Reviews make the world go round, I've decided that next week I'll post the rest of Hellfire Issue One, I'll also start posting HIMYM, and there will be a chapter a day of IKWYDLS. At least for thirty days, plus the end of this story.

Santana grimaced slightly as she poked her burger, watching Charlie eat her greasy food was definitely something. Sebastian may have a point that Charlie would never be the trophy wife that would help her with deals in the legit world. But she was known in the criminal underworld as a snitch it was a lose lose situation. Though if she was being honest, she personally didn't care that Charlie didn't have any etiquette, or that she had ketchup on her chin. "So—" she begins slowly watching as Charlie turns her eyes towards her. Was she just noticing now that Charlie had rather sharp eyes? "You've got a bit of ketchup on your chin," she points lamely.

Charlie puts her burger down and grabs a napkin and wipes her chin and her fingers. She watches Santana carefully for a moment, "I feel like a broken record saying this but why are you here? Not that I don't appreciate the free food. But you have a ticket back to Mexico and I have to get back to work."

Santana picked up a lukewarm french fry, and nibbles it. "I thought about what you said to me. You know, about how confusing things were for you. I think I get it; I mean—I'm confused about these things as well. I mean—shit."

Charlie picks up her burger and takes another bite from it, chewing carefully. "You're not very good at this are you?"

Santana scowled at the criticism, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Charlie chews her burger thoughtfully, "Talking to me, like this anyway. You've never had any problem giving orders to me. But this stumbling around is odd, just say what you mean and get it over with."

"Get it over with? Fine. I like you. How's that?" Santana snaps with an air of frustration.

"What?"

"That's why I'm here. I've fucking missed you. Happy?"

Charlie drops her burger and makes a face, "Why?"

Santana's jaw drops, "What do you mean why?"

"I don't know! I guess I mean why do you like me—" Charlie looks at her burger and then back at Santana "Oh. This is a date."

"Sherlock Holmes you are not," Santana mutters. "What did you think this was?"

"You buying me free food and then trying to get into my pants?" Charlie responds flatly.

"Look, whatever. This clearly was a mistake." Santana gets up, she was so done with this. "God, how could I have been so stupid?"

"Albert Einstein you are not," Charlie responds and points to her burger. "This isn't a date."

"Excuse me?"

"This isn't one of those awful romantic comedies that Puck liked to watch. I didn't agree to go to a date with you. I mean is that your thing? You tricking me into things? Not letting me know what I'm walking into?" Charlie scowls and points to the burger no longer in the mood to eat it. "This isn't a date. I didn't agree to go on a date with you."

"No you just want to go on random dates with strangers and fuck them," Santana snaps bitterly.

"Well at least they fucking ask me!" Charlie retorts. "At least they fucking ask me like a normal person and there isn't some secret game that I'm not aware of. How hard is it for you to ask me out on a date, and take me somewhere fun and then bitch about how you're paying for everything because I'm broke? And then because you're you and you're the most frustrating person on the planet, try and get into my pants, or at least make me give you a blowjob in the car."

Santana stares at Charlie and clenches her hands tightly into a fist. "Because you would have said yes?" She demands.

"I probably would have said no, because you're a prick. A prick who has shitty aim and doesn't go down on me," Charlie responds.

"See? This is why I can't ask you things. Because everything's a damn joke to you." Santana stood. "I fucking can't even work anymore because I'm hung up on you. It's pathetic and stupid and lonely but I listened to everybody who said that if I just asked then maybe you wouldn't fucking laugh in my face. Turns out they were wrong."

