Part 7

Barry stood in front of Caitlin's door. He had no idea why he felt so nervous. This was not a date. This was just two friends going out to support a good cause. Besides it wasn't the first time they had gone to something like this. In fact their senior year of high school neither of them had been dating anyone. So they went to their senior prom together. But for some reason this felt different. He knew that he cared about Caitlin more then any of his other friends. Finally taking a deep breath he knocked on the door. It opened and he smiled at his best friend. She look absolutely gorgeous, not that he had never noticed how beautiful she was before. Caitlin was wearing an ankle length royal blue dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. The sleeves fell to mid arm and it had a scoop neckline. The pair of heels Caitlin wore matched the dress. He noticed a wrap that matched the dress on the couch a long with a clutch. Snowflake earrings hung from her ears with a diamond snowflake pendent around her neck.

"You're early. I'll be ready in about five minutes. I just need to finish my make up." Said Caitlin

"You look beautiful. Not that you don't always."

"Barry, you don't look so bad yourself."

"Are you ok Cait?"

Caitlin bit her lip not sure how to answer the question. Physically yes she was ok. But emotionally not so much. She was scared. She hated feeling scared.

"That is not an easy question to answer. Other than a few bruises physically I am. But emotionally not so much. Hunter scared me like I have never been scared in my life."

"Cait, what Hunter did was wrong. You don't deserve to be treated like he treated you. You have grown from that shy quiet girl my mom and I met when you moved in next door."

"I could barely tell you my name."

"Yeah. But then you found that bird with a broken wing a few days later. I had you bring it to my mom and we nursed it back to health. You knew what to do to fix the wing and we did it."

"Then you introduce me to Iris. I remember the look on Joe's face when he walked into his kitchen and found us with that dead chipmunk."

"He turned green when he realized that you wanted to do an autopsy on it."

"We were twelve! I wanted to see if I could figure out how it died."

"Yeah I don't think he liked the idea of using his kitchen table to do it."

"Maybe not my best idea."

Caitlin finished touching up her make up. Barry picked her wrap up and wrapped it around her.

"Remind me to thank your mom for raising the perfect gentleman. By the way I think you look rather dashing in that tux."

"It is easy to be a gentleman when the lady is as lovely as you."

Caitlin blushed at the way Barry was flirting with her. Not that it was anything new. They had been playfully flirting with each other for years. They headed out. Caitlin locked her door and they headed down to Barry's car. Or more accurately his mother's car. Barry opened the door for Caitlin. After making sure she was in he closed the door and headed for the driver's seat. After he got in he started the car and started to drive to the banquet hall the fundraiser was taking place at.

"Barry, promise me something."

"You know that you don't have to ask me that."

"Please Bare?"

"What do you want me to promise you?"

"That you will never abandon me. No matter what happens to me."

"Nothing is going to happen to you."

"Barry, the fact is no one can be with me all the time. Even if I get the restraining order it won't stop Hunter. I know I will be safe in a room full of cops. But the fact is I am scared."

"Cait, you are my best friend. You are the one person in this world I trust more than anyone other than my parents. Even more than Iris."

"I know."

"You need to trust me when I say that everyone will do their best to keep you safe. We will not abandon you."

"I know. Barry, I am sorry that I am being so insecure."

"Cait, you never have to apologize for being who you are."

"How did I get so lucky to have you as my best friend?"

"You moved in next door."

Caitlin smiled knowing that as long as she had Barry she would be ok. After parking the car Barry helped her out of the car. She noticed that his parents had arrived too and were waiting on them. Barry offered her his arm and they headed over to them.

"This lovely young lady can't be the Caitlin Snow that use to live next door." Said Henry Allen

"It's good to see you Dr. Allen. You too Mrs. Allen." Said Caitlin giving each a hug.

"How many times do we have to tell us it's Henry and Nora?" said Henry

"I will try to remember that."

Nora watched how Caitlin seemed to be watching everything around them. She seemed to be scared of something. She would pull her son aside later to see if he could tell her anything. The four of them headed in together. Caitlin relaxed when she saw that they would be sharing a table with Joe and Iris, and their dates Cecile Horton who was the DA and Eddie Thawne.

"Caitlin, I have something for you." Said Cecile handing her an envelope.

Caitlin opened it and found that she had been granted her restraining order against Hunter.

"Thank you Ms. Horton." Said Caitlin

"I am just happy I could help." Said Cecile

Barry took the papers from Caitlin and put them in the inside pocket of his tux jacket. Barry pulled out a chair for Caitlin and once seated he pushed her in. Everyone could see the pride in Nora Allen's eyes at how her son was treating his friend.

"Don't go pushing those two Nora. They will eventually see what everyone else does." Said Henry

Nora just smiled knowing that one day her son would make the girl next door the daughter she already thought of her as.