@actuallylemon I had such a good time creating this homage to the LCU for your birthday! I love reading your beautiful works, immersing myself in TK and Marjan's friendship or the lives of my favorite little family, but I love being your friend even more. From theorizing about season 5 to adventuring in ATX to talking about Tarlos, our own lives, and everything in between, becoming your friend has truly been a high point of the fandom experience!
Lemon's amazing fics, also known as the LCU (Lemon Cinematic Universe) can be found HERE
Summary: Carlos Reyes has the life he always wanted. He's a devoted husband to TK, a proud dad to their son Jonah, and a sharp Texas Ranger who trusts his gut. His professional anchor is his partner, Sam Campbell. Their bond, forged in trust and tested by fire (and paperwork), makes them an unstoppable team. No matter what, they have each other's backs.
Chapter 1: A Hunt at Dawn
A 3 a.m. call shatters Carlos’ hard-earned night of sleep, pulling him into a frantic manhunt for an escaped felon. Teaming up with his partner, Sam, he must navigate a tense investigation, territorial detectives, unexpected nobility, and the wilderness under the Texas dawn.
When a missing persons case lands on Carlos’s desk, it’s one he can’t shake.
When TK and Marjan find out about it, they're curious.
They're not investigating Carlos's case... it's just a harmless stop by the bakery. Until it quickly turns into something else...leading to unanswered questions, loose threads, and a discovery they were never supposed to make.
Carlos is exhausted.
Paul is entertained.
Joe has learned by now to stay out of it.
TK and Carlos take Jonah on a night out to a very special place when the honky-tonk hosts a family-friendly event, but even while surrounded by all their closet friends, not everyone is happy to see them. When disaster strikes, Jonah unexpectedly becomes the evening’s hero.
Chapter 1: Kisses for Breakfast I Chapter 2: Wanna Dance, Mijo?
Chapter 3: The A-Word I Chapter 4: Last Chance Saloon I
Chapter 5: The Boy Who Held Up the World
“What’s happened, mijo?” Andrea asks. She’s wandered over, catching the tail of the conversation, and finds herself with a little nieto cuddling into her.
“There was a mean man,” Jonah says.
A squeeze to TK’s shoulder makes him jump, but it’s only his own dad here to find out what’s going on.
“A guy confronted you in front of Jonah?” Owen asks.
“Look. I don’t want to make a huge deal out of this,” TK says, and turns to Carlos. “I just think we have to watch our backs a little, babe. I’m sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for?” Carlos stares at TK with a face like stone, a living boulder about to crush its way down a hillside.
“I just–”
“No.” Carlos slides off his barstool cooly. His cowboy boots clink as his feet meet the floor.
“Babe?”
“This is our place, and our night, with our family. Just as much as anyone else’s.”
Read on Ao3
Happy belated birthday to jolly old @thisbuildinghasfeelings, who once said to me: “I’m emotional over the three of them going for a night out together.” And that lit a little spark that became this fic, on the theme of ‘returning to important places’. Lemon’s beautiful fic on the same theme is here: more than just an ordinary pain
I have been tagged by @welcometololaland @ladyknight1512 and @annoyingcloudearthquake to share what I'm aiming to get done by the end of the year. Thank you! 💛
Rules: List the top 3 projects (fic, art, other) you want to complete by the end of 2026! Projects don’t need to be in wip, it can be literally anything you’d like to get done before the year is over. Tag others for encouragement/inspiration.
Tarlos Christmas Fic. This is my current unfinished WIP. I have a couple of other fics fully written that need editing, but this is the one that's still cooking.
Goal: For obvious reasons, I wouldn't want to finish this as of 31st Dec, but certainly want it written and edited by end of Nov!
Roadblocks: I'm really enjoying writing this, so I'm happy to say the motivation is there, but time is always an issue these days. If I have an unexpected setback like major complications with work or illness etc, it could become a struggle. I know it's August lol, but I try to write well in advance.
2. The Storm Sweater by PetiteKnit. This is my only current knitting project on the needles. The concept is textures that depict different rains/an overall stormy feeling. So I've decided to make a stormy grey version using Rowan's Tweed Haze Fine in Ash (love this yarn) and Filcolana's Pernilla in Graphite. Please enjoy my dragon claw hand:
Goal: To have it finished this autumn so I can hopefully move on to knitting The Peggy Sweater by Le Knit, which is my dream!
Roadblocks: The Storm is progressing pretty well, but as above it's about time. I'm a fairly slow knitter, trying to balance this hobby with writing and life stuff. As of today, I've sewn down the collar and have paused the body so I can sail to Sleeve Island. You might find me there for the rest of the week...and beyond... 🥲 Textured knits are my beloved, hence wanting to knit the Peggy next, but texture means they take longer.
3. Figure out my 2027 writing and knitting plans! - So not a project in itself, but something on my mind. I find it useful to have a 'pipeline' of sorts - creative endeavours to look forward to.
Goal: Over the coming months, nail down decisions for what to do next. I have a 'to be written' document with ideas to pick from, and the first thing I'm aiming to work on is actually a fic request from a lovely reader. But I want to figure out the pipeline for beyond that, and how to fit it around work. For knitting - I have yet to make a cardigan, a colourwork garment, or a cabled garment. It would be amazing to achieve all three next year...! OHHH (last min edit to this!) and I want to knit a teal-green henley inspired by what Carlos wears in 2x12. I cannot believe I almost forgot to add this!!! This has been on my TBK for so long! And I think I've found the pattern! A long-sleeved version of the Roadtripper Tee by Ozetta! It would be my Ozetta pattern. I've heard great things.
Roadblocks: Time, always. Motivation isn't usually an issue, but tiredness and overwhelm can have an impact, and I'm always living in fear that writer's block itself might be around the corner. It happens to us all, and obviously putting pressure on oneself doesn't help. It also is naturally more challenging without the show airing to keep up the momentum with ideas. But I do want to keep going because writing Tarlos fic is such a delight and remains my favourite thing. Knitting-wise, a roadblock can certainly be if I'm finding a pattern impenetrable or I'm overly ambitious. So I need to find the right colourwork, cardigan and cable patterns for me.
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