"It's not like you to take on strays Santana. I'm finally rubbing off on you."

Santana rolled her eyes as she studied the figure that was currently curled up on the floor in her spare bedroom. She was slightly annoyed there was a perfectly good bed that was being unused. "First off, she's not a cat or a dog or an animal, she's a human being. And secondly, you used to rub one off on me before. She was injured and looked like shit. I'm human."

"Sometimes," Brittany retorted, smiling at Santana's scowl. "But I know you're not an idiot Santana, the templars will be looking for her."

"Let them look, we're not going to give her back," Santana said firmly. "The kid didn't even know what a sandwich was, she's never had a soda. Plus, she's sleeping on the floor despite their being a perfectly good bed. She was raised like this Britt. And I'm not going to send her back to whatever shitty situation the Templar's had her in."

Brittany frowned, "Marissa said that two of them came in. A blonde and some gigantic man child looking for her. I don't think they're going to stop looking for her and that puts everything we've worked for at risk. She's a threat."

"You're right, this is a gamble. She believes every last lie the Templars have managed to sell the people for centuries. And when she found out that I was magic-touched, I think she seriously considered killing me. She believes we're evil and she might need to be deprogrammed. And if she can be then she'd make a powerful asset for us. I felt the power she had, it's unrefined and raw, she's like a ticking bomb. We're going to need to teach her magic from the ground up, but you can feel it can't you?"

Brittany sighed, "Yeah I can. I've worked with strays before Santana—"

"She's a human," Santana reminded her.

"It's the same thing, you might not see it, but it is. She's still dangerous, and we need to be certain that this isn't a trap. Ultimately, it's your call. But people aren't going to be happy if they find out who she is, and where she came from."

"You're right it is my call. This isn't a difficult decision to make Brittany, she's magic-touched, just like we are. The difference is, that we had loving families we grew up relatively normal and hidden from the templars and from those that would seek to use our abilities for their own personal gain." Santana said patiently as she crossed her arms. "Everything Charlie believes has been taught to her by a religious military institution, to her our existence—her existence is evil. But to write her off because she's strange isn't what we're supposed to do." Santana inhaled, "So the only choices we have is to cut her loose—and we both know she'd be caught in a month and we'd be in danger regardless. Or to keep her and hopefully deprogram her."

Brittany hesitated, flicking her eyes to the blonde, she could feel the raw magical energy swirling about her, and frowns slightly. Santana didn't do anything out of the goodness of her heart, kindness was not a luxury that Santana traded in. Which probably meant that Santana had some sort of use for the poor girl. "We don't want to become what we hate," Brittany said finally after a momentary pause.

"I don't think we have a choice Brittany," Santana stated firmly. Santana takes a step into the room as Charlie stirs. She waits until she sits up and rubs at her eye. "I'm going to make something to eat, but I set out a toothbrush for you in the bathroom, you can shower after we have a talk," she says bluntly. She turns to walk towards her kitchen when she stops and nods to Brittany. "This is Brittany, she's my friend and she's also magic-touched. Once again if you want to continue eating delicious food, no violence."

Charlie nodded at this and stretched watching as the taller blonde stared at her. There was distrust on her features and she looks away, she'd rather be near Santana who was going to give her more of that delicious stuff to eat. She hops to her feet and moves to get past Brittany who places a hand on her chest stopping her from leaving. The action causes her to freeze and to look at Brittany once more.

"I'm not sure I believe that you're just some stray," Brittany says keeping her voice low to stop Santana from coming back. "I used to pretend to be helpless too, not knowing stuff and I think you know far more than you let on. Where did you come from? Who sent you?" Brittany demands.

Charlie takes a step back, "Don't touch me," she says immediately.

Brittany blinks, there had been an unidentified emotion that had flitted across Charlie's face, and for a moment she felt sorry for the girl, who could totally be a spy of some sort. "How old are you?"

Charlie frowned at the question and managed to squeeze past Brittany a bit, as she headed to the bathroom, that Santana had pointed out the night before. It was nicer than any place she'd ever been in.

Brittany frowned, and opened her mouth to ask a few more questions, when Santana cleared her throat from behind her. "We need to know these things," she said to Santana firmly.

"Maybe, but I said we'd talk over breakfast," Santana groused, it was easier to get information out of Charlie that way. She turns to Charlie who was looking at the toothbrush she had set out. "You flick the switch to switch it on," Santana said watching as Charlie did exactly that. "See? Now do you want eggs and bacon, or do you want me to make you a waffle and add some bacon on the side?"

Charlie hesitated no one had ever asked her what she wanted. She licks her dry lips, "What's a waffle?"

"I think you'll like it," Santana said after a moment, she didn't know how to explain what a waffle was. "I'll make both eggs and a waffle with some bacon," Charlie had really seemed to like the bacon last night in the kitchen. "How does that sound?"

