AN: Thanks for all the reviews, enjoy this chapter

Even though she had her reservations about Dani, she really was a much better boss than her brother. Sure there were a few things that they butted heads about when it came to the choreography, but Dani did respect her creative control most of the time. It was normal sometimes the dancing was to whimsical for Dani's overall vision so changes were made. If they weren't talking about work they were talking about Blake who was currently playing quietly, still in only a pair of pull ups. Her clothes long forgotten. Once again Elaine had dropped off Blake in the middle of the rehearsal and Brittany, as did nearly everyone else, heard the fierce argument between them, while Blake just began to run around. She had played with the toddler when she wasn't working as did nearly everyone one of the actors working on set. Dani didn't seem to know what to do with Blake short of apologizing for Blake ruining another rehearsal by getting in people's way. Brittany finished going over the steps with the crew and hopped off the stage where Blake looked up at her and grinned widely, holding up her stuffed animals. She took one and quickly began to play with Blake who seemed to enjoy the attention.

"You're really good with her," Dani said after a moment of watching Brittany with Blake. She had a hard time with her daughter, who seemed to have a mind of her own and didn't listen to her at all.

"She's a really good kid, she has a lot of energy though," Brittany said. "Most kids do," Brittany turns back to Blake and makes some sound effect noises with her causing her to laugh.

"A lot of energy," Dani admits and sighs. She loves Blake but at the same time having Elaine drop her off in the middle of work makes it impossible for her to get things done. "Maybe I should just hire a full time nanny for her."

"The rest of the crew doesn't mind, she's a really good kid Dani. Plus you can teach her all about your job during your spare time. That's what I'd do."

"Your soulmates probably wouldn't drop her on you without a moment's notice though," Dani points out bitterly. "Sorry, it's just difficult. The separation hasn't been easy for either of us and Blake seems to be caught in the crossfire. When she wants to punish me she'll drop her off during my rehearsals, when I have time to spend with her, well then Elaine has her whisked off to some exotic location." Dani pinches the bridge of her nose feeling the familiar headache coming on.

Brittany bites her lip and looks at Blake, "I'm sorry that it's difficult for you and Elaine but you shouldn't use Blake as a tool against each other. It's not healthy and she might end up hating one of you or both when she's older."

"I've mentioned that, but right now all we do is fight endlessly, hence why this needs to be perfect. I need to have one thing in my life that isn't being blown to hell and back."

"Aren't you the dominant one?" Brittany points out at any point Dani was allowed to regulate on the situation.

"I am, still what am I going to do? Take her daughter from her? We've already separated and she doesn't want to be my submissive anymore and I refuse to punish her for being angry with me. I just don't know what to do and therapy is expensive especially when one of us refuses to show up."

Brittany smiled inwardly, maybe if she got Elaine and Dani back together Dani would stop having this weird hang up about Charlie. "Well, maybe you need to romance her a bit. Bring her lunch every day, and do stuff to show you how much you really love her. That's what we do, Charlie always makes lunch for us even if she's super busy, and she always tries to make sure that she picks us up from work. And if we're sad well she totally blows off what she's supposed to be doing to come see us. Don't do the last part though, we do actually need you." Brittany smiled at her.

Dani smiles, "Sounds like Charlie, you've got a good dominant. Maybe I should try and take a page from her book and see if it works, I mean at this point it's not like I can make it worse," Dani said reaching over to mess up Blake's hair.

"Ma!" Blake said with a huff.

Brittany laughs at this, "Everything will turn out fine Dani and you and Elaine will totes get back together again." She wants them to, Dani is a decent person even if she has this thing for Charlie. But it's not like she asks her all these questions about Charlie, it's mostly about work.

Santana shifted as she looked at Frannie nervously as she read over her various essays, she had wanted to get her opinion on it before she started sending in her applications to the various law schools. Frannie hadn't minded except her not saying anything was nerve wracking. She was probably doing this on purpose to because it was Frannie and she enjoyed watching people squirm. She probably should have listened to everyone who warned her about Frannie's sadistic side, because Frannie was slowly putting her essay down and staring at her. "Well?" Santana asked.

"The essay is fine, it's well written and I can see that you put a lot of time and effort into it. The problem is the content, not so much as you should rewrite it, and it's about your future. The firm doesn't deal with submissive rights cases Santana. The reason being is that there is very little money in a job like that. The dominant wins most cases and I would personally hate to see you spinning your wheels and wasting your talents in a job like that. The firm right now is willing to hire you once you graduate. If only to appease me, and I'm aware it'll be difficult at first many of the clients won't want a submissive on their case. But if you prove to them that you are the best they'll overlook it, you can make some actual money and more importantly you'll win." Frannie said calmly studying Santana.

"Dominants shouldn't win most of the time." Santana said with a shrug.

"Why?" Frannie asked studying Santana who met her with a defiant gaze. "It's a dominant's duty to care for and lead the submissive. A submissive willingly enters into a binding contract with a dominant to give up most of their control Santana. The vast majority of people do not treat their submissives as you were treated by Gunther." Frannie pointed out.

"But some do, if the duty of a dominant is to care and lead a submissive and make them the best person that they can be. Why shouldn't the people who fail in that duty be punished? It doesn't make the submissive a better person, or even the best person that they can be if the dominant is abusive. Does multiple trips to the emergency room, or even getting systematically raped or traded around like cattle make the submissive the best person that they can be? Unclaimed submissives—"

"You know better than to use anecdotal evidence Santana," Frannie corrected gently.

