A/N: This latest installment is a monster. Seriously, it is waaaay long – I actually had to force myself to stop writing it. I find that fact both terrifying and awesome and, in the end, hope it is worthy of your time – as always I look forward to feeling your love... or loathing, as the case may be. Regardless, thank you once again for reading, reviewing and just hanging in with it.
This installment has been brought to you mostly by Nsaids, a general mad on at the overall suckiness of a certain television series and Allure magazine, featuring among other things, awesome Italian/Jewish hair. Yes, Charlie would approve. Also, hijinxs and magick.
On The Streets Where You Live
Rachel rang the door bell, bracing herself. She expecting the door to blast open and Brittany to immediately appear to scoop her up off the ground like she normally did. Instead, they waited.
"Oh gee, they're not home," Charlie said, shifting her feet. "Maybe another time. Let's go."
She turned quickly and Rachel scoffed, grabbing her arm.
"Stop it," she said, pulling on her roughly. Charlie winced and frowned. "You promised me, remember."
They heard muffled conversation from inside.
"See," Rachel said, squinting at Charlie, who rolled her eyes. "Seriously, pleasant."
Rachel pointed a finger at her sternly. It was all Charlie could do to keep from laughing out loud. Then she half-lidded her eyes and smiled at her, moving closer against her.
"Scold me again, Rachel," she said, dropping her voice. "I like that."
"God, stop looking at me like that," Rachel hissed, turning her back on her. Charlie stepped up against her and Rachel nudged her back with her shoulder. "Stop it."
Charlie giggled and bent down and kissed her neck. Rachel shrugged her off, hard. Charlie slid a hand under Rachel's skirt and cupped her ass. Rachel squeaked and jumped.
"Quit," she hissed, smacking Charlie's hand away. Charlie put it right back and teased her fingers across the crotch of Rachel's underwear. "Charlie, stop that, right now."
Rachel elbowed her hard and Charlie coughed and stepped back.
God what in the hell were they doing?
Charlie was now standing right up against her and nuzzling against her shoulder and snaking her hands around her waist. Rachel kicked at the door.
It swung open and Santana stared at them.
"Nah, they're still here," she yelled over her shoulder. "Making out on the goddamned porch like horny teenagers."
Rachel laughed weakly and Charlie scowled.
"Sorry," Santana said, stepping back. "We're running late." she offered with a shrug.
They all stared at each other.
"Do you need a formal invitation now Berry? " Santana said, raising her brows. "Okay then, please come the fuck in the house."
Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. She patted Santana on the cheek and she brushed past her. Santana gawked at her like she'd lost her goddamned mind.
"Hey Brokeback, welcome to..."
Charlie grunted, then shoved the wine bottle she was holding at her and followed after Rachel.
"... the City of Angels," Santana finished through clenched teeth, slamming the door shut. "Bitches."
Still no goddam fun.
Charlie walking into the kitchen to find Brittany hugging Rachel fiercely like a favorite doll. Rachel was red-faced, but smiling.
"Save some hugs for me, Brit," Charlie said, smiling hoping to distract her into dropping Rachel. It worked. She squealed, put Rachel down and launched herself at Charlie.
Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but it was too late.
"Quinn," Brittany said, excitedly. "Oh look at you."
Brittany threw her arms around Charlie hard. Charlie grunted in pain and winced.
Rachel closed her eyes and grimaced sympathetically.
Quinn put her arms around Brittany, glad to see her, but mostly trying to leverage the excited girl into a less painful bear-hug than the current death-grip she had on her.
"Hey Brit," Charlie hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm so glad to see you."
Brittany shook her happily and then lifted up. Charlie actually felt tears forming.
God, make it stop.
"Turn the poor girl loose, B.," Santana said, moving quickly upon seeing Charlie's anguished expression. "She's still pretty fragile, baby."
Brittany turned her loose and beamed at her. Charlie nodded and forced a tight smile on her face.
"Come on, B.," Santana said, taking the blonde by the arm. "Come in here and let's finish these snacks and give them a minute to regroup, okay."
"Sure San," Brittany said. She jumped up and kissed Charlie on the cheek and then followed Santana.
Charlie waited until she was out of earshot and then groaned, leaning forward with her hands on her thighs. Rachel had her arm around her waist.
"What can I do?"she asked.
Charlie shook her head, breathing hard.
"Shoot me," she grunted. "No, wait, that would make Lopez too fucking happy."
"How about some ice?" she suggested.
"Maybe," she said, swallowing hard.
Rachel walked into the kitchen like she lived there, probably because she'd been there dozens of times and rummaged in the freezer. She found a bag of frozen vegetables and then opened a drawer and pulled out a dish towel and wrapped the bag inside.
"Are we good?" Santana asked, concerned.
"We will be," Rachel said, nodding. "It'll just take a minute."
Rachel walked back to Charlie and pushed her into the living room. She eased her into a club chair and put the ice pack behind her.
"Ow, ow, " Charlie fussed, unhappily.
Rachel pulled it out and mashed it around a bit and put it back again.
"Better now?" she asked.
Charlie eased into it and winced but stayed. She nodded.
"Okay," she said, relaxing. Rachel sat on the arm of the chair and rubbed her neck
"Death by Brittany," Charlie said and laughed slightly.
"Yeah, well," Rachel said, nodding. "I know the feeling. At least she didn't pick you up."
"Like hell, she tried," muttered Charlie. "I saw stars."
Santana came in and looked at them. Rachel smiled and Charlie glared.
"Is she on pain meds today?" Santana asked.
"No, she isn't, Nurse Wretched, " Charlie sniped.
Rachel shook her head.
"Good, here," Santana handed Charlie a glass. "Cuervo, it'll cure what ails you."
"Thanks," Charlie muttered and drained the glass in one gulp. Rachel gasped and Santana laughed.
"Another?" she asked.
"Yes," Charlie said,
"No," Rachel said.
"Uh yeah, okay, " Santana smirked, "I'll let you two work that out. Just let me know what Rachel finally decides."
She walked a few steps away and Charlie heard it – the unmistakable sound of a whip cracking.
"Fu..." Charlie started, but Rachel got right up in her face.
"Don't even," Rachel said, quirking her brow. "You promised."
Charlie sulked quietly, wishing for another good slug of tequila. Maybe two.
Between the cool of the ice pack and the burn of the liquor, Charlie quickly felt much better. Almost good even, all things considered. Rachel ran her hand up her neck into her hair and Charlie purred happily. Rachel chuckled. She tugged Charlie's head back and leaned down and kissed her. She could taste the tequila on her lips and traced her tongue over them lightly, savoring it.
Charlie's laugh rumbled in her chest.
Rachel sucked against her top lip and pulled away.
"I'm sure if you want some tequila, Santana will give you some," Charlie teased.
Rachel smiled and nuzzled against her face.
"I like it better this way.," she told her. "You're making me very happy."
"If we can leave now, " Charlie offered. "I'd be glad to make you even happier."
"If we stay and you behave," Rachel countered, "I'll be glad to make you even happier in the car on the way home."
Charlie narrowed her eyes.
"Wicked hot car sex," she said softly. "That's your thing."
"So you don't like it?" Rachel asked, her eyes wide.
"Of course I like it," Charlie teased, smiling. "I'm just saying. That's one of your things."
Rachel chuckled softly.
"You're one of my things," she said, biting her lip.
"Kiss me," Charlie said.
"Now why would I do that?" Rachel asked,
"Cause I want you to," Charlie told her. "And because you know you want to."
"Hmmm," Rachel mused. "You're right."
She bent and kissed her sweetly.
"Hell yeah," Santana said, breaking the mood. "She's fine. They're sitting in here playing kissy-face."
"Goddamn it," Charlie muttered under her breath.
Rachel smacked her lightly in the back of the head.
Santana sat a tray of appetizers down on the table in front of them and piled down on the couch.
"So ladies," she said, "Besides each other, what have you two done today?"
Rachel launched into a laundry list of the places they'd been that afternoon. Santana's eyes glazed over and Charlie smirked. Brittany trailed in and she handed Rachel a glass of wine. Rachel took it without slowing a beat.
She put a cold bottle of beer in Charlie's hand and Charlie smiled happily.
"Thank you, B.," she said and Brittany bent and kissed her on the top of the head. Charlie beamed at Santana who looked less than pleased.
"Maybe you'd like to sit in an actual chair, Berry?" Santana suggested. "We do have others."
Rachel smiled and moved over to the couch opposite of Santana, trying to ignore the scowl on Charlie's face.
