Emma's POV  *walking into the CCPD*

"Welcome to the CCPD," I said waving my arms around dramatically. All the other officers around gave me strange looks but shrugged it off, I was one half of the lab rat duo so they expect me to be strange.

"So this is your guys's day job," Caitlin said smiling.

"Mmhmm," Barry hummed." Just then a suspect walked between us. Barry and I were on one side and Caitlin was on the other.

"I'm gonna rip out your hearts and eat 'em for lunch," the guys said creepily.

I rolled my eyes and looked to Barry who shook his head while Caitlin said sarcastically, "Delightful." We started walking towards the stairs when we were interrupted.

"Lab rats, I need prints off this gun. You two can go make out later," an officer said shoving a gun in an evidence bag into my hand and walking away. Barry and I blushed deeply and I turned to glare at Eddie who was at his desk watching us with a smirk. He had obviously told everyone at the CCPD that we were about to kiss. Caitlin gave us a look but we both ignored it.

"Allen, Raymond! Where the hell is the fiber analysis on the Orloff case?" Captain Singh said marching towards us.

"Upstairs, it's all finished. I can just run up and bring it down," Barry said.

We all started walking towards the stairs when Captain Singh said, "With you two, that could be three days from now. I'll go with you." He turned to Caitlin, "Who are you?"

"Dr. Caitlin Snow, Barry's personal physician," Caitlin said proudly.

"She's one of the doctors that helped Barry in the coma. She is visiting just to check up on him," I said to Singh so it would sound more believable. We were now walking to the lab while Barry was speeding around the lab quickly while we distracted Singh.

"The fiber analysis report like you asked for sir," Barry said stopping right before Singh saw him.

"Clean up your lab. It's a mess," Singh said walking downstairs. We I sat down on a spinny chair while Barry examined the poison gas sample. When we was done, he pulled up a chair next to me and sat down while Caitlin looked around his lab.

"Can I ask you two a question you guys don't have to answer?" Barry asked us out of nowhere.

"Go for it Bartholomew," I said.

At the same time Caitlin said, "My least favorite type of question."

"Ronnie, what was he like?" Barry asked. My mood had immediately gone down. "Well you two never really talk about him that much," Barry said obviously noticing our change in mood.

"Well, as you know, we were very close. He treated Michael and I like his younger brother and sister. If anything was wrong, I could go to him knowing that he would cheer me up. When...my dad died, the first person I thought of going to was Ronnie because I knew he would find a way to make me feel better. And he did. He told me that my dad was a hero and that he saved a lot of people doing what he did. That's what motivated me to get in touch with you-know-who in Gotham," I said to Barry.

"Who's you-know-who?" Caitlin interrogated.

"Oh just someone I worked with in Gotham. His work was similar to that of my dad's. He works with GCPD a lot," I answered vaguely.

"So a police officer?" Caitlin asked.

"You could say that..."

"Then why didn't you say police officer....unless," Caitlin caught on, "You didn't work with Batman did you?"

"Uhh...nooo," I said. I'm a bad liar when it comes to Caitlin.

"Emma," Caitlin said sternly.

"Okay yeahh...but it was only like part of the time I was there," I said.

"That's a lie, you worked with them the whole entire time you were there. You even shared an apartment with Nightwing himself," Barry laughed. I glared at him and he laughed even more.

"Caitlin what about you? How was Ronnie?" Barry asked changing the subject.

"We met when we were working on the particle accelerator. He was the structural engineer. He liked to joke that he was basically a very high-priced plumber." I smiled to myself, remembering when Ronnie made the joke. "We were very different. You might have noticed I can be a bit...guarded. Ronnie knew how to make me laugh. He used to say we were like fire and ice. He wasn't supposed to be there that night. He was just there for me. If he hadn't..." Caitlin started I interrupted her.

"Caitlin it's not your fault," I said.

"Emma.." Caitlin said guiltily.

"No, don't 'Emma' me Caitlin. Ronnie was at STAR Labs because he wanted to be there for you. He loved you and it was his choice you be there. He wouldn't want you to beat yourself up about it." When Caitlin was about to respond, the printer started printing the data. Barry immediately stood up to take a look at it.

"This says there was no residue of gas in the tissue, poisonous or otherwise," Barry read.

"It must have evaporated," I realized, "We'll need to get a fresh sample." I took the paper from Barry's hands.

"Wait this can't be right. It says that there are two distinct DNA inside the tissue," Caitlin read looking over the my shoulder.

Barry asked, "How did someone else's DNA get inside the victim's lungs?" Barry looked at me and I immediately sat down and checked the database.

After a few minutes, I spoke up, "There's no DNA match in the database."

"I don't understand. Why would a chemical-attack leave behind another person's DNA inside the victim?" Caitlin asked.

"What if the metahuman we're looking for doesn't control gas? What if he becomes it?" Barry theorized.

