It was with a smile on his face that Barry walked into CCPD the next morning, warmth surrounding his heart. Finally, he felt like things were back on track. After all the heartache of Flashpoint, Alchemy and Savitar, things seemed to be going back to normal. Or as normal as things would ever be considering he has a for real god of speed after his head. Caitlin had decided to take a chance on him, to see where the future would take them. He wanted every day with her, every night. He wanted to help her learn to control her powers, to fight by his side. He would need her help if he wanted to stop Savitar and Alchemy. The precinct was buzzing, so Barry made a beeline for Joe to see what was going on.
"Hey Joe, what's up?" The dark skinned man looked up from his phone, concern on his face. Barry felt his stomach drop. Great, another feel good moment ruined.
"Julian is awake. Detectives are heading that way any minute." The older man glanced around before lowering his voice. "He knows it was Caitlin who hurt him. You also know his xenophobia against metas. You need to get to him first."
"I'll take care of it, I promise." Barry felt bile rising in the back of his throat. "Don't tell Caitlin, I'll do it after I talk to Julian."
Once outside the building, he flashed to the hospital. He needed to make sure Julian didn't spill his girlfriend's secret to the world. He knew Julian was an ass, but he wasn't a bad guy. He was just uppity and set in his ways, with a touch of snobbery thrown in for good measure. Back and forth the two of them went, tense and quiet. Barry felt a rage in him, not towards Julian, but towards himself for letting things get so out of control. His heart broke a little more each time he saw Cait flinch or pull back from someone or something she used to enjoy. Desperate to protect the woman he cared about Barry put it all on the line.
"Whatever you want I'll do it, just please, leave Caitlin out of this. She is a good person who is trying to deal with something she never expected to happen to her."
Julian sat on his hospital bed thinking as Barry's mind raced. He had no idea what he would be demanded to do, but he would be damned if Caitlin had to suffer any more because of his mistake. He knew since he had returned to this timeline that he didn't get along with Julian, and apparently before he reentered this timeline, he hated the man for nearly a year before. In the original timeline Barry had enjoyed the freedom and peace of being the only CSI that the CCPD had, even when he was swamped with work. He loved being a scientist, but now he loved being the Flash more. On top of all of that, the loved Caitlin.
"Tender your resignation, effective immediately."
"What?" Barry was dumbfounded. Julian was asking him to throw part of his life away. Caitlin was worth it though, he just wasn't sure she would see it that way.
"I have been able to look past the tardiness and the lack of commitment to your duties, but I will not work with someone who has the moral ambiguity that you do Allen. Your thinking that the metas can be rehabilitated. They are a menace and I will not allow your sympathies to contaminate the CCPD Crime Lab." Julian had stood and was now face to face with Barry, a sneer on his face.
"Resign, or I tell Captain Singh and the rest of the world who really did this to me."
Mind whirling, Barry nodded. It was just another sacrifice to keep his friends and loved ones safe. He had been chosen to be the Flash, and in the end he chose to continue being the man who had the power of time and speed wrapped inside him. He knew there would be sacrifices, just as the Speed Force told him there would be. Even Jay Garrick had told him that the life of a Speedster was a rough one, but one that served the greater good.
"Ok, I'll do it."
Numb, Barry took his time, walking slowly back to the CCPD. He knew he had just done the right thing, but inside he was broken. Being a CSI had been a lifelong dream of his, as was working with Joe. Now, because of one mistake, he had to give all that up. Once back in the lab, he worked up his resignation, and with a heavy heart delivered it to Captain Singh. The dark haired man read the report before looking Barry dead in the eye.
"No."
"Wh-what do you mean, no?"
"Just like I said Allen. I will not accept this. As the CSI who had been here the longest, you should not bow to the whims of the other member of your department."
"I - I don't understand." Barry was beyond confused. After closing the door as the captain instructed Barry sat in front of his boss, jittery and confused.
"Barry," Singh sighed. "I will not let you resign your post here. Julian may call himself the expert on metas, but only in name. You are too valuable in more ways than one. Yes, you are an outstanding CSI, but you're an even better hero."
Barry opened his mouth to refute those claims when Singh glared at him.
"I've known for quite some time that you are the Flash. I'm a cop, so it wouldn't be good of me to not be observant enough to see through your thin excuses."
"What about Joe?" Barry scrambled. "Does he know you know?"
That got a laugh out of the captain.
