#what’s fucking me up the most is mateos dad like….

[beautifulhigh]

I'm so excited for tk's reaction for hurt carlos more than anything else tbh. I honestly feel like TK's character wasn't given the chance to show the depth of his feelings for carlos except for the proposal and I really hope with this carlos got hurt we will be able to see that. Can't wait for season 4

I want to take this ask in the spirit I would like it to have been intended and share in your excitement. I think it's about time that TK was the one stressing over possibly losing the man he loves.

But I am Fandom Old and a former English teacher and the statement made about TK not showing the depth of his feelings for Carlos gives me a chance to break out my meta skills, whether you wanted me to or not.

Season One TK has what some deem an overreaction to the dinner but that's because he's scared. He's had a "nuclear bad" breakup, he isn't ready for anything serious, and there's this guy who is basically offering him everything that the TK from the beginning of 1x01 wanted. A guy who wants to spend time with him, make him dinner, is genuinely interested in him. If TK wasn't emotionally invested why would he be so mad? It would have been an "oops" kind of moment. Anger is a strong emotion and a lot of TK's strong emotions are expressed in anger in season one.

He tells Carlos about his addiction before he tells the 126. The guy he's hooking up with, who he walked out on because Carlos dared to do something nice for him. Lays out everything: the break up, the relapse, all of it. The men and woman that he works alongside every day, the people he trusts his life to? They know nothing until 1x10. But Carlos knew. TK didn't have to tell Carlos but he did. Why would he do that if Carlos wasn't important to TK, if he wasn't someone that TK could trust?

But slowly our feral cat is tamed, and he lets Carlos in. They have the date when they take Paul out and they have the conversation in the juice bar where TK is honest with Carlos about how he feels. He refers to Carlos as his boyfriend - kinda - before he's even discussed that label with Carlos. He takes those steps because he's very much caught the feels and he's letting himself feel them.

Season Two So now we are in full on relationship territory, and he is spending a lot of time at Carlos' place. When Tim is killed and Owen says to "go home", he goes to Carlos. When he is stressing over upsetting Nancy he talks to Carlos. When he's worried about the honeymoon period for his parents, he talks to Carlos. He gets so upset when Carlos doesn't introduces him to his parents as his boyfriend but he realises what this means to Carlos and agrees to wait. They are talking, they are finding middle ground, we see TK turn to Carlos over and over for care and support and a needed kick up the backside when it comes to the divide between Fire and Medical. Love is being there for someone, and it's also telling them to get over themselves.

And then, he does something his dad mentioned right in the pilot, he moves in with his boyfriend. This is the logical next step, not an engagement ring. TK is with this man, they love each other, they're moving in together.

They fight, TK comes home, they make up, make out, and in the fire that threatens them he is calm and focused and helps save both their lives. He reads Carlos like a book and knows he's not OK, reassuring his boyfriend that they're OK. Throughout the whole season Carlos is included in the 126 hangs and we see a few beats where TK is bridging the gap between his work family and his boyfriend - most notably in 2x14 when they're relaying the story of what happened with Mateo's new captain and TK drops in the little beats and explanations he'd need as someone who wasn't there. (I love this moment so much: as viewers we don't recognise the gaps in the retelling as we saw the scene play out, but Carlos wasn't there and TK makes sure that he gets the full picture.)

Seasion Three And then TK blows it all up. Because Carlos buys them a fucking home and TK has got everything he's always wanted and the future he's scared of messing up and he bolts. Because this is the kind of forever love that he never thought he would have, never get to keep. He's completely, terrifyingly, absolutely in love and it scares him because that kind of love is scary.

But when he comes home, he is home. He gets up and stays with Carlos while he's reviewing all the video files (even if he falls asleep). He celebrates his boyfriend solving a kidnapping and reassures him that he's not to blame for a man's death (while making him one of the many meals he apparently eats in a day).

He talks about his meetings, his sponsor, his progress with his sobriety and his feelings about it. He opens up about why he needs people in his life like Cooper and his meetings, while making it clear that Carlos has all of him, that there is nothing he is holding back. TK is all in, every last broken bit of him. But he makes it clear that Carlos can't help those parts of him. He will come home to Carlos.

He still talks to Carlos after the call in which the kid loses his mom and shares his raw and breaking grief with his boyfriend, knowing that he will be taken care of that evening. That he is safe with him.

He recognises that Carlos hates the lizard but loves him enough to deal with it, so he puts Carlos first and Lou is released into the wild.

Then he proposes.

If you think that the proposal is the only moment where TK shows Carlos how much he loves him then you've not being paying attention to all of the other ways that TK has shown Carlos, over and over and over and over, how much he loves him and how much he means to him. Every time TK let Carlos in, every time TK shared himself with Carlos? He was showing him - and us - how much he loves this man.

#jen answers stuff #anonymous #overthinking jen is overthinking #tarlos #tk strand #carlos reyes #911 lone star #911ls #tarlos meta #TK's love language is acts of service #he SHOWS his love in so many ways

[just-two-blokes]

Spoilers to 'They both die at the end' and 'The first to die at the end'

I think its ironic how the titels from Adam Silveras books indicate exactly what is going to happen in the end. But still I refuse to believe it until it happens.

Valentino Prince was the first one who got a call from the death-cast. And silly little me still thought that maybe this one time they might be wrong.

I never believed that Mateo and Rufus are going to die. Even though the title literally said it.

Also the fact that there are no miracles in the end. Just the harsh reality.

Mateo‘s Dad didn‘t magically wake up from his coma.

Valentinos parents didn‘t manage to accept or love their son for who he is even after he told them that he is going to die.

Scarlett wasn‘t able to fly to New York to spend the last hours of her brother with him.

I literally felt sick while reading the last pages of 'The first to die at the end'

I knew what was going to happen. But I didn‘t believe it.

And thats why I love Adam. He makes me gain hope and courage just to throw all my expectations on the hard ground of harsh reality.

He makes me cry for characters I don‘t even know properly.

His books feel like a drug or some sort of adrenaline rush.

He doesn't sugarcoat anything or come around the corner with a happy ending at the last second. Because that's fucking life. There are not always happy endings.

One of the most honest writers I‘ve ever read.

#they both die at the end #the first to die at the end #adam silvera

[callsign-bunnie]

Hiho! I was in your comment section in the evil twin fic. It's so good I want to eat this fic--. Im begging you please do a part two I want my token gay husbands to be together again. Please 🙏

Here you go!

--

Alejandro had given Rodolfo space. He knew better than to try to explain to Rodolfo that it wasn't him, that Mateo had done it. Mateo would only combat it and Rodolfo would be confused and would get upset. Alejandro didn't want to confuse Rodolfo.

So, he'd texted him that he was sorry and that he would give him some space. And... it'd worked. Rodolfo was now actively laying on Alejandro. Alejandro had always considered Rodolfo like a giant cat. You couldn't acknowledge that Rodolfo was laying on you or he'd go away.

So, Alejandro was doing his best not to, just petting his hair and closing his eyes. "I was thinking... You keep getting stressed about the venue for our wedding, what if we just used the ranch? I like the idea of an outdoor wedding."

"We wouldn't have to worry about venue dates." Rodolfo nodded a bit, looking up at him and smiling. Alejandro leaned down and kissed him softly.

"Exactly." Alejandro nodded when he pulled away and laid back.

Rodolfo laid his head back on Alejandro's chest, again. "Mateo suggested we use the church. But... I don't know, I don't want to do that."

"Of course, he would," Alejandro muttered. Mateo knew what the church was to Alejandro. He knew that Alejandro would rather die. He was likely trying to start another fight between him and Rodolfo.

Rodolfo furrowed his brows and looked up at Alejandro. "I don't understand why you're so cruel to him. He doesn't do anything to you."

Alejandro looked up at the ceiling. No, he couldn't keep doing this. He needed to put a stop to this. "It's just... petty brother shit."

"He's my friend, Alejandro." Rodolfo sat up. He shook his head and Alejandro tried to stop him, but he left a moment later. Alejandro could only imagine what Mateo had put in Rodolfo's head that would make him think Alejandro was doing this out of malice.

--

Alejandro prayed this would work. He'd talked to Alvarez, who hated Mateo almost as much as Alejandro. She was going to distract Rodolfo while Alejandro talked to Mateo.

So, Alejandro went to the room where Mateo was hanging out, drinking coffee, and reading a newspaper. Just like their dad. God, he hated him.

Ale was with him, having somehow understood that this was basically a mission even without his vest, and so he was dutifully by Alejandro's side.

Alejandro pats his head before going to Mateo. "We have to talk."

Mateo looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You're leaving." Alejandro dropped Mateo's bag on the table in front of him. "I'm not letting you continue to disrespect me in my own base."

Mateo stared at the bag and then laughed. "Yeah, no. I'm not going anywhere. Rudy's going to be upset."

"Don't call him that, you don't get to. And... no. You're leaving." Alejandro shook his head.

"Who's going to make me?"

"Me." Alejandro glared at him. "I think you forget. You're just a friend to Rodolfo. I kick you out, and he's going to be mad at me, sure. But he's not going to choose you." Alejandro hoped Rodolfo wouldn't choose Mateo. "The most you do is comfort him after problems you cause. He won't need that if you're gone-"

Alejandro huffed when he hit the wall, Mateo holding him by the throat. God, it was fucking pathetic, Mateo had to put all of his weight on Alejandro, but... Alejandro didn't fight back. He knew better. He just stared at Mateo. "You feel better?"

"If you try to make me leave, I will tell him you tried to kill me." Mateo snarled.

"Okay." Alejandro nodded.

Mateo looked into his eyes and Alejandro resisted the urge to slam his own skull into Mateo's as hard as he could. No. He couldn't fight back. Mateo's eyes narrowed. "You're not the only one who's slept with him, you know that, right?"

Alejandro's heart sank. No, he knew Rodolfo wouldn't cheat. Mateo would have come to Alejandro about it the moment it happened. "You're. Leaving."

Mateo laughed. "He thought I was you, of course. It was so easy."

He's lying. "I mean it. You're leaving."

"I know about the tattoo on the inside of his thigh. The rabbit-"

Alejandro saw red. In fact, he had himself braced to just tear into Mateo, but he didn't even get the chance.

"Mateo! Let my fiance go!"

Alejandro relaxed, immediately. Both looked over at Rodolfo in the doorway, and he looked pissed. Ale was by his side and Alvarez was a bit behind him. She nodded a little at Alejandro and Alejandro relaxed.

He shoved Mateo off, flexing how easy it was.

"Rudy," Mateo quickly stepped back, blinking. "It was self-defense-" He stopped and both picked up that Rodolfo had a tablet in his hands.

"No, it wasn't, you fucking liar. I saw on the cameras." Rodolfo turned the tablet around, showing them the camera feed. It showed the room they were in right now.

"He threatened me." Mateo pleaded.

Alejandro snorted. "That camera has sound. We leave witnesses in here, so it helps to have sound." He went over to Rodolfo, wrapping his arm around him, and kissing his temple.

"I want you to leave," Rodolfo told Mateo, "and don't lay another fucking hand on my fiance, again."

"Rudy, please-"

"You heard him." Alejandro glared at Mateo.

Mateo's expression changed. "Fine-"

"No." Alejandro shook his head. He'd been the recipient of that sudden vitriol. He wasn't letting Rodolfo deal with that. "Get the fuck out, silently. You don't get an exit speech. Leave now, don't say another word, or I'm going to drag you out."

Mateo glared at Alejandro but grabbed his bag and finally left.

Ale snarled at him as he left before he just sat and tilted his head at Rodolfo. Alejandro didn't waste time pulling Rodolfo into his arms. "Alejandro, I didn't-"

"It's okay," Alejandro murmured, kissing Rodolfo's hair.

"I didn't know it was him..."

"I know." Alejandro wasn't going to let this go unpunished. He would text Valeria, later.

"I'm sorry, I should have listened to you." Rodolfo looked up at Alejandro.

Alejandro smiled and touched his face. "Maybe, but it's okay. It's over now. Just... stop talking to my family, okay?"

"Okay." Rodolfo nodded.

Alejandro leaned down and kissed him. "Can we discuss using the ranch as our venue, now?"

Rodolfo nodded again, smiling.

--

Hey, just because this is a wrap-up, doesn't mean I'm not taking requests for this au anymore, I still will, just send me a prompt. I'm willing to go as dark as wanted

#alejandro x rodolfo #rodolfo x alejandro #evil twin au #rodolfo parra #alejandro vargas #rodolfo cod #alejandro cod #call of duty #mateo cod oc

[needs-to-stop-looking-at-valves]

In one of your fics of Felix Getting caught jerking off you said he was like a boy getting caught by him mother I was wondering if you could write one with a young Felix getting caught by his mom?

Idk why I found this request odd. But it's the only one my brain hyperfocused on for some reason, so let's do it!

(For the sake of the ask, Félix is 18 in this, though let's face it he's definitely done this at a younger age)

"Hey baby, how was school?"

"Good-Mateo! Put your toys away!"

Félix barked at his younger brother, who was upstairs, doing annoying brother shit. Félix kicked his toys out of the hallway, and went for the kitchen, where his mom and his older brother, Julio, were cooking. Julio looked down at him as he gutted the fish on the tray. It was a job that he always offered to do, especially when their mom just did her nails.

"You're smiling. Something good happen?"

"Oh definitely, we're doing group projects, and you won't guess who my partner is."

His mother definitely knew, given her smile.

"Let me guess, a girl."

"Not just a girl. THE girl. Aka, the most beautiful, the most funny, the most...well, EVERYTHING. Pepa! Oh you should've seen her today, mami. Cute little braids, new lipstick that made her look like she was made of gold-ugh, it KILLS me, mami~"

His mom wiped her hands on her apron, patting his cheek affectionately.

"Oh, you got bit by the love bug honey, and bad. When you gonna bring that girl home?"

"Oh she's definitely gonna come home with me, but I dunno if you'll have time to meet her!"

Félix laughed as he high fived his dad. Félix was...promiscuous, to say the least, and his dad was proud of the number of girls he's wooed. His mother scowled, lightly smacking the back of his head with her wooden spoon.

"You better not hurt that girl, young man. Alma gonna put a bounty on our heads."

"Hey, one thing I take pride in, is never hurting a woman. They're too beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, your hair just looks wonderful today, mami."

"Well thank you, baby. But no, you can't have a snack before dinner. Now work on your project till we're done."

"Worth a shot."

Félix chuckled as he went upstairs, to his room. He put his backpack on his chair, and hopped into bed. He should be doing homework, but a nap sounded really good. He looked up at the ceiling, and sighed. He got to be partners with PEPA. Damn she was pretty. Pretty eyes, pretty hair, pretty lips, and legs. God DAMN the legs on that woman. She even wore those long, orange see through socks and just. Shit, she was fucking fine.

"She even SMELLS pretty. Like rain. And oranges."

He was talking to himself, which was weird, but not in your own room. Could you blame him? No one understood her beauty quite like him. Even the way her nails gently grazed his hand as he let her borrow a pencil. She made him feel all warm and soft inside, like fresh bread. He'd do anything to have her give him a shot. Just one date. One chance to kiss her. Or more. If she was that kind of girl, he'd fuck her. He knew what women wanted. He'd give her everything, anytime she wanted it.

"...fuck it, I got a minute before dinner."

