A/N: Hey guys, as promised, here is the next chapter.

*Please note that the Archer mentioned in this section (and last) is not to reflect on any specific character in The Arrow show. He was simply added to cause problems for Team Arrow and his story will not be delved into more than what Caitlin and Barry know.*

I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on my story. Responses encourage me to write more!

*I have soooo many more Snowbarry ideas I am working on and Your Ghost has gotten a lot more request for a second chapter than I thought. (Yay!) I am working on a second part, BUT it probably wont be posted for a while, sadly. I want to finish this story before starting up another one with multiple chapters. (One shots are excluded if they are shorter.)*

I do not own anything.

Please let me know what you like, dislike, hate, loathe and love about the chapter or story!

Enjoy!

Chapter 23

Barry paced the length of the computer console waiting for Oliver to return from patrol. It had been officially one day since Caitlin has been missing. Twenty-four hours since Caitlin was taken by some angry, mad man with the intent to hurt Oliver.

When Barry had found out Caitlin was taken, his entire world crashed.

"We have to find her, Oliver!"

"And we will but we need to regroup."

"Caitlin doesn't have time! That man is not stable. He could snap at any moment and I don't know about you, but I am NOT willing to wait for that to happen to Caitlin."

Barry stormed out of the room. He was hurting and Oliver knew that.

Of course, Barry felt bad for yelling at Oliver, but Felicity made it out with minor injuries, Caitlin didn't. Her life is still in danger. Caitlin is easily the most important person in Barry's life and he couldn't lose her.

Suddenly he felt the pain of his mother's death all over again.

Barry placed his hand over his heart. A throbbing pain forming and he knew something bad was happening to Caitlin.

The engine of the motorcycle heading towards the hidden entrance leading to the Arrow Cave. Barry snapped out of the memories running through his head as he walked towards the railing. Felicity rolling her chair in the direction as well. Barry glanced at the patch on the side of her head. She was still sore and she moaned in pain if she moved her head too fast but she was otherwise ready to help Oliver find Caitlin and stop the Archer.

"Did you find anything?" Felicity asked as Oliver walked in, Sara following close behind. Barry clenched and unclenched his fist in nervous anticipation.

"No." Oliver grunted throwing his bow on the table roughly. He kicked the table with his foot and it moved due to the force of the attack.

Sara answered for the angry archer, "The entire place was wiped clean. He moved shop already. But we have an idea of where he could have gone. One of Tommy's old friend knows a guy that has been talking about renting a place to bow and arrow enthusiast. Laurel and Digg are heading over there now. Hopefully they have better luck."

Barry nodded at Sara before taking a few steps towards Oliver's hunched form.

"I'm gonna head up for a drink. You want something Lis?" Sara asked excusing herself from the situation.

"Yeah, I'll be up in a second." Felicity knew Barry and Oliver needed to talk alone. Barry had yelled at Oliver and Oliver had pity and anger all pent up inside him.

She walked up to Oliver hunched frame. Placing her hand on his back, rubbing soothingly. "Everything will be okay." She kissed his cheek before following Sara.

There was a moment of silence once the girls were gone. Barry knew he had to apologize for his behavior, he was just worried about Caitlin. Oliver had put his family in danger and he clearly blamed himself.

"Oliver, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that." Barry rubbed the back of his neck, "I-I just want to get Caitlin back."

"I know, Barry." Oliver finally looked up to Barry, "I'm worried about her. She's my family. She's my sister. What if I can't save her?"

"Hey, we will get her back. We have to." Barry shook his head, "I can't lose her too. Not Caitlin. We are getting her back. I don't care what I have to do."

"Barry, I'm not putting you in harm's way again."

"Oliver, she's the love of my life. I'm going to do everything in my power to get her back." Barry said with determination.

Oliver wasn't going to question him anymore, even though he wanted Barry away from danger as well. He had already got him too involved with his team.

"Then you can help me from this end. Laurel called Sara. They found him." Felicity said rushing to the computers. Oliver jumped to his feet. He grabbed his bow and threw up his hood before jumping on his motorcycle. Waiting for Sara only a moment as she came hurrying down the stairs.

"There better be a fight 'cause he didn't let me finish my drink!" Sara added spitefully.

Oliver revved up the engine as Barry approached, "Please bring her back safe."

Oliver nodded and headed towards the coordinates Felicity was spewing off in his ear.

