Santana grunted as heavy bag of trash towards the large dumpster behind her bar. There was still another bag that she would need to drag outside. This was Charlie's doing. She hadn't seen Charlie since she had disappeared in the middle of the night three years ago, but her current predicament was still Charlie's fault.

She like most of the world had been glued to the television months ago when Charlie had stopped a Tsunami, the images that had been broadcast around the world had been seared into the public conscience. Charlie stopping a massive wave of water and protecting a group of people who were cowering in fear. She hadn't known where Charlie was until that point and it hadn't taken her more than five minutes to realize that Sebastian was a fucking prick.

She had thought that would be the end of it, now that she finally knew that Charlie was—relatively safe. But it hadn't been the end of things, somehow word had gotten out that Charlie had used to work at her store. Which had brought more customers, and eventually the Templars. She personally had no idea why the Templars had raided her place, probably looking for more information on Charlie, but they had. Which in turn had caused Lost Saint's to become more popular with activists and hipsters.

She personally hadn't had a slow day in nearly three months, and she'd been forced to increase prices to hire more staff. Staff that didn't take out the damn trash like Charlie had done diligently, and with a smile on her face.

So, this entire mess was Charlie's fault, and with more people in her bar, there was more garbage. All she wanted was a simple life, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd been on a date, or brought someone upstairs for a quick round or five. Which was also Charlie's fault. And Sebastian's he was engaged or something and was probably afraid of the reaming she would give him for not giving her access to Charlie. He had no idea of what Charlie was capable of, and more importantly he didn't know the cost. Stopping a natural disaster—she was surprised that Charlie seemed fine.

She tugs the black bag and stares at the dumpster for a moment and groans, it was filled with shit and was heavy and she was certain that the bag was close to ripping. She turns getting ready to hoist the bag which suddenly feels lighter. The person behind her who is holding the bag up, startles her and she drops her end of the bag and stumbles back. The bag suddenly disappears and appears in the large metal dumpster.

"The last time we met out here, you made me a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. It was the first real food I've ever had."

Santana stares at Charlie for a moment, she was wearing a ridiculously big hoodie and the hood flopped down on her face. Santana blinked twice and frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Charlie pulled off her hood, Santana sounded angry, and she looked angry. "I—wanted a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich?"

Santana stared at Charlie she couldn't possibly be serious. "No."

"No? I can make it myself—"

"You're banned from the bar." Santana interrupts, moving past Charlie and heading back inside.

Charlie turned to follow her, there were only a few people who had been banned from the bar before. Mostly because they became belligerent drunks and Santana didn't want to deal with them, or they had threatened staff. "What did I do?"

Santana stopped and turned to look at Charlie who had a confused look on her face, "You ruined my bar. You ruined it now I have to deal with crazy shitty activists, otherwise known as people with a victim complex, and Hipsters, that's your fault. The vibe in my bar is ruined."

Charlie blinked, she hadn't been here in three years. "I don't understand—"

"Of course you don't, I'm just hoping that the vibe returns to normal but now I have a bunch of drunk assholes in my bar who vape and think that looking like a bum is cool, and they ask for craft beers, this was supposed to be a blue-collar place not—a place that sells craft beer. And they come because they think they'll see a glimpse of you, the savior, or whatever the fuck it is that they're calling you these days." Santana snapped hoping that Charlie got the hint.

"What if I wear my hood?" Charlie asked pulling her hood up. "And stay in the kitchen?"

"The bar is closed, there is no staying in the kitchen Charlie. It's nearly three in the fucking morning and I'm tired and want to go to bed. I am not staying up to make you a goddamn sandwich. Go home."

"I thought I was home," Charlie muttered under her breath.

The words slam into her like she's been hit in the gut and she turns to Charlie sharply, ready to tear into her for a moment. But that moment passes and she turns back around, "Go home Charlie." She's about to walk away when Charlie appears in front of her. "Get out of the way Charlie."

"I left without saying goodbye and it—hurt you. I knew you would be worried and I was—afraid that you'd try and talk me out of it. But I wanted to protect you."

Santana scowled at her, she looked slightly distressed at her anger but she had been terrified that Charlie had gone back to the Templar's worried whether she was back in her cage or if the Templars had messed with her mind again. "By putting yourself in danger? Not every templar is like your sister, the vast majority of them are incompetent. I could have protected you."

"What happens if you get arrested by the Templars, you'd just disappear. So, you couldn't have protected me, and I knew that, so I went to work for Sebastian."

"I know. And in three years you couldn't stop by and talk to me, or tell me where you were. I didn't know what had happened to you until the tsunami. How long were you out this time?" Santana doesn't wait for Charlie to answer. "You could have told me. You could have explained it to me like an adult—you could have said goodbye, you could have saved me from worrying about you."

Charlie looks away her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, "I know, and I'm sorry. I wanted to say something—but I was scared you'd be mad at me." Charlie mumbled under her breath.

"I went past mad two years ago, I'm furious," Santana snapped. "Two and a half years without a fucking word, not knowing where you were or if—because you have zero life skills—you were dead or not. Only to find out with the rest of the world that you were going around the world, doing god knows what harm to your body to save random people." Her voice was raised now and three years ago Charlie would have been flinching but this time Charlie was standing her ground.

"I'm sorry Santana."

