of her strength and faith with him, to give him the needed comfort.

For a moment there, he just stood still, not knowing how to act or what to say and she nearly thought he'd push her away. Yet, in the end she felt his arms embracing her as well and he buried his face in her hair as though he was drinking her in. She felt uncomfortable with this closeness now. Not that she didn't like it. The problem was that she liked it too much and she immediately hated herself for feeling all flushed and off balance when being in his arms. She hated herself for getting lost in the smell of him, in the feel of his living, breathing and warm body right next to hers. She hated herself that she wanted him more than anything in that moment. She hated herself that he was all she could think about whereas in fact, he was suffering because he might not see his daughter ever again. She knew he didn't have the time or strength to think about romance or any kind of a feeling, really, but that didn't stop her. She was screwed. And majorly.

Chapter Text

Part 05

Two days went by since Caitlin and Harrison had been snuggling in the corridor. The event still clear and vivid in her mind and even though the gesture itself was rather innocent, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Maybe because she'd never been this close to him. Maybe because she wanted to find herself in his arms again. Maybe she never wanted him to let her go. They'd simply parted with no words, coming back to Barry to check up on him. They didn't talk about it. She didn't even want to as there was clearly no point in bringing it up. It wasn't as though they kissed or something. In fact, they hadn't actually talked at all since that moment nor they worked together. Caitlin had just been too busy making sure Barry get better in fear Zoom could appear again. To both her and the team's distress, he was recovering rather slowly and she started to suspect that he wouldn't get his full speed back. The situation seemed to be dire, but she refused to lose hope. For now, Harrison was working on the cure alone, finding an even better incentive as it could potentially help Barry, too. Still, even he eventually had to get out for a walk as he announced to the team. Caitlin was pretty sure he would grab a Big Belly Burger on his way as well, but she decided not to say anything about that.

It wasn't until nine pm that she actually started to worry.

"Cisco?" she asked her friend when she left the guestroom where Barry was still resting.

"Yep?" the guy asked from his usual place behind a computer. He was chewing on something that probably was a burger, a big cup of soda with a straw was put right next to the keyboard. Cisco prided himself on never spilling anything and managing both eating and drinking over his precious technology and Snow kept on waiting until the day he would mess something up just so she could tell him I-told-you-so.

"Is Harry back yet?" she wanted to know.

She only heard loud slurping in response as Cisco reached for the soda. Then he placed it back on the table and answered, "Nope."

"It's late, don't you think? He's always back before eight."

"No worries!" her friend waved his hand at that. "He's probably got lucky and is getting laid as we speak!"

Caitlin frowned at that, trying to hide her hurt expression. She didn't like the idea at all. In fact, if what Cisco just told her was true, she didn't know how she would handle it. Still, nothing about it made sense, so she regained her composure and just said, "Sure, because Harry's the kind of a man who'd just hook up with a random woman while his daughter's still missing."

Cisco stopped chewing, then swallowed. "Yep, you're probably right. But the guy's been stuck in a lab for days now. He deserves a break."

Snow bit on her lip, still worried. Or maybe it was just the feeling in her gut that something was wrong. Her intuition hadn't exactly laid her astray before. It was only when she ignored that voice that she got herself in trouble. After all, it happened with dr. Wells.

Suddenly, Caitlin's dreams came true, but not in the way she would want them to. Cisco dropped his soda and jumped to his feet, a weird, nearly terrified expression on his face. He didn't even pick the cup up, the rest of the liquid spilling on his keyboard. She truly couldn't tell him I-told-you-so now because clearly, something was very, very wrong.

"Cisco?" she asked in an unsure voice, bordering on being scared. "Cisco, what is it?"

Her cell rang at that moment and she answered it immediately, the feeling in her gut only getting worse as she saw Harrison's name pop up on the screen.

"Harry?" All she could hear was a ragged, heavy breathing. "Harrison! Are you all right?!"

"Caitlin…" said his weak voice and then she heard a loud crash that could indicate him dropping his cell.

"Harry! Harrison! Talk to me! What's happening?!" she kept on screaming helplessly, but he wasn't answering anymore.

"He's been shot," Cisco told her in that moment, clearly over his vibe. "Harry's shot!"

"Where?" was all she could ask as not to fall apart on the spot. If he was shot, they could find him. They could trace his phone. They could bring him here and help him. It didn't necessary mean he was dead, she kept on telling herself.

"I just saw a dude mugging him in an alley! I know where! Come!" Cisco grabbed his jacket, leaving the cup on the keyboard and the rest of the burger forgotten. After all, technology could be replaced. People couldn't.

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The worst part was that they couldn't use Barry's help as the Flash was momentarily incapacitated. They were completely on their own and Caitlin didn't even want to think what they would do if Cisco didn't have his abilities. They would've surely traced Harrison's cell phone, but by the time they reached the place, it might've been already too late.

It still could be, she nearly trembled. She couldn't stand the thought that Harrison might just die, cease to exist, leaving her life just as fast as he'd appeared in it. What would happen to Jesse, then? What would happen to her, Caitlin bit on the inside of her lip so hard she actually drew blood, the rusty taste bringing her back to her senses, causing her to be more on alert.

"Here!" Cisco yelled and stopped the car.

They both just jumped out of it, the engine still running. It was only when Caitlin finally spotted the lonely, unmoving figure lying on the ground in front of her that she stopped, feeling out of breath, her heart pounding widely in her chest. Please, don't be dead. Just don't be dead.

"Harry! Dude! Are you all right?!" Cisco was the one who got to him first. "Cait!" he quickly turned to his still frozen in place friend. "Caitlin, you gotta help me out here!"

Finally, she managed to snap out of her stupor and got to the ground right next to Wells, not caring that her knees hit it a little bit too hard and that she would probably have bruises the next day.

She reached her hand out and pressed it gently to Harrison's throat, checking for pulse and then was relieved to see that he was, indeed, still breathing. Next, she gently turned him to his back and examined his chest for the shot wound. In any other circumstances she would be happy to finally touch him with no restrictions, to just enjoy the feel of his muscles underneath her hands and the beating of his heart in his ribcage, but not right now. Right now all that mattered to her was just saving his life.

"The bullet's too close to his heart. I'm not sure I can help with that. He needs an operation and then a transfusion! We need a hospital, Cisco! I can't operate in the lab!"

"We can't take him to a hospital!" her friend reminded her. "Harrison Wells's a murderer here, did you forget? We get him there and there'll be police soon and we'll never get him back, not to mention the media that will start writing about him being miraculously alive."

"Miraculously?" Caitlin picked up on that. "Just look at him!" Then she thought of something else. "Oh, crap! That wouldn't work anyway! Cisco, his blood is different from the one we have. Everything on the other earth is different. Quickly, help me get him to the car!"

"What are we gonna do?" Cisco asked, his face ashen. "We can't just let him die!"

"We're not! He needs a speedster," Snow figured out. "Someone who can move fast enough to get into his chest and take the bullet out without any blood loss."

"Only Barry…"

"We have to try."

---------------

The moment Cisco stopped the car right by the entrance to S.T.A.R. Labs, Jay walked out from behind a corner.

"You're a God's send!" Caitlin called out once she spotted him.

"Really?" he asked, smiling to her widely, but then that smile faded away when he noticed both Snow and Ramon taking a body out of the car.

"Jay, we need your help! Please!" Caitlin yelled again and he rushed to them, helping Cisco and replacing her.

"Where?" he just asked, immediately assessing the situation and getting into his role perfectly.

"Infirmary!" she called out and closed the car door when taking up running after the two men who were carrying Harrison. She truly hoped no one saw them, but it was late and there was usually no people around the Labs at this time.

"I hate to break it to you, guys, but he doesn't look like we could help him here," Jay noticed when Wells was finally put on a cot and Caitlin was frantically working on hooking him up to all the necessary machines. Those, though, wouldn't keep him alive for long. It was a miracle that he was still breathing, but it did not miss her attention that those breaths had become shallow and ragged.

"No, but you can," Caitlin turned to Jay, a silent plea in her eyes. "Barry is temporarily incapacitated, but you can remove the bullet."

"How?" Garrick just asked. "I'm hardly in better position than Barry right now."

She didn't say anything, just disappeared for a moment, heading to the lab and then coming back with something in her hand, her heels a loud staccato against the floor.

"What is this?" Jay asked when she showed him the syringe.

"It's one of the potential cures Harrison and I came up with. This one shouldn't harm you," she explained quickly.

"Shouldn't?" Garrick's eyebrows rolled up. "Caitlin, I won't risk my life to save this…" he stopped right there. Maybe that was exactly what would put him in her favor. He could tell that she was still guarded around him despite the fact that she seemed to like him a little bit more now. If he refused her, he would never be able to win her over. He needed her trust, he needed her to owe him. He needed all of that in order to use it later. "I mean… I'm afraid. What if it kills me?" he asked, rectifying his mistake quickly, almost imperceptibly.

"Jay, I'm begging you here. I'll owe you big. Besides, it won't kill you. Harrison tested this and even though it didn't do any damage to your blood cells, the speed didn't linger for long. It can just be enough for you to help him now."

He was just standing there, nearly lost in the pleading doe eyes of hers and knew he would say yes because this would truly benefit him.

"All right, what do you say for a date?" he then asked, pretending to be joking.

"Ok, I'll figure something out. Now save him, please!" Caitlin raised her voice, not even hearing what she just agreed to, not paying any attention to what Jay just proposed. It would come to her later and she would have to go. She promised, after all.

"Dude, this guy's dying here and you're setting up a date?!" Cisco snapped at Garrick.

"I was just kidding. I'm scared out of my mind here!" Jay defended himself, brushing it all off and Cisco just shook his head, thinking Garrick was still a jerk even if he tried hard to be better. A jerk, yes, but it never occurred to him that the guy could be a villain. Or worse. Then again, Jay was always careful so Cisco wouldn't touch him in fear of him vibbing.

In that moment, one of the machines to which Harrison was hooked up to, started beeping furiously and Caitlin's face turned white.

"He's going into cardiac arrest! The bullet is too close! Jay, now!"

Without a second thought, Garrick injected himself with the contents of the syringe, already feeling true power coursing through his veins. It felt amazing. He approached the old fool, contemplating for a moment if he should just let the man die, pretending he couldn't, after all, save him. Then decided against it, he needed Wells to live because he still needed his skills in creating the perfect cure. He quickly dived in and out, taking the bullet.

As he did so, Caitlin pushed him aside and started with the heart massage to stabilize Harrison, her hands ice cold against his warm chest. She was literally touching his heart now, even though through his skin, massaging it rhythmically, praying for another miracle since Jay appearing was definitely one as they had no means of reaching him otherwise. She made a mental note to tell him to leave her his number. They needed it.

"Oh, thank God!" Snow released a breath of relief when the machine stopped beeping, Harrison's heart rate coming back to normal. Now she could take care of the shot wound.

---------------------------

Hours later, as a new day came, Harrison was still under. Caitlin wanted to let him sleep for a little bit longer, knowing that he would heal quickly this way. He deserved his pain and soreness and the reliving of the terror of what happened to him to be delayed for longer. This man had taken so much already that she wondered what would be the final crack in the armor of his. Right now, she was just sitting by his side and holding his hand, using the opportunity that no one was around to see her like this. She marveled at the feel of her fingers slowly brushing over the skin of his palm. Yes, it was just skin, but it was his skin and she'd never really gotten the chance to hold his hand like this before.

"You need to be strong, Harrison, ok?" she said to him quietly. "Stay with me. Don't give up. Jesse is out there, waiting for you to get her," she hesitated for a moment, but then decided that it wasn't as though he could hear her and she added, "I am here. Come back to me."

She heard someone approaching her, heels clicking on the floor and she let go of Wells's hand hastily, trying to regain her composure. Just then she realized it couldn't be Barry or Cisco.

It was Iris.

"Hi, Caitlin," the woman greeted her. "I heard what happened. Are you ok?" she asked.

Snow frowned. "Me?" She didn't seem to understand her friend.

"Yes, you," Iris confirmed and brought herself another chair, then sat right next to Caitlin and glanced at Harrison Wells still sleeping on the cot. "It's so obvious to anyone with eyes and an ability to look."

"What's obvious?" Caitlin asked again, feeling completely dumbstruck.

"The way you feel about Wells," Iris simply said, "but don't worry," she quickly added when noticing the panic welling up in the other woman's eyes, "men aren't that incentive, so you have nothing to worry about. Barry and Cisco are still in the dark. I, on the other hand, am a woman and I can see the way you two look at each other."

"The way we look…?" Caitlin repeated, even more shocked. "Oh, boy," she then murmured under her breath. "Am I that obvious?"

"He is, too, you know."

"It doesn't seem to matter anyway. All he can think about is rescuing his daughter and I don't blame him."

"Maybe," Iris nodded, "but maybe there'll come a day when he makes his move, either before or after saving Jesse."

"If she's still alive." Caitlin sighed deeply and there was silence as Iris didn't really know how to comfort her friend anymore.

Suddenly, Snow felt like she could use this opportunity to finally talk with someone who knew – or figured out, for that matter – her secret. Maybe she would feel better afterwards. Maybe through a conversation, she could see someone else's point of view and stop feeling so conflicted all the time.

"I do like him," she admitted to Iris," but… isn't he like… the wrong choice for me? No," she shook her head then, "that's not what I mean…" she thought for a moment and was grateful that Iris didn't rush her. She just waited there patiently until Snow got it out the way she wanted to. "Not wrong because it feels wrong," Caitlin started again, slowly. "It actually feels very, very right, but it's… controversial," she finally settled for this word. "It makes me think like I maybe should've fallen for someone else."

"But you'd rather be with him," Iris simply said.

"Does that seem wrong, though?" Snow wanted to know, studying Iris's face closely, looking for her reaction.

"He's a good man, so no. There's nothing wrong with that," the friend said in answer. "You know, I believe that if two people are meant to be together, eventually they'll find their way."

"Like you and Barry?" Caitlin hinted with a little bit of a smile.

Iris smiled, too. "Maybe. Who knows. We seem to be together in the future, don't we?"

"It's actually scary," Caitlin admitted, "to know the future and feel like you're not able to make your own choice. Have you thought of it this way?" she wanted to know because quite frankly, she'd been wondering about that for quite a while now. Knowing the future could actually change everything as a person could struggle hard not to let it happen. Although, Barry and Iris seemed to always be meant for each other and had always been dancing around one another.

"Not really. It's like… with Barry I'm not scared at all," Iris confessed with an even brighter smile. "I do love him and I trust him and if all of that is just now turning into romantic love, then I have no fear of the future. If we do end up together, I'll be lucky to have him for my husband."

"Yeah, he is amazing." Caitlin admitted cheerfully. "And you two will be an amazing couple. I wish he could hear you right now. He'd be so happy."

"One step at the time," Iris just said. "It could be you and Wells, too, you know," she then hinted. "And I'm sure you'll be amazing together as well. A couple of the best and brightest scientists I know." She winked at Snow.

"Now, if Cisco could hear you, you'd really end up hurting his feelings," Caitlin joked and they laughed together.

Only when Snow's eyes settled on Harrison again, she saddened.

"What's wrong?" Iris wanted to know. "It can actually be an amazing love story, Caitlin. Two people from entirely different universes finding each other," she tried to make her friend see things in a little bit brighter light.

"Yeah, exactly. Different universes. He's a killer here, Iris. And what if he gets his daughter back and comes back to his world, his… home and then he'll just be gone. Not to mention that he's older than I am."

"All those things can be figured out," Iris assured Caitlin when touching her arm. "He could stay, assume a different identity. You could move either to a different city or to his world… everything is possible. You could even travel back and fro. And when it comes to age, love is ageless. Besides, he's not old enough to be your father, so I don't see a problem here."

"You make everything seem so simple," Caitlin sighed. "How do you do that?"

"Someone taught me once that nothing is impossible. We can achieve anything if only we work on it hard enough. Now we just have to make sure Barry gets his powers back and defeats Zoom."

"Nothing about this will be easy," Caitlin reminded.

"Still, it's not a reason not to try, because we have to try."

After that, Iris stood up and Caitlin didn't even have to ask where she was going. Barry needed her at the moment more than she did.

"Is it that inspiring writing you do at the paper that makes you spill all those encouragements or you've always been like this?" Caitlin asked playfully.

"Honestly? I think it's Barry," the young woman admitted and added on her way out, "I'll be rooting for the two of you," meaning Harrison and Caitlin, "star-crossed lovers."

Caitlin would've smiled if she hadn't felt so sad out of the sudden. Yes, Barry and Iris were perfect for each other, but she and Harrison… Were they perfect, too? If so, why nothing seemed easy anymore? And above all, why on earth Caitlin just had to fall for someone from not just the other side of the world, but from an entire different universe; for someone who mirrored exactly the one person who had betrayed her more than anyone else in her entire life and who had a daughter in a desperate need of saving.

Go figure, Snow's life was never easy. Still, somehow she wouldn't want to be anyone else and she wouldn't like to like someone else. Maybe Iris was right, after all, she thought when reaching for Harrison's hand again. All she knew for now was that she didn't want to be with anyone else at the moment. That her place was right here.

-----------------------------------------

To all their reliefs, Barry's recovery finally sped up and by the end of the day he was able to get up and hit the treadmill. Caitlin did tell him to take it easy, but Cisco dismissed that, telling her that if a guy wanted to speed, he could. She knew her friend was dying to check up how much slower Barry was now that some of his speed was gone, but she'd still rather he rested for a few more days. Then again, if Zoom showed up again…

Snow couldn't think about any of this right now. In fact, the only thing she could actually think of was Harrison and the fact that he seemed to be all right. She was confident now to wake him up as he would surely pull through. She'd rather not think about what she promised Jay either, still finding his suggestion in that very moment bizarre. She knew Garrick must've been super nervous when testing a drug that could have actually harmed him. That didn't change the fact that she owed him, though. She did not like it, but she knew she would have to figure something out. Something completely platonic that would nowhere near look like a real date. For now she just had to focus on Harry. Barry seemed to recover faster with his girl around, with the two of them possibly finally admitting their feelings for each other, so if trusting Iris, Snow could have a similar effect on Harry. Probably not as big as Jesse would have as she was still missing, but it was worth a try.

Oh, wake up, silly girl, she scolded herself when realizing what she was thinking. Harrison wasn't a metahuman and not every person was the same. Her hands shook slightly when she turned off the unnecessary now machines and stopped the flow of the drug that kept him asleep. He should be up in a few minutes or maybe longer, depending on how his body would rid itself of the remaining drug.

Twenty minutes later Snow noticed a change in his breathing. It wasn't as steady as it'd been before and soon after that, she saw him shift. Her heart had been beating like a hammer ever since she'd sat down by his side, waiting for him to wake up and she couldn't possibly take this anymore nor could she calm herself down.

Finally, he lifted his eyelids and looked right in front of himself. She could tell he was confused and she could see the slight grimace of pain that he must've been experiencing in his chest at the moment.

"Welcome back," was the best she could muster and his eyes immediately settled on her nervous form.

"Snow," her name being the first thing he said in that husky voice she found so sexy it sent shivers down her spine. Too husky, she realized then and rushed to the bedside table. Soon, there was a glass pressed against his lips and he gladly accepted the few sips of water. "What happened?" he asked then and before she managed to put the glass back on the table and answer him, she noticed the change in his expression. He seemed to have already remembered. "Why am I not dead?" he followed with the second question.

"Well, you were extremely lucky," Caitlin started slowly.

"You found me, right?" he guessed when looking into her eyes so intensely that she lost her breath. Did he remember his call to her? His voice saying her name before… nothing. Before he was too weak to do or say anything else, just slipping away, falling down…

"Well, yes, but it was actually Cisco that vibbed you that made it possible for us to arrive at the… place… early enough."

"How did you remove the bullet?" he asked another question.

"I didn't," Caitlin admitted in a quieter voice as though she was ashamed that she couldn't save him in the end, that she needed help. Then again, it wasn't because of her qualifications, it was because in such conditions it was simply impossible. "Jay did," she finally relayed.

"Jay?" Harrison did seem to be surprised. "The guy hates me. Why would he risk everything to save me?"

Caitlin couldn't hold his blue, deep as oceans and intense gaze for any longer, so she looked aside. "Because I asked him to," she simply said and that was enough. She didn't have to tell Harrison anything else. He already figured it all out by himself. He was smart, a genius, even after waking up from an induced coma.

"The good news is that I didn't even have to open your chest. The bullet was removed, leaving minimal wound that is already healing. You were lucky."

"Extremely," he said, but somehow it sounded sarcastic and she didn't like that tone at all. "How's Allen? Is he back on his feet?" he then asked as though nothing happened, as though he never called her asking for help, as though she was never terrified she might lose him, as though she never sat by his bed for hours, waiting for him to pull through with bated breath, praying that he wouldn't die on her. Why would he act differently anyway? She wondered. His body had been here, but his mind hadn't. He never saw her being scared out of her mind for him. He never saw her trembling all over, having to steady herself in order to perform the most basic tasks as a doctor. She just now realized why doctors could never operate on the people close to them. Because it didn't matter how steady hands one had, it didn't matter how much they could pull themselves under control, it never mattered when it came to saving the ones you loved.

Chapter Text

Part 06

Jay came back soon enough and Caitlin finally got the chance to ask him for his number. He gave it to her with a huge smile plastered to his face, but he did point out that he might not answer sometimes if he was busy or couldn't. She didn't exactly ask him what he could be doing that would keep him so occupied. She'd rather keep all the conversations to the minimum as she was stepping on thin ice at the moment. She was silently praying that he wouldn't mention the date she might've agreed to just to get him to help Harry and stop stalling. To her displeasure, he wouldn't let it go and she had to tell him she was superbusy at the moment, still working on the cure for both him and Barry now, but as soon as she would manage to squeeze some free time, she'd call him. She hoped that would shut him up for now.

When Garrick left, she risked a glance at Harrison. He was recovering unusually fast and if she didn't know better, she would suspect he might have some of Barry's powers when in fact it was the way the bullet had been extracted. In the normal, non-supernatural world a shot person had to have an operation that would actually cause more damage to the body tissue than the bullet flying in. Of course that was necessary to remove the object and make sure the person survived and not bled to death, but in overall, Wells had to recover from only the harm the hot piece of metal did on its way in, avoiding the second, worse part. He was very lucky, indeed and Snow had to remind herself that she had Jay to thank for that. Only since the man saved him, Harrison seemed to be getting further and further away from Caitlin's reach as though something between them snapped and they remained just a pair of work acquaintances. It bothered her now as she briefly met his eyes and watched him turn away quickly, pretending to work on something – or maybe doing it for real. Was it possible that Iris was mistaken? Caitlin wondered. Still, she couldn't have just imagined the bond that had formed between her and Harry as they worked and spent time together, could she? What changed, then?

She did have an idea of what that might be when she spotted Cisco decorating the Labs for… Christmas. Snow completely forgot that it was that far into the year already, that soon they would be celebrating that holiday and then she realized what Harrison might be thinking about. Ever since Jesse was born, Caitlin was sure he spent every single holiday with her. This would be the first one during which he would be alone and without his family. It must've hurt so much, she thought, eventually deciding to just talk to him.

"Hi, how are you doing? Are you healing all right?" she asked just to start the conversation. He didn't let her change the dressing on his wound after that first day when he'd woken up from the induced coma, saying he was perfectly capable of doing it himself, so she had no way of knowing how it was going.

"Yeah," was all he told her.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're just back to being the mean and obnoxious version of yourself," she pointed out playfully, trying a different approach.

Still, he didn't respond.

"Harrison…" she started then, biting on her lip, desperately trying to find something good to say. "Harry, I'm sorry that you have to spend this Christmas without Jesse, I really am," she said those words softly, compassionately and then she slowly reached her hand and placed it on his arm. He stilled, stopped examining one of Cisco's inventions and then just sighed heavily.

"The thing is… you won't really be alone," she followed, adamant on getting through to him, but she did take her hand away. It'd been lingering on his sleeve for a little bit too long. "There's a Christmas party at Joe's. Everyone's invited. You should go, too."

"Thank you for the invitation, Snow, really," he finally managed to utter something more, "but I'll pass. I can't really bring myself to celebrate anything right now."

"I know and I do understand. I just… I don't want you to be alone," she kept on trying, knowing well she wouldn't win this one. Wells was just too stubborn, but still, she hadn't figured out what caused him to change so much recently. He'd never before acted so closed off in front of her.

