(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

[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.

[captaincaveman]

"Barry's tough." Caitlin said reassuringly with a small, tight smile. "He's taken some pretty bad tumbles. He'll be okay." She reached out and touched Claire's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Allen doesn't know the meaning of taking it easy." Harry grumbled. "And I get the feeling you don't either. It's my fault he's still fighting this venom. I thought I'd accounted for his metabolism, but I didn't do a good enough job. You're both hurt because of me, and I'm stuck in this damn--"

"Harry!" Caitlin cut him off and the hand over Claire's got very chilly, but the hidden Meta cuffs kept her power in check. The outburst from Cait seemed to silence even the chatter in the Cortex. "Claire can help me synthesise the antidote."

Cisco leaned in and knocked on the door frame, looking at Claire worriedly. "Everything okay in here?"

[infinite1ups]

"Even vefore my regen manifested, I never got sick. I was always the kid with perfect attendance. Then, ironically enough, I started missing a whole bunch of school." It had been ten years, she could find humor in those earliest traumatic days. "So now I'm actually getting kinda hyped up to finally have a sick day. Trust me, I'll make Barry relax." Their honeymoon phase could have a little unofficial honeymoon, the way she saw it.

The sudden chill on Claire's hand was startling, but she was easily able to play if off as though it was due to Cait suddenly raising her voice. She quickly smiled, waving her free hand in dismissal. "Everything's fine! I can help Caitlin with the antidote. I was gonna show my dad around, but I can guarantee he'd rather make sure I get clear of this toxin than go sightseeing."

She shot Caitlin a little smile. Her secret woild remain safe.

[captaincaveman]

"Make sure you're both relaxing." Harry said firmly, barely bothered by Caitlin's outburst. Or, if he was, he didn't show it.

Cait lifted her hand from Claire's after a moment. She'd wanted to jerk it back as soon as she felt how hot Claire's felt under hers, but knew that would bring attention to everything. "You're extra irritable." She stated and got up. She located his meds and brought a small cup with painkillers over to him.

He took his meds with his soda and thanked her quietly, apologising just as quietly to her and Claire, then went back to his food. It wasn't just pain, it was suffocating guilt, on top of it, but the meds couldn't help that.

Cisco gave them all a warm smile and an 'ok' sign with his hand then went back to the Cortex. Caitlin sat back down and smiled at Claire. "How long is he staying?"

[infinite1ups]

"I can relax just fine! In fact, I can relax even easier with Barry." Claire didn't see it as Harry's fault at all. She had been reckless in that fight, letting herself take a hit even after Snart had warned her about the chameleon's claws. Somehow she didn't think Harry would accept that if she tried to convince him, though.

"Like a week, I think? He didn't really give me an answer when I asked." It almost made her think he was up to something. "But he did say he'll text me when he gets his rental and he's on his way from the airport. I'm so excited for him to meet y'all." Her cheeks flushed faintly. "I... haven't really had a life worth showing off to him in quite a while."

[captaincaveman]

"Is he in on the whole...?" Caitlin gestured around them as if that should explain what she was trying to say. "Superpowers thing?"

Harry still felt responsible for every Meta that attacked thinking he was Thawne, even if he had no control over that at all. His particle accelerator didn't explode like Thawne's, but there had been an unexpected wave of dark matter that he directed underground when he powered his on, and that had still changed people. So he felt like Thawne's sins were also his own because he never paid for them on his Earth. So, even if she was reckless, if Thawne hadn't created the chameleon, it wouldn't be there to hurt her.

[infinite1ups]

"Dad doesn't have powers, but he taught me almost everything I know about it. He's worked with people like me for a long time. Meta-humans are new to him, though. He sounded pretty eager to learn and help however he can, even if he was pretending to be enjoying his retirement."

Even if she hadn't met Harry, Claire still had a connection to Thawne. Any Meta with a grudge could've found her, regardless. Arguably, it might have been worse if she had carried on their partnership. It couldn't really be said whether or not Thawne would feel guilty about it. Sure, he had said he'd protect her, but now she was convinced he had been manipulating her.

