When Ice And Lightning Align - Snowbarry

Chapter 2: Its A Speedster Life

Barry awoke with a start, taking in his surroundings as he swung his feet off the bed and rose to a sitting position. He noticed he was no longer in his Flash suit that was covered in ash but instead a black Star Labs shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He looked around Star Labs, but it was completely empty, devoid of any life.

There was no sign of Caitlin, Frost or anyone on the team as he cautiously stepped forward. As he was about to enter the cortex the rooms walls bent and twisted like a carnival funhouse, shifting the area into another room, one he was all too familiar with, his childhood home. In the center of the room stood Caitlin cradling a baby probably a few months old in her arms. "Shh, Shh, daddy will be home soon." The Speed Force mirage of Caitlin cooed, gently swaying back and forth.

"Caitlin, what's going on?" Barry inquired to no answer, the mirage just continued to sing soothingly to the child with a loving smile plastered on her features. "Cait?"

"It could've been yours. All of it." A voice came from behind and Barry swiveled around, seeing another mirage only this one was in the form of Ronnie Raymond.

"Ronnie?"

"Caitlin, that baby in her arms... You could've had it all." The speedforce entity declared, slowly circling the speedster. "You had feelings for her Barry, but you just couldn't shake your childhood crush and now look at you, a failing marriage, an unhappy life, Barry Allen living in misery." Barry let his head sink to the ground.

"I thought I loved Iris, but honestly it hasn't been the same since I came back from the speedforce." Barry raised his gaze to Caitlin after a few moments and admired the way she sang softly to the infant.

"You still can." Barry turned to the Speed Force illusion and furrowed his eyebrows. "It's not too late Barry, you can still have it."

"What do you mean?" The Scarlet Speedster asked.

"Run, Barry, Run!" His voice came as if across a great distance and echoed around the speedforce.

Barry turned and began running, the crackle of orange lightning filling the illusion and when he finally stopped running, he was deep inside a forest, watching as Frost stood in front of Savitar. "Frost!" Barry called out to no avail and watched as the time remnant of himself revealed his identity to her.

The ground began to shake and twist, morphing into yet another environment: The karaoke bar from years ago that held amazing memories. "Barry Allen! Come on up!" Caitlin exclaimed drunkenly.

Barry looked around confusingly, he was now wearing the outfit he had on that night and he turned as soon as speedforce 'Ronnie' appeared again. "You know, she wasn't completely drunk that night right? No, up there is Caitlin Snow with enough judgement Barry. She let loose with you, that something she never did when her and Ronnie were in public."

Barry turned back to look up at Caitlin again as she continued to chant his name, unable and unwilling to stop the smile that grows across his face. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Join her."

Barry obliged after a moment of thought, running up onto the stage and smiling at Caitlin before his surroundings shifted again, this time to the morning at Star Labs after the night at the karaoke bar. "Summer loving..."

"That I do remember." The memory is as fresh in his mind as the day it happens but the next part he doesn't recall.

"Cait, I want to tell you something. last night, when that girl gave me her number and you wanted me to call her I was disappointed." Caitlin turned to Barry puzzlingly. "I was disappointed because I wanted the opposite... I guess I wanted you to be jealous?"

"What is this?" He asked the
Speedforce. "This never happened."

"No it didn't, but it could've. Barry, these are the thoughts you had in your head at that very moment. These are the words you longed to tell her Barry, but you didn't. Why?"

"I guess... I thought the feelings weren't mutual. I was confused. For so long I thought I wanted nothing more than Iris, but then I met her and everything shifted. But I couldn't do that to her, she had found out Ronnie was alive. She had hope that she could be with him again and I couldn't try and take that away."

"The paragon of love unable to express his own feelings. Ironic." The mirage spoke. "Barry you missed several opportunities to tell her how you truly felt. That moment you saw her at Mercury Labs after not speaking to her for six months, after Zolomun let her go, after you had rescued her from her decent into darkness, moment after moment where you could have told her, and your fear got the best of you. Barry Allen, your time is running out, you won't have forever to tell her."

"I-" Barry looked at the mirage of Caitlin once again before dropping his head to the ground. "I don't deserve her. I don't deserve anything." The scarlet speedster spoke, but his thoughts ran wild. There was no way she even felt the same way.

"You've saved them time and time again. Have you forgotten how they fought for you when you were about to sacrifice yourself to the Dominators? How Caitlin and the rest of your family, not Iris, wanted and had hope to bring you back from the speedforce? All the relieved faces Caitlin and Frost make every time you save them or they realize you have returned from a mission? Wake up Barry. Wake up to the truth."

With that, the speedsters eyes finally flutter open and Frost is right by his side as he wakes up. It's a pleasing first thing to see to say the least, knowing she'll always be there for him. "You're okay! Me and Caity were so worried." She said, leaning down and wrapping her arms around the man tightly.

The scarlet speedster groaned, coaxing Frost to release her grip. Barry groaned as he rubbed his forehead, before focusing on her. "I don't feel okay. My head is killing me."

He sees the worry flash across Frost's face before he focuses on the figure standing behind her. She turns to see where his eyes are set, but doesn't see anyone. "Barry, what's wrong?"

Barry is perplexed as how she fails to notice the fact that H.R Wells, a dead man, is watching Barry closely. "Nothing, I'm fine." Barry smiles but feels uneasy as H.R begins walking back and forth with a sly smirk on his face before the figure disappears completely behind Frost. He rises to a sitting position, swinging his legs off the medical bed and letting out a sigh. Frost takes a seat next to him, letting the silver locks fade away as Caitlin resumes control. She is startled when Barry suddenly hugs her, but she accepts the gesture, and enjoys his presence. "Thank you, both of you, for everything you've done for me." Barry whispers into her hair, and Caitlin tightens the hug while the two bask in their comfort.