Barry walked in to Star Labs and saw Caitlin doing her work in her lab. "Hey" he said approaching her
"Hey" Caitlin said "What are you doing here so early?"
"Though I would see how you guys are going" Barry said "If you want I could come back later" he said
"No, I mean, It's awesome having you here, I just wasn't really expecting you. You can stay." She said with a smile and he smiled back. Her smile lit up the room and was contagious but only to him. Whenever he made her smile he would always smile back as he was filled with happiness when she smiled.
"Then he was pulled from his thoughts by a voice coming from the cortex. "Hey mum, dad" Dawn said.
"Hi" Barry said with a smiled
"When did you get here?" Dawn asked
"Few second ago" Barry said "Why?"
"No reason" She replied
"Does anyone actually want me in Star Labs?" Barry asks jokingly
"Haha" Caitlin said and laughed afterwards
"Well no one actually does want you except maybe Cisco but we need you because then we will be trespassing so" Dawn said mockingly
"Haha" Barry said and heard Caitlin laughing which was accompanied by their daughter. Cisco then came walking in feeling pretty happy as per usual.
"Hey peeps, what's up?" Cisco said going the family in Caitlin's lab.
"Nothing much, just making dad feel unwanted" Dawn said
"Why?" Cisco asked
"I don't know" Dawn said
"Also I have some ideas for improvements for you suit" Cisco says to Dawn and runs away excitedly.
"Don't touch my suit" Dawn yelled running at normal speed. Caitlin and Barry laughed at their daughter who was finding Cisco. Barry looked at Caitlin and everything about her mesmerised him. He didn't realise he was staring at her until she stood up and shook him snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, you alright?" Caitlin asked
"Yeah I'm fine" Barry said and looked at the floor trying to hide his blush and ultimately failed.
"Barry I've knowing you for almost 5 years and can tell when you're lying to me" Caitlin said putting her hands on her hips. "Come one tell me what's going on?"
"Nothing is going on" Barry said
"Barry" she said in a very strict tone
"Would you believe me if I said it was you?" He was thinking and didn't release that he actually said it out loud.
"What do you mean me?" Caitlin said
"Did I say that out loud?" Barry said embraced
"Yes and stop avoiding the question" Caitlin said
"I mean you are perfect in every single and I can't believe I am doing this but Caitlin Snow will you go on a date with me?" Barry asked
"Yes, I will go on a date with you Barry Allen" Caitlin said with her bright smile which made Barry smile as well.
He felt very giddy and said "Great, I'll pick you up at 7"
"7 it is" Caitlin said and then the alarms start going off "if we can handle this easily." Barry sighed and they made their way to the cortex.
"What is it?" Barry asked
"Cicada" Cisco said
"Alright, let's go" he said and all four of them went to suit up with Sherlock and Iris on coms. They were getting ready for the cure to be used on Cicada. Barry took Caitlin, Nora and Dawn sped in and Cisco breached in. "Cicada!" Barry said
"Flash" Cicada growled
"We don't want to do this" Barry said
"Well I do" Cicada said and through is dagger to the ground taking everyone's powers except for Frost. He the called the dagger to his hand and they all engaged in a fight with him. Somehow it seemed like Cicada grew stronger and was taking all of them at once. Frost was further back than everyone else waiting to get a clean shot.
"Guys, I need a shot" Frost said and Nora ad Dawn moved out of the way. Frost tried to get a shot in but dodged it and instead it hit is dagger so it was iced to the wall. It didn't last long since he called it back and the ice broke immediately. Barry went in for a punch and Cicada fighting back didn't catch the dagger, instead it found itself in Dawn's stomach. Her white suit grew a blood patch and Frost turned too Caitlin.
"Guys" She said and everyone went pale. Cicada used this to his advantage by hitting Nora next so it was in her back. They were all feeling angry and Caitlin turned back to Frost and started to resume the fight, the same with Barry and Cisco. Cicada threw his dagger at Cisco who dodged it and it landed on the floor. It would've gone back to Cicada if Frost hadn't interrupted them with an ice blast. Cisco tried removing the dagger so he could send it to another earth this time but he didn't have much luck and once again cut his hands. Cicada used this to his advantage and killed Cisco.
"Why are you doing this?" Barry said getting up from the floor.
