•Rose's Pov•
I was under the impression that Barry was only hanging out with this Linda chick but all he does is talk about her.
Just listen.
"...Oh and she works in the same place as Iris, so that's pretty cool right? She writes about sports and she really loves spicy foods a--"
See what I'm talking about?
"Yeah...that's nice." I say as I flip through my magazine.
"Yeah so we have a date tonight an-"
I get up immediately.
"Sorry, strawberry milk run."
I walk to the kitchen and grab one out of the refrigerator.
I open it and go to drink it but pause.
I look at it and then pour it out some of it in the sink.
"What do you think about this?" Barry asks.
I drink the rest and give a thumbs up.
"That's nice."
He shakes his head and leaves then comes back with another outfit on.
"How about this one?"
"Looks as nice as the last one."
He leaves and this goes on for another six more outfits.
"If you change one more time I gonna shoot you." I say before I finish off the rest of the strawberry milk.
"Don't wait up for me." He says as he kisses my cheek.
He leaves out and I look at the empty bottle of milk.
"Don't worry, I won't..."
I was watching the walking dead on Netflix when I got a call from Cisco.
"Yeah?"
"We have a robbery in progress."
"Let me guess you don't want to bother Barry so you're calling me?"
"I'm pretty sure the little old lady will thank you later."
"There's no little old lady."
"Rose, there's always a little old lady."
I sigh and pause the show then leave out and fly to the location Cisco tells me over the phone.
I get there and take all of the bad guys out then get back and press play.
"Oh there wasn't any old lady." I hang up and keep watching the show.
I barley even started watching episode six when I get another call again.
"Dad, not you too?"
"I know, baby girl but we got a jumper on 52nd and Waid do you think you can help us out?"
I pause again and take off in time to grab the man off of the building and place him on the ground then get back home.
"Done. Now please if anything else happens call Barry." I hang up and see I ran out of popcorn.
"Why does the world hate me tonight? All I want is to see if Sofia is alive but nooo, Central City needs saving."
I pop some popcorn and see my phone vibrate.
Nope, not gonna happen....
"Yes Caitlyn..."
The next morning Cisco was giving Barry a high-five and I was annoyed.
"You're seriously the lady-slaying machine my man."
Barry was gushing about his date and I wanted to eat my own ears off.
"Chocolate milk with a slice of chocolate cake please."
I order.
"Isn't that a lot of chocolate?" Barry asks.
"Let me live Allen. And this is for all three of you and my dad. When I go out on a date neither one of you better not text, call or leave me a voice mail or so help me you all will be waking up tared and feathered."
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Cisco whispered to Caitlyn.
I turn to him and he raises his hands in self-defense.
"Anyways Linda is so cool, we're going on another date tonight."
I groan hearing that.
"Another one? Seriously?" I pay for my stuff and go sit in a booth alone.
The rest of the breakfast club joins me and I honestly want to be left alone.
"Aren't you worried about moving too fast?" Cisco asks.
"No what do you mean?" Barry replies.
I wonder if I stick this fork in my carotid artery will they run away and leave me alone to get the ambulance so I can have some peace and quiet?
I pick up the fork and Barry takes it from me and uses it to get some of my food.
"Get your own." I snatch it back and crawl under the table.
"Hey where are you going?" Barry asks.
"To get some peace and quiet."
I shove my cake container in my book back and walk out into the alley way and take flight.
"Finally...." I do a sigh of relief when I kick my feet up on a desk as S.T.A.R. Labs.
I take my first bite and smile to myself.
"Hello Miss West."
Oh shit!
I take my feet down quick as Dr. Wells wheels in.
"He--" I drink some milk to wash down the cake.
"Hello, Dr. Wells. Want some?" I offer.
"Thank you but I think chocolate cake is a bit much for the morning....chocolate milk too?" He asks as he raises a brow.
"I wasn't in the mood for strawberry today..."
He nods and he begins to wheel away but I stop him.
"Dr. Wells?"
"Yes, Rose?"
"Um, I was wondering if you could help me with something."