She could tell that Charlie was being sincere, that she meant every word she was saying. But those words weren't making her feel better. Apologizing wasn't going to be enough, she had let Charlie into her life. She had cared for Charlie, taken care of her, worried about her, only for her to take off, for some shitty reason. "Sorry just isn't good enough Charlie. You think I was the only one who was worried? I wasn't I called everyone. Mike, Brittany we all looked for you, because we thought the worst. Look I believe you when you say you're sorry, but I just can't deal with that right now. So no, I don't want to make you a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. No, I don't want to pretend that things are okay between us, and at this moment I don't really want to see you. So, you're banned from the bar."

Charlie's face twists and for a moment Santana thinks she's about to throw a tantrum, but there's a hurt and regret etched on her face, as she nods her head and teleports the rest of the garbage into the dumpster. "I understand. I am sorry Santana, I won't bother you again."

With that Charlie disappears leaving her alone, Santana rubs her arm and looks away from where Charlie had once stood. It was the right thing to do.

~ O ~

Santana liked Mike, he didn't talk much and he didn't get into her business at all, and with all the new business that they were getting he had begun to help her do inventory so she would at least have a few hours to herself. What she didn't get was why Brittany was here sitting at her bar. Sure, Brittany was her best friend and yes, she was currently with Mike Chang, but Brittany usually had work. "Is this some kinky sex thing that you're doing?" Santana asked finally turning to look at Brittany. "Do I have to remind you not to do anything kinky in my bar?"

Mike's eyes widen at this, "I'm pretty sure—"

"I'm asking Brittany not you, it's not sexual harassment that way." Santana says looking at Brittany, her lips twitch upward.

"But I'm right here!" Mike protested his cheeks flushed.

"We're not doing a sex thing Mike," Brittany said reaching over to pat Mike's arm. "I mean we are, but that's after our date," she whispers the last part to him, when he looks over at her. "After this we're going to hit the town, it's Charlie's attempt at an apology. We told her that we understood but she sorts of insisted. To thank us for all the food we bought for her."

Santana's body went rigid, "You saw Charlie?"

Mike shook his head at Brittany trying to head her off before Santana exploded, he hadn't been sure if Santana had met up with Charlie yet.

"When?" Santana asked.

"Two days ago," Brittany said ignoring Mike, he may be afraid of Santana's temper but she wasn't. "She apologized and we forgave her, and told her not to just disappear again. She gave us her number and address, she's got a place just outside of New York city, which means that Titan is definitely paying her massive salary. Didn't she see you? I know she's currently on a forced vacation. It's her first one in three years, and I think she doesn't quite know what to do with herself."

"She did," Santana responded her tone cool as she turned back to continue with the inventory. "She apologized and I told her she was banned from the bar."

Mike and Brittany exchange a look, and he takes a breath confusion on his face. "Why?"

"Because she left without saying anything," Santana answers curtly. She didn't want to talk about this.

"A Templar found her and we were lucky it was her sister who had no intention on forcing her back, she made a decision to leave so we could all be safe. Did she handle it well? No, but I mean her heart was in the right place," Mike pointed out. He had no idea how Santana expected Charlie of all people to manage other people's expectations.

"Yes, and I was worried about her, a month maybe I could look past it but it was three long years, before she said anything to me. Two and a half, before I even knew she was okay. And she ruined the bar."

"Oh no, you're making more money and haven't passed that increase in profits onto most of your staff," Mike said dryly.

Brittany smiled when Santana turned to scowl at him, "Are you upset because you thought you could save Charlie from the Templars?"

Santana turned on Brittany, "Don't. Don't use your mind stuff on me."

"I'm not, it was an honest question. Which deserves an honest answer. You could have lost everything and I think Charlie knew that, I don't think she wanted to go," Brittany pointed out.

"You don't even like her, you should be on my side," Santana insists stubbornly. "She left without saying goodbye, in other words she abandoned us."

"We protected her, she protected us, you know as well as I do the Templars were close to finding her—"

"They didn't show up until three years after she left," Santana interrupted.

"Yes, but it's pointless to go back and debate what could have happened," Mike says. "We need more Jack Daniel's."

Santana makes a note of that and turns to look at Brittany, "Whatever, I'm not going to ban you guys from seeing her but I don't really want to hear her name in the bar again."

Brittany tilted her head and watched Santana for a moment, before smiling. "I see what this is! You like Charlie! You did this after you break up with all the women or men that you like you ban them from the bar."

Santana's body went rigid, she hated how Brittany could sound like she knew her better than she knew herself. But this time she was wrong. "Don't be crass Brittany, Charlie is—"

"Making life or death decisions at her job, she's not a child anymore. She's not dependent on you either," Mike pointed out.

Mike Chang was a traitor, and she hated him. "I do not have feelings for Charlie," she stated bluntly. Hopefully with enough force in her voice so that they believed her. Mike looks away but Brittany—Brittany just smiles that irritating smile.

"Okay," Brittany said. "You don't have feelings for Charlie," she repeats at Santana. "But this ban is silly Santana. Your word means the world to Charlie. And all you'll be doing in turn is abandoning her which isn't very nice. You told her this was her home and now that you're mad at her it's no longer her home. It's actually rather cruel."

"She—"

"Left. Charlie was raised in a cage by the Templars, and is still learning how the world works. She isn't stupid, but she's bound to make mistakes. What you're just doing is mean."

Santana twitched and turned to look at Mike who nodded as if Brittany's words were the gospel truth. "Fine."

Brittany smiled and picked up Santana's phone, "I'll put her information into your phone and you can visit her next week. You should call first though, it's only polite."

Santana let out a heavy sigh, before turning back to her work deciding to let Brittany do whatever the fuck she wanted. Brittany probably wouldn't drop it, so she'd at the very least drop in and check on Charlie next week to make sure Sebastian wasn't taking advantage of her.