AN: Bela asks all the important questions and Brittany's an enabler. Oh well.


Santana groaned as she woke up, her stomach turning violently as she scent of bacon and eggs and quite possibly hash browns wafted into her bedroom. She immediately stumbled out of bed and rushed to her ensuite bathroom, the distance tiring her out immediately as she kicked the lid up and emptied the pathetic contents of her stomach into the bowl. It was followed by dry heaving, before she was finally okay. She immediately flushed the toilet, ignoring the weird sound that it had been making lately before doing it a second time. She'd get a plumber in here another time. She glances at herself in the mirror and looks at the smooth top of her head and swallows back some of the raw emotion. Hair would grow back, she just needs to fight this. She needs to get better. Splashing some cold water on her face she moves over and flushes the toilet again and begins to brush her teeth. With a sigh she grabs the wig from where she had kept it and slips it on, adjusting it almost obsessively even though there really was no need to.

She slowly wraps herself in her robe and makes her way downstairs, where she can hear Brittany and Bela laughing in the kitchen and even though she's really not hungry and just wants to crawl into bed, she does want to talk to Bela about what happened yesterday with Rachel. She needed to rethink the entire situation. Once she finally makes it down the stairs she leans against the wall, the exhaustion creeping up as she pants lightly. It shouldn't make her this tired to just get down the stairs. But she's not at the kitchen just yet and she pushes the exhaustion away and slowly enters the kitchen where Brittany and Bela turn to her. "Morning." She mumbles, heading to her purse and pulling out a yellow prescription bottles. She glances at it to make sure it's what she actually wants. Ondansetron, to help her keep her nausea and vomiting down. It does nothing for her appetite though but at least she wouldn't be rushing to the bathroom every few minutes due to the smell.

Bela eyed her mother carefully for a moment, she didn't really look all that good. Just like the last time she had gone to Beth's house. And like last time she hadn't woken up once Aunt Brittany had shown up. It wasn't like Aunt Brittany was known for being quiet and sneaky. She crinkles her nose a bit, but doesn't say anything about it, instead grabbing a plate. "We made your favorite mom. Aunt Brittany was telling me how you met Charlie. She said it was romantic."

Santana glances at Brittany who smiles and hums, and this is why she hadn't allowed Brittany to watch Bela. She knew it had been Brittany who had put the idea of Charlie into her daughter's head. Of course it would be soon after she had gotten the original diagnosis, sure they had needed to run a few more tests to make absolutely sure, but this new fascination of who her other mother was, hadn't actually been a problem. "Did she?" Santana asked trying not to turn her nose at the breakfast. It smelled awful, even if it was her favorite. "What exactly did she tell you?"

"That she was your knight in shining armor and that it was love at first sight," Bela said sighing dramatically, she smiled. It sounded so romantic.

Brittany placed a glass of water in front of her and shot her a guilty look and Santana sighed. "It wasn't armor, it was a very expensive Armani suit. She didn't actually do any saving, and it wasn't love at first sight. I thought Charlie was an as—jerk." Santana said ruining her daughter's perception of the entire event.

Bela's face falls at this, "So she didn't save you?" Maybe Charlie wasn't some savior after all.

Santana sighs and looks at her daughter, she really doesn't want to get rid of the wonder in her spirit, and if she believed in fairy tales right now, then what was the harm. She was ten. She didn't want Bela to be a cynic this early on. "She did save me—from a terrible blind date. We were at some fancy restaurant, her client didn't show up and my date was—" Santana bit her lip for a moment trying to think of how to explain it.

"She was a bitch," Brittany says and smiles at Bela who looks at her and crinkles her nose. "It's fine Bela, she was mean and she was going to be very mean to your mother."

Santana groaned wondering why she allowed Brittany around her daughter again. It was an apt way of putting that her date had only want to sleep with her and had ditched when she wasn't willing to put out instantly. "She only liked me for the way I looked, she didn't like me for who I was on the inside and I don't think she liked how intelligent I was. I thought the date was going well, but she excused herself to go to the bathroom. Ten minutes go by, then fifteen and it takes me that long to realize that she's abandoned me at this expensive restaurant that I can't really afford on my own, and she had been my ride there." Her lips twitch upward in a nostalgic smile. "So here I am panicking about how I'm going to pay this 275 bill, and afford my part of the rent and food. And Charlie takes a seat across from me, and is like it seems we've both been abandoned. This calls for ice cream and cake, because they didn't serve pie."

"They didn't serve pie? But you love pie," Bela said, glancing at Brittany who snorts and covers her mouth.

Santana narrows her eyes at Brittany for a moment before looking at Bela. "She did save me in a way. She took care of the bill and honestly the company was considerably better. She also gave me a ride home, it was—nice. That's how I met your mother. She gave me her number if I ever needed her help or some financial advice."

Bela nods stuffing some more bacon into her mouth and chewing quickly. There was more she wanted to know. "How long did you and Charlie date for?"

