A/N: You guys have no idea how much your words mean to me, it's what makes all of this worth it! I want to thank every single one of you! :) I'm glad you liked the idea so far, hope it stays this way!

I don't own anything :)

Chapter 2. Good To See You Again

"It's good to see you again
Tell me all the things that you did my friend
Hey let's take it slow just for a while
And share some time
'Cause I miss you and
I need to see your smile"

"Good To See You Again – Jesse Ritch"

"Mom, I'm going out to run a little." Caitlin shouted across the house, jogging down the stairs.

"Oh honey, why don't you just take it easy for at least a few more days?" Her mother answered back from the kitchen where she was already preparing dinner even though they just had lunch.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "I'm just going out for a run. This is me taking it easy."

It wasn't a lie. Dr. Caitlin Snow rarely took any time off, and when she did, she always brought some work with her. Not working at all was something she hadn't known ever since she had left high school. And even then, she had been the biggest nerd ever. She didn't really know what to do with herself without work and right now she really needed a good run to occupy herself.

She didn't wait for her mother's reply, put her earbuds in place and exited the house, gradually accelerating her pace to warm up. Soon, she was jogging in rhythm with her Ipod's music through the streets of her hometown. From time to time, she waved hello to an old acquaintance but never stopped to start a conversation. She didn't think she was ready to explain her life to people she hadn't spoken in years. Besides she had the perfect excuse not to stop: her run – you know, to avoid breaking her pace and everything…

Caitlin had been back for a couple of days now and she was starting to feel more at ease but she still missed the rhythm of the big city, the noise, the music, the busy life… Here everything was going at a slower pace, nobody was checking their watches, people stopped every few meters to greet someone, to buy something, to just sit on a bench and watch other people walk by.

Caitlin shook her head. Sure it seemed very, very, peaceful, but she wasn't convinced that this was a life made for her. She was a workaholic, never stopping to stand still for more than a few minutes. She would probably turn crazy in a small town like Ryker Neve. Fortunately, she wouldn't stay here forever. At least she hoped she wouldn't get stuck here.

She took a turn and stopped in front of her favourite café, a place she used to go very often as a teenager to hang out with her friends to take a break from studying. She glanced inside to see if maybe her old friend that had worked there was still present. But it wasn't a surprise when she didn't see her. It had been ten years ago after all. Her friend Iris had aimed greater things than just waiter in a small-town-café.

The young woman turned around and resumed her run, but didn't go very far as a small cry caught her attention, even over the music blasting in her ears. On her left, she saw a little girl on the ground, her tricycle knocked over just behind her. Caitlin's doctor instinct pushed her towards the crying little girl, crouching to her level and immediately checking where she was hurt, after taking her earbuds out of her ears.

"Hey sweetie, are you okay? Where does it hurt?" Caitlin asked with her softest voice.

The little girl's teary eyes flew up to meet Caitlin's as she pointed to her knee, which was uncovered as she was only wearing a pair of shorts. There was a small scratch there with a few drops of blood, but nothing too bad. It should just be disinfected as soon as possible.

Caitlin looked around her. "Hey, where are your parents?"

The little girl pointed at the café in front of which Caitlin had been standing just a few moments ago. The young woman turned back to her. "Okay, can you stand up?" The kid just nodded, her tears stopping under Caitlin's soothing voice. "Perfect. We'll go join your parents and I'll see if I can find some product for me to clean that little scratch. What's your name?"

"Lily." She whispered back, her voice clouded by tears.

Caitlin was momentarily mesmerised by the little girl's piercing blue eyes contrasting with her slightly darker skin. She was simply beautiful, with her braided dark hair and her chubby cheeks. Lily was probably 3 or 4 years old, not much older. And something about her seemed familiar to Caitlin but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

With her thumb, Caitlin gently swiped away the single tear rolling down the girl's cheek. "I'm a doctor, so everything will be fine, I promise." The young woman reassured her.

She took the little girl's hand in hers and grabbed the tricycle with the other one. Together, they walked the couple of meters to the café and Caitlin pushed the door open with her shoulder. As soon as they stepped inside to café, a tall blonde man scurried towards them, crouching in front of the little girl. "Honey, what happened?" He asked worriedly.

"I fell." Lily replied quietly before throwing her arms around the man's neck.

He inquiringly looked up at Caitlin. "It's just a scratch that needs to be disinfected." She reassured him.

"I swear I was watching her through the window, I just looked away for a minute." He explained himself but Caitlin wasn't here to judge anyone. She just wanted to help the little girl.

"I'm going to ask the waiter if they have a first aid kit." Caitlin said, while putting the tricycle down.

The blonde man nodded as he picked up the little girl in his arms. "Oh yeah, Iris has some in the back. Come with me."

Caitlin's eyebrows shot up as she followed him to the back of the café. "Iris? She still works here?"