"But I am," he said harshly, nearly snapping at her that very moment and finally, he looked at her. She didn't like the distant expression in his eyes at all, just feeling more and more confused with every second. "Don't you have a date to go to?" he then asked gruffly and before she could answer, he was gone, leaving her just standing there, feeling completely dumbstruck.

---------------------

When Caitlin arrived at Joe's house, all ready for the Christmas party when dressed up in a little black dress with a shawl thrown over her arms in case she got cold this time of year, she wasn't happy. She didn't even feel peaceful or excited as she should have tonight. She was rather mad. Mad and disappointed that Harrison wasn't there. Mad that she seemed to be alone as well as she didn't have a date and couldn't bring herself to ask Jay to this, because it would definitely mean too much. She was angry that they were celebrating when they still couldn't help Harry. When they still couldn't defeat Zoom, not to mention find him as he seemed to have just disappeared.

No, Caitlin Snow definitely didn't feel the Christmas spirit and didn't want to drink eggnog and laugh with the rest, happy that they could all be there together. She couldn't. She just couldn't enjoy herself when the one person she wanted to be there the most was missing.

"Are you all right?" she heard Iris as the woman came over to her. "You look like a Grinch, girl! Have a drink, relax a little!"

"I'm… I'm not really in the mood," Caitlin said slowly and quietly.

"Right. He's not here," Iris said after looking around. "So where is he, then? Alone at the Labs?"

"Probably." Snow shrugged. "He can be so stubborn sometimes. Ever since Jay and I saved his life, he's been acting as though we weren't even friends. I just can't understand it," the words seem to just flow from Caitlin's mouth as she finally had the opportunity to get it all out, to tell about her concerns the one person she could since Iris already knew. "He's closed off and won't let me in. And I understand, I really do. His daughter's still missing and he thinks that she's probably dead, but it's not all. It's like he doesn't even want to look at me and I wonder why that is." Snow just shook her head with a sigh.

"First of all, you'll ruin the party tonight," Iris decided. "Second of all, if he doesn't want to come here, why won't you come to him?"

Caitlin just looked at her friend incredulously.

"What?" she received in response. "It's not like you absolutely have to stay here. Maybe he needs you, who knows."

"Iris, I'm not sure I can just…"

"What? Bail? Do whatever you want. Better even, do what your heart tells you to do. You're miserable and soon enough everyone will be asking why you're so grumpy, which will make you feel even worse when you wouldn't be able to tell them the truth."

"You've got a point there, Iris West," Caitlin finally nodded, actually listening to her heart. Only she didn't even have to because she already knew where it wanted her to be at the moment and it wasn't this warm, cheerful party. She was, indeed, the odd one out here. "But… what will you tell everyone once they ask where I went?"

"I'll figure something out. Maybe you just needed to visit your long-not-seen family."

Snow nodded slowly. "That is actually plausible since I don't remember the last time I've actually spend Christmas with my mom. We aren't exactly close. Not since my father died."

"There you go. But if you want to stay or come back later on, you'll hear no objections from me," Iris assured her.

"You know, you really are a good girlfriend and I could really use one when always being surrounded by boys," Caitlin paid her a compliment and for the first time that evening, she actually smiled.

"And the same goes to you." Iris winked at her. "Oh, Barry's waving at me. I'd better go to him. Feel free to visit the kitchen and take a bottle of eggnog with you. Good luck," she then whispered into Caitlin's ear and was gone.

Snow almost smiled again, grabbing her coat and directing herself to the pointed room. She could sneak out through the back door later.

Unfortunately, her way there was cut off by no one else but Jay Garrick who just smiled to her brightly. "I believe there's a certain tradition here. Actually, it's on my earth as well," he told her and before she could figure out what he meant, he was already leaning towards her with clear intention to kiss her.

Yes, he most definitely managed to catch her under the mistletoe. Only he wasn't the man she would like to be kissed by and she panicked, suddenly ducking and making a dash for the kitchen, throwing something like, "I don't feel well," his side and disappearing.

Less than a minute later she was out the house, carrying the eggnog Iris so generously offered, getting into her car and driving away as fast as she could.

She didn't have the energy to deal with Jay right now or to explain anything to him. There was a person she wanted to spend Christmas with and he wasn't in the house she was leaving behind.

-----------------

She wondered if Harrison was even at S.T.A.R. Labs as she walked into the building and found the lights turned off, the atmosphere being a little eerie. When she was making her way to the main part of the building she felt like a ghost disturbing this quiet place, like an intruder who shouldn't be here, especially not when it was Christmas Eve and every single sane person was just spending that time among the people they loved. Only wasn't she doing just that? The gesture of her coming here significant enough to open up his eyes?

She thought he left or was already asleep, not wanting the memories and the holiday spirit affect him more than they already had, but finally she saw dimmed lights coming from the main room and when she stood in the door, she found him just sitting in a chair, sipping something that was probably spiked and staring at the small and lit Christmas tree Cisco had put there this morning.

"You left the party to keep me company?" he suddenly asked and she nearly jumped, having no idea she'd been made as his back was still turned to her. Then she realized that it was no wonder, really, as she must've made a lot of noise in this empty and silent building with her heels. She was so used to wearing them now that she didn't even seem to hear them or feel the pain in her feet when she had them on for too long. As a doctor she should have known it wasn't healthy, but as a person she needed them to keep herself sane, normal and grounded. Still, she knew all of that was an illusion, just something to keep the appearances when her whole world seemed to be crumbling to pieces around her. Because what had she truly done with her life? Had she invented something worth attention? Maybe she had, but it would never leave this Lab. She was doing the best thing in this word she could be doing when supporting the team and helping the Flash save the day, but in the same time no one would ever know. If they did, she would find herself in danger. It was quite a burden to sacrifice everything she'd ever dreamt of for this, to have been looked at with nearly pity when meeting her fellow scientists. Yet, deep down inside she knew it was worth more than any award and appraise she could've gotten. It meant that she was doing something that mattered even if only a handful of people knew about it. Still, this wasn't the time to ponder over her own life, her mood probably being affected by the emptiness and hollowness of this place. Yet, she and Harrison seemed to have nowhere else to go, something pulling them together ever since the moment they'd met.

"No one should be alone for Christmas," she finally spoke to him, doing her best to sound cheerful because it was all about him, not her. He was the one suffering the most here.

She made her way to him and took the empty chair right next to his, placing the bottle on the table. "I got eggnog."

"So the Christmas party can officially begin," his voice betrayed sarcasm. "Really, you should just go back to Joe's house."

"I want to be here," she said a little sheepishly, seeing that nothing had seemed to change since this morning. "I didn't come here out of duty, Harry and you should know it by now," she then added, seeing that he was still just sitting there, refusing to even look at her.

"I just thought that maybe you and Jay…" his voice trailed off significantly.

She nearly laughed at that assumption. "The what now? You know, I think you're already drunk," she added when eying his cup. She still got up to bring two cups and poured them a new drink, though. "Maybe you shouldn't have this with me, after all," she said when sipping the eggnog Iris had given her and boy, was it good!

"This is just coffee. And awful to that. I couldn't find even a drop of booze in this place."

"Well, it is a scientific lab," Caitlin pointed out, glad he was finally engaging himself in the conversation. "Why have you been acting so weird around me recently?" she just had to ask, tired of trying to figure him out all by herself. "I don't know where did you get this idea of Jay and me, but…"

"I just thought that you might've seen him in a different light after he saved me. He did it for you, you know," Wells told her and grabbed the cup she offered him before. Still, he refused to look at her. "Maybe you felt obligated to… thank him and you two would finally hit it off."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Caitlin put the cup back down on the table with a loud thump, her tone elevated significantly.

Harrison remained silent.

"I didn't want to hit it off with him! I don't want him!" she continued furiously. "Where did you even get the idea?!"

Harry sighed heavily before saying, "I just thought maybe you two should. After all, it would make more sense than…"

"Than what?" she prompted. "Look at me when you talk to me!" she yelled at him then, angry that he didn't deign to do it even once.

To her surprise, he did listen and once their eyes met, his traced down to the dress she was wearing and she saw his pupils dilating.

"You already know," he just said quietly when looking back into her eyes and in that very moment, it meant everything to her. It was the closest he'd ever gotten to telling her that he had feelings for her as well.

"I heard you, you know," he added a moment later in a husky voice while she was just sitting there, mesmerized by the look in his blue eyes. She had to fight hard to actually process those words of his and think about them.

"Heard what?" she still asked, even more confused now.

"I heard everything you said to me when I was shot and unconscious. Somehow I did," he explained and something in her stomach dropped. She wasn't sure whether she was happy about that or plain terrified.

Only the next moment she didn't know anything anymore as without looking away he reached his hand out and gently touched her cheek and she leaned into that touch, closing her eyes a little. She was a mess inside, the emotions crumbling and raging there, her body set on fire, butterflies in her stomach, indicating how excited and nervous in the same time she was.

She felt his warm breath on her skin before he finally closed the rest of the distance between them and his lips touched hers. First softly, tentatively, slowly. And it was perfect. It was the best first kiss she could imagine having with him. Then, when she didn't pull away, he let go of his control a little and kissed her stronger, opening his lips and capturing her bottom lip between them. She tasted eggnog on his mouth, but it still wasn't the reason to why she felt so drunk out of the sudden and so flushed. She was drunk on him, finally being kissed by him when she'd seemed to want it so badly for such a long time.

Soon enough, she reciprocated the kiss, opening her mouth as well, letting their lips just dance around each other, tasting the ground and liking what they experienced.

Until he pulled away abruptly and she opened her eyes, surprised that she lost the touch of him and she saw him wincing.

"This is never going to work, you know," he finally said, his voice raspy, his breath ragged.

"Why not?" she asked and he pulled away all the way, opening his eyes and then rubbing them helplessly with his hand.

"Is it because I'm younger than you are?" she wanted to know.

"No," he said to her surprise. What was it, then? "Because I'm from a different world," he explained. "But yes, age might be an issue, too. Not for me. I don't care about what people think. But maybe for you."

"Well, it isn't!" she denied fiercely.

"Caitlin, listen…" he started again, but she cut in.

"No! I want to know why you keep pushing me away! Why do you insist on throwing me into Jay's arms when you clearly feel the same way about me as I do about you!" She wouldn't let him off the hook so easily, oh no!

He stood up, walking away as though he needed to keep as much distance from her as possible, his body slightly shaking.

"If Zoom finds out who you care for," he finally told her when holding her gaze steadily, "who you love… who you live for… he'll take them away from you."

"Harry…" she said his name when standing up and trying to get closer, but he only pulled further away.

"It's already happened, Caitlin," he told he when reaching his hands out to stop her from coming over to him. His control was running thin, especially now after having kissed her, after having finally tasted her mouth and the dress she was wearing didn't make it any easier. "He already has Jesse and I can't…" He shook his head, looking aside. "I can't do it again. I can't lose one more person." After that, he just left.

She would've followed him, only she knew she wouldn't manage to convince him tonight. The hardest part was that she actually understood.

------------------

Barely had the new day started, they already had their hands full of work as a new meta appeared in the city, stealing jewelry on banquets and parties. The team got down to it immediately and Caitlin actually felt relieved to be able to take a break from her recently so-complicated love life. They could all just focus on dealing with this new threat, maybe even putting aside dealing with Zoom and everything that his presence implied for a moment.

Snow didn't really look at Wells this morning. She could feel his presence when not even checking if he was truly there. This was for the best, she told herself. At least for now. Because what had happened between them the night before was still so fresh and vivid in her memory that just by thinking about it her knees went weak and she felt flushed all over. Harrison was truly an amazing kisser and it was just a small kiss, she reminded herself, wondering what would happen if they went further… She nearly shook her head, trying to exorcize all those fantasies from her head. This wasn't the time nor the place for that.

"Hey, Cait, so where have you been last night? Iris mentioned something about you visiting your mother?" Cisco asked her during brief respite from discussing their strategy towards the new meta.

"Well, yeah. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be, but I guess we're on our best way to mend fences," Caitlin said carefully.

"Wasn't your mother like five hours away the last time I checked?" Cisco asked and Snow was glad for Iris to hang up her phone at that moment.

"Ok, listen up, guys! There's this new year's fundraiser happening in the city and I've been asked to cover it for the paper. I can fix you tickets. Something tells me this meta won't miss it for the world."

"Great!" Barry clapped his hands. "So we can go together and I'll be able to nail this guy!"

"You'll need back-up," Cisco pointed out. "We need more people there so they'd look out for the guy. You're fast, Barry, but you can't be that fast in front of a whole crowd of people."

"I'll go," Caitlin volunteered with a shrug. "It's no problem."

"You're gonna need a date," Iris reminded her. "What about…?" She did come to a stop when she saw the face Caitlin sent her way. "Oh, crap!" she then cursed, understanding the girl. Even if Snow and Wells weren't in a weird place right now, they still wouldn't be able to go together because he couldn't show his face in public and especially not in a room full of rich people who would surely recognize him.

"I'm gonna have to call Jay and set up that date I promised him," Caitlin sighed, Harrison in the far end of the room feeling like a nagging, persistence presence. "Although this wouldn't be a real date," she murmured under her nose when grabbing her cell. "Just a debt to pay. Strictly platonic."

"You never know," Barry said and Iris elbowed him in the side. "What did I say?"

-----------------

Once Caitlin came back to the main room, having already made the call and dealt with the oh-so-happy Jay, she only saw Cisco there.

"What's wrong with you and Harry?" her friend suddenly asked her just as she grabbed her cup from the table and was about to drink the last few sips of her coffee on which she nearly choked.

"What?" she asked Cisco, turning to him and looking at him with quite a scared expression. Was he that perceptive, after all?!

"I mean, you worked so closely together, always getting along well and now you won't even look at each other. What's with that? Did he say something to you? Just let me know and I'll handle it!" he assured her and she would've laughed if it wasn't for the reason of it all.

"Nothing's wrong, Cisco," she tried to dismiss that and she turned away.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her arm. "Hey, talk to me, Cait. Even I can see that something's bothe… oh, my God!" Cisco suddenly exclaimed and let her arm go as though it burnt him. "SERIOUSLY?!" he yelled and when she looked at him again, she saw the expression on his face that bordered between shock and being terrified.

"What did you just vibe?!" she asked, pure angry with him.

"You kissed Harry?!"

"Cisco, that's private!"

"You know well that I don't have a hold on those powers yet! Sometimes I just vibe!" he tried to explain himself. "Seriously, though. You and Harry?"

"The way you say it sounds like it's a bad thing. What's wrong with me liking him or him liking me back?!" Caitlin felt furious, her hands now put on her hips as she faced her friend.

"Well… nothing," Cisco squealed, his voice strangely low. "I mean… it's a surprise, really. It's…" He shook his head. "Just… wow!"

Caitlin narrowed her eyes.

"And I'm totally not saying anything to anyone!" he promised with his hands raised up into the air. "I swear!"

"It's… complicated, ok? He doesn't want to take it any further because of Zoom. He's afraid Zoom will hurt me if he finds out that Harrison cares about me."

"That's actually a solid explanation," Cisco nodded. "And now I know why you never wanted to go out with Jay! Your heart was already taken!"

"I never wanted to go out with Jay because I didn't like him this way and that will never change," Snow explained. "Now, can you drop the whole thing and forget about it?"

"Forget about seeing you and Harry kiss? No way!"

"Cisco," Caitlin said in a warning tone.

"But I won't tell anyone. I already promised you that! Actually, as I think of it some more… you, guys, really do fit together well. At least when not looking at the age gap and the fact that he has a daughter who's currently with Zoom. Yeah…"

Caitlin just shook her head. Could this day get any worse for her?

Chapter Text

Part 07

Caitlin was doing her best to give Harrison all the time he needed as they all waited for the metahuman to show up. Which he didn't do and they decided to go through with Iris's idea of the fundraiser. Tonight Caitlin had to go out with Jay and she didn't like that at all. She didn't want to spend the New Year's Eve with the guy. She wanted to stay here, at S.T.A.R. Labs, being truly at her limit, the energy coiling up inside of her, ready to be released. She was tired of stalling, of putting other things first. She was tired of hiding her feelings and even the threat of Zoom that was still hanging over them wasn't enough to stop her. Yes, the monster could have found out about Wells having feelings for her, but then again, why he would care now when his attention was clearly focused on Barry? Keeping Jesse didn't make any sense to Snow if that was the case, but who she was exactly to know how an evil speedster thought? She'd known one before, that was true, but Zoom seemed to be a completely different man – or being? Was he even still human? – she wondered. He wanted to conquer and destroy, to take whatever speed he could get whereas Eobard just yearned to return home. Yes, compared to what they were facing now, Thawne seemed like a child play, especially when they couldn't foresee Zoom's next move, if he would ever make one.

What was the worst that could happen? Snow wondered as she was making her way to Wells's room. How would Zoom even find out about them? It wasn't like he was watching them. He might've been spying on Barry, but he couldn't spy on her and Harrison here in the S.T.A.R. Labs since Cisco had already made sure he wouldn't enter, their updated system detecting everything and everyone that was using speed force at the moment. Well, technically Zoom could get in when being just a mere human, his powers at bay, but what he would benefit from that? One look at someone who didn't belong there and he would be made up.

Caitlin reached the right door and raised her hand to knock. When nothing happened, she knocked again, this time insistently and finally, the door opened showing Harrison's face. There was absolutely no emotion there as though he locked them all inside of him, fighting hard not to let them out. A master of disguise and gruffness, Snow thought, not affected by his appearance at all.

It was because she remembered how emotional he could actually be. How he could just let go and kiss her so well her knees would buckle underneath her if she was standing at the moment. No, she wouldn't care what he look like as she knew better what he felt. He was just trying to protect her and whereas in different circumstances she would probably like that very much, this wasn't one of them. She wouldn't let him control both their lives.

"What are you doing here, Snow?" he asked harshly, trying to pull away and close the door, but she was faster, putting her feet in and rendering him unable to do that.

"We need to talk," she said strongly. "And I'm not leaving until we do."

"Ok," he sighed and left the door be when coming further inside.

She didn't wait. She just got in and closed it behind her.

"I'm sorry about what happened the other night," Wells just said, his back still turned on her as though he didn't want to look at her. She had a better idea. He just wasn't strong enough to hold her gaze after what happened between them and it actually excited her. She knew he was holding to any last ounce of control he had and she would take that control from him and break it into pieces. He needed her and he couldn't deny it any longer. Also, he couldn't be alone anymore, the burden on his shoulder getting heavier with every single day passing by, she could see that clearly. She really should talk to Barry about concocting a different strategy to get Jesse back than just wait for Zoom to show up. There simply had to be another way to find the girl. Maybe Cisco could help. She knew he still hadn't gotten a hang of his powers, but maybe he could work some more on them and vibe Jesse's location. Or anything on the other earth. Maybe. But first things first, Snow reminded herself.

"I'm not," she answered Harrison. "It was long overdue, actually," she then dared add and immediately saw his shoulders tense up.

"Caitlin," he started in a warning tone.

"Just listen to me. You owe it to me to listen," she quickly followed. Yet, before she said more, she strode right towards him and circled him to face him. She was beyond frustrated now with his behavior. "And look me in the eye when I say it," she told him harshly.

He did look then and her heart soften immediately when she saw the hopelessness and despair in his gaze. He wanted to seek comfort with her so badly, but he still held back, not wanting to hurt her, his body full of coiled and tensed energy, wanting to be released just like hers, but he still wouldn't let it. It drove her crazy, yes, but in the same time it told her how intense and real his feelings for her actually were. And that left her without a breath, the knowledge of it all hitting her like a brick falling on her head and she didn't even know whether she could just stand there, facing him and not fall down, not lose her balance. Because this changed everything. She'd never realized it before, but somehow she'd fallen for this man. It crept up on her, came almost imperceptibly and now it was just too late, her being too far gone. She'd used to think that there would be no happy ending for her, no life after she'd lost the one person she'd ever loved. She'd been just about ready to give up on any kind of love altogether and devote her live to helping her friends, to helping the Flash, to do some good in the world. She hadn't planned on falling completely and madly in love with Harrison Wells from Earth 2 of all people. Yet, she had. And her life was changed forever. Love, hope, happiness, actual planning for the future instead of living day by day – it was all overwhelming, both scary and exhilarating in the same time. Sure, their happiness was not guaranteed as there would probably always be danger surrounding Barry and the city in general. The would always be danger in Wells's home town on another earth as well. Still, it wasn't a reason to stop trying, to push away the amazing thing they seemed to have discovered between them. No, it was just a reason to fight even harder to have it all. She knew Harrison would always be devoted to his daughter and she would never ask him to give up on her. Snow actually yearned to meet Jesse as she already liked her from her father's stories. She wanted to meet her and befriend her, maybe even become something of a motherly figure to her even though she was way too young to actually be Jesse's mother.

Caitlin discovered all of that just in this moment when standing right in front of the man she felt like she was supposed to meet, like he was truly meant to become the love of her life, as though it was fate that seemed to have brought them together. Maybe it didn't make any sense. Maybe she didn't believe in fate because she was a scientist, but she didn't care. It felt that way and she could tell just by the look into the depths of Harrison's blue eyes, that he felt the same. Actually, the electricity generated between them was so powerful that she couldn't seem to remember what she wanted to tell him in the first place and he hadn't even touched her yet!

Whereas she finally seemed to have discovered what she felt and what she wanted or maybe rather with whom she wanted to have all of things she never thought she would actually get to have; he was just standing there, staring at her, his body tensing visibly with every single passing second. She knew why. Everything was crystal clear to her now as she thought of his sometimes misguiding behavior, of all those rough words she hadn't seemed to understand at the moment and then those nice, warm moments they'd shared. It all came down to this. He was just too conflicted about it all and maybe even felt guilty that he actually felt something for another human being when the one person he was supposed to love unconditionally was gone and he couldn't seem to get her back.

"You said what you thought of this whole situation, but I say we can be stronger than that," Caitlin finally spoke again, her voice hoarse. She needed to clear her throat. And probably her mind as well. "You left my choice out of this and I have one, Harrison," she told him firmly, her eyes never leaving his. She had nothing to hide anyway. Everything was already out in the open and they both knew it. They could keep appearances for as long as they wanted, but the truth was out there and nothing could erase it. "Zoom wants Barry, not you. Besides, we're safe here," she continued. "So I won't give up on… on us," she finally got it out, her voice wavering slightly. She felt embarrassed when saying it all whereas he was just this powerful, coiled up presence right next to her. "You can run all you want, but why?" she just asked. "Life is too short for that and I hope you'll come around and change your mind. This is my choice and I'm choosing this," she finished, actually shaking now with the intensity of the moment. Luckily for her, she was done. She wouldn't have to stay here in this room with him for much longer. If she did, she'd surely grab him and kiss him senseless.

She finally took her eyes away from his face and walked to the door.

"Snow," he suddenly said. She didn't know why but she liked him calling her this way. It somehow suited her even though it was her last name. It was also her father's name and she missed him terribly, so she was lucky to keep that one part of him. It was a part of him that also felt so like herself. She'd rather not think about how it also perfectly mirrored her usual cold and stoic appearance, a feature she got from her mother. Still, that appearance was so easily broken and taken out of control by no one else but Harrison.

Caitlin stopped with her hand already on the doorknob. She didn't look back, though. She didn't seem to be able to.

"Me, too," was all he said in the end, a confirmation of what she already knew. That he was in this just as deeply as she was. Still, it wasn't what she really wanted to hear or better maybe, it wasn't a gesture she wanted from him.

In the end, she could just sigh and leave, hoping he'd come around eventually.

------------------

Caitlin didn't like this at all, she thought when looking at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a beautiful blue gown. One that she chose especially for such an occasion as going to a New Year's fundraiser. The problem wasn't the dress itself, though; it was with whom she would attend that gala. She needed to get through this evening and then it would all be over, she told herself, still feeling very uncomfortable that Jay would be taking her. She couldn't quite explain it, but she never felt right in his presence as though there was something about him that just wouldn't let her feel safe. She knew it was irrational, but it was still there. And now she had to face him and see the look on his face when he spotted her entering the main room dressed up like this.

"Wow, you look…" he stopped, clearly at loss for words and she started wondering whether this was a good idea. Maybe she should have gone to the mall today and just picked something less perfect for her, something in which she wouldn't look as good. Would it have made a difference, though? Well, probably not.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked and she had to think for a moment what he meant. Oh, she finally figured. She'd bailed on kissing him during Christmas Eve, saying that she hadn't been feeling all right. She could only hope he wouldn't try this again, that he wouldn't try to kiss her tonight. Something told her he would, though and she groaned internally.

