Greetings! Normally I don't post a story until it is done. As I struggle with other stories, I thought I'd see if there was any interest in this one. I started this as a thank you to my Beta. Unfortunately, I finished the first two chapters right before she informed me she could no longer Beta for me. So, this story has sat since then. The basic idea is, pre-accelerator explosion at S.T.A.R. labs. There is no Ronnie and Harrison is really Harrison. Slow build to Snow/Wells. I'm trying to have each chapter be a story within itself. Each chapter slowly building the relationship between Caitlin and Harrison. Let me know what you think! All mistakes are my own. Not my properties and I make no monies from this. -CT

Chapter 1: Snowmageddon

The sound of her feet hitting the floor echoed around her. She found it oddly comforting. Normally, Dr. Caitlin Snow ran outside, but today she was using the indoor track that looped around her workplace. It was snowing like crazy out, with well over a foot already built up on the ground. While Dr. Wells had graciously announced that nobody would be required to come in during the storm, he'd also announced the availability of beds, showers, and free food for anyone who wanted to stay at the lab. With nowhere else to go, Caitlin had signed up for a sleep room and settled in for the duration of the storm. It seemed that she was about the only one who had aside from janitorial staff. She didn't mind. She was enjoying the solitude.

Music suddenly blasted through the air, swallowing the sound of her footsteps. Frowning, Caitlin slowed a little, looking around trying to figure out what was going. It was still very early in the morning. She hadn't expected anyone to take over the sound system. Most everyone who ran on the track wore headphones. As she looked around she was surprised to see a tall figure running towards her. Blue eyes sparkled beneath the Santa hat he wore as the other jogger quickly caught up with and passed Caitlin, the man's long legs pumping easily. Frowning in annoyance at the smile and wink he flashed at her as he passed, Caitlin picked up her speed.

It might have been a foolish idea, racing her boss, but Caitlin couldn't help it. Decked out in his hat, a bright blue long sleeved shirt, and black shorts, Doctor Harrison Wells passed her so easily while wearing that irritating smile that it made Caitlin's blood boil. Eyes narrowing on the man's backside, Caitlin raced as fast as she could. She caught up with him, exchanging a determined look with Dr. Wells as they ran. Instead of looking annoyed or upset, Dr. Wells grinned wider and ran faster.

"What?" Eyes widening, Caitlin pumped her arms harder. To her irritation, Dr. Wells laughed as she caught up with him. They ran like that for a good five minutes or so before Dr. Wells pulled ahead and Caitlin had to slow down. As she slowed to her original pace, Caitlin decided that if they'd started at the same time, she might have beaten Dr. Wells. While he was just starting his morning jog, she was half-way through her workout. He was running on fresh legs.

The music continued to blare. It was so loud that Caitlin couldn't even identify what was playing. Really, it was rude of Dr. Wells to take over the sound system. He should have worn headphones. Frowning, Caitlin realized that Dr. Wells had been wearing headphones. If he was listening to his own music on the head phones, who was blasting on the overhead? The thought had just popped into Caitlin's head when Dr. Wells pulled even with her once more. Flashing that annoying smile of his, the one that made his eyes sparkle in a maddeningly attractive way, he passed her.

Shaking her head in frustration, Caitlin picked up her speed, catching sight of his backside once more. Deciding she was going to finish her last lap strong, she dumped on speed, catching up with him. As she pulled even with him, Dr. Wells once more glanced at her, this time his eyes were dancing before he smiled. Realizing that he was, and had been, genuinely smiling at her, Caitlin frowned in surprise. Who knew Dr. Harrison Wells enjoyed having a jogging companion? They locked gazes and Caitlin managed to smile back at him.

Looking forward once more, Caitlin's eyes widened as she saw something rolling on the ground toward them. Unfortunately, Dr. Wells didn't have time to react so he ended up planting his foot smack on what appeared to be a remote controlled car. With a shout that could be heard over the blasting music, Dr. Wells fell to the floor. Throwing his arms out, he tried to catch himself, but he ended up on the floor in a crumpled heap. Stopping, Caitlin pulled her own earphones out of her ears and immediately knelt next to the man.

