You Bring Out The Worst In Me~

[nevergetshome]

It had been some time ago that Thawne had gotten the results of Claire's blood. He messaged her and to his surprise the text kicked back. A phone call told him the number had been disconnected. It only took a little bit of research with Gideon to get her address from this time period only to find out she'd moved. Recently. And where had she moved to? Of all places in the world but Central City. The hometown of his foe. A place he spent fifteen years of his life. It was time to visit his old rival.

Silent observation was key. He kept his distance, but immediately, he felt something interesting. Barry Allen was having trouble handling the Speed Force. The fumbles were small, but enough that he could feel them when Barry faltered. Ahh, so this was around his encounter with the Chameleon. That made sense. What drove a dagger into his heart though was to see Barry Allen and Claire Bennet together. After he'd shared everything with her. Told her how Barry ruined his life. Even if he never said Allen's name, he called him the Flash, and she clearly knew who he was. How could she betray him?!

Just one more reason to hate Barry. One more thing Barry stole from him. One more reason to destroy The Flash. He'd have to teach them both a lesson.

There was a knock at Noah's hotel door. Harrison was standing politely on the other side, waiting for Noah to answer.

Comments

[callmenoah]

It had been a productive few days in Central City, once he'd assured himself that Claire was safe. Noah had enjoyed meeting Barry, too. He was a good kid - exactly the type of partner he'd hoped his daughter would end up with.

Fortunately, the two lovebirds seemed happy to have an excuse to cozy up together while the folks at STAR Labs worked on the antidote for the venom that was still affecting them. When Claire said she planned to take it easy, he believed her. It unnerved him to know of any substance that could affect her the way the Chameleon's toxin had, just as he was sure it was making her uncomfortable. She was doing a great job of keeping her cool about it, though. No doubt because of the new support system she'd found for herself.

He was just thinking of texting to check on them when he heard the knock at the door. Maybe if he'd actually gotten his phone out and noticed he still had a signal, he could've been better prepared with that knowledge when he opened the door. But in truth, there was nothing that could get him ready for who was really on the other side.

Not expecting visitors, he opened the door a crack. The chain lock was secured, as was his habit. Claire would have texted or called to say she was dropping by, and he liked to think her friends would've done the same. His features relaxed at the sight of a familiar face.

"Dr. Wells, to what do I owe this surprise?" The two men had gotten along swimmingly when Noah dropped by the lab, having much in common when it came to willful daughters and the lengths they'd go to protect them. He unlocked the chain and opened the door a little wider to let Harry in.

He'd been told that Thawne and Harry shared a face, but somehow he thought it'd be easier to tell them apart. It didn't cross his mind for a moment that this wasn't the same Harrison Wells he'd met at STAR Labs. Similar outfit, even the same glasses, as far as he could recall.

A worry did occur, but not the right one. "Is everything alright? Did something happen to Claire?" Of course Harry wouldn't call or text - he couldn't. Too late to check his phone now, even if it had truly occurred to him that he should.

While Noah hadn't been completely retired, he'd been out of the game enough that maybe he was getting sloppy. A mistake he wouldn't be able to afford to make twice.


( soooo I wasn't sure if we were assuming that Noah had met everyone - or had at least met Harry - or if you wanted to thread any introductions. let me know and i can change it! )

[nevergetshome]

(I was gonna go with this being his first meeting with Harry, but that's okay! I can work with this!)

The door opened part way, chain lock in place, and Harrison smiled, tight lipped, pleasant but not overly friendly as is the Wells tradition. Keen blue eyes flicked from the lock to Noah when he spoke. If he truly wanted in, he'd just phase his way through the door and not waste time with this preamble. But there was a point to be made here.

"Ah, no. Claire is fine. Caitlin and I have given her and Mr. Allen a clean bill of health." Perhaps there was something just the tiniest bit off about the way he spoke, but it was probably only something Barry, Cisco, or Caitlin would pick up on. Both men had a self-important air about them, but Harry had this shadow of self loathing to him that Thawne didn't.

He stepped inside when Noah opened the door wider to let him in. He was indeed wearing a similar outfit. Dark grey long sleeved shirt and black pants. It seemed to be something most of the Wells had in common; a love for black and grey. Dark and neutral tones. The same glasses. It helped that Thawne had modelled his Harrison Wells after Harry to begin with, having met him while fighting the Flash so the similarities were striking.

"I needed to stretch my legs and I thought I'd see how you were enjoying Central City so far."

[callmenoah]

One thing did give Noah pause, but it wasn't enough to make him suspect. "Mr. Allen" felt off somehow. Harry did prefer using last names with people, for reasons Noah understood - he'd been like that for years at The Company. It was the Mister that was felt out of place.