"Yeah, that was really awful. Too much eggnog, I guess," she told him and then her eyes met Harrison's from across the room and everything went still like there was a metahuman around who could make everything move in slow motion. She knew that wasn't the case, but it was exactly how she felt.

Wells clearly tried very hard not to pay attention, but the hunger for her and the jealousy he felt towards Jay was so powerful. He liked the way she looked in that dress and he wanted to be the one to take her out tonight, but couldn't. Even if the Harrison Wells of this world hadn't been a killer, it would've still not worked out. Because getting out of the Labs together, having fun together, betraying their feelings for each other in public, that could actually reach Zoom. Still, somehow the evening got so much better for Caitlin. She liked that Wells seemed to be devouring her with his eyes, trying hard to hide it in the same time. She liked that he was jealous even though he knew well that she would never be interested in Jay; even though he knew she was going out with him out of duty. Even though he knew she had very real and very strong feelings for him, not for Garrick. Love sometimes was irrational and out of control and didn't seem to make sense.

"Shall we?" Jay asked after momentarily being occupied by talking to Barry. Caitlin felt relieved that he didn't seem to notice anything. Or maybe he should have. Maybe then he would leave her alone.

"Yes," she nearly sighed. "Oh, wait. I forgot my bag."

Grabbing her envelope clutch was a perfect opportunity to find herself near Harrison.

"I hope you'll save me a dance," she whispered to him on her way out. "We should stop living our lives in fear. We should live them the way we want to and show Zoom that we're not afraid and that he won't dictate what we shouldn't do." She did linger there for a little bit too long and then she had to catch up with her friends and Jay who were already out of the room. Harrison, on the other hand, was just staring after her.

------------------------

The evening was stretching on endlessly and Caitlin fought hard as not to actually yawn. She did dance with Jay, then with Barry and with Jay again and nothing happened. She kept small talk. She pretended to be having fun. Yet, no metahuman made an appearance. Her bag - having nothing valuable inside and brought purely for the purpose of being bait – still by her side. She even left it behind once and it was brought back to her immediately by a man who clearly thought of himself a gentleman and then she had to dance with him as a thank you. Next thing she knew, Jay swept her back into his arms and they were dancing together again.

"Jay," she said his name and then bit her lip, sighing, bracing herself, "Jay, I… I'm sorry, but I have to do this. I have to tell you something."

"You're not interested in me," he said before she managed to get the words out, so she just looked at him in surprise instead. "What? You think I didn't notice? You think I believed your little story there about being sick during Christmas? Even if I did, I heard Iris explaining to the guys that you decided to go home to your family."

"I'm sorry," Caitlin said while still dancing with him. "I really am."

"It's ok. I'll stop bugging you, but maybe someday…" his voice trailed off. "If you change your mind someday and decide that I am, after all, worth you attention, let me know."

"It's not even that, Jay," she said and hesitated slightly before revealing, "it's just that there's someone else I really… care about and I think it'll never happen between us because he's all that I could possibly want." Suddenly, she didn't want to be there anymore. She didn't want to be in this stupid party with people she didn't know and with whom she had to make polite small-talk. She didn't want to be dancing with Jay and being in his arms. He did look good in a tuxedo, but not as good as Harrison would probably look to her. Harrison. Yes, she wanted to be here with him, knowing it would be all different, pleasurable even. Maybe she would even have some fun like Barry and Iris seemed to be having despite their hunt for the metahuman. She wanted all those things but with a different person and that made all the difference.

"I'm sorry, Jay, I have to…" barely had she spoken those words, she heard a woman screaming.

"My necklace! My necklace's gone!"

In that moment Snow discovered that she didn't have her bag with her anymore. That was actually a score since it contained fake money and a tracker.

--------------

Caitlin didn't know why she was still lingering in the Labs. About half an hour ago Barry had brought the metahuman in and the man was safely locked up, both Barry and Cisco heading home, one to probably meet with Iris and finish the evening, the other to sleep or play one of his games. Jay was gone, too, heading to whatever place he was staying at.

The truth was that Snow was tired, but more so emotional than physically. She was tired of struggling, of fighting Harrison on everything, tired of walking in those damn heels – something that she hadn't experienced for a while, if ever. She was tired of waiting for something that might not happen and above all, she was tired of her life here, in the Labs, always being on every beck and call, always helping, never thinking of what she wanted or what she felt, always just serving the greater good.

She was just about to finally give up and leave, heading home to get a good night sleep when she stopped, frozen in place.

There was music. Slow, beautiful music coming from all the speakers in the room.

She'd been wondering where Harrison had disappeared to as they'd brought the metahuman in and he hadn't showed up and now she seemed to have gotten her answer because when she turned around, she lost the ability to breathe completely. There he was, just standing on the other side of the room, holding a bouquet of red roses in his hands and wearing… an actual tuxedo.

Snow couldn't move, so mesmerized by his presence, by the way he looked in those clothes, by how handsome he was and above all, by how he listened to her and actually saved her a dance just like she'd asked him to.

"You were, right," he then spoke, slowly making his way to her, causing her heart to thump more wildly with every step he took in her direction. "I was hiding. I was afraid. Zoom seemed to have taken everything that ever mattered to me and then you came along and I was just too scared, Caitlin," he explained, standing right next to her, causing her whole body to flush. "I felt something pulling me towards you the very first day I arrived here and I tried so hard to deny it, to squash it, to bury it deeply inside me…" he went on, his hands fisting, "but I couldn't," he let his arm hang loosely as he looked her in the eye. "I just couldn't. And it made me feel guilty because Jesse was still out there and I wanted to find her so desperately, but I also started to having all those feelings for you and…" He just shook his head, looking aside for a moment. "It felt as though I was betraying her, but I know now that I wasn't. You would do anything in your power to bring her back to me, wouldn't you?"

Snow slowly nodded, too touched to actually utter a coherent word, her dreams seeming to be coming true.

"I know we can figure something out if only we work together," Harrison then told her, "if only… we are together," he added. "We're all stronger together than apart and I'm done being afraid and doing exactly what Zoom expects me to do. I am done hiding from everyone I care about. And I am so done pushing you away."

She was truly at loss for words and then, finally, she was able to say the one thing that seemed fitting and light enough for all that tension to ease up just a little, "Dance with me?"

"Always," he answered and grasped her hand, holding it gently in his as they started swaying to the slow music still playing in the background.

Caitlin was completely overwhelmed, her senses being on overload. Harrison smelt so good and he held her so closely and so tightly in his arms that she couldn't seem to think, she could just feel. She could only feel the heat being generated by his body, the beating of his heart mirroring her own, his hot breath on the side of her head just when his own rested as they danced.

The clock stroke twelve and the fireworks erupted in the distance, indicating the welcoming of the New Year, but all they could be aware of was each other. Harrison still couldn't comprehend how this amazing, compassionate and loving creature that was Caitlin, wanted him. She was beautiful and smart and just perfect in every way; fiercely independent and strong as no woman he'd ever known. She had the body, especially legs that could easily belonged to a model, yet she chose a scientific career, biochemistry being her passion, working in a lab being what she wanted to do with her life. And he admired it so much, knowing that there probably wasn't another woman like her out there. Not that beautiful, not with such a good and compassionate heart and definitely not that smart on top of it all. She was truly one of a kind and somehow, she chose him.

And she wanted him. Caitlin discovered that she wanted him badly and she wanted him with all of his flaws, just the way he was. Otherwise it wouldn't have been him. His conflicted nature, his devotion to the people he loved, his self-sacrificing nature even though he would never admit it – she loved it all.

They didn't even know when his mouth found its way to hers. When his lips kissed her lovingly, deeply, this time with no intention to pull away. This time with clear intention to continue. They wanted and needed each other so badly.

Caitlin moaned in pleasure, pressing her body against his own, getting herself lost in the kiss, in his mouth, in his tongue, starting to feel the hard bulge forming on the front of his pants as his hands wandered lower, down to brush against her backside and finally rest on her hips, bringing them even closer to his own, groaning in pleasure deeply in his throat, a sound that had the power to drive her completely crazy. Fire ignited in her stomach, reaching deep into her core, causing her muscles to contract, to begin anticipating him, to want him there so badly. She just wanted to melt down for him and he just wanted to find solace and home within her, her body and her soul. They never wanted to let go, too far gone now as to ever back out.

Somehow, they found themselves in his room, not even knowing how they got there and not bothering thinking about it. Harrison's lips trailed down to suck on the pulse in her neck and she could do nothing but give in to him, forgetting everything else and just wanting to be with him in this very moment, but in the same time go further, explore deeper.

His hands removed the shoulder straps of her dress, the blue silky fabric slowly falling down her slim body, exposing the smooth and equally silky blue bra she was wearing underneath and stopping at her hips. It only took a slight move of his hand to get the dress flow all the way down to the floor, leaving Caitlin in the blue underwear he couldn't wait to take off. Only it seemed to be her turn now because when his mouth met hers again, he felt her hands taking his jacket off and then taking the white shirt he wore underneath from this pants. She tried to undo it with her hands, but they were shaking and she was too occupied with stealing kisses from him, so she just ripped it open, a few buttons scattering the floor.

"Now, look what you've done," he pretended to complain whereas in fact, it actually only turned him on more. In such a heated situation, Caitlin didn't seem to be so icy cold anymore. Although, as he thought about it some more, she never was in his presence, it was among other people that she was more or less guarded.

Finally, she pulled the shirt off of him with great satisfaction and then she actually gasped on seeing a nicely toned chest. She didn't expect that from him, the sweaters she saw him wearing so far doing no justice to what was hiding underneath. She never was a huge fan of big muscles, at least that wasn't what made her swoon. And his wasn't. His were perfect in every way. Still, when it came to Harrison, it was his mind, his intelligence, perseverance and the immensity of his love that she loved the most.

She couldn't keep her hands to herself now, sliding them across his chest and down to the barrier she found in the presence of his black pants, deciding that those definitely had to go, too.

She felt his hands working on the clasp of her bra in the same time that she unbuckled his belt and undid the button on his pants. He really needed to be free of any clothing and she needed that as well.

She forgot her own name – or everything for that matter – when they stumbled to bed, her chest already naked and his mouth very attentive when kissing the moulds of her breaths and then sucking on the tips. She would soon go crazy with desire that had actually been building inside them both for weeks now. She couldn't seem to take it anymore.

Only then, when her panties were out of the way, instead of taking his own pants off, Harrison kissed her stomach and didn't seem to be getting up, he was actually getting lower.

"H-Harry, what are you doing?" Caitlin asked, suddenly waking up, frozen in place.

"Tasting you." His answer made her speechless.

Then she saw the stars and he prodded and licked and sucked…

She felt like she passed out since it'd been ages since she'd reached any kind of a satisfying orgasm. She didn't want to think about it as it belonged to the past, but she'd never felt this way with Ronnie. This was just too much, too intense, too… everything. She felt like with Harrison she was experiencing all those things for the first time and she couldn't explain why. It was truly as though they were fated to find each other or were simply soulmates.

Next thing she knew, his face was once again on a level with her own and they started kissing again, never wanting to tear away from each other. She finally worked on his pants, pushing them down his legs blindly, finding him hard and twitching and running her hands along his length. He shuddered then and stopped kissing her, closing his eyes and trying to breath evenly.

"Too much?" she panted.

"I think it's safe to say you don't want that to happen outside you body. Wait…" He suddenly stilled them as though he now woke up. "Do you have a…?" the unfinished question hung in the air awkwardly.

"No need for that. I'm protected," she explained and then thought about how he might take that answer. "Not that I was planning on… I mean… you're the only… it was convenience and… hormonal imbal…" she stumbled over the words, but he didn't seem to care anymore as soon as he got the green light and positioned himself, desperate for this unbearable tension to be released, his sweat by now mixing with her own and he never wanted her more than in this moment. He could tell it was mutual as she spread her legs wider and groaned deeply in her throat when he finally joined her body, sliding all the way in, filling her in in ways that made her scream from pleasure. And those reactions only intensified as he started moving. Then they grew and grew as she wounded her legs around his waist tightly, causing him to go even deeper, bringing them both more pleasure.

Yes, love was not surrender. Love was furious and brave and loud.

They both knew that as their visions blurred, ecstasy taking over, pushing them over the edge and allowing them to experience their coming together as one and allowing them to understand that, indeed, there was no law higher than the law of love.

---------------

Jay pretended to be all right with what Caitlin told him that night, but inside he was raging. Because he would get to her no matter what. He didn't know how yet, but he would make her his for all cost. He would destroy her, corrupt her and she would become everything he could ever dream of her becoming.

He needed to know who the man she chose over him was, though.

He followed her and the team back to S.T.A.R. Labs, but he remained in the shadows, the energy coiling up inside of him, the power that was always running out, cursing through his veins.

He saw Barry and Iris and Cisco leaving, but he never registered Caitlin doing the same. He would've entered the Labs himself and checked out if what he already suspected was true, but he couldn't. Not when being this angry, not when emanating with this much power. This way he would surely be detected by the security system Cisco had put there.

Despite that, a new plan crystallized in Jay's head and he smiled viciously at the beauty of it all.

Chapter Text

Part 08

It was the first time for months or maybe even years when Caitlin woke up feeling deliciously warm and blissful. She didn't seem to feel so terribly alone anymore and her body felt both spent and rested in a good way. It was as though everything in the universe was right and she couldn't be happier in that moment. Not when she remembered that she wasn't in her own bed, that she was in S.T.A.R. Labs in the room that Harrison occupied, lying in his arms, having no care in the world. For now she was blissfully ignorant to Zoom and to the fact that they still needed to get Wells' daughter back and fight the monster. All that mattered for her was this perfect moment, worth all the trouble and heartache that happened before, so worth waiting for. Because Harrison made her feel safe and happy and relaxed with barely his presence and she wouldn't trade this morning for the world.

She could tell he wasn't asleep anymore because when she pressed her body harder into his, snuggling up to him, his arms tightened around her as well. She felt the need to stretch a little so she put her leg around one of his and bent her knees just to straighten it up later, bumping into what must have been his morning erection, her relaxation suddenly turning into excitement, her body heating up in response.

She didn't feel the need to talk, not even to say good morning, she just kissed the part of his skin that was beneath her lips which was his collar bone and then she straddled him, simply looking at him lying underneath her. His eyes were hazy with desire and nothing seemed to be getting to him but her presence at the moment as well. She was happy that he seemed happy, that she could give him those few brief moments of respite, this break from worrying sick. She bent down to kiss him, feeling his hands going up to cover and massage her breasts. She was very needy, last night only a memory now that she felt the need to refresh, so she didn't wait for more foreplay, feeling ready enough. She raised her hips and then allowed him to sink into her and they both groaned as she moved over him, bringing them both to the much needed release.

"You'll be the death of me," he groaned as she collapsed, spent, into his open arms, still not ready to let him go and go about her day.

"I'd like that," she teased him when kissing the side of his neck as that was the spot her lips were closest to. "And I hate that we need to get up." They might stay this way forever, but she knew it would be wrong to keep him like this. They needed to come with a new strategy. They needed to get his daughter back. Snow had to make sure it happened because Barry and Cisco weren't exactly eager to take care of this most nagging problem. They should be done waiting for Zoom and they definitely shouldn't be playing round when going to that New Year Eve's gala. They needed to act. Well, maybe she shouldn't be seducing Harrison at the moment, but at least it was something they both desperately needed, the tension now released.

Reluctantly, she let him go, allowing him to get up, get a fresh pair of clothes and hit the shower. She wanted to lie in bed lazily for another few minutes, reveling in the smell of him that lingered on the covers. Everything that happened between them was beyond amazing and she wouldn't think even in her wildest dreams that they could fit together so perfectly. It was as though they were made for each other. Or maybe her mind was all screwy from all that amazing sex and she couldn't think clearly like a scientist should. Still, she couldn't care less.

When they were both done with their respective showers – she was tempted to join him, but her muscles actually ached as she hadn't been with a man for a very long time and her body still had to get used to regular sex – she asked him to go and get them some breakfast at the Jitters. Her hair was still wet and she fought hard with the hairdryer to organize the lose strands neatly when she didn't have her usual beauty products with her.

He actually kissed her before leaving, which exhilarated her. It was good to know they were still on the same page.

-----------

It happened when Harrison was buying coffee and still warm muffins. He felt the sudden rush of air and then he was no longer standing in the Jitters, the bag he was getting lying abandoned on the floor of the shop. He was now in another part of the city in between two buildings. For a moment he thought it was Barry who grabbed him and was just about to give him a piece of his mind when voice got trapped in his throat at the sight of Zoom. His eyes opened widely, cold sweat broke all over his body when he realized that there was nowhere to hide and that he would probably die when never telling Jesse and Caitlin how much he loved them both, when never getting his daughter back. And Snow wouldn't even know what happened to him. Maybe she would think he simply bailed. He just couldn't stand those thoughts.

"I have something for you. A belated Christmas gift," Zoom said and disappeared only to appear again in a second, but this time he had someone with him.

"Dad!" the girl screamed and broke herself free, running straight into Harrison's open arms. He was too stunned to utter a word just yet, could only hold her, suddenly wishing he had the speed force running through his veins so he could speed them both out of there and hide somewhere safe. "Dad!" Jesse cried when something tore her away from her father's arms.

"No, Jesse!" he finally got his voice back, but she was already gone, only he and Zoom present. "Where is she?! What have you done to her?!" he screamed at the monster.

"The right question should be what you can do for me," the atrocity corrected him.

"What?" Harrison seemed confused. "What can you possibly want from me?" he asked then, shaking all over. It was all too much. Discovering this amazing thing he had with Caitlin, feeling relaxed and happy for the first time since he could remember and being so brutally brought back to reality. He just saw and held his daughter but that split of a second wasn't nearly enough and his heart felt too heavy. He wanted nothing more than to get her back and he knew he would do anything to achieve that. Maybe that was what Zoom had been planning all along.

"I will give you your daughter back if you deliver me the Flash. The moment the Flash dies, I will let you and your daughter go," Zoom informed. "I'll be waiting," he said and then he was just gone, leaving Wells so shaken up that he felt as though his knees would buckle underneath him.

------------------

It'd taken him quite a long time before he reached S.T.A.R. Labs. He didn't have his phone on him, just a few dollars with which he was going to pay for breakfast. Only he wasn't hungry anymore. If so, he felt nauseated. His whole way back – as hard to find as it was – was like his final one, like a path on which end only death would await him.

He was sick about the conditions Zoom gave him. He knew if he really did this, if he truly gave Barry over to the monster, if he truly set up a trap for the Flash, he would be no better than Zoom itself. He knew he would lose everybody even though he would get his daughter back. Would she want to look at him again, knowing that he'd actually killed a man to save her? Would Snow? Something twisted in his empty stomach as he thought how he would just sell her best friend, the hero of this city for his daughter and then return to his earth, leaving this one to Zoom's mercy. Could he do it? Was he that kind of a man?

As he entered the Labs, hearing his name being called by someone, maybe even her, he didn't know; he headed straight to the lab, the place where he could hide and think. Was he ready to lose everything so his daughter lived? Would she be happy with his decisions when having to carry that burden on her shoulders for the rest of her life? Would he be able to carry it?

"What's wrong?" he heard Caitlin behind him. Of course she followed him. Only he didn't know if he had the strength to talk to her now. "Where have you been? I thought you were getting breakfast." She got closer to him, her voice shaky. "Harry? Harrison, talk to me," she pleaded him as he felt her presence right behind him. "Harrison, what's wrong?" she tried one more time when sitting next to him on the stair and the uncertainty in her voice, the fear he found there, just added to the heavy burden that laid on his shoulders. Yes, he would eventually hurt and lose everybody and everything, wouldn't he? That was how Zoom destroyed everything he touched.

Caitlin sat there for a while in silence, afraid to even look at him, having this irrational fear that he decided he didn't want her after all. Only how could he after the amazing morning they'd had?

"Harrison, talk to me, please," she asked one more time, her voice breaking. She wanted so badly to touch his hand, but she stopped herself from doing that. "Is it…?" she started and stopped, then she asked bravely. "Do you regret… us?"

Her question finally did it. It stirred him awake and caused him to look at her, their eyes meeting, his just a pool of pain and suffering she couldn't explain. Was he feeling guilty for having fun with her while his daughter was still out there?

"No. Never," he said in a horse voice. "That's not it."

"Then I don't understand. It's taken you a few hours to come back. What happened?"

"It's not you, Snow," he said, thinking maybe he could get her to leave him alone for a moment so he could think. He didn't want to hurt her, he just felt like it was his burden to bear, not hers.

"It's not you, it's me?" she suddenly asked and it so wasn't what he meant. "Don't give me that bullshit!"

"No, because it's actually Zoom," he suddenly spilled the beans, both terrified and relieved about it. He just couldn't stand hurting her. He'd done that to people enough already. In that very moment, he also discovered that he didn't have it in him to kill someone in order to spare someone else their life, especially when he would be killing Barry. He just couldn't do it. What kind of a father was he?

"What?!" she was shocked with his answer, just sitting there and waiting for him to tell her more.

"I was getting muffins at Jitters when he basically kidnapped me," Harrison explained fast. He didn't need to relieve those horrible moments. "He let me see Jesse and then he took her away from me again. He said I was to deliver the Flash to him. His life for my daughter's."

There was silence and they were just sitting there, Snow processing those words, Harry confused to what he should do, to how he would go on if he didn't hand Barry over.

Eventually, he felt Snow shifting, her body gettingconf closer until she put her arms around him and just held him tightly and it took everything he had in him not to cry. If he thought he'd felt helpless before, he clearly had no idea what could still happen.

"I know it's something that I have to do," he whispered when she was still just holding him, "but… somehow the team, Barry, Cisco… you… You've become my family as well and I just… I can't do it." His body started shaking and one helpless sob escaped his lips.

"I have the metahuman gene," she suddenly confessed and he stilled, then slowly pulled away to be able to look at her face. "I never told that to anyone. I was actually hiding the truth. But the truth is that I'm so afraid, Harry," she continued when looking into his eyes. "I'm afraid that one day I'm going to turn into a monster."

"That could never happen," he told her with such surety that tears appeared in her eyes. He put his hands on her shoulders and repeated, "It will not happen. If you become something else, it will be something magnificent, Caitlin Snow."

She smiled to him wanly through her tears.

"Your faith in me means a lot, but that's exactly what I want to tell you. I believe in you, too. We all do, Harrison. We're family and I think it's time to stop keeping secrets. Let's just go out there and tell them everything. The whole truth. They're all there now anyway."

--------------------

"You're like… together, together?" Barry seemed to be in shock as he asked that Snow and Wells. Joe seemed to be even more struck, just rendered speechless for the moment.

"We're telling you, guys, that Zoom made an appearance and Jesse's still alive and that is what you picked up on?!" Caitlin yelled, actually furious with her friend, her hand holding Harrison's to give him at least some comfort and some of her own strength, to show him he never had to be alone again.

"I hear you and it's terrible, but… dude, aren't you surprised?" Barry turned to Cisco who was just sitting in his usual place behind a computer, sipping on another colorful soda.

"I kind of knew already," he explained. "I'm that perceptive, you know," he lied smoothly and winked at him. "But dude, we really should be focusing on Zoo…" he started when Wells suddenly interjected.

"Ramon knows?!" he asked Caitlin.

"Iris, too," Snow only added.

"Iris knew?!" this time it was Barry who said that, looking at his girlfriend as though he saw her for the first time.

"What? Girls have secrets," she explained with a shrug.

"Iris was actually the perceptive one," Caitlin clarified, feeling the need to add they were already getting into this, "Cisco just got an accidental vibe at the wrong time."

"I'd say it was a very right time!" Cisco argued.

"Can we just fucking focus on Zoom and getting my daughter back without killing Barry?!" Harry snapped, rendering everyone silent.

"All righty, then," Cisco said, rubbing his hands together. "I think if I'm to try and vibe into another earth, we need a guy who knows that terrain best."

"And you have him," Wells said sharply.

"Yeah, but I also need Jay as he's the one with powers. The more, the merrier."

"And you have him, too," Jay spoke when entering the room, nearly causing Cisco to jump.

"That dude has the uncanny ability to show up whenever we need him. Don't you guys think it's weird?" he asked.

That was, indeed, true, but Jay kind of didn't have any options left as he needed Wells and the old fool failed miserably when it came to delivering what he'd asked him this morning. The worst part was that he couldn't just kill him and his daughter. He had to find another way to get him where he wanted him.

"I wasn't just hiding all this time," Jay explained. "I've actually been jumping through the breeches, trying to figure out Zoom's hiding place, trying to track him."