"Well, I want to sit next to Quinn," Brittany announced and moved over to the couch in between Rachel and Charlie's chair
"Great," Santana snarked, "Now are we all done playing musical chairs?"
Brittany nodded and Rachel and Charlie both drank their response.
"Have you read any of those scripts I've been sending you," Santana asked Rachel pointedly.
"No business," Brittany said in a scolding tone.
"Just a little," Santana said, holding up two fingers to Brittany. "Just for two minutes, I promise. Well?"
Rachel frowned.
"Not really," she finally admitted with a shrug. "I mean, I've look at a few...no. I really haven't."
"Why not?" Santana pressed.
"I don't know, Santana," Rachel said, reluctantly. "I haven't had all that much time and I don't know what I want to do next."
Santana immediately shifted her eyes unhappily to Charlie, who smiled.
"Okay, so what's your next grand plan, Dudley Dolittle?" Santana asked, trying to force one of them to show their hand.
"Santana," Rachel said, shaking her head.
"I have to go home," Charlie offered, just throwing it out there mostly to shut Santana up. She knew Santana was shit-stirring, but it had to be said eventually.
Rachel turned and looked at her. Charlie flashed her eyes at her and Rachel frowned. She wasn't surprised, but she was surprised that Charlie would give in to Santana.
"I have some things I need to do," she explained. "I pretty much need to see what kind of mess they've made of everything."
"So I guess that means Rachel will be coming home, too, then? " Santana pressed smugly. "But which home?"
"That's up to Rachel," Charlie said, looking at Rachel.
"Well, I think Rachel should go with Quinn," Brittany said, glaring at Santana.
"She's not Quinn, sweetie," Santana corrected gently. "And Rachel's not..."
"She can call me whatever she wants, " Charlie interrupted, smiling at the blonde. "It's all good, B."
"See," she told Santana, who just smiled and nodded. "And I don't want any more movie talk. It makes everyone upset."
"Brit, I agree, "Rachel nodded. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I started a new dance class, " she told them excitedly.
"Tell us about that, Brit," Charlie said, nodding. "That sounds fun."
Brittany launched into a vivid description of her latest dance class, complete with demonstrations. Rachel couldn't resist and soon they were both moving the coffee table out of the way and Brittany was patiently teaching Rachel her newest moves after both Santana and Charlie begged off. Rachel was pretty much hopeless but delighted in being the center of attention and soon went for the silly rather than making a serious effort. She had everyone laughing by the time dinner was ready.
She took Charlie's hand and pulled her up from the chair and looped her arm around her waist.
"About what I said to Santana," Charlie said.
Rachel put her finger against Charlie's lips and shook her head.
"Later," she told her, kissing her lightly.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
Charlie and Santana sat on opposite sides of the patio, staring at each other.
They spent their dinner sniping back and forth at each other.
Charlie was sure she had a bruise on her forearm the shape of Rachel's fingers.
Santana's shin still throbbed from Brittany connecting with it under the table so often.
They'd been banished to the patio to "talk" while Rachel and Brittany cleared away the table and did the dishes.
From inside the house they could hear Rachel and Brittany. They were running around doing what sounded like anything but cleaning, talking and laughing with each other. After a particularly loud squealing fit followed by Rachel's loud caterwauling, they both found themselves starting to shake their heads and smile. Finally, they just laughed.
"So what did you have to promise, Berry?" Santana asked, her eyes flashing.
"That I would rise above cordial and be pleasant," she told her, smirking. "You?"
"That I wouldn't only talk about business, be really mean, or make Rachel cry," she said, shrugging, ticking each item off on her fingers. "I get that last one a lot."
"Oh, and I'm not allowed to say the 'F' word," Charlie added.
"Fuck?" Santana asked.
Charlie shook her head and leaned in. Santana leaned forward to meet her.
"Finn," Charlie whispered.
"Ah, gotcha," Santana said, nodding. "Useless pasty mutherfu..."
"Santana?" Brittany called from the kitchen.
"Yes?" she answered dutifully.
"Nothing, baby," Brittany said. "It was just quiet out there."
She and Rachel giggled loudly.
Charlie and Santana both scoffed and rolled their eyes. The spell momentarily broken, they went back to staring at each other.
"She said this was all your idea?" Santana remarked, sipping her beer. "This trip."
Charlie nodded.
"That's true, it was, " she said, rolling her beer bottle between her palms. "She'd had a bad day."
"You could have given her a cookie," Santana remarked. "She would have been happy with that.
Charlie rolled her eyes.
"She needed... something to feel good about. Something that wasn't all about, well, me, for a change."
"Face it Chuckles, she is all about you," Santana said dismissively. "But, I'll admit it, I was hella surprised.
Charlie gave a small smile.
"I just hate the way they break her down sometimes," Charlie said. "Maybe it's as much about sticking it to them as it is pleasing her."
"Not all of them are like that," Santana offered helpfully. "This is a pretty... it's a lot of testosterone and Rachel's the only female lead. That's a situation that's just hard. I really believe she'll benefit in the long run, but, between you and I, if I had it to do over..."
Santana shook her head and looked away out into the yard.
"Don't beat yourself up," Charlie said. "I mean... that's what I'm here for."
Santana laughed.
"I don't think you've failed her," Charlie offered.
Santana scoffed.
"Well, of course I haven't fucking failed her," she said as though the notion was absurd, which is was. "There are a couple of moments though. Let's just say I'll have to bide my time and wait. Payback is, well, me."
Charlie wondered if either of those centered around the "F" word. She certainly hoped so because she liked the idea of Cruella quietly plotting revenge against the Pillbury Slow Boy.
"Since we're being candid, I sometimes worry if it wasn't for me if she would have maybe not been so compliant, maybe would have fought back more, " Charlie told her.
"Don't give yourself too much credit there, Blondie," Santana said with a loud laugh. "She may have you fooled, but trust me when I tell you, she still gives them plenty of fight. My phone still blows up on the regular. Rachel's not a walkover. It's just not in her to be one. She's more focused, maybe even a little more mature, but she's still a handful for any director. And that mouth..."
Charlie had to admit she felt better hearing that. Finding Rachel quietly crying over work and knowing now that she had been keeping things hidden from her had unnerved her. She couldn't help but wonder what more might have happened and if she was the cause since Rachel was trying to "behave."
"So, do you hate it?" Santana asked, her eyes softer. "Being here?"
Charlie sighed. She wasn't sure where she really stood with Santana. They certainly weren't friends and she honestly wasn't sure if they ever could be. She wasn't someone she would seek to confide in and yet she always felt strangely comfortable talking to her about her relationship with Rachel. Maybe it was because beneath all the bluster and swagger, she felt that Santana had Rachel's back and her best interest at heart.
She heard Brittany talking loudly in the kitchen and Rachel trying to talk over her.
Or maybe it was just because of Brittany.
"It's just three days," Charlie said, watching Santana closely, looking for clues beyond the mask to read her.
Santana nodded, her face placid, her eyes giving her nothing.
"Honestly, I'm... indifferent at this point. But I love her," Charlie said, being uncharacteristically unguarded. "And she loves it."
Charlie shrugged.
Santana smiled tightly, understanding. She would be living in an igloo selling squid for bait and designer hat wear if that's where Brittany wanted to be.
"First of all, we both know this isn't 'just three days,' so let's just stop with that nonsense right out of the gate, shall we?" she said, raising her eyebrows.
Charlie's first reaction was to pop off, but she waited to see where she was going.
"Just... try and go with it a little bit," Santana said, coaxing. "If you take the time to look, it's not all bad here. I'm sure there's air and green things somewhere if you must have that shit"
"I know, it's just... very, very different," Charlie said.
"Christ Blondie," Santana scoffed, "You live in a wilderness like fucking Sasquatch. Everything's different. Iowa's a veritable hotbed of industry and sin by comparison."
Charlie's hackles raised instinctively.
"I've lived here, Cruella," Charlie sniped back. "I know what it's like."
"You lived here for 10 minutes a hundred years ago in a broke-ass unhappy moment in your life," Santana told her, pulling no punches. "No, you haven't lived here. You've been here on your way to somewhere else. It's a bad footprint, that's all. Take another step, Q."
"Don't pretend you know me, " Charlie hissed slowly, her eyes shifting quickly to the house.
"I don't have to pretend," Santana said easily, not phased by Charlie's vacillating mood. "I do know you. I may not know all the fine details, but I do know you. And I know that kills you, too."
She smirked.
Charlie glared and pulled hard on her beer. If she had more beer and took a drink every time Santana was right, she might pass out pretty quickly and she wouldn't have to listen or admit it anymore She could use another tequila about now. She'd risk the hangover and Rachel's wrath.