Having two Bennets meant he was Mr. Bennet and while Claire went to Ms. Bennet instead of just Bennet. She had made an offhand comment to him out of earshot of the others about not being called Ms. Claire, but he hadn't quite understood what that was about, and she refused to elaborate.

All of this would make sense in hindsight, of course. But as of now he was too relieved to hear of the kids' clean bull of health. Odd that Claire hadn't messaged him to share the news yet. Maybe she was letting Barry show off for her now that he didn't have to hold back.

"I like it here," Noah replied cordially, after closing the door. "Claire chose a great place to call home, now that she's finally stopped running."

And, he wasn't forgetting his manners, "Can I get you a bottle of water or something? The mini fridge is stocked. Next time I think I'm taking Angela up on her offer of an apartment. Much more comfortable. How are you feeling?"

But he hadn't wanted Claire to feel like he was smothering her on this first visit, even if the apartment was in a different section of the building.

[nevergetshome]

He'd been very close to calling her Miss Claire, but he'd veered at the very last second. It was one of the larger differences between himself and Harry's speech patterns. He used their first names. It wasn't until he'd betrayed Barry that he started distancing himself by calling him by his last name. Harry, on the other hand, wanted to pretend he wasn't attached, so he tried to put emotional distance between himself and the group by using their surnames.

Harrison walked around the foyer, looking up and around curiously. If there was one thing he did miss about this life, it was the house he owned as Dr. Wells. This wasn't up to his taste. But it was just a hotel room.

"Mm'hm." He agreed casually. "Central City has its charm. It makes a nice place to settle down. Did she ever say what made her choose to move here in the first place?" He finally returned his gaze to Noah.

"Uh, no. Thank you." He held up a hand as he declined, then raised an eyebrow. "Feeling? Oh! Much better, of course. Caitlin is brilliant, I've always said so. She can cure any ailment. And keep even the most stubborn patient on bed rest until they're better." He deflected a bit.

"Angela is... remind me again?"

[callmenoah]

That brief, apparent confusion over being asked how he was feeling. Another red flag. Harry was obviously recovering from his injuries after he and Claire had been attacked, why the eyebrow? And again, with the names. Was it Caitlin, or Dr. Snow? Or just Snow?

Noah's suspicion was mounting, but asking about Angela was a fair question, at least. It would have made sense if Claire hadn't mentioned her. He tried to make himself relax, stepping further into the room. It was a larger accommodation, with a kitchenette and small sitting area, the latter of which Noah led them to.

"Ah, right. Angela Petrelli. Claire's paternal grandmother. She and I are also longtime colleagues and friends. The relationship between her and Claire has been... rocky, over the years, to say the least. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't talk about Angela."

Noah paused then, looking to Harry curiously. "Did you happen to let Claire know you were stopping by? If she suddenly can't contact me, well... I don't think we want the reverse of the other day when I arrived here."

[nevergetshome]

"One of her few living biological relatives." He said thoughtfully. "It's no wonder she took to Mr. Allen so quickly. They've suffered similar tragedies in their lives." Harrison followed Noah as he changed rooms, keeping a polite distance.

"My frequency. Yes, of course. I gave her a heads up." He didn't. But it did give him an idea that Noah probably wouldn't count on. He would see nothing different, maybe feel the slightest hint of static charge in the air as he stilled the world around them into Flash Time and split himself with a Speed Mirage so that he could run around the building, creating a faraday cage. The clone was moving faster than the eye could see. Noah would now truly have no cell signal. But neither would anyone in the building. Part of him had to keep running to uphold that charge, but the other part of him stayed with Noah.

"A Reverse of the other day would be unfortunate." He enjoyed your wording there, Noah.

"I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you."

[callmenoah]

Noah understood that Meta speedsters were more powerful than the evolved himans he'd encountered, but he didn't yet truly know to what extent. Speed mirages were an unknown concept to him. He barely had been able to fully grasp what he'd already been told.

Nothing seemed amiss, except again "Mr. Allen" poked at him, but he let it go. If Harry needed help and felt it necessary to ask him, it must have been serious. He didn't know the man very well, but he had gleaned that much from their brief interactions.

"Anything. It's the least I can do after you've been looking out for my Claire. She's grown pretty fond of you, too." Which must have been difficult, knowing he shared the same face with a man who would no doubt be out with a vengeance once her returned to Central City...

