Chapter 11- The Fear You Won't Fall
"Everybody look left,
Everybody look right,
Everywhere you look I'm-
Standing in the spotlight.
Let every creature go for broke and sing,
Let's here it in the herd and on the wing,
It's gonna be King Simba's finest fling,
Oh, I just can't wait to be king!
Oh, I just can't wait to be king!
Oh, I just can't wait…
To be king!"
Charlotte sang at the top of her voice as she danced around the lounge room, throwing Mr. Waffles back and forth as she made dramatic hand movements to match the TV screen. Granted, half the lyrics weren't correct and she just made them up as she went along, but she managed to successfully hold the last note.
Charlotte hopped down from the couch and made her way into the kitchen.
Santana looked up from the meal she was cooking and smiled. "All finished with the Lion King?"
"I got thirsty." Charlotte shook her head and puffed out a breath to emphasize her point, throwing down her shoulders.
Santana smirked but it quickly changed when she saw Charlotte head to the fridge. "Hey, no juice. It's almost dinner time. You can have water."
Charlotte groaned dramatically in response. "I hate water."
"You don't hate water." Santana smirked, correcting her. "You don't like it."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, a trait she had picked up from Quinn over the last few months. She hopped up to sit at the breakfast bar and downed a glass of water nonetheless, wiping her mouth with her sleeve before turning to Santana. "Can you sing with me?"
"Not right now, babe." Santana frowned. "After dinner, okay?"
Charlotte nodded and chewed on the piece of carrot Santana handed her. She paused a second later, pulling the carrot back and looking at it intensely. "Are carrots bee-gan?"
Santana frowned confused, trying to figure out what Charlotte was asking. A second later, it hit her. "Oh! Vegan." She laughed, nodding. "Yeah, Char, they are."
"Good." Charlotte grinned, taking another bite. "Coz I have to eat only that stuff now."
"Huh?"
Charlotte grabbed another piece of carrot before explaining, sighing dramatically as if it was obvious. "Coz of all the animals! Aunt Rachie told me! And I can't eat the animals coz they should live too!"
"You've been spending way too much time with Rachel." Santana mumbled, rolling her eyes.
Charlotte was actually more determined to keep to the "vegan" diet than Santana had accounted for. After successfully sorting out the "vegan" chicken fingers from the regular chicken fingers, Charlotte only ended up eating half of her dinner.
Santana and Charlotte settled down in the lounge room with Charlotte on the floor in front of the couch, her eyes glued to the TV, while Santana brushed her freshly washed hair.
"Momma?"
"Hmm?"
"Can we get a puppy?"
Santana smirked, shaking her head. Charlotte had been fixated on getting a dog ever since one of her friends had gotten one recently and every now and then she would bring it up.
"How about you ask your dad tomorrow, okay?"
Charlotte sighed and pouted, bringing her hands up to her chin. "He said to ask you!"
"I don't know what to tell you, sweetie." Santana laughed, trying not to but struggling despite the fact that it was making Charlotte mad. "Maybe when you're a bit older, okay?"
Charlotte sighed but forgot about the conversation a moment later after becoming engrossed in the movie.
"Momma?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we watch The Little Mermaid tomorrow with Brittany?"
Santana frowned, biting her lip. "You're going to be at your dad's place tomorrow, remember?"
Charlotte frowned and turned around, despite the fact that Santana was in the middle of braiding her hair. "But I want to see Brittany."
"You'll see her at school tomorrow, hon."
Charlotte shook her head. "Nu uh. At school she's Miss Pierce. I want to see Brittany."
Santana smiled proudly; her little girl was smart. "Maybe we can watch it another time, okay? I know daddy and Paul really want you to show them the new dance you learnt."
This seemed to satisfy her and Charlotte turned back around, allowing Santana to start the braid again. Santana was grateful; tomorrow night had to be perfect. It wasn't that she didn't love the dates she and Brittany had, with Charlotte in tow of course, at Chuck E Cheese, but she wasn't going to lie and say she wasn't thrilled about having their first real child-free date.
"Charlie? Hurry up, please! We're going to be late!"
It didn't surprise Santana. Somehow she and Charlotte hadn't managed to be early once since Charlotte had started school.
Charlotte made her way into the kitchen where Santana was getting breakfast ready and yawned as she took a seat at the breakfast bar.
Santana smirked; she was literally a carbon copy of herself, especially when it came to the mornings. "Here, babe."
Charlotte proceeded to eat her Lucky Charms while Santana dashed around the kitchen, getting her things together.
The unmistakable sound of a bowl hitting the floor tore her attention back and Santana yelled before she could stop herself. "Charlotte!"
Charlotte's lip quivered and she stared wide-eyed between the cereal on the floor and her mom. "I'm s-sorry." She mumbled, her eyes filling with tears.
Santana started to clean, not even looking at Charlotte. "Just go get your backpack, okay?"
Charlotte ran to her room and Santana mentally hit herself. She rarely ever yelled and when she did, it was never at Charlotte. But a glance at her watch and Santana realized they didn't have time for anything.
"Charlotte?"
Charlotte appeared a minute later and Santana shot her an apologetic smile, noting the fact that Charlotte had rubbed her face to try to erase her tear tracks.
Charlotte didn't say anything or even make eye contact. Instead, she moved past Santana and led the way out of the apartment.
The drive to school was almost completely silent, despite a few muttered choice words Santana directed at other drivers.
She opened Charlotte's door and Charlotte tried to get past her but Santana stopped her. "Baby, look at me."
Charlotte didn't make eye contact so Santana gently lifted her chin up. "I'm really sorry for yelling at you this morning. I know it wasn't your fault."
