(no subject)

[captaincaveman]

Early in the morning, Barry was already at work at CCPD, Claire would be greeted with a knock at her door. Wells, in his classic black attire and black baseball cap to hide his face was standing at her door. He wasn't wearing his glasses and had the collar of his jacket popped to help conceal his face. In one hand he was holding a Jitters carton with two to-go cups of coffee.

Assuming she opened the door, the very first thing he did was raise his free hand in a show of surrender and say, "It's me, Harrison--or Harry, not... you know..."

Comments

She'll insist she doesn't need one but... She'll love it.

[infinite1ups]

Bullets were far preferable to toxic chameleons and sonic waves. Especially when her healing was at a hundred percent, she could shake off a bullet like it was a papercut. But no matter what it was, she'd still rather endure it than any of her friends.

Claire was definitely getting used to Barry's racing heart by now (even during cuddle time, just like she predicted), but she kept an eye on the monitor all the same. She split her attention between that and the blur of red and yellow that was Barry racing around the track. The smile on her face seemed permanent; she'd always liked red.

None of the alarms Barry mentioned were sounding off, and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary, as far as she could tell, so she breathed a sigh of relief. Her attention was drawn away by the new voice, but for one she wasn't startled. She trusted that there wouldn't be anyone in the lab who wasn't safe. And sure enough, as soon as he introduced himself, she knew who he was.

"That's me! Claire Bennet," she grinned, shaking Joe's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Barry told me about you. We're testing something, but... yeah, he's probably showing off a bit, too." Not that she was complaining, she had been excited to see him do his thing as The Flash.

It's a thing Cisco does. XD

[feelthelightning]

While he was running, his heart rate had jumped to 240, his BP was about 280/175 and his blood oxygenation was an easy 99%. Which were mostly horrific for a normal person, except for the oxygenation, but for him, they were great.

That wasn't a good assumption to make, Claire, seeing as Thawne built the entire lab. He could easily get in without issue. And even if the Speed Lab would be new to him, too, he'd be able to find his way there if he wanted to. But for the most part, it was safe. They were in no more danger here than anywhere else with Thawne.

"I've heard all about you, too." He said pleasantly and shook her hand firmly. When he let go, he leaned against a wall beside her, glancing at the monitors. "Both my boys can be showboats. He's definitely trying to impress you." Joe chuckled. "What're you testing? I can't promise I'll follow the science jargon."

She SAID she wasn't gonna run around in a costume oops maybe she'll change her mind.

[infinite1ups]

Claire had a vague idea of what was supposed to be normal because Peter had tried to teach her a few things for first aid purposes, but she didn't really know the way a doctor would. She had grown far too used to her regeneration. Besides, the monitors weren't making any funny noises, so she figured it was okay.

Speaking of funny noises, her watch hadn't sounded off either, so if Thawne had slipped in, she'd know.

She blushed a little when Joe confirmed that Barry was trying to impress her. It was working, not that he really needed to impress her when she was already head over heels in love. Part of her was curious to know just what he'd said about her. It probably wasn't too different to how much she'd bragged about him to her parents.

"Oh, I'm no scientist, I'm a casual nerd," she laughed. Did Joe know about the attack? She was assuming he did, being Barry's foster father. "But we're checking to make sure he isn't still being affected by that chameleon venom. I was, and I heal faster than he does, so there were some concerns. He seems to be just fine, though. Or at least, he better let us know if he's not feeling okay."

Hey, he can make it look less like a costume, like his!

[feelthelightning]

There was another little indicator in his biometrics off to the right, one that said tachyon enhancement was at full and the other said Speed Force was operating at 100%. Those both lit up after a few minutes of running.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure even your casual nerd speak goes over my head." Joe admitted. He and Wally always seemed to be the only two who never followed any of the nerd talk. But even then, Wally knew cars. So if the nerd talk ever veered to engines, he suddenly knew a lot and Joe was still lost.

