As I make the drive to Keystone that night, my mind keeps returning to the idea of Wells alone in the entirety of STAR labs - other than the metahuman criminals in the pipeline. He must be lonely. That's probably why he has been so willing to help me. I mean, he doesn't seem lonely, but aren't geniuses always? I sigh. For the amount of time I spend thinking about Dr. Wells, one would think I'd have just tried to use my gift to get a reading on him, but it doesn't seem ethical. It feels like an invasion of privacy when I learn things about strangers - even more so when I inadvertently learn things about someone in my life.
My concern for Wells and loathing for my family gatherings prompts me, at 12:01 AM Christmas Day, to text him a "Merry Christmas! Hope you're feeling alright." He's not much of a texter, so I'm surprised when I get a reply a few minutes later.
"Merry Christmas to you too. How's the family? Have you had to use the serum yet?"
"Lol, I have been resisting...not sure how much longer I can take it though…" I'm even more surprised when a minute later, my phone starts vibrating with a call from him. It must be a slip of the thumb, but I answer all the same, not willing to miss the chance to hear his voice.
"Hello?" I say while extricating myself from the festivities.
"Hey, I figured we might as well just wish each other Merry Christmas in person. Or, at least, less virtually. I thought you were available though, and judging by the background noise, you're not. Sorry to interrupt." I slip through the clumps of conversationalists to the back door, which I escape through.
"You didn't interrupt anything." I'm on the back patio, leaning against the wall to escape the chill of the wind. "Thanks for calling. It's nice to hear your voice," I say, my three glasses of wine making me more bold than I otherwise would be.
"It's nice to hear yours too...are you drunk?" he asks.
"I'm...tipsy," I answer, a jolt of pleasure shooting through me at the sound of his chuckle. "Don't judge, we all cope in our own ways," I say before I realize how dark that sounds.
"That bad?" he asks. I sigh.
"Let's just say if Barry was down to impersonate the Reverse Flash and kidnap me, I wouldn't be opposed. I know it's only a day or so, but my god, there must be a metahuman here whose power is to slow down time." He laughs again, but it's not as mirthful.
"I'm sorry it's so bad. Do you want to talk about why?" I fight a shiver from the wind.
"Maybe some other time. It's Christmas. I shouldn't be complaining." I gaze up at the stars, heaving a sigh.
"Sometimes we all need to," he says, wise and placid.
"It's a beautiful night," I change the subject. "I was a little surprised you were still awake, actually."
"Me too," he says. "I thought after the recent events, I'd be out like a light, but...I just can't quite relax." There's a tension in his voice. I'm not sure if it comes from physical pain or nervousness from showing vulnerability.
"That's perfectly understandable." He says nothing, so I babble to fill the space of silence. "Sometimes I forget you're human, the way you carry yourself - you're always so poised, so collected." I hear the sound of a mattress and sheets shifting, and a hot blush goes through me at the realization I'm talking to him while he's in bed.
"I'm flattered you see me that way, Mika." I laugh.
"I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary. Barry and the others look at you like you're God himself." Now it's his turn to laugh.
"I think you turn into a hyperbolist when you drink," he teases.
"Oh, cut the bull - you know it's true," I say with a smile. He hesitates.
"I'll take the fifth on that one." I smile to myself.
"And I'll take that as an admission that you know I'm right." There's a comfortable pause. "I should probably quit while I'm ahead and get back to the party before I'm missed."
"I understand. Best of luck. And again, Merry Christmas."
"Same to you. And get some sleep," I implore him.
"I will. Good night."
"Goodnight." We hang up the phone, but it doesn't seem final. It seems like we should have closed the conversation with an I love you. I lean farther into the wall, letting it support me, and relishing the happy warmth that lingers after every interaction with Wells. This is an especially strong rush, however, and it manages to sustain me through much of the rest of the celebration.
When I get back inside, I return to entertaining my little cousins - my excuse to avoid talking to my judgemental adult relatives.
"Was that your boyfriend?" one of the girls teases in a sing-song voice between opening the plastic casings of her new toys. I shake my head immediately. I can't even imagine how thrilled my mom would be if I showed up with a disgraced scientist twice my age. Not that that stops me from wanting to.
After Christmas, we don't hear anything from the Man in Yellow - aka the Reverse Flash. In that time, Wells and I have been training. A lot. I try to come by every night after work for a couple hours. If it was anyone other than Wells, I don't think I would be motivated to, but the fact that my shortcomings caused him pain and that training means largely one-on-one time with him, I can't pass up the opportunity. Eventually though, I begin to flag in my efforts as work picks up again.
