Judy dabbed the sweat off her brow as the doors to Santana's room were opened for her, even with the windows open. The heat Santana was giving off was like a furnace, and she was worried about the bed catching fire. Every time one of the midwives attempted to touch her, Santana would literally burst into flames. The baby was early nearly a month by the midwife's estimate. That coupled with the pain of contractions and Santana was ready to burn the entire palace to the ground. She looks around the halls, Lucas and Russell had paced but Charlie was just sitting on the ground, arcs of lightning coming off his body as he stared at the door.

"Mother is Santana—is the child—" Charlie said getting up, it takes all of his mental faculties to pull himself together. He didn't hear a child's cry, and he hadn't spent the better part of the day waiting yet. He wasn't stupid, he knew the child had come nearly a month early. He had been there when the midwives had given their estimates when they had done their checks. He had listened to them assure her that everything looked fine. As far as he was concerned he should have them all locked up, things didn't look fine to him. He was a bundle of nerves and his mother's look of concern wasn't helping.

Judy places her hands on her son's shoulders, she would need to talk to Russell about choosing not to be there for his youngest son, and leaving him alone. With Lucas off at war, Charlie had been sitting here alone. "Santana informed me with very colorful language that you can touch her flames.

Charlie frowned slightly, and glances inside as Santana's body suddenly erupts into flames when another midwife touches her causing the old woman to stumble back. He suddenly understood the problem and immediately enters the room, bypassing his mother. "What do I need to do," he asks.

The old woman looks slightly scandalized that he's in the room but one look from Judy is all she needs to step aside. "You need to wash your hands my prince. This area must be clean."

Charlie dips his hands into water that is brought before him and he flashes what he hopes is a comforting smile at his wife, as he approaches her. He immediately ducks when a fireball is launched at his head, "I thought we were passed you attempting to murder me."

Santana glared at him, it hurt, and the herbs that they had given her did nothing for the pain. "This is your fault you—"

"Mija," Maribel corrected gently.

"Don't mija me! It hurts, and he did this to me! The son of a bitch—I'm sorry Judy—did this to me!" Santana yelled throwing another fireball at him. It doesn't quite reach as another sharp contraction hits.

Charlie hesitates, torn between rushing to his wife side and what he had come to do. "The pain will subside once the child is free," the midwife says pushing him between Santana's legs.

"Okay so do I just—catch the baby?" Charlie asks putting his hands out in a catching position.

The midwife turned to give Judy a harsh look. "This is his first time," Judy reminded her. "And it's not like he was taught how babies are born."

"This isn't helping the child at all, you must calm her down."

Charlie looked at Santana who glares back at him. "Calm down?"

Santana stares at him in slight shock at how idiotic he was. She couldn't believe that she may have loved him. "Charlie."

Charlie's blood ran cold, and he was tempted to flee the room. She was angry, he could hear it in her voice, at least she wasn't flaming up anymore. "Santana, you are the—"

"Come here," Santana says calmly.

"I think I'd rather stay—" Charlie gets shoved towards her by the midwife. Santana was right about her, she really was an awful person. He stumbles towards her and smiles at her as best as he can, and moves to touch her face, brushing some hair out of her face. "You're the most beautiful I've ever seen you," he murmurs to her.

Santana smacks his hand away, despite wanting him to hold her hand. "Don't think you can get out of this by whispering sweet nothings into my ear," she snaps at him. "This is your fault, and I can't believe that you told me to calm down."

"I was trying to help!" Charlie insisted. He looks at his mother to back him up but the midwives were where he had been standing. He frowns slightly and turns back to Santana. "You're right, I was being thoughtless, I just don't know what to do. Put a sword in my hand and point in a direction and I can conquer the world. This—I feel helpless, so tell me what to do Santana."

Santana bites the inside of her cheek he was worried, it was etched on his face, and he didn't do worried, he barely did scared. "You hold my hand and you don't say anything." She orders him after a moment. "Except that it's going to be okay."

Charlie takes her hand in his immediately and holds it tightly. "It's going to be okay Santana," he says leaning in and murmuring against her cheek.

She believed him, she had to even as another wave of pain hit her. "I'm still going to kill you, after this. For doing this to me."

"Okay," Charlie says, smiling at her.

~O~

Her child's first cry doesn't shatter any glass, and Santana can feel a rush of emotions, and a sudden easing sensation as the pain begins to subside. She looks up to see them swaddling her child, the midwives had argued over whether it was a boy or girl, but at this point she didn't care. She squeezes Charlie's hand tighter, keeping him by her side even though she knows he wants to see the child.

"Well, after two boys running around, it only makes sense that there will be two little girls for Russell to spoil rotten," Judy says with a shake of her head.

"It's a girl?" Charlie whispers in shock.

There's a moment of panic, he had said that he had wanted a girl, but she had never believed him. Every man wanted a son, her mother had told her as much. "I—"

"Santana we've got a little girl!" Charlie said with absolute awe in his voice.

There's a warmness in her heart, in hearing his adoration already. She shouldn't listen to her mother about these things. Charlie was Charlie, her mother didn't know him at all. If he said he was going to adore this child, then he was going to adore this child. She swallows when the child is gently placed on her chest, she's got a thick head of dark hair, but she's surprised to see she has Charlie's eyes, the hazel ones, and she blinks back tears. She had been worried that the child wouldn't look like him at all, but there it was proof that she was his.

"She needs to be cleaned," the midwife informs Charlie who looks like he's vibrating in joy. "Then you may hold her for a moment before her first feeding."

Charlie nods, he was still practically vibrating as he turns to Santana, "She's beautiful Santana. She's absolutely beautiful. Just like her mother."

Santana nods and she flicks her eyes at her mother for a moment, "Promise me, she'll get to choose her own husband. That she won't be sold?" She needed to hear him say it.

Charlie blinks and looks over at Santana's mother for a moment, suddenly understanding where this was coming from. "I'm pretty sure she'll take after me in that regard, because that's how we'll raise her. She'll never think that she has to be subservient to anyone."

Santana nods, she believes him, and she finally lets go of his hand. He needed to hold her, he needed to feel like he was just as important. "Go and see your daughter," she mumbles as the exhaustion suddenly hit her.

Charlie hesitates for a moment before leaning in and kissing Santana's forehead. "I love you," he murmurs to her.

Santana gently pushes him away, and watches with half-lidded eyes as he scampers off to see his daughter. She loved him too.