(no subject)

[callmenoah]

Central City wouldn't have been Noah's first guess, when it came to places Claire might settle down. He would have thought New York or California, to be closer to family. She'd been running for long enough, he thought she might choose a place where it'd be easier for her to plant some roots. But no, she was adamant about going somewhere she could start fresh. 

He held back his 'I told you so' when she told him about the bar fight, purely because when she described the attack, it wasn't something either of them could have foreseen, not even him with all his years in the field. Meta-humans were completely unfamiliar to him, and from what he'd been told, had the potential to be more even powerful than evolved humans. There wasn't much that scared him, but this certainly was unnerving, especially if Claire had found herself in their crosshairs so quickly. 

She was shifty about the reasons why, which indicated that it was something important to her. He didn't press for too much in the way of details, instead letting her feed him the information however she was most comfortable doing so. It had taken years to adjust his communication style in this way, but considering how much his daughters trust in him had grown, it was worth the effort. 

They'd been in regular communication, and she had seemed to be in especially high spirits after her date. Considering how private she had been about her love life since Gretchen, when Barry's name kept coming up, Noah paid attention. As far as he could tell, she was over the moon for this guy. Sure enough, after the date, she talked about wanting to introduce them. It was entirely unlike her, or at least what he'd observed from her in the years after she had left Arlington and entered her nomadic lifestyle. This was serious. 

Noah had been content to wait a few more days for his trip to see her, but when she suddenly dropped off without warning - at least before her date she had reminded him she'd be busy for the evening - he assumed the worst. Fortunately Peter was ready with a quick 'port to Central City, though he was unable to stick around while Noah started his search. He'd promised to pop back after his shift and help if she wasn't found. Fortunately that wouldn't be necessary. Claire had expressed concerns about Peter's empathic powers in the presence of Metas, and neither had the chance to explain it to Peter. Even going off what little he knew, Noah shared those concerns, as well as concerns about Sylar being able to acquire Meta-human powers. 

Just piling on to the list of reasons he was here. First and foremost, though, he had to see Claire. He parked in the garage, then made his way inside and up to her door. With a breath to calm himself, he knocked. 

A moment later, Claire's smiling face appeared as the door swung open. "Hi, Daddy!" She sounded just like she had on the phone - like she knew she was in trouble. But there was no stopping a grin from taking over her face.

"Hello, Clairebear," came his response, half a grumble, because he couldn't stay mad. Not when she looked so happy. She rushed into his arms and he caught her easily for a big hug, head tucked down to press a kiss into her hair. "Please don't ever scare me like that again." 

"Sorry, Dad..." Claire looked up at him sheepishly. "We can explain, I promise!" She stepped back, and he followed her inside. Two pairs of shoes on the rug. It made sense; her text had said we're home. Had he moved in already, or was she just being concise? Her voice broke through his thoughts. "Dad... this is Barry. Barry, my dad." 

He'd never seen her look at anyone like that before. Not Gretchen, not... that stupid boy who could fly, whatever his name was. Definitely not that scumbag quarterback. This was different. Noah stepped forward, offering a hand. "I've heard so much about you, I almost feel like I know you." He tried to make it sound light-hearted and friendly, not threatening. "It's nice to meet you, Barry. Call me Noah."

Comments

[callmenoah]

A healing factor. Noah tried to hide his relief and failed miserably. What were the odds? He knew he could count on Peter to look after her, but Sylar had driven a bit of a wedge between Claire and her uncle. Someone like Barry, that was exactly what he hoped she'd find.

She had mentioned speedsters, had said they were faster than the evolved humans they'd known. Mach 8 was far faster, and he had notes in his Company files to prove it.

He wanted to tell them not to worry about him, that he had decades of experience in the field and could handle himself. But that Chameleon had hurt Claire. What hope did he have against something that could have such an effect on his daughter, despite her regeneration?

From how Barry had described his experience with the Chameleon venom, it sounded like his healing wasn't as strong as Claire's. She described feeling symptoms and specifically stated that she had never lost consciousness. As scared as she sounded, he knew she was being honest about that.

Claire looked just as smitten, not taking her eyes off Barry as he spoke. She rested her head against his arm, looking more at ease than he'd seen her in a while. "Hey now," she gently interjected, "We're taking care of each other."

"I don't doubt it," Noah agreed. "And, as much as I'd like to be the tough dad and say I don't need protecting... Meta-humans are unfortunately beyond my realm of expertise. I'm ready to learn, and offer what I know. Chances are some tactics for stopping and containing evolved humans could still be useful."

He paused for a sip of lemonade. Claire would know just by looking at him that he was choosing his next words carefully. "I suppose I have a confession of my own," he admitted. "I'll be in and out of Central City for a while, and Claire, your grandmother will be joining us on occasion."

"Angela is coming here?" Claire knew something was up, he knew she had been suspicious, and he figured she might guess what it was.

"The band is getting back together, so to speak. A new Company. A better Company. We're taking some of your ideas to heart. I'm hoping there can be some collaboration to catch everyone up to speed, as I understand it from Claire, you folks are learning about evolved humans just as we're learning about Meta-humans."

