CHAPTER TWELVE : I KNOW THE END

STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA

"YOU GONNA TELL ME WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED OUT THERE?" Willow demands as they settle into the new motel, Channel 9 reporting in the background on the destruction she had been helping with just hours ago. Kate wastes no time, immediately plopping down and typing away on her laptop.

Willow raises an eyebrow, watching her friend with a knowing smirk. "Kate, you're doing that thing."

"What thing?" Kate asks, only half listening as she zeroes in on her screen.

"The little furrowed brow thing," Willow points out, poking between Kate's eyebrows. "You do it whenever you're in tornado-detective mode." She sighs, sinking onto the bed beside her. "What happened? Do I need to, like, dump him? We're not really together, but after the Luke fiasco, we swore we'd stick to chicks before dicks—"

(The Luke fiasco takes place the first year of their MS program when Willow falls for a rodeo cowboy in the agriculture program at Muskogee. He became her longest-running relationship with anyone she'd ever scouted at a competition—and easily the most destructive.

By the time they hit the six-month mark, Luke's trying to convince her to quit chasing altogether, painting pictures of a cozy life where she'd stay home while he worked the land. Kate knows she has to intervene before love-struck Willow goes down a path that, deep down, she knew she'd never be happy on.

Luke and Kate battle it out, nearly drawing Jeb into the showdown for a more physical round, until Willow hears the word 'bitch' fly out of his mouth and she handles it herself.

Chicks before dicks, they decide that night as Willow is holding a pack of peas to her bruised hand, all while picking out the next tornado to chase.)

"You don't have to dump him," Kate replies dryly, rolling her eyes. "He just said something about StormPAR, about how they're not trying to make a difference, and..."

"He called them vultures to me," Willow says, dropping her chin on to Kate's shoulder. With her head close enough to bump Kate's, she watches as her friend's typing goes on. She can practically feel Kate's mind whirring beside her as she types 'Marshall Riggs' into Google and clicks the first result.

His website is underwhelming, no hidden reveal of evil doings or secret good-Samaritian servitude—just big "WE BUY LAND" banners lighting up the screen, clearly advertising his work as a land developer.

Willow wrinkles her nose and frowns. Sure, buying land is in his job description, but to be there after each storm, leaving business cards in the wreckage? It seems almost...

"Is he...?" Kate trails off, trying to piece it together, and Willow hopes her suspicions don't match Javi's reality.

Willow lets out a heavy sigh, flopping dramatically back onto the bed with her arm over her eyes. "You should never trust the guys with money in storm chasing. They're always the sellouts."

"Javi wouldn't be a sellout," Kate says, frowning, though she doesn't seem entirely convinced. "Right?"

Javi's always been the wild card, the one who'd rather party all night than sell out to corporate America. But maybe, just maybe, their Javi has changed more than they thought he had.

"I don't know," Willow mutters, pressing the heels of hands over her eyes in frustration.

Kate glances over, reaching to tug Willow's hands away from her face. "Then we're going to have to ask him. Straight up." Her tone seems more confident than she actually is. "And we'll have to be firm, or he'll just spin us around in circles and dodge the real answer."

Willow lowers her hands, giving her friend a skeptical look. "You could tell him you won't chase with StormPAR until we know the truth." She waves her hands dramatically in the air, a hint of playfulness easing the tension. "That'll hit him hard. He'll have to tell you."

Kate snorts, rolling her eyes. "Why would that hit him hard? You've always been his best friend—"

A knock sounds at their door, startling the both of them.

"Shit," Willow sits up straight, eyes darting toward the door as a shadow appears through the thin curtain. "What if that's him?"

Kate's eyes go wide, mirroring Willow's. "You answer it."

"Nope," Willow whispers, frantically shaking her head, as if Javi could somehow hear her refusal through the walls. "I'm not ready. He'll give me that look, you know? The puppy-dog one. And I'll fold, Kate. You know I will."