When the mood strikes, you know? He un did two buttons on his shirt, just to get himself comfortable, before taking off his pants, and his underwear. He reached over to his dresser for lube, and after getting himself comfy and his hands covered, he started. He was slow at first, rubbing against his thighs first, just to tease himself. He took a deep breath as he cupped his balls in his hand, before sighing in relief as soon as his other hand gripped around his cock.

Slow and firm, just how he liked it. A bit of a pinch at the tip, making him close his eyes in satisfaction. He almost wished Pepa caught him right now. He'd kill to just have her sit there, study him with those eyes, green as emeralds. He could picture her now, doing that whole biting her nail thing. She always did that when she saw something she liked. He remembered she'd always do that when she'd watch the boys at school play sports. And her face would get all misty when they flirted with her in between breaks. He didn't mind that Pepa got around, he really didn’t.

"Just means she knows how to handle an hombre."

God he could picture her. Staining his dick with that golden lipstick, nuzzling him in between those legs that looked so pretty. The shit he'd do to just hold her wrists, and fuck her pretty thighs. God he was hard, he could feel himself throbbing. He wanted Pepa. He wanted Pepa so fucking bad. He wanted just one peek under her skirt, or just one glimpse of her bra, he'd even be perverted enough to jerk off to the idea of her smell alone and-

"Félix honey, can you help me set up the t-"

"MAMI!!!"

He immediately grabbed his pillow to cover himself, even though he knew that wouldn't hide his shame. His mother looked away, clearing her throat.

"Sorry baby, thought you locked the door during your...activities."

"I thought you KNOCKED!"

"Sorry, sorry, that's my bad. Is that the stain I keep finding on your sheets? Because I have towels I'd rather you use-"

"Could you NOT talk to me right now? You literally almost saw it!"

His mother scoffed, but still didn't meet his eyes, thankfully.

"I was the one who changed your damn diapers, and I have six whole ass kids. I've seen it all before honey. Now it's normal, you know that-"

"What's not normal is you standing in the doorway talking to me about it! Leave!"

"Alright alright, don't shout. You come downstairs when ya done. How long should I keep the food on warm?"

Félix groaned, regretting...everything, honestly.

"I'll be down in a minute, moment's gone."

"Better be a minute, no one's eating cold fish in this house."

His mom FINALLY shut the door, and Félix groaned, covering his face in both his hands. He then grumbled, realizing he just slapped his face full of lube.

Dick move.

#not transformers #encanto #asks #lemon #rip Félix #Félix's mom is very #open about sex stuff #and while it means you can talk to her about anything #it also means she's gonna ask questions #once while shopping she deadasss yelled to Félix 'honey i forgot what size rubber you use again?'

[ramblingdisaster73]

Rambling thoughts while rewatching Lone Star ep 4x11 – Double Trouble (Finishing Edging the Bet made it so that I am just now getting to a rewatch of the episode (only watched it live))

The pregnancy & dropping out were my two biggest suspicions for Wyatt’s news

Joining the FD was a little farther on my list – but I didn’t expect to see three announcements (although technically – you could combine the dropping out & FD thing together)

So how are along is she?

When did he decide to drop out of school? When were these midterms? Did he complete his first semester then, but quit ½ way through the 2nd?

Doesn’t TK remember hearing about Mateo’s cousin? He was there for the first time Mateo mentioned Marvin

So – he came from the side of the wall – not the door to the bunk room? – that blocking just seemed like a weird choice.

Someone suggested taking shots anytime Mateo or Marvin say “cuz” = 8 shots in like 2 minutes (3 for Mateo & 5 for Marvin)

The “I’d like to teach the world to sing” reminds me of the kid songs videos – it was on the “Teach the world to sing” (we had it on VHS – because I am old).

“I would really suggest that you try to calm down.” Carlos Reyes – to a woman that should be dead

Carlos thinking – “Thank fuck, you guys finally got here for this woman that should be dead, but is yelling at me about the demon spawn children.”

I am not a fan of going to the Dr. either lady

I want an orange tree in my back yard. Too bad it wouldn’t hold up well here.

That is a lot of kids balls/toys

Carlos “dad joke” Reyes

Winston Churchill gave a lot of good speeches – none of them are ones that I would think to watch to get ideas for my child’s wedding toast (and I am a history nerd like Owen) – but it does make sense for him – if he ever gets a pet that he gets to name – that is what I would guess that he would name them.

I am a fan of Tommy in her gym clothes.

This scene is probably the most I have EVER related to Judd. The self-doubt/loathing is so hard to look/see past. At least he has Tommy & Grace.

What does Judd even have in his hand in the firehouse kitchen scene that was alphabetized

“As long as these chimes don’t go off” give “Unless the bells go off” vibes – Owen talking to Gwyn in 2x04 (old) firehouse kitchen scene.

That Mateo is into pokemon – not surprising – BUT – where did all his cards come from? Did he rebuild his collection once he moved in with Owen or was his collection at the firehouse, miraculously saving it?

$24,100 is a lot of fucking money.

If I had been asking my husband to fix something for 4 years – I would have already figured out how to fix it. That is a long fucking time man.

I like clipboard Marj – but I am ready for firefighter Marj to come back

If you have an uninsured porshe (at least in the US) – you are an idiot. Or any high dollar car.

If he got $900 for the pokemon card, and $24,100 from Nancy – how is he tapped now? Wouldn’t it be that he was already tapped?

Also – That explains why he still lives with Owen

Apparently Mateo decided to do the “take a shot for each time Mateo or Marvin say cuz” game

I think that the sitcom thing fits Mateo’s character – but would have been weird for anyone else – with the exception of maybe Owen.

So, did Marvin keep his hair that pink color to keep a guilt trip on Mateo – since he used it to cover for him in the first place?

Also – these are some old looking 13-year-olds.

How did Mateo not know he was a DREAMER until he was 17?

So setting a school on fire made Mateo want to be a firefighter? I can buy that, makes a lot of sense – I like getting the whys of their job choices on these shows.

Who did he move to Texas with at 16? But still not know he was a DREAMER until he was 17?

He lived with his aunt & uncle from 6-16, then ?? from 16- at least adulthood?

Turpentine smells so bad

Did Mateo take over his cousins love of scientific facts?

Who cares about those other milk customers when there is french toast on the table?

I can’t with the mustache

This is the most Buck that TK has ever been. Accepting the french toast, then his ‘boss/partner’ saying ‘no’, then him saying the same, only sad.

“He might get shanked with a toothbrush.”

Milkman Judd just keeps eating his french toast

Guess it is good to have a paramedic in the family

#my rambling thoughts #911 lone star spoilers #911 lone star season 4 #episode 4x11 #ramblingthoughts

[im-overstimulated-and-im-sad]

Disorganized thoughts about season 2 of 911 lone star after I watched the finale that I need to put somewhere and the first season of lone star the season finale made me feel so happy and it was such good found family feels and the last three episodes of season 2 of lone star made me feel like this

Not the gif I was going for but I like knives out and it works.

And I figured out why so much of the fic for lone star has a publication date of 2020, which means it was written after or literally while the first season is airing. And the first season is ten episodes long, but they came out of the gate with so many fleshed out characters and potential in those ten episodes!

Sorry getting back to season 2- the first half of the season was good. Tommy kicks so much ass as a character, like I would say the first season is 85% perfect but Tommy is such an amazing character that I wish she could have been in season 1.

And I liked Gwyn, and it doesn’t happen a lot and yes I know it’s all fake but when you look at two characters and it’s like yes I can believe those two people created that person, like damn the resemblance between Lisa/Ronen/Rob is almost freaky it’s so good. I did not love the pregnancy storyline that was kind of a really? They’re doing this? Like I felt like actually having the baby was a mistake- they pointed out she is older for having a child and there are risks, she could have miscarried and then done the whole “we were just together because we thought we were having a baby and this may be your home now but it isn’t mine” or some shit. (I haven’t started the third season yet but I spoil things for myself so I know they kill Gwyn off which WHY- but also then why did they go through the she a has a baby storyline within someone else to kill her off? It’s just… messy.

TK becoming a paramedic- good development. The kidnapping plot and the Judd/Grace episode were all good and the team throwing the birthday party for the little boy who had no friends and TK throwing the intervention for Owen and the entire team discussing Owen while in a call forgetting he can HEAR them- all good!

And then everything came to a screeching halt.

Like I feel the Tarlos condo burning down after the 126 was sabotaged would have been good ideas… if they hadn’t inadvertently been Owen’s fault?

But that would mean dealing with the “now we don’t have to unpack ALL of that” attitude of 2x12. Here are the things that should have been dealt with:

TK and Carlos’s confrontation at the firehouse getting physical

The entire Owen being arrested being a huge set up

How the hell did Owen explain the above to TK?

Did Carlos’s dad and Owen tell Tarlos this together?

The fact that the 126 being sabotaged and then the Tarlos condo burning up was because Owen couldn’t contain his boredom. I know that’s an oversimplification but still.

All of this could have been addressed in 2x13, along with where TK and Carlos went after they were cleared by medical, like of course they went back to Owen’s place but the fact that we did not get any scenes of TK and I’m-the-most-polite-person-in-the-world Carlos living with I-have-no-concept-of-personal-space-or-anything-resembling-chill Owen and I’m-actually-a-giant-puppy Mateo, that we got no scenes of those four living together- we were robbed.

Because what did we get instead?

That did not have to happen?

TOMMY’s HUSBAND DID NOT HAVE TO DIE.

I’m sorry, one more time-

CHARLES VEGA DID NOT HAVE TO FUCKING HAVE TO DIE. IT DID NOTHING FOR THE PLOT.

Seriously- there was never a chance that Tommy was going to leave and not be their captain anymore. And honestly, her staying in the job after he had died and she did not have to, does not seem the right decision with the information she lays out!

Because if Charles’ life insurance policy was big enough to support them and she’s in her fifties and is a single mom now to two pre teens, if she did not have to work the why the fuck would she? It seems the wrong choice in that context!

But, but, if they wanted to have Gina Torres be the focus of an episode, if they wanted to make this choice, I think they could’ve done that for the finale.

In 2x13, instead of say having Tarlos on screen for TWENTY GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING SECONDS where they’re like “even though our living space and all of our possessions burned up less than twenty four hours ago, we have nothing more pressing to do than wander into our crispy burned up firehouse to play with a half burned foosball table and play some fucking BOGGLE.”

Instead of that, Carlos could’ve dealt with fact that he is having some feelings about what happened and that he doesn’t have these feelings often because he’s Carlos and he keeps it together and is stoic and that didn’t mean he had a fire extinguisher in the room when he needed one. Him and TK could have I don’t know fucking slept or tearfully hugged Carlos’s parents after their son almost died. TK and Owen could have, and this is just spitballing.. HAD AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION. ABOUT ANY OF THE EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED IN FIRE EPISODE.

LIKE SERIOUSLY. PICK ANY ONE.

I have a feeling that after the first season someone went into the writers room and said “okay, we got a second season, we need less beats of people standing around talking things out. In our ten episodes you notice how often our characters just… talk to each other? About what is happening? Yeah that’s gotta stop. We need more people melting from the heat- like we need flesh literally melting off the bone like these people are gas station ribs! We need bombs made of lava to TAKE PEOPLE OUT. We need people catching themselves on FIRE”.

I would like to find that person and take them to task. Because there are so many things that happened in 2x12 that should have been talked about that just…weren’t.

What they could have done is have Charles have a health episode and then in the 2x14 Tommy could worry about his health opening the restaurant and then she could do the whole should I be working? Thing and then decided she wanted to keep her job and Charles would still be alive.

And Billy Tyson- Jesus fucking Christ.

Like again, the firehouse being threatened with closure, that is a good plot point, and it’s the end of season 2, it makes sense. But this could have done without Billy Tyson.

Like yes I know technically he just helped Owen but it’s like Owen- STOP TELLING BILLY THINGS. I really feel this is something literally anyone could have told Owen if this is still a show where people talked to each other.

And that is just some petty shit that Owen turns down the job and the deputy chief gives the job to Billy and is like “and now we’re going to close his firehouse- WITH HIS OWN BUDGET! MUHUHUHUHAHAHA!”

I’m sorry if this made no coherent sense, I was just watching the last three episodes in the second season like what the actual fuck????

Like y’all made me love these characters and then this is how you treat them?!?!

For real- in the season 2 finale, literally all Carlos did was raise his eyebrows like “why y’all like this?” while the 126 told him about Matteo’s temporary Captain almost dying- that’s all he did. In the whole episode.

And he won over Tommy’s daughters and that was cute.

But you know who should have been there?

Charles Vega-

THATS WHO.

#no i will not stop bringing that up #still salty #charles vega #should not have died #neither should gwyn #911 lone star #911lonestaredit #owen strand #carlos reyes #tk strand #tarlos #tk and carlos #tommy vega #billy tyson

[gleeincorrectquotes]

Reading the end of “they both die at the end” like

#☹️☹️☹️ #they both die at the end #tbdate #mateo torrez #rufus emeterio #what’s fucking me up the most is mateos dad like…. #I need to know how that guy felt waking up finding out his son freaking died while he was gone #and now all he has are a few photos of his last day with the love of his sons life- WHO HE NEVER GOT TO MEET #FUCK #not glee #random #girl help it’s 12:28 how am I supposed to go into work tomorrow #jen rambles #jen’s shitty memes

[futures-tense]

Would you be interested in writing a fic where Gwen has has the baby (and it’s Owen’s). The 126 are in the waiting room and tk overhears them joke about not letting this one near drugs or something and he runs out crying to Carlos and the 126 go to give Gwen and Owen a piece of their mind? Sorry it’s so long/specific x

This took me a long time, and im sorry, but I hope this is what you had in mind 🙃

also- unrelated- but this is how I found out that my sister and best friend learned to play poker while i was in the surgery once so fhfbf

TW: Substance addiction mention,

Since I Wasn’t Born Perfect//1.3k//

"Dad, drive faster!"

“Tk, I'm already speeding."

TK pursed his lips and trained his eyes on his mother again. "Breathe, mom."

"Owen, if you don't drive faster," she manages from the passenger seat. She's holding TK's hand tightly over her shoulder. "I swear to god, I'll-"

She lets out a cry and tightens her hold on TK, who winces slightly. He feels his phone buzzing next to him and he smiles at the name flashing across the screen.

"Hey, babe- ow!" He pulls his hand out of Gwyn's grip and switches his phone to his now throbbing hand.

"Is everything okay?" He can hear the concern in Carlos's voice.

"Yeah, sort of. I can't talk long though."

"TK."

He smiles slightly. "Mom went into labor; we're on our way to the ER."

"Oh," Carlos says. "Do you need-"

"No, finish your shift," TK insists as they pull up to the hospital. "I've got to go. Be safe, I love you."

"I love you too, cariño. Text me updates."

TK shoves his phone into his pocket and helps his mom out of the car. He slips into paramedic mode, spouting all the things that the doctor needs to know. Owen follows her but a nurse steps in front of TK apologetically.

"I'm so sorry, but I need you to wait in the waiting room."

He opens his mouth to argue but nods instead. She leads him to a room full of chairs and panicked families where he sits by himself, leg bouncing wildly. What feels like an eternity later, the rest of the 126 shows up.

"How's she doin'?" Judd asks, sitting next to him. TK just shrugs and tugs at the strings of his hoodie.

"They haven't told me anything yet." He frowns for a moment. "Did Dad call you guys?"

