Disclaimer: The following is a nonprofit Fan based story; The FLASH and all related characters are owned by DC comics, the CW and anyone I may have missed.

A/N: Alright I'm going to be writing shorter chapters for now to progress the story faster and to update sooner so enjoy. Also there will be comic book spoilers (for those of you who don't read comics) in this story so…you've been warned.

The Flash: Moving Forward

Chapter 7: Arrival

Lightning flashed like a new dawn accompanied by the sound of distant thunder.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" In that flash of lightning Barry and Caitlin burst back into the world. Skidding to a stop Barry put Caitlin down and he immediately hunched over exhausted "Oh, man…" he said shakily.

"Are you OK Barry?" Caitlin asked worriedly.

"No, I think I'm going to-" Immediately sped over to a nearby garbage can and proceeded to release the contents of his stomach. It was kind of a good thing Barry was fast otherwise he would have gotten his lunch all over his, well Cisco's, costume. In a heartbeat Caitlin was by his side rubbing his back.

"Ok…that's never really happened before…" the bio engineer was concerned since she had never seen Barry get any kind of sickness, not even the common cold, His body would just fight it off too quickly. "Are you ok now?"

"Well, I feel a little better, though I haven't had the urge to throw up since I got my powers." Barry said

"I wish I had my purse." She groaned to herself while Barry gave her a look. "I could use a blood sample to see what's making you sick."

"Sure you don't want a swab of my vomit to analyze?" Barry joked. "I think that would tell you more about what's making me kind of sick."

"Barry That's disgusting." Barry just chuckled as Caitlin lightly hit his shoulder. "It's probably got something to do with that wormhole we came out of."

"Yeah…I guess it is." Barry agreed as he stood back up. He looked around and saw that they were in the middle of Central City Park and it was rather dark, only a few lights kept the shadows at bay. "Well…at least we're back." He said. "Come on." He said as he picked her up bridal style once more. "Let's get back to S.T.A.R. Labs." Caitlin nodded and in a flash of light they were gone from the park and back at S.T.A.R. Labs, it's when they got to the laboratory they discovered something was off.

For the most part the STAR Labs looked exactly the same, just with a lot more wear and tear on it, that and the large sign that said:

-Coming in 2027 The Future Home to Elias Industries' Advanced Research Development-

"Oh that can't be good." Barry said

"What's going on? Dr. Wells would never sell STAR Labs." Caitlin added "Why does it say Elias Industries owns STAR Labs? And why does it say 2027. It shouldn't take 12 years to build a building like that."

"Let's just go find Dr. Wells and Cisco and let them know we are all right, and then lets head home."

Barry nodded in agreement and together the duo entered STAR Labs.

The first thing they noticed was the abundant lack of life, and the second thing was the thin layer of dust that had accumulated seemingly everywhere.

"Hello?" Barry called out as he and Caitlin entered the main lab area they had spent six (or fifteen months depending on how you count) in. "Is anyone here?"

"Cisco?" Caitlin asked into the dark. "Dr. Wells?"

"Something seriously isn't right here." Barry said "Why does STAR Labs look like no one has been here for years?"

Caitlin walked over to her desk to find a lot of her stuff not there. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her right ear and picked up one of the few things that was still on her desk; a picture of her and Ronnie. She smiled at the memory of how it was taken just after he proposed.

"Find anything?" Barry asked as he flashed over behind her a sudden start. He caught a glance at the photo before she put it back down.

"Nothing yet." She replied. "One thing I cannot understand is where all my stuff is?" She wondered aloud. "It's not like I was trapped that long."

Barry was hit with a realization when Caitlin said that. "Caitlin, how long were you in that place exactly?" It was a longshot theory but maybe it was true.

"I don't know, maybe an hour or two. You showed up just before I lost all hope." She replied. "Why?"

"Because you only felt like you were in there for an hour or two but in actuality it was two weeks." Caitlin's eyes widened at Barry's words.

"Two…weeks…" She repeated like a broken record.

"Yeah…" Barry rubbed the back of his head. "and according to what everyone else thought you and I, well we are technically dead." Caitlin began to slump to the floor but Barry caught her and gently helped her down.

"…my…god…" She whispered softly. Barry could hear her voice begin to crack, threatening to break out into tears of sadness.

"It's going to be fine Caitlin. Two weeks isn't that bad." He wiped away a stray tear and looked her in the eyes. "It'll be like we were away on some trip or something, besides I got us out in the same day, it's just a lot later than when I left."

"Except it wasn't two weeks Mr. Allen" Barry and Caitlin looked up to see Dr. Wells entering into the main lab room. Aside from the decent scruff he had grown on his face and the dark coat he was wearing he looked relatively the same, except for the fact he was walking with no problems what so ever.

"Dr. Wells?" Caitlin asked barely recognizing him even though in her mind she saw him that morning.

"You can walk!?" Barry's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "How? When?"

Wells just gave his usual smile before he removed his glasses. "About three or so years ago, I regained my ability to walk after several years of vigorous physical therapy and a risky surgery process."

