"Are you sure you should be up and walking around?" Charlie asks, a frown on his face as he watches Santana fiddle around in the kitchen. It seemed as if she was attempting to make tea. She hadn't said a word to him, not since she refused to allow him to perform at Antonio's birthday. It was obvious she was spinning wheels, unable to stand still for a moment. It had been easier once Antonio was awake, he had stuck by her side until he had gotten sleepy. She'd even thanked Brittany but she hadn't really said a word to him.

Not that he minded, but he was concerned. He had no idea if it had really worked, and while he trusted his sister to do a proper job—perhaps he needed to start looking into that field so he would be better able to protect her.

"I'm unsure if I've said this, but I'm sorry."

This makes Santana stop. She straightens her back but doesn't turn around. "For what?"

They're the first words she's said to him in hours. "I had a duty of care, and I should have recognized it sooner. I should have. It's a mistake that I don't plan on making again."

He can practically see her shudder before she spins around to face him. "A duty of care? You mean when you promised that I'd be safe, that Antonio would be safe? And then this happens? Is that what you meant?"

"I—"

"All the creepy creatures that you keep around, the fires that you start, the fact that you summoned a dangerous pet for my son! I accepted that, it made Antonio happy and the pay was good. But you never told you me you had enemies. I never would have taken the job if I had known that crazed lunatics were after you because you had fucked them over. I don't know what I expected, Terri told me you were some sort of mercenary, but honestly I thought you were more into the whole finding rare items—and selling them I didn't think you were one of the bad mercenaries."

"I don't."

"You can't be that slow, I saw what you did to his hands. You took away something that I know you cherish more than anything. So how could you possibly not realize that he hates you. He loathes you, and you have no idea of what he wants to do to you. So how can you stand there and tell me to my face that you don't have enemies." Santana reaches for the counter to steady herself. She could feel a pulsating headache coming on right behind her eyes. "Every word out of his mouth was how much he hated you, how all of this was your fault and I mean I saw what you did to his hands. So the question I have is why? Why the hell would you do that to another person?" She looks at him, his answer would determine whether she was going to quit and take her chances with someone else. Russell had offered her a position; she probably wouldn't make as much money but at least the pay was good. Maybe she could take Sebastian's job. It would serve the prick right.

Charlie studies her for a moment, there weren't the right cards for this. "I did what I did because I thought that it would stop him. I was under the opinion that without the ability to do most magic he would never be able to do what he did to you to someone else."

"You thought wrong." Santana snaps at him.

"It's a mistake that I won't repeat," Charlie repeats darkly.

"I can't believe that I have to explain this to you, you're an adult. Violence will only lead to more violence, and Noah can't be the only person who's abused his gifts. I don't see you going around destroying their ability to do magic. So you're going to tell me exactly what started this war between the two of you. You need to tell me what possessed you to destroy his hands. He claims that you were jealous but I would like to believe that you aren't that petty."

This finally elicits a response from Charlie who snorts, "Jealous? Noah was barely passing his classes and he depended on me to make sure his homework was passable. Did he have talent as a magician? Yes, he's from a pureblood family, he was powerful and had potential. Which he wasted. If he had picked up a book instead of attempting to get everyone to like him then perhaps he might be my equal."

Santana frowned, "Charlie."

"He was my roommate. We were friends once upon a time. I'm sure it may surprise you but I wasn't that popular growing up. People didn't flock to me like they did him. But he was kind to me." Charlie muses and looks at Santana. "I was aware that he might be using his discipline for personal gain, but that didn't bother me. Most people in his discipline have a hard time with me, apparently the lightning that I generate seems to create this barrier of sorts—Brittany described it as white noise, that is protective in nature. So what did it matter that he got an extra plate at breakfast? It was little things. It's not as if I haven't used my discipline for personal gain at times."

"Stealing cookies from your mother, and causing a blackout at the school because you forgot to study for a test, does not make you some criminal savant. It makes you a child who was gifted with incredible abilities."

