The Flash and His Lightning Rod~Barry Allen Love Story

Chapter 124

The next day, Liane's dressed up for Frost's funeral. Right now, Liane's standing outside of Caitlin's apartment and she knocks on the door. Liane knows that Caitlin's not going to the funeral, but she just wants to check up on her. Caitlin opens the door, and she says, "I'm still not going." Liane says, "I know. I came to apologize. And to listen." Caitlin opens the door and Liane walks in and says, "Look, Caitlin, um... about yesterday morning in the longue." Caitlin says, "It's fine. I know you were just trying to help." Liane says, "You know, trying and knowing the right words to say aren't the same thing. And I'm sorry. I said everything wrong." Caitlin says, "We've both been through a lot over the last couple of days, so I think it's okay to let ourselves off the hook. But you don't have to worry about me. I'm good, honest." Liane looks over to see a bottle of melatonin and she looks back over to Caitlin and says, "You're still having trouble sleeping?" Caitlin says, "I'm had a lot on my mind. So yes, I've had few sleepless nights, but medically speaking, I'm not in any danger. So, thank you for coming." Liane says, "Caitlin, I know you'll regret not going to your sister's funeral." Caitlin crosses her arms and says, "Unbelievable. I mean, do you hear yourself right now? This isn't even about me. This is about you and your need to be the hero. I am not one of your missions, okay? But I need to grieve Frost in my own way. So if you don't mind, will you please leave?" Liane sighs and she says, "Look, Caitlin, I will leave you alone if that's what you really want, but before I do, just ask yourself one thing. What would Frost want? For you? You knew her better than anybody. Would she want you to pull away? Would she want us to let you?" Caitlin turns and walks away saying, "She'd tell me to stop being an idiot, get off my ass, and live my damn life." Caitlin sits down on the couch as Liane smiles and says, "That does sound like her." Liane sits down next to Caitlin as Caitlin says, "You know, Frost was the voice inside my head before I even knew she had a name. She was the one telling me to be brave, to be strong when I felt weak, or that I was never as powerless as others made me feel. Liane, when Frost died... her singing died too. Her laugh. That voice... that voice that made me whole. So I can't go to the funeral, because if I do, if I see her in that casket... I'll know that she's gone for good." Tears roll down Caitlin's cheeks. Caitlin wipes her tears away as Liane softly says, "What if that's not the case?" Caitlin says, "What do you mean?" Liane says, "Her voice is still inside you. As long as that's true..." Caitlin says, "She's not really gone." Liane says, "Joe suggested that we all find a way to honor Frost. I posted an obituary for Frost on CCC Media and I did a podcast where citizens shared their stories about what kind of hero Frost is." Caitlin softly smiles and says, "She would have loved that." Liane smiles with tears in her eyes and says, "Yeah. But you? You just have to listen to her. So, what's Frost saying she wants you to do?" Later, Liane's at Frost's funeral with everyone. Liane walks up to Frost's open casket with tears in her eyes and she grabs Frost's cold hand as a tear drops onto Frost's hand. A hand rubs Liane's back and she looks over to see Cisco. Liane softly says, "Hey." Cisco softly says, "Hey." Moments later, everyone is sitting down. Carla's up at the podium and says, "If anyone would like to say a few words about Frost, now's the time." Liane gets up and walks up to the podium and says, "Um... when I first met Frost. She tried kill me. Multiple times, but... once I saw past her stone-cold heart. I realized there was a person who cared. There was this one time where I got hurt and she patched me up. The think we both knew right then and there we'd be friends. As Frost continue to grow, I taught her how to care about people instead of herself. I never thought Frost was a killer, that's why I liked calling her Frost. And she would hardly ever call me Liane, she always called me Lane. I would only let a few people call me Lane, but I especially liked the way she would call me Lane. It was like something special between the two of us." Liane smiles through her tears as she continues to say, "Frost saw the connection I have with Caitlin. The kind of relationship that Frost also wanted. Me and Frost were more than friends, we were best friends and she made me make a promise a year ago. The promise was to always protect Caitlin. I just wished I protected Frost one last time. I never even got to say goodbye, so now I can say goodbye." Liane looks over at Frost's open casket with tears following down her cheeks and she cries, "Goodbye Frost, thanks for being the best friend and hero to me and everyone who loved you." Liane looks up and sees Caitlin. Everyone follows Liane's gaze to see Caitlin. Caitlin's wearing a blue dress to honor Frost, and she walks up to the podium. Liane softly smiles and hugs Caitlin. Caitlin softly smiles and hugs Liane back and whispers, "Your words were so thoughtful. Thank you." Liane nods and whispers, "Of course." Liane pulls away and walks over to sit next to Barry. Barry grabs a hold of Liane's hand and squeezes it. Caitlin walks up to the podium and says, "Most of you know that I did not want to be here today. Not at first. I was afraid that seeing her here would make her death seem more real. And I was scared. You see, Frost was always the fearless Snow sister. Like that time, she went swimming with sharks and picked a fight with a shark. Or when she was at Jitters for their slam poetry open mic night and just grabbed the mic and read a poem, she'd scribbled on a napkin five minutes before. See, Frost was always honest." Caitlin shakily says, "And the truth is... I thought if I saw my sister laying here... that I would have to say goodbye." Caitlin sniffles as she says, "But then... A friend of mine reminded me that... that's not true. That she lives on in all of us, not just in me. In her selflessness, her unique way of seeing the world, and her deep love for her family and friends. So, if we keep those parts of her alive in us, then she's not really gone, and I can't think of a better way to honor her memory." Caitlin walks up to Frost's open casket. Liane walks up beside Caitlin as does Barry and then Cecile, then Joe, Allegra, Chester, and Cisco. Later, Team Flash is at the West House. Everyone's looking at a curtain with a bleach stain on it. Joe says, "It normally works." Liane says, "Joe, what were you thinking?" Joe says, "Look, bleach takes out stains, and the curtains were dirty, so..." Cecile laughs, "I'm sorry, but no! No! This whole retirement thing, he's still real new at it." Joe says, "Look, this the cleanest spot in the whole house, and I would have done a whole lot more if Frost hadn't taken my cleaning supplies for her collages." Everyone laughs. Allegra says, "Oh yeah, I still don't know how she carried that stuff while ice-bridging across town." Chester says, "She didn't. People were finding sponges and yellow gloves for miles." Cisco chuckles and says, "Actually, I think Wild Dog uses one of Joe's mops as a bo staff." Joe says, "Really?" Everyone laughs. Caitlin smiles and says, "This feels good, remembering Frost like this. Your advice worked, Joe." Joe smiles at Caitlin and says, "That had more to do with you than with me." Liane smiles at Caitlin and says, "It was a beautiful eulogy." Barry softly smiles and says, "More than anything we did to honor Frost, you helped us heal today. Thanks for putting us back together." Caitlin says, "I didn't make it easy on you guys, so thanks for telling me what I needed to hear anyway." Liane nods with a smile and says, "Yeah." Then everyone's phones start buzzing. Allegra says, "That Blockbuster jerk's back." Joe says, "I'll have Kramer call CCPD." Chester says, "No way. This guy's ours. Plus, we all wanted a rematch, right?" Cecile says, "And this time, we're ready." Joe looks at Barry and says, "Barry?" Barry says, "Tell Kramer to warm a holding cell. Let's go get this guy." Barry speeds Liane, Allegra, Cecile, and Chester away.

