#tag: owen ryder

[briggshalim]

Briggs always felt obnoxious when he had to ask questions about the menu but he hadn’t really been paying attention when he’d come in. After all, he’d helped him out with the lights and then had been more or less focused on finding somewhere to sit. He nodded considering the options. “Definitely the tomato bisque,” he said. “I think my favorite of all time is that one they serve at medieval times. This will be slightly less fun since I don’t think you’ll be serving me then getting into a sword fight but it’ll probably hit the spot.” He definitely didn’t see how someone could go wrong with it. It definitely deserved “I think maybe just bacon and tomato with the cheese,” he said honestly. He didn’t think ham would hit the spot as well with the soup. Everything else would probably work. He let out a laugh when his new friend said he would probably also just have a coke. “It would be strange if they did let you drink. I mean, drinking then standing on ladders would open them to a lawsuit.”

Glancing over his shoulder at the menu board as Briggs asked if they had a soup of the day, he nodded, "chicken noodle or tomato bisque today." They normally were pretty good at keeping the soup kettles stocked, especially during the winter months when people came in wanting soup and sandwiches, warm, easy to eat meals that were going to go down easily on their lunch break, or for an early dinner before they headed home. Ryder, himself, often had a bowl and a sandwich before he made his way back home, sometimes with some to-go containers in hand to make sure that Jayla and Iris had something to eat, too. "The grilled cheese is really good. They can add bacon, tomato… ham, if you want, or do you want to stick with something traditional?" Because sometimes, it was about feeling like a little kid all over again and just enjoying the fact that you got to eat a rich, good winter staple. "The coke, though, I can do, no problem. I can't drink before a shift, anyway, so I'll probably have the same."

[zalder]

🎄✨ Merry Christmas, everyone! 🎄✨

I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the strength, kindness, and dedication of people every day. This season reminds me of how important it is to celebrate those who give their time and hearts to make our world a better place.

May your day be filled with love, laughter, and the warmth of cherished moments. Here’s to making beautiful memories, appreciating the blessings we have, and looking forward to a bright new year ahead.

Sending love and gratitude to you all—stay safe, stay joyful, and have a magical Christmas!

Thanks for being part of what makes my life special.

Love,

Zarah

Enclosed is gifts for @owenryder , @lenavaz, @jaceeverett , @yoon-nyeon and @theobrowningfd. If you weren't mentioned and your kid is close to Zarah, I apologize. Pretty much everyone who knows her is kgetting the brookies.

Ryder:

Lena:

Jace:

Sam:

Theo:

[lassie-farce]

Texas really looked at its tragically killed firehouse, gathered a bunch of the most traumatized firefighters you had ever seen and said “they can fix me”

[shellibocs]

— every oc list got

tagged by @bloodskinandteeth @jamessunderlandgf @red-nightskies @scalpelsister @imogenkol and @kyberinfinitygems ! thank you all!!

tagging @boldly-ho @raresvtm @devil-kindred @florbelles @roofgeese @ruvviks @strangefable @confidentandgood @leviiackrman @carrionsflower @simplegenius042 @thedeadthree @loriane-elmuerto @socially-awkward-skeleton @malefiquinn @risingsh0t @a-treides @captastra @gothimp @statichvm @calenhads @poetikat @nonfunctioning-queer @ghostfvcker @dickytwister @inafieldofdaisies

putting the list under the cut bc it got long lol! here’s the blank template

heterosexual

ines (dragon age: origins)

maniac

órlaith (bloodborne)

venera (mortal kombat)

elenore (far cry 5)

nora (fallout 4)

not even a human

desdemona (fallout: new vegas)

silly

kennedy (mass effect: andromeda)

yawen (mortal kombat)

margo (far cry 5/new dawn)

mental illness

venera (mortal kombat)

andrea (tomb raider)

mallory (life is strange: true colors)

fallon (dead by daylight)

lgbtq+ community

literally everyone except for ines LMAO

got bullied in school

fallon (dead by daylight)

girlboss

venera (mortal kombat)

war criminal

sylvia (call of duty: modern warfare)

morgan (call of duty: modern warfare)

rhea (fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood)

levi (call of duty: modern warfare)

exhausted

emily (far cry 5/new dawn)

teddy (far cry 4)

most likely self insert

amara (infamous: second son)

mallory (life is strange: true colors)

daniel (far cry 5/new dawn)

fallon (dead by daylight)

andrea (tomb raider)

just a dude

kieran (mass effect: andromeda)

levi (call of duty: modern warfare)

daniel (far cry 5/new dawn)

silas (cyberpunk 2077)

warren (far cry 5/new dawn)

[tailoredshirt]

Mateo and Owen + yacht rock

[sammys-magical-au]

A Telltale Heart

Hey y’all!! I’m back at it again with the follow-up stories as a Christmas present for my good friend @wouldntyou-liketoknow - this one’s a long overdue sequel to Bloody Tricks and Even Bloodier Treats, her Halloween special from 2 Halloweens ago (😅). It ended up a little shorter than I’d originally intended, but the ending I have here just kinda felt right 😊

Disclaimer: the character of Caliban is not mine and belongs to @wouldntyou-liketoknow, he’s one of her many MatPat fanegos that I would highly encourage you to check out!!

Warnings: cannibalism, mentions of past injury, reference of a suicide attempt

And without further ado, I give you A Telltale Heart…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You wanna know what it tastes like, don’t you?”

