A/N: This takes place in a canon-divergent storyline where Harry and Jesse returned to Earth 1 permanently not too long after HR's arrival. Harry helped Caitlin with her powers, and the two began dating. This change caused the Savitar (not evil Barry here) situation to be resolved earlier without anyone dying, joining the dark side, or getting stuck in the Speed Force. Also, I don't have much experience carving pumpkins, so everything here is based on research and that one time I helped carve pumpkins with cousins as a kid.

"HR, why did you call all of us here?" Harry inspected the monitors and, seeing no alerts or unusual readings, sent his doppelganger an unimpressed look. "It clearly isn't Flash business, so what's this 'emergency'?"

"Follow me to the speed lab, and I'll show you!" Giving a wide gesture of his arm and an even wider smile, HR didn't wait to hear any objections or explain himself. He spun on his heel and sauntered out of the cortex.

Harry let out a groan of frustration and glanced at the others. Most of them appeared baffled yet willing to indulge the other man. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't a real emergency?"

"Because you're cynical," Barry threw out, shoulder raised in a half-shrug.

Cisco countered, "Because he's HR."

Jesse nodded in clear agreement.

"Because it probably isn't." Joe sighed, rubbing a hand across his face.

"Let's give HR a little credit," Wally broke in. "Maybe it's something important – just not life or death."

Caitlin's face reflected her skepticism.

"Well, we won't find out by just standing around here." Following her dry statement, Iris walked after HR.

Barry and the others soon trailed out of the cortex, but Caitlin hung back to talk with Harry. She made her way over to his side and bumped his shoulder to catch his attention. Pulling his face out of his hands, he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"I think we both know this probably isn't a real emergency, and HR needs to understand not to abuse our team alert, but," she stressed, "he also means well, and this is also probably important to him."

"You're right." Harry heaved a sigh. "I just wish he'd think things through more. One day, he'll probably need to let us know he's in danger – or the city is, and the response time won't be as quick."

"You're worried about him," Caitlin translated, effortlessly following his thoughts.

Not bothering to deny it, Harry agitatedly ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, who wouldn't be? This is the guy who breached to another Earth even knowing it was a death penalty for him, pretended to be a genius so he could join this team, and probably has more coffee in his veins than water."

"All valid points." Face softening, she reached out to take his hand and held it. "We'll talk to him about it later and explain our concerns. For now, though? Let's go see what he considered so important he had to share with everyone."

"Okay." Harry laced their fingers together and let Caitlin lead him out of the cortex. He thought about the other times HR called in everyone when it wasn't Flash business. There was one thing those times had in common: he'd wanted them to do team bonding. The memory of the time HR sent them to a warehouse and failed to inform them it was an escape room rather than a trap set by an enemy came to the forefront of his mind. His pace increased along with his unease.

Thankfully, as they stepped into the speed lab, none of the equipment appeared touched or moved, and the room hadn't been converted into some elaborate obstacle course. There were, however, streamers and pumpkin lanterns strung up, and several tables set around the room. One table held drinks and snacks, and the others were empty. They almost didn't notice the pile of pumpkins on a table behind HR, who was in the middle of speaking to the others. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw them and beamed.

"There you both are! I almost thought you weren't going to participate!" HR waved them over. "Come on over! This is going to be fun!"

Although skeptical, Harry followed Caitlin over to the rest of the group. His eyes darted over to the others, and he looked for any signs that they knew what was going on, but the curiosity on their faces clued him in that they were still in the dark. "Okay, I can tell this is some kind of fall-themed party, but what's with all the pumpkins?"

"Excellent observation," HR complimented, pointing a drumstick at Harry. "You're right! I figured we all deserved a chance to celebrate and have some fun as a team. As for the pumpkins, I did some research on how Earth 1 celebrates autumn."

The group waited for him to continue, but, when it became apparent he was awaiting a response, Cisco asked, "And then?"

"I'm glad you asked! I discovered that pumpkins and something called pumpkin spice seem to be big here. My Earth focuses more on corn, but that's not the point." HR gestured towards the table and grinned. "I've compiled a collection of treats themed around the season, and, yes, there's pumpkin spice coffee available. It's quite good actually."

Amused by the way he'd deviated from his explanation about the pumpkins, Caitlin gently prompted, "What are the pumpkins for, HR?"

Snapping the fingers of his free hand together as he remembered the main event, HR bounced on his heels. "A pumpkin carving contest!"

All but Harry and Jesse seemed to understand. The father and daughter glanced at each other and shrugged. Bewildered, they watched the others accept the announcement as something normal and even fun. Only Caitlin didn't join the excited chatter bubbling up amongst the Earth 1 natives.

Jesse took the initiative to ask. "What does carving pumpkins have to do with fall?" Her brow furrowed.

"Wait, you guys don't carve pumpkins on Earth 2?" Cisco stared at them as if the very idea was unheard of. "Do you not have Halloween either?"

"Of course we have Halloween, Ramon." Harry rolled his eyes. "We just don't carve pumpkins there."

Joe considered that a moment. "Do you carve something else?"

"No, but people used to – only it was with turnips," Jesse explained, thinking back. "It was some superstitious tradition about keeping evil spirits away. There was a legend, too, but I can't remember it."

