"You know we can be adults about this."

Santana visibly winced before standing up straight and turning to look at her ex-girlfriend. She'd been avoiding her for the past twenty moments ever since Frannie had arrived. "I'm not doing this because I'm afraid you're going to start something Frannie, I just—it's sort of awkward and I want to avoid awkwardness."

"Because you dumped me because Charlie threw a tantrum," Frannie said with a mirthless laugh. "She's not even coming. I mean from what I hear Rachel had to put her foot down or Quinn would have continued waiting for Charlie to come around. Can't say I blame her it's been two years."

Santana didn't reply immediately; it was a rather cruel dismissal of Charlie's feelings. This wasn't a simple tantrum; Charlie hadn't spoken to Quinn in two years. A fact which had nearly destroyed her own friendship with Quinn. She couldn't even blame Quinn for being upset. Quinn had insisted that she tell Charlie before Charlie found out on her own. This had been a completely avoidable situation if she hadn't been afraid of hurting Charlie's feelings. "Charlie felt betrayed," she says after a moment. "I should have told her, maybe then she'd be here. You know Quinn wants her here."

Frannie turned to look at Quinn who was making the rounds with Rachel greeting people. "Don't defend her she's a fucking adult, it shouldn't matter who you were dating."

"If I were dating Quinn she wouldn't care. She cares because it's you," Santana retorted. "I should have told her; I could have controlled the situation instead of Charlie freaking out about being betrayed at how everyone knew." Santana said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I fucked up. And since this is an open bar, I'm going to go drink away my problems." Santana shrugged, frowning when Frannie moves to intervene. "We're not dating anymore, I'm not your problem."

"I know that, but I did want to congratulate you for passing the bar. I know it's a year late, but congrats. The States Attorney's office is lucky to have you." Frannie said before stepping aside to let her pass.

Santana's shoulder slump for a moment, being with Frannie had been easy, but staying with Frannie—she wasn't sure what Charlie would do if she had stayed. She heads to the bar, and spots Sam standing by the bar. She hadn't expected him to be here, Sam was one of the few people who had managed to escape Charlie's irritation and was still in her circle of trust. "I need to get drunk fast. So, keep the shots of tequila coming until you legally have to cut me off."

The bartender blinked at her orders and nodded before moving to grab the tequila. She turns to look at Sam who was nursing a beer. "I didn't think she'd let you come Trouty Mouth," Santana says after downing the first shot. "You here because of the free food and booze like I am?"

"I'm here because I am Quinn's friend, I mean I can't tell her shit about Charlie. I did however make sure she got the invitations, and I had her assistant put it in her calendar."

"How is she?"

Sam frowned and looked at her, "I can't tell you that. You know I can't tell you that or I'm not going to be able to help her."

"I don't need to know if she's fucking anyone or her life story, I just want to know if she's okay." Santana retorted in a snarky tone.

"What do you think?" Sam responded. "You were dating her sister, and not even the sister that she at the time liked. You dated the one that treated Charlie like shit. Who thinks she's better than her? All things considered Santana—given Charlie's penchant for violence—Frannie's still alive Santana. It's a win."

"This isn't a win, Quinn isn't at fault for any of this it's—" Santana tilts her head to the door, that familiar sense of warmth and that only happened when Charlie was in the vicinity. She takes another shot and drains tapping the bar for another. "She's here."

Sam turned to look at her. "What?" Sam turned to look around, he couldn't quite believe it. "I didn't think she was coming."

"Shit, I wasn't prepared for this," Santana muttered pushing the shot glass away, the alcohol hadn't hit her yet. She immediately hesitates, she knew she looked fine, but she can't help but jab Sam in the side causing him to look at her. "How do I look?"

"Fine?" Sam shrugged. He swallows when Santana glares at him. "Beautiful? I don't know what you want me to say."

Santana's about to snap at him when the door to the private room opens, causing quite a few people to turn. Not that she could blame them, Charlie was late. Not even fashionably so. Dinner had already been served, and it was just a party now. For a moment her eyes lock on with Charlie's and she shoots a small smile at her, which quickly fades when a familiar face breaks the look, by walking past Charlie. She can practically feel Sam attempting to make his escape and she grabs at him. "Sam? What the fuck is Dani Harper doing here?"

