Charlie pulled at her collar for the third time that night, "Quinn, do I really have to wear this tie?"
Quinn sighed and stopped at the red light in front of her, "Yes, you can't bring an apology gift while looking homeless."
It was bad enough that when Quinn first came to get Charlie, it seemed that she hadn't showered in days. Now she had to deal with the whining and complaining that never left Charlie, even after all of their dad's events. She put on her signal and pulled quickly on the side of the road, and slowed as she began scanning for parking spots on the side of the busy street.
Charlie looked confused, watching the traffic go by, "Why are we stopping?"
Quinn hummed, still scanning the area, "Because I promised Rachel I would drop off flowers to her sick cast mate."
Charlie sighed, "Why would she make you do that when she could've just done it herself?"
Quinn glanced at Charlie with a pointed look, "You really want to get in an argument with Rachel Berry on things she can and can not do?"
Charlie clicked her tongue, "Touche."
A few minutes passed as Quinn circled the same block twice, and she sighed loudly before stopping the car in front of an old building about six stories high.
"Ah, shit, I can't find a parking spot. Can you just take the flowers to Apartment 32 on the third floor?" Quinn pulled flowers from the back seat and tossed them on to Charlie's lap.
Charlie inspected the flowers with a scrunched nose, "Why do I have to do it? We're gonna be late for Santana's graduation!"
Quinn yanked open Charlie's door, "Do as I say!"
"Fine." Charlie grumbled and walked towards the entrance of the apartment building, shutting the door behind her.
"I must say," a voice rang from the trunk of the SUV, "that may have been your best performance yet."
One Rachel Berry climbed from the back of the large vehicle to the front, as they watched Charlie be buzzed into the apartment building. She planted a huge kiss onto her mate and plopped into the passenger seat.
Quinn pulled away from her faux parking spot and into one not far up the block, "Thank you, I did learn from the best."
Rachel giggled, "How long do you think it will take for Santana to eat her alive?"
Quinn glanced at her watch, "Eh, I give it 7 minutes."
~ O ~
It didn't take long for Charlie to find Apartment 32, and she quickly knocked on the door. She wanted to be in and out as soon as possible to make Santana's graduation in time.
The tenant ripped open the door, "Quinn, I can't figure out which—Charlie."
To Charlie's utter shock, there before her stood one belligerent Santana Lopez, with glowing sheen on her face. She looked absolutely stunning in a little black dress that she currently had on.
Charlie was literally in shock, and all she could out was, "Santana."
Santana looked annoyed, "Did Quinn send you up?"
"Did Quinn—'' Charlie blinked, completely unsure of how to proceed. She had expected to see Santana at the graduation from a safe distance and go home, she didn't actually know what to say to her. She raises her busted up hand to run through her hair mussing it up. "I think she tricked me."
Santana narrowed her eyes, focusing on Charlie's hand. It looked awful. "Where is your cast?"
"I don't need one. I kind of left the hospital after you stormed out," Charlie admits looking at her damaged hand. "It doesn't even hurt anymore," she lied. She shifts awkwardly for a moment, shifting on the balls of her feet. "You look very pretty."
"Come inside, I'll get you some ice. I need to call your twin to murder her," Santana growled.
Charlie hesitated at the doorway for a moment, "I'm sorry. For before."
Santana waved a hand dismissively and grabbed Charlie some ice from her freezer. She searched for her phone, but spoke when the silence became deafening, "How's Harper?"
"My lawyer is going to file. She doesn't think that I'm going to lose custody of her since I've really been the one taking care of her, and Mack did give her away." Charlie rubs at her hands for a moment before sighing. "How have you been?"
"Fine," Santana had found her phone, and frowned at it, "Motherfucker." Through dozens of messages about her complaining about Charlie and Quinn giving advice, sat a message sent 3 minutes ago. It simply read,
Have fun ;P
Charlie is quiet for a moment, Santana lived in a really nice apartment. "Aren't we supposed to be at your graduation?"
"Quinn and the hobbit were supposed to pick me up so we could go out for drinks after," Santana blushed at the message, and threw her phone onto her couch, "Have you changed your mind on forcing me to be the mother of your crotch goblin?"
Charlie narrowed her eyes, "I know you'd prefer if Harper didn't exist, but I didn't think asking you to love my child as much as I do was something that was a hard ask."