"Dr. Wells, are you okay?" Caitlin started sweeping her eyes over him to check for injuries.

"Cisco!" Dr. Wells shouted as he rolled over onto his back. He was clutching his left hand to his chest, and his face was so red it almost matched his Santa hat, which had fallen to the floor. His right hand strayed to his head, and he immediately looked around and grabbed up the hat.

"Dr. Wells, what happened?" Caitlin couldn't stop the question. She was shocked to see Dr. Wells's shaved head and the sutured cut which ran from his right temple to behind his right ear. There was bright bruising all around the laceration and almost to his right eye. It was obvious that his hair had been shaved so that the wound could be treated. Caitlin guessed he'd shaved the rest of his head so that it all matched.

A frown marred his handsome face as he struggled to pull the hat on with one hand. Reaching out, Caitlin took the red fabric from his hand and gently placed it on his head. With the hat in place, his injuries were hidden once more. Managing a nervous smile, Dr. Wells said, "Thank you. To answer your question, Mr. Rathaway took exception to being fired."

"The rumors were true?" Once more Caitlin blurted the words without thinking. For the past two days all sorts of stuff had been flying around the lab. The most popular story was that Dr. Wells had fired Hartley for hitting on him so Hartley had tried to run the CEO over as he was leaving work.

"Only a few," Dr. Wells replied. He started to get up and whimpered in pain.

"Oh, your wrist." Realizing that he was still self-splinting his left wrist, Caitlin forgot about Dr. Wells's older injuries and started examining his arm. "I think you might have broken it. It would also appear that you've dislocated your shoulder."

"Yep," Dr. Wells said with a nod. "Nicely diagnosed. Now, where the hell is Cisco." Struggling to his feet, he scooped the remote controlled car up with his right arm and strode towards one of the exits. "Cisco!" He bellowed the name as he walked.

"Dr. Wells?" Cisco was jogging towards them, a remote in hand. "Have you guys seen my car?" Dr. Wells held up the damaged toy. "Hey! Why'd you break it?" His face fell as he took his car from Dr. Wells's hands.

"It broke me," Dr. Wells replied. He said the words carefully, his tone neutral. As he watched Cisco examine the toy, Dr. Wells's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean it broke you?" Cisco's words were flying out of his mouth and he was hopping from one foot to the other.

"Ants in your pants, Cisco?" Dr. Wells asked gently.

"What? No, no. I was just testing this prototype engine. I didn't think anybody would be in here," he started to turn away.

"Cisco," Dr. Wells said, catching the young man on the shoulder. "How many energy drinks have you had today?"

"Huh? Oh, not that many. Only one in fact," Cisco answered.

"Cisco," Caitlin said, unable to take her eyes off the engineer's hand. "You're shaking."

"Vibrating almost," Dr. Wells agreed. "Mr. Ramon, how many caffeinated beverages have you consumed today?"

"Oh, only like," Cisco trailed off. Even his eyes appeared to be bouncing.

"Come with me," Dr. Wells said. Keeping his right hand on Cisco's left elbow, the older man led them toward the exit.

"Dr. Wells, you should really let me look at your arm again," Caitlin said, trailing along behind them.

"I'd like to talk with Mr. Ramon first," Dr. Wells said firmly. He led them to Cisco's work space. Hartley Rathaway had nearly had a fit when Dr. Wells had given Cisco his very own work room. "Where's your fridge," Dr. Wells demanded as they paused in the doorway. Sighing, Cisco led the way over to his personal stash. Letting go of Cisco's arm, Dr. Wells opened the fridge and pulled out a 2 liter bottle of Jolt Cola.

"That's not anything," Cisco began.

"Cisco, this is half-empty," Dr. Wells began. He lifted the bottle up and gently spun it some. There was clearly a sediment. "Let me guess, Jolt, Mountain Dew, pixie sticks, and nerds?" Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Cisco looked sheepish as he slowly nodded his head. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Oh, I've only been up since eight this morning," Cisco said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Cisco, it's nearly six in the morning," Caitlin protested.

Shaking his head, Cisco laughed. "Very funny. You think I don't know the time? It can't be past midnight," he protested.