Charlie's jaw drops. She hadn't expected that. But she's not about to let Santana emotionally pull at her strings. "I don't want to date other people; I don't even know how I'm going to talk to them about half the shit that went on with me. 'Hey, I'm Charlotte Fabray, you know the kid that was kidnapped by gang members after my father sold me out—' Do you see that working well for me?" Charlie asks. "I didn't think I was asking for much, a bit of romance from you. You not quitting everything three seconds when I don't immediately respond to your craziness. You taking me out on a real date where maybe I don't feel like your slut half the time. Or an afterthought or the girl you raped, and you've grown attached to. We've known each other since I was sixteen. There is still so much I don't fucking know about you, and honestly I feel like you know everything about me and I refuse to ever be in the position where I'm the weak one. You've seen me at my most vulnerable and you preyed upon it and you got off on it. You're fumbling around asking me on a date, and yes you may be vulnerable but not like that. Not like I was." Charlie pushes her burger away. "My lunch break is over and I should head back before Quinn calls the FBI and tells them you kidnapped me."

Santana watches as Charlie gets up and walks away. She's tempted to let her go. To wallow in self-pity for the rest of her life. But something, whether it be indigestion or momentary insanity, makes her speak up before Charlie pushes the door open. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

"No." Charlie retorts, pushing the door open and walking out without a backwards glance.

Santana puts her elbows on the table and lets her head fall to her hands. She doesn't know what she's going to do next. Should she go home?

Maybe this all really was hopeless.

She doesn't look up when the door chimes again that someone has come back into the diner and only moves when someone pokes her hard in the shoulder. "What?" She snaps, cringing when she looks up to see Charlie staring at her.

Charlie smirks, seemingly proud to have caught Santana off guard. "Maybe ask me tomorrow. And if that doesn't work, maybe keep asking till I finally say yes."

Santana blinks and watches as Charlie walks right back out. She could certainly do that. Of course that meant staying stateside for a long time. Which was fine, she could get Sebastian over here and then start making plays at being legit. All while attempting to win Charlie over, it probably wouldn't take long. Charlie was probably trying to take a stance. She'd give it a month tops.

~O~

"Okay."

"Alright, I'll ask you tomorrow." Santana groans. She had been wrong, and over confident. This had taken far longer than a month, in fact she was sure that they were closing in on a year, since she had begun asking Charlie out daily.

Charlie studies Santana carefully raising a brow, she's about to repeat what she had said when the phone rings. She holds up a finger asking Santana to wait quietly as she picks up the phone, "Welcome to—"

'Why the fuck is your phone off?'

Charlie pulls the phone away from her ear. "Because you've been a paranoid bitch for the past few months, and if you're not doing that you won't shut up about the damn baby. Also I'm working, you know that thing that you haven't done in forever because of some lame reason about how you can't be around alcohol." Charlie snaps back. Charlie glances at Santana who is tapping her hands on the bar.

'The baby is coming!'

Charlie stares at the phone for a moment, "I'm not a doctor Quinn, I'm not a midwife. The only things I know about childbirth, is what I learned from television and two, that I want absolutely no part of it. Go to a hospital, and do your whole plan. I'll meet you there. Goodbye Quinn."

'Charlie wait—'

"Oh and don't forget to breathe. I'm not talking to Rachel by the way, you. I don't think Rachel will appreciate you blowing a vessel on the day of your child's birth. It would be very selfish of you." Charlie adds before ending the call and turning her attention back to Santana. "We've got to go."

"We? Your sister hates me. I mean the feeling is mutual but why do I need to go and see this fucking lizard-hobbit hybrid anklebiter?" Santana asks petulantly.

Charlie rolls her eyes; it still hadn't registered with Santana but she didn't really have time for this. Quinn had been—well not exactly happy about the fact that Santana was sticking around. But at least now she was threatening to call the FBI every other day. "Yes but that anklebiter is going to be my niece and or nephew."

"You don't know? Oh you mean they wanted to be one of those parents who wanted it to be a surprise?"

"No. They told me I just can't remember. Rachel wouldn't shut up about different type of births, and giving me books on how to be an aunt, and how to childproof my place." Charlie waved her hand and studies Santana carefully. "You don't have to come in with me if you don't want, I just need a ride."

