AN: Okay, having another sounding board drive, I need people to bounce ideas off of. I also need people who have a thick skin, cause I'm a grumpy person half the time, and I will shoot down ideas. Which could be disheartening. I also need someone to be critical of me, I really don't want people to tell me my ideas are great if they aren't my ego is massive enough. I'm wrapping up a story and I could use another pair of eyes.

"So what about Harry Houdini? Or David Copperfield? Teller and Penn? Criss Angel?" Santana pressed, she was enjoying this game immensely even if Charlie wasn't amused.

Charlie sighed he didn't know who half of these people were, let alone why Santana kept throwing names at him. "I do know, that there are Magicians that belong to the secret 'magic' society. Illusions and cheap trickery for the most part. Many of them are illusionists, but from what I remember they are monitored. Their act can't draw attention."

Santana frowned slightly, "So what you're saying is that there are but none of the big names are illusionists?"

"What I'm saying is that they can't be, there are mundanes in this world who hunt for magic, who truly believe that magic exists. They look for it everywhere, Bigfoot, the Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster. Now imagine if there was a magician who did things that no one could explain? From what I understand of the circuit, which isn't much to be completely honest with you, magicians attempt to steal each other's tricks, or recreate them to disprove it. Now imagine you have a trick that you can't disprove? Now what?"

"Well, it would draw attention wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would. Of course with our influence in the mundane world it wouldn't matter, if someone claims to have photos of bigfoot or aliens for that matter what is the first thing that you think of?"

"Stay away from the crazy person who is clearly off his meds—" Santana narrows her eyes. "Wait, so what you're telling me is that there's this global conspiracy?"

Charlie frowned slightly, he didn't actually like having gaps in his knowledge, but he personally had never cared, "If you have questions I suggest asking my father the next time you see him, I'm sure he'd love to tell someone about his job. Though you must be prudent and vigilant my father is difficult to deal with when he wants something."

Santana rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to abandon you for your father Charlie, I mean who else is going to make sure you don't burn down the neighborhood."

Charlie huffed at this, "I do know what I'm doing."

"Clearly you don't because your mother was specific about not wanting you to do magic Charlie," Santana reached for his hand that was still in a cast, it had been three weeks already she was expecting something. "What happens if it doesn't work?"

"Then I teach myself another way," Charlie said simply. "I've already begun to gather the research necessary in case I do need to learn another way. I assume that there have been Magicians who have had debilitating diseases or have lost their hands, I wish to know if they continued to do magic and how they managed to do it. It's all quite fascinating."

Santana nodded and let go of his hand, "I'm sure it is, do you have anything done that needs to be delivered? Or anything that needs to be picked up?" With Charlie not working the only thing that she had been doing was taking orders and promising people that Charlie would get to it when his hand finished healing. Her job had never been boring before, with all the intricate magic and creatures that Charlie seemed to bring in with him.

"I've managed to get a few things done given the circumstances so people can come and pick up their orders, don't worry most of it was research based."

"Good, your mother will be here sooner or later and if she catches you doing magic again—well I don't know what she'll do maybe turn you into a frog." Santana laughed when Charlie shot her a dry look.

"My mother would never—actually I don't quite know." Charlie admitted as he headed to his little alcove to work. "Best to remain on her good side."

"I think so," Santana smiles before heading to the counter. It would probably be another slow day, which meant that she could catch up with reading about the differing magical schools. Russell had sent over every pamphlet with the promise that they would take care of it and that Antonio's magical education was important to them. She wasn't quite sure what Antonio wanted other than to have Charlie teach him magic. She wondered if he could do both, if he could remain in the mundane world and be taught magic. She wanted Antonio to have options, the options that she had lost. She crinkled her nose slightly, she had been expecting a school of magic to have a more exotic name like Hogwarts, but these names sounded boring. "Really the John Adams Academy?" She muttered to herself.