But what if Thawne had returned, and that was why Harry needed help? Noah's expression immediately turned more serious, and he felt himself squaring up a little, his body tense. He had his body holster on, his pistol secured inside, but what good would it do against someone who could run faster than bullets? What help could he possibly offer Harry against Eobard Thawne?

“Just like I told Barry, whatever I can do, I'm here."

[nevergetshome]

"Miss Claire asked me to look into her bloodwork. I discovered some interesting findings she might want to see. But I didn't want to interrupt her down time with Mr. Allen. They need their rest." He pulled a folded manila envelope out of his pocket and held it out to Noah. It was sealed. Which meant it would be obvious if Noah decided to look inside before he gave it to Claire.

He was carefully studying Noah's reaction. Not just to the information or the envelope, but to the deliberate use of the 'Miss'. How much had Claire told them? How far had her betrayal gone?

[callmenoah]

Miss Claire once again made him stop and think. Claire hadn't explained, but he saw the look in her eyes. Similar to when Barry had mentioned red lightning. That hollow, pained look when she talked about having met Eobard Thawne.

Noah looked down at the envelope. She had admitted to letting Thawne take samples of her blood, and he knew that Harry and Caitlin had been studying samples as well. For the Chameleon venom antidote, as well as to find out more about the potential interactions between Meta and evolved human physiology.

Now he was doubting himself, and most of all, doubting the man in front of him. Was this truly Harry Wells? It was obvious, talking in the lab, how much he cared for Claire, but he had never referred to her by her first name, in a way that was obviously deliberate, given how he addressed everyone else.

"You turned around on the last name thing pretty quickly with Claire," he commented offhandedly, with more amusement than suspicion. He was holding onto the benefit of the doubt, and if this was Thawne, it wouldn't do to get hostile. "She has a way of charming people like that. I know more than anyone - she did it with me first. I'll make sure she gets this, and she can share the results with us if she wishes. Thank you, Dr. Wells."

Tempted as he was to snoop, he was going for the trusting optics now.

[nevergetshome]

"Well, she did introduce herself to me when we first met without a surname. Miss Claire only seemed appropriate." That would probably make zero sense to Noah, but it did to Thawne. He didn't have a surname to work with at first and by the time he did, she seemed to like the way he addressed her, so he kept it up.

"She does seem to work her way into even the coldest of hearts, doesn't she?" He dipped his head in a slight bow. "No. Thank you, Mr. Bennet. You raised a remarkable young woman."

[callmenoah]

"Ah, she has a habit of that, after her public jump. She doesn't get recognized as much anymore, but she still gets a little paranoid. I think she gets that from me." The last bit he added with slight self-depreciation. His careful, cautious nature had seeped into Claire in the worst ways, at times. It had prevented her from connecting more than a few times in the past. Noah was relieved it hadn't prevented her from settling in with her new found family.

He nodded, giving a thin smile to the praise. "Her mother might be a little more responsible for that charm. I taught her how to stay safe and protect herself." Even if sometimes it seemed those lessons hadn't fully gotten through. Her caring heart got the better of her, and the desire to see and encourage the best in people. He didn't doubt that was what drew her to Thawne.

As much as Noah tried to relax, he still couldn't fully let go of his suspicion. Not with all these things that kept reminding him of this Thawne character. "I'm curious about why you'd bring this to me and not wait for her to be available. She and Barry would be going back to the lab sooner or later. Surely this could wait?"

[nevergetshome]

"She told me about her penchant for causing a scene. And I expressed my distaste for her lack of self preservation." She'd been more forthcoming with her love of heights and jumping with him than Harry, but that was probably for the best.

At that question, Thawne adjusted the glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. It had been a while since he'd worn the damn things. Even when he was used to them, he took them off every free moment he had. "I thought it might provide some light reading for her while she's relaxing. Something to keep her mind active. I included a small drive with test data I took on certain applications she asked about as well. Interactions with Meta samples."

[callmenoah]

"I've been trying to do that for years. Seems the message is finally sinking in. At least until it comes to taking a hit for someone else. I don't think there's any stopping her from that." Harry had now experienced that just as Noah did.

He knew well of Claire's interest the topic, as did everyone else at this point. So the contents didn't fully surprise him. What surprised him was the apparent secrecy, and again, why Harry was bringing this to him, instead of simply waiting for her to visit the lab, or bringing it to her apartment. Even in their time off, Noah was certain Claire and Barry would have welcomed a visit from Wells.

"Ah, I'm sure she'll be excited to see this, in that case. She'll probably be a little disappointed you didn't bring it to her directly, but I'm sure she'll forgive you - she's awful fond of you." If Noah only knew...

