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Secrets and Truths
Caitlin had never been so relieved to see Harrison in all her live. She was initially scared upon seeing him in the Reverse Flash suit but once he got talking she knew it was Harry and what he was trying to do. When Grodd struck him, propelling him across the room she couldn't stop the yell. Harry was on the floor, in pain, but despite it all, he still stood up and talked the gorilla down to save her. Something he said to Grodd stuck in her mind, something odd, but right now they needed to escape as Grodd had seen through the ruse. Caitlin ran for her life, Harry behind her, his large hand on the small of her back as they ran down the stairs and out into the street for the lab. Caitlin assured them all she was ok and just wanted to sleep. Harry wasn't convinced so said he'd escort her home. Barry had offered but Iris rang reminding him he had to be somewhere. Cisco also offered but the nagging feeling in the back of Caitlin's head just wouldn't go, accepting Harry's offer. The drive to her apartment went in silence. Caitlin didn't know when was the best time to ask him while Harry just wasn't sure how to be around people. It wasn't until Caitlin crossed the boundary into her home, home being safe, that she felt the courage rise.
"How did you know?" Caitlin asked him as she turned to face him as he closed the door behind him, trapping him inside.
"Know what?" Harry asked, his usual gruff voice in place.
"That the Reverse Flash had promised Grodd the city." Caitlin asked him.
Harry was a flickering flame, emotion and expressions passing on his face so fast. It was minutes before he answered her question.
"Lucky guess." Harry offered as explanation.
"I don't buy it." Caitlin retorted as she folded her arms across her chest.
Inside she was roiling in icy waves of fear, she could very well be facing a villain once more, a villain who was now trapped in her apartment. Harry sighed as he walked away, letting his fingertips slid across a piece of furniture. Caitlin held her arms to her chest tighter as she could feel them shivering noting the action as something the Harrison Wells they had known do. Harry turned to face her, she was surprised to see it wasn't smugness of Eobard Thawne facing her.
"I can't tell you." Harrison replied sadly.
It didn't fail Caitlin's attention to notice the look on his face of regret. He wanted to talk but couldn't. If he couldn't talk then she would.
"Your Earth-2 Eobard Thawne." Caitlin guessed.
Harry let out a deep sigh as he leaned heavily against the back of her couch. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from him he was weak to stand without it.
"Are you going to kill Barry? To continue your race?" Caitlin asked, taking advantage of his seeming vulnerability while she could.
"I can't race." Harry admitted to her, "Besides I have something more important to me then that old grudge, even if the Flash on that Earth wasn't the same as this one."
Caitlin was now stumped, so use to what happened with Eobard here she wasn't expecting this Eobard to be so different.
"I had to lose my speed for Jesse." Harry admitted, before a shaky hand covered his eyes.
Caitlin felt a pang of guilt run through her. She was so ready to call him the monster, when he was trying to prove he is anything but.
"What happened?" Caitlin asked, the cold tone dropped.
Harry moved round the couch before dropping down, leaning forward, hunched over as he thought how to word it.
"It was after the particle accelerator exploded on my earth. Zoom came to me and tried to kidnap Jesse then. I chased him off but I wasn't fast enough. Zoom turned and caught me." Harrison began to explain even though it was clear he was hurting from the memory.
Caitlin sat down beside him, a hand on his shoulder.
"He took your speed like he wants to take Barry's?" Caitlin guessed.
"I offered to figure out how to do it if he'd leave Jesse alone." Harrison replied.
"Harry..." Caitlin began but didn't know how to finish.
"So, I spent the next few days figuring it out and drained all my remaining speed for him. He said he would leave Jesse alone but once he found out about the multiverse he wanted me to help take all the speedsters speed. I refuse." Harrison finished.
"So, he took Jesse to make you do it." Caitlin summarised.
Harrison nodded before taking in a deep breath.
"So, go ahead now. Call Barry and have me locked up. It’s what you do when you meet my doppelgänger from this earth." Harrison was now using a harsh tone.
Caitlin jumped slightly before regaining her nerve.
"No, I’m not. You may be Eobard Thawne, but you’re not the Reverse Flash. All you care about is your daughter and we would be considered monsters to even try and stop you." Caitlin was resolute.
