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

Part 8

Alcohol and threatening behaviour 

Harper and Louise stayed by TK's side the whole funeral, Andrea was meant to be the only one sat down but it turns out day TK had severe dizziness if he stayed standing for too long, so they found an extra chair for him. Carlos fiercely guarded his daughters, tears threatened to spill over. The gun salute nearly broke him, "Carlos we're going back to your mums," "The blood stain," "Has been temporarily covered with a smart rug," "Well girls stop it, stop running around!" Carlos snapped, "Your gonna get cold running around without a cardigan," "Papa that hurts," Harper cried out, "Carlos," TK took his hands, "Daddy what's wrong with papa?" Louise asked, she watched her dad engulf their papa in a hug, "Don't worry about it honey he's just upset, go and play with your cousins," TK suggested.

The girls went with the other children to a separate room at the wake, the blood stain had been carefully covered with a rug. "Officer Reyes can I have a word," Carlos knew the man as one of his dads former colleagues but couldn't remember his name on the top of his head, "Your dad wanted you to have this," the man smiled presenting an object wrapped in a cloth, it was his Ranger star, "Please can you tell me for her if you have anyone?" "I cannot reveal details Carlos," "No name just do you have someone?" "Your daddy spent many years taking down some of the hardest crooks in Texas the list is a very long one." Pitter patters echoed across the floor as the girls dashed over, TK was trying to grab them but ran out of steam and became nauseous before he even left the door, "Papa!" They called crashing into his legs, "God easy does Louise Harper this is one of your grandad's friends before he passed on," "Hello!" Harper smiled offering her hand Louise hid into Carlos's legs, "Sorry she's shy," "Well you two lovely girls are going to grow up with all the boys chasing you," "Whats that?" Louise asked, "Your grandpa's Ranger Star," he knelt down and pinned it to her dress, "Now go get some cake for your abuela." They ran back towards the party, "Lovely girls," "Harper's mine, Louise is my better half's," Carlos joked sipping his water, "I've never met your wife actually," "Fiancé, pleased to meet you," TK smiled, "You okay you still look really pale?" Carlos asked, "Nauseous as hell still god I can see now why I didn't recognise pregnancy with Lou," he laughed, "Carlos look after yourself."

Andrea was determined to get everything in order as soon as possible she was never one for lingering in the past. In her rush she couldn't find Gabriel's will, Carlos followed her into the office in an effort to help find it. He went through the draws rifling through each paper, his hand hit the bottom of the bottom right draw in the box a solid 10cm higher than it should be. "Mum?" He asked feeling the base of the draw till he found what he was looking for, a latch. Popping it up he found secret files, a burner phone, video tapes other items like that. "Yeah what have you found," Andrea quipped, "Just some old case files, did you know he took these home?" "No not at all, I have no use for them I trust you."

Once they had gotten Harper and Louise to settle after the days events, Carlos was obsessing over the video tape. He found an old player in his parents garage and was trying to connect it to there telly, "TK you can go to bed if you want to," "I'm going to bed when your in bed next to me," TK reasoned, "Try HDMI 2," he suggested and it worked. It was Gabriel, some ten twenty years ago, he was talking about the corruption within government agencies such as the Texas Rangers, Austin PD etc . The deciding date, Carlos coming onto the screen maybe 7? Gabriel left it on the end of the tape for a reason. TK gathered up the rest of the papers before turning the telly off on Carlos, he turned to look at TK, "Bed," TK ordered. Carlos look at him, he looked tired with a slight pale tinge, he looked incredibly hot despite being just over three months pregnant. He nodded silently agreeing.

Louise caught Carlos first working on the cases left behind by Gabriel. Harper caught him next she asked him to play but he told her he was busy. He took the files with him when going to school with them. TK nervously picked at his fingers in the firehouse, there little girls shouldn't be babysitting there dad, "You alright over there kiddo?" Owen called, saved by the bell. Call was hilarious though as the smell of the orange juice spilt when the man got his hand stuck in the pitcher was so pungent he had to vomit. "Sorry, I'm pregnant morning sickness is never fun," TK apologised taking a deep breath. Arrival back was no better. Owen ran his fingers through TK's hair as he was being sick over the antibacterial spray, "Here some plain biscuits to soothe your stomach," "Thanks dad. I'm really worried about Carlos," "How so?" "He's obsessing over Gabriel's old case files, he's scaring Lou and Harp, he won't talk to anyone," "It's alright son, I'll make sure you can still have your groom this Saturday," "Thanks dad."

"TK!" Paul shouted, "Paul what's-," he stopped in his tracks eyes wide to see Harper and Louise stood with Paul, "Daddy! Daddy Papa's going to do something stupid!" Harper squealed, "He has a gun not his police gun the one grandpa had," they cried, "Papa's going to be okay," TK reasoned hugging his girls. Owen made a mad dash out of the door expecting the worst.

It was like he was in a trance. His body, his mind was not his own. One thing was real the shear rage Carlos felt. "Hey you building her or just turning her down," he asked the man, "Building her, do I know you?" He asked taking his sun glasses off, "Pablo right you knew my dad Gabriel Reyes," before he could respond Carlos pulled the revolver out, "Now we're going to take a walk." Carlos ordered. Except it wasn't Carlos. Carlos would never do this, sleep deprived obsessed Carlos would so driven by anger it drives him to the brink of loosing his sanity. "Do you have a wife, a girlfriend, someone who loves you?! They should be here so they can watch you die as my mother did my father," "Carlos!" Owen yelled. Officer O'Brien was behind him gun drawn, "Is that necessary?" Owen asked, "Yes," was the short response, "Kid you have this all wrong," Pablo reasoned, "Why is he here?! Why are you here!" Carlos yelled at Owen, "I'm here for you Carlos," "You shouldn't be here. HE KILLED MY FATHER!" He started yelling, tension dramatically increased until somehow they managed to convince Carlos to put the gun down. Just in time the Texas Rangers arrived with the true explanation, Pablo called Gabriel to warn him that there was a hit out on him.

Owen escorted his soon to be son in law back to his car, thankfully Carlos hadn't driven himself there. Going back to Owen Carlos had some time to reflect on whatever the hell he's just done. "Oh my god, that last hour was insane," Carlos sighed wiping the tears away, Owen presented a glass of whiskey, "Drink boy do you need one," "I don't know, I don't like it when TK smells alcohol on me," "Does he have a problem with it?" "No but," "Alex," they said together, "He's in prison not our problem," "What you need to go is take a swig of that good whiskey and say goodbye to your dad," Owen smiled placing a hand on his shoulder. Carlos spoke a few words in Spanish that Owen didn't understand but respected him none the less.