Santana adjusted the bag of groceries in her arms as she fished for the keys in her purse. She had swung by Charlie's office once again only for Dr. Anderson to inform her that Charlie had called in sick. It would be laughable if it wasn't super pathetic. Her soulmate seemed content to avoid her, but Charlie couldn't avoid her forever.
She steps off the elevator and heads to Mercedes apartment, she really did need to find a place quickly. She had been alive for over 200 years, she could certainly afford a nice apartment, but she wanted to find a place that she could move into with her soulmate. A place that would become their home. It was a dream at this point, but she was determined to make it a reality she just needed to convince Charlie to give her an opportunity. Living together would be nice, and it would increase the chances of intimacy, kissing or having sex was enough to make the aging process permanent. She wanted a family, she wanted to grow old with Charlie.
She smiles softly, thinking about a calm future with the person who was meant to be hers. She had waited so long for this, and all she needed to do was get Charlie to forgive her, and then they could finally start their life together.
"Finally. I was getting tired of waiting."
Santana's head snaps up and she stares at the woman she'd just been thinking about. Charlie no longer looked haggard, and she'd filled out just a bit since the last time that they'd seen each other. She opens her mouth to say something, anything, but she just feels a massive lump in her throat. She swallows and focuses on Charlie, "How did you find me?"
Charlie narrowed her eyes slightly, "My mother," she answered cryptically as she crossed her arms over her chest. Was there ever a day where Santana didn't look completely put together, she had hoped to catch Santana off guard, to put her off balance in the same way that Santana threw her off her game.
"Well, I should send a gift basket to her, it saves me from having to find you," Santana replies simply as she motions for Charlie to move so she can get into her apartment. "I—"
"Why are you here?" Charlie questions interrupting her, noting how Santana's lips thin at being interrupted. She had always hated that, and she didn't mind getting under her skin. "I thought you promised that I'd never have to see you again."
Santana waits until Charlie moves away from her door before opening it and stepping inside, leaving the door open for Charlie to follow her. "I spent the past two years working for MSF, I came back to check in on you. I didn't have any intention of letting you see me but then Mercedes—Dr. Jones informed me how you had quit."
"That doesn't explain why you're here, and why you're trying to get back into my life." Charlie responds as she enters the apartment, closing the door.
"I wanted to see you, and not just on TV—"
"So your word apparently means nothing. Good to know," Charlie interrupts again, smirking just a bit when Santana shoots her a sharp look. She shrugs her shoulders as if she didn't know why Santana was getting irritated with her. "Well you've seen me. I'm still alive. Now if you'll excuse me I've got a date."
Santana's back immediately goes rigid, "What?"
Charlie shivered, and swallowed. There was an eerie calmness in Santana's voice and it terrified her, "You've been gone for two years Santana, you may be my soulmate, but we both know that I don't really want anything to do with you. You're nothing more than a—" Charlie swallows and immediately takes a step back when Santana turns to her.
Santana enters Charlie's space, and even though at this moment Charlie was trying to retreat, she could see the flushed cheeks at her presence. How had she never noticed it before. She takes a step back, "Sit down Charlie."
"It's—" Charlie flinches when Santana shoots her a dark look and takes a seat at the kitchen island quietly. This was not how it was supposed to go; she was supposed to have the upper hand here. But Santana had a way of making her feel like she was worthless.
Santana takes a deep breath, she wasn't going to make assumptions about Charlie's mental state right now, "I know you're upset with me, but you're my soulmate. And I treated you horribly when you were a resident, I know that, and I was hard on you when you probably needed me to be a bit more gentle with you and I'm sorry for that. But you don't get to come in here and attempt to hurt me for wanting to be with you. I waited so long to meet you and I feel sick that our first meeting wasn't magical, it wasn't the perfect storm. I'm sorry that we worked together for so long and I never found out. I'm sorry Charlie. I am, so can we please try and move forward? Together as soulmates." When Charlie doesn't answer and instead just stares at the granite countertops Santana sighs, "I know you came looking for me, and I'm sorry I wasn't there."
Charlie bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, "I went to your apartment with pizza and beer, I was fully ready to at the very least kiss you, that's what the beer was for. I wanted to thank you for helping me but you were gone and there was some idiot named Finn there instead. You left for two years, and you don't get to just tell me to get over it. You don't get to tell me that it's now time for us to play house Santana, I'm never going to love you. I don't even want you as my soulmate. So go back to whatever war-torn disaster ridden country that you were in, and forget about me. I'm going to do my best to forget about you," Charlie snaps angrily as she gets up.
Santana inhaled sharply, two years should have been enough time for Charlie's anger to subside, but it seemed that she had managed to piss off her soulmate again. "Charlie, I promise you I'm not going anywhere this time. I'm one of the best cardiac surgeons in the world, I can get a job at any hospital at any practice in the city—"
"I don't care if you stay in this city just stay far away from me," Charlie snaps, turning around so she can leave the apartment.
Santana moves to intercept Charlie, "All I've wanted for the past 150 years is someone to share my life with, someone to grow old with and someone who loves me. I don't know how many times you need me to apologize, but I will until you forgive me."
"I don't want to hear your apologies Santana, I want you to leave me alone," Charlie stated firmly, as she sidesteps Santana and heads to the door. She stops at the door for a second before reaching for it and leaving.
Santana swallows and closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Charlie was angry and hurt and was lashing out. Charlie was angry and hurt and lashing out at her. She repeats the mantra in her head over and over again before taking another deep calming breath and letting her shoulders slump, as she opens her eyes. Running away and trying again in another ten years was the cowards way out. Charlie had been ready to complete their bond, or at least consider completing their bond two years ago. She just needed to show Charlie that she would be there. That she wasn't going to run away again.