That was what hurt the most about the whole thing. He had seemed so honest, so genuinely fond of her. What if he had been, now she was ghosting him and betraying him on top of that? He would be pushed even further into madness, and it'd be her fault. There was no one she could talk to about it. She was committed to her relationship with Barry, her new friends, and her promise to stay away from Thawne. She didn't want to do or say anything that might call her that into question.

But that didn't mean it wasn't eating at her. She pushed those thoughts away for now.

"Oh! Caitlin - my dad has a geneticist friend. I could talk to him about maybe seeing if Mohinder is interested in a chat? Dr. Suresh is legit, he works a lot with evolved humans."

Tell me not to make a Cait journal.

[captaincaveman]

"It still blows my mind that there have been people with powers before Metas." Caitlin sounded awed. "Some people just can't stay in retirement." She doubted she'd be able to.

They would constantly assure her that Thawne only cared about himself, but only Thawne would know for sure whether he'd truly cared for Claire or whether she was another means to an end. Perhaps both. Barry would never accept that Thawne could care for anyone though. Cisco could believe it, but Cisco also knew what it was like to be one of the few Thawne cared about but at the same time, he'd kill them anyway. The only thing they knew for sure, that this path would cause upset and they were prepared to fight for Claire.

"I'd love to chat with him!" She lit up at the idea.

I am the wrong person to ask that. XD /gestures at gaggle of journals lying in wait

[infinite1ups]

"I'm surprised y'all were in the dark after my televised swan-dive," Claire said casually, but with a small sense of relief. "But I guess it tracks, I don't get recognized as much anymore." She looked to Harry with a grin, "And maybe the Earth-2 version of Claire Bennet made better life choices, if she exists at all." Because she just knew the words 'televised swan-dive' were going to get a look from him.

Knowing that everyone would fight for her, with her, was perhaps the hardest part. The most difficult and bitter pill to swallow. That they were all so ready to stand up for her and put themselves at risk for her. It had been her own foolish, naive heart that had gotten her all wrapped up with Thawne in the first place. At least she came to her senses and proved that she could, in fact, make better choices, she supposed.

Approaching Barry Allen was arguably the best decision of all. Though it was likely would've met him eventually anyway if she'd kept in touch with Harry after saving him.

"I'll let Dad know when he gets here." Claire hummed thoughtfully in between bites of pickle. "He's been acting a little cagey, almost makes me think he's got something up his sleeve. With him, it could be anything from a housewarming gift for my new apartment, to some kind of life-changing announcement. Honestly, I kind of hope he finds something to do. The sad divorced dad life is really not his style."

Welp. She won't have icons until I can get on my PC.

[captaincaveman]

That absolutely got a look from Harry. Stern and concerned father. While Cait covered her mouth in a small gasp. "Swan-dive off of what?" Harry asked firmly. THIS is why he does not think the two of you will be fine, Claire!

Cait could feel Harry's rising blood pressure even without an art line in his arm. "I'm sure it was an accident." She assured meekly and looked at Claire hopefully. But Harry knew better.

When she described Noah's lifestyle, Harry sipped his drink and glared, almost like he took personal offence to what she said. "Maybe he has other things he's focused on. His daughter doesn't have to constantly worry about his happiness. That's his prerogative, not hers." Someone's projecting. The look on Cait's face said just that.

:)

[infinite1ups]

"...a Ferris wheel." She at least looked the part, ducking her head sheepishly. "Never again, though. I'm avoiding the public eye as much as possible." That much Harry could count on. If she really wanted the attention, she would've made a spectacle out of catching the chameleon, not helping to take it down and then disappearing.

"Actually, I think he was holding himself back 'cause he was worried about me. Way more than I was about him, and I worried about him a lot," Claire said softly. She knew exactly what Harry was doing, and she wasn't going to match his gruffness. "He liked having the time to be available whenever I'd roll through Arlington, or when I'd ask him to join me on one of my adventures." It was making up for all those times he wasn't there when she was little. All the 'business trips' when he was really out bagging and tagging evolved humans.

"But I also think he was kinda... waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to need him." If Harry felt called out again, it was not her intention.