Santana shifted her shoulders and leaned in again. Charlie's fingers tightened around her beer.
"Look, Rachel told me about the airport," she said, cautiously. "About the paps turning up."
Charlie raised her eyes, her guard deploying instantly.
"That was just a taste, just barely one at that," Santana told her. "That part of all this is not going to go away. You know that, right?"
"Yeah," Charlie said, her jaw set.
Here's where Santana motives got fuzzy.
"So, here's what I'm thinking, Blondie. Maybe you let a little of the old Quinn step up," Santana suggested. "You know, when you get... crowded. "
Again, Santana gave her that quirk of a sideways smile and shifted her eyes.
Charlie pursed her lips.
"For reals, the Quinn Fabray I knew would shred people like that over her morning cereal and never bat an eye and then she'd chew with a fucking smile."
Charlie chuckled.
"Like I said, chica, " Santana said, sipping. "Like it or not, I know you. And Quinn Fabray, she was born for this shit."
Santana scooted her chair forward. Charlie tensed up, but forced herself to stay where she was instead of moving back like she wanted.
"Listen up, Q, I know you don't trust me," she said, putting her cards out face up for a change. "That's cool, situation was reversed, I wouldn't trust me either. You see it puts money in my pocket, so I get that. But you gotta believe me when I tell you. Rachel is different."
Charlie grunted.
"She's like hives sometimes. She irritates the ever-loving piss out me, always has, actually. Mostly because that mouth runs on energizer bunny mode, she won't listen for shit and she thinks she knows goddamned everything. She can be spoiled and selfish and rude and stubborn as all fuck for no reason." Santana explained, her tone sincere. "But at the end of the day, she's family. Maybe not blood, but still family. I don't fuck around when it comes to family. Yes, I make her do things she doesn't want to because, well, she needs someone to do that sometimes because she just can't get out of her own fucking amazing way. Someone who doesn't coddle her and cower when she pitches a foot-stomping fit or put up with her propensity for endless whiny bullshit. Someone to just pull her out of herself, tell her to seriously shut the fuck up and just do it."
In spite of herself, Charlie found herself nodding in agreement with everything she said. She didn't know if Santana knew her like she claimed, but she for damned sure knew Rachel.
"But as fucking awesome as I am, even I can only do so much," Santana said seriously. "What Berry really needs, when the lights fade and the cameras turn off, is someone who just loves her. Just fucking loves her – not who she is or what she has or what she can do for them or their career or their ego. Someone who just...loves... her. Loves her so much that they would rather just lay down and fucking die if they couldn't be with her. Rachel has never had anyone to do that for her," Santana said quietly. "And she deserves that."
Charlie swallowed hard.
"And now there's you." Santana said, catching Charlie's gaze and holding it fiercely. Charlie looked away first, blinking rapidly. She dug her nails into her palm. Fuck if she'd cry and give Santana the goddamned satisfaction.
Santana chuckled, shaking her head.
"Quinn fucking Fabray. The Ice Quinn," Santana said, her tone hushed and incredulous, as though she was still trying to wrap her head around it all.
"There was a time that it would have made my entire fucking life to pound your snotty, condescending, Cheerio ass into the turf – just one time," Santana told her, her eyes sparkling and almost wistful. " I won't lie and be all fluffy about it because there are days I still want to do that. You're still smug and you just have that... gah...that look that you get. I don't know what it is, but I just wanna slap it off your face...repeatedly... with my fist."
Charlie smirked. She knew that feeling.
"Oh yeah, you're really close to making it right now," Santana said, looking at her hard, then exhaling and gritting her teeth.
"But for some reason, apparently because God hates me, your smug, irritating karma crossed paths with Berry's smug, irritating karma and this epic drunken wilderness karmic orgy ensued and now I'm totes stuck with you. At least until Rachel comes to her senses or you fuck it up, and frankly, Fabray, all my money is on you because Berry just isn't that fucking stupid. See, like that 'going home' nonsense. Yeah, keep going with that, Dudley Dofuckthisshitup."
Charlie smiled.
"You're like that sanctimonious, obnoxious, wall-eyed cousin who smells like hot plastic and talks incessantly about their saltwater aquarium that everyone avoids at reunions," she scoffed. 'I have to speak to you, but I damned sure don't want to and I'll be fucked if I don't get stuck sitting next to you every... goddamned... time."
"Funny," Charlie said, 'I feel exactly the same way about you."
They grinned at each other.
Santana snapped out of it first.
"So Brokeback," she said, leaning back away from her. "I'm telling you all this because you're too dim to get out of yourown goddamned way and get it on your own. Put that on the list of the the things you and Berry have in common besides, let's see...oh yeah, nothing."
Charlie rolled her eyes.
"So, alls I'm saying is give the little DorkBerry a goddamned break,okay? Find some way to make this work here, even if it is just for three days. If nothing else, it'll make her little Leprechaun face light up the way it does when she gets all happy and shit. She rocks that look pretty well."
Santana held out her beer bottle and shrugged lightly. Charlie tapped it with hers and they both sipped, back to staring at each other again.
"And let her hold your fucking hand in the car for God's sake," Santana sniped, teasing. "What kind of heartless monster are you?"
Charlie smirked. Apparently Rachel had been tattling on her.
"You best be knowing she tells Brit everything," Santana said, quirking her brow. "I mean everything, if you get me.
Charlie huffed and sloshed beer at Santana who smirked.
"Don't be wasting that," she said lightly. "You don't generate that much fucking income to be wasting good beer like that."
"You're starting to sound like Puck," Charlie said, tweaking her eyebrow and pushing what she knew was a hot button.
"Fuck!" Santana said loudly. "God, don't mention that name in my presence, woman. Out of our fucking minds, that's all I can say about it."
Charlie choked on her beer and laughed
"But look where it fucking got us," Santana exclaimed loudly. "She who laughs last, Puckerman"
They clinked their beer bottles again and both smiled.
"I wonder if it makes him break out in a cold, dick-shriveling sweat at night when he realizes that the two best women in his life now both sleep with hotter women than he does? "
Charlie grinned.
"We could always call him and ask him," Charlie suggested.
Santana spewed beer and laughed.
"Imma get some more beer," Santana said, rolling up out of her chair. Charlie sat back and closed her eyes, trying not to think of anything else Rachel might have been sharing with Brittany.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
"Do you think they've killed each other?" Rachel asked, trying to peek out to the patio.
"They won't, don't worry," Brittany said, knowingly. "San promised me."
"Charlie promised me," Rachel said, nodding.
She and Brittany bumped fists.
The last time I looked they were sitting and glaring at each other, " Brittany said. "San can stare for hours. She practices being intimidating."
"Yes, she can be quite fierce," Rachel admitted. "But Charlie can hold her own though."
"Santana is going to help her," Brittany said, taking dishes out of Rachel's hands. Rachel frowned.
"Help her?" she said, hesitantly. "Help her how?"
"Just to deal with everything," Brittany said, leaning back on the counter and looking at Rachel.
"I don't think..." Rachel started, shaking her head. "That's just not a good idea. Um, no, seriously, B., Charlie doesn't do unsolicited help very well. And especially not from Santana."
"Excuse me, ladies," Santana said, grinning at them. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a six pack of Mexican beer and two limes. She stuffed the limes in her pockets.
Brittany and Rachel looked at each other.
"Hi baby," she purred, smiling at Brittany as she reached around behind her and grabbed the bottle of Cuervo Gold of the counter.
"Hey FrazzleBerry," she said, smirking at Rachel as she reached in the cabinet above her head and pulled out two glasses. She looked at Rachel again, then put her hands on her hips and shifted her over sideways then opened the drawer she had been leaning against and pulled out a paring knife. She stood quirking her mouth and looking around the kitchen.
"Oh, fuck yeah," she muttered and grabbed the salt shaker and a lighter. She kissed Brittany loudly and scurried out of the kitchen.
Brittany and Rachel both frowned.
"No good will come of that," Rachel muttered anxiously. She started after Santana, but Brittany grabbed her by the back of her shirt.
"Rachel, wait," she said, smiling. "Just let them... work it out. Whatever it is."
"But Charlie doesn't drink," she said, twisting her hands.
"Rachel," Brittany said patiently. "Quinn used to drink girls under the table on bets. She'll be fine. We'll just stay here for a little while and then we'll go see, okay?"
Rachel sighed and finally nodded, reluctantly
"Besides, what's the worst they can possibly do?" Brittany asked. "You'll see. Santana has special powers.
