/

AN:

Sorry this is a day late but I had my cousin's wedding and what should have been an afternoon affair turned into a full day one! (I had a very strange moment when the Grease medley was played at half eleven and I had to try to explain why I swore at Summer Nights to my aunt – I'd realised I wouldn't be home in time to post this then).

But the next chapter does lead on from this one quite nicely I think, so hopefully you won't mind getting two in a row…

/

The One Where He's Always Thinking of Her

The alarms went blaring through the Cortex, disrupting an otherwise peaceful morning at Star Labs.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked as she hurried over to Cisco who was tapping away furiously at his monitor's keyboard.

"Attack downtown," Cisco said tersely. "Two metas working together and basically going for it."

Caitlin hurried over to her console to check the feed coming in as the sound of running footsteps could be heard.

"What's happening?" Barry asked as he, Joe and Cecile ran into the room.

"Two metas taking on CCPD and wrecking anything they can see or touch," Cisco said. "One seems to be able to create force-fields, he's either using them to protect himself or firing them at people to knock them down. The other has an element based power, he's thrown these energy balls made of both fire and wind."

"Have they said anything? Like why they're doing this?" Cecile asked as Barry flashed into his suit and Joe pulled out his phone.

"Nope. Just lots of laughing, manic laughing."

"They look like they could be under an effect of something," Caitlin said, eyes trained on the footage in front of her. "Their eyes are dilated and their co-ordination is off. See how every few steps they're stumbling?"

"That probably just makes them more dangerous," Barry said. "If their awareness has been decreased and inhibitions lowered. I'm going to get all the civilians out of there first. Then try and engage them."

"All CCPD units have been called in," Joe said. "They want a roadblock to try and keep them contained."

"I'll give you a lift," Barry said and in a gust of wind the two were gone.

Cecile came over and sat at one of the other computers. "Do we have any idea who they are? If I had a name I could try and find some background information on them."

"Facial rec is running but so far no hits," Cisco said.

"What do you see Barry?" Caitlin asked as his indicator highlighted on the big screen stopped on the street where the metas were after moving all the civilians out of harm's way.

"Carnage," Barry answered. "There's so much destruction they've caused."

"What about the metas?"

"They're looting a store, grabbing drink and food and just messing with the displays."

"Sounds like two frat boys on a high," Cecile murmured.

"I'm going to talk to them, see if they can be reasoned with," Barry said.

"Be non-confrontational," Caitlin advised. "If they've had drugs or been affected by something else they will be highly unpredictable. They won't know how they feel themselves and therefore they're reactions will be irrational."

"Ok." Barry took a deep breath and then shouted. "Hi there!"

Both metas stopped and turned to face him.

"I'm the Flash. Can I help you?"

One started giggling whilst the other scowled.

"No dude, go away," scowly meta said.

"But it's the Flash," giggly meta replied. "Who thought we'd ever meet the Flash?"

"What's your names?" Barry asked whilst slowly moving towards them.

"You can call me Shieldforce," scowly meta said. "He's Elemental."

"Oh no, really?" Cisco said. "Those are so not good names."

Cecile turned to Caitlin. "He complains about their names?"

"Unless he names them, always," Caitlin replied eyes glued on her screen as Barry continued to talk.

"How are you guys feeling today?" Barry asked.

"Brilliant! Everything's so hazy and beautiful and we can just get what we want. See?" Elemental said and then held out his hand and sent a wind ball through a shop window, breaking it and allowing him to reach in and take the jacket that had been on display inside.

"But that's not yours," Barry said carefully. "It's not ok to take what's yours."

"We've always been told no," Shieldforce snapped. "Always been told we can't have something. Well we got these powers don't we? We can just take it. No more waiting, no more broken promises, no more being nobody's for us!"

"Facial rec has got an ID on Elemental," Cisco said suddenly. "He's Tim Dyer, 20, Central City resident and been a ward of the state since he was 8. Man, he's been through like twenty foster homes."

"I'll access the system and see what I can find out." Cecile said. "Maybe he's got a known associate and that will be his friend there."

"You gonna be another one of those people who tells us what we can and can't do?" Shieldforce shouted angrily, moving himself aggressively towards Barry.