"You got scratched by that Meta too? I thought it only hit Barr and Wells." Concerned dad mode activated. "And you think it might still be in him? So...? ...you're testing this by running around the track?" He's trying to follow. "...because Barr's speed was affected when it hit him." He concluded. "Are you okay?"

I mean it could be an extra twist on her betrayal of Thawne if she did. (I am a menace.)

[infinite1ups]

She had zero clue what tachyon enhancement meant, but she'd recalled hearing the word "tachyon" before in context to all this. Speed Force operating at 100% looked like a very good sign, though.

"Yeah, while I was helping to take it down," Claire admitted, then bit her lip. Though she was trying not to brag, she couldn't help but be a little proud. "Don't worry about not getting all the lingo, some of the Meta stuff keeps making my head spin and I think it will for a while."

How many more dads was she going to acquire? The more the merrier. "I'm not a Meta, but I'm something different. My ability wasn't caused by the particle accelerator explosion, I was born with it - I heal, faster than Barry. Right now my healing is taking longer than it should, and Caitlin found that the toxin was lingering in my system, along with the antidote I had the night I was attacked. So I was worried that if I'm still affected, then he might be too."

Yeah, just twist that knife in. XD

[feelthelightning]

"So, I was right for once. I asked Wells once--not Harry Wells, the other one--if it was possible for there to be people like Barry before his particle accelerator exploded and he told me unequivocally 'no'. Not that it matters now, the person we were hunting was actually him. But if you were born with your powers, it means he was wrong. And I'll take anything I can get over that bastard." Thawne. He was talking about Thawne.

Before he could ask her anything else, there was a crash on the track and Barry went arse over end into a wall. The monitors wailed as his blood pressure and heart beat hiked even higher than normal.

"Barr!" Joe yelled and ran to the track.

Barry was on his back, holding his head. The suit protected most of him, but he had hit a concrete wall pretty hard, so he had a small split around his eye that was bleeding below the mask.

[infinite1ups]

She caught on with a chill that he was talking about Thawne, the conversation with Cisco from earlier still fresh in her mind. No way in hell was she going to bring up her prior association with the man right now. It was enough that she knew who he was and could follow what Joe was saying.

But it also added some perspective to how utterly fascinated Thawne had been to meet her and learn about her ability. She quickly forced that thought out of her mind.

Just as Claire was about to comment that it was impressive for him to guess that people like her could exist when most people never even considered the possibility, she was interrupted by the crash. She let out a startled, panicked squeak, and glanced over at the monitors. Yeah, she didn't need to a medical degree to know it was bad. Quickly, she followed after Joe, dropping to her knees to stop at Barry's side. It probably would've hurt a normal person to go down that hard, but it didn't phase her at all.

"Barry?" Damn it. Just when she thought the test was going fine! She'd let her attention slip away for a moment, and-- no, she couldn't do that to herself. Even if she'd been paying attention, she never would've been able to react quickly enough. She saw the speedometer, Barry had been running at least 600mph, she couldn't even think that fast, let alone move.

"What happened? Do you need me to call Caitlin?"

[feelthelightning]

Barry blinked up at her, almost dazed for a moment. Joe squatted down beside them and put a hand on Barry's shoulder, helping him sit up slowly.

Barry reached for Claire and sat up with Joe's help and a wince. "N-ah! No. I don't think anything's broken. I dunno what happened. It was like my legs just stopped responding for a second." But when you're running almost the speed of sound, all it takes is a stutter for things to go terribly wrong. "I think it's safe to say the bio-toxin's still lingering in my system. That smarts. This is why I phase through walls instead of run into them." He joked.

[infinite1ups]

Claire had almost been afraid to touch Barry, at least until he responded and sat up, and she lightly rested a hand on his back. "Maybe... you should hold off on phasing until the toxin is clear." It was a gentle suggestion, but one that gave away how worried she was. "We don't want you getting stuck in a wall. Wonder if it'd help to get us another dose of that antidote."