"Are you out of your mind?! You could've got yourself killed!" Caitlin yelled at him since it seemed like a very irresponsible thing to do.

"And that's why I never told you, guys," Garrick explained, satisfied that they all thought it was the reason to his disappearances and to why he sometimes couldn't answer his phone. "I may die, you may not find the cure and I just didn't want my life to go to waste. I wanted to do something good before I go, so…" his voice trailed off a little before he continued, "I know how to hide. I've been doing that for longer than Wells ever did. I also have contacts on the other earth. I think I've managed to pinpoint a possible location for Zoom and if not for him, then for his prisoners."

"Have you seen Jesse there?" Harrison immediately asked, but Jay just shook his head.

"I couldn't get close enough," the answer came. "Not without my powers, not without back-up. I's when you, guys, come in. We can only do this together."

"By freeing the people Zoom took, we take away his leverage," Iris said. "This might just be the thing to weaken him."

"Or enrage him more," Cisco added.

"That's good, too," Harrison pointed out. "We catch him off guard. When he's angry, he's bound to make some mistakes. All we have to do is get him to the cortex."

"It sounds too easy," Barry voiced his opinion.

"It doesn't," Caitlin didn't agree. "It's actually very risky."

"All right, let's do this." Cisco stood up. "I'll open up a breech here again and we'll just go and try to save Jesse."

"Any chance you've got some drug ready for me?" Jay turned to Harrison and Caitlin.

"Actually, no, you're gonna have to stay," Wells answered him harshly, still not liking the guy. The fact that Jay might've just tracked his daughter didn't seem to change anything. If he knew something about Garrick, it was that he always had his own agenda.

"We can't all just go there," Barry said. "If there's too many of us, Zoom might notice."

"If there's too little, we might not make it at all," Cisco warned him.

"Well, then I think only people with abilities should go. And Wells," Barry added, "we need a guide and it's his daughter, after all."

Snow's fingers actually tightened over Harrison's hand. She didn't want him to go. She didn't want to lose him.

"I can stay and make sure everything is right with the breech and that nothing gets through," Jay volunteered. "I am a mechanic, after all."

"Cisco and I are going, obviously. Dude, you should practice using your powers," Barry turned to his friend.

"Harry, it's not a good idea…" Snow started, but he stopped her.

"I have to. It's my daughter."

"What if you get hurt?" she asked, turning to face him and taking his other hand in hers.

"Well, I have enough of motivation now to actually survive and come back to you with Jesse," he assured her and cupped her face, looking her in the eye from up close whereas the whole team suddenly felt the urge to just turn their heads away and gave them some privacy. They weren't used to them being so openly together.

"Promise?" Caitlin asked and Harrison just smiled lovingly at her.

"I do. You know, you are the queen of my heart now, so how could I possibly not return to you?" he asked, half-jokingly, oblivious to the face that Cisco just made and the guy's whisperWho is that guy?!

------------------

With the beginning of a new day, they were ready to make the trip. Jay drew Harrison a map to where he thought Zoom's prison was whereas Cisco opened up a breech in the cortex. Caitlin had the strangest feeling of déjà vu since the last time it was opened, Wells jumped through it, asking them for help to save his daughter. Now they were making that promise come true and she could only pray that nothing would go awry.

"Come back to me," she told Harrison when she hugged him tightly and then kissed him lovingly on the mouth. "Be safe."

"I will. You know I have to go."

She nodded, swallowing over the lump forming in her throat.

"I'd do the same for you," he assured her.

"You'd better," she attempted a little of feeble humor and they both smiled. Then he kissed her one last time and was ready for Barry to take him and Cisco through the breech.

"Damn, I really think I won't have to shoot anything that may get though this thing while it's open," Joe complained when eying the breech and readying his gun.

"Provided the bullet will be enough," Iris teased him and he pulled a face.

"Are you all right?" Caitlin asked Jay when noticing that the guy didn't look good.

"It's nothing," he dismissed that, "I think it's just my condition acting out."

"As soon as Harrison's back, we'll resume working on the cure, I promise," Caitlin assured him.

He just nodded, then visibly paled.

"Caitlin, I'm sorry, but I need to get some air."

"Maybe you should lie down?" she suggested, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You look awful, Jay. Don't overtax yourself, ok? We can handle it all for now and if anything comes up, I'll come and get you."

He just nodded and walked out of the room, smiling to himself when finally being alone.

------------

In the meantime, Harrison, Barry and Cisco were walking out of S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth 2.

"This is so cool, man!" Cisco couldn't keep his face straight and pretend that he didn't just see it all for the first time. "Kind of the same, but not the same at all! How cool is this?!" He bumped into Barry. "We gotta have so much to tell our grandkids!"

Barry seemed to be overly enthusiastic as well and Wells could only groan, wishing for a better companion like Snow for that matter. Only even though she told him she had the metahuman gene, she didn't have any powers so far, so bringing her to this place might only endanger her life and he just wouldn't have it. He was glad that she didn't mention wanting to go with him. She must've known that he couldn't be worried about two people he loved when out here and he so much respected her for that decision. He knew it was hard as he could easily imagine himself in her place.

"Harry, I…" Barry suddenly turned to him when they were leaving the city, heading north towards the woods Jay described. "I just wanted to say thank you for not listening to Zoom. I know you risk a lot when trusting us and not just doing the easy thing and handing me over…"

"That wouldn't be the easy thing, Allen," Wells said to his surprise. "It would actually be the hardest thing I would ever have to do. In the end, it turns out that I can't possibly betray the person I consider my friend."

"You consider us friends? That's so cool, Harry!" Cisco picked up on that and Wells couldn't help but smile this time. "You know what? I kind of like Cait's influence on you. You're not longer such a dick."

Barry couldn't help but laugh along his giddy friend whereas Harrison just rolled his eyes.

"Let's just focus on getting there fast and leaving this earth, all right?"

Chapter Text

"This feels too easy," Barry pointed out in the middle of their climb the side of a mountain, the only and fastest way they could find to Jesse.

"Oh, really? Which part feels so easy to you?" Cisco grumbled, breathing heavily, trying to keep up and hold hard as not to fall down.

"That's not what he meant," Harrison spoke, being the third party in tow. "So far there's been no traps, nothing, no Zoom to stop us."

"And thank God for that since he'd kill us for sure," Cisco reminded him.

They stopped talking until they found themselves at the top, saving the energy and air.

"It's a cave," Cisco said, surprised when taking one last glance at the map Jay had drown for them. "A cave with no tech? Nothing to stop anyone from coming in?"

"Maybe because there's no actual coming out," Harrison guessed and started off towards the dark entrance.

"Nah, I don't like it," Cisco decided when shaking his head.

"Relax, we have powers and if we're lucky, Zoom's on our earth right now, having no idea we made his cover and are saving Jesse," Barry comforted his friend, but that didn't really help much.

In the end, they all followed Harrison into the cave, being wary of anything that might jump at them or simply attack. Still, so far nothing happened and they started believing Barry that it felt almost too easy.

"Is anyone in here?" Harrison asked in a normal tone and when nothing and no one answered, he repeated the question louder.

"In here!" he suddenly heard a voice he thought he would never hear again, his heart thumping widely, excitement and adrenaline rushing through him and before Barry or Cisco could stop him, he was running towards the source of the voice, forgetting everything, just being focused on the one thing he wanted back the most at the moment.

"Damn it, Harry!" Cisco yelled after him. "It can be a trap!"

Barry sped up ahead, leaving Ramon alone in the dark, so he just shook his head and also took up running, not liking he idea of staying behind in a dark corridor.

When Harrison reached the point where the path turned right, the stony passage transforming into an actual large cave, he came to a sudden stop, seeing two cages there and a woman in each. His instinct told him to go right to the cage where his saw his daughter. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest, wanting to reach out to Jesse. He needed to hold her safely in his arms already, to just take her out of there and never let her out of his sight ever again. The last part would probably be hard to achieve, but all that mattered for him right now was saving her life and making sure Zoom would never get her ever again.

"Dad!" she called out to him again, disbelief and joy mixing in her expression. "Dad, how…?" she started in awe as he reached the cage and frantically looked for the switch that would open it.

"Allen!" he growled, impatient, just needing his daughter free right now and needing to get the hell out of there before Zoom noticed their presence.

Barry was by Harry's side in no time, using his powers to open the door and finally, there was no barrier between the daughter and the father and Jesse just ran into Well's arms, sobbing into his chest frantically.

"I can't believe you came for me!" she said, her voice muffled by his jacket. She looked sick and tired as though she hadn't had a good night of sleep for ages and that was no wonder, really. She also felt much thinner in his arms. Still, he did not care about any of those easily fixable things at the moment, he just cared that he had her back.

"Ok, let's go!" he turned to Allen.

"Hey! Hey! Over here!" they heard the other woman then and they all looked in her direction. She was very small, long dark hair flowing down her back, equally dark brown eyes staring at them desperately, pleadingly. She seemed to be no older than Jesse.

Cisco was already by the cage she was trapped in, trying to get her out.

"Guys, a little help here?" he turned to them.

"We don't know who she is," Harrison pointed out resolutely.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Cisco asked him. "Just look at her! She's trapped in here just like your daughter was! She probably has a mother who's worried sick about her!"

Barry didn't wait to hear anything else from Wells, he just sped off to the other cage and opened it.

"Who are you?" he asked the girl.

"Tanya. I feel like I've been here forever," she said, relieved to be free. "Thank you so much."

"Is there a family you would like to come back to?"

"Actually, there's no one. I've been on my own for years now."

Barry's eyebrows elevated.

"I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself," Tanya said, suddenly feeling offended. "I might not look like much, but I'm powerful."

"We don't have time for this, guys. Let's just go," Harrison rushed them.

He was right, so Barry just grabbed Tanya's arm and they all turned to the exit.

"Why did Zoom lock you up? What does he have on you?" he asked on their way.

"I can control people's minds," she simply said and they all stilled, looking at her in shock. "But I don't like to do it and I haven't done it so far to any of you, nor your daughter," she then added when looking at Wells, clearly feeling offended again that they seemed to be afraid of her. "Just ask Jesse."

"We've been keeping each other company," the teenager explained. "She's cool."

They resumed their fast walk towards the exit of the cave.

"Zoom locked me up because I looked into his mind and saw who he really was. I was dangerous, but he couldn't kill me. He needed me and my powers. He's still trying to find a way to take them away from me," Tanya continued.

"Tell me about it," Barry just sighed. "So, what did you do before all of this?"

"I'm an engineer, actually and that's how I met him," she explained quickly.

"Engineer?" Cisco turned to her, interested. "How old are you, exactly? Well, pardon me asking… It's just…" He immediately stammered, realizing what he'd just done and starting to blush all over his face.

To his astonishment, she smiled to him and simply answered his question, "I'm twenty five."

"Wow! You don't look twenty five!"

"I get that a lot, actually," she sighed. "Buying booze is a nightmare!"

They entered the long and rocky hallway and begun their fast walk to the exit of the caves altogether.

"I met Zoom at work. I couldn't control my powers so well back then and I immediately knew what and who he was. Before I even managed to say something, he threw me into that cage. I was the first to know the biggest mystery of this city and I couldn't tell anyone. It was so frustrating. All those people were trusting the hero, the Flash and all of that when not knowing it was just a cover up."

"Wait, what?" Barry came to a sudden stop, his mind on overload. "What did you just say?!"

It was too late, though. Too late to run. Too late to ask for explanation.

Zoom was there.

They saw a glimpse of blue light and then Harrison was no longer standing next to Jesse. He was now being held by Zoom, the monster's fist a vise over his throat.

"Dad!" Jesse screamed, wanting to get to him, but Cisco held her back, knowing that wouldn't do them any good. "Dad!" She cried out again, seeing that Wells's eyes bulged as he was running out of air, its supply cut off by Zoom's merciless grip.

"Cisco! The portal! Now!" Barry screamed, protecting Tanya with his body.

"What?! You know I can't fully control those powers just yet! I can't perform under such pressure, man!"

"NOW!" Barry roared in fury and while Cisco was doing his best, he charged Zoom, but the monster simply evaded him, dragging Harrison – still caught by his neck - away.

Cisco managed to make the portal, though and he could only hope that it led to their earth and not some other he might accidently open a passage to.

"Jump through! Now!" he screamed to the girls. Tanya listened immediately, but Jesse just stood there, still screaming for her father. He had to push her through in the end, then turned around and yelled for Barry.

Finally, he was relieved to see the flash of red and jumped as well.

-------------------------------------

When the sensors in the cortex signalized activity, Jay casually walked into the room, joining the still waiting Caitlin, Iris and Joe. A little time travel and everything should be on schedule, he thought.

One by one, people started appearing - first a person neither of them knew. Caitlin was surprised to see the woman coming through and then even more surprised when the stranger spotted Jay and started screaming for him to get away from her. It was Iris that ran to her and tried to calm her down.

Next came another girl. She stumbled, falling to the floor, her face tear struck, her whole body shuddering. Caitlin recognized her as Jesse since she'd seen her picture and then she was immediately by the teenager's side, her hands reaching out for her, wanting to care for her, to welcome her in this new place, to tell her that everything would be all right.

"Hey, hey, it's ok," she started speaking to her soothingly as she helped her to her feet.

"Dad!" Iris just called out to Joe, fear evident in her eyes as both she and Tanya started slowly moving away from Jay. Jay who suddenly charged them.

Before Joe could even understand what was happening, Cisco appeared, landing on his feet close to Jay and absentmindedly grabbing his arm for purchase. Jay stopped, cursing when Cisco stilled, his eyes opening up in terror as he vibbed who Jay truly was and had his final confirmation.

Before they all knew what happened, before Joe managed to actually use his gun and shoot Garrick; the flash of red came through and Garrick left, speeding off to his world, the portal closing behind him.

"Where's Harry?" the stunned silence was broken by Caitlin's shaky voice. She was standing behind Jesse with her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Where's Harry?" she asked again, starting to shake.

"Caitlin…" Barry started slowly, making his way to her. "I… I couldn't…"

"No…" she shook her head, still being in denial. "No!" she screamed, letting go of Jesse and making a step backwards. "Tell me he's not…"

"Zoom had him by his throat and he sped off with him," Cisco explained carefully. "I don't think his neck… could survive that."

Caitlin's expression already betrayed the heartache and all the agony that it conveyed, but she was still just standing there alone, her body and her head shaking, still being in denial as it was easier than admitting that…

"No," Jesse said as well, her voice much more quiet though, almost a whisper, a silent plea for it not to be true. "He can't be…"

Whereas Iris made her way to the girl and put her arms around her, trying to give her as much comfort as she could, both Cisco and Barry rushed to Caitlin, but she just pushed them away, the pain so strong she couldn't breathe and she ran out of the cortex, not even having registered the whole commotion with Jay. She reached Harrison's room and she didn't even know why. Maybe she thought no one would look for her there, she wasn't sure. She closed the door behind her and she burst out crying, spasms shaking her whole body as she slid her back along the door and down to the floor where she finally sat, her arms around her knees.

Then it happened.

One moment she was crying her eyes out, not able to even breathe, the pain being so strong and so sharp. She didn't even dare hope because it seemed impossible that Zoom spared Harrison's life when everyone else escaped his grip. He had to lash out at someone and that someone was probably the man she'd barely discovered she loved.

The next moment, she stilled, feeling cold running through her veins. It was somehow different, though; it wasn't just the feeling of being cold. It was something else entirely. She could feel it in her veins, but in the same time it wasn't hurting her. Those weren't the cold shivers shaking someone's body when they needed to get somewhere warm. It was…

She gasped and suddenly stopped crying, being too shocked to do anything when she saw the ice appearing on her hands, the mist of the cold spreading from her palms up to her elbows. Then she felt the sudden urge to hide her hands and as she crossed her arms over her chest, the cold and the ice disappeared, just leaving her there terrified on top of the grieving part.

---------------------------------------------

"So, you can control minds?" Cisco and Barry resumed their talk with Tanya a few hours later when the shock and the terror more or less ceased. The painful loss could still be felt, tough. Jesse was sitting in the far corner of the room, freshly showered, her clothes changed – courtesy of Iris since the girl didn't really have the mind to do anything when having just lost her father – nursing a cup of hot cocoa. Iris was still by her side, standing over her sitting form, her hand on Jesse's shoulder, still brushing it gently, trying to soothe her.

"Well… yeah," Tanya admitted with a nod, "but I hate doing that. I only tried it when facing bad guys, but that didn't last long enough. I haven't even been made since I stumbled upon Hunter at work and discovered he was…"

"…Zoom," Cisco finished after her, feeling shivers running through his entire body. "Why couldn't I see it, damn it!"

"It's not your fault," Barry told him. "We were all fooled by him. We knew there was something off about him, but he always came with the perfect excuse to why." Allen shook his head and then massaged his temples. "He always made sure you couldn't touch him. He covered his tracks perfectly and in the end he even filled the blanks to why he was so often disappearing, giving us the info he allegedly acquired when…"

"When he was the one standing behind it all," they suddenly heard a voice and they all turned towards the door. Caitlin was standing there, her face terribly pale, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She was hugging herself as tough she was cold when in reality she was probably just feeling terribly alone and brokenhearted.

"How are you feeling?" Barry asked gently. "Do you need anything?" He walked over to her and embraced her tightly. She clung to him with gratitude, now really needing someone's touch, someone's hug. Still, it didn't make her feel any less alone. Maybe nothing could do that anymore.

"No, thanks," she said quietly when he let her go and she looked at Tanya. "Hi, I'm Caitlin," she introduced herself, her voice blank, lacking emotions. It didn't even feel like her voice anymore, which only scared her more. She couldn't become this cold-hearted person because… she was terrified that if she pushed all the people in her life that cared about her away, she would manifest her powers even stronger and then there would be no stopping her from turning into ice. She didn't want to be that cold, she didn't want her last name to catch up with all of her. She wanted to be the warm and caring Caitlin she had always been, the one Harrison had fallen for. Harrison.

Finally, Snow was brave enough to face Jesse and she made her way slowly to the corner where the girl sat with Iris standing by her side. She felt horrible that she'd left her once she'd heard the news about Harrison. She knew she should've stayed with his daughter, told her who she was, grieved with her. She should have been the support for her and not the crumbling mess she'd become. Well, she'd learnt from that mistake when seeing her powers manifesting themselves. Powers that she didn't want. Powers she never asked for and hoped that despite the metahuman gene, would never appear. Isolating herself, locking everything she felt away, trying to hide herself from the pain after losing the man she loved forced those powers to the surface and she hated that. No matter the pain, she promised herself, she would never do something like this again.

"You're Jesse, right?" she asked the girl even though she knew the answer already. She was just looking for a way to start the awkward and painful conversation. "I… I knew your father. We were… close," she stumbled over the words.

"You loved him," Jesse just guessed, not betraying any reaction. "Was he… happy with you? That's all I could ever want for him."

"I…" Caitlin sighed and then squatted in front of the girl, looking up into her face. Iris walked away, giving those two some privacy. "I want you to know that you were all he could think about, Jesse. He wouldn't stop at nothing to get you back. Yes, he was happy with me, but he never forgot about you even for a second. In fact, he's been pushing me away for a very long time and just before…" her voice got stuck in her throat. She looked aside, closed her eyes for a second when the pain seemed to be just too much. Then she resumed talking when meeting Jesse's eyes. "He let himself finally admit his feelings for… well, me… just before he went off and rescued you."

"You don't have to explain," the girl said, showing Caitlin an unusual strength of character. She didn't seem to breaking like Snow had done just a moment ago, which didn't mean it didn't hurt her just as much. She just held herself together for now. Then again, Caitlin hadn't had the chance to see what had happened those last few hours she'd been gone, hiding and fighting to stifle her powers. "I know he would never give up on me. I know he would never stop thinking about me or abandon me to be with you," Jesse assured her.

"Oh, God, never, that's just…" Caitlin started, appalled.

"My point is," the girl interrupted in a firm voice, "that I know and you don't have to explain anything. I know him. He's always been an overprotective father I actually wanted to get away from him for years," there was clear sadness and regret in her voice now. "I mean, I loved him. He was always my hero when being the head of the S.T.A.R. Labs and all, but he was just too overprotective. I understand it now. My mother died and he never wanted anything bad happen to me. In the end, I was the one who went out and got myself kidnapped."

"I really am so very sorry for what happened to him," it took everything for Caitlin to say this, but she managed. She did it. After all, Jesse deserved it. She'd known her father all her life. He'd always been there for her whereas Caitlin just barely begun her relationship with the man. Still, it didn't seem to matter as she felt she loved him just as much.

"And I thank you that you gave him happiness. He seemed different somehow when he came for me and now I know what changed," Jesse said and Caitlin couldn't stand this anymore, she felt tears stinging her eyes and let them flow, tired of fighting them.

Next thing they knew, they were both standing up and embracing each other.

In that moment, Iris met Barry's eyes, both of them close to crying as well.

"What do we do now?" Cisco asked the perfect question in a slightly broken voice. Despite his common arguments with Harry, he did have a soft spot for the man. "How do we defeat Zoom?"

"We might not know how, but we are in the possession of knowledge that can come in handy. He is not invincible," Caitlin suddenly said, letting Jesse go and facing her friends. "If Zoom really is Jay…"

"Actually, his real name is Hunter Zolomon," Tanya supplied.

"Hunter," Caitlin repeated with a scowl, "really fitting," she added. "Well, knowing this we can easily assume that he's losing his powers and dying. We all saw his blood degenerating. We all wanted to produce a cure for him."

"Wait…" Cisco gasped, raising his hand, "what if… what if he didn't exactly kill Harry?"

"Cisco, I saw him dragging that man at full speed when holding him by the neck. I don't see how…" Barry started.

"I don't want to give anyone any false hope, but you didn't actually see the corpse," Cisco argued. "Just think about it, why would Zoom take Harry? Why didn't he make any move to kill Tanya… no offence," he quickly turned to the girl and Caitlin could swear his cheeks turned a little bit red. "What I mean is the girl knew his identity. He could've killed her first and then we still wouldn't have any idea who Jay really was. I mean, I vibbed him, but he didn't know I would accidentally do that, right?"

"He needed dad so he could make him the cure!" Jesse guessed in excitement.

"He gave Harry an ultimatum," Caitlin provided. "Harry was to hand the Flash over to Zoom in exchange for his daughter. This way Jay's identity would remain intact, Jesse would be here and Barry would be either dead or captured. We would still be working on the cure, thinking he was the only one who could defeat Zoom. We would simply end up helping the very person we wanted to defeat."

"But why?" Cisco asked. "Why not just take Barry? He wouldn't have to expose his identity."

"I don't know! To hurt me?" Caitlin guessed. "He likes me," she reminded them with disgust evident on her face, "and he knew I liked Harry. Maybe he wanted to make me resent Harrison once he betrayed Barry. Only he didn't. Maybe then Zoom decided to either kill him or make me believe he was dead. I don't know." She shook her head.

"Guys, I saw his mind," Tanya eventually spoke again when jumping off the desk she was sitting on. She seemed to be so small like this, smaller than any of the people present, but in the same time she held powers so deadly. She could literally make anyone do anything. "He doesn't only kill people for power. He likes it. He likes the manipulation. He likes causing people to suffer, to betray them. Doesn't his betrayal sting you now?"

"Well, it does. It makes me think I'll never trust another person I'll ever meet," Cisco said, "and all of that after what happened with dr. Wells!"

"Dr. Wells?" Jesse frowned.

"That's another story, honey," Cisco dismissed it quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry…" he suddenly turned to Tanya. "You I can actually trust. You've already proved yourself to be valuable and I did vibe you, so…"

"Excuse me?" she raised her eyebrows at that when crossing her arms over her chest.

"Eh… nothing," he quickly said, reddening even more and then came back to the point, "So, Zoom wants to hurt us. Any way possible. He's a crazy psycho whose actions don't even have to make sense."

"They make sense to him," Tanya argued.

"Sure, hon."

If Caitlin wasn't feeling so down, she might laugh at that exchange. It didn't take much to figure that Cisco liked the new addition to the team, their powers being so similar and all. Besides, Tanya was beautiful with her slender, even though short body and those radiant brown eyes.

"Even if Jay… Hunter," Joe corrected himself, "kept Wells alive, what can we really do now? We don't even know where he might be."

"That's the million dollar question," Cisco agreed with a nod. "Would you mind combine our powers together and see if we can figure something out? After all, you got a glimpse into Zoom's mind and I can vibe the future," he turned to Tanya.

She smiled to him in response. "Why not?"