"Can we call it something else?"

Somehow, it didn't surprise him that she'd ask that. "We can take that into consideration, if you have any better ideas."

Noah leaned back in his seat, smiling at both of them. "Look at you two. You know, Barry, Claire couldn't stop talking about you. She doesn't do that. Ever." What kind of dad would he be if he didn't embarrass her at least a little?

[feelthelightning]

"We are." Barry agreed. "But I'm sure you Dad will agree, that you shouldn't take any unnecessary hits for me." Barry tipped his head against hers. Yep, he was def pulling a two against one on this one. "I've been doing this for three years now and I can take the abuse." He promised and kissed the side of her head.

"We can work with you on the Meta front. STAR Labs and my team will be happy to share what we know. We have tech to counter some powers and a temporary Meta-human holding area called the Pipeline that neutralises powers so criminals can't escape, until they can be transferred to Iron Heights' Meta Wing. We oversee Meta treatment." He wanted Noah to know that they both had things taken care of as far as Meta criminals went but also weren't abusing the power. Besides, half his team were Metas. "The CCPD agrees that Metas are just like everyone else. Some are innocent civilians. I'm sure knowledge of Evolved Humans would be treated the same here in Central City. But that won't get out. Most people see someone with powers and assume they're a Meta."

The information about his stay made sense. Claire said he'd been sketchy and it fell into place now. "I'll introduce you to Dr. Wells, Dr. Caitlin Snow, and Cisco Ramon. They're my STAR Labs team. Detective Joe West is also sort of a liaison between us and the CCPD. They don't know I'm The Flash."

Barry flushed when it was brought up how much Claire spoke of him. He knew he hadn't shut up about her either and they had been equally embarrassing, he was sure. "Whu--I uh... she's... uh, y'know, I mean." Stammering nerd alert. "I didn't either." He admitted to take some of the heat off of her. "About her, I mean! I didn't talk about myself. Obviously. That'd be... dumb." Barry, stop talking.

[callmenoah]

"Good luck with that," Noah said with a sense of fond exasperation. "I agree, but I don't think she'll listen. Did she tell you about the eclipse? We thought we were gonna lose her for good... to a bullet she took for me."

Claire just smiled. "And I'd do it again."

Fortunately for her, he was sufficiently distracted by the mention of a cell that neutralized powers. If something like that could be created for evolved humans...

The New Company was meant to be better than the old one, but some processes would have to be in place to detain criminal elements. Or simply folks who had powers too dangerous and not under enough control to be released. A temporary measure, until they came up with better solutions.

His demeanor stayed calm, but under the table one hand clenched into a fist at the thought of having something like that when Sylar was in his heyday. He might never have gotten to Claire. It confounded him as much as it annoyed him to know that Sylar had wormed his way into Peter's good graces, despite everything. No wonder he kept his distance from Claire. Probably couldn't look her in the eye.

"I very much look forward to meeting your team. Especially this Dr. Wells, I think he and I will have a lot to talk about. More of my team will be gathering here in the coming weeks. I can arrange introductions, if you'd like."

The awkwardness just made Noah like Barry even more. She'd finally taken his advice and found herself a nerd. That was one 'I told you so' he was going to make sure she heard later. Along with his stamp of approval. Not that she truly needed it, but he wanted to be sure she knew how happy he was for her.

But now as he looked to Claire, his smile turned a little more serious. Speaking of the team that was gathering...

"Angela and I both think it would be a good idea to have you work with us." He quickly lifted a hand to stop her before she could interrupt, because he saw immediately perk up. "Not necessarily out in the field, but maybe that's something we could work toward. Personally, I think you'd be more of an asset on the support side of things."

"Support?" She made a face that highlighted just how little she'd changed in the last ten years. "Are you just gonna have me do your files?"

"That's part of it, but think of that as a learning experience, having access to all that information. Information that you can use to help Barry and your friends learn about evolved humans." That placated her for now, and he continued, "When I say support, I really mean providing guidance and encouragement to people struggling with their abities. You don't have to agree to anything now. I know you mentioned wanting to help your friends, and we can hammer out the details later with regards to how you'd be splitting your time."

Claire looked like she was running through several emotions all at once. "Thanks, Dad. I-- I think I'd like that. I just don't know how good I'll be at it."

"I wouldn't be suggesting it if I didn't have full faith in you, honey. I have a good feeling Barry would agree." Earn those brownie points, Barry.

[feelthelightning]

"Ehhh..." It was a higher pitched, uncertain sound. "Dr. Wells is... an acquired taste." Barry admitted. "Most people tend to shoot him when they first meet him." It was a joke, but actually... not really. The number of times Harry had been shot at on sight was starting to get ridiculous. And those were people who hadn't even heard him open his mouth yet. That caused a whole new wave of hostility. "You might temper you expectations. His personality can be rough." Then again, he knew Harry and Claire had talked about father daughter stuff, so Harry might have enough respect for Noah, not to come off as a total jerk from the get-go.

