IM SORRY IM SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT A WHOLE WEEK FOR CH 10 BUT HERE IT IS! When the new idea took root in my mind, I knew you guys would love it when it was all said and done but I had to scratch my original ch 10. And then this ch 10 took longer than I expected because I was having a hard time finding a way to incorporate elements of the new idea into it. So, once again sorry but please forgive me and enjoy this Ch 10! It's extra long too :) Thank you guys for the support.
Okay for the Q&A!
ArabianForest- I know and I'm so sorry for making you guys wait! Haha no, I completely understand and I think I'm just going to go until I feel I've written everything that needs to happen in order to give you the perfect "dramatic"/ "Angst"/ "romantic"/"funny" story :) Thanks for all the support :) And yes, I will definitely say when the M chapter is coming up! Hahaha thank you :)
Airsay- Yes, I think you are right! And that is true, I can always write another story before the season begins :) Thank you for the support!
Raquel- Just like a piece of rope! I'll definitely finish where I think it will be appropriate, but I definitely love all of the feedback on it :) Thank you thank you thank you thank you x1000 for liking my chapters! Please keep up the support :) It means a lot! Oh my gosh I also saw the season 2 trailer of the flash and I was freaking out! I'm so excited! And no it would not be strange to call me your friend because I consider all of you my friends too :) YES! We are reviewing pals! Hahaha thank you for reading this story from the beginning and giving me such great feedback to look forward to!
Anon/Guest- 1. YES I LOVE BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S TOO! THAT MOVIE IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES! 2. Thank you so much! It really does mean a lot when I get such nice comments :) I definitely think I am doing another fic after this one :) 3. Awww that just made my day! I'm very shy about my writing so to hear something like that just gives me that much more confidence! Please keep up the reviews! I would love to hear from you again :)
Guest/Anon- You will definitely have a lot of Reese in this chapter :)
Guest- Thank you so much for reading this story and reviewing! You guys have no idea how much you mean to me!
wheresmymadmaninabox- Hahaha I hope this is worth the wait :) Thanks for the wisdom ;) Keep up the support, I really appreciate it! By the way, your dialogue from ch 9 is hilarious! I absolutely love doing the voice part! It's definitely a challenge to write but is worth it in the end :)
time-failed-us: Haha ooh good! I've never written a chapter like that and I was nervous because I wasn't sure if i did it well! Hahaha I know I make it frustrating and I'm sorry but I promise you guys will be repaid for all of this :) Hahah thank you for the review! And for the support!
Princess perfection- THANK YOU SO MUCH! I WAS SO NERVOUS FOR THAT CHAPTER BECAUSE IT IS SO OUT OF MY ELEMENT! Thank you :)
snnowfrostt- YAY! I love hearing that! I'm always trying my hardest with each chapter so it's great to hear that it's paying off! Oh, trust me. You will. I've got a lot of jealous Barry up my sleeve so stay tuned :) I don't think this is the aftermath you were hoping for, but it's definitely leading in that direction (although it doesn't seem like it right now). Make out in the rain will definitely be on my list for one of these chapters! Thank you for all the support and reviews and all that great stuff that you guys do for me! :)
Caskett93- good! I didn't want to overdo Caitlin's part, but I definitely wanted to take her out of her "doctor snow" element that we're so used to seeing her in. Yes, everything you just said is more than what I could have hoped for ch 9! Thank you for not killing me! Hahaha but the restraint may be harder after you read this chapter hahahaha sowwy :)
vcsb- I love getting new reviews in from new people! Hi, how are you? Hahaha thank you for reading my story it truly means a lot! Thank you for the kind words, and I hope I get help with that M chapter too because so far, no one has PMed me to help! So we'll see if I get some help or if I'll have to do it all by myself (which is scary)! Hahaha Yay for Reese! Thank you again for the support! And keep up the reviewing :)
Ch 10
"Soo…how did it go last night?" are the first words to reach Barry's ears as he walks into STAR labs.
Glancing at Reese, he averts his gaze and tries to keep a blank expression.
"Fine. I gave Caitlin her phone and ended up talking with everyone for a little while".
"And then..?" she prods.
