Chapter 10

A/N Hi all! Like I said before, real life and then Writer's Block to quickly follow. I do apologize quite sincerely for not updating and for the possible deterioration of the quality of the plot, due to losing the ideas that I wasn't able to write down. Well, without further ado, here is Chapter 10! Hope it's satisfying! Reviews are appreciated.:)

Caitlin sat in the West house, waiting for Barry to come back from some business at the police precinct. She knew she'd have to tell him that Iris was once again Cold's prisoner, and this time, she wasn't likely to be unharmed.

She'd sat for at least an hour at her own home, crying, hoping she was wrong. Iris was a good lady and the last to deserve any of the treatment she'd receive from Cold. And Cisco? What of him? Caitlin had a hard time believing that he'd be the one to change sides, after what Cold did to Dante and all. But there hadn't been time for Cold to threaten Cisco's brother or his mother before he ran off. Assuming that Cisco had chosen to go he'd have gone straight to Cold. So when he'd said he'd been tired that night, he'd been thinking about how to get away, or maybe even to outsmart Cold. But why would he go in the first place?

Caitlin eventually decided to go back to the West house waiting for Barry. She couldn't stop thinking about this whole thing with Cisco though. Every time she tried a new route it still lead to him turning evil earlier on. Barry came in after she'd been there about five minutes and relayed the information.

"Apparently, the Snarts and their entourage went for a little vacation. They haven't been seen in Central City for the last few months. I visited the warehouse a few times, left a note saying that I decided to do whatever it took to get Joe out of there. But I want to see about a private conversation with Cisco. Something is really bugging me about how he just went over to Cold's side. It's not something he'd do. And the way he looked, like he was so happy to see me, like he was glad I was fine, and then when I yelled at him, you know. I know we've been over it, and I know we've sworn to accept it and stop speaking of it, but aren't you feeling the same? Don't we have anything going in his favor? Anything at all? You are the one who was trying to defend him in the first place."

"Barry, about Cisco, you're right that something's off. Even if he did switch sides, he would've shown some signs early on of reporting to someone, like maybe looking guilty after touching computers or sneaking off at strange moments. Even an expert crook would leave evidence right? Cisco didn't do any of that. He just didn't show up for work." Her face got even more sad and her eyes filled with tears again as she remembered Iris.

"Barry, before we think anymore about Cisco, I have to tell you something. Cold figured out Iris' stunt and recaptured her. I think he knew the whole time. I think he's going to torture her."

"What?" The very idea of this was unbearable. And the Snarts hadn't been seen for a few months. Which means they'd just come back today and taken Iris. The games were about to begin. He began thinking of what he'd do to Leonard Snart when he caught him, when Caitlin interrupted him with her verbal thoughts.

"Barry, I know it hurts, but don't run angry." She flinched inwardly at that phrase, said by Cisco when Flash had been fighting Tony Woodward. Despite the slip of her tongue, however, Barry seemed to calm down and come back to the present.

"Yeah I know. I'll keep an eye out for my emotions. I don't need to be taught the same lesson twice."He smiled at her. They both remembered Tony Woodward and Prism/Rainbow Raider.

"Barry, I know that Iris was dating Eddie, but I think she just doesn't know who she's in love with. She came to visit you every day when you were in the coma, the one from the wormhole, and I'd make her get food and coffee with me after. She loves you Barry. She couldn't lose you."

They were both getting a little too emotional about this, not thinking logically, so it didn't make sense that the logical solution simply popped into Caitlin's head at that moment.

"Barry! Captain Cold was the one who cured you! A few days after Cisco disappeared. It didn't make sense at the time, but what if he tempted Cisco with a cure for you? What if he promised that if Cisco helped him with something, he'd save you?"

"Caitlin, I've been thinking it over, he would've saved me anyway. He needed me. So Cisco or no Cisco, he'd have still saved me."

"Right, but did Cisco know that?" Caitlin was sitting there spaced out just a little, thinking it over as all the pieces fell right into place. In a less serious situation, she'd have laughed at Barry's incredulous face. Since when did she master any kind of psychology?

"What do you mean? Are you saying that Cisco would think that Cold wouldn't save me just because he didn't help him? Cisco would know better than that Caitlin. He'd know that Cold would've still saved me."