"Metas all deserve to die, they deserve no mercy, that includes you" Cicada said and Barry charged at him again. Caitlin knew that this was a battle they couldn't win and Barry was blinded by grief and anger.
"Flash, don't fight a losing battle" Frost said but Barry still tried to punch Cicada and fell, missing the punch. He stood up again ready to go again when he was stopped by Caitlin, not Frost.
"What are you doing he could see you?" Barry asked
"We need to go, we've already lost them, we can't lose ourselves today as well" Caitlin said but it was taking everything not her not to cry. Caitlin's back was facing Cicada so he couldn't see her face. They were too distracting by each other to notice Cicada walking towards them in the background. He stabbed Caitlin from behind in the gut.
"Caitlin?" Barry asked and she was gasping for air but it was no use. She was falling to the floor but Barry caught her in his arms. "No, no, no, no" Barry said holding her head.
"I'm so so sorry" Caitlin managed to get out.
"You have nothing to be sorry for ok, just save your energy, we still have to go on that date tonight." Barry said and she was still gasping for air. Slowly she stopped gasping for air and her whole body relaxed. She stopped breathing. He looked up and saw that Cicada has fled the scene. He looked around the room and then back at Caitlin who was dead in his arms. Barry then woke up and looked around him. He was in the living room of his place and everything seemed fine. He laid back down on the couch he'd be sleeping on but didn't want to go back to sleep. Running his hand through his hair Barry takes a deep breath and fins something to do for the next few hours since it was three and he was not going to sleep.
In the morning Barry was making breakfast for Iris and Nora. The only reason he was still living there, even though they aren't married, he wants to help her take care of iris and the baby. "Hey dad" Nora said coming down the steps gleefully.
"Hi honey" he said trying to put on the happiest face he could. As soon as he saw her, he remembered his dream and how she was lying on the floor. Dead. Then Iris came down stairs and Barry knew he couldn't hide much from her because they grew up their whole lives. "Morning" she said
"Morning" he said back and gave her some omelet's. Then they all went to go to Star Labs and get an update on Cicada since they have finished the cure.
"Hey guys" Nora says but not as happily as she was this morning. She was more shy with team flash after what happened last month.
"Hey" Cisco said politely and Caitlin just gave a small smile.
"Anything happen today?" Barry asked
"Not so far" Caitlin said shrugging her shoulders. They were having out at Star Labs and talking about different things. Then the alarm start going off. "Barry it's, Cicada"
"Is the cure ready?" Barry asks
"Yeah" Cisco said and Caitlin got a vial from her lab.
"Dad, I know you said you didn't want us in the field when Cicada is out there but you need us." Dawn said
"No, you two stay put" Barry said
"I need to get my clothes and then we'll go" Caitlin said
"No, I'm going by myself end of discussion" Barry said
"But Barry..." Caitlin said but it was already too late he sped off with the cure. All five people in the cortex looked worried and gathered around the centre console. Watching as Barry was going to confront Cicada.
Cicada just lost a meta and Barry had sped in "Flash" he said.
"I don't want to fight" Barry said "We have a cure"
"What are you talking about?" Cicada asked and they starting walking around in a circle.
"We have a a way to cure meat humans. We have a way to make away their powers and we want you to take it." Barry said stopping.
"Why would I agree to do that?" Cicada asked
Barry took a moment to decide what he wasting to say "Your legacy" he said "I know how this end you keep on killing and you are remembered as a monster not a killer. We can change it together if you take the cure. You can have a different legacy but you jut have to chose it." Everyone in the cortex had a smile on their face hearing Barry's inspirational speech.
All their faces dropped when Cicada said "I don't give a damn about my legacy" Cicada then sent Barry flying into a nearby car and started beating him up. Barry tried to make sure the cure wouldn't go waste because they only had a limited amount and couldn't waste any of it. He was also distracted by his nightmare. Every time Cicada punched him he just saw them dead on the floor. Cicada beat Barry pretty bad and everyone was horrified at what they were seeing.
"Cisco and you breach me there now?" Caitlin asked and out on her Frost jacket.
"Yeah" Cisco said
"I'm coming" Dawn said
"No, you're staying here" Caitlin said and jumped through the breach that Cisco had opened for her. She jumped through and saw Cicada about to kill Barry when she turned to Frost and ice blasted him. Before it could hit him he flew away and Barry was helplessly on the ground all bloody and weak. "Barry" Caitlin said turning back to herself.