"Oh god," Rachel muttered.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
"Okay," Santana said, grinning. "One more and then we go for it, 'kay Q? "
Charlie nodded.
"M'kay, one more," she said, slamming her hand down on the side table between them.
They were on their fourth round. Or maybe it was their fifth. She'd lost count already and forgotten the one earlier.
Santana sloshed tequila in the shot glasses. She sliced a portion of lime and shoved it at Charlie and then cut a wedge for herself. Charlie licked her hand and pour salt on it. Santana did the same.
"Ready?" Santana asked.
Charlie nodded.
In unison, they both licked the salt, slammed the shot and then bit down on the lime wedge, pulling the bitter citrus juice into their mouths.
"Whoo!" Santana whooped.
Charlie chucked and savored the slow burn and banked it on the warm, fuzzy afterglow of the nice buzz she'd already acquired.
"Okay, okay," Santana said, clearing the glasses and stuff to the side. "We good?"
"Yeah," Charlie muttered, the slightest slur in her voice. "We're a go."
"It's gotta be you, Q, " Santana said, giggling. "It's all you, girl."
Charlie nodded.
They sat the cell phone on the table and hit dial.
"Speaker, speaker," Santana hissed at her.
"Right, right," Charlie muttered, squinting at it and fumbling to put it on speaker. "Shh, shhh."
The phone rang a few times and then a sleepy voice answered gruffly.
"You're go for Puck," Noah muttered.
Upon hearing his phone greeting, Santana put her hand over mouth to stifled her snickering.
"Hey Noah," Charlie said loudly. Santana nudged her and put her finger to her lips.
"Stop yelling," she whispered, laughing.
Charlie waved her off.
"Q?" Noah asked, groggily. "What up? Are you okay? "
"Hey Noah," Charlie said again and Santana face-palmed. "No, I'm fine. Everything's fine."
"Charlie-girl, you know what time it is?" he asked, still sounding confused.
"Yeah," she answered. "It's kinda late, sorry. I forgot about the time difference. I'm with Rachel in... L.A."
God, that sounded strange to say.
"What's up, Q?" Puck asked in a low voice. They could hear him grunting and moving around.
"Just thinking about things," Charlie said, shrugging at Santana. This idea sounded a whole lot better in theory.
"What things," he asked warily.
"Don't you think it's kinda funny? " Charlie asked. "How all this turned out?"
"You gotta help me here, Q, " he told her quietly. "I'm not following."
"Well, I mean, you and me and you and Santana and how we all... knew each other." she said, suddenly thinking about what she was saying. "And how it all came back around again after all this time?"
"You suck at this," Santana hissed, frowning.
"It's the LA thing, Q," he told her. "It's being in LA again and shit. It's messing with your head that's all."
Santana made gagging noises and pretended to vomit. Charlie ignored her.
"Maybe," she said. "I keep thinking..."
"Don't think so much about everything, Q," he said gently. "You gotta let go of the reins, babe."
"Yeah, 'Babe', Santana muttered, puffing on her cigar and blowing smoke rings. " 'Turn loose of the reins, Babe.' Dickhead."
"Don't you think it's just weird that both Santana and I are with women and we both slept with you?" she asked innocently.
"What?" he said loudly.
Santana came up out of her seat, pumping her fist and stomping her feet, and then sat back down, leaning forward eagerly.
"I mean, what are the odds, you know?" she said. "That's gotta mean something right?"
"Are you fucking high, Q?" he blustered. "Seriously, are you drunk?"
"Puck," a female voice said suddenly on Noah's end of the call.
Charlie and Santana both looked at each other and screamed silently.
"Puck," she said again. "Who are you talking to, baby?"
"Nobody," he said gruffly. "Go back to sleep."
There was a moment of silence, then some muffled rustling and giggling and Charlie and Santana both grimaced.
"I may hurl," Santana said. Charlie nodded.
"Are you drunk, Charlie?" Puck hissed, clearly covering the phone with his hand now.
"Well, maybe," she said, giggling. "But that's beside the point, Puck. Point, Puck. Point, Puck."
She chuckled and Santana rolled her eyes and then gestured at the phone.
"So yeah," she said. "I mean, what's up with that? You know, I'm with Rachel and Santana's with B and we're all fine as fuck and well, almost all of us have slept with you. Except Rachel, and don't even think about going there, Puckmizer. But, well what's your take on that?"
"What are you two doing?" Rachel asked suddenly.
She was standing with her hand on her hips, staring at the two of them huddled around a cell phone, clearly drunk and giggling wickedly.
Charlie and Santana both startled and Santana nearly face-planted in the table.
They both shushed Rachel, but to no avail.
"Who are you talking to?" Rachel insisted, moving closer to look at the screen.
"Rachel?" Noah asked loudly.
"Noah?" she said, frowning. "Is that you?"
"Rachel? Who the hell is Rachel," the girl in Puck's room asked angrily.
Charlie and Santana both roared with laughter, high fiving each other stupidly.
"Hi Puck," Brittany said, sitting down next to Santana.
"Brittany?" Noah said.
"And who the fuck is Brittany?" the girl asked loudly.
Charlie collapsed laughing into her own lap.
"So did she laugh when she saw your crooked little Puckasaurus Rex?" Santana sneered, leaning down into the phone.
"Goddamn it, Santana," Puck blustered. "I should have known you were behind this."
"Santana? Fuck you Puckerman!" the female voice on the other end sputtered. There was rustling and slapping and then the phone clattered to the floor. They heard Noah pleading.
Santana and Charlie were both laughing so hard they couldn't catch breath.
"No wait, baby, " he said. "It's not what you think. They're not girls, they're just friends."
"We're not girls," Santana said.
"We're just friends," Charlie finished.
"You two should be ashamed of yourselves," Rachel huffed.
"Oh we are," Santana said, with a wicked smirk. "We're just devastated, TattleBerry."
"Santana," Charlie warned, but Santana ignored her.
"Puck's funny," Brittany said.
"Yes, he is, B, " Santana said. "He's a funny, funny little man. Emphasis on the little."
"It wasn't all that little," Brittany said, shrugging.
They all turned and stared at her.
"Did she..." Charlie asked.
"Don't go there, Q," Santana said, narrowing her eyes.
They all turned and looked at Rachel.
Oh my God, no, " she said, looking horrified. "Never. No. I didn't even... in high school, I mean...just no."
Charlie and Santana both grinned.
"Fuck!" Noah fumed. "Fuck!"
He groaned loudly and it sounded like he fell back on the bed. He apparently didn't know the phone was still connected.
"Y'all might want to disconnect that before you hear something you don't want to hear, " Santana warned.
"Like what?" Rachel asked, tilting her head. Santana rolled her eyes at her.
"Really, Rachel?" she asked.
Noah grunted strangely and Charlie quickly disconnected the call and pushed the phone away.
"I don't even want to know," she said, wrinkling her nose and shuddering.
They all looked at each other for a minute and then laughed.
Santana pour two shots and nudged one at Charlie. She picked hers up.
"To the Schmuckasaurus," Santana declared.
They clinked their glasses and drank.
"I want some," Rachel said, pouting.
"No, no, you don't," Charlie said, shaking her head. "Nah, nuh uh."
"No, I do," she said as she came over and sank down on Charlie's lap. Charlie smiled at her. Santana looked over at Brittany and rolled her eyes.
"Show me how to do this," she said.
"Are you really telling me you've never done this?" Charlie asked her, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Rachel shook her head.
"Really never?" she said.
"Really... never." Rachel insisted.
Charlie sighed.
"Okay, " she said. She held up to two fingers pinched together to Santana, who nodded and poured the world's smallest tequila shot.
Charlie pulled Rachel's hand up and pointed between her index finger and her thumb.
"Okay, lick right here," she told her.
"Why?" Rachel asked, looking at her seriously.
"Because I said so," Charlie told her.
"Oooo, "Santana said, taunting.
"Just do it, Rachel," Charlie said again. Rachel stared blankly at her. Charlie scoffed and licked the spot on Rachel's hand and then poured salt on it.
She handed Rachel the shot glass.
"Do you want to taste it first?" Charlie asked.
Rachel shook her head.
"Blondie, just let her try, " Santana said.
"She'll spit it out all over me if she doesn't like it," Charlie said. "Trust me. I know. "
Santana snickered.
Rachel giggled.
"Okay Little Bit," Charlie said, picking up the lime wedge. "Ready?
Rachel nodded.
"Lick," she told her, pushing her hand up. Rachel licked the salt off her hand.