"I also have to point out, as I said, he's from a different Earth. The Dr. Harrison Wells that was originally from this Earth did some horrible things and is wanted for murder, but is also presumed dead. So, Harry kinda has to keep his identity on the down-low." He looked at Claire helplessly for a moment, wondering if he bothered to explain that even that Wells was innocent, but it was Thawne wearing his face. Was that too much? Or should he just leave it at good and evil Wells to uncomplicate it?

Claire seemed huffy about not being out in the field and Noah seemed to want her behind the scenes, so he figured it was best not to mention Cisco's little Phoenix project, because that meant Claire would be in the field occasionally. Barry would be sure it wasn't until she'd trained with with him or Cisco, and given some form of defensive weapons.

Then Barry was dragged into the middle of it and he looked like a frightened animal. "I-- uh-- what was the question?" He fumbled, then cleared his throat and looked absolutely not confident as he said, "Yes, right!" But more confidently, "I think you'd do great helping others get used to having their powers."

[callmenoah]

Noah was pretty sure the same had been said about him. He'd mellowed some, enough to salvage the few personal relationships he had left, but whenever necessary... the old Noah could emerge at any moment. From what Claire had said, Harry's relationship with his daughter had reminded her of their own bond. That was all he really needed to know in order to get a measure of the man.

He hadn't anticipated the doppelganger issue to be that much trouble, however. Either Claire didn't know anything about this original Harrison Wells, or she'd been keeping things from him. From the uneasy look on her face, he suspected it was the latter. The fact that she'd hidden it from him didn't trouble him as much as being unable to figure out why. To protect him? To protect Barry? It seemed likely that keeping Barry's secret identity a secret was part of the reason, and he wouldn't fault her for that. But was there more?

As well as he knew his daughter, he recognized the look on her face. Guilt. Claire sighed, her expression falling as she looked from Barry to him. "I have to tell him," she said quietly. "He needs to know the danger I'm in."

That sharpened Noah's senses immediately. "What danger? The Chameleon is no more, is there someone else, or is this a more general threat?" Being involved with The Flash was certain to earn her some enemies, but there was no way he'd be able to talk her out of this relationship - nor did he want to. Damn the risks, she deserved a chance at love like this. What they had was once in a lifetime even for someone who might live multiple lifetimes.

"Someone else. A very bad, very dangerous man. He's currently wearing the face of Harrison Wells, but his name is Eobard Thawne. He hates with The Flash to the point of obsession. Worse than Sylar was obsessed with me." Noah watched as her grip on Barry's hand tightened ever so slightly. He couldn't tell if she was trying to comfort herself, or comfort Barry. Maybe it was a little of both. She went on, talking about how she'd met Thawne before moving to Central City, and how they'd formed a strange little bond over their shared interest in people with superpowers. He did not bother trying to conceal his disappointment. She went on to explain that she'd confused Harry for Thawne when she saved him, and met Barry soon after.

He puzzled it out just as she got to the part where she realized Barry was The Flash, and how she promised to never speak to Thawne again. The new phone number hadn't been due to a busted phone after all. It wasn't any easier to hide his concern. The moment this Eobard Thawne found out about Claire's relationship with Barry...

"He'll be after you. You already feel bad so I won't pile on. Whatever I can do, I'm here." He reached across the table to grab her other hand. She was trying her best to put on her brave face, and he wasn't sure if that was for his sake or her boyfriend's. Probably the latter. "You too, Barry. I don't have powers, but you'll have everything else I've got. Once the New Company is up and running I'll see what resources we can pool together."

Noah didn't think for a second that he might be a target. His focus was entirely on protecting Claire.

[feelthelightning]

He completely understood, and Barry looked down when she spoke. He listened quietly and held her hand tightly. Tension coiled in his body the longer she spoke of Thawne. He forgave her, but it was still a lot to hear all over again. Thawne was supposed to be dead. Erased. Yet he just kept coming back. Her hand was his only lifeline in the turbulent ocean of thoughts and the darkness that wanted to eat him alive.

"No." His tone was strong despite feeling like he might be falling apart at the seams. He lifted determined green eyes back up to Noah. "If Thawne shows up, I want you and Claire safe. Don't provoke him by trying to defend me. He's faster than even I am. Thawne has killed too many people... I won't..." The strength in what could only be called his 'Flash voice' vanished as he broke down at the thought of losing Claire to Thawne. "I can't lose Claire. And I won't see him kill one of your parents like he did mine." His voice was so much smaller. Barry brought their joined hand to his chest and held it tightly, looking down again. "Thawne is a manipulator who can run fast enough to time travel. He fooled us all for months, fooled the world for fifteen years. It's not Claire's fault." He wouldn't let Thawne hurt Claire or Noah.

[callmenoah]

It looked like Claire immediately regretted bringing it up, no doubt feeling the change in Barry beside her. But, to his credit, he didn't stop her. Noah had to respect the kid for that.