Barry tries to distract himself by fixing the papers strewn across the desk. "And then nothing".
Reese rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, the gesture right on par with her age. "You're a terrible liar, Barry. Just tell me".
He shakes his head, only allowing quick glances at the girl before him.
"There's nothing to tell. I dropped off her phone and we all had a few drinks".
Reese smirks. "Was Asher a gentleman the whole night?"
Barry snorts. "Yeah, sure…Until he left," he mumbles.
"What was that?"
He mentally curses himself. "Nothing, I didn't say anything".
"Did you say he left the date?" she asks in disbelief. "Did he ditch Caitlin?"
Barry sighs at her sharp hearing and nods. "Yeah, he got called into work for something important, I guess".
Reese tilts her head. "Oh, that's too bad," she says, not sounding at all remorseful. "Did the rest of you do anything fun? Go dancing maybe?"
Barry looks down at the tiles, knowing he's about to be snared in the trap she's subtly setting.
"Iris and Eddie did…Caitlin wasn't really up for it".
Until she was completely drunk, that is.
"Soo..it was just you two then?…And Caitlin was drinking?" Reese asks, a trace of curiosity playing in her tone.
Oh, she knew where this was going and by Barry's reaction, her presumptions weren't far off. This is even better than what she could have hoped for!
Barry looks down at the young meta, using his height and exceeding age to hopefully deter her probing inquiries.
"No more questions, Reese. We're done talking about this," he says in a hard tone, giving her a warning look.
His attempt at intimidation backfires and instead of shying away, Reese drives further, eyes bright with enthusiasm.
"It was just the two of you, wasn't it!? Ooh, what happened next?" she squeals, practically jumping up and down.
Barry sighs. If she wasn't intimidated by Dr. Wells, there's no way she would be even slightly deterred by him.
He looks at her warily, not entirely sure how to deal with an over-excited 18 year old girl.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore" he says, almost whining.
Reese sighs in exasperation.
"Oh, come on! I'm the one who told you to go socialize and have fun in the first place. Doesn't that entitle me to something?" she pleads, leaning slightly on her toes like a bird about to take flight.
Barry chuckles at her attempts to sway him. "Sorry, kid. Not happening. Even if there was something to tell".
Reese groans. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll have to guess!" she threatens.
Barry almost laughs out loud at this. Good luck. He can't even decipher what exactly happened last night.
Nevertheless, she begins pacing the floor, putting the pieces she has together and attempting to fill in the blanks.
"Let's see…If Iris and Eddie went off to dance and Asher left…my guess is that Caitlin started drinking. You know, to make the night at least a little bit better. And you were the only one left to talk to…so she probably drank more - no offense".
Barry rolls his eyes, trying to hide the uneasiness heightening at her every guess. She was alarmingly perceptive.
Reese stops pacing and studies Barry, trying to see if her guesses are hitting the mark. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't drink very often. So she probably can't handle her liquor very well".
He begins shifting awkwardly, trying not to let anything show on his face. "You're just assuming. Let's just drop the subject, okay?".
Ignoring him, she begins pacing again. "If Caitlin doesn't drink a lot, then she probably doesn't know her limits..which means she probably unintentionally got really, really drunk..!"
Barry's stomach sinks as Reese whirls around, eyes wide with realization. "Which means you'd feel the need to take her home since Asher was gone and no one else was around!"
He starts, her third degree interrogation lighting a fire underneath him.
"Why are you so interested in what happened?" he asks in attempt to turn the tables on her.
For the first time this morning, Reese hesitates. "No reason…just curious," she scratches the back of her head.
A sly grin spreads across her face. "So, what happened after you took her home Barry?"
Barry desperately tries to hide the blush burning under his cheeks.
"Can we just talk about something else?" he asks, voice strained and practically pleading.
Finally relenting, Reese releases him from her laser-sharp gaze. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. And I promise not to say a word to anyone".
"Thank You".
Lowering her voice, she steps closer to the speedster. "Can I just ask one more question? I promise it has nothing to do with last night".
Barry leans forward, speaking in the same hushed tone. "What's that?"
Reese hunches her shoulders forward like a girl exchanging a secret and shields one side of her mouth with her hand. "Do you like Caitlin?"