Sam’s head shot up at Caliban’s comment, and she was shaking her head before she’d even fully thought about it.

“Absolutely not,” she replied sternly, “I’m vegetarian, plus I’ve learned in my line of work to not ask questions I already know I don’t want the answers to.”

Caliban stared at her for a moment, then shrugged.

“Suit yourself.” He murmured, which would’ve totally been an acceptable thing to say if he hadn’t followed it up by shoveling a bite of actual-human-person into his mouth. He absolutely knew the irony of his actions and was revelling in how uncomfortable Sam was because of it.

Sam cringed, swallowing the bile rising in their throat.

She didn’t know why she was sitting across from him while he ate the person she’d helped him kill.

Maybe what Owen said was right, and she was just a damn bleeding heart, too caring for her own good.

She just wanted to make sure Caliban was okay after he’d been attacked.

There were still red marks on his throat where that man’s thumbs had pressed into his flesh, and they’d likely bruise. Sam was positively certain Caliban had suffered worse injuries in his line of work, but she couldn’t help but feel… he didn’t want to be alone here, even if he’d never say so out loud, since Murdock had left to contact the cleanup crew a few minutes ago.

As if he’d read Sam’s mind, Caliban suddenly broke into her thoughts.

“You can go if you want,” he mumbled around his mouthful - again, actually human flesh. Sam wouldn’t have minded his poor table manners if he’d been eating something normal. “You don’t have to stay. I know not many people like to watch me eat.”

“No, it’s fine,” Sam half-lied, “I’ll… I’ll stay. I don’t mind… too much.”

She tried to keep her eyes from drifting down to his plate as she said it, which admittedly wasn’t that hard when his mouth curled into a smile - a genuine smile, not his usual cavalier smirk - and he let out a faint chuckle.

He seemed to have calmed down a bit since having eaten, and even though Sam couldn’t relate to craving human flesh, she could certainly relate to feeling better when her stomach wasn’t empty anymore.

“Sorry if I scared you by the way,” Caliban added - once again seeming to read her mind, “earlier, I mean.”

“Oh, you didn’t scare me,” Sam replied, again sort-of lying, “I’ve seen much worse in Torchwood, believe me… you’re not even the first cannibal I’ve met, if I’m being completely honest.”

That gave Caliban pause - Sam quite literally saw him jolt in his chair, though only slightly. His head snapped up to look at her.

“Really?” He asked, “who were they?”

“I dunno if I ever learned their names,” Sam answered, trying not to shudder, “if I was ever told them, they either didn’t stick in my brain or I purposely forgot. They were… different from you…”

As much difference as you could get with cannibals… she thought, but neglected to say.

Caliban raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting them to go on.

“It was a whole family, for one thing,” Sam went on, realizing she was already shaking, “a mother and father and their grown-up kids. Lived in this town in the Wales countryside, people started going missing, we got called out because it was ‘suspicious’. Turns out it was pretty far out of our jurisdiction - out of anyone’s jurisdiction, really, considering what they were doing out there… they didn’t just… they didn’t just eat the people the caught. They tortured them, they tricked us into thinking they were on our side, one of them even impersonated a police officer to capture Gwen and Owen. Ianto got it the worst. He tried to sacrifice himself to save Tosh, so she could run. They… they beat him so heavily he almost wasn’t alive by the time we got him outta there. Those people weren’t just cannibalizing for food, they did it for fun, for pleasure. I… I’ve seen a lot of horrible shit in my lifetime, but that was probably one of the worst.”

She sucked in a long breath, realizing she hadn’t inhaled since she’d started the story.

“Anyway… I dunno why I’m telling you all this. I guess just to say that… I misjudged you. You’re not like them, you’re… different. And I’m sorry.”

Caliban frowned.

“What for?”

“Well it’s not fair to judge you based on the only thing I know about you.”

“I’m a cannibal.”

“That… still doesn’t make it fair.”

“I don’t really care much about fairness.”

“But I do.”

Caliban shrugged.

“Alright. Fine. If apologizing makes you feel better then.”

He was quiet for a second.

“Thank you.” He added, in a barely audible voice.

Sam nodded, knowing he probably wouldn’t want anymore acknowledgement than that, and offered a small smile.

She sat back in her chair and closed her eyes as Caliban finished his impromptu snack - if it could be called that - finally feeling the adrenaline of the evening starting to wear off.

“You threw out a lot of names there,” Caliban said finally, breaking the silence, and Sam opened one eye to look at him again.

“Hm?” She asked.

“In your story about the other cannibals,” Caliban explained, “what’s this ‘Torchwood’ thing really about, anyway? You said about four different names of people I don’t know and that apparently you get called out to deal with missing people, but you’re not a cop.”

Sam raised an eyebrow.

“I could be.” She said.

Caliban was already shaking his head, grinning.

