Barry Allen and Caitlin Snow smiled at each other across a candlelit dinner for two, no new meta villains, no new threats, and with Kara and Tobi staying with Iris, this keeping Kara away from S.T.A.R. Labs and Eddie/Ronnie/and Dr. Stein; and with Cisco and Dr. Wells working on a way to separate the three, but they only knew of two, without a nuclear reaction, Barry and Caitlin felt it was time for some one-on-one time. Rarely did they have time to be alone, and it was beginning to show. Now, sitting alone in Barry's brand new apartment, with a large open air ceiling and soft, romantic music playing in the background, Caitlin suddenly found that she was working overtime to not jump Barry right then and there. Especially with how he seemed to be undressing her with his eyes.

Barry watched as Caitlin's face flushed bright red, and suddenly felt self conscious of how he was looking at her.

"Are you alright", he asked, looking alarmed.

"Of course, it's just...noone has ever looked at me that way before".

"I'm sorry".

"Oh no, it's okay, it's just, I've never thought myself worthy of that kind of appreciation, but you've changed all that. It's nice, feeling appreciated".

Barry looked at her again, getting up from his chair to kneel before her, taking her hands in his.

"Caitlin Snow, I will always appreciate you, I will always treasure and value you beyond words, because you are worthy of so much more than what I can muster to give to you, and, for some reason, you feel the same for me, and nobody can tell you otherwise, because I'm here to prove them wrong. I love you Caitlin".

Caitlin couldn't see past her tears, but instinct let her her lips find Barry's; and though she couldn't find the words, her actions told Barry she loved him in return.

"Barry"?

"Yes"?

"Will you..."?

"What"?

"Will you...make love with me"?

"Caitlin...I...are you sure"?

"As sure as I am that you will always be the one".

Barry's answer was to kiss her tenderly as he picked her up, bridal style. It was, in many ways, a wedding night. Sans witnesses, a minister, a gown and rings, Barry and Caitlin gave each other their hearts and souls. As Barry felt Caitlin's soft skin beneath his, and as Caitlin felt the most intimate part of her body break within her, and the love she felt when Barry looked into her eyes, always making sure she was okay. She didn't feel the pain she had always been told would come with the action. Instead, she felt love, joy and bliss, and she knew that, no matter what, she would always have Barry by her side, and she would always be by his. This was confirmed the next morning when she woke up, her hair matted to her face with sweat, and her limbs intertwined with his. She never wanted to tire of this, of waking up to his face, to the scent that drifted from his body after a night like she had never known.

It was nearing two o'clock in the morning and Kara and Tobi were nearly finished with their article, though only a week had barely passed. After all, they hadn't expected to land on the goldmine they had. Tobi sat on the couch, fighting the drowsiness that threatened to embrace her.

"Go get some rest Tobi, I'll finish this up", Kara said, effortlessly pushing her friend to her feet. Tobi was so sleepy she barely noticed.

"Get your hands off me", she said, though it was clear she wasn't talking to Kara, "I have a girlfriend".

Kara chuckled. She's dreaming, she thought. Closing the laptop she scooped up Tobi and carried her to the guest room they shared at the West house. As Kara lay Tobi down she felt her pull her head in and kiss her softly on the lips. Kara was barely shocked by the action. She had anticipated that, at some point, her friend would make her feelings known, and she knew that her girlfriend was that irritating girl from NOONAN'S; but what she hadn't anticipated was Tobi doing it while mostly asleep, and thinking she was her girlfriend.

Returning to the article, Kara found her mind drifting to thinking about Tobi's kiss. While it was a good kiss, she just couldn't think of her friend that way. From her history lessons with Kal she understood that gender meant nothing when it came to life mates on Krypton, if it was a match that strengthened the family standing then it was done. Here on earth it seemed much the same, but Kara simply had no inclination to such a pairing. She wished she knew of any way to let Tobi down gently. How does one do that?

Tobi woke up eight hours later with a headache and the faintest memory of a dream where she...she blushed at the thought. Kara was her best friend and, while she knew and admitted, though not to Kara herself, that she had a crush on her, she had a sense that it was nothing more. Maggie, on the other hand, had her heart; and though her jealousy tended to get her in trouble, Tobi found it quite stirring. Smiling she sat up and went downstairs, aware that Kara would have been working into the night on the article. As she descended the stairs she found Kara asleep on the couch, her nose vibrating as she snored away. Tobi giggled at how adorable she found it.

"Good morning", Iris called from the kitchen, "I'm making breakfast, any requests"?

"Anything gluten free"?

"Coming right up. How's sleeping beauty"?

Tobi poked Kara, not surprised at all when she didn't stir.

"Dead to the world".

"Okay. After breakfast we need to get to S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Wells called and said they're ready to see about separating Eddie and Dr. Stein".

Tobi couldn't have missed the gleam in Iris's eyes any more than the thrill in her voice. She was getting the love of her life back. Little did she know that she was about to lose her own.

