Collateral Damage (snowbarry)

Going Home

"No way!"

"Yep. I'm not letting up on this."

"You're crazy."

"Crazy right."

"How can you believe a town full of metas but not the Batman?" Barry asks, leaning down in front of her to look eye-level as he walks backward into his lab with an arm full of bags of food.

"Because he was 'supposedly' around long before metas and it just doesn't make any sense. Barry you had to show yourself to the public months after you started saving people. He's managed to get away with it for years? Not a chance." She says, smirking at him and sitting down at his desk. "Just the Gotham police's poor attempt at managing their horror of a city."

"Have you ever been to Gotham?" Barry asks.

"Once. Wells was looking into opening a satellite facility there, so we scoped it out." Caitlin explains.

"And?"

"And...do you remember in Halloweentown when the town went all gray and glum?" Barry nods. "Like that, but everyone may or may not be trying to kill you. It's a real crap shoot over there. Not a fan."

Barry laughs and starts laying out their food.

"Can I ask you something?" He asks.

"Anything and always." She says, smiling at him.

"Thawne. Or Wells, I guess. What was he like when you were growing up?"

Caitlin takes a deep breath and thinks. "Honestly...he was the best thing that ever happened to me." She gives him a guilty half-smile. "I know you want me to say he was terrible and make it easier to hate him, but I can't do that."

Barry nods. "I know you can't. I'm just curious."

"He was a workaholic. He always made time for me though. Helped me with homework, answered any questions I had about any of the new books he gave me. He was always talking about S.T.A.R. Labs and how amazing it would be. This grand science and technology facility that would change the world." She says, smiling. "Guess I should've been questioning more how he planned on changing it." Her smile falters.

"He wouldn't have told you if you'd asked." Barry says. "I know this may sound weird coming from me, but maybe in his own way...he was protecting you from all of it."

"I've thought that too...sometimes. Other times it just feels like lies." She looks away, unfocused, sighing.

"Hey." He reaches out and moves her face to look at him. "Lies or not, he kept you safe and he got you here. And as much as I hate him for a lot of things, he brought me you. And I could never hate him for that."

Caitlin smiles, and leans forward. She gets right in front of his face, looking at his lips. She leans in more, closing her eyes. He smirks and closes his, only to be greeted with her putting a large chunk of orange chicken in his open mouth.

"You're cheesy." She says, smiling widely at him.

He chews the chicken and smiles at her. When he's done chewing, she leans in and gives him the kiss she teased earlier. He puts his hand on the back of her head and holds her there for a few moments before pulling back.

"Worth it." He says.

She laughs and pushes him back lightly.

"I don't give up food lightly."

"I've noticed." He laughs.

They sit and eat in the lightest moods they've been in for a while. When they're done, Caitlin helps Barry with some evidence he has to process and she laughs while he explains some of his craziest past cases, and she gives him a recount of her med school horror stories. Four hours later, they're done, and both are exhausted from the long day.