“No, you couldn’t,” he said, “you’re not the type, I can tell.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Sam chuckled, “Gwen used to be, though. A cop, I mean. She’s our investigator now, using that could’ve-been-a-detective brain to track down leads and appeal to people’s human side. She really cares, she’s our heart, reminds us to be more… human. More kind. Toshiko is the brains of the operation, she’s a scientist, a techie. She can hack into just about any government agency site and she can solve any tech issue in five minutes, tops - I just wish she’d recognize her own brilliance. Owen’s the doctor, but he’s also a biologist. Any weird, wacky specimens we find go to him. He’s a bit of a hardass, but he’s like a little brother to me. We all know he’s much softer on the inside than he lets on. Ianto’s kind of a one-man-band, he cleans up after us, makes the coffee, but he specializes in the archives. He’s also the youngest of all of us. By a lot. Sometimes I catch myself thinking of him as a kid, even if that’s wrong. I can’t help it.”

“That young, is he?” Caliban asked.

“Early twenties.”

“And the other cannibals, they beat him?”

“Almost to death. And I can’t imagine the psychological torture they put him through. That could only be seen in his eyes… he wouldn’t tell us what they said to him, but I could tell… he tried to… take his own life not long after…”

Sam swallowed hard.

“H-he’s better now, of course, but… we were all pretty worried about him. And I don’t think he’s ever had friends who worry about him before.”

Caliban’s expression hardened, a flicker of anger appearing in his eyes, though Sam could tell it wasn’t directed at her.

“Then there’s Jack,” Sam went on, wishing her hands would stop shaking, “he’s our leader, and… well, I’m his biological ancestor. He’s from the future, but he ended up back here because of a misadventure with a man called the Doctor, who’s a whole other story completely.”

“How do you find out your someone’s ‘biological ancestor’?” Caliban demanded.

Sam shrugged with a weak laugh.

“When your coworkers start not minding their own business and notice how similar you talk and act and look and get a DNA test done.”

Caliban huffed a laugh before lapsing into another momentary silence.

“Doc told me about that little favor he did for you,” he said after a minute or so, “watching your other children. I’m assuming Jack wasn’t one of them.”

Sam nodded, trying to fight the sudden anxiety worming away at her stomach over the fact that a cannibal had just asked her about her children.

“Yeah, I have three younger kids between one and eight,” they said quietly, “my partner, Jay, was gonna be out for the evening and I got called out on an emergency, and since we were all living over here at the time and I couldn’t ask anyone else on my my team to step in, I contacted Murdock.”

Caliban was chortling.

“You hired a contract killer to babysit your children!” He cackled.

“Yeah, and Jay wasn’t too fucking happy about it when he found out either,” Sam grumbled, which only made Caliban laugh harder, “I know Murdock promised they couldn’t be safer, but… well, a serial killer is a serial killer.”

“What’re their names?” Caliban asked, a strange glimmer in his brown eyes that Sam couldn’t quite match to an emotion.

Sam’s heart slammed to an immediate stop.

Caliban must’ve seen the shock and reluctance in her face, because he immediately shook his head, waving a hand dismissively.

“Never mind,” he murmured, “you don’t have to tell me. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“N-no, it’s fine,” Sam stammered quickly, “I just… and I hate that I have to ask this, but… you wouldn’t eat a child, would you?”

Caliban raised an eyebrow at them, annoyance (and… possibly offence?) etched into his face.

“So, did you think my underground subway lair looked like a witch’s gingerbread house, or…?” He asked, his tone bordering on the same anger he’d expressed before.

“Alright, fair enough,” Sam sighed, raising her hands, “sorry. Protective instinct, I guess.”

“You would protect them, wouldn’t you?”

The question caught Sam off guard.

“… What?” She responded, frowning and tilting her head to one side.

“From someone like… from someone like those other cannibals.”

Sam could tell he’d wanted to say “from someone like me” but had refrained. She didn’t acknowledge this.

“Of course I would,” they said, with sudden fierceness, “I’d protect them from anything, human or not, cannibal or not, Earthly being or not. I’d give up my life for my children, I’d give up everything for them. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I wasn’t.” Caliban responded quickly. Then he added quietly, “just wanted to be sure.”

“Sure of what? That I’m not an abusive parent?” Sam shot back with a laugh, “never. NEVER.”

“Good to know.” Caliban said simply.

That strange emotion from before still lingered in his gaze, and Sam squinted at him.

“… Why?” She asked finally, and Caliban glanced up at them.

“Huh?”

“Why… did you wanna know that? Why’s it important to you?”

“Because no child deserves to suffer, but any adult who caused them suffering does.”

Sam nodded.

“Agreed. Got a bit of a soft spot for children then, huh?”

“You could say that, I guess. As long as you don’t make fun of me for it.”

“I’d never do that! Why would I? It only makes me like you more.”

Caliban gave her another look.

“Platonically, I mean.” She added.

“I know that,” Caliban huffed, “I’m just not used to hearing people say they ‘like’ me, especially not… normal people.”

“Well, you should know me enough by now to know I’m not a ‘normal’ person. If such a thing even exists.”

Caliban nodded, smiling.

“You make a good point.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@insane4fandoms @inkbedou @the-matpat-ever

[lilalbatross]

[alrightbuckaroo]

911 LS characters and poems they'd love

I've been reading a lot of poetry as of late and it made me ponder, what type of poetry would each character like? I present to you, poems (I think) the 126 (and then some) would love 💞

TK - The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert

Carlos - Love After Love by Derek Walcott

Grace - If I Had Three Lives by Sarah Russell

Judd - Two Times I Loved You Most in the Car by Dorothea Grossman

Owen - Divorced Fathers and Pizza Crusts by Mark Halliday

Paul - The Things in Black Men’s Closets by E. Ethelbert Miller

Marjan - The Heart of a Woman by Georgia Douglas Johnson

Tommy - Dear Life by Maya C. Popa

Nancy - Walking the Dunes by Brenda Hillman

Mateo - To Mars from Arizona by Alberto Ríos

[anewkindofme]

Seven Sentence Sunday

Thank you @actualalligator for the tag.

