"I heard your argument Joshua, and my question in turn is if we cut education for the humans, who by the way make up the majority of the workforce, then how does our region continue to function? Who will be there working on making sure the roads and the bridges and the overpasses are safe? Infrastructure depends on a well-educated populace. Who is going to do all the farming and keep the populace well fed? Agriculture is important. Making sure that the humans are healthy, medical care, is important. Healthy humans are important for us." Quinn crossed her legs as she leaned back against her chair a glass of wine in her hand.

Santana flicked her eyes toward Josh Coleman, she hated to admit it but Quinn was good. Josh looked incensed that he was being humiliated publicly. It was a far cry from how Charlie had handled the meeting. Though it might have something to do with the fact that Quinn could actually use her words. It was a valid point even if it did seem to be rather utilitarian.

"Well—we could just—" Josh sputters.

"We could what? No wonder my dear sister was horrified at your suggestion, it's asinine and shows little thought and insight." Quinn frowned and sips her wine. She puts the glass down and stands up, this called for leadership. "I'm aware that there are still hurt feelings over what happened years ago. I know that you still loathe them, the humiliations that they heaped on you. The fact that you were treated as nothing more than savage animals, demons that needed to be exorcised. I understand that some of you lived through it and the pain is still raw. You want to punish those responsible, you want to make humanity feel what you felt. Unfortunately, I've seen this before. It's like a cycle, and eventually the humans will rise up and fight back. It's already beginning to happen."

"And yet you allow a known terrorist to eat by your side and to follow you around?" Josh sneers standing to his feet. There wasn't a murmur this time of assent, in fact the entire room was deathly quiet at the challenge. "It's a spit in the face to everyone seated here."

"I don't believe in violence," Santana snaps at him. "I had nothing to do with William Schuester's plans. He knew I would object. So, they didn't tell me. I didn't try and kill Hunter. I didn't try and kill any vampire, if only because I knew it would be a terrible idea."

"I believe what Josh is attempting to get across is—" Dakota Stanley says getting up from his seat.

"I don't need a fucking gerbil speaking for me."

"Better than an ass—"

Quinn arches her brow but it's the only indication that she's listening to the entire argument as voices erupt in angry dissent. Different factions shouting over each other isn't exactly how Santana expected them to deal with their disagreements. After a minute, she clears her throat and the shifters settle quickly. Josh on the other hand stares at her with defiance in his eyes. She takes another sip of her wine, and stares at him. It's usually enough to get them to back down. "If you're going to take you shot Joshua then I suggest, taking it or minding your manners."

"It's an affront," Josh spits angrily. "How could you side with that—that—thing."

Santana bristles at his tone but she doesn't move, instead she turns to Quinn wondering what her next move was. She needed to learn what she was dealing with, and as far as she could see Quinn and Charlie were on her side, though she doubted that they could openly support humans.

Quinn is almost deceptively calm though, apparently completely unphased by Josh's blatant disrespect.

"I—humans aren't things—" Santana begins but immediately halts when Quinn turns to her and narrows her eyes. She swallows, she still couldn't read Quinn or Charlie like she could everyone else but she could sense the danger, if that made any sense at all.

Quinn moves slowly, pushing herself off her chair so she can stand up. "Every morning I wake up, and I have to remind myself that I can't let Charlie have her way with this city. That you aren't all terrible people, just misguided. You needed to be guided to see the light. It takes patience, and understanding and various other virtues that I am currently in short supply of." Immediately the therianthrope delegation begins to scatter, as Quinn approaches Joshua who immediately puffs out his chest.

Santana swallows, she didn't quite know how vampires fought. Was it sneak attacks like Charlie or was she going to witness something horrible. Josh was taller than Quinn, he looked like he had a few pounds on her as well and he didn't look scared. He looked defiant. Of course, she knew, that didn't quite mean anything. That it was just bravado that hid the fear. She had always wondered if vampires could smell it. She wasn't stupid enough to ask, what it smelled like.

"You wouldn't dare. You know who my sire is."

"I don't. And I don't particularly care." She snarls, her fangs growing by the second. Josh falters and Quinn places her hand on his chest, it's a threat and he immediately stumbles backwards. "You are in my lands, you will follow my laws, because not doing so forfeits your life. So, the next time you want to run your mouth and you want to defy me or go behind my back and break my laws, then just remember that I will personally kill you and unlike my sister it won't be a quick and relatively painless death. Do we understand each other Joshua?"

Her words echo through the room harsher than if she had slapped him. Josh gulps and after a minute, nods slowly. Santana swears she can see a blush dusting the tips of his ears.

