Before you read this I have to confess that I haven't watched "Invincible" (2x23), which means that any reference to that episode, was based on Sneak Peeks and Tumblr gifs.
When she entered STAR Labs she was a little surprised to see Dr. Allen in the Cortex, but then she remembered what Zoom told her. Barry was dead. He died trying to recreate the particle accelerator explosion. At first, she couldn't believe him, he had to be lying, there was no way that Barry, her Barry was dead. She really wanted to believe he was alive but Jay was too happy to be lying; he might not be the man she thought he was, but she was certain that she could still read him like a book, and right now those cold blue eyes, those eyes that once took her breath away weren't lying, Barry was really dead and there was nothing she could do about it.
She wasn't there when he need her the most.
But before she could even begin to apologize to the doctor for not being there for his son, Dr. Allen had her sitting on a work bench, carefully doing a checkup of her state. "You're in shock, a little dehydrated and un-nursed but I think you'll be fine." His actions brought a smile to her face, remembering old times when Barry was alive and she was the one doing the checkup.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize who was in front of her, until the person who just enter the Cortex was on his knees in front of her, holding her hands in his. "What happen? Are you ok?"
Was it real? Was he really there? "I'm okay." She answered hesitantly. She was shocked and beyond happy to see Barry alive, Jay told her he was dead and she was so sure he was telling the truth, but none of that matter now.
He was alive.
Barry was beyond happy, they were just making a plan to get her back and just like that, she was back at their side. "How did you get away?"
She was really trying to stand strong, but everything was getting too much for her. She was finally back in the lab with the people she loves the most, Barry was alive. She really didn't want to cry, but her eyes were already starting to water. "He... let me go. I didn't think he would I… I thought it was a trap. But... he told me you were dead."
"I'm not. I'm right here. We're all here. Together." Barry couldn't take his eyes from her, he thought that if he let her go from his sight, she'll disappear. Hearing her words and seeing her eyes starting to water, broke his earth. This amazing and strong women, who didn't even flinch when The Rogues and Grodd had taken her, was now breaking in front of him. And that yearning to have her by his side, to never let her go and protect her from everything and everyone who dare to harm her was back, stronger than ever. But it didn't come alone it brought that warm feeling in his heart, but this time, he knew he couldn't; wouldn't ignore it; not anymore, not when he was so close to losing her; to lose an opportunity to explore all those feelings left unsaid between them.
He knew he would never be available to let go from all that Caitlin Snow is.
If you ask anybody on Team Flash they would tell you that Harrison Wells from Earth-2 was starting to like them. Well, at least they thought he was. They didn't know if he really cares for them, or if he was only using them to catch Jay, but they were certain that Harrison Wells did care for Caitlin Snow. That the concern he showed for her well-being was real. And how could he not? It was so easy to get lost in everything that Caitlin Snow is; her warmth and love make all your problems disappeared, she makes you feel, worthy and at home, but most importantly she makes you feel love.
Harrison Wells may be bad with dealing with people emotions and he may never know the right thing to do, but right there it didn't matter, he wanted to make her feel safe. He could see it in her eyes, in the way she would constantly check her surroundings and the tension between her shoulders. She may be at home, but she definitely didn't escape Zoom. At least not yet, not completely. "Snow. Jay, it's not here, your safe."
She wanted to believe them, but they haven't seen what she did. They didn't know what he was planning. "He is going to overrun the city; you can't stop him."
"Yes, we can. Listen to me. He is not going to succeed. We got this. This is our earth."
There was a time when Barry's words would have filled her with confidence, but right now she was scared, he was acting like Jay was nothing, like he was Invincible, when he was not. Didn't he remember who he was fighting against? That he almost killed him? "You don't know that. You don't know what he is capable of."
But Barry did know who he was fighting against, but he also knew that no matter how hard Jay tried he would never be available to be one with the Speed Force, and that's why he wouldn't be available to stop him. "I know, from being in the Speed Force, that the universe is with us, not Zoom."
It was so easy to get lost in Barry's confidence, but she knew it couldn't be that easy to defeat Jay, it never was, especially not with enemies as powerful as him. But before she could begin to protest, she felt herself get pulled to her feet. "You been thru a lot, you should get some rest." They slowly walked towards the made up bed at her lab. She really wanted to get some well-needed rest, but she needed to know what Barry went thru while she was gone. "You were IN the speed force?"
