A/N: This AU is basically just if Harry and Jesse decided to make a home on Earth 1 at some point post S2 and Flashpoint didn't happen, but it's not the focus of the story. I just wanted Harry comforting Caitlin.

"Where'd Snow go off to?" Harry shifted his eyes away from the empty lab and glanced over at Cisco, who was getting ready to head out.

Shrugging, Cisco reached over to turn his monitor off. "Maybe she decided to call it a day, like me. Nothing's happening, it's already after five, and we all have the alert app. Plus, Jesse and Wally will be here soon enough for their shift."

Harry frowned. "She doesn't usually leave without saying something."

"I don't know. Maybe she did, but we were too busying working to notice, or she realized she was running late for a date or something," Cisco theorized, tone unbothered. "Either way, I'm sure it's fine. Check the surveillance if you're worried." He tapped at his pockets to make sure he'd grabbed everything he needed. Once satisfied, he nodded at Harry and spun around on his heel. "Later!"

"Bye, Ramon." Distracted, Harry rubbed a hand across his face and wandered over to one of the active monitors. He debated with himself for a few moments before following Cisco's advice. He checked the footage from the building's exits and let it play backwards until the timestamp went past the point he'd last seen her, but he didn't see Caitlin leave the building. Pulling up the feed from the cortex, he rewound until it showed her leaving.

The time stamp dated it a little over twenty minutes ago. The Caitlin on the screen grimaced and rested a hand over her abdomen. She quickly put away her equipment, stored the samples back where they'd be preserved, wiped down her station, and disposed of her gloves. Without bothering to say anything to her companions, she made a beeline for the exit. The various camera angles captured her departure as she walked down a few corridors and entered the ladies' room.

Slightly embarrassed but reassured of her safety, Harry clicked out of the feed. "Right then," he muttered. Blue eyes settled on the board where he'd been writing equations. The finished work didn't require any additions, so he switched his gaze to the monitors. No security notifications or meta alerts popped up in the recent activity. There was nothing left for him to do in the cortex, so he turned on a heel and headed for his personal lab.

His journey to the lab took him down the same corridor Caitlin had traveled earlier, but Harry didn't bump into her before he reached the restroom entrances. Remembering her grimace from the footage, he paused outside the door. She hadn't seemed in danger of throwing up, but it was a clear expression of pain. Thoughts of her unconscious warred with his attempts to reason with himself that it probably wasn't something fatal or dangerous, and, if it had been, Caitlin would have said something.

Before he came to a decision, a stifled sob sounded from behind the door.

"Snow?"

The noise abruptly cut off and was followed by sounds of movement. "Yeah." Caitlin cleared her throat. "What is it, Harry?"

Despite her attempt to put on a casual air, Harry still heard the subdued tone of her voice. His concern increased. "I was walking by and heard a sound of distress. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just that…"

"Just that what?" Harry braced an arm against the wall to hold himself back from rushing to her aid.

A beat of silence followed his inquiry before Caitlin's small voice answered. "It's that time of the month."

"What? Oh. Oh." Blinking, Harry straightened up and glanced around. No one was around or even in the building but them, yet he still lowered his voice to match hers. "Do you need something for the pain, or…?"

"No – well, yes, but that's not the main issue…" A frustrated huff left Caitlin's lips, and she continued, "There aren't any pads or tampons here, and I didn't have any on me."

"Oh."

In an embarrassed voice, Caitlin rushed on. "I typically keep a supply here for myself and anyone else who needs it, but we've been busy lately, so I didn't get a chance to restock. Then, with all of the cases lately, I was so busy I didn't notice the signs like I typically do, so it caught me off guard and – "

"It's okay, Snow," Harry reassured her, tension melting from his frame. Now that he knew what was wrong and how he could help, he came up with a plan. "What kind do you normally get?" He reached into his pocket for his phone.

"The brand doesn't matter as much, but the size 2 ultra thin ones for the pads. As for tampons, I just get the variety pack."