"Yeah, we have a legend like that, too." Barry nodded. "I don't remember the details, but it involved a guy named Jack. That's why we call the carved pumpkins Jack o'Lanterns."

Iris opened her mouth – no doubt to fill in the details of the story, but HR spoke before she could.

"Yes, yes, we can talk all about the legend later, but – first, the contest!" Pocketing his drumstick, HR stepped back and indicated the pumpkins on the table behind him with an arm sweep reminiscent of a game show host. "Now, I only had enough money on me to buy four large pumpkins, so you'll compete in groups of two and I'll judge."

"I thought pumpkins weren't a thing on Earth 19, so why not have someone from Earth 1 judge?" Iris inquired, eyebrow arched.

"Please, Iris, that would hardly be fair." HR shook his head. "There are preconceived notions about pumpkin carving on Earth 1, so it'd put Harry and Jesse at a disadvantage if one of you judged. Plus, there are four members of the West family there, and I can't pick anyone from Earth 2 because they're related. Naturally, I'm the most suitable option."

"Yeah, but your doppelganger is from Earth 2," Cisco pointed out, eyes narrowed.

HR waved a hand dismissively and didn't bother addressing that particular issue. "More importantly," he began, voice raised, "it's my idea, so it only makes sense that I'd judge." He smiled when it was clear that Cisco decided to drop the matter, and continued speaking at his regular volume. "I'll pick the groups of two, but don't worry. It's probably how you'd all choose anyway. The groups are Barry and Iris, Wally and Jesse, Cisco and Joe, and, lastly, Harry and Caitlin!"

"So, all the couples except for Joe and me." Cisco turned to Joe and traded an amused look. "We can't let them win, man."

"Oh, I don't intend to, but I don't think we'll have to worry too much. We're one of the two all Earth 1 teams, and, between us," Joe said, lowering his voice, "Barry and Iris will probably get distracted by each other."

"Hey! I heard that!" Iris scowled at her father. "Just for that, we'll make sure we wipe the floor with you!"

Barry grinned, eyes glinting. "Sorry, Joe. We're going to carve the best pumpkin."

Ignoring the competition brewing, Wally faced HR and waved a hand to catch his attention. "Does the winner get some kind of prize, or is this exclusively for bragging rights?"

"Bragging rights, although I could throw in a gift card to Jitters." HR rubbed a hand against his chin and added, "As long as no one minds that it's been used and has three dollars and seventeen cents left."

"Keep the gift card, HR," Jesse advised, amused despite herself. "Bragging rights are good enough, and I intend to collect."

"We'll see about that!" Cisco pointed at her.

Barry and Iris echoed the sentiment.

While the rest of the group conversed, Harry studied Caitlin. She'd dropped his hand some time earlier and began wringing hers. He tried to catch her eye, but her gaze remained lowered. Realizing a different tactic was needed, he took both of her hands in his. "Hey," he whispered, "I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm here for you. If you don't want to do this, you don't have to. I'll make HR work with me, and you can judge – or, if that's also a problem, I can see if West will call Cecile." He gently traced her knuckles with his thumbs.

"No, you don't have to do that." Caitlin took a deep breath and lifted her head. "I just…Ronnie really loved Halloween, and he taught me how to carve pumpkins since it wasn't something my family did. This all just brought those memories back." She squeezed his hands. "But…I'd like to do this with you and our friends. I think it'd help – making new memories."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Loud clapping interrupted the serious moment, and they both glanced over to find HR in the center of the room.

Once he had everyone's attention, HR announced, "The contest will start in five minutes. You can all partake from the refreshments in the meantime, and I'll set up stations." He pulled out a remote. "Wouldn't be a proper party without some tunes!"

With a click, the Monster Mash began playing.

Jesse perked up. "Hey, our Earth has this one, too!"

Caitlin pulled Harry over with her to the snack table. She glanced over at where Barry, Cisco, and Iris were dancing while singing along, and laughed. "Looks like Cisco's not annoyed about the non-emergency emergency anymore." She grabbed a cupcake and placed it on one of the tiny plates.

Harry followed her gaze, huffed, and turned back to the food. Grabbing the gallon of apple cider, he unscrewed the lid. "I'm still going to have that talk with him – even though this idea's not actually a bad one, and I appreciate that he didn't go overboard." He poured the cider in one cup, and, after receiving a nod from Caitlin, poured another.

"Yes, we will," Caitlin agreed, reminding him he wasn't alone.

A smile spread over Harry's face, and his eyes shined with appreciation. "Right. We. I'm still getting used to that." He screwed the lid back onto the container before handing her one of the filled cups and drinking from his own.

"Well, you have all the time in the world. I'm not going anywhere." Caitlin accepted her drink with a smile and brought it to her lips.

Their eyes held a moment before Harry dropped his gaze and picked a cookie with more focused intensity than the task required. "Good," he whispered. He cleared his throat and lifted his eyes. The right corner of his mouth curled up. "I'm not going anywhere either."

"Good."

HR announced he was almost done, so the two moved away from the snack table to give the others a chance to grab whatever they wanted. They crossed the room and looked over HR's progress. He'd set two stations per table. Each station had two different knives, a scooper, matches, a small candle, a medium-sized bowl, and, naturally, a pumpkin. Both tables held a container of markers at the center along with a spray bottle and cloth.