When Caitlin came to, her hands were tied to a metal pole behind her back. Her ankles were tied and she was slumped on the grimy floor tiles. She shook her head to try and clear it of the fog. The room was dimly lit but she could make out the man in black hovering over a table a few feet away.

Taking a shaky breath, she asked, "Why did you kidnap me?"

"Leverage." His deep, muffled voice echoed in the silent room.

Caitlin didn't understand any of this. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to be back in Central City, back in Barry's arms with him whispering into her ear that everything would be alright.

"Please just let me go. Please." She begged.

"No. He will be here soon." He walked towards the window. The tattered sheet covered the glass. "His friends are waiting for him."

"Who?" Caitlin swallowed trying to process all of this.

He turned around to face her, his mask covered his entire face. "The Green Arrow."

Caitlin was perceptive. She had to be in order to succeed in her career. She began to piece together what he was telling her. "It was you, wasn't it? You attacked my boyfriend and framed the Green Arrow. You are trying to make the people of Star City hate him."

"Clever girl." He turned back to the window.

"But why me?" Her brows scrunched together trying to solve the unsolvable puzzle in her mind.

He turned back to her and made heavy steps towards her. Once in front of her, he placed his hand on her injured shoulder. He pulled out a gun, cocked it and held it to her head. Caitlin gasped in pain, fear springing to her eyes. "Because you are Caitlin Snow."

An arrow came whizzing between Caitlin and the Archer simply for dragging Archer's attention away from Caitlin and onto the others. The Green Arrow, along with Black Canary, Spartan, and White Canary were all poised and ready to fight.

"Ahh. So, it begins." The Archer was quick to draw his bow and began shooting arrows at the heroes. Quick to dodge the onslaught of attacks the four split off in different directions.

Caitlin was terrified, flinching when punches would land and she could hear the metal of their weapons clashing. She tightly closed her eyes wishing it all away. She was trying to become invisible when she jumped at a hand on her injured shoulder. Diggle was the least likely to be recognized by Caitlin out of the four.

Screaming she jumped as far away from the man in the mask as she could.

"It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you." He put away his gun and pulled out a knife. "I'm here to set you free."

Caitlin nodded her head in understanding. Strands of her hair clung to her face from the tears she didn't realize until now that she had cried. "Please help me."

He froze at her voice, so broken and scared. Caitlin didn't know it was John Diggle. But he knew Caitlin. They were friends, close friends. He watched her grow just as he had Felicity. He danced with her when Felicity and Oliver had gotten married. He had given her advice when things had gotten complicated between her and Ronnie, and comforted her when thy finally broke up. It broke his heart to see her so terrified and untrusting. Caitlin would help anyone in need. She became a doctor because she wanted to help people.

Shaking his head, he hurried up and cut her bonds. He promised Oliver and Barry he would get Caitlin back to them.

After helping her stand, he pulled out his gun and lead Caitlin towards the door. She clung to his arm afraid of everything in the room. Spartan nodded at Black Canary and headed towards the car.

Once out of the building, Caitlin felt she could finally breathe. Slumping against the seat in the back of the car, she finally relaxed a bit.

"Please take me home."

"Where?" Digg asked, feigning obliviousness as he rushed out of the area. He knew Oliver, Laurel, and Sara were more than capable of handling themselves.

"Queen Mansion." She mumbled feeling exhausted. Spartan nodded and spoke into the receiver in his ear.

"I'm taking her home now."

When she was dropped off at the door, Barry already had the door open and was rushing to embrace her. Spartan had already taken the car and drove off.

"Cait!" Barry called to her. Her shoulder hurt her but she didn't mind running and jumping into his arms. Tears and whispered cries of love and fears were all that was heard as her legs wrapped around his waist and he tightened his grip on her.

Both of them still injured, Caitlin had dried blood coating her skin but he was never so happy to see her broken and bruised because she was alive.

Archer could have easily killed her. She meant nothing to him. That mad man could have killed her and he wouldn't have even batted an eye. But Barry would have been broken. Barry's entire world flashed before his eyes while she was gone and all he saw was a never ending darkness.

"I love you." He kissed her cheek as she sobbed in response.

"I love you." He repeated, kissing her forehead, her temples, her hair any place he could reach.

Caitlin could speak, she just sobbed and cried as her fears left her body when she was in his arms.

"It's okay. I'm right here. I've got you. Shhh, Baby. It's okay." He soothed her as he carried her to the door way. She finally slid down his body, hers was ready to give out due to fatigue.

