When Caitlin Snow had agreed to the U.S.C. of T.F. , she had done it confidently. On the spur of the moment. She was sure, sure she would win the bet she had made with Cisco. There was no way she'd lose. No way. And, when she won, Cisco would have to dust the cortex clean, drop his churro diet for a caesar salad, and watch comedies instead of the classic action movies he liked for a week.
Victory was close, Caitlin was sure. But if not, Ralph had conversed with Cisco and come up with a counter challenge. A vicious one.
One that attacked Caitlin's very apparent being. She would have to buy an ugly sweater everyday for those seven days and wear it until the last second of the sun left that Saturday. She was a little annoyed, but like we said, she was sure her side of the bet would prove victorious. What did they bet on? If Barry Allen, Team Leader and the Flash, would actually finish in jail for the murder of DeVoe.
"You won't," Caitlin had told Barry. "Eh… it looks pretty bad…" Cisco made a sort of motion with his hand. Barry grimaced. "Listen, Barry… we know you didn't do it." Iris comforted.
"Do we?" Harry just had to add from the corner of the room. "Yes," Iris said forcefully. And then the argument had took a heated turn, and of course, Team Flash just had to start blabbing and slap down money. It was unfortunate, Caitlin thought with a sigh, that Barry did have to be in jail.
Not only because he was her very good friend, but because now she was in Cisco's car, sitting between Ralph who was singing along to the radio loudly, and Harry, who seemed sulky and bothered as usual. "Here we are!" Cisco crowed happily, parking his car.
"Yay…" Caitlin huffed.
"Aw, come on! Chill, girl… it's not that bad! You had no mercy on me, though…" Cisco pointed out as the four trooped to a little store. "Whatever…" Caitlin muttered. "We'll wait here." Cisco said, stationing himself by the door. Caitlin raised her eyebrows. "You know," Cisco said uneasily. "In case you try to escape."
"You really think I'd back out on our deal?" she asked incredulously. Cisco grinned. "That's the spirit." "Hurry, Caitlin! I think that's a burrito stand back there!" Ralph said excitedly, hopping up and down to see.
"Ok…" Caitlin replied, ducking into the store. A bell tinkled over her head as the door squeaked closed behind her.
Cisco gave her a thumbs up sign through the glass then turned away to keep Harry from punching Ralph.
"Hello there, anything I can help you with today, ma'am-?" a young man in a striped red and white apron came down the stairs, wiping his hands on a towel.
His words were caught in his throat as his eyes fell on Caitlin.
"You…" he gawked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "You- what are you doing here?"
"Great- you know, I think I'll be going now…" Caitlin reached for the knob.
"No- wait!" Julian put out his hand to stop her. "Wait- one minute…"
"What, Julian?" Caitlin demanded, bothered.
"I-uh… nice to see you again…" Julian stammered striding a little closer. "Are you here for something particular?" he fidgeted with the string of his apron. "In- the store, I mean…"
Caitlin blushed. How was she supposed to tell him about the dare? "I'm… looking for sweaters." she admitted at last.
"Oh! Cool. It just so happens we got a whole stock of that just two days ago- uh… if you'll follow me." Julian waited cordially for her response.
Caitlin nodded and followed him to a shadowy area of the store. "Here!" he proudly displayed them with his arm.
None of them were ugly enough to pass Cisco's inspection.
"Um… anything- weirder?" Caitlin asked. "Weirder? Uh… I'll check the back-" Julian spun smoothly on his heel and Caitlin noticed his shiny black dress shoes.
"What are you even doing here?" Caitlin questioned while Julian grabbed hold of a ladder on wheels and clambered on up.
"Oh! Uh… funnily enough, it's a pretty long story…" he replied, peering into a box. "Boo!" an adorable little boy with stuck up blonde hair popped up.
"Augh!" Julian let out a shout and let the ladder go. Without a warning, he fell backwards and landed on the ground with a crash, his head colliding with some clothes hangers.
"JULIAN!" Caitlin pitched forwards towards him, coming to an abrupt halt, and sitting down to his level on the floor.
"Teddy!" Julian groaned. The little boy stared out at them with his huge brown eyes.
"My bad?" he made a half shrug.
Julian grunted and sat up.
"Out. Now." he said, nodding at the door and pressing his wound with his hand.
"Sorry, Uncle…" and the little boy climbed out of the box with some difficulty and scurried away.
"Who was that?" Caitlin asked, pulling out her first aid kit.
"No one of importance…" Julian replied, grimacing as Caitlin began to bandage his head.
"What does that mean?"
"He's my cousin Freddie's kid. Nothing more. Is it… does it look too bad?" Julian asked.
"Well, it's stopped gushing blood everywhere, if that's a good sign…" Caitlin muttered, pulling out some sharp doctor tools.
"Right. So… how're you doing?" Julian inquired, drawing his legs up closer to his chest to avoid Caitlin stepping in them as she worked.
