Chapter 8

Ralph reentered the room with Parasite, whose eyes could not help but wander about the lab, right behind him. Barry was sat in a chair beside Caitlin's unconscious form and when his eyes looked over to Ralph, he had tears in his eyes. It was Cisco who leaped up and stood in front of Ralph, blocking his path.

"What are you doing?" Cisco growled. Ralph looked down at his friend, whose dark circles under his eyes had worsened, and frowned. He placed his hand on Cisco's shoulder and gave him a silent plead.

"Cisco…maybe we should try it," Iris' voice was quiet. Cisco looked over his shoulder at Barry, who was biting at his nails again. They stared at each other for a long moment. Cisco hoping that Barry would stand to stop Parasite from entering the room and Barry was staying still to let Cisco know he should back down. Very slowly, Cisco moved to the side, but his eyes would not meet Ralph's any longer. Parasite moved about the room with confidence. He looked over at Caitlin's unconscious form. Cisco had found a way to keep her free of pain but could not stop the decay of life occurring before their eyes. Parasite's expression seemed to soften slightly as he studied the small female.

Parasite moved to stand above Caitlin's head. He lifted his hands up to reveal he still had the power dampening cuffs on. Ralph went to unlock them but not before he stared straight at Parasite and delivered a final warning.

"If you try anything, we will not hesitate to kill you," Ralph whispered. Parasite nodded. He did not know Ralph was misleading him with the term of kill. Ralph knew Barry was strongly against the theory of killing bad guys, even if they kill themselves. However, Ralph could not expect the same restraint from the distressed Cisco. Nor could he even promise himself that, given the right amount of grief and pain, he would not ever kill another. Parasite heard a click and he was free of his cuffs. Cisco reached under a nearby table and grabbed hold of the cold gun that they kept in STAR.

Parasite closed his eyes and placed a hand over Caitlin's forehead. His face twisted into a grimace before he quickly pulled back. Barry, noticing the strange reaction from Parasite, began to bounce his knee nervously.

"This is definitely weird. Two minds in one body, you weren't kidding," Parasite remarked. Ralph bit down on his own tongue.

"So…can you help them?" Iris asked.

"I haven't seen anything like this before. But I reckon I could," Parasite said, looking over at Iris. Ralph let out a slow breath and then glanced down at Caitlin's body.

"Iris, can you get the other…um, body?" Ralph asked. Iris nodded and left the room, stealing a glance over at Barry who seemed to be lost in thought. Parasite pulled over a spare chair to sit down. He leaned back and rested his hands, folded together, on his stomach and looked about the room again. He whistled signifying he was impressed.

"Remember, if this doesn't work, our deal is over," Ralph said.

"Trust me, I want my freedom more than anything else. I'll do this task for you," Parasite replied. Just then, Iris returned. Cisco held the door open as Iris pushed in the empty body of the girl into the room. The body was resting inside a glass tube on top of a mobile cot. All kinds of tubes were inside of her to keep the body's organs alive.

Barry moved out of the way to make space for the body. He looked down at the civilian he could not save. Perhaps, this stranger would have liked knowing that the body would give life to another. Barry shot a glare over at Parasite, who barely noticed, and made a mental note to be ready to strike in case this did not go well. Cisco clutched the cold gun in his hand and closed his eyes, sending a silent prayer that this would work. Ralph looked over and noticed Dr. Tannhauser standing on the other end of the window. He thought about inviting her inside, but she was about four feet away from the window and Ralph understood her intention was not to get too close.

Parasite closed his eyes as if he were going to sleep. Soon enough, his body went limp in the chair. Barry and Ralph only could see the ghostly apparition of Parasite, as they had been each attached by this invisible beast. The tension in the air was thick. Cisco and Iris were nervous as they could not see the manifestation of Parasite's consciousness. It moved swiftly and silently as it shifted through each of the three bodies. Barry felt electricity inside his body as he constantly wanted to take action but there was nothing he could do. A sense of helplessness fell them all.

The ghastly face disappeared back into Parasite; whose eyes opened with a sharp inhale. He adjusted himself in the seat and nodded over at Ralph. Suddenly, everyone was moving all at once and rushing to the aid of their friends to see if it had truly worked.

…

Frost was aware that she was in a brightly lit room before she even fully opened her eyes. She grimaced and her head lolled to the right. She felt a cozy sensation about her, and her eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings. She noticed the walls were not of the arctic lab, the last place she remembered. Frost jerked, her body trying to sit up, when a soreness overtook her. She hobbled over and groaned.

"Uh, Caity," Frost called for the doctor to help. What answered back was nothingness. It was an inky blackness that Frost was drowning in in her own mind. She tried screaming for Caitlin inside her own head but could not sense her.