"No, and I'd like to keep it that way. There are less chances of anyone else finding out if Joe thinks he's the only one here who knows the truth. Besides, it's fun watching him stumble his way through his cover stories."
"What does that have to do with my resignation though?"
"Quite a lot actually." The other man crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Having you here on the front line means you know just as soon as we do what is going on. We can count on you to get there first and to keep our officers safe. You and your team, who I do know of, are our first line of defense. More than likely Julian is trying to force your hand concerning one of them."
Barry swallowed thickly, unable to speak.
"Leave Julian Albert to me. You aren't going anywhere."
While Barry was dealing with the fallout of Killer Frost's appearance, Caitlin was taking matters into her own hands. She knew that she needed to be able to focus and maintain her focus during a fight. She needed her mind to be strong as well as her body. There was only one person she could trust. Walking into the women's bathroom so she wouldn't be overheard by Cisco or H.R. she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.
"Caitlin!" A woman's chipper voice answered. "It's been a few weeks since we talked. How are you?"
"Actually Thea, I could use your help."
"Sure. What's up?" Caitlin took a deep breath and asked,
"Can you teach me to fight?"
"Yes," the red and black hooded vigilante known as Speedy replied slowly. "Does Barry know you are asking this?"
"No, but he will understand why." Caitlin stared at herself in the mirror as she spoke, watching for any change in her appearance. So far there was no change, even though her heart was racing.
"Why do you need to know how to fight?"
"I need to learn how to control my powers." She replied, glad to know that Oliver's sister didn't think she was nuts. "Your League training can help me control them, based on my research. I need my mind and body to be in control and synced as one."
"And you think training to be an assassin will help you?"
"My powers affect my mind, causing another personality to emerge. She calls herself Killer Frost, and she takes great pleasure in killing. I need to know how to control that part of me and to use it without losing who I am."
The other end of the line was quiet, making Caitlin nervous. She knew she was taking a big risk involving anything to do with the League of Assassins. They weren't a group to mess with. They were also extremely handy in situations where normal tactics no longer worked. This was one of those times.
"I'm asking you to help me since you are closer to my size and would train me better. Oliver is too big and powerful; I would only be learning how to defend myself. I need to learn control, for everyone's sake. If I don't, they will die sooner or later."
"Okay," Thea sighed. "I will only do this though with Barry's approval. I already know Ollie will say no, just to be contrary. Talk it over with Barry and have him call me when you make a decision. I need to figure out what I will be needing to pack."
"Thank you so much Thea." Caitlin was able to breathe again.
"For you babe, anytime."
A few hours later Barry strolled into the Cortex, slower than normal. Immediately Caitlin was in doctor mode, rushing to him with Cisco following. A thousand thoughts were running through her head as to why he was moving so slow, each one worse than the last.
"Dude, you ok?" Cisco went right to the point. "You look like shit man."
"I'm fine, really." Barry caught Caitlin's hands before they could start running across his chest looking for injury, hands warm and gentle. "It's just been a really trippy morning."
"Wanna talk about it?" It was unusual for Barry to be this reserved. His bright eyes were troubled and his beautiful lips were pulled into a frown. His forehead was scrunched, making Caitlin want to reach up and smooth it away. She didn't though, since this thing between them was only a few days old, still new and fragile. She watched as Barry plopped into a chair with a sigh.
"Julian woke up."
Caitlin froze. She knew the forensic scientist hated metas and anyone who sympathized with them. Her powers had hurt him, and she knew he would want vengeance for what had happened. She started shaking and felt her powers rising. In a blink Barry had her in his lap tucked against his chest, holding her tight. She could feel Cisco and H.R. watching, wondering at the sudden affection between them.
"I went to the hospital and convinced him to keep your secret Cait."
"I'm sensing there is more to the story though." H.R. spoke up.
"Yeah." Cisco added. "You look like you did after you went a round or two with Zoom."
Caitlin felt Barry take a deep breath as he rubbed her back in circles. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Even months later, Zoom still haunted her. She supposed he would always be there in the back of her mind, a remnant of her PTSD she had suffered at his hands. Feeling Barry's warmth and love around her though helped dampen the pain and the memories. Didn't hurt that any time he touched her, her body lit up and basically craved more of his touch, flooding with syrupy heat. For being with him for just over a day, she sure was having the need to go all the way.
"Julian wanted me to resign as CSI at CCPD."
