BEAUTIFUL CRAZY

seventeen. tornado of fire

Wren leaned against the truck, making sure she got the front seat – she and Kate had argued about it all morning. But she had put her foot down, it was her boyfriend's truck, damnit!

And while Kate conceded, she didn't put it past her to try and sneak into the oh-so coveted seat if she was given the chance.

Tyler haf his phone pressed to his ear as he tossed his and Wren's bag into the backseat, filling the crew in on their plan.

"Hey, Lily. Yeah, I couldn't get Boone. – No, we're gonna meet you guys for something. – No, no, we'll come to you. – Alright."

She glanced over at him as he rounded the front of the truck with something in his hands, he stopped at her side as Kathy pulled Kate into a hug.

"Is this it? Or you gonna come back before you go home?"

"You know I will." Kate took her, squeezing her a little before she pulled back.

"Love you."

"Love you," Kate smiled.

Kathy's eyes landed on Wren, "get in here." She grinned, rushing towards the woman and wrapping her in a tight hug – but Kathy was cautious of her side. "Take care of yourself out there. A-and call, let me know you're still kickin'."

"I will."

"And most importantly," she pulled back, her hands on the girl's shoulders. "You give him hell."

She laughed, her head falling backwards and Tyler just smiled at the sight before him. He swore nothing sounded better than her laugh... well, almost nothing.

"I promise," she held up her pinkie. Kathy laughed as she wrapped her own pinkie around the girl's. With another quick hug, Wren made her way back towards the truck, passing Tyler as he made his way towards Kathy. "Uh, no, back seat."

Kate narrowed her eyes, her lips parted as if to argue but she was cut up as Tyler handed a folded up t-shirt to Kathy, "this is for you."

"Oh, god." Wren chuckled, covering her hand with her mouth.

She unfolded it, glancing up at him before nodding towards Wren, who was trying to keep from laughing as she shoved Kate's shoulder, "you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

He smiled, her eyes moving to the girl as she laughed, "I'm beginning to."

Kathy got the shirt unfolded, raising an eyebrow at the cartoon version of him that was splayed across the front, "huh, thanks."

He just nodded, "okay."

"Those shirts are super cheesy, but I'd wear one if you really wanted me, too." Wren told him as they climbed into the truck.

"Really?"

She nodded, leaning over the console, "you got such a pretty face."

"Oh, you sweet talker." He mused, leaning towards her but Kate stuck her hand between them.

"Nope."

"Cockblocker," Wren mumbled, settling into her seat with a scowl on her face. Tyler just laughed as he started up the truck and started out of the driveway. And once they were on the road, his hand was on her thigh.

>>>>> • <<<<<

They met up with the rest of the Wranglers at a repair shop close to what seemed to be the hotbed for storms. And Wren couldn't help but smile as they approached them, her hand firmly gripped in Tyler's.

"Ben," Tyler grinned upon seeing the reporter. "-you stuck around."

"Turns out there's more to this story then I thought," he shrugged a little, accepting Tyler's hand for a firm shake.

"We got a new ending for ya," he grinned and Wren pulled away from, making her way over to Boone as Kate neared them.

"You mad at me or something?" She asked and he turned a little, his arms crossed over his chest, which made her frown. "Aw, come on, Boone, what'd I do?"

"Nothin'." he muttered and her brows creased. She didn't like that she was mad at him.

"Well, then I'm mad at you, too." She turned her back to him, crossing her own arms over her chest.

"What?" He turned, but she just turned away from him a little more.

"What are you two doin'?" Tyler asked as he made his way over to them.

"He's mad at me, so now I'm mad at him."

"Are you children?"

"I don't like that he's mad at me. I didn't do anything."

"It's not you, baby. I promise." He let his hand drift across her lower back as he stepped towards Boone, her turned away from him a little. "Hey, buddy. I'm sorry. How do I make it up to you?"

"Man, you abandoned me. I don't know nothin' about no makeup–"

"That's why you're mad?" Wren turned, her brows creased and he just looked at her over his shoulder. "Fine, I was gonna let you launch the new rockets-"

"You said rockets?" He perked up, cutting her off.

"Yep, and I get to launch them." She nodded, a smug smile on her lips and Tyler laughed as he looked between the two.

Boone was the first to cave, "hows about we hit launch them together?"