He takes his glasses off and cleans them.
"Anything."
I hesitate but place my things down take a deep breath.
"Can you explain this to me?"
I raise my hand at my empty chocolate milk container and suddenly it was engulfed in purple flames.
"Interesting." He says as he wheels up to me.
"Yeah, I didn't think it was interesting when I was folding my sisters cashmere sweater and it was on fire last night. Man she is going to have my neck."
He chuckles and offers a hand to me.
"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."
"Rose, I'm sure that if you wanted to set me on fire, you'd do it the moment I'd say it's time for you to train on the treadmill."
He's got a point there.
I give him my hand and he examines it.
"Did these powers just happen over night?" He asks as he looks up at me.
"I was just thinking about something last night..."
More like thinking about how Barry had kissed Linda.
I get a flash of anger and snatch my hand back the moment I see a little flame ignite in my palm.
"It's amazing."
"How? I don't want to be like Ronnie."
"Rose, I assure you. You're nothing like Ronnie Raymond. But you're gifts are starting to evolve. I want to run more tests but don't tell the others just yet."
"Trust me, I'm not in any rush to say anything. But can you explain this little fire trick?"
"I have a small theory. I don't know how you can start a fire but I'm sure you're using some on your kinetic energy and focusing on it to the point where it's becoming active enough to form a fire. It's remarkable and I do hope you train to control it like your flying and telekinesis."
"Oh great, not only do I grow wings and can move things with my mind but I can start fires too? If this hero thing doesn't work out then I guess I can always join the circus."
Dr. Wells shakes his head but laughs at my little comment.
I go to say something about my eyes but Barry and Caitlyn both walk in the main room and tell us about what Ronnie did to an innocent man.
I can see the hurt look ok Caitlyn's face.
"Well, it appears letting Ronnie roam free is no longer an option."
"He's not even Ronnie anymore. He's Marin Stein walking around in Ronnie's body."
All this science junk is really hurting my brain.
I mean hearing Cisco say last week that Ronnie and Martin Stein are sharing the same body all because of some crazy side effects from the accelerator explosion is still making me feel uneasy.
"Dr. Wells. Is there a reason why Steins mind is in control is Ronnie's body and not the other way around?" Barry asks.
"Simple Darwinism. I suspect a brand new organism will select the strongest parts of its self in order to survive. Survival of the fittest. In this case, Ronnie's body and Stein's mind. In any event, he badly hurt an innocent man and we have hunted meta-humans for less. Now Caitlyn, we need to know you're on board for what needs to be done here."
I can see the hurt in her eyes but she rolls her shoulders back and nods.
"How do we find him?" She asks.
"Quentin Quale, The scientists that Ronnie attacked, is a former colleague of Martin Stein. If Martin is indeed in control of Ronnie's body, he maybe trying to figure out exactly what's happening to him."
"What do we know about him? I mean I don't even know what Stein looks like, how about you Barry?"
He thinks for a second and shakes his head.
"He doesn't ring a bell."
Dr. Wells brings up a picture on the screen of Martin Stein and I shrug.
"Still n-"
"That's Stein? I've seen him before."
"When?" Caitlyn asks.
"On the train, the day the accelerator exploded...."
He tells us about his little run in with Martin Stein.
"Hmm, does Martin have a wife?"
"Of course why didn't I think if that?" Dr. Wells says after my question.
"What?" Barry asks.
"Well I figure if I were Stein, I would try to go to the people I know and love." I catch myself staring at Barry and look away quickly when he looks over at me.
"And her address is here."
"I'll drive." Caitlyn says as she grabs the keys to the van.
"Thanks but, I'm going to stretch my wings for a bit."
"Rose?"
"Yes Dr. Wells?"
He pulls me over to the side.
"Don't over do it."
"Gotcha."
***
We were at Clarissa Stein's place and she was telling us about her husband and how he had just suddenly disappeared.
"...S.T.A.R. Labs is actually helping the CCPD with looking into your husbands disappearance, Mrs. Stein."