Once everyone had secured their refreshments, HR called them over and assigned the teams to their table. Caitlin and Harry shared a table with Barry and Iris – a move which HR deigned necessary to mention was designed to avoid potential bickering between Harry and Cisco since that could derail the friendly nature of the competition. Neither man could argue that, so they shrugged and took their places. The rule disallowing the use of the speed force was also met with no resistance – all three speedsters insisting they didn't need it to win.

"You're going to have to walk me through this," Harry admitted, eyeing the carving tools. "I can guess some of it, but I have no idea about the order or certain particulars."

"To be fair, there are a couple different methods. It's not one size fits all." Caitlin placed a hand on the pumpkin as she faced her boyfriend. "Some people have turned pumpkin carving into an art form, but traditional is probably our best bet. We don't have the tools for more advanced stuff anyways."

Harry blew out a sigh of relief. "So, do we carve a face first, or remove the seeds and pulp?"

"Either is fine, but I like scooping the insides out first."

"I wouldn't have messed up then. Typically, I prefer more clear-cut instructions rather than a wide variety of acceptable techniques, but that works for me in this case – makes it less likely for me to fail." Picking out a black marker, Harry lifted the corner of his mouth in a slight smile. "I don't really care about winning this contest, though."

"I don't either. Having fun with our team – our friends – is enough for me," Caitlin admitting, looking around at the rest of the group with a smile.

"Oh, you misunderstand me," Harry began, his smile shifting into a smirk. "I don't care about winning the contest. I do, however, care about beating Ramon, or, at the very least, not coming in last place."

"You heard HR! This is a friendly competition," Caitlin reminded him. "No bickering with Cisco or trying to egg each other into fights. This is all about having fun as a team anyways. It doesn't matter who comes in last place."

Harry pointed the marker at her. "While I concede to your point about not fighting, whoever gets last place absolutely does matter, and don't pretend you feel any different. I know you." He gave her a long, hard stare. "You can't stand losing either."

Caitlin didn't last long under the attention of his unwavering blue eyes. "Okay, maybe I don't want to end up in last place either." She watched on faintly amused yet exasperated as her boyfriend smirked in victory.

"I knew it!" Harry stepped closer to her and leaned down. "Let's talk strategy. HR gave us all an hour, and I think it's safe to the actual carving probably doesn't take too long – not more than thirty minutes. The real challenge is coming up with a superior design."

Brown eyes glanced over to where Barry and Iris were wrapped up in developing their own design. Seeing that they weren't paying any attention to them, Caitlin turned back to Harry, but still pitched her voice low. "Well, one of the things we should remember is that HR is the one judging. What would most appeal to him?"

"A carving of his own face." Harry smirked. "Luckily for us, you have a close-up reference."

Caitlin rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the twitching of her mouth. "Unless you have a secret talent for realistic portraits, that's not going to work. I'm not sure we even have the right tools for it, and definitely not the time for something so intricate."

"My art skills aren't bad, but they're not expert level either." Feigning disappointment, Harry snapped his fingers. "It's a shame. That would've been a sure win."

"I'd suggest giving an impression of the face drinking coffee, but I don't how that would work or look good." Caitlin drummed her fingers against the table. "Maybe playing to HR's interests isn't the way to go. Maybe we should think more about Fall or Halloween."

Harry tried to think about everything HR mentioned about the season on his Earth as well as what he knew about Earth 1 from Caitlin. "What if we could do both?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if we could make the design something that'd appeal to HR, but also fit within that theme?" The gears in his head began turning. "A running theme for this time of year is the harvest and the barrier between life and death becoming thin, right?"

"It is," Caitlin confirmed, trying to follow his train of thought. "Are you thinking of showcasing a story like The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, and the Headless Horseman?"

Harry shook his head. "Not that particular story, but you're on the right track. What other kinds of legends and creatures are there?"

"Frankenstein's creature, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, demons, zombies…" She stopped speaking when the last one elicited a nod. ""I'm not sure how we'd do a zombie face, but I'm game to try."

"You said there were multiple ways to carve a pumpkin. Is there one where the image isn't a face, but something in silhouette?" Harry tapped the marker against his hand – the tempo of the taps increasing along with his excitement. "Think a hand popping out of the ground."

Caitlin's eyes brightened. "There is! It's not something I've tried before, but I think we could do something like that! My drawing skills might not be at that level, but, if you can do the drawing, I can handle the carving since I'm more familiar with working on pumpkins." A proud grin formed on her face. "Plus, I know my way around a blade."

"You know, it was a bad idea for HR to put us together. The others don't stand a chance."

"No, they really don't." Caitlin, somehow, didn't sound sorry about that fact, and it drew a smirk from Harry.

"Which side do you want to carve on?" His voice rose back to its regular volume.

Caitlin inspected the pumpkin for a few moments – checking it from various angles and rapping the sides. After some deliberation, she selected the one she found most suitable. Harry turned that side away from the others' line of sight and started sketching the design. He drew the hand first. Once he'd finished on the hand and arm, he moved onto the background details. A few marks gave the impression of the ground the arm broke through, and he shaped out a headstone.

