"Maybe we should take pictures with your parents first, and Santana can go and find Charlie. She probably wasn't aware that we wanted to take the photos now," Quinn said wincing when Rachel shot her an exasperated look.
"If Charlie wants to continue to act like a toddler throwing a tantrum, I don't see why Santana needs to find her so we can pretend that our side of the family isn't filled with criminals." Frannie stated looking at Quinn.
Quinn turns to look at her sister for a moment, "I can't leave, and I know asking you to look for her is a very stupid idea."
"And sending Santana isn't? I mean for fucks sake Quinn, she showed up dressed in all black and in white sneakers. She sat in the back didn't do anything, she didn't help with the wedding planning like I did, I doubt she gave you a gift. It's clear to everyone she's only doing this for appearances Quinn and you need to stop—"
"Stop." Santana said holding up her hands. "I'll go look for her, you're right she probably didn't know about the photos."
Quinn let out a loud sigh and looked at Santana, Santana could always tell when Charlie was still around. Saying that probably meant that Charlie was nearby. "Thank you."
Before Frannie could argue with her choice, she immediately takes off following her instincts. Charlie was still within the general area, at least that's what it felt like and she just lets the familiar pull work, heading to where she had last seen Charlie. She turns and follows the sensation that she's getting closer and pauses when she smells cigarette smoke. It doesn't take her long to spot Charlie sitting on a nearby bench a cigarette between her lips as she stared at the sky. She had never been so glad to see Charlie alone before, but she was just sitting there.
Her fancy suit had been unbuttoned and looked slightly ruffled and she didn't seem bothered enough to lift her head to look at her. "Quinn's looking for you," Santana says frowning when Charlie moves only to tap the ash away from her cigarette. "I thought you quit," When Charlie doesn't answer she scowls. "You're being childish."
"Or, perhaps I simply don't want to be anywhere near you. And if I continue to ignore you, perhaps you'll go away," Charlie replies, bringing the cigarette back to her lips and reaching for her pack of cigarettes that's hidden inside one of her pockets.
Santana makes a face she had never liked the smell that lingered, but she takes a seat beside Charlie. There were so many things she could say to Charlie, but there was one thing Charlie still probably cared about. "I've been looking into Titan Industries; I mean on my own."
Charlie paused for a moment before flicking away her cigarette and finding her lighter. "There are easier ways to die," Charlie says after lighting her cigarette.
Santana ignored the jibe, "I'm surprised that they're all still alive, Sue—the people who were above her, the people who probably gave the orders—" Santana frowned when Charlie stood up.
"You have a career and you have a family you care about deeply. You shouldn't be fucking with Titan," Charlie said calmly.
"Why do you give a shit? I thought you hated me," Santana asked watching as Charlie stiffened. She had struck a nerve but she didn't know how Charlie would react if she kept pressing on it. "Look, I've told you from day one, that I want to bring them to justice. I know you want to kill them all and be done with it, but I don't think that's good enough. I want them to suffer just like we did. I want them to feel that terror that we felt, to wonder if we'd ever see our loved ones again."
Once again, she was met with silence on Charlie's part, she thought it would open her up but she was wrong. Perhaps she should have continued pushing the talk about whatever relationship they could have. Things were so broken between them she wasn't sure she could put the pieces back together. "Thank you—I don't know what stayed your hand, but I'm glad that Titan is still standing and the people that are responsible are still alive." When Charlie doesn't reply or even acknowledge her presence, she sighs and gets up. "Pictures are at the back. You should come unless you want Rachel to find you, and you know how she gets."
This finally elicits some emotion from Charlie who smiles and for a moment Santana thinks she's willing to push her luck before she puts out her cigarette. She walks behind Santana following her slowly, and stretching out.
Santana hesitates for a moment, "Look, I get not forgiving me. I understand why you would hate me, but Quinn is my best friend and your sister. When she found out she bitched at me everyday to talk to you about it. She didn't approve. You need to know that she didn't approve of it and told me multiple times that Frannie was just a stand-in for you. You're—"
"We're not the same." Charlie cut her off. "I show up. She doesn't."