But Quinn's not done humiliating Josh Coleman. He and the ungrateful parasites like him will continue to push her if she doesn't stomp down on this rebellious streak right now. Unwilling to back down, she keeps glaring at Josh until he backs down completely. "I said do we understand each other Joshua?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good." Quinn tilts her head up and almost everybody in the room follows her gaze, "Put the sword down Charlie, you can't kill anyone today. This isn't a cartoon."

Santana stared, she hadn't even seen Charlie enter the room and there was only one entrance, and she wasn't the only one who seemed shocked at this as people gasped and stared. She had been holding an unsheathed sword in her hand. "How did you—" Santana immediately scrambles back as Charlie throws the sword down. Was she attacking Quinn? It happens far too fast for her to truly track what was going on.

"What the fuck?

Santana immediately focuses on Josh noting that his shirt had been sliced down the middle, as the sword bounces and clatters against the ground.

"Charlie." Quinn frowns and pinches the bridge of her nose.

Santana bites her lip trying not to laugh as Josh finally runs out of the room, he deserved it. A small snort escapes her lips and she freezes when both Regents turn to look at her. "Sorry," she mumbles, as Charlie begins to wave her hands around like a lunatic, a smile on her features.

Quinn groaned, "Fine, take her." She turns to Santana pointing at her. "Stay out of trouble. And remind her that she can't just go around killing people who piss her off."

Santana stared at Quinn, opening her mouth to protest. There was no way in hell she was going to put her body on the line to stop Charlie from going on a rampage. "Are you—"

"Excellent," Blaine responds cutting her off. "I shall prepare some snacks for you, your eminence."

Santana scowled at him but looked away when he gave her an unimpressed look. Great now she had to spend time with the murderous crazy one. Her luck was not the greatest today.

~O~

Santana watches Charlie as she stuffs her mouth full of the overly sweet chocolate cake. Santana herself had only been able to manage a few bites before calling it quits. She still hadn't quite adjusted to the amazing assortment of foods and sweets that were available by living with the Regents. Well mostly with Charlie, it was obvious that she had a sweet tooth.

Considering that was her second large piece of cake—or maybe it was her third piece. Either way she didn't really want to sit here and watch Charlie eat cake. She tilts her head and looks out the window, it looked like a lovely day and she hadn't been outside since she had stumbled upon Quinn in the greenhouse. "Do you ever go outside?"

Charlie flicks her eyes toward Santana for a moment and made a face.

That was clearly a no. She sighs and taps the table, even though it was probably freezing outside, she wanted to see other humans. "Can we go outside? I've been feeling cooped up."

Charlie points to the cake as if it would solve everything.

Santana groans, she wasn't sure if Charlie was saying that she needed to finish the large cake or that cake was the answer to all life's problems. "I just—I want to stretch my legs you know? I mean I don't have much money but I like to go window shopping—"

This finally seemed to pull Charlie's attention off the chocolate cake and she immediately points to herself.

Santana hesitates, she still couldn't understand Charlie. "I don't—" Charlie tugs on her collar and then her sleeves. "Oh, yeah, I liked to window shop for clothes and stuff. It's fun—" Santana blinked when Charlie disappeared. She hated when Charlie did that. As far as she was concerned it was very rude. She's about to pick at her food again when the table is suddenly cleared and some winter gear appears on the table. Boots, a thick winter coat, mittens, and a warm hat from the looks of it. She reaches for it but stops herself when Charlie reappears again and dumps a scarf on the table. "Thank—" Charlie was gone yet again and she groans. "You," she finishes. She waits until Charlie dumps a small notebook and a pen onto the pile and stares at her.

Santana blinks and picks up the book, "So you can talk to me?"

Charlie shrugs at this and motions for her to put on the jacket an excited look on her face.

Santana pauses she needed to rethink this, if Charlie was happy that meant that she wanted to kill something probably? Or wanted to fatten her up—it was hard to tell with her. "Your sister wants me to remind you that you can't kill people that irritate you?" Santana swallowed when Charlie's smile only grew.

~O~

She was an idiot. Why had she insisted on going outside? It was freezing, there was snow on the ground and she was sure that some of it had gotten into her boot. Charlie didn't seem particularly fazed by the cold temperature. Of course, she didn't, "Aren't you a member of the undead? How are you not frozen solid right now?" Santana whined as Charlie turned to look at her. She seemed to be on a mission to find something.

Charlie pulls out her notebook and scribbles something on the page and holds it out for Santana to read. 'The cold never bothered me anyway.'

Santana stared at the words and then scoffs, it had taken her a moment to recognize the words. It was a popular song that had hit the airwaves. A song that had been played far too often for her taste. "Please don't quote lyrics at me, especially that horrid song."

