Barry Allen stalks out of Jitters and away from the cops and the yellow tape. He understands why he can't take part in the case, it hits too close to home, but he's frustrated. He wants to help, he wants to be able find whoever did this, be it as a CSI or as the Flash, he wants to be able to find them and bring them to justice. Justice, he's not even sure what that word means anymore. His father sits rotting in a cell for a crime he did not commit, whilst the man who committed that crime, was the man Barry killed, the nightmares of that day remain strong in his head. Barry Allen walks out of the crime scene and then when it is safe enough he runs, he does not mean to end up where he does, but he welcomes the respite, when he sees Caitlin's apartment building before him. He presses the buzzer, and says. "It's me Cait." He breathes a sigh of relief when she opens the door without question, and he flashes himself into her apartment.
Caitlin takes one look at Barry and she knows he'll need to talk, but before she can ask him how Iris and Eddie are, he says. "Sorry for having to leave like that. What were you saying before I had to go?" she understands his need to change the focus of the conversation elsewhere, and so gesturing to the couch, and watching as he sits down she replies. "Well, Dr McGee is insisting that we work on the Tachyon machine again. She says that since Dr Wells wanted it so badly, though she still thinks he's the man in yellow, that it must be of some value."
Barry feels something in his gut churn at the mention of Wells, the man was not really Dr Wells, but it is hard to get over the fact that the man he'd looked up to for so long killed his mother. That he then killed that man only makes things worse. "And you don't agree with her?" he questions, taking one look at Caitlin's face to know she doesn't.
Caitlin nods in agreement with Barry's assessment. "Of course not. Anything Wells wanted to use, cannot be a good thing. It hurt Ronnie to have to use that prototype, though it kept him alive." She pauses then, temporarily overwhelmed with grief for her lost husband, then she pushes through, smiling gratefully when Barry takes a hold of her hand. "And besides, we both know Wells wanted to use that thing for nefarious reasons."
Barry laughs. "I think nefarious would be an understatement Cait. But how have you explained your concerns to the good Doctor? I don't know if you could claim the truth." He smiles slightly at the image of Caitlin explaining to her boss, that her old boss was a man from the future.
Caitlin smiles at seeing Barry smile, far too often has he been grim and solemn as of late, and it does her good to see him smile. He has such a lovely smile. She shakes her head to bring herself back to the question he asked. Laughing she says. "I simply said that Wells was always looking for things to do. Things that weren't necessarily safe. And yet she seems insistent on developing it, and so here we are."
Barry hums. "What is it with these geniuses and their need to do dangerous things?" Before the accelerator and even afterwards, he had looked up to Wells for his desire to do the unexpected and the dangerous, now the thought of that terrifies him.
Caitlin sighs, she can appreciate Barry's concern. "I don't know Barry, but I think something bad might happen if she keeps poking around that thing. She's got a machine and she's determined to get it to work." She hesitates for a moment and then says. "And one of my colleagues seems determined to help her."
Intrigued, Barry asks. "Who?" He always likes hearing about Caitlin's work and her colleagues there. He's happy that she's happy there, though sometimes he wishes she weren't so that it would make him feel less guilty for wanting to bring the team back together.
Caitlin feels something akin to warmth flow through her at the way she sees Barry looking at her in that moment, equal parts happiness and intrigue, and she does not know why it makes her feel the way she does. She likes Barry as a friend, she always has, but. Before she can continue down that line of thought, she decides to answer his question. "Eliza Harmon." She pauses for a moment, thinking of the best way to describe her colleague and friend. "She's like me, only she's far more driven and determined to succeed. It's worrying."
Barry laughs. "Really? I never thought I'd see the day when I heard Caitlin Snow talk about someone being like her and being more determined, and saying it was worrying." He sees the serious expression on Caitlin's face then and asks. "Why is it worrying Cait?" He looks down at their hands and notes that they are still linked together, and he feels a tingle of warmth at that.
Caitlin looks down to their joint hands and smiles, and then she looks up at Barry and sighing replies. "I don't know how to explain it. But, when I was working hard for the team, I had you and Cisco and Doctor Wells to help take my mind off of things. I don't think Eliza has that, and every time, I try to bring her out of her shell she retreats further into it."
Barry nods, he can see why Caitlin might be worried, he tugs at her hand and feels warmth spill through him when she joins him on the couch, they are huddled together then, with her head resting on his shoulder. He thinks for a moment and then says. "Just give it some time I guess Cait. Nothing more you can do."
Caitlin hums in agreement, and then noticing the tension in Barry's shoulders, she lifts her head from his shoulder and asks. "How are Iris and Eddie? They weren't hurt were they?"
Barry looks into Caitlin's eyes and thinks that he could get lost in them, he wants to get lost in them, and the thought terrifies him. To stop himself from drifting down that path he shakes his head and replies. "No they were fine. Though the shooter was aiming for them, or rather aiming near them."
Caitlin gasps. "Why?" the thought of someone going for either Iris or Eddie is enough to make her heart race with fear.
Barry pulls her closer to him, and says. "I don't know. But what I do know is that the shooter was the same person who put my Mom's DNA on that woman."
Caitlin sighs. "Is that why you were back so soon?" She can tell that Barry is frustrated, but that he's trying not to be.
Barry nods. "Yes. Joe said that I should sit this one out. Whilst I understand why, it doesn't help things. I've not been able to do anything as a CSI on those cases, nor have I found anything as The Flash. I'm starting to think I'm chasing a ghost."
Caitlin's heart aches to hear how sad and despondent her friend sounds and so she says. "You know, if you want I could help you."
Barry looks at her and asks. "Are you sure? I don't want you doing anything you don't want to do Cait. And I know you've not been back to Star Labs."
Caitlin shrugs. "If it means helping you, I'll go back there."
Barry smiles. "Thanks Cait." Maybe he can tell her about Wells and his last request, not now though, now he'll just enjoy having Caitlin so close.