S.T.A.R. Labs

Early in the morning, A'lx touched down in front of S.T.A.R. Labs. She caught her reflection in a car window. The sun was still rising and she saw her green form, albeit with a more human look, stare back at her. Sighing, she shifted into a more traditional Martian look, based upon her Uncle J'onn's appearance. No one would know her this way. She had come under the guise of being sent by Superman to help in the seperation of the, what she knew to be, three minds that made up the Burning Man. The thought of the men made her heart ache. This was why she was here, to help. It was also an act of compassion for other's that brought her to Earth.

J'onn J'onns held the bodies of his wife and daughter tightly, his tesrs washing away the blood from their bodies. He glanced up at the white Martian, ready to welcome death; but death did not come. Instead, the young Martian pulled him up.

"You need to come with me, J'onn J'onns".

Not waiting for an answer, the White Martian gathered him in her four arms and carried him away. She ran through the raging battle and past Green and White Martians killing each other. It had been a long war in the history of Mars, so long that it seemed to be a way of life; a way of life that the White Martian had grown tired of. She knew she was committing treason against her fellow White Martians, but she was not committing treason against her race.

Finally, she reached an aircraft. She pushed her friend, if he would accept her as such, into the co-pilot seat as she climbed into the pilot's seat. As they left the Martian atmosphere she suddenly realized that she was sharing a small craft with a Martian who's family she was complicity guilty of killing.

S.T.A.R. Labs

A'lx stared once more at her reflection, satisfied with the result of her shift, then turned and walked into S.T.A.R. Labs.

The cortex was a bustle of activity as Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells made last minute preparations for the separation process. Barry and Eddie stood alone, talking together. A'lx cleared her throat and everybody stopped to look at her.

"Greetings, my name is A'lx, I am here to volunteer my services as a telepath to aid in the process which you are about to submit Mr. Thawne to".

Eddie, not taking his eyes off of A'lx, leaned in to Barry.

"Barry...who is this"?

"She's a friend", Barry replied.

Barry left Eddie's side and walked up to A'lx, greeting her with a warm hug.

"Welcome back...Alex", he said, winking at her.

"Ummm...Barry? Do you, know her"? Caitlin asked, jealousy tinting her voice.

"I do, she's a friend of Kara's".

The fear that A'lx had briefly felt when Barry had recognized her had quickly abated by his silent reassurance that he would keep her secret.

Iris, Kara, and Tobi arrived within the hour, and soon after loaded up the S.T.A.R. Labs van and headed out to an abandoned firing range. Barry, helping Caitlin out of the van, walked with Eddie to the middle of the field. Barry, ever his brother's wingman, had noticed how distant Eddie was with Iris. It flummoxed him to think that he would act in such a way.

"Eddie, can I ask you something"?

"Sure".

"What's up with you and Iris"?

Eddie stopped walking and looked at his feet. He was hoping Barry hadn't noticed, and if he had noticed, then he was trusting that Barry would keep his questions to himself.

"What about me and Iris", he asked, his voice colder than intended.

"Well, before...everything, you were going to propose to her, and now it's like your feelings for her have changed".

"Look Bare, I still love her, that hasn't changed, but I have...I've killed people, and I'm not sure I can live with that".

Barry let the subject go, for now. He couldn't imagine what Eddie was experiencing at the moment. He couldn't relate to having an extra voice in his head, but he could understand how it could make one feel differently than how they used to. Finally, he and Eddie stopped at the center point of the field. A'lx was waiting for them. In her hands was a device that was circular, with five smaller circles set around it.

"Dr. Snow has informed me that this device, once attached to Mr. Thawne and activated, will begin the stabilization process and should allow the three consciences to separate into the three beings of Mr. Thawne, Professor Stein, and the unknown third".

Both men nodded in understanding. Attaching the device to Eddie, A'lx turned to Barry.

"Mr. Allen, I request that you return to safety".

"I'm staying with my brother".

"I understand the sentiment, but if he goes nuclear then you will be obliterated".

"What about you"?

"I will remain in my intangible form. I need to remain here to ensure all three humans are in good mental health".

Turning to Eddie, Barry hugged him close.

"You come back safe, you hear me"?

Then he was gone. A'lx turned to look in Eddie's eyes, fear evident in his blue orbs.

"Are you ready, Mr. Thawne"?

"As I'll ever be".

"I will now activate the device, then I will venture into your mind to help with the separation".

Eddie nodded. He didn't really understand what she was going to do, but he was willing to trust her.

From the vantage point, Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Dr. Wells, Iris, Kara, and Tobi watched as there was an eruption of fire. Barry started to run towards it, but Dr. Wells, looking through his binoculars, stopped him.

"It's alright, Mr. Allen. He's merely stabilizing, once that is finished we should be left with three separate men".

Barry was ledt with no choice. He needed to trust him.

A'lx cried. She was covered with the ash that drifted down like snow. Eddie was exhausted, but alive. Professor Stein was looking around, wary if the green alien, but alive. Ronald Roy Raymond, however, was not.

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HEY EVERYONE, I'M BACK.I know it's been aawhile since I last updated, but hopefully this chapter is worth the wait. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely

Ficmaniac12