"Got it." Harry typed the information into his note app. "Anything else?"

"I, um, bled through my underwear, so I could use a new pair." Caitlin hesitated before meekly continuing. "Just get one of those multipacks – size 4."

"Any preferred cut?"

"As long as it's on the more comfortable side and has room for a pad, it'll be fine."

"Got it. Do you need new pants or…?"

"Yeah, but you don't need to buy any. I have a pair I keep in my employee locker," Caitlin assured, voice becoming steadier once the topic moved to something less sensitive.

"Okay. I'll grab those on my way back. Just hang in there. The nearest store's about five minutes away, so it should take anywhere from twenty to twenty-five minutes." Harry pocketed his phone. "I'll try to be as quick as possible."

"Thanks, Harry."

The relief in her voice made Harry grateful he'd decided to check the surveillance, which led to him pausing outside the door. Otherwise, she might've holed herself up for who knows how long and been miserable. He couldn't stomach the thought. "Of course."

Galvanized, he changed his initial course and went back the way he came.

CS+HW

The automatic doors slid shut behind him as Harry paused a moment to ascertain the store's layout. He'd been there a few times, but hadn't committed it to memory like the one by his house. Thankfully, the organization of the store helped since signs clearly indicated areas like the pharmacy and personal care section. Grabbing one of the plastic shopping baskets off to the side of the entrance, he set out for there first.

Harry kept his pace brisk, and his alert gaze swept over the signs in the aisles. When he caught sight of a tag reading 'pain relief', he turned left and grabbed a bottle of Tylenol. He tossed it into the basket before moving on. The feminine hygiene section ran along the wall adjacent to the main aisles. A few people stood around the area – one in the section while a couple surveyed the options in family planning, but he paid them no mind.

Stepping up to the shelf, a sudden doubt gripped Harry. Caitlin had told him the brand didn't matter, but it suddenly felt important to pick the right kind. A lot of the brand names were different from those on his own Earth, but one he recognized as what he'd bought for Jesse, and she'd never said anything negative about them. His nerves settled as he picked the correct type of pads, and then used the same method with the tampons. Both packages took up the majority of his basket, but he knew there was enough space for the last requested item.

"Daughter, or wife?"

Brow furrowing, Harry turned to face an older lady. "Excuse me?"

She smiled and elaborated, "Are you buying those for your daughter, or your wife?"

"Neither," Harry said, keeping his answer short in an effort to dissuade her from further conversation. The knowledge of Caitlin stuck in the ladies' room made his impatience kick up a notch.

"Oh, a girlfriend then," she surmised, staring at him knowingly.

Feeling his neck flush but not wanting the inquisition to drag on, Harry pursed his lips and nodded. "Yes, and it's kind of an emergency, so I have to hurry up. Have a good day!" He gave a sharp nod, and, pivoting on his heel, marched out of the section.

The section for women's clothing – specifically the undergarments section – lay deeper into the store, but Harry unerringly found his way to the aisle containing underwear. He spent a little more time looking over the options than he'd done with the pads and tampons. Wracking his mind to decipher which would be considering the most comfortable, he decided to pick a kind similar to those he remembered his late wife preferring. He reached out a hand to tug it off its hook. The multipack joined the rest of the items in the basket.

Remembering the way he came in, Harry set his course for the registers by the entrance he'd arrived in. He chose to avoid zigzagging through the clothing stands and tables, so he moved over to a walkway and turned at the corner.

The food section ran parallel to the one for clothing, and a table of baked goods rested at the end of the footpath. Slowing down, Harry's eyes took in the various treats, and a dark chocolate brownie in a plastic container caught his attention. Caitlin rarely indulged in unhealthy food, but, when she did, it was for comfort. The day's circumstances fit the bill, and he knew for a fact that she enjoyed chocolate.

The brownie wound up as the final item in his basket.