Harrison nervously grabbed Caitlin's hand in a gesture of thanks. The slight twist of his side had him groaning and gripped Caitlin's hand a bit tighter as his other hand reached for his side. Caitlin didn't hesitate as she reached across, lifting his shirt and saw the huge bruise and dried blood formed on his side from his fight with Grodd.
"Why didn't you say something?" Caitlin scolded him.
"Didn't want the fuss." Harrison replied as he tried to pull away from her.
"Tough luck." Caitlin told him as she examined the bruise and noticing the cut.
Caitlin got up and headed for the medical kit she kept at home. Treating his wounds was in silence and brought up memories of patching up a similar face and name after he had beaten himself up as part of an act, was this as well? No, she had seen Grodd send him flying across the room as if he was annoying bug. Taking a steadying breath, Caitlin turned and yelped seeing her patient right behind her.
"Don't do that Harry!" She scolded him, realising she was using his other name.
"Sorry." Harry replied as he looked down to the floor, leaning back against the sink.
"It's ok." Caitlin replied as she opened her kit up and started treating his wounds, "So is Jesse..."
"My biological daughter? Yes and no." Harry finished off.
Caitlin paused for a moment before continuing.
"When I was stuck there, I found Harrison and his wife and knocked them off the road. My intention was to take over Harrison's life to bring the particle accelerator forward and return home. The device I used was a prototype in my time, and I didn't have the correct materials here." Harry began, feeling like his doppelganger here probably did the same thing.
Caitlin was silent as she worked, thankful the cut didn't need stitches.
"The last thought of someone being killed, you'd think it'll be 'why me?' Or 'I didn't deserve this'." Eobard paused momentarily,
Caitlin also paused, waiting for him to possibly reveal the last moments of a man she didn't know, only his face.
"His last thought was of his wife and the baby he only found out that day she was carrying." Eobard revealed.
The heavy sigh that left him seemed like a huge weight had been lifted for saying it but also, he was still feeling the weight upon him.
"The process had started and I couldn't stop it, nothing in my time revealed he had a family, only he had built the particle accelerator that created the first Flash." Eobard was guilt riddled.
"Jesse is here so I'm guessing you saved them both?" Caitlin asked after a few moments.
"Yes, twice, second time I revealed I wasn't the man she thought I was and solved why he had no family." Eobard revealed, smiling suddenly at the memory.
Caitlin wondered for a moment as she gently pressed the gauze patch to his side over the wound.
"What happened?" Caitlin asked curious.
"There was a complication, time was short, so I used my speed to get her to the hospital, saving Jesse’s life.” Harrison chuckled at the memory, “You know she never said a word until we got back home. For the past couple of months, I thought I had played the part well, truth was, she knew I wasn’t her Harrison Wells.”
Eobard rubbed a hand across his chin, memories digging up emotions with them.
“She was very smart, kind…” Harrison drifted off, emotions getting the better of him.
“You loved her.” Caitlin placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I loved them both, still do. I always thought I’d return to my time, but I ended up staying.” Harrison replied as he covered her hand with his.
“We’ll get Jesse back… Harry.” Caitlin made sure she didn’t use his correct name.
“Thank you.” Harry replied smiling as he stood up. “Not many people would understand. Only the smart people would.”
Caitlin shied away at that, blushing slightly. When she looked back up, Harry was still looking at her, making Caitlin look away and put away her medical kit. She hoped his attention would on her would leave but instead he was still focused on her, but now serious.
“Caitlin, I trust you with this secret of mine.” Harry’s voice was deep as he looked at the ground.
Caitlin paused as she felt the weight of it on her own shoulders now. Slowly, she turned to look up at him, wondering just when had he crept up behind her.
“Your secret is safe with me, Harry.” Caitlin replied reassuring his name, “You’re not the Eobard we know, you’re the Harrison Wells your daughter knows.”
It was Harrison’s turn to look shy and Caitlin to support him.
“And that’s what matters most.” Caitlin said confidently to him.
Her phone ringing interrupted the moment as they were called back to the lab to help with the final showdown with Grodd.