Charlie's smile only grew at this statement, and she waves the pen around in the air.

Santana shakes her head, she's not even going to attempt to figure out what that meant. If Charlie was going to attempt to communicate with her then it would be through a paper and pen. "Seriously, they played that song non-stop for months—you didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"

Charlie shook her head, the smile fading and she writes something down in the notebook. 'It was Quinn.'

Santana's eyes widened at this statement and then she narrows her eyes, "Are you saying this because she isn't here to defend herself? She doesn't seem like the type—" Charlie rolled her eyes at the comment. "I'm not trying to offend you," Santana immediately says. "I'm really not," Santana insists when Charlie turns to her sharply her fangs extending. She takes a step back immediately and closes her eyes. She was going to die.

Instead she hears the screech of tires, and the loud bang of a car smashing into another car. Metal on metal and then there were the screams, it's enough to get her to open her eyes. Charlie was of course gone, she hadn't really expected anything less from her. She couldn't stay still even if it killed her, but now there was a throng of people gathering on the sidewalks and she immediately moves towards them, pushing her way to the front. "Please don't kill someone," she mumbles mostly to herself.

She stops in her tracks at the sight in front of her. There was Charlie holding a screaming toddler, looking slightly disheveled and the wreck of smashed and flattened metal was strewn about them. The child had a small cut on his forehead that was bleeding but not so profusely to cause any worry. Charlie frowned and looked down at her shirt, poking her hand through the giant hole in the expensive fabric.

"Charlie!" Santana gasps.

But she's pushed aside by presumably the young boy's hysterical mother. "My baby!"

She's distinctly human and probably just as shocked as Santana is. But both stop in horror when the boy reaches up and tugs on Charlie's fangs.

Charlie doesn't quite seem to notice and heads back to the mother, who immediately takes a step back.

The action is enough to get Santana to step forward, the child was bleeding and Charlie seemed to be perfectly fine. Charlie wasn't feasting on the child like she would a piece of chocolate cake. Truthfully, she seemed slightly amused by the child, who started to smack her mouth at the fangs. Clearly interested about it, "Let me help," Santana mumbles taking the child from Charlie who seemed a bit upset to see the kid go. "You should probably get him checked to make sure he's okay," Santana informs the woman who snatches her child from her. It was rude, but completely understandable. Still though, she swears she sees a flicker of something flash across Charlie's face. She turns back to the mother who is about to walk away. "This could have been far worse—" she begins only to feel a hand on her shoulder.

Charlie shakes her head and tugs on her sleeve.

Santana scowls, she was grateful that Charlie hadn't brought out a leash of sorts but still. The woman could have said thank you. Or something. She turns and quickly follows Charlie, this time people seemed to notice them and parted ways. "Is it always like that? I mean you saved her kid."

Charlie shrugs as if it's not material.

"You can't be serious." Santana lets Charlie tug her even further away from the scene. Santana frowns when she notices that Charlie's getting paler by the second. Which was impressive she was already pretty pale to begin with. She pulls her arm away and Charlie stops, finally looking at her. "You're hurt, aren't you?"

Charlie shrugs and Santana's pretty sure that's the most infuriating thing she's ever seen.

"You saved that boy. What do you need, are you okay?"

Charlie smirks and pulls out her pen, scribbling quickly. 'It's not like it can kill me.'

"No, but vampires go feral when they need blood don't they? I mean that's the rumor, right? Do you need blood—I mean there is a blood bank around here. There's a blood bank on every street these days." Santana looks around but frowns, that's what it seemed like but it was just a street filled with shops. It was odd, she could swear that there had been a blood bank on every street. "Okay, there's none on this street but—" Santana turns to look at Charlie again only to see her jabbing a straw into a blood bag and sipping on it, like it was a juice box. It was the first time she had ever seen any of them drinking blood in front of her, she can't help the shudder that comes.

It's enough to get Charlie to turn to her, as she continues to noisily suck on her straw, she finishes and tosses the empty blood bag into the garbage, before picking up her pen and writing a note. 'I don't mind. She doesn't know me. Tell me though, a few months ago, would your reaction have been different from hers?'

Santana cringes but can't disagree. She would have acted the same way. In fact, if a few months ago, she was on the other side of this, she probably would have sprinted out of there without a second glance. "Yeah, well—"

'It doesn't matter. Let's get you your outfits and then go to the cake shop.'

Santana blinked a few times. "What outfits?" She demands and groans when she sees Charlie's smiling face. She was beginning not to trust that damn smile of hers.