"I… when you were gone… it´s hard to explain; we tried to get my powers back with a dark matter lighting, and things didn't go as planned and somehow I end up in the Speed Force unavailable to get back home." Barry couldn't stop holding Caitlin. He craved to give her comfort and the only way he knew how was thru his touch. So they walk, her right hand in his left one. Neither letting go of the other. Protectable placing his left hand on her lower back, guiding her to the bed. "What do you mean you couldn't get back?"
Barry knew he needs her to let her rest, but how could he deny anything to her, when she was looking at him with those big and warm brown eyes pleading him to continue with the story? So he decided to sit with her on the bed, telling her the events from yesterday while still trying to get her to rest. "Well I was without my power so I couldn't open any portals to this Earth and in there the people in the Speed Force didn't want to let me go?"
She was starting to feel the toll of being in Jay's hands, she really wanted the rest, but the more Barry explained to her, the more she wanted to know. "People in the Speed Force?"
"Yes. It was like Earth-2. Sort of." Barry was touch by Caitlin's concern, even thought it was more than obvious she was trying really hard to stay awake, she was as usual more concern for is well-being than her own.
"Then how did you get back?"
Caitlin was practically falling asleep on his shoulder and even though he was trying his best to convince her to get some well-needed rest, he knew that once the young doctor had her mind set on something, there was nothing and no one who could stop her from getting it. "Well, that's even more complicated. Perhaps you want to hear it after you've gotten some rest?"
"No Barry, please tell me. I need to know what happened to you while I was gone."
He got it deep, how was he available to fight his feelings towards this amazing woman for so long was beyond him. "Well you see, Cisco and Wells created some kind of portal, a feedback loop."
Somewhere along the story, Caitlin had decided that his shoulder was no longer comfortable, deciding to lay her head on his lap while he ran his finger thru her auburn hair. And Barry was more than happy to be available to give her some kind of comfort. "Feedback loop?"
"I know it sounds crazy. Cisco had to vibe while holding my suit, then the machine would send his brain waves to another machine, giving Wells the necessary data to pinpoint whatever dimensional pocket or corner of the universe I was in."
"Wow. That sounds rather complicated even for Dr. Wells." Barry could feel her breathing slowing down and her voice sounded even heavier than before. He knew she was slowly falling sleep. "And you haven't heard the rest."
Caitlin didn't want him to stop, it was really relaxing to have her head in his lap while he caressed her head. She felt safe in his presence. That's why she slowly turned around to be available to look into those big green eyes, she loved so much; and pursuing her lower lip out she told him, no to stop, her voice was so low and tired that Barry would have missed it if he weren't so closed to her.
He would never admit it to her, but he loved sleepy Caitlin. In those moments between staying awake and drifting to sleep, she would allow her walls to fall down, letting him see the vulnerable side she kept hidden from everyone else. And once again she managed to convince him no to stop. "Well, after they had my exact location, they electrical stimulate Cisco prefrontal cortex, opening a breach which gave him physical access to me, thus allowing me to come back home."
She was laying on her side, her head still on his lap while he ran his finger thru her hair, his free hand drawing random patterns in her shoulder when a long and soft yawn escaped her lips. "My god. Sounds like you were quite busy while I was gone."
"Yes. We were trying so hard to find a way to get my speed back to save you. But honestly, Cait, how are you?"
She didn't know how to answer his question, on one side she was extremely happy to be back home and to see him alive, she was relief that Jay didn't manage to do much harm to his friends, but a part of her, the most dominant part was scared of Jay, of what he might do to all of them. But she decided to go with the easy answered and deal with the rest later. "I'm fine Barry, really, like you said. I just need a good night rest."
"Ok. Go to sleep. I will be sitting in that chair the whole time. So don't you worry, nothing and no one would hurt you while I'm here". And Barry kept his word, he was by her side the whole time she was sleeping, well that was until Zoom attacked Mercury Labs and he had to go to save Dr. McGee.
When Zoom saw Barry saving Dr. McGee he was mad, he made a mistake, a huge mistake. He thought Barry was dead, which was the only reason he allowed Caitlin to go. He knew that without the speedster it was a matter of time until Caitlin came begging him to spare his poor friend's life, allowing him to finally break her.
To finally have her.
But he underestimated the speedster and now Caitlin was by his side once again.
Don't hate me for ending this here. This was supposed to be a longer story but the Snowbarry reunion took control of the fic and I decided it was best to continue the rest of it in a different chapter.
Stay tuned for the third part of this story :D