'So you're leaving, just like that because she was mean to you? I mean no wonder she doesn't trust you as a soulmate.'

Santana bristled as she threw her clothes into her suitcase, "So I just have to put up with her trying to hurt me?"

'I didn't say that, but honestly how was she going to hurt you with Brittany? Seriously? I mean it's been years Santana, and you have your soulmate in front of you. If you don't want to talk about Brittany tell her that you don't just walk out on her and run away to a foreign country. She was ready two years ago, and you left, who cares if she's being a dick right now, by your own admission you treated her like hell for years, and you tried to sabotage her career. She's probably pushing you to see how you react, and if this is how you react—well I hope you two enjoy being on the planet till you're the last ones left. Because that is exactly what will happen.' Mercedes pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

Santana bit her lip, "She's never going to forgive me."

'You have no idea if that's true or not, she gave you another chance, she invited you to brunch, from where I'm sitting swamped by paperwork, she's working on it. No one said it was going to be easy.'

"She's my soulmate, of course it was supposed to be easy. I never had this trouble with Brittany!"

'Was this before or after you bullied Brittany, and attempted to sabotage her career? This isn't easy because you couldn't control your inner bitch long enough to properly mentor her, let alone anyone else. Look you're an excellent surgeon, no one can take that away from you but you're an absolute shit mentor. You failed at your one job which was to create an army of excellent surgeons, the fact that Charlie is one of the few exceptions has more to do with Charlie than you. And even then it was touch and go when she had the yips.'

Santana scowled, "That's in the past and she—"

'If you honestly think that Charlie's truly forgiven you because you said sorry a few times, and tucked your tail between your legs then maybe you running off to some war-ravaged country is for the best Santana.' Mercedes interrupts as she turns her attention back to her work. 'She doesn't trust you and she doesn't really have a good reason to trust you Santana.'

Santana closed her eyes, "Then how do I fix it?"

'What am I, your couple's counselor? I have way too much crap to do then to deal with the fact that you're incapable of fixing your own problems.'

Santana scowled and was about to rip into Mercedes when there was a firm knock on the door. She glares at the door before marching over, ready to rip into whoever was there. She needed to get her frustrations out somehow and yelling at Mercedes never really ended well for her. "Wha—" Santana began to snap only for her eyes to widen when her brain registers that it's Charlie at the door. Her soulmate, who flinches at her tone. "Charlie?"

Charlie took a breath, "I should have called, but I thought about what you said and I came over to apologize. It would be a lie if I said I didn't have some ulterior motive in asking you about your former lovers, but I didn't actually want to use it against you I don't think. I'm not sure I would have, and I didn't mean to pick at an old wound, but I did, and for that I really am sorry."

'Oh look an actual apology—'

Santana immediately ended the call before Mercedes could interrupt. "I may have overreacted last night," Santana admits trying to take the apology graciously. "Do you want to come in?"

Charlie nods, taking a step inside as Santana ushers her in, she pauses when she notices the suitcases that were in the process of being filled. "You're leaving again."

Santana freezes and glances at the suitcases, "Yes, this is Mercedes place, so I'm moving into a temporary residence until I find a new one," she lies immediately. "Mercedes has been getting on my nerves, telling me what to do. You know what she said to me today? She told me that I was a shitty mentor."

"She's not wrong," Charlie said and looked over at Santana carefully, "And I don't think I appreciate being lied to. You're going to join up with MSF again?"

Santana flinched, she'd been caught, she was tempted to simply double down on her lie, but she sighs. "Yes. That was the idea, I was going to go for brunch with your parents, and then leave. I was—am upset that you wanted to use Brittany against me."

"So you were going to leave," Charlie repeats slowly before taking a deep calming breath, and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, have fun. I'll let you pack, I just came by to apologize." The words were said as Charlie turned to leave. Rachel had been wrong, this was an absolute waste of time.

Santana immediately steps in front of Charlie, "Really? You're just going to let me go?"

Charlie tilted her head, "Why shouldn't I? It's very clear that whenever I get upset with you, whenever I feel wronged by you and lash out you take it personally and use it as an excuse to leave, knowing that it might hurt me. You don't care. You have never cared if you hurt me, which is why we're in this mess to begin with. So instead of getting upset that you're trying to hurt me again, in retaliation for asking about your ex-lover, I've decided that you're free to do whatever you want. I can't be disappointed if I have zero expectations."

The words are like a slap to the face, and Santana takes a step back. "You think I'm doing this to hurt you?"

"I fail to see any evidence of the contrary. I spent seven years getting bullied by you, working on my skill spending countless hours practicing using the machines. I didn't run away, I didn't know you were my soulmate, I took a job to get away from you after you attacked me. You wanted me to be grateful to you for writing me a reference letter, that you already told me I wasn't worth. I came here because I realized that I was wrong, and despite our history I had actually been looking forward to our date. Two years ago I was ready to give you a chance, and you left. I didn't expect this to be easy Santana, but I mistakenly assumed that you wanted to be with me and were willing to put up with the growing pains as I got used to you. As we got used to each other."

"I thought you wanted me to leave!"

"I wanted you to leave me alone, I didn't actually ask you to leave," Charlie retorts. "You don't get to bully me or manipulate me into liking you. I was furious at you for following me to the Mayo clinic, you physically attacked me. You being my soulmate doesn't magically change the fact that for whatever reason you took out your frustrations on me. But even then you still helped me and even though I honestly think you're an absolute shitty mentor, and you honestly made me feel like shit about myself. I realized that being caustic, and dragging people down because you're miserable might just be your base personality. I thought maybe if I developed a thicker skin then I could put up with it. I could put up with you but you were gone, and I felt like an idiot." When Santana doesn't respond, or make any move to defend herself Charlie rolls her eyes and side steps her so she can leave.

"Brittany always did have to remind me that my words hurt," Satnana muttered before turning and grabbing Charlie's coat. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm not. I just thought you wanted to be rid of me. I want you to be happy and I think you're happier when I'm not around to mess up your life."

"If I wanted you to fuck off, I would tell you to fuck off. Or I'd uproot my life and move again," Charlie pointed out.

Santana swallowed, she had a feeling if she let Charlie walk out the door, she'd never see her again. It's enough to get her to blink back tears. "Ever since my parents died, I've been alone. Once Brittany found her soulmate—well it was just easier to be away from her and let her live her life. I've been alone since then, I had no idea when I was going to meet you and the idea of sitting around and watching my friends die—everyone romanticizes it. They think isn't it lovely, after you turn 18 you don't age until you meet the person that you're destined to be with. That you are at your very best, when you meet and then the two of you can grow old together. They're wrong, it's a fucking curse if you don't meet your soulmate within a few years. It's exhausting and it's lonely, and I realized that getting close to people who had found their mates, meant watching my friends grow old and die. It's probably why I'm a bit more harsh than I intend to be. It's why I keep people at a distance, and you're right I really am a shitty mentor. And I treated you horribly and nothing I can do will ever make up for the fact that, but please, please don't leave me alone. I don't think I'll be able to bear it."

Perhaps it was the desperation in Santana's voice, but Charlie can't help but nod, closing the door. "Alright, but you can't run away anymore, if it gets difficult, then you can't run away." Charlie says as she turns to face Santana. "We probably should deal with it."