His time in the speedforce left him changed in ways that he could really explain to his friends or family. While he was happy to be back, his outlook on life in general was vastly different. He was ready for whatever may come, he was faster then he'd ever been but things weren't the same as when he left.

His fiancé wasn't happy he left her, his team was broken and he could say that only one of those things was his actual fault. Things with Iris hadn't been good since he got back, she helped him come back from wherever he was in his head but at risk of her own life. Something he couldn't understand, he had speed healing but she didn't. She could have died, if the Samurai wasn't actually a robot.

He walked into STAR labs, smiling at seeing Caitlin still there, but working in her lab. Cisco told him that she had left, and he was still worried about her. Barry knew that things had been hard for all of them. Caitlin only went to Savitar because he wasn't there for her when she needed him the most. She was his best friend and he'd abandoned her because of Iris.

He was pretty sure he'd never forgive himself for that but he hoped that with time she'd let him be her best friend again, that he could make it up to her. He sat on one of the chairs in the cortex only to hear the tell-tale sound of Iris walking in. He turned to see her walk up to what used to be Cisco's seat and sit down.

"You know you don't need to keep coming here now that I'm back," he said just as Cisco walked in and Caitlin got up to join them.

"I'm the team leader Barry. I have a job to do," she said with a bit of a huff. She knew that he'd stayed at STAR labs all night and she didn't like the distance between them.

"Why are you the team leader though? I left Cisco in charge," he sighed.

"Dude have you met this woman? She gets what she wants," Cisco grumbled and sat down next to Iris.

Barry just rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm going to train," he said.

"That's not scheduled until later Barry. You need to patrol the city." she said taking a sip of coffee.

Barry just stood there and stared at the woman that he'd proposed to and wondered who the hell she was. She certainly wasn't his best friend, or the woman he fell in love with.

"I'm back, the actual team leader seeing as I'm the Flash and all. So I'm going to go train when I want," he walked off and went to the speed lab.

Cisco tried to contain a snicker and hearing Barry stand up to Iris for once, Iris took a deep breath and tried to just let it go but Caitlin went after Barry to make sure he was okay.

The time she spent away from everyone was difficult on her. She had hurt her friends. Betrayed them and still Cisco asked for her help. To get Barry back. Barry and Cisco were the only reasons she came back. She didn't really expect Iris to have taken such an important role away from Cisco and he was good at hiding how it was effecting him.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't shocked that Barry stood up to Iris. She had a way of taking up Barry's time and attention so that everyone else didn't matter. She missed Barry but expected things to be the same, they'd be together again and all that was meant to be would be again. But here he was doing something she didn't think he'd do. The tension between them was thick and she knew that Iris wasn't happy that Barry left, though Caitlin understood why he did.

She found him sitting in the speed lab, not training at all but holding his head in his hands and looking down.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she sat next to him.

"I don't know Cait," he said as he lifted his head. She put an arm around him and he leaned into her slightly. She somehow always knew how to make him feel better.

"Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you then?

"Everything. I came out of the speedforce a little crazy, but I'm back now and while I feel like I'm not holding myself back regarding my speed everything else is just shit. I let you down, I let everyone down. Iris feels abandoned. And I can't apologize for saving Central City. I can't but that's what she wants. She wants me to tell her some crap about how we are meant to be and say I'm sorry for leaving her and how can I be sorry for saving everyone?" he lifts his head up not realizing just how close they were.

Caitlin held her breath for the moment that they sat there, he was close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. The Meta alarm jolted them apart but Barry didn't get up right away.

"You don't have to apologize Barry. You just have to figure out what's important and either she'll understand or she won't. But you'll always have us," she said finally and that seemed to be enough because off he went to save the day again.

Caitlin came back to the cortex some time later with Iris and Cisco still in the spots she left them.

"Barry you need.." Iris started, used to having to tell Wally what to do.

"I know what to do Iris," he cut her off. "Cisco do you have eyes on the building? I can't see anyone but people are running and screaming."