A look into the next installment of "The Little Monkey". With some Mateo as has been requested.

***

Owen leans against the fridge, taking a long sip of his espresso. “Where’s TK?”

Mateo shrugs, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. “Dunno, t’nk w’nt…” He starts to cough a little. Judd smacks him on the back.

“Chew first,” he demands, not entirely unkind.

Mateo chews then swallows and shoots his dad an apologetic look before turning back to Owen. “As I was saying, dunno. Think he went to shower but it’s been like over an hour. And we all know he’s not you in the bathroom.”

Owen chooses to ignore the comment, along with the snort it brings from Judd. He walks away from the two and heads for the bathroom. It’s empty as far as he can see and there’s no shower running. He’s about to leave when he sees a pair of Nikes beneath one of the stalls. A very familiar pair.

“TK?”

***

No pressure tag to @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad, @snowviolettwhite, @kingofdarkness00 and anyone else who'd like to participate!

[the-flaming-nightmare]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tag, @snowviolettwhite! 💙

Here's a tiny snippet from Day 17 of Regressuary:

Judd glanced down at his watch, the time reading 8:41pm. Owen told him TK's bedtime was at nine-thirty, but if experience with putting his own daughter to bed was anything to go by, Judd knew that getting a head start on the bedtime routine was always the best bet when handling a toddler. Especially a fussy toddler who was missing his daddy something fierce.

Owen had left just this morning for a fundraiser in Dallas being held by a group of fire captains from the surrounding areas, and since those things usually tended to run well into the night, he hadn't had much choice but to book a hotel for the night. With TK having been regressed for the last couple of days, though, Owen asked him and Grace they'd mind looking after him until he returned. They happily agreed to it, since it had been a minute since they had some time with their favorite nephew, and since were currently an empty nest while Charlie was spending the week with Grace's parents.

But with this also being TK's first time being away from Owen while regressed for an entire day and night, the drop off went about as well as any of them had expected. TK had been inconsolable for the first hour after Owen left. No matter what Judd and Grace did, the kid just wouldn't stop screaming and crying his heart out. It wasn't until Grace found a recording on her phone with Owen on it from the last get together they had. Mercifully, that had managed to calm the boy down. So long as they kept playing it on loop, at least.

A combination of the early morning and all of his crying inevitably led him to an exhaustion induced sleep, though. It was while he slept that Grace ended up getting a call from her supervisor at the dispatch center called her and asked if she'd be willing to go in today, since apparently three people called out due to a case of the Rona. Grace reluctantly agreed to go in, but not before Judd told her not to worry, that he and TK would be just fine.

By the time TK woke up three hours later, Grace had already left for work, which left Judd to find ways to keep the boy occupied long enough not to focus on Owen's absence. Somehow, with the Lord's help, he managed to do just that. It hadn't been an easy feat, and there had still been some tears along the way, but overall the rest of the day turned out pretty alright.

Tagging (if you wanna): @angelique-of-the-volturi-guard, @snarkythewoecrow and anyone else who wants to join!

[carlosandhistwinktk]

I got this tag from @corsage (sorry for this being late🌚)

(1) Which 911 Lone Star character redemption moment is your favorite?

I would say, Owen’s redemption with TK is the most and the main favorite mine besides Carlos being confident in his own skin with his family about his sexuality and relationship and TK finally yet slowly maturing within age (mentally and emotionally wise) as you see in a fashion sense and how he treat others and himself.

(2) Is there a character you think deserved more of an on screen redemption moment than we got in the show?

I wish to see how Grace and Judd are going to do now that Judd retired from 126 to take care of them, and Wyatt as well which I know we’ll get more of now since Grace won’t be in the show anymore as far as we know, and that would be a great moment between them. Or Iris and Tk moment building their relationship with each other bc Tk seemed to get along with Iris.

(3) Is there a recurring (or even one-time guest) “villain” that you would like to see return with a redemption arc? Or if not, is there a “villain” you absolutely would not want to see get a redemption?

Okay, but there’s barely any as the “main” villain so bare with me, Sadie ass shouldn’t be out here at all and if so imma need her to get clocked in the face by either Nancy or Marjan again (maybe TK even but he probably doesn’t hit women but still she’s not exempt) but one villian redemption I wanted was Trudey being at the wedding she was so sweet and had the right idea but the wrong intentions of being a “good mom” and trying to make her son love her by enabling his abuse and murder sprees.

(4) Are there any unresolved conflicts from the first four seasons that you wish were reconciled on screen?

Tk and Carlos fight about Iris, that whole episode pissed me off bc none of it was TK’s fault at all sis was kidnapped and I know it’s be “reconciled” but what I want from this was an apology from carlos and his mother and Iris getting on his ass for that.

(5) Which main character would you like to have a more developed backstory?

Grace and Nancy! Like I want to know deeper about her family line, not just about her relationship with Judd (which I don’t mind btw) and Nancy and Mateo’s relationship felt like it just came out of nowhere and the chemistry just felt forced and there was no build up leading up to them “hooking up” and her being bisexual, like I would’ve loved to hear her talk about her previous relationships men/woman, as a use of advice for either TK or Carlos or the rest of the 126.