"Three years," Santana admits with a shrug and holds her hands up, stopping Bela from bombarding her with questions. Yes I loved her once upon a time, and yes for a time she loved me. But towards the end things got bad really quickly. I don't think she was quite capable of loving me or anyone. There were broken promises, and situations that I don't particularly want to talk about." Santana said hoping that it ended the discussion.

Three years was a long time and Bela bit her lip, "Why didn't you tell her about me?"

Santana sighed and glanced at Brittany. This situation was impossible to navigate and it's why she avoided talking about Charlie. "I thought she was going to change, she promised me—she kept promising me that she would. She made efforts—and she'd be okay for weeks and then well, I was okay with that. I was okay of just being there and helping her. The day that I found out that I was pregnant with you, was the day I decided that you were more important than Charlie. I made the decision for both of us, because I'd never forgive myself and I know Charlie would never forgive herself either."

"You know sometimes the knight gets a bit lost and you just need to find them again," Bela says quietly. "Do you ever think that you could love her again?"

Santana sighed, "It's been ten years Bela. Charlie isn't some hotshot taking Wall Street by storm anymore, she's not talking about being the power couple and taking over New York, she's a contractor. I don't even want that anymore. She's a different person and I'm a different person, we didn't grow together as a couple. She's a stranger to me." Broken, the Charlie she knew wouldn't spend so often staring at the ground. "I don't think it's possible anymore." Charlie wouldn't want her anyway. She was bald and she had this blasted disease in her body, she felt disgusting most of the time.

Bela frowned that wasn't what she wanted to hear. Charlie still loved her mom, she just needed a way to make it happen. She pulls away from the island and looks at Brittany and her mother. "I'm going to go work on my planets project." She said excusing herself. She was going to work on an operation to get her parents back together.


Quinn rubbed her temple slowly, not quite sure how to put this in words, but she was agitated. "I don't see why you didn't tell her to take the proper test?" She groused, looking at her wife. It had been a long night on call at the hospital and this was not what she wanted to hear when she first got back into her apartment. "Plus I thought we agreed to stay out of it. Santana is her mother and she has every right to protect her daughter." Quinn points out calmly. She dropped her voice, "I understand her not wanting Charlie anywhere near her kid. You know I don't like her taking Beth out unsupervised. I remember a time when you weren't comfortable with it either."

Rachel sighed and rubbed her forehead. They had definitely had this conversation a million times. "I was under the mistaken opinion that Charlie was the only member of both of our families to not show up within twenty-four hours of Beth's birth. I mistakenly believed that she was still using at the time." She wasn't going to let Quinn rewrite history.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Dad and I had every right to tell her to leave Rachel."

"What was she going to do Quinn? Sell Beth for some crack? Maybe you had every right to keep her away, but it took you five years to make some attempt to fix it, and look at the result. Beth uses Charlie as a piggy bank, manipulating her emotions to get toys out of her. Or have you not noticed how she only calls Charlie by her first name. She wouldn't dare do that with Frannie, or even my parents. It's impossible to fix that behavior with you acting like you do." Rachel points out. She didn't like it, she understood diva-ish behavior but for the most part she had been respectful to adults. It also worried her that if Beth made a mistake, that Quinn would shut her out as well.

"Who says we need to correct the behavior? Beth's nine years old. Do we really want her looking up to a drug addict? And before you start on it. I'm the one that checks up on her, I still love Charlie, but Beth's safety comes first. I checked up on her when my parents didn't. Frannie couldn't be bothered to. I make sure she's still breathing. So don't in some backhanded way try and pin this or suggest that I don't love my sister."

"I'm not doing anything of the sort," Rachel said carefully, wondering if it was the best time to tell Quinn about Charlie wanting to cut the cord ages ago. Charlie hadn't mentioned it since and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "I just—you were the one that insisted that you wanted her to take responsibility Quinn and maybe I thought that you could talk to her. Like this could fix your relationship with her. She's your sister and that's her daughter, she shouldn't have to try to take crappy photos of her in the park. She wants to be a parent and I'm sure she'd like your advice on parenting." Rachel said and Quinn stared at her blankly.

"I do talk to her."

"No, you talk down to her." Rachel said pointedly.

Quinn bristled at the implication. Charlie was the drug addict who had thrown her life away. She hadn't forced the drugs up her nose. She hadn't made Charlie overdose. This wasn't her problem to fix. "Santana has every right to keep her daughter safe. If Charlie wanted to actually be a parent then she'd be a bit proactive and have Frannie get her custody. Which wouldn't happen, Frannie might be a gigantic bitch, and quite possibly missing a soul, but even she knew that Charlie wasn't fit to be a parent.

Rachel sighs, Quinn was right to some degree. Santana had every right to protect her daughter, but this was supervised visits. "You know, I worry that if Beth does something wrong, that cutting her out of your life is going to be your solution."

Quinn ran a hand through her hair, "I believe in personal responsibility," Quinn sighs. This argument wasn't just going to go away. "I am helping her Rachel. I'm doing my best and taking responsibility for her kid and making sure that she has a safe place to go—and maybe a place to call home if the worst comes to the worst."