Frost felt her heart begin to race and she noticed the IV in her arm. With a deep breath, she yanked it from her skin and screamed when pain shot up her arm. Frost's hands were trembling as she grabbed the sheets that were laying on top of her and ripped them away. It was then she noticed she was in STAR labs. She was wearing one of their warm sweatshirts. Frost moved off the bed, but her legs gave out from underneath her.

Frost felt a strong wind and found Barry Allen had wrapped his arms around her and stopped her from landing face first on the floor. Frost looked up into his blue eyes and a rush of sorrow overcame her. She opened her mouth to speak but a strangled scream was all that came out.

"Frost, are you ok?" Barry asked. Frost shook her head and tried to take a breath in but found her throat constrict. She grabbed at her throat and could only manage short, shallow intakes of air. A pain in her chest was spreading and a cold sweat was beginning to break out on her forehead. Barry called out her name again, but it seemed so far away. She grabbed hold of Barry's biceps and dug her fingernails in them. He was there and solid and real.

"B-barry," Frost cried, tears were flowing freely now. She still could barely breath. The walls felt like they were closing in and Frost got the sudden sensation of fight or flight. Still, she had enough sense not to as Barry was there. She looked up at his worried face and sobbed, "I-I can't…"

"What is it?" Barry grabbed hold of her hands. The sensation was familiar, but she could not place it.

"I…I can't feel her. C-Caity! She isn't here anymore! I-I lost her!" Frost managed to get out. Barry moved her into a sitting position and rubbed her back with one hand while the other rested on the back of her skull, forcing her gaze down. He whispered soft words into her ear, but she could not hear them over the sound of her thundering pulse. There were more footsteps in the room now. Frost wished them away.

"Frost!" A voice called out her name. Frost jerked at closed her eyes, trying to focus on that voice again. Then a gentle hand touched hers. Frost slowly opened her eyes and found her own staring back at her.

"Caity…?" Frost's voice was weak. Her body was shaking, and tears were still falling. Caitlin was kneeling in front of her, wearing the same STAR labs sweatshirt as her. Caitlin's warm hands rubbed Frost's colder ones.

"You're ok. You just have to breathe. In and out. Steady," Caitlin instructed. It was a familiar instruction. Frost had a history of panic attacks and Caitlin usually said the same thing. Frost was so confused it made her feel delirious and dizzy. Yet, she could mimic Caitlin's deep breaths. Frost stared at Caitlin's face; fearful it would disappear if she looked away. Her crying had slowed, and her lungs filled with air once again. Frost could not tell how long it took but her body had calmed down. Caitlin's hands then moved to cup Frost's face and Frost noticed the tears in Caitlin's eyes.

"Wh-what?" Frost could not tell if Caitlin was real anymore or not. Maybe she herself was no longer real. Cisco then sat down on the floor with them and handed Caitlin something. Frost's eyes were glued to Caitlin's.

"Frost, you're gonna be ok. Just, look," Caitlin said, and she held something up for Frost to look at. An image of a girl. She had pale skin, white striking eyes, and white hair that looked as if it had just gotten out of bed. Frost took in a deep breath and watched as the picture moved along with her. She jerked instinctively but then stared closely at the woman before her. Realization struck Frost like the lightening bolt had struck Barry that this was not a photograph that Caitlin held up to her but a mirror.

Frost reached out, tentatively, and grabbed hold of the mirror. She turned it around in her hands, inspecting the back, to find it seemed normal. She looked back at the image. Frost moved her lips to a tight purse and watched the image do the same. It was her.

Frost studied closely at the new face. While her main features stayed the same, the pale skin and white hair, there were new features. This face was heart-shaped with a small chin that came to a point. She had high cheekbones and round eyes, bigger than Caitlin's. She had dark eyelashes and she noted a very faded, small scar above her right eyebrow from a memory she did not own. Also, in comparison to Caitlin, this face had high arched eyebrows and smaller ears on either side. Frost noted the small dot on the earlobes that indicated the ears were pierced. The hair was shorter than Caitlin's and thicker and stopped at her shoulders. Frost could not tell if it was naturally wavy or was it because she had been sleeping. The nose was thinner than Caitlin's and had more of an upturn to it. Frost noticed the full lips with the peaked cupid's bow. Frost touched the skin on her cheek to find it smooth and soft. She tore her eyes away from the mirror to look at Caitlin again.

"I don't understand," Frost said. She felt Barry's hand on her back again. It reassured her that she was safe.

"The connection we had with each other was unstable. Our health was at risk. They found a way to separate us," Caitlin explained, "So we could both live."

"But how?" Frost questioned. It was impossible. Frost searched back into her memories and could only find a dream-like scene. Frost remembered the pain and Caitlin's strength was fading. Frost was insisting that she take control to heal the pain away. She had to push with all her might and fight through the pain that consumed both. Had she separated them? But who was this?

"A metahuman. He could transfer consciousness. It barely made sense to us, but we had to take the risk," Cisco explained. Frost looked over at him and, seemingly out of nowhere, thought that his hair looked longer than the last time she saw him.

