I am beyond convinced that the Flash Writers want Caitlin and Barry to be together, as noted a lot of subtle scenes but they couldn't because they wanted to do the whole Barry/Iris relationship. Maybe in the next crossover they'll do something about it...

In any case, this is the last chapter for this year. See you in 2019 for a fluff chap.

S.T.A.R Labs

Cisco stared at his watch, tapping it a few times before holding it up to his ear. He could hear the tick-tock sounds as the gears continued to move. He frowned and shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with my watch." He stated as he looked at Joe and Eddie. "How is it possible that we -" He gestured to the three of them. "Beat them back here. He's the fastest man alive for crying out loud."

Joe couldn't help but chuckle. "That's Barry alright. Even with his powers, he was still late to everything. It used to drive Singh up the wall."

"Well, he better have my Big Belly Burger with extra pickles." Cisco grumbled, taking a seat in the Cortex. He drummed his fingers on the desk, wondering why he was the only one who cried earlier. Granted, those damn pesky bugs were the cause of it but he expected Caitlin to shed some tears as well. That girl cried every time she watched any movies by Nicholas Sparks but she didn't cry this time so it made him a little suspicious.

He thought about that for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes. "She couldn't..." His head turned slightly as he mumbled. "She wouldn't..." He paused and sighed, his fingers already typing away on the keyboard. Within moments, all the programs that Caitlin pulled up earlier were back up and he was already scrolling through the system logs but what he saw brought a smirk to his face.

"That sneaky little vixen. She did." He whispered, trying to contain the glee in his voice. "My young padawan finally crossed over into the dark side..."

Just when he thought that his attempts of luring Caitlin to come join him has all but failed, she goes and pulls one over him. That girl has been running a non-stop search algorithm on Sally for the past six months, searching for all traces of dark matter. If he wasn't a little offended that she couldn't trust him with this, he would have been proud of her.

"So how do you think Barry survived?" Joe asked, breaking Cisco out of his little monologue. "I thought you guys said that nothing can survive in a wormhole."

"Yeah..." Cisco awkwardly answered, "My bad Joe." It was times like this that he wished he had someone smarter than him to bounce ideas off. Maybe if Wells was still around, he could have came up with some kind of plausible explanation. He then froze and slapped him for even approaching that line of thought. He saw the strange looks from both detectives and he shook his head. "Wells." He mumbled and they nodded understandably.

"Where is he?!" Iris shouted as she burst into the lab, startling both Cisco and Joe. "Is it true that he's alive?" She rapidly fired off several more questions, causing both men to stare at Eddie who only sheepishly shrugged his shoulders in response. "She's my fiancé..." He weakly answered, "I couldn't not tell her."

Joe sighed and grabbed a chair for his daughter. "Breathe baby." He instructed, making a motion for her to sit. "Yes, Barry is alive and he's fine." He paused for a second before continuing. "As far as I can tell anyway. He's with Caitlin right now but they should be back soon..."

And just like that, a big breeze blew in, causing everyone to instinctively shield their eyes as papers flew everywhere. After a few seconds, they lowered their hands and saw several bags of Big Belly Burger on the desk, as well as both Barry and Caitlin each holding up several more bags from the fast food chain.

"Anyone hungry?" Caitlin asked, smiling at everyone. Chaos soon erupted and she found it hard to hear everyone all at once but before she could speak up, Barry stepped in and shouted, calming everyone down. She mouthed a quick thanks towards him and she handed her bag over to Cisco. "Your burger with extra pickles."

"Thanks." Cisco said and then leaned in close enough to whisper to her. "I know what you did young padawan." She gave him a confused look but he continued. "Hope for you, there might be."

"Oh-kay." She said, shrugging it off and walked next to Barry, handing him his meal. "That was fun." She whispered, trying to keep the blush from reappearing on her cheeks.

Barry chuckled, "We can do it whenever you're up for it Cait." He whispered back as he brushed his hand across hers, smiling as he walked to the front of the room. He turned around and saw everyone's attention on him. She warned him about this but he thought it was going to be a piece of cake but now that he's standing here, it's a lot more intimidating. "So I assume everyone's been wondering... I'm not dead." He saw the look on Cisco's face and quickly added. "Nor am I a zombie."