Im sending this off to @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut to do this if you haven’t yet 🫶🏾

[zalder]

“Of course you do,” Zarah couldn’t help but say. She wasn’t surprised by much of anything he said. If it had come from anyone else, she might have questioned the veracity of what they were saying but she actually tended to believe Ryder when he talked about the things that he had experienced before landing in Merrock. “I honestly can imagine that.” At the end of the day, people were just people regardless of what they did professionally. She imagined that sometimes, it was nice just to sit and talk to people about normal things. She personally enjoyed when she could just sit around and talk with people who made her feel comfortable and that was precisely how she felt with him so she couldn’t comprehend how anyone else wouldn’t as well. That was perhaps a little of her own bias drifting in there. She nodded, letting herself get lost in her thoughts for a long moment. Enjoying a moment of amicable silence while he utilized his phone. His question caught her off guard. She hadn’t honestly been thinking about it. She let out a soft laugh. “I live close enough that I plan to enjoy the night and walk,” she admitted. It wasn’t far and it wasn’t as if there was danger lurking around. She was quite confident in her ability to handle herself. She did pause in her walk, figuring that he had to get to his own ride. “I’ll text and let you know I made it home safe,” she said before attempting a goodbye hug. She debated a peck to the side of his face just to annoy him but decided to not test her aim or luck.

"I know a few actors," he supplied with a shrug of one shoulder. Not very well, he wouldn't say that they were best friends, but he had spent time in Los Angeles, the same way that he had spent time… well, in a lot of different places, pretty much anywhere and everywhere. "No secret Hollywood Playboy back story, I've just sat and talked to people at parties, that's all." And you could pick up a lot of interesting factoids about people and their professions and the things that they had to deal with when they decided that they wanted to try to be famous. He didn't have any sort of acting or singing aspirations -- thank God -- but it was still something he could hold on to. "I hope so," because the world was changing every single day, one never really knew what was going to become popular, what people were going to be into. If there were still people out there that liked real art, things created by actual artists, than Ryder would be there to create it, in hopes that someone would want to hang it on their wall. "I guess you're right," he laughed, checking his phone to see the location of the uber that he had called to take him home. "Do you have a ride to where you need to go?"

[callsign-dexter]

Love and Homemade Treats

Request: Hey could you do fluff Owen Strand x wife fem!reader from 9-1-1 Lone Star where she visit the station and she brought something homemade for all of them with their child? Just fluff and comfort. Tag me later! Thanks:))

Pairings: Owen Strand x Wife!Reader

Warnings: fluff

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you @pear-1206 for requesting this!

“Mommy! Daddy!” A tiny voice sounds through the early morning immediately waking you and your husband, Owen Strand, up. That tiny voice would belong to your and your husband's 4-year-old son, Dakota Strand. You and Owen had met through Grace and Judd Ryder and the both of you hit off pretty well. The two of you dated for about 2 years and then got married and have been married for 4 years. Owen’s son, TK Strand, and you hit it off pretty well. You treated him like a son and he treated you like a mother and he even started to call you mom and you were delighted. When you told them both that you were expecting they both were ecstatic and they treated you like a queen and still do. When you met Carlos Reyes, TK’s boyfriend, you didn’t judge them one bit and opened them with open arms, you even considered him a son. 

“Babe, our son is calling to us.” You said already starting to wake up and he groaned. 

“Who is taking this one?” Owen asked and you chuckled as he sat up and so did you.

“He called for both of us.” You said 

“Well then we better get going.” He said as he was starting to push the covers back and you did the same. 

“Mommy! Daddy!” Dakota said 

“We’re coming, Bud!” Owen said as the both of you walked out of the room and down the hall and to his room. When you got there, he was sitting up and tear tracks were running down his cheeks and your heart broke. 

“Kota, what’s wrong?” You asked coming over to sit on his bed and he crawled into your lap.

“I had a bad dream.” He said as he snuggled into your chest and you stroked his dark hair that he had got from his father, it was scary at how similar he looked to his father with almost no trace of you. Sometimes you were jealous but your husband was so good looking you didn’t mind it. You looked up at Owen and his face was one of sadness and worry. 

“What was it about?” Owen asked as he came to kneel in front of the two of you. 

“You and TK went into a building and you didn’t come out.” He said and your heart broke further.

“Oh, Bud. Your brother and I will always come back to you.” Owen said and he looked at him with his father’s eyes.

“Really?” He asked

“Really, they’re always super safe. You know why?” You asked and he looked up at you.

“Why, Momma?” He asked

“Because they love us and don’t want to leave us behind.” You said and sniffled and you wiped his eyes with your thumb. 

“I wanna see TK and Carlos.” He said and you chuckled and smiled and Owen smiled.

“How about we see them for lunch before they go to work?” You asked

“Ok!” Dakota said happily.

“You have a few more hours before having to get up. Do you want to sleep here or with us?” Owen asked, running a hand through his son’s hair.

“You.” He said sleepily and you smiled.