"Thank you, and please call me Clarissa." She gives me a gentle smile.
"The Conway prize for scientific advancement...." Dr. Wells comments as he looks at some funny looking awards on a desk table.
"Martin was very proud of that one."
"Oh, I had always hoped to win one of these myself. And look at that. He wanted three times."
"Takes a special kind of person to make Dr. Wells jealous." Barry says behind me.
"Well, Martin had a talent for making people jealous. Even me. I sometimes think Martin loved his theorems and experiments more than he did me."
"I'm sure that's not true. I'm sure he loved you." I reply.
"I second that." Caitlyn agrees.
"So you haven't heard from your husband since he disappeared?"
"No..."
Barry then takes a photo out of his pocket.
"Mrs. Stein, could I show you a photograph? Have you seen this person before?"
She nods as she looks at the photo of Ronnie.
"Yes, I have. Who is he?"
"Um..."
"Just a person of interest, Clarissa." I take the photo from Barry and put it in my pocket.
"When did you see him?" Caitlyn asks.
"I started getting the feeling that someone was watching me, and sometimes I still do. And about a month after Martin disappeared, that young man showed up here..."
Are you going to help her, Rose?
Duh, that's a stupid question of course I am.
Then why are you glaring at her?
My inner voice hisses and that's when I realize that I was glaring.
I straighten up and listen to her.
When we get the full story we leave the house and come up with a solution.
"So it appears that Martin Stein and Ronnie Raymond have something in common besides sharing a body. They both feel the need to protect the women they love."
"Clarissa said she feels like she's being watched." I mutter out loud.
"Well then, this has all the makings of a stakeout."
"But Barry's got a date tonight."
I roll my eyes at Caitlyn and shove my hands in my pockets as I feel them get warm.
"I'll cancel."
"No, Barry. You go. If anything happens in sure you'll be here in a split second."
I then speak up.
"Yeah, Barr. I'll be here too so it's no big deal."
He smiles at me.
God your smile is stupid...and still cute.
"Thanks guys." He takes off and he was gone.
"If we're going to do a stake out then we are going to need some food."
"Big belly burger?"
"Yeah, I'll go get it. What do you guys want?"
"How about we all get it?"
"Fine, but don't judge me when I order three big belly burgers with a large fry and small strawberry shake."
"A small?" Caitlyn says with a pinched brow.
"I'm not really in the mood for it today." I shrug and we get in the van....
•Barry's Pov•
It was time for my date and I open the door and see Linda looked amazing.
"You look great."
"Well, I have a big date tonight, and I kind a wanted to impress the guy."
She walks in and I can't help but smile.
"I think I can speak for that guy and say that he is super impressed."
She smiles and looks around.
"So is this your place? It's awesome."
"Yeah. Well, not entirely. I grew up here. Is it really lame that I live at home?"
She shakes her head.
"Not at all. I still live with my parents."
"Really?"
She smirks and shakes her head. "No. That would be so lame." I laugh at her joke and we sit on the couch for a moment.
"All right, so here's the plan. First, a dinner reservation at Paper Clip. Then a round of minigolf, followed by Mal Duncan, Who is playing at an underground jazz club. But my foster dad has a connection there, so he hooked us up. And if you're not sick of me by then, we can get froyo."
"Or..." She grabs the front of my shirt and kisses me.
I pull off her shirt while she pulls off mine.
I click on the music and she was under me biting my lip.
I kiss her neck and when I look up I see...Rose?
"Is something wrong?" I blink and suddenly it's Linda.
Why was I thinking about Rose just then?
"Nothing's wrong."
I go to kiss her and she moans against my lips.
I start to move down and kiss each part and I hear Rose.
"This is right...perfect..."
My body vibrates as I think about kissing her and I jerk away from Linda.
"Whoa, are you sure nothing's wrong? I mean whatever that was, it felt amazing."
"I...I just got a little excited." I stammer.
"I would hope so." She goes to kiss me but I move back.
"Sorry, Linda, I'm just, um, a little worried about, um, moving too fast."
She pushes me back on the couch and straddles me.