"Be careful, Barry," Caitlin called out. "They are bother very volatile."

"No one else is gonna to tell us what to do!"

And Shielforce blasted a force-field at Barry. He dodged it easily enough but now he was a target for Shieldforce's anger and the force-fields kept coming. After a minute Elemental decided he wanted to join in the 'fun' as well and started throwing his fire and wind balls too. Barry kept dodging them but when they both sent attacks at him he didn't quite move out of the way fast enough and a fire ball clipped his shoulder.

"Argh," Barry sucked in a deep breath as his vitals spiked in response to the pain.

The two metas seemed to realise they'd got him and doubled the intensity of their attacks.

"Guys I need some help!" Barry called out.

"On our way," Cisco said before turning to face Cecile. "You have the con."

"What?" She replied.

Cisco rolled his eyes. "Star Trek, come on!"

"You're both going?" Cecile asked.

"What's better than one hero against two metas? Three heroes against two metas. Let's go Caitlin."

Caitlin hesitated but as she saw Barry's vitals dip she knew she was going; that she needed to go. Her reservations would always be quietened if there was a way to help him.

She grabbed her jacket, felt the cold inside of her and let herself change as Cisco opened a breach.

They arrived out onto the street the opposite side of the metas who were still attacking Barry.

"I'll see if my vibes off-set his shields," Cisco said, lifting his hands for action. "Your ice should counter-act the fire and wind balls Elemental is throwing around."

"Let's do it then," Frost's deeper voice answered.

Vibe jumped forward and shot a blast at Shieldforce, catching the meta off-guard and knocking him to the ground. Flash only needed that one second of distraction to get himself away from the onslaught of attacks he'd been pinned under. Frost stood her ground as Elemental turned to her and glared, before lobbing two element balls at her.

Frost lifted her hands and blast ice spears at them, the cold infusion easily enveloping the balls and causing them to drop harmlessly to the ground and smash apart as ice remnants. Elemental's face contorted into rage and he began blasting bigger and bigger spheres of fire and wind at her. Frost managed to ice shoot every one of them. Elemental became angrier and angrier but as he did his aim became sloppier and sloppier. Frost smirked at him as she used one hand to send two blasts at the energy balls he'd sent and her other hand to send a blast of ice at the man himself, knocking him to the ground. He moaned but didn't get back up again.

Frost grinned smugly and was about to saunter over to him and make a remark when an energy wave hit her out of nowhere, forcing her off her feet and onto the ground, hard.

"Frost! Caitlin! Can you hear me?" Cecile's voice shouted in her ear.

Caitlin blinked her eyes as she came to on the cold sidewalk, Frost retreating into herself to heal them.

"You bitch!" Shieldforce yelled and aimed both his hands at her.

But a bold of lightning hit Shieldforce from behind and he was sent flying into the opposite side of the street.

"Vibe, make sure he's down and cuff him!" Flash yelled before he was in front of Caitlin in the next second. "Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

"Why is it that Frost gets all the cool fighting and I end up feeling the after effects?" Caitlin tried to joke as tried to get up, wincing as she felt sore muscles pull. "I think I'm ok."

"Let's get you back to Star Labs to make sure," Barry said his voice determined.

"You should stay and co-ordinate with the police," Caitlin sad as she managed to stand. "Make sure they get safely to Iron heights and that someone does a full medical check-up on them."

"That can wait," Barry answered, his hands cradling her arms as he helped her get her balance. "You're more important."

Caitlin smiled at the sincerity and passion in his voice and felt a warm glow gather in her chest. But she also knew what she needed to say.

"I'm fine Flash. Go be Central City's hero. I'll be waiting for you back at Star Labs."

Barry looked torn, his face scrunched up underneath his mask but Caitlin knew it was the right thing. If something happened whilst the metas were transported and secured and people got hurt Barry would never forgive himself. She knew she was hurting but it wasn't anything serious. As she'd told him before; she could, and was happy to, wait.

"They're both down and cuffed," Vibe said as he joined them. "You guys ok?"

"Frost needs checking out, she took a hard hit," Barry answered.

"Can you breach me back?" Caitlin asked. "Flash will finish up here."