"You didn't ask me to love her, Charlie," Santana spun towards the blonde, "You asked me to be her mother, which is a huge ask for someone who doesn't want children."
"I just want for us to be a family even if I can't mate with you. You. Me. Harper. Just the three of us. I don't want to be in a relationship where you wouldn't take care of her if anything were to happen to me."
"Who said I wouldn't take care of her? Did you miss the conversation we had about her poopy diapers in the hospital? Honestly, Charlie, what do you feed that hellspawn?" Santana laughed incredulously.
"If something were to happen to me she'd go back to Mack and Strando, they wouldn't give her to you. I can't mate with you Santana. Even if I had never gotten Mack pregnant, I still wouldn't be able to mate with you. And there is more to parenting than just changing a dirty diaper. You don't want to be a mother and I don't want to force you to be one, but I need someone who does want to take that role in Harper's life. I know that's not fair to you but I think maybe it will be better if we're just friends, or something."
Santana's head felt like it was on cloud nine and she groaned in frustration trying to focus on the task at hand, "God, literally just say you don't want to fuck me, Charlie. Jesus fuck, I can take it, I'm a big girl."
"It's not that I don't want to have sex with you I think about doing that—all the time, but I need to put Harper's needs in front of my needs. I'm sorry."
"Needs? Don't make me laugh, Charlie," Santana chuckled darkly, "I went through heat while knowing exactly who my body wanted. You literally didn't even bother to call. So when the heat gets so bad that you can't even speak, then you come talk to me about needs."
"I needed to make sure that I didn't go to jail. I needed to check out who my family lawyer is and start strategizing, and I still need to be there for Harper. If you needed me why didn't you just find me? That's what you've always done before."
Santana was pissed, "Exactly, Charlie, ex-fucking-actly. I'm always chasing after you. Despite everything you've ever said to me, you've never once showed me any kind of affection. You keep preaching about wanting to be a family but what effort have you put in? I needed you, Charlie. Me, your omega. Relationships are a two way street and honestly it's been pretty quiet from your end."
"Because I don't understand why you want to be with me other than the fact that we're supposed to be mates. I don't see how you look at me and you don't think about what happened to me and every time you leave I honestly think that you're not coming back."
"What else could I do, Charlie? Should I have gotten on my knees and sucked your dick literally every time I saw you like the good little omega you want me to be? I'm literally giving everything I have and more, Charlie. Why can't you see that?" Santana screamed, red in the face.
Charlie opened her mouth to reply but she can't think of a comeback, she can't think of a reply or a defense, so she does the only thing that she had wanted to do and closes the gap between her and Santana, kissing her hungrily. Charlie's hand grabbed the back of Santana's neck, and she pulled the omega in closer. A tiny whimper drew out of Santana's throat, and Charlie grinned lecherously into the kiss. Santana's nails tore into Charlie's neck just below her collar, causing Charlie to hiss at the sting. Charlie shoved her thigh between Santana's legs, and without thinking Santana began a slow grind through the haze.
It was all so intoxicating. The only sounds being made were the slight moans and gasps as they explored each other through kissing alone. Charlie found that biting on Santana's bottom lip caused the loudest moans, and that pulling on her hair to give them some air drove her wild. Santana's thrusts became more erratic as they dry humped like teenagers in the middle of Santana's apartment. To any passerby it would look painful, but by that point they were too lost in each other to care. When Santana came, she whimpered even louder into Charlie's mouth. Through the clouds came the sun, and she realized exactly what was happening and pushed Charlie away from her.
"No, Charlie," she breathed, lips red from their encounter, "I won't have you like this."
"Like what?" Charlie questioned trying to pull Santana back towards her. They had just gotten started, and even if they couldn't mate, she wanted to ruin Santana for anyone else.
"Like you have something to prove to me, Charlie. I want you, not what the version of you that you think I want. So you're going to turn around, and walk out that door. I am going to redo my makeup, and we say none of this to anyone the minute we get into Quinn's car. We'll talk about it after the ceremony," Santana pushed Charlie away gently, "Understood?"
Charlie immediately made a face at Santana's request. "Understood," she mutters under her breath. It wasn't fair, she wasn't used to stopping. Still, she pulls away and heads to the door and exits, waiting for Santana to redo her makeup. When Santana opens the door a few minutes later, "I don't know how to have sex another way."
