Spoilers: Orion references characters, events, and themes from all episodes of The Flash through 02x22 Invincible, all comics featuring Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, and various comics released under the New 52.

Warning: Orion contains adult content, graphic description of violence, and dark material that exceed canon-typical levels. Please mind the M rating. This version of Orion has been adapted to fit the restricted ratings requirements. The original version is rated at NC-17/MA, which remains available on AO3 (username dracox_serdriel) as well as LiveJournal and Tumblr (username dracox-serdriel).

Chapter Summary: After obtaining The Flash's speed, Zoom abducts Earth-1 Caitlin Snow and takes her to Earth-2. In the past, Caitlin and Jay spend Christmas together.

Chapter One
The Winter Maker

Caitlin was in shock, but she remained aware enough to know that she was moving at a rapid pace and not of her own accord. She closed her eyes as the whirling images became disorienting. Despite her confused senses, she felt a distinct change that eluded description.

A breach. We must be passing through a breach.

As the thought occurred to her, her fear redoubled. Jay - no, Zoom - was carrying her to Earth-2, and she had no idea what he could possibly want from her.

Then everything stopped. It was so dark that it took her a moment to realize that she was standing on solid ground.

"I do care about you."

It was whispered in her ear in the voice of Jay Garrick, the man who had stolen her heart, but the flashes of blue lightning reminded her that Zoom was the only other person present.

"Where did you take me?" she asked.

"Somewhere you'll be safe," he replied. "Rest, Cait."

She raised her hands, ready to defend herself, but she wavered, suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion.

He must've sedated me.

That was her last thought before the darkness took her.

Jay caught Caitlin as she fell, the drugs kicking in at full force and literally knocking her off her feet. He made a mental note to reduce the dosage, should he have need to sedate her in the future. He lifted and carried her to his best cot, where he gently laid her down. Then he knelt beside her as he tucked her in. He found himself fussing with the sheets and brushing her hair out of her face; he was in complete awe of her.

He hadn't planned any of this, and he wasn't prepared to handle the fallout of his abrupt abduction. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to worry about it, not with Caitlin so close after weeks of separation.

He had only returned to Earth-1 to trade Wally West for the Flash's speed, though part of him had wanted to see Cait again. He underestimated the depth of his longing, so he hadn't been prepared for their reunion. Even if he had, he couldn't have anticipated her reaction.

She always surprised him.

He expected to see her hiding behind Cisco and Joe when Team Flash gathered for the prisoner exchange; instead, she engaged him directly and acknowledged their connection - their relationship - and once she had, leaving her behind was no longer an option.

Yes, that was it. She was a liability now that his identity had been revealed. Even though only a handful of people knew, it would be far too easy for an enemy to make the connection, and while he knew none of the heroes on Team Flash would harm Cait to get to him, there were too many people desperate for a weakness to exploit. Barry had failed to protect her even before he lost his powers.

Yes, leaving her out in the open was too risky. That's why he took her.

He stood up, knowing he had to leave. Yet he remained unwilling to take his eyes off of her.

Jay - it was easy to think of himself as Jay when he was in her presence - knew that it was too good to be true. Not only was he cured, but he was more powerful than ever. Having Cait with him on top of that would be... improbable, but as soon as he considered it, he decided he must have it. He wanted the speed, the power, and Caitlin Snow.

And Zoom always got what he wanted.

Jay examined her face for a few moments, remembering what it had been like to wake up next to her.

The first time was the day after they first met. He had been locked up in the pipeline overnight while they waited on tests to confirm his identity. She woke him up early the next morning with breakfast, going so far as to eat with him. Despite Barry's mistrust, she was friendly. No, she was kind.

The next time was after a late night working on the Speed Cannon. When he woke up, Caitlin was an arm's length away, draped over a pile of files. After that, he made a habit of falling asleep at STAR Labs, hoping to wake up to her. And sure enough, whenever he crashed on one of the lab's couches or cots, she was always the one who roused him, or, in some cases, curled up next to him.

But that was before he started spending his nights with her.

He knew how foolish it was, investing his emotions in another person, but he was too enthralled by their relationship to let logic interfere.

Jay turned away from her beautiful face and steeled himself, donning his armored persona of Hunter and his mask of Zoom. The sedative could last anywhere from four to eight hours, and he had a lot of work to do before then.