I hold her hips and she moves close to my lips.
"It's okay. I hate slow..." She kissed me and my mind flashes to Rose the night at Christmas when I had rejected her.
My phone chimes and Linda tells me to ignore it but it chimes again sounding louder and I just can't.
"I'm sorry, I should check just in case it's an emergency."
I fall off the couch and my phone.
I look and see it's a text from Rose.
*FIRESTORM!*
"I'm so sorry. It's important. Not that this isn't important. It's just that this other thing it is time sensitive--ah!"
I hit my knee as I try to pull on my shirt and toss her hers.
"Otherwise there's no way, I'd leave you..."
But you are leaving and you're leaving for Rose.
My inner thoughts chime in.
"Uh, Barry?"
"Yeah?"
"Your shirt is on backwards."
"Oh, thanks." I take it off and switch it the right way. I uh, will text you, all right? Wait no, I'll call you. I'll call you. Or how about I jus--"
I almost trip trying to put my shirt on again but manage.
"I'll just do both, if that's okay with you." I open the front door and look back at her saying more sorrys than I can even muster up.
But am I saying sorry for leaving her?
Or am I saying sorry because I thought of Rose while Linda and I were in the middle of making out?
I speed off, change into my suit and find Rose right in front of Professor Stein/ Ronnie.
"We want to help you. Please just listen to me."
"Listen to her Professor. We're not here to hurt you. And I know you don't want to hurt anyone else, so if you could just not--"
He flames up and raises his hands at Rose and me.
"Run!" Rose screams and we both take off in opposite directions.
She was in the air while I was at a safe distance.
I speed up and slam him into the wall by the house while Rose was circling in the air.
He flames on again and we both take off.
Rose was beside us and I see her eyes turn pure white and she grabs onto his arms.
"Let go!"
"Rose do-"
She manages to get him to let me go and I fall.
Luckily Caitlyn had the van there ready to catch me.
But I wasn't worried.
Rose was still in the air with him.
When I land on the hood of the car I look up and see a purple fire surrounding the two and then I see Rose fall.
"Rose!"
I yell her name and go to run but Professor Stein catches her and he safely brings her down to the ground.
Caitlyn runs out of the van and looks at them.
"Ronnie!"
He backs away from Rose and flames on then leaves.
I limp over to Rose and she was coughing.
"Are you okay?" I ask as I help her up.
"I'm fine, but now you know how I feel after I flight some times."
"Terrified?"
"The rush." She was smiling and I ask her why.
She holds up a small tracker and it was beeping.
"He won't get far..."
•Rose's Pov•
"Guess who?"
I cover my sisters eyes and she chuckles as she moves my hands.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see my big sister in action. So where's the press? I wanna write swear words and have them printed in black and white." I says rubbing my hands together.
"Hold it there little evil genius. I'm not letting you near that room. But I will show you around."
"Iris, I was wondering if you had a pen I could barrow. I keep losing mine."
A woman asks.
"Sure thing Linda. Oh this is my sister, Rose. Rose this is Linda. Barry's girlfriend."
I feel a grimace on my face when she says the last part but quickly give Linda a smile.
"So you're the infamous Rose West. You're sisters talks about you quite a lot."
"Really? Well I'll tell you the dirt on her too one of these days." Linda laughs.
"Well again it was nice meeting you. If you two excuse me I need to go finish up some things."
She walks off and I drop my smile.
"She better bring your pen back too."
"Rose..."
"What? She losses her pens, I'm sure she might lose yours so I'm looking out for you."
"Rose you and I both know you're not worried about my little cheap ballpoint pen."
I sigh and snatch her half eaten donut.
"Okay, I don't like her. She isn't right for Barry."
"Oh and let me guess, you are? I thought you were over him."
"I am, I think."
I look over and see Barry walking in and smiling at Linda.
Ugh.
"I think I should go."
"So soon? But you just got here."
"I know but hey, you're coming over to cook soon still right?"
"Yes and Rose?"
"Please don't say it. Just let me be petty."
