quiver - barry allen

21.

Charlotte didn't finish her sentence. She didn't know how to finish. She started crying too hard and wasn't able to get any words out.

Quiver

Chapter 21; Not-So-Merry Christmas

Charlotte walked down to the pipeline area where she saw Caitlin sitting down. It wasn't until the blonde reached her friend before she realized that Caitlin had something in her hand. Her wedding ring. Charlotte sat down and Caitlin started crying. Charlotte reached over and hugged the brunette to provide some comfort.

Charlotte looked up when she heard footsteps and saw Cisco walking towards the two of them. Charlotte let go of Caitlin as Cisco sat down next to her.

"Caitlin... don't worry." When she didn't look up, Cisco tried again. "Hey. Now that we know he's out there, we will find Ronnie again."

"Why? So we can throw him in there with all the other meta-human psychos? I used to play this game in my head. What would I give up for just one more minute with him? My house, my career... the rest of my life?" Charlotte looked down at her feet, knowing the feeling of losing someone that she loved. Or in Charlotte's case, several people.

"Today I finally got that minute. Then I wish I hadn't. Seeing him like that, what he's become... Dear God, I wish he had just died that day." Caitlin broke down again, and both Cisco and Charlotte hugged her. It was awkward but it comforted Caitlin - knowing that these two will always be there for her. They had stayed like that for a while, and none of them wanted to move.

Caitlin stayed with Charlotte for just a little bit longer after Cisco left. She couldn't get the thought of her fiance as a meta-human, struggling in the dark with no memories, and it made her feel so many different emotions.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

" I was... I was just wondering if we could talk to get my mind off of Ronnie?" Caitlin sounded so broken and it pained Charlotte to hear her friend in her current state. Caitlin looked down at her hands before looking up at her friend. "Can you tell me about Tommy?"

Charlotte looked at the brunette with wide eyes. She had spoken about him a few times, but when she thought about it, Charlotte never brought him up. "What do you want to know?"

Caitlin thought for a few seconds before her brown eyes locked on Charlotte's blue ones. "Everything."

Charlotte smiled a little before taking a deep breath. "Tommy was an amazing person, once you got passed his billionaire, playboy facade he liked to put on. He was sweet and caring, and the perfect boyfriend. Him and Oliver were best friends when they were younger, and I guess it was the inevitable cliche that made it so that I fell in love with my brother's best friend.

"After Oliver died, Tommy was the only person that was there for me. Laurel was pissed at the entire Queen family for Oliver having an affair with her sister, and Thea was crying herself to sleep every night and when she got a little older, she started to go out and drink at bars. My mom took over Queen Consolidated and was too busy with work to take care of her children.

"He used to take me to parks and play stupid things like frisbee, or play tag - whatever to get my mind off of Oliver and my dad's death. That was, of course, after I grieved for months. He was so patient with me, and..." Charlotte paused for a second, trying not to let tears fall. "And it was my fault that he died."

"I'm sure that can't be true," Caitlin said, grabbing onto Charlotte's hands.

"It was though. I was dressed as Quiver and I went to go save Laurel from CNRI. He came in after me and pushed Laurel and I out. The building collapsed on him, and I..." Charlotte didn't finish her sentence. She didn't know how to finish. She started crying too hard and wasn't able to get any words out.