I'm working on this release that's due to go out at 6 tomorrow morning, which should be a simple thing, but I've been working on it for hours. I just can't get the words out. I'm close to pounding my head on my desk in frustration when my pity party is interrupted by a phone call.
"Hello?" I answer curtly, not recognizing the number.
"Mika, it's Cisco. There's any emergency, and we need you right now. Caitlyn has been kidnapped, and we don't know where she is. Where are you? Barry will come pick you up."
"Oh my god. I'm at work." I give Cisco the address, gathering my things in an effort to meet Barry in the lobby, when he shows up in my cubicle. I let out a startled scream, flying backwards in fear.
"It's just me," he says.
"Jesus, that's terrifying, Barry. Warn a gal the next time you drop in. Let's go." I say, clutching fiercely to my purse as he gathers me into his arms and bolts us to STAR labs. I could get used to moving at Flash speeds, I think just as soon as we're at the Labs, and I'm placed back on my feet, moving at a much more boring pace. "Who took Caitlyn?" I ask as soon as I can draw a full breath. Wells immediately pulls up two pictures on the screen.
"Leonard Snart - aka Captain cold - and Micky Roy." I look at their faces and then close my eyes, concentrating. I wish I had more energy in the tank, but I'm exhausted.
"She's at a warehouse. Near the docks. I'm getting...one, three? - no, eight - seven." Wells punches it into a search engine, and an advertisement comes up for a vacant warehouse with that number.
"She must be there. Cisco, Joe, and Mika head down there. Make sure Cailtyn is okay. I need to go kick Snart's ass," Barry says as he rushes downtown. Immediately, Cisco, Joe, and I set off - Wells and I barely have enough time to so much as smile in greeting. As Joe drives to the warehouse, Cisco catches me up on Barry's history with Snart and what it is he wants. With a clearer picture of the man in my head, I'm able to get a better sense of where Caitlyn is and how to find her.
"Stop here," I say suddenly, directing them on instinct. I rush out of the car, approaching the door I'm called towards. "She's in here." I step back while Joe breaks the padlock. Once inside, I approach more tentatively. I can hear her making noise, trying to tell us something. There's a vague sense of danger lurking at the corners of my mind.
"Caitlyn, it's me." She groans in reply - she must be gagged. "Is it safe to approach you? If it's not, say nothing. If it is, make a noise." Silence greets us. Fuck. I concentrate very hard. "Is it a bomb?" She makes a frightened noise. I'll take that as a yes.
"How do we get to her?" Cisco asks impatiently.
"I'm thinking," I hiss, my fingers going to my temples, fighting through the stabbing pains in my head. The less I use my gift, the less it takes to make those pains appear. "There's a trip wire, running around the chair. We can disable it by reaching through the wires and putting the pin back in. Joe, can you do that?" He nods. "Caitlyn, are there any more traps than the one I know of? Quiet for yes, noise for no." She makes a noise, and I heave a sigh of relief. I don't think I could do that again without having another seizure. For all the bombardment of information I received today while I was at work, I'm remarkably out of practice actually using my gift.
Once Caitlyn is safely freed, she embraces me fiercely as we rush back to the car and away from this dark and horrible place.
"Thank you for coming. Thank you for saving me."
"I'll always come," I promise. "Let's get you back to STAR labs," I tell her affectionately.
"Can we stop for Big Belly Burger first? I could really use a meal." We nod, and Cisco fuses over her the whole way to the restaurant and back to the lab. I can't help but smile to myself; they'd be cute together. I wonder if they think I'd be cute paired up with someone else who's on Team Flash…it's frankly worrying how often Wells is on my mind.
Back in the cortex, I wait for Barry to come back from his fight with Captain Cold and the pyromaniac. He's my ride back to work. Cisco took Caitlyn home, so it's just me and Wells.
"You haven't come by lately. Is everything alright?" he asks, interrupting my silent rumination. I glance up, surprised to find him closer than I anticipated.
"Yeah, yeah," I say, running a hand through my hair, trying to shake off my moroseness. "I...work has been...difficult, lately." I'm not sure how much to reveal, but looking into his clear, open eyes, I'm not able to hold back the torrent of words that have been building inside me since this morning. "Actually, no, everything is not alright. I've got this account at work, a big corporation, very powerful. I disagree with practically everything they stand for, but hey, that's the job. Anyways, they're in hot water because some of their suppliers are on trial for using slave labor. Now, they're claiming that they didn't know they were sourcing from slave labor, but I'm on a call with the company president, and I know, I just know, he's lying." Wells makes a face of sympathy at this. "And it's my job to write up a notice excusing their ignorance, claiming they're going to institute changes to do better...but I know that it's a lie! How can I ethically write something that's a lie? I just don't know what to do," I finish sadly. He nods thoughtfully.