"C'mon, we've got to get you fixed up. This time I get to play doctor." He was happy when she nodded and gave him a half smile.

"I love you, Barry." She pulled his face back down to hers and he didn't hesitate to kiss her lips. Hungry and desperate and scared but warms and always passionate and loving.

Yes, Barry Allen was glad to have Caitlin Snow, the love of his life, back in his arms.

A few days later Barry had made sure Caitlin was comfortable at the Queen Mansion. Barry had told her that he called Cisco, told him what happened at that she was taking time off from work. Dr. Wells was more than understanding with the unfortunate situation. Even offering to come visit her himself. Barry assured him he didn't need to but was glad her boss, her friend, cared so much about her.

Until everything settled down they would be staying in Star City until they both were better.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" Barry asked walking into the room and sitting on the bed. His hand dragged up and settled on Caitlin's thigh over the blanket. She was curled under the covers still recovering from the events a few days ago. Only getting up to go to the bathroom, only visiting people when they came to her room and eating meals with Barry in private.

Barry was beginning to worry about her.

"Fine." She mumbled not even bothering to poke her head out of the covers to see him.

"Cait? You want to come out? Take a walk, get some fresh air? Could do you some goo, baby." His fingers hooked on the edge of the blanket pulling them off her small frame.

"I'm sorry." She huffed, shuffling to lay on her back, "I think I'm still processing everything."

Scooting closer Barry rested next to her curling his arms around her body, pulling her back into the constant safety his arms gave her. "I know. And you have every right to be. But everyone is still worried about you. They want to see you, to see how you are doing." He kissed her neck to calm her.

"I miss them too."

"You want to see them? They're down stairs." His voice hinted at something else but she just reached her hand up dragging her nails through his hair against his scalp, enjoying the soft moan he gave her in response. She smiled. The first real smile he has seen from her since the incident.

"Okay." She gave him a kiss on his check before she started getting up from bed.

She stretched her arms, wincing when the pain in her shoulder jolted down her body. Barry saw the raw, red gash still healing when the shirt she was wearing (one of his oversize ones) fell off her injured shoulder.

"How does it look?" She asked pulling her hair to the other side of her neck, making it possible to view her right shoulder. Barry stumbled closer to her back, throwing his legs on either side of hers at the edge of the bed.

"No bad. Still raw, and red. But better." He kissed the tender skin as gently as possible.

She jerked away with a hiss but melted back into his embrace just a second after.

"Progress." She gave him a smile, moving to get up from bed. "Help me change, please?"

"Not something you have to ask twice." Barry grinned, knowing full well it was all innocent banter for now.

"Caity!" Felicity came running towards her once Caitlin first made her entrance downstairs. "Oh, I missed you!"

Her arms flung themselves around the brunette's shoulders, only to removed themselves a second later when she heard Caitlin yelp in pain.

"It's okay." Caitlin quickly amended before Felicity even apologized. "Still a little sore."

"Oh, me too." Felicity replied pointing to her head, the red gash still visible beneath her blonde hair.

Caitlin gave her a smile before everyone else made their way towards her. Caitlin received hugs and pleasantries from everyone but Oliver, whom decided to stay in his chair by the window. He swirled the ice in his liquor before gulping it down as Caitlin made her way over to him.

"Ollie," She hesitated to place a hand on his shoulder. He tensed at the touch, unable to look her in the eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Glad you are okay, Caity." He stood up and placed a kiss on her forehead still not making eyes contact with her. His voice was flat and without emotion as he spoke. "I have to go to work. Sorry."

Oliver made his way passed her, not even looking up as Felicity tried to stop him. Caitlin didn't know how to feel. He just didn't seem to care. And that hurt more than Caitlin cared to admit. Felicity made her way back over to Caitlin. "Sorry, Caity."

After giving her a reassuring squeeze on her uninjured shoulder she made her way out the door to follow Oliver. A bit of anger and disappointment burning in her eyes.

Thea tried to apologize for him, "He is always so broody. You know that."

"Yeah, but never with me." Caitlin mumbled.

"Maybe he just needs more time to take everything in." Barry added glancing up at Thea as she nodded quickly in response.

"I guess."

"C'mon, we'll have Louie make your favorite dinner and even chocolate cake for desert!" Thea said pulling her back into a happier mood. Caitlin gave her a small smile as she pulled her up from her seat and into the kitchen. "And maybe if we are lucky, he will let us lick the bowls like we used to for sleepovers."

