Caitlin had been here long enough that she’d been able to force the rest of the more permanent medical team down in intake and who worked more closely with the amber to keep her immediately alerted with names and special cases as they woke people up. Especially because there were people with other needs and who weren’t strictly human and between her and Dr. McCoy they had more than enough experience with abnormal or alien physiology to handle much more than the average doctor even on this Earth. It made sense. But when her cell phone buzzed against her thigh as it sat in her lab coat as she was fretting over her current project (trying to figure out if she could manage a better way to get their… okay, their vampires a better source of blood… you know, like they’d done on True Blood - obviously it would have to be actual blood or something close but… better than blood bags, that was her current goal). She stared down at her phone for a moment, almost not wanting to believe it as she just…
Awakened :: Allison Argent, Barry Allen, Scott McCall
She gulped, staring down, no - not after this long. Okay, well, Rose’s friends had shown up after much longer and obviously Oliver even longer for Thea but… no, it couldn’t really be but - she turned and walked quickly across the room, tapping Bones rather sharply on the shoulder, “I’ll be back.” She said - her eyes flashing bright blue under the shear stress of the situation. But there was no way, not right now bitch, she thought to herself as she scurried off quickly without even waiting for Leonard to respond to her as she made her way down to where they processed people on the floor below where they typically worked. The elevator would take too long and she skipped right past it - going down the stairs half sideways in her heels as she tried to control her breathing.
The last Caitlin remembered was Cisco showing up and Barry was still in the Speed Force and… Caitlin… hadn’t seen Barry since the funeral. “Out.” She said, stepping into the doorway as she looked at two nurses. “I’m handling this one.” She said - exuding a calm she’d gotten much better at pulling back over herself lately. Of course, the nurses knew something she wasn’t sure Barry would even know and… they might have still been a little weary about her, but they scurried off either way and Caitlin stepped into the room - looking straight at Barry, sat on a hospital style bed as they’d been checking his vitals and all that. “You’re late.” She said, folding her arms over her chest.
Barry has gotten used to the concepts of multiple earths and of time travel by now. He’d traveled across the multiverse, he’d traveled backwards and forward in time. He’d created Flashpoint and he’d even woken up in freaking Atlantis, outside of time and space completely. In spite of all of that, being pulled from the amber pod had been something new and surprising and he was still a little shellshocked by the experience. His speed hadn’t gotten him here and neither had some magic coin. In truth, he didn’t know how he’d ended up here when it seemed like one moment he’d been in Atlantis, hanging out with a friend and now he was [...] here. Farther in the future than he’d ever traveled before. It was like he’d woken up inside a sci fi movie or something.
His first instinct had been to speed out of there when he’d come to, but something stopped him from actually doing it. Maybe he wanted to see what the hell this was all about. Maybe he just was still trying to get his bearings and wrap his head around where and when they’d said he was. Whatever it was, he was more than grateful to see one of his best friends walk into the room.
“Caitlin!” He beamed at her, obviously really happy to see her. If nothing else, she could make this really freaky situation make more sense. Someone had already told him there were probably people he knew here, but on the list of people Barry trusted, Caitlin Snow was near the top. “You know me, even with super speed I can never manage to be on time for anything,” he joked.
Okay so, Barry was still Barry - that was a relief. Definitely a relief. She’d been here at least half a year now - wow, it really had been more than six months now. Six months of mostly avoiding Thea because Thea didn’t seem to know her and Oliver finally showing up but him not really knowing her either… At least, not as well as she knew him. But the sight of Barry was… the last time she’d seen all of them at the funeral (well, everyone but Cisco) seemed like it had been a world away from here, especially now. She had more control now. Her and Killer Frost weren’t on perfect terms, but she’d been able to push the feeling of panic and her wanting to take over back and maybe it was because her other half knew why and knew that it would be better if she just listened this time. Or maybe it was because Caitlin had willingly let her out to play a few times. She hadn’t wanted it, not necessarily, but if it helped the others and kept them save and gave them an advantage she was okay with it. At least, now she was okay with it. She knew that Killer Frost had abilities on her feet and in a fight that she’d… never have.