Barry's heart stutters- he's caught off guard and bursts into panicked laughter.
"What? Me? L-Like Caitlin?" he hears himself ask incredulously.
'YES!' comes the voice in his head that he's promptly ignored for the past month.
But Barry knows this routine, and he does his best to squash the voice with:
"No!" followed by, "We're just…really, really good friends. That's all".
Reese raises one eyebrow. Come on, this is her superpower. She can spot this stuff a mile away.
"Really?" she asks, both to his response and the fact that he thinks she's believing him.
Barry fiercely nods his head. "Yes! Caitlin…she's in love with her ex- fiancé…It's a long story," he adds in response to her questioning look.
Reese's eyes bore into his. "But what about you? What do you believe?"
The real question, 'Who do you love?' is subtly implied and both of them are aware of it hanging in the air, waiting to be answered.
Barry looks down, considering the weight of her words.
Does he really believe that Caitlin still loves Ronnie? Really believe that they are nothing more than close friends? Could these recent feelings towards Caitlin be something more than a slight attraction?
'Could they even be love?' the voice in his head quietly suggests.
*But just as the voice in his mind is able to slip into the forefront of his thoughts, so is his sense of hard, calculated reason*
No, he thinks. (Sadly, the scales eventually even themselves out).
He loves Iris. He always has, ever since he was a child. Barry Allen is in love with Iris West!
But…if that's the cut and dry case…
Then why is the statement feeling more and more like a mantra?
Like something that must be repeated in order for his mind to remember the value of its words.
Nevertheless, he is tethered to the story he must tell. It's his only anchor; his only constant in this chaotic and ever-changing world.
Some habits are just too hard to break and,when you've been fighting an uphill battle for 14 years, it gets harder and harder to realize when it's time to wave the white flag.
"Me…" he begins, his mouth setting into the familiar mold that will once again voice the story he's been telling for years, "I'm in love with a girl I grew up with. Her name is Iris. She's my best friend and she's everything I've ever wanted. She's my soulmate".
Reese gives an inaudible sigh and bites her lip, nodding solemnly.
"You really want to be with her, don't you?" she asks quietly.
'No'
'No you don't!'
"Yeah," Barry agrees sadly, "But I can't get her to realize that she does too. She has…strong feelings for her boyfriend".
He shakes his head. If only he had some way to open her eyes. Something to make her finally discover her underlying emotions and feelings…
…or someone.
'No! No No No No No!'
The idea hits him like a full-force bullet square in the back. It's PERFECT!
'Don't do it! You don't know what you're asking for!'
Jolting off the desk he's perched on, Barry grabs Reese's shoulders
"THAT'S IT!"
She jumps in surprise and looks at him with wide eyes. "What is?"
'Stop it! Just stop for a minute and listen to your heart for once in your life!'
But the idea is already rooted in Barry's mind and growing faster by the second.
A wide smile breaks across his face and he's pulsing with excitement.
"I know how to make Iris finally acknowledge her feelings for me! The answer has been in front of me this whole time!"
Reese looks side to side in confusion, then back at the young man before her. "And the answer is..?"
Barry shakes their Cupid metahuman. "YOU!"
Her mouth pops open and she blinks rapidly. "Wha- Me?"
"Yes!" he exclaims, absolutely beaming. "Part of your ability is to open someone's eyes and make them notice who they really love. If you use your ability on Iris, she'll finally realize that she doesn't love Eddie! I don't know how I didn't think of this before, it's perfect!"
Reese begins nervously wringing her hands. "I..I don't think it will work like that," she begins, her voice straining to stay under control.
"What if…I don't know, something happens and she falls even deeper for Eddie?" she tries to reason.
Barry doesn't even consider it.
"It won't happen," he answers in a heartbeat, "I know I'm her true love. And it's okay that you can't tell me this yourself because you don't want to mess anything up. But I don't need your ability to know who my soulmate is. So, please, can you help me catch her?"
"I-I don't know, Barry," she stammers.
He grabs her wringing hands, holding them still. "Please, Reese," he begs. "I can't do this without you. I've been in love with Iris since I was eleven years old. This entire time I've waited for her and it's killing me!"