Barry watched on as Caitlin and Thea left the room. He knew Oliver felt guilty for putting Caitlin in harm's way. He knew he blamed himself for their pain and suffering, but it wasn't solely his fault. He had to understand it was Barry's choice to help him with this case. Who knew Archer was going to go after the girls? He can't blame himself.

"So, I was thinking that we go out today?" Barry asked from his spot laying on the bed.

"Barry…" Caitlin replied trying to focus on her laptop.

"You remember, outside right? The grass, the trees, the… uh birds?"

"What are you doing?" Caitlin sighed, questioning Barry's motives. Barry sat up coming over to her chair at her desk where she was diligently typing away at her computer.

"Nothing. I was just thinking, it would be good for us to get out of the house. We are both feeling better–"

"Not one hundred percent." She added interrupting him, but he was unfazed.

"And we better take the opportunity to go out for fun while we have it. My legs are starting to feel restless, like I need to go do something–"

"Four days ago you had an arrow in your back and in your leg. Your body needs to rest." Caitlin typed away on her laptop.

"So, does yours, and you are working."

"I'm typing. That's different. You want to go out and play hero in a city that isn't yours." He back was to his so she didn't see him wince at the word hero.

"Yeah, but I'm better now. And I still have work to do here in Star City." Barry gently pried her hands off her laptop, pulling her to stand up in front of him. He guided her hands and placed them gently on his chest. His wandered down her frame to lightly clasp her waist. His eyes never leaving hers, they started to sway. "And I don't like you being here when it's so dangerous. Who knows what else could happen while you are here."

"But you're here."

"I have to be here." Barry leaned down to rest his forehead against hers.

Caitlin could see the pleading in his eyes. She sighed in defeat. "They do need me back, at STAR Labs. Yeah, I'll head back tomorrow. Okay?" She closed her eyes.

Barry smiled in return, "Why don't we call Felicity and have everyone meet at Verdant? Spend some time together while we are all here?" He kissed her lips briefly, urging her to look at him.

"Yeah. That sounds nice. But let me finish up this part of the analysis. Cisco will be lost if I don't finish it." She said heading back to her laptop.

Barry hesitated for a moment. "Are you– gonna be okay getting there on your own?" He didn't want her to think he thought she was helpless, he knew how strong and independent she was, but she was vulnerable right now.

"I'll be fine. Mom's not going anywhere today, I'll have her driver drop me off at the front door." She responded not even looking up.

Barry chuckled, "Okay. I'll head over there now and get everyone together."

He kissed her deeply one more time before pulling away. Caitlin turned back to her laptop missing the spike of pain flash across his face. A wince was visible on his face as he walked but he brushed it off. Nothing he couldn't handle.

Once Barry was out of the room and down the hall, far away from the possibility of Caitlin hearing him talk, he pulled out his phone quickly calling Felicity.

"Hey, we have got a bit of time before Caitlin heads over. I'll meet you at Verdant."

"Are you sure? You should be resting." Felicity's concern warmed him.

"Yeah. Tell Oliver I found something involving the case." Barry made his way out.

Caitlin had finished her work about an hour after Barry left. She made her way to Verdant. She was surprise to find it locked, thinking the others would be in the main area by the bar. Either way she unlocked the door with her own key, yelling a "Hello!" once she shut the door behind her.

Walking through the empty club kind of unnerved her. She wandered through the usually filled hallways with apprehension. A hand on the wall guiding her as she made her way towards the main office where she was sure Laurel or Tommy would be.

Her heels echoed on the tiled floor as she continued walking. The strap on her left heel kept hitting her ankle in an uncomfortable manner, so she leaned against the wall and tried to fix her shoe. The wall opened up a she put her weight on it. Falling inside, she let out a quiet yelp. She caught herself before she could fall.

She found a staircase leading down to a lower level of Verdant. Following the path with a cautiousness, her heart rate picked up. Quietly making her way down the stairs and around the corner she stumbled backwards after hearing some people talking. Peering around the corner she noticed the voices belonged to her friends. They were spread out around the expanse and some were crouched over the computer screen.

Thea was talking with Laurel, polishing a few things here and there. Tommy was next to Oliver discussing something just between the two of them. Barry and Felicity were looming over the computer each taking turns discussing something scientific. Sara and Diggle were both in training attire, long sticks in their hands clacking together with the force of their attacks.

Caitlin's eyes widened in realization as they fell upon the Green Arrow armor in the case across the way.

"So, the residue found at the scene has been confiscated by the SCPD and I won't be able to get ahold of it until I go back to work but I did do an analysis on the stuff Oliver found at The Archer's bunker and apparently, he is using an enhancement drug, a steroid. And he's not working alone." Barry's clear voice called out around them.

"Do you think you can find out where the enhancement drug is coming from?" Oliver took the two steps closer to the computer.

"I already looked, if we can't find out what's in it, we can't track it." Felicity told them a little forlorn, an obvious distance between Oliver and herself.

Oliver sighed out loud, "How do we find out what it's made of then?"

"We need a chemist. I mean, I can try but it's a little too complicated for me. I can ask Julian, but it's risky even putting this near the SCPD. They will ask too many questions." Barry shrugged his shoulders, rolling the discomfort out of it.

"What about your girl? She's smart. She knows science." Sara asked Barry with a shrug.

Barry opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. He could ask her to help, but he certainly didn't want to get her more involved.

Oliver was quick to add his opinion. "No. Caitlin is not getting involved in this case. She shouldn't even be in Star City."

"She won't be much longer. I talked her into leaving tomorrow." Barry was quick to add.

"Good. But maybe we can subtly ask her to look over the–" Felicity was cut off by Thea.

"Caity!" Thea cried out, finally noticing Caitlin in the room.

Caitlin quickly hardened her expression. "What is going on here?"

"Caitlin." Tommy was the first to step forward. "We can explain."

"Explain then." She glared at them.

Tommy, the most level headed out of them, couldn't find the words to respond. Oliver then took it upon himself to explain things. It was his secret. It was his choice to keep things from her.

Making his way over to her, Oliver said, "I've been acting as The Green Arrow vigilante in the city."

"Yeah. That much I figured out." She pointed towards the case with the Green Arrow suit in it and on display. "You've been lying to me!"

"I was trying to keep you safe. Caity…" Oliver reached out for her.

Slapping his hand away from her. "Don't touch me! You lied to me. You lied about everything. You made Lissy lie to me. You made Barry lie to me. You made everyone that we love, lie to me. How could you hide this from me?"

"Caity, you would have been in danger. More than what just happened."

"Oliver! Barry was shot, twice. A mad man held a gun to my head and threatened to pull the trigger just because of my family name! Life is dangerous. If you can't rely on your friends, your family, to be there for you. Then what's the point of it all?"

Silence filled the space of the Arrow Cave.

Caitlin shook her head and began walking towards the exit.

"Caity!" Felicity cried for her to come back.

"Caitlin!" Oliver tried too.

"I'm sorry. I need some time." She said continuing her trek out of the open area and back up the stairs.

Barry hurried after her. He knows she was mad at him too. She was scared, and that thought brought an unimaginable fear into the pit of his stomach. When she was scared, she ran. And she ran alone.

"Cait!" He reached her on the closed, empty dancefloor of the club. Slipping his fingers around her wrist pulling her back to him. Back into his arms. The slight pain in his shoulder easily ignored.

"Cait, please. Talk to me. Don't run." He tightened his hold.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close. Breathing in a deep breath before releasing. This hurt them both. Their hearts were breaking.

"I need some time." She mumbled against his neck. He could feel the tears running down her face. Barry felt the soft pressure of her lips against his neck, so sweet and delicate he could have easily imagined it.

Breaking away from him she took off running.

Worst part was… Barry let her go.

A few hours later, Barry returned back to the Queen mansion with Felicity and Thea, all dreading the angry lecture they would receive from both Caitlin and possibly Moira if she had told her.

Felicity had been the one to find them in the tea room as Caitlin rambled on about the new experiments they have her doing at STAR Labs and Moira, bless her soul, attempted to follow all the medical jargon she spewed out.

Barry in all his jumbled emotions couldn't help but admire Caitlin from his spot in the doorway. She was simply brilliant. In his opinion, and many others, there was no other person in the world that outshined Caitlin in her beauty, in her brilliance, in her intelligence, in her heart.

He really hoped things would be fixed between them soon.

"Hey Mom, Caity." Thea cleared her throat stepping into the room. Her Queen genes giving her the confidence to go in first. "Mind if we join you guys?"

"Of course, dear! I'll go fetch Sophia for more." Moira announced getting up and swiftly heading out of the room.

Felicity rolled her eyes after she passed. "Well she's not coming back."

An awkward silence filled the space before Caitlin sighed, "You guys can come in. I'm not going to bite your head off or anything."