The 'no' surprised him, but the mention of Thawne being even faster made his blood run cold. Mach 8, Barry had said, and then further clarified that Thawne could run fast enough to travel through time. Noah was only aware of that being possible with Ando's super-charging ability. Evolved human speedsters topped out at around 700 miles per hour - essentially a light jog compared to these Meta-human speedsters.

Hiro Nakamura had the ability to stop time, as did Peter Petrelli. Even evolved human speedsters ran fast enough that it didn't stop them completely. Those powers would have almost no effect with the speed these Meta-humans possessed. The thought unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

Claire leaned against Barry a little more, offering her support as his voice faltered. She looked pained to hear him so upset. It put a heaviness in his chest, to the point where he felt so bad he didn't want to argue. That pain in Barry's voice echoed his own when he thought he'd lost her during the eclipse. When he failed to protect her from Sylar. This wasn't the time or place for Tough Dad Mode.

"Fair enough. I have no intentions of trying to take the fight to a man like that." Now it's your turn to get another new dad, Barry. "Just don't forget, you're not alone in this. I'll do anything to protect my daughter, to keep her happy and safe. She's happier and safer with you than I've ever seen her, so that means you're stuck with me."

[feelthelightning]

It was a lot. He was essentially folding in a brand new family member and praying that the Reverse-Flash didn't try to take them from him. Fortunately, Thawne seemed more intent on just tormenting and killing him than he did destroying Barry's family anymore. Thawne would gladly kill anyone who tried to stop him and would use anyone he needed to to get close to Barry, but murdering his mother had been a one-off and murdering Cisco had been an act of necessity in the moment that he was glad he erased. What he knew would be a problem was that Claire had betrayed his trust and Thawne would take that personally. Apparently Thawne was the only one allowed to double-cross. That's where the biggest danger to Claire would be.

"He's impossible to find, even if you wanted to find him. Since he was erased from the timeline by his ancestor, he's existed out of sheer spite in the Negative Speed Force. The Speed Force is what gives Meta Speedsters our speed. He... created his own." Barry held up his free hand, palm out flat, and encouraged yellow lightning to race across his skin. "Thawne's is red. And it feels like anger. If you see red lightning... we need to set you up with a panic button. Claire has one." Two, actually, but he didn't know about the one Harry gave her.

Barry looked like he might be calming down again. A soft smile back on his lips as he realised he'd adopted another dad. "I just wish I could promise you would both be completely free of danger. Now that Claire and I know about each other's powers, I won't let anything like the Chameleon happen again."

[callmenoah]

Congratulations, Eobard Thawne, you're Worse Than Sylar.

Noah hated this guy already, mostly for all the harm he'd obviously caused Barry, but also because he'd evidently manipulated his daughter. Claire could still be a little naive despite having more experience under her belt, purely because she wanted to see the best in people. She wanted to encourage them to be their best.

No doubt she saw this Thawne character as an opportunity to make a difference. And, he couldn't deny the possibility that she might have been seeking this man's approval due to some of their past. Her past with Nathan, as well. Two fathers to disappoint her, and only one of them still around to try and do better.

Fortunately, she'd gotten herself wrapped up with this bunch. To hear Barry describe it, she was surrounded by people who cared about her as much as the family who'd known her for years. It eased his mind, made him feel better about how much he'd be splitting time between Central City, DC, and New York, while he and his team were setting things up.

He watched as Barry demonstrated his lightning, and also saw the wonder and adoration in Claire's eyes. It wasn't the look of someone seeing it for the first time, it was definitely more the look of someone who was impressed whenever her boyfriend showed off. He'd still need some more explanation before he fully understood how it all worked, but for now it was enough have an idea about the level of power they were up against. The light in Claire's eyes dimmed as Barry described the red lightning. Another thing to ask her about privately, later. Noah wanted to keep the talk of Thawne limited to relevant information, given how much it upset Barry.

"No such thing as a life free of danger for us, I'm afraid," he pointed out, matching Barry's smile. It was something both he and Claire had come to accept. No one could predict when backlash against evolved humans would rise back up, or if some evolved human with a grudge might remember Noah from way back when and target him. The danger would be there no matter what. "But I'll rest easier knowing Claire has you."

"We could ask Harry and Cisco if you can have a cool watch, too!" Claire piped up suddenly. He'd noticed the curious device on her wrist but hadn't had a chance to ask. "It pings when there's a Meta close by. Well, outside of our safe list of Metas. Otherwise it'd be going off right now," she giggled. So Barry was whitelisted. As well as others who may yet reveal themselves to him. He understood wanting to keep that a secret. "If I hit the panic button - there's one on the watch and on my phone - a little icon pops up on their map with my location so they can send help. Cisco showed me at the lab. But Harry put in an automatic panic alarm for Thawne on mine."

Yeah, Noah loved these new friends of hers. Anyone who had that kind of care and foresight was exactly someone he wanted in his daughter's life.

