A.N. Title and lyrics are from the song "Boxes" by the Goo Goo Dolls. For the prompt 'growth' - but really just a fun spring story. Takes place in an idealized timeline/unknown season where my favorite characters are still alive, together, or in Central City. You can find an amazingly adorable graphic made by purpleyin on the snowbarryspot tumblr!


I need a family to drive me crazy

Call me out when I'm low and lazy

It won't be perfect, but we'll be fine

'Cause I've got your back, and you've got mine

"Cait, have you seen our daughter?"

Caitlin looked down from the decorations in her hand above her head at the toddler playing by her feet in the grass, smirking at the sound of her husband's voice from inside their house.

"I've looked everywhere and I can't seem to find her."

"Everywhere, huh?"

Barry appeared in front of her in a whoosh. His brow crinkled, "Yeah. Cait, I'm starting to get worried. Maybe we should call a Team Flash meeting - what if someone took her?"

A giggle escaped Caitlin's lips and she let the streamers fall to cover her mouth.

Barry stared at her blankly, hands now on his hips, "I'm telling you that our daughter is missing, and you think it's funny?"

At the concern marring her husband's features, Caitlin's own face softened, "Aw, hon . . . look down."

"W-What?"

Caitlin pointed down - Barry's eyes followed her finger to their toddler at her feet.

"Alright, where's my favorite birthday girl!?"

Barry and Caitlin didn't even flinch as their best friend and fellow Team Flash member appeared in front of them, jumping out of his own portal into their backyard. Their daughter squealed in delight, abandoning her toys on the blanket and running up to her favorite uncle. The tot jumped up into his arms and he ran around - throwing her up into the air and catching her.

"Ah . . . she was with you the whole time."

"Yes, she was with me," Caitlin nodded to her husband, "But to be fair, I did tell you that earlier while we were still in bed."

Barry's hand reached up to scratch the back of his neck, "I might've been half-asleep during that conversation, yeah. And, it was a long night." His wife blushed, turning her head.

"Whoa, married friends – tmi!" Their friend shuddered, scrunching his face at them.

Caitlin and Barry shared a knowing look, grinning at each other. "Hey, Cisco - you're early. Where's your other half?"

Cisco let the toddler down to the ground, where she proceeded to run around him in circles. He held his hand on his back, breathing heavily. "Geez! She's so much bigger than the last time I did that . . . Old Man Vibe needs to work out or something . . . phew! Nah, my lady is running a little late. She'll be by later if she can get out of work." A portal opened in front of him where he held his hands out, and a generous pile of gifts landed neatly and gently on the ground beside him, "Where do you want these?"

Caitlin looked around at their half-decorated yard, turning to her husband. "Hey Flash, you wanna . . .?" She waved her hand out.

"I thought we wanted to be not superheroes today and decorate for our daughter and our friends on our own without powers," Barry smirked.

"Right . . . and we did," Caitlin nodded, "But now our friend is here, and it would be rude to be running around the house setting up and leave him un-entertained."

"You've got a point there, hon," Barry shrugged, taking off in a run. Soon enough, the yard was covered in brightly-colored decorations of bunnies, chicks, butterflies, and flowers in blue, yellow, pink, orange, green, and purple.

"Woosh! Woosh!" Their daughter giggled, running around just like her dad.

"Cerelia, be careful to stay out of your dad's way. And, not too fast; you'll fall and hurt yourself," Caitlin tensed, ready to get up to catch her clumsy toddler at a moment's notice.

"C'mon mama - relax!" Cisco scoffed, watching Barry still zipping around while his daughter chased after him. A bunny and flower-themed bouncy house inflated in front of them, followed by a slip-n-slide/water balloon station, a bright-yellow baby chick-shaped pinata, and several large easels with water-colored paints. Cisco's gifts were added to a large decorated table, ready for the rest of the gifts to arrive later. "Kid's got so much meta DNA in her genes she'll probably end up more powerful than all of us. Even if she doesn't have any powers."

"He's right." Barry came to a full stop next to them, planted a kiss on his wife's cheek, deposited a different drink in each of Caitlin's and Cisco's hands, and then took off again around the yard. Soon enough, the grill was started up with a picnic table near it and a multitude of snacks all over it. Cerelia was now occupied by her dolls and trucks in her sandbox nearby.

Cisco held out his bottle of beer to clink with her wine glass, smirking, "Thanks for the beer, bud!"

Moments later, there a was lawn chair behind each of them, and another one next to Caitlin's - plus a child-size one too, and a stack of more chairs off to the side. There was also a cooler set up full of different drinks for the adults and kids. As the two sat down, Barry sat down beside them with a drink of his own. Cerelia ran toward them, giggling, tumbling into her little green chair between her parents.

"You're welcome," Barry held out his mojito before taking a sip.

"Still no powers for my little god-daughter, huh?" Cisco asked, watching the toddler crawl around her chair like a monkey.

"No! Thank god . . . she's a handful enough already." Barry breathed out, rolling his eyes. "Take eyes off her for a second, and she'll be into something. Or disappear."

Caitlin chuckled, "Nothing yet, no. No super speed or cryogenics or otherwise. Right now she's just a kid, and we're content to let her be so," Caitlin reached over to hold her husband's hand.

"All right, fair enough," Cisco winked, "She's still young, I guess. Or, you know, maybe the next one'll be a meta."

"We'll see if there is another one," Caitlin blushed, turning to her husband, "Great job on the decorations, Barry. Even better than we planned out. I think we are officially ready to start this party."

"Once the rest of the Team Flash Fam get here." Barry grinned back at her.

"A party is definitely well-needed right now. 'Cuz it's been pretty crazy around here - way too many psycho villains and not-Crisis-related crisis's." Cisco laughed, "Who else is all coming to this shindig anyway?"

"Just some people we might know," Caitlin shrugged.

As if on cue, the rest of the guests began to file in: Joe and Cecile with Jenna, Iris and Eddie with their son, Ralph and Sue with their twins, Chester and Allegra, Harry as the third wheel with Jesse and Wally, Nash with Frost and their unborn surprise baby, and even Carla.

And so the springtime festivities began, celebrating Cerelia Snow-Allen's birthday - but it was really just an excuse for Team Flash to spend time together and relax.

Little Cerelia relished in the attention from her parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. Games were played, gifts were opened, food was eaten . . . and they thanked whatever lucky stars that there were no meta-emergencies to disrupt the day. All of the adults had a side bet going behind Barry's and Cailtin's backs on when or if or how meta abilities would manifest in their daughter. And then her parents found out, and only upped the ante.

Cerelia's godparents presented the young girl with even more special gifts from just them - a hand-stitched super-suit from Cisco and tickets for a white-water rafting trip (in a few years of course) for just the two of them from Frost.

Cerelia was glued to Frost for most of the day and night - from games and gifts to dinner, to being planted firmly in her aunt's slightly-expanded lap in a chair by the late afternoon bonfire. Long before the fire died out, the two were fast asleep shoulder-to-shoulder. Nash carried Frost to their car, while Barry carried Cerelia up to bed, with Caitlin watching with her heart out on her sleeve.

The day wasn't without its imperfections, from friendly family squabbles, fussy children in need of a nap, and a few guests who couldn't make it, but it was their family - Team Flash - and that was all that mattered.

Cerelia may or may not have developed meta abilities later on, but on that special spring day, it was clear that she already had a special way of bringing her family together.

You are the memory that won't ever lapse

When twenty-five years have suddenly passed

Wherever you take me, it's clear I will go

Your love's the one love that I need to know