BEAUTIFUL CRAZY

ten. he's handsome

“I’m fine, really,” Wren huffed, she was sitting in the back of an ambulance, Tyler sitting on her right and the rest of his crew plus Kate standing close by.

“You popped your stitches,” Tyler argued.

“So?”

“Just let him look at ya,” he huffed, a little frustrated that she was refusing help… again. She rolled her eyes, but pulled her shirt off so the EMT could get a better look at it.

Kate’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head, “why didn’t you tell me it was that bad.”

“It’s just a scratch,” Wren shrugged, groaning a little as the EMT cleaned the area.

“That’s a scratch?” Dani raised an eyebrow and Wren just shrugged her shoulders a little.

“What’s the plan, doc?” Boone asked, he’d been worried about her since before they found that dog.

“I’m gonna have to redo the stitches, just a couple.”

“Fun,” Wren muttered, leaning into Tyler’s side and he chuckled a little as he kissed the top of her head. “Get it over with.”

He gave her the anesthetic then pulled out the three stitches that had busted and she winced, biting the inside of her cheek as she leaned into Tyler and squeezed his hand. The others had turned away, giving the girl some privacy, but Kate just watched with wide eyes.

“Damn it, Wren,” the blonde muttered, pushing her hair out of her face.

“What?” She looked over at her, her left arm raising over her head, her fingers in Tyler’s hair to her arm out of the way. “Just another battle scar.”

“How can you possibly joke at a time like this?” Kate huffed, growing frustrated with the girl.

“‘Cause if I don’t I’ll lose my mind.”

“Okay, all done.” The EMT stood up after dressing the wound with gauze.

“Thank you,” she got him a smile as she tugged Tyler’s shirt back onto her shoulders before she stood up. Tyler stood up next to her, his eyes filled with worry, which she saw when she looked up at him. “Oh, come on, cowboy. I’m fine.”

“You’re gonna give him a heart attack one of these days.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you're old.”

“I am not old,” he argued, his hand on her hips as he pulled her just a step closer to him.

“If you say so,” she hummed, leaning up and pressing her lips against his.

“Oohh!” Boone cheered once he saw them, making the other’s turn. Wren fell back to her heels, her cheeks warm as she glared at the goofy smile he wore.

“Kate! Wren!”

Both girls turned, the blonde letting out a relieved breath, “Javi.” She made her way towards him, meeting him in a hug. Wren sent Tyler a smile, squeezing his hand before she followed after the blonde. And when she was close enough, Javi pulled her in for a hug.

“Oh, careful.” She winched when he hit her side and he pulled back almost just as quickly as he had grabbed her.

“Sorry,” his voice shook. “When I saw the size of-of it on the radar and… and where it was headed, all I could think was–”

“I’m alright,” Kate cut him off. “We’re alright.”

“Mostly,” Wren added playfully, getting a breathy chuckle from the boy. Then he watched as her eyes moved towards Tyler, who stood with Ben and Lily by the pool’s edge.

“You been with Owens this whole time?”

“Yeah. Why?” Wren asked, shifting on her feet.

He shook his head, letting out an irritated breath, “and I thought the biker was bad.”

“Hey, Tyler is nothing like that asshole.” She argued, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Javi,” Scott neared them. “Apparently, this, uh, place was family owned. So I’m gonna start working up some numbers. Riggs is gonna want those first thing.”

“Okay, man. I’ll-I’ll catch up with you guys.”  He told him and he just walked away.

“Still a prick!” Wren raised her voice and Scott looked over his shoulder just as she raised her middle finger in his direction.

“Javi, what is Riggs getting out of all your data collection?” Kate asked, her arms wrapped around herself.

“What’s – what’s it matter?” He asked, a nervous tick in his voice.

“Is profiting off of people’s tragedy part of your business plan? Why are you doing this?”

“Wait, hold on,” he shook his head a little. “Riggs has offered these people a way to move on with their lives.”

“No, he’s swooping in and taking advantage of people who just lost everything.” Wren argued. “It’s awful.”

“And y-you have no idea what that’s like,” Kate added, unable to believe that Javi – her Javi – was deafening that man.

“I don’t know what that’s like?” He asked, his eyes narrowed a little at the blonde. “How about losing three of my friends while you were trying to land a big fat grant for your science project.”

“Javi-”

“No, Wren!” He cut her off harshly as Kate turned away from them. “You just had to be there that day, didn’t you? I bet if they hadn’t had to save your ass they’d still be here.”

