AN: Some of you are wondering if there's going to be smut between Santana and Charlie. Not in this story, sometimes a story doesn't really call for me gratuitously adding smut. I thought about it, but it didn't fit with the story. I'm sort of getting there as a writer but that doesn't mean that I'm done writing smut, no this particular story didn't call for it.
Bela hummed as Charlie worked on building them a garden, "When did you know you loved my mom?" Bela asked Charlie who froze and looked at her. "Mom told me about how she met you—but she's never talked about how you two fell in love."
Charlie was quiet for a long moment and studied her daughter, "Well it depends—I think I fell in love with your mom the moment I met her, but that's creepy so I tell her it was after—" Charlie turns a bright red and immediately goes back to making the garden. "She killed a spider for me," Charlie explains. There was no way she was going to tell Bela that it was after a day where all they had done was have sex. She had been the idiot to blurt it out as they lay panting, their bodies enjoying the post-orgasmic bliss.
Bela didn't notice Charlie's discomfort and instead grinned widely as she wrote it down. "If it was love at first sight—you need to tell mom that. Then you have to serenade her." Bela nods at this as she scribbles something down. "Aunt Rachel, told us that she fell in love with Aunt Quinn when she serenaded her after one of her shows and everyone had left." Bela explains.
Charlie sighed, "Bela, I know you want me and your mom to get back together—but your mom doesn't like me like that. Not anymore and trust me when I say—serenading your mother will not win her heart. It might hurt her ears instead." Bela looked at her and Charlie flashed her an amused smile. "Can't sing," Charlie admits. She smiles, "You know every time I'd try, your mom would try and suffocate me with a pillow."
Bela smiled that sounded like her mom, "Why can't you get back together with my mom?" Bela asked.
Charlie sighs and sits down in front of Bela and gently takes her hand, wondering how she was going to explain it so Bela could understand. "Have you ever hurt someone's feelings?" Charlie asked.
Bela paused for a moment, "On accident or on purpose?" She had done both, a lot of times.
"Both," Charlie said and then paused for a moment. "Well no—more like on purpose." Charlie clarified after a moment. She watched as a guilty expression crossed Bela's face and her daughter nodded. "It makes you feel bad and it makes you feel guilty and gross on the inside doesn't it."
"It does—but what does that have to do with you and my mom?" Bela asks and Charlie looks away for a moment.
Charlie sighed, "I don't think you understand but I did worse than that—it was a lot worse. I really hurt your mom. I'm not—I'm not a good person Bela. Why do you think your mom took you and ran away? Because I was a bad person. I am a bad person. But she forgave me—that's just the type of person your mother is, strong—smart—and she has a bigger heart than I do. I'm not—I don't deserve her Bela." She was broken, and Santana deserved someone who was whole and healthy and didn't have a past with drugs, who didn't have a past of abuse. "I'm not your mother's happy ending Bela. Maybe years ago—but now I'm just—well me. People like me don't get happy endings and I'm okay with that. I have you and maybe one day your mom's friendship and that's enough for me."
Bela frowned for a moment and then shrugged, "You have to say that. You're the savior."
"Bela—I can't even save myself sometimes. I'm not the savior that you think I am." Charlie responds with a sigh. She rubs some of the dirt on her hand onto her forehead before sighing and looking at her. She was going to be honest with her daughter, even if it ruined things. Bela needed to understand why this was a bad idea. "Bela—I've hurt your mom—physically before."
Bela recoiled she didn't know that. She just thought that Charlie had hurt her mom's feelings. "You're lying! You wouldn't do that!" Bela said firmly.
"You're right—I wouldn't do that now. But I did do it, and it's not something I'm proud of. But when I say your mom and I are never going to happen—well we're never going to happen. I messed up the best thing that ever happened to me and I hurt your mom deeply." Charlie explains slowly, she can see the disbelief and then hurt in Bela's eyes.
Bela swallows and studies Charlie for a moment, "Would you ever hurt my mom again?" She needs to know if Charlie was truly sorry.
"No. I'd like to think that I'm not that person anymore Bela. But all because you say sorry doesn't make things magically better. Your mother shouldn't forget what I did, she shouldn't love me." Charlie explains to Bela who still doesn't seem convinced. "There are things you just never come back from, not really."
"My mom would totally kick your ass if you ever put your hands on her again—and then I would to." Bela said bluntly and gets up to walk away. "My mom says you're not the same person that she left and that's a good thing right. So if my mom is willing to give you a second chance you should take it, even if you think you don't deserve it." