Open Mind For A Different View

Chapter 2: Couldn't Be Much More From the Heart

"Goodnight." Caitlin chuckled, hearing the faint sound of snoring as she removed the tech from her head. Harry was right - talking to Frost made her feel a lot better about it all. Speaking of, she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath but frowned when she couldn't feel what Harry was feeling. Hmm...

"Snow! Caitlin!?" Harry's voice echoed through the door out to the hallway. It wasn't long before he ran into the room.

"Harry, what's--"

But he cut her off, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. She felt him sigh against her as he buried his face in her shoulder. She melted into him, reveling in his warmth. They stayed like that for quite a while, until he pulled back with his arms still around her waist.

She eyed him curiously, a brow raised as she glanced at the small amount of space between them. "Afraid I'd go somewhere in the five minutes you left me alone?"

"No, I--" Harry paused, though he made no move to let her go. He stared at her intently, his gaze wild. "I -- I couldn't feel you. The last few weeks I could barely distinguish your moods and habits and traits from my own and now . . . it's gone. I was talking to Jesse and she asked about you and I suddenly realized how empty, how off--"

"I was just thinking about you and that I couldn't feel what you were feeling either," Caitlin nodded. She took him in, the stare in his eyes directed right to her. The intensity sent a shiver down her spine, bringing her right back to where they were earlier--

"For weeks, we feel everything each other feels...now we were back in the same room for five minutes, and then I left you alone....and now just like that--nothing," He was still watching her, rubbing his hands purposely up and down her arms, "It doesn't make any sense."

"Dark matter responds to chemicals, right?" Caitlin let out a deep breath, her skin overheating that much more - even through the denim - each time he brought his hands over her arms.

"Well yeah, but I still don't--"

She gauged the exasperated and confused expression on his face, finding herself at odds wishing he could sense what she was feeling. But there was no backing out now, without the shared connection she would just have to show him just how much she wanted him. "Both of us had romantic feelings toward each other, but we weren't communicating them. I pushed my feelings down because I didn't think you'd ever feel the same way. And you left to be with Jesse and let me find someone you thought would be better for me. We were rejecting our connection, and you leaving separated us across different earths. Add the extended amount of time...maybe the so-called 'psychic connection' was simply the dark matter's way of bringing us back together. Now that we are, it isn't needed anymore. We can just be us, explore things between us...naturally. Together."

He opened his mouth to speak, but then his eyes widened and his hands froze on her arms. He looked down at her and she shifted under his scrutiny, cheeks tinged pink and yet a teasing glimmer in her eye. Harry gently tightened his hold on her arms, a hearty laugh escaping his lips, "You know, Snow, you might be on to something there."

"I do have good ideas sometimes, you know," She smirked, feet slowly inching closer to him.

"Oh, I know," He shook his head, still laughing, "Now, this idea of 'exploring' this thing between us....what exactly did you have in mind, Snow?"

"I think you already know that too..." She leaned up to kiss his cheek, letting her lips linger there for a few moments. Then she softly shook out of his hold, though she picked up his hand and kissed it as well, smiling up at him before she turned to walk out of the room.

He stood there entranced, frozen where she'd left him, mouth hanging open and skin tingling where she'd kissed him.

It took a few moments for his brain to catch up to the rest of him, and he quickly followed after her down the hall. As he neared her office door, he heard her voice from within;

"It's not my fault you woke up already, Frost. We didn't even do anything yet-Yes, I'm working on it! I'm not grumpy - and neither is Harry. Go back to sleep! Or I'll buy all pink clothes!"

Harry could only laugh as he entered the room and a flush-faced Caitlin turned to face him as he locked the door behind him. The blush set in deeper as they locked eyes, but Harry still crossed over to her and kissed her without hesitation.

As they both caught their breaths, Harry pulled back, a smirk on his face, "Sibling troubles?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes, though her lips did turn up as well. But then she shook her head, "Don't get me started - just kiss me."

"Yes ma'am," Harry wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer.

Epilogue

From then on, Harry and Caitlin were closer than ever. They attempted to keep their newfound relationship to themselves in the beginning, but the secrecy barely lasted. They decided they'd lost enough time together already and wanted to live their lives together to the fullest. The team was a bit hesitant at first, but eventually got used to the idea of the pair together - especially after a slip of confession from Nora that in her future Harry and Caitlin had been together her whole life but she hadn't wanted to say anything about it when she arrived in the past.

For a while Harry remained on Earth 1 with Caitlin, resuming his place helping Team Flash and Jesse returned to Earth 3 to her own team of friends. Harry and Caitlin got to know each other again, this time as a couple in a new relationship.

Team Flash continued searching for and fighting Cicada, though now they had an extra Wells to help them as well. Having two Wells around again was a bit of an adjustment for all, and brought up a few painful memories of HR, but all in all, things returned to normal, if not a bit smoother in the long run.

Caitlin and Frost grew closer, now able to communicate directly. It was a bit different for the girls to have to share a body while one of them was dating, but they all dealt with it fairly well. Eventually, between Harry and Cisco as well as with medical input from Caitlin, after going up against the self-named Mirror Matriarch, they were able to use her company's technology and her mirror abilities to develop a way for Caitlin and Frost to safely split and each have their own body. Caitlin was against the idea at first, having gotten used to having her sister always near her, but realized that they each had their own lives and Frost deserved to be able to live hers as well.

It was a few years into their relationship that they decided to make the move to Earth 3 to be closer to Jesse, who was now married - to the Earth 3 doppelganger of Roy Harper, who was also the Green Arrow - with a baby. While it appalled Harry that his daughter was old enough to have her own child, his pride swelled nonetheless the first time he was called 'grandpa'. Caitlin and Jesse had their own fun teasing him, even while they both enjoyed watching him be enthralled with his little grandson.

Caitlin and Harrison decided on not having their own children, being all too content with their grandparent titles and a couple of dogs they adopted instead. Their lives from then on were simple, though less saving the world and more lab research and family dinners. Frost came to visit on occasion, usually accompanied by her own beau, the explorer Harrison "Nash" Wells, and their own plus one - a surprise little girl who joined their lives a couple of years after Caitlin and Frost split. They remained in contact with Team Flash on Earth 1, while continuing their own work on Earth 3.

Caitlin and Harry were happy, surrounded by the loved ones and family that meant the most, and they remained that way together for the rest of their days.

~fin~