[nevergetshome]

"She has so much in common with our dear Mr. Allen. Both so eager to help others. Both ready to see the good in people. Both willing to take a potentially fatal blow for those they love. I really should have seen this coming." The last part was almost said more to himself.

Oh Noah, if only you knew. And if only you hadn't just painted a target on Harry as well. "I'm sure she will. I should..." He gestured to the door. "get back. It was lovely chatting."

[callmenoah]

"Seen what coming?" The words came out before Noah could stop himself, because the phrase just felt so out of place. He looked again to the envelope in his hand, keeping himself calm as he tried to gauge whether there could be some kind of threat inside.

Nothing Harry had done was over the top suspicious, but all of these little oddities were starting to add up. It was a tough call, though, because he'd only met Wells the one time. He couldn't say for certain whether or not this was 'normal' behavior. Would Claire even be able to? He thought he might have to ask her, share everything he could recall from this conversation, and see what she thought. Barry, too.

"Good to see you, of course. I'd hate to keep you from your work too long."

[nevergetshome]

"Their draw to each other." He said simply, with a wave of his hand. If he did choose to open it, he wouldn't find a threat. Not a direct one. The threat was more implied.

"Thank you, again." He tipped his head and started for the door.

[callmenoah]

"Claire did mention you told Barry about being saved by a wonderful young woman. Knowing her, she took that compliment to heart." Was probably bragging about it, as humbly as she could. He didn't blame her. "They really do seem perfectly matched. I worry about what she would've gotten herself into had they not met when they did."

You, Thawne. Noah was talking about you.

He walked Harry to the door, now more relaxed. Maybe he really had just been paranoid. "See you soon, Harry. I'll get ahold of Claire and make sure she gets this. Thanks again."

Once alone in his hotel room, it took every ounce of Noah's self-control not to open the envelope himself and snoop. But, presumably, part of this included Claire's private health information - or at least the closest they'd have to it given her lack of a formal medical history. Technically, it wasn't any of his business to read it. If she wanted to share, he was all ears. But by rights, she should have the first look.

So he grabbed his room card and car keys, then headed out to make the short drive to Claire's apartment. He already knew she was home, so he didn't bother to text ahead of time. In a text earlier, he told her he might drop by when she offered him some of the homemade soup she'd made. As much as she had clearly enjoyed getting a few days to play hooky and be home sick, he knew she'd be extremely relieved to get the all clear from the lab.

He parked in the neighboring garage and made his way up to knock on the door.

[feelthelightning]

So, that was how she met them. Likely a case of mistaken identity, he assumed, given his stolen face. But he didn't comment on it. Just offered another tight lipped smile. A soft, "Mm'hm." Of agreement. Then he was off.

Thawne rejoined with his Mirage and the faraday cage dropped from around the building. He waited until he'd walked a block away before speeding off.

Barry had been speeding around the kitchen, making breakfast for Claire when the knock at the door caught his attention. It might seem to Noah like the door opened before he even finished knocking, but that was just Barry's super speed reflexes.

"Mr. Ben-- Noa-- Claire's dad, sir!" Barry fumbled as he opened the door. The smell of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs was likely thick in the air. He held up a finger to indicate he needed a moment, and zipped away in a gust. He pulled the eggs off the stove, turned it off and zipped back. "Sorry! I was making breakfast for Claire. Come in!" He gestured with a smile.

[callmenoah]

The door opening immediately could only be Barry's super speed, and it was something of a relief to see. After their strict instructions to take it easy, which for Barry meant doing things at a 'normal' pace, for him to be doing something as mundane as making breakfast using his power, that could only mean that they really were clear of the toxin.

"Noah is fine," he said, smiling warmly. The kid had all but moved in, it looked like. It was little wonder, after the last few days of downtime together. But they deserved this. Noah stepped in and closed the door behind him, the envelope from Harry tucked into a pocket in his suit jacket. He decided he'd wait for Claire joined them in the kitchen to mention it.

For now, he stood out of the way while Barry worked. "She must really like you, to let you take over cooking duties." It was almost teasing, but gently so. "Is she... sleeping?" He had always known Claire to be an early riser, and after her regeneration manifested she seemed to sleep less and less. "She'd usually be up by now."

He wasn't concerned, it was actually the opposite. Relief, tinged with slight surprise and confusion. This Barry Allen was a miracle worker or something. "I heard you got the all-clear, and now I suppose I'm seeing it, too. How do you feel?"

[feelthelightning]

"Noah." Barry agreed and smiled warmly. He returned to a few tasks in the kitchen. "Have you eaten? I can always still make more. No trouble at all!" He offered.