Paul shakes his head. "Carlos."

TK smiles. Mateo and Marjan sit on his other side and Mateo pulls out a deck of cards.

"Slap Jack?"

———

"I'm looking for TK Strand?"

After 13 excruciatingly slow hours, the words are music to his ears.

"That-that's me," he says, scrambling to his feet. "Is she okay? Is the baby? Did something go wrong? Is-"

"TK, let her speak," Judd laughs. The doctor smiles a little.

"Everything went fine; they're both okay." TK lets out a breath. "Do you want to go see them?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright, follow me."

When they get to the room, the doctor leaves TK standing in the doorway. His parents are watching the baby, oblivious to his presence. He smiles a little to himself, taking in the scene.

"Maybe this time we should keep the painkillers on the top shelf?" He hears his father say and TK feels like he was just punched in the gut.

"We can just wrap him in bubble wrap so he'll never need them."

He has never wanted to cry more.

———

Carlos looks around the waiting room, smiling as his eyes land on the members of the 126.

“Hey, any news?”

Marjan looks up from the card game she’s playing with Mateo. “They’re okay; TK just went back.”

He lets out a breath, “Thank god.” Someone bumps his shoulder from behind, rushing past him. “Sorry, I- TK?”

His fiancé turns to look at him and Carlos can see he’s on the verge of tears, relief and pain mixing in his eyes.

“Whoa, whoa, what happened?” TK ignores his question and instead hugs him tightly, burying his face in Carlos’s shoulder. Carlos looks around at the crew- hoping for answers- but they’re all just as confused as he is. “Okay, cariño, you have to talk to me. How can I help?”

“They’re making jokes,” TK mumbles. Carlos frowns and moves back, cupping TK’s face in his hands. The paramedic wipes his face with his sleeves, looking anywhere but at Carlos.

“What do you mean ‘they're making jokes?” Carlos prods.

“My- My parents,” he hiccups out. “They're making jokes about-about painkillers a-and-and bubble wrap- and about not fucking this kid up.”

Carlos can feel his blood boiling as TK breaks down in his arms. He pulls him close, shooting a look at Judd- who looks like he’s about to hit someone.

“Take a breath, Ty,” Carlos says, softly, pressing a kiss to his head.

Judd stands and starts in the direction TK just came from.

“Shit,” Paul mumbles as the rest of the crew get to their feet to follow. Carlos cards his fingers through TK’s hair.

“Hey, babe?” TK makes a noise, then sniffles, but doesn’t move. “I’m really proud of you.”

———

"Cap, you got a minute?"

Judd is leaning against the door to their room, arms crossed. Owen looks up from the sleeping baby in his wife's arms.

"Hey, you guys. Where's-"

"We need to talk."

Owen frowns and looks at the Gwyn and the baby before meeting them in the hall. "Where's TK?"

Marjan waves her hand dismissively. "You're making jokes about painkillers? What are you thinking?"

Owen stiffens. "How much did he hear?"

"No, Cap," Judd says, shaking his head. "That is not the point. You've got a kid who was in and out of rehab most of his teen and adult life and you're makin' jokes?"

Owen scoffs. "I don't need to get reprimanded by my employees."

“All due respect,” Paul starts, “but right now, we’re TK's friends."

"And we're going to treat you like any other asshole," Marjan says.

“Did you just call me an asshole, Marwani?”

She just shrugs. “You thought I wouldn’t call you out?”

Owen looks over the group. “Fine, will you go find TK, tell him I want to talk to him?”

“Carlos took him home,” Mateo says, looking up from a text from Carlos. Owen sighs and shakes his head.

“Okay, I’ll call him. On another note, thank you guys for being here.”

“Of course, Cap,” Paul smiles. “We wouldn’t miss this.”

Judd shakes his head and starts walking toward the waiting room again.

———

“TK, your phone’s ringing,” Carlos says from his place at the counter.

“It’s just my dad,” he mumbles dismissively, his eyes never leaving his computer. “What do you think about orchids?”
Carlos wipes his hands on a dishtowel and leans on the counter. “I think, you’re avoiding things. Again.”

“Mm, oh! What about hyacinths?” TK asks; the wide smile never reaches his eyes. “If we’re going to have a spring wedding, they’d be the perfect table… center decoration thingy.”

“You’re really not going to talk about this?” Carlos doesn’t know why he’s asking; he knows the answer. He’s been trying to get TK to talk to his parents all week. “Babe, your little brother is officially a week old and you have yet to meet him. All because you’re being stubborn?”

“No, wait,” Tk mutters, typing quickly. “What’s that one flower you like? It- like- represents your birth month or something?”
“TK.”
“Asters! Oh, babe, asters would be-“

“Tyler.”
TK trails off mid sentence, his fingers hovering over the keys. “Carlos, I don’t know what you want me to say. I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”

Carlos moves around the table and slowly closes the computer, leaning against the table next to his fiancé- who keeps his eyes trained forward.

“I want you to be okay.”

TK tugs on sleeve and chews the inside of his cheek. “After what happened in New York...my dad was the one who pushed rehab, the-the therapy, who insisted I live with him, you know? And then...”

He makes a face- almost wincing- and sniffles. “Then, he’s making jokes about how I fucked up.”

Carlos covered his hands with his own. “Do you want me to arrest him?”

TK laughs and leans closer to press his head against Carlos. “Could you do that?”

“I can if I want to.”

“What would you charge him with?”

“I’m sure I can find something,” he shrugs running his fingers through TK’s hair. They lapse into silence. “What can I do?”

“You’re here,” TK mumbles, pressing a kiss to his wrist. “That’s all I need right now.”

———

Chapter 2

#tk strand #911 lone star #carlos reyes #tarlos #my fics #911 ls fics #judd ryder #mateo chavez #owen strand #owen strand (derogatory) #gwyn strand #marjan marwani #paul strickland #substance abuse tw #ask to tag

[chicgeekgirl89]

In Between the Highs and Lows, There’s You and Me

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Characters: T.K. Strand, Carlos Reyes

Rating: T

Summary: A series of missing moments between T.K. and Carlos from episode 2x10 "With a Little Help From My Friends." Featuring: T.K. and his innuendos, Carlos as the most understanding person ever, and both of them being ridiculous and sweet.

A/N: Our boys have moved in together and I am very happy! Huge thanks to @bluenet13 who told me to just write a post-ep and not think about it too much. And who also checks my Spanish because she's a wonderful human being! Enjoy!

AO3/ff.net

                                       XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I’m very handy?” Carlos said as soon as Owen walked out the door. “T.K. seriously?”

“Well you are,” T.K. said, a smirk all over his face as he hooked the waistline of Carlos’ pants with one finger and pulled him close.

“Yeah but in front of your dad? You might as well as have said, ‘Hey dad, my boyfriend and I had sex on that couch two days ago.’”

T.K. rolled his eyes. “He could not care less. He probably didn’t even notice.”

“Yeah well I did,” Carlos protested, though not very strongly considering the way T.K. was pressing up against him right now.

“Apologies officer, it won’t happen again.”

One look at T.K.’s face told Carlos that it absolutely would. “Tu si eres tonto,” Carlos muttered.

“But you love me anyway,” T.K. said with a grin, leaning forward and capturing Carlos’ mouth in a kiss. 

Things quickly got out of hand. Things with T.K. usually did. The kiss deepened, T.K.’s hands coming up to run through Carlos’ curls, while Carlos’ skated up and down his sides. 

When T.K. pulled away and moved to kiss Carlos’ neck, Carlos felt himself sag a little bit into his boyfriend’s embrace even as reason tried to take over. “T.K.,” he said weakly and then swallowed hard as T.K. nipped at his earlobe. “T.K. we have a lot to unpack.”

T.K. paused for a moment to look up at him, lips swollen, chest heaving, eyes full of mischief and desire. “I live here now right?”

“Yes.”

“Then it will still be here to unpack later.” T.K. said, attacking Carlos’ mouth once more, reaching for the bottom of his shirt and stripping it off over his head in between kisses. 

And Carlos gave in. Because he always gave in to T.K. Because he loved this crazy, slightly reckless, sexy man he’d chosen to share his life with.

T.K. moved Carlos backward toward the stairs and then had to catch him because Carlos stumbled over a box of what was probably more of T.K.’s shoes. The man had so. many. shoes. “See, this is why we should unpack first,” Carlos said breathlessly. “This place is a fire hazard.”

“Mmm…pretty sure I’m the former firefighter in this relationship and I think it’s fine,” T.K. said before he leaned in and whispered something so dirty in Carlos’ ear that he forgot how to breathe for a moment. 

“Well I guess the bed is unpacked,” Carlos managed as T.K. grinned, proud of how much sway he had over his boyfriend.

“See, now you’re thinking.” T.K. grabbed his hand and tugged him up the stairs. Carlos smiled that stupid, besotted smile that only T.K. could cause and let himself be pulled along. If this was what living together was going to be like, he could get used to it.

                                                XXXXXXXXXXXXX

T.K. stormed through the front door, letting it slam shut behind him as he hurled his backpack to the floor. “Whoa,” Carlos said, looking up from where he was sitting on the couch. “What’s wrong?”

T.K. bit his lip and put his hands on his hips. “My dad cancelled his fucking surgery.”

Carlos set his book down and sat forward. “What? Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know!” T.K. threw up his hands in exasperation. “I only found out because Mateo told me. Apparently the night after I moved out, the two of them got all liquored up and my dad just…confessed all these things to him. Including that he is no longer scheduled for surgery.”

T.K. paced back and forth, so agitated he could hardly see straight. “He lied to me. Again.”

“Hey,” Carlos got up and gently put his hands on T.K.’s shoulder to stop his frantic movements. “It’s going to be okay.”

T.K. looked up into his eyes, tears pricking at his own. “I don’t know if I can do this anymore,” he said desperately. “Carlos I—”

“It’s all right.” Carlos wrapped his arms around him and pressed his lips to his hair. “It’s all right. I’ve got you.”

They stood there for several long moments as T.K. breathed through the whirlwind of thoughts assaulting his mind. When he finally pulled back he felt calmer, but something like grief still sat heavily in his stomach. “God I swear, sometimes I wonder if he’s ever told me the truth a day in his life,” he said with a sniff, wiping at his eyes. 

“Sometimes parents aren’t very good at being parents; even when they love us,” Carlos murmured, cupping T.K.’s face gently and running a thumb over his cheek. 

T.K. closed his eyes and let his head fall against Carlos’ shoulder, Carlos’ arms tightening around him in another hug. “I just don’t get it,” T.K. said. “Any of it. Why he didn’t just schedule it in the first place. Why he didn’t tell me that he cancelled it. God, it’s like he thinks I’m always about three seconds from a bender. No matter how many times I tell him I’m good he hides things from me. First the cancer, then the baby, now this.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s about you,” Carlos said. “I think he can’t handle his own feelings about it. So instead he hides the truth. From himself as much as you.”

The words soothed his raging spirit in the way that only Carlos could. T.K. looked up, frowning slightly. “How do you always know the right thing to say?”

“Lots of practice talking down angry suspects,” Carlos said, cupping the back of his neck and pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. “Come on. I made bolognese. You’ll feel better after you eat.”

Carlos started to walk away but T.K. caught his hand and pulled him back, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Thank you,” he said.

Carlos smiled and brushed a hand over his cheek. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

                                     XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

T.K. leaned his head back in the passenger seat a sigh escaping him. Carlos looked at him tentatively from the driver’s seat. “Are you sure you want to leave like this?” he asked.

T.K. blew out a breath. “No. What I want is for him to see what a freaking idiot he’s being and how much the whole team cares about him so that he reschedules the stupid fucking surgery and we can be done with this.” He shook his head. “But he’s too god damn stubborn for that so we may as well go home.”

Carlos turned the car on and they drove home in near silence. He could practically feel the anger and confusion and sadness pouring off of T.K., but the best he could offer was a hand to hold at red lights.

“I think I need some time by myself,” T.K. said when they got home, defeat in every line of his face, the heavy sag of his shoulders.

“Okay,” Carlos said. “I’m here if you want to talk.”

“Thanks.”

When Carlos had first met the Strands he’d been envious; they seemed so close. Weird for sure, but a tight knit unit, the way a family should be. Nothing like the awkwardness he’d felt for so long around his own parents; constantly worrying that he would slip up and say something that would cause them to push him out of their lives putting a strain on their relationship.

But the more he saw of Owen Strand and the more T.K. revealed about his past, the more Carlos saw the cracks. T.K.’s constant need to please, his tendency to shut others out, all brought on by the emotional loss of his dad at such a young age. And the way Owen tried not to bother T.K., not to involve him in any of the more sordid details of his own life, to pretend that everything was a-okay at all time, probably as a result of his own regrets and guilt over T.K.’s choice of coping mechanisms in pills and booze. 

They loved hard, but it was a broken love.

He heard the shower turn on as he checked his email and then busied himself with tidying up the kitchen and living room. They still hadn’t found a home for everything of T.K.’s so he did a little sorting and rearranging, but it was mostly him just trying to keep his hands busy so that he could pretend to ignore the gnawing worry in his gut about his boyfriend.

When an hour and a half passed and T.K. still hadn’t reappeared Carlos started to get concerned. He didn’t want to cross any boundaries, but he was also conscious of how T.K. tended to shut down when upset.

“T.K.?” he called as he walked up the stairs.

There was no response and it caused Carlos’ heart to beat faster as he reached the top and walked down the short hallway to their bedroom.

T.K. was sitting on the floor next to the bed, knees drawn up to his chest, hands covering his face. “Hey,” Carlos dropped beside him so they were shoulder to shoulder, wrapping an arm around T.K.’s shoulders, his other hand coming to rest on T.K.’s knee. “Talk to me.”

T.K. took a shaky breath and leaned heavily into Carlos’ side. “I shouldn’t have left him. This was a mistake. I should have seen it. All the signs were there and I missed them. It took Mateo one night to figure it out.”

“T.K. he didn’t tell you. Did he give you any indication when you suggested moving out that he was upset about it?”

“No. No he was supportive and happy for me. But I should have known that he couldn’t handle it on his own. Heck the last time he got bad news he moved us across the country. My mom leaving…it’s tearing him up. And then I left him too, all alone in that house without anybody but a dog for company.”

Carlos sat with him quietly for a moment. “T.K. what do you want?”

T.K. looked up at him confused. “What do you mean?”

“Do you want to go back and live with him? Because if you do, that won’t change anything for us.”

“No. God, no I…” he swallowed. “I want to be here with you.”

“Your dad is a grown man, T.K. His feelings are not your responsibility or your fault. If he’s struggling, he needs to be strong enough to get some help. Just like you did.”

T.K. blew out a breath. “It’s crazy how he thinks that telling me things will make me fall off the wagon when really it’s him not telling me stuff that drives me to the edge.”

“Do you need me to take your wallet and keys tonight?” Carlos asked quietly.

T.K. shook his head. “No. No I’m okay. I…being here with you is enough.”

“He’s going to get through this,” Carlos told him. “Your dad is a good person. And smart. He’s going to figure it out. And I’m with you every step of the way, whatever that looks like.”

T.K. looked up at him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He nudged T.K.’s shoulder. “You know what would help distract you right now?”

“What?”

“Dealing with all these boxes we never unpacked because someone insisted on having move-in sex.”

“Or,” T.K. countered. “We could have ‘my dad is making stupid life choices and I’m upset about it sex’ instead.”

