Ch - 25 Determination?

Caitlin, who was reclining against Swayam's chest, didn't hear what Harrison Wells said, so Swayam whispered, "Dr. Wells said that, we should go down to the accelerator ring."

Caitlin whispered back in a sad tone, "I don't want to go down there."

Seeing Caitlin's distress, Swayam looked at Harrison Wells and said, "Dr. Wells, I don't think Caitlin's presence will be required there. I was thinking that Caitlin and I could go with Barry to help identify the poison gas."

Barry immediately understood what Swayam was trying to do. Seeing that Caitlin uncomfortable with going down to the accelerator ring, he decided to support Swayam's suggestion. "Yes, Dr. Wells. I could use their help with the poison gas."

Swayam had an appreciative look on his face when Barry extended his hand to help Caitlin.

Harrison Wells, understanding what Swayam and Barry were doing, allowed Caitlin to go with them.

After Harrison Wells agreed, Swayam said, "Let's go, Cait." He gently but firmly grabbed her hand, and they walked out of S.T.A.R. Labs.

After leaving the S.T.A.R. Labs, they followed Barry and arrived at the C.C.P.D. "Welcome to the C.C.P.D."

Caitlin, still somewhat lost and sad, remained quiet. But Swayam, who was holding her hand the whole way to reassure her, knew that her mood had improved drastically. He hoped that if he and Barry continued their conversation,it would completely lift her spirits. So they continued talking while walking.

"So, is this where you work?" Swayam asked, looking around while still holding Caitlin's hand.

"Mm-hm." Barry hummed in response.

"Cool." Swayam said, still looking around.

As they were exploring, a cop was escorting a captured criminal who was handcuffed behind his back. The criminal said some nasty things to the cop, "I'm gonna rip out your heart and eat it for lunch."

Caitlin, whose mood had somewhat improved, tensed up after hearing the criminal's threat. She squeezed Swayam's hand tightly. For a normal person, her squeeze would have been painful, but it didn't hurt Swayam. Feeling her tension, Swayam whispered soothingly in her ear, "Don't worry, I'm here."

Knowing she wasn't alone and that Swayam was with her, Caitlin's tense body relaxed.

While Swayam was calming Caitlin, Joe's female colleague approached Barry. Handing him a paper, she said, "Lab rats, I need prints off this gun, pronto."

Detective Singh, Joe and Barry's boss, also approached, asked about a report, "Allen! Where the hell is the fiber analysis on the Orloff case?"

"Upstairs.It's all finished. I can just run up and bring it down." Barry replied quickly, knowing Detective Singh disliked delays. After saying that, he started running towards his lab at a normal human pace.

Detective Singh, aware that Barry might delay his work if not pressured, started walking towards Barry's lab on the third floor. He questioned the others who came with Barry, "So, who are you both?"

Caitlin and Swayam, first looked at each other, then Caitlin spoke, "I'm Dr. Caitlin Snow, Barry's personal physician." Pointing to Swayam, she continued, "And he is Swayam, my boyfriend and assistant."

After the introductions, they remained quiet until they reached Barry's lab, which was a mess. Barry stood in the center of the room with some papers in his hands, which he handed to Detective Singh. "The fiber analysis of the Orloff case. Like you asked for, Sir."

Swayam and Caitlin immediately knew Barry had used his superspeed to find the papers, given the state of the lab.

Detective Singh, taking the papers, looked around the place and said, "Clean up your lab. It's a mess." After saying that, he left.

After he left, they got busy processing tissue samples from the victims of the poisonous gas. While the computer was slowly processing samples, Barry, bored of waiting, looked at Caitlin and asked, "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Swayam knew what Barry was about to ask but didn't stop him, believing there was a good chance Caitlin would open up.

Caitlin, understanding that Swayam wanted her to confront her past and move forward, reluctantly agreed. "It's my least favorite kind of question, but shoot."

"Why did you have that complicated look on your face when Dr. Wells wanted everyone to go down to the accelerator ring? Is it because of Ronnie?"

Caitlin took her time before speaking. "Yes, it's because of Ronnie." She looked at Swayam and continued, "I met Ronnie when we were working on the particle accelerator. He was the structural engineer. He was a funny guy and liked to joke that he was basically a very high-priced plumber. We were very different, like Ice and Fire, but he knew how to make me laugh, which made me attracted to him. We got engaged on the day of the particle accelerator's launch, but that night, when we launched it, there was an anomaly in the accelerator chamber that required a manual shutdown, making him sacrifice his life for us. Although it may seem heartless, I have come to terms with his death and moved on. I might seem cheap for falling in love with you after Ronnie, but I don't care about anyone else's opinion. what I care about is that you, Sam, love me, and I love you. Nothing else matters."

Swayam, hearing Caitlin's heartfelt confession, couldn't deny his love for her. However, being somewhat aware of the upcoming plot, knew that Caitlin's fiancé, Ronnie, was alive and would return. This made him uncertain about Caitlin's love. Swayam was a possesive person; if he liked something, he would go to any lengths to get it. But he also understood that love couldn't be forced. Although he had feelings for Caitlin and knew she loved him, he wasn't sure what would happen when Ronnie returned. Would Caitlin still love him as she did now, or would her love be divided? He wasn't the type to share his partner. And what if her love for Ronnie overshadowed her love for him? Could he live with that?

After contemplating, Swayam looked Caitlin in the eyes and asked, "Caitlin." She knew that whatever he was about to say or ask would be pivotal. After gulping, she also looked him in the eyes, determined.

Seeing her seriousness, Swayam asked, "Caitlin, what if Ronnie returns one day? Will your love for me remain the same?"

Caitlin, at first confused, saw that her silence was making Swayam sad. Without thinking about anything or anyone else, she looked him in the eyes with even more determination and said, "Even if Ronnie miraculously returns, I won't have the same feelings I once had. In my heart, you're the only one for me, and my feelings for you won't change."

Hearing Caitlin's honest reply, a smile formed on Swayam's face.