"You done bein' mad at me for somethin' I didn't even do?"

He just nodded, not one to hold a grudge.

"Okay," she hummed, her smile wide as she moved closer to them. "But I call shotgun."

He parted his lips, ready to argue, but Dani walled over, having gotten the owner. Wren just smirked, her fingers laced through Tyler's as they started walking through a lot of used equipment.

"We need a forty-foot trailer that's light enough for a pickup but heavy enough to anchor barrels in a hundred mile and hour winds." Dani explained.

"Why the hell would you want that?" He asked, his brows pinched.

Dani paused for a moment before turning to look at Kate, "why the hell do we want that?"

Kate shifted on her feet a little, her hands on her hips. "Well, 'cause when we drive into a tornado, we want whatever's on the trailer to get sucked into it but not us."

"Easy peasy." Wren hummed, a smile playing on her lips.

He was visibly confused, waiting for her to say it was a joke, but when she didn't, "you're gonna want aluminum."

"Okay." She nodded and he led them right to the trailer they were looking for.

>>>>> • <<<<<

The team was in a field, getting everything ready for the upcoming storm and Kate's experiment. Kate was on the roof of the truck with Dani, putting the new rockets – that Dexter was putting together – into the launchers. Lily was modifying Cairo – her drone. Wren was helping Tyler make sure the barrels were secured to the trailer. And Boone was filming them.

"Dexter, talk to me. What's going on?" He asked, pointing the camera at the man.

"We're testing the Goldilocks principle of a tornado by modifying the variables, hopefully disrupting the process."

Boone moved the camera, who had grabbed the rocket Dexter handed to her, "Dani, what does that mean?"

"Taming the storm," she simplified and Kate smiled.

"Is that good?" Wren looked over her shoulder after tightening the strap and Tyler reached forward, giving it a strong tug.

"Should be," he nodded, giving her a smile.

"T," Boone moved towards them and he turned towards the camera. "-tell us what's going on."

"Alright, we're gonna shoot the clouds with rockets of silver iodide." He explained before turned and making it was towards the trailer and when Boone neared Wren, he had the camera in her face.

"And this is Wren," he introduced and she waved. "So, tell us what those rockets are gonna do?"

"We're gonna make it rain." She answered, with a smile.

Then Boone turned the camera around so it was on his face, and he lowered his voice to an almost whisper. "Y'all are gonna be seein' more of her. Her and T are-"

"Boone," Tyler cut him off. And though he didn't mind telling people that Wren was his girlfriend, now wasn't exactly the time. He also wasn't sure how Wren felt about his fans knowing about her.

"I'll tell y'all later," he told the camera with a smile before turning it back around and making his way towards Tyler, getting another wave from Wren as he passed her. "Tell me about this rain, brother."

"Rain is what we need in the updraft. And then we're gonna take the sodium polyacrylate and we're gonna deliver it in the vortex–"

"Hands off," Wren swatted at Ben's hand as he messed with the clasp on one of the barrels. The reporter pulled his hand back quickly, his eyes wide and Boone got the whole thing on camera.

And Tyler just continued with a smile on his face, "increasing the cold pool."

"And that does what to the tornado?" Ben asked curiously.

"It cuts the fuel, Ben." Tyler told him, getting a nod though he was still confused.

Boone moved towards Lily. "Lily! Oh, look at Cairo looking all cute and whatnot. Hey, buddy," he patted the drone and Wren laughed a little as she looked around. Her smile grew when she saw the storm forming in the distance, she quickly made her way around the truck and stopped to watch the sky.

Kate soon joined her, her camera raised as she snapped a few pictures.

"You know," Kate started. "I'm glad Javi insisted that we got to know each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's like having a sister."

"Aww, you love me!" Wren gushed, wrapping her arms around Kate's shoulders before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Kate just laughed, "okay, Madeline."

Wren pulled back, her smile gone, "why? We were having a moment. Why gotta ruin it?" Then she shoved the blonde's shoulder, both laughing and she stumbled a little before stopping at Wren's side again, bumping her with her elbow a little.

"Hey, we should take some pictures, send 'em to Savannah and Austin." Kate told her and Wren loved the idea, moving so she was in frame with the giant storm brewing in the distance.