"As much as I want to have sex with you, Charlie, you need to forgive yourself for what happened," Charlie tried to interrupt but Santana put a hand up, "I know that its scary, but in order for you to be what I need from you, you have to be enough for yourself."
"So we're never ever having sex?"
"Charlie, enough. I gave you my answer," Santana walked through her building doors, and stopped talking long before they got into the back of the SUV that Santana had ridden in a thousand times.
Quinn glanced at the two of them for a moment, before smirking at Charlie. "It's okay, I hear they make pills for that."
"And yet Rachel still thinks that I'm the sexy twin," Charlie responded in a flat tone.
~ O ~
Santana's ceremony was long and boring. Charlie would've fallen asleep had Maribel not been sitting directly next to her. When Santana was called, she clapped politely while she walked across the stage. She was so bored. Part of her almost wanted to try mating right now, because honestly that would have been easier than another minute of this boring event.
Still it was nice to see Santana with a proud smile on her face, and she knew that Santana had spent many countless night's studying for this and she could see both her parents swell with pride. She was proud of Santana's accomplishment as well, but she still felt out of sorts about being in the room with all these other accomplished people. Then there was the fact that she still didn't get what Santana wanted from her, she wasn't sure she knew how to change her sex style to make Santana happy.
"So we're going drinking after Maribel and Carlos take a billion more pictures of Santana. I think you should come." Quinn said leaning against Charlie and whispering into her ear as the next person is called.
Charlie shook her head, she couldn't afford to drink in a club, and going clubbing had never been her thing. "Pass, mom is taking care of Harper tonight, so I'm going to head home, clean, study, workout and then sleep. You have fun with Santana."
Quinn frowned at the response, being in the car with both Charlie and Santana this afternoon had been hell. The air had been thick with their pheromones. "Pretty sure that she'd rather be having fun with you."
Charlie sunk in her chair when Maribel shot her a disgusted look, it's enough to cause her to glare at Quinn. "Pretty sure you should mind your business," Charlie growled, the thought of Santana actually having fun with her didn't help her general arousal, she was still worked up from before.
"Don't be like that Charlie, it'll be fun and you can show Santana that you have a fun side to you as well!" Rachel suggested. Santana always brought someone home with her when she drank, and quite frankly Charlie would be a nice change of pace from the weird rando's that Santana brought home. Charlie was going to stick around.
"Pass," Charlie stated firmly. Santana was confusing and she was getting tired of never doing the right thing. The thought of sticking around so Santana could yell at her or make her feel like an idiot, didn't exactly fill her with joy. She settles back into her seat, watching the rest of the ceremony without interacting with anyone else. The moment that it ends, she was up and out of her seat quickly pushing her way to the exit.
She felt stupid and pathetic, and she really couldn't understand why Santana even wanted her here. She wasn't even sure that they were on good terms at the moment. Which didn't help the fact that she felt guilty for trying to pressure Santana into sex, and she really just needed some air. She pushes open the door to the fancy auditorium and heads to the parking lot where she finds a bench and takes a seat reaching into her blazer pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes and lighter.
She makes a face at the brand that Quinn liked, but still pulls out a cigarette, placing it between her lips. She lights the cigarette next and inhales deeply. She crinkles her nose as she begins to cough immediately and she grimaces before tossing the cigarette away. That hadn't eased her stress levels at all. But it had given her a moment to think, she was being silly. She wanted to spend time with Santana, and it's not like she didn't have money. It should probably be okay to take a hundred dollars from her winnings and use it to have a good time. She could buy Santana a drink and it could be a date of sorts. Santana probably had experience ditching Quinn and Rachel so she wouldn't have to put up with Quinn trying to help her.
The clicking of high heels on pavement forces her to glance up, hoping for a second that it's Santana, but her hopes are dashed when Maribel Lopez takes a seat beside her. Charlie hesitates for a moment, "It was a lovely ceremony."
"It was," Maribel replied curtly. There's an awkward quiet for a moment before Maribel simply decides to get to the point. "Two thousand dollars a month."
"Excuse me?" Charlie asks.
"From what I understand, your father cut you off from the Fabray fortune, and I know how expensive baby formula, diapers and childcare is." Maribel replied, turning to look at Charlie. "With that much extra you can fund whatever drug habit you have as well."