"Fine, I'll let you. Now love you."
"Love you more." I call out past my shoulder.
As I go to leave I clip my sneaker on the rug and was about to have my face meet up with the carpet but someone grabs me up right.
I met those beautiful eyes that I would know anywhere.
"H..ey."
"Hey, what are you doing here? Besides being a klutz?"
I notice Barry was a bit close to me so I back up.
"Just you know visiting my sister."
I look over Barry's shoulder and see Linda frowning at us.
Oh, point for me.
Barry's phone vibrates and he looks at it.
"We need to go."
"O..okay." He leads me out and in a vacant lot he offers me his hand.
"I can fly."
"Just come on."
I roll my eyes but jump in his arms.
He runs all the way to a bridge where we find Caitlyn and Clarissa Stein were waiting .
"What are we going here?" I ask as he puts me down.
"That tracker you put on Professor Stein? It lead us here."
My mouth forms an O as we all walk over to him but with caution.
"Professor Stein?" Caitlyn calls out as he starts to walk off.
"Ugh, I told you to stay away from me." He snaps.
"We will, but there's someone here to talk to you."
"Martin?"
Mrs. Stein then walks forward and he turns to her.
As they have their moment, I can't help but feel happy for them.
"Welcome home..."
***
After we got him all cleaned up and looked at, I can't help but stare at him.
"Well, we got him. Them. Now what?"
I hear them talk and I just keep looking at him.
Last night when we were up in the air, he fire was burning my skin one minute and then the next, we were engulfed in this dark purple flame and he was screaming in pain so he let me go.
"I don't suppose it's necessary to point out that you're staring?" He says to me as he enters the room.
"Sorry, but you intrigue me and creep me out at the same time." I answer back.
"I apologize on Miss West' behalf, professor Stein."
"I guess I do understand how I can be intriguing. I mean, I feel clearer than I have since the accident. What did you give me?" He asks Dr. Wells.
Is it bad that I want to poke him with a stick?
Rose!
What?
I tune back into the conversation and see he's now looking at Caitlyn.
"Thank you, Dr. Snow."
She nods and clears her throat.
"Um, we'd like to run some tests on you, if you don't mind."
"Of course." He agrees.
I take a pencil and just walk up to him and poke his arm.
"Rose?"
"Sorry."
He reaches for the pencil and I see a spark of purple and drop it.
"I um, I need some air. Again sorry, Ronn-I mean Professor." I speed walk out of there and see Barry on his phone.
He looks right at me and he looked annoyed.
"Me and Rose? Wait Lind- Hello?"
He looks at his phone and then at me.
"Did you say anything to Linda when you were there?"
"No I-"
"Because she's getting this funny idea that there's something going on between you and me."
Now it's my turn to get defensive.
"Excuse me? So being associated with me is funny?"
"Rose you know what I mean."
"No I don't Barry. Do explain how I'm now a clown since your little friend thinks something is going on between us."
"Did Iris-"
"My sister has nothing to do with this!"
I yell and suddenly my hands feel hot and my eyes go blurry.
I lean against the wall and Barry reaches for me but I slap his hand away.
"Don't touch me. Do you hear me? Don't you ever touch me. First you reject me and now you want to take someone else's side and cause drama?"
"Rose, your hands." He points out.
I look down and see purple little flames. I ball up my fists and take off down the hall.
Don't touch me...
"Ahh!"
I scream the moment I fly in the air.
My wings this time don't spread out smoothly.
Instead they rip my jacket, and I feel my back begins to bleed.
That's idiot, that jerk!
How can he just think I'd say something to her!
I don't even like her!
"Ahhhh!"
My head throbs and I hear a thunderous clap.
Rose stop flying!
"Wh--ahh!"
Another thunderous clap happens and I feel my nose begin to bleed.
Rose land now!
I then look at my wings and see that they were engulfed in flames.
They looked pure black and the whole world freezes.
I go to touch them but they disintegrate and I'm falling in slow motion.
I'm falling...
Rose!
"My head...I can't stop the pounding."
Rose, let me in.