He could barely move because of his injuries but ha managed to say "I'm sorry Cait" before closing his eyes.
Caitlin took Barry's ear piece out and used it to contact Cisco. "Cisco, can you make a breach to bring me back and Barry's hut bad I'm going to need your help."
"On it" Cisco said through the coms and a portal appeared very close to her to reveal Cisco. They dragged Barry through the breach and then to the cot so he could rest and Caitlin could fix all of his injuries.
She had done everything she needed too but it took her longer than usual since there were more cuts and bruises. Just looking at him made her sad. She hated seeing him so hurt and there wasn't anything she could do to wake him up or save him. Dawn and Nora were also really worried for him and were trying to be as string as possible. Everyone was working hard to find Cicada except for Caitlin who was at Barry's bedside. When it was night and they all went home Cisco tried getting her to go home but she refused to leave him. She was sitting on the chair in the med lab and her mind wondered to another time when she felt so hopeless to save Barry after he made a reckless decision.
Flashback
They were dealing with a criminal who turned to poisonous gas. She was still getting of Ronnie and has just met Barry. They were at his lab working the case together when they heard on the police radio that there was something going on at the mall. He grabbed the suit out of his locked and she pulled him back. "It's not safe" he said and and sped away sending her hair flying. She ran her hand through her hair and made her way to Star Labs to see what was happening. While she almost there she got a call from Cisco and Wells that Barry had inhaled some of the gas and wasn't breathing well. Her heat sank when she heard the news but then she wonder how she could care so much about a guy she only met for a few weeks.
When she got to Star Labs he was on a cot and gasping for air. I could tell how much it was struggling and tried to put all my emotions to the side. The next thing I knew I stuck a needle through his chest and then he fainted in the middle of the cortex. Then the whole time I sat by his side waiting for him to wake up.
End of Flashback
Caitlin was so lost in the memory she didn't even notice Barry tossing and turning until he said her name. "Cait" he said and she looked up and saw him awake.
"Barry" She said franticly getting up from her seat resting her hands gently on his arm. "How are you feeling?'
"Better" he said "What happened"
"You tried to convince Cicada to take the cure but he didn't want to take it" Caitlin explained
"Because I couldn't convince him to" Barry said disappointed in himself.
"Barry, we can convince him another way" Caitlin said "Don't put this all on yourself"
"But I was supposed to convince him and then this would have all been over if I could do it right" He said
"Well now you know that you need to appeal to another side of him and you can learn for your mistakes. Plus maybe next time you won't be distracted by whatever is on your mind" Caitlin said and Barry looked at her clueless. "It's cute you don't think I can tell when something is on your mind"
"You think I'm cute?" Barry said in a teasing tone that you couldn't take seriously because he was still in bandages on the cot.
Caitlin tilted her head and gave him a smile before saying "You know that's not what I meant and stop deflecting. What's going on in that brain of yours?" Barry told her about the dream but not about the part where he asked her out. She hugged him and said "That won't happen because no one here will let it happen."
"I know but seeing it, feeling it, I didn't want to risk it" he said.
"Barry you know we can protect ourselves" she said
"I know you can but it is still up to me to protect you and the city. What kind of hero would I be if I can't protect the people I love to me?" Barry said
Caitlin sighed not being able to think of something until she said "But you do protect us. You saved Iris when Savitar was going to kill us, you saved Dawn and Nora when going up against block, you saved me multiple times when I was kidnapped."
"You never should have been kidnapped in the first place. I should have been able to protect you. When you got kidnapped by Zoom, when Cisco was kidnapped by Captain cold, when Grodd took Joe and I didn't save Iris from Savitar H.R did. He gave his life to save hers." Barry said
"Barry you are being way too hard on yourself, the reason the city is still alive right now is because of you. If you aren't hero then why is there a whole day after you. The mayor gave you a key to the city. Barry you save lives and give people hope, you are the heart of this city whether you believe it or not. I know I do" Caitlin said and then looked at the time "You should get some rest, it's late"
"Thank you, good night Cait" He said
"Good night Bar" She said and walked off to the lounge because she was to tired to go home.