Kate sighs, rising to her feet with exaggerated resignation. "Fine. But you owe me."

She heads towards the door, taking in a deep breath before she schools her face. She gives Willow one last look before swinging the door open, resting on hand on her hip and giving the most striking stare of her life.

But it's not Javi. It's Tyler, leaning against the frame with a pizza in hand, his easygoing demeanor faltering for just a split second under Kate's stare. He hadn't expected her to be the one answering the door, and his casual confidence falters as he stands face-to-face with the woman he'd sparred with in the middle of a wrecked town earlier that day.

"I got the room number from one of Javi's crew," he tells her, giving her an awkward smile.  "Thought ya'll might be hungry."

Kate doesn't say a word. She gives him a half-smile, takes the pizza from his hands, and starts pushing at the door.

"Kate, don't—" Willow doesn't stop her in time from slamming the door shut in his face. She huffs at Kate, standing from her own bed as she returns to hers, pizza in hand.

"What?" Kate shrugs. "It wasn't Javi. I think you can handle that one."

Willow sighs and pushes herself up, heading over to the door. As soon as she opens it, Tyler's expression relaxes, shifting back to his usual casual self when he sees her instead of Kate.

"Hey, baby."

"Hey," she greets him, leaning against the door. "Did you find Sampson?"

"Of course I found Sampson," he says with a grin. "He was real disappointed to miss you—you're famous around here, you know." There's a beat before he asks, "How you holding up?"

"I'm okay," she nods.

He then calls over her shoulder, "How about you, Kate?"

Kate sighs from inside the room. She stands up herself, heading over to the door to answer him. "I mean, it doesn't matter," she answers.  "It's those people that..."

Tyler's face softens. "Yeah, well, you've seen the worst of this place." He glances between the two of them. "I thought maybe you should see something good, too. How about I take you both somewhere? Think it might help."

"I'm not third-wheeling your date," Kate deadpans.

"It ain't a date," Tyler insists, shaking his head. "It's all of us getting along at the rodeo for our girl."

From the moment Willow hears where he wants to take them, a thrill buzzes through her. Tyler has no idea how much time she's spent at rodeos—or how much of a soft spot she has for cowboys. It wasn't just about the guys, though; she loved the energy of the competitions, the thrill of watching riders wrangle heifers and tackle bulls, cheering and hanging on the edge of her seat. Of course, it only got more fun when she could take one of them out to the bar afterward, steal his hat, and maybe let him take her home later.

As the three of them settle into the stands, Willow is fully in her element, eyes wide and excited. She's on her feet, cheering when a pair of riders score a plus-five. Kate shakes her head, a smile tugging at her lips, amused at Willow's typical rodeo antics.

"You ever see anything like this, city girl?" Tyler teases, nodding toward the rodeo.

"You keep calling me that," Kate says.  "You know I grew up on a farm?" Tyler should know that, but it's clear he doesn't remember with the way his eyebrows raise. "Yeah. Sapulpa. Couple hours from here. This ain't my first rodeo—not with how much Willow drags me to these things."

He glances over at Willow, who's too engrossed in the action to even notice them. She lets out a cheer as the next competitor takes on the bull, holding on like it ain't nobody's business. "Huh, really? Could've fooled me."

"Just don't let her get too close to the stalls," Kate jokes. "She might just find herself another cowboy."

"Oh, is that right?" Tyler says with a smirk, eyeing Willow. "Guess I'll have to keep an eye on you, won't I, weather girl?"

Willow turns back to him, grinning as she claps along with the crowd. "Don't you worry, cowboy. I'm not going anywhere."

Tyler's gaze fixes on her, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. For a second, she wonders if he might just kiss her right there, but then his eyes flicker toward Kate, like he's suddenly remembered she's still with them. "So, y'all been chasin' together as long as you've known each other?"

Kate hesitates, glancing between him and Willow. "Um, kind of."