Charlie blinked, slightly confused, she was certain that Maribel wasn't here to just give her thousands of dollars a year for no apparent reason. "Thank you for the generous offer, but I'm not interested," Charlie stated as politely and as firmly as she could, hoping that this was the end of this ridiculous test.
Maribel frowned, she had been certain that Charlie would jump at the offer. "Where exactly do you see this relationship with my daughter going? You're a high school dropout, you have a bastard child, and not to mention that there is a very good chance that you'll be a felon by the end of the year. You won't be able to get a job, you won't be able to support that daughter of yours. I imagine you're thinking that my daughter will support you, but you need to be realistic. The only reason that my daughter is interested now is because you smell nice. But that will fade with time, and she'll grow to resent you."
Charlie bristled and clenched her good fist tightly for a moment, punching out an assistant district attorney was a terrible idea. Punching out Santana's mother was also a terrible idea, so instead she takes a deep breath. "If I was simply interested in Santana's potential earnings I would have mated with her already. I haven't, and quite frankly I don't really care if you believe me." She got up finally ready to leave, she had thought it would be wise to wait for Santana. Today was supposed to be a day for Santana to celebrate and she didn't want to dampen the mood. She glanced over at Maribel, "My last name is still Fabray, Mrs. Lopez and the terms of my trust say that I get full access to it once I mate. I'm not going to tell Santana about your bribe. I can't imagine that she'll take it well and I really do want her to have fun with Quinn and Rachel tonight." She doesn't say anymore she just takes off walking following the road. She would apologize to Santana tomorrow.
Maribel scowled and clenched her fists, there had to be a way to separate them. She quickly replays the conversation, she hadn't offered Charlie anything other than money. It wouldn't be that difficult to quash Charlie's assault case. Charlie going to jail might cause Santana to latch on more and more importantly blame her. If Charlie was being honest about her wealth, then Santana probably wouldn't believe that Charlie accepted money, but Santana might just believe that Charlie accepted a get out of jail free card. It was an idea, one that she knew her mate would be against, but Santana was attempting to sabotage herself for an alpha that wasn't worth it. Santana had worked too hard and for too long to have her life blown up by Charlie. With her mind made up she gets up and heads back into the auditorium hoping she would get her daughter alone.
~ O ~
"I didn't actually think that she'd accept Santana, she did turn down the money but I believe the thought of jail and being away from her—child made her reconsider. I'm sorry," Maribel lied, reaching forward to touch her daughter. She's not surprised or offended that Santana immediately pulls away. "Mija you have to understand that I just wanted to see what type of person she was. I didn't expect her to take the deal."
Santana chewed the inside of her lip, there was a part of her that didn't want to believe her mother, but Harper seemed to be everything to Charlie, and getting a deal from her mother to drop charges was something that she really didn't want to fault Charlie for taking, but it hurt. She had thought that they could make a proper go at it too, sure they were arguing over Harper right now but she didn't think that Charlie would take that to mean that this was their only option. "You had no right to do that."
"Mija I didn't think that she'd take it, it was just a test. If you don't want me to honor it—"
"I do," Santana stated firmly, hoping desperately that it doesn't look like she's about to cry. "Charlie's made her choice. She chose her child over me, and I should have known this was coming when I refused to be Harper's mother." She wipes at her eyes and takes a breath. It was a good thing she was headed out tonight, she'd find someone to help her get over her mate. "She already chose who the most important omega in her life is, and it's not me—and will never be me." They had never mated, they had never even had sex, at least not really, so maybe this was the clean break that she needed. She didn't have to deal with Charlie's shitty drama. Or deal with a child that not only wasn't hers but was one that she never wanted. "I'm going to go drink with some of my classmates and celebrate graduating. I'll tell Rachel and Quinn that they're free to do whatever they want. I don't want to think about Charlie and I certainly don't want to see her face in Quinn's." With that Santana pulled away from her mother and walked off, rubbing at her eye again.
She wasn't going to cry over Charlie Fabray, and her lost mate. But Charlie's actions had affected nearly every aspect of her life. She couldn't have a relationship with Quinn anymore, not when she looked identical to the person she desperately wanted to be with, and she certainly didn't want to have anything to do with her mother at this moment for ruining her life. So she was going to drink until she forgot and made terrible life choices.
