Well I'm back again with another one, this one is only going to be a short mini story with no more than 10 chapters probably less than that… or so I plan but I never know when it comes to these things, but for now it's a mini Christmas fic. So I hope you enjoy it… also I need to say thank you to AReiss215 for having to put up with me going over every idea with him and no doubt annoying him at times but this wouldn't have happened if not for your help.

You will also notice that my writing style has changed in this one ... maybe for a good thing who knows.

So enjoy the beginning of this mini Story.


Navigating the icy sidewalks of Central City had become a skill to Caitlin over the years she has lived here, her first winter in this city wasn't as pleasant as she was hoping it to be – not when a fresh covering of snow hid the ice patches underneath. The amount of times she has slipped that first year is still unknown having lost count at around the thirty mark but after three winters of this city this being her fourth she likes to think that she has cracked it – even in stilettos.

With her white knitted scarf wrapped around her neck, bright red coat fastened tightly around her body Caitlin weaved her way in and out of the crowd that had gathered in the centre of the city. She couldn't deny that this city had a certain charm around the holiday season with the stall set up in the centre of town selling everything and anything to do with Christmas from handmade baubles, snowflakes even snow globes which every time she passes by the little wooden hut and the women inside selling them she pauses for a moment to look at the small orbs. There once was a time that Caitlin would say that Christmas was her favourite holidays but for the past six years she doesn't get that warm feeling inside of her anymore when she thinks of this holiday. Now all she can think about is that patch of black ice which took her parents from her, that patch of ice which made her parents car skid causing it to crash into a barrier that ran parallel to the road and that same patch of black ice that not only took her parent away from her but also left her alone with no other family to spend the holidays with. All Christmas does for her now is to show her have alone she really is, ok she might have her work and the colleagues that comes along with the job but she doesn't have anyone to spend the holidays with, instead for the past three Christmas's since she moved to Central City she has volunteered to work Christmas so those with loved once can spend the holidays at home with them.

Pausing beside another of the stalls this time, she picked up a small nutcracker figure and smiled to herself, the memory of her parents taking her to see the nutcracker as a child on Christmas eve flooded her mind, smiling down at the small wooden figure that could fit in the palm of her hand – the memory of how excited she had been all day waiting for her father to arrive home from work so they could leave the house to see it. After that first year it became a tradition for the three of them to go and see the nutcracker every Christmas Eve from that very first time when she was eight years old. With her parents now gone, Caitlin still buys three tickets for the Christmas Eve performance but never attends as it wouldn't feel right to go alone not when it is a tradition or a memory now to go with her parents as a family. Instead on Christmas Eve she drives ninety minute or three hour round journey back to her old city and to the cemetery to where her parent's graves sit side by side to place fresh flowers onto each of their graves, leaving two of the tickets behind, one on each of the graves – her new tradition.

Unable to return the small figure back to where she picked it up from, she dug her hand deep into her pocket pulling out a five dollar bill and handing it to the middle aged woman looking at her. "Keep the change" she smiled before slowly moving away from the stall and sliding the wooden figure into her purse. The sound of crying dragging her back into the real world, looking around Caitlin spotted a little girl cradling a stuff toy to her chest looking around her with tears streaming down her face. Taking another glace around the crowd to see if she could spot anyone looking for the girl only to come up with no one she decided she needed to do something where as everyone else around the two of them looked the other way and continued to walk, talk and laugh together – to wrapped up in their own little world to stop and help a crying little girl.

Slowly approaching the girl, Caitlin crouched down in front of her "Hey Sweetie, are you ok?" she asked only for the little girl to look at her with even more terror in her eyes. Did she really look that bad after a fifteen hour shift Caitlin thought as she tried to figure out what to do; she took an oath of care so she can't just walk away and leave the child alone, without her oath of care she still couldn't do it as a human being.

"Daddy said I'm not to talk to strangers" the little girl spoke through her tears, holding what Caitlin could make out to be a stuffed dog closer to her chest – as if she is scared Caitlin is going to take it away from her.