CS+HW

Despite his best attempts to be as quick as possible, the trip there and back fell on the longer side of his estimate. Harry didn't slow down from his near jog as he walked down the final corridor leading to Caitlin. The sweatpants were held under his left arm while his hands gripped the handles of the plastic shopping bags. His internal clock ticked down until it reached a quarter of a minute before twenty-five, and he lifted his hand to knock on the door.

"I'm back, and I brought everything."

Stirring sounded from inside the room, and Caitlin called out, "Just give me a moment!" About fourteen seconds later, she opened the door a smidge – just wide enough for him to pass the bags and sweatpants through. She accepted the proffered items and flashed a brief smile at Harry. "Thank you."

Harry returned her smile. "You're welcome." As the door shut once more, his blue eyes darted to the right and then the left. He quickly decided she'd probably want some privacy and not for him to loiter around, so he set out for his previous destination: his lab.

Harry's feet carried him down the hall towards the room. He crossed over the door's threshold, made a beeline for his most recent project, and began tinkering. He let the process of his work drown out his thoughts. The familiarity and routine grounded him until his focus narrowed to only what was in front of him. He'd just rewired a section that had given him trouble in the past when the sound of a throat clearing grabbed his attention. He glanced up to see Caitlin leaning against the doorway. Her expression was slightly abashed, but the light in her eyes let him know she was okay.

"Hey," Harry breathed, gaze drifting over her attire. She'd put on the black sweatpants, and, at some point, grabbed a STAR Labs sweater to pull over her grey long-sleeve shirt. While those weren't designed for fashion, she somehow made it look as if they had been. "How are you feeling?"

Caitlin stepped farther into the room, and the corners of her mouth curled up in a faint smile. "Much better thanks to you."

Eyes softening, Harry set down his tools. "I'm glad." He got lost in her brown eyes for a moment before shaking himself out of it. His hip came into contact with the table, and he leaned against it. "You know, if you need to go home or just want to, I can hold things down here until Jesse and Wally arrive."

"No, that won't be necessary. The pain meds helped a lot." Caitlin shook her head and a unique spark entered her eyes as she continued, "As well as the brownie."

The unspoken question made the tips of Harry's ears flush. "I know you didn't ask for one, and I wasn't trying to overstep or imply anything. I just know you tend to get something sweet when it's been a rough day, and I think today qualifies," he explained, eyeing her carefully. His shoulders relaxed an inch when she simply smiled.

"It wasn't an indictment, Harry. I just wanted to say thank you. It was thoughtful, and you were right." Caitlin's gaze dropped for a millisecond before she admitted, "Today might not turn out as rough after all."

"I'm glad," Harry repeated himself. The corners of his mouth lifted.

Walking over to Harry's side, Caitlin peered at his work. "Is this something for dealing with metas, or a personal project?"

"I'm sure it'd have uses on Team Flash, but it's a personal project."

"What's it supposed to do?"

Harry picked up one of tools he'd been using and gestured at his project. "Well, if I get it right, this will tap into the space between Earth 1 and Earth 2, so, when a device is connected to one of these ports, I can connect to the files on my mainframe on Earth 2 as well as the internet there."

A grin formed on Caitlin's face. "You want to look out for STAR Labs on Earth 2," she translated, voice knowing.

"Well, yes, of course. While I trust the new CEO, you never know what might happen between visits." Harry pointedly didn't glance over at the triumphant expression sure to be on her face. "But there are other things that might need my attention. While I live here now, Earth 2 is still important to me, and I'd like to know about any problems that'd need my help. Since I don't have access to my e-mail there when I'm here…"

"It'd be best to have an in," Caitlin finished for him. "I can understand that." While he didn't usually talk about it, she knew he still harbored a certain amount of guilt over his earlier actions and considered all meta trouble on Earth 2 as his responsibility. It was one of the reasons for his frequent visits back and forth.

