Caitlin now felt more like herself, comfortable in her own skin. The whispering echos of Killer Frost were gone, giving her full control of her powers. She continued to wear the bracelets Cisco made for her though, an extra precaution. They had all found out the hard way that her powers could flare if her emotions got high, having almost skewered Oliver after a training exercise where he ended up shooting Wally.
"Woah, easy there Elsa." Cisco called out from the control room.
"Cisco, how many times do I have to tell you, DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Caitlin forced herself to calm down, focusing her power into her jewelry. "Sorry Oliver. I'm still working on control."
"At least your aim is good." Oliver hopped down off the elevated walkway to land beside her as Wally, Barry and Thea joined them. Wally's wound was already closing. "Another few inches left and you would have gotten me."
"Is it odd that I'm doing so well so quickly?" Caitlin asked looking at the group around her confused. "I mean, in school I wasn't the sportiest or the most coordinated."
"It may be because you absorbed Killer Frost into you." Thea suggested. "You destroyed her persona but you did gain her powers. Maybe you gained her muscle memory as well?"
"It could be any number of things." Oliver added, slinging his bow across his back as they began moving toward the control room. "Your entire team likes to explore the impossible and map things out along the way. I don't see why this would be any different."
"Yeah, we tend to do things the hard way." Barry scratched the back of his neck, looking for all the world like a little boy getting scolded for having his hand in the cookie jar.
"Continue your training." Joe gave some old school perspective, having come to watch the show. "Learn what does and doesn't work for you, and go from there honing your abilities. Bar, Singh wants you at the station. It's regarding Julian."
Feeling her stomach plummet Cailin waited for Barry to come say bye to her, watching him flash off to change back into his civilian work clothes. She knew Singh said he would take care of the situation, but she also knew Julian was an asshat who liked to make everyone around him miserable. She just wanted him gone, and things at the CCPD back to the way they used to be. Barry having the lab all to himself. She hoped that once this issue was resolved he would get his domain back. She knew he had loved having the old loft turned crime lab all to himself, using it as a place to think while tests were being run. Hopefully some fractures made by Flashpoint would slowly heal back over, reminiscent of the original timeline.
With a gust Barry stood in front of her, hair still mussed from his cowl. With a smile she reached up and fixed his hair, noticing out of the corner of her eye that everyone had given them some privacy. He let her fix his hair before grabbing her hands and pulling them to his chest, touch warm.
"You gonna be ok?" He asked softly, knowing what had been on her mind. It never ceased to amaze her how he seemed to know when she was worried. This time there was no tell of her biting her lip to give her away.
"Just wishing the situation with Julian was over and you had your lab back."
"Not worried about your powers?" He dipped his head to look her in the eye better, wanting to make sure she was ok. His thumbs caressed the back of her hands softly.
"I promise, I am not worried." Caitlin told the truth. "I'm more curious than anything at how I am going to progress. I knew you were up and running in no time, but that there were also hiccups along the way."
"I'm sure your are going to have your own stumbling blocks too." Barry pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his arms around her. "That's why you've got me and Cisco. Even H.R. Heck you've even got Wally, Joe and Iris. We're family and we take care of each other."
"Really?"
"Really." Barry pulled back to smile into her face. "Now, let me steal a kiss to last me until I see you again."
With a giggle Caitlin went up on her toes and kissed her scarlet speedster like she meant it. While it was a quick kiss, she did pour all of her love into it and felt Barry do the same. With another quick smile he was gone and Cailin made her way back up to the cortex. As she rounded the corner she noticed Cisco shove his hands behind his back and turn to her with a guilty smile.
"What are you doing?"
"Making you a present, something to add to your suit." He shifted nervously.
"Suit?" Caitlin was floored. Cisco was making her a suit like Barry's?
"Yeah, see, when you go out in the field you'll need to protect your identity." He was gushing now, warming up to his subject. "So I started sketching some ideas. I was planning on getting your opinion of them though and see what you like."
Cisco pulled out a large sketch pad and led her to his workshop in the corner. Different swatches of materials lay scattered about. A bright scrap of material caught her eye, and her fingers picked it up. It was blueish white, almost the color of frozen water. It felt like it was made out of a thinner version of the tri polymer that made up Barry's suit. That was what she wanted, to distance herself from Killer Frost in every way. Where the other woman wore dark colors, Caitlin would wear brighter colors.