But now she was standing there at the end of Barry’s hospital bed and for once he wasn’t injured and didn’t really need checking up on and any tests they could have done - she probably could have answered from her own laptop. “Have they taken your blood pressure yet.” She asked, giving him a little look. Knowing full well that unlike most new arrivals - no blood would be needed here. Caitlin was… a little obsessive about that back home and unless there had been major changes she could have answered any questions they had very easily. “Also…” She paused, sort of half mouthing out a few things before giving in, “What's the last thing you remember… at home…” She pursed her lips, looking at him with a sort of half-curiosity-half-hesitance as she mumbled out a, ” Timelines here are weird and I don’t want to shock you or anything. I mean, not that new Earths isn’t normal for us but -” She pursed her lips again, holding herself back from her rambling, “Maybe not the last thing you remember, but you know, something?”
“Timelines are always weird with us.” There was a time when the concept of different Earths seemed like Science Fiction, but Barry and needed to wrap his head around a lot of unexpected a crazy stuff since becoming The Flash. Accidental time travel and travel between different Earths had been a part of that. It made Caitlin’s question seem a lot less weird to him than it might have someone else.
Barry still hesitated. He was used to weird timelines, enough that he eyed Caitlin, trying to figure out when she was from. It was obvious she’d been here for a while now, but did that mean she was behind him? He knew with the nature of time travel, that wasn’t a given and he didn’t want to spoil or shock her any more than she did him. One of them was going to have to give something here.
“Have we met Devoe yet, for you?” he asked after giving it some thought. That was vague enough to not give anything world-breaking away, he hoped, but enough to give her some kind of clue if she was from close to him in the timeline. If not, if she was from before then, at least then she could answer her own question for herself to give him that frame of reference.
Caitlin made a face that would no doubt be more than familiar to Barry. The lopsided little look of disappointment that she’d mastered over the years - she was elated he was here, but also concerned because if Barry was from ahead of her she didn’t know what that meant. At least, at least given his overall healthy looking appearance and the fact that he was talking about something she didn’t know about… at least that meant whatever Cisco had tried to be talking her into coming back to help with worked. Or something else worked. Something got him out of the Speed Force, and truly, to Cait? That was all that mattered. They got Barry back and she didn’t really need to know more than that. Maybe they’d talk about it - but she also knew Barry’s opinion on sharing futures all too well. For better or for worse she knew how he felt about talking about time or alternatives and… well, there had certainly been more than a few messy points in their lives. “Touche.”
The word came out and her tone immediately changed as Caitlin forced a little smile back onto her lips. She’d been so locked inside her own head and able to avoid the time se’d come fro that it had just gotten to her for a moment. But she wasn’t going to let her stress her out at the moment. Not right now. Though she thought even her lovely other half might have had a little bit more respect than to take opportunity right now. They were at least starting to be on better terms; though she was certainly sure that Frost was of an opinion she was behaving nicely enough to be let out a bit more than she was. But not right now. This was for Caitlin and she was going to namaste herself through the whole damn thing.
“No.” She finally answered, simple and to the point as she moved forward and rested her hands on the end of the hospital bed. “Oliver’s from earlier than me, so it seems like - once again - you might be winning a race.” The cheap joke was obvious, but genuine. Caitlin was truly just glad to have him here.
Barry chuckled softly at the joke and was instantly glad he’d gone with something vague. He knew better than most people how fragile the timeline was and how the smallest decision or change could drastically affect things. They might be in the future here, for now, but there was no telling what impact it could have if he told Caitlin things about her own life or anyone else’s that she hadn’t lived yet. He didn’t know if they’d even remember if they were ever sent back, but it seemed possible that they would and he’d done enough messing with time. The consequences of Flashpoint were going to make him wary for a long time.
“So, what is the last thing you remember?”” he asked her. He thought he was probably happy to hear that Oliver was here. They’d become better friends in Atlantis and regardless of their differences, Barry knew Oliver Queen was someone he could count on to have his back. He was someone he was always relieved to have on his side, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye on a lot of things.
There was no denying that Caitlin had a keener understanding than most about Barry Allen. He was her best friend, the best friend she’d ever had really. Except for Cisco well, and Ronny, of course. But Barry had fit into her life in such a seamless way that it had been truly remarkable. It was like he’d always been there, really. She knew it was the same for Cisco. Even with all of the drama, Barry was family and she was so relieved to have him here. But she wasn’t relieved to have this conversation. She wasn’t relieved to wonder about what he’d hold back and what he wouldn’t. A part of her brain wanted to has how Julian was but, well, she knew that would be silly. She’d closed all of the doors in her life on her own. Completely of her own volition because she thought it’d been the right thing to do. The right thing to do while she got right - and then of course she fell in with Amunet and didn’t really get right. Not for awhile at least.