Barry squeezes her hands in desperation. "Please, I'll do anything you want. Just say the word".
Reese swallows, pulling her hands back and stuffing them in her pockets. "Barry, I don't do this for a reward," she mumbles, averting her gaze. "You don't owe me anything".
A smile creeps up on his lips. "So…you'll do it?"
Staring at the wall behind him, she slowly nods her head.
A squeak escapes her as Barry snatches her up and spins around, "thank you"s continuously tumbling from his lips.
After setting her down, he finally notices the absence of his colleagues.
"Where is everyone?"
"Dr Wells went off…somewhere about 20 minutes ago. Cisco's in the basement or whatever you call it, and I think he said Caitlin was coming in later today".
An uneasy feeling bubbles up inside Barry's stomach at the mention of Caitlin, but he shakes it off.
"Okay, I'm going to check up on Cisco. Thank you again," Barry says as he departs the lab.
Reese waits until he's gone, then shoves the heel of her palm into her forehead.
"Oh no…what did I just do?"
~2 hours later~
Caitlin parked her little green Fiat in the "Employees Only" spot and turned off the engine. She immediately begins fumbling through the the glove compartment for the bottle of Advil to ease the hammering in her head.
Why?
That question has been crossing her mind more times than she can count as of late. Usually, this three letter word began the inquiry that would spark the torrent of sadness she so often felt.'Why did all of this have to happen to Ronnie?' or 'Why couldn't it have been me?' were normally among the most frequently asked.
Today, however, the familiar question did not arise because of elements that were out of her control. No, she knew what she was doing when she grabbed that shot glass. She knew she could have stopped after that. And yet, she still cannot stop herself from repeating the same question over and over in her mind.
Why did I take that first drink?
Because the after-effects are lasting much, much longer than the initial buzz and sensation of the tainted liquid.
After a minute or two of groping around, she finally feels the round bottle under her fingertips and snatches it out of the compartment.
She takes a sip of water and the round pills follow suit shortly after. Praying that they will kick in as soon as possible, Caitlin throws the pill bottle in her purse and climbs out of her car.
She looks up at the overcast sky and allows the cold, biting air to loosen her muscles.
Why did I take that first drink?
Groaning at the incessant pounding, she reaches into her pocket and, despite the lack of bright weather, puts her sunglasses on and trudges toward the building.
"Good morning Caitlin," she hears Reese say as she sets her purse on the desk.
She looks up at her and gives a tired smile.
Reese giggles as her eyes rove over the doctor. "Rough day?"
Caitlin collapses into her chair and removes her sunglasses. "You have no idea".
Reese watches as she begins rubbing her temples in attempt to ease the throbbing headache and looks around the room.
"Where are the boys?" she asks, a slight frown appearing on her face.
"They're in the basement. Don't worry, I'm watching them from the surveillance camera," Reese adds when she sees Caitlin begin to jump up at the idea of Cisco and Barry by themselves down there.
Whenever Barry and Cisco are alone, something is bound to go wrong.
Caitlin relaxes. "Okay, good. The last time I left them alone, I came back to find half the cortex covered in some type of goo. A new innovation, they said. For Jell-O!"
She momentarily laughs along with Reese at the memory, but a sharp pain in her head forces her to close her eyes. The lighting in the room isn't helping much, either.
Reese looks at her with concern. "Are you okay?"
She nods her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a bit too much to drink last night. I don't go out very often".
Reese chuckles. "Yeah, Barry told me," she says, then instantly regrets it.
Caitlin's eyes snap up to meet hers. "Did he tell you what happened? I can't recall anything. What did say to you?"
For the second time that day, Reese wishes she had taken an earlier shift at the Animal Shelter. Or better yet, wishes she had just kept her mouth shut.
"Aah…umm..He just said, you know, how he went to drop off your phone. And, umm, you guys invited him to stay and hangout. Then, I guess Asher had to go…or something.." she stutters.
Caitlin nods her head. "Yeah, I remember that part. What did he say happened after that?"
