DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Flash, DC, or any of its characters

Before Dawn

By SerenityWinter

At JFK Airport, the clock was rapidly approaching 10:30 pm. I bought some snacks and went to my gate. I waited for about ten minutes and then went to check the information screens that detailed flight arrivals and departures. I made my way through the small crowd of people, and my eyes finally landed on my flight. I could hardly believe it, but there it was. The screen unmistakably read CANCELLED.

"Oh, no, no, no. This is not happening," I whispered under my breath.

I grabbed my bags and found a place to rest for a moment. My phone began to vibrate quietly, and it was my brother calling. I answered the phone, "Hey,"

"Caity, where are you?"

"In New York."

"What?"

"There was a flight layover, and we all had to get off the plane because of the blizzard."

"Will you still be able to make it home?"

"I hope so. I'm really sorry," I said.

"It's Christmas Eve."

"I know. I'm trying to work it out now."

"Just make sure you're here."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good. I'll see you there," Charlie said.

"Bye."

I ended the call and opened my computer to see if there were any other flights. The only flight available was the next day, which would be too late. I stood and went to grab a cup of coffee to calm down and hopefully relieve some stress.

I sat down in the food court and took a moment to relax. I opened my computer, checking for flights in hopes that something had changed in the last ten minutes. There was still nothing listed on the website, so I looked for nearby car rentals that were still open. I took a large gulp of my coffee, trying to stay awake. The scalding hot beverage burned my tongue, but I ignored it.

I looked at the bus schedules, train schedules, and again at car rentals. The cars that they had were too expensive for the drive. I went back to the information screens, where there was still a crowd of people complaining about their canceled or delayed flights. I heard that some people were being transferred to different flights.

Some of the others were conversing about canceling their flights or taking another plane to their destination. I walked up to one of the desks to check for flights. "Are you sure there aren't any more flights tonight. Maybe in the next few hours?"

She checked the computer, "I'm sorry, ma'am. The next flight heading to Pennsylvania isn't until tomorrow. The storm probably isn't going to stop anytime in the next few hours."

I was beginning to panic a little. "What about a flight that stops in Pennsylvania? There has to be one of those, right?"

"I'm sorry. Flights to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia are canceled. We may be able to get you a refund though."

I sighed, "Alright."

I turned around and nearly bumped into somebody. "Whoa, watch where you're going,"

I continued walking without making eye contact and muttered an apology under my breath and proceeded until I sat down.

I texted Charlie to inform him that there were no planes to Pennsylvania, but I was looking for alternative motives for transportation.

I heard someone sit down next to me, but didn't look up. I looked at the schedule for Grand Central Terminal. I heard a familiar voice, "So, your plane was canceled too?"

I looked up and gave him a cold look, "Do I know you?"

"You bumped into me less than five minutes ago."

"Oh, sorry about that."

I started to work on a research paper, even though I wasn't supposed to be working over the Christmas break

I was invested in my current task, but he spoke again. "Not much small talk, are you?"

"Not with a person that dated my friend for less than two weeks and than completely ditched her."

There was a guilty look on his face, but I didn't say anything.

"You're Patty's friend. Caitlin, isn't it?"

I gave him a curt nod.

"I'm really sorry. Is she still mad at me?"

"You wouldn't know. You never called her back."

"I'm sorry that I left so quickly."

"Tell her that," I snapped.

"My dad was sick."

I stopped typing, "Oh. Is he okay?"

"Yeah. I still should've called."

I closed my computer, "Alright. I may have misjudged you, and I apologize. I will help you."

"Okay," Barry said.

I continued, "One condition."

He sounded suspicious, "What is it?"

"Apologize to Patty."

"That was years ago. She probably doesn't even remember."

I held up my phone, "It's already ringing."

I put my phone in his hand and he was about to hand it back to me. "I don't think that-"

A voice sounded on the other end, "Hello?"

Barry put the phone to his ear, "Hey, it's me. It's Barry... Allen."

I heard Patty speak through the phone in a dejected tone, "Oh. What do you want? Why are you calling from Caitlin's phone?"

"I ran into Caitlin today. I wanted to apologize to you, but I didn't have your number."

"Well, I blocked it anyway," Patty said.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for not calling. I wanted to call you, but my dad was sick."

I couldn't hear what she was saying.

I decided to give them a moment and walked over to plug in my computer. Barry's experience was unreadable. A few minutes later, I saw him hang up the phone and walked back over to him. I put my computer back in one of my bags. "So, how did she take it?"

"It wasn't the worst phone call I've had to make. Will you help me now?"

"I'm sorry I had to put you through that, but I take care of my friends. Patty is a good person and she deserved an apology," I said.

"I should have done that a long time ago."

I nodded before sitting down and getting my computer back out. I opened it up. "Alright, where did you fly in from?"

"London," Barry said.

"London, really?"

"Yeah, I was working on this experiment. I'm trying to get to Ohio, but my flight was canceled. I'm guessing that yours was too," Barry said.

"It was. Do you have any family and friends in New York that could help you out? Drive you to Ohio?"