She took a step back. His words hit her like a brick. The guilt was fresh, ripping through her and it hurt worse coming from him. He was the one that had insisted that they get to know each other, that they heal together because tragedy can bring people together.

“I know.” She nodded, tears welling in her eyes again. “Trust me, I know. And if you knew it too then why did you push so hard? Why did you spend weeks convincing me to spend time with you? And Kate, when she didn’t want that!”

“Wren, I-”

“No, Javi, you meant it.” She cut him off.

“Wren!” Kate called for the girl.

“You can go to hell, right along with Riggs.” With that she turned, whipping her eyes as she neared Kate, both girls climbing into the Storm PAR truck.

Tyler watched with a furrowed brow, he’d heard everything. And he wanted nothing more than to comfort Wren, to hold her, but all he could do was watch as she sat in the passenger seat of the truck that was driving away from him.

>>>>> • <<<<<

“Wren,” Kate reached over, shaking the girl awake after she put the truck in park. The sun had just started to rise, the sky a light blue color.

“Sorry,” the girl mumbled as she pushed herself up, blinking a few times. “I said I’d drive.”

Kate just smiled small, “let’s go.” she nodded towards the house and they both stepped out of the truck. And when she was close enough, Kate wrapped her arm around Wren’s shoulders. They made their way towards the house, Kate picking up the flower pot to get the spare key.

Wren closed the door behind her, smiling a little as she looked around. The house was dark but she had spent her last few holidays here. She wordlessly followed Kate towards the kitchen, pulling the fridge open as Kate grabbed two glasses.

Wren filled the two glasses with water before putting it back and closing the fridge, and for the first time that night, Kate let herself relax a little as she sipped on her water.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered, like she was scared to break the silence.

Wren just nodded, jumping just the slightest bit when the floorboards creaked.

“Mama, it’s me.” Kate called out into the darkness. “Me and Wren.”

Kathy made her way into the kitchen, her eyes wide as she took in the two girls. Not only was it a shock to see them together, but both looked as if they had been through hell, “what happened? What…”

Kate just wrapped her arms around the woman, squeezing her a little. Kathy let her eyes move to Wren, who shifted on her feet almost nervously.

“Get in here.” She held her arm out and Kate shifted to the side as Wren moved towards them, wrapping her arms around them.

Wren yawned, brushing her fingers through her dripping wet hair as she made her way down the hall towards Kate’s room, Tyler’s shirt in her hands – she knew that if anyone could salvage it, it was Kathy.

“I’m sorry there’s so much junk in here,” she smiled a little, she had missed Kathy’s voice. “I’ll clear it out for you tomorrow.” Wren leaned against the door frame of Kate’s room. “And your friend Javi stopped by a few weeks back. Almost didn’t recognize him with the haircut.”

Wren giggled a little from where she stood, “me either.”

Kathy smiled over at her before looking at Kate again, “you chasing again?”

“No.” Kate said softly, sitting on the bed. Her shorts shifted up with the movement, exposing the long scar on her thigh and she quickly pulled it down. She knew it bothered her mother.

“Do you girls need anything?”

“No, I’m fine.” Kate shook her head.

“Okay, good night.” She nodded, leaving the room.

“Good night,” Kate called after her.

“I need your help,” Wren told the woman, getting a soft chuckle from her as they made their way down the hall. “You think you got something that’ll get blood out of this?” She held up the large flannel.

“Blood?”

“Also,” she draped the shirt over her arm then lifted the side of her sweatshirt. “Can you help me dress this?”

Kathy’s eyes bugged, “Wren!”

The girl just smiled, “I fell.”

“Sure you did,” Kathy mumbled. “Come on, now, let’s see what we can do.”

“Thanks, Kathy.”

“‘Course.” She wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulders, “now, tell me about the boy that belongs to.”

Wren blushed, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, “his name’s Tyler.”

>>>>> • <<<<<

Kathy smiled watching as Wren rubbed one of the cows on the head before leaning forward to press a kiss between his eyes. It was probably the only thing Wren missed from her childhood, her cows. She had taken good care of her cows, someone had to and it sure as hell wasn’t gonna be her father.

“Hey,” Kate walked over, leaning against the fence. “Um, could you… could you come with me?”

“Sure, where?” The girl smiled, turning away from the cow.

“The barn.”

Wren had never been in the barn, Kathy had told her that it was Kate’s workshop and she didn’t want to impose more than she already felt like she had been. She also knew that Kate hadn’t been back in the barn since that day.