Somehow, he would convince her to stay.

Earth-1. A little over five months ago, on Christmas Eve... The party at Joe's house became very tense after Wally's arrival. Caitlin understood. They were family who had only just met. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to discover a long-lost relative, let alone a parent or child.

Like everyone else, she made an effort to speak with Wally, but he was clearly uncomfortable getting so much attention from a room full of strangers. She didn't push too much, so all she learned about him was that he liked cars and had an interest in mechanical engineering.

Wally wasn't the only one acting distant and awkward. Jay had introduced himself but backed off immediately, lurking in the shadows like an unwanted interloper. She wondered if he still felt like an outsider, even after working with them for months.

Cisco and the others didn't know that the kiss under the mistletoe wasn't their first, but being openly affectionate in front of her friends was a big step for them. Jay was shy and a little old-fashioned about things like that. She found it incredibly endearing.

She circled back to join him on the couch, and a warm smile spread across his face when she sat down next to him.

"So, how does this measure-up with the holidays back on Earth-2?" she asked.

"Actually, this is one of the best Christmas Eves I've had in years," he replied. "Back home, I, uh, didn't have a lot of people in my life. My family... we aren't close, and I didn't really have a lot of friends. I ended up working through my last two Christmases."

"Well, I'm glad you joined us," she said. "Actually, I was getting ready to go and thought you might want a ride."

"Yeah," he said. "Thank you."

After they said their goodbyes, she brought up the fact that she didn't even know where he had been staying on Earth-1. He admitted he wasn't sure how she'd react to where he lived. Apparently, it wasn't a traditional home.

"Maybe one day I'll give you a tour," he said. fumbling for an explanation. "But right now it's a complete mess..."

"Well than, maybe you could have a nightcap at my place," she suggested.

She hadn't planned on the invitation, it just sort of slipped out, and she found herself blushing at the expression on his face - surprised but pleased, interested yet reserved.

"Yeah, I'd like that," he replied.

Caitlin felt nervous when they got in the car. She scrambled to come up with something - anything - to ask.

"I'm constantly amazed by you," Jay said, sparing her the effort of thinking of something to say. "Nobody knows how much you do for this city, this world. All they ever see is the Flash, and they name days and drinks after him."

"Barry is the one out there, saving people," she replied. "Besides, I don't do it for the credit. The last thing I want is for Central City to announce 'Snow Day.'"

They laughed, and her nervousness vanished.

"See? That's what I mean," Jay replied. "Without you and the others at STAR Labs, the Flash wouldn't know who needed rescuing when, let alone figure out how to defeat all the metas in this city. Back on Earth-2, I worked alone, juggling everything myself. I thought it was safer for everyone that way, but maybe if I had someone like you back on my earth, I could've defeated Zoom."

"I'm part of a team," she said. "And so are you. You've helped us, Jay. More than you know."

"I guess," he replied. "I just wish I could do more."

"You never had anyone help you on Earth-2?" Caitlin asked, curious. "You were a hero. People must have offered."

"Yeah, well, the first to offer was Wells. He made contact with me and said STAR Labs could support me. I thought it was because they'd been commissioned by the Department of Defense to create containment cells for metahumans, but it didn't take long for me to discover that he wanted to clean up his own mess so nobody would find out that the particle accelerator was responsible for creating metahumans."

"There must've been others."

"At that point, I wasn't so trusting," he admitted. "Wells and I had a very public enmity, and STAR Labs came up with marketing spin: Wells and the Flash, frenemies that saved the city."

"Frenemies?" she repeated, laughing. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, well, that was when I realized that meta-humans weren't the only danger when it came to the Flash working with other people."

They continued to discuss the media's portrayal of metahumans until she pulled into her regular parking spot at home. They made their way to her door and into her apartment in a comfortable silence.

"You have an amazing place," he commented almost as soon as he entered.

"I'm glad," she said, the words escaping her before she had a chance to really think about what she was saying. "I mean, not about Zoom and all the horrible things he's done or you losing your speed, but... if none of those things happened, then maybe I would never have met you. And, I... uh, I'm glad we met."

"Me too," he said.

Caitlin realized that how close they were, and she suddenly couldn't recall what they had been talking about.

She tipped her head back to maintain eye contact he came closer. Even in her heels, he was still six inches taller.

