Tarlos: We're A Family, All Four Of Us

Part 1

I did indeed create a separate book.

Dedicated to @The_lazy_leo who made me smile for the first time in what feels like forever.

Trigger warning: Domestic abuse, Alex (🤮), kidnapping

TK didn't like to uproot Louise the way Owen saw no need for, a cranky 3 year old is not a good combination, being in a new city with a young child meant TK felt a little isolated his only chance for interaction was with the 126. In the end he joined a child care group seeking comfort from people in a similar boat, Louise started running around with another girl a similar aged with long curly hair, he smiled glancing around, "Is that your little girl?" A man asked from TK's right, he looked across and his mouth nearly dropped opened at the beauty of a man sat next to him, he had the same curly hair as the little girl but other than that shared no features, "Yeah her names Louise, I'm TK," "Carlos and thats Harper," "Papa I'm hungry," Harper whimpered standing just between them Louise just behind, "Oh um," TK reached down and pulled out a fruit yogurt ice cream, he slipped it to Carlos and gave one to Louise too, "Thanks for the save still getting used to the parent thing," "It's alright how old is she?" "3 and a 1/2, her parents were good friends of mine couldn't conceive so I donated but they died in a car crash when she was 2, yours?" "Nearly at 3 and a half. She's mine biologically got knocked up by an abusive ex left his ass as soon as I found out," the two struck up conversations, exchanged numbers and made a promise to meet up again.

TK hoped out of his rig shouldering his med bag, he, Nancy and Tommy approached the cops who had tried to arrest a man for assaulting someone only to do a runner and tried to be Spider-Man. "What happened?" Tommy asked kneeling down, "Stats are good cap," "Tried to arrest him Reyes gave chase and idiot tried to jump down the equivalent of a story," TK ran his hands along the drunks legs, "Definitely drunk and definitely at least one broken leg," "Who's this hero of the night Officer Reyes?" Nancy laughed knowing TK was on the market, "That would be me Carlos, I assume your name isn't just Gillian and yours, oh," he stopped in his tracks seeing TK, "Different context but we did promise to see each other again," "I figured it would be on a picnic bench not over a deadman's broken leg," a quiet chuckle released the tension but were told to stop flirting.

Carlos lead Harper into the park where he spotted Louise sat on TK's lap listening to TK read something, "Louise!" Harper yelled letting go of Carlos's hand, Louise climbed down from TK's lap to hug the other girl then the pair merrily ran onto the playground, "Louise's hair looks good who did that?" Carlos asked trying to make conversation, "My mum taught me how to plat hair I can show you if you want if we can find the girls," the girls wasn't there only topic of similarities, both liked watching sports, food, films especially comedy, ironic kids and parents get along, only Louise and Harper being best friends then TK and Carlos falling in love.

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Time flew by at a 100 miles per hour Louise and Harper are inseparable and began calling themselves sisters despite there only common feature is that they both have dark hair that wasn't even the same colour, it was a point of contention between the kids and parents. Harper first figured out there dads were dating when she found one of TK's sappy love notes and was able to recognise some letters sounding them out loud. That was how the sister thing came along, "Wait if papa and daddy are together," "Yes that must mean we're now sisters!" Louise squealed hugging her new sister, "Girls," "Sorry papa, sorry daddy," they both chirped, both men shot glances at each other acknowledging that just happened okay parenting level 7.

They were so glad when they moved in together. Now it was giggling at all hours especially on the first night. "Your turn Los," TK joked hearing the pitter patter of footsteps above them. Carlos jogged up the stairs swinging around to stare down the girls in Harper's room after they had left the door wide open, "What are you doing," Carlos chuckled, "I thought you two already went to bed?" "We're not tired papa," Louise moaned obviously tired, "Do you two want to share a room?" Carlos asked, he watched the two girls whisper in each others ears, "Yes!" "T I need your help up here," dodging two girls while carrying a bed through a frame is something they never want to do again. TK put them to bed for the last time that evening before flopping into Carlos's arms, "Why did we agree to this," "There nearly 4 and half and they're actually going to sisters at some point in the near future," "Hey at least we don't have to worry about them sharing a room if they get any other siblings," "Kids are on your mind we've only been together for a year," "Would you rather we do it now so we know what we want of each other," "We have Louise and Harper but one more couldn't harm especially as it would be ours shoot me down but you got pregnant and carried Louise," "Yep, she was born by C-section as I had been in labour for over 40 hours and she was becoming distressed," TK instinctively placed a hand on his stomach tracing the faint scar, "You were on your own but this time I'd have to be unconscious or dead for me to not be there," "And I know that. But the girls there starting school next year, they're going to literally tell everyone they're sisters it won't make any difference if we enrol them as Harper Reyes-Strand and Louise Strand-Reyes so they have at least one leg to stand on," "Agreed!"