"What?" All three of them cried, Caitlin looking up into the face of the man she loved. Her vision started to cloud over, a sign that she needed to get her emotions in check.
"I wrote it up and gave it to Captain Singh, but he refused it. He refused to let me go." Barry glanced down at her before looking at the others. "He knows I'm the Flash and says that he will take care of Julian for me."
"I always knew he didn't quite buy Joe's stories." Cisco slurped his drink noisily.
"You said he knows you're the Flash. What else did he say?" H.R. while being eccentric was always the one who went right to the point.
"That I'm the senior scientist and I basically have more job security than Julian. He also said he knows who you are without naming names. He wants to keep me at the station so Team Flash is the city's first line of defense. It's our job to keep the city safe against things that they can't handle."
"Makes me curious as to how the little pimple is going to react to Singh choosing you over him." Cisco muttered darkly. Caitlin too, was curious to know the man's' reaction, but not for the same reasons. Barry squeezed her tight and she knew that as long as she had him, everything would be ok in the end.
"On to other things though." Cisco clapped his hands once and then gestured to Barry and Caitlin. Barry knew what was coming next, he had nothing to hide. He ran his thumbs along the back of Caitlin's arm as she blushed and ducked her head with a small smile.
"Why didn't you tell me, the bestie to the both of you, that the two of you were this close? Have ya'll kissed yet? When are you moving in together, cause Barry, your apartment is dope!"
"Yes we've kissed, but that's it." Barry laughed, enjoying the comical expression on the faces of the two men in front of him. "We only got together yesterday."
He could feel Caitlin nodding, even as she moved to sit up properly across his lap. He had to bite back a groan, loving the feel of her softness shifting against his erection. He'd been hard the moment he pulled her into his lap, using her to hide his discomfort. Ever since he got his powers, his reaction to all sorts of stimulus had been magnified 1,000 times. Luckily he had been able to control it around Linda and Patty, but he had a feeling that with Caitlin, he would be able to let his guard down and really love.
"It just happened." Caitlin was explaining calmly despite the face Barry could feel her heart racing. "Flashpoint changed things in more ways than we really could have imagined. Luckily, anyone without contact to Barry will never notice."
"That's right." H.R. waxed. "The sphere of influence is marginal, so only anyone who has associated with Team Flash will be able to tell the differences, as well as Barry. For the world in general, nothing has changed. Things are how they have always been."
"Makes sense." Cisco nodded. Barry reluctantly let Caitlin go, eyes trailing her as she smoothed another pencil skirt down across her hips.
His hands itched and he curled them into fists. A wave of something hot washed over him but was gone just as quick, making him blink. He had a feeling they would need to explore their relationship more, and soon. Didn't help that this time around he did indeed 'sneak a peek at her goods' when he helped her to bed last night. Standing Barry started to pace, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"So now that one crisis is averted, do we have any new leads on Alchemy or Savitar?"
"I might have a way to help." Caitlin said slowly, twisting the bracelets on her wrists. "You may not like it though."
Barry felt a rise of panic but forced it down. He trusted Caitlin, if he didn't he wouldn't have offered her his life when she was fighting Killer Frost.
"What you got?" Cisco reached over and took another slurp of his drink.
"I called Thea." Barry stared, wondering what was going on. What would she call Oliver's sister.
"I asked if she could train me to fight and to control my powers." The more she spoke, the more confident she sounded. Wanting to see how things played out Barry kept his mouth shut.
"Woah, ok. So you want the daughter of the leader of the League of Assassins to train you to fight? Am I hearing this right?" Cisco freaked, eyes bugging out. If the situation hadn't been serious, Barry would have laughed at his friends reaction.
"Yes, and to help me strengthen my mind against Killer Frost. She said she would only do it though if Barry gave his ok."
All three of them turned to look at him, making Barry squirm. He had no problem with Thea training Caitlin, after all, Oliver trained him. He just wasn't too sure her methods would work for a metahuman whose power was more mental than anything else. Deciding to trust Caitlin as well, Barry nodded.
"I don't have a problem with it even though Oliver will." He crossed his arms and stared down the two men in the room. "Assassin training is much more rigorous and in depth than what Oliver and I went though. I already could control my powers, I was just learning how to strengthen my body. I'm sure Thea would be a big help."
"Can you give her or Oliver a call?" Caitlin asked. "That way they know you're ok with this."
