Author's Note: Well, would ya look at that. I'm doing another one.
In truth, I've been meaning to write one of these for the Girls Night Out ever since it ended, but I never really got around to it. Then last night I read an AMAZING story on called "Stiches" (CHECK IT OUT!) that kind of had the same idea of putting a Snowbarry scene at the end of the episode, and it inspired me to write this.
So you can thank R.S. Donovan for this story :)
(He or she wrote Stitches btw. Just wanted to make sure that was clear XD)
As soon as the Frost part of Caitlin faded away from her appearance, Barry was met with the overwhelming need to give her a hug.
She looked like a (*warning: Cliché ahead*) kicked puppy. Her hair had lost most of it's curl, she had stitches over one eyebrow, and there was a bruise on her cheekbone that looked like it would get worse before it got better. Not only that, but part of her upper sleeve was covered in blood, and her lip was red and puffy.
"I can explain everything." Caitlin said softly. "Just hear me out, okay?"
It took her about half an hour to tell them the whole story. She talked about how the cure didn't work, her time as a bartender, and how she would frequently transform into Frost when she got upset or overwhelmed. She told them about her deal with Amunet, her jobs, and then trying to leave. And then, finally, she told them about that night.
"Iris and Felicity saved me." Caitlin told them quietly. "Amunet would have killed me if she had gotten the chance, just like she killed those cops who tied to arrest her." She stopped for a moment, unable to look at everyone else in the room. Everyone had moved to sit down at some point during her story, and Caitlin herself was propped up against the wall, her head resting against the backboard of the gurney.
"It's my own fault, and I admit that. I shouldn't have gotten involved with Amunet in the first place, and I shouldn't have done the things I did for her. Once I started working for her, I was a coward. I couldn't seem to figure out how to leave. Until a couple of weeks ago. And then... she started hunting me. I was going to escape from the country; find someone who could get me off of this Earth. I was going to run."
"What made you change your mind?" Cisco asked, his voice a little hard. He couldn't figure out if he wanted to feel angry or betrayed or sympathetic at this point.
Caitlin shrugged. "Iris, Felicity and Cecile convinced me to come to their party. I missed my flight, and before I got the chance to charter another one, Amunet was hunting the four of us down. I couldn't leave them to fend for themselves. I wasn't going to force my friends to deal with a problem I had caused."
Iris got up and sat down next to Caitlin, reaching an arm around her shoulders. "And that in itself proves you're not a bad person, Caitlin." She said seriously. "Even terrified and taken over by Frost, you would never leave you're friends to fend against someone who could hurt them."
"Thanks, Iris." Caitlin said softly. She glanced around at the boys: Cisco not meeting her eyes, Ralph nodding thoughtfully, and Barry piercing her with a gaze that almost made her uncomfortable.
But not quite.
"I'm going to go home." Caitlin murmured after a moment of silence. "It's been a long day."
She stood up and picked up her purse from her chair before walking slowly out of the Cortex. Her shoulders were slumped and her feet were dragging, and it only took Barry a couple of normal-speed seconds to catch up with her in the hallway.
"Hey, Caitlin, wait."
Caitlin hesitated, her finger on the elevator button. She turned around slowly. "Hi, Barry."
"Are you..." He paused. It was such a stupid question, and he knew the real answer, but he wanted to know what she would say. Would she lie or would she open up to him?
"Are you okay? Like, really okay?"
"I stitched myself up earlier and took some painkillers." Caitlin said evenly, not meeting his eyes. "I'm a bit sore but I think I'll be alright. Thank you for asking."
"Hey." He reached down and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "You know what I meant."
Caitlin bit her lip. "I- I-"
Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. Barry pulled her into a hug and practically crushed her in his arms. "It's okay." He whispered. "It's going to be okay."
"What if Iris or Felicity or Cecile had been hurt?!" Caitlin asked hysterically. "Would it be okay then?! No! Because it would have been my fault. They got roped into this just because they're my friends. Everyone who comes in contact with me is in danger."
Abruptly, she pushed Barry away. "I don't want you to get hurt." She sobbed, dashing fruitlessly at her eyes and trying to stop crying. "I can't let her hurt you because of me!"
"Caitlin-" He reached for her but she flinched away. Barry clenched his jaw and, before Caitlin knew what was happening, he had picked her up and started running.
She let out a shriek, gripping onto him tightly as tears continued to stream down her face.
In a second, they both stopped moving. Caitlin let out a shuddery breath as quiet settled over everything.
Barry had settled them both on Caitlin's couch. She was completely surrounded in his arms, his weight acting like a shock blanket. It was just enough to get her heart rate to slow down and for her to clear her head.
"Sorry." She said after a long moment of silence. "I kind of freaked out back there."
"It's okay." Barry responded simply. "You've had a tough day."
Caitlin let out a long sigh and leaned her head against Barry's chest. "Yeah." She whispered. "Something like that."
Author's Note: I honestly couldn't figure out if that was a good ending or not. Eh. Who knows, right?