She gestured toward his face. "You're bleeding." It was more obvious now that he was sitting up. "Are there any towels in here? And how long should that take to heal? We should take note if it's slower than usual."

[feelthelightning]

"Yeah, I don't think I'm ready to find out what happens if I stop vibrating my cells while I'm inside a wall." He doubted it'd be a funny Kitty Pryde moment, and more of a just sudden death moment. "Another dose might help." He agreed.

"Don't you need Wells for that?" Joe asked worriedly.

"Cait had his notes." Barry said confidently. At Claire's question, he gestured to the screen she'd been at. "There should be some under the counter there." White sweat towels that had the STAR Labs insignia embroidered in a corner. "It'll probably take thirty minutes." He pulled his cowl back and Joe hissed.

"If you weren't you, I'd say it needs stitches."

[infinite1ups]

She nodded, and then she was up again, heading over to the counter with the monitors. After a quick rummage, she found one to bring back, folded neatly to press against the cut at Barry's eye.

It had her shaken up, knowing they were both still affected. Especially since Barry had been attacked before she had, and therefore had the antidote in his system longer. Though she figured it was probably due to both of them being able to metabolize the antidote so quickly, and their respective healing abilities were doing the rest to hold off the worst of the toxin's effects. She hoped that was the case, anyway. It made the most sense, and more of the antidote would help.

Claire perked up little, remembering something. "You said you were late to our date 'cause you were waiting to heal. Did that take longer than normal?"

[feelthelightning]

Barry bit the tip of his gloved finger to pull the red glove off one hand and covered her hand with his so he could feel her skin as she pressed the towel to his head.

Something she'd forgotten, or hadn't noticed, when Gideon synthesised the antidote for her, she had said it was currently in development in this time period. She'd been given the antidote first, which was why the Flash hadn't been at the bar to help. He'd been struggling to survive at the time as Harry and Cait fought the clock to save Barry. But regardless, Barry agreed that flooding their systems with more of the antidote would help overwhelm the remaining toxin.

"It did, yeah, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. Claire, sweetheart, I'll be okay." He promised. "We'll both take it easy until this toxin is cleared up. Jesse should be on her way from Earth-2 to check on Wells. I'm sure she won't mind sticking around to be Flash for a few days. Especially if it means babysitting her stubborn dad. She's just as protective of him as he is of her."

[infinite1ups]

She remembered the part about Gideon saying the antidote was in development, but had the timeline of events all wrong in relation to when things were happening to her. It was probably for the best that she didn't realize how truly dire the situation had been for Barry. Just seeing him like this had her nervous enough already.

So much for not worrying as much knowing that he could heal. To be fair, that toxin changed everything, as far as she was concerned. She was going to be on edge until they got the all clear from Caitlin.

Claire did relax, however, as Barry rested his hand over hers. Calling her 'sweetheart' didn't hurt, either. She blushed faintly, offering a smile. "Maybe taking a couple days off isn't such a bad idea, then. I'd like to meet Jesse." And she even managed to perk up a bit. "I was gonna pick up my dad from the airport but he said he's renting a car when he lands. Pretty sure it's because he knows how protective I am about Penny and how much I'd hate driving her in airport traffic. But he should be here either tomorrow or the next day."

[feelthelightning]

"I guess picking him up Flash Express is out of the question now." Barry joked. There were a few people who explicitly told him they'd rather walk unless it was an emergency. Joe was one. Unless Joe was actively in danger, Barry wasn't allowed to run him anywhere. Diggle was another. But at least with Diggle, he had to deal with it if they needed him in Central City fast. Ollie wasn't a fan either but Barry was sure it was more a motion sick and physical contact thing for him.

"I'm sure right after seeing Harry, the first thing Jesse will wanna do is thank you for saving him. They don't always see eye-to-eye, but they love each other. I'm sometimes surprised he lets us keep him from her this long."

Joe faced Claire. "You're gonna have to promise me you won't let him go trying to save the city while he's like this." He said firmly.