"I see you picked out the lead contender." Cisco spread out several pages of sketches and stood back. "Let me know which one you like."
After several minutes of looking them over and comparing her thoughts with Cisco, a whole new outfit was sketched out. Wedge boots with military style tread led to a body suit that zipped all the way to the neck, seamed to show off her figure without being trashy. Long sleeves ended with a loop of fabric around the middle finger. A white mask covering her eyes would be the only thing on her face. They had also discovered that when she activated her powers, her normally brunette hair would turn white, hiding her identity further. With practice, she was able to control it at will, turning her hair whenever she wished.
"Perfect. Now all we need is a name for you." Cisco nodded and Caitlin could see the wheels turning in his head. She knew she had to beat him to the punch.
"How about Ice?" She didn't want the words killer or frost in her name. She was her own person, and she would not borrow anything from the other woman.
"You know what, I kinda like it." Cisco beamed, ready to get started on her suit. With a smile Caitlin left him to his work.
Barry entered the CCPD with a weight in his belly, not sure what was about to happen. He knew that Singh said he was on Barry's side, but he also knew that Julian couldn't be fired without reason. He went directly for the Captain's office, clutching the strap of his messenger bag. He knocked on the door and went inside, seeing Julian sitting in the same chair he had been several weeks ago. This time though, his CSI kit was sitting next to the chair, along with his briefcase.
"You needed to see me Captain?" Barry asked, feeling tension thick in the air. Julian looked impassive and blank. It made him do a double take to make sure the man was even breathing.
"Allen." Singh looked up from his paperwork, glancing at Julian. "You've been reassigned."
Cold dread filled Barry, wondering why Julian was here to witness this. His mind was spinning so fast due to his powers that he nearly missed what Singh had to say next.
"I am promoting you to head the CSI division, which at the moment is name only since you are the only CSI we have. I hope that changes in the future." His eyes slid back to Julian who remained seated behind where Barry was standing.
"Thank you?" Barry was flabbergasted. He remembered Gideon telling him part of his future in the time vault year before last, but he thought it would have come at a much later date. Part of him wondered if Flashpoint sped things up, or if perhaps he was meant to create the alternate timeline, things clicking into place more and more readily.
"I can see there is no way for me to change your mind." Julian sneered as he stood, venom in his voice. Barry turned to look at the other man as Singh also stood. Suddenly the room seemed far too small to contain the escalating thickness in the air.
"You freely admitted that you have no idea how to track meta humans, even though your resume clearly states that you have been researching metas for the last three years. That is a breach of contract and cannot be overlooked." Singh's voice was steel, making Barry stand taller. The captain forced you to respect him when he used that voice.
"In the last eight months that you have been here our meta cases have gone up, yet our capture and resolution of these cases have gone down. They are getting away or being killed. Neither is an option we want."
Julian opened his mouth to refute those statements, but Singh ran roughshod over him.
"You have two options, Albert. Work under Allen as a CSI or resign your position."
Barry was frozen, knowing he no longer had a role to play in this conversation. He was simply a bystander now, watching and waiting. He had a feeling Julian would renege on his deal to keep Caitlin's name quiet. Julian was a bitter and entitled man, willing to take anyone down if it meant making himself better. It was just a waiting game now.
"Very well. It seems like you have won Allen."
"I never set out to win anything Julian." Barry shook his head. "I did as you demanded, and the outcome was out of my hands. I honored my part of our agreement."
"Seems moot now since my stipulation has been rejected." The blond man picked up his bags, adding nastily. "You know as well as I do that Caitlin Snow is a danger and needs to be stopped."
"Dr. Caitlin Snow, of S.T.A.R. Labs?" Singh sounded like he was faking surprise, making Barry realize the captain really did know the identity of his friends.
"She's the meta who attacked me."
"Nonsense, I know the woman." Singh refuted, crossing his arms. "She's one of the nicest and kindest people I've met. She's also a valuable asset in consulting on meta cases. I know for a fact she isn't a meta. You must have been mistaken Julian."
There was a threatening tone in the captain's voice. Barry knew once Singh sided with someone, it would take something drastic to make him change his mind. With a sneer Julian opened the door and left, making Barry slump in relief. Singh put a hand on Barry's shoulder.
"Head upstairs and see about rearranging the lab how you see fit. Congratulations son, you won this one."