"I'll fill in the areas that will need to be carved out, so you know where to cut," Harry explained, coloring in the headstone. He considered things for a beat before adding a tiny black mark on the arm.

Peering over Harry's shoulder, Caitlin looked over the design and breathed out a soft gasp. "You weren't kidding about your art skills." She smiled when he unexpectedly blushed at the compliment. "I can't wait to see how it turns out."

"With the carving in your capable hands, I'd say very well – definitely not last place." Harry's warm gaze landed on her.

Iris, overhearing their last exchange, tried to sneak a peek and frowned when she discovered Harry had turned its face towards him and out of view. "You sound pretty sure of yourselves," she commented.

"Believing we won't come in last place is hardly a sign of overconfidence, but, yes." Blue eyes drifted over to where Barry feverishly sketched lines onto their pumpkin, and Harry had a feeling the two were attempting one of the more complex designs. He pushed aside the self-doubt trying to take hold of him. "I take it you're doing the carving?"

"Yeah, Barry's better at drawing, so he does that and I carve," Iris answered, smiling over at her boyfriend. "It's been a while since we've done this. Dad stopped hosting pumpkin carving nights after we graduated high school, and it never came up in college or after. I'm kind of glad HR did this. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it."

The corners of Caitlin's mouth curved up. "Maybe this will become an annual thing."

"I hope so!" Iris pointed at their pumpkin. "I'm guessing you and Harry have a similar arrangement? He draws, and you carve?"

"You'd be right." Caitlin nodded.

"Hey, are you giving away our secrets to the enemy, Iris?" Barry, who'd set his marker down, narrowed his eyes playfully at the trio.

Iris waved her hands around. "No, I didn't tell them a thing. I swear!" Her lips quivered in suppressed amusement.

"Yes, Allen, Miss West is telling us everything, and we can't at all figure it out by looking over where you've set your design on full display," Harry intoned, face deadpan. "Now, we're going to copy you and steal the credit."

"I knew it!" Barry dropped the act and laughed. "Why are you hiding your pumpkin, though? It's a contest; not a government secret."

"As far as you know, Allen." Harry sent Caitlin a significant look, which she returned.

"What does that even mean? Are you secretly bringing your pumpkin to life, or something? If so, I wouldn't recommend that. Have you ever seen Pumpkinhead?" A bit of genuine concern crept into Barry's tone.

"You think I'm capable of bringing pumpkins to life?" The pretense fell away, and bafflement took its place.

Barry defended himself, "Hey, we've seen plenty of weird things, and Caitlin's a biology expert! If anyone could do it, it'd be you two!"

Caitlin thought that over and faced Harry. "That sounds like a compliment to me." She turned back to Barry. "We are not violating the laws of nature, Barry. Our design will just be a surprise."

"Okay, but I'm watching you two." Barry lifted two fingers up to his eyes before pointing them at the other couple. Laughing, he pulled Iris back over to their pumpkin.

Before Caitlin and Harry could focus back on their task, HR walked over to check on their progress. "Hey, how's it going? You have a design yet?" He tried to lean over to check around Harry.

"We do, but it's a secret," Harry stated, lightly pushing HR back. "You'll see it soon enough. Go check on the others."

Seeing HR deflate slightly at the dismissal, Caitlin stepped in. "This was a good idea, HR. We all spend so much time working cases that we sometimes forget to take a moment and have a little fun."

HR's face brightened once more. "I noticed! It's a good thing you all have me."

Harry ignored the wink his doppelganger sent Caitlin and jumped on the opportunity to discuss the false alerts. "This was a good idea for team morale, but, HR, you have to stop sending the invites through the emergency alert app. That's for Team Flash business – if you're under attack, if you're being held hostage, and things like that. If you keep using it for this stuff, we might not respond as promptly in an actual emergency."

"How else am I supposed to make sure everyone sees my message and comes to team bonding events then?" HR cocked his head to the side.

Seeing how the other man was genuinely perplexed, Harry took pity on him. "I could see about developing a new app with Ramon that would specifically be for things like this."

"Ooh, I have lots of ideas already," HR enthused, bouncing on heels.

Caitlin chuckled. "Why don't you get on that, and we'll get back to pumpkin carving?"

HR's eyes flicked to the pumpkin, and he startled as if he momentarily forgot what was going on. He checked the time on his phone. "Okay, everyone, you have thirty-two minutes left! If you haven't started carving, I'd suggest you get moving. You never know what unexpected problems could arise," he announced, projecting his voice across the room. He dipped his head in a half bow, and, walking away from the tables, pulled out a tiny notebook.

"I guess he watched a lot of Food Network to prepare for his role as judge-slash-host of this contest," Iris observed, trading an amused look with Caitlin. "He's right, though." She picked up a knife and got to work.

"It definitely wouldn't hurt to work at a normal pace," Caitlin agreed, thinking back to her first time carving a pumpkin. An effort to quickly cut out the smile ended in one corner of the mouth significantly higher than the other to where it almost became one with the right eye, but Ronnie had helped her salvage her creation. The memory propelled her to turn to Harry. "You know, we should try this again after the contest."

Harry glanced away from where he'd been watching Jesse and Wally with a smile. "Try what again?"