[feelthelightning]

Barry could almost feel Claire's mood change beside him at the mention of red lightning. She's said Thawne showed off some of his power to her. He brought their joined hands up and kissed her knuckles. "Hey, it's okay." He said softly. "It wasn't your fault." He hated Thawne even more for upsetting Claire like this. Funny thing that. He didn't know he could hate the man more than he already did.

"We'll all stay vigilant." He agreed. Because the world was getting increasingly more dangerous. Not just because of evil Metas. "There's even just the sad truth that some Meta powers are uncontrollable at first, and dangerous, but the person doesn't mean harm." Poor Bette hadn't been bad but Eiling had pushed her into a corner and her powers were unstable.

Barry was pulled from that depressing thought by Claire as she started talking about the watch. "He pre-programmed it to ping us if it detects the Reverse-Flash?" Barry asked, surprised. That was why Harry had set up the server in STAR Labs. Just for Thawne. But he'd done it before Barry had told the team Thawne was back. They were going to have a talk when he got back to the lab. "Yeah. We can ask Wells about that. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." If Barry sounded a bit off, he had his reasons.

"You mentioned that Claire protected you during an eclipse from a bullet. She mentioned that her powers didn't work during them, but... how did she survive? If my powers are dampened with Meta dampeners, and I'm shot with them on, I'll die." He needed to know if something happened to Claire during an eclipse that she'd survive! For his own peace of mind.

[callmenoah]

Claire somehow looked even more guilty, and it pained Noah all over again. "Please don't be too hard on Harry," she said, almost meekly. "It's my fault. I thought he was Thawne when I first saw him. He was in a tight spot because of me, and he was trying to handle it the best he could for both of us."

It was clear that Harry had been protecting Claire from day one. Noah has to respect that, and he'd be sure to thank the man when they met.

He could see that Claire was in no state to answer Barry's question, so he took the lead to spare her. "She revived after the eclipse ended. It wasn't even the shot that killed her, but the infection. Her body wasn't able to handle it, not after her regeneration had been protecting her for so long. Even before her healing fully manifested, she never got sick." Noah sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. What he had to say next wasn't easy, for him or for Claire, but Barry would need to know in order to protect her. "Anything that could kill permanently during an eclipse could kill her permanently even if she's at full regen. And now we know with the chameleon's venom that there are ways to weaken her."

The Haitian's powers could negate those of evolved humans, and as much as he might love such an easy solution, he didn't think that would be enough against Metas this powerful. If they worked against Metas at all. There would need to be a lot of testing, both in the lab and in some sort of practical setting where they could see how powers interacted.

Claire looked up again, the color drained from her face. "How easy is it to get these Meta dampeners? Could he...?" She couldn't even get the words out. Noah's heart broke for her.

[feelthelightning]

"He should've..." Barry started but quickly let it go when he saw the emotion in her eyes. "It's a sore spot." He admitted. "With Wells, I mean. Not just Thawne." She reminded him of Jesse, so of course he'd do anything for her. How could he be mad? "No, you're right." He said softly. "But next time you see him, ask him about keeping secrets from us about Zoom and you'll see why it's a sore subject. I've been burned by Wells' face twice and it wasn't just Thawne."

Barry listened and hated what he heard. True, she'd come back and that was a relief, but he hated that she'd suffered. He subconsciously leaned closer to her. "Your body doesn't have an immune system anymore." He stated. It was wild to think about, because his went into overdrive with his powers. "I won't let anything get to her on an eclipse again." He promised.

"He helped Cisco invent the technology." Barry said easily. "If he wanted to kill me like that, he would have. Thawne likes to feel his kills. He learned his lesson about killing me as a child. It disrupts the timeline enough that he doesn't get his powers. So he's decided he wants to beat me as I am." He said it so calmly, but Thawne was a psychopath with motives that drove his actions and Barry could at least predict Thawne's limits. "He won't use Meta dampeners against me." That didn't mean others wouldn't. But Thawne was the scarier threat so far. "...That could be the key to the antidote for me, though. Meta dampeners. If Wells gives me the antidote and we dampen my powers at the same time, my healing won't fight the antidote."

Claire's never worked so hard to hold it together, lol.

[callmenoah]

Whatever relief had made its into Claire's expression clickly faded when Barry started talking about Thawne and Meta dampeners. She looked haunted. More guilt. It seemed to leave her a little hollow. Noah was making a note to ask her privately exactly what happened during any encountered she'd had with Thawne.

But more than that, she looked scared. Out of her depth. He could relate. All this stuff about Metas was beyond them both.

"What if dampening your healing makes the venom worse again?" she asked, clearly trying to put on a brave face. It was exactly what Noah guessed would happen if they suppressed Claire's regeneration in order to try and heal her, and it didn't surprise her that she'd come to the same conclusion. The antidote seemed to have had some effect, so her immune system wasn't fighting it off completely. They wouldn't have to go to such a measure for her, he didn't think.

Her arm went around Barry's shoulders as though she could protect him from it all by herself. If love alone could do that, she might very well succeed. Unfortunately, love wasn't enough. Noah learned that the hard way.