"Now drink, swallow in one gulp, " Charlie said, watching her and expecting her to sip and spit it right back in the glass. Rachel tipped it back, swallowed and then coughed.
"Now suck, hard," Charlie pushed the lime wedge in her mouth. "Shut up, Santana."
Santana smirked.
Rachel bit down on the lime, sucked and made a sour face.
"Yay, Rachel," Brittany cheered.
"You can spit it out," Charlie told her. "Shut up, Santana."
Santana huffed.
She reached up and took the lime wedge Rachel pushed out with her tongue.
"Seriously?" Santana said. "Are you going to burp her, too."
Charlie glared at her.
"Shut up," she said, lightly again and Santana rolled her eyes at her.
"Do you want another one?" Charlie asked her.
Rachel shook her head.
"No, why would anyone?" she said, sticking her tongue out, trying to kill the taste of the liquor.
Charlie bit her lip and watched Rachel.
Please stop doing that, she thought.
Rachel saw Charlie's sleepy, smirking look and stopped. She tried to get off Charlie's lap, but she held her and shook her head.
"Oh no," she muttered with a slow smile. "Just stay right there."
Rachel smiled and put her arm around Charlie's shoulders.
"Can you get me on the Paramount lot?" Rachel asked Santana suddenly.
"Maybe," Santana said, slowly. "What will you do for me if I do?"
Charlie frowned and Rachel scoffed.
"What do you want?" Rachel asked annoyed.
"Business," Brittany said, scolding.
"She started it," Santana sputtered, pointing at Rachel.
"It's okay, B, " Rachel said, smiling at her. "What Santana?"
"There's that movie premiere, " she said, tweaking her brow.
"I don't want to, no," Rachel said immediately, shaking her head.
Santana shrugged.
"Haven't you heard, Paramount's closed, " she said with mock sadness.
"What movie premiere?" Charlie asked.
"It's nothing," Rachel said quickly.
"It's a movie premiere that Rachel should go to because it would get her a lot of attention," she said, looking at Charlie. "Contrary to what everyone seems to believe now, that's still a good thing."
"No, Santana," Rachel said again.
"Why not" Charlie asked and Rachel stared at her.
"You can have a plus one, so take her," Santana said, nodding her chin at Charlie. Rachel's jaw tensed and she now glared hard at Santana.
She knew what Santana was trying to do and she wasn't going to let her.
"Look we don't have anything to wear, for one, " Rachel protested weakly. It was a non-argument. She was at home and had an entire closet full of clothes and several stylists on her speed dial. Wardrobe was not a problem.
"Rumor has it they sell shit here," Santana countered smugly, further kicking her wheels out from under her.
"I wanna go," Charlie said suddenly and they both turned to look at her.
"What? Why?" Rachel asked.
Santana smirked and nodded her approval.
"Good for you, Q," she thought. "Into the fire, baby."
"I want to see what's it like," she said lightly. "It might be fun."
It was a test and she knew it. She was going to have take it eventually, but now it would be on her own terms.
"Really?" Rachel asked. "We don't have to."
"It's fine," she told her, rubbing her back. "It'll be fun."
"Okay," Rachel said, reluctantly. "I guess."
They could always change their minds later.
"Sweetheart, get up," Charlie said, "I need to go..."
Charlie grunted and shifted Rachel off and stood up. She was surprised to feel herself sway.
"Oh," she said, grabbing the arm of the chair.
"She might need a little help, Berry," Santana suggested, smiling. "She's apparently lost her sea legs."
Charlie rolled her eyes over at Santana and shook her head.
"Come on," Rachel said, walking behind her to keep her going in a straight line.
"We won't come look for you, " Santana called after her. "Ow, Brit, what? Geesh. They're done. Either Charlie will pass out or Rachel will get laid or both. Mark my words, but they ain't coming back. "
"Rachel will tell me , " Brittany said, nodding.
"Yes, yes, she will, " santana chortled, slamming another shot.
"It's only fair," Brittany explained. "I tell her stuff , too. "
Santana choked loudly.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
"I'm fine, " Charlie insisted, listing heavily to one side.
"Uh huh, I can see that." Rachel said, smiling.
"Are you mad" Charlie asked, looking at her.
"Of course not," Rachel said, smiling.
"Mmm," Charlie hummed and chuckled at nothing.
She pushed her towards the bathroom.
"Do you need help?" Rachel asked.
"No," Charlie said, leaning into her.
"I'll be right here if you change your mind," Rachel told her, laughing.
"I'm not going to," Charlie said, staring at her intently.
"Good," Rachel said.
"I'm gonna go..." she told her, pointing at the bathroom.
"Okay," Rachel nodded.
"Don't leave," Charlie said. Rachel shook her head.
"I'll stay right here," Rachel reassured her.
"Mmmkay, " Charlie said and shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door.
Rachel exhaled deeply and leaned back against the door. She could hear Charlie humming and talking to herself. She heard water running. Charlie opened the door and smiled at her. Rachel took her hand and turned, but Charlie pulled and spun her back into the bathroom and closed the door.
Rachel laughed.
Charlie pushed her up against the door and kissed her, sliding her lips and urging with her tongue.
Rachel put her arm around Charlie's neck and held on to her. Charlie dropped her lips to the base of Rachel's throat and she brought her hands up and covered Rachel's breasts. She felt Rachel's nipples go hard under her hands and her stomach tightened.
"Fuck, we need to go, " Charlie hissed, her mouth wet against Rachel's skin.
"That's what I thought," Rachel muttered, laughing, her hands on Charlie's shoulders. "Well, that's not happening."
Charlie pulled her head up and looked at her.
"What?" she asked, swallowing hard.
"Everybody's been drinking," she said with a shrug. "We're staying here."
"I don't want to stay here, " Charlie said pitifully.
Rachel kissed her quickly.
"I know," she said, pouting. "I don't want to either. My first night, I wanted to... sleep in my own bed."
"I'm sorry, " Charlie said, laying her head down on Rachel's chest.
Rachel hugged her and laughed, running her fingers through her hair.
"It's okay, " she said. "It's been nice. Besides, I've spent many nights in their guest room. It's practically mine."
Charlie whined.
Rachel tipped her face up with both hands and kissed her. She pushed her tongue in her mouth and swirled it over Charlie's. Charlie brought her hand up between Rachel's legs and squeezed. Rachel squeaked and gasped.
"Oh, god," what are you doing?" she said, putting her hand over Charlie's. "No, baby, not here."
Charlie kissed her again and Rachel didn't move her hand away, but she did spread her legs slightly wider. There was only the thin fabric of her now very damp panties between Charlie's hand and her bare skin.
Charlie broke away from the kiss.
"If you don't want me to, I won't," she told her right up against her ear. "But if you want, I totally will."
Rachel was breathing heavy and clutching at Charlie's back.
"Will what, Charlie?" Rachel asked, her eyes flashing.
"Fuck you right here up against this door," she told her slowly and chuckled.
Rachel felt herself go instantly wet.
"What if they want in? " Rachel asked.
"They have other bathrooms, " Charlie told her, her teeth grazing along her neck now.
"You're drunk, Charlie, " Rachel said.
"So?" Charlie asked, pushing her hand up under Rachel's shirt. "Let me, Rach."
"Let you what?" Rachel asked.
Charlie chuckled. Rachel was testing. When would she ever learn she couldn't win this game?
"Let me do everything," she told her, licking her neck now. "I wanna push your shirt up and pull your panties down and have my way with you. Right here, right now."
Rachel groaned.
Charlie's hand rubbed over Rachel's breast.
"I wanna lick here, " she said, squeezing her breast over her bra. The nipple was hard against palm and she rolled her finger over it.
"I want to bite this," she said, rubbing across the taut peak with her fingertip.
She squeezed between her thighs again.
"I want my mouth here," she said and Rachel moaned and pushed against her hand. "I want my tongue all the way up inside you."
She slowly licked her neck.
"Oh God, Charlie, " Rachel panted, throwing her arms around her neck. "Yes, do that, Charlie. I want you to do all of that."
Charlie laughed.
"As you wish," she said, pushing Rachel's shirt up over her chest and licking between her breasts. "Anything you wish, Miss Berry."
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
Charlie followed the smell of coffee down the hall, down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Santana was sitting at the table leaning on her fist, staring into a cup of coffee. She mumbled something at Charlie who grunted something in return.
Charlie opened cabinet doors until she found cups. She took one down and poured herself a cup of coffee. She upended the sugar dispenser and let it stream, then splashed milk into it and stirred absently, letting the spoon clink on the sides of the mug.
