Chapter Text
Chapter Four
Caitlin was terrified.
She’d been angry, yes. But the anger had faded a long time ago. She’d overreacted to what had happened, and hadn’t stopped to think about what she was doing. Now she felt like an idiot for trying to cover the city in snow. She’d meant to give them an inch, maybe two. It had to be past that now, but she had no way of knowing for sure. The wind and snow had created a swirling wall around her. Caitlin didn’t know how to stop the snow though. She felt cold, so cold now. And she had no idea how to make any of it stop.
Right now, she needed Barry. She needed someone she trusted, someone she cared about. Barry fit those qualifications. But he was gone. She told him to run so he could be safe from the explosion. He might not even know about her survival.
She needed help, and she needed him.
Barry had no idea how snow would affect him as he ran. Fortunately, the heat and lightening he generated through his super-speed proved to be great at melting the stuff. Maybe once Caitlin was all right and safe, he could run through the streets and melt some more snow. The snowplows shouldn’t be brought out again until Christmas.
The snow tornado, as he referred to it as, was in the parking lot of STAR Labs. A few news vans were on the outskirts of the property. The doors on them were shut tightly, slowly getting swallowed by snow. Barry ran around them a few times to melt it before returning his attention to the swirling vortex. Up close, he could now see Caitlin slightly better than the grainy feed the live broadcast had offered.
“I’m coming, Caitlin,” he said out loud as he ran through the snow and wind into the center of the storm.
Inside the tornado, there was less snow on the ground than outside. He was standing in barely three inches of it. Staring up, Barry couldn’t help but feel slightly amazed at the height the vortex has reached. But then a small moan brought him back to why he was here, and turned in the direction of it.
Caitlin was standing a few feet away from him, arms held out at her sides, palms facing upwards. Her hair was white, save for a few slim brown strands, and her eyes glowed white. She looked tired and exhausted, and Barry was surprised that she was still able to stand. Caitlin, his beautiful, strong Caitlin, was still beautiful, but looked as though she was going to collapse any second.
“Caitlin!” he called, hurrying over to her.
She lifted her head weakly. “Barry?”
“It’s me, Cait, okay?” he assured her, reaching out to take her hand. She pulled it back, but the movement was sluggish and slow.
“You can’t touch me!” she cried, her voice desperate. “I’ll kill you, like I killed Thawne.”
“Thawne’s dead?” Barry blinked in surprise at her. “What happened?”
Caitlin nodded, tears trickling down her cheeks and freezing part way. “I froze my way out of the control box, and I found him on the ground. I trapped him in ice, and then I grabbed his hand. I couldn’t control myself, I was so angry at him for everything. The next thing I knew, I was absorbing his body heat and changing him into ice.”
Barry felt a slight relief that his adversary was gone, but Caitlin wasn’t finished.
“After I killed him, I was still mad, but it was at everyone. I thought I could make it snow a few inches and it would be enough to make me feel better. But I can’t stop it now. I don’t know how. Thawne was right. I am a monster. Barry, you have to get away from me, or just kill me so this will stop.”
“No!” Barry shouted. “I’m not killing you, Caitlin Snow. I can’t ever kill you, okay? And I’m not leaving you this time. I won’t ever lose you again, Caitlin.”
“Barry…” Her voice was so fragile. “I’m scared.”
“I know. It’s okay.”
“I don’t know how to stop this,” she continues. “I don’t know what I’m going to be able to do if I get out of this. People will call me a monster. Everyone will hate me.”
“No, you’re wrong,” Barry pulled his mask off, just for her. “I won’t, because I never could.”
Caitlin trembled a little, and the winds began to slow down. “I’m still scared.”
“I was too, and I still am sometimes.”
Barry took her hand. It felt icy cold through his covered hand. “But I’ll help you through this. I love you, Caitlin, and I will always be here for you.”
The white glow began to fade, and he saw the outline of her pupils become visible. “I love you too, Barry.”
Brushing a strand of hair to the side, Barry leaned in and kissed her. She still felt frozen, but he was going to make sure she got warm. He started to vibrate so he could generate heat for her. It made him feel more at ease when her lips softened a little.
They broke away, and Caitlin looked around them. “Barry, look.”
The vortex was gone. Barry quickly pulled his mask back on to keep his identity hidden. The new vans were beginning to open, and people came out. The sun shined down on them, the warmth beginning to melt the snow.
“Ugh.” Caitlin went limp and collapsed into his arms.
Barry adjusted her so he was carrying her bridal style. She was still breathing, but looked utterly exhausted.
“Hang on,” he whispered, dropping a kiss to her forehead before speeding off.
Caitlin blinked her eyes open slowly. She wasn’t in her apartment or at STAR Labs. With a groan, she pushed herself up as a mass of blankets slipped off her. Feeling something warm underneath her fingers, she looked down to see a bunch of heating pads underneath her.
“You’re awake.”
Barry was sitting in a chair beside her. There was a glass case with a mannequin inside it, and Caitlin realized she was in the Foundry. She was lying on one of the tables in it. Barry stood up, handing her a glass of water.
“How do you feel?” he asked as she took a sip.
“Better,” Caitlin frowned at the blankets. “And not hot.”
“Which you probably won’t feel for, well, forever,” Cisco said, appearing from around the corner. “Nice to see you up. Glad I don’t have to wait nine months like we did with him.”
Barry laughed. Caitlin looked at their friend. “What do you mean by that?”
Cisco explained how the particle accelerator explosion had permanently lowered her body temperature while giving her snow and ice powers. Barry held her hand throughout it all as Cisco told her that cold could send her body temperature plummeting, which could change her hair to white. As she heard this, Caitlin grabbed a fistful of her hair and looked down at it. It was brown, although she vaguely remembered it changed to white when she lost control of her powers.
“How the media taking this?” she asked quietly once he had finished.
Cisco let out a long breath. “They’re hailing the Flash as a hero, claiming he saved Central City from a snow-pocalypse. Some people are in the hospital getting treated for hypothermia and frostbite. The news referred to you as Killer Frost- which is terrible if you ask me. Iris is trying to do damage control for you. Her blog says the Flash was simply reaching out and helped someone who had been affected by the explosion. She’s trying out Winter Lady as a nickname. I think she can do better. I’m still thinking of one too.”
“Thanks, Cisco,” she replied, curling the blankets closer to herself. “Erm, can Barry and I get a moment?”
Barry nodded in agreement with her.
“Alright, you two,” Cisco grinned wickedly as he backed up and turned to walk away. “Don’t get into any trouble now.”
Caitlin smiled as he went, then turned to Barry. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault,” Barry replied, giving her hand a squeeze. “You’re safe now. That’s what most important.”
“Did you mean it?” Caitlin asked softly. “When you said you love me. Do you still mean that?”
Barry leaned forward and kissed her. “Yes.”
She smiled. “I love you too.”