"Your daddy is right you do not talk to strangers – Hi my name is Caitlin and I'm a doctor so you can trust me" Caitlin introduced herself while digging her identification badge out of her purse. The girl probably can't read but she can see and understand logos and the hospital logo is an easy one to spot and it has her picture on it so hopefully the girl will trust her enough to allow her to help her. "Look here, I work at the hospital so do you want to tell me what is wrong?"

"I can't find my daddy" the girl replied only to cry harder and louder which still wasn't enough to turn a single head in the crowd.

"Would you like me to help you find him?" the little girl nodded yes as a reply. "What is your name?" Caitlin asked using one of her glove covered thumbs to dry the little girls face, in this cold weather there is no telling what tears can do to her delicate skin.

"Evie – that is what daddy calls me. Evie Allen" she responded her tears finally stopping as she moved closer to Caitlin which she took as a sign that she has the little girls trust.

"Well it is very nice to meet you – Now tell me what does your daddy look like?" it is very well offering to help her find her daddy but not knowing what he looks like isn't going to help, a small description of him would help right now as any of the men in this crowd could be her father.

"He's very tall" Evie started which made Caitlin smile after all she probably looks very tall to Evie. "He has brown hair like mine but he is wearing a grey hat and a big black coat and I think he went that way" Evie continued pointing in the direction she had just come from.

"Ok, how about you take my hand and we'll walk this way and see if we can find him?" Caitlin suggested pushing her back up to her full height, her height being boosted by the six inch stilettos on her feet. Holding her hand out to Evie who happily accepted it, wrapping her small hand around Caitlin's as they began to walk back in the direction Caitlin had just came from. "How did you lose your daddy?"

"I ran away to look at the snowmen and then I couldn't find daddy, he wasn't there when I went back to him"

"I'm sure he is looking for you" Caitlin smiled at the girl, her bright red cheeks clearer to see in this light than where she was stood. A mixture of the cold elements and her tears marking her cheeks probably more the cold Caitlin thought as they both looked around the crowd, Caitlin looking mostly at the men for any looking worried with a grey hat and a black coat whereas Evie decided to look at all the bright lights instead.

The pair had been searching for the best part of ten minutes when the sound of someone shouting caught her Caitlin's attention "EVIE WHERE ARE YOU?" Caitlin decided that must be her father because only a parent would call a child they can't find like that – the worry clear to hear in his voice. "EVIE"

Looking around her for the person shouting, she finally spotted a figure just outside of the crowd looking around the crowd from a less crowed spot just to the side of where the pair stood in the middle of the crowd. Moving out of the crowd and towards the grass covered area where the man stood. "Is that your daddy?" Caitlin asked getting Evie's attention as she was too busy looking at the candy stall to notice or even hear her name being called.

"DADDY" she shouted at full volume catching the man's attention.

With her hand still attached to Caitlin's, Evie set off in a small run towards the man dragging Caitlin along with her. Walking in stilettos is one thing, walking in them on a snow and icy ground is another but trying to keep up with a little girl in stilettos on a snow and ice covered ground is another but surprisingly Caitlin managed to keep herself upright. When they were a couple of feet from the man, Evie released Caitlin's hand and ran to the man who crouched down to scooped her up into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest a sight Caitlin couldn't help but smile at, if that look of relief on the man's face doesn't show his love for that little girl then nothing ever will.

"Thank you so much" The man looked over Evie's shoulder to Cait. "I was so worried something had happened to her"

"No need to thank me, I would have done what any other person would have done" Caitlin replied even if it wasn't the whole truth – not when most people walked pasted a lost, crying and scared little girl but to her it's normal she never would have been able to sleep if she had joined the crowd and looked the other way.

"I'm sorry daddy, I only wanted to look at the snowmen" Evie told him her tiny arms wrapped around his neck.

"I know but next time, tell me where you are going. You have no idea what I would have done if I hadn't have found you" the man stood back up to his full height with Evie in his arms. "I'm Barry Allen by the way" he held his right hand out while supporting Evie with the other.

Taking his hand and shaking it "Caitlin Snow" she introduced herself.

"Daddy she's a doctor" Evie smile, the lost crying girl now gone and a bold smile spread across her face, the same smile that matched her father's Caitlin noted as she looked between them both.