"Not really. I think that I might have to take the bus or the train."

"Well, there are some buses open late, but I think the train might be a better option. You could rent a car as well," I said.

I showed him the train schedule on my computer. "The nearest car rental is a few miles away from here."

I checked my watch. Shit, it was fifteen past eleven. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go. The front desk might have more info."

I put on my jacket, followed by my hat and scarf.

I got up and began walking towards the escalator. Barry raised his hand up in a waving motion, and I couldn't help but smile. I grabbed my luggage and headed out the front doors. The snow was a bit lighter than before. I texted Charlie quickly to update him on my status.

I used my phone to call a taxi and put my luggage in the car's trunk.

Barry was a nice guy, and I think that we actually might've stayed in touch if he and Patty were still dating.

I was about to step into the cab when I heard a voice calling out behind me. I turned to see Barry running towards the car. "Are you going to Grand Central?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Would you mind if I shared a cab with you?"

"Not at all."

Barry put his things in the trunk and sat down beside me in the cab.

"Where are you going?" the driver asked.

"Grand Central Station," Barry and I said.

We buckled our seatbelts, and the car began to move.

"So, where are you spending Christmas. Or Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah..."

"Christmas. With my family in Ohio. What about you? Have any big Kwanzaa plans?"

"Just going to be back home in Pennsylvania. It's been a very long time since I've been there."

"I see," Barry said.

"This is really your first time in New York?"

"Yeah, it is."

I leaned forward and said to the driver, "Take the long way to the station."

"Where are we going?" Barry asked.

"You've never been to New York, and I thought you should get to see at least a little of the city before you leave."

He smiled, "Thanks."

"London is a really long flight," I said.

"I've been on a plane or at an airport pretty much all day. What about you?"

"I flew in from LA."

Barry raised an eyebrow, "LA, really?"

"There is state of the art research facilities there, and I'm always cold. California's ideal."

We sat in silence for a few moments, before I spoke again. "Wait, look out your window."

I saw Barry looking through the car's right side window. He ran a hand through the thick brown hair on his head, "Wow."

I rolled down the window, even though the wind would mess up my hair. The view of the lights from the bridge made this one of my favorite places. I rarely visited New York, but these lights made me want to stay forever.

I looked over at Barry, and there was a certain look in his eyes. As he gazed at the magnificent lights and skyscrapers, the look on his face was of pure wonder and awe.

"Wow," he breathed.

I looked out my window at the bridge. It was a reddish color from rust and age, but it was beautiful. I leaned over to see the city from the right side of the car. Barry looked at me for a moment but then went back to staring out the window. I loved the city, but I wondered what it would be like to see it from a different perspective. The snow made it all even more beautiful.

The bridge passed, but I tried to hold a mental image of the lights. I leaned forward and gave the driver a different address nearby. I quickly checked my watch. 12:45.

"What's going on?"

"You should be able to see a little bit of New York. It would be weird if you were here for less than two hours and didn't see any of the city."

About a minute later, the car pulled up in front of my favorite pizza place. "Come on," I said to Barry.

We got out of the car and I told the driver that we'd just be a minute. "What is this place?"

"The best pizza in New York."

We ordered it to go and ran back to the cab. The driver continued on our original route to Grand Central Central. On our way to the stadium, I pointed out the window. Barry leaned over to see what I was pointing out.

"Yankee Stadium," I said.

"I'm more of a Red Sox fan," Barry said.

I turned and looked at him, "Really?"

"But the Yankees are pretty cool too," he corrected.

"That's right."

1:20.

Before long, the cab stopped outside Grand Central. We couldn't decide who would pay, so we each paid roughly half. As we exited the cab, the driver said, "Next time you visit New York, remember to use your favorite taxi driver, Ranjit."

We thanked him and exited the cab. Barry opened the trunk and we each grabbed our luggage. I took a deep breath before Barry and I entered the doors of Grand Central Station.

I looked around the area. There were high ceilings and marble floors. I noticed Barry staring at the information booth clock. "You know that thing's worth about 20 million dollars."

He looked at me, "Really?"

"Yeah. Read an article about it once."

We walked around until we could find the train schedule.

Barry and I walked down the stairs and I checked our trains again. Our trains were in different locations. "So, I guess this is where we say goodbye," I said.

"I guess it is," Barry said.

There was a moment of silence before I spoke again. "It was nice seeing you again."

We made eye contact. "Thank you for tonight," Barry said softly.

"It was my pleasure. I had fun."

"So did I."

Both of us stayed like that for a few seconds. I began to walk away but stopped. "I hope to see you again, Mr. Allen," I smiled.

"As do I, Dr. Snow," Barry smiled back.

I walked away, tempted to look back.

Once I got to the location, I sat down and waited patiently. It was 1:35. The last train to Pennsylvania tonight. It had been a few minutes and I checked the schedule. I looked back up at the sign. "No, no, no," I whispered under my breath.