"Carving a pumpkin together. We could do it – just the two of us, and I'll show you how to carve faces and maybe a few other tricks I've picked up." Caitlin's eyes glimmered. "If you behave, that is."

"I'll be on my best behavior," Harry promised, voice somber. It was one thing for Caitlin to agree to a contest with the whole team and another thing for her to initiate it as an activity for just the two of them. Given the memories attached, it meant a whole lot more, and he wouldn't take it lightly.

Caitlin knew Harry, so she knew where his mind went. It made her heart swell, and she took a moment to be grateful that she'd found someone who understood – even if she wished he'd never had to go through the same kind of pain. "Well, I could still show you a thing or two now." She smiled and joined him at the table's edge. "Would you like to carve out the lid?"

"As long as you give me guidance, I'd love to!" Harry waved a hand in the direction of the pumpkin. "Which angle are you supposed to use to cut into it? I'm assuming we're going through the top and not…elsewhere." He squinted down at it and tried to imagine where else one would cut.

"Some people do cut from the bottom or the side," Caitlin acknowledged, "but that's not what we're doing here. We'll keep it traditional and cut around the stem." Off Harry's bewildered look, she grinned. "I'll show you some videos later. The pumpkin disco ball will really blow your mind."

"I don't think I want to know how that works. I'm just imagining a rotting fruit spinning around on the ceiling and eventually falling down on someone." Harry's face morphed into one of distaste. "It sounds like the kind of decoration HR would put up."

Grinning, Caitlin shook her head. "First of all, it'd go outside. Second of all, I never said I wanted to make one. I just wanted to show you the wide variety of pumpkin carving techniques and ideas." A chuckle broke free. "You're probably right about HR, though. He'd want to keep it inside."

"Which we'd never let him do. With my luck, I'd be the one it fell on," Harry groused, crossing his arms. His grumpy expression soon eased into a grin. "I guess I wouldn't mind watching the video then – for educational purposes." He cleared his throat and picked up the larger of the two knives. "I assume this one is for carving out the lid, and the smaller one is for the more intricate work with the face and other images?"

"You'd be correct!" Caitlin stepped closer and drew a finger in a circle around the stem. "That's about the size of the lid you should carve. It needs to be big enough that you can reach in with an arm to pull out seeds and pulp, and maneuver the scooper around."

"Is there a particular angle I'm supposed to cut from, or just straight down?"

"As long as there isn't too much slant to the blade, it's fine. It also doesn't need to be a perfect circle. Most people can't cut a circle out exactly, so it's more a matter of making sure it looks nice enough and gets the job done," Caitlin explained, resting a hip against the table.

"Wow, there really are few ways to get this wrong."

"Very few."

Chuckling, Harry steadied the pumpkin with one hand and drove the blade in where it ran parallel to the stem. He carefully sawed around the mental line he drew on the surface – shifting the pumpkin or the position of his hand when needed while also keeping the design out of the others' sights. After about a minute, the knife met no resistance. He pulled it free and set the knife back on the table. "Done."

"That's a pretty decent circle – definitely better than my past attempts." Caitlin nodded with approval. "Now, we just lift the lid and empty it out. Some people try to hollow the insides out a bit more, but I think we should leave it. Removing seeds and smoothing out the interior wall is all we need to do."

"Got it." Harry lifted from the stem and twisted. The lid pulled free. "We smooth out the bottom of the lid, right?" He eyed the dangling strand of pumpkin guts. "I can't imagine anyone would want to keep this on the lid."

"They don't. Why don't you cut the bottom of the lid flat, and I'll get to scooping?" Caitlin rolled up her sleeves and grabbed the scooper.

Turning the lid on its side and calculating by eye, Harry began moving the blade's serrated edge back and forth in a downward motion. The knife eventually made contact with the table, and he stopped. One hand put the discarded pumpkin bits into the bowl as the other placed the lid beside the pumpkin. Crouching down, he checked his work against the straight line of the table. "It's level."

Smiling at the pride in his voice, Caitlin teased, "Maybe you should think about a move into carpentry or construction."

Harry rose from his crouch and smirked down at her. "If I weren't around, this place would fall apart. Plus, you'd be stuck with Ramon all day, so really think about it. You wouldn't want me to leave, and I wouldn't want to go."

Caitlin's hand paused with the scooper inside the pumpkin, and she bit back her smile. "Okay, it's entirely possible I like working here with you and would miss you if you left. However, I happen to enjoy Cisco's company. He's one of my best friends – yours, too." As he opened his mouth, she plowed on. "Save it, and help me get the seeds out."

"Yes, dear." Snickering when his response earned him a side-eye, Harry pushed up his right sleeve and reached into the pumpkin. "Ugh, it's…gooey and sticky."

Smirking, Caitlin waved the scooper. "I know. That's why I used this."

"And you couldn't have offered to let me use it?"

"It'll be faster this way. Besides, I need to keep my hands clean, so the blade doesn't slip out of my grip when I'm carving." Eyes glinting, she continued, "If it helps, think of it as a learning experience."

"Oh, I'm learning all right." Harry dropped the innards into the bowl. "It's very enlightening. I'll think twice about listening to you from now on."

Caitlin closed her eyes and pressed her lips together to hold in a laugh. "That's not the lesson, Harry."

"Oh? Well, it's the one I learned."

