Always Running

Good Deeds

Caitlin wakes up before Barry and fixes breakfast and coffee, leaving it on the table for him and heading to the labs. When she gets there, Jay is waiting for her in the cortex

"Hey!" He says quickly as she enters the room. He walks over to her but she walks past him and slumps down in a chair. "What happened?" He asks.

Caitlin shakes her head, letting out a deep breath. "Nothing." She sighs. "Your earth sucks."

He chuckles. "It's arguably in a worse state than yours."

"Except your prison. Your meta-wing is impressive." She comments.

"Why were you at the prison?" He asks, concerned.

"Got arrested." She says as if it was nothing.

"What?" He walks over to sit down and rolls to sit in front of her.

"Yeah. Turns out my Earth 2 doppelgänger is helping Zoom."

"Is that why you were so shaken up yesterday?" He asks, leaning down to look under her head to make eye contact with her.

She nods. "She just said some things to me that I didn't wanna hear."

Jay looks at her, his eyes soft. "Wanna talk about it?"

She looks around the room. "Uh no, I uh..." She clears her throat, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. "Are you a nature or nurture guy?"

He laughs at the seemingly random question. "I guess I'd have to say nurture. Our circumstances and surroundings determine our reactions and our reactions then start to shape who we are."

"And do you think we have complete control over our reactions? Or are some things too strongly affected by the people and things around us?" She asks. He can't quite tell where she's going with it but he knows there's something deeper.

"I don't think we're completely in control. Some things we just can't help. Can't predict. Sometimes our surroundings, the people and things as you put it, determine how we react. Nothing we can do. Some forces are just too powerful." He says this last sentence more slowly to make a point.

"Like what?"

"Love. Hate. Family. Loss." He says. She looks down again, letting out a breath. He can't tell if he's helped or hurt the situation. "But we can control the small things. Little things that shape us. Help determine who we are. May not be as powerful but they're just as important." He adds.

She looks up at him and gives him a weak smile. "Thanks, Jay. Could we, uh, maybe not tell Barry and Cisco I went over there?" Jay nods.

She stands and he follows, pulling her in for a hug. She pulls back after a few seconds and walks out of the cortex. She goes to the opposite wing's guest quarters where Harry stays. He's sitting at a small desk in the room staring at some pictures.

Caitlin knocks to let him know she's there. He turns and nods, telling her to come in. She walks up beside him, sitting on the bed. She hands him a small rectangular frame. He turns and looks at it, recognizing it immediately.

"Where did you get this?" He breathes out.

"Your office." She says softly. "I went-"

"To my earth." He finishes. "To get this?"

She laughs lightly. "No. Just saw it while I was there and thought it might cheer you up."

She hands him a flash drive. "I made a copy of all the files I got while I was there. Maybe they'll help."

"What's in here?" He asks. Setting the frame on his desk and taking the drive. He opens his laptop on his computer and plugs it in.

"News reports since you've been gone. Police files-"