“We can certainly make that happen.” You said “Up we go.”  You said and started to stand up with him. You repositioned him to make it more comfortable on him and you. Dakota laid his head on your shoulder and started to fall back to sleep as you and Owen started the walk back to your room. Owen smiled at the sight. You sat down on the bed and laid your now sleeping child down on the bed in the middle as Owen went to his side and sat down and started to lay down. You made sure Dakota was comfortable and then you laid down. Owen and you both turned on your side to look at each other.

“This is the 4th night he has had this nightmare.” Owen whispered and you nodded.

“I know. I think there is something more to it.” You said and then yawned.

“We’ll figure it out now get some sleep. We’ll sort it out in the morning.” Owen said and you nodded.

“Sounds like a good plan.” You said and then you were closing your eyes and snuggling into your son. Owen stayed awake for a few minutes longer taking in the scene and thinking about how lucky he was to have you both, and TK as family. With those thoughts running through his head, he slipped off into sleep.

The next time you were waking up was when your alarm started to go off and you groaned and you quickly shut it off. You quickly noticed the lack of heat and little body that was snuggled into you all night and then when your hand met an empty bedside where your husband slept you weren’t too concerned. You knew Dakota was with his father and it only confirmed it when you started to smell something delicious coming from the kitchen that had you getting up and making your way there. When you got there your husband was standing behind your son as they stood over the stove, Owen making sure that Dakota didn't burn himself even if he did then he would be able to treat it. You smiled at the scene and thanked yourself for grabbing your phone before snapping pictures. “Do you think Mommy will like them?” Dakota asked and Owen smiled.

“I think anything you make for Mommy she's gonna love because she loves you.” He said and attacked him with kisses making him giggle a sound you both loved. 

“This is the sight I love to see.” You said and they both turned around.

“Mommy!” Dakota shrieked “Down, Daddy.” He said and Owen helped him down and he ran to you. He jumped and thankfully you had fast reflexes and caught him. 

“Hi, Baby. Are you helping daddy with breakfast?” You asked 

“Uh huh.” He said nodding.

“Actually, it's almost ready. Carlos and TK should be over here any minute now.” Owen said 

“Oh, I thought they were coming for lunch?” You asked

“They were but had something come up with afternoon and wanted to do breakfast.” Owen said

“Well, that's wonderful! I'm gonna go and get us ready for the day while you get everything ready.” You said

“Sounds wonderful.” He said and that's what you set out to do. Once you both were changed and teeth brushed there was a knock on the door and Dakota looked at you wide eyes.

“You know who that is?” You asked 

“Carlos and TK!” He shouted and then he was rushing off to the door with you not far behind. 

“Hey, no running.” Owen scolded as he got food onto plates.

“Sorry, Daddy.” He said as he reached the door and was about to open it before you stopped him.

“Hey, no opening the doors without one of us.” You said and he nodded and you grabbed the door handle and opened it. 

“TK! CARLOS!” He shouted and rushed to them and TK picked him up.

“There's my little buddy.” He said and hugged him. “Hi, mom.” He said looking at you and you smiled.

“Hi, Baby.” You said and hugged him as Dakota was passed to Carlos. 

“Hi, Mrs. Strand.” Carlos said as he hugged you as Dakota was quickly transferred to TK as he asked to be back in TK's who was heading into the kitchen with his little brother.

“Hi, Carlos. Please call me Y/N.” You said, chuckling as you released him.

“If you want.” He said smiling.

“Come on, the food is ready.” You said and then he was walking into the kitchen as you shut the door. You joined them in the kitchen. Dakota was talking TK's and Carlos’ ear off but they could care the least bit. Breakfast was eaten with some fun mixed in and many many laughs were thrown out. Carlos and TK stayed until they needed to leave which everyone was sad about but Dakota was the most upset about it, he loved his older brother even if they weren’t full brothers.

Lunch came and went and the rest of the time was spent with Owen cuddling his youngest son and cuddling you. You had him do some stuff that he needed to do that couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to do such as using the ladder. Yes, you were capable of using a ladder but Owen didn’t like it just because he wanted to keep you safe. Although you do get on there and he doesn’t know about it but what he doesn’t know what hurt him. Currently you were helping him pack his bag more like you were putting the clothes that Dakota was taking out back in. Dakota always struggled with his dad leaving but he usually got over it after a few hours he was gone. After about the fifth time Owen was getting frustrated. “Kota, daddy has to go to work.” He said.

“No, Daddy you stay.” He said looking up with puppy dog eyes and suddenly you knew it was because of the nightmare. So, you got to his level and made him look you in the eyes.

“Dakota, look at me.” You said and he did so.

“Daddy isn’t going to leave you neither is TK. They’re extra careful to come home to us. They have to go and save people’s lives. Ok, Baby?” You asked and he nodded and Owen got down to his level too.

“That’s right Buddy. We’ll always come home to you and Mommy.” Owen said and Dakota nodded.

“Ok.” He said and you both kissed him and got back to packing. Soon the packing was done with the help of Dakota instead of him disrupting the packing. Soon it was time for Owen to leave and after a very tearful goodbye from Dakota, Owen was kissing you and heading out the door. Dakota was still crying.

“Hey, it's ok. How about we call Daddy before you go to bed and we go see him tomorrow and bring him and TK some really tasty treats, hmmm?” You asked, looking at him and brushing his bangs to the side and wiping his eyes.

“Ok, Mommy.” He said and you smiled and kissed his forehead.

“Now what do you want to take to him and TK?” You asked, still holding him and walking into the living room.