"This ain't our first season together," Willow chimes in, deciding to share a little.

Kate nods, smirking. "It is our first doin' it the Javi way with all his fancy gadgets, though. We're more used to Willow's heap of junk—"

"Mine?!" Willow exclaims in mock outrage. "We built that together—!"

"Wait, wait," Tyler interrupts, raising his hand in disbelief. "You were so deep into this that you actually built equipment yourself? You said it was just an undergrad thing!"

"I kind of..." She hesitates, a guilty, awkward smile crossing her face. "Lied?"

Tyler's eyes widen. "How many storm seasons have you been through, weather girl?"

She glances at Kate, counting. "I think I'm on season eleven?"

"Eleven years?" Tyler repeats, clearly impressed. "You've been chasing that long?" It could have been sixteen if she hadn't taken those five years off, but she isn't sure she's ready for him to know that yet.

"Willow actually got me and Javi into it," Kate adds for her, "Everything we know about chasing comes from her."

Tyler's gaze softens, a hint of hesitation flickering across his face. "Then where did you learn to chase?" he asks Willow, like he's carefully testing a door he's unsure she'll let him open.

Willow sighs, looking down at her hands, suddenly feeling shy. "I grew up around chasers," she explains, fiddling with her thumbs. "My after-school activities were helping out in the labs. Then, when I got old enough, they started taking me along."

Kate grins and nudges her. "It's in her blood."

Willow shakes her head, nudging back. "It's in yours too. You're a natural." She meets Tyler's gaze with a smile. "She's got this instinct I've never seen in anyone else. There's no way she wouldn't have ended up chasing. I'm just lucky I got her first." She reaches over to squeeze Kate's hand.

Kate laughs softly, squeezing back. "You meet a girl in physics class and she says she 'knows a spot'? Don't trust her—it's a tornado."

Tyler lets out a laugh in disbelief. For a moment, she thinks he might be upset, to not have known sooner, maybe not able to understand why she wouldn't chase with him if this is her history, but he just shakes his head with a smile. "I don't know how you keep surprisin' me, but you do."

Willow grins back, her smile bright and unguarded. "Guess you're just gonna have to learn how to keep up."

He laughs, nudging her with his shoulder. "I'll take an eight-week course on it—make sure I'm primed and ready for you," he flirts, earning a dramatic eye roll from Kate. Then he glances back at Willow, more serious. "What was your first tornado?"

"You first," she challenges.

He leans back, thinking. "I was eight," he starts. "Driving with my aunt. Sirens are going. All of a sudden, this vortex just lowers right down in the center of the road. I was just mesmerized. Then I looked at my aunt, and she's got this look on her face, and..." He trails off, glancing towards Willow, who listens with as much intent as every story she's heard from him. "I realized in that moment I was supposed to be scared.

"Were you scared?" she asks softly.

"Yeah," he nods. "Yeah, I was."

Kate snorts. "Oh, the Tornado Wrangler is scared of tornadoes."

Tyler scoffs, smirking. "Okay, Sapulpa."

There's a comfortable pause as they watch the rodeo unfold, Willow absolutely thrilled to be here with both Kate and Tyler by her side. A cowboy rounding the arena spots Tyler, points straight at him, and twirls his finger in a familiar gesture. Tyler returns the signal with a subtle nod and wave, leaving Kate glancing between him and Willow, eyebrows raised.

"Do you know him?" Kate asks, intrigued.

Tyler chuckles. "I used to compete," he admits, and Kate gives Willow a look of disbelief, not sure if she manifested this guy for herself or not. Willow just shrugs with a sheepish grin.  "Got my head stomped on by one too many bulls. Thought college might be better for my brain."

"You're scared of tornadoes, but not of riding bulls?" Kate teases.

"Well," Tyler shrugs, eyes back on the arena just as another rider is flung off, "tornadoes, bulls, same thing. Fear's the reason you do it," he says with a grin. "You don't face your fears, you ride 'em."