"With two doctors on the team at the lab, I think they could figure it out," Noah offered, encouraging. "Though you didn't mention what this Dr. Snow's line of expertise is."

Poor Claire! <3

[feelthelightning]

"You said Snart got hit and you dragged him to safety. I'm assuming the Waverider. So Gideon gave him an antidote. If it's anything like the one Harry and Cait developed, it works just fine on humans and without my powers, I'm just human. The problem with the antidote is my body is fighting it off faster than it can fight off the venom. If my healing stops fighting the antidote, it can do its job." He's not a doctor, Claire, but he's been poisoned enough and listened to Cait and Harry and even Thawne talk about how his regeneration and metabolism works to combat medications to know this is safe. "Besides, if it looks like things start going wrong, all they'd have to do is turn off the dampener." He looped an arm around her and held her tight.

"Caitlin's a bio-engineer and a geneticist." Barry answered. "She's become a leading expert in Meta-human DNA. The only person who knows more than her would be... well, Thawne." Do you see just how woven that man is on Barry's life? He can't escape Eobard Thawne.

Claire knowing Claude is purely headcanon BTW

[callmenoah]

Much to Noah's relief, Claire seemed to settle with that explanation. Her trust in Harry and Cait was obvious, as well as her trust in Barry. Thawne had seemed to be a lapse in judgment for her, but as usual, she came to her senses.

He perked up at the mention of Caitlin being a geneticist. "I'd imagine Claire already told you about Dr. Suresh, but Mohinder should be joining me here, eventually. He's also a geneticist, as was his father, both experts when it comes to evolved humans. He'll be working with the New Company. As well as..."

Now it was Noah's turn to falter. He didn't even know why he was bringing it up, but it was too late to backtrack now. "I don't know if you'll remember my old partner, before René..."

Ckaire, to her credit, didn't miss a beat. "Mister Claude! Of course I remember. You told me he moved to a different division and I wouldn't talk to you all weekend."

Yeah, that was what he'd been afraid of. "I... can tell you what really happened later. I dot want to bring the mood down any more than we already have. But, I guess it'll be some good news for you that he'll be coming here, too. And he's especially interested in seeing you again."

Claire brightened considerably at that, and it was enough to lighten the heaviness that had begun to settle over him. She perked up to explain. " Mister Claude was Dad's work partner, but we still thought he was just a paper salesman. It was Claude's idea to bring me teddy bears from all the places they went on their work trips. Dad had to keep doing it after Claude left," she laughed softly. "Claude was kinda like Grumpy Dad, but make him English. He was always good to me, though."

Yeah, because Noah had been terrified to get too close to her, knowing his orders were to return her to The Company if she showed obvious signs of having an ability. Claude was the one to sway him off that path. "He still is grumpy," Noah said dryly. "But I can promise he'll be happy to see you."

He finished his lemonade, leaning back to take in the sight of his little girl, all grown up and with the love of her life. It didn't mean his job as her father was done, not by a longshot, but it did feel like a win. "I don't want to impose on you kids any more than I have," he said. "And I have to get my luggage situation... situated. I came here with the clothes on my back and everything in my pockets. For someone who can't turn invisible, Claire sure has a knack for disappearing."

XD That's fine! Also, I'm sorry!

[feelthelightning]

Barry watched the exchange. This Claude seemed like another good egg. "Everyone needs a Grumpy Dad." Barry smiled brightly. He knew Harry would huff and glare if he heard them, but it was true!

"Oh, I don't think you're imposing!" He looked at Claire. He knew she was excited for her dad's visit, so he didn't want to run Noah off.

The last comment was met with a confused look that he shifted between Claire and Noah. "Oh, you didn't tell him? A side effect of the Chameleon's venom can make you invisible, hence the name." He held a straight face for a good thirty seconds before he broke into a grin. "Nah, I'm joking. But we'll try to warn you when she's around Harry or his daughter in the future so you won't have to worry."

Never apologize for Barry being adorkable omg.

[callmenoah]

Claire looked... excited at the prospect of the chameleon venom making her invisible, while Noah remained dubious. He didn't know Barry well enough yet to gauge whether or not he was entirely serious. But then it seemed he couldn't keep up the ruse.

"Aw, man," Claire grumbled, the playfulness still evident in her tone. "It's probably for the best. I would get up to so many dumb pranks if I could go invisible." And, Noah suspected, she would create more chaos than she had already. "You're not imposing at all, Dad. But I also don't wanna keep you from your Company stuff."

"Counting my lucky stats you ended up with regeneration," Noah said with a sigh that was the telltale sign of a dad who knew his daughter was a handful. "Now that I know, I can at least be relatively assured that she's with either of them unless I hear otherwise."

"I'll try to remember to step away and text you that when I'm with them so you don't freak out. Barry and I are gonna have to go back to the lab for testing, but we're supposed to be taking it easy until we're clear of the toxin. So, we should have time to maybe get together again. I wanted to take you to Jitters. Best coffee in town!"