"Noise," Santana hissed and she stopped.
She walked over and sat down across from Santana, who raised her eyes briefly and then went back to staring into her coffee. She was bleary-eyed, her hair was disheveled and she had dark rings under her eyes. There was a slightly gray cast to her skin.
"Figures," she muttered.
"What?" Charlie asked, taking a cautious sip of her coffee.
"That you'd look like that in the mornings," she said. "All the more reason it's cool to hate on you."
Charlie was certain she was no fetching beauty herself.
"If it's any consolation," Charlie said, "I feel like shit."
"Okay, yeah," Santana said with a groan. "Your pain helps."
"Are you gonna eat that?" Charlie asked, looking longingly at the coffee cake Santana had in front of her.
Santana made a face, then shook her head and shove it at Charlie. She pulled it over and speared a bite with the fork and dunked it in her coffee. Santana watched, then shuddered and belched.
"Urgh, god," she winced.
"Sugar helps," Charlie said, chewing slowly.
"You're a mutant," Santana observed. "Some kind of weird annoying forest troll."
Santana dropped her head in both of her hands and moaned.
"Where are Rachel and B?" Charlie asked.
"Running," she grunted.
Charlie scoffed.
"Rachel doesn't run," she said, licking icing off her fork. "She whines if she has to walk half a block."
Santana chuckled.
"You've seen her legs?" she asked sarcastically. "She's a teensy little uncoordinated Shire dweller, but she runs. Treadmill, Stairmaster, spinning; she runs."
"Hmm," Charlie said, taking another bite.
"Wait'll she drags you out window shopping with her here," she said. "She'll dust you. You'll be face-down on the sidewalk, covered in pretty bags with designer labels and she'll be screeching, 'hurry up' in that annoying bleating yelp she makes."
Charlie chuckled, nodding. That part was probably true – not the annoying yelp – but everything else.
"Nah, it's the whole outdoors part she doesn't rock." Santana explained. "She needs padding, lots of padding. You'd think being so fucking low to the ground she'd be stable, but hell naw. Fifty bucks she comes back bleeding. "
Charlie remembered something about a pink helmet and grinned behind her hand. She said a silent prayer that Santana was proved wrong.
"This premiere thing?" Santana said, lifting her coffee to her lips and wincing as she drank.
"What about it?" Charlie asked.
"You're okay with it" Santana pressed. "For real?"
"Yeah," she said, thoughtfully. "Training wheels."
She offered Santana a lop-sided smile. Santana looked at her.
"You're really fucking in this, aren't you?" she asked, unexpectedly. "For keeps."
Charlie nodded.
"Good," Santana muttered. "I can work with that."
"Okay," Charlie said.
"Just remember what I said," she told her, keeping her gaze. "This is all so far out of your comfort zone it's not even in the yellow pages. But Quinn Fabray, she can own this shit."
Charlie didn't say anything.
"It's up to you, Blondie," Santana told her truthfully. "I've seen how far you've gone for this. The question now, is how much further are you willing to take it and what are you willing to do when you get there?"
Already Charlie could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and her foot twitching on the floor.
Santana leaned over.
"You can do this, Q," she told her firmly. "Like it or not, I know what you're capable of. When you want something you get this raging mad on about it and there's no stopping you.
"This isn't some high school bullshit competition, Lopez," Charlie said anxiously, rubbing her hand on her forehead. "Rachel's not a trophy,"
"No, she isn't, Quinn," Santana said softly. "She's so much more. She is worth risking everything for and I know you know that."
When did Santana suddenly become fucking Yoda? Get you Rachel I will, yes.
The front door slammed shut and the blissful, healing quiet they'd enjoyed was shattered by the loud giddy chorus that was Brittany and Rachel.
"Food for thought, Blondie," Santana said, retreating to her side of the table once more. "Take it or leave it."
"San," Brittany called from the foyer. "Where are the Band Aids?"
Santana chuckled.
It was good to be omniscient.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
"Let's just do this, get it out of the way and then we don't have to worry about it, okay?" Rachel said reasonably.
Charlie frowned.
"It won't be that bad," she coaxed. "I'll be right there with you. Just try, that's all I ask."
Charlie tweaked an eyebrow and smirked when she heard her own words coming back around to bite her in the ass.
"Fine," she muttered.
"Yay," Rachel squealed and nudged her toward the door. Charlie reluctantly put one foot in front of the other and stepped into the salon.
"Miss Rachel," a dapper little man with perfectly feathered and highlighted hair came rushing at her.
"Ramon," Rachel beamed and held out her hand. He took it limply and they air kissed like long-lost relatives.
"It's been so long," he fussed. "We have missed your charming laugh. Are you back to us again?"
"Not quite," she said, eating up the attention. "Just for a few days. We have an event."
"Ah yes," he said, nodding and drumming his fingertips together. "Say no more. We can make it all good for you."
He turned and looked at Charlie now for the first time.
"Ramon, this is my friend, Charlie," she told him. "She's going with me."
"Ah, most excellent," he said nodding and pursing his lips. "Miss Charlie, it is wonderful to make your acquaintance."
He grabbed her shoulders and brushed by her with his cheek on both sides.
"Yes, yes, yes," he muttered, walking around Charlie and fluffing her shaggy locks with his fingers. "We will make this work for you."
She looked anxious at Rachel.
"It's fine," she said, smiling. "Believe me, it's fine."
"I'm thinking, Shoshana?" he said, looking to Rachel. Rachel frowned slightly and shook her head.
"I was thinking Kyra, " Rachel said. "She so good with color."
"Of course, Kyra it will be," he told her, touching her shoulder lightly. "And you, my dear, are all mine, mine, mine."
Rachel smiled.
"She's a bit.. nervous," she told him, glancing at Charlie.
"No worries, pretty Charlie," he told her, taking her arm and leading her toward the back. "We don't bite anyone here who doesn't wish to be bitten."
Charlie laughed weakly.
"I'll show her," Rachel said, taking Charlie's wrist."Come on, pretty Charlie."
She led Charlie back to the changing room and gave her a smock to change into. She quickly shed her own top and slipped into one herself. Charlie stood holding hers, shell-shocked. Rachel turned and smiled, and pulled at the hem of Charlie's top. Charlie let her pull it up and off and she tugged on the smock, belting it. Charlie hated it already.
Rachel leaned into her.
"These are the people you don't talk in front of," she said. "This is the heart and soul of gossip, okay? Everything they hear, goes right back into someone else's ear. Eventually it gets somewhere you don't want it to go."
Charlie nodded.
"Tell her how you want it cut and how you want it colored," Rachel said. "If you want to be bold and let her make the call, she's very, very good. I trust her with my hair."
Charlie smiled a little and nodded.
"Just keep in mind, I need something to hold on to," Rachel whispered, her lips brushing against Charlie's face. "I like running my fingers through it, too."
Charlie chuckled.
"And no Mohawk," she warned, teasing. "It's not your look."
"Maybe put your fuchsia highlights back," she added. "That suited you."
"Gotcha," Charlie said, feeling much more relaxed.
Rachel stepped back and nodded to the door.
"Go on," she told her and followed her out the door.
A pretty redhead stepped up to her almost immediately.
"You must be Charlie," she said, holding out her hand. She had a slight accent, but Charlie couldn't place it. "I'm Kyra. Of course, that's not my real name, but here you can be anybody you want to be."
"Yes, hi," Charlie said nodding. She took her outstretched hand and shook it firmly.
"I'm going to send you with Petra here and she'll get you shampooed and then we'll talk about what you're thinking for today, okay?"
Charlie nodded. Kyra squeezed her shoulder.
"Good, see you in a bit," she told her. She smiled at her When she turned, she bumped shoulders with Rachel and squeezed her hand.
"Been too long, Berrylicious," she said warmly.
In short order Charlie was shampooed and sitting at Kyra's station and they were both staring at her hair.
"So what are you thinking?" she said.
"That Rachel said to trust you," she told her.
Kyra smiled.
"Well, what I'm thinking is that the basic cut is really good," she told her, pulling her fingers through it. "So I say to shorten it back up and maybe chop it up a bit – give it texture and a little sass. Just take out the shaggy look. It'll be a good washandgo length, but you can also glam it up if you need to."
"Sounds good," Charlie told her.
"Your color is dull, so we'll brighten it up, " she said. "Let's think Lauren Bacall golden rather than Marilyn, and we'll thread in some fun lowlights, just to be wild and crazy. Can you rock it?"
"I can rock it," Charlie laughed.