"I think we all need some rest before we start fighting again," Barry then said, putting his arm around Iris, a gesture so innocent but still one that caused Caitlin's heart to ache.

"We should all leave for the night," Joe agreed.

"You can stay with me if you want," Caitlin turned to Jesse with that proposition. "You shouldn't be alone in the Labs tonight."

"If you don't mind…" Jesse said slowly.

"Everything for Harrison's daughter." The two women smiled to each other briefly before the pain took reign over their expressions again.

------------------------------

Caitlin couldn't sleep. She couldn't do anything but lie in her bed in the dark, occasionally sob, occasionally clean her nose, her mind being bombarded with all the time she'd spent with Harrison. And it wasn't even nearly enough. It was barely one perfect night. Twelve perfect hours when counting the morning before everything went to hell. The worst part, though, was the not knowing. Cisco was right, they couldn't be sure that Harry was really dead. She truly didn't know which option she would prefer better. She wanted to see him again so desperately, she wanted to sink into his arms and feel safe and blissfully again. But she didn't want him to suffer. He was the man she, Snow, loved and she was the woman Zoom was apparently fixated about. Who could know what Jay… Hunter would do to Wells. Maybe death would be better than torments. Because if Harrison was alive, then Zoom needed him, so technically, he could keep him in constant pain to motivate him to work and knowing Wells, he wouldn't give in so easily.

Caitlin didn't even realize she was sobbing again when the door opened and she heard Jesse come in.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked.

Caitlin's back was to her and she suddenly noticed the ice creeping over her arm as she tried to stifle the pain once again. She had no choice but to embrace it then. When she got herself under control – well, her powers, not her crying – she finally turned to Jesse.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked, wiping the tears from her face with her sleeve.

"Of course you're not all right," Jesse sighed when sitting on the edge of the bed. "That was a stupid question."

"How do you feel?" Snow asked when sitting up. "Any better?"

The girl only shook her head.

"You know what we need?" Snow asked then. "Hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

"Sure. And… maybe if we both can't sleep… you could tell me something about my father. How he was here around all of you, guys. Of course if it's not too painful. Then I can just…" Jesse stammered, realizing her slip up.

"It's fine," Caitlin just said, deciding that embracing the pain by remembering Harry would be better than giving in to those scary powers she seemed to be developing. She wasn't even sure she should tell her friends just yet. It seemed like too much, like they already had enough on their plate. "Just let me go get that chocolate first."

"Sure. I'll wait."

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In the meantime, Zoom kept Wells alive, knowing he couldn't kill him just yet. He would the moment the old man gave him what he needed – the cure, the potion that would make him better, that would cause him to stop losing his powers and to actually take others' for himself.

A perfect plan crystallized in Zoom's head. He would torture Wells a little, deriving great pleasure from doing so and he would wait. He would leave all of those fools back in S.T.A.R. Labs in fear, reveling in their torturous anticipation, in their terror only growing stronger. Next, he would take Barry – a child play, really. He would take the boy's powers and then nothing and no one would stop him. He still had to think through taking Caitlin and making sure her powers would manifest, but that shouldn't be a problem. He had some tortures left in his sleeve that would cause her to locate and turn the switch on.

Right now, Harrison Wells's screams broke the silence in another of Zoom's liars as his blue lightening – blue flame – stroke the skin on Wells's naked back over and over again, cutting it and causing him to bleed.

Chapter Text

Harrison didn't know whether it was day or night. It didn't seem to matter anyway. All that he could feel was the horrible exhaustion and pain. He was cold now, being stripped off his jacket and his shirt, left only in his pants. The painful stinging in his back didn't help and if so, it would make putting any kind of clothing on torturous. How long would he survive like this? He wondered. How long before his body and mind gave up? And what did it matter if he put up a fight, if he tried to be strong? He was already dead and he knew that. Nothing and no one could save him. Not even Barry. Maybe if they knew where to look for him, if they manufactured some weapon that could stop Zoom, maybe drain him off his powers, but not in this situation. The unknown location Zoom was keeping him in was the best cover he could ever get. The Flash would literally have to search a whole new world in other to find him and even then, he probably wouldn't.

Harrison cried out as he felt pain as sharp as a knife slashing his back in random patterns. He didn't even know when Zoom appeared again, resuming his torture. He didn't even want to think what was left from his back by now. It was probably a bloody mess, nothing more. One would think the pain would dull with another lash after lash, but somehow it was only more vivid just because instead of beating him up until he was unconscious, Zoom stopped and left him to rest. Now the pain resumed again and Wells just couldn't stand this. He didn't want to scream but he couldn't possibly hold it in.

"Are you ready now to do what I asked you to?" Zoom asked during a brief respite from slashing and burning Harrison's back with the blue lightening.

"Never," came the same, steady and surprisingly strong answer. "You're gonna have to kill me, because I'll never give you what you want."

"Wrong answer," he only heard in response and braced himself for even more agony.

Yet, it didn't come and he managed to turn his head to look at the mask hiding the man inside the monster.

"Why don't you quit being such a coward and stop hiding under this scary costume?" Wells just asked. "Why don't you show me who you really are?" he challenged him.

There was no change in Zoom as though he was just waiting to hear more or maybe waiting for the right time to strike again.

"I already know your real identity. Tanya managed to say enough for me to guess," Harrison continued then. "I always knew there was something off about you, Garrick. Is your name even Garrick?" he then asked, suddenly wondering. Thinking, focusing on something other than the pain seemed to give him a temporary respite. He had nothing to lose anymore. He wouldn't be found. He would sooner die so he might as well get some answers. He might as well tell Zoom everything he always wanted to tell him. How much he despised him. How much he loathed him. He knew Caitlin would take care of his little girl – even though Jesse was practically an adult, she would always be Wells's girl. The most important part was that she was safe and among friends, among people Harrison could trust.

"Ok," Zoom finally spoke with a nod, "we'll play it differently, then, Wells." To Harrison's surprise, he took off his mask and then circled him to squat right next to him and look him straight in the eye. "Listen to me, old fool," he started then, "if you don't cooperate with me, if you don't do what I ask you to, I will not kill you. Instead, I will go and take both Jesse and Caitlin. In fact, I could just go and grab your daughter back right this very moment. I could get both the women you care so much for," he stopped for a moment, reveling in the fear he saw reflected in Wells' eyes. Then he continued, "Can you imagine all the things I could do to them?" Harrisons body actually shuddered now and it wasn't from the cold. "I will torture your precious Jesse and I will kill her right in front of your eyes. As for Caitlin, well," an evil smirk appeared on Garrick's face, "I have other plans for her. Plans you don't even want to know about. Plans that would make you wish I just killed her. So," he said when standing up, "do we have a deal?"

Harrison silently prayed for all his friends and the women he loved to forgive him. He had no choice and he knew it. Zoom wasn't bluffing. Wells would have to do what that monster asked him to and then he would be killed. There was truly no other way out of this. He could only hope that Barry was strong enough to defeat Garrick. He could only hope that both Cisco and Caitlin would figure out a way to stop him, to maybe build some kind of a weapon against him. They had Tanya and she seemed to know a lot about him, so maybe that could help.

---------------------------------------------

"I can't do this anymore," Tanya said when Caitlin walked into the room, finding the girl and Cisco holding hands and focusing on something very hard.

"Just one more time," Cisco pleaded and Snow raised her eyebrows.

"No!" Tanya stood up and let Cisco's hand go, exasperated. "I'm tired and I need a break," she informed when putting her hands on her hips. "Besides, I already showed you everything I saw in Zolomon's head. You saw him being sentenced to death for all the murders he committed and then you saw him strapped down to an electric chair and being hit with the particle accelerator just the moment they were trying to actually kill him."

"So he got his powers while on electric chair?" Caitlin asked, both disgust and shock clearly heard in her voice. "That's a new low, giving a serial killer super powers that made him even more deadly." She shook her head. "I think Tanya's right, though," she then said, "you two need a break. Let me worry about the situation for now."

"Caitlin, I don't think…" Cisco quickly started, knowing how vulnerable she was at the moment. She'd actually gotten very close very fast with Jesse and he wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing. On one hand, they could help each other, but on another, they both loved the person they might've lost forever and it was like opening old wounds with all the things they were sharing.

"Cisco, I can't just sit around and wait for things to happen. I can't just…" Caitlin closed her eyes for a moment. "I can't think about what happened because it's killing me. I need to occupy my thoughts with something else."

"All right, then," Cisco sighed.

"Where's Jesse?" Iris walked into the room, looking around. "How is she?"

"She's working in my lab," Caitlin explained. "I thought it would be good for her to take her mind off… Harry," she said with difficulty, "and work on something. She's majored in biochemistry and I thought we could try concocting something that could possibly stop Zoom. You two should just take some time off."

"What's on in the cinema?" Tanya suddenly asked Cisco.

"What do you like?"

"Eh… everything that's cool? I've been locked up for so long that I don't even know what I should catch up on. Are movies any different on this earth? Has the new Star Wars come up already? What about that Batman movie where he was to fight against Superman?"

Cisco eyes lit up immediately. "You like those movies?"

"Are you kidding? I love them! So, tell me what's worth watching!"

Caitlin actually smiled sadly when she made her way to the lab to join Jesse there. Apparently, Cisco had met his match. Good, someone was bound to appreciate his geekiness.

---------------------------------

Harrison had been working for days and some parts of the nights. Food and clothes were provided for him, but still, it wasn't much. He mostly missed coffee because it was hard for him to think clearly when being exhausted all the time and most of all, living in a constant fear. He had a black t-shirt on and his jacket thrown over it, but even the slightest move caused him pain. Still, clothing won over shaking with cold even if the damage to his back was so substantial that he felt it all the time. He had to sleep on his belly, but that didn't seem to help at all. He thought Zoom torturing him was bad, but when he actually got his hands on a bottle of alcohol, desperate to prevent any infection that would render him useless and not able to keep both Jesse and Caitlin alive; he poured the contents of the bottle on the wound and thought he would literally pass out, it hurt so badly.

Still, he went on. His movements might be incapacitated, his back might be one open and still bleeding wound and he might be exhausted beyond belief despite the food and sleep, but he couldn't give up. He just wouldn't. There was nothing he wouldn't do for the two women he loved more than life itself. He needed to protect them if that was the last thing he did.

Today he'd been working on the potion for Zoom since five am as he couldn't possibly sleep more despite being dead tired. He was taking his time, though, stalling as much as he could. Garrick wasn't stupid, he knew Wells could make something that could actually hurt instead of help, but he make it clear that he would bring an innocent metahuman from the street just to test it out. If Wells failed to deliver, their blood would be on his hands.

He'd been working for hours in silence that was sometimes being broken by a hiss of pain coming from him here and there when he heard it. The sound didn't seem like Zoom coming back since Garrick never hid, just flew right into the room in all his terrifying glory. No, this was creeping around, a rustle here and there. Someone was trying to be inconspicuous, but Harrison knew that he wasn't alone anymore. Maybe just because he'd been left to fend for himself for way too long.

"Who's there?" he asked, his voice sounding hoarse from all the time he'd spent in silence. "I know you're here, so you may as well come out," he added, seeming to sense the mysterious person's hesitance. "Come on!"

To his shock, a slender and long-legged womanly figure came out of the shadows. She had white hair, wore high heels and was dressed in black, tight leather. It was when he took a closer look at her face that he gasped, nearly dropping the vial of a dangerous concoction he held in his hand. He managed to put it down carefully and then walked from behind the table, staring at the creature with his eyes widely opened. Because even though he saw a woman, she didn't seem human.

"Caitlin?" he finally asked when she was just standing there with a strange expression on her face. It was as though she was trying hard to hide something, maybe some emotion, he couldn't yet tell.

Then she finally spoke, "I haven't heard that name for a long time," her voice dragging the syllables while she did so, rendering her so different than his Caitlin, yet so similar in the same time.

In that moment, he finally understood.

"You're from this earth, aren't you?" he asked. "You're not the Caitlin Snow I know."

"Your voice sounds different when you mention her," she pointed out. "You love her, don't you?" she asked, very curious about that part. It caused his eyebrows to ride up on his forehead and he actually forgot about the pain for a moment.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" he asked one question after the other. "Are you working for Zoom? Is this another way of his to torture me?!" he raised his voice, tired of everything. Tired of being alive, even. Caitlin had told him she had the metahuman gene, so what if this was what she would eventually become? Then again, she was a completely different person from her own doppelganger. Everyone was different on all the earths. There might be multiple people called Harrison Wells and Caitlin Snow or Cisco Ramon out there, but despite their looking the same, none of them actually was the same person.

"I used to work for him," the woman said, "or maybe the right way to put it would be that I was forced to work for him. I don't want to anymore."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Killer Frost."

"So, what do you do, exactly?" Harrison swallowed hard.

"I freeze people to death with my touch," she answered idly as though her powers weren't deadly at all.

"Will you freeze me when I'm done here?" he asked again.

"Oh, silly. I'm not here to kill you," she told him when actually laughing at him icily. "I'm here to rescue you."

He could just stand there, completely dumbstruck. Did she just say…?

"Why?" was all he could get out at the moment through his constricted throat.

"Zoom's out of town for today and I figured I might finally get the chance to do something right," she said and shrugged.

"No, I don't buy it. If Zoom forced you to work for him just like he forced me, you know well that if he finds out you helped me, he'll kill everyone you care about and then he'll do the same to you."

"Oh, dear, everyone I care about is already dead and I no longer want to live this way," she said. She didn't even seem to be afraid. She seemed… defeated to Wells. He really wanted to know why, being torn between taking the help he was offered and getting the hell out of there and asking her more questions.

"But why me?" he just had to ask this one, his mind a confusing mess. Not to mention all the emotions he felt inside of his body when standing face to face with Caitlin's doppelganger. She wasn't his Caitlin, but she was familiar and that was enough to stir him up.

"Because…" she started and then suddenly stopped, looking away from him and boring her eyes into something on the wall to her right. He could see she was trying to stifle her own emotions, trying to be powerful and scary. She might want to look to him as though she couldn't care less, but her mere presence there betrayed that she did care.

"Come on, what did Zoom do to you that made you want to help me?" he pushed. She didn't seem to be in any hurry, so why would he? Apparently, Garrick wouldn't be back anytime soon. "He had my daughter, you know. He'd kept her for months along with another prisoner, Tanya. Why didn't you save them? Why now?"

"You really want to know, don't you?" Killer Frost just asked when turning around so her back was to him now. She pretended to be interested in some of the things he asked Zoom to bring over so he could do his job. "When I became what I became," she started, "everybody turned their back on me. I didn't have much friends or family to begin with, but once my transformation was complete, they were just done. I couldn't really blame them since I froze my own mother to death," she said in such an idle voice that it caused Harrison to shudder. Was she that cold? "I couldn't control it. I was mad at her and she was my first kill. Still, I did it." She turned back to face him, her eyes meeting his bravely. "I knew I was evil. I knew what I became and that there would be no redemption for me. That was when I met Zoom and he used me when I was at my lowest. One day he'd conquered a whole world and brought someone from that dimension, a sole survivor. A man that he thought could cook him something in a lab that would make him invincible. That man was very sweet, a romantic in soul, yet such a genius in physics. His name was Harrison Wells."

Wells's body twitched as he heard his own name, but in the same not really his. He thought he knew where this story was going and braced himself.

Killer Frost stopped looking at him as though the eye contact was too much for her. He could see the change in her even though it barely showed. She grieved, her memories being too much.

"Harrison made the drug Zoom asked him for, but it didn't work. It did make him faster, but when the effect wore off, it left Zoom sick, it caused him to lose his powers rather than to gain them. Harrison didn't know this was going to happen, but Zoom killed him for it. And I loved him," she suddenly confessed when looking at the version of Wells standing right in front of her. "I loved him with my whole heart. You know, he was the only person who really cared about me, who could see past this," she pointed her white face and hair. "I could never touch anyone without killing them before he came along and somehow, when he touched me, I didn't hurt him. I realized then that the reason was that I loved him. I could never hurt him because I loved him. Ironic, isn't it?" she asked. "Zoom killed him right in front of my eyes and I was hiding my true feelings, pretending I was still loyal to that monster afterwards, but that… control… it all broke down once I saw you. There's a Caitlin back where you come from, isn't there?"

"Well, actually, I come from this world," Harrison explained, still surprised and touched by the whole story.

"Maybe," she nodded, "but it doesn't mean anything. I loved the Harrison brought here from another earth and she loves you who also got to her earth from this place. I wonder whether the rest of our doppelgangers have such a complicated love story. It's romantic, isn't it? Star-crossed lovers turned planets-crossed."

He didn't know what to say to that. There was just too much happening in his head. It was crazy, yet it was happening. The love story of his and Caitlin's doppelgangers impossible, yet true.

"This is why I want to help you," Killer Frost told him then. "The way you look at me and in the same time you don't… despite us both being from this world… you don't belong with me and you never will. You belong with her. I had my Harrison long enough. I got more time with him than I could ever ask for when being the monster I am," she spread her hands. "Yet, he never saw me as one. He actually believed in me." There was a lonely stray tear flowing down her cheek now and immediately turning into ice. Wells could tell she didn't want to break in front of him, she didn't want to show him that she was still human, but she couldn't help it. "All I'm doing right now is for the love of Harrison Wells and Caitlin Snow. Tell me, have your Caitlin developed powers yet?" she suddenly asked.

He shook his head. "No, but she does have the metahuman gene and she's scared."

"Don't let her become me. Remember that love is always enough to conquer the monsters that hide inside of us," Killer Frost told him. "Now," her voice changed as she cleared her throat - it became more business-like. "Do you have any idea how to get back home with my help?"

Wells thought for a moment and then he got it.

"I need to get to S.T.A.R. Labs. I need to send a signal to my friend on Earth 1 so he could open up a breech for me."

"Then let's get you there."

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Caitlin and Jesse were still working in the lab whereas Cisco and Tanya were watching a movie on his laptop. Barry was out, having an actual job he needed to go to and Iris was at the paper, also working. And then, suddenly, the idleness and relaxation both Cisco and Tanya felt because of the movie and Big Belly Burgers they were eating, was broken as a strange signal sounded.

"What the…?" Cisco started, sitting up straight and pausing the movie to make sure it didn't come from it.

"What is it?" Tanya asked, looking around. "Is this some kind of an alarm? Is Zoom here?!" she asked in panic.

"No, no," Cisco quickly said when taking her hand and not even realizing that he was holding it and stroking gently. "Don't be afraid. Zoom can't get to you here. It's… something else." He actually frowned when letting go of her, standing up and getting to his work station. Caitlin and Jesse both left the lab and jointed them.

"What is this noise?" Snow wanted to know.

"The sensors are picking up some strange vibrations coming…" Cisco stopped with a gasp. "It's coming from Earth 2!" he announced.

"It's Zoom," Caitlin said when hugging herself. "It has to be. He wants to lure us out because he can't get to us here."

"Zolomon's an engineer, remember?" Tanya reminded them. "Does he even know how to send such an elaborated signal?"

"She's right!" Cisco called out in excitement and sent the girl a huge smile of appreciation. "I don't think Zoom could do this. Only a physician and…"

"You actually thinks it's dad?!" Jesse called out. "Really?"

"Jesse," Caitlin started slowly, wanting so badly for it to be true, but in the same time knowing they might meet with huge disappointment. And even more heartbreak. Only then… "If there's even the slightest chance that it might be Harry calling for us, we have to risk it," she said, the decision already made.

"We need Barry here. Just in case it's a trap," Cisco decided, immediately sending an alert to the guy's phone. "Then I'm gonna open a breech in the place the signal originated from."

"Open a portal? What's happening, guys?" they heard Barry standing right next to them and nearly jumped, so immersed into this conversation that they didn't even notice him appearing.

--------------------------------

Harrison was pacing back and forth in his own lab, now abandoned for months. Still, he didn't care. He didn't care he'd just disappeared in this world, leaving his work and the employees and the Labs behind. There might already be a new head of S.T.A.R. Labs and he couldn't care less. He just wanted to come back home. Funny that he'd seemed to find this place in an entire different universe.

"How much longer?" Killer Frost asked, getting impatient. Or maybe scared, Harrison suddenly realized.

"How much time do we have before Zoom comes back?" he asked her.

"I don't really know. I was sure that you'd be off this earth by now! Why aren't your friends responding?!"

"They're probably being cautious."

"No, not good enough. If they don't come to get you in the next ten minutes, I'm hiding you somewhere."

"And what good will that do to us?" Wells just asked. "I can't be hiding from Zoom my whole life. You know well that eventually he'll find me anyway. I need to get back to the people I love. It's now or never."

She pursed her lips, thinking hard about his decision. "I can only fight him for so long," she finally told him.

"I know and I'm not asking you to. You can just go," he offered her a way out. "You've already done enough for me."

"I'm not leaving," she said vehemently, folding her arms over her chest, adamant about staying. "Not until you're safe. I don't matter here."

It was so beautifully tragic that this creature, this cold and seemingly heartless monster, could care this much about someone. She wanted Caitlin and Harrison together, no matter in which universe. It was as though she wanted to give herself and the Wells she loved and lost another chance at love. She believed that they would always find each other no matter the earth and that he would always be the one coming there from another.

Harrison's thoughts were being interrupted by sudden and painfully familiar whoosh of air, indicating Zoom's coming.

"They better hurry!" Killer Frost said in a hard voice, bracing herself for the fight that was about to happen.

In that very moment, a small spec of light appeared in front of Harrison and hung in the air, getting bigger and bigger.

"Jump through!" Killer Frost called out to him when she faced Zoom.

"Come with me!" he tried to convince her.

"There's no redemption for me anymore! I don't want to be saved!" she called to him when charging Zoom. She didn't even manage to use her powers. He had the advantage while she was being distracted with saving the man she would always love. It happened before she tried to freeze her opponent and she made the mistake of looking back at Harrison one last time. "My Harrison is waiting for me," she told him and Zoom's fist pierced her body just then, crushing her heart, killing her on the spot.

The sight of her inert form falling to the floor was the last thing Wells saw before making the jump, the breech closing barely inches from Zoom, eventually cutting his way in and causing him to scream in rage.

Chapter Text

The moment Cisco opened the breech, they were all just standing there, frozen; waiting in anticipation for whomever was getting through. Caitlin stood right behind Jesse, her hands on the girl's shoulders. She might look calm, but inside she was one big mess. She'd been through such a roller coaster of emotions those last few days that she wasn't even sure anymore what it was that she exactly felt. Still, it didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter. She just wanted Harrison to be the one to come through that portal, to be the one coming home to her and Jesse. That was all she could ask for, for now. With Zoom they would deal later.

A figure appeared in front of their eyes, coming forward, getting larger and larger until it jumped through, Cisco closing the breech that exact moment as they couldn't let anyone or anything else in. Next thing they knew, there was a breathing and hissing man getting onto his four on the floor, holding himself pretty awkwardly. Caitlin could immediately tell that he was hurting a lot. Still, that didn't seem to matter when he finally managed to get to his feet and looked ahead, his vision yet cut off as Jesse threw herself straight into his arms, calling him dad.

As he embraced his daughter tightly, hissing in pain again, which caused Jesse to immediately move back and ask what was wrong; Caitlin just couldn't seem to move. This was too much. She'd thought him dead, then captured and tortured with no way of ever getting him back and there he was, somehow having managed to send them a signal. She couldn't believe their own luck, her eyes flooding with tears as she took into the picture of a father and daughter finally being together. Jesse was the reason Harrison had first gotten to Earth 1 for, she was the reason to all of this. All this time she'd been gone Snow had been desperately trying to return her to him, to just make him whole and happy again and finally, it happened. They were all together now, reunited.

"Glad to see you alive, dude!" Cisco called out to him and Barry just patted Wells's shoulder, clearly conscious of the injures the older man seemed to be having. "Good to have you back!" he said and then, there was Caitlin still just standing there frozen, crying and shaking.

Once their eyes met, she broke down completely as he moved fast towards her and put his arms around her, rendering her unable to do the same as her own were still trapped on each of her side. But maybe he knew exactly what he was doing, she thought when pressing her whole body into his, seeming to melt together with his flesh finally letting herself just give in and let all the dams break, allowing herself to feel him whole, to feel him breathe.

"Harry…" she finally said his name when he moved backwards and she immediately raised her hands to cup his face. "How did you…?" she started and stopped. "Are you ok?" she eventually settled on asking.

"I'm alive and in one piece," his answer was and a cold shiver ran though her as she wondered what the injury might be. There was something wrong with the way he held himself and it seemed to be coming from his back.