"I got you," Vibe said and wrapped an arm around her waist as he lifted the other to open a portal.

"Get yourself checked out. I'll see you, soon," Barry stressed.

"Yes Flash," Caitlin responded with a reassuring smile for him.

Vibe opened a breach and the two stepped through into the medical bay. Caitlin quickly walked over to a machine and started programming it for a full body scan. She couldn't feel any broken bones but there were definitely twinges in her back and on her right side, from where she had landed. It was probably just some internal bruising but she'd make sure with the scan.

"Are you alright? Do you need checking over Cisco?" Caitlin asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Cisco replied. "I got tripped up, that's how Shieldforce managed to target you, but it's nothing really." Cisco paused and then looked up at her. "Sorry."

"For what?" Caitlin asked.

"If I'd been on my game I would have noticed he'd changed where he was angling his force-fields and then he wouldn't have been able to take me down."

Caitlin looked at him and smiled. "We all know the risks every time we go out into the field. We all accept them otherwise we have no right to be out there. It was part of being out there doing active hero work Cisco, nobody's to blame and I especially don't put you at fault."

"Thanks."

"Go help Cecile and Barry finish up. I'm fine here."

Cisco left and Caitlin ran her tests, confirming what she had already self-diagnosed herself with; internal swelling with acute muscular impact sensitivity. She retrieved an ice pack and was about to apply it when a gust of wind sent some of her supplies flying across the room.

"Cait?" Barry asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she answered, gesturing to the ice pack. "Some swelling and bruising and a bit of pain but Frost healed what would have been worse injuries. How are you?"

"Fine," he said on a sigh. "Better now I know you're okay."

Caitlin smiled and walked over to him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "You worry too much. But thank you for thinking about me."

Barry wrapped his hand around hers and used it to pull her into him for a hug. His arm curled around her waist and kept her held tight against him whilst he buried his face in her hair. Caitlin closed her eyes and relaxed into him, letting his warmth and strength envelop her.

"I'll always be thinking of you Cait," he whispered, his voice an intimate caress.

She shivered against him but unfortunately it made Barry pull back and frown down at her.

"You're not okay," he stated. "You need to be resting. Let me run you home."

"Barry I'm-" whoosh "fine," she said but was now standing in her apartment.

"You're taking the rest of the day off," Barry instructed. "I'll let Cisco know and we won't disturb you with anything else. But if you need us just give me a call; I'll be here in a second."

"This is totally unnecessary. I'm fine. Just a little sore. It's much less than some of your injuries!"

"But you're more important than me so it's more important you rest," Barry replied stubbornly. "And if you think of making your way back to Star Labs after I leave then you will find yourself flashed back here. The doctor is the one who's going to be resting today, understand?"

"I am not this bossy to you when you need to rest," Caitlin mumbled.

"Well' argue about that another day Dr Snow," he said with a smile. "I'll give you a call alter, see how you're doing."

"Well I'll be bored out of my mind as there's nothing to do here…"

"Rest and relax," Barry said and then he was gone.

Caitlin looked around at her apartment and decided she could rest and relax by getting her work laptop and reviewing some files. She'd light one of her candles too, just to give her a calming air. Settled on that course of action Caitlin headed to her room to find said laptop whilst crunching the ice bag that was still in her hand to activate it.

A sudden knock at her door had her changing direction. Opening it she found no-one there… but a large wooden box was on her front door mat.

Frowning at why Barry would give this to her now when he'd just told her to rest up Caitlin nevertheless took the box inside and placed it on her kitchen table to open it. Inside were a hastily arranged – judging by the lack of finesse of how they were laid out and the tissue paper being strewn all over the place – assortment of bath products and accessories, including some spa goods and facemasks.

Written in big letters and underlined on the inside lid of the box was one word: RELAX.

Caitlin smiled at Barry's thoughtfulness and the fact that it was so messy because he must have rushed around to get this ready for her as soon as he'd dropped her off. Grabbing a jar of bath salts she decided to do as she was told for once and go and have a relaxing bath in the middle of the day. It had been a very tiring week and an intense day after all, so maybe a relax was just what she needed.

/