Carlos wrinkled his nose and laughed. “Yeah. As much as I love having sex with you, I don’t think either of us should be interested in that kind. Come on.”  He pulled T.K. to his feet. “Someone has to figure out where to put Marlon Blendo.”

                                 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: I swear it did occur to me until many hours after I wrote this that talking about things being a fire hazard in the condo is...very foreboding considering what's coming in a couple weeks. Ah well! Also I have a personal head canon that Carlos is a big reader, so that will likely be making appearances in future fics.

#911 Lone Star #Tarlos #Carlos Reyes #T.K. Strand #Tarlos Fanfic #Emotional Whump #Missing moments fic #And a little bit of smexy times #In Between the Highs and Lows There's You and Me #911 LS 2x10

[glitterandgoldrush]

you’ll be the death of me thoughts —spoiler warning of course!!!

wowowow i have many thoughts so i’m gonna break it up—

plot:

boy was this a topsy turvy ride… the reveals happened so fast and in such quick succession that it was so overwhelming. it was excellent to draw you in, and i found myself wanting to scream as characters worked things out but then BAM! pov change. however, i also feel like it didn’t let the answers sink in, exactly? like oouil, for example, we have a few scenes worth of reveals happening at different times (the car, the café, and then janae’s) and just that little break up gives you enough time to digest before jumping into more information but here it was REALLY like: BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. right after each other and it’s kinda hard to really appreciate everything bc we’re going so DAMN FAST

it makes sense, in the end, but i feel like it could’ve been helped by focusing on smaller details—like coach stealing the phone or something—just to really take a moment, prolong it just a little bit. the reveal was just So Much holy shit 😭 although i always have to say i love karen’s way of introducing little hints so casually, and the reveal of the weasel and dígame was excellent. although am i the only one who thought that the emphasis on it meant that he was D??? still confused if i’ve missed something here.

and mateos dad….what on earth. i know everyone talks about the final chapter of tckas being a lot, but to me that was the most obvious reveal in the world i guessed it like one chapter in, but THIS ONE?!!? never in a million years holy shit. i was really cycling through all of it, like daniel??? dale hawkins??? dominick?? but NO—his DAD I MEAN COME ON WHAT!!! on one hand i’m like i need a sequel i have to know where this goes, on the other i’m like ?? literally where could this go lmao

ANYWAY MOVING ON

characters

mateo was the only one i liked 😭😭 his and ivy’s relationship was so freaking adorable, and the sugar babies thing made me want to CRY but ivy was awful???? i cannot believe that mateo apologised to HER like ??? the book would have seriously benefited from mateo being like “i like you, but i don’t trust you. so we have to only be friends” and ivy having to actually learn that her actions have consequences for once. it felt like such a great build up to that point and then it just,,, didn’t happen and i’m not sure why. mateo shouldn’t have apologised he was literally right lmao

although i will say that ivy and daniels relationship in the end gave me all the warm and fuzzies awh 🥺

as for cal…i’m not sure what to think. he literally made so many bad fucking choices and it kinda feels like it was just swept under the rug, you know everyone was like wanting lara to go to jail (AS SHE SHOULD, PREDATOR!!!!!) but no one seemed to really check in on cal and be like ?? hey what the fuck was that are you okay?? i wish that was expanded upon more, but let’s be honest karen’s characters never get to deal with their trauma 😭😭 but he was excellent comedic relief and his POV in the car after mateo and ivy fought is one of the best parts of the book lol

im sure there are many details i’ve missed so feel free to come and ask/chat/share your own opinions, i’d love to hear them!!

#ybtdom #you’ll be the death of me #ivy sterling-shepard #cal o’shea-wallace #mateo wojcik

[oabf45]

Ok so I finally watched the new 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star episodes and here is what I think overall for the seasons so far, the characters, and part 2 of the seasons. Badically my opinions no one asked for 😁

9-1-1

- Let's rip the band aid off. I'm sorry but we're never getting Buddie. I'm a huge Buddie shipper myself, but I honestly have reached the point where I just don't see it happening. For one their friendship alone just isn't what it's been the past two seasons. Idk if its just me feeling this, but their scenes together, though sweet, just haven't been what they've been in the past. I mean this last episode is the most connection I feel from their characters than i have this whole season. I'm still not over Eddie's lack of reaction to Buck being trapped when Buck was ready to dig through the earth to find Eddie. Though I think there is still a chance Buck could be BI I just no longer have hope that Buddie is going to be a thing. I mean, they've at least hinted that Buck could ride that way, but Eddie has given zero signs of being into men at all. But honestly if they at least explore a BI Buck then I'll be happy, even if he's not with Eddie. It also doesn't help that there's a HUGE possibility that Oliver and Ryan don't get along anymore. They stopped following each other on social media and they post pictures with all the rest of the cast except each other. Its just looking extremely unlikely.

- I don't think Ana deserves as much hate as she's getting. I wasn't so fond of the Eddie/Ana pairing either, mostly because I was so into Buddie. But Ana does seem genuinely a great person and its a plus that Christopher loves her. I just wish that if they were going to persue this they would have built it up more and showed us more of her character. I mean we know close to nothing about her which is what makes it hard to like her or like her with Eddie.

- I'm glad that even if Buck doesn't end up with Eddie he still is obviously going to be someone very close to Christopher. Their relationship is so absolutely darling and even if its not Buddie, Buck is very obviously like a second dad.

- At first I was not at all happy with them bringing back Taylor. I found her character so freaking annoying in the past. But honestly her character seems to have mellowed out and I actually liked her. But I am PRAYING that if she sticks around its just as a friend and not a girlfriend. Buck and Taylor are just a huge NOPE in my book.

- I need more of Athena, Bobby, and Michael ASAP! I miss seeing them more on my screen!

- I'm super excited for baby Chimney/Maddie. And I'm so happy Chimney felt safe enough in his relationship to express his feelings about an at home birth. Their relationship is so sweet and healthy and it makes my heart so warm

- I swear on everything I love if they take that little baby away from Hen and Karen I will RIOT! I also hope to see more of Hen's mom and can't wait to see her pass her exam.

- Albert was wrong for dating Buck's bad date, but he's a good guy and overall a good friend. Buck needs more friends outside of Eddie. I hope they give him more of a storyline in part 2.

- Overall loved the first half of 9-1-1 season 4. I hope they do another crossover in part 2 so that Buck can meet Carlos.

9-1-1 Lone Star

- Yes I have hated the baby trope this first half, yes Gwyn has been annoying af and I'm ready for her to go, and YES Owen has been annoying this season too. But I still love Owen and no I don't believe he's a bad person or a bad father. I hope they do right by his character in the second part and bring the old Owen back now that his life is going to go back to what it was. But I also know this is going to leave room for another romantic interest which you just know they're going to bring in. Maybe they'll bring Michelle back 🤷🏽‍♀️

- The amount of screen time Carlos got is *chefs kiss*. I'm so glad we got to see more into his family dynamic. And how great he is as a cop?! Like make that man a detective already! Also Rafael's acting is superb. He has the most expressive eyes I've ever seen! His face with Owen compliments him on his caring heart and how that makes him a great cop? He BEAMED and it was like no one had ever told him that before. I wanted to hug him so badly.

- I'm so happy they're showing a healthy gay relationship. Sure they've had their ups and downs, but they show TK and Carlos working it out perfectly with good communication which is what we need to see represented more with LGBTQ+ couples on TV. I have no doubt they'll last because they're literally the reason most people tune in and the showrunners know that. And that reuniting hug? Ronen and Raf's real life friendship makes their on screen relationship feel so real and I hope that never changes.

- I need more Mateo. The only thing we know is that he's dyslexic and has a cousin in LA. He's such a great character I wish they'd give him more screen time.

- I know that most y'all see them as just a brother/sister pair, but I love the idea of Mateo/Marjan as a couple. I feel like she could help him grow up a little while he could help her have more fun. But either way I love their relationship and want to see more.

-PLEASE give Paul a GREAT love interest. Someone who loves and accepts him for everything he is. He deserves so much love.

- Tommy Vega is THAT BITCH! She deadass basically said "shoot me. You won't". LOVE seeing a strong black woman on the screen. And I hope they give more screen time to Nancy. I feel like she could be a really interesting character.

- Am I the only one that kind of wants to see them bring back Billy Tyson? I know thats so random, but I think he needs redemption. Idk 🤷🏽‍♀️

- Last but not least......thank GOD I read spoilers before watching the episode because if I hadn't prepared myself and they ended the show with that bridge scene......all I gotta say is JUDD AND GRACE BETTER BE FUCKING OK! OR I'M FIGHTING EVERY DAMN BODY! But honestly I think they will be. These two make the show, for one. Judd is deadass the glue that holds that firehouse together and is overall a great character. No way they're killing him off. And Grace is a fucking saint and also a great character. And she's one of the only two black women on the show. Showrunners, y'all really wanna try that? They're such a great, healthy relationship who are literally so unstoppable together. I think they'll have some trauma but survive. And possibly a Ryder baby? Yes please, and please let it be a baby boy. Judd needs a little mixed cowboy 🤠

- Overall the season has been good, but too Owen/Gwyn central. Hoping the next part has more spotlight on the others. Maybe some "Character Begins" episodes? I think a "Judd Begins" Episode would be perfect to start off with to tie into the whole "omg is he alive" aspect we're bound to get.

#9 1 1 fox #9 1 1 lone star #911 #buddie #buck and eddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #tk strand #tk x carlos #carlos reyes #owen strand #judd ryder #grace ryder #tommy vega #hen wilson #chimney han #maddie buckley #bobby nash #athena grant #angela bassett #oliver stark #ronen rubinstein #rafael silva #jim parrack #sierra mcclain

[hadtochangemyurlquick]

here’s 5.7k of the unsinkable 8 during the zombie apocalypse. good for fans of leatin and goodfoe. it’s super unedited and i’m mainly just posting it for fun cause i finished it today. some references to world war z the book for fun, and i used the zombies from that too.

A flash of blonde and Dot’s gun went up, pointed directly at the head of whatever made their way toward her. She had two bullets left, six cigarettes, and the last mini of hard liquor she raided from the motel back in Aquilla.

She’d have to get it in one shot, which would be hard sitting down, with her back to it, half delirious.

She grunted as she pulled herself around, her leg still out in the makeshift splint. The zed crept closer, not going at the usual hobbling pace. It definitely had caught her scent though, maybe it was down a few limbs already.

She cocked her gun, flicking off the safety, keeping her finger off the trigger. She’d wait until she could see the whites of its eyes. Get it in one shot.

The blonde head crept closer and she finally tucked her gun over the rocks, making eye contact with it for the first time.

“Shelby Goodkind?”

“Dot Campbell?”

Shelby stared at her, lowering her own gun and Dot let out a breath of relief.

“Dottie, oh my god, I thought you were one of ���em.” She put away her gun, Dot doing the same and she ran over. “It’s so good to see ya, what’s wrong?” She looked at the leg, her face paling.

“Ankles broken,” Dottie muttered. “Was gonna treat myself to one last drink,” she gestured at the bottle.

“Oh lord,” Shelby said. “Well that’s no good, I got a place not to far from here I’ve been camping out in. Some first aid stuff too.”

“I can’t give you anything back for it,” Dot said.

“We both know two people are more likely to make it,” Shelby said.

She looked sunburned and hollowed out, a little hungrier than the last time Dot saw her, headed with her family to that military base. She was alone, and desperate, everyone was. Because here was how it went in Texas. You could trust a stranger as far as you could throw ‘em, but you needed people to live. So if you had people, you lived. And Dot was people, or as close to people as Shelby was willing to get. She musta lost a lot to lower her standards so far.

“Alright,” Dot said. “We’re gonna have to go slow and you’re gonna have to carry a lot of shit.”

“No problem,” Shelby beamed.

Back at the camp, an old rusting trailer with some battery Shelby told her she was saving for a rainy day, Shelby re-splinted her, fed and watered her, and they pooled their resources. Twenty-six cigs now, which might get ‘em a few hours in a safe car north, if they wanted it. Or it might get ‘em some food, or a get out of jail free card, depending on the hunger of the people hunting ‘em.

It was late at night when Dot realized she hadn’t even asked yet.

“Family’s gone then?”

“Yeah,” Shelby said. “You?”

“My dad died before this shit show,” Dot said.

“Lucky,” Shelby said. She took a swig from the mini, and passed it over to Dot. “What’s your plan?”

“I heard there was a safer spot near San Antonio,” Dot said. “Running water and shit.”

Shelby shook her head, “Gone, three weeks ago. Heard it on the radio.”

Dot nodded, “What about you?”

“Radio said Hawaii’s better,” Shelby said. “There’s an operation ferrying people there on the west coast. It’s a thousand cigs per person. But there’s work by the dock if you’re willing to do it.”

“Work for you?” Dot asked.

Shelby’s jaw tightened, “I’ll do what I have to do. Lord forgive me.”

Dot sighed, “Sounds like we go west then.”

They hung around in the trailer for three days, pushing the limits of what was safe, and stumbled on to a new place in the area at daybreak on the fourth day. Dot’s ankle wasn’t broken, with the inflatable cast Shelby had in a week or so she’d be something regarding useful, and as long as she didn’t push herself she’d be more than fine.

Spending time with Shelby Goodkind was another story. For one thing, despite the zombie apocalypse, complete destruction of their lives and modern society, the death of her family and everyone in their town, Shelby was still good and kind. She’d clutch at the cross around her neck every time they’d pass a body, and would never touch one, even the ones that were recent and obviously not stripped clean. It made Dot kinda mad, she found five cigs just walking, and she wondered how many Shelby passed off being squeamish.

But Shelby also wasn’t squeamish, wasn’t afraid to take down a zed with a kitchen knife, and with that same hand wipe the gore off Dot all gentle. She called her Dottie, gave her the last blanket, and always volunteered for the first shift so Dot could watch the sunrise. Dot hadn’t been cared for in a long while, hadn’t been around people in even longer. She decided she might love it.

But Shelby was a magnet, always had been, she talked about god’s light long enough that she got Dot believing it all fell on her. It wasn’t a real surprise when she showed up with a stray.

“What the fuck,” Dot said. “Did you kidnap a child?”

“I did not kidnap a child,” Shelby said, picking the girl up with some difficulty and lifting her onto the backseat of the broken down minivan they were holed up in.

“I sent you out to get sunscreen,” Dot said. “How did you come back with a child?”

“She’s our age,” Shelby said. “I think. And listen, I found her barricaded in a utility closet with a bad fever, I knew we had some tablets but I didn’t wanna leave her.”

“Like bite fever?” Dot asked. “We don’t have enough bullets to—”

“No,” Shelby shook her head, “Look,” she gently unwrapped a bandage around the girl’s arm, revealing a bad slice. “It’s infected. Not a bite. We’re okay.”

Dot sighed and nodded. The girl’d probably try and rob ‘em blind but if they watched her hands and got away fast enough they should be fine. They’d be fine.

“You’re more trouble than you’re worth,” Dot muttered. Shelby smiled, all sweet and gentle and bright and Dot rolled her eyes.

The girl took the tablets, they washed and changed the bandages, after about fourteen hours she blinked awake, unfortunately while Dot was on watch.

“Who—who are you?”

“Dot Campbell,” she said.

The girl stared at her.

“My friend saved your ass,” Dot said. “Shelby.”