"That's not what I—" Santana frowned, she was tired and this wasn't worth the effort. "I'm sorry, you're right. You're not her. All I'm trying to say is that Quinn didn't tell you because she wanted me to do it. I get being upset with her for a little while but cutting her out like you did, treating her like this was some deep betrayal—hurt her. She missed you. So even if you can't forgive me, try and forgive Quinn."
Charlie scoffed as they finally slow down and watch Quinn and Rachel taking a few candid shots with their photographer. She resists the urge to pull out a cigarette while she waited.
"Okay now you should get one with your sisters," Rachel said loud enough that both Frannie and Charlie turned to her.
Quinn blinked and her head swivelled to look at her new wife. This wasn't what they had discussed at all. "Rachel—"
"I know I promised to stay out of it, but this is ridiculous. You three are incredibly lucky to have one another. I say this as someone who grew up as an only child."
"I'd love to," Frannie says with an easy shrug her eyes flicking towards Santana for a moment. She frowns when Santana immediately looks away. "But you know how Charlie can get—"
"Frannie, that's enough." Quinn snaps, rebuking her older sister. She glances at Charlie for a moment, frowning she couldn't read her twin at all and she quickly moves to step in between Charlie and Frannie for a moment in case Charlie lost her temper. "Look we can take a few pictures with the two of us and then—"
Charlie shrugged her shoulders after a moment. "I don't care."
"Charlie?" Quinn prompts.
"It should bother me, but I mean now that I think about it. It doesn't. I mean how pathetic do you have to be to want to be with your younger sister's ex-girlfriend? I imagine it must suck to know that you couldn't find anyone your own age that wanted to be with you." Charlie said, she could hear the sharp intake of breath from several people around her.
Frannie saw red, "Are you fucking kidding me? You know I was the better girlfriend."
Santana sees the dark amusement flash through Charlie's eyes, and she knows exactly what Charlie is about to throw in Frannie's face. "Charlie please." She doesn't expect Charlie to show any mercy, she had the upper hand against Frannie, and could easily destroy her confidence with a few words. She doesn't expect Charlie to shrug her shoulders and look at Quinn.
"So where are we taking these pictures?" Charlie asked side stepping Frannie and looking at Quinn.
Quinn hesitates for a moment, before entering Charlie's personal space and fixes her collar. "Do you want Dani in the picture?" She mumbles.
"Do you?" Charlie asks with a shrug. "She had to go, her mother is sick in the hospital, she sends her congrats or something."
Quinn didn't say anything, but nods, when Charlie's collar doesn't look as wrinkled as before. "Just a few photos—would it kill you to smile in them?"
"Perhaps," Charlie said with a shrug as she lets Quinn tug her towards the photographer. "Is it off limits to flirt with your wife now?"
Quinn relaxes at Charlie's tone, "If I say yes, you're going to do it anyway. If I say no, you're going to do it. I don't win in any scenario. Though you might have to placate Rachel, if you plan to flirt with her."
"Should I take off my shirt or—" Charlie dodged Quinn's swat and flashed a small smile at Rachel who huffed at this. "I can do it with Frannie if you want. Just you know you need to be in between us."
"No, I want to do this with you first, we can do one with her later." Quinn stated clearly looking at Rachel. Charlie and her needed to reach some semblance of normal. "I'm sorry."
"Not your fault," Charlie says with a shrug. "But I needed to figure some shit out."
"With Dani?" Quinn prompts putting on a smile.
"With whoever, I needed someone to stop the bleeding, so I found someone who could. It's transactional, these days." Charlie replied between photos.
Quinn glances over at Santana for a moment, "She needs you—"
"Don't."
Quinn nods at Charlie's curt tone. She had made an attempt and had been properly rebuffed by Charlie. "You need her, more than you need Dani."
The photographer nods and Charlie pulls away from Quinn immediately.