"Is she, well then it's nice to meet you Dr Snow" Barry began to adjust the pink sparkly hat on Evie's head, only for the younger Allen to slap his hand away and returning the hat to the original position on her head.

"You too Mr Allen, you have a beautiful daughter" she smiled in response unable to miss the similarities between the two but at the same time realising that maybe Evie took more after her mother than her father. Yes there are a couple of features she gets from her father but so many more that don't come from him.

"I can't thank you enough, I was going out of my mind she knows not to run off on her own" Barry shook his head wondering what could have gotten into his daughter to make her do that. She knows how much he worries when he can't see her.

"It's probably just the excitement of all this" Caitlin motioned over her shoulder to where most of the action was happening. Finding it understandable that a small child would get excited with everything to see, no doubt Evie's young mind wanted to see everything at once, the bright lights no doubt just adding to the hype of everything going on and not to mention the loud noise of the crowd on top of the Christmas music playing thought large speakers set up around the stalls.

"Please let me thank you properly – why don't you join us for dinner tomorrow night" Barry pleaded knowing full well that people in this town normally only think about themselves and not others around them so what Caitlin had done is beyond what some other would do.

"That isn't necessary just knowing she is safe is enough" Caitlin waved her arms trying to brush it off as nothing.

"Please it would mean a lot to me that I can show you how grateful I am to you" Barry pleaded as without Caitlin he would still be going out of his mind wondering where his daughter is and if she is safe. Hitching Evie up onto his hip again to save her from slipping, unable not to notice how she is becoming heavier with each passing day as she grows.

"Cait please, daddy makes the best mac n cheese" Caitlin froze as she heard Evie say the name only her parents used to call, she hadn't heard it since the day they die when she spoke to her mother on the phone to check in which she liked to do most days – before her parents died Caitlin couldn't think of a day that passed when she didn't speak to one of them. Sometimes she would just receive a text from one of them and it would make her smile. Now all that has changed she went from hearing from them every day to nothing and it took her some time to adjust to that after they died.

"I was thinking something more than mac n cheese" Barry laughed tapping the end of his finger on the end of his daughter's nose making her giggle in his arms. It might be his daughter's favourite meal but when he has company it gives him the opportunity to push the boat out and to be a little creative in the kitchen.

"Well mac n cheese is my favourite" Caitlin spoke aloud it has been a while since she had eaten a meal with someone who isn't a colleague normal she eats her meals alone at home and that is usually take out, left over take out or mac n cheese. She doesn't see the point in going to all the trouble of cooking a meal when she is the only one who will sit down and eat it. Not to mention how long it has been since someone cooked for her even if it is only mac n cheese.

"Does this mean you'll come?" Evie asked excitedly bouncing around in her father's arms.

"Sure why not" she smiled at the little girl.

"How is six thirty?" Barry asked with a crooked smile knowing he is going to be able to cook for someone else other than just him and Evie – not something that happens so often.

"Perfect" Caitlin responded digging into her purse she pulled out a card and handed it to Barry. "My number is on there, call me"

"I will and thank you again; I think maybe I should get this little on home" Barry pressed his lips to Evie's cheek who in turn pouted at the thought of having to go to bed. "Say goodnight" he tickled her stomach making the pout turn into an opened mouth laugh.

"Goodnight Cait" Evie waved the stuffed dog tucked under her arm.

"Goodnight Evie, Goodnight Barry" with a small wave Caitlin set back off in the direction of her apartment, this time deciding to walk along the grass instead of contending with the crowd she has fought her way through twice. This morning she had planned on taking her car to work but decided she fancied a morning walk to the hospital but regretted it the moment she reached the hospital, her nose frozen due to the icy weather. Looking back now she is happy she decided to walk, if she hadn't then she wouldn't have met Evie who is a very pleasant and well-mannered little girl and a part of her is looking forwards to tomorrow night as she will get to see her again – maybe she will also get to meet her mother who judging by tonight events wasn't at the Christmas market then she will know for sure who Evie really takes after.


So that is the first chapter?

What did you think?

Should I continue it?

Thank you for reading.