"She's asleep, yeah. We agreed to share cooking. I sort of wrestle breakfast duties from her. My speed makes cleanup easy and I like being able to gave breakfast ready for her when she wakes up." God, was he blushing? Stop that! He just wanted to pamper Claire in every way he could.

"We did." He got a text from Caitlin this morning saying that their most recent Labs showed that the toxin was completely gone. But even Claire didn't know that yet. "Cait texted me earlier. Word gets around fast." He laughed.

[callmenoah]

"I had the breakfast at the hotel. Surprisingly not too bad." The smile remained fixed on Noah's face. It warmed his heart to know Claire had someone who loved her this much, and was so enthusiastic about taking care of her.

The comment about word going around fast suggested that Barry hadn't found out that long ago, himself. Noah supposed it might warrant some kind of explanation, so he pulled the envelope out of his jacket. "Dr. Wells stopped by my hotel room, said he didn't want to interrupt you kids and your downtime. Asked me to bring this to Claire, said it's more results from some lab work he ran for her. Something about running her blood against Meta samples."

Despite his temptation, the envelope was still sealed.

[feelthelightning]

"Do you at least want coffee?" He asked, gesturing to the machine brewing for himself and Claire. He was speed plating food for the two of them. It might seem like an excessive amount of food for a normal person on each plate, but both had heightened metabolism and he'd just burned quite a bit just making breakfast.

"Cait let Wells out of the Lab?" He asked with a soft 'huh' after, but shrugged it off. "I'm surprised he didn't stop by. Harry's not really known for his social etiquette." To most, the man came off as rude and inconsiderate, but it was more just his lack of ability to grasp social cues.

"I can check and see if Claire's awake."

[callmenoah]

"I was just as surprised," Noah agreed. "I even asked why he didn't bring it to her directly. He seemed adamant about not disturbing you two. Probably for the best, if Claire's still not up yet."

"I'm up, I'm up. You're here early." His daughter's voice wasn't quite a grumble, but by the sounds of it, she hadn't been awake for too long. Sure enough, she was still in her pajamas when she shuffled into the kitchen; oversized t-shirt and flannel pants, hair in a messy bun. Possibly Barry's shirt, but Noah was definitely not thinking about that. The sight of her now reminded him of weekend mornings back in Texas. Bittersweet memories, but more on the sweet side. She smiled at him, but went to Barry for a hug first. "Good morning, darlin'. Mornin', Dad."

He handed Claire the envelope as she got to him for a hug. "Good morning, honey. Dr. Wells brought that by my hotel for you. Some lab results, to do with your samples and Meta samples." As his other arm was wrapped around her shoulders, he felt her tense up next to him.

She looked a bit pale, but was clearly playing it off, masking with curiosity as she looked to Barry. But she didn't rush to open the envelope, and in Noah's eyes, that was telling. "I thought they weren't testing the samples together until the results came back toxin-free," she said quietly, as though she was trying not to sound worried. Her implication and concern couldn't be more obvious to Noah, and he was kicking himself for not trusting his instincts more and following up on his suspicions.

[feelthelightning]

"That's weird." Barry mumbled, but his attention was quickly dragged from that thought at the sound of Claire's voice. His whole expression lit up.

Barry hugged her back, sneaking a quick kiss to the side of her head. Even all ruffled in the morning, he thought she was stunning. "'Morning."

Her subtle reaction was enough to alarm Barry to. He gently wrapped his arm around her waist to show her she had support with him beside her. "Cait texted me a few minutes ago. We're clear of the toxin." He said gently. But that didn't explain when they'd had the time to do all this testing on clean samples. Every sample of Claire's blood they would have until the most recent would be contaminated.

[callmenoah]

Claire stayed close to both of them. Noah's focus was more on her well-being, but he did notice that she still seemed to need him in her moment of worry. From the look of concentration on her face, she was working through everything she'd just been told.

There was relief, obviously, but it was also evident that she couldn't shake her concern. It almost looked like fear in her eyes, and his heart sank. "Dad, are you sure it was Harry?" she asked, frowning.

"Shit." Noah's blood ran cold as all those little red flags combined into a big red banner. "He said he gave you a heads up, but you were asleep. Honey, I'm sorry. That son of a bitch really does have an explanation for everything."

Claire nodded, hands shaking as she turned the envelope over. "I don't know if I want to open this." She had her brave face on. It was faltering, though. He felt a stab of guilt as he watched her blink back tears. Understanding why - Thawne showing up at his door was a threat all by itself - only made him feel worse.

"It's up to you. But we're both right here." Noah gave her shoulder a squeeze. She shuddered with a deep breath, then carefully opened the envelope.