"So, Mr. Garrick, how long have you been the Flash on your world?" Caitlin asks, looking at him out of the corner of her eye while reading the results of some tests on her computer.

"Not long enough for you to call me Mr. Garrick. Please, call me Jay." He laughs. "I've been the Flash for about two years."

Caitlin looks at him intensely for a moment then turns back to her computer. "How did you get your speed?" She looks out of the corner of her eye again.

"Not really sure. I was at my lab one night, trying to purify heavy water, when there was a blinding light. Next thing I know, I'm waking up from a coma with the ability to run almost as fast as the speed of light."

"You're a scientist?" Caitlin asks skeptically, turning to look at him.

"Part-time chemist, part-time physicist." Jay jokes, smiling at her. She nods and turns back around, mumbling something he can't quite hear. "What was that?" He asks.

Caitlin shakes her head, trying to think of something else to tell him, turning to face him. "Uh you have a low heart rate. There are signs of regenerative capabilities."

He nods. "But?"

"No sign of the speed force ever having been in your system." She finishes. He nods. She gives him a weak smirk and walks out of the lab to inform Barry and Cisco who are now standing and talking in the center of the cortex.

"Anything?" Barry asks, turning to face her.

Caitlin shakes her head, turning back to look at Jay who is staring at the ground, still sitting in the med bed. "His heart rate is low, like yours. He has signs of regenerative capabilities, like you. But no sign of the speed force." Caitlin says, sounding both skeptical, but almost disappointed.

"But?" Barry asks, noticing her hesitation.

"He was in a lab." Caitlin says as if to herself.

"So?" Cisco asks.

"So...so was Barry. He's a chemist, so he would've been surrounded by chemicals very similar to those in Barry's lab. He said there was a blinding light, which could've been lightning. He was in a coma."

"Like me." Barry finishes for her.

"I'm not saying he's telling the truth about everything, I'm just saying that...look no one else really knows what happened to you except us. He couldn't have made that up based on your story. As far as the rest...I tested his heart rate, blood pressure, and motor responses while he was talking."

"You gave him a lie detector test?" Cisco asks, sounding impressed.

Caitlin nods. "I don't think he's lying about that part at least. We know it's possible to lose speed. You have before."

"And what about this whole 'other earth' theory?" Barry asks, sounding annoyed.

"I don't know, Bar." Caitlin sighs.

"What if he's not a good guy? What if he just wants to find our weaknesses?" Barry asks, running his hands through his hair.

"Then we don't show them to him. We keep him at a distance." Caitlin suggests.

Barry nods, sighing. "Run more tests. Both of you." He looks to Cisco then back to Caitlin. "When you're not with him, he goes in the pipeline.

The two nod and watch as Barry walks out of the cortex, his hands in a constant motion through his hair. Cisco looks in at Jay.

"Think he'll go willingly?" Caitlin asks.

"I hope so. I don't think either of us could force him into the pipeline."

"I could sedate him."

"Oh yeah. Then we'd just have to drag Paul Bunyan in there. Great." Cisco sighs.

"We'll figure it out. Barry needs a break." Caitlin looks to the exit and smiles at Stein who just walked in, an excited smile on his face.

"I could use a break." Cisco mumbles. "On a beach. With a coconut drink and little umbrella. Pretty lady next to me. Sun on my skin."

"Cisco." Caitlin says, snapping him out of his daydream. He turns to her in surprise. "Beach later. Science now."

Cisco groans and walks over to Caitlin and Stein.

"I've been thinking about this multiverse Mr. Garrick has presented us with." Stein says.

"Multiverse?" Cisco asks.

"An apt descriptor I believe." Stein defends. "If what Mr. Garrick says is true, then there is a breach somewhere in Central City that connects our two worlds, and it is open."

"How many earths are there?" Caitlin asks.

"Infinite." Stein says dramatically. "For every alternative to our world, there is a new one. For instance, on Earth 2, you, my dear, might be a Broadway singer." Caitlin grimaces. "And you, Mr. Ramon, could be...a beekeeper." Cisco scoffs and grimaces while Caitlin chokes out a laugh.

"Could the breach lead to more than one earth?" Caitlin asks, suddenly more worried.

"Doubtful. A breach would only connect two parallel worlds." Stein explains, ignoring her concern and growing more excited. "But who knows?" He exclaims. "This is all new. Untested!" Stein lets out a small yelp and turns, walking excitedly out of the cortex and toward Cisco's workshop.

"He's gonna be unbearable about this." Caitlin jokes. "Please go help him." She turns to Cisco and smiles.

"Oh yeah. Help him learn about other universes that may or may not exist and invisible bridges and black holes and doppelgangers and..." Cisco's voice dies off down the hall as he keeps mumbling to himself.

Barry walks back in holding two coffees, looking amused at Cisco who completely ignores him.

"Hey!" Caitlin exclaims, reaching for one of the coffees.

******************************************

Barry stands in line at Jitters, sighing and finally slowing down on running his hands through his hair.

"Might pull all your hair out if you keep that up." A female voice behind him says.

Barry turns to see a small blonde girl in a police uniform standing behind him with an eager smile on her face.

"Uh yeah, just stressed, I guess." He says, looking at his hand and pinning it to his side.

The girl puts her hand out in front of her, inviting a handshake. "I'm Patty Spivot. Just started." She rambles out, smiling.

Barry hesitantly shakes her hand, thrown off by her excitement. "Uh, Bar-"

"Barry Allen." She interrupts. "I know. You're CSI. I've read all of your forensic reports. Huge fan, really."

"Of...my reports?" Barry asks.