“Pie. No cheesecake. No cookies!” He said and you chuckled.

“How about all three or we make the pie or cheesecake for us and send the cookies to them?” You asked 

“I like that idea, Mommy.” He said and you smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Very well then let’s get to it.” You said and set him down while you got all the ingredients. You and Dakota started to put ingredients together and soon after about 3 hours of baking you had everything baked and cooling down ready to be packaged to take to the firehouse tomorrow. “Alright, what do you want to eat?” You asked him already knowing the answer.

“Chicken nuggets and fries!” He said excitedly and you chuckled.

“Of course, how could I forget?” You asked not expecting an answer but got a giggle back. You turned to the stove and got the air fryer going “Hey, why don’t you go wash up and then go watch something?” You asked and he looked at you.

“Ok, Momma.” He said and scurried off while you started getting the fries and chicken nuggets out and waited for the oven to preheat before putting everything in and setting it for the time required. Soon you were hearing the TV turning on and some kids show queuing up. Soon the food was done and you were putting the food on plates and grabbing the ketchup and drinks and heading into the living room.

“We don’t tell daddy about this.” You said “It’s our secret.” You said and he nodded, taking it very seriously. 

“Our secret.” He said and then started to eat snuggling up against you. Soon you both were done eating and now it was time for him to start winding down and head off to bed. It wouldn’t take that long considering his eyes were already drooping. Your phone started to vibrate in your pocket and you got it and saw it was a facetime from Owen and you smiled and answered it. 

“Hey, Honey.” Owen said keeping his voice quiet and you could see he was in his office.

“Hey, Baby.” You replied

“Kota still up?” He asked 

“Barley.” You said and showed him his son.

“Hi, Buddy.” Owen said and that stirred him a little.

“Hi, Daddy.” He said in a sleepy quiet voice.

“Did you have a good day with your mom?” He asked and you nodded.

“We made sweets.” He said and rubbed his eye.

“You did? What kind?” Owen asked and Dakota looked at you.

“Strawberry cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.” You said

“Oh, I’m so jealous.” Owen said “I wish I was there to eat it all.” He said and Dakota chuckled and then yawned. “You get some sleep. I’ll see you in a few days. I love you.” He said.

“Love you too, Daddy.” He said and then you turned the phone to face you.

“Goodnight, Babe. We’re planning to make a trip up there at some point. You ok with that?” You asked 

“Always. Goodnight, Honey. I love you.” He said

“I love you too.” You said and then you both were hanging up the phone. You looked down and found Dakota sound asleep. 

“Out like a light.” You said and got up and carefully picked him up and walked him to his room and tucked him in and bent down and kissed his head. “Goodnight, Baby. I love you.” You said and made sure his night light was on and walked out of his room cracking his door. You went back to the living room and cleaned up and turned on a show that you had been watching and watched it until your eyes were drooping and you were headed to bed.

The next morning you were waking up to your son crawling into the bed with you. “Mommy?” He asked.

“Yes, Kota?” You asked

“We go and see Daddy and TK today?” He asked and you smiled and pushed the hair out of his eyes.

“Of course, Baby. Let’s get dressed and brush our teeth then we can pack up the sweets and head that way.” You said and he nodded and he was scrambling to get off your bed and do what he was told. You chuckled and shook your head and did the same. Once you were changed into jeans and one of Owen’s hoodies you went and checked on him and found him dressed similarly, jeans and a hoodie. “You ready?” You asked and he nodded and the both of you went into the kitchen and packed the food up and put it in a bag. You headed for the door with your bag and grabbed your purse and keys. “Remember to hold my hand while we are crossing the street and in crowded places.” You said and he nodded.

“I remember, Momma.” He said and you smiled. He was so much like his dad. You arrived at the elevator and let him press the button and it instantly opened and you both stepped in and let him press the button that you told him too. You quickly arrived at the lobby and you held out his hand for his and he took it. You walked out of the building and to your car you put the food beside his car seat and then strapped him in. You got in and turned the car on and headed off to the station. The car ride was filled with laughter and signing. When you arrived the firetruck and ambulance were just rolling in.

“Hey, there’s daddy.” You said and he looked out the window excitedly. He was always amazed by the firetrucks and ambulances. You parked the car beside Owen’s truck and waited until everyone was pulled in and out before you got out. Once they were in the garage you got out and saw Judd walking over. “Hey, Judd.” You said and smiled and started for Dakota’s door.

“Hey, Y/N. Need any help?” He asked and you smiled at him.

“Actually yes. I have some sweets beside his car seat. Do you mind grabbing it?” You asked

“Yes ma’am.” He said and opened the door.

“Judd!” Dakota shrieked as you opened the door and started to unbuckle him.

“Hey, Bud! How are you?” He asked

“Good! We’re seeing daddy.” He said and you chuckled and smiled.

“You are? I know he will be happy to see you.” He said as you finished getting him out and picking him up as Judd grabbed the bag and walked around the car after shutting the door and you locked the car. 

“Yea!” He shouted and the two of you started to walk in and he spotted TK. “TK!” He shouted and wiggled and you put him down and he ran to his big brother who easily caught him. You stared at the sight for a second smiling and then you and Judd walked over to the table and began to put the desserts on the table. A pair of arms slinked around your waist. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Owen said and you smiled.

