Y/N, Cisco, and Joe all sat in the lab. Caitlin had turned into Killer Frost and now Wells had been kidnapped, taken by Grodd. Y/N took deep breaths, trying to remain calm. Cisco was not so well kept. He stood up and kicked a cart in anger. The distressed man then walked away to one of the training rooms they had set up. 

Y/N watched his friend leave. He looked at Joe before standing up himself. He followed his friend down the hall into the training room. However, he stopped and stood in the hall by himself for a few minutes, letting his friend let off some steam.

When Y/N did eventually walk into the training room, he found Cisco trying to hit several targets and mannequins with his sonic blasts. Sometimes they worked, other times not. His emotions were all over the place. 

One particularly powerful blast knocked a mannequin to the other side of the room, leaving an imprint on its chest. Cisco shouted while hitting it before settling down. Y/N leaned against the doorframe, looking at his friend.

Y/N: I'm sure I already know the answer, but are you alright?

Cisco: Just testing my limits. Trying to see what all I can do. Next time, I'm not holding back.

Y/N: I'd advise caution with that. It can take a lot out of you.

Cisco panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. Y/N bit his lip before speaking again.

Y/N: Listen, what I said earlier, I'm sorry. I don't blame you for not telling me about Cait. It was her decision.

Cisco: That's alright. I just tried to be a bit more like you. Turns out, I just suck at being me.

Y/N looked at him in confusion. Cisco walked over to a platform and sat down on it.

Cisco: I tried to help her, to provide the comfort and reassurance that you always provide for us. You always know what to say. I just... I'm not like you.

Y/N walked over to him. He sat down next to Ramon.

Cisco: I built the cold gun. I didn't check to see where it got off to. That man's death is my fault. I promised Caitlin I'd protect her, not let her become that freak out there. I broke my promise. 

Y/N exhaled deeply, staring off into space. He then turned to his friend and spoke.

Y/N: You're right. You're not me. You're Cisco Ramon, the tech genius who makes things I only ever thought possible in a sci-fi movie. The guy who can calculate math faster than a guy who has literal super speed. The guy who knows how to take down every meta-human we've come across.

Cisco looked over at him.

Y/N: You are not me, and that's okay. That's a good thing. I'm the guy who has no social life outside of being the Flash. I'm the guy who is so focused on saving others that I neglect myself and those closest to me. But the best thing for both of us to do is to step back, and take each day as it is. We can't save everyone. We're bound to make mistakes along the way. But in all honesty, I'm glad that I have you guys along for the ride. The Flash would not be the Flash without Cisco Ramon.

Cisco continued looking at him, a smile creeping onto his face. He exhaled, grinning a bit.

Cisco: I guess we're both screw ups in our own way.

Y/N: Oh, definitely. No doubt about that.

They chuckled together at their agreement. After a bit, Y/N then stood up. He offered his hand out to his friend.

Y/N: What do you say, Vibe? Partners?

Cisco looked at his hand, shaking his head. He stood up and accepted the offer.

Cisco: No. Not partners, friends.

Y/N: Best friends. 

The two best friends grinned at each other, ready to take on what was ahead.

Cisco: What's our play, Flash?

Y/N: First, we get our bio-engineer back.

Cisco: Alright, how do we do that? In case you haven't noticed, she's been transformed into the killer queen of Christmas. 

Y/N: She's still Caitlin underneath. We just have to get through to her.

Cisco: How? I'm up for ideas, I just need a plan. We could put bio-dampeners on her, but I'm not sure how long those would last. It may just maker Killer Frost angrier.

Y/N thought for a moment. He got an idea. It was a stupid idea, but he had to take a chance.

Y/N: Get me close to her.

Cisco: What?

Y/N: If I can get close to her, I may be able to talk her out of it. No super speed, no punches, no technological weapon. Just the two of us talking.

Cisco thought for a moment before replying.

Cisco: Okay. I trust you.

Y/N: Let's go get our friend back.

Harrison was thrown against a set of barrels and oil drums. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he stumbled as he fell. Landing on his back, he squirmed as he tried to pick himself up. Grodd stared at him in deep concentration and anger.

Grodd: Father's fault. Father hurt Grodd. Father must suffer same way Grodd suffered.

Wells: Grodd, please, don't do this. This isn't you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, you understand?

Killer Frost strolled over, swaying her hips as she approached him.

Frost: Go easy on the poor man, Grodd. After all, he only just learned to walk. 

She cackled at her own joke. Wells looked at her with pity.

Wells: Caitlin, Killer Frost, or whoever it is you are, this needs to stop. I can fix you. I can make you Dr. Caitlin Snow once more.

Frost stopped cackling and sneered at him.

Frost: This is who I am, honey. This is who Caitlin was too weak to become. Look at me now, free and loving it.