[infinite1ups]

"He'll be just fine renting a boring SUV," Claire laughed, now feeling much more at ease. Noah would probably join the 'only in an emergency' club. The smile lingered as they talked about Jesse. "I was actually gonna thank her for letting us borrow Harry."

She looked to Joe and gave a solemn nod. "You have my word. At this rate I might not let him out of my sight until we're both clear of this damn toxin." As much as she'd been part of attacks in Central City already, she wouldn't be surprised if Barry was feeling the same about her.

She smiled at Barry. "What d'you think, babe? A little staycation while we're on the mend? From what Harry told me about Jesse... I feel good about trusting her."

[feelthelightning]

"From what I hear, she encourages him to stay here." Joe said. "Something about him seeming happier around all of us. You might ask her when you see her." Joe suggested. He may not be a scientist like the rest of them, but he was a damn good cop and he noticed these things too. The way Harry acted around Team Flash. The way Jesse sent him sad, longing glances when she actually saw him being animated with everyone like it wasn't something she got to see very often. She wanted her father to be happy but Wells had such a strong sense of duty to Jesse that he made himself miserable for her.

Barry looped an arm around Claire and leaned against her. "I think that sounds like a great idea, sweetheart. I hope your dad won't mind that we'll be attached at the hip."

"Dinner bell in the Cortex. Chop, chop, people!" Cisco's voice rang over the PA system.

[infinite1ups]

As Joe spoke, it made sense with what she knew about Harry. It was similar to how Claire sometimes encouraged her dad to come out of retirement. Noah didn't want to admit how bored he was, how much time he spent alone. She felt bad about some of that, but it wasn't like she has ever fallen completely out of contact with him, even when she'd first run off.

Now, when he saw her settled and happy, she hoped that it'd make him feel better. Less like he'd failed her. "I'll try to talk to her about it. I think she and I will have plenty in common."

She let Barry lean on her with a grin. "He's gonna love you. It might just be a little weird at first 'cause I haven't introduced him to anyone I've dated in like, years. Not since... before I dropped out of college."

Okay, maybe she should have expected some kind of PA or intercom, but Cisco's voice still surprised her. She checked the cut on Barry's head. "Looks like we stopped the bleeding," she said, then moved to her feet and offered him a hand. "C'mon, my darlin', I'm starving after this morning. You don't wanna see me when I'm hangry."

[feelthelightning]

Barry was both excited and nervous to meet her father, despite Claire's reassurances. She'd met the team dads now and he would give anything to have been able to introduce her to his biological father, too, but Zoom stole that opportunity.

"Barr made it sound like he was in law enforcement too?" Joe said as he helped Barry to his feet with Claire. Barry had taken both their hands. He could tell Joe wanted to shoulder his weight, but was trying not to be too babying. Barry seemed to stand fine on his own, so Joe stopped hovering.

"I'm sure if we have to, we can grab a Snickers from Cisco's lab on the way." Barry teased. "He always has candy stashed around." He started for the hallway, looping an arm around her waist and pecking her cheek with a kiss.

[infinite1ups]

"Not exactly? It was an organization that deals with evolved humans like me," she tried to explain. "It's just kind of easier to say he worked for the government, 'cause he did consult with them a little after The Company disbanded."

Claire fell into step with Barry as he got his arm around her and they all headed toward the Cortex. "I will endure," she promised with a laugh. She understood the regret over not being able to meet Barry's biological father - it bummed her out that he couldn't meet Nathan and Meredith.

At least she felt confident that everyone else was going to adore Barry. Heck, they'd probably get along with the team here, too. She was over the moon to be getting along with everyone so well, herself.

When they were just outside the Cortex, she glanced up at Barry, smiling softly. "How's your head?"

[feelthelightning]

"That sounds a lot heavier than what I do." Joe admitted and left it at that.

Barry offered her a smile. "I mean, it feels like I ran into a concrete wall, but it's still on my shoulders. It's not the first time I've run into a wall and it won't be the last time, either." Barry answered lightheartedly.