"Awesome," she said, spinning her away from the mirror and picking up her comb. "So what's Rachel making you do?"
"Excuse me?" Charlie said, caught off guard.
"She's dragging you somewhere, yes?" Kyra asked.
"Uh yeah," Charlie said, "A movie premiere."
"Oh, that's not Rachel," Kyra said, working quickly. "That's la Lopez talking."
"You know Santana?" Charlie asked, curious.
"Yup," Kyra said, nodding. "She's darkened my path a few times."
Charlie laughed in spite of herself.
"She's good at what she does," Kyra continued. "But she's a total bitch about doing it. So not cool. But, for some strange reason Rachel loves her, so what can you do? She'll make her a star before she's done."
"Really?" Charlie asked.
"No doubt," she said, starting to make cuts. "Put your head down for me, babe. That's a girl. Yeah, she'll make it happen for her, mark my word."
"Wouldn't Rachel make it without her?" Charlie asked, against mostly curious.
"That's always the big if," she said, "I think Rachel can do anything, but Strega can open doors for her, no doubt."
"Strega," Charlie said, smirking. She knew it was Italian for "witch."
"Yeah, sorry," she said. "Don't tell Rachel I said that. She's gets pissy about that. I'd called Lopez that to her face though. She doesn't scare me."
Now she knew why Rachel paired them up.
"What premiere?" Kyra asked.
"I honestly have no idea," Charlie said, just realizing it.
"It's no big deal," she told her. "There's several. I got your back here, babe. You'll be good to find a look that works without a problem. Rachel will probably call Marcus, too. He's money."
"Marcus?" Charlie asked, feeling out of the loop.
"Her make-up guru, " she explained. "You're in great hands. He'll make you hotter than hot."
"Swell," Charlie muttered and Kyra laughed.
"So have you known Rachel very long?" she asked lightly.
"A while," Charlie said, remember Rachel's comment and not sure where to go with the question.
Kyra sensed her hesitation.
"The reason I ask is I wondered if you know Derek?" she said.
"No," Charlie said, shaking her head.
"The asshole?" Kyra continued. "The ex?"
"Nope," Charlie said. "Never met him."
"Oh goodie, then I can hate on him," she said, fluffing Charlie's hair in the back and cross-checking length here and there.
"Yes please, hate away," Charlie told her truthfully.
"Okay, gorgeous, look up at me. Just like that, yeah." Kyra asked curiously. "Do you know why she finally left him?"
"Not a clue," Charlie said without batting an eye. She wondered if it was really just a coincidence that this conversation happened when they were looking eye-to-eye.
"I wonder if it's that boy on her new movie. Well, whatever, whoever, the reason," Kyra continued. "Thank freaking god."
"Why was she with him?" Charlie asked. "If he was so awful?"
"I don't think it started out awful, " she told her. " They met on a project. She's one of those girls who always hooks up with co-stars. He is pretty, I'll say that for him. I suppose he can be charming enough, too. They made a nice looking couple. But, god what a smug, selfish prick. That's another thing I blame Strega for."
"Really?" Charlie asked, her voice gone cold. "Why?"
"Eh, they were kind of an 'it' couple," she said. "I'm sure everyone liked the attention they got. To be fair, he wasn't Strega's client. When Rachel started blowing up a little bit, he and his people benefited way more from him being with her. I think, in the end, Rachel just felt stuck. I think she stayed with him because she didn't think she could do any better."
Charlie scoffed loudly.
"Exactly. That's what I blame the Strega for." Kyra agreed. "Can you even imagine?"
"No, not really. Not even a little actually," Charlie said, puzzled by it all. How was that Santana's fault? Charlie doubted Rachel would ever seriously listen to Cruella about her personal life. "You sound like you know Rachel pretty well. Are you friends?"
"We've hung out a few times, sure. Know people in the same circle. To be honest, I don't really think Rachel has a lot of friends," she said, shrugging. "Not close ones, anyway. I mean, she's sweet and friendly and so much fun, but for the most part she keeps to herself. I always blamed the Derek situation for that. Maybe that'll change now that he's gone."
"Maybe so," Charlie said."Did he...was there any...well, you know..."
"Hitting?" She asked. "Not that I've ever saw any evidence of or heard about. Mind you, you don't have to hit to wound someone though. He didn't really share her all that well and I don't think he did any flipping wonders for her self-confidence. He's one of those guys who has perfected the backhanded compliment or the sly dig. Anytime I was around him, he gave me the willies. He has this kind of oily smile and he is a real touchy feeling type. If he was there when I went anywhere with her, I moved to the far side of the table. I've heard he had a wandering eye, but I don't know that for for a fact."
After hearing that, Charlie felt sad and slightly nauseous. All she really wanted to do was just hug Rachel.
"Are you sure it's not that co-star she's hooked up with?" Kyra asked again, apparently referring to Finn. "He seems kind of toolish, but sadly, that's exactly her type. Frankly, I expected her to come home with him in tow. "
Charlie just shrugged.
"Well, it's somebody," she said. "She didn't just dump Derek out of the blue like that, even if he was a useless bastard. Either he cheated, big time, or she did and then cowgirled up and kicked him to the curb. Rachel's a relationship girl. She doesn't do solo. There's a rebound fling lurking out there with somebody. I'd put money on that."
"Rebound fling?" Charlie asked.
"A palate cleanser," Kyra said with a laugh. "She'll toy with someone for a little while, just to get her confidence back. and then she'll go for another endless love. Strega better be careful who she lines up as her next co-star that's all the more I'm gonna say. He'd better be single, because she'll beeline right at him."
Charlie didn't even know what to think of any of that. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it.
"Okay, I think I've mangled this enough, " Kyra told her with a sly wink. "Now let's get your color going on."
Charlie sat impatiently and tried to relax while Kyra worked steadily through the whole color and foil process. At one point she brought over two shades of dark color and two shades of party colors for Charlie's approval and she nodded for both. After what seemed like an agonizing two hours of heat lamps and blow dryers and curling irons and all things primping and fussy, Kyra spun Charlie around and stared into the mirror along with her.
"Wow, hotness," she said, teasing. "Do you like?"
Charlie's hair was cut very much like it was when she first came to Oregon, just a little bit longer and a little bit more golden blonde with a few streaks of fuchsia and pink threaded randomly.
"Yeah, " Charlie said, touching it lightly here and there. "It's pretty amazing, actually."
"Amazing is good. What do you think think, Miss SpyBerry?" Kyra asked and Charlie turned to see Rachel standing off to her right. She was standing with her arms folded across her chest and smiling. Her hair was perfectly radiant. They'd left it luxuriously natural and full and Charlie nearly came undone on the spot.
"I think she's beautiful," Rachel said without the slightest hesitation.
Charlie smiled self-consciously and her face turned pink.
"Look, now she's color-coordinated," Kyra teased, causing Charlie to blush even darker.
Charlie expected to hear Rachel's loud laugh, but it never came. Rachel just stared and smiled.
"Okay lovely," Kyra said, spinning Charlie again. "You're free."
She trailed along behind Rachel into the closet of a changing room.
"Rachel?" Charlie asked almost immediately when they stepped inside.
"What, sweetie?" Rachel replied, peeling off her smock and slipping her shirt back on over her head.
"Can I kiss you in here?" Charlie asked her very quietly, her hands threading into her hair.
"Honestly," Rachel said, biting her lip. "I don't know. But do it anyway, okay?"
Charlie smiled, then leaned over and pressed her lips to Rachel's sweetly. Rachel brought her hands up and cupped Charlies face. She pulled away and stared at her.
"Do you like my hair, baby" Rachel asked with a toothy grin.
Charlie chuckled and nodded.
Rachel stared at her, tipping her head.
"You look sad." she said, her eyes fixed onto Charlie's.
Charlie chewed on her lip and shook her head.
"Now you're just lying," Rachel told her, frowning.
Honestly, she couldn't stop thinking about everything that Kyra had told her. It sat in her chest like a soggy lump.
"I'm not sad," she told her. "I'm not lying. I'm just... something. I don't know exactly what."
Charlie kissed her again, more urgently.
"Oh my god, you look so very pretty," she told her and Rachel smiled, batting her eyes. "And I love you very much."
"There's not a 'but' in there somewhere is there?" she asked, looking anxious. Charlie felt off and she couldn't put her finger on the reason.
"No, sweet girl," Charlie told her, squeezing her hand. "Of course there's not."
She kissed her again, almost desperately.
Rachel pulled away and looked at her, her face getting that serious heartbreak look she'd get sometimes. Then she slowly wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck and just held on to her. Charlie pulled her tight against her.