Charlie poked his head out of his little workshop and looked at her, "Don't send him there, they are terrible. Also the reason for the boring names is that it gives the students the ability to attend a regular university when they graduate if they so choose."

"Oh," Santana smiles, that did make sense and she was even more grateful to Russell then she had been before. He knew that she wanted him to also have a normal life. "I was thinking about that you know, Antonio becoming a doctor—or a famous surgeon. If he had the abilities that your mother had."

Charlie studied her for a moment, "I imagine it's possible, if that's what he wants."

"He's seven, I don't think he knows what he wants yet. When did you decide to do all this?"

"The store? It wasn't my idea; it was my father's. As a way for me to make money and to sell my ideas to people. I had nothing better to do with my time, and my father sold it to me as a way to help other magicians. While using what I earned to further my research." Charlie eyes flick to the door, "We have a customer, deal with them, I'm going back to reading."

Santana rolled her eyes. He was the boss and really he wasn't good with dealing with strangers to begin with. But his attitude could use a bit of work. Manners were a good thing. "Right." She sighs and shifts, he generally could tell when someone was about to enter the store. So she shouldn't be surprised. She forces a friendly smile on her face when the door opens and turns to the door. "Welcome to Pandora's—" Her mouth drops when her eyes finally rest on the woman in front of her. "I thought you were dead." She flicks her eyes towards Charlie little alcove when the black curtain shifts, he was there and he was listening. It's comforting, to know.

"I wish I was." Her abuela sniffed, eyeing the shop around her with disgust. "At least if I was dead I wouldn't have to see my only granddaughter working in an antiques shop."

"What are you doing here?" Santana asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Your parents sent me. Lord knows why they'd bother but if they couldn't talk some sense into you, they thought I might be able to convince you to stop making a laughing stock out of the Lopez name and come home."

"So they sent you? That was their big play?" Santana scowled.

Maribel glanced around the shop, and ran her finger along one of the bookshelves frowning when she noticed the dust that had accumulated on her finger. She wasn't even good at her job. "No, I am not their big play. They hoped that I'd talk some sense into you before decisions were made to force you back home. Sebastian has been doing some soul searching and he believes that as Antonio's father, he should spend time with his son. He's planning to sue you for custody. It took some convincing to discuss it with the Smythe's, but they agreed that it was the best course of action."

"Sebastian handed me three hundred dollars to terminate. Which was fine, I never asked him for a penny. He didn't want to be a part of Antonio's life. He can't now decide to stroll into Antonio's life like it's nothing."

"We doubt a judge will see it that way, as you know the Smythe's are very connected his father is the State's attorney after all. Sebastian has money, he has insurance. He can afford to send the—boy to the best schools, of course your parents will help pay for it. As embarrassing as his existence is, it's manageable."

"He's my son." Santana snaps at her abuela, the anger and hurt rising up. "He's not an embarrassment he's—" she can feel the lump in her throat getting bigger. It hurt far more than she would ever admit, that they saw him as a mistake. They should love him unconditionally; they should have loved her unconditionally. She had thought that their love was unconditional till she had gotten pregnant.

"He's inquisitive, intelligent and creative. I personally enjoy his presence," Charlie said announcing his presence and moving towards Santana. His eyes narrow slightly at the woman who was causing her pain, wondering if he could get away with zapping her, just a small zap. Instead he turns his attention to Santana and places a hand on her shoulder studying her carefully. "Take a breath," he murmurs to her. He waits until she does, before smiling at her. "You okay?"

Santana nods, she takes another shaky breath. "Yeah, thank you." She turns to her abuela. "Well you can tell my parents that you failed. I'll fight them if I have to. I have friends, I have family and I can afford a lawyer. This won't be easy and I won't lose." Saying it with conviction, didn't mean that was how she felt. The worry would gnaw at her.

Maribel narrowed her eyes studying the tall man in front of her, "And who might you be?"