"Dr. Wells you aren't making any sense." Caitlin said "Three years ago you weren't in a wheelchair. You were paralyzed by the Particle accelerator sixteen months ago."

"Oh, you mean the same particle accelerator that created a bolt of lightning that struck Barry and created the Flash?" Caitlin and Barry nodded "That was ten years ago."

The forensic scientist and the bio engineer were both confused. "Dr. Wells, we're being serious." Caitlin spoke.

"As am I Dr. Snow," The physicist replied as he put his glasses back on after wiping them off. "The wormhole you were trapped in, the same wormhole Barry broke in and out of, it exists outside of time. You two may have been trapped in that wormhole for an hour or two, but for the rest of us you have been in there for the last ten years."

Both Barry and Caitlin's eyes widened in shock, they had thought they were in that wormhole for only a few moments or weeks but in actuality they were in there for a decade. Their friends probably though (if they hadn't already) they were dead.

"How is that possible?"

"That is what I've been hoping you would be able to tell me Mr. Allen." Dr. Wells replied "After all, you two were the ones who were trapped in the Speed Force."

"Speed Force?" Caitlin asked confused. Barry also gave Dr. Wells a confused look.

The physicist said sitting down in a chair. He gestured for Barry and Caitlin to join him at the table. "Imagine a flowing world of mystery, gold, energy, and morphing hyper-dimensional gels." Barry and Caitlin just raised their eyebrows in unison not quite understanding what Wells was describing. "It's like a massive swimming pool, and every time Barry runs he is taking some of the pool water, using it, and then pouring it back into the pool."

"OK, I think I get it." Barry replied "it's the source of my powers."

"Exactly." Wells replied "When you were struck by lightning and bathed in those chemicals you were somehow connected to the Speed Force."

"Yeah but, why call it the Speed Force? Seems rather…"

"Weird?" Caitlin finished for Barry.

"That's what Cisco and I decided to call it."

"Of course Cisco would name it."

"After Barry went into that wormhole to get you out Caitlin; the device, that you Cisco and Hal used to open the wormhole, was destroyed. Mr. Jordan has been protecting the city along with his own in his spare time, until recently."

"Wait, why isn't Hal defending-" Wells cut Barry off.

"I cannot disclose too much information about the future to you two." He said seriously. "There are only two options for you and Caitlin. Either we work relentlessly to get you back to your time, or you two stay here. It can only be one or the other, but I shouldn't be helping you return to the past if you have information about the future as it could drastically affect the time line."

Barry and Caitlin exchanged looks. Certainly staying in the future was an option, not a very good one. "We don't have much of a choice in this do we?" She asked quietly.

"All I can really say is that the future is never set in stone." Wells replied "After studying the Speed Force Cisco and I have developed a theory that there are actually an infinite amount of timelines. Each one branches off from the original 'Prime Timeline' driven by the choices of each individual, but I think neither of you are going to like this future that much."

"Actually Dr. Wells, I've been thinking." The physicist turned to the speedster. "If Caitlin and I go back to the past doesn't that mean everything here will probably change anyway?" Wells looked like he hadn't thought of that "So what's the actual harm in learning what happened here?"

Dr. Wells opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out when he realized what Barry was saying was absolutely correct.

"Why?" Caitlin asked

"This timeline exists because we went missing ten years ago." Barry explained

"And theoretically when you return to the past it means this timeline won't exist anymore regardless of the knowledge you possess." Dr. Wells finished as he stood back up. "Consider everything I told you up until now irrelevant."

"Though I recommend that you do not go learn about your future, somethings may be too much for you to handle, and there's no telling how it will affect you." Those ominous words the doctor knew very well because they molded him into who he is today. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to before I have to vacate my lab to Dr. Elias and his corporate scumbags." He turned around to leave Barry and Caitlin alone in their thoughts.

"I don't know about you Cait, but part of me wants to go home." Barry said finally after what seemed like minutes.

"I do to Barry." The bioengineer said softly. "Our whole lives are behind us, or in front of us, however this time travel thing works." Barry just chuckled at Caitlin's sense of humor in the face of this crazy predicament they found themselves in.

"Yeah; Joe, Iris, Hal…"

"Ronnie, Cisco, and even Dr. Wells…" Caitlin chimed in finishing Barry's list. "All of them are or have been assuming the worst happened to us."

"Yeah, then there's the other part." Barry said as he stood up. He extended his hand to Caitlin who took it and he helped her up like a gentleman.

"What other part?"

"The one that's telling me to find out what happened to everyone. And since we're stuck here we might as well make the most of it."

"So, where are we going first?" She asked

"First I need to get some regular clothes." Barry said looking down at his Flash Costume. "Something tells me I may want to have anything normal to wear after being 'dead' for ten years." Caitlin just smiled and chuckled lightly as she and Barry turned to leave STAR labs. "Then, we start telling everyone we're alive."

Here ends the chapter

Please tell me what you liked, didn't like, look forward to/think will happen, or your general thoughts and comments, this'll help me make this story better, I would like legit reviews. I'm a big boy so I can take criticism.

Thank You, and if you sneezed while reading this Bless you.

Have a Fantastic day