"God, don't cry, Rach," she said upon hearing a small sniffle.
Rachel laughed against her neck.
"Are you doing okay," she asked Charlie, her breath tickling warm on her skin.
"I'm fine," Charlie assured her. She buried her face in her luxurious curls and just drank her in. "Stop worrying about me."
She lifted her off her feet and Rachel laughed, then suddenly remember Charlie wasn't supposed to be doing that anymore.
"Wait, no, no, " she whispered roughly. "Down, put me down. Down, right now, I mean it."
She batted Charlie on the shoulders until Charlie pouted and reluctantly set her down gently.
"Bad," Rachel said, scolding. "Oh my god, you'll be in so much trouble if tomorrow you can't..."
Charlie kissed her again just to stop her angry little tirade. It worked. When she pulled away, Rachel narrowed her eyes at her, but didn't say anything more. Charlie grinned, then shrugged and tugged her own shirt back on and slipped out of the room before Rachel could start up again.
Rachel wanted to pay for Charlie's salon services as well as her own, but Charlie got to the counter first and settled her own bill. Under the circumstances, Rachel couldn't protest very much about it either but she glared at Charlie and clearly pouted about it.
After hugging and thanking what seemed like everyone who worked in the salon, they walked out onto the sidewalk.
"Where to, Little Bit? " Charlie asked her. "It's your town, your day."
"Let's go eat," she announced, grabbing Charlie by the arm. "One of my favorite restaurants is just right up the street. We can walk from here."
"Oh yay," Charlie said, groaning.
Charlie had already learned that Rachel had about a few dozen favorite restaurants. She had favorite coffee shops, favorite dry cleaners, favorite bookstores, favorite street corners, favorite mailboxes, favorite everything and she was apparently very excited about showing Charlie each and every single one.
Once they left Brittany and Santana, they had immediately gone and had breakfast at her favorite bistro. Charlie divided her time there avoiding being constantly fork-fed by Rachel and trying to get enough caffeine and sugar and aspirin into her blood to combat the negative effects the alcohol from the previous night. Rachel had been forcing water on her constantly and it all appeared to be helping. Now Rachel had decided to move on to forcing food.
"Here, try this," Rachel said from the first moment they were served, holding up a forkful for Charlie to taste.
It got to where she felt like a fussy toddler, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head. .
Their late lunch was apparently going to be a repeat performance.
"Try this, it's really good, " Rachel said, plying a new tactic and putting a tiny blob of something onto Charlie's plate. Charlie poked at it with her fork and then tucked it under her spoon when Rachel wasn't looking.
"Where is it?" Rachel asked, suspiciously a few minutes later. "Did you try it?"
"I'm eating this," Charlie said, waving around a piece of chicken on her fork and avoiding the question.
"Here, try this." Charlie mimicked and she poked her fork at Rachel who scowled and swatted her hand away.
"Stop that," she scolded. "You're being obnoxious."
Charlie scoffed.
"Here, these are sweet potatoes fries, you'll eat these," Rachel told her five minutes later, holding one up for her to taste.
Rachel, " Charlie fussed. "Stop feeding me."
"I want you to try everything," she said. "Their food is amazing."
"I want to try that," she told her, pointing to the taco wagon across the street with a line snaking down the block.
Rachel huffed lightly, apparently offended by Charlie's pedestrian palate.
"All this great food and you want that. If you eat some of this, I'll buy you a stupid taco," Rachel told her.
"Really" Charlie said, brightening considerably.
"Really, here," Rachel held up a forkful of some green something. Charlie opened her mouth reluctantly and then chewed unhappily. It had a lot in common with Rachel's campfire scrambled eggs.
"That's not very amazing," she shuddered, reaching for her iced tea.
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Brittany and Santana want to go clubbing tonight," she said, "Do you want to go."
"No," she said immediately.
Rachel pouted.
"We could just go for a little while," she suggested. It was all too clear that she want to go.
"I guess, maybe. I don't know," Charlie said, wanting to change the subject. "I'll think about it."
"When will you know?" Rachel teased.
"I couldn't really say," Charlie said, just for the sake of being difficult. She pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head and rubbed her eyes. They felt like they were full of sand.
"Is it past your nap time?" Rachel asked, annoyed but not surprised by Charlie's sudden decline in temperament. She'd done more than Rachel thought she ever would given how she looked at breakfast. Rachel was still only speaking to Santana via Brittany.
"Probably," Charlie answered.
"We can finish here and go back to the house for a little while if you want." Rachel suggested.
Charlie exhaled deeply.
"Whatever you want, babe," she said.
She totally wanted to do that, but she was going to be a trooper for Rachel no matter what.
"Let's do that then, " Rachel said, realizing she'd probably pushed Charlie as far as she could for the time being.
Charlie nodded and resumed shoving her amazing food around in circles.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
The minute they got in the house, Charlie disappeared upstairs. Rachel checked her voice mail, went through her stack of mail and checked her email before finally following upstairs to see what she was doing. Not surprisingly Rachel found her piled up on the bed, curled into a pillow with a wet washcloth across her eyes.
Rachel pulled off her shoes and crawled up next to her.
"Poor baby," she said concerned, rubbing her chest.
"I'll rebound," she said. "Just give me thirty minutes."
Rachel reached her hand under her shirt and rubbed her hand lightly across her belly. After a few minutes of that, Charlie put the washcloth aside and pulled Rachel over on top of her. Rachel sat up, straddling her and Charlie ran her hands up under her shirt, kneading her full breasts. Her nipples were already fully peaked. Rachel bit her lip and tipped her head back as Charlie rolled them through the fabric of her bra. Charlie reach down and undid Rachel's jeans, then she sat up and tipped Rachel over on her back, She tugged them down to her thighs, pulling her underwear with them. She bent and kissed across the soft, flat expanse of her stomach. Rachel pulled her knees up and Charlie worked them off, tossing them aside.
She reached down and pulled off her own shirt then tossed it away. Now settled between Rachel's legs she could feel Rachel's wetness brushing against her stomach. She bent and kissed across Rachel's scrapes and bruises from her morning "run" with Brittany and Rachel giggled. Then she leaned up and captured Rachel's mouth, sucking against her lips and groaning heavily. Rachel twisted her fingers through her hair and teased her tongue across Charlie's lips. Charlie parted them and Rachel's tongue pushed inside. Charlie's lips closed around it, sucking. The sensation sparked straight to the throbbing between Rachel's thighs and she rocked her hips against Charlie, looking for friction. She grabbed Charlie's hand and pushed it between her thighs. She was slick and hot and Rachel groaned when Charlie brushed her thumb against her clit.
Charlie pushed back up on her knees then moved down. When Rachel felt Charlie's tongue slide warmly over her clit she let loose with a loud, deep moan. Charlie toyed and teased with Rachel's clit and then slid easily down though her wetness and swirled circles around, teasing, until Rachel bucked up impatiently, and then she pushed deeply into her.
"Ohhh," Rachel sighed, fingers twisting into the sheets.
Charlie reached back and pulled Rachel's leg around her. She kissed up the soft flesh of her inner thigh, sucking and nipping, then brought her hands up under Rachel's ass, squeezing. She bent and eased her tongue back up inside her, sliding and fluttering. Rachel pulled at her shoulders and rose up into her mouth. Instinctively, she pulled her tongue slowly across that sweet spot and Rachel's thighs twitched and her stomach muscles clenched. She licked slowly back and forth, keeping constant pressure and sending Rachel into a writhing, moaning frenzy. Then she flicked hard against it with just the tip.
"Oh god, Charlie," she gasped, feeling herself shuddering and rushing to what was clearly going to be a quick, intense orgasm under Charlie's unrelenting efforts.
"Slower," she panted, but Charlie was already closing her mouth over her throbbing clit and sucking the tender swollen flesh, nuzzling it against her teeth.
There was no going back.
Rachel felt her whole body flush as waves of steady, warm pleasure coursed over her and her thighs grew sticky and damp. Charlie continued to lap with her tongue, coaxing every last sensation until Rachel finally forced her away with a groan and lay panting heavily, one arm thrown across her face. She felt Charlie move up, now pushing her shirt up and kissing along her ribs, under and across her breasts, licking and suckling her nipples, and finally settling along side of her.
She buried her face in Rachel's neck and Rachel just held her.
"Was it everything you dreamed about?" Charlie asked her quietly.
"So much more," Rachel whispered.
"I'm glad," Charlie told her. "Cause that's my thing.
~~oOo~~