(Good thing she's terrified of Tyler.)

The rodeo presses on, and barrel racing is up next—Willow's favorite part. Tyler's fully embraced it by now, matching her enthusiasm, cheering just as loudly, and grinning every time she jumps out of her seat to shout for whoever's in the arena.

(He makes sure to leave his mark, too, subtly making it known to every cowboy who dares glance her way that she's already got one saddled up, ready to ride home. He tucks hair behind her ear, hugs her tight when a particularly exciting win shakes the entire crowd, squeezing her with a grin that establishes his territory.

The ones that still leer? They get the hint quickly, thanks to Kate, who offers nothing more than a cold, cutting glare—enough to send even the boldest into retreat.

Kate already endorsed this storm-chasing cowboy, even if he doesn't know it. No others need not apply.)

There's a moment when the world goes eerily silent, the air heavy with a strange tension. Willow feels it first, as a gust of wind stirs a swirl of leaves and debris into the arena. She jumps, her brows furrowing as she stands straighter, scanning the sky. The storm clouds are hard to distinguish in the darkness of the night, but she can sense something powerful brewing in those dark skies.

"Were you tracking cells out this way?" she asks Tyler and Kate, trying to recall if there was anything on the radar that pointed in this direction. Kate shakes her head, pulling a leaf from the stands. It's turned inside out, the veiny side facing up to the world.

"Air feels heavy," Kate confirms, her voice tight. "This isn't good."

The sirens cut through the air, followed by the sudden buzz of their phones, all warning them of a tornado. The announcer's voice blares over the loudspeakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I just received word a tornado has touched down near the area! We need to evacuate this arena right now! Once again, ladies and gentlemen, evacuate the arena immediately!"

Panic erupts around them, the crowd surging in all directions, shoving to get to safety. Willow freezes at the first strike of lightning, and when she looks up, she sees it. The monster in the sky. The sight rattles her, sending a chill down her spine.

"Kate," her voice shakes, fear rising in her chest, terrified of being caught unprepared again. "Kate, we gotta go."

"You're alright, Willow," Tyler's voice comes from behind her, calm but firm. He grabs her hand, looking toward Kate at the same time. "Stick together and keep moving," he says, his voice an order. Kate, her eyes wide with her own fear, nods quickly.

They push through the panic, fighting against the crowd as everyone scrambles toward shelter, some rushing to their cars, others desperately looking for safe cover. Willow stumbles, nearly losing her footing with every step, only Tyler's steady grip on her keeping her from being trampled.

"Keep moving, Willow," Tyler urges, his tone sharp, his grip tightening as he pulls them away from the mayhem. "Come on, keep moving."

It's utter chaos. Cars screeching to a halt, crashing into each other in a desperate bid to escape. Horses panic, running loose. Cattle groan in distress. Willow fights to steady her breathing, trying to calm the rising panic inside her, but she knows the storm is right behind them.

Just like before.

Tyler gets them to the road, but for a moment, he releases Willow's hand to stop oncoming traffic, waving his arms to stop a car barreling toward them. "No! No! Stop!" he yells, voice cutting through the din. When the path clears, he grabs their hands again, pulling them forward toward the motel.

"Keep going," he commands, ushering them inside. He pauses when he notices a mother and daughter struggling to get into a car. "Hey! Get inside! Ma'am, stay out of the car!" Tyler makes sure they follow the girls inside the motel before stepping in himself.

The man at the counter is complaining, going on and on about something that sounds like a constant, annoying buzz in her ear with a tornado raging outside. Willow shoves him aside to grab the clerk's attention. "Do you have a storm shelter?"

The man drones on about something again. Willow only focuses on the clerk. "No. I'm sorry," glancing nervously between her and the whiny man.

"Alright, maybe a basement?" Tyler asks, stepping forward. The mother and daughter stay close behind him.

