Author's Note: This came to me while I listened to the song "The Other Side" by Ruelle. You can look it up if you like. :)

I don't want to know who we are without each other
It's just too hard
I don't want to leave here without you
I don't want to lose part of me

Scorching tears nipped at Barry's emerald hues, he tried to blink them away but they began to slide down his cheeks; eyebrows elevated, he tried to convey without words just how much his heart was breaking. Mirroring the painful look, Caitlin stood at a short distance away from the other brunette, tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks. Her locks lay a wavy mess around her shoulders before she brought a stray hand to her face and pulled them back by bringing a hand through her hair; distressed, almost disoriented.

"It's not the same as how I feel for you." Barry tried, his voice full of emotion.

Caitlin shook her head, her eyes burning into his with a furious flicker behind them. "Don't start, Barry." She responded. "Please. Don't." She didn't want to hear a word. The fact was still that he'd had feelings for another woman – someone she couldn't compete with. Iris and Barry went too far back, somewhere she didn't belong.

"Caitlin.." He trailed off.

She walked right past him, bringing more of her clothes into her duffle bag. She hurriedly shoved as much of them as she could within the confines of the bag. Caitlin tried to zip the bag, but it was too full. With frustration, she yanked harder at the zipper until it snapped off. Throwing up her arms in defeat, the woman sat upon the edge of the bed.

Barry walked over to her, sitting beside her. He reached for one of her hands but she was quick to retract it. "I don't want to lose you." Barry confided in her.

"It's too late for that, Barry!" Caitlin snapped, her tone harsh with venom. She rose from where she sat and pulled the bag over her shoulder despite the zipper having broken off. "I'll be back to collect my things tomorrow." She let him know, her voice quivering with disappointment.

Barry rose from where he sat, emerald eyes blinking away more tears, his lips pressed into a thin line. His heart was shattering into a million pieces, each one piercing like a knife within his gut, his bones aching from the sorrow crashing over him. When Caitlin turned to leave, he tried to reach for her but it was too late. She rounded the corner and then he heard the door slam. Bringing his hands to his face, he now stood in a vacant room, only the scent of Caitlin Snow remained.

As she exited the home, everything she knew was something she was leaving behind. She didn't want to think about it, didn't want to process it. All she wanted to do was wish that things could go back to the beginning, back to when things weren't complicated or confusing.

Will I recover?
That broken piece, let it go and unleash all the feelings

Coming home from another long day at the CCPD, Barry placed his messenger bag onto the recliner that sat idly in the living room. He paced over to the kitchen, propping open the fridge before he withdrew a bottle of beer. Cracking it open with a bottle opener, he brought the glass to his lips and took a long swig. Facial hair lightly littered his face, showing that he wasn't keeping up with his appearance as much as he'd used to – not since Caitlin had left. Crossing back to the room, he moved his bag next to the chair and took a plop in the recliner before turning on the TV.

Did we ever see it coming?
Will we ever let it go?

Not only had Caitlin left him in an empty home, she'd also left STAR labs to pursue other avenues of work. It had crushed Barry's spirit, knowing she was distancing herself as much as she possibly could. His eyes swiveled over to the stand next to the entertainment center. Barry's heart sank at the picture residing in the little frame propped atop the table. He shuffled over and plucked it up, eyes stilled on the image of the pair laughing during an afternoon when Barry had surprised Caitlin with a picnic. Swallowing thickly, his finger rubbed the golden edge of the frame before he placed it back down on the table.

Before he could think anymore, grieve over what he'd lost, the television caught his attention as the newscaster explained there was a robbery in progress. Barry pressed his lips together in disappointment before dashing off towards STAR labs.

We are buried in broken dreams
We are knee-deep without a plea

As the television drawled on, Caitlin exited her bedroom as she wrung her damp hair out in the towel. Rubbing her head one last time, she pulled the towel away from her hair and placed it over the little sofa in her new apartment. Carefully, she picked up her brush and began to work on brushing out the tangles or knots in her hair. As the brush ran through her chocolate strands, she curled up on the couch, chestnut hues flicking back to the television as the newscaster spoke about a robbery currently in progress downtown. It didn't take long for her to catch a small glimpse of red and a lump lodged in her throat, her chest feeling tight, a pang of guilt in her gut. The newscaster was cut off, saying that the Flash had made his way to the downtown bank and had already apprehended the men responsible for causing the robbery.

Peering down at the floor, she placed her brush down on the table. Caitlin got lost in her thoughts, all the desires she'd shared with Barry; her wishes, what she longed for, what she hoped for. Everything was broken, tattered, leaving her scarred within. It felt too difficult to mend her heart, causing Caitlin to fall into despair, almost hopeless as she still yearned for a life with Barry Allen. It was impossible, she knew that but she couldn't stop herself from living in a broken dream; a figment of her imagination.

I don't want to know what it's like to live without you
Don't want to know the other side of a world without you

"Barry," Cisco was heard over the intercom in his suit. "It's Caitlin." He informed the other male, watching as a video displayed in STAR labs showing Caitlin tied up in an abandoned warehouse, flames licking away at the old and worn building. She was coughing, trying not to inhale the fiery air and fumes. She struggled against the restraints, grunting as she tried her damnedest to free herself.

"Where?!" Barry rushed.

"Sixty-first street."

It didn't take long for Barry to zip across town, running at the speed of light – literally. He could see the burning building and the sky filled of smoke long before he reached the destination. Once inside, he zoomed over to Caitlin and quickly undid the restraints, lifting her into his arms right before a panel of wood fell from the ceiling. Barry sped out of the burning structure and as far away as possible before a propane tank exploded within the warehouse, leaving it in shambles.

Caitlin coughed loudly, inhaling as much oxygen as her lungs could take, allowing them to reach full capacity before she exhaled. Her widened eyes fell upon Barry as he set her down on her feet. It was the first time they'd seen each other since they split up, since she broke his heart and her own. The brunette didn't know what to say, what to do. After a long pause between them, she simply said, "Thanks." The word felt cold upon her tongue, much like her broken heart did.

"Anytime." Barry responded, pressing the tiniest grin on his lips in an effort to make things less awkward.

It didn't help. She couldn't look at Barry when he gave her those eyes and that look. It was certainly one of her weaknesses and she had to tear her gaze away from the man completely. "I need to get back to Mercury Labs." She informed him.

"Okay." Barry lifted her up and raced her across town before leaving her at her destination.

Is it fair, or is it fate?
No one knows
The stars choose their lovers, save my soul
It hurts just the same
And I can't tear myself away

Standing on the balcony of his apartment, two years had come and gone without Caitlin Snow in his life. Barry's mind still swam for answers though he knew he could never move on from the brunette. Whenever he thought of Caitlin, his broken heart broke that much further, each small piece drifting away into a nothingness, somewhere Barry could never retrieve it. He felt as if he were in an ocean of despair, sinking with shackles on his feet, unable to breathe. Yet at the same time, he just couldn't tear himself away from the thoughts of Caitlin and his mind wondered where she was now. Peering up at the stars, he had to wonder if she was out there somewhere looking at them too.

Caitlin sat upon her own balcony, far from Central City, across country. She'd moved away last year without another look back, pursuing different careers in different places. She had needed a change, hopeful it would allow her to move on from Barry Allen. However, it hadn't. She still found herself constantly thinking of the guy, wondering if he was okay. She hadn't kept up with news about the Flash after she left town either, letting it wash away as a distant memory. Her auburn hues looked skyward, stared deep into the still of the night and the burning stars.

Can't live without you