Naturally, Noah assumed this must have been the coffee shop where she met Barry. She was so sweet on him that it might cause a toothache.

"All the more reason I should let you both relax. Healing factors or not, you don't need any more stress, and we've covered enough for one day." He hated that he had to upset Barry much, talking about Thawne. Especially when the conclusion was ultimately that he couldn't do a goddamn thing to help. Hell, he could end up being a liability. He was careful not to let that thought show on his face, stopping to finish his lemonade. Which reminded him...

"Call your mother, Claire. I told her I found you but she should hear it from you, too." She nodded, and that was satisfying enough for now. Noah got to his feet. "Barry, it was nice to finally meet you. Thank you for taking care of my Clairebear, and making her the happiest I've ever seen her."

He's a dorky little troll sometimes. XD

[feelthelightning]

"If she ever genuinely needs invisibility, I can run her faster than the naked eye can see, so long as I'm not facing another speedster." Meaning, he could actually hide her from everyone but Thawne. Even Hiro's ability wouldn't be enough to negate his if he moved fast enough. Barry could travel through time, just like Thawne and even reverse it.

"But relaxing does sound good." He smiled and kissed the side of Claire's head before detangling himself from her so he could stand too. He held out a hand to shake Noah's again. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sir. Thank you for raising and looking out for such an amazing woman. Claire is..." Barry looked over at her fondly. "She's brought so much happiness into my life already." Barry, you're a romantic sap.

Honestly? Claire can be too. XD

[callmenoah]

The points just kept adding up in Barry's favor. Being able to hide her like that was a very useful skill. Hiro's power would indeed be rendered essentially useless, if even an evolved human speedster could still move at normal speed while Hiro was stopping time. Barry would be long gone before Hiro - or anyone else with his ability, including Peter - could react.

Knowing the only one faster was Thawne, that was a difficult thing to come to terms with. But he at least felt satisfied that she'd be safe from pretty much any other threat imaginable. Not just with Barry, but his team. She was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her. What more could a father ask for?

He shook Barry's hand with a warm smile, the other hand moving to fondly clap him on the shoulder. "You both deserve it, knowing what you've been through. I'm sure you're both hearing enough about how you should be careful until you get the all clear, so instead I'll just encourage you to enjoy a little off time. Soak it in."

Noah Bennet getting to be the Fun Dad? Wonders never cease. Even Claire looked a bit shocked as she got up and turned their handshake into a group hug. "Thanks, Dad," she said softly. "I'll keep you posted. And I'll let Mom know I'm okay, and apologize for freaking her out."

He put one arm around each of them. Barry seemed like a hugger, so at least that wasn't a concern. "At the risk of getting too sappy, I wasn't sure I'd ever get to experience this."

[feelthelightning]

The fond clap came as a momentary surprise, but not an unwelcome one. His smile somehow grew even brighter. The group hug from Claire was even more welcome followed by full on acceptance when Noah joined in. Yeah, Barry was a hugger and absolutely a group hugger. He wrapped an arm around Noah and one around Claire.

They were both kids who'd lost their parents and yet had more parents than they knew what to do with now. More loving family than they could ever have hoped. Barry was getting emotional.

When Noah got Sappy, the laugh that escaped Barry was half a sob. "I'd started to think Ollie was right. That guys like us don't get a happy ending." Oliver's identity was public knowledge as the Green Arrow and the man was a pessimist.

[callmenoah]

Claire had still been an infant when she'd been given to him, more an assignment than an adoption, though all the paperwork had been legal and in order. The Bennet family was all she had ever known. Noah and Sandra had been honest with her from a young age about her adopted status, as well as Lyle's.

Angela Petrelli had intended to keep Nathan's paternity a well-guarded secret, knowing the man's aspirations. The scandal of an illegitimate daughter could have ended his political career before it ever got truly started. Fate, it seemed, had other plans.

Well, it could be said that Claire had other plans, too. It was her persistence that had brought her to Meredith. There was plenty of happenstance, but his daughter's tenacity was equally as formidable, as far as he was concerned. She'd tempt fate at every opportunity, turn a situation from inevitable to obsolete.

"I know we just met, and maybe I'm a little biased, but I can't think of anyone more deserving." Noah gave them both an affectionate squeeze, then stepped back. No idea who Ollie was, but he didn't quite agree with the guy's assessment. It was guys like him who didn't get happy endings. Or, at least, didn't deserve them. His double-life wasn't to be a hero, no matter how noble his intentions might have been when he signed up as a Company agent. Barry was the real deal. Even Peter, for all his heroics, could learn a thing or two.

He smiled as Claire dabbed at her eyes, her other arm still slung around Barry's waist. "Anything you need, I'll do what I can. Both of you. If you both get a clean bill of health before I head back to DC, we can do dinner. My treat."

