Author's Note: This story is a bit of a twist than the regular SnowBarry fics I see on this sight. I have my sights set on a more... darker story line. One where some facts are changed around about Iris, Barry and Caitlin. The sotry will be focusing on this trio for a very specific reason. What if Iris was not the shining light that she is in the show? What if her and Barry had a different dynamic? This story will hopefully show what would happen if Iris' feelings were much more... prevalent from the start and how that affects the three of them throughout their lives. This story will take place in between episodes, so there will be no direct spoilers, but events will have happened and will be referenced throughout.
And without further ado, I give you chapter 1 of What's Rightfully Mine.
There was something… off about Iris, at least from Caitlin's point of view. Ever since the first time she met her while Barry was in the coma, she thought that something just was not right about her. She had left the room to give some privacy to the two childhood friends when she first came to visit him. Making herself useful somewhere else, checking to make sure all of Barry's vitals information was being downloaded to the server correctly. Seems as though the particle accelerator explosion did a number on their infrastructure too, much to Cisco's dismay. He still hasn't fixed the wi-fi signal for my office she grumbled.
Walking back from the server room, she wordlessly pleated her skirt with her hands, trying to get some imaginary wrinkles out as she looked over the data from her tablet. Months into the coma, and she still couldn't pinpoint the problem. She used her back to open the door effortlessly. She heard some shuffling in front of her and looked up.
Her eyes widened.
Iris was playing with Barry's hair. Her slender fingers raking through a handful of hair as she stared, more like ogled his bare chest and licked her lips. Her eyes carrying a soft glee on the man under her before she turned to the direction of the noise and saw Dr. Snow standing in shock. Her tablet still clutched in her hands, beeping in tune with Barry's heart rate. Her eyes shifted from the gentle softness to a furrowed and barely hidden annoyance at the interruption. Her lips twitching into what was meant to be a good natured smile, though it looked more and more like a smirk.
"I'm very glad you were able to help my friend Dr. Snow." she commented, her voice low with a hum. Her fingers stopped on Barry's head and she retracted it before she held her hands together loosely in front of her beige trench coat. Her eyes quickly scanned over Caitlin before continuing, seeing as how the doctor was still tongue-tied.
"He means a lot to me. Has ever since I found him alone" she recalls vaguely. Her heels click on the floor softly as she makes her way to the door.
"I was there for him when no one else was. You know that? Joe and I. We had to build him back up. He was nothing. Nothing compared to what he is now" a hand lingered down Barry's chest with a smirk. She quickly stood erect and moved towards the door.
She put a hand on Caitlin's shoulder gently before she speaks, "And remember, he will always be in my care."
A good-natured tap on the shoulder broke her reverie before Iris's fingers lingered on Caitlin for a second longer. And then she was gone.
Ooooookay. So, I'm guessing they're secret lovers or something? Caitlin theorized as she quickly checked over Barry and ran some tests to make sure he was still in stable condition.
To be brutally honest, she was too focused on what Iris was trying to say to her when she saw her. Didn't realize she was the jealous type. Don't see why though, not like he knows I'm here she muses as her hand trail down his jaw-line. She lets out a soft sigh.
Nope, doesn't even know who I am.
A few weeks had passed since Dr. Snow had the pleasant surprise from the couple she surmised and nothing eventful had occurred. SHe still got up in the morning, went to STAR Labs to spend the day looking over Barry and talking with Cisco and Wells. Currently she was having a heated discussion with Cisco about the new Star Wars movie in the central atrium.
"She wasn't even that well trained in the lightsaber and all of a sudden she just magically can beat Kylo Ren? Come on Caitlin you and I both know she should've lost hands down in the snow!" Cisco claims, his eyes wide from her non-committal response. A shrug was her response.