"Is this what it's come to? You bumming rides off me?" Santana grumbles grabbing her keys and her jacket. It was exhausting waiting for Charlie to say yes. There were days when she truly didn't think that Charlie would, they hadn't had sex, and she couldn't read Charlie's face whenever she showed up to ask her out. She had tried everything, done everything to be romantic. Flowers, chocolates, military grade weapons—everything she could think of and yet Charlie had never said yes.

Charlie tossed her towel onto the counter, she was lucky it was late and there was no one that she needed to kick out. Well there was Santana, but she did actually need a ride, the hospital was all the way across town. "Yes. How else am I supposed to go on a date with you? Though given the circumstances I imagine that it'll have to wait." Charlie mused.

"You could start by saying yes to a date!" Santana retorts throwing her hands up in the air. "I mean what the fuck Charlie? What the fuck? A year? Sebastian thinks you're just stringing me along."

Charlie rolled her eyes at this statement, "Santana I need you to go over our conversation from the moment that you walked through that door. While you do that I'm going to be closing up."

But Santana steps in front of Charlie, blocking her path. "No. I'm not going to re-think our conversation because you think I was a dick. I want to do all of that stupid stuff with you, like holding hands and shit—"

"Okay."

"—but you won't even give me the time of day! I like you Charlie. A lot. An embarrassing amount. But I'm not going to go with you to the hospital just so that your twin can threaten to call the police on me."

"Quinn isn't going to call the cops on you. Baby brain or something, just I don't know—don't kidnap her child and she'll probably not notice that you're there." Charlie points out and turns so she can face Santana. "Also, because you have this thing where you don't really listen to me. I'm pretty sure I said okay. As in you can pick me up at seven, and maybe text me what to wear."

Santana stumbles and stares at Charlie as it finally registers. "You said yes?"

"I said okay," Charlie shrugged. She had needed to remind herself that she could say no to Santana without consequences. Sure Santana whined about it and bitched about it, and true she had been testing Santana to see if she would stick around, but this had also been hard for her. She needed to see Santana in a new light and while she knew they could never start again; this would simply have to do. "Please tell me that you at least have a place in mind."

"Of course I do. I've been planning this for months." Santana sputters, her mind still reeling. "But—you said yes? Really?"

"I said okay." Charlie laughs. "So why don't you just think about that while I close up here and we can go see the baby?"

Santana nods, as she finally replays what Charlie said in her head. She looks up at her and raises a brow a slow smirk on her face. "Really I can text you what to wear?"

Charlie turned to Santana and narrowed her eyes, "You know I can still say no if you decide to be weird about this. I meant if I need to wear something formal or heels or something."

Santana bit back the snarky reply that was at the tip of her tongue. She instead runs a hand through her hair, "Fine. Fine, let's go see the damn ankle biter. I should buy the damn thing a fucking toy or something—you do have a gift for the thing right?"

"No? Should I? It's a baby, they eat and shit and cry."

Santana frowned, "Valid point, but I think your sister expects you to care that she and the hobbit reproduced, buy it a stuffed bear or something. We'll stop by the gift store and get some balloons."

"What would I do without you?" Charlie said with a roll of her eyes, blinking when Santana takes her hand.

"That's the case I've been making for an entire year, and you say that I'm the dick."

"You are a dick. I just don't think I'm any better."

~O~

The smile on Quinn's face faded a moment when she noticed Charlie leaning against Santana, holding a balloon and what looked to be a stuffed bear. She personally hadn't thought that Charlie would bring anything, but there she was. "Charlie?"

Charlie glanced up from where she was leaning and sat up, "Quinn? Where's the baby? The only reason I'm here is because I thought that there would be a baby."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Rachel's with her down the hall, her parents are already on their way so you get to be the first one to see her. Room 512, down the hall and take a left, it's the first door on the right. She's tiny Charlie, but she's got ten toes and ten fingers, and she might be a singer like her mom."

Charlie stood up and immediately headed past Quinn to go and find the baby, she would say her congrats and then she was going home to sleep.