Joe couldn't help but laugh. This definitely felt like Barry, his antics were one and the same. "I'm glad your finally home son but how is that even possible? Everyone saw you run into that singularity with Thawne. He didn't survive as well right?" It felt a bitter taste in his mouth but he figure he might as well ask. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"No!" Barry shouted and then coughed, readjusting his voice. "I mean no. Thawne's dead for good." He explained, sitting down on the steps next to Caitlin. He interlocked his fingers together and stared at the floor. "When I jumped into that singularity, I already knew that I wasn't going to come back out." He heard several gasps and he held his hand up, stopping them from interrupting him. "I mean for real guys. It's a wormhole. Did anyone actually think I was going to survive?"

"I did." Caitlin mumbled. She's already heard this story from him earlier but her heart still aches, knowing what he went through just to get home. "We all did Barry."

"I almost didn't though." He admitted. "Being in there... it was unlike anything you could imagine. It felt empty... deprived of everything and anything. I don't remember anything else after that... except that the next time I opened my eyes, I was in an alleyway somewhere. It took me a little regain my bearings but I realized I was in Central City. I was just lucky that I still had my Flash suit on or else it would have been weird standing there naked."

While everyone else was chuckling at his little joke, Caitlin couldn't help but notice the halfhearted smile and she grew worried. She could tell that he was still holding something back but she knew better than to push him. She learned from Joe that the more you push Barry, the more he'll go the opposite direction. She sighed and hoped that whenever he was ready, he'll reach out and talk to her but until then, she was fine staying by his side. For medical purposes of course and not just to be closer to him she told herself.

"So you're like Tommy Oliver... The Green Ranger..." Cisco whispered in awe and then did a double-take. "You're not going to turn evil one day and kill us one day right? You mustn't give into the temptation that is Rita."

"Cisco!" Both Iris and Caitlin shouted. Iris also slapped his arm since she was the closest one to him. Caitlin shot her a grateful look which she returned. "Honestly Cisco." Iris said, shaking her head. "Barry's Barry. He's not going to be evil and I, for one, am so relieved that he's back." She proved her point by walking up to him, arms out, ready to give him a welcome home hug but at the last second, he sidestepped away, leaving her with a startled look on her face. "Barry?"

"Sorry." Barry muttered, averting his eyes away from Iris. He leaned closer to Caitlin who mirrored Iris' expression. "I just need some time to adjust..."

She was about to point out that he certainly didn't need any time to adjust with Caitlin but Eddie interrupted her, quietly warning her not to make a scene right now. She knew he was right but that didn't mean she had to like it. Her attention stayed on the two of them and she felt a pang of jealousy which surprised her. Was she actually jealous of Caitlin? She scoffed at that idea. Barry was probably being Barry, reaching out to someone familiar and since Caitlin is his personal doctor, that would make sense but for some reason... that didn't really satisfy her.

"Team Flash is back!" Cisco cheered, his infectious voice echoing through the lab. "Wait, are we back?" He looked towards Barry for confirmation. "Please tell me we're back."

Barry laughed, "Are we back Dr. Snow?" He teased, his mood picking up.

Caitlin rolled her eyes at their antics but nevertheless, smiled at them. "You and I need to run a few tests before I can even agree to anything." She coyly answered. "We can't have our hero disappearing on us can we?"

Cisco fist pumped into the air and then started to walk out, his burger entirely forgotten. "You're going to love the new suit I designed for you Barry. It's the crème de la crème."

"Well I hate to break up this happy occasion but Eddie and I need to head back to the station before Singh chews us out. He wanted an update on our latest meta." Joe announced, "Why don't you stop by the house later Barry?"

"Sure Joe but can you guys leave out the fact that I was there?"

"Of course Barry. Anything for our savior." Eddie warmly answered. "Do you need a lift back into the city babe?" He asked, turning to Iris. When she didn't answer, he frowned and waved his hand in front of her face. "Earth to Iris. Is anyone home?"

"Yeah babe. Sorry." She mumbled, her attention still focused on Barry and Caitlin. "What did you say?"