I had gone to the wrong place, which meant that I missed my train. The last train. I went back upstairs and sat down on one of the benches. I texted Charlie to inform him that I missed the train. I leaned my head against the wall and sighed.

Tonight had gotten worse, better, and then worse again. I heard a voice, "Need help?"

I looked at the source of the sound and saw Barry Allen standing there carrying his luggage with a smirk on his face.

I checked my watch, "What are you doing here? You still have time to make your train."

He shrugged, "It had an insane amount of stops. Most of them were out of the way. I figured that the bus would be faster. What are you doing here?"

"I went to the wrong place and missed my train."

"Would you like to search for a bus stop with me?"

"Yes, I very much would," I responded.

I stood up and grabbed my things. We again trudged across the very long hall. We exited the building and I checked my phone to see where the nearest bus stop was.

"It's just a few blocks, we can walk," I said.

"At least I don't have to run," Barry said.

We walked to the bus stop and he opened his wallet to get the money for the bus fare. I noticed a picture in his wallet. It showed Barry smiling with a beautiful girl. She had dark hair and brown eyes. "Girlfriend?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's my sister. I'm adopted."

"Oh."

I checked the bus schedule and facepalmed. "The last bus left ten minutes ago," I said.

"We are having the worst luck tonight," Barry said.

I showed him my phone, "We would be having the worst luck tonight if it weren't for 24-hour car rentals."

It was getting late and the car rental wasn't that close, so we called a cab. The car pulled up to the curb. "Oh, hey Ranjit," Barry said.

We put our luggage in the taxi's trunk and sat down. I gave Ranjit the new destination and the car began to move. I kept track of the time carefully. About 2 am, we arrived at the car rental. I called ahead and chose a car. Barry and I agreed to carpool, for the environment.

The car was in Barry's name because we would drive until Pennsylvania, where he would drop me off and then he would keep driving to Ohio.

We both showed our identification and found the car. It was Barry's turn to drive first.

I went to turn on the radio, but Barry stopped me. "Driver gets to choose the music," he said.

I rolled my eyes, "Fine, but I am driving next."

I had to sit through the 80s hits for a little while. "If I have to listen to this music, we are stopping for coffee," I said.

"No objections," he said.

We stopped at the next cafe to order some coffee to go. Despite the caffeine burst, I fell asleep in the car not that long after. I opened my eyes and saw myself in the mirror. Barry was looking at me and my head was on his shoulder. I sat up almost immediately.

There was a brief awkward silence. "Have a nice nap?"

"Sure."

We switched at the next rest stop so that I was driving. I changed it to a fascinating lecture on the latest innovations in biomolecular engineering. I looked over to see Barry napping while using his red hoodie as a pillow. After he woke up, we amended our arrangement so that each of us drove until we passed through 2 toll booths and would switch at the next rest stop. Over the next hour, there was a lot of coffee and a lot of rest stops. I was going to get some work done. I would've gotten extra work done if not for Barry 'no work on road trips' Allen.

The first part of the trip was boring, but the 80s hits began to move into the 90s. Before long we were laughing and singing along to the music. I was a terrible singer but didn't really care. When we switched seats again, I began to leave Barry's radio playing instead of switching it to my podcasts or lectures.

About halfway through the road trip, we heard a car honk. I turned around to see the car that did that. I saw a taxi next to us and Ranjit waving. "Hi Ranjit," I said.

Barry and I waved back.

Honestly, it was the first time in a while that I didn't want to be doing work instead. As we got closer and closer to my childhood home, I actually began to dread it. The snow was falling and I was having fun. I didn't want the evening to end.

I wanted to see him again, but the realist within me told me that it wasn't going to happen. We sang loudly and didn't care when we got weird stares from the people in nearby vehicles. Barry told me nerdy jokes and I even told a few jokes of my own. "Okay, are you ready for this one?" I asked.

Barry nodded.

"Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go camping and pitch their tent under the stars. During the night, Holmes wakes Watson up and says: Watson, look up and tell me what you see.

He replies: I see millions of stars, and even if a few of those have planets it's quite likely there are some planets like Earth, and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, it means there might also be life. Holmes replies: Watson, you idiot. It means somebody stole our tent."

Even though it wasn't the best joke, Barry still laughed. We continued to sing and talk and joke for the rest of the car ride. It was comfortable. It felt familiar, unlike most other things lately. We got closer and closer to my house.

Not that long after, the car stopped outside my house. Barry helped me get the luggage out of the backseat. We walked up to the porch and I set my luggage down. "So, I guess this is it," he said.

I reached in and hugged him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He hugged me back.

"Thank you. Tonight was the most fun I've had in a while, and it's all thanks to you," I said.

"Well, you are a great karaoke partner."

I laughed. "Really, thank you."

"You're welcome. I had a lot of fun too.

"Merry Christmas, Allen."

"Merry Christmas, Snow."

The End

UPDATE 10/25/18: Just wanted to let all of you know that I'm going to be hopefully publishing some femslash stories soon. Also, heads up that I'm probably changing my pen name soon to FemslashGoddess. Thoughts?

Comments and reviews appreciated :)