“Um,” the girl inched back, “Why? Where am I?”

“We’re on the twenty-two, not from from the ten-eighty,” Dot told her. “You got a nasty infection there, got any cigs?”

“No, I don’t smoke.”

Dot blinked at her. “Alright then.”

“My friends will be looking for me,” the girl said. “I should get back to them.” She didn’t have an accent, Dot realized, not even a thin one like her own.

“Shelby found you around Mr. K’s, we can draw you a map if you’d like,” Dot said. “Where you from?”

“Austin,” the girl lied, badly.

“Alright then,” Dot said again. “Well we’ll draw you a map in the mornin and you can leave a day break. It ain’t far.”

“Thank you,” the girl said. “For helping me.”

“Shelby’s idea,” Dot said. Neither of ‘em slept the whole time, the girl smart enough to keep an eye out, and Dot’s whole job to watch out. She woke Shelby up when she was supposed to and easily muddled into a slumber.

A nice thing, about the zombie apocalypse, was Dot had gotten a lot better at sleeping. She used to stay up for hours thinking ‘bout how she’d pay the bills, how much her dad’s meds cost, whether he was coughing more that night than he did most nights, but now she hit whatever soft looking rock she decided to call a pillow and conked out until Shelby woke her. Shelby, on the other hand, barely slept a wink, shooting up at the slightest sign of trouble, even when Dot was on watch. Too much time on her own, Dot’d guess.

Before Shelby Mateo wandered with Dot. He was quiet and sweet and she had took care of him as best she could. Shelby didn’t have nobody before Dot. Just her dead parents, and if Dot remembered eighth grade soccer well enough, a couple of dead siblings too.

So Dot pretty much conked out and missed the way the girl and Shelby giggled all night. But even she wasn’t blind to their bond when she woke, the way the girls smiled easily at one another, laughed with each other, kept up with each other.

“Dottie,” Shelby said. “Martha,” so that was the stranger’s name “said you told her we could draw her a map but Mr. K’s ain’t far, we might as well take her.”

Dot grunted, she didn’t wanna waste a day but it wasn’t like Mr. K’s would take all day and they might as well see if they could find any more cigs. She hadn’t met any non-smokers in a long while. Apocalypse sorta took the fun out of being straight-edge, if Dot had to guess.

Dot took the back, a metal bat out and ready, and Shelby and Martha took the front. Shelby had a makeshift spear made, good for longer range, but worse up close, and she gave Martha the other bat they had. To borrow, Dot had emphasized.

One of the other things that never got old about the apocalypse, was walking up a highway. Walking straight up that middle line, knowing no one would dare drive a car ‘round there. It felt like the world was yours and empty, like you were finding it, rebuilding it, building it. It was as close to a cowboy as she had felt since her daddy let her ride on his back. It was as close to free as she had ever felt.

They got back to Mr. K’s and Dot saw the approaching figures first, aiming her rifle right at ‘em, safety off and gun cocked, but her finger off the trigger. It was Shelby’s hunting rifle, actually, but she had handed it to Dot first chance she had, looking kinda pale. She had Dot’s old handgun now, useless with this kinda range.

“Live ones?” Shelby asked.

“Can’t tell,” Dot said. “Just kinda standing there.”

“They could be waiting for me,” Martha said. Dot glanced at her, hoping the girl wasn’t actually as naive as she seemed. She probably was.

They walked as close as they dared, before Martha was able to confirm that yes it was her friends.

She ran at ‘em and one of ‘em collided with her, slamming her into a hug. There were two more, just kinda watching Dot and Shelby.

“We should go,” Dot said. “We did what we said.”

“Dottie,” Shelby said.

Dot sighed and the two of ‘em trudged up to the happy pair, reuniting like they had been separated for years, decades, instead of a few hours. It was a miracle they were reunited at all, Mateo said he’d meet her back at the camp in an hour and she had to bash his head in six months later with a sledge hammer.

“Who’re your friends, Martha?” One of the other people asked. It was four girls counting Martha, lucky, none of ‘em white, but they all looked around the same age as Dot and Shelby.

“This is Shelby,” Martha grinned, “And Dot.”

Dot nodded at them.

“I am just so pleased to make your acquaintance,” Shelby smiled, holding out her hand to the girl who still had an arm wrapped around Martha.

“This is Toni,” Martha said, squeezing the girl’s side when she didn’t take Shelby’s hand. “And Rachel and Nora.”

“Ah,” Shelby smiled, “Toni your sister right?”

Martha nodded, Toni glared. “Yeah it’s great to meet you or whatever. There a reason you kidnapped Martha?”

“I saw her passed out and worried she was alone,” Shelby explained. “I knew we had some tablets back at the camp but—”

“What do you want?” Rachel asked. “We got about six hundred if that’s—” Martha from Austin, Dot’s ass. Money hadn’t meant shit in Texas for awhile. These kids were from up north, probably pretty far up north too. Maine or some shit. Delaware.

“Got any cigs?” Dot asked.

“Yes,” Nora said. “We have a couple packs.”

“Great,” Dot held out her hands and two packs were dropped into them. Nora didn’t make eye contact the entire time, her hands fidgeting with anything. She was covered in scabs and scars, picking at her own skin probably.

“Where y’all headed?” Shelby asked.

“None of your business,” Toni said.

“Apparently the San Antonio Zone relocated to Tyler,” Martha said. “We heard some people talking about it last week.”

“Y’all got a radio?” Dot asked.

Martha shook her head.

“If you had one you’d know that that’s what they’re pulling now, telling people to go to Tyler, they shoot you as soon as you step foot in Athens.”

“So where are you guys headed?” Rachel demanded.

“West,” Shelby said. “Radio says they’re ferrying clean folks to Hawaii. It’s an island so.”

“Clean how?” Rachel asked, taking a step forward and lifting her jaw.

Dot sighed.

Shelby’s eyes widened, “Clean as in not infected, I mean.”

“Chill,” Rachel smiled, all thin, “I was kidding.”

“Great,” Dot said. “Not that this hasn’t been fun, but we should be going.”

“Wait,” Martha said. “It’s just, we might as well go west too. And we might as well go west together.”

“Marty,” Toni grabbed her by her uninjured arm, “I wanna talk to you for a moment.”

They got into a whispered argument for a few minutes. Rachel joined and it escalated but Martha came out on top, smiling as she approached them.

“We might as well go together,” she repeated.

Shelby’s smile was just as wide, “We would be alighted to have you.”

The new girls were a nightmare. Rachel and Nora, sisters as Dot would learn, hated one another. And by hated Dot meant, had a complicated relationship of love without trust or mutual respect. Nora didn’t trust Rachel, Rachel didn’t respect Nora, and they were constantly going at one another. Toni had some sorta toxic jealousy thing going on, despising Shelby because she was monopolizing Martha. She also tended to fly into these rages, making her wander off for long periods that had Dot itching to grab her gun and demanding the girl strip to check for bites. Mateo’s dad used to do the same thing, wander off to check his bite.

Shelby also was wholly focused on two things now: Martha, and Toni’s hate. Dot ambled along behind all of ‘em, keeping the sisters from killing each other, Toni’s voice down, and everyone else alive.

The worst part was it took Dot nearly three days before she caught sight of it.

“You have one hand,” Dot glared at Rachel. Rachel slung the pack over her shoulder.

“You’re just noticing that now?” Rachel asked. “I must be getting better with it.”

“The fuck happened?” Dot said.

“My hand got bit,” Rachel shrugged. “Cut it off before it spread, didn’t even know it would work.”

Dot whistled, low and quiet, like they were all used to being.

“I cut it off,” Nora corrected, sullenly.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

“I’m still quicker on the draw than you,” Rachel said, the words clunky in her mouth.

Dot set her jaw, “So y’all are sticking with the story that you’re from Austin?”

“We’re from New York,” Nora said. Rachel glared at her. “What? You think some group would waste three days on four teenage girls?”

“New York?” Dot asked. “Everyone knows it’s safer up north, why the hell are you down here?”

“You hear about Yonkers?” Rachel asked.

Dot shook her head.

“It was the last op the US military set up before they fell apart. We’d made it out by then but we watched it happen on the news. Someone in a group we had still had a phone and the whole thing was live streamed. All of the death. The group were supposed to go to some military bases up in Canada but we wanted a wide open space with plenty of guns.”

“Texas,” Dot said.

Rachel nodded.

“Stupid,” Dot told her. “You probably came for San Antonio too.”

Rachel sighed, “Nobody was gonna survive those Canadian winters without a base, and we weren’t sure we were gonna get one. Rather get bit than freeze.”

“How’d you meet Toni and Martha?” Dot asked.

“Toni and I got into a fistfight over some Takis,” Rachel said.

Dot nodded, “Fuego?”

“Fuego.”

And yeah they were a nightmare but quicker than Dot wanted they became her nightmare. Still though, she dragged Shelby away from Martha and Toni’s sides, and muttered, “we can still go. Ditch if you want. Whenever. We don’t know ‘em.”

Shelby, in high school, woulda been scandalized, muttered some bible passage at her. This Shelby was a little more grown and only looked at her all serious.

“You knew what I was when you picked me up,” she said. “And I knew what Martha was. We’ll face our consequences, I reckon.”

Dot nodded.

Walking all day, everyday, wasn’t easy stuff. Especially since they had to strip as many bodies as they could find. Nora figured it out pretty quick, mumbling something to Rachel who recruited Toni to storm over to Dot.

“You don’t smoke them, but you’re hoarding them,” Rachel said. “Why?”

Dot kept her easy pace. “These things are currency now, the value’ll only go up over time.”

“Currency for what?” Toni asked. “What are you trying to buy?”

“You think a ferry to Hawaii is free?” Dot asked. “I’m saving for all of us.”

“Dottie,” Shelby walked over, Martha sticking by Nora, “What’s up?”

“How much?” Toni asked. “Really, how much?”

“A hundred each,” Dot said, too quickly.

“Try again,” Rachel said.

“Dot,” Shelby got between them, looking at Dot. “Thou shalt not lie, right? Tell ‘em the truth.” Dot glared at her and Shelby turned back around to Rachel. “It’s five hundred each. We got about a hundred now, so no one’s going to Hawaii.”

“What if there aren’t enough?” Toni asked. “Who decides then?”

“We’ll draw straws,” Shelby said.

It was as easy a solution as anything but the tenseness started building up, Rachel and Toni viewing Dot with more suspicion. It’d fade, over time, Dot knew. Or they’d all die.

The worst it got, was actually Shelby’s doing, the easy peace maker of it all. They hadn’t bothered building a fire, despite how cold and exposed it got in Texas at night, but they huddled together between three cars they found abandoned along the highway that they pushed into a triangle. Someone got to the seat cushions of all three first, so there was nothing comfortable to lie their heads on. It was easy for Dot though, the asphalt as soft as anything to her now.

They stayed up later than they should’ve talking. Trading stories about their old life that all of them knew weren’t doing any good. Toni played basketball, was pretty good at it too. Rachel had a skill for swimming she’d never have again. Nora did quiz bowl, surprising no one. Dot talked about metal, fishing with her dad, what types of pills sold for what. Martha was a dancer, and a vegetarian once. It was something that made ‘em all crack up. When humans become man eating beasts, and once upon a time there were jokes online about vegans. Shelby talked about the yearbook, mission trips, Andrew.

But then cause Shelby started it by prattling on about Andrew Toni got it in her head to talk about Regan and Shelby was talking about Leviticus.

The next morning, Rachel quietly pulled Dot aside and told her to take all the cigarettes and head out. That they could make their own way west. Dot didn’t ask for an invitation to go with her.

They split off at the twenty-five, Dot and Shelby heading for the forty, Toni, Martha, Rachel, and Nora heading for the sixty.

Shelby was heartbroken for a few days, apologetic too, and grateful. Dot didn’t let her have any of that, only said, “It’s cause we’re from the same town. We might be the only ones from there left.”

They trudged on.

In Arizona Dot found the love of her life, her soulmate, Fatin Jadmani. In a completely straight way too. Fatin matched her tit for tat, spoke a language Dot hadn’t realized she’d been born knowing. Her girlfriend was an anxious woman named Leah, who Shelby got on with. Dot had worried, upon bringing the two back to camp, that Shelby would chase ‘em away again, but she hadn’t. Just smiled at the two of them, easily offering up a couple granola bars.

Whenever tenseness came about Fatin just laughed, and Leah rolled her eyes. It wasn’t perfect, Dot knew, there was too much hate for that, but it would last ‘em long enough. The four of ‘em just worked in this great lovely way.

Only problem was their destination.

“We barely managed to get out of LA,” Leah mumbled, she hugged her legs, her head leaning on Fatin’s shoulder.

“LA?” Shelby asked. “That’s where we’re headed.”

“What the fuck?” Fatin glared at Dot, “Dorthy I thought you had more sense than that.”

“There’s some military guys ferrying people to Hawaii,” Dot said.

“Where’d you hear that, the radio?” Fatin asked. She sighed at their nods, “They’re broadcasting out to whoever will hear it, but there is no ferry to Hawaii. The entire thing is just selling and shipping as many girls out as possible. We have no idea where though.”

“So when you say you barely made it out,” Dot said.

Fatin’s face was grim.

“We have to warn ‘em,” Shelby said.

“Warn who?” Dot asked.

“Toni and the others! They don’t know!” Shelby stood up. “I’ll plot out the course now and we’ll start out fresh tomorrow. We aren’t leaving ‘em to—to—we aren’t leaving ‘em.” She stormed off and Dot watched her go.

“She wants to go towards LA to help some motherfuckers who kicked you out of their group?” Fatin asked.

“Yeah,” Dot said.

“Are you gonna go with her?” Leah asked.

“I knew what she was when I picked her up,” Dot said.

“What do you wanna do?” Leah asked Fatin.

Fatin pressed her cheek to Leah’s head, “I don’t know if I can risk you.” Fatin looked at Dot, “Are you gonna be stupid?”

“No,” Dot said.

“Then we’ll come,” Fatin sighed. “Leah that okay?” Leah nodded.

Neither of ‘em were as good at offing zed as Shelby and Dot. Fatin was decent at finding stuff though, scoping stuff, and Leah had endurance none of the rest of ‘em could match. She was like a zed sometimes, just kept going, could keep going, until her knees wore down to dust and then she’d crawl, crawl until her fingers wore down to nubs and then she’d inch, inch until something put her out of her misery. It terrified Fatin and Shelby, but Dot couldn’t help being impressed.

So Dot ambled after Shelby toward Bethlehem on the forty but they were gonna leap back on the interstate and hopefully head ‘em off. Hopefully Martha, Toni, Rachel, and Nora’d be alive, and they’d find ‘em. And if they didn’t find ‘em, hopefully they’d be dead. And Shelby stopped sleeping about a day or two into trek. Would just keep staring at the maps and keeping watch, and taking inventory and thumbing around her necklace.

When Dot woke up on the third day of their walk, Shelby’s hair was much shorter and Fatin looked real scared. Shelby kept walking and walking and, in a fit of rage that matched Toni’s, launched her necklace off the highway. She looked like she regretted it after but they had no choice but to keep going.

They passed an arm and it looked like Rachel’s.

Shelby walked faster. Leah had that glint in her eye. Fatin took Dot’s hand and looked very very scared.

After two more days Shelby said fuck it, and found a car with some gas in it and told 'em to get in.