"On it," Cisco said as he started giving Barry what he needed.

Caitlin moved back into her lab, staying in the cortex with Iris around always ended up with Iris making a comment that left Caitlin fighting to keep Frost back. She'd told Cisco that Frost was gone, but the truth was that she wasn't gone at all. She was still there, always waiting for her moment to come out. They'd come to some kind of understanding but it was hard to communicate with each other.

"You and Barry were gone long," Iris said, having decided that it was better to stop trying to help Barry.

"He just needed an ear. We are friends after all," Caitlin said trying to focus on the computer in front of her.

"Are you though?" Iris said in her usual snotty tone before she turned and left. Caitlin closed her eyes and held her hands in fists to keep Frost back.

Barry caught the meta and found Caitlin. He could see the frost coming off of her hands and turned back to see that no one else had noticed her yet. Iris was back in her seat and Cisco was off working on something else.

"Cait?" he walked over slowly. "What happened?"

"Your fiancé happened," she snapped before standing up and turning to face him. She was still her, the frost was gone but her face looked sad.

"Frost isn't gone is she?" he asked softly. Caitlin could only shake her head before her eyes flashed white and a strip of her hair turned white. The icicle was already forming in her hand.

"I think it's time I left," she said, her voice sounding like Frost and not Cait.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you leave Frost,"

"It's cute that you think I was waiting for your permission handsome," she said with a smirk.

He sighed as Cisco and Iris came into the room and gasped.

"Fine Frost. You can leave but you have to kill me first," he said. "That's your name isn't it? Killer Frost? Well let's see some killing then!" he was getting louder.

"Barry what are you doing?!" Iris yelled and Cisco just stood there watching. Frost lifted the icicle up and Barry grabbed her wrist stepping into further.

"Don't think I won't," she said but he could see her wavering.

"You can't because deep down you know that you aren't a Killer. Your name doesn't define you Frost. You can be more than that," he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

Suddenly her eyes shifted back and she started to cry. "Barry." She sobbed as her hand dropped the ice and it crashed to the floor, and Barry no longer held her wrist.

"Maybe it's time we accepted her hmm?" He reached out for her and before he could really think she went full Frost on him but hugged him. He held onto her even as Cisco started freaking out and Iris was yelling to get away from her.

He wasn't going to make the same mistake as before. Caitlin and Frost were the same person, they may be different but he would love them both because he loved Caitlin and if he could love Frost, the others could get used to her too.

"I'm not going to lose Cait again because we pushed Frost away," he said to the others. Cisco nodded, understanding what Barry was saying. He knew that he'd let Cait down too. Iris however wasn't interested in keeping Cait or Frost. She wanted them both gone.

"She's too dangerous Barry. Let's put her in the pipeline and figure out what to do next," she said softly. Barry didn't let go of Frost but he turned his head to Iris.

"No." He pulled back from Frost to see she was Cait again and he grinned at her.

"She's...she's happy. Thank you Barry," Cait said and smiled at her friend. His hands were still holding onto her arms as Iris grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room and away from his friends. Joe walked in and looked at Barry and Iris with a smile until he saw their faces.

"Is everything okay?" he asked as he moved further into the cortex.

"No dad it's not. Barry decided that it was okay that Caitlin lied to us about Killer Frost being gone, egged her on to kill him and then wants to just accept her like she didn't almost kill us all!" Iris yelled.

"She was scared that you'd react like this if she told everyone. The entire time we were dealing with Savitar our friend was fighting her own demons and we couldn't be bothered to care. I couldn't be bothered because I was too busy trying to save you!" he yelled back.

"Woah woah, let's calm down you two," Joe said stepping between them.

"I'm sorry that saving the love of your life hurt poor little Caitlin. But she chose to hide that she had powers in the first place! How is it our fault that we didn't know?" Iris stepped back and put her hands on her hips.

"Because Iris. She's been here since the beginning and she's saved me more times than I can count. She's my best friend and she was hurting and I should have noticed!" he said before he speed out of the Cortex leaving everyone stunned.