Her lips remained pursed as she looked over at Barry, “Cisco showing up in the bar.” She admitted, there was no point in lying - she wouldn’t be able to fake when she’d came from. He wouldn’t have to look far to find evidence of Frost being here, meaning she couldn’t have been from more than a year or so earlier and obviously not having anyone here except Barry that was from beyond when she was… she didn’t know anything about what was to come. Caitlin was a horrible liar anyway, he’d see right through it. “You were still in the Speed Force.” - keeping her eyes settled on his face, knowing he’d know precisely what that meant. Knowing he’d know (assuming that there hadn’t been any time weirdness between when she was from and he was of course) that meant she hadn’t seen him since the funeral. “I’m glad to see his plan worked at least.” She said happily, trying to move the conversation to anywhere but where she’d been.
Barry hadn’t been there for that; he didn’t know the specifics, exactly, and he raised his brown slightly at the mention of the bar. “You weren’t doing karaoke, were you?” he teased lightly. His expression grew a little more serious at remembering how he’d had to leave them all behind to run into the Speed Force. He didn’t regret the decision, not for a second and a part of him wished they hadn’t pulled him out simply because that had been engineered by the greatest foe he’d ever come up against, someone he had no clue how to actually beat and Central City would be a lot safer right now if they’d left him in there. Consequences aside, though, it had been a relief to be with them all again, to have his life back.
“It wasn’t just Cisco, you know,” he offered. “He told me he couldn’t have done it without you, Caitlin. I owe you both for giving me my life back.” It had put Central City in danger, but he wasn’t going to burden her with that knowledge. Not when he really was grateful to them both for what they’d done, not when he knew they hadn’t had an easy choice there.
Reaching for her hand, he gave it a quick squeeze. “I’m really glad you’re here,” he said, smiling warmly at her. Ending up here after Atlantis wasn’t as jolting as he imagine the trip to the future was for most other people and he’d had a lot of his friends in Atlantis, too - her, Cisco, Oliver, Kara - but he wouldn’t have liked the prospect of being here alone and the moment she’d walked into the room, he’d felt immediately more at ease with the situation.
Caitlin laughed, “No.” She said very openly as the chuckled twisted with the word and she just sort of let herself have a little moment. For everyone’s sake it was a good thing that hadn’t been the case. “I just make a very good Gin and Tonic.” She joked - Caitlin’s time for healing from everything had only been here. Here, alone. She hadn’t actually gotten to help Cisco with Barry. She hadn’t actually gotten to reunite with her friends, people she considered family more than her Mother by long stretches. But people here had been so great that it’d made it a lot easier. She had Clarke, of course. And Crowe who’d also been very helpful. And Bones, it was truly a wonder to work with someone who was so direct action - not lengthy meandering through small details orientated. It was nice. It’d been nice. It was better with Barry here.
But all of that did make it a bit difficult for Caitlin, who could be bad at sharing on a good day unless she thought it was absolutely necessary, to really know how to approach this whole conversation. At least, she knew when Cisco had left the bar that she’d give in. Of course she would. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t have done for Cisco or Barry. And, selfishly, she’d wanted her best friends back.
Squeezing his hand in return she smiled, a very genuine and entirely predictably Caitlin-like smile. One that hid all of those thoughts deep down and kept Frost hidden in some recesses she’d ignore for now. “You have no idea how happy I am you’ve shown up, even if you’re late.” She joked back.
“Sorry,” Barry said, offering her a sheepish grin as he played along with her joke. “You know me, even with super speed, I can’t be on time,” he quipped back. Obviously, he hadn’t had any control over it, but he didn’t mind a little ribbing from her at all. He would have been here sooner if he’d known, if he could have been, but he knew she knew that, too.
“It sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do,” he suggested, more serious again, at least for a moment. “Maybe you could show me around the city and tell me all about what you’ve been up to here.” He didn’t expect her to be able to leave right now - she had a job to do, obviously - but he figured eventually, when she was done here, they could hang out somewhere that wasn’t a medical room. He wanted to hear more about her secret bartending skills for one.