"Let me take a look at…" she started, but he quickly dismissed that, taking her hand and then reaching for Jesse while facing the team.

"Did you all make it safely back here?" he asked, looking at Barry and then Cisco and finally, his eyes met Tanya's. "Are you all right?"

"Me?" she seemed confused. "Of course! I'm just happy that you seemed to escape his grip, Mr. Wells."

"It's Harrison," he immediately corrected.

"How did you do it?" she wanted to know. "I never managed."

"I did wonder how it was that you could control minds and you could never get to Zoom. I mean, he wouldn't have kidnapped you if you could."

"It's his mask," she explained, "it protects his cortex and as long as he's wearing it, there's nothing I can do."

Harrison just nodded.

"Did he design it himself?" he asked then and Tanya seemed confused.

"I have no idea," she finally said with a frown. "He never seemed like the type who could do something like that, though."

"Because he probably didn't," Wells agreed with a nod and felt Caitlin's hold on his hand tighten, then she raised his arm gently and attached herself to his side, not wanting to ever let him go, the feeling being pretty mutual.

"How did you get past Zoom?" Cisco wanted to know. "How did you manage to send the signal?"

"I was saved by…" Harrison came to a sudden stop, hesitation clear in his voice. Then he risked a short glance at Caitlin.

"What is it, Harry?" she wanted to know. "You can tell us."

It was so strange to be looking into her brown eyes when just minutes before he'd witnessed the death of her doppelganger, the woman who'd been physically the same but yet seemed so different. He was actually afraid that one day the one he loved might begin undergoing the same transformation. Only it would be different, he calmed himself down then. Killer Frost herself told him that love could move mountains. As long as they stuck together, they'd be fine. He was sure of it.

"I met your doppelganger, Caitlin," he finally confessed, his eyes not leaving hers.

There was a change in her expression followed by a shift in her position as she released the hold she had on him.

"What was she like?" Cisco wanted to know, immediately hooked.

"She… was different, a metahuman," Harrison explained slowly, eyes still boring into Caitlin's. He wanted to tell her that there was nothing to be afraid of, that he would always be there for her and that she was safe. "Well, she wasn't actually all that good," he finally said when looking briefly at his daughter before he faced the rest of the team. "Her name was Killer Frost."

Caitlin shivered when she heard that and then she actually hugged herself, desperate to hide her hands, not wanting her powers to manifest now more than ever.

"That's a cool and equally deadly name," Cisco nodded when folding his arms on his chest. "The pun intended. So, what did she do?"

"She saved me."

"She did what?" Barry was the one to ask.

"She wasn't really evil," Harrison rectified, "Zoom just found her and used her when she was most vulnerable. He… he brought my doppelganger from another world to make him invincible."

They were all watching Wells with stunned faces, not even able to interrupt with another question.

"They fell in love," Harrison's voice softened when he said that and looked at Caitlin again, "they were together. Killer Frost could kill barely with her icy touch," Caitlin shuddered and it did not miss his attention, causing him to frown, "but she couldn't hurt him. Zoom killed him when his potion instead of helping…"

"…caused Zoom to lose his powers," Snow finished, guessing the answer. "So that Harrison Wells must've been the one to come up with Zoom's mask to not only hide Zoom's identity but also protect him from Tanya."

"Let me get this straight," Cisco said when pointing his finger at Wells, "your doppelganger was brought to your world and he fell for Caitlin's doppelganger there. Guys, this is… this is so freaking awesome and romantic! And you came here and fell for our Caitlin!"

"She said the same thing," Harrison agreed with a nod, "I mean Killer Frost."

Both Cisco and Barry were just shaking their heads whereas Jesse nearly squealed with joy.

"What was that?" Her father turned to her in surprise.

"I just think it's so amazing! I love Caitlin and you two totally belong to each other!"

To all of their surprise, instead of turning the mean-Harry mode on – as he'd used to do around his team – he smiled broadly to his daughter and then just made sure, "You like Caitlin?"

"Are you kidding me, dad?! She's AWESOME! And I'm so happy that you're alive and that everything's cool now!"

"Not everything," he brought her back to the ground then. "Zoom's still out there. Now more pissed than ever."

"We can handle him," Cisco said in confidence, "now with you, Harry and Tanya here, we can do anything!" he looked at the girl and she reciprocated his smile which caused Wells's eyebrows to elevate in wonder.

"Maybe, but we can't leave the Labs now," he pointed out, "we're the safest here with the security system."

"Well, my security system - as impressive as it actually is – can't keep Zoom away. He's too strong. It just triggers an alarm," Cisco explained.

"It's not like we can all just stay here. Some of us have day jobs to go to," Barry agreed and then his eyes widened. "Iris," he said, "I'd better go and let her know!" He disappeared in a jiffy.

"I think it's time I take a good look at you," Caitlin said to Harrison and took his hand again, gently pulling him towards the infirmary.

"Are you hurt badly, dad?" Jesse wanted to know.

"I'll be fine. You just stay here," he told her and that caused her to frown.

As Caitlin finally got him into the appointed room, she knew that his injuries were more extensive than he let anyone know. If it was just a scratch or something easily treated, she was sure he would allow his daughter with them. The girl graduated majoring in exactly what was Snow's specialty, after all.

"What did he do to you?" she wanted to know when Harry sat down on the cot. Yet, instead of answering her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her in, kissing her. For a moment there, they were both enjoying their closeness and the fact that there was no one around, getting themselves lost in the kiss. It was when Caitlin flung her arms around him and he hissed that she pulled away.

"What did he do to your back?" she asked sharply, needing the answer.

"Ah… it's nothing, really," Harry tried dodging the question.

"It's not nothing!" she disagreed, took the jacket off of him and then pulled on his shirt.

"Stop," he told her when grabbing her hands. By now the fabric of his tee got plastered to his back and he did not want it to be ripped away altogether with his flesh.

"I can't treat you or even handle you right if I don't know what happened," she reminded him in a strained voice. He could tell that she was both upset and hurting and she didn't want him to see that. It was easier for her to switch to a more professional mode. Only then she started to feel cold.

"Are you all right?" he asked, seeing the significant difference in her expression and then even fear appearing on her face.

"What happened?" she just asked again through clenched teeth, ignoring his question.

'"Zoom hit me with his lightening. Honestly, I'm not sure if I was burned or… lashed," Harrison finally admitted when avoiding her eyes.

"You're not sure?"

"Well, ok, it was both, actually."

It was too late for her to hide the tears. He didn't let her run away from him, though as he grabbed her arm again and gently forced her to come closer and to look at him. And she knew it was best for her because if he did let her run, if let her hide, her powers would manifest again and she was already beyond scared with his story about Killer Frost.

"I'll give you something for the pain before I cut that shirt off of you," she then said and he finally let her go to get the syringe. "Does it still hurt?" she asked after the injection.

"It always hurts," he answered her honestly.

"Well, you should stop feeling just about anything in a few minutes," she explained and then she felt it again. She couldn't possibly lie to him about this. She could as well just lay it all out into the open. Or maybe… she could find an alternative way of letting him know.

As she slowly begun cutting the shirt off of him, she let her powers flow through her fingers slowly as they were so desperate to manifest. She nearly heard him sigh as the burning eased up, as he felt better.

"Harry…" she then started, throwing the cut fabric to the trash and bracing herself before removing the remnants still stuck to his mauled back, "there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it, Caitlin?" he asked, surprised by the terrified tone of her voice.

She walked from behind him and faced him, the ice still flowing up her arms from the palms of her hands.

"I'm pretty sure I know what this is," she said shakily, close to crying. "I'm turning into her, aren't I?" she asked when he could just stare at her incredulously. "I mean… I'm not evil. At least I don't want to be, but… Harry, it started when I found out that you were possibly dead and I tried to banish all the feelings that I had. I just wanted to feel nothing because it seemed easier. I couldn't get through losing you and I wanted to just be numb. Apparently, that was a mistake and I caused those powers to show up. I… I don't know how to handle them and I'm so-so scared!" She was crying for real now and it wasn't the time and place as she was supposed to be helping him.

"Come here," he just said and this time didn't have to yank her towards him as she fell into his arms, sobbing. They were both grateful for the pain killers she injected him with as he couldn't feel her hands on the fabric that was still on his back. "I love you," he said and she stilled, her emotions being on overload that day. Or maybe even for days. She pulled away slightly and looked into those beautiful blue eyes from up close. "I love you," he repeated, "and there's nothing we can't overcome when together. She told me to go back to my Caitlin, to help her, to love her with all I got."

"Killer Frost?" Snow made sure, still stunned by his sudden confession. He only nodded in response.

"I believe that you can learn to control those powers and become a valuable asset to the whole team, Caitlin. You're nothing like her. You are not her just like none of the other Harrisons you and she met were me."

Snow nodded when brushing the tears from her face.

"I know you will not become her and these… these are just powers. Cisco has them, Barry has them and they both are heroes, not villains."

"You knew the moment you saw her," Caitlin guessed, "you knew I could become just like her."

"Maybe you will, maybe not, but I don't care. I know that you will never be able to kill anyone with cold blood and I know that I love you. Isn't that enough? Besides, even she had a heart in the end."

"I love you, too," Caitlin said in a hoarse voice and grabbed his face, latching onto his mouth.

"You know, I never got the chance to tell you this," he said when they took a brief respite to breathe, his forehead pressed against her own, "but that Christmas… the Christmas you came to me to the Labs… it meant everything to me," he confessed, locking his eyes with hers. "I'm sorry I ran off, leaving you like that, but I want you to know that I really appreciated you coming over. I probably shouldn't have kissed you and ruined the evening, though. I should've just stayed and enjoyed it with you."

"It's ok," she just said with a small smile. "I'm glad you kissed me and I never want you to stop." After that, she pressed her lips against his again.

"Gosh, guys, shouldn't you be more concerned about the raw wound on the back of my dad's back at the moment?" they head Jesse's voicr as she apparently walked into the lab, feeling impatient that they hadn't left it yet.

They jumped away from each other – or maybe just Caitlin jumped away from Harrison whereas he just shot his daughter an incredulous look.

"Did I tell you that you could come in?" he asked her harshly. "Jesse, get out of here! You're not supposed to see any of this!"

"What? You two kissing? It'll be unavoidable and as far as your back is concerned, I did graduate, remember? I'm just as much of a doctor as Caitlin is."

"But you're my daughter and…

"…and she's your girlfriend!"

"But you're not supposed to see me like this! You're too young!"

"Oh, please! I've seen worse in college! I had to practice, dad!"

It looked like Harrison would soon regret sending his daughter to college so early or maybe even letting her graduate high school years ahead her peers.

"Ok, I'm done here. Jesse, hand me the peroxide," Caitlin suddenly spoke.

Both the Wellses just turned their stunned faces towards her. Apparently, Snow had removed all the pieces of Harrison's shirt while they were arguing and now was ready to proceed with the rest. She did her best as try not to think of the extensive injuries to Harrison's flesh too much. She just wished she could've spared him all that pain.

"What?" she asked. "I'm sorry, Harry, but she's right. She's seventeen, not seven."

Jesse beamed at her whereas Harrison just sighed theatrically. And he came back for this? He thought.

"I just love her, dad!" his daughter practically squealed, betraying her true age, but somehow he stopped caring just then, because in the end, Jesse's approval was all he truly needed.

--------------------------------

Once they were done in the infirmary, Harrison's wound taken care of; they joined the rest of the team in the cortex. There was something Wells convinced Snow to divulge and she was actually grateful that he did. She couldn't hide it any longer, so she told Barry, Cisco, Tanya, Iris and Joe present that she was a metahuman and that her powers had already manifested themselves. She didn't expect a different reaction than what she envisioned, though.

"That's so cool!" Cisco called out. "With Tanya's awesome powers and now Cait's, we can actually take that son of a bitch!"

"Cisco, I wouldn't be so sure. I can't really control them just yet," Snow tried to bring him back to the ground. "I'm actually scared of what I might become."

"You could never become evil, Caitlin," Barry told her when making a step towards her. "You're the most compassionate person here. You see the best in everyone and I won't believe, even for a second, that you will become the Killer Frost Wells met on his earth."

Caitlin's eyes filled up with tears for the umpteenth time that day when she thanked them and then received hugs from all of her friends.

"I'm so happy for you that he's back," Iris whispered into her ear when she put her arms around her. "You deserve to be happy, girl."

All Caitlin could do was to send Iris's way a grateful smile because it was truly too much for her. This whole day of truth unraveling and getting back what she'd lost was too much and they still couldn't go home.

---------------------------------

When night had fallen, almost all the guests rooms in the Labs were occupied. The Labs itself couldn't really provide them with protection, but it could alert them to something happening and give them a chance to stand up for themselves and fight. Caitlin wanted to put Jesse in a room with two beds so the girl could be there with her father, but she just rolled her eyes and declared herself a grown up, saying that Caitlin and Harrison should just stop with the farce and get a room together.

"Just don't give me any details!" she warned Caitlin who was by now laughing.

"You know, I'm really glad he has such an amazing daughter," she then told Jesse. "I'm also happy that you accepted me so quickly."

"It's just because you're awesome yourself, Cait," the teenager told her when getting under the covers. "I love that my dad fell for you and not some cold, stiff bitch that usually chased after him back on our earth."

"Were there… many of them?" Snow asked tentatively, wanting to know, but in the same time not really.

"Are you kidding me? A lot! But he was never interested, which just made them more bitchy. Especially towards me. Goodnight! I'm actually exhausted, so if you don't mind…" her voice trailed off significantly.

"Sure. Goodnight," Caitlin said when closing the door behind her. She was smiling and not even caring about Zoom or her powers at the moment. All that mattered tonight was that they were all back together, stronger than ever.

She did notice Cisco in the hallway then, acting pretty strange.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Oh, me? Nothing!" he answered her way too quickly. "Just can't remember which room was mine."

"Or maybe trying to find someone else's?" she prompted.

"Like whose?"

"Tanya?"

"Are you kidding… I mean… Come on! No… I just… wanted to suggest a movie," he finally gave up. "Seriously!"

She knew he wasn't lying. She'd known him for a very long time now and could tell that he was always insecure around beautiful girls. He would probably try to become Tanya's best friend instead of just asking her out and Caitlin frowned when thinking about it. Well, maybe he needed some help, but that would have to come another day. For now, all she wanted was to find herself in her and Harrison's room and in his arms.

"How are you feeling?" she asked when finally walking into the room he'd been staying in from the beginning. Luckily for them, it had a big bed.

"Hungry," he informed her from under the covers.

"Didn't we just have a very unhealthy dinner from the Big Belly Burger Barry got for us?" she asked when stripping off her clothes and getting to bed only in her underwear.

"Very unhealthy, but also very delicious as I remember you devouring everything you were given," Harry pointed out.

"Well, you can never make a fuss about your food during such difficult, dangerous times," she said when facing him.

"Mhmm…" Harrison hummed when reaching for her body and bringing her closer. "I'm actually hungry for this," he rasped with his lips almost touching hers.

"But… your back," she mentioned.

"What my back has to do with anything? It's not exactly the part of my body that will be at use here." His hand reached to the clasp of her bra and undid it in no time, causing her restrains to falter miserably. She simply needed him too much.

"What about… my abilities?" she asked shakily when his hand moved to the front of her breast, his breath hot on the skin of her face, but he still wasn't kissing her.

"I don't see us getting cold, we're only getting warmer," he pointed out and even though she wanted to say a hundred of other things – that they might need their sleep and strength to fight Zoom, that he might not feel any pain in his back now as she'd injected him with a pretty solid amount of painkillers, but that would probably change soon - she just couldn't focus hard enough to make sense of her thoughts. She could only feel. She could only give in to his warm, hard and alive body, everything else be damned. Yes, Jesse was definitely right that Caitlin should share her room with Harrison. If she didn't, he would probably come to find her anyway once his daughter was asleep.

"I feel like I've always meant to fall in love with you," she realized she said it out loud and against his lips when it was already too late.

"That's because you were," he answered, kissing her, caressing her body and slowly entering her, making love to her. She did try to be super careful though as not to touch his back, which actually was difficult; the only thing preventing her from losing her focus was the fear that she might cause him pain. She slowly got herself lost in him, stopped thinking altogether, just let herself feel. She reveled in the feel of his body moving inside and above her, in his lips, in his smell, in everything. Nothing else existed but them in that moment, not even Zoom.

As they were reaching their completion, she heard him whisper into her ear, "You're my miracle, Snow, the queen of my heart. I've been holding on for so long all thanks to you." It didn't seem to come from the same man she knew and loved, which only proved how out of control he was around her.

"Pity I haven't managed to record this," she said. "Sappy Harrison Wells is something completely new to me! We need to make love more often!"

"You'll hear no objection coming from me."

Chapter Text

Days passed by and they weren't even close to finding out a way to stop Zoom. It was actually beyond frustrating and they started to feel hopeless when living in fear of the monster just showing up with no one to stop him. Even the relations among the team started to grow strained as they were cooped up, working constantly with no respite, with no time to unload. It was probably that and the constant fear that he could lose his daughter or the woman he loved that caused Harrison to become his old jerk-self. He kept on complaining that they weren't even trying anymore, that they would soon all give up. For a while, the team just let him vent, knowing what he'd been through and that his back was still aching, although right now the scars started forming, the pain subsiding. Both Caitlin and Jesse had gone out of their way to be understanding and Snow even liked that Harry ruffled a few feathers during the day since it made their night activities that much more exciting. Cisco seemed to be the only one who took upon himself to answer Harry every single time. Mostly the rest of the team's annoyance quickly evaporated as they watched the playful banter. Somehow, in the end everyone felt better. Not today, though.

"We're not getting anywhere! And we have two biochemists, two physics and an engineer! We should've come up with something by now!" Harry growled and dropped the device he was just working on, the thingy breaking into pieces.

"Yeah, breaking stuff! That's an awesome idea!" Cisco quickly answered.

"Well, maybe if you two stopped making googly eyes at each other, then we'd actually get somewhere!" angry Wells kept on yelling and both Tanya and Cisco just shot him stunned looks. "What?" he turned to Cisco. "You can't do anything right! Not even asking the girl you're so obviously in love with out on a date!"

There was sudden silence as everyone was just processing those words, still not able to believe that Harrison actually went that far.

"That wasn't cool, man," Cisco said in an unusually quiet voice and then he just turned around, leaving the room, refusing to look at anyone and especially not Tanya; his face bright red.

"He did not deserve this!" Caitlin raised her voice at Harry for the first time since she could actually remember. "You can't just say stuff like that!" It did not miss her attention that Tanya actually seemed more happy than stunned by now. "Now you're gonna go out there and apologize to him!" Snow put her hands on her hips, a gesture indicating how angry she actually was with Wells.

"Wha… What?" Harrison practically sputtered. "Now all it's out in the open and they can finally date!"

"Yeah? How would you feel if Cisco did something like this to you back when you pretended you had no feelings for me?!" she prompted and Harrison was left with no words, the whole team actually smirking that she managed to render him speechless. "Go talk to him now!" she added and Wells actually listened, following Cisco with a heavy sigh.

"That was… that was pretty cool," Barry said with a nod of appreciation. "Could you maybe do that more often?"

Finally, Caitlin smiled as well. "I'd better go make sure he won't screw this up as well!"

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"Listen, Cisco, I really didn't…" Harrison's voice breaking as the man really had no idea how to apologize to people.

"Cisco, Harry is right," Caitlin said when she approached them, "you and Tanya obviously like each other and you should really try and ask her out. I know the way he went about it was beyond wrong, but he was still right," she tried gently when standing next to Harrison and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Guys, she doesn't like me!" Cisco suddenly erupted. "She can't possibly like me, ok? And thanks very much, man, for screwing with me like that!" he turned to Wells, beyond angry now.

"Wait, what?" Harry asked with a frown. "What do you mean she can't like you?"

"I wish Zoom took that infuriating behavior from you when he kidnapped you," Cisco just told him acidly and that actually stung Wells, Caitlin could tell.

"Ok, now you're both not cool," she decided when doing her best to be the mediator. "Can we just all cool down for a moment and talk about how she can't like you, Cisco? Why would you think that?"

"I don't think it's anything I have to actually explain."

"All right, wait," Wells reached his hand out, "I really didn't mean to be that rude, but it's actually driving me and the whole team crazy to just watch you, guys, doing nothing about you mutual attraction."

"Like you did?" Caitlin nudged him.

"Well, that was different. I was afraid Zoom might take you if I did."

"Ok, point taken," she admitted.

"I'm not afraid to go after what I want," he added in a defensive tone.

"Too much, again," Snow sighed.

"Am I in the middle of a couple's spat? Because I can just…" Cisco was about to leave when a pair of strong hands was suddenly on his shoulders, keeping him in place.

"You're not going anywhere until we settle this," Harrison said. Next thing they knew, he was taking a deep breath as though apologizing was actually painful to him. "I'm sorry, ok? I just see that Tanya likes you, too."

"Well, how can she like me when she has the Flash and Wally around?" Cisco just asked, folding his arms on his chest.

"Both of them are or seem to be taken," Harrison pointed out, Jesse and Wally's growing relationship still a sore spot for him.

"That's not the point!" Cisco still tried to argue.

"She likes you because you deserve it. You're both very special, Cisco and I don't understand why you don't see it," Caitlin said in a soft voice. "Why is it so hard for you to believe that a beautiful girl might actually like you?"

"Just look at me!" he suddenly raised both his voice and his hands. "I've never had a girlfriend for long. Actually, I've never really had a girlfriend, just some… flings," he admitted. "Sure, they liked me, they used to say I was cute and sweet, but then they always ran away with someone taller, more handsome and… stuff…" he finished awkwardly and looked down at the floor, probably ashamed of confessing all of that.

"Cisco, you have a great heart and an amazing personality and if anyone left you for what in their mind was a better man, then they never really were the one or deserved you. I think Tanya is. It's so obvious that she likes you and you two have so much in common. I mean, even Harrison sees that!" Caitlin said, which earned her an annoyed look from Wells. "Something tells me this one is a keeper and she's not shallow. She seems to see more in you than you ever saw in yourself. Just trust us and ask her out. You have nothing to lose. We both already think she'd say yes."

"She did seem pretty happy when I mentioned Cisco being in love in her," Harrison pointed out and Caitlin nudged him with an elbow. "Au! What was that for?!"

"For being a jerk!" she clarified. "Now, let's go. We have work to do!"

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Barely had they managed to reach the cortex again when suddenly, all the alarms went off and as they froze in place, stunned and terrified; a blue shadow passed right by them.

"It's Zoom!" Harrison called out, his arm immediately reaching for Caitlin as he pulled her closer and then back to the previous Wells's hidey-hole. "Cisco!" he called to his friend, but he ignored him, heading straight to the cortex. He must've been worried about Tanya.

"We can't just run!" Caitlin protested when yanking herself free from the vise-like hold Wells had on her and following Cisco quickly. Soon enough, there were screams. Harrison knew Jesse was in the lab, but he also knew that with a little bit of luck she would just stay there, hidden in the closet or underneath a table and Zoom wouldn't be able to get to her. God knew her father couldn't at the time, being so far away. Then he just cursed loudly and followed Snow, not caring about his own life and the fact that Garrick might kill him just because he managed to get away.

As they all found themselves back in the cortex, they were met with a terrible sight.

Zoom had Barry hanging by his neck a few feet above the ground, the younger man struggling to set himself free but being unable to.

"Your time is up," Zoom spoke in his spooky, hoarse voice. "Today I take the Flash from you. Know that his death is on all of you! You refused to make me a cure, a safe way to take his powers. Well, I have to kill him and then all of you if you don't cooperate." After that, he tightened his hold on Barry's neck and the boy's body soon went inert, lifeless.

"No, Barry!" Iris released a yelp full of terrible agony and grief. "Noooooooo!"

Next thing they knew, Zoom grabbed Barry's body, holding it over his knee, then bringing it down, the sickening sound of bones breaking filling the air.

"I'll come back soon and you will be next," the monster informed and then sped off with Barry.

Iris's knees hit the ground as they buckled underneath her. She hid her face in her hands and sobbed, her father already getting to her.

Caitlin could just stand still, her eyes set on the spot she'd last seen Barry alive. She didn't even register Harrison's presence behind her, his arms now going around her and pressing her close to his chest. His mind was temporarily at peace that he saw his daughter was safe and sound, held by Wally. Cisco was just now hugging Tanya, the girl crying in his arms.

"We need to stop him now more than ever," Cisco finally said when a few minutes had passed and they all seemed to more or less snap out of the shock Zoom's sudden appearance and Barry's death brought.