“I told you that we would be coming to see you.” You said as you turned around in his arms and the others gathered around. 

“Daddy!” Dakota shouted and that made him turn around and come face to face with TK holding Dakota and he reached for him and he took him. 

“Hi, Buddy.” He said and he wrapped his little arms around his father’s neck.

“I heard desserts were brought.” Mateo said and you chuckled.

“That would be correct. We have strawberry cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.” You said 

“Marry me.” Matteo said and everyone laughed.

“Sorry, she’s already taken.” Owen said and everyone laughed again.

“Dig in!” You said and everyone did as you stood back with Owen and your son as you watched your other children fulfill themselves on the desserts.

“How did I get so lucky to have you two in my life?” Owen said and you chuckled and kissed his cheek.

“Thank Grace for that.” You said and he chuckled.

“Hey, Dakota, do you want some?” Marjan asked, looking over at him.

“Can I, Daddy?” Dakota asked

“If it is ok with your mom.” He said 

“It’s alright with me.” You said 

“Yay!” Dakota shouted and then Owen was walking over to the table. You smiled looking at the scene. TK walked over and stood next to you holding two plates with a slice of apple pie and handed one to you. 

“Thank you.” You said

“You’re welcome. So, what made you decide to come down?” He asked

“Well, a little someone wanted to see his daddy and big brother.” You said and TK smiled.

“He’s such a good kid.” He said and you smiled.

“He is and so are you.” You said bringing an arm to pull him in a side hug and he smiled and laid his head on your shoulder.

“Thanks, Mom.” He said and you kissed his head.

“You’re welcome.” You said and then he was getting called away leaving you to stare ahead smiling while you ate your pie. 

You don’t know how you got so lucky but you were glad you did. You got a good husband, two good sons and a lot of extended family, who act like kids sometimes but you wouldn’t trade them for anything or ask for anyone better. You were happy with your family.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

@callsign-revenge

[lilalbatross]

[everlastingday]

Thanks to @heartstringsduet, @henrygrass, @carlossreaders, @carlos-in-glasses,

@futures-tense, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @emsprovisions, and @nisbanisba for the tags! 💜

farewell to the short-lived holiday banner! i've been working away at the survivor au, which currently does not have any words per se but requires a lot more planning than i'm used to in order to plan out the way the entire game plays out. a spreadsheet is involved to make sure i have all my backstabs and betrayals in order. so instead of words, i will share with you the cast and starting tribes.

place your bets - who's forming alliances, who's gonna be first boot, and who is ultimately going to win the title of sole survivor? 🔥

--

Red:

TK Strand

Carlos Reyes

Ty O’Brien

Tommy Vega

Nancy Gillian

Pearce Risher

Serena Washington

Yellow:

Owen Strand

Marjan Marwani

Paul Strickland

Mateo Chavez

Judd Ryder

Grace Williams

Sam Campbell

--

open tag & no-pressure tagging a few people under the cut!

@whatsintheboxmh @nancys-braids @welcometololaland @reyesstrand

@thisbuildinghasfeelings @captain-gillian @bonheur-cafe @lightningboltreader

@eclectic-sassycoweyes @firstprince-history-huh @paperstorm

let me know if you want to be added/removed, and please feel free to tag me as well, i love seeing what everyone else is working on! 💜

[zalder]

“No there isn’t,” she admitted. Zarah definitely knew when it came to life there was only so much you could do about the circumstances you were born into. In her mind, it was how people choose to live because of or despite those circumstances that really mattered. Life wasn’t always fair but that didn’t mean that you had to use that lack of fairness as justification for less than desirable personality traits. Excuses only ever worked for so long. “It honestly doesn’t matter as long as you have someone,” she told him. The who was honestly so insignificant. “I can’t think of anything sadder than having no one that you can trust like that.” No matter how cool someone was on their own, no one was an island nor should they be. She didn’t care how much someone protested. Everyone needed that. Thinking wasn’t something that she saved for one time or another. Her mind was almost always running, maneuvering over one thing or another. People in general tended to be more accepting of her rambling thoughts when she was in a social setting where there was booze though. After a few drinks, they were usually on board with her and open to letting the conversation lead where it might. She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “Yeah, yeah. Raincheck,” she said with a nod. “Thanks again.”

"Nothing wrong with that," you couldn't always help the way that your life went -- some people had it good, what did it do to deny that, to try to play it off any other way? It was better to acknowledge it, own it, and just live your life, that was something that he had learned a long time ago about his own situation and what his lot in life was. He certainly wasn't going to spend any time complaining or trying to play it off, anyway. "No, I don't think that sort of person needs to be a parent at all. Could be an older sibling, a friend, someone at work that you're close to," he shrugged one shoulder. In his case, a nanny or a tutor that he spent a lot of time with, he was still close with a few of those, knew them pretty well. They would be the kind of people he would say he could go to no matter what. And it was nice to have those types in your corner when you needed them the most. Scrunching his nose as she mentioned saving her deepest thoughts for her drunk nights, Ryder couldn't really say that he was the same way; he wasn't the kind of person that became philosophical when he had a drink in his hand, or suddenly said the things that he was afraid to when sober -- he just said them when he was sober. But he knew that it wasn't always that easy for some people, either. "Yeah, yeah," he laughed, waving off her offer, "I have to get back, but I'll take a rain check on that for next time? With you paying, of course."