"We were children; I think that makes the difference. But as we grew older, and we finally started going through puberty—Noah had always been popular, so the girls that surrounded him—I never gave it much thought. It was just another distraction that I didn't have time for." Charlie reaches into his pockets and pulls out his coin and begins to move it in his hands in an agitated fashion. "I didn't care and I didn't notice that there was something more—insidious going on, until I caught him with Quinn." Charlie makes a face. "That's when I figured it out. Cause Quinn told me you know—and Brittany. I had to have dinner with them even though it was a waste of time and Brittany asked about the girls in my life to which I responded there were none. Quinn likes girls. I've known that when she started to, you know, grow up."

"He—"

"She was on her knees, when I opened the door to my room." Charlie says flatly, the coin in his hand glowing. Sparks began to fly off his hand. He flicks his eyes toward Santana, "He didn't—with you—"

It takes her a moment to realize what he's trying to say and she immediately shakes her head. "No."

He blows out a breath of relief he didn't know he had been holding. "Good. That's good." He mumbles this and looks at her.

Santana was quiet for a moment, "He raped her?"

Charlie nods once, "He made her to do every one of his sick fantasies. I reacted, and Brittany spent the next few days scrubbing Quinn's mind like she did yours. Quinn then asked us to make her forget. She begged Brittany to make her forget so that's what we did." Charlie was quiet. "I don't know how many other people he harmed, so I did what I did. I don't regret it."

She feels her anger deflate a little. She's still unsettled and uncomfortable in her own skin, but she's relieved that at least Charlie hadn't incurred Noah's wrath over something petty. "You still should have told me."

"Are you going to quit?" Panic grips him at the thought. It's not just that he doesn't want to waste the effort to train another assistant. He's not sure what it means, but he doesn't want to lose her.

She sighs. She should quit. Everything inside of her says that she should run as fast as she can from this stupid magical community. But she can't. Especially now that she knows that there are people like Noah in the world. "Who else have you pissed off?"

"Uh," He scratched the back of his head. "Do you want me to make a list?"

She laughs despite herself. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't have the social prowess that you and Brittany and even Quinn seem to possess. I'm afraid there are a lot of people I have offended or upset over the years. Far too many to make a list about, and I'm sure there will be many people missing from the list."

"Fine." She rolls her eyes, supposing that his assessment was fair. "Who else wants to kill you and might use me to do it."

"I've helped Quinn put a few people away, I imagine that a few of them would like to knock me down a few pegs. Using you on the other hand? Very few people have the skill that Puck has, but to make sure that you aren't ever in that position again. Brittany has promised to put up very strong mental blocks on both you and Antonio to make sure no one can ever take your will from you again." Charlie promised. "I promise that I will increase security as well, and make sure that you are equipped with enough defensive magic to keep you safe from any attacks."

Santana inhales slowly, "I don't think you realize how much of a violation it was. I don't think you understand how I screamed at you to notice that something was up and then act on it. He hates you Charlie, and I didn't know, I met him and I felt that something was off but I didn't know and—" She pauses when Charlie hugs her tightly. The action catches her by surprise and her breath catches. His body feels warm and she bites her lip and clings to him tightly.

"I'll do better." He vowed, it was the only thing that he could do. He'd have to make his shop and this house a fortress.

Santana nods, she believed him. For someone who wasn't good with emotions and people, he had noticed. He had been worried and he had still tried to respect her requests about using magic. "Okay—"

"Mom?"

Santana pulls away from Charlie and turns to look at her son who was busy rubbing his eye and staring at them a curious expression on his face. "Tony you're supposed to be in bed—do you need a glass of water?" She asks, moving to get him a glass.

"Hi Mr. Charlie," Antonio waves tiredly. He turns back to his mom and studies her carefully. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"You promise?"

"Yeah. I'm just a bit jumpy but I promise you that I'll be okay." Santana said moving so she could hug him tightly.

Antonio holds onto her as if she might disappear at any second and she feels a pang of regret that she ever put him into that position.