"Err..you started to drink. Which makes sense because, you know, Asher left and that really stinks. I liked him and I know you were looking forward to that date but I guess it's just not meant to be but it's okay because there's other fish in the sea, you know, and I'm sure you'll find someone who's the perfect match for you and who knows, maybe he's a lot closer than you think and you just have to really look and-"
"Wait!" Caitlin interrupts, trying to understand what the girl before her is talking about, "Reese, sweetheart, you're talking a mile a minute. What do you mean Asher is not meant to be?"
Reese pauses and tilts her head in confusion. "Asher left you during your date, didn't he? I thought you were done with him…aren't you?"
Caitlin sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "Well, I thought I was. But then he called me this morning and asked for a second chance. He really was a gentleman the part of the night we got to spend together. We had a lot in common. And he is a nice guy with his priorities straight. So, I think it's only right to give him another shot."
"Give who another shot?" they hear from the lab entrance.
Both girls turn around to find Barry and Cisco standing in confusion. At the sight of each other, both Caitlin and Barry begin to blush.
Caitlin, because she feels embarrassed about the amount she drank last night. Who knows what she told him in her inebriated state.
Barry, because, well, he actually knows what really happened.
Cisco is oblivious to the change in atmosphere and repeats his question. "Who is getting another shot?"
Reese crosses her arms and tries her hardest to keep her emotions in check.
"Asher. She's giving Asher a second chance because he had to leave during their date," she says, unable to keep a slight edge from seeping into her tone.
Barry's heart drops to the floor, but he has to remember that this is a good thing. Caitlin deserves to be happy, just like he will be once he gets Iris to finally see the truth.
This is good.
'If it's really such a good thing, you wouldn't have to keep reminding yourself that it is' the voice in his head mutters sarcastically.
Feigning a smile and ignoring that little voice, he pats Caitlin on the shoulder. "Good for you, Cait. I hope you…find what you're looking for," he concludes. But even he hears the monotony in his tone and knows he has to get over this infatuation. He has to forget about everything that happened last night. Put it in the past and move sooner Reese can help him with Iris, the better. This is the way it's supposed to be.
Caitlin fakes a smile and tries to push the ripple of disappointment back towards the confines of her heart. Barry does not feel the same. He is in love with someone else and the more time she spends with Asher, the sooner she will get over this fact. This is the way it's supposed to be.
Reese is about ready to rip her hair out and stomp all over the place. No matter what she tries to do, it always seems to backfire and make matters worse. Barry is possibly the most clueless person on earth who refuses to listen to his own heart and open his eyes. Caitlin is too afraid to take a chance and put her heart on the line. And now they are drifting farther and farther away from one another. This is definitely NOT the way it's supposed to be.
But right now she can't dwell on these thoughts because Cisco is staring her down. She meets his eye and immediately becomes uncomfortable with the tenacity in which he is focusing on her. It's actually kind of freaking her out…
"Reese, can I show you something really fast?" he asks casually.
She considers saying no, but before she can open her mouth, he grabs her elbow and begins towing her out of the room.
Caitlin considers asking Barry about last night now that they are alone, but decides against it. She makes a promise to herself that she will never ask about what happened last night. Although, she does have a very strong feeling that he's the one who took her home since she woke up in her own bed with no clue to how she got there. Nevertheless, that's all in the past. She needs to forget about it. It's time to move on.
"Umm…Cisco? You know I love surprises and all, but why are you taking me to the basement? And why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" Reese asks as they descend the steps to the lowest level of STAR labs.
Cisco shoots her a look and continues walking.
"When I was down here earlier today, I was looking through the footage from the cortex to see if I could figure out where I put the cord that goes with the electromagnetic composer. Do you want to know what I saw instead?"
Reese stares at him in bewilderment, still not sure what he's getting at.
"I'm guessing not your electromagnetic composer cord?"
She watches nervously as he begins pulling up surveillance footage from the cortex. Footage from yesterday to be exact.
He turns the laptop towards her. "No, I saw this," he says, pressing play.
Reese's heart begins beating wildly in her chest as she watches herself on camera from yesterday evening. Particularly the part where she takes Caitlin's phone and hides it behind her back. Then she watches herself "uncover" the phone later that evening and tell Barry to return it to Caitlin.
