Caitlin's knees tremble beneath her as she watches her fellow students receive their diplomas. For the past 45 minutes it is more or less a tedious, choreographed routine. Be called, let the world know what your plans are for the rest of your life, shake the principal's hand and walk away with a piece of paper that determines your future. She twiddles her thumbs as she anticipates her turn. As much as she loved her father, she sometimes wishes that her last name wasn't so far down the alphabet. But having her mother's name would not improve matters. The only upside the eighteen year old can see is that Felicity has to wait equally as long for hers. Since they were 5, it has always been one after the other. Smoak and Snow.
As Caitlin looks out over the crowd, she notes the empty seat she had reserved for her mother. The young woman bites the inside of her lip; realizing how foolish it was of her to think that Carla would actually show up. She was never there when it mattered during Caitlin's childhood, why would she start now?
Caitlin is startled to reality as Principal Emilia Valdez calls Felicity's name.
"Felicity Megan Smoak is a Starling City scholar. She will be attending Coast City University for science and technology" the attractive Latina woman in the black pencil skirt and pink blazer announces in her crisp voice; standing tall and confident at the podium.
Of course, Donna Smoak is the first to stand and the loudest to applaud as she dismisses the joyful tears that threaten to fall from her face. Caitlin's heart begins to race as she rings her hands into fists, releases them and takes a deep breath. As she opens her eyes, she surveys the crowd one last time before Felicity whispers, "go get 'em" as she exits the stage.
Caitlin's wide brown eyes remain fixated on the one empty seat in the crowd. A pang in her heart demands to be felt as she swears she can see Barry's ghost.
"I'm so proud of you, Cait" a light breeze whispers before her name is called by Principal Valdez.
"Caitlin Elizabeth Snow, Central City University for bio-chemistry"
The crowd explodes with an extra two minutes of applause. The smallest of smiles finds its way upon Caitlin's face, thinking that the audience has mistaken a simple graduation ceremony for a closing role call on broadway. She read somewhere once that when a broadway performer suffers a loss, they receive extra applause. She relishes in the moment. Thinking intensely of Barry's letters as she smoothes out her royal blue silk graduation gown and receives her diploma, she starts one to him.
June 27 2007
Dear Barry,
I can't believe this day is here. It is beyond what I imagined it to be. I would've figured that if my mom weren't here, at least you would be. In a way, I'm starting to realize you are. It's like Landon says in A Walk to Remember, "our love is like the wind. I can't see it, but I can feel it".
Do you remember what I wished for on my birthday? I wanted nothing more than to know that you were going to be okay. I know now that wherever you are, you are doing just fine. You are no longer in pain, hooked up to a thousand breathing tubes and wires. You fought a good fight. Your father still wonders why you held on as long as you did. He asks what you were waiting for. I believe you were waiting for me to be okay with letting you go.
Similarly, I've been asking myself why you were taken from the world so soon. The answer is that you served your purpose in my life; which was to set me on the path towards helping people. If I couldn't save you, at least I could take a chance at saving others. I'm sure STAR Labs and CCU will help me figure out the best way to do that. Just know that I would take you there in a heart beat if I could.
You will always be the best part of me, Bartholomew Henry Allen
Love always,
Caitlin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A month later...
Caitlin glides through the sliding doors of the STAR Labs lobby. So far the facility is everything she ever imagined. Her eyes widen in admiration of the advanced programming on the computers; fitted with facial recognition software and a high speed x-ray scanner to better detect internal injuries. She can't help but think that Felicity would be very impressed. Maybe she should be here instead. They must have a good tech and engineering department.
Caitlin's heart threatens to leap out of her chest as she is greeted by an eager young man with olive skin and shoulder length raven black hair. He is wearing khaki pants and a graphic tee with The Flash on it.
"You're Caitlin, right? Dr Wells sent me to give you the tour of the place. I'm Francisco Ramon. But everyone calls me Cisco" the boy says as he reaches out to shake Caitlin's hand.
Caitlin reciprocates the gesture and nods hello. Cisco then asks where she would like to start.
"...And believe it or not, we actually don't have anyone working there yet. So if it's something you end up liking, we could really use someone like you" Cisco says as they emerge from the Medical Bay into the cortex.
"Right now, we're working towards a new aid to possibly cure coma patients. It's supposed to wake the brain like some form of true love's kiss..." Cisco draws out the last of his statements in uncertainty; feeling as if he has hit some kind of a nerve. Caitlin bites down on her lower lip and furrows her brow as she focuses on her ring.
"What?" She asks, meeting his concerned gaze.
"Nothing" Cisco shrugs. "I just noticed you don't smile too much".
"My decision to study and build a life here has cost me my relationship with my mother, who didn't even show up to my graduation. And I buried the love of my life this past spring; who was in a coma for nearly 9 months, so this blank expression kind of feels like the way to go" Caitlin responds coldly.
The young woman is suddenly speechless as the shadowed figure of a man steps into the light of the cortex. It is revealed to be none other than Dr Harrison Wells himself. The older, bespectacled man is quick to apologize for the intrusion and swears he was doing his best not to overhear. He too has suffered many a loss in his life and he offers the only advice he knows best.
"Everyone loses someone they care about, Miss Snow. The true test of character is what you do once they're gone. Welcome to the team".
YOU ARE READING
Those Summer Nights
FanfictionAU: Caitlin Snow is the beautiful, studious girl from Starling City who keeps to herself (and her best friend, Felicity Smoak). Barry Allen is the equally quiet aspiring novelist from Central City with a passion for believing in the impossible. Wh...