Charlotte nodded, both that it wasn't her fault and that she understood Santana was sorry. She didn't protest when Santana pulled her into a hug, and she wrapped her arms around her mom's shoulders, gripping tightly.
Santana kicked herself for the rest of the morning. She hated seeing her daughter upset and it killed her to know that she was responsible.
Charlotte, however, completely forgot once she was in her classroom with her friends. It was even more exciting when they decided to play Hide and Go Seek at lunch time and Charlotte found a really good hiding spot.
"Hi there."
Charlotte looked up at the voice and watched the other person with nervous eyes. "Hi."
She was hiding behind a tree, close to the fence of the playground and hidden from view. The man was around thirty, and he leaned up against the fence, making sure that he too was hidden from view of the various staff on duty.
"What's your name?" He squatted down so that he was the same height as Charlotte and smiled.
"Charlotte." Charlotte backed up a few steps, keeping her eyes glued on the man. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
"That's okay." He smirked. "My name is Sean. See? Now we're not strangers anymore."
Charlotte thought this over, still nervous but nodding nonetheless. "Oh."
"How old are you, Charlotte?"
Charlotte counted her age on her fingers before holding them up to show him. "Six. It was my birthday!"
"It was?" The man, Sean, pretended to be interested. "Wow! Did you have a party?" Charlotte nodded excitedly. "I bet lots of your friends were there, huh?"
Another nod and goofy smile "All of them!"
"All of them? Wow! You're very lucky." Sean pretended to look upset. "I wish my friends would come to my birthday party…"
Charlotte frowned. "I'll come to your party." She offered.
Sean pretended to look happy, smiling widely. "Thanks, Charlotte! You're a really good friend. But you know what? I wish my best friend could come…"
He left the question open and waited for Charlotte to continue. "I have lots of best friends! Who's your best friend?"
"My best friend's name is Brittany."
Charlotte's face lit up and she giggled excitedly. "I know Brittany!"
"You do?" More faked surprise.
Charlotte nodded furiously. "Uh huh! She's my teacher and my momma's really, really best friend!"
Sean's face flashed with anger but he quickly covered it when Charlotte jumped up and grabbed his hand, pulling on his arm. "Come on! We can go see Brittany! Cept you have to call her Miss Pierce coz we're at school."
Sean pulled his arm away a little too roughly just as the bell rang. He glanced up and noticed the students were starting to pile inside. "It's okay. I'll come back and see Brittany another time. You have to go back to class now."
Charlotte frowned, slightly disappointed. "You'll come see me too?"
Sean nodded, forcing a smile. To be honest, he'd always hated kids. They were clingy and sticky and gross. But he figured Brittany was worth putting up with Charlotte. "Sure, I will. But you have to make a promise, okay?"
Charlotte nodded, holding out her pinky. "Okay!"
"You have to promise not to tell anyone that we talked today." Sean was forceful, making Charlotte frown. "You can't tell anyone about me."
Charlotte thought for a moment before replying. "My momma said we're not supposed to keep secrets from our mommies and daddies."
Sean rolled his eyes and grabbed Charlotte's arm, forcing her to look at him. "Don't tell anyone about me, okay?" Charlotte nodded, wincing under his grip. "Promise."
"I promise." Charlotte mumbled, rubbing her arm when he let go. She glared at him before turning around and rushing back into the school.
Brittany had been watching Charlotte with concern since the end of lunch. The normally bubbly girl was silent and withdrawn and Brittany couldn't help but be concerned.
"Hey, Charlie." Brittany said quietly as she knelt down beside Charlotte's chair after instructing the rest of the class to start on their activities. "Are you feeling okay?"
Charlotte nodded but her lip wavered at the same time and Brittany could tell she was trying not to cry.
"Come with me, honey." Brittany took her hand and led her out of the class, squatting down in front of her once they were in the hallway.
"I want momma." Charlotte's lip quivered and her voice hiccupped as her resolve broke.
Brittany frowned and drew Charlotte into her arms, rubbing her back comfortingly. "How come, sweetie? Do you feel sick?"
Charlotte nodded, gripping Brittany's neck. She knew you weren't supposed to lie and she didn't really feel sick but she really wanted her mom.
"Okay, honey." Brittany pulled back but kept a hold on Charlotte's hands, smiling reassuringly. "I'll call you mom, okay?"
Santana arrived in the middle of nap time, her relief clear when she saw Charlotte sitting on Brittany's lap at her desk.
"Hey, baby." Santana bent down and brushed back Charlotte's hair, smiling reassuringly. "How are you feeling?"
Charlotte didn't answer and instead lifted her arms up for Santana to pick her up. Santana obliged and Brittany stood up with them.
Santana bit her lip sheepishly, frowning. "Rain check on tonight?"
Brittany nodded and smiled reassuringly, rubbing Charlotte's back. "Of course." She whispered.
Santana grinned and didn't think before leaning in and kissing the blonde. Brittany's eyes dashed towards her sleeping class before she kissed Santana back. However, she managed to miss the still wide-awake and attentive little boy in the corner.
"I'll call you later." Santana assured, shooting her one last smile before grabbing Charlotte's backpack and carrying the little girl out to her car.
Sean Taylor unlocked the door to the hotel room he was renting and threw his keys and phone on the bed before making his way into the bathroom. He cast one lasting glance around the room before he did; the walls were covered in photos, mainly surveillance ones he had taken. Brittany teaching, Brittany grocery shopping, Brittany with Santana and Charlotte, Brittany with Quinn and Rachel, Brittany driving, Brittany walking, basically every movement Brittany made. He smirked, knowing he was close.