As soon as they were in the Cortex, Cisco looked up then surprise crossed his face. "Woah! Was there a Meta battle while I was gone?" He asked.

[infinite1ups]

He didn't sound the way Harry did, concussed in her kitchen, which was mostly what she was checking for. Now she was getting to that point of not having to worry as much, and... it was weird. In a good way, possibly the best way.

"Less a Meta and more the wall in the Speed Lab. The fact that I'm still infected with that chameleon toxin had me worried about Barry so we checked it out. Guess it's better to find out in here than in the middle of Flash stuff, huh?" Claire explained. She really did feel like part of the team already. Nothing had felt so nice in a long time.

The smell of the food had her stomach grumbling, and she excused herself to quickly clean up a bit before lunch. Seemed appropriate after all she'd been doing that morning. She also wanted to see how Harry was doing.

But nothing could keep Claire from her extra pickles for too long. "Thanks for doing the food run, Cisco. I'll do the honors next time."

[captaincaveman]

Barry didn't have a concussion. His healing seemed to make him a lot more durable than he should be. Hitting a concrete wall at that speed would have killed a normal person. Coming to an abrupt stop at 120 MPH would kill most, but when he ran, the Speed Force excited his cells which saved him from things like the deadly effects of G-forces, so his 600 MPH tumble wasn't much worse than a marathon runner tripping at full tilt.

"Oh, shoot!" Cisco looked alarmed. "So you're both still whammied by chameleon? That's bad! Does Caitlin know?" Cisco was laying out their orders on different surfaces, but he'd paused now that he was fussing over Barry.

"Do I know what?" Caitlin asked as she stepped into the Cortex to get Harry's food for him. He was sitting up and awake, but not out of bed at least. And Cait was going to keep him that way as long as she could.

Cisco nodded when Claire thanked him and held out her meal and drink.

[infinite1ups]

Claire grabbed her stuff from Cisco with a grin and found herself a spot to settle in and eat. She was quickly picking up on just how much his powers protected him from those high speeds. It was impressive, the more she thought about what she'd learned so far.

"I'm not the only one still affected by the bad karma chameleon," Claire told Caitlin, with a pointed glance toward Barry, in between bites of fries. "Since I heal faster than Barry, I had concerns... sometimes I hate being right."

[captaincaveman]

Cait brought Harry his food and picked up her pizza pocket. He was straining to listen in on their conversation.

"I'll run some labs on Barry and get an accurate measure of how strong the toxin is in his system." She moved to one of the computers in her lab and pulled up the telemetry from his suit. "It looks like he ran for a while without issue. There." She paused the readings where the Speed Force dipped below 100% for a fraction of a second, then his vitals went out of whack as he panicked with his tumble. "It's minimal. We've seen his levels fall worse," She glanced at Harry. It hadn't exactly been meant to be accusatory but he took it that way, averting his gaze. "but any fluctuation at those speeds is enough to be a problem."

"Perhaps we should flood both your systems with the anti-venom again, just to bolster your immune systems." Harry suggested, his voice was raspy. "It can't hurt. I can help Snow synthesise the antidote again. Maybe tweak it to be more effective with your healing factor now that I know a little more about how yours works."

[infinite1ups]

There was more to that look, Claire knew, but she thought maybe it was a story for another time. "Yeah, everything was going fine. I was talking to Joe, and then... boom, Barry was down. I'm just glad it wasn't worse."

She nodded at Harry's suggestion, but also put up a hand in a 'slow down' kind of gesture. "Barry and I are gonna be taking it easy for the next couple days, so you don't have to push yourself, Harry. We can keep an eye on labs and how we're feeling, but I don't think seems too critical at the moment."

And as much as she'd been freaking out about this, it really was saying something that she'd finally reached a more peaceful mental state with regard to how to move forward. It was a relief that they'd run a test here instead of finding out the hard way. She trusted the team, and her dad would be there soon. This wasn't something she had to face alone.