Back at the truck, Tyler smiled as he watched them. The smile on Wren's face was wide as she held her arms out, and Kate snapped a picture. Both girls laughed as Wren did a different pose. But he wasn't the only one watching, Ben had his camera out as he snapped a few pictures of them.

Tyler peeled his eyes off of her just as she made her way towards Kate, "Kate's your story, Ben." Then his eyes were on her again as she took Kate's camera, turning it around, snapping a picture of herself and the blonde that was sure to be unflattering but they both laughed. He hummed a little, nodding towards the reporter's camera, "get me a copy of that."

He knew that they may have met the worst of ways, but he could see the connection they had. The bond that had formed from the tragedy they had suffered was beautiful and if there was ever a picture to capture that, it was that one.

Tyler grinned as Wren made her way towards him, her arms winding around his torso when she reached him, "hey, baby." she pressed up onto her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"Hey," he hummed, his arms tight around her. "I wanna ask you somethin'."

"Anything."

"What Boone did, um, telling people we're..."

She cut him off with a laugh, leaning up to press another kiss to his lips. "I'm fine with it. I know you're famous and all, but I don't wanna have to hide this, us."

"I love you," he smiled, learning and meeting her lips once more, though it was a little more forceful than the kiss she had left against his lips.

"I love you." She mumbled against his mouth, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Aww," Boone gushed and they turned to see that he had the camera pointed at them.

"Boone!" Tyler huffed and he just smiled before turning away from the couple, which made Wren laugh.

"Well, people are definitely gonna know, now." She mused and he chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"Allright, let's get outta here." He stepped away from her, his hand on her back.

"I have to sit in the back, don't I?" She mumbled, looking up at him.

"Sorry, baby." He kissed her forehead again before opening the backdoor for her.

"Un, no offense," Ben mumbled as she neared them, "but I'm gonna get a ride with someone else."

Wren laughed as he turned and made his way towards the camper, "think you scared him, baby."

"Get in the truck," he mumbled, trying to hide a smile as he helped her into the backseat. "Unless you wanna ride with the others."

"Nope, I'm good here." She leaned down, pressing her lips against his and he smiled before taking a step back and closing her door.

And once Kate made her way to the truck, smirking about the fact that Wren was in the back, they hit the road. Wren smiled out the window as a funnel formed, reaching towards the ground.

"Okay, ground speeds at twenty two, intercept it north east. Look for Asylum Road," Kate told Tyler, her eyes on the screen before her.

"Asylum Road," he repeated.

Suddenly, a familiar truck pulled out in front of them. Javi's truck. Tyler merely chuckled, clearly amused.

"Hey, these Storm PAR buttheads are cutting us off, man," Boone shouted over the radio.

"Alright, let's not get distracted. Let's get these babies in the air," Tyler said.

And not long after, did it started raining, heavy droplets hitting the truck along with debris making it a bit hard to see. Then the Doppler cut off, much to Kate's annoyance.

"Doppler went dark."

"It's probably a dead cell zone," Tyler guessed.

Kate grabbed the radio. "Lily, are you above us?"

"It's getting completely rain-wrapped. I can't see a thing," she told them, before groaning. "Yeah, I just lost my drone."

"Hey, we lost visual," Boone informed them.

Wren looked out the window, squinting through the heavy rain. She watched a wobbling stop sign, meaning the winds were picking up quite a lot. "I don't think this is an EF1." She mumbled, leaning forward between the seats.

"Put your harness on, baby," was Tyler's only response and she did as told as they passed some kind of large refinery. Then Javi slammed on the brakes swerving, and Tyler came to a stop when they were a little closer, seeing the tornado right over Javi's truck.

"Javi!" Both girls shouted, watching in horror as the truck flipped, landing on its side. Wren's hands shook as she unbuckled, reaching for the door, but a firm hand on her ankle stopped her – it was all he could grab since she was behind him.

"Don't you dare," Tyler told her, his voice firm as their eyes met in the rearview. "Baby, please."

"Tyler, we gotta do something!" Kate shouted, panic in her voice.

"Hey, on your left!" Boone shouted over the radio, watching them from behind. "Guys, it's hitting something big!"

They all watched as the tornado hit the refinery, tearing it to pieces as flames rose up.

"Fuck," it left Wren on a mere breath, her eyes wide as she watched the fiery tornado twist.

And for the first time, she felt utterly terrified as she looked up at the huge cyclone before her.