"I never told you to reach in with your hand! You did that on your own," Caitlin argued, laughter finally breaking free. She scooped out more pulp and seeds.

Harry blinked and replayed their conversation. Shoulders slumping at the realization she was right, he dipped his head. "Okay, it was my error, so I'll revise the lesson: I should listen twice as hard to what you say. That way I'll avoid getting into any more sticky situations." He lifted a hand full of seeds for emphasis.

Grinning in approval, Caitlin leaned in to kiss her boyfriend's cheek. "Much better."

"Hey, I guess Barry and Iris aren't the lovebirds this time! Guys, if you don't want to come in last place, stop the PDA, or – you know what? – just stop it because no one needs to see that," Cisco called out from the opposite side of the room.

Joe smirked at the couple, and then frowned at his partner. "No, Cisco, we want them to be distracted, remember?" He sent Caitlin and Harry a friendly wave. "Never mind him. Go back to what you were doing."

The other four looked on in amusement, and HR winked at his doppelganger.

"You hear that, Snow? They know we're a threat. Forget avoiding last place. Let's make sure we beat them." Harry narrowed his eyes at the two men.

"I can get behind that." Caitlin emptied the last of the pulp into the bowl and grabbed the larger knife. "Get ready for our pumpkin to beat yours!" She placed the lid on the pumpkin.

"Aw, guys, it's so cute that you're competing for second place," Barry gushed, sharing a grin with Iris.

Jesse took affront to that and crossed her arms. "Hey! Are you saying we'll end up in last place?"

Clearly not having thought that far ahead, Barry blinked and looked to Iris for help. "Uh…"

"Three-person competition for second place is what he meant," Iris chimed in, patting Barry's shoulder. "We'll obviously win, so it's a toss-up on second."

"Nice save." Grinning, Jesse shifted her attention back to Wally and switched places to take a turn carving.

Rolling his eyes at their teammates, Harry watched as Caitlin carved into the pumpkin. "I thought the smaller knife was used for this."

"It is, but I like to cut out some bigger sections first. It makes things easier in the long run, so I don't have as much to painstakingly work through. I can focus on the delicate work." Setting the larger knife down and grabbing the smaller one, Caitlin resumed speaking. "This design didn't need much – just some incisions and a small shape there."

HR clapped his hands together and called out, "Fifteen minutes left! Remember: I want to see the candles in the pumpkin when they're presented – no adding anything when the clock runs out!"

"Are you filming this or something? Is this a secret demo for a competition show you're pitching?" Wally squinted around the room to try to find any hidden cameras.

"No, Wallace, but I love how you think that I'm charismatic enough to be a television host!" HR beamed.

Cisco huffed, but couldn't disguise his smile. "That's not exactly what he was saying."

"It was implied, Francisco."

Ignoring the squabble, Harry's eyes followed Caitlin's hands as she traced over the lines of his work carefully with the blade. His gaze rose to her face, and the focused expression there made something in him warm. Her tongue poked out the side of her mouth while her brow lowered in concentration. Still, the corners of her mouth were lifted, so he knew she was enjoying her task.

He switched his attention to Jesse and Wally, and smiled upon seeing their easy interaction and grins. They were alternating between working on their pumpkin and whispering to each other. He averted his eyes when Jesse leaned into Wally after a particular comment made her laugh, but a smile still played at his lips.

"Oh, no."

Iris kept her voice pitched low in a horrified whisper, but Harry heard it all the same. When he looked over, Barry was already wrapping an arm around her and speaking in a soothing manner. She leaned into his side and soon calmed down.

Harry glanced over at Caitlin to see if she'd noticed what occurred, but her eyes remained fixed on their pumpkin. He studied her work and marveled at the progress she'd made. Precise cuts followed along his sketch. "I guess we won't need that cleaning agent," he said, awestruck. "I knew you had steady hands, but this is another level of impressive."

Cheeks pink, Caitlin removed the knife from the pumpkin so she could face him. "I'm just tracing your lines. If I had to go off of mental imagery, it'd be far more choppy."

"Don't sell yourself short."

"Okay, so maybe a pumpkin surface complicates things, and working around it takes some skill," Caitlin acknowledged, "but you deserve credit, too." She began carving again.

Humming in agreement, Harry leaned down to better observe the strokes of her blade. "We make a good team."

"We're an excellent team." Caitlin worked the knife against the designated negative space on the bottom right. She extricated the carved out portion and put it in the bowl. "I'm glad HR paired us together. Even if things weren't going well, there's no one else I'd rather do this with." She started smoothing out the cuts.

"Same here." Gazing over the almost finished product, Harry's mouth curved. "It really did turn out well, though, which is more than I can say for Allen and Miss West."

Caitlin paused and shifted to look towards the other couple. Seeing the two deep in discussion as Iris carved, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What happened there?"

"I think the work was too intricate, or there was a miscalculation in the design. Either way, I'm fairly sure some of the pumpkin caved in on them, so they're scrambling for a new plan," Harry shared, keeping his voice low. "Oddly enough, I feel bad for them."

"It's okay to care, Harry." Caitlin tamped down on the grin that wanted to form and stared into his eyes. "Everyone on this team cares for you, too."

"Yeah, I know."

