Episode 6 The Flash Fanfic

Chapter 1

"Who wants another pancake?" Barry asked the group that were gathered around in Astrid's kitchen for a Sunday morning breakfast. Astrid, Cisco, Caitlin and Ronnie all called out in unison, that they were still hungry.

Barry turned up the heat, cooked two more batches, served them up and set the table elegantly. He even gathered a fresh bouquet of flowers from the garden and placed it in a vase in the middle of the table. He did all this before the team could even blink.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your power, Barry?" Caitlin asked him, taking her seat in between Astrid and Ronnie at the table.

"The power is great and all..." Ronnie declared, "...but this house is astonishing. You have a room for just about everything... and that television in there for video games? I want your house, Astrid!"

Astrid smiled. But Cisco added in, "... That's what happens when your father is Robert Sutherland..." he paused for a moment, when he realized that the mention of Dr Sutherland was still a sensitive subject, even to himself. "...Truth is, I have been coming here since high school and this mansion still gets me excited. Astrid never liked inviting people here as a kid. It was like she was too embarrassed or something..."

"I wasn't embarrassed about my house, Cisco." Astrid chimed in as she took a bite of her beautifully cooked pancake, with whipped cream. "You knew my dad. He was like a father to you too. As much as I love him. It was embarrassing to have him as a dad at times. He was a famous scientist, and he was that awesome... sometimes I felt that people only wanted to know me because of him."

Cisco nodded, "I think you told me that once." He told her.
"I did and I still remember what you said," Astrid replied, she then continued, imitating his tone, "I love you Astrid, you're my best friend, how could you ever think that?" she laughed at her imitation of him.
"... And don't you forget it!" Cisco said smiling and pointing his fork at her.

Barry, Caitlin and Ronnie smiled at the two of them. Astrid and Cisco were clueless at their feelings for each other.

"Astrid," Barry broke the tension, "Oliver told me that he is coming to the STAR labs unveiling, tomorrow. Has he told you when he will be getting into town?"

"He sure did," Astrid replied. "He gets in tonight! But, changing the subject... Caitlin, you told me that you had big news to tell?"

Caitlin smiled and looked over at Ronnie, who smiled back. "Actually... Ronnie and I both have news. Before Ronnie went away to Smallville, we had plans to get married. Well... we have decided to continue on with those plans. We want to get married in a week."

Barry, Cisco and Astrid cheered.
"Why so soon, Caitlin?" Astrid asked, "You always told me that you had dreams of the perfect wedding. One week isn't a whole lot of time to plan..."

"I know, Astrid." Caitlin replied, beaming. "But it seems in our life something is bound to happen that will prevent us from being happy. So I really don't care about how we get married, just as long as we do."

Astrid lent over and gave her friend a hug, Barry gave Ronnie a high five and Cisco stood up to hug Caitlin from behind her chair. "Ronnie, are you ok?" Barry asked him.

They all looked over at Ronnie who at this point was looking very dizzy and collapsed out of his chair and on to the floor, unconscious.

"Ronnie?" Caitlin gasped as she checked over her fiancé to assess the damage. He was still breathing. "We need to call Dr Stein!" she cried out as she continued to fuss over him, "Barry, we need to get him to Dr Stein's team at..."

"I'm on it!" Barry interrupted, grabbing Ronnie and disappearing before their eyes.
Cisco, who had tried to call Martin Stein was still on the phone. "Ok, Mrs Stein! We will send someone right away!" he said and ended the call. "Call Barry. Dr Stein just collapsed too." He told Astrid.

An hour later, Martin's wife Clarissa, Caitlin, Cisco, Astrid and Barry were gathered on the 25th floor, at Sutherland Labs, in the employee lounge concerned with Ronnie and Martin's wellbeing.

"I want to go see him." Clarissa said. "We need to wait until they call us in." Caitlin told her.
She assisted the lady to sit down. Caitlin was also becoming anxious. Every time she felt anxious, sad or angry, her hands grew cold and everything she touched turned to ice.

Though it was as if this power was taking over her entire body, turning her into someone completely different. With an anger that consumed her.

Caitlin looked down at her hands. They were doing it now, so she rubbed her palms together and took a few deep breaths. It was enough to stop the ice from forming. She was still in control of herself, fortunately.

"Mrs Stein, Dr Snow. Martin and Ronnie are both awake for the moment. You can come see them now." One of the doctors from the team had entered the room to inform them of the news.

Barry, Astrid and Cisco waited in the waiting room. "Barry, so how are things with Eddie?" Cisco asked him.
"Things are going great. I introduced him to dad a week ago and the two of them got along fine." Barry replied.

"But how are things with the two of you... and Iris?" Cisco asked the probing question. Astrid studied Barry's face. She was wearing her bracelet so she couldn't read his mind, but she could only imagine how Barry was truly feeling.

"Eddie and Iris are great... Better than great... Eddie and I are great... Iris and I are great..." Barry told them.

"Barry... you just put one too many 'greats' in to that sentence..." Astrid told him, "...Clearly everything isn't great... You love Iris. More than love... you worship the ground that she walks on. You just found out that her boyfriend is your brother. You're allowed to hate that. You're allowed to be annoyed!"

Barry nodded, "Ok I am annoyed. But I want to be happy for her. She really loves him."
"Well... That's what makes you a great guy!" Cisco told him, "you will get the girl in the end. I can just see it."

"I hope Ronnie and Dr Stein are going to be ok." Astrid told her friends. Cisco put his arm around her shoulders supportively, just in time for Caitlin to reenter the room.

"You guys..." Caitlin spoke, her voice stammered a little. Astrid jumped up and hugged her friend. After the news Caitlin had just heard, she wasn't sure how she would be able to deal. She put her weight on to Astrid and wiped away a few tears.

"Caitlin. Is everything ok?" Barry asked her.
Caitlin finally found the courage to stand on her own two feet again and told her friends, "Because of the whole Firestorm thing. Ronnie and Dr Martin..." she couldn't find the right words.

"Caitlin, come sit down." Cisco told her, assisting her to the chairs.
Caitlin took a deep breath as her friends comforted her. Astrid sat beside Caitlin and waited for her friend to speak.

"You guys..." Caitlin began again, "Ronnie and Martin are dying."