"Mr. Ramon," Dr. Wells began. He was still cradling his left arm to his chest. "If you wish to continue your employment here, you will dump out the remainder of your gamer's punch and then report to the doctor's office for a full medical."

"What?" Cisco's eyes went wide.

"Dr. Snow will conduct the exam. I strongly urge you to follow her advice," Dr. Wells continued calmly.

"But Dr. Wells," Cisco began.

"Cisco, you've been consuming caffeine like a lunatic. You clearly haven't been sleeping, and your work is starting to hurt for it. Now, I want you to spend the next few days taking care of yourself. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Cisco said, glumly hanging his head.

"Good. Now, Dr. Snow and I will be in the doctor's offices tending to my injuries." Patting Cisco gently on the shoulder with his good arm, Dr. Wells then turned to Caitlin. "Dr. Snow?"

"Right," Caitlin glanced at Cisco, trying to give him an encouraging look. They'd not had much time to get to know each other, but she liked him. Dr. Wells strode out of the room. "I think he broke his arm," Caitlin supplied, hoping that it might soften the blows Dr. Wells had dealt to the young engineer.

"Either that or his good humour," Cisco grumbled. He snapped his mouth shut when Dr. Wells came purposefully back into the room.

"Car," Dr. Wells demanded, holding out his good hand. Sighing, Cisco dejectedly handed over his remote control car. "Thank you. You can pick it up when you report to Dr. Snow for your physical." Turning on his heel, Dr. Wells left the room again. Sighing in defeat, Cisco went over to the chair at his desk, and slumped into it.

"Take your time, I'll be a bit tending to Dr. Wells," Caitlin said gently to Cisco. Waving one hand without looking up, Cisco stared blankly at his black computer screen as Caitlin turned and left the room as well.

Caitlin found Dr. Wells in the doctor's offices. He was sitting on one of the medical beds with a pair of medical shears in his right hand. With some difficulty he was carefully snipping away his long sleeved shirt. "Oh, here, let me do that," Caitlin said, rushing forwards and trying to take the scissors from him. Their fingers brushed and she was struck by how warm his hands were.

"I got the joint back in place," Dr. Wells said cheerfully as he let her take over cutting off his shirt. "But I didn't want to try to pull my shirt off."

"Dr. Wells," Caitlin began, looking up into his blue eyes. Without his glasses they seemed brighter than usual and she found herself trapped in them for a moment. Blinking rapidly, she focused on the task at hand. "Don't you think you were a little hard on Cisco?"

"How so?" He actually seemed interested in her opinion. Caitlin had worked a number of different places, and Harrison Wells seemed to be the only boss who truly cared about his employees. She'd always found him attractive, but the more she got to know him the more appealing he became. At the moment, though, she was disappointed in him. He needn't have come down so hard on Cisco.

"Taking away his drink, forcing him to get a physical. You do realize I will not reveal any information from that, right?"

"Why would I even think you would?" Dr. Wells looked confused and offended. "Dr. Snow, how closely have you been watching Cisco?" The whole time he'd stayed relatively calm and collected. If he hadn't just ordered Cisco to dump his drink and come for a physical, Caitlin wouldn't have thought he was upset at all.

"Uhm," Caitlin paused and looked up from the process of cutting his shirt away. "I'm still getting to know him," she admitted.

"He's brilliant," Dr. Wells began. "But, Hartley was berating him all the time. Every time I turned around, Hartley was finding some reason to drag Cisco into my office. To be honest, it was getting to Cisco. You think I was too hard on the young man? Come to my office with him when you're done with his exam. I will happily listen to anything you have to say then." There was a hardness in his blue eyes that Caitlin had only seen a time or two before. Usually it was when somebody told him a project was impossible or couldn't be finished on time.

"Fine. We should x-ray this," Caitlin said, indicating his now bare arm. Pulling away the last of remnants of his shirt, she paused. His right side was a mass of bruises. Obviously, Hartley had tried to do some serious damage. Frowning at the bruises, she let her gaze travel over the rest of his torso. There was an odd circular scar just below his left collarbone. "That's an interesting scar."