He knows. He knows what I've been doing. He's going to tell Barry and Caitlin and then I'll never be able to work this out!
Cisco stops the footage and looks down at Reese. "So, what do you have to say?"
Reese scratches her head and, once again, wishes she had gone into the shelter earlier that day.
"I guess the camera really does add ten pounds, doesn't it?" she stutters.
Cisco frowns. "You know what I'm talking about. We both know you hid Caitlin's phone on purpose so Barry would take it back to her. But why are you doing this? We both know you're planning something. Spill or else I'll tell them right now that you've been messing with them".
She doesn't know whether it was the fact that this is the third time she's been hounded today or the realization that Cisco could be the one to ruin every effort she's made or just the plain observation that she's getting in trouble and she doesn't even work here, but something makes Reese snap.
"You want to know what I've been doing, Cisco?! I've been trying to make your bullheaded friend realize that she's in love with your frustratingly clueless speedster! But the problem is that he thinks he's in love with another woman! Someone who he's been chasing after for 14 years! And he refuses to open his freaking eyes and see that the woman he truly loves is standing right in front of him! For the past month, I've been trying to bring these two together and for some reason, they somehow find a way to make things worse as well as make themselves even more unhappy! I don't have to do this, you know! I'm just trying to give them a better and happier life, but it's like they are aspiring to make life harder for themselves! I'm not even in my 20's yet and I already have gray hairs because of them! Do you know how hard it is to see two soul mates, to see flashes of how their life could be if they were together, and to be in the same room as them as the only person who knows the potential they have!? Do you know what that's like Cisco!? NO. NO! Because IM THE ONLY ONE WHO'S BEEN HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS! And do you want to know what's ironic about this whole thing!? One of these soul mates is faster than the speed of sound, BUT HE IS SLOWER THAN A GODDAM TURTLE WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE! Did you know that he asked me- no, begged me to help him catch his "true love" and make her realize that she's been in love with him this entire time!? Do you SEE the irony in all of this!? DO YOU CISCO!?And since I'm already angry, can I just say that I HATED the series finale of How I Met Your Mother! I mean, I went through 9 seasons FOR THAT!? IT SUCKED ALMOST AS BAD AS THE ENDING FOR LOST!"
Reese finally stops yelling and begins breathing heavily. "Does…that answer your question?"
Cisco just gapes at her with an open mouth and slowly nods, scared that he'll make her explode again. "I…uhmm..sorry?"
After a minute of letting Reese catch her breath, he slowly treads on the subject once again. "So…would you mind telling me everything from the beginning?"
Reese nods and motions for him to sit down with her. She explains everything from beginning to end, not sparing any detail.
After it is all said and done, Reese turns to him, finally happy to not have to carry this burden alone. "Cisco, what am I going to do? How am I supposed to help Barry when I know it won't turn out the way he's hoping it will? It would crush him. And how am I supposed to bring him and Caitlin together? Every effort I've made has been in vain".
Cisco shakes his head. "I've seen the two of them act like a married couple for a long time. And I know Caitlin. She's in love with Barry, but she won't act on it unless she knows he feels the same way. So, odds are, we'll have to get Barry to make the first move. But, I've seen how he is with Iris. We're going to have to find a way to let him realize he doesn't love Iris like he think he does".
Reese puts her head in her hands. "He's been chasing after her for 14 years. Is it even possible at this point?"
Cisco nods. "It won't be easy, but I think it can happen. Barry has feelings for Caitlin; I know he does. Finding a way to bring them out is going to be the challenge".
SO, I know you guys want to kill me for this hahaha but I just had to do it because I still have a few tricks up my sleeve ;) Once again, I'm sorry for the late release but I really hope this long chapter was worth the wait :( I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because I'm going out of the state this wednesday (I hope I can get you the next chapter before I leave, but I have a lot of summer classes I need to finish up before I go so that is taking up 99.9% of my time right now) but I promise I won't make you guys wait longer than a week. I'm sorry but the real world is knocking-no, pounding on my door right now and all I want to do is just keep writing but alas, I have stuff I need to get done! Thank you for understanding and you all deserve bear hugs for reading this fic! Haha :D