"You really need to calm down Santana, it's just my parents. They don't bite—well at least I don't think so."

Santana looks at Brittany like she's grown another head. "Just your parents? Brittany, your parents are Russell and Judy Fabray. My dad will kill me if I screw this up."

"Screw what up?" Brittany furrows her brow as she tries to follow Santana's concern. Honestly, if she knew she was also meeting Charlie's parents, Santana would probably be crazy nervous. It was probably going to be better this way. Maybe. At least her parents were in on the deception. They would only be judging Santana a tiny bit. "You're my friend. Also, you're not imaginary, so if anything, they'll be relieved."

"You've introduced imaginary friends to them?" Santana chuckles and then wonders to herself why she would be surprised.

Brittany nods. It had been a dare from Lucas and her dad still wasn't sure if she had been serious or not. Charlie had laughed so hard that he had fallen off his chair. Even Frannie had cracked an amused smile. "You just have to be super polite to Frannie, she's the one you got to watch out for. But she's only going to be with us for dinner, so it's not that bad. Mom's here so she'll probably be nice."

"Really?"

"Or she'll chew you up for an appetizer, you can never be to sure with Frannie. Usually Lucas and Chuck are here and that distracts her but they're both busy. Just don't look her in the eye."

Santana shakes her head. "I can't imagine having siblings." She shudders at the thought. Her parents were bad enough.

Brittany laughs, she's never given it much thought. Frannie complained that it used to be better before the terror twins arrived, but Frannie hated everything. All the piggy backs she had gotten from her brothers or crawling into their beds when she had a nightmare. Having siblings was not the worst thing in the world. "It's fine cause I'm the favorite and the youngest so I get whatever I want," Brittany said cheerfully and points to the restaurant and grins. "This is my favorite place, they always make me dinosaur shaped nuggets here."

Santana nods, it looked like an upscale restaurant, at least from the outside, but Brittany wasn't particularly dressed up while she was wearing something nice. She wondered if this is how Charlie had felt when he had met her parents. Horribly underdressed. She felt horribly overdressed, but they were going to see a show on Broadway. So at least it wasn't a complete bust. "Okay, but apart from avoid Frannie anything that I should know?"

"They'll like you, don't worry. I like you, and we can even share the dino-shaped nuggets. I'm sure they'll make you a plate."

"My parents would kill me."

"Your parents aren't here and my parents aren't going to rat you out because you enjoyed yourself. They probably won't remember after the meal is done because they're old. You know when we call them, they have to run down the names till they get to the right one." Brittany grins and reaches for Santana's hand and grabs it before tugging her into the restaurant. "Stop worry Santana, it's not like you're my girlfriend. You're a friend."

"Your best friend?" Santana smiles.

"Duh." Brittany grins waving at her parents and tugging Santana along beside her. "Mom! Dad! This is Santana"

Santana gulps and tries to remember everything her parents have drilled into her about meeting important people. She's not sure why she feels this sinking feeling in her gut but she wants to make a good impression. "Hi—"

"Nice to meet you." Judy smiles warmly, ignoring Santana's outstretched hand and pulling her into a quick hug. "Brittany's told us a lot about you." She shoots a knowing look to her youngest daughter and tries to hide her smile. She's heard all about Charlie's girlfriend and finds it hilarious that Santana hasn't worked out that Charlie is a Fabray but she'll keep his secret. Especially since he didn't know about this.

"Mom, I need rent money." Brittany interrupts, she flashes an innocent smile at her father, if her mom said no—well she knew where to go next. Hopefully she wouldn't have to whip out the tears.

Judy shakes her head but can't say that she's surprised. "I thought you had a job. I thought the whole point of this little experiment was to become financially responsible." She opens her purse to give Brittany the money and reaches over absentmindedly to pat her husband's hand. He was going to say something, and they had a guest. "You know you're just going to write her a check later and slip it in her pocket, let's not pretend that we aren't simply going to give her what she wants."

Russell rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Santana, "It's a pleasure to meet you," he says after a moment. "I hear that you're dating Charlie."

Santana flashed him a smile, "I am sir—" Santana begins not knowing how to answer this, she didn't think she'd be answering questions about her boyfriend to the Fabray's. "He's taken me out on his boat a few times. We saw the dolphins."

Judy smiled as she handed Brittany the money, "That's absolutely romantic—"

"Don't say that mom, he hasn't even taken her out on a proper date. I think he thinks that he's done trying to be romantic," Brittany informs her.

"He's a bit of an ass." Santana explains and then blanches when she remembers that the Fabray's know Charlie well. It's a misstep that she realizes lands when Judy's nose crinkles, it's the only outward shift on her features. "I—"

Brittany can't stop the bubble of laughter that erupts inside herself. Her mom looks positively scandalized and if Santana had any idea of the fact that Charlie was a Fabray, she would be completely mortified. It's basically the funniest thing that she's ever seen. She's almost ready to speak up when her dad does it for them.

"He is," Russell agrees coming to Santana's aid, and shrugs when his wife turns to him. "You know he is."

"You're simply upset that he made you pay full price for first month's rent for Brittany," Judy reminds him patting his hand. She wasn't one of the parents who thought that her kids were perfect, but it didn't mean that she liked people insulting them, though there was an affectionate note in Santana's voice. At least she wasn't one of the girls who insisted that her son was perfect, Charlie needed a partner someone that could hold their own. All of her children needed to find that person that could challenge them in ways.

"Lucas and I tried to give him advice but he didn't listen," Brittany continues rating her brother out.