Santana gets up and goes to follow her only to have Quinn step in front of her, it's enough to get her to smirk. "I'm guessing; I'm not allowed to see your little ankle biter?"

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm dating your sister," Santana responds her smirk growing. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

"Dating? Hardly. More like stalking. How many times does she have to say no before you leave her alone?"

"Well, I was asking that myself the same question earlier but then she said yes. So who the fuck knows? Who cares? We're like family now tubbers!" This was definitely the best part of this whole thing. She got to torment Quinn with her presence.

Quinn's face falls, paling. "She didn't."

"She did." Santana beams. "Like I said we're like family now."

Quinn shudders and narrows her eyes, "Be that as a may, you're never going to be invited to dinners, or any celebrations that we have. And you're not allowed anywhere near my daughter."

"Charlie is—"

"Messed up, because of what you did to her. Because of what my father did to her, but if you think that I'm going to allow my daughter to look at your relationship and see it as healthy, when both of you would admit that it isn't, well you're an idiot." Quinn hissed. She inhales sharply, "Besides dating doesn't mean that you're going to be a permanent fixture in her life."

"We'll have to see what Charlie says about that."

"Charlie says that you both need to stop trying to see who has the biggest dick. Quinn it certainly isn't you." Charlie says dryly and turns her attention to Santana. "Also you really need stop trying to get under her skin. By that I mean stop using me to do it. Because if you two are going to keep fighting over me and trying to protect me, then I'm not going to talk to either of you. Rachel's asleep by the way, so I just left the balloon and the bear on the little table thing beside her bed. You have a—cute baby Quinn, it's a—"

"Girl. I told you this. She's wearing a pink hat." Quinn interrupts with a frustrated sigh.

"They all look the same when they're just born, who knows it could have been a boy. You could have been making a statement. It seems like something Rachel would do." Charlie responds shaking her head. "We'll come back later—I'll come back later today, but right now I really have to sleep you should be with Rachel and—what's her name?"

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "Seriously?"

"Well I assumed you would tell me since your wife was asleep, and we could share a drink from the flask I brought but you decided to stay out here and have a pissing contest with Santana. How is this my fault?"

"Because you're dating her. You said yes to her?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I said okay."

"We're going to play paintball and then go to this diner that's gotten rave reviews nearby, don't worry I'll have her back by eleven." Santana winks at Quinn who wheels towards her.

Charlie sighs, and steps between them. They would probably never really get along but they would have to learn to live with each other. "I'll stop by tomorrow Quinn, I promise."

"Without her?"

"Without her," Charlie promises. "I'll take an Uber."

Quinn nods, deciding not to point out that Charlie didn't trust the ride-sharing app. She shoots one last glare at Santana, "Okay—thank you. Rachel is probably going to feel a bit bad that she missed you but, go sleep. You look like you need it." Quinn bites her lip. "I have a baby."

Charlie sighed and pulled a flask out of her pocket. "Scotch," she mumbles and hands it over to Quinn. "Cigars are gross."

Quinn chews her lip for a minute before shaking her head. She can't shake the feeling that she needs to be at her best, just in case. She's her family's protector and she's not going to let the evil that ruined Charlie's life gets anywhere close to her daughter.

Charlie smirks. "So you're going to be that mom. Your baby's going to love you. I'm going to have to be the cool aunt or she's never going to get to do anything." Charlie patted Quinn's shoulder. "Well I need to sleep. Goodnight Quinn. Say goodnight to your daughter for me. Come on Santana, you're driving me home."

Santana scowled at this, "I am not your personal taxi," she bitches as she turns to follow Charlie. "I mean at least give me a blow job or something if you're going to be bossing me around."

Quinn closed her eyes and counted to fifty, before turning back to head in and spend time with Rachel and their new child. She would only think positive things, and her daughter was the most positive thing in her life since finding Charlie. She could finally be happy; her life was finally stitching together in the perfect way.