"Hm?" Arching an eyebrow, he looked down at his own chest. "Oh. Yes." He didn't say anything more, but there was a sadness in his blue eyes which Caitlin found easy to read. Knowing a little bit about her boss, Caitlin found herself wondering if it was a scar from the car accident which had killed his wife and lab partner, Tess Morgan.

"You'll need to leave the car here," Caitlin said, motioning at the toy car he still held. Nodding absently, he put the toy down on the bed and carefully hopped down. Following Caitlin, he was silent and docile as she took x-rays of the injured arm and shoulder. "It'll be a bit," she informed him.

"I'm not going anywhere right now," he declared, glancing out the window at the still heavily falling snow. "Must be two feet out there now."

"Why don't you just go rest for a bit," Caitlin gently suggested, hoping he'd go take a nap.

"Sound thinking," he agreed. Standing, he vanished back into the exam room.

A few minutes later, Caitlin walked out still examining the x-ray. While his shoulder appeared to be fine, he'd done a good job popping it back into place, his wrist was fractured. She'd need to set it and then splint or cast it. She wasn't sure what they had available in the lab. "Dr. Wells, we need to set your wrist," she said as she walked back into the exam room. There was no answer and she looked up from the x-ray to gaze around an empty room. "Dr. Wells?" Calling his name gently, she frowned as she left the room to go looking for him. "Dr. Wells?" She crossed the hall into the upper level labs.

The labs on the first floor were primarily used for tours and school classes. At the moment they were occupied by Dr. Wells. He was sitting at one of the benches with an array of tools spread out on the table top. Caitlin hesitantly entered the rooms and frowned upon seeing her boss. What the hell was he doing in here? For his part, Dr. Wells didn't seem to even notice he had company. He appeared to be completely absorbed in whatever he was doing, his semi-nude state apparently not bothering him. Pausing, Caitlin took a moment to admire the way his muscles moved and flexed as he worked. Shaking herself mentally, she continued to the table, calling his name, "Dr. Wells!"

"Yeah," he said, not looking up from whatever he was doing to Cisco's toy car.

"Dr. Wells! We need to set and immobilize your arm," Caitlin declared. She raised her voice since he really didn't seem to be listening to her.

"Okay, just five more minutes," he replied, still focused on whatever he was doing.

"Dr. Wells!" She was practically shouting and was so frustrated with him that she actually stomped her foot. Blinking, he looked up, gazing at her over the table top, hand still poised with a miniature screwdriver ready to work.

"What?" He sounded and looked annoyed, but as his eyes connected with her's, his face softened. "Oh, Dr. Snow. Apologies. I got distracted. What were you saying?"

She stared at him for a long moment, amazed that he somehow managed to run and make successful a massive company when he got distracted by a toy. Sighing, she shook herself from her thoughts and decided to try again. "Your shoulder appears to be okay, but we need to set and immobilize your arm. I'd say we should put a cast on it, but I don't know that we have the supplies for that. Really, you probably should go to the ER."

"We're not getting to the ER through that," he declared with a smile. "Let me just finish this and then I'll be ready." Without waiting for her response, he applied the screwdriver to the interior of the toy and then grinned widely when he finished. "Done. Shall we?" Standing, he started cleaning up the tools. Letting out a little huff, Caitlin helped just so she could get her patient treated sooner.

Once she got the toys away from him, Dr. Wells was actually a helpful patient. Between the two of them, they got his arm set and a cast applied in record time. Caitlin had asked him if he wanted any pain medication, but he'd just made an odd face and shook his head. They were just finishing up when Cisco slunk into the room, hands shoved into his pockets, head down. Everything about the man spoke of dejection. Clearly, he was not happy with what Dr. Wells had demanded Cisco do with his drink.

"Ah, Cisco. Excellent timing. Dr. Snow was just finishing up with me," Dr. Wells said brightly. "I trust you dumped the remaining punch?"

"Yes," Cisco said, glaring at the floor.

"All done," Caitlin declared. "I won't force you to take the medications, but I would recommend you go rest." She patted him gently on the right shoulder, letting her hand linger on his cool, smooth skin. Closing her eyes, she reminded herself that this was her boss, and then snapped her eyes open. "You should also probably find a new shirt."