"Santana, I don't control who Charlie sees and I stay the fuck out of her love life. If you want to know what Dani's doing here then go ask her." He hisses before Charlie can see him with Santana. There needed to be someone in Charlie's life that kept her from completely losing it. He had just managed to convince her to stop using her abilities. While Charlie couldn't fire him, he didn't really want to be frozen out of her life either.

Santana lets Sam go and watches as Charlie who was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a pair of white sneakers approaches Quinn—and she realizes she's holding her breath, as are quite a few people in the room.

"Congratulations Quinn—Rachel," Charlie says loud enough for most people to hear her as she pulls Quinn into a hug. The hug lasts for a few seconds, far longer than it should have before Charlie pulls back and turns to Rachel, and flashes a smile.

Rachel looks confused before sighing, "You didn't RSVP."

"It was a surprise, and I know you saved me a seat," Charlie says with a simple shrug. Like she hadn't been gone for the past two years.

But Rachel didn't seem like she was interested in letting Charlie off the hook. "It's only polite to RSVP, it shouldn't take me emailing you a million times to get you to come to your twin's wedding." She sighs after a moment, "I did save you a seat for tomorrow. It's in the back though."

Quinn blinks as the shock wears off, "Rachel we can move some people around and—"

"It's fine Quinn," Charlie interrupts with a wave of her hand.

"Charlie—" Quinn frowned when Charlie's gaze sharpened for a moment, causing her to take a step back.

"It's fine, I'll have to leave early tomorrow. I have an important meeting that I can't cancel, and being in the back lets me slip out. Don't worry though I'll give a rather funny toast." Charlie explains. She pauses for a moment and looks down at the hand on her arm, and turns to look at Dani for a moment. "Hmm?"

"I saw some chairs in the back, how about you head down. I'm just going to freshen up."

There was an unreadable expression on Charlie's face for a moment before she gives a quick nod and turns back to Quinn, who was looking between the two of them. "I hope you don't mind I brought a plus one, but she is the reason that I'm here."

"It's fine," Quinn says quickly. "I'm just glad you're here. I didn't think you'd come."

Charlie shrugs her shoulders as Rachel quickly interjects, "We're both glad that you could make it, you shouldn't be a stranger Charlie, and I for one am happy that you've got a speech prepared. Would you like to go first? It's almost time for them."

Charlie shrugged her shoulders once more, before nodding.

~ O ~

Santana licked her lips, feeling the thick lump in her throat. She shouldn't care what Charlie did or who she did, they'd been broken up for years. And she was the last person, the absolute last person who could say anything about it. She had dated Frannie of all people. But Dani Harper fed Charlie's worst instincts. "Shit. Shit. Shit." She said rubbing her head.

The door to the bathroom opens and Santana looks up to see Dani who stops and stares at her. "Sorry—look, I'll find another—"

"I would have thought you'd be gloating," Santana interrupts. "I should have known she would have gone straight back into your arms."

"You slept with Frannie," Dani reminded her plainly. "You're the one that hurt her badly. And I know you've reached out, but she wasn't ready to hear it, but you should. You know, keep trying to apologize. She didn't want to be here because she knew you'd be here. But she's here now, so I guess that's a start, right?"

Santana scowled, "Why should I take your advice? You've been a thorn in my side since we were teenagers."

"Well, one would think that the person who is currently having sex with the person you supposedly love—though that's debatable—would be the one you should listen to. "

She shouldn't be angry, but the words have their intended effect and she can't help but get into Dani's face, "You don't know Charlie like I do, so she has sex with you. So? You don't know her and you don't know what we went through together."

Dani pushes Santana's hands away, "I don't know why you're lecturing me about it Santana. You knew it would hurt her. You knew that Frannie was Charlie's sister, and you did it anyway. Say what you want about me, I know I've done some shitty things but I mean whatever I did pales in comparison to what you did to her." She immediately holds up her hand before Santana can retort, "Look, I know you think I'm the enemy, but I'm not. She's not the same person we fought over back then. Whatever you did to her broke her, and I thought that I could put the pieces back and she'd love me. That she'd realize that we were supposed to be together, but Charlie doesn't—won't ever love me the way I want her too. If I did what you did, Charlie wouldn't care. You know she wouldn't because she doesn't give a shit about me."

Santana frowns, "So why are you with her?"

"That's my business, not yours," Dani said immediately before turning away from her, "I'm going to go stand beside her, you need to talk to her. You know I'm right Santana." With that said Dani opened the door and left the bathroom leaving Santana standing there.