He groaned and pulled her aside. "Don't do this Iris. Not now. The guy practically just came home. At least give him some time to readjust to everything." He tried to reason with her because once she gets a whiff of a story, she's like a bloodhound. Willing to go to any lengths to track down that fox.

"You don't get it Eddie. Barry and I grew up together and not once has he refused one of my hugs." She pointed out. "Not even when his father was sent to prison or when that bitch Stacy dumped him. It's just one of those things that the West's are known for. Our hugs and I'm telling you babe, something's wrong. I just don't know what yet."

It was a losing battle and he knew it but for Barry's sake, he had to keep trying. He owed him that much. "Just one week and then I won't stop you anymore. He did save my life you know."

"Fine. One week." She huffed, crossing her arm against her chest. She turned her attention back to Barry, who was laughing at something that Caitlin said and she couldn't help but scowl.

She was definitely not jealous of Caitlin.

Hours later

Caitlin continued to run the tests from her end, occasionally glancing at Barry who sat there with a faraway expression on his face. He was quieter than usual but she chalked it up to him still coming to terms with his situation. When the machine beeped once more, Caitlin reviewed the results and smiled. "Looks like all your tests came back positive Barry." Her fingers flipped through the pages and while some of his vitamin levels were a little low, it wasn't a cause for concern. She'd just make him take some multi-vitamins and he should be fine.

"Barry?" She called out his name again, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry, a lot on my mind." Barry answered, plastering a smile but Caitlin knew something was bothering him. She put down the results and turned around, trying to get a read on him.

"Do you want to talk about the white elephant in the room?"

He shook his head, not even surprised that she was able to see past him. "Not really." He mumbled. "Soon. I promise." He quickly added. "I don't want to talk about myself right now. I rather talk about what the others have been up to since I've been gone."

"Why not just ask them yourself?" She asked, "Wouldn't that be easier?"

"But I like hearing it from your point of view Cait." He smoothly answered.

She felt her cheeks turning red and she coughed, trying to distract herself with anything other than Barry. She mumbled something incoherent about speedsters and gave in, not that she put up much of a fight. Something about those green eyes of his...

They spent the next few hours talking about the people in their lives, how Iris and Eddie were in the early stages of planning their spring wedding and how Joe wisely chose to distance himself from those two. Barry couldn't help but laugh when she told him about Iris and the cake incident. Cisco was still flirting with the baristas at Jitters and he finally managed to score a date with Kendra, the newest barista there.

During those few hours, she couldn't help but feel herself being drawn to him, her body just reacting to his and more than anything else, she wished they were on a couch somewhere, cuddling underneath a blanket so they can actually spend the rest of the night just talking. She inwardly sighed, knowing that even though she has these feelings for him... the fear of him not returning those was enough to keep her from trying.

It wasn't until she heard their stomachs growling that she realized just how late it was. She glanced at her watch and jumped up from her seat. "Barry! It's ten!"

"That's alright." Barry said, nonchalantly waving off her apology. "The night's still young."

She shot him a look before shaking her head. "You forgot about Joe didn't you?" She asked and his reaction caused her to giggle. She could see the gears turning in his head until it finally hit him. He leaped up from his seat and started yammering how about Joe was going to kill him for being so late. She pointed towards the door and told him to go, leaving nothing but a gust of wind in his wake.

Seeing him run out of there like that without so much as a goodbye made her heart ache, reminding herself that this is what it'll feel like until she tells him... She sighed and started reaching for the nearest paper until Barry came back into the lab, holding her stuff in his hands. She gave him a strange look, wondering what he was doing with her belongings.

"You didn't actually think that I was going to Joe's alone did you Cait?"

Her lips threatened to break out in a smile as she accepted his hand to help her back up on her feet. "I'm pretty sure Joe isn't expecting the both of us."

"He loves you Caitlin and besides, neither of us has eaten yet and I'm positive that Joe brought home dinner, like a pasta or pizza or both. You know, with my metabolism and all."

She giggled, full well knowing about this metabolism. That was why she always kept one of his protein bars with her at all times. Just in case he needed one. "You just didn't want to go alone."