"Not a problem," Dr. Wells said cheerfully. Confusion filled Cisco's face as he looked up, trying to process what Caitlin had said. Seeing the cast and bare chested older man, his eyes went wide.

"Dr. Wells, what happened to your arm?" Cisco still felt jittery, but he had to admit that already he was feeling a little more down to earth. He just hoped he could cope without his caffeine.

"I broke my wrist and dislocated my arm when I tripped over your car," Dr. Wells said firmly. He hopped down from the bed and stood before Cisco. Now their eyes locked and Cisco was shocked to see compassion filling the bright blues. "Which Dr. Snow will return to you once she's completed her examination. You will both report to my office when you're ready. Do you understand?" He gave them both stern looks and waited for nods. "Good. Dr. Snow, excellent work. I know you'll take as good care of Mr. Ramon as you did of me." Patting Caitlin gently on the shoulder, he left, vanishing down the hallway.

"Oh my god, I broke my boss's arm," Cisco said in horror. Caitlin couldn't help but smile. "What happened to his shirt?"

"I had to cut it off," Caitlin supplied.

"I owe him a shirt too," Cisco's eyes went ever wider.

"Sit," Caitlin ordered. Without speaking he plopped down into the chair. "Let's get started." Cisco didn't say much as Caitlin took his vitals, frowning at his high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and shallow breathing. She did opt to have him do some stress testing by having him run on a treadmill and she finished by drawing blood. After looking over everything else, she also demanded that he fast and return 12 hours later so she could draw blood. From what she was seeing, Dr. Wells was right to be concerned.

"Cisco," Caitlin began, trying to figure out how to tell him everything. She wasn't always good with patients. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"Hey, I do," Cisco protested. He was still horrified at having broken his boss's arm. "I've been under stress."

"Look, if you don't get everything under control and back to normal, you'll be under the ground," Caitlin said sternly.

"Ouch," Cisco couldn't believe what she'd just said. "Ice Queen."

"I'm sorry. I don't know how else to get you to understand the severity of what you're doing to yourself," Caitlin declared. "I'm going to recommend you cut back on sugar and caffeine and you need to increase you exercise. How much exercise do you get every day?"

"Daily?" Cisco fumbled for words as he looked around nervously. "Not much. Whatever I get walking around here."

"Okay. You need to figure something out. I don't care if it is just making sure you walk for ten minutes every day. Anything helps. Come back in a week and we'll see how you're doing." She started writing down notes. She wasn't usually one of the doctors who worked in the clinic, but she wanted to make sure that the file they had for Cisco was complete. If something happened to the young man, she wouldn't forgive herself.

"That serious, huh?" Cisco studied her.

"Dr. Wells was right to have you come in for a check-up," Caitlin declared. Something about her tone of voice made Cisco frown and cock his head to the side. "I should have picked up on all this. Obviously, Dr. Wells is a better physician than I."

"Oh man," Cisco said softly. "You are totally crushing on Dr. Wells." Caitlin's head snapped up and she fixed a defiant glare on Cisco.

"I am not," she countered.

"Yes, you are. Come on, Caitlin. You are totally turned on by how smart he is and I bet you were enjoying him wondering around here topless." A grin split Cisco's face and Caitlin deciding the teasing was worth it if it got him smiling.

"He is in excellent physical condition," she declared. "And I admire his ability to diagnose."

"Uh-huh, right," Cisco said, a smirk lifting his lips. "Caitlin's got the hots for our boss."

"Stop it," she demanded, swatting at his shoulder. "Even if I did, which I do not, I wouldn't do anything about it. He is my employer. It would be totally inappropriate."

"Yeah. Totally," Cisco agreed, waggling his eyebrows. Rolling her eyes, Caitlin sighed in exasperation and picked up her notes and started for the door.

"Come on, Dr. Wells wanted to see both of us after we finished here," she reminded him as she walked away. Cisco's mirth vanished and he raced after Caitlin, wondering if he was about to get into serious trouble.