Wells: I can fix this.

Frost: Oh, poor old man only wants to fix his mistakes after he's seen how much they hurt him. 

Grodd: Father is the mistake. Father hurt Grodd and hold back nice lady. Father must pay.

Wells: Grodd, I didn't-

Eiling: Enough.

The former general walked over to the three of them. He held a clipboard and checked off several lists.

Eiling: They'll be here any minute now, looking for him.

Frost: Most of your trinkets and toys have already been moved to the safe location.

Eiling: Well, I'd like to get everything moved before they show up. Not just "most" things.

Wells looked at Eiling. He gritted his teeth in anger.

Wells: Wade, you treasonous bastard. These meta-humans are your fault, not mine! You were the one who sabotaged the accelerator, remember?!

Eiling looked at him. He smirked and looked over at his gorilla compatriot.

Eiling: Grodd, show him a preview of the pain he can expect.

Grodd glared at Wells, focusing. Harrison began to sweat, looking back at the ape. He suddenly shrieked and fell back as flashes of painful memories swept through his head. He saw Grodd's own memories as doctors and surgeons cut into him. Needles pricked his brain. Wells then saw some of his own memories. The diagnosis. The treatments. His wife's death.

As Wells continued to writhe in pain, Frost watched with a sneer on her lips. However, her sneer momentarily fell as something fought back against it. Before she could focus on it, the alarms began to blare throughout the facility. Someone had tripped the proximity alert.

Eiling rushed over to one of the monitors. He saw the man in red and the genius in goggles walk through a breach outside the facility. 

Eiling: Damnit! They're early. We need time to move the rest.

Frost: I'll handle those two bozos. You just pack away your valuables.

Frost turned and walked out of the facility. Outside, Flash and Vibe walked towards the large warehouse. The rising sun shined brilliantly overhead, adding a delicate heat to the December morning.

Killer Frost walked out to meet them. The three stared each other down. Frost had a slight smirk while the two men looked at her with stoic faces.

Y/N: Caitlin, we're here to rescue you.

Frost: Caitlin's dead. I told you that. Your fight is pointless.

Cisco: Zip it, Elsa. We're talking to our friend, not you.

Frost's sneer fell as she looked at the two of them with a frown.

Y/N: Caitlin, I know what you're feeling right now, and I'm sorry. But we can help you. We are your friends. Please, just come back to us.

Frost continued to frown at them. However, she felt something trying to push through her mind. For a moment, her eyes stopped glowing before flickering back on like a faulty light. She brought down her hands, firing a stream of cold ice at the two heroes.

Y/N grabbed Cisco and hurried to find cover behind a wooden crate. The two crouched down, avoiding the blast of cold air.

Cisco: Well, that went about as well as expected.

Y/N: I actually expected much worse, if I'm being honest.

Cisco: Plan B, then?

Y/N: Yeah. Let's do this. 

The two waited for Frost to stop firing. Y/N then got up and ran across the side of the lot. Killer Frost watched him go and tried to fire another blast at him. Cisco quickly stood up and fired a set of sonic blasts her way.

Frost dodges the first blast, but was swept off her feet by the second. She flipped in the air and fell flat on her chest. Flash then came running around the other way. He tried to approach Frost, but she quickly brought her hand up, firing a beam of ice at him.

Y/N was able to avoid most of the beam, but was hit enough that it slowed him down. Frost stood up and generated an icicle. She swung it at him.

Moving at fast speeds, Y/N ducked under the ice shard. He noticed something in the way Frost moved. It was like she was fighting with herself.

Y/N ran to the side. Frost tried to throw the icicle at him. Cisco opened a breach, allowing Y/N to run through to safety before the ice could hit him.

Another breach opened behind Frost. Vibe leaped out of it, kicking her in the back. Frost turned around and engaged Cisco in a series of punches. The two traded blows for a bit. Cisco tried to hit her with a sonic blast, but she grabbed his wrist and redirected his hand.

She went in to throw another punch at Vibe. The Flash ran in and grabbed her hand before she could hit his friend. Frost jumped up and spun around his back. She then pushed him down, pinning Y/N to the ground. 

Cisco hit her side with another punch, knocking her off of Y/N. He opened a breach behind her to knock her into it. As he went for another punch, Frost grabbed his arm and spun him around. She threw him through the breach which closed behind him. 

Y/N got up and tried to run towards her. Frost brought up her hand and hit him with a strong, cold blast. Y/N was flung through the air and fell back some distance away from her. Behind him, another breach opened and Vibe fell out of it, landing on his side.

Y/N watched Cisco take off his goggles, running his hand along his temples. His strength was drained after opening so many breaches in such a short amount of time.

Frost glared at the two men who had tried to stop her. Her eyes glowed a brilliant white as she was filled with anger and irritation.