Barry sped Caitlin back to STAR Labs to do more research there. When he came back, we waited in the lab for someone to give us something to do. I got bored and spun the chair that I was sitting on in a circle. It was still really awkward with Barry and I since the whole thing Eddie walked in on. Barry and I hadn't said a word to each other for 15 minutes. "Okay," Barry and I said at the same time. "You go first," we said at the same time again.

"Okay," Barry said, "About what happened....earlier. I don't know what that was. Either it was a spur of the moment thing or if my crush I had on you from high school came alive kinda. I hope this won't affect our friendship."

"Barry, I know you used to have a crush on me. I've always known. Look at us now...we're best friends. This won't affect our friendship, I promise," I said to Barry. We hugged and I secretly took the chocolate he always has in his pocket. I sat back down in the chair and told Barry to spin me. He listened but didn't use his speed to spin me in the chair.

Just then police radio on Barry's desk went off. "All available units, we have a report of a toxic gas attack in the Central City shopping mall." Barry's face immediately hardened.

"Barry, don't," I said already knowing that what I say won't change his decision. "We don't know what we're up against. It's not safe," I pleaded.

"Emma I have to," Barry said before speeding me to STAR Labs. He put me on the chair and it was spinning because he dropped me off so fast. He quickly got his suit and ran off.

"So, how's life?" I asked Cisco.

"Really, that's your conversation starter," Cisco laughed while Dr Wells and Caitlin helped Barry over the comms. Cisco and I became immersed in a conversation when all of a sudden, we heard a choking sound come from over the comms.

"Barry? Barry can you hear me!?" Dr. Wells said over the comms. I immediately started paying attention.

"Barry! Bartholomew I swear to god if you don't answer," I exclaimed, as I began to worry.

"His vitals are weak but he's alive Dr. Wells," Caitlin said.

"I'm sure Barry is fine Emma," Cisco said trying to calm me down. Suddenly Barry sped into the room and was leaning on me trying to breath. He had one arm draped around my shoulder and his other hand on his chest. His entire body weight was leaning on my.

"ohmygod..BARRY!!" I said helping him stand. He couldn't stand. He was wheezing and coughing.

"I...can't....breathe" Barry coughed out.

"He needs oxygen, get the crash cart," Dr Wells said to Caitlin and Cisco. I held Barry and got him onto the hospital bed. I grabbed Barry's hand and he held onto it for dear life.

"Barry!! BARRY!!" Caitlin yelled.

"Cut me open," Barry wheezed out, "The poison's still in me." Caitlin ripped open Barry's suit, exposing his bare chest. Barry wasn't lying when he said lightning gave him abs...

"He brought us a sample," Dr. Wells realized. Caitlin, we need to do a pulmonary biopsy, extract an active portion of that gas."

"I can't give you anesthetic. Your metabolism will burn right through it," Caitlin said.

"Hurry up Caitlin. Please," I said.

At the same time Barry said, "I heal quick remember."

"Cisco, hand me the syringe," Caitlin said. Cisco gave Caitlin a syringe with a huge needle in it. "This is gonna hurt a lot," Caitlin said.

"It's a small needle. You probably won't even feel it," Cisco lied.

"You're definitely going to feel it," Caitlin corrected before giving him the shot. Barry gasped, his grip on my hand tightening a lot, before passing out.

*Later*

Barry groaned, waking up. "The Streak lives," Cisco joked. I was still sitting next to Barry while holding his hand because Barry's grip was so tight. I tried to slip out of it when Barry was passed out. Cisco even tried to help me, his grip was just so tight. Before the lightning, I could've slipped out of his grip easily. Lightning must've improved his strength slightly.. along with the abs. I couldn't stop staring at his abs. Barry lifted my head and wiggled his eyebrows.

"You like what you see," he whispered, when Cisco wasn't paying attention. I blushed and looked down at my hand.

"You'd be dead if your lungs didn't regenerate so quickly," Cisco continued paying attention again.

I tapped Barry and he turned to me, "Please let go of my hand," I said.

"Oh, sorry," Barry said. He finally let go and I felt freed.

"My chest feels like that one time I had a cigarette," Barry said. Caitlin and Cisco looked at Barry in disbelief.

"Yeah, teen Barry lived for danger," I laughed looking at Barry. Barry looked at me with an emotion I couldn't register. I looked at him with a grin.

"This isn't funny. You could've--," Caitlin started.

"But I didn't," Barry said.

"Okay...let's get back to the important stuff. Emma and Barry, you two totally just gave each other the heart eyes right there," Cisco said. "Caitlin, what would their ship name be? Baremma? Baremily? What do you think?" Cisco turned and asked Caitlin mischievously. (a/n: seriously please comment which one you prefer)

"I don't know but let's get to the actual important stuff now," Caitlin said.