"He's not dead," Iris kept on sobbing, by now pounding her father's chest with her fists. "He's not dead! His body is stronger than any of us! He can heal, can't he?" She suddenly turned to Caitlin, begging the woman to tell her what she wanted to hear so desperately.

"Iris, I really don't…"

Having heard that, she just cried harder, Caitlin following, releasing something resembling a soft moan when she turned around and buried her face in Harrison's chest.

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"We lost Barry," Cisco said, somehow being the only one who could speak, who could come up with a plan, who could actually think after everything that happened. Tanya was standing right next to him, her hand holding his. Somehow they seemed to finally collide with each other and get together with no actual words said. The time for that would come later. Now they just couldn't seem to let each other go, the fact that they'd been both too scared to tell one another what they felt seemed silly now in comparison to all of their problems. "But we need to go on," Cisco continued, "we need to fight even if we die in the process. I don't know about you, but I refuse to hand any cure over to Zoom. I refuse to just give up so he would spare our lives. We are meant to fight. It's what Barry would've wanted."

"We could call Oliver," Caitlin suggested. "Maybe he would help us."

"Oliver's only human," Cisco reminded her. "If he faces Zoom, he'll surely die. No, I think we can do this alone. We can fight and if we die, well, then we'll die when still being good and uncorrupted. Who's with me?"

Everyone was with him. Well, everyone but Harrison who looked like he might jump through the first breech to his home planet, grabbing the two women he loved and hiding there.

"I can help," Caitlin just then offered. "I can work on my powers. Maybe I can learn how to control them and we can fight Zoom together," she looked at both Cisco and Tanya.

"No," came short and firm.

They all looked at Harrison.

"Dad…" Jesse started.

"You stay out of this! We've all been through enough," he growled when pointing his hand at his daughter.

"We can't just run and hide!" Snow disagreed.

"Why not?" he asked. "Caitlin, I already lost too much! I just can't lose anyone or anything else! Zoom's already taken both my daughter and myself! Next thing he'll kill us all! We are no match against him!"

"I disagree," Tanya said. "If you find a way to take his mask off, I will make him do whatever I want and all of this can be over."

"Yeah, assuming he'll let any of us get close enough to do it," Wells snorted when folding his arms on his chest. "Don't forget that he even outran Barry and killed him in a matter of seconds! A speedster! A person who seemingly was the fastest on this earth until that menace came along!"

"We can't just run when Barry lost his life!" Iris disagreed. She was a crumbling mess, her father and her brother by her side.

"Maybe he would actually want us to!" Harrison screamed at her.

"No, I don't believe that," Caitlin said slowly and reached out to him patiently, her hand touching his arm. "We can't run. He'll find us anywhere, Harry. It doesn't matter if it happens today or in ten years. He will. And we will live our lives in fear. We can't let that happen. We can't let him destroy this world and then move to another until there's nothing left. We need to fight back."

"So we're back at square one," Cisco said, thinking hard. "What if instead of trying to make something that will kill him, we'll try making something that will only temporarily incapacitate him? Just to give us enough time to remove the mask so Tanya could do her mojo."

"That's a plan," Snow nodded. "Or…" she hesitated, glancing at Harrison briefly before going on, "or I can try and get closer to him. Maybe I can get through to him somehow, convince him I want to… well, be with him and then I can take that mask off."

"No. Absolutely. Not. Over. My. Dead. Body," Harrison said slowly, dragging the words, making them sound like every single one was a new sentence.

"Why not?" She turned to him. "It may be our only chance!"

"How about because I'm not losing you or any of the people I love?!" he growled.

"Guys, I think the first smart thing to do would be to get away from here," Jesse said. "I get that we can't run forever, but we may as well make it harder for Zoom to track us. We need a place away from all of this, just to think, to come up with a good enough strategy."

"I think we should head to Star City, after all," Cisco admitted with a nod of his head. "I agree that we can't ask Oliver to fight this battle for us, but we can actually ask him to hide us. Besides, Felicity can help us with providing the necessary tech."

"Then let's go and better do it right away. There's no time!"

"Guys, you should really see this," Joe suddenly said when tuning the volume on the TV up. They were talking about Zoom and the death of the Flash.

"The unknown menace seems to be unstoppable as he's flaunting the dead body of the Flash all around the world," the speaker was just saying.

"He must've acquired Barry's power like the last time. Only this time he took it all," Cisco guessed when they all turned to the TV.

"I can't…" Iris just said and left the room, then the Labs altogether.

Caitlin watched her friend retreat and her heart went out to her, so she followed her, leaving the rest still watching the news.

Yet, barely did she go outside to call Iris back in because it wasn't safe, there was a flash of blue and Zoom appeared in front of Iris.

"No! Stop!" Caitlin screamed and protected her friend with her own body. "Leave her alone! You've done enough to her!"

"I've barely started," Garrick said in the same terrifying voice.

"Why don't you just quit that act since we all know who you really are," Snow dared him bravely.

"But why? It's such fun! You won't believe how much fun it was to actually pretend to be a hero!" he laughed to both the women's astonishment. How someone could just get so corrupted and so evil?

"Iris, get back inside. I'll handle this."

"No!"

"Just do it! Have Cisco use his powers and get you all to where you need to be! You'll figure something out then! GO!"

The woman finally listened and ran back inside whereas Caitlin came closer to Zoom. Her heart was thumping widely in her chest, she was so terrified but she held on, being strong and brave. For Barry.

"We both know what you want. It's me," she said slowly, ready for the final sacrifice, for the pain it would cause all of her friends and most of all… She refused to think of Harrison and Jesse for now. The safety of the whole world was at stake here. "Once you have me, you won't need anyone else. We both know I can come up with the cure for you. I was motivated enough to heal Barry. The formula already exists and is currently in here," she tapped her forehead. "So, how is it gonna be, Jay?"

Zoom thought for a second and then he actually burst out laughing. "Oh, Caitlin, it's so naïve of you to think that you can actually deceive me like this. You were in my plan all along. You just have no idea what part you will play and neither do your friends. Come on, strike at me. I know you want to. I know you want to kill me because I killed your friend, Barry. He died in fear, in agony. Show me how much you hate me. Show me how much you loathe me because these hands not only killed your best friend, but also left permanent scars on your lover's back, in his soul and his memory. Hit me with the best you've got!"

In that very moment, as Zoom brought all the pain back up to the surface - the pain of losing Harrison, of actually believing him to be dead and trying to repress the grief; the pain of losing Barry, of constantly living in fear and danger, of Jay betraying them all… - something inside of Caitlin snapped when she fought hard to overcome it, when she fought hard as not to let it all in, not to feel the loss. It was too much and it seemed to be breaking her in half. She saw Barry's last moments in her memory, she saw his limp body being dragged all over the world by the monster standing right in front of her.

One moment she was herself, Caitlin Snow, a good friend with a loving heart; the next she was Killer Frost, her eyes changing, her hair growing white, ice creeping up her arms and reaching as deep as her heart was.

When Harrison, alarmed by Iris, reached the spot Caitlin and Zoom were standing just a moment ago, it was already too late. They were gone.

---------------------------------------------

"Holy mother of…!" Felicity Smoak jumped from her seat when suddenly, a portal appeared in the middle of her work place and a bunch of people jumped out of it. "What the hell?! We have a security breech!" she screamed when running away and soon enough, Oliver appeared, pointing his arrow at the newcomers.

"Cisco?" he asked when frowning and lowering the bow. "What are you all doing here?"

Felicity peeked from behind his back and felt relieved to see the familiar faces. Well, at least some of them.

"We need your help," Cisco just said.

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Days were dragging on, hours felt like whole eternity. They were all working together in hiding, hoping Zoom wouldn't find them, hoping they might actually stop him someday. Harrison didn't talk at all. He seemed to only be a closed off presence in the corner of the room, the silent worker outside and the aching, crumbling mess inside. Jesse tried to reach him, but it was to no avail. Wally did his best to comfort her that one day it would get better for her father, that one day she would be able to get through to him, she just had to keep on trying. Iris was no better, actually, just being there but not really seeing or registering anything at all. Later on, when the initial day passed, she got down to working on something on one of the computers, but no one knew what it was as she refused to speak to anyone. Oliver, Diggle and Felicity were working with Cisco and Tanya to come up with a solid plan, the right offensive move and even though the team Flash would never ask them to fight and risk their lives as well, it seemed to be a given. Oliver was ready for anything to help honor Barry's memory.

Then, one day, Iris snapped out of her stupor so suddenly that they all stilled, just staring at her.

"I knew it! He's alive! It has to be him!"

"What are you talking about?" Cisco asked when leaving Tanya's side – those two had been inseparable ever since the Flash had been killed – and going over to Iris.

"I'm sorry, but Barry is dead and the sooner you accept the truth, the sooner you'll be able to handle the pain," Oliver spoke gently.

"No, this isn't denial! Just look!" Iris pointed something on the screen. "Doesn't this person look like Barry to you? Zoom has been terrorizing our world and after his last attack… there are pictures of the rubbles everywhere and I think this might be Barry!"

"It looks like his face, but it doesn't mean he's alive. Zoom might've just dumped his body there," Cisco said, even though it was hard for him to.

"It's from up North," Iris kept on talking. "There's a John Doe listed there in a hospital. Even if he's dead and this man is not him," she said, looking at them all, "don't we owe it to him to bring his body back home?"

"She's right." That was another shock as Harrison spoke and walked towards them from his corner, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "We owe it to Barry. Just like we owe it to Snow to get her back however we can. I've just finished working on a special gun of mine. It should be enough to at least incapacitate Zoom for a moment."

"I guess we're getting down to business," Jesse said, happy that her father finally spoke.

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In S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth 2 – which was taken over by Zoom – Caitlin Snow was trapped, her mind washed. She was bombarded with images of the people she loved – probably in her previous life, because in this one she didn't care about anyone – in pain. Zoom verbally assaulted her, telling her all the details of how he'd tortured Harrison. Of how he'd kept on causing him more and more pain and how the man screamed. How'd he gotten him to work for him when threatening everything the man held dear. How he killed Barry and dragged his body everywhere, causing it even more damage. Needless to say, she snapped, desperate to not feel at all, feeling herself to be too weak to take all of it on top of her past that consisted of nothing but death and grief and betrayal. Eventually, Zoom got what he wanted – he brought up the worst in Caitlin, he turned her into Killer Frost. He was yet to see her do some killing, though. That one was harder to achieve as even though she gave up, she seemed to be holding on to that last part of her humanity – she refused to take a life.

Chapter Text

"How is he?"

"I don't know how's its possible, but somehow there's a faint murmur in his heart. It's like… like he's still alive, still… breathing. It's…"

"…impossible," Oliver finished after Felicity. "Can you help him?"

The blonde slowly shook her head when biting on her lip. "I'm sorry, I graduated MIT. I did not major in medicine. We need…" her voice trailed off. They all knew whom they needed, but Snow wasn't there. They didn't even know if she was alive. The only way to win this war now would be by helping Barry. The whole team had been beyond awed when Cisco, Wally and Joe had brought Barry from the same hospital Iris had claimed to have seen a John Doe listed. They couldn't explain the miracle, but he seemed to be alive, although in a coma, his whole body shut down. His bones healed slowly, but it must've taken all the speed left in him to fix that. Now he was nothing but a mere human, no superpowers, no speed.

"Maybe we should take him to a hospital here?" Jesse suggested.

"They won't help him," Harrison immediately killed her idea. "If the doctors up North couldn't help him, no one can help him here. Well, maybe… except… but no, I don't think that even she could," he said when running his hands through his already messy hair in hopelessness. "Unless… wait a sec…" he suddenly stilled, thinking hard about something.

"Any idea would be a good idea at this point," Cisco encouraged.

"Barry doesn't have his powers and he needs them if we want him to help us fight Zoom. Our chances without him are low, but with him…"

"But he lost his powers," Iris followed. "And I don't care if he can help us! I just need him to be alive and well!"

"We recreate the particle accelerator explosion," Harrison said and they were all looking at him in shock. "I can control it. I can make sure it doesn't leave the lab, that it doesn't affect any innocent person."

"Yeah… remember when I said every idea was a good idea? I mean every idea beside this one," Cisco cut in.

"You don't have to be sarcastic about it!" Wells scolded him angrily. "And I know what I'm talking about. I can do it. I failed once and I won't do it again. I know now where I made a mistake."

"Is that why the second try on your earth was so successful?" Cisco asked then. "Oh, wait! There wasn't one!"

"Just because I had to clean up my mess and then I had to actually make the jump to your Earth to save my daughter and I didn't exactly have the tim…"

"Guys! Guys! Stop it!" Tanya raised her voice. "Arguing about it won't help us! We're running out of time as it is! Can you really do it, Harrison?" she turned to the man in question and Cisco rolled his eyes as though asking really?

"It's either this or we're facing Zoom without Barry and he may never wake up," Wells simply said.

"I say we have to try it," Felicity agreed with him.

"If nothing else can bring him back…" Iris hesitated.

"If the modern medicine of this world can't help him, the problem must lie somewhere else," Harrison followed.

"It's gonna be just like the last time he was in a coma," Cisco sighed. "Back then there was also a Wells, only he was actually trying to kill him."

"I'm trying to save him," Harry emphasized.

"Then it better work because just so you know, he said the exact same thing."

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Briefly back at S.T.A.R. Labs with all the security up and all the heroes standing guard, Wells with the help of Cisco, Tanya and Jesse was setting everything up. They could only hope they trusted the right man for the job and that after all of this was over, Barry would be conscious and would have his powers back. That then they would be ready to fight Zoom.

Only nothing went as Harrison predicted. Well, maybe one thing – the particle accelerator didn't explode and didn't affect anyone present. Yet, it somehow caused Barry to… disperse, dissolve… into nothing. It was like one minute he was lying there, unconscious and being hit with the matter and another they saw him literally dissolving into nothing. He was just gone.

There was silence in lab broken only by Iris's scream. The rest of the team covered their mouth in shock, Jesse feeling so bad for Barry's girlfriend and then for her own father. Would they blame him for this now? Would he be the pariah once again? Always having good intentions, always trying to help, to save people and always ending up doing the opposite by a sheer twist of fate? Would he finally be happy? Would he get Caitlin back? Or were they simply doomed? Maybe they were already dead. They still stood a chance without Barry, but it was always going to be a small one. They all knew they would fight, but none of them actually predicted they would survive. It was then that suddenly, her father's hands were on her arms and he led her out of the lab forcefully.

"Dad, what are you doing? You're not telling me that we're running now that this failed, are you?" Jesse asked angrily when yanking her arms from his grip.

"No, I'm not. It's too late for me, but you have to leave," his voice was sharp like a knife.

"What?" she was baffled. "No! Dad, I'm not…"

"Listen to me!" he growled. "There is no hope for us, do you understand that?!" His eyes were blazing in their intensity. "I can't lose you again. I won't. You have to leave and never look back. You can hide from Zoom. You can do this, but only if you're alone."

"NO!" she nearly roared. "I'm sorry, but I am a grown up and I am not going anywhere! I won't leave you nor my friends or Wally! My place is here and I'm sorry if you don't like it. It's my choice, dad. Mine! You won't take that away from me. There is no life for me out there, at least not one that I would want, not one that would make me happy, so back off!" After that she strode back into the lab, leaving him stunned and speechless and just shaking his head, not knowing whether he wanted to take her away by force and chain her somewhere until all of this would be over or that he was impressed by the strength of her character. In the end, he didn't even have time to think about it as he heard her yelling at him to come quick.

When he entered the lab again, he was welcomed by a strange sight. His friends weren't grieving or pointing their fingers at him. They weren't coming on to him with pitchforks. Just the opposite. Iris and Cisco were just standing together, holding hands and the guy was transporting her somewhere.

"Barry's alive! He's lost in the speed force and we will get him back!" Jesse called out to Harrison. "You did it, dad! You were right! You just didn't know what would happen!"

Well, maybe not everything was lost, Harrison thought. Maybe he finally folded his cards right.

---------------------------------------------------

Iris was spending whatever they had of their time together with Barry, Jesse was talking to Wally and Harrison was simply preparing with the rest to hit Zoom – whom Cisco vibbed taking over S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth 2.

Now the guy approached Tanya tentatively, not sure what they were exactly as despite their recent closeness he still hadn't told her how he really felt. He was probably still afraid, but he decided to be brave and risk it. After all, Caitlin told him that Tanya reciprocated his feelings. And Caitlin was gone. They might not get her back and the least Cisco could do was to listen to his best friend's advice and follow his own heart just like she did with Wells against all odds.

"Listen, Tanya, I…" he started and stopped, his voice trapped in his throat.

Only the next thing he knew she was turning towards him and looking at him with those beautiful big brown eyes and he couldn't stop himself. His hand worked on its own as he raised it and brushed the hair from her face gently before leaning in and kissing her slowly, softly on the lips for the first time. The moment she kissed him back his heart nearly jumped out of his chest; he couldn't believe his own luck, his own happiness.

Once the kiss was broken and he rested his forehead against hers, he opened his eyes, seeing her looking into his as well and he said it, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Cisco," she answered and right then and there all his dreams finally came true. The hardest part was to let her go, knowing that tomorrow they might not be alive.

"I told you so," Harrison threw Cisco's way when he was walking past them and he patted the younger guy's shoulder. At this moment Ramon couldn't be mad anymore. All he could do was smile.

---------------------------------------

They were all ready, the team assembled. Barry tried to convince Oliver, Diggle and Thea to stay and leave them to fight their own battle, but they refused, deciding to help because that was what friends did.

"Guys, I really don't think I can be your ears when you're fighting on another earth!" Felicity was panicking, feeling useless.

"I have a present for ya!" Cisco called out to her and handed her a small device. "I haven't tested it yet, so it might break, but try it out. It should make the connection possible."

"I guess Hanuka came early this year," Felicity said, nervously turning the small thingy in her hands over and over again.

"Hey, I'm coming back to you," Oliver assured her when taking her aside and cupping her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Barry and his team might think it's a suicide mission, but I know better. They're not much of optimists."

"You better come back," she told him when taking his hand.

"I will," he assured her when kissing her softly. "And till I'll do, stay here and take care of Wally and Jesse. Make sure they won't try to join us on the other side."

"Of course," was all she could say, swallowing her tears that threatened to make their way out. She let his hand go just when he walked away and she couldn't possibly hold it any longer.

Cisco led the group as he was the one who could open up a portal. He looked back at his friends before he did anything, though, registering every single one of them. He met Tanya's eyes last and then finally, he turned around and used his powers, opening a breech.

"Here we go," he just said and they all jumped.

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It was like coming to a completely different Earth, one that none of them had seen so far because everything changed so drastically. There was rarely a human being on the streets that were now full of metahumans. The most of them was guarding the main entrance to the Labs. It didn't take much to figure out that they were recruited by Zoom; probably given a choice to either work for him or die. He might've promised them to rule over humans, he might've promised them the whole world. Only they didn't know that Garrick was known for destroying worlds in the end, not leaving them behind. After all, that was his definition of conquering them.

The moment their feet hit the ground and they took in all of what seemed to be happening, they quickly dived behind the nearest corner of a building. Still, some of the metahumans noticed them and were just now charging them. Oliver and his team were ready to fight when Tanya jumped in front of them, focusing her mind and causing the enemy to stop and stand still.

"Useful," Oliver nodded in appreciation whereas Diggle just swallowed hard since he didn't like witnessing any dangerous abilities at all. In fact, they usually terrified him. He still had to get used to Barry moving so fast.

"Ok, listen to me," Harrison whispered. "I know a secret way into the Labs."

"You have a secret passage?!" Cisco got excited. "That's so cool, man!"

Harrison only rolled his eyes before explaining, "Not so much secret as private. I used it to avoid reporters and fans that were always trying to catch me on my way to work. It came even more handy when the particle accelerator exploded. Then fans turned into vultures."

"I'll go with you and make sure no one stops you," Tanya offered. "We'll find Zoom, you'll use your weapon on him and Barry will take his mask off. Then I'll make him do whatever I want."

"Good plan," Cisco supported that. "Let's go!"

"You're not going," Tanya told him.

"What do you mean?"

"They need you here, Cisco. You'll be the only one with abilities to help Oliver and the rest. They're just human and we can't let them get hurt," Wells explained.

"But… but…"

"Don't worry. We'll all be fine," Tanya assured her boyfriend when cupping his face and kissing him briefly before following Harrison and Barry to the Labs.

"This plan better work," Cisco sighed when turning to Oliver, Thea and Diggle. "Let's do this!"

------------------------------------------------

They reached the back entrance of the Labs with more or less trouble. Every metahuman standing in their way was soon controlled by Tanya. As she caused them all to fall asleep, they were falling down one by one and Harrison actually started believing that their plan might work. Provided no one attacked Tanya from behind, they'd be fine and the only real danger they would be facing would be coming from Zoom.

"Where now?" the girl asked as they found themselves inside Harrison's private staircase. There was also an elevator, but they couldn't risk being trapped there.

"I'll check the building," Barry offered and was about to disappear when Harrison told him off.

"Are you kidding?! Zoom will know you're there! He might kill you permanently this time!"

"Do you have a better idea?!"

"Guys, guys," Tanya shushed them down. "He already knows we're here. It's not safe for us wherever we are. We need to stick together. What's the most likely place he'll be?" she then turned to Harrison with that question.

"My office?" he guessed.

"Then lead us there."

He nodded and they started climbing up the stairs as silently as possible. It was all useless anyway, Wells thought as goosebumps raised on his skin. Zoom would know they were there and he would know exactly where. There were cameras set all over the place for the safety purposes and now it actually brought danger.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Tanya suddenly asked and then it all came together for Harrison. He didn't have gooebumps because he was scared. He had it because he was cold.

"Oh, God," he rasped when still moving bravely forward. He already had an idea of what they would find at the end of the staircase. And somehow that would be worse than facing Zoom.

As they reached the level before the last one, something struck the weapon in his hand and he dropped it automatically since it grew so cold it nearly froze all of his fingers.

"Well, well, well," said a very familiar but in the same time very strange voice. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

They were facing Killer Frost. Only they couldn't be, Wells rectified since he himself witnessed her death. This must be…

"Caitlin?" Barry asked, a pained expression on his face. "Cait, it's us! We're your friends! We've come to take you home! To rescue you!"

"I don't need rescuing and this is my home," she explained and then glanced at something behind their backs.

Tanya didn't use her powers on Caitlin just yet. It somehow felt wrong to try and control the woman as it was her friend. She still wasn't sure whether Snow was just playing a role in order to be spared by Zoom, to survive or if she was really gone. When she finally decided to react, it was already too late. Her body jerked forward as she felt someone attacking her from behind and before she knew it, she was falling down.

Barry sped up and caught her just before she hit the hard and slightly icy floor. She looked down, feeling even more cold than a second before. She saw blood.

"Who's next?" Killer Frost just asked. "You?" she turned to the man who used to be the one she loved more than life itself, who used to be the one she was willing to sacrifice everything for. Now all that love, all that devotion seemed to be gone. It disappeared. Evaporated. Or was banished somewhere deep enough so she couldn't reach it.

Barry wanted to react, but he was torn between helping Tanya and attacking Snow.

"Allen, take her out of here. Take her to Cisco. Transport her to your world and help her before it's too late," Wells told him.

"But if she leaves…"

"Just do it! I can handle it in here!"

"Wells, no, you can't!"

They were interrupted by a vicious laughter coming from Frost.

"Oh, so sweet! You two willing to just give your lives for each other! Shouldn't you be dead, though, Flash?"

"Just do it! Don't let Cisco lose her!" Harrison actually growled at Barry. He could feel that it may be too late for him and Caitlin to be happy again, but he wouldn't let his tragedy take one more life away from the people he cared about and loved. Especially not the woman Cisco loved. He'd seen enough of Iris grieving for Barry and this time they might not bring the person they were losing back. "She won't help us anyway," he then added. Injured Tanya couldn't use her powers as they took too much of a strain of her body. All she could do right now was to control her own pain.

Barry just nodded and took the woman into his arms, standing up and looking at Harrison one last time. Then he was gone. In that moment Wells realized something and his chest actually sunk. Was he ever going to see Jesse again? That seemed doubtful. Most likely he'd die from the hands of the woman he loved.

When they were left alone, Harrison simply faced Caitlin, spreading his hands, making himself an easy target for her.