"It's fine, he's not all that bad he helped me get my first job, he put in a good word for me, when he didn't really know me all that well." Santana explains, she's about to continue when a tall blonde woman strides in and takes a seat beside Brittany a bored look on her expression.

"Franny!" Brittany grins and attempts to hug her older sister, only to get rebuffed quickly. She pouts, puffing her cheeks out. "Santana this is my older sister Franny."

"It's a pleasure—" Santana begins.

"We talked on the phone for a few minutes, you seem to be the only one in your family that has any sense. Which begs the question what you're doing with Charlie?" Frannie interrupted briskly.

Santana stares in shock, she had hoped that both Charlie and Brittany had simply been exaggerating but Frannie had gone straight for the jugular. "Oh well—"

"Francine," Judy gasps horrified at her daughter's rudeness.

Russell tilts his head at his daughter, "Explain."

"They wanted to complain about Charlie's behavior, apparently his most recent Charlie like Madonna routine didn't earn him any favors, they were offended. I nipped it in the bud," Frannie explains quickly with a shrug.

Santana sinks in her chair slightly, her face going a few shades redder. Her dad had shot his own self in the foot by being a fucking dick. "I should probably apologize for that—"

"No need." Frannie waves her hand and picks up the menu. "If I had a nickel for every time Charlie showed up at a fancy dinner in jeans and an oil stained shirt then I'd be a millionaire."

"I think you are a millionaire, Francine." Russell scoffs. "At least you would be if you stopped buying a ridiculous number of shoes."

"Some of us need to look good at work," Frannie responds with an indignant sniff.

"Oh, so it's a Charlie thing?" Santana asked.

"It's a Charlie thing," Brittany nods still pouting.

Santana smiles slightly amused, "Good to know."

"Have you decided what you're going to order?" Judy asks glancing at the time. "If we're late Lucas will complain for days that we embarrassed him in front of his girlfriend."

"I thought Lucas wasn't coming—?"

"He's not." Frannie rolls her eyes. "He's got work to do but apparently that means we all have to be on our best behavior."

"Do you have any other behavior other than 'bitch level four'?" Brittany teases her older sister.

"Not that I know of. I had that surgically removed." Frannie snarks back.

Santana settles back it was almost like watching Charlie and Brittany go at it, and she smiles. This meeting Brittany's parents wasn't that bad. She was almost curious to meet Charlie's family, but there really was no point. At the end of the summer they'd have to break up.

"Do you want to stay the night?" Brittany asks as she pulls off her seatbelt. "I mean you shouldn't have to drive all the way home, it's late and dangerous and I do have room," she mumbles yawning. "Plus, you can borrow something to wear."

"I think I should," Santana mumbles yawning, it was far too late to be driving. "Just us girls?"

"Well and Mike—" Santana made a face and Brittany sighed. "I promise you won't catch us having sex!"

"Which totally means I will, do you think Charlie's still up? Maybe I can just crash with him? I haven't seen him for a couple of days anyway. He probably misses me."

"Charlie's a light sleeper." Brittany hedges the question. Yes, she was pretty sure he would be asleep since he was old and boring and went to bed at eight or something, but she also knew he would be wide awake the second Santana stepped onto his boat. He was weird like that.

Santana hesitates for just a second. Regardless of whether Charlie was already up or not, crashing with him was going to be a better option than couch surfing and listening to the Brittany-Mike porno in the next room. "Come on, I mean if he's dead to the world then I guess I'll just have to bunk with you and Mike tonight." She exits the car with Brittany and walks down the long pier.

Brittany groans but follows regardless. She's right when the light flips on as soon as Santana steps onto Charlie's boat.

"Brittany? Is that you?" He grumbles from below deck. "I swear to god if you lost your keys again I'm going to—"

"Santana's staying with you Charlie. Night!" Brittany calls, making her way back to her own houseboat. She's tired so maybe she can get a quick nap in before Mike wakes up.

Santana blinks and covers her eyes as the bright light fills his cabin and Charlie squints at her, before opening the door to the cabin. "It's really late and Brittany and Mike go at it like rabbits, so I was hoping that I could just crash with you tonight. "

Charlie nods after a moment, "Yeah, whatever, next time just get the key from Brittany. No idea why she has my spare key, but she does. Also, I have one at the office too. Watch your step," he grunts as he stumbles down his stairs.

Santana listens to his ramblings and takes his hand when he offers it, "Thanks."

"You enjoy the show?"

"It was alright," Santana shrugs turning around. "Unzip me please? The Fabray's were nice, and the food was good and fun. I was a bit overdressed though." She feels Charlie's fingers fumbling for a bit, normally she would tease him but he seemed to be half-awake.

"Good." Charlie watched as Santana shimmied out of what she was wearing. Well one part of his body was definitely waking up. He stumbles to his bedroom and opens the drawer acutely aware that Santana had followed him. He grabs one of his t-shirts and hands it to her. "It's clean."

Santana reaches for it and stops when she notices what was on the shirt. "Yale?"

Charlie flicked his eyes towards the shirt for a moment, he's far too tired to think of a decent lie. "You never asked." He says finally before heading towards his bed and falling on it face first, pulling the covers over his body. "Now go to sleep."

Santana stared at the shirt for a moment, he went to Yale, or he had been at Yale. She had questions, but judging from the light snore, that came from the bed she would have to wait till morning. She slips the shirt on and flips the switch before crawling onto his bed and falling into a comfortable space beside his warm body. She wiggles under his blanket and after a moment she feels him roll over his arm wrapping around her waist. It felt weirdly right, which was a worrying thought. A thought that she would deal with in the morning.