They reached his door to find it closed. Usually if Dr. Wells was in his office he had the doors opened. The one or two times he'd been locked inside he was working on a project. Exchanging looks with Cisco, Caitlin raised her hand and rapped smartly on the door. Desperately, Cisco hoped that the man wasn't inside. When there was no immediate answer, he started to think he had lucked out, but Caitlin knocked again and after a moment, the door was pulled open.

Dr. Wells looked like he was half-asleep. He was adjusting his Santa hat as he stepped back to let his employees inside. "Sorry about that," he said as they passed him. "Go ahead and have a seat. Pardon the mess. I was getting some rest as per Dr. Snow's orders." He waved at seats across from his desk and then at the couch on the left wall. It was covered in blankets and pillows. Once they were inside he closed the door and then strode over to take a seat behind his desk.

"Dr. Wells," Cisco began. "I'm really sorry about your arm and your shirt." Arching an eyebrow, Dr. Wells waved him silent. He'd pulled on a new shirt, this one dark red with a baseball over the left breast.

"Cisco, relax," Dr. Wells ordered. "We're stuck here for the next day at least. I don't expect you to be working 24-7. Look at me. Do I look like I'm working right now?" He indicated the messy state of his office and the casual clothing. "Right now, my primary concern is you. Now, I don't want to know the results of your physical, but I would like to know that you'll be taking better care of yourself."

"Yes sir," was all Cisco could manage to say. He'd only been working there for a month and already he was getting a lecture from his boss. Part of him wanted to tell Dr. Wells about all the horrible things Hartley had done to him.

"More formally, I would like to inform you that Hartley Rathaway is no longer employed by this company. Should you see him in or near this facility, please notify security." Dr. Wells managed to keep his face blank as he spoke. Seeing the effect the words had on Cisco, his face softened. "I am aware of the abuse Hartley lavished on you. My apologies for not tending to it sooner. I wanted to make sure he wouldn't be able to challenge my decision. Unfortunately, that meant jumping through all of hoops. HR can be pretty sticky about this stuff."

"Hartley is gone," Cisco managed to whisper. Dr. Wells nodded and Caitlin dropped a hand to the young engineer's bicep.

"Yes," Dr. Wells nodded gently. "I would like to apologize. Hartley clearly did not embody the values of this company. You, Mr. Ramon very much do. Now, go take care of yourself. I will be checking in on you periodically."

Slowly standing, Cisco nodded. "Thank you Dr. Wells." Tears were tugging at the young man's eyes. Standing, Dr. Wells rounded his desk to gently pat Cisco on the shoulder.

"No, Cisco. I am just doing my job, so you can do yours." He gently led Cisco to the door. "The next time you have issues or a problem, please let someone know."

"Yes sir," Cisco said. He still looked confused and even a little dumbstruck. It seemed that having somebody care that much shocked the young man. Opening his door, Dr. Wells let go as Cisco wandered off down the hall. Turning back, he paused confused by the gaze Caitlin had leveled on him.

Caitlin stared at her boss. Their interactions had been intermittent and usually filled with other people. This was the first time she'd seen him in action without Hartley or somebody else around. Not only was she impressed with his worry over Cisco, but she realized she found it attractive. As their eyes locked she found herself suddenly terrified that he'd know she was attracted to him. She had to escape. Mumbling something, she bolted from the room, racing after Cisco.

She found Cisco in his work room. "Man, I didn't think Dr. Wells really cared," Cisco said as Caitlin bounded into his space.

"That's nice," Caitlin mumbled, eyes focused on the entrance. Cisco frowned and arched an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" Cisco shook his head in amusement. "What, did you start daydreaming about him?"

"Huh?" Dragging her attention back to the young man, she was confused to see Cisco smiling.

"Man, you have it bad." Shaking with laughter, Cisco went back to what he was doing. For the rest of the storm he would occasionally tease Caitlin, but for the most part he welcomed her company without comment. Caitlin carefully avoided Dr. Wells until the blizzard had passed and staffing was back to normal. Even then, she tried to make sure somebody else was present and they were never alone. Caitlin Snow was not about to fall for her boss.