“Yeah,” she nodded before hosting herself up the fence.

“Madeline Wren Cortez, you’re gonna pop your stitches!” Kathy shouted at the girl, startling the cows a little.

“Oh, the first name.” Kate chuckled, watching as Wren threw her legs over the fence before climbing down. “Madeline.” Kate teased.

“Yeah, my Mama was real funny.” She muttered. She hated her first name, even more so that she only got stuck with it because it was her great great great grandma’s name.

“Could your name be any whiter?” Kate asked as they started towards the barn.

“Yeah. Mama didn’t like to remember that she was part Columbian. Not after meeting daddy, at least that’s what I could piece together from stories.”

Kate snickered again, “Madaline.”

“Shut up,” Wren shoved her a little, not able to hide her own laugh.

“You don’t look like a Madaline.”

Wren just shrugged as they reached the door, and Kate wasn’t laughing anymore.

“You ready?”

“No,” she answered before pulling the door open and stepping into the barn, Wren followed closely behind her.

Everything was covered by plastic and layers of dust. And it looked like no one had even stepped foot in there in years.

Wren stopped and leaned against a beam, watching as Kate pulled the plastic back, revealing what looked to be a workstation. There were notebooks full of writing, jars full of some kind of powder, and different tools and whatnot.

“How you doin’?” Kathy asked, making her way into the barn.

“Just the way I left it,” Kate remarked, still looking around.

“I’ve been wondering what you want me to do with all this stuff.”

“Oh, you can just throw it out,” Kate mumbled.

“You done?” She raised an eyebrow, “It’s funny. I keep seeing more and more tornadoes and floods and droughts and… the price and wheat and seed going up and up and up.” She took a sip of her water. “But I’m still here.”

Kate sighed a little, “I’m sorry, mom. I haven't been good about calling.”

Kathy nodded, “all I’m saying is, even Wren comes by every Christmas. Also brings those delightful friends of hers.”

“Sav loves you, too.” Wren smiled over at the woman, making a note to call the girl – they hadn’t exactly parted on the best terms.

Kathy’s phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket, “I’ve gotta get this.” She started towards the door, scoffing a little. “Throw it away. I’m still waiting for you to save the world.”

Wren chuckled as she left, looking over at Kate once she was gone, “I love your mom.”

Kate just nodded, her eyes drifting around the barn before they landed on the little town she’d built back in middle school, “wanna see something cool?”

“Always,” Wren nodded as Kate jumped down from the table before making her way over towards it.

“Okay, ready?” She asked and the girl nodded as she hit the button, smoke rose from under the little houses and when Kate hit another button, it started to form a funnel and some of the houses were knocked over.

“Wow,” Wren mumbled, her eyes wide in amazement.

“Built your own tornado.” Both girls turned at the voice, “Look at that.”

“Tyler,” Wren smiled as he came to a stop at her side, his hand on her hip like it belonged there.

“Hey, baby,” he kissed her forehead softly.

“Middle school science fair project,” Kate told him as she cut it off.

“You must’ve won.” He mused and she just nodded. “You ever win anything, baby?”

“Middle school talent show,” she nodded and he smiled, kissing her forehead again. And Kate watched as she nearly melted into him, a soft smile on her lips.

“How’d you find us?”

His had tightened on Wren’s hip just a little, “uh, Dexter pieced it together. He remembered your names from the news a few years back – not too many Wrens running around.” Wren tensed a little, which he noticed and he pulled her a little closer to him, hoping to bring her some form of comfort. “Sorry about your friends.”

Kate nodded, but her eyes moved to Wren, who let her head hang forward a little as she pulled Tyler’s arm around her a little more so his hand rested on her stomach.

“Not my friends.”

They hadn't got the chance to be.

“Wren-”

“I’m fixing some food,” Kathy cut Kate off. “You three okay eating outside?”

“Oh, I’m not gonna bother you, Ms. Carter.”

“He’s not staying,” Kate shook her head.

“He’s staying.”

“Yay,” Wren mumbled mostly to herself.

“And you can call me Kathy. Kate, why don’t you go and set up the table.” She started for the door. “And Wren, honey, get that boy his shirt back.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Wren mumbled, pulling away from Tyler and following her out of the barn.

“He’s handsome.”

“I know,” Wren hummed before making her way towards the house to get his shirt, which Kathy had managed to get the blood out of before throwing it in the washer.