Hearing the content resignation in his statement, Caitlin's grin broke free. "I'm almost done here. Why don't you grab the candle and a box of matches? I don't know how much time is left, but I have a feeling we don't have too much longer."

"Got it!" Harry walked a couple steps down the length of the table and picked up both items. His eyes flicked over to the other team's pumpkin.

The two's botched first attempt left a significant hole in the center of the pumpkin, but they'd salvaged it as a mouth with fangs for a more typical design. The eyes rested higher up and almost became one with the lid as a nose took the usual placement of eyes. While the design was doubtful to win first place, it displayed excellent problem-solving skills and creativity in the midst of a mishap.

Iris caught Harry's stare and crossed her arms defensively. "What?"

Opening his mouth to reply, Harry's words halted at HR's proclamation that they had a minute left. He shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. I just wanted to say good luck."

"Oh…thank you. You, too."

"Thanks, Harry." Barry hugged Iris to his side. "Just wait until next year. We're going to try that design again and get first place for sure. Isn't that right, Iris?"

Iris gazed up at her boyfriend lovingly and squeezed him tighter. "Totally!"

Harry, noticing the two were getting lost in each other and knowing he had to get back to put the candle in his own pumpkin, ambled back over to Caitlin's side. "All good?"

"Yes, just place the candle in the middle and light it." Caitlin leaned back to give him room and took the lid off. Once he finished lighting the candle, she placed the lid back on and stepped back to better appreciate the effect. "It's perfect."

"It's definitely a contender."

Glancing over to where Harry was looking at their jack o'lantern in satisfaction, Caitlin's gaze turned warm. "It's great for a first attempt, too."

"Was there any doubt I'd succeed? I'm a genius." Harry faced Caitlin and bit back a smile at her fondly exasperated stare. "Okay, and I had a good teacher."

"Yes, you did." Caitlin took a step into Harry's personal space. She tilted her head and leaned up.

The music switched off, and HR called out, "Time! Everyone bring your pumpkins to the front table for judging, and be sure not to catch yourselves on fire!"

Closing his eyes briefly at both the interruption and last statement, Harry muttered, "Yes, because our first instinct is self-immolation."

Caitlin buried her face in Harry's shoulder to hide a chuckle. "Later then."

"What? Self-immolation?"

"No." Caitlin met his twinkling eyes and smirked. "Although I wouldn't say no to starting a different kind of fire."

Understanding her meaning, Harry's breathing deepened, and his eyes remained riveted to hers. "Later." He wrenched his gaze from hers and cautiously picked up their pumpkin. "Let's get this over there, so we can get to later a lot sooner and so no one accuses us of last minute alterations."

Caitlin agreed.

The two were the last ones to place their pumpkin on the table, but not so far behind the rest as to arouse suspicion or playful accusations of cheating.

After writing out nametags to label which jack o'lantern went with each team, HR studied them one by one and commented on their various qualities. Wally and Jesse had carved a traditional design with neat cuts and a friendly face. He deemed it charming. Next, he moved onto Cisco and Joe's. They'd carved a standard scary face, but with lots of technical details. The teeth had the outer skin shaved off to give it a more realistic effect, and the eyes had been created in a more innovated manner. HR praised their creativity and skill for a solid minute. He then went over to Barry and Iris's and considered it a moment.

"When I went by earlier, I noticed you had a different design. It was ambitious. I can see that didn't exactly work out." HR rubbed his chin. "There's always next year." Brightening, he continued, "As for this year, you managed to create something out of an unfortunate setback and turn it into something new. It might not be the prettiest, but overcoming that challenge is worth celebrating on its own merit. Good job!"

Iris beamed and hugged Barry's arm.

Stopping in front of the last one, HR's eyes widened. "Wow, you guys went past the traditional face to go with a silhouette!" He leaned down to study the cuts closer and ran a thumb along one. "It's smooth. I would expect no less from our resident doctor." Pausing his inspection, he winked at Caitlin and steadfastly ignored his doppelganger's narrowed eyes. "Nice design, Hare! I like how the negative space is part of the picture and helps paint the story."

"Thank you, but don't call me 'Hare.' I'm not a rabbit."

HR nodded and straightened back into a standing position. "Right. You're more like a cat." Missing Harry's arched eyebrow, he turned to the rest of the group. "I'll need a couple moments to decide."

Taking that as a cue to leave, the team gravitated over by the snack table to talk. Joe went to console Barry and Iris while the others considered eating.

Cisco immediately reached out to grab a handful of candy corn. "It's a shame Barry and Iris didn't get to show us their original concept, but let's talk about how Harry's clearly a fan of zombie movies. Are you more a Romero guy, or a Walking Dead guy? Ooh, or Shaun Of The Dead or Zombieland?"

"How do you know it wasn't a reference to Herbert West: Reanimator? He and his colleague bury the one guy they believed to be a failed experiment only to later discover he dug his way out of his own grave."

"Was it, though?" Cisco squinted his eyes at the other man.

Harry casually picked up a cookie and bit into it. Shrugging, he swallowed his mouthful and said, "You can't prove it wasn't."

Jesse leaned over to Cisco and stage-whispered, "He likes Night Of The Living Dead, so Romero."