"Yes!" Patty shouts. She looks around and sees people looking at her, then smiles and quiets down. "It's like you were there. They're so detailed and just, uh! I'll tell you, as someone trying to catch up on what's happening in this town, your reports are a godsend."

"I don't know if it's possible to catch up on this town." Barry jokes.

"Well, I'm from here. But I was out of town for training. Missed a lot of the action." Patty explains.

"Why'd you come back?" Barry asks, sounding genuinely curious.

"Why wouldn't I? I love this town. Where else do you get to go after a guy who grows when you shoot him? Or-or help recover from a black hole?" She rambles out.

Barry laughs. "If you're into that type of thing." He jokes.

She nods. "Well I'll let you get your coffee." She nods to the counter where Barry is next in line. "I look forward to working with you." She lets him turn and order. He gets two coffees and bids her goodbye before running back to S.T.A.R. Labs. He's smiling, laughing about his interaction at Jitters when he sees Cisco storming out of the cortex, mumbling something. Barry nods and says hi but is ignored.

He turns to see Caitlin leaning against the control desk. She turns to him and smiles. "Hey!"

"Hey, what was that about?" He asks, nodding toward Cisco.

"Stein wants to try to learn more about his 'multiverse' theory." Caitlin says, using air quotes. "Cisco went to help."

Barry laughs and sits down at the desk. "What are we doing with him?" He nods toward Jay.

"Pipeline for now, I guess. No more tests to run for today."

They sit and drink their coffee. Caitlin notices Jay staring at them and looking away when she looks toward him. When they finish, they escort Jay to the pipeline. He doesn't put up any fight.

"I hope you understand why we have to do this." Barry says, closing the door on Jay's cell.

"I get it kid. You're doing what you think you have to." Jay says, authoritatively. "But you'll all soon realize that this, your tests, they're unnecessary. I want to help you. Not harm you."

"We've heard that before." Caitlin quickly snaps back.

Barry looks to Jay to see if he has a response for Caitlin's quip.

"If Zoom is involved as you say he is, you're gonna need a lot more than me at your side to stay alive." Jay advises.

Cisco's voice comes in over the intercom. "Barry! There's a fire at the waterfront. Fire department is on their way."

Caitlin puts her hand on his shoulder gives it a gentle squeeze, leaning over and kissing the edge of his shoulder.

"Be careful." Jay says, nodding at Barry.

Barry runs off and Caitlin turns to leave.

"Dr. Snow." Jay calls to her. Caitlin turns. "You can trust me."

"I'm not the one you have to convince." She says, walking to the wall to close the pipeline doors.

"So, I've convinced you?" He asks hopefully.

Caitlin chuckles. "Not even close, pal." She closes the door.

*******************************************

Barry runs back in, out of breath.

"What the hell was that?" Cisco asks.

"I don't know. I couldn't land a punch on the guy. It's like his body just dissolved or something wherever I tried to touch him." Barry sighs. He leans over and rests his hands on the control desk. "I'll be able to find out more when I can look at the scene tomorrow."

Cisco leans back in his chair.

"How's it going with Stein?" Caitlin asks.

"Oh, you mean Beautiful Mind?" Cisco snarks back. Caitlin and Barry laugh. "He's nuts. He's an actual mad scientist." Cisco says, sounding annoyed. "I must learn his ways." Cisco mumbles and stands abruptly from his chair. He walks quickly out of the cortex back to his workshop.

Caitlin laughs and lets out an exhausted sigh, leaning back in her chair. Barry leans over the control desk, facing her. She opens one eye and looks down at him.

"What?" She asks, smiling at him.

"I have an idea." He says, a mischievous smile forming on his face. He runs off. Caitlin sits up and looks around the room in confusion.

"Do I get to know the idea?" She says to an empty room.

She looks around more before sighing and leaning back in her chair again. Before her head can hit the back of the chair, she is pulled from the chair and finds herself standing on the roof of S.T.A.R. Labs on what has become her and Barry's spot. She grabs tightly onto Barry's arms to steady herself.

She gasps. "Is that?" She whispers excitedly walking up to the slope where two bowls with spoons are sitting on a blanket. She feels another blanket being wrapped around her, blocking her from the breeze that is very cold up this high. She wraps it tightly around her and leans back into Barry who has his arms wrapped around her, holding the blanket to her.

"Today has been way too long and way too tense." Barry says softly. "Thought we deserved a break."

Caitlin smiles at this and turns around to face him. She wraps her arms around him, covering his shoulders in the blanket. He buries his head in her shoulder.

"Cait?" He says softly, barely audible over the wind.

She mumbles in acknowledgment.

"Are you with me on this?" He whispers.

She leans her head into the side of his. "I'm always with you, Barry." She whispers softly back.

He holds her tighter, pulling his head back and pressing his forehead to hers. "The ice cream is melting."

Caitlin gasps again and runs up to the slope and sits down next to the ice cream, grabbing her bowl and laying back, smiling at Barry. He laughs and walks over to her. He grabs his bowl and lays with his head on her stomach, looking up at the sky with her. He takes a deep breath and starts on his ice cream, realizing that, despite the uncertainty waiting for them downstairs, he feels completely burden-free for the first time in a while up on here on the roof with his best friend.

A/N:

Sorry for the long break folks. I had to move across the country the last few days now that school is over, and it was hard to write while traveling. Also got in a wreck during the drive (completely unharmed just a total inconvenience), but I'm back home now and am back on track. I'm hoping to have a couple of chapters up tomorrow to make up for the long break, so be on the lookout for those either tomorrow or Friday. Hope everyone is staying safe!

Peace and Love! -Ali