The man glanced at her over his shoulder. "You know Iris?" Caitlin just nodded. "Well yeah, she owns the café. Don't know how long you haven't been here, but it's been a while now. She just manages the place though, her journalist job takes most of her time."

Caitlin made an impressed face at the news. It had been Iris' dream to become a journalist. Knowing that she had managed to reach it and that she also owned a café at the same time was really impressive. It didn't surprise her though; Iris had always aimed big. And when she put her mind to something, nothing could stop her.

"Where is momma?" The little girl asked.

"She had to go back to her office, sweetie, but we can call after her you're all patched up if you want." The man explained soothingly before pointing to Caitlin the small box on the shelf.

The young woman grabbed the first-aid-kit and found what she was looking for. Pretty soon, Lily was all patched up with a beautiful 'Frozen' band-aid on her knee and she had gained her smile back. That's when Caitlin saw the striking resemblance.

"Is she Iris' daughter?" She suddenly asked the young man.

He gave her a bright smile and nodded, dropping a kiss on the little girl's forehead. "Yes, she is our little star." He turned back to the young doctor. "What is your name by the way?"

"Caitlin." She smiled back, spotting the wedding ring on the man's left hand.

"Eddie. It's a pleasure to meet you." The blond man smiled brightly. "And thank you for helping my little girl out. I really appreciate it. I can tell Iris you were here, if you'd like."

"Oh that won't be necessary. I'll try to drop by some other time and see if I can catch her." Caitlin replied with a smile. She wanted to be the one reaching out, deciding herself when she would be ready to see her friend again. She had absolutely no problem with seeing her again, but she perfectly knew that if she met with Iris, he would soon follow. And she wasn't sure if she was ready to see him yet.

Caitlin waved goodbye to Eddie and his daughter and made her way back to the main room of the café. She smiled, thinking about everything that Iris had achieved in the past ten years – reach her dream, own a successful café, get married, have a beautiful daughter. It made her heart squeeze for an instant, thinking about all the things she hadn't reached herself, but she pushed everything aside. Caitlin was incredibly proud of her friend.

She momentarily considered buying a cup of coffee to go but the place was pretty busy and she still had to finish her run. She would come back another time, when she would actually have time to enjoy her coffee.

She was about to step out of the café when a voice behind her stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Well, I'll be damned! Caitlin Snow?! Is that you?!"

The young woman froze on the spot, her hand resting on the opened door. She would recognise that cheerful and playful voice anywhere. Even if it had been way too long since the last time she had actually heard it. Her heart swelled at the thought that some things did never change.

Shyly, she let the door close itself and she turned around to face the tall young man standing behind her with a coffee in one hand and a wide grin on his face when he realised it was really her.

Well so much for deciding when she would be ready to see him again.

He had changed. But at the same time, he was still the same boy she had known all those years ago. The same messy brown hair, the same laughing green eyes, the same bright grin, the same height, the same goofy expression… But he looked older – which shouldn't surprise her, she was a doctor after all, she knew nobody could escape the aging process – but still. Part of her had expected him to stay exactly the same, as if he had been frozen in time like the rest of this town.

Though the way a slight stubble was running along his jaw, the way his shirt seemed fuller than before (in a very nice way), the way she could see the defined line of his arms' muscles, the way small laughter lines were imprinted at the corner of his eyes (as if he smiled so much that it was carved in his skin), the way he was confidently standing, made her think she had really no reasons to regret the old him. The new him was so much more handsome – and it was saying a lot, considering teenage-him had already been jaw-dropping in her opinion.

"Oh my god, it really is you." He spoke again, bringing her out of her deep thoughts.

He took a step forward and that snapped her out of her trance. She stopped him before he could hug her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned him, "I'm all sweaty and disgusting."

Caitlin made a face and all he could do was laugh and shrug. "I don't care, it's been way too long." And before she could reply anything, Caitlin was engulfed in two strong arms. She felt a bit light-headed as she found his smell again and a light blush crept up her cheeks. She had always loved his hugs. They were always so simple but so honest at the same time.

"How long has it been?" He asked when he pulled away. "Ten years?"

Oh she had missed him, but she wasn't allowed to feel this way. She couldn't open that door again. He was part of her past and she had to deal with her present right now. Caitlin cleared her throat. "Eight actually." She corrected and she saw a flash of darkness strike in his eyes for the fraction of a second. She perfectly knew she didn't need to remind him when it was the last time they saw each other – it was probably burnt into his memory like it was into hers – but the words had escaped her lips on their own accord.

But Barry Allen had always been great at pushing his pain away to keep shining and make people around him feel good. "Well you look great. Time has been kind to you."

Caitlin looked away, her lower lip sucked in between her teeth, feeling her cheeks heat up and it was like she was a teenage girl all over again. Barry shook his head with a low laugh. She had never been able to accept a compliment and it was really endearing.

"What are you doing here? How long for are you staying?" He asked tactfully changing the subject.