Later, after the battle with Blockbuster, Liane's at CCC Media in her office reading Taylor's article about Blockbuster. Taylor says, "So, what do you think?" Liane sighs and says, "I think we just found tomorrow's front page." Taylor gasps, "Crushed it!" Liane smiles and Taylor says, "Uh, I mean, thank you. I will interface with publishing and get this out the door ASAP." Liane smiles and says, "It's okay. Own it. This is a great article. You should be proud. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have a ton of work to do. It's gonna be a late night." Taylor smiles and says, "Sure. By the way, it's really good to have you back from Coast City. CCC Media was not the same without you." Liane says, "You guys had Allegra. I hear she did great filling in." Taylor says, "From who?" Taylor laughs as Liane arches a brow. Taylor clears her throat and says, "I'm-I'm gonna leave now." As Taylor walks away, she pauses and looks back at Liane and says, "But hey, the Flash's takedown, I know he worked with Frost and Electra, but there have been reports of him working with other people, too, only no one knows who they are. Shouldn't we investigate them?" Liane says, "Hmm, um, I will think about it." Taylor nods and walks away. Liane's phone buzzes and she checks her phone and sees an SOS from Caitlin. Liane immediately leaves and heads out the door worried about Caitlin. Later, Liane's goes to Caitlin's apartment and finds Mark waiting outside also. Mark looks at Liane and says, "I'm guessing she sent an SOS to you, as well?" Liane says, "Yep." Caitlin walks around the corner and says, "Hey." Mark says, "Hey. You know, it's rude to keep your guests waiting. I've got a bar I'm supposed to be getting thrown out of right now." Caitlin says, "Sorry, I thought I had time for one more supply run before you two got here." Mark looks inside the bag that Caitlin's holding and he says, "Is that a genome sequencer?" Caitlin says, "Yes." Mark says, "Did you steal it?" Caitlin says, "I borrowed it." Mark smiles knowingly and says, "Whatever Caitlin. Game recognizes game." Liane says, "Caitlin, what's going on?" Caitlin says, "I need both of you guys help." Liane says, "With what?" Caitlin opens her apartment door and they walk into the dark room. Mark says, "Did you forget to pay your electricity bill?" Caitlin turns on the lights and the two see Caitlin's apartment turned into a lab. Mark says, "Whoa. Okay, that's not too creepy or anything. Caitlin, why do you need our help?" Caitlin holds up a vial of Frost's hair and says, "I'm gonna bring Frost back." Liane and Mark widen their eyes and Caitlin continues to say, "And you two are gonna help me." Liane smiles and says, "Well, you know I'm in." Caitlin smiles and says, "I knew you would." Then all of a sudden Liane feels her head throb and she grunts, grabbing it in pain. Caitlin worriedly says, "Liane, are you okay?" As Liane goes to say something, she disappears in front of them.