"Unclaimed submissives have very little protections against abusive dominants who can punish them for whatever reason that they think is okay. This is a fact. What's also a fact is that that any employer can punish an unclaimed submissive anyway they deem fit so long as it is not sexual in nature and does no permanent lasting damage to the submissive. The language is vague, broken bones heal, but what about the damage to the submissives mental health? Unclaimed submissives, or submissives whose dominant have died have little to no protections because society thinks that they are incapable of taking care of themselves. They have much higher rates of suicide, let alone the vast majority of them who are alcoholics, drug addicts. How is that making them the best person that they can be? Not all dominants are cut from the same cloth and they need to be held accountable for their actions." Santana said without missing a beat. "I did my research Frannie."

Frannie stared at Santana impressed for a moment. "There are protections in place for the unclaimed submissive including placement programs for dominants who have lost their submissives. Dominants might not all be cut from the same cloth but at the same time there needs to be freedom for the dominant to act. Sometimes a submissive needs a strong hand from a dominant. Determining some sort of litmus test for dominants is impossible because every submissive is different and so is every dominant—"

"We have child abuse laws on the books, what you can't and cannot do with a submissive should be just as stringent. True a dominant and submissive should be able to enter into whatever agreement that they choose but either there needs to be laws in place to protect submissives who are being abused, they need to feel like they can come forward and dominants need to understand that there is a very fine line between punishment and abuse. At the very least it should be mandatory learning for everyone both submissives and dominants. You don't need to use force to get your way. Those that say that you do or even think that you do are poor excuses for dominants"

Frannie tilted her head and sighed. "You won't make much money doing this Santana—"

"I have plenty of money Frannie, I'm still getting royalties from the song that I did with Charlie and it's a lot of money. It's about doing the right thing. Maybe if we weren't doing so well I'd think about it joining the firm when I graduate, but Charlie isn't a struggling musician and Brittany is busy she's been booked to the point where even Charlie can't hire her. I want to do something that matters—not that the work you do doesn't matter—"

"You just want to help the people without voices. Admirable. Well if you change your mind Santana you know there is going to be a spot at the firm for you. Maybe by then my name will be on the door."

Santana smiled, "I better start getting these sent in then, and the deadline is coming up fast."

It was her first live performance in front of a giant crowd in what felt like forever. She had nearly forgotten the rush of the fans screaming her name and reaching to touch her. She reached down and touched some of their hands as she walked on the stage singing. She had been a very last second addition since some other artist had dropped out. She finished singing a note and held up her mic letting the audience sing along with her. She grinned at the audience as her hit song came to an end. She only had a short set and while she had a stand in for Santana, she wasn't in the mood to sing with that person. She wasn't quite sure if she would ever be in the mood to sing that song with anyone other than Santana. Well she had never been good at doing what she was told and she needed to know which song she was going to sing next. She grabbed an extra guitar on the stage as she set the microphone on its stand.

"What the hell are you doing?" Her bassist hissed at her quietly but Charlie ignored him. He was about to bitch her out when he heard the familiar rift as the audience looked confused for a moment before realizing that Charlie was unveiling another song. He rolled his eyes at least he knew this one. She really needed to stop going off the cuff and just expecting them to go along with her.

The crowd erupted as Charlie sang and they began to clap along, still playing the guitar as she sang, till she finally shifted the guitar to her back and grabbed the mic to get closer to her fans kneeling on the stage close to the edge letting her screaming fans touch her body as she winked at one of her female fans. Her voice becoming huskier as the music faded to one simple guitar rift. "

Take me with you
I start to miss you
Take me with you
I start to miss you
Take me with you
I start to miss you

Take me Home
I don't wanna be alone tonight

The screams erupted as Charlie jumped back to her feet, still singing the rest of the song as she clapped her hands with the mic still there, watching as her fans jumped and cheered some of them even trying to sing along. She had another hit on her hands and she wanted—and she knew this song and parts of her performance were going to hit the web as soon as she left. Brittany had been right the song was a hit. The song began to wind down till it was just her vocals as she sung the chorus one last time, her voice raw with emotion as the audience quieted down to hear her.

And I do want to show you
I will run to you to you till I
Can't stand on my own anymore
I cross my heart and hope to die

Charlie dragged her finger across her heart and the audience erupted. She laughed raising her hands, taking in the applause. Her set ended and they quickly moved off the stage, and she was met with slightly annoyed looks from the next act. She was a hard act to follow and she probably should have given them a heads up.

"Do we look like Brad? You can't spring a song like that last second Charlie."

"I know, I know. But did you hear that? It's another fucking hit. My pen is just writing gold these days," Charlie said and her bassist rolled his eyes. "We're releasing that song and it's the song I'm going to sing at the launch party. Screw the launch party I want to make it a concert."

"Ugh, you in love is nauseating."

Charlie flipped her drummer off. The only thing that could have made that performance better was if she had gotten to perform it for Brittany and Santana. But she would, all their favorite songs that she'd sung she was going to sing them for them. Since her mother was throwing this huge party for them then maybe that would be it, she'd perform for them and the family. All Brittany and Santana's favorite songs and then a few others.

AN: More stuff happens net chapter.

Song - Cross My Heart By Marianas Trench