"I'm starting to better understand why you want to have the option to turn your gift off. That's not an easy situation to be in." He leans forward and lays his hands on mine. I feel a jolt of warmth and energy move through me from his touch. "I know you'll work it out - you're very smart." I can't help but blush and beam from the intensity of his gaze.
"I didn't realize you thought that about me," I say quietly, very aware that he and I are alone.
"Of course I do." His tone copies mine - his voice is soft, smooth...sensuous. I stare into his eyes, desperate for him to make a definitive move, but we just gaze comfortably at each other for longer than my heart can take. Finally, I clear my throat and back away a little.
"I was thinking about writing the damn piece but tipping off CCPN - if the company is caught lying, it will be even worse than if they're just caught breaking the law. Then I won't have to feel so badly about defending them."
"I think that's a great idea," he says with a smile. "Your name doesn't go on the release?" I shake my head.
"No, just the firm I work for. Our brand might be tarnished a little, but I'm sure we'll recover."
"Ah, that's good. I've learned not to put your name on anything you're not willing to stake your reputation on." I nod seriously at his allusion to his downfall.
"People forget and move on to focus on the next newsworthy event," I say tenderly, trying to be optimistic.
"They do." He looks at me closely then, his eyes twinkling with an idea. "A good public relations specialist can help them do that, even." I cock my head, not sure where he's going. "You know," he says after a moment's pause, "you could always quit tomorrow instead of writing the piece." I laugh at that, sharp and harsh.
"I wish - wouldn't that be the dream."
"Why not?" he asks, perfectly serious.
"I have rent I need to pay," I exclaim. "A phone bill, insurance...god you rich folks can be really out of touch with reality," I mockingly chide him.
"You could work here. With Caitlyn and Cisco and me." My heart stops. He just...offered me a job?
"Oh my god I can't believe Harrison Wells just offered me a job," I say breathlessly before wishing I could suck back the words and slap my hand over my mouth. Luckily, he just laughs.
"It's been a while since I was able to get that reaction from someone." Oh, so that must be why he likes me - I'm one of the few people still fangirling over him. I ignore the sting of that realization and shrug, trying to focus on the conversation.
"I mean...it is a very tempting offer." I look around as if seeing my high tech surroundings for the first time. Everything is so shiny and interesting. "It'd be great to be more fully part of the team, to help you metahuman-wise and PR-wise." I trail off. Already my brain is flicking through different ideas for how to make some good headlines for STAR labs. But do I want to actually work with the same people I train with?
"What are you thinking?" he asks.
"I'm just...considering the possibility. And any potential consequences of how that would affect my relationship with you all - if I had to order you around and give you advice on how to present yourselves and what to do."
"It's worth considering. But I think you spending more time here could only be a good thing. It would give you more flexibility to train and help with the Flash cases - to truly be Weathervane," he adds with a smile. I can't help but smile back. Barry bolts in then with a flash of lightning.
"Sorry for the delay - I stopped by the station. Ready to go?" he asks. I look at Wells, uncertain, and he looks back at me with that small, charismatic smile. Being his PR person would be incredibly easy...the world looks for reasons to love someone like Wells. And if I accept his offer, I don't have to leave with Barry to go back to the dark and dreary office.
"Let me think about it," I tell Wells, leaving Barry to guess what it is. Wells nods once.
"Of course." With a wave goodbye, Barry whisks me up and out of the lab. The cool night air rushes past me, blowing past me and feeling like freedom. Especially in contrast to the dark cubicle Barry sets me down in.
"You sure you don't want to go home?" he asks, glancing around the deserted office. I sigh. Wells' offer is looking mighty appealing right about now...but no, I don't want to do anything rash or put myself in a situation where I'm dependent on Wells. That would make fucking him extra complicated….not that that should be a main motivation of mine, but hey, he's so damn sexy, I can't give up the possibility.
"I need to stay. Thank you though. Take care, Barry."
"Thanks for your help tonight."
"Anytime - really." I wave goodbye, and he's gone. I sit down with a sigh and pound the words out - hitting each key on the keyboard with a spiteful jab. By the time I'm done and I get home, I only have time for a few hours of sleep before I need to head back into the office. Wells is looking more and more like my knight in shining armor.