Seeing the serious expression on Caitlin's face and knowing she saw right through him, Harry glanced back at his device for a moment and continued the conversation. "Plus, there seems to be a certain amount of overlap between our Earths and metas. There's not always time to visit Earth 2 to find the right files. I know I copied everything from the time I moved, but there have been others since then." He decided to change the topic. "Another main reason is that there are scientific advances I don't want to miss out on – Jesse either."

Caitlin didn't call him out, but instead smiled at the thought of everything that could be learned from his Earth. "I'd be very interested to know all of the developments your Earth's made in the field of biology."

"There are some difference – all based on necessity – but I'm sure my Earth would be further along in that department if you'd been born there," Harry stated. "Just as this Earth is slightly behind mine in physics and technology."

"Oh, you mean because we didn't have a real Harrison Wells, but an imposter?" Despite Caitlin's attempt to stare Harry down, her smile wouldn't go away. His arched eyebrow and significant look startled a laugh out of her. "Fair enough – and thank you, by the way. I'll accept that compliment."

Resuming his previous work, Harry asked, "Before everything happened, what were you working on?"

"I was studying those samples Barry collected from the recent possible meta case. He's going to conduct his own tests, but wanted a second set of eyes."

"How's it looking so far?"

"Well, there was definitely a meta there, but I still haven't quite figured out how their powers work."

"Would you like some help?"

"Don't you have your project to finish?"

"This can wait. The case is more important, and, while biology isn't my strong suit, I know enough to be somewhat helpful or at least be a good sounding board," Harry offered.

"I'd like that." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Caitlin huffed out a laugh. "You've been plenty helpful already today, so I think your streak will remain intact."

"Let's find out." Harry returned his tools to their designated areas before securing a protective cover across his project. As he turned off the lights, he gestured for Caitlin to exit the room ahead of him.

Caitlin waited until Harry joined her side, and then started down the hallway. "How familiar are you with the periodic table?"

"The one of my Earth? Completely. I don't think there's too much difference between our Earths, so it's probably safe to say I know yours, too."

"Probably." Nodding, Caitlin grinned. "I recognized most of the traces left behind, but there's one that doesn't correlate with any known elements. I'm not sure if that means we're dealing with something not from around here, if it's a new discovery, or if it's related to a power – like a meta who can change or create new elements from existing ones."

Noticing the implied question if his Earth had dealt with anything like that, Harry shook his head. "Sounds new to me." The corners of his mouth tugged up. "I'm sure, between the two of us, we'll crack this – maybe even before our shift ends."

"That's optimistic. We have less than half an hour."

Harry stifled a laugh at her incredulous tone. "Tell you what: if I'm wrong, I'll buy you dinner."

The offer prompted an intrigued eyebrow raise. "And if you're right?"

"You accompany me to Big Belly Burger after."

Caitlin laughed. "So, no matter what, we have dinner together? It's the same result, Harry. That's not how bets typically work."

"Do you object to the conditions?" Pausing outside the door to her lab, Harry fixed her with a part humoring, part serious stare.

"…well, no."

"Then that's what we'll do."

Amused, Caitlin wagged her head at Harry's satisfied declaration and started up her equipment.

The two worked together amicably and were so enthralled in their discussions that they didn't register when Jesse and Wally arrived, or even notice the time until they inevitably pieced things together. Harry had to concede the bet to Caitlin since it was long after their shift ended. Not wanting to go too far and eager to continue studying the new data, she had Harry order in from one of her favorite takeout places.

As they alternated between eating their food and poring over the lab results, Harry was happy to see her in better spirits and gratified to know the part he played in it. Gone was her uncertainty and pain. A confidant gleam lit up her eyes as she rattled on about the implications of the meta's powers and whether their actions were even intentional. His breath caught when, in a bout of excitement, she reached out to place a hand on his arm. He felt his heart quicken its pace.

"Isn't that fascinating, Harry?"

"It sure is."

A/N: Feedback is always appreciated! :)