[captaincaveman]

"To clarify, you will never again swan-dive off a ferris wheel or you just won't do it again in the public eye? Because those are two different promises, young lady." Claire, how do you activate Grumpy Dad mode so easily? You left Fun Dad in the Cortex.

Harry's gaze was so stern that Caitlin had to keep her mouth covered to hide her smile. Claire and her dad sounded like Jesse and Harry. "We don't know anyone like that, do we Harry?" Cait said fondly. "So you think he might be planning something when he visits here?"

[infinite1ups]

There was a slightly longer pause as Claire seriously considered the question. "Both. No more Ferris wheel jumps, with or without cameras." That still left her open to jumping off, or out of, everything else. Sometimes jumping out of a moving truck or off a ten-story building was a better alternative than whatever was trying to get her.

Joe hadn't gotten to see the self-destructive gremlin side of her yet, just the sweet and supportive girlfriend side. It was only a matter of time, though.

"I'm not sure," she answered Cait honestly. "I asked what all he wanted to do and it was like he was trying not to commit to anything, like might have plans he doesn't want to talk about yet. But, it could be that he's afraid he's imposing, even though I told him about a million times how excited I am for him to meet everyone."

After a sip of her drink, she shrugged. "The original plan was for me to show him around Central City after he gets checked in and drops his bags off, then Barry was going to meet us at Jitters. But now that we're gonna be taking it easy, Dad can just come to my place. He's staying close by, anyway." She paused, then remembered, "We can still come in to run labs, too."

She wondered if she could convince Barry to let her drive them...

[captaincaveman]

Harry would take what he could get from her for now. It wasn't like he could equip the watch with airbags or a parachute. ...maybe some kind of anti-grav tech to slow descents in case of an emergency, but that would deplete the power source in one go. Still, an idea for the future.

"Whatever it is, we'll all be glad to make him feel welcome. If he needs a tour guide, we can mostly all take turns. Those of us allowed to leave our respective rooms." Cait assured her warmly.

It may or may not shock her to know Barry didn't actually have a license. Or a car. When he could run faster than one, he never saw the need.

There was a rush of wind that nearly knock Caitlin out of her chair, then a small brunette was on the bed, hugging Harry tightly. From the Cortex, Cisco and Barry could both be heard simultaneously saying, "Hi, Jesse!"

"I thought you were going to be more careful!" Jesse was in tears. "Do you know what it's like to get a message like that from Cisco?!" Harry made room for Jesse and she tucked her knees up against her beside him, looking even smaller, holding onto him tightly.

"Jesse, this is Claire Bennet, Allen's... new friend who is a girl. Bennet, this is my daughter, Jesse." Harry awkwardly introduced from over the top of Jesse's head. He was instantly less grumpy having her near by.

[infinite1ups]

That absolutely wouldn't surprise her at all, she probably drive either if she had super-speed. Sure would have made her escape from college a whole lot different. She didn't mind at all; Barry could be adorable in the passenger seat while she drove, it seemed like a good deal to her.

Yep. The way Jesse was with Harry reminded Claire a whole lot of herself. It made her miss Noah all the more. Her dad was getting the biggest hug when he arrived, that much she knew for certain.

"Nice to finally meet you, Jesse. I've heard a lot about you," she said cheerfully, then huffed a laugh. "I think the word you're lookin' for is girlfriend, Harry." Because she was never going to get tired of how sweet it sounded in her ears. Barry's girlfriend.

But at the same time, it was just as sweet to see the change in Harry as soon as Jesse was there. She also couldn't help but find it a little funny to hear Jesse lecturing her dad about being careful after being on the receiving end of that very lecture mere moments before. "Funny, he keeps telling me the same thing. I don't think he's good at following his own advice."

[captaincaveman]

"Yeah. That." Harry agreed awkwardly.

Jesse blotted her tears away with her sleeve and smiled. "I've heard a lot about you too. You saved my dad when he got in that accident. And Cisco said you saved him this time too." She sniffled and Harry offered her his fries. She accepted them but didn't seem like the peace offering was getting him out of trouble.

"He's terrible at taking his own advice. Rules for thee but not for me." Jesse said and Harry scoffed. "Thank you for keeping him safe. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Harry tucked one of her curls behind her ear and kissed the top of her head.