"Thank you, Jesse!" Cisco smirked at Harry before shoveling the candy corn in his mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Harry finished eating his cookie. "Liking one zombie film does not constitute being a zombie movie fan." A gleam entered Harry's eyes. "I actually prefer stories involving mad scientists."

"Oh, is that because they make you feel seen? You don't feel so alone?" Cisco pressed a hand to his chest and feigned concern.

HR waved them over before Harry had a chance to respond to the barb. "I've made my decision." He waited until everyone gathered around. "First place…is a tie! I had a hard time deciding which one was better because both were great in different ways and had differing styles, but the winning teams are Cisco and Joe, and Caitlin and Harry!" He clapped for the winners.

Simultaneously, Caitlin and Harry perked up and shifted to embrace each other in celebration.

Cisco thought about it and nodded. "I'll take it, but no ties next year! I plan on winning." He held out a fist to Joe.

Bumping Cisco's proffered fist in solidarity, Joe thanked HR.

"Sure you will, Ramon." Harry turned towards HR. "Who came in second?"

"That would be Jesse and Wally for their classic but well-made jack o'lantern." With a wince, HR continued, "That unfortunately means Barry and Iris came in last, but we all still admire your can-do attitudes."

"That's fair." Barry nodded.

"We had fun anyways," Iris added, smiling at HR. "Thanks for organizing this."

Ducking his head a moment, HR grinned and bounced on his feet. "I'm glad everyone had a good time!" He took in all the nods of agreement and sighed happily. "You know, I just planned for the contest and a little party, but, if everyone's up for it, we could watch a movie. I even found one about pumpkins!"

Cisco eyed the other man warily. "It's not Pumpkinhead, is it? Because that movie's really not about pumpkins."

"No, it's not a horror movie. I checked!" HR waved the concern away. "It's the Peanuts special about the Great Pumpkin! I wanted to see how different it was from my Earth's, and what better way than watching it as a team?"

After some discussion, they all agreed it was a fun idea and a nice way to end the day – with one exception. The group hung around chatting and eating snacks, and then all but Caitlin and Harry filed out to prepare for the impromptu movie night.

"Come on, Snow. Do you really want to sit around in a dark room with all of these people, or would you rather be alone with me in a room far away from here?"

"I think it could be fun," Caitlin insisted.

Harry raised his eyebrows suggestively and rested a hand against her hip. "Being alone together would be even more fun."

"Who says we can't do both?" Seeing he remained unconvinced, Caitlin tried a new tactic. "They're ordering pizza and Chinese, but I'm sure Barry wouldn't mind doing a Big Belly Burger run."

"You think you can bribe me with food?" Despite his attempt to remain stoic, the corners of his mouth turned up.

"I'm trying." Smiling up at him, she settled her hands on his shoulders and leaned into him.

Finally, Harry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "About how long is this thing?"

"A little under half an hour."

"…Okay."

Caitlin's eyes lit up hopefully. "Okay?"

"Yes." His other hand dropped to a hip, so he was framing her waist. He tugged her closer and leaned down for a kiss. He kept it short but insistent. "I expect to collect on 'later', though."

Humming, Caitlin ran her hand down his chest. "That is one debt I have no problem paying." She shifted the course of her hand's path down his arm and took his hand. "Now, let's go meet up with the others."

"Just a moment." Harry tugged at her hand to keep her from pulling him out of the room. He led her over to the jack o'lanterns and started blowing out the candles. "I don't know why no one else thought to put out the fire. This table has paper decorations, and the room's literally designed for running at high speeds, which creates drafts. It's like they wanted a fire."

"I think they were all just excited about the movie and forget. I know I did." Blushing at the knowledge of what had distracted her, she leaned into Harry's side. "Thanks for always looking out for us and for saving our pumpkins."

"Well, after all that hard work, it'd be a shame to have it all go up in flames. Who knows how much damage there'd be before the sprinklers put it out? Ours could lose the hand, and it'd be difficult to find a prosthetic," he commented, voice light and playful.

As they moved closer to the doorway, Caitlin's eyes moved over to the snack table where a half-full gallon of apple cider and assorted treats still rested. "We should probably also take the food, so it doesn't spoil."

"Of course HR would throw a team party and then not clean up after himself, and the rest of the team wouldn't even notice. Honestly, Snow! They'd be a mess without us." Shaking his head and releasing Caitlin's hand, Harry lifted the apple cider and grabbed the plate of cookies. "We can probably leave the candy corn."

Holding the tray of cupcakes, Caitlin nodded. "Those should be fine for now."

They headed out of the speed lab and, after making a stop to put the apple cider in the break room fridge, set off for the cortex. Harry stopped in the entryway. He took in the scene and faintly heard Caitlin's soft gasp. While they'd been cleaning up after the party, the others had managed to pull couches and lounge chairs into the middle of the cortex and set up a big screen. Someone – most likely HR – even hung up decorations.

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be the ones tidying up after this?" Harry's shoulders slumped as he hung his head.

"Because we probably will, but they'll at least put the couches and chairs back. Now, come on! Let's get a good seat!"

As Caitlin pulled him farther into the cortex, Harry couldn't help but think that, as long as he got to sit next to her, he'd have the best seat in the room.

A/N: Feedback is always appreciated! :)