"Fine." the Snow answered stiffly, being careful not to make any sort of eye contact.
"That's good." Julian said. "And Frost?"
Caitlin froze. "Fine too."
"No, I mean… is she gone?" Julian asked quietly.
"She can hear you, and she's not very happy." Caitlin informed him.
"Oh." Julian looked at his hands. "Oh, so that meta slave trader didn't help."
"What?!" Caitlin looked at him sharply, the movement making her hand brush over Julian's cut.
"Sweet bloody-" Julian fell backwards, hissing in pain.
"Sorry!" Caitlin squeaked, hurrying to help him up again.
"It's nothing. Probably my fault anyway." Julian answered darkly, frowning.
"You just-"
"Caught you off guard? Yeah, I thought as much." Julian shrugged.
"Try to keep still…" Caitlin told him, easing his shoulders back down as she continued shining the flashlight at his blood stained blond hair.
"Right. Sorry."
"So- how did you find out?"
"Let's just say there's this thing called the internet, and I may have access to it, as do many people and-"
Caitlin cut him off angrily. "That's not funny, Julian. I know how."
"Then what's your question, doctor?" Julian demanded.
"I-"
"Yeah, I'd been hoping you'd at least tell me yourself. But no. You could have taken the antidote I made- especially for you- with your mum no less…" Julian's voice rose an octave. "But no. The great Caitlin Snow just has to take the overly complicated honestly evil, meta hater and user, over me. Sure, why not." Julian glanced at his watch. "It's getting late. I'll fix myself up later is there anything you were looking for here, because if not-"
"You will not."
"What?" Julian looked up, Caitlin's words startling him.
"You won't." she repeated.
"Won't what?"
"Won't 'fix yourself up'. I'll do it, this could get infected."
"I'm a doctor too, Miss Snow." Julian retorted curtly.
"Julian do yourself a favor and shut up for a second. And… what I wanted to buy can wait." Caitlin said forcefully.
"Whatever, just- hurry. If the blokes show up and find me like this, count me as done for." Julian said, resentfully rubbing his jaw.
"Why?" Caitlin asked.
"You'll have to be more clear- why what?" Julian asked.
"Why- wait." Caitlin stood up.
"What? What- see anyone?" Julian demanded, struggling to get up but feeling light headed from his encounter with the floor.
"No," Caitlin seized his shoulder to keep him down. "No, I just saw this." she held up a dark green, fuzzy sweater that was at least five sizes bigger than her, with ugly braid like patterns on the front.
"Dear me, what's happened to you…" Julian breathed.
Caitlin cracked a small smile.
"You- you want that?" Caitlin could see Julian swallowing down his remarks and trying to regain his professional demeanor.
"Yeah." Caitlin could see Ralph growing restless outside, and Harry was ticking, each second closer to an explosion.
"Ok?" Julian made to stand.
"No, I'll do it." Caitlin said quickly, walking to the cashier. "Want to walk me through it?"
"Er- sure. Yeah." Julian agreed. "So, the cashier."
Caitlin raised an eyebrow.
Julian looked uncertain and willed himself to get up.
"I'm not going to steal from your cousins store, Jules…" Caitlin said incredulously, rolling her eyes.
"No- of course not- I know!" Julian looked torn. "Just- it's only that… see, my cousins will kill me if they see me off duty…"
"Why're they so tough on you?" Caitlin questioned, slightly amused.
"Um- see… they may or may not be lending me one of their apartments for me to sleep in and have their maid come over with lunch everyday…" Julian laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "So yeah, you could say I'm a tad bit indebted to them…"
"Ok. Then tell me how to get the change out fast so I can go." Caitlin responded.
"Question:" Julian raised his right hand meekly. "If you go… when will I see you again?"
"Oh." Caitlin felt as if the air had been knocked out of her, and she had no answer ready.
"Yeah, ok…" Julian managed to get to his feet. "I thought so." he took the sweater from her none too gently and took out the change in quarters. "Here. Have a good evening." and he walked back up the stairs, leaving Caitlin staring after him, stunned.
"So how'd it go?" Cisco asked as they piled into the car.
"It was… ok…" Caitlin blinked hard, racking her brain to try to hold on to any hopeful part of her time in the store.
"Yeah?" Cisco looked skeptical as he glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Want some?" Ralph asked, shoving his burrito under her nose.
"Um… no thanks." suddenly, Caitlin wished she wasn't sitting next to him.
"Your loss." Ralph shrugged and dug in as if he hadn't seen or tasted food in a century.
"How'd it really go?" Harry asked her in a low tone.
Caitlin bit her lip. He knew.
"Yeah, don't deny it. I know that look, Ms. Snow. He's there isn't he? That infamous…
Julian Albert."
"Yeah…" Caitlin turned away to look outside the window, splattered with a few rain drops.