"No," the clerk answers, his face pale.

"There's a line here, buddy," the complaining man snaps.

"We need to get these people underground right now," Kate interjects, her voice rising with urgency.

The complaining guy's girlfriend hangs by the window and rolls her eyes. "Okay, there's no tornado. Nine times out of ten, it's a false alarm." The sirens cut out and Willow knows that is no sign of the end, but the start of the worst. The woman takes it as the former.  "You hear that? No tornado," she rolls her eyes before pointing at Willow. "Hey, you're that weather girl-"

"Yes, I am," she bites out, "and I am telling you, there is a tornado," she says, matter of factly, as harsh as she can be.  "We got to find a shelter, fast." She looks toward Kate. "Kate?"

"On it," Kate replies immediately, pushing past the counter, and the clerk yelps, trying to stop her. But Kate is already heading for the door behind the desk, Willow following close behind.

The door flies open against the wind, and there's nothing but the outside world, the sight of the storm. But Willow's eyes catch on the pool outside—its gate swinging open and closed in the wind, slapping against the metal. If an overpass can work, so can this.

"It's underground," Kate says in acknowledgment, on the same wavelength as Willow. The other woman nods. "Everybody, come with me!" she calls, motioning for everyone to follow.

"All right, follow her, follow her," Tyler instructs the group, directing them straight towards the back door. He even tries to force the crabby couple along. "All right. Ma'am, come on."

"Move, move, move," Willow urges, standing by the door, directing everyone as Kate leads the way. She gets the mother and daughter out first, before shouting at the couple who's been dragging their feet. "Come on! Move!"

It's not until the sirens crash through the front window, their volume deafening, that the couple finally realizes the threat is real. The girlfriend shrieks.

"There's a tornado! There's a tornado!" she screams, running for the exit.

Willow follows her out, heading for the pool, and pushing through the gate to meet Kate. The mother and daughter are directed down first, Willow helping the girl steady herself on the ladder as her mother plans to catch her. She whips around to make sure Tyler is behind them, the clerk hot on his tail, but not the complaining couple they tried to force with them.

No, they are in their truck, attempting to outdrive the storm.

"No!" Willow screams at them, knowing what is bound to happen. "No! Stop!"

It is too late for them. The funnel picks up their truck, tossing it like a toy before slamming it back down with bone-crushing force. Willow chokes at the sight, clutching at Kate next to her.

"We've got to go!" Tyler shouts at them, frantic, directing them towards the pool and away from the horror. "We've got to go!"

She forces Kate to go first and the woman jumps to instruct the mother and daughter pair how to shelter against the storm. She follows next, her eyes not leaving Tyler's as she climbs down the ladder.

Tyler slides down and the clerk clambers in after him. Willow finally lets herself head towards the pipes to hunker down with Kate and the little family, knowing he'll follow. It's then when the motel sign crashes between Tyler and the clerk, barely missing them. She gasps, lurching toward him.

"Tyler!"

"No!" He shouts back. "Stay with them!"

Willow cannot hear what they're saying, not over the sheer volume of the wind around them. She does hear the clerk's cry for help and holds her breath as Tyler tries to coach him into staying low and getting him to safety. The clerk stands, thinking he can rush over, but the wind catches him, pulling him further and further until he's gone.

(She wants to scream his name, to not let him go quietly, but all she hears is the name of a ghost leave her lips.

Praveen!)

Another crash shakes the ground, more terrifying than the last, giving no moment to recover. A bus smashes down on the motel sign, nearly catching Tyler with it. Willow screams his name, rushing for him, but this time Kate grabs her, a reversal to the last, her cowboy taking the place of the man torn from her other half all too soon.

The horror unfolds in slow motion. She watches the bus slide toward him, as if through a screen, screaming in helpless silence like a viewer in a theater, powerless to intervene. It feels all too familiar, like watching the twister rip through the field earlier, clipping Javi's truck—only now, it's this man who has changed everything, slipping away before it's truly begun between them.