"What are you waiting for, Killer Frost?" he asked her. "That's your name, right? That's whom you want to become. A killer. Have you actually killed anyone before? You didn't seem too eager to freeze Barry and Tanya to death. You actually let them go," he provoked her. He remembered the Caitlin from this world and her last words to him, Don't let her become me. Remember that love is always enough to conquer the monsters that hide inside of us. Was it enough now? Could he actually save them both by offering himself to her like this?

To his anguish, she smiled and then laughed at him icily.

"Don't think I won't kill you. You're so foolish, standing here like this. Don't you like your life? Don't you have a daughter to come back to?" she asked.

"I do," he admitted, "but I also have another person that I love. She's standing right in front of me or maybe, what's left of her." It pained him to see her like that, to be a witness to his own failure, to his own inability to keep her, anyone safe again. It was because of him that she was in this position. He was supposed to help her overcome those powers, to control them, not to embrace them like this. He might as well pay for it with his own life. He didn't care. He might even deserve it. It was his fault, after all. He caused the particle accelerator's explosion. He made her fall for him. He let his daughter be kidnapped. All he, he, he. All of it, his fault.

"Kill me, Caitlin," he said, holding on to what was left of his bravery. God knew it was killing him from the inside to see her like this, but he must try till he was dead. "I refuse to give up on you. You're my Caitlin, my Snow, the queen of my heart. Have you forgotten that? The Caitlin I know is not a quitter. She's a fighter and I know she's somewhere in there. Let her out. Let me in. Control these powers. I know you can, Caitlin. We're all capable of more than we think we are."

Suddenly, she grabbed him and pulled him closer, their faces separated by only inches.

"I'm not her," she said and then her lips were on his and even though it seemed like she was kissing him, he couldn't feel anything. Anything at all but the cold painfully, agonizingly spreading throughout his entire body. This must be the kiss that killed, the one Killer Frost told him about. Something didn't add up, though, he thought; desperate to tear away from her but unable to in the same time. Killer Frost said that Harrison Wells was the only person she could kiss because she loved him and therefore she couldn't kill him. Didn't Caitlin love him? Where was that love now? Had Zoom destroyed it completely? Torn it apart? Annihilated it?

No, came the certain answer. Love could not be destroyed. Not by anyone. Just now Harrison got a proof because suddenly, the cold was gone. Caitlin's lips were moving along his own, but there was no pain, no ice, just warmth thawing the ice.

When she pulled away, releasing him and he opened his eyes, he saw that her hair was slowly coming back to normal, white somehow being replaced by brown. The same happened to her skin and her eyes. Moments later the Caitlin Snow he knew and loved was standing right in front of him. She wasn't a monster anymore.

"Snow?" he asked, calling her by her last name. It was how he'd referred to her at first and even though he used her name most these times, Snow was still somehow an affectionate nickname.

Their eyes met and immediately, he saw tears in hers. Next thing he knew, she thrust herself into his open arms, burying her head in the crook of his neck and sobbing frantically when clutching onto him.

"This is so disappointing," they suddenly heard a monstrous voice behind them and they let go of each other, facing a furious Zoom. "You could have been great! Magnificent, even!" he called out to Caitlin.

"I would never become what you wanted me to!" Caitlin raised her voice and faced Garrick bravely, protecting Harrison with her body.

"Then I'll just have to kill you both."

Only before the monster managed to attack, probably still reluctant to kill her as he was in love with her, Caitlin raised her hands and there was ice flowing from them, directed straight at the enemy.

Before they knew it, Zoom stood there, trapped in ice, frozen.

Harrison gasped at that, not thinking Snow was capable of doing such a thing. Then again, her powers were the only weapon they seemed to have against Zoom and it was either using them against him or be killed.

Only it turned out that it wasn't actually enough to destroy him. He'd acquired so much powers that even being frozen couldn't stop him. They watched in horror as the ice began to thaw, as Zoom used all the speed that he had in order to free himself. Cold and speed are opposites, Wells remembered.

There was still one issue, though – Zoom didn't have his cure and the more powers he took, the more likely his condition would catch up with him, causing him to die. It was exactly what was happening right now. He struggled to be free and once the ice turned to water, flowing down his body and hitting the floor; he suddenly roared, feeling himself slip away, his body dissipating just like it happened to Barry. Still, something told Harrison that this time it was final. All that remained was a blue energy slowly disappearing in the air.

Caitlin turned around and hid her face in Harrison's chest.

"It's over," he told her as he stroke her hair with his hand. "It's over. We can go home now."

It didn't even seem strange to him that his home was on another earth and not his own. He didn't belong to this world anymore, he belonged to hers.

-------------------------------------------

Once Harry and Caitlin left the Labs, metahumans were wrecking havoc around the city and they had to call for Barry to get them out of there.

As he sped them off to where the rest were, not one of them actually took in the fact what happened or that Caitlin was back among them. They were all surrounding Cisco who was sitting on the ground and cradling Tanya in his arms.

"Please, hold on. Please…" he was begging her.

"Why haven't you taken her back like I told Barry to?" Harrison asked Cisco harshly when squatting down by his side and assessing the situation.

"He… he tried," Thea explained, "but couldn't."

"I think it's the emotional anguish," Oliver shared his theory. "He can't focus enough to open up a breech."

"Cisco? Cisco!" Caitlin knelt at the ground right next to him and examined Tanya's injury. "Cisco!" she then repeated over and over again until she had to cup his face and forced him to look at her. "I'm back. I can help her. She will be all right. Do you understand me?" she said slowly and clearly. "All you have to do is open the portal so we could all get out of here. Zoom is gone. He can't hurt us anymore."

Finally, Cisco nodded and allowed Oliver to take Tanya from his arms. Caitlin made sure to put a pressure on the wound as they waited for Cisco to make a breech.

"I'll stay for a while," Barry offered. "I need to fix this mess. There are too many metahumans acting out here. I'll make sure they know Zoom's gone."

"All right," Harrison nodded. "Can you contact Felicity?"

"Here, take my earpiece," Diggle offered since not everyone had wanted that kind of help before. For Wells having someone infuriating in his ear was actually infuriating.

"Let us know when you'll want to come back."

After that, they all left.

Chapter Text

There was chaos once they jumped back through the breach, calling out to Jesse and Felicity for help.

"What happened?!" the women in question plus Wally ran towards the group, immediately registering the hurt Tanya.

"She got stabbed," Caitlin explained, still keeping pressure on the wound. "We need to get her to my infirmary now."

"Caitlin…" Jesse came to a sudden stop, shock on her face. "Are you all right? Is Zoom…?" her voice trailed off.

"Zoom's dead," Harrison provided the answer. "Now, we need to take care of this girl first!" he growled and they all helped, placing Tanya on a cot.

Caitlin quickly cut the suit the girl was wearing and hissed. Then she was back in her professional mode and kept on giving Jesse orders of what she should bring.

"Everyone out! That includes you too, Cisco, I'm sorry," she then said on the realization that they were all cooped up by the door, staring. "Go!" she repeated harshly when they didn't react.

Harrison had to drag Cisco away from the room by force.

"She'll be fine," he assured his younger friend. "Snow's taking care of her. Tanya's in the best hands she could possibly be."

Cisco only nodded absentmindedly and sat down in his chair, his hands shaking.

"You did it, Ramon," Harrison then added in a harder voice. "You shouldn't beat yourself up over this. You opened the portal. Your job is done. And it's done well," he did his best to comfort the guy, but he knew he wasn't the best person to do any comforting. Luckily for him, Felicity took over, immediately bringing Cisco a cup of hot tea.

"Here, just drink this. Everything will be all right. She'll be all right," she kept on saying when placing her hand on the guy's shoulder.

Wells just shook his head and then peaked into Caitlin's infirmary.

"Whatever I can do to help," he offered when closing the door behind him.

"Hold this," she handed him a metallic object that looked like strange scissors without an actual blade. At least she didn't throw him out, he thought when holding it. He just didn't want to be away from her after everything that happened. He watched in awe as she was fixing Tanya, by now stitching her up, relieved that nothing major was hit and that the blade didn't graze the girl's spine. It was truly remarkable as one moment Snow was simply gone, being Killer Frost, determined to be evil, to kill everything that was good inside of her and the next, he managed to get through to her – almost dying in the process, yes, but he succeeded. He never again wanted to see any of the people he loved in danger.

"Are you all right?" Caitlin's gentle voice seemed to be waking him up as he was just standing there holding that damned instrument, his eyes fixed on her but by now they weren't really seeing her. "You can let go of that now, Harry. She's all stitched up," Snow added when coming closer to him and taking the clamp from his hands. Then she cupped his face and forced him to look her in the eye. Jesse chose this moment to discreetly leave the room and pass the good news on to the rest.

"I just…" he finally started, meeting her eyes. Eyes that weren't cold anymore, but the memory was still so painfully vivid in his mind. "I just can't do this again. In fact, I can't do any of this ever again. I am done losing. I will not lose you or Jesse ever again. It's too much." To his surprise, he couldn't control the shaking of his own body.

"We're ok," Caitlin assured him when gently caressing his face with her fingers. "We're safe and Zoom is gone. I can more or less control my powers. We'll be just fine, Harrison. Our lives together start now. Just you and me and Jesse. Maybe we should go on vacations. Somewhere hot and tropical, what do you think?"

"Only if Jesse gets a separate room," he tried hard to make a joke, but it worked and Snow chuckled softly – music to his ears.

"You've got it," she promised and kissed him.

"Wait… what do you mean you can control your powers more or less?" he asked against her lips.

"Sometimes when I'm too emotional and try to hide those feelings, they fight their way to the surface. My powers, I mean," she admitted, moving away a little and avoiding his eyes. "Which only tells me that I can't be that icy Caitlin who couldn't break because she'd never mend herself back together again. This was me from the past. I guess… hiding… what I felt was just a way for me to protect myself."

"Well, then we have something in common, after all," Harrison pointed out when reaching for her face. Her beautiful eyes met his again. "We can do this together."

"Of course we can," she assured him with a small smile. "Being around you keeps my powers at bay. It's like… a respite from always having to control myself."

"Glad to be at service, then."

They were interrupted when the door opened and Cisco walked inside.

"May I?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Of course," Caitlin let Harrison go. "She'll sleep for a while, but she'll be fine."

Snow's breath was truly knocked out of her lungs when Cisco jumped to her and put his arms around her.

"Thank you," he whispered and she smiled widely, reciprocating the hug. "I'm glad you're back and that you're ok. This place wasn't the same without you."

------------------------------------------

The world was back to normal again – or maybe worlds as Barry finally jumped back through the breach. Tanya was recuperating with Cisco always by her side, holding her hand, watching movies with her whenever she was bored or bringing her food.

"He's overdoing it, isn't he?" Harrison just asked when watching those two and shaking his head.

Caitlin playfully bumped into his side. "You could learn something from him, you know," she teased him.

"Oh, come on! I'm not sweet and this is the me you've fallen for!"

"You're right," she admitted when looking at him from aside. "I wouldn't want the vanilla version of you, although I'm pretty sure I could find it if I looked hard enough. There are still plenty of worlds out there to discover," she teased.

"Oh, just try it and see what happens!" he threatened in a voice so intense that she suddenly wanted them to just finally be alone in her apartment.

"But if I were Tanya, I'm pretty sure you'd be doing the same thing," she said when turning back to look at the couple in the corner of the room. They moved Tanya's bed there since she was sick of the infirmary. "Without the vanilla, though."

"That goes without saying."

They exchanged scolding glances.

"Will you just quit the eye fucking, guys? There are many rooms you could actually use in here. Spare us the sight," they heard Cisco's remark and Caitlin could practically feel Harrison huffing beside her.

Yet, before Wells managed to come up with a smart and equally stingy remark, Cisco went on, "Oh, snap!" He pointed Caitlin. "You're a hero now, too! You have powers and you need a cool name! Let me think…"

"Snowqueen," Harrison said, pleased that he managed to come up with the name so fast and killed Cisco's creativity. There you go, Ramon, he thought cockily.

"Dude!" Cisco complained, clearly offended and then he frowned, "Damn, that's actually good! But man! Naming them is my job!"

"I beg to differ," Harrison disagreed when folding his arms on his chest and holding Cisco's gaze steadily. "This is the woman I love, so I think I can give her a name. Especially when I call her the queen of my heart myself."

"And here's the vanilla!" Caitlin patted Harrison's shoulder and then they all burst out laughing on seeing the look on his face. "What?!" she asked him, still guffawing. "That's so true! See?! Love didn't leave you mean and gruff! Hahaha! Don't worry, though, honey, I still love you."

"Have you finished?" Harrison asked through clenched teeth.

"Totally, dude," Cisco assured him with a straight face before he burst out laughing again.

"Oh! This actually hurts my stomach!" Tanya complained, the stitches pulling her when she started laughing with the rest. It brought Cisco back to normal.

"I like the Snowqueen," Caitlin admitted, "and I'm going to stick with it. Now… well," she slowly turned to Harrison, "there's one more thing we need to discuss."

"And what that would be?" he asked her.

"I don't want you to leave. I don't want you to come back to your earth, but in the same time I don't see any other way out of the situation."

"What are you even talking about?" he wanted to know, completely stunned and feeling like he was losing his footing. "Of course I'm staying. Jesse wants to stay as well," he shot her daughter and Wally a look. "I still think she's too young, but…"

"Dad!" Jesse just rolled her eyes and held on to Wally.

"It's not what I'm talking about," Snow explained quickly. "It's just that Harrison Wells in this world is a murderer and even if dead, the first time somebody sees you on the street, you'll be arrested and the DNA test will only confirm your identity."

They all looked at Wells now, seeing the truth in Caitlin's words. This hadn't seemed to be an issue when they were fighting Zoom. There was no need for Wells to actually have a life on their earth then, but now…

"You could pose as dr. Well's lost twin and take over the S.T.A.R Labs," Cisco provided an idea and they were stunned by how brilliant and simple in the same time it was. "We can fix you an ID and make everything looks like it's totally legit. I hate to say it, guys, but Felicity Smoak is the best hacker in the world, damn it, and she would be happy to fix you a new identity."

There was silence for a moment as everyone was processing that and then they all cheered for Cisco.

"See? I still got it, mate!" Ramon boasted and Harrison couldn't help but smile widely at him.

"You know what? I think you do!"

------------------------------------------------

"Harold Wells?!" Harrison growled when holding his brand new ID.

"What? It's close enough," Cisco shrugged when chewing on a burger.

"But Harold?" Wells refused to let it go. "Are you kidding me? Couldn't it be something normal like… Tom or…"

"Harold stays and you should be glad it's not something worse," Cisco warned him. "Besides, you deserve it for every single time you were a jerk to us!"

"Jerk?! How about everything we've been through together?! We defeated Zoom! Thanks to me, you actually met Tanya!"

"And we are all very grateful for that," Caitlin decided to cut in as she placed her hand on Harrison's arm. "Harold's not that bad," she tried comforting him.

"Yeah, and we'll always call you Harry anyway," Barry winked at them.

"Pretty much." Crisco shrugged again. "So, are we done here? Can you two just go on your merry way already?"

Harrison looked at Caitlin and she nodded.

"All the tests are done. I'm pretty sure I have total control over my powers," she said.

"You know, if you have any trouble, just call me and we'd adjust those cuffs that I made to suppress metahumans' powers, so you could wear them," Cisco offered.

"Thank you, Cisco, I'll keep that in mind, but for now I think I can handle it. I want to have control over this. I think I'm strong enough."

"Well, after everything you've been through, you most definitely are," Iris agreed with a smile.

"So, can we finally go home?" Harrison asked impatiently. Jesse was currently out with Wally and he didn't expect her back till late and it meant that he and Caitlin could spend some quality time alone. Finally.

"Sure!" Cisco waved his hand. "Just don't freeze his dick off!" he called after Caitlin when they turned around, ready to leave.

Harrison came to a sudden stop and Snow had to do that as well as he had his arm wrapped around her.

"What did you just…?" Wells basically snarled at his younger friend.

"It's not funny," Caitlin supported him, her expression slightly angry.

"Dude!" Barry agreed when calling out to Cisco and wincing.

"Too soon?" Cisco asked in a strangely low voice, apparently knowing himself that he went too far.

"How about never?" Snow just asked and suddenly, Barry burst out laughing and they all followed him. Well, all except the couple in question.

"That's it! We're done here!" Harrison growled and the couple was gone.

"Ok, that was pretty funny," Iris admitted when still laughing.

"No, the expression on Harry's face was funnier!" Tanya disagreed. "That's why I love you, Cisco!" She then placed her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Dude, you should be glad you've met your match!" Barry told his friend.

"Yeah, and Harry would definitely say you should be glad to have found someone who can put up with you," Iris added and they laughed again.

"Oh, it's so on, guys!" Cisco got angry, arousing even more laughter.

-------------------------

Once Harrison and Caitlin walked into her apartment, they didn't waste time with settling back in there, they went straight to the bedroom, his lips never leaving hers, kissing her with all his might and eagerness and passion. They felt like they had to make up for the lost time and nothing could tear them apart at the moment.

"Wait…" Harry stopped her when she pulled the sweater off of him and he was just undoing the clasp of her bra. "Are you sure you really won't freeze… well, any part of me?" he asked.

She could tell it was more teasing than general worry, so she just shook her head with a smile, "Harrison Wells, you're the only man who can actually set all this ice on fire. I don't think you have anything to worry about, even with me feeling out of control when you touch me."

"Good answer, my queen," he admitted and resumed kissing her and taking her clothes off.

Soon, they were both naked and falling into bed, their hands always touching, always exploring, lips kissing and sucking, her legs parting, her trembling with need body inviting him in and then – blissfulness. They didn't think, didn't even remember anything that happened to them. Oliver had actually gotten in contact with Sara Lance and the Waverider had dropped by for a few hours just to catch up with old friends and fix Harrison's back along with the already healing wound that Tanya had. Right now Wells's flesh was scar and pain free. All that was left was the excruciating memory, but when he was with Caitlin, even this was gone.

"I love you so much," Caitlin whispered when they were lying spent in each other's arms. They were both too hot as they just came down, but somehow they didn't want to let go of each other, even for their sated and relaxed bodies to cool off.

"I love you, too," Harrison said softly, all the usual gruffness that was in his voice gone as always when they were alone. "Do you think…" he started, then stopped and she could tell that he was nervous. "Do you think that maybe… well… one day… you might actually want to marry me?" he finally got it out and she could hear the rapid beating of his heart since her head was placed just above it.

She raised up, supporting her upper body on her elbow and looked into his vivid blue eyes in shock.

"Are you serious?"

"No if you don't want to…"

"No, I… I mean yes! Of course I want to, you idiot!"

"Then let's just do it," he simply said, trying to remain calm, but she could see the corners of his mouth already lifting and then he couldn't fight the smile anymore. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten you a ring yet. It's just… with everything going on…"

"No, it's totally fine!"

"We'll go somewhere nice tomorrow and you'll pick whatever you want."

"I'd like that, but most of all, I just want you. I want it all, Harry," she suddenly got serious. "Are you ready for this? I mean… I know you already have Jesse, but…"

"You want to have kids?" he asked, stupefied as though this thought had never occurred to him before.

"Well, yeah… I would love to. But if you don't want to…" her enthusiasm was suddenly gone.

"I do."

"You do?"

"Of course. You'll be an amazing mother, Snow and I would love to have children with you. I'm just afraid…"

"What is it?" she asked, actually sitting up the bed and covering herself up because she didn't want her naked body to distract him at the moment.

"If we do this, if we get married and start a family… I don't think we can work for the Flash every day and night. I mean… We need to stay clear of the danger. I won't survive one person that I love taken away from me again and when we have kids, the risk will only increase."

Caitlin bit on her lip, thinking hard and actually seeing the wisdom behind his words. There would always be another fight for Barry. Always another metahuman or enemy and they would always look for weak points in his life, for the people he cared about.

"Then we reopen up S.T.A.R. Labs, employ some people. Barry and whoever wants to work closely with him all the time can have a secret lab there."

"Would you really do it, Snow?" Wells asked, completely stunned. In fact, he was overwhelmed with the life he was going to have. Never before had he thought he would end up having so much and being this happy. And it was just the beginning as though the clouds on the horizon finally cleared and made room for a bright, shiny new day.

In that moment, Caitlin saddened.

"What is it?" he wanted to know. "Talk to me."

"How will I be able to carry a child for nine months and not freeze him or her to death?" she asked, clearly terrified of the very idea. "I mean, I can control my powers, but I might need to use them some day and I might lose that control for just a moment and what then?" She started panicking.

"Hey, hey, Caitlin," he sat up as well and put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Look at me," he told her. "We'll figure it out, ok? Cisco said he can adjust those metahuman cuffs for you, so maybe for those nine months you could just wear them."

Caitlin let herself relax, breathe in and breathe out and then she met his gaze.

"You're right," she said with a nod. "You're totally right."

"There's nothing we can't do when together," he reminded her and she nodded again, her good mood coming back along with the excitement she felt when she thought of the future she would spend alongside this man she'd fallen madly in love with.

Then she kissed him and before they knew it, she was straddling him and working him up until they were making love again. And for the first time – they didn't care about tomorrow.

-------------------------------

Three years later

Little John was running all over the cortex, driving his uncle Cisco completely crazy whereas his parents were just talking to uncle Barry, asking how he was doing.

"Ok, that's it!" Cisco got angry and put his tools down. "I can't focus with this little one chasing invisible people here!... Ok, I do hope they're just in his imagination, because if we have an invisible metahuman…"

"Relax, honey," Tanya walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, a gesture she repeated whenever she wanted to calm him down and it actually worked. Cisco suspected she used just a minimal dose of her powers to do that, but then he remembered that she didn't have to touch anyone for her abilities to work, so maybe it was simply love. They were engaged by now, a beautiful ring set on the right finger of hers.

"Oh, come on, you love Johnny!" Caitlin walked over to her son and picked him up, which was quite difficult with her growing belly as she was pregnant again, the metahuman cuffs designed as pretty bracelets – courtesy of her husband – shining on her wrists.

"Yeah, but every single day I just see more and more of his father in him and that's downward terrifying!" Cisco complained when pointing at Wells. "This world can't handle another jackass Harry!"

Wells just laughed at that.

"Wait till you have a kid. We'll see how much humor they'll inherit. I can't wait for them to grow up and become teenagers so they could talk back to you," Harry responded and everyone in the room laughed, always loving to hear those two friends banter.

"He's right, dude. Better don't get left behind," Barry warned Cisco when pointing at his wife's, Iris's, belly. She was pregnant, too and they were happy with Caitlin that their kids would be friends and go to the same class at school. Barry even teased that maybe they would fall in love just like he and Iris did.

"Guys, guys! We're barely engaged!" Cisco got scared. "We didn't get to that point yet."

"Why not?" Tanya asked just to tease him and his face actually grew red when Harrison laughed at him along with the rest.

"Come on, it's not that bad. Having kids is just about the best thing that can happen to you," he then told his younger friend, done with the teasing and on with the advice. "Trust me, I know. That's not something you can ever regret."

Caitlin sent him a bright smile and walked over to him to put her arm around him after she put John down. Wells placed his hand on her belly, brushing lovingly over the bump there.

"Ok, I think I'd rather take mean Harry over sappy Harry," Cisco just had to say.

"What's up with Wally and Jesse?" Barry then asked. "I heard he was working up the courage to ask Jesse to marry him."

"And he can wait another ten years," Harrison said gruffly. "My daughter is too young for marriage."

Cisco just rolled his eyes. "The heart wants what it wants."

"I think you should just let it go, allow Jesse to marry Wally and better start protecting this little one here," Caitlin pointed her belly.

"Oh, I can't wait until she becomes a teenager and her father won't let her go out on dates. I bet she'll sneak out the window!" Cisco guessed and Harrison shot his way another look that could kill, not even comprehending how his little – not even born yet – girl could someday go on dates.

"Ok, we better go or else we'll be late for lunch with my mom," Caitlin warned her husband and he picked Johnny up from the floor. Snow was very happy to have established a relationship with her mother after all those estranged years. It had taken some getting used to for the older woman, especially when it came to her daughter's husband, but in the end she saw that Caitlin couldn't be happier with this man, even if in her opinion he could have been younger.

The happy family made their goodbyes and left the lab, Caitlin wearing snickers, which was a big change for her. At first she gave up heels because she was pregnant, but she never seemed to pick them up again. She didn't need that anchor anymore since she found a better one – in the man she loved. She didn't need to feel formal and professional as the Labs was up and running again. Besides, having kids and running in heels all the time didn't exactly match up, so she left those shoes for special events in her life.

And life was good.

Even better than good, actually.

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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