[feelthelightning]

"One of the benefits of Speedster Express, is we can visit whenever you or Claire are feeling lonely." Barry said with a smile. "DC is roughly a little over a thousand miles away. I can get us there in an hour if I don't break the sound barrier. If I do, we can be there in minutes to seconds, depending how may times the speed of sound Claire wants to experience in my arms." She'd said Thawne ran her to Arizona. He wouldn't even think about him holding her as they ran at Mach speeds together. Was it selfish of him to want her first experience at Mach speeds to be with him?

"Oh, hey," He pulled away from Claire in a gust of wind. Claire, do you keep paper and a pen around? Rather than search her entire apartment, he knew there would be some in the van. He was gone and back in a Flash and a whirl of wind. He held out a torn piece of paper to Noah with a phone number and address on it. "the number to STAR Labs. They know you're in town. Just, uh, call before you visit or you might cause a panic."

[callmenoah]

By the look on Claire's face, she probably wanted to go as fast as would be safely possible. Presumably Barry's powers provided physiological protections for himself as he moved at those speeds, but how much of that protection would help Claire if he was sharing his power? It seemed like a lot, if Barry was suggesting it. Noah could already trust that it wouldn't have been brought up if there was any real danger to her.

"She's a thrill-seeker, our Claire," he said, amused. "We went zip-lining, and I watched her go paragliding in Hawaii. One extreme sport was enough for me, I wanted to enjoy the beach."

That gust of wind was customary in Noah's experience with speedsters, but even this small display of Barry's speed was enough to get an first-hand idea of just how differently it worked for Meta-humans, compared to evolved humans. There was no Speed Force for evolved humans. He almost wanted to see Peter try and stop time, while Barry ran circles around him. Even Sylar... the man was a telekinetic prodigy, had as many powers as some people did apps on their smartphones, but he'd be powerless against The Flash.

Claire didn't just pick a good one, she picked the best one.

Noah took the slip of paper with a wider smile than ever. "Will do. Now the next time Claire drops off, I can call the lab before I round up the search party. But I'd like to stop by and meet everyone too, so thank you."

"Babe, I own pens and paper, you know. You're supposed to be taking it easy with your speed." There was more concern than any real sense of annoyance in Claire's voice.

But speaking of concern, Noah had one more thing he was worried about. "If you were planning to have your mother visit, it might be better to go to her. I know she can handle herself, but with the extra risks here..." He didn't think he had to elaborate. Claire's face confirmed it.

"Good call. Besides, Barry has to meet Mr. Muggles, you and I both know he hates flying." No doubt she was putting on that brave face again.

But now all the most pressing things were out of the way, and so Noah finally headed toward the door. "Remember what I said. Don't forget to stop and enjoy this." He had a feeling that it was the calm before the storm as a relative outsider - it seemed likely they might sense it too. He just wanted them both to get the happiness they so clearly deserved. His little princess could have her fairy tale after all.

[feelthelightning]

The Speed Force would protect her from the physiological effects of moving that fast. It didn't protect clothing, unfortunately. So, mild wind burn would be the worst she'd feel, unless she got motion sick. It was something that blew his mind at first when he started running at these speeds, because a human body shouldn't be able to handle it.

"Believe me, I've noticed and it worries me." He admitted. "Maybe running at super-speed will help with the adrenaline high while I can ensure she stays safe." He admitted.

"Of course! I know they're excited to meet you too. Claire spoke fondly of you and the team is eager to learn as well. Just give Harry a couple days before you visit. Cait has him on bed rest right now and he's hard enough to keep in one spot as it is."

Barry looked bashfully at her and smiled. "I wasn't sure and I wasn't gonna go through every drawer in the house. It would have taken seconds!" He joked. "Besides, I saved a whole train without issue. I think it's safe to say the issue is intermittent. And if I'd fallen on my face getting paper at 200 miles per hour, that would be my own fault. Better than running into a concrete wall at 700." He was taking all of this pretty well.

He looked up. "Mr. Muggles?"

She's taking over. XD (And I'll see if I did the comment settings right, lol.)

[infinite1ups]

"I've been so good lately! And you talked me out of buying that motorcycle, Dad," Claire protested, laughing. "But as soon as we're both 100% and Barry can show off? Yeah... I'm gonna love that." There was no denying it. Even the smallest demonstrations of his powers that she'd seen so far had thrilled her.

The extreme sports activities were something of a compromise. She could still get that adrenaline rush, with far less risk. Most of those things had to be made safe for everyone else who didn't heal like her, so the chance of a mishap was practically zero compared to her more reckless thrill-seeking. She was prepared for Harry to still grumble about it, though.

Noah nodded, "I can wait a few days. Plenty to do on my end in the meantime. You two keep me posted. Claire, make sure Barry has my number." From his tone, she guessed he might have things he wanted to talk about without her. She would have expected that anyway. For once it didn't worry her.

She gave her dad one more hug before he left, then turned back to Barry. "Remember how I said my mom trains show dogs? Mr. Muggles is the one of the best dogs ever. He's retired from shows now, and getting up there in years, but he's as feisty as ever."

Stepping closer, Claire took both of his hands in hers. "You okay? I know we hit on some rough things with Dad."