Only Because I Need You Too

Chpater 28: All Alone In The Moonlight

(Mention the stab wound is healed because of the frost transformation)
Caitlin could have tapped out the sound of her drumming heart beat. Caitlin, Ethan and Cisco had gathered around the large computer screen that was displayed on the wide, arching entrance desk. An uneasy, queasy feeling gripped her chest. The screen displayed the pipeline cell. In its centre stood Frigid. Straight locks of white hair lay around her shoulders and head. Vibrant blue irises stared off blankly into space. There was nothing behind them the doctor likened it to looking into the eyes of a corpse. Their captive stood rigidly, ice formed a rink around her feet. "Does she... talk?" Ethan asked, his brows pulled together.

"I don't know... Nora might." Caitlin replied. For some strange reason she couldn't pull her eyes away from the contours of Dawn's face. The petite features, the thick eyelashes, all of it. She was all of it in the mirror every day. The jawline, that definitely belonged to Ethan. It was a stark contrast to Caitlin's soft and rounded features. When Nora had pulled off that blasted mask, Caitlin's heart had nearly sprung free from her chest. Dawn was exactly what she expected their child to look like, but so different. "Even when she is not fighting, she creates ice?" Caitlin tilted her head to one side. Addicts would do anything to get their next hit. For Frigid that would probably include sucking heat from the very metal around her.

"Don't worry, she can't escape." Cisco assured her with a smug smile. "Whilst she was out cold I tinkered with the inside of a cell to make it a lot more like the outside of a rocket or a spacecraft. That cell can withstand the coldest temperatures on earth. We will be fine." Caitlin narrowed her eyes. When she had turned to Killer Frost she remembered vividly that her injuries were all healed. She supposed that meant they had nothing to fear about Dawn's health. Even so, she had medical tools on standby.

"I tried to speak to her." Ethan's voice was little more than a whisper. His eyes were glazed and glued onto the screen. "She just stared right through me." The doctor placed a hand on Ethan's arm and squeezed it gently.

Caitlin scratched her chin and pursed her lips. "Should we get going with bringing Dawn back then?" She raised her brows at her teammates. Ethan's gaze flicked over to her's and he sent her a cocky grin. Chuckling to herself, she flicked a few buttons on the computer. Within seconds plumes of cloudy smoke filtered into the cell, entrapping Frigid. The meta didn't even move.

It was only half an hour later when Caitlin found herself seated on a gurney next to Ethan and Frigid. Her platinum hair lay around her sleeping head like a halo. A wolf in sheeps clothing, she almost snorted. Cisco buzzed around the machinery, giving Caitlin the thumbs up. The doctor traded a soft stare with Ethan, who gave her a warm smile. Rolling her shoulders, she stared at her daughter on last time. The icy meta's chest was rising and falling gently. If she hadn't known any better, the toffee haired biochemist might have thought she was at peace. Pressing pads with long drooping wires onto her head, Caitlin sat back on her gurney and was followed quickly be Ethan. "Okay, say hello to Dawn for me." Cisco cheered. A rush of energy pulsed through her veins, pulsating with every move. Caitlin's senses were attacked by ringing light which swallowed her whole.

Slowly the light began to fade and the scene around her began to take shape. Rows upon rows of ordered rectangular shapes protruded from the ground for as far as the eye could see. Everything beyond that was a hazy mess. A grey sky polluted the air with tiny sprinkles of water. Caitlin felt Ethan beside her, his warm presence wrapped around her. This was a place she knew well, although it had changed considerably. Each of the rectangular shapes were made of cracked any mossy, or polished and glossy stone. Engraved on each stone was a blurry name. The ground was covered in a lush, healthy grass which had grown over the churned earth.

Standing beside the grave stone closest to her, she could make out the unmistakable form of Ethan. Clasped in his hand was the hand of a young girl with straight toffee hair pulled into two neat French braids and a button nose. Staring up to the Ethan next to her, Caitlin reached out and grasped his hand. Their eyes met. The whites of his eyes glittered intensely and he gently squeezed her hand, sending her a weak smile.

"Your mother would be proud of you Loui." Ethan's voice sounded much wearier than Caitlin remembered. Yet still, there was a freshness to it she had only ever heard in Barry. The little girl turned to look up at her father, a rosy grin of delight delicately painted on her face. Her father stared down at her with a crooked grin and tender eyes. Peeking at the grave, Caitlin saw the name on it. It was the only one that had lettering as crisp as fresh morning air. 'Here lies Caitlin Snow. Beloved teammate and wife.' Ethan's smile faltered. "She'd also be proud of me for finally managing to get those braids to look neat." He chuckled to himself, happiness cracked his features.

Dawn ran a hand down one of her braids, glancing from it to her father. "Thank you Dad. They look great." She then sent him a sly smile. "I think they look better than the ones auntie Iris does." She hummed, perking her head up high.

Ethan let out a bark of laughter. "Don't let her catch you saying that. There'll be hell to pay." Caitlin and Ethan shared an amused stare. If anything motivated her to keep on living, then it would be to see a braid war between Iris and Ethan. A small beep caught the father's attention. Pulling out a slender, flat phone, he glanced sparingly at the screen. "Looks like the team went for a coffee break at Jitter's." He hummed. "Want to go?" He asked, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Dawn's face fell a little. Her hazel eyes drifted back to the gravestone. "There'll be triple chocolate cookies there." He sang, cocking an eyebrow and rocking on his feet.

Dawn's face lit up. A sparkle returned to her eyes and a blush of excitement to her cheeks. "Okay!" She squeaked. Pausing for a moment, her gaze once again flickered back to the gravestone. "Can I meet you outside the graveyard in ten minutes?" Her childish voice was scarily quiet. Her eyes fell to the floor and she clasped her hands behind her back. "There's something I want to tell Mum."

"Of course," he replied within a heartbeat. The little girl murmured a thanks. Crouching down, he pulled her into a tight hug. Inhaling deeply, he murmured, "I love you Loui." Caitlin leant closer to her Ethan, resting her head gently on his shoulder. In return, her placed his head in hers.

Dawn flung her arms around her father's neck. "I love you too Daddy." With that, he pulled away, ruffled her hair and disappeared in a crack of lightening.

Caitlin moved away from Ethan, positioning herself across from the grave and in front of Dawn. Turning to him, she felt a goofy smile erupt on her face, "I told you that you would be a good dad." She allowed her voice to contain a trace of smugness.

Ethan returned her playful stare and joined her by the grave side. "Let focus on the mission at hand, shall we?" His tone was teasing and his posture relaxed. Barely stopping herself from sticking out her tongue, the doctor turned to the small child infringement of her. He was right to an extent. They had work to do.