"Who is…?" Frost's voice trailed off in uncertainty.

"A woman whose consciousness was taken and never returned. She was an empty shell. We kept her body alive for organ reasons and now it is yours. How does it feel?" Ralph spoke up. Frost looked down at her hands and noticed they were small than Caitlin's and with longer nails.

"It's…different," Frost mumbled, and looked back to Caitlin, "Lonely."

Frost gasped at a fearful thought in her head. She focused her energy, which was already low, and opened her palm. An icicle formed almost instantly, and Frost let out a sigh of relief. She still had powers. Caitlin smiled at her. They may have been separated but it seemed like Caitlin could still tell what she was thinking.

"But how will I protect you now?" Frost questioned. Caitlin let out a short laugh and grabbed Frost's wrist and pulled her forward. Caitlin wrapped her arms around Frost in a tight hug. Frost could not help but note this was her first hug in her new body and then squeeze Caitlin back just as forcefully.

"You can still protect me," Caitlin said into Frost's ear. Frost pulled out of the hug to wipe the tears from her eyes.

With some help from Barry, Frost was able to stand up. She realized that she was shorter now. And that her body was a still petite but slightly curvier than Caitlin's. Frost could not take her mind off the blankness that she now felt in her head. It was unnerving and suspicious. She looked around at all the faces of her friends and felt calmer.

Then a figure moved through everyone and even pushed past Caitlin to get to Frost. The body flung itself into a hug with Frost and it took Frost a minute to realize it was Dr. Tannhauser. Frost returned the hug, although with some tentativeness. Carla pulled away and smiled Frost.

"It's good to see you are well," Carla said. Frost couldn't help but smile back at her.

"It was a real guessing game if it was going to be successful," Barry said from behind Frost, "But you have Ralph to thank for that."

Ralph was beaming with joy and then he was next to rush in and hug Frost. He wrapped his long arms around her and squeezed her close to his chest. He then lifted her up off the ground. Frost groaned when her feet left the ground.

"I am so happy!" Ralph exclaimed as he gently set Frost back down. Frost sat down on the bed and listened to Ralph tell his story as to how everything had happened. He explained who Parasite was and how they had worked together to catch him. It was explained to Frost and Caitlin that Ralph had set up a deal with Parasite. The metahuman villain had helped them in exchange for freedom. Barry reassured them that they would catch him later. Cisco commented that he stuck a tracking device on Parasite, and he was on a bus leaving Central City. It was strange to be sitting there with a body entirely new. Frost kept being distracted by now being able to look at Caitlin before her. She kept waiting to wake up from the dream, but it never happened.

Dr. Tannhauser and Caitlin then ran extensively long tests on both Caitlin and Frost. All had seemed well. Frost's powers must have healed the damage before anything too bad could happen. Caitlin may have some slight headaches every now and then but nothing impactful. Frost was fine and her new body worked as if it had always belonged to her. Then, after many hours, both were allowed to retire to their bed.

…

Frost had missed her own pillow from being in the arctic. Yet she had no idea she would sharing a bed with Caitlin in this way. Frost was standing before a mirror and staring at her new body, now wearing pajamas, in the mirror. The black shorts showed off her pale legs. They were shapely and Frost could not help but admire this new form. She bet she could turn some heads too. She had brushed the tangles out of her new hair. Caitlin came up to stand beside her and there were both of their reflections in the mirror.

"You look good," Caitlin commented.

"Yea, I sure am lucky that the only body available wasn't like Danny DeVito or someone," Frost joked, and it made Caitlin laugh.

"Now, you can be your own person. Cisco will have to help you set up a social security number and all sorts of stuff sometime this week," Caitlin said. Frost smiled and studied her new smile in the mirror. The teeth were white and straight with pointy canines. Caitlin moved to the bed and pulled back the blankets. Frost saw a new horizon before her and there was a rush of adrenaline in her blood. She spun to face Caitlin with a devilish grin.

"We should get matching tattoos," Frost announced. Caitlin stared at her with wide eyes but then her expression softened.

"Ok, tomorrow. Think of some good designs," Caitlin said and then gestured to the bed. For tonight, since this was unplanned, they agreed to share the bed for their first night back. Frost was staring up at the ceiling, trying to imagine some tattoos that Caitlin and her could receive.

"I'll also have to start looking for a white-water rafting place," Frost was thinking out loud. Caitlin already had her eyes closed but made a noise of agreement.

xoxo

The end.

Thank you to those who have been reading this story. It sure was fun writing it. I have always been a big fan of Caitlin Snow and I love Killer Frost too. But when the show established that it was not a form of Dissociative Identity Disorder but they were actually two separate people, I found that to sound very unfair for both. How could you live a full life while sharing a body with someone? So, I wrote this to sort of fix it. Let me know what you thought. I hope you have a beautiful day.

-Kit