#Tarlos Fanfiction One-shots

Under Your Protection I

Chapter 1: A Threat Too Close

Carlos had been immersed in paperwork for months, buried in piles of documents, endless surveillance logs, and dead-end leads alongside Campbell. The target—a dangerous drug cartel deeply rooted in Austin—felt elusive, mocking them from the shadows as the investigation dragged on. It was a case that gnawed at him endlessly, especially during those long hours spent in the stuffy conference room, connecting dots that seemed to vanish the moment they reached for them.

But Carlos Reyes had always been meticulous about separating his work from his family. No matter how consuming the investigation became, he fiercely guarded weekends for his husband, TK, and their five-year-old son, Jonah. Family kept him grounded. Jonah's laughter and TK's affectionate teasing were his constant reminders of why he fought so hard every day—to protect them and countless others. He lived for weekend outings to the farmer's market, watching Jonah run wild through parks, and sharing quiet, tender moments with TK after Jonah fell asleep. These were the moments Carlos carried with him into the darker parts of his job.

It was an ordinary Wednesday afternoon when things suddenly shifted. Carlos and Campbell had been interviewing a witness in a dimly lit bar downtown, the air heavy with stale beer and fading cigarette smoke, when Carlos' phone buzzed insistently in his pocket. He glanced down at the caller ID, eyebrows rising in confusion—TK never called him during work hours, especially not when Jonah had tee-ball practice. A sharp pang of worry surged through him.

"Hey, babe," he answered quickly, stepping away from Campbell and the confused witness.

"Carlos—Carlos, I—Jonah, he—" TK's voice trembled through the line, frantic and barely coherent.

Instant dread curled around Carlos' chest, squeezing painfully. "Hey, hey. TK, slow down, baby. Take a breath," Carlos coaxed softly, struggling to control his own rising panic. "Tell me what's wrong."

There was a shaky pause, and Carlos heard TK inhale sharply. "Jonah—he's missing," TK finally managed to choke out, voice breaking. "We were just packing up after practice. He ran to look at the vending machine, and I—I turned away for just a second, Carlos, just a second—and now he's gone. I checked everywhere. The bathrooms, around the park—he's nowhere."

Carlos' heart plummeted to his stomach. The fear in TK's voice was a blade cutting straight through him. "Baby, listen to me," Carlos urged gently but firmly, instinctively falling into his calm, controlled Ranger mode. "I'm on my way. Keep looking around, but stay close to the other parents. Don't panic. We'll find him."

He hung up quickly, turning urgently toward Campbell. "Jonah's missing," Carlos said sharply, grabbing his keys.

Campbell immediately abandoned the notes, concern etching his usually composed features as he followed Carlos swiftly toward their vehicle. "What happened exactly?" Campbell asked, his voice steady yet full of empathy, sensing the dread radiating from Carlos.

Carlos swallowed hard, his voice thick with anxiety as he drove swiftly toward the park. "TK said Jonah ran toward a vending machine. TK looked away for just a second, and when he turned back, Jonah was gone. He already checked around the park and the bathrooms but couldn't find him."

Campbell nodded solemnly, placing a supportive hand briefly on Carlos' tense shoulder. "We're going to find him, Carlos. Kids wander off all the time; Jonah probably just got distracted. We'll find him, man. Just breathe."

Carlos released a shaky breath, his grip tightening further on the steering wheel. "I just—I can't lose him, Sam."

"You won't," Campbell reassured him confidently, voice firm yet kind. "We're Rangers. We'll track him down together, and everything will be okay. I promise."