Chapter Text
Her hands tremble as she stares down at the death certificate she holds, her eyes and ears disbelieving to what Ralph's just informed her of. Her father is alive, having faked his own death and despite the slowly rising anger at the pain he's caused, the only real question she has is why?... Why would he do this? And she has no answer for it, her guess would be as good as any right now.
Ralph's concern is clear as he looks away from the woman on the opposite side of the counter to Cisco. "I have some things I need to take care of, so I'll catch you later." He pauses, turning his attention back to Caitlin. "You know where I am if you need anything else, Snow cone."
Cisco rolls his eyes at the nickname and makes a shooing motion with his hand, gesturing for Ralph to take his leave like he said. As the other man exits the lounge, Cisco turns his attention to his best friend. Caitlin's still staring down at the paper when he asks quietly, "girl, you okay?"
Caitlin swallows hard against her raging emotions, a torrent of sadness, anger, confusion and despair a jumbled mess inside of her, all fighting to get out. She pushes them all down though, deep down and away because now isn't the time. Carefully as if the paper will disintegrate by being handled to roughly, she folds it and slides it back into the envelope it came out of. Walking around the counter, she climbs up onto one of the many red bar stools, braces her elbows on the counter and buries her face in her hands.
Cisco reaches over and touches her arm gently, offering her whatever comfort he can. "I'm sorry," he says quietly.
"For what?" Comes the muffled words.
"For this. For what you went through as a kid, grieving for your dad and now to know it was for..."
"Nothing," she finishes for him, dropping her hands from her face. "It was for nothing. I lost my dad, I was devastated and it broke what was left of our family apart." Caitlin shakes her head, letting out a humourless laugh. "Lately it just seems to be one thing after another, piling up. First I lose Killer Frost, then the vibe to my childhood then Harry leaves and now this... I just-- what's next?"
Cisco's brows furrow in confusion at her ranted words or more practically a certain part. "Caitlin, what's Harry got to do with anything?"
The drama with her dad disappears momentarily, his words hitting her and she freezes. What had she just said? "What are you talking about?" She questions back instead, hoping to deflect for a moment to gather herself and her thoughts.
"You said things are piling up, losing Frost and the vibe but you also mentioned Harry leaving. What's up with that?"
Okay, so obviously she hadn't meant to say that but now it's out there in the open and Cisco's staring her down waiting impatiently for some kind of answer. And what answer can she possibly give, certainly not the truth especially when she's only just come to terms with it herself. Well the label of it at least, love, because that's what she now knows it to be. Before there had been a denial of what she was feeling and it hadn't been until she had seen Harry start to deteriorate that it had hit home, hard. She is in love with him. Something that had been made all the more clearer when she had seen him walk away, his mind restored and off he went, back to Earth two. She still remembers how her stomach had dropped as he disappeared around the doorway. It made for another one thing she had to carry, her heart a heavy burden along with everything else.
"Caitlin?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Even as she tells him she can see her words have absolutely no effect.
"But I do worry, that's what friends are for. To be here when you need them, to talk and to get drunk."
Caitlin smiles at him. "The last thing you need is more alcohol."
"Amen to that," he replies looking down at the coffee machine. He starts to fiddle with some buttons again. "So, tell me. What's going on with Harry? Beside it'll do you good to focus on something other than that." He taps his finger on the envelope in front of her.
Despite her own reservations and despite not being ready for this conversation, she does as he asks. "Things had been different for awhile--"
"Different how?" He cuts in, a triumphant look on his face as the coffee machine finally starts to do it's thing.
"Just different, I started to notice at Christmas and then more so as time went by. I didn't want to label it but when Harry started to deteriorate, I realised how much time had been wasted and I finally admitted it to myself."
The coffee machine's long forgotten, Cisco's attention focused on the woman on the opposite side of the counter. "Admit what?"
Now or never, she thinks. "That I love him." There, it's out, she's finally said it out loud.
"That you..."Cisco falters, completely shocked. "What?"
Caitlin lowers her voice, knowing the others are only across the lounge. "I've fallen in love with Harry."
Cisco closes his eyes, lifting his hands to his head. "I think I'm still drunk."
A scowl appears on her pretty face as she takes offence at his words. "Why are you reacting like it's the strangest thing in the world?"
He drops his hands and looks at her. "It isn't that," he tells her. "It's the fact that it's taken you this long to realise and admit it."
"Oh..."
Cisco laughs, then winces slightly. "Damn I need coffee," he mutters, watching impatiently as his cup fills. "I'm your best friend, you're the closest thing I have to a sister and I saw the way you looked at him."
Her heart warms at his words. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"I figured you'd come to me when you were ready."
Caitlin nods, dropping her eyes to the envelope before her, fingers tracing the edges absently. A smile is sent to her friend in thanks when he slides her coffee over. Her thoughts are all consuming and she tries not to get dragged under by them. "I don't know what to do."
"About Harry?"
A nod is all the answer she offers, her eyes now on her coffee, watching the steam rise up from the cup.
"There's only one thing you can do and that's talk to him."
She looks up at him, like he hasn't realised the obvious. "He's on another earth."
"And?"
"And I can't just go to Earth two and confess my love for him."
"Why not?"
"Cisco! Be serious."
"I am. What's really stopping you?" He asks quietly, looking at his friend and he can see exactly what it is. "It's okay to be scared, it's a big step but Caitlin--" Cisco reaches over to cover her free hand. "It's a step you need to take if you love him."
And his words make perfect sense and hold such an honest truth. She knows he's right and deep down she wants to do this, take that step. So with a shaking hand she takes a sip of her coffee before giving her friend a nod. "Right, let's do this."
Cisco almost drops his mug in surprise. "What, now?"
"Yes now. If I don't do it now I'll over think it and come up with a thousand reasons why not to." She pushes the envelope in front of her across to her friend. "Can you keep this safe for me? And open a breach?"
"Uh... yeah sure." For Cisco's still slightly drunken hazy mind, this situation is developing all to quickly and he's having trouble keeping up. "Right, a breach." He nods more to himself, lifting his hand and opening a portal to Earth two star labs. "When you exit the breach room, head down the hall to you left, you'll find Jesse's team set up there, she'll get you to where ever Harry is."
"Right, cos he might not be at the lab." She murmurs to herself before sending her friend a grateful smile. "Thanks Cisco."
He gives her a salute. "Anytime," he says as she disappears into the breach.
"What was that?" Barry asks as the breach closes after Caitlin, stepping down from where the others are sat. "Where's she going?"
Cisco freezes as every set of eyes suddenly bear down on him. "She uh..." but as he falters to come up with some kind of an explanation, Nora steps in.
"She's gone to Earth two, to Uncle Harry."
"Uncle Harry?" Barry repeats in disbelief turning to his daughter, "what?"
And Nora's just about to open her mouth again, probably to reveal something she shouldn't when Cisco quickly raises his hand causing her to halt. "You'll find out soon enough."
Tbc....