"Charlie Fabray," Charlie responds and frowns. His father had always criticized him for throwing it out so casually. When his father introduced himself it seemed to cow people into submission, they worried about what he would do. He simply didn't have that gravitas when it came to dealing with people. He straightens up as best as he could. "You're in my shop and I would like to ask you to leave, you're upsetting my—Santana. You're upsetting Santana."

Maribel frowned, noting the misstep that he had made. "This is a family matter, so if you'll please. I didn't raise her to work in a dirty shop."

Charlie's eyes widen slightly, "I've forgotten to feed the Brownies!" They were probably on strike and he hadn't noticed.

Santana sighed, trust Charlie to freak out about that now. "I'll grab some honey on the way to pick up Antonio this afternoon."

"The good honey Santana," Charlie insists.

"Right, of course," Santana shook her head. This was her new normal, and even though Charlie was freaking out about honey, it was endearing in its own special way. She turns her attention back to her abuela who was staring at her in horror. "What? I have a job."

Charlie tilted his head slightly and frowned, he was generally aware of who entered his shop these days. It was part of his new security measures. She had barely been a blip, he had assumed it was some assistant. Someone similar to Mike, someone who had been born into a Magical family yet they were simply unable to do any magic. He hadn't given it much thought people like that were common. Rachel fell into that category though she could do simple spells. "You're not exactly a mundane are you?"

Maribel went pale, it had been years since she had heard that term. "I have no idea—"

Santana frowned and turned to Charlie. "What are you talking about she's my abuela."

"Well, I did wonder where your magic came from. Who was in your line, that could have given you magic. I thought it was something that had simply died out a few generations ago in your line, it has been known to happen. We don't fully understand it ourselves. Your parents didn't exactly set off any alarm bells, she doesn't either but she's got enough magic in her—"

"I do not—Santana it was bad enough that you're working in an antiques shop as a cashier, but joining some demonic—Satanic cult—"

Santana frowned, Charlie was never wrong when it came to magic, well not this type of magic, he was horrible at certain spells even if he fancied himself the Albert Einstein of Magicians. "I don't get it—why would you turn your back on all of this?"

Charlie shrugged, he understood mundanes were simply ignorant, but to him the greatest sin was turning your back on magic. His father, even though he worked with mundanes had never turned his back on Magicians, on the system. "Taking into account her age and attitudes during that time period, I imagine that she came from a family like mine. Pure-blood, the scandal that it would have caused to not be able to do magic—either she left on her own or like you—" Charlie trailed off. It was speculation.

Santana bristled at his words, "If she knew how it felt to be rejected by her family then why—" she turns to look at her grandmother and for one brief moment she sees guilt and horror. "Get out." Her voice was eerily calm. She loved Antonio, and there was nothing he could do that would make her become a hypocrite. Sure she'd get upset with him for knocking up a girl but she would support him and make sure that he got a job and still went to school so he could support his family. She wouldn't kick him out because he had made a mistake.

"Santana—"

"Get out!"

Charlie flicked his wrist, and the door to the shop opened. "You heard her." He stops for a moment and tries to emulate his father, "You know who we are and you know how much power we have, I suggest that you go back home and talk to your family about what a stupid idea it is to cross us." He watched as Maribel scurried out of his shop and immediately flicked his wrist again closing the shop and making sure that the sign read closed before turning his attention back to Santana. His shoulders slump as he studies her. "I'm sorry."

Santana takes a shaky breath, "Don't be, I should be thanking you. At least now I see the damn hypocrisy in my own fucking family."

Charlie nods, unsure of what to do. "Would you like a hug?" He asks after a moment and flushes when Santana looks at him like he's grown another head. "You seem upset and Rachel—" he was not the best liar. He trails off and looks at his little alcove.

"You really need to stop using Rachel to learn how to act like a normal human being Charlie, I doubt Rachel's a normal human being. If you want to give me a hug you can just hug me—" Santana paused when Charlie's arm wrapped around her and he pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. She relaxes for a moment just taking in the warmth of his body. He was attempting to make her feel better, and she was surprised that it was working.