Dot stood in front, “Shelby,” Shelby glared at her, “This’ll attract every body in the fucking country. The sound, the smell, I’m not just talking about the dead ones neither.”

Shelby swallowed hard, “You gonna stay behind then?”

“Shelby,” Dot said. “If you leave me here I’ll get caught up in the hoard. That what you want?”

“Get in the damn car, Dottie!” Shelby said.

“If we get to ‘em in time, but there’s a fucking hoard following us, we won’t have anywhere to go but on,” Dot said. “Fucking think!”

“I am thinking,” Shelby spat back. She shoved Dot, “I’m thinking about Toni, and Martha walking from Minnesota to Texas only to die in California. I’m thinking about Nora and Rachel watching Yonkers fall and then getting shipped off to who knows where. That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Shelby we can make it,” Leah said.

“No we can’t!” Shelby said. “I’ve done the math, I keep looking at these maps, there’s no way we’ll make it in time without a mode of transportation. No car and they die.”

“Then what the fuck are we going there?” Dot asked. “If it’s too late—”

“It is not too late!” Shelby said, her throat was all closed and choked sounding. “I can save ‘em! Jesus fuckin Christ we have to help ‘em!”

“Shelby,” Dot said, she put a hand on her shoulder. “We can’t take a car, and we can’t make it by foot,” Shelby’s face crumpled. “They’re gone, alright? We should be planning our next move.”

“No,” Leah said. She shook her head, “We have to help them.”

“You don’t even know ‘em,” Dot said.

“I’m not letting four innocent girls go through what I nearly went through,” Leah said.

“I’m with Leah,” Fatin said. “We’ll take the car and play it by ear.”

“Play the-hoard-that-will-start-coming-after-us-the-second-we-turn-on-the-engine by ear?” Dot asked.

“Let’s vote,” Shelby said. “All in favor of going?”

Fatin, Leah, and Shelby all raised their hands.

“C’mon,” Dot begged. She looked at Fatin, “You told me not to be stupid!”

“So don’t be stupid,” Fatin said. “Get in the car.”

Dot sighed, wanted to punch something, wanted to cry, was too tired to do either, got in the car.

The car attracted so many fucking zed, they wouldn’t be able to stop, and they had to hope there was enough in the fucking tank to get them to wherever the four were. Dot watched the dead bodies creep closer, at their slow hobbling, relentless pace. Fatin drove, Shelby used her pike to spear any who got too close, Dot watched the maps and steadily got herself into a panic.

They were gonna die trying to save the asses of some girls they spent a couple days with.

This was not what Shelby was when Dot picked her up, this was not what she was. Shelby had gone behind Dot’s back and fucking grown as a person, hadn’t she? How the fuck was Dot gonna get away from her? She’d have to pack Fatin in a suitcase and then Leah too and that would mean entirely abandoning Shelby to be on her lonesome oh god.

Dot was stuck, wasn’t she.

As they kept driving Shelby had to keep spearing zed. It started off as one or two, but as the hours wore on they were leaning on five, six, a steady growing mass ambling behind ‘em.

If that had really been Rachel’s arm, they were probably dead. All of ‘em. Or maybe in the mass behind ‘em. And if they weren’t, they’d hear the car coming and head for the hills, assuming it meant a hoard was close behind. Which it was.

This was such a fucking terrible idea.

“So what, we just wait for a sign to say welcome to LA and then give up? We won’t find ‘em like this,” Dot said.

“Shut up!” Shelby said, she speared another.

“At least check you ain’t offing one of ours,” Dot said. “They could all be zed, for all we know.”

“I said shut up,” Shelby turned to glare at her and a zed slammed against the door. She speared it and Dot’s mouth clamped shut. “We just gotta keep going,” she said. “We’ll be fine, we just gotta keep moving.”

“You’re crazy,” Dot said.

Shelby didn’t have anything to say to that.

It was worse at nightfall, with visibility down, and they just had to keep going, to hope their car wasn’t stripped when they went over the bumps of mutilated corpses still hungry for a last meal.

“We’re almost to LA,” Shelby said. “We got nearly a hundred cigs, we might be able to bribe someone if they jump us.”

Leah snorted.

They were driving through an empty enough part of Nevada though, less corpses hurling themselves off the road and towards them. Still the ever growing mass behind ‘em now, maybe fifty, seventy five, but about twenty out.

“I gotta piss,” Dot said.

“Hurry,” Fatin said.

Dot stumbled out, no one noticing her grabbing her pack. The zed would follow the car, she’d make a clean break. She’d survive.

She was only seven minutes south, judging by the north star Shelby taught her to find when someone’s hand grabbed her. She pulled out her hand gun, jamming it into the head and flicking the safety off.

“Dot! Jesus Christ!”

The girl was wide-eyed, tan, hollowed out, empty and desperate. Reminded her of the empty pill bottles around her house after her dad died.

“Toni?”

Toni nodded, “Why are you here? Fuck that I don’t give a shit, you got water?” Dot handed it to her and Toni downed it. “The other’s are close, c’mon.” She stumbled as she got up, clearly dizzy, and Dot grabbed her forearm.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you guys,” Dot said.

“Don’t tell me it’s you in the fucking car,” Toni said. “We’ve been running from that thing for ages.”

“I fucking told Shelby,” Dot said.

“Shelby?” Toni asked, she was almost too exhausted to sound disgusted, but she managed it.

“Listen, LA isn’t safe, we found out. They’re not taking kids to Hawaii, they’re taking them.”

Toni went pale, “Fuck.” She even sounded choked now. “Shelby’s having a fucking aneurysm worrying about you so I don’t even think she’s that fucking homophobic. I’ll get everyone back to the car, you tell ‘em I’m coming.”

Toni nodded, stumbling towards the street and Dot walked back to the direction Toni pointed to before she left. Rachel, Nora, and Martha were all in various points of disarray. Exhausted, dehydrated, starving, aching and bleeding. Dot had to half carry, half drag Nora with Martha and Rachel had to get a stick to lean on as they stumbled toward the street.

“We got like ten minutes,” Fatin said. “People are gonna have to double buckle, and before anyone else makes a decision, we’re going north.”

Dot strapped everyone in and found herself sitting next to Shelby who met her eyes in a hundred yard stare.

“You took your pack.”

“Yeah.”

“But you came back.”

“Yeah.”

“Fine.”

They started on again. Dot saw Toni keep sneaking glances at Shelby and Shelby kept sneaking ‘em back.

They weren’t far from Mt. Tobin when the two finally stopped dancing around each other.

Dot convinced everyone to ditch the car near LA, walking as quickly as they could once they did, knowing it’d take awhile to ditch the hoard too. Dot watched Toni talk to Shelby in low tones, Shelby full of apologies and panics and Toni keeping her cool longer than Dot had ever seen it.

Martha took to Fatin quickly, everyone did, and Nora and Leah spent long hours walking beside each other mumbling about books or something. Not anything Dot gave two shits about.

Rachel ambled along with Dot most of the time. Whenever Fatin and Leah were all over each other and Dot didn’t feel like third wheeling. Rachel was always listening to the radio and as time passed it became clear that the two of them were the most capable of keeping everyone alive. And not in a more knowledgable way. Because Nora knew what plants were edible, and Shelby was a better shot. Or in an emotional way, because Fatin and Martha handled that. But in a planning sorta way. Because Dot knew how to get them to point B, while Rachel was working on point E.

“We should go to Washington,” Rachel muttered on one of the late nights they spent keeping watch while they poured over maps. “We might be able to find a boat to Victoria.”

“Victoria?” Rachel pointed her out.

“It’s a Canadian island. Canada lasted a little longer than we did, Victoria might not be in such a bad way.”

“Less guns in Canada,” Dot said. “And there might not be a boat that’ll take us there. Plus, we don’t know the currency.”

“We’re eight teenage girls,” Rachel pointed out. “We stick around so close to Cali, we’re asking for trouble. We need to put an ocean between us and whatever the fuck they’re doing there.”

Dot sighed. So they’d go to Washington.

On the way they’d probably run into another group who’d tell them Washington was overrun but there was something decent in Wisconsin. Half way to Wisconsin someone would tell ‘em their information was bad and they need to get south where there were guns and space. They’d almost be in Georgia when someone would tell ‘em there was some real government up in New York again.

They’d follow pipe dream to pipe dream to pipe dream. They’d probably die young.

Toni curled around Shelby, holding Martha’s hand. Fatin and Leah held on for dear life. Rachel didn’t take her eyes off Nora. Dot watched them all.

Yeah they’d probably die young. Better than dying alone.

#gus writes #the wilds #the wilds fanfic #goodfoe fanfic #shoni #leatin fanfic #leatin #dot campbell #leah rilke #fatin jadmani #shelby goodkind #toni shalifoe #rachel reid #nora reid #martha blackburn #the unsinkable 8 #the unsinkable eight

[needs-to-stop-looking-at-valves]

I have a idea so Felix’s mom and dad go on a date and they say no people over while we are gone so Felix being young and he invites pepa over to his house they fuck and Felix tells matoe not to tell mom and dad so when Felix’s mom goes in his room to put his clothes in his dresser and she finds condoms in there she doesn’t care but she see’s that it only comes with 3 condoms but it’s only one in there and she’s knows that she just got them yesterday so Mateo being a little brother tells his mom and dad that Felix had pepa over?? ( I really love your story’s they are so good 😊 keep it up) - from djking

This is oddly SO specific, but I will take ANY chance to write Félix's parents because I love them, so let's GO-

"Now your brother Julio won't be back till late tonight, he's helping the Guzman's out with their new house. That, and I think Rose Guzman kinda likes watchin' him while he works. So, with all the other kids out tonight, YOU need to watch Mateo, got it?"

Félix looked up from the pile of clothes he was currently folding. Being old enough to be 'the man of the house', he had to fold the kid's clothes when his mom wasn't able to.

"Si, mami, I understand. Surprised he didn't want to go to that slumber party."

"Oh you know him-poor boy can't help but start trouble. Now tell me, how good is your mami lookin'?"

Félix chuckled as he walked up behind his mother, meeting her reflection's gaze.

"You look BEAUTIFUL, mami, even more than usual. Papi is going to be tripping all over you."

"That man better-made me have six whole ass kids. Including you, and honey, am I proud of you."

He chuckled as his mother held onto his face to kiss it, earning her a kiss to her forehead too. So he loved his mami, so much, big whoop.

"You want me to walk you downstairs? Send you off?"

His mom laughed, her laugh as loud as it was honest. She sat up from her vanity, lightly swatting at his shoulder.

"Well I raised myself a little prince charming! Alright, alright, you can walk ya mama."

Félix offered his arm to her, and he helped her walk down the steps. He was mostly worried over the massive size of her heels, but he knew better than to question her choice in clothes. No body in this house could tell her what to do. His dad was dressed up in his brown suit, and he cracked just the smallest smile upon seeing his wife. Félix's dad didn't exactly talk very much, preferring to let his wife so most of the speaking. Unless of course, he wanted to critique you or call you out if you did something really stupid. He took his wife's hand, holding it in his own. In her heels, mami looked even TALLER than her husband (which was saying something, he already barely reached her shoulder).

"Te ves hermosa, bon bon."

"Aw, thank you, Ramone baby. Félix, be a peach and get my purse, I left it in the kitchen."

Félix nodded and did as she said. He found her purse on the dinning room table, but stopped, just for a moment, to speak a peek at them. His father was trailing kisses up her arm like a madman, muttering how beautiful and how lovely and how wonderful she was. Félix's dad wasn't very PDA, but get them in a room alone together, and this guy wouldn't stop. His mami loved it too, laughing and blushing and calling him 'more fresh than an ear of corn'. They loved each other, and Félix knew he wanted that kind of love in his future marriage.

Félix however, decided to step in as soon as he heard the sentence 'and wait till you see what I'm gonna do to that sweet ass', deciding that was waaay too vivid of an image. His father stopped as soon as Félix walked in, handing his purse to his mami. She was still flushed, wooed to death by her passionate husband.

"Oh Ramone, you dog~...now, Félix honey, before your papi makes me forget. Mateo needs to be in bed by nine, and we won't be back till tomorrow afternoon, so you gotta make breakfast for everyone when the house gets busy again, got it?"

"Si mami, of course."

They turned to leave, when Ramone muttered something, making his wife snap her fingers.

"Oh thank you, honey. One more rule, I don't want you inviting anyone over, got it? I don't want you distracted with any little lady. Or boy."

"Mami for the last time, NOTHING is going on with Agustín, I TOLD you what happened!"

"Honey, you were wet and naked on top of him. It sounds weird. But my point stands, it's gonna be you, Mateo, and maybe Julio if he comes back early. But NO ONE else. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Now come on you, you promised me some dancin' tonight! Mama gotta MOVE!"

Félix waited till the door was shut. Then he looked through the window, and watched as they soon left. As soon as they left, the doorbell rang. Just in time. He stuck a rose in between his teeth, and answered the door. Pepa. She was fashionably late, just like he planned.

"Hola, Pepita~"

She giggled at him, and boy was it cute. Hell, she looked super cute tonight, pretty ponytail and all. She dressed for him, he could tell based on those thigh high socks she knew he loved.

"A rose? Really? A little cliché, isn't it?"

"Did it make you laugh?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Then that's all that matters~"

She rolled her eyes at him, helping herself in and plucking the rose from his lips, letting herself get a sniff. Oh he should've hired a painter. Pepa standing there, rose covering a small part of her face as her eyes shimmered for him, and him alone.

"I hated how that worked."

"Me too, think I kinda cut my lip a little, actually."

She gently held his face, lightly scowling in concern.

"Ay, pobrecito. Here, let me kiss it better~"

And kiss it better she did. She practically yanked him towards her, and they kissed. Once, twice, three, four, he kinda lost count after a while. Hard to count when she was wearing new lipstick, that demanded too much of his attention. She pulled away for a moment, and he just now realized she wrapped her arms around him, frame nice and snug against his. No wonder he felt all warm and shit. He grinned as he gently nipped at her lip.

"You sure YOU aren't the one with healing powers? Because damn do I feel better."

"You haven't seen anything yet, Hombrecito. When I get up there, I'm going to make you fucking pound me till you break that bed board, and-"

"You aren't supposed to have people over."

Pepa jumped at the sudden voice, a jolt of thunder over her head spooking him as well. Mateo was standing there, sitting at the stairs. He clung to his stuffed toy, and he looked as grumpy as he ever did. Pepa straightened herself out, offering a slight smile. She was GREAT with kids.

"Mateo! How are you mijo? Aren't you supposed to be going mimis?"

"You ain't my mom, get bent."

Most kids. Pepa was good with most kids. Félix carefully grabbed her shoulders to try to calm her, not wanting his little brother to get zapped.

"Pepi, easy. Look, imma talk to him, get him in bed, wait for me in my room."

He had his shirt grapped by her, bringing him down so she could have her lips against his ear.

"I'm going to touch myself in your bed. When you get up there, my pussy is gonna be fucking wet and ready for you. Do NOT keep me waiting, understand, hombre?"

She was bossy as hell. He liked it. He gulped, before nodding.

"Si, I understand. Now go be a good girl for me~"

He gently swatted her butt as she made it upstairs. Félix knelt down to look at Mateo. Thankfully, Mateo at least liked yours truly, and even considered him his best big brother.

"Mateo, you can't tell mami, okay?"