But Tyler reacts fast, reaching out his hand just in time. Willow lunges, grabbing hold of him. She isn't sure how she finds the strength—it must be the surge of adrenaline—but she pulls him to their makeshift shelter just as the bus crashes into the poolside.

Tyler surrounds her, his body crouching over hers to shield her and Kate from the worst of it. Willow clutches to the pipes, her elbows locked with them, her hands searching for Tyler and Kate. She finds them in the darkness, the constant touch the only promise they are still there, still grounded with her against this storm. She is not losing them; she has them, she has got them.

It's gonna be okay. I've got you. I've got you.

She hears it—next to her, above her, all around her—shouted in the wind until it lifts and flies away, leaving nothing but silence. Willow squeezes her eyes shut, memories crashing into her all at once. Tears spring to her eyes as the wind lashes against her skin. She clings to Tyler, to Kate, focusing on their presence, their sounds. They're still here, still with her. They're not leaving her.

And then, just like that, it goes silent. The noise of the storm fades.

Willow can't recall the exact moment when the chaos unraveled, when the storm finally fell apart around them and they slipped from under that overpass. She only remembers the hospital—the sterile air, Javi slumped half in a chair, half across her lap, and her bicep stitched up, throbbing in pain. She remembers staying overnight for observation, Bill in the room next door.

Now, in this new eerie quiet, Willow can see more clearly. The dust is settling, the aftermath of the destruction that nearly claimed her again. She hears the ragged panting of her breath, the rapid rise and fall of her chest, keeping pace with the frantic thudding of her heart.

Her hand still in Kate's, Willow finds her first. Kate's face is streaked with mud and rain, her lips parted as she catches her breath, eyes wide and distant, but still there. Willow doesn't remember her after the storm, but this image—Kate, just like now—sticks with her.

Tyler is there too, his body still pressed behind hers. His hand brushes her hair gently, his breath warm against her ear.

"Tyler?" Willow hears herself whisper, her voice quiet and hesitant, afraid he might be gone even though she feels the weight of him still holding her.

"I'm here, baby," he murmurs. The words are a comfort, grounding her in the moment. Willow lets go of the pipes, letting him coax her to her feet when he's sure the danger has passed. He presses a soft kiss to her hair, his hand gliding absent-mindedly over the scar marring her bicep. "I'm here. Not going anywhere."

(Jo's obsession with storms run deep from her own loss, her father, Willow's grandfather.

She remembers the echo of a fight, of Bill still trying to pull her back, of Jo repeating words that she said in the middle of an outbreak, driven by pure madness.

You've never seen it miss this house, and miss that house, and come after you!

Willow has seen it now. She has seen it hit her house, seen it tear her home to shreds, steal her family.

And now she has seen it miss her.

Why couldn't it have done that the first time?)

As they step back out into the world, Tyler's hand searching for her, it takes everything in her not to break, to shatter, in the aftermath of it all.

—AUTHOR'S NOTE

ELECTION DAY ANXIETY POST. i hope this doesn't seem rushed, i'm writing it at 45 mins past midnight because i was anxious ab the election and needed to focus on something.

willow, traumatized, once again, but we had a sweet start to the chapter! hope you all enjoyed the positive aspects of this! hope you even enjoyed the weather scene. i tried capturing willow's panic and ptsd hiting her.

also, i know everybody makes the "riding your fear" joke in these fics but CMON ITS PRICELESS

feedback always appreciated! what did you think of willow opening up to tyler some with kate as her support? how did you feel about tyler's reaction?

also, quick opinion, should willow drive with kate to her mom's house or make tyler drive her to meet kate? i have two ideas, both work, but Cathy's farm plays a critical role in Willow's character progression as Cathy is nosey and pushy like Kate some days

hope you are still enjoying reading as I am writing

thank you for sticking around,

kari