Rachel closed her eyes, "Quinn, she's Charlie's daughter. We are not going to adopt her if, god forbid, anything happens to Santana unless Charlie wants us to. Nor are you going to side with your parents on the issue. You may not be willing to forgive Charlie, but she hasn't done drugs for ten years. At some point you're going to need to get over yourself. I love you and I know you're trying to do what's right by Bela and Santana, but Charlie is your sister." Quinn opened her mouth to argue, and Rachel held her hands up. "Your sister who is getting her ten year sobriety coin, which is a big deal. She didn't invite you, think about that for a moment. She didn't invite any of your family. She makes excuses when we invite her for dinner, or anywhere for that matter."

"Please, you make it seem like a bad thing. I don't even want to go to half of my family functions. Charlie gets a pass. Besides she doesn't show up to your shows either. My family supports you and your dream—"

"Charlie just doesn't show up when your entire family is there. She also buys her own ticket and comes to a show randomly." Rachel sighs. "I get that you're furious with her and hurt, but it's been ten years Quinn. You need to give her a chance and you need to listen to her. Actually listen to her."

Quinn sighs, "Do you know what happens to a person's brain when they're addicted to drugs? They are simply incapable of loving other people. It becomes about the drug. When they're going to get their next fix, it doesn't matter who they hurt or what they do. What am I supposed to do? She chose that, even if you believe that addiction is a disease. She chose to take the risk. So yes she needs to take responsibility. She doesn't get a pass from me all because we're twins."

"Even if you look at it that way and I do believe that you and your parents have every right to take the tough love approach with her and not enable her bad behavior. But she isn't irresponsible anymore, she's started her own business. She goes to her meetings. She suffered and she did it by herself, without your support. Your dad always said to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and that is exactly what Charlie did. When is it going to be enough for you Quinn?" Rachel asked.

"When she takes the damn test that we want her to take and goes back to work," Quinn says throwing up her hands. Charlie went from making high six-figures to being a contractor, how could Rachel even begin to think that this was her sister. She was about to explain her feelings to Rachel when there was a knock on the door, and Beth popped her head in.

"Mum you said you'd help with my science project. I want to win the science fair." Beth reminded Quinn who flashed her daughter a grin.

"Of course so what are we going to try and build today?" Quinn asked, reaching over and squeezing Rachel's hand. The argument was over for now, and she feels Rachel squeeze back gently. They were okay.


Charlie sighed and wiped her forehead and placed her hammer in her tool belt. Even though it was late March it had gotten progressively hotter throughout the day, and she was now in just a sweat soaked wife beater. She reached for her bottle of water only to realize that she had finished the water. She sighed, and picked up her power tools so she could start assembling the walls.

Judy hummed as she exited the Fabray mansion, carrying a pitcher of lemonade and a glass for her youngest daughter. She knew her daughter well enough, Charlie would never come up to the house. Especially not with Russell around. He hadn't been thrilled with her presence, instead he had wanted to go for the more expensive contractor. Her daughter had only asked one question and that was where she had wanted the gazebo. She was surprised that Charlie had even taken it and Russell had muttered that she probably needed the money to support her habit. She smiled at Charlie who was pulling things in order. "It looks good," she said inspecting the decking.

Charlie flicked her eyes to her mother for a moment before setting up the bottom brace, so she could start adding the spindles. "It's just the deck," she mumbles. Her mother was acting like she had done something amazing. It was a gazebo, she was sure her dad could figure out how to build it if he really wanted to.

Judy placed the tray on the small table that Charlie had set up to hold some of her tools, and went to inspect what Charlie had done so far. "And it's leveled?" she asked trying to make conversation with her youngest, not noticing Charlie stiffen for a moment. She honestly had no idea what that really meant but she watched the Home and Garden Television network and they were always going on about making sure things were leveled.

Charlie flicked her eyes to her mother, "Yes. I can do my job, even if it's just building something." Charlie mumbled the last part suddenly getting embarrassed by what she did and she sighs and goes back to work.

Judy missed the defensiveness and smiled at her youngest, "You know Charlie when you do get better, we can talk about finding you a nice wife and maybe giving me some grandchildren. I've given up hope that Frannie will ever settle down and give me children and Quinn and Rachel aren't giving me much more hope." Judy said.

Charlie flicked her eyes towards her mother for a moment. She sighs after a moment and goes back to work. "Yeah," she mumbles.

"There are some nice single girls at our church, active in the community. Absolute darlings, I can introduce you of course." Judy goes on hopefully.

Charlie sighed she had way too much going on in her life for her mother to attempt to set her up. "Do they want to be with an addict? Because I don't think they do." Charlie says and shakes her head. "Thank you for the lemonade. I'll bring it to the house later." She adds hoping that ends the conversation.

Judy sighed, that hadn't gone well but at least Charlie was thinking about it now. Maybe that was all she needed to do. "Just leave the glasses here when you're finished for the day," Judy said, the last thing that she felt like dealing with was a confrontation between Charlie and Russell.


AN: See you next time.