"No..."
I won't do anything but save you. Now please the ground is coming up fast!
"Fine..."
I go on auto pilot and feel my finger spread out again and I glide near the back entrance of S.T.A.R. Labs.
I was back in control but my body was in extreme pain.
I was limping back inside and see Professor Stein had a concerned look on his face.
He spots me and helps me up.
"Are you okay, my dear?"
I nod and give a small smile but wince.
"Let's just say, my body is going through puberty again. Why does it look like you're sneaking off?"
"I guess you're smarter than you look. Well I suppose I can tell you. I am a ticking time bomb..."
Join the club...
"...and I don't want people to die in this city so-"
"You're sacrificing yourself? But I'm sure we can help you. Dr. Wells can help you."
"I'm afraid the risks outweighs the help of that man and your friends. But I do want to say thank you to all of you. Especially you."
"Why me? I didn't do anything."
"You seem to bring balance. Even with you're pencil poking antics." He smiles and I cough up blood.
"I really do urge you to go get checked out."
I wipe my lip.
"You do know that if you leave, I'm going to tell them."
He smiles and nods.
"I just hope I'm far away when you do." He backs away from me and I try to run off and tell them but my back feels like it's on fire.
I collide with Dr.Wells' chair.
"Rose what's wrong?"
"He...left...where's...Barry--ah!"
"He's not here. But what's wrong?"
I tell him what professor Stein planned.
"If he would have waited. Rose are you okay enough to help?"
I nod and feel my back starting to heal.
"I'll cal Barry, you get everyone else here. We need to save them..."
***
I ignore Barry staring at me and look at where Professor Stein may be.
"I found them. They're in the badlands. Middle of nowhere, 30 miles outside of Central City."
"Minimum safe distance." Cisco comments.
"But how much time does he have left?" I ask as I pull on my mask.
"12 minutes."
"And...we're done. Now Barry, Rose neither of you are able to outrun a nuclear blast so get this device to Stein you two get out of there as fast as you can."
Dr. Wells takes the quantum splicer and goes to hand it to Barry but Caitlyn takes it.
"What are you doing?" Barry follows her.
"I'm going with you two."
"No you're not. It's too dangerous."
"Rose, you risk your life for Barry every time you're out there. And I'm going to do the same for Ronnie. Besides neither of you know how to operate the splicer."
"Cisco will talk us through it." Barry points out.
"There's not enough time. Let's go."
"You heard the woman."
I take off and see Barry carry Caitlyn.
We both race to where Stein is and find him in the middle of the field with a gun.
"Professor Stein!" Barry yells as we see him lift the gun to his head.
"What are you all doing here? You can't be here! Get out of here now!"
Caitlyn goes to him and holds up the splicer.
"Please, look, Ronnie's still in there somewhere."
"All those people--Clarissa-- I won't let them die! It's better I just end this now."
I step up.
"That's splicer! It can separate you! We can stop the explosion."
"How?" He asks.
"The quantum splicer, it's a fission device designed to bombard your atoms with as much energy as they experienced in the particle accelerator explosion. It should be enough to separate you. Please professor. You have nothing else to lose." Caitlyn explains.
He takes it from her and then kisses her.
When they step away from each other he places the splicer on his chest but he still flames up.
"It's not working!"
I yell.
I step up but feel Barry grab me.
"We need to leave!"
"Take her and go! I'll be behind you!"
He lets me go and takes Caitlyn as she tries to go back to him.
As Barry runs off I stand there and raise my hands.
Okay, I know I can contain this. I just know I can.
"Run!" Professor Stein yells.
I know Barry will call my name and I know he'll be hurt when I don't answer.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you Barry..."
I feel my hands becomes extremely hot and I scream as I surround Professor Stein.
I feel him become engulfed and I feel my nose bleed.
Rose stop this!
"I'm sorry..."
I feel a blast and my face feels as if it's about to melt and I fly back feeling my head hit a rock hard.
I hear a scream and the world was paused for a second...
I guess I'll be joining you mom...
KA-BOOM!