"It might have been unrealistic but she had more power over the force because she was letting it flow through her, like a river, instead of forcing it like Kylo was. Maybe if he learned to do that, he might've been an actual character instead of a whiny teenager with daddy issues"
"Kylo Ren did not have daddy issues! H-" his spirited rebuttal was interrupted as a familiar whirring noise was heard getting closer, both knowing it was Dr. Wells signaling his arrival. His disheveled hair and polite smile ever present on his wrinkled face.
"While I always enjoy discussions about imaginative characters being realistic in circumstances outside of our realm, don't we have a job to do?" The sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Two dumb nods were quickly given by the aforementioned pair as they scurried off to their posts, Cisco to making sure that the lab was up and running at full capacity, and Caitlin to play nurse to unconscious Barry Allen. Before she got very far, however Dr, Wells called out to her.
"Caitlin, Ms. West called earlier today asking if she would be able to swing by and check on Mr. Allens condition. She should be here somewhere around lunch time." he relayed before going back to his office.
A cold spot dug into her stomach when she realizes that Iris is coming back. I wonder if she's still mad at me? I didn't even do anything! She didn't even see me touching his cheek! Her inner voice screamed as she got herself to do her daily rounds doting over Barry. She came to enjoy his company, even though he was unconscious. That's kinda creepy Snow her inner voice warned before she brushed it off and went to take some more blood samples for her to analyze, putting the vials neatly in her kit before she took a quick look at the clock.
Iris should be here soon. She got up from the computer she was at, leaving the blood analysis to finish as she cleaned up her stations, and sanitizing before the elevator could be heard coming up. She put up her lab coat on the coat hanger and grabbed Barry's file before the doors opened, revealing Iris West. She looked like a woman on a mission, and held a small frown on her face as she looked at Caitlin before it quickly morphed into a wide grin,
"Pleasure to meet you again Dr. Snow, it's been a while" she said politely with a gentle head nod. Caitlin returned it with a stiff smile.
"Yes it has. I hope you and Joe have been doing all right?" she questioned as Iris put up a hand.
"Joe and I are doing well enough considering the circumstances, thank you for your concern" she stated with finality ending the short discussion before Caitlin showed her to the room Barry was in and told her about how his condition was faring.
"He seems to be slowly but surely healing, all of his blood work came back great and the scans show nothing abnormal about his brain waves. Although he does seem to have a higher heart rate than what was previously documented."
"Is that something to be worried about?" Iris questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Not at the moment. His heart rate may be faster but he doesn't show any signs of strain on his heart or his body from it. Might be a side effect of the explosion" she theorized before putting down his file on her desk. "Would you like me to leave you two alone?" Caitlin's inner conscience was screaming at her to not allow her alone with Barry, not after what she saw last time.
"Thank you, I'd like to talk to him for a little bit" she said with a pink hue rushing over her cheeks. With a nod and stiff walk she went back to the central atrium, making sure she doesn't look over her shoulder for fear of seeing Iris. Once she sat down in the main desk, she flipped on the security camera to Barry's room subconsciously and went about analyzing the tests she ran today, putting the data on a spreadsheet for her to comb through the results.
After a few minutes of reading through the data, her eyes darted to the security camera and she gasped at what she saw.
Iris was kissing Barry, but that wasn't all, she cupped him too! Her lips were trailing up his neck before she whispered something in his ear before Caitlin put a hand over her mouth. A few seconds later had her making sure she was presentable before she walked back out of the room with an extra saunt in her step. Ignoring the look of disbelief on Caitlin's face as went back to the elevator, pressing her button and giving Caitlin a wink before the elevator doors shut. Leaving Caitlin gaping like a fish.
It took a moment to return to her senses as Cisco took that exact moment to walk in, jamming out to his walkman and did a double take on Caitlin. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
A smile slowly stretched to his face "Or maybe you finally realize that Kylo wasn't as bad a villain as you thought!"
She simply ignored him while her mind was racing at the sight she had before Iris left. A slight pang hit her in her stomach. What was that?! It's like she was… marking her territory. She mused as she stared blankly at the screen in front of her. One thing's for sure, this was gonna be one interesting wake up call when he does come around.