Caitlin leaned forward, closing her eyes as his lips came down over hers. It was soft and gentle, like their kiss under the mistletoe, but the privacy made her bold. She nipped at his lower lip, and she felt more than heard his groan.

One of his arms came around her lower back, pulling her closer and lifting her off her feet. She grabbed at his leather jacket, sighing when his other hand tangled in her hair, lightly tugging her head back to change the angle of their kiss.

Her feet touched the floor again, but the kiss continued as Jay took over, his tongue sliding into her mouth experimentally. Her hands wandered up to his hair and cheek.

When they broke apart, her heart was racing in anticipation, and when she saw the look on his face - hungry, lustful - her heart skipped a few beats. She must've gasped, or her expression gave her away, because his entire demeanor changed. He became composed and concerned.

"Caitlin, if this is moving too fast for you - "

She laughed.

"Right, that's probably not the best expression for a former speedster," he said. "I only mean..."

"I know what you mean," she replied. "I think we've both been patient enough."

She reached up and kissed him again, and she felt his smile widen as he turned his head to the side.

She did her best to guide him toward her bedroom, which was in the back of the apartment. She never realized how far it was from the front door before. Together they stumbled and discarded their jackets before spinning into the room.

He let her take the lead, but as soon as she tugged off his shirt, he made quick work of the rest of their clothing, leaving only their undergarments.

Caitlin hadn't been with anyone since Ronnie, and she was definitely nervous. The fact that she liked Jay - really liked Jay - didn't help matters, and neither did the fact that she had been imagining this night for a very, very long time.

He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her down over his lap, sending a chill up her spine when she felt his hardness press against her.

They kissed again, slowly this time, and her fingers explored him as best they could, wrapping around his enormous biceps, tracing the hard lines of his incredibly firm form. Her entire body vibrated with need as she imagined being wrapped up in him.

She pushed away from him to get a better look at his face. He was attractive, there was no denying that, but there was something about Jay Garrick unabashedly turned-on that was absolutely sinful to behold.

"You're... beautiful," he whispered, his voice muffled with awe.

"And you are a perfect male specimen," she replied with all the bravado she could muster.

Jay's expression became unreadable. It seemed like disbelief mixed with reverence, and for a moment, she thought he might be reconsidering. But then he stood up, lifting her off her feet, the look in his eye a mixture of admiration and desire.

"You... are... unexpected," Jay whispered.

Caitlin woke up the next morning with Jay spooning her. There was something protective in how his arm was wrapped around her. She snuggled into it, ready to drift back to sleep in the comfort of his arms.

"Merry Christmas," Jay whispered.

"Merry Christmas," she responded automatically. Then she added, "And good morning."

"It's not morning yet, is it?"

"Not yet," she replied.

"I hope you don't find me too forward," he said. "But this is the best Christmas I've ever had."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Earth-2. Now... Caitlin woke up in the pitch black on a cot. She sat up to get her bearings. She found that she wasn't restrained, but she could barely see her hand in front of her face so the ability to move freely did her no good.

With no way to gage her surroundings, her emotions took full focus. She felt sick and embarrassed. Jay had fooled them all, but he went out of his way to make her feel like they had a connection: physical, emotional, spiritual. He had spent time with her as if she had mattered to him, focusing on her and her needs whenever he could. When the first learned Zoom's real identity, she had obsessed over why he'd wasted so much time duping her and her alone. Had it just been about the sex? Or was it just his way of having fun? Or was there something else, something she couldn't see?

He must have other plans for her because there was no doubt in her mind that their "relationship" had been nothing but a mind game, just a cog in a villain's master plan.

She was enraged. She hated him for what he'd done, yet every time she closed her eyes, she remembered those affectionate and passionate moments. She didn't know if she should laugh, cry, or vomit.

Caitlin took a deep breath. She needed to focus. The only reason Zoom would bring her here was if he wanted something from her, and after everything he'd put her through, she was going to make damn sure he never got it.

End of Chapter Notes

Chapter notes: The title of his chapter, The Winter Maker, comes from Kabibona'kan, the Chippewa name for the Orion constellation.

Author's note: Updated this chapter after a bit of proofreading for Orion in its entirety. Some additional (minor) content was added to this chapter as part of that processes.