Charlie nodded at this and flicked the toothbrush on watching as its head spun around, before flicking it off and taking the toothpaste and putting it on her brush.

Santana wrapped an arm around Brittany's and tugged her away, "Come on, you can help."

Brittany followed after another moment of staring at Charlie. "Santana—"

"I'm handling it," Santana says calmly.

Santana pushed the maple syrup towards Charlie, watching as she dumped it onto the already soggy waffle. She glances at her stove, Brittany had already run to the store to get more ingredients, as Charlie had made her way through them quickly. "Slow down or you'll get sick," Santana said patiently watching as Charlie made an adjustment in the speed. "Now that we're alone do you mind if I ask you some questions?" Santana watched as Charlie looked at her for a moment before shrugging. "How old are you?"

Charlie chewed on the food looking at Santana for a moment, "I'm twenty-two." Charlie swallowed and took a sip of her apple juice. "I was born on the fifteenth of July." Charlie added after a moment.

"You had birthday parties?" Santana asked. When Charlie looked puzzled she tries again, "What did you do to celebrate the day of your birth?"

"I'm magic-touched, my birth isn't something to be celebrated Santana." She thinks for a moment, "I did get extra rations and I didn't have lights out until later."

"I had cake."

"Cake?" Charlie said putting down her fork. That sounded like something she would enjoy, she liked whatever Santana put in front of her. "Can I have some cake?"

"It's not your birthday Charlie, and you just had six waffles, and finished half a container of bacon. I think you've had enough to eat for now. You're going to start complaining about your stomach hurting and I can't heal that." Santana said taking a sip of her coffee. "Do you know your parents? Are they templars?"

"I like to think so," Charlie said and sipped on her juice again. "I was at the facility for as long as I can remember. There was a man a long time ago who told me he my name was Charlie not Experiment-DCXXVI. He was nice, he read to me sometimes and I know he made them teach me how to read, I heard him yelling once about it. I can't really remember his face though."

"My father was a strong man, he was a doctor you know he healed people and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. Magic runs on his side of the family and it skips a generation. He wasn't magic-touched like I am. But he loved me, and he would never just give me up no matter what," Santana said taking another sip of coffee.

Charlie picked at her cup for a moment, "Why don't you like Templars?"

"I'm surprised you didn't ask me about food," Santana says smiling into her mug. She was surprised Charlie had asked her a question at all. "Why don't you hate the Templars?" Santana asked.

"Because they're—"

"Yes, they're the good guys. So, you've said, but you've lived your entire life reading the bible never questioning it. Listening to people tell you that people like me are the evil ones. Have I done anything remotely evil since I met you?"

Charlie frowned at the question and didn't say anything reaching for the pitcher of juice to get some more juice.

"Something to think about. All I want to do is run my bar in peace, and not have to worry that someone is going to get me because I can heal people with a touch," Santana said getting up and grabbing the empty dishes. She studies Charlie for a moment, who watched her. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. John chapter four verse one."

Charlie blinked in surprise at the quote, "You know the bible?"

"I know a lot of things Charlie. There is much more to read then just the bible, there are billions of books and thoughts out there," Santana said as she began to wash the dishes. "The bible says a lot of things Charlie, but I think you need to see what the world has to offer before you decide that I'm evil because the people who kept you a prisoner for the past twenty or so years, said so."

"Magic hurts people Santana," Charlie said looking at her hands for a moment.

Santana hesitates for a moment, "Sometimes," it was an honest as she could get. "But people hurt people too." She finishes up and turns to look at Charlie who was thinking hard about what she said. "If you think I'm evil Charlie then why haven't you tried to go home?"

"The food is really good and it's warm here." Charlie says rubbing her arm. "I don't want to get punished again. They'll be angry that I've been gone."

"You don't have to go back if you don't want to Charlie." Santana says after a moment when Charlie looks away. There were things that she probably didn't want to think about. "How about this, I'll let you stay with me for the time being, give you time to form an opinion based on what you see, not what about you've heard. I'll even teach you how to make bacon. And if you want to leave then you can leave, so long as you promise not to tell anyone about me and my bar. Does that sound fair?"

Charlie nods she'd have to go back eventually, "And other things?"

Santana raised a brow, "You want to learn to make other food?" When Charlie nods she takes a seat in front of her, "Okay, but in return you have to help out at my bar. It'll be good for you, you'll get to meet new people and you'll get to see people. Bad people, good people, people who aren't that smart and people who are really smart. Some of them are magic-touched like me others aren't. If you like it living with me and working at the bar and you don't want to go back, then we can talk about your options then. Alright?"

"And you'll teach me how to make waffles?"

"I'll teach you how to make waffles too, well me and one of the cooks that I trust," Santana said extending her hand who stares at it like it's a foreign object. "When you make a deal, you have to shake on it," Santana explains.

Charlie hesitates for a moment but grasps Santana's hand and shakes it.