Felicity sighed in relief quickly finding her usual spot to Caitlin's left. Thea following suit in her spot on the other side of the seat her mother previously occupied. Barry took up Moira's seat as she left, closest to Caitlin's right side.

"Caity, I am so sorry. Honestly, I wanted to tell you right when it all started but then some things happened and we got distracted and you wanted to become a doctor. So, you were studying most of the time. And not to mention everything that happen with Sara and Oliver and then so many other bad guys came into the picture and then we had the wedding and you moved so I thought you were safe and you never had to worry about any of this and I'm just so sorry." Felicity breathed out in one breathe, gasping for air at the end of her speech.

"Are you done?"

Glancing over at Thea and Barry. "Yes. That's it. Most of it. The sparknoted version."

Caitlin lifted her brow at Felicity. "The sparknoted version of the sparknoted version but yes that's it." Felicity finished.

"We really are sorry we didn't tell you." Thea added when Caitlin didn't reply for a moment.

"I know. I'm not mad at you, any of you. I'm just… disappointed, I guess." Caitlin said with a frown on her face and in her eyes.

"I know. I'm not exactly on talking terms with Oliver at the present moment. Talk about a rocky first year."

"Yeah, but you'll be fine. You love each other. You'll figure things out." Caitlin took a sip of her tea, "Like I said, if we can't rely on the people we love the most through hard times, we will never survive them."

"Yeah." Thea agreed getting up. "We will talk more in the morning, Babe. I'm going to crash." She gave Caitlin a hug and kissed her cheek before heading out. "Goodnight!"

"Night." Caitlin responded looking to Felicity.

"Well I guess tea time is over."

"I guess." Caitlin smiled gently, "Go check on Oliver. We can talk tomorrow. It is getting late."

"You are the best, Caity."

"I know."

A hug and goodbye later left Barry and Caitlin alone with cold tea.

Barry opened his mouth to apologize yet again, but she cut him off before even a sound came out.

"Stop." Caitlin cut him off. "Let's save our talk for our room."

"Our room?" Barry asked dumbfounded, "Our as in you are not kicking me out?"

She gave him a confused look. "Why would I kick you out?"

"Because… everything?" He answered lamely.

Her mouth twitched into an almost smile, but not quite there yet. "Like I said, I'm not mad at you."

A few minutes later, after setting the tea cups and utensils in the kitchen, the couple made their way upstairs.

Silence filled the air as they got ready for bed, following routine, moving together as if they had done it a million times, even in the tense atmosphere they merged perfectly.

"Cait?" Barry asked before approaching her from the bathroom. She was searching through his drawers in her bra and shorts.

"Just looking for a shirt for bed." She said without looking up.

A slight smile formed on his lips as he removed the shirt he was wearing and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She smiled back, throwing it on. Walking up to him she finally looking into his eyes for the first time since Verdant.

"Cait– I–" Barry tried to speak but words kept getting caught in his throat. She smiled at him before speaking.

"I love you. You know that. And even if I am mad at Oliver, that doesn't change the fact that I love you. Nothing you could do could make me hate you. I'll be mad and angry and disappointed but that's only because I care, Barr." She kissed his cheek.

"Is that going to be a thing now, Dr. Snow?"

"It is."

"Care Bear." He mumbled as he let out a laugh, feeling so much lighter, before sobering up again for the seriousness of their talk. "I love you too. And I know that it was wrong to keep this from you, but it really wasn't my secret to tell. I stumbled upon it on accident just as you had." He reached for her hand. Relief washed over him when she met him half way interweaving their fingers together tightly. He squeezed her hand as he felt he could finally breathe again.

"Breathe, Barry. I'm serious about us. We might have only been dating for a short while. But I want this to work. Couples work through their problems."

His body finally released all the pent-up tension that he held there since first discovering the Arrow's identity. He pulled her too him, fiercely kissing her lips.

"I want this to work too. So, so, so much." He whispered against her lips, nibbling gently on her bottom lip when he finished speaking.

"No more keeping things from me." Leaning her forehead against his, keeping him close.

"Never again."

"Come on, Mr. Allen. Let's go to bed." Pulling him with her towards the bed.

He made a sound of disappointment when she pulled away from him to climb into bed. He shuffled into bed after turning the lights off.

"Barry?"

"Yeah?"

"I said let's go to bed." She emphasized.

"Oh, thank God." Rolling over on top of her, she happily laughed in response followed quickly by a moan and a teasing shush from Barry.

They still had a lot to talk about but things were going to be okay.