Caitlin smiled and looked up back at him. Yup, he hadn't changed that much.

"I'm taking a break from my crazy city-life." She joked, not wanting to dive into the serious subject right away. "And I don't have end date for my stay yet."

She didn't miss the way his smile changed to being slightly more satisfied after the answer he got from her. "Listen," he said, "I've got to run – no pun intended." He added as he pointed to her running gear. "So I'm afraid I can't stay much longer, I'm already late. But we absolutely have to catch up one of these days." His free hand came up to rub the back of his neck as he became uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Can I… maybe… you know… you don't have to…" He stuttered. "But maybe… you could… give me your number?"

Her right eyebrow rose on her forehead in amusement and the corner of her mouth lifted itself slightly. In a matter of seconds, confident grown-up Barry had turned into awkward 17-year-old Barry again. And it did funny things to her heart. "Sure." Caitlin simply replied with a detached shrug, pulling her hand up, expecting him to put his phone in her hand.

He awkwardly shuffled through his pocket to grab his phone, trying not to spill his coffee and finally handed her the device. She silently took it, carefully avoiding touching his fingers – she didn't need a reminder of how soft his skin was. Caitlin quickly tipped in her number before giving him his phone back. "There you go."

Barry grinned back at her. "Thanks Cait, I'll call you!" He squirted around her, pushed the door open and turned one last time. "Oh and by the way, congratulations!"

He nodded towards her left hand as she frowned at him and before she could answer, he was out the door and half running across the street. Her wide eyes followed him down the street. He had called her 'Cait'. Aside from Ronnie, he had been the only one she had accepted to call her that – even her family preferred calling her 'Caity' instead of 'Cait'. And hearing that nickname after 9 months made her feel slightly dizzy.

Not to mention that he had congratulated her for her engagement as he had noticed the ring that Caitlin was still wearing on her left hand. She hadn't gathered the courage to take it off yet. She knew that Ronnie was gone, but it was still way too difficult. Subconsciously, her fingers went to play with her engagement ring.

A lump formed in the back of her throat. It became hard to breath. She had to get out of here.

Caitlin shook herself a bit before going out, turning her music back on and resuming her run towards her home with a somehow faster pace. As soon as she stepped foot back inside her house, she ran up the stairs, ignoring the surprised look her mother gave her as she almost stumbled against her on the way up. She quickly took a shower before going back to her room.

She put her bag on her bed and began stuffing her clothes in it.

"Caity, everything alright?" Her mother entered the room without knocking, making Caitlin jump in surprise. "Wait, what are you doing?" The older woman frowned as she saw her daughter packing her stuff.

"I can't do this. I thought I could, but I can't." The young doctor replied nervously, pacing in her room, grabbing every article of clothing she found on her way. "I need to go back to Central City, I need to find a job, I need to…" She choked on her words. "I need to do something!" She cried out.

"Caitlin, honey, breath." Evelyn came up behind her and soothingly rubbed her hand against her daughter's back. "What happened?"

Caitlin threw the dress she had in her hand on her chair, before collapsing on her bed, face first, like a teenage girl throwing a tantrum. "I saw Barry." She mumbled, her face buried in the cover.

Her mother chuckled at her behaviour. "Well that was bound to happen sweetheart."

Caitlin didn't look up, her voice still muffled by her bedcover. "I know, but I wasn't mentally prepared to see him. And he looked so good mom…" She whined.

"And how is that a bad thing?" Evelyn replied softly sitting next to her on the bed. "I always liked him. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ronnie! And what happened to him is a real tragedy and I'm hurting for you." She resumed running a hand on her daughter's back. "But I think that maybe it's time for you to move on."

Caitlin shook her head. "I'm not ready. And besides, I came here to get over his death." She grumbled. "Not to jump into a new relationship, least of all with Barry, mom. There's too much history there."

"So?" Evelyn asked as if she had a hard time grasping Caitlin's point.

The young woman slightly turned around to lie on her side, glancing up at her mother before taking a deep breath. "I got hurt too much last time. Both times actually." She whispered. "I can't go through that again."

Evelyn gave her an apologetic look. "Well it was partly your fault, you know that, right?"

"Aarrg, don't remind me." Caitlin groaned, turning her face back to her cover. She had had a hard time getting over Barry, but also a hard time accepting the choices she had made in that matter. Some days she even wondered if she ever forgave herself for it.

Her mother softly tapped her back before standing up, grabbing her messy suitcase to put it back in the closet. "Well, I'm just saying…" She trailed off knowingly. "And there's no way you're already going back to Central City, you just got here!"

Caitlin groaned again and Evelyn just chuckled.

"Your brother is coming for dinner tonight." She added before leaving the bedroom.

Caitlin sighed.

She sure had more to deal with than just the death of her fiancé and the betrayal of her boss. And she had no idea how she felt about everything.

Because Barry Allen had always been very good at messing with her head.

And her heart.