Collateral Damage (snowbarry)

My Turn

Ronnie and Caitlin go back to their house to pack up some things to stay at Joe's house. They swing by a store to grab more clothes for Ronnie who had nothing left in the closet.

"I'm so sorry Ronnie. I should've warned you. Cisco said he'd heard Stein was having trouble with military interference. I just never thought about it possibly affecting you."

"It's okay Cait. You can't help what your mind focuses on." He says, a slight tinge of bitterness in his tone.

She looks to him, confused, but shakes it off as they pull into Joe's. Joe opens the door with a wide grin on his face. "Welcome to my humble abode," he says, gesturing for them to come inside.

"Thanks again, Joe." Caitlin says, dropping her bag by the front door. "You didn't have to do this."

"Nonsense!" He booms, cheerfully. "Who better to protect you two than a cop and the Flash." He smiles. "Speaking of, where is that boy?" Joe says, looking around the living room.

He shakes his head in defeat and starts showing Caitlin and Ronnie to the guest room which is right across from Barry's room. "This used to be Iris's room." Joe announces.

"Now that you mention it, what did you tell Iris? Just in case I run into her." Caitlin asks, knowing she has a habit of accidentally, and quite literally, running into Iris.

"Haven't thought about it." Joe admits. "Can't really tell her your dead fiance is back." They look at each other in thought trying to devise a believable story.

"Cousin?" Caitlin offers, "Visiting from...Coast City. My house is being renovated?"

Joe nods. "Sounds believable to me."

Ronnie looks at Caitlin with an eyebrow raised. She doesn't notice. The three of them head downstairs to start dinner. When they reach the living room they are greeted with a smiling Barry holding four pizza's from Keystone. Joe rubs his hands together and chuckles as he leaps down the remaining stairs to grab the pizzas from Barry.

"Cait said it was your favorite." Barry says, looking at Ronnie.

Ronnie offers him a smile back and nods, following Joe into the kitchen. He's too distracted by the nickname Barry used to be too happy about it.

The four of them sit down to eat. Two pizza's being split between Joe, Caitlin, and Ronnie, while Barry downed the other two by himself.

"And I thought I liked pizza," Ronnie says, an amused smirk on his face while he watches Barry.

"I have to eat a lot...to keep...from passing out." Barry says in between chews with a mouthful of food.

"You get used to it." Caitlin laughs, swallowing her last bite of pizza. "I'll get the dishes."

"No you don't!" Joe says, gesturing for Caitlin to sit down.

"Really Joe, it's the least I can do." She smiles at him while simultaneously shooting him a determined look.

Caitlin gathers the dishes and Joe heads back to the office to grab some files he needed to look over for the next day. Ronnie and Barry are left in the dining room.

"How are you feeling about all this?" Ronnie asks Barry.

"It's not completely unusual from what we're used to dealing with. Eiling kind of throws a hitch in things, but we always make it through. I have no doubt we'll do the same here." Barry says, leaning back in his chair.

"You're pretty confident." Ronnie says, almost accusingly.

"I have an incredible group of people around me. I'd be crazy to doubt them." Barry says, not noticing the accusation in Ronnie's tone.