"Barry even if he had, he'd have gone for me. Cold probably didn't mention me, which would mean that the treatment for me would have been open ended, leaving him free from having to hold back at all. Cisco might have overthought that bit. And he probably didn't realize the obvious because of that. But that wouldn't have been the only reason. Since Captain Cold had a messed up childhood, and he's been at this a long time, he may have detected some soft spot in Cisco and hit it. Like the wormhole. He's been blaming himself for that the weeks you'd been in that coma. Cold probably played to that at a time where Cisco's vulnerability would've been at it's maximum."

"And that means..." Barry started.

"Cisco didn't change sides!" They finished together. They looked at each other. Something had to be done and done right now!

Cisco woke up from pleasant dreams of the farm and beach to find a cruel world trying again to consume him. He had to eat hurriedly, since he had to get to building some weapons to nab a few Metas and keep normies (as nonMetas were known around here,) at bay. He still felt a little apprehensive about this whole killing thing, but he was still hurt by Barry's rejection of him. After all, he'd gotten into this mess to save him and Caitlin right? No, another voice said. You know you can't do this. Build them to disable, not kill. And yet, Cold wanted him to build weapons that killed. And this time, he was serious. Cisco liked the man. Len was smart, kind(to him and Lisa), honest(despite being a criminal) the list would go on. But he was still a man with a twisted mind. And Cisco couldn't tell which side of the man he'd know if these weapons didn't turn out the way they were supposed to. He decided to head off potential trouble and just made the weapons to order. He couldn't go wrong that way. If it had indeed been Cold's intention to kill, then this would be made well, and if not, Cisco could easily avoid Cold's wrath by saying that he'd been ordered to make a weapon to kill, not disable.

Cisco pushed his lingering guilt for what was happening to his friends away by thinking to himself, "They rejected me first." And yet as he worked, the thought nagged him. So when lunch came around, he penned a note and that night put it in the remains of STAR Labs. He been given the freedom to go where he pleased whenever he chose, since Snart believed him to be firmly on his side. Was he? Cisco didn't know. He didn't know if he'd believe anything again.

The next day, Flash ran into the warehouse and demanded three things. He told Cold that he wanted Joe freed and Iris treated well while he was working for Cold, (making sure to carefully explain that Iris was to be freed after his part was done, to which Cold replied that this was starting to sound like four things.) and that he receive time to talk to Cisco. He knew of course, that the last requirement was more of a wistful wish and that Cold would see very plainly that he'd really only need to hold to the first two requirements. Cisco was in the old aisles just tinkering around when he heard the rest.

"Of course I can release Detective West. Iris will be treated well, with note put to her previous actions, so she'll be alive and in relatively good condition once all is said and done. And I will release her when your part of the bargain. As for Cisco, I suppose something can be arranged. But of course,even if you want him, I don't think he wants you." He said the last sentence with a knowing smirk that made Barry's blood run cold.

Cisco didn't know what to think. He'd left his note in STAR Labs the other night when he'd been feeling guilty. He'd thought then that he really would want to go back to Team Flash, to stop death, not cause it and to repair the friendships that had been damaged by a misunderstanding. But now, his bitter side took over again, as he realized he may have to face the man who'd punished him, hurt him, rejected him when all he'd done was try to save a life. And what about Len? If Cisco swapped sides again, Len would try to kill him, but he'd also be hurt. Now Cisco's heart felt pulled by two sides.

He felt pulled more towards Len's side of things. Here, he wouldn't be judged or rejected, he felt sure, because Len had faced those things enough to know what they felt like. Here Cisco's heart wouldn't have to break for the dead, the lost, the forgotten or unknown. Here, he'd always have a home.

Part of him still whispered that it was a lie, a trap, a cage from which there was no escape, a fall that was irreversible, and yet, he shut out those voices and nurtured the ones that screamed that he was now against Team Flash. He had been so deep in thought, he almost didn't hear Len agree to Barry's, no, he was Allen now, just Mr. Allen, Mr. Allen's wish to speak with him. Len was always so generous. How could anyone ever want him in jail? He always put what he'd stolen back. He only did for the thrill. Cisco conveniently ignored the death part of those robberies.

And so, with his mind up, Cisco walked over to where Len and Mr. Allen stood without being called. He eagerly awaited his opportunity to crush this man, this monster who'd turned his heart to stone.