"Guilty." Barry answered, laughing as he held up his hands. "And besides, I'm not ready to say good night to you just yet."

Her heart fluttered and she found it extremely hard to say no to him right now. Debating between going home alone and watching Netflix or spending some more time with Barry, it was an obvious decision. She took the jacket and her purse from his hands and smiled at him. "Lead the way Mr. Allen."

He swooped her up in his arms and within moments, they were on the road, speeding through Central City as they made their way into the suburbs. Barry stopped just short of the steps in front of Joe's house and gently put Caitlin down. "Delivery as promised." He joked and walked up the stairs and knocked.

The door promptly swung open and Joe stood there shaking his head. "Finally!" The detective exclaimed. "I thought you two would never show up." He gestured for them to come in, leading them over to the couch. "I didn't know if you guys were hungry or not so I just ordered a bunch of pizzas. I hope you're hungry."

"Thanks for including me Joe." Caitlin said, taking a seat next to Barry.

Joe laughed. "Why wouldn't I? You're family Caitlin and let's face it, without you, this knucklehead wouldn't even be alive right now. You're always there for him."

"Hey!" Barry whined, already munching on a slice of pizza. He held up a plate with a slice for Caitlin with his other hand while glaring at Joe. "I resent that. I am not always getting hurt while on patrol you know."

Both Caitlin and Joe shot him a look and Barry grumbled. "Fine. Like 80% of the time I don't get hurt."

"Try 10% of the time." Joe corrected. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about Barry. I wanted to know how long you've been back in Central City."

Caitlin coughed, choking on her pizza and stared at Barry, staring at him in disbelief. "Seriously Barry?"

He nodded, confirming Joe's suspicion. "It's only been a few days since I came back but I didn't know how to tell you guys..."

"I could think of several ways..." Joe muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "Why didn't you just come home then Barry?"

"I couldn't." He whispered, putting down his plate. He stared off into the window, noticing just how dark it's gotten. He wasn't ten years old anymore and being afraid of the dark was silly but every time he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but to remember what it was like to be in that singularity.

Cold and alone...

It didn't matter how fast or how far he ran... darkness was always there, waiting for him. Panic and despair soon set in and he considered just closing his eyes, believing that there was no other option. He had accepted his fate, that he was destined to die here but it seems like someone else... something else, had other plans because the next thing he knew, he was standing on solid ground, the stench of garbage and the noises from everything else became apparent.

He spent the next few days running back and forth between hemispheres, just so that when he goes to sleep, he didn't have to sleep in the darkness. It was silly, that a grown man would be afraid of the dark but when you're a grown man with superpowers, you didn't have to take that risk.

He knew that they mean well but he wasn't ready. Not yet. "Anyone for seconds? Or fifths?" He quietly asked, intentionally changing the subject.

Joe shook his head, standing up and patted his stomach. "This old man has enough for tonight. I'm going to turn in so I hope that I can trust you kids to behave yourselves." He teased as he walked up the stairs. He threw one last look at Barry and sighed. Whatever that kid was going through, he just hoped that he had enough sense to reach out for help.

Maybe with Caitlin by his side... everything would be alright. He couldn't help but smile, knowing that the good doctor was smitten with his son. If he played his cards right, there would be a second wedding in his future soon.

After Joe went upstairs, Caitlin turned to Barry and saw the faraway look on his face. "So what are your plans now Barry? She softly asked.

"I'm not ready to get some sleep yet." He answered. "If you're up for it, I would love to continue our conversation from earlier."

And so they did. They continued talking throughout the night until Caitlin dozed off, finding herself using Barry's shoulder as a makeshift pillow. He smiled inwardly and readjusted himself, allowing her to make full use of the couch and allowed her head to sleep on top of his lap. As she slept, he noticed that she would wake up unexpectedly, almost if she wanted to check up on him, to make sure he was still there and every time she did that, he would pretend to be asleep.

It was like a game of cat and mouse but it was something that he found endearing. His hand slowly brushed away several strands of her hair, smiling as his heart fluttered. "You really are something Caitlin Snow." He whispered, shifting his body so that now, they were cuddling on the couch, with her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around here, enjoying the feeling of holding her close.

Happy Holidays. Review.