Frost: I've just about had enough of you boys. I guess I'll have to finish you personally.

Bringing up her hands, Killer Frost began to generate a whirlwind of ice and snow around her. White clouds of cold air began to spin around her, blowing frost and snowflakes onto anything close by. Y/N and Cisco looked on, Cisco's black hair blowing in the breeze.

Y/N looked on at the storm Frost was generating. It was thick and hard to see through. After a bit of searching, he thought he found his opening.

Y/N tried to stand up. The strong winds began to push against him. Cisco remained on the ground, shielding his head from the raging winds. Y/N pushed through, orange sparks of lightning spitting out behind him with each step.

A particularly strong gust of wind blew his metal cap right off his head. The helmet went flying and clanged on the ground. Y/N continued to push through the blizzard. His goggles began to freeze over, forcing him to take them off and discard them.

With each step, Y/N got closer and closer to Frost in the eye of the storm. The world around him seemed to disappear, the blue and white clouds blocking his vision. The only thing he could clearly see was his friend.

Y/N: Caitlin, please! This isn't you!

Frost: I told you, Caitlin is gone. I am Killer Frost.

Y/N looked at her, breathing heavily. He then straightened his jaw and stared directly at her.

Y/N: Fine, then, Killer Frost, kill me!

Frost looked at him, almost with surprise. Y/N made his way to her, standing directly in front of the girl in white.

Y/N: You heard me. Kill me. Live up to your name.

Frost: Don't think I won't. 

Y/N: Then just do it.

Frost looked directly at him. She generated a large, sharp icicle in her hand. She held it directly over his heart, waiting to push it through.

Y/N: What are you waiting for? Do it.

She looked down at the icicle. Part of her was fighting back. Y/N grabbed her wrist, keeping it steady, ready to stab him.

Y/N: This is what you wanted, right?

Frost had a questioning look on her face. Y/N looked at her, knowing he was getting through.

Y/N: Do it!

Frost hesitated. She tried to move her hand, but couldn't. Y/N let go of her, grinning himself.

Y/N: You see that? That little thing holding you back? That's Caitlin. That's the sweet, loveable, kind Caitlin that I know.

Frost looked at him, not knowing what to do. Y/N could see her inner turmoil. He decided to speak to Caitlin directly.

Y/N: Caitlin, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. I should have known something was wrong.

He swallowed before continuing.

Y/N: I know I said that I don't have a life outside of being the Flash, but that just isn't true. The reason I come into work everyday and run in the lab, is so I can see you. So I can be with you.

The woman in front of him swallowed, her eyes showing the conflict going on inside her.

Y/N: Every day I look forward to your brilliant mind, the sound of your voice, the look of your phenomenal smile, and the choir of your fantastic laugh. For months, I've been trying to figure out why. Why I feel so free being around you. But the other night, when we went out to the bar, I realized what it was. You are my lightning rod, the one thing that directs every decision in my life. The reason I run to protect others.

A tear rolled down the girl's face. Y/N looked at her, taking a deep breath.

Y/N: Caitlin, I love you. And I'll prove it to you.

Before she could event react, Y/N cupped his hands around the woman's head and closed the gap between them. Their lips met in a soft embrace. Y/N felt his lips become very cold for a moment before gently warming up.

Caitlin's face began to lighten up, her lips and skin returning to their natural color. Her white hair slowly turned brown as she held on to Y/N, his warm hands feeling soft against her warming cheeks. The icicle dropped from her hand, shattering on the ground.

The two separated for barely a moment. Caitlin then grabbed him by the collar and pulled Y/N into another sweet kiss of passion. The two of them stood there, deep in each other's warmth and love. The storm around them began to die down and disappear.

From far away, Grodd could sense his partner's change. He tried to dig into her mind, to bring to light bad memories. It didn't work. Caitlin was with Y/N, and she had no bad memories of him. In fact, she was making her new favorite one now. 

Grodd let out a cry of rage at her betrayal. Caitlin continued to hold onto Y/N before separating. The two gently opened their eyes and looked at one another. Y/N showed a brilliant smile, seeing he finally got the love of his life back. Caitlin gave a weak smile, her eyes returning to their natural brown color. She then broke down into tears.

Caitlin: Oh, Y/N.

She collapsed into his arms. Y/N held onto her, rubbing his hand along her back and holding her tight, letting her know she was safe. She buried her head into the crook of his neck and cried.

Y/N: It's okay. You're alright.

Cisco stood up, looking over at his friends. It had been difficult to make out what was happening in the storm, but he saw all he needed to see. He smiled widely over at them, happy for his friends and thrilled to see Caitlin back..

Cisco then looked towards the old warehouse behind them. He moved over to the door and rolled it open. It was empty. They were gone.