"If you're not supposed to be doing it, why you doin' it?"

Félix shouldn't be teaching him this lesson, but he had PEPA PUSSY waiting on him, this was an emergency. He lightly patted his curls.

"It's one of things that doesn't hurt anyone if they don't know. It'll only hurt mami I'm caught, got it? But it benefits you! Because if you say nothing, I'll get you a new toy tomorrow, deal?"

Mateo thought about it, before nodding.

"I want a cat stuffy."

"I'll get you a cat stuffy. Now, off to bed, alright? Me and Pepa are going to uh, be wrestling for a while. So any sounds you hear, ignore it."

"Okay."

Félix got him into his room, tucked him in (after checking for monsters under his bed), before leaving, and heading to his own room. And holy shit, was he a lucky man. Pepa was laying against his pillows, panties and bra to the floor, tits out, legs open with fingers in her pussy, and a condom between her teeth. He shut the door quickly, on the off chance anyone would see this.

"Condom between the teeth? A bit cliché, don't you think?"

"Did it make you smile?"

"EVERYTHING about you makes me smile. So, yes."

"Then worth it. Now get over here and use it~"

"I've never been able to tell a woman no~"

---------------------

She hummed as she finished folding her baby's clothes. Félix was such a good boy, watching his little brother as she went out with his father. He even handled breakfast for his siblings, and even took out the trash. Ugh, he made her so proud. He was even downstairs right now, playing his tiple with his big brother. She opened his dresser, and started to put in his clothes, when she pulled something out. His condoms. Boy kept it really close to the bed, she found it funny.

"Oh that boy. Just like ME back in the day."

She was active back then, she knew what was safe and what wasn't. She was about to put it back where she found it, only to glance over it for a second longer. She remembered buying these for him (she liked to keep track of his supply, just so she knew when and if he was doing the no pants dance), and he whined that three wasn't enough. She bought it yesterday. Only...there was one left. Surely he just had the other two on his person, and this was just the survivor. Though, she recalled that he was eager to toss the trash this morning.

He couldn't have. Right? She scowled, and walked out of the room, going right to Mateo's. He preferred to be alone most of the day, minus the company with his stuffed animals. She knocked on the door, getting his attention.

"Hey mama."

"Hey hey, honeypot. How you doin'?"

"I'm good, we're all playing simon says. I'm winning."

"That's my boy. Hey, I had a question for you. You remember how me and your papi went out yesterday?"

Mateo nodded, grip on his new stuffed toy showing her that he was a bit uncomfortable.

"Uh huh."

"And you had Félix watch you. Did he have someone over?"

"Uhm..."

"You can tell me, baby."

Mateo settled for a nod.

"It was Pepa. I think it's because he took something from her."

"Took something?"

"Uh huh. Because she kept yelling 'give it to me', and there was lots of banging. I dunno how I went to bed."

Oh he was dead. That boy was dead. She steeled her temper, just for a second, patting her son's head.

"Okay, thank you baby. Imma go see exactly what Félix took from Pepa. You need anything?"

"No thank you."

She left, shutting the door, and after making sure the door was closed, marched right to the living room. He was with his brother, softly playing for one another. She hated to interrupt such a sweet moment, but she wasn't gonna let his cute face make him get out of punishment. Even if he smiled when he looked up at her.

"Mami! You wanna hear us play? We can play you something to dance to!"

Julio nodded in agreement. HE was never as much trouble as his siblings, her (no longer so little) Julio.

"I would love to play you something, mami. Félix has been improving too."

"Thank you, Julio. But unfortunately, Félix is needed upstairs."

"One second mami-"

"Now, young man, I did NOT get the lord's patience today."

Félix knew he was in the weeds, she could see it on his face. Julio looked confused for a moment, before leaning into his brother a bit.

"I THINK the emotion we're seeing is 'angry'"

"Great job Julio, applause all around."

"Thank you."

Julio never got sarcasm. The second Félix stood up, she grabbed his ear, practically yanking his ass up the stairs. She let him go only when they made it to his room, and she gestured to the packet of condoms. Oh he was a smart boy, immediately knowing he fucked up. She put her hands on her hips, gesturing to it.

"Get to talkin' young man."

"I uh. Well I mean, you know I go through these fast! I uhm. You know, life happens and-"

"Imma let you try again. This time, don't stand there and lie RIGHT to your mama's face."

He winced, shrinking under her glare. He was trying to think of something, but Félix was a terrible liar, even though his ass kept trying.

"Okay mami you can't blame me! It was PEPA!"

"Boy, I don't care if it was mother mary in your bedroom, I told you NO COMPANY. Your job was to watch your brother!"

"I put him to bed! I didn't think it was a big deal!"

She huffed at him, gesturing to Mateo's room.

"He heard you! He said 'I think he took something from her, because she kept yelling give it to me'. That boy was NOT asleep!"

Félix snickered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"I TRIED to keep her quiet, really I did...~"

"Oh you think this shit is funny-RAMONE! Get up here and save your son from me, right now!"

"God dammit- Félix, you know she only calls you mine when you fuck up! What'd you do!?"

"Ramone, I said come up here, not yell from the damn kitchen!"

Ramone grumbled as he came in, clearly not happy to be here.

"Okay, I'm here, what'd he do?"

"He had company over when I told his ass not to! And now, Imma beat the black off of his sorry ass-"

Ramone gently patted her shoulder. He was always the quieter, 'let it go' sort of person.

"Bon bon, you go downstairs, have some coffee. I got this."

She huffed, but did as he said. Surely he'd discipline their child properly.

------------------------

Kids were like people. Only, more fucking stupid. And honestly, that was most of his kids, including the shit head in front of him. He leaned against his dresser, and pointed at him with his lips.

"Talk to me. What's got your mami all upset?"

He fumbled for a minute, before wincing and just coming out with it.

"We uh. I had a girl over when you guys said not to, and mami found out. That part is true."

"Okay, you had a girl over. Take it the condoms were the tip off."

"Yeah we uh, had sex. Me and Pepa. Twice. How uh, how in trouble am I?"

Ramone couldn't help but snort, much to the surprise of his son.

"In TROUBLE? I'd give your ass a medal. Look at my boy, una dama asesina! Swept her off her feet, did ya?"

Félix didn't want to admit it, clearly, but the smirk on his face was huge.

"I mean, took a lot of convincing, getting her to leave."

Ramone tried not to laugh, knowing his wife had the ears of a bat. He gave his son a little noogie, chest swelling up in pride.

"Ha, I taught your ass well. No, I'm not punishing you for that, that's ridiculous. Look, imma pretend you got the belt, just fake cry. Then imma take you to town to 'punish you further', and get us some drinks, just me and you."

"Seriously?!"

"Yes seriously! Woman crazy if she think imma punish my son over this. Just REALLY fake it, alright?"

Félix nodded, clearly excited at the idea of going out to drink with his old man. Sometimes parenting wasn't that bad.

Even if your kid was a fucking idiot.

#not transformers #encanto #asks #lemon #got a lil pov from everyone??? #and yes Mateo just fucking hates Pepa #even as adults they start shit #also yes #Bonnie and Ramone are pretty much AS affectionate as Félix and Pepa #they even have the height difference

[mayans-sauce]

Interstellar: Chapter 1

Pairing: younger! EZ Reyes x Astra Beckett

Word Count: 1.9K

Warnings: cursing but other than that none.

Summary: Ezekiel and Astra get accepted into the space program. For context: both of them are 27 in this and EZ is more on the skinnier side to begin with.

Let me know if you want to be tagged/removed for this story!

GROUP CHAT for updates!

Introduction

Chapter 2

⭐️Interstellar Masterlist⭐️

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The Year 2052

Astra burst through the front door of the house, almost screaming at the top of her lungs, “IT CAME! IT CAME! Dad, it finally came.” Her dad got up from where he was working on the kitchen table. “From the academy?” “YES! We need to call EZ.”

Astra pulled out her laptop, calling EZ on a video call. He answered within a second. “I was just about to call. Did you get yours?” She held the big envelope in view. Felipe and Marisol were standing right beside their son, waiting for him to open up the envelope. “Let’s open them up and then read it at the same time,” EZ said. She could see the terrified look on his face; hers must look the same as well. This was the moment of truth, what both had been working towards for years. Tearing it open and pulling the letter out. “Alright, EZ, on three, and then we read it. Ready?” “1, 2, 3.”

Dear Astra Beckett,

The Celestial Academy would like to congratulate you on your place in our space program.

“WE GOT IN!” EZ and Astra exclaimed at the same time. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” Her dad embraced her hard and tight. A single tear was falling off his face. In the background, it could be heard EZ’s parents congratulating and hugging him as well. “What more does it say?” Felipe asked his son. EZ read the rest of the letter.

We would like to welcome you and your family for a tour of our top-class institution, where you will be getting an introduction to our one of a kind program, our teachers and teaching, our revolutionary technology, the dormitories, and so much more.

We can’t wait to make you a part of our family and spend the next five years with you, making you a one-of-a-kind astronaut.

“We did it, Astra.”

“We did it, Ezekiel.”

Packing a few clothes, some books, space-themed posters and decorations, her telescope her dad got her when she was ten years old and a few other things. She didn’t need a lot with her since this was a new chapter of her life, and she was sure she would buy a lot more stuff in the five years they would be there.

The next day

The next day they were early on their way. The drive to the academy wasn’t a long one. It was just 4 hours from Santo Padre. It was a nice little road trip for all. EZ’s brother Angel tagged along as well, who was also a good friend of Astra, so it was good that Felipe had space for all in his seven-seater car.

The Celestial Academy was like a little city, a city full of nerds and the newest technology in the world. Just getting into the area required special permission, and guards were standing at every campus entrance.

“Holy shit,” Astra and EZ said at the same time as they entered the gates with the car. The buildings stood tall and proud, different holograms showcasing the academy’s various aspects, hovering supply trucks moving from building to building with supplies, and so much more. It was so much to take in, and it would take a long time for them to get used to it all. Felipe parked the car at the visitor’s parking garage.

The walk up to the academy’s main building was short but long at the same time, with the nerves running through both of them. Astra could feel her heart almost jumping out of her chest with how fast it was beating. She grabbed EZ’s hand for comfort. “It’s gonna be fine. We can do this,” he comforted her. She knew she would be able to do this with her best friend by her side. “I know. I’m glad I have you by my side EZ.” He smiled at her, showing that he was grateful that she was here with him as well.

When they entered the building, they were welcomed with a big sign that said “Welcome New Recruits” written on it. They followed the rest of the people into the big speaking room where all the other recruits and their families were seated. The lights dimmed down, and the one and only founder of the academy walked out on stage and started speaking but not before getting a big welcome from everyone.

“Welcome recruits. My name is Damien, founder of this institution, and it is my pleasure to welcome you all here. When I started this program some 30 years ago, I didn’t think that it would turn out to be the best and most desirable space program in the entire world. But in the 30 years we have operated, around 200 individuals have become world-class astronauts with various specialties.” The room burst out in applause. “For the 30 of you that have made it into the program, I congratulate you for the hard work and sacrifice that has made it possible for you to have been accepted. But there is no time for celebrations yet. Not all of you will make it.” The room was dead silent now. “Almost 50% of you will buckle under the immense pressure of the program and leave within the first year. That’s when the real competition begins. Just 6 of you will be picked out for space travel after three years here and start the real training while the rest of you will be guaranteed education and a job at this institution. It’s going to be a hard five years, folks. The rest of the people on this campus, and I wish you good luck.” Damien got sent off with applause and hollering from everyone in the room. “Fuck, that was scary,” EZ whispered to Astra. “We can do this, Ezekiel. I know we can.” Now it was her turn to encourage and comfort him.

There was given some information about what was going to happen throughout the day. Free food, games, and a tour of the facilities was on the plan before eventually, all friends and family needed to leave.

Later in the day

After a fun last day with the family, it was time to say goodbye. Astras' dad tried his best not to cry, but he couldn’t help himself. His little girl was all grown up, and now her real journey would begin. “Dad… don’t cry… it's gonna be fine,” Astra hugged her old man as hard as she could. “I’m just so proud of you, my little star. Your mom would be so proud,” he said as he kissed her forehead. “Stop it, now I’m the one that’s crying.” “Just promise me you'll visit… I’ll be all sad and alone in the big house without you.” She nodded her head at him, “I promise I'll visit as much as I can… I promise, dad.” “Pinky promise?” Holding his pinky out for her to interlock with hers, she gladly did so, “I promise.”

“Come here, Ezekiel. My little astronaut,” Marisol hugged and kissed his cheek repeatedly. EZ loved his mom and the affection she would give him, but now it was kind of embarrassing since there were so many people. “Mom… mom.” “I’m sorry, baby. I’m just so proud of you, and I love you so much.” “I love you too, mom.” He gave her a final hug before he moved on to his dad. “Proud of you, son.” “Thanks, pop.” They gave each other a quick hug.

Last but not least, it was Angel’s turn to say his goodbyes. “Proud of you lil bro, you fucking space nerd.” “Shut up, Angel,” EZ said playfully before giving his big brother a big hug. “Don’t cause any trouble now that I’m not there.” Angel held his hands up in defence, “Hey, can’t promise anything.” EZ just shook his head at him.

Saying the last goodbyes to each other, and then they left, leaving Astra and EZ to watch them walk away. When they were out of sight, he turned towards her and grabbed her hand, “come on, let’s get settled into the dormitory.”

Astra walked into her assigned room and was greeted by the girl she was going to live with. She had already set up most of the stuff on her side of the room. The room was huge and spacious, and it even had a private bathroom. “Hi, I’m Mia, nice to meet you,” she reached out her hand, which Astra gladly accepted, “I’m Astra, it’s nice to meet you, Mia.” “I hope you don’t mind that I took the left side of the room.” “Go ahead, no problem.” They talked and got to know each other as they packed out their things and put them in place. Astra liked Mia a lot, they had a lot in common, and she knew that they would be great friends. “I can’t believe we are here; it’s so surreal,” Mia said as they got done packing out and sat on their beds. “I know, right! I’m afraid that I’ll wake up tomorrow, and it was all a dream,” Astra answered.

Before bed, all the recruits meet up with the teachers to get their plan for the next few upcoming weeks and the whole five-year plan as a whole. EZ was already buddies with his roommate, Mateo, and all 4 of them clicked immediately, already forming a good group and friendship of their own.

Later in the evening

Astra was trying her hardest to fall asleep; it was a big day tomorrow, the first official day ever, but her mind was racing like crazy, and she couldn’t get it to quiet down. She decided to get up and go out to the common room to take her mind off it for a while, sitting down by the window that overlooked the futuristic town. After a few minutes, footsteps could be heard, and she turned around to see who it was. Her frown turned into a smile when she saw him coming towards her.

“Couldn’t sleep?” EZ asked as he sat down beside her. She shook her head no, “my mind won’t shut up.” “Yeah, me neither.” They sat in silence for a few moments before EZ spoke up. “In 5 years, we will be up there,” he pointed towards the sky. “You don’t know that Ezekiel… there are 30 of us, and only 6 make it.” “I know we'll make it. We have each other, Astra, and you are the smartest girl I know. Even if I don’t make it, you will.” “You know I will never go if you aren’t going either.” “I know… but I will force you to go. Even if I have to push you in the spaceship myself.” Astra looked down on the floor, getting shy for a moment, “I know you will, Zeke.”

She started biting her nails, a habit she did when she felt nervous, and EZ knew that, he knew everything about her. “Hey, stop that,” EZ took her hand in his, “it's gonna be fine.” “It’s gonna be fine,” she repeated in a whisper.

They sat like that for a little while longer. Just holding each other’s hand and looking up towards the sky, getting prepared for the next five years of their life.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Let me know what you think❤️

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[reyesstrand]

let your heart be light

tarlos & firefam dynamics / teen+ / 2.6k

To be fair, TK wasn’t sure what to expect for his first holiday season in Austin. But he has his dad, he has his team, he has Carlos—and it’s enough.

@911giftexchange for @teaamfreewill — i hope you enjoy this AJ, and have a happy holiday season!!! 💗

ALSO AVAILABLE ON AO3!!

“It just doesn’t feel right without snow.”

Paul looks at him with that ever-present, all-knowing look in his eyes, before letting out a sigh and nodding. “You’re telling me, New York.”

“Like,” TK starts, fully aware that he’s gravitating into rambling status at this point, but he can never stop himself. He rests a foot on the bottom rung of the shopping cart, leaning his weight against the handle as Paul analyzes the nutritional facts on two different brands of steel-cut oats. “It doesn’t feel like the holidays without at least one storm that makes you question your existence.”

Humming in agreement, Paul puts one package back on the shelf and tosses the other in the cart, before hesitating and grabbing a few more of the pale-blue bags before they're good to move on to produce. When there's a comfortable lull in conversation, both of them crossing items off the list his dad's very carefully crafted for the bi-weekly shopping trips, TK lets his mind drift to holidays past.

His parents wanted him to grow up with both the tradition of celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas, but as he grew older, Decembers tended to blur into every other month. He'd always call his mom if he was working late, smiling down at photos she'd send him of her attempts to perfect her grandmother's recipe for sufganiyot, always making his stomach rumble. And, even if she was out of the city at the time, she'd always send him a box of homemade pastries and a card with a lengthy message inscribed inside that'd make him feel warmed from the inside out. And his dad would always make him at least come for a dinner on the twenty-fifth, even if dinner was just takeout eaten straight out of the cartons while they watched the Christmas parade he always recorded.

They were simple traditions, but they were theirs.

In Austin, TK's slowly getting used to calling it home. The snow thing had been the first to strike him, because while he's seen his fair share of strange Texan weather, not waking up to white covering every surface and bitter cold nipping at his skin has been throwing him for a loop. 

"Earth to TK," Paul says, tossing him a bell pepper. TK catches it, rolling his eyes playfully at his friend. "We should start figuring out a place and time for the Not-Christmas dinner."

"Carlos offered his place," TK says, without thinking. Paul just grins at him. 

"That seems to be going well, huh?" Paul asks, hip-checking TK as they walk side-by-side to the checkout. TK feels his face go warm, though he busies himself with adjusting the rolled sleeves of his black t-shirt, printed with the 126 crest over his heart. Paul just musses up his hair before ducking out of grasp for retaliation, sidling up to the cashier and offering his big smile at her while she begins to ring them up. "I'm happy for you, kid. We all are." 

TK does smile at that, because it's the one shining light in all of this. He hadn't been sure what a holiday season with a new boyfriend would be like, especially when every single one of his friends were also friends with said boyfriend, but they've all been relatively tame. No shoving them under the mistletoe yet, which TK guesses is only a matter of time. 

"Anyway," Paul says, and TK sticks his hands into his pockets, suddenly glad Marjan isn't here to poke at his pink cheeks. 

"Anyway," TK agrees. "Carlos did offer to let us use his place, though. He suggested the twenty-second, so that way people could still go see their families." 

"The twenty-second it is," Paul smiles, already typing the date into their group chat, followed by five question marks. Because Carlos thought ahead for these things, TK knows they're all already going to be on one of their twenty-four-hour off periods; Carlos works that morning but will be home by noon, and as long as TK has detailed instructions, he won't have a problem starting the food early. 

A small knot forms deep in TK's chest, even though he knows there's still two weeks before the proposed group dinner. He just thanks the cashier after paying with the credit card his dad gave him before they left the station an hour ago, and they head back out into the sunny, barely-cool, snowless, December afternoon. 

***

TK's just hanging up with his mom, absently kicking at a rock in the lot just outside the bay doors, when he feels someone creep up behind him. 

He doesn't even blink, though, because he smells sandalwood and tangy citrus and is smiling before he feels familiar arms settle around him. He tells his mom I love you, too, and stuffs his phone in his pocket and leans back into Carlos' touch, for half a moment, before turning in his arms and pressing their foreheads together. 

"Did you know you're impossible to shop for?" 

TK grins, and presses a quick kiss to the corner of Carlos' mouth before pulling back enough to look him in the eye. "What a welcoming statement after not seeing each other for twenty-seven hours." 

Carlos rolls his eyes affectionately, and tightens his hold around TK's middle. "I missed you, Ty." 

"I missed you too," TK grins, cupping Carlos' face between his palms and finally closing the distance between them properly. "But I do take offence to that. I'm perfect in every way." 

Carlos huffs a laugh against his mouth and presses in for one more kiss, before scraping his blunt nails against the fine hairs at TK's nape. "Believe me, I know, sweetheart." 

He feels a pleasant ripple shoot through him, and TK's struck again by the fact that he gets to have this. He's close enough to see the flecks of gold in Carlos' warm brown eyes, and he wonders how it's only been three months because he feels like he's known him forever. He thinks of decorating with Marjan today and the sudden pang of homesickness that he couldn't quite explain. 

"You okay?" Carlos asks, because he can read even the most microscopic of his expressions like the back of his own hand. TK covers it up with a smile. 

"Yeah, of course," TK brushes his thumb along Carlos' jaw, before standing back, dragging his hand down the length of Carlos' arm so he could grab his hand and tangle their fingers together. "Come on, I'll buy you dinner." 

"My prince," Carlos plays along, hand over his heart, but there's still a look in his eyes. He runs his thumb over the backs of TK's knuckles, and when TK squeezes his hand tighter, he gets a small smile in return. 

***

They'd realized sometime between Thanksgiving and the first of December that they'd have to celebrate as a team, this year. 

The non-denominational, coined-by-Mateo "Not-Christmas Dinner" idea was agreed upon pretty quickly, and TK is beyond excited to start creating new traditions with his family. But he's struggling, is the thing. He wouldn't ever mention it to anyone because he hates stressing them out, and though he has no urge to do anything stupid because for the first time in a while he's happy—like, really fucking happy—he can't help but to feel like everything has to be perfect. 

It boils down to this: he misses his mom like crazy, even though she stayed with him and his dad for a couple weeks back in September when he was still healing. He's finally getting back on track with his dad, after long nights of hashing things out about his childhood. And he and Alex never did much for the holidays save for giving each other a couple gifts because they could never work out how to spend an equal amount of time with both of their families—which, in hindsight, is yet another element of the two and a half years TK lost to the man he thought was his soulmate—but now with Carlos he just wants things to be special. They already have plans to visit Carlos' mom and sisters on Christmas Eve, and Owen had lovingly coerced Carlos into a Strand family dinner on Christmas Day. 

It just feels like a lot. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Marjan asks, bumping his shoulder with hers as she strolls into Carlos' kitchen. The twenty-second kind of crept up on TK, and now he's here, attempting to hold down the fort while Carlos makes a last-minute trip to the store. His kitchen's a homey space, and, like the rest of his boyfriend's place, it's tastefully decorated with garland and candles and little angel statues that have been passed down through his family. There's a photo of the two of them on Carlos' fridge, pressed together at a pumpkin patch they'd spent a date night at back in October, and TK gets a little lost in the memory. Marjan has to nudge him a little harder to get him to snap back into it. "TK?" 

"Oh, hey," TK smiles at her, and goes back to making sure that the green beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan. She claims a burner of her own to keep her tagine warm, leaning back against the counter with her arms folded over her chest. 

"You're spacing out a bit," Marjan says, and when TK keeps his eyes trained on the vegetables he swore he could handle, she just makes a small noise and places a hand on his shoulder. "You've been a little quiet lately."

There's a pause, where neither of them say anything, before Marjan drops her voice a little and adds:

"Hey, you know you can talk to me, right?" 

"I'm just—" TK shakes his head and bites at the inside of his cheek, turning down the heat to try and kill more time.

He doesn't know how to tell her—and the rest of them—that he's both so thankful for this family he's found and so, so terrified of messing it all up. Thankfully, he doesn't have to; there's a knock at the door and Marjan offers to get it, leaving TK alone with a soft smile. He sighs, and closes his eyes for a long moment. 

***

After food has been served, and gifts have been exchanged, they all sit around Carlos' living room. The conversations overlap like they always do, and TK sits comfortably under the glow of the light from the tree and the warmth of Carlos' arm thrown over his shoulder. He's slowly picking at a piece of Grace's pecan pie, and he knows he should just let himself get lost in the moment, but he can't. He taps his foot at a staccato beat against the floor, and even when Carlos throws him a questioning look and settles his hand on TK's knee, he doesn't stop. 

He finally excuses himself ten minutes later. 

Carlos' place has a nice little backyard area, where they've all gathered for parties and after-work hangouts countless times. It's a little chilly as the sun's gone down, and TK sighs out loud and sees his breath puff out in front of him. He smiles just a little, and kicks his foot against the porch, dropping down onto the steps. 

He's expecting Carlos to come after him; or maybe Marjan, or his dad. Instead it's Grace who settles down next to him, a hand splayed over her four-month pregnant belly. 

"Honey," she starts, and TK ducks his head. His eyes burn, and he roughly sniffs. "TK. You don't have to hide whatever you're thinking from us." 

He takes a deep breath, and scrubs a hand down his face. And then he says: "I don't want to bring down your mood." 

Grace gives him one of her warm smiles. "TK, every day I'm reminded why you and my husband get along so well." 

TK rolls his eyes and gently nudges her arm with his shoulder. 

"Now tell me what's wrong," Grace says, and TK rubs the back of his neck before he starts talking. 

He tells her everything. About how the holidays usually meant bickering with Alex. How it meant celebrating with both of his parents, sure, but also dealing with awkward dinners with their new significant others. About how he hasn't felt this good since he was a kid and he doesn't want to fuck it up. 

"You could never fuck it up," Grace tells him, squeezing his hand that she's been holding between both of hers. TK meets her eyes and finds nothing but sincerity, nothing but the warmth and reassurance that always seems to be there. "Never. And know that all of us in there don't care about perfect as long as we have you, as long as we're all together. Now, I'm going to send that beautiful man of yours out here so you can talk to him, because he's been worried." 

At that exact moment, they hear the telltale creak of the door opening; both of them glance over their shoulders and spot Carlos. 

He moves to leave, lifting a hand in apology. "Sorry to interrupt—" 

"I was just leaving," Grace says, getting to her feet and squeezing TK's shoulder for a brief moment. When she disappears back into the house, Carlos takes her spot, and wordlessly presses a lingering kiss to TK's temple. 

"Ty," Carlos starts, and TK stops him in his tracks with a kiss. 

"I'm sorry for being distant, lately," TK murmurs half against his lips, because even though he knows that Carlos has seen him pretty close to his worst he hates the thought of pulling him down; of making him unhappy. "I'm just—it's been so long since I've had this. And I've never had someone like you. I was so worried about not messing things up that I got in my head." 

"Hey," Carlos whispers, getting TK to look him in the eye. "Please don't apologize, okay? We're all healthy, and here together—that's what matters, right? That I get to have you by my side through it all?"

Could you blame TK for surging forward to kiss him again? 

When they part, TK whispers: "Thank you." 

"What for?" Carlos asks, eyes glinting with confusion. 

"For being you," TK says, knowing how it sounds. 

Carlos shakes his head, moving to lace their fingers together. 

They move in unison to press their foreheads together, and TK whispers, "I love you so much. I just needed you to know that." 

"Of course I do," Carlos says, smiling into it when he kisses TK before speaking again. "I love you too. And I don't want you to feel like you have to—to hide what you're feeling." 

TK just lets himself have what he wants, what he needs in the moment, and it's this: Carlos' mouth against his, again and again. 

***

They re-enter the party ten minutes later, and all eyes are on them when they slip into the living room. 

TK opens his mouth to make some big declaration, but Marjan catches his eye, and then Paul. Then it's his dad who dramatically clears his throat and points above the two of them. 

Because, of course, there's mistletoe fastened to the doorway above them. 

"I hate you all," TK mutters, to which Judd yells lies! and Paul yells something about getting on with it. So, TK does; he presses his palms to either side of Carlos' face and grins at him before closing the distance between them. There's a whoop from someone for effect, and then when they pull apart Marjan pulls him down next to her on the loveseat so he can be thrown into a conversation about fighting mall elves they'd had to deal with during a call yesterday. 

Looking around the room, he realizes he had nothing to worry about at all. And, to be fair, TK wasn't sure what to expect for his first holiday season in Austin. But he has his dad, he has his team, he has Carlos—and it's enough. 

#911giftexchange #tarlos #911 lone star #tarlos fic #my fic

[bellakitse]

Ok I am going to ignore all the bullsh*t in the pregnancy storyline (🙄) which somehow felt like most of the episode. Let’s talk about Mateos tattoo scenes (poor baby) and how the others couldn’t bear to tell him and how sweet it all was (also that last scene and Carlos‘ place? Amazing. Wish it had been longer but amazing). Also I now lowkey hate Grace‘s dad and can’t believe he put Judd in that position. That storyline made me more and more upset as it went on and I was full out crying by the end of the episode. Poor Grace!!! Also Tommy w her family and Auntie Grace!! I loved that so much. Grace and Judd deserved the baby storyline and that is the hill I will die on

YES! let's focus on the good things, I have more asks in my inbox about last night, but I feel like I have been negative enough, so this is the one I’m ending it with.

Mateo’s tattoo story, while for a second I was bothered about the idea of making fun of a dyslexic kid misspelling a word, I liked the conclusion of the story. Paul and TK not wanting to upset him, and Marjan stepping up to tell him, comfort him, and offer a solution. I love this little group of friends.

I especially love that Carlos’ place has become their hangout and that he’s one of them now. Give me found families tropes any day of the week and I’ll be happy-crying over all my children taking care of each other.

Like I said in the previous ask, Grace Ryder is amazing and she can do no wrong in my book. Her dad can choke though. When he started in on God with Judd to try and keep him from telling the first words out of my mouth was ‘fuck this guy’ and I maintain that position.

Another thing I’m really loving like you mentioned is this Tommy/Charles/Grace/Judd friendship, it feels real and organic, and while a little part of me is sad that Judd isn’t joining the rest of the crew at Carlos’, it makes sense since he’s older and married to have a separate friend group. Plus Tommy and Grace as friends is simply lovely. 

Touching on Tommy for a second, her being afro-latina, speaking Spanish with her girls, just fills me with so much joy. Latin/Hispanic representation on TV has not always been kind to us in the Latin/Hispanic community. I grew up seeing people of my culture play gang bangers and maids for the most part. And while I’m not the afro part of the afro-latina, just seeing this strong, beautiful woman play what is turning out to be a wonderful character for the community just makes me so happy.

Finally, jumping back to Judd and Grace, his love and devotion to his wife is honestly #relationship goals, and I will join you on that hill of yours.

#anon #ask #911 lone star spoilers #Anonymous