Author's Note: We love a good Snowbarry/Flashfrost parallel with Frost and Barry being put on trial :)
That being said, I'll be honest and say I'm not really looking forward to this chapter. There's no particular moment that I'm excited about rewriting or adding bits to which makes the whole process a bit of a drag. I originally had labeled this episode in my notes as "Full" but coming back to it was like ummm that's a no from me and switched it to a short Partial.
"In lieu of prison, the state moves to submit alternate punishment: That Killer Frost be compelled by this court… to take the meta-human cure."
This day could not possibly get any worse.
"Caitlin, I don't-"
"I know, mom. It's short notice," Caitlin said aggravatedly into the phone. "But I can't leave the court. I need you to do the tests for me."
There was a deep sigh from the other end. "Caitlin. Honey. What I was trying to tell you is that I don't need to run any tests, because I already have. Call it a… pet project of mine. Your unique situation with Frost was so incredibly fascinating to me that I spent a good month running as many simulations as I could think of, trying to get all the answers."
"And?" Caitlin demanded. "What did you find out?"
Another sigh. "Honey, it's not good news," Carla said regretfully. "I'll need to keep running tests to be more definitive, but… Because of the fact that Frost is uniquely born from meta DNA, my hypothesis is strongly in the direction that taking the metahuman cure could seriously hurt, and even kill, her."
Caitlin felt the blood drain from her face. The sentence that the prosecution was pushing wasn't just irregular, or even against the moral guidelines of the meta cure.
It was a death penalty.
Caitlin delivered the news to Frost and their friends with the same anxious energy that she'd been dealing with everything else.
"We have to fight fire with fire," she said urgently. "Hack Kramer, dig up dirt on her, anything it takes to save Frost."
Frost stared at her incredulously, used to being the irrational, impulsive one. "No," she said vehemently. "I did not just turn myself in so that I could go break the law again. We're doing this by the book or not at all, okay Caity?"
Caitlin locked eyes with her husband, who had been strangely quiet. He raised his eyebrows, just a bit. She knew him and his law abiding tendencies- she knew them because ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they perfectly matched her own.
Not today.
"Yeah," she lied, nodding and dropping her gaze. "You're right."
A few minutes later, everyone was filing out of the room. On his way out the door, Barry caught Caitlin's arm. "Caitlin-"
"You need to get to work," she cut in.
"Caitlin."
"Barry."
He pinched his lips at her. "I know that look on your face. It's not one I see often, but whenever it's popped up, Frost has been involved. It's desperation, Cait. And I've seen you do some scary things when you're desperate."
"Trust me, Barry," Caitlin told him, giving his arm a squeeze. "Trust that I'm doing what I think is right? And necessary?"
That didn't seem to allay his fears any, but he gave her a quick nod and headed out the door.
Caitlin stopped Cisco and Allegra from leaving.
"Okay, what are we really doing?" Allegra asked the moment the door was shut.
"I liked your hacking idea," Cisco said.
Caitlin shook her head. "Frost's life is on the line," she said seriously. "We need to think bigger."
Flash!
"Earlier today, the metahuman cure supply at CCPD was rendered inert. It is now completely unusable. The State suspects foul play, and the only person with motive for such bold treachery is Killer Frost."
Caitlin felt the blood drain from her face. Her plan, which she'd thought was so perfect, which had been so tricky to execute, had entirely backfired.
"Do you have any evidence for these claims?" the judge demanded after Cecile protested that the accusation was just conjecture.
"Yes, Your Honor," the prosecutor confirmed immediately. "CCPD security cameras were hacked at the exact moment the cure was destroyed. We wouldn't have found out if not for Ms. Kramer's expertise in military intelligence. She uncovered the hack herself."
Frost looked desperately to Cecile. The judge pursed her lips.
"It was me, Your Honor," Caitlin blurted, shooting to her feet. Barry, seated beside her, looked up in surprise and some alarm. "I did it, not Frost. And I acted alone."
"She's lying, Your Honor," the prosecutor said blandly. "Killer Frost is clearly behind this crime, because her criminal past is the same as her criminal present."
"I am not a criminal," Frost pleaded with Cecile. "What is wrong with her, she keeps-"
"I did it!" Caitlin cried, desperate. "I told-"
The judge banged her gavel ."Order. I said order!"
Cecile turned to her Team, glaring. "Everybody. Sit down."
"Now," the judge continued. "Ms. Strong, considering the cure isn't a viable option, can the court assume the state is not longer seeking it as a punishment?"
Caitlin squeezed her hands together. Maybe this hadn't all been for nothing.
But then Kramer stood up, and handed the prosecutor's assistant a briefcase. Ms. Strong glanced sideways at Cecile. "On the contrary," she reported, as her assistant opened the briefcase to reveal a single, glowing blue vial. "My colleague Ms. Kramer knows the magnitude of the meta-criminal we are dealing with. So she contact ARGUS on behalf of the state and had them replicate the cure based on CCPD samples. We should have a hundred vials ready by nightfall."
Ms. Strong smiled, confident. "All we need is your decision, Your Honor."
Flash!
Barry let out a deep breath as he neared the door of one of the court's side rooms. He knew he should talk to his wife, see if he could get her calm down a bit, but he had a feeling that someone else needed his attention a little bit more.
"What?" Frost asked glumly when he knocked and let himself in.
"Just thought you might want some company," Barry said, offering her a half smile and taking a seat in one of the hard wooden chairs.
Frost glared halfheartedly at him. "Why didn't you stop her?"
"I didn't know what she was going to do."
She gave him a look.
Barry relented a bit. "But I knew she was going to do something, you're right. I guess I just… well, some part of me wanted her to succeed."
"Well, she didn't," Frost snapped. "And- and I still might lose everything."
"I remember that feeling," Barry said with the barest of smiles. "Being on trial is no fun, and I'm sorry you have to go through it."
Frost took pause. "I… I forgot that you went to jail," she admitted, sliding into a chair. "But you were innocent. I'm not, Barry."
Barry shrugged. No, Frost wasn't innocent, but she was redeemed. That, unfortunately, was a kind a nuance the legal system wasn't yet ready to handle.
The door was thrown open and Caitlin burst in. "I just heard from my mom," she said, happy tears swimming in your eyes. "She ran more tests, and we were wrong, Frost! The meta cure won't hurt you. You're going to be okay."
She reached out for Frost's hands, relief spread all across her face, but Frost pulled away sharply. "Okay?" she repeated, scathing. "I'm not taking the cure, Caity! I would rather be locked up for the rest of my life then take that cure."
Caitlin looked bewildered, desperate. "What?" she breathed. "But Frost, this is the miracle we've been hoping for!"
Barry got up and put an arm around his wife, watching Frost inquiringly. Caitlin had never had powers, not really. Not ones that she controlled, anyway. But Barry could remember the too-many times he'd lost his powers, and the impact it had made on his psyche. Getting your powers taken away was not something to be dealt with lightly (or to be forced, though that was a whole other issue).
"Caity," Frost said seriously. "You told me once that one of your worst fears was losing me. If I take the meta cure, you will."
Flash!
"I hereby sentence the metahuman criminal known as Frost to life in prison without the possibility of parole."
Caitlin kept it together until they made it home.
"Did it go well?" Nora Speed Force asked hopefully, standing up from the table when Caitlin and Barry stepped into their home.
Caitlin swallowed, throat tighter than a tied shoelace. "She got what she wanted," she whispered. "But she got it at a horrible, horrible cost."
Her eyes burned and she broke away from Barry to hurry to the nursery under the pretense of checking on baby Nora. Her daughter was sleeping, Speed Force Nora having looked after her for the duration of the day. Caitlin wrapped her hands around the edge of the crib, squeezing her eyes tightly.
She remembered the night that Frost had met Nora for the first time, after Caitlin had worked so hard to keep her away. She remembered the joy and the wonder, and the inexpressible love. Frost would never get to see Nora grow up. She'd never get to have a baby of her own, if that was what she wanted. In fact, she'd never be able to have anything she wanted, ever again.
Tears budded up and rolled down Caitlin's cheeks. She felt arms slipping around her waist and turned to bury her face in Barry's chest, muffling her sobs into his shirt. "It isn't fair," she cried, barely managing to keep her voice low enough not to wake Nora. "It isn't fair."
"I know," Barry whispered. "I know, sweetheart, I'm so sorry."
There really wasn't anything else that could be said.
Author's Note: Hiyaaaaaaa if you follow me on my fan account you will know just how much motivation it took for me to write this itty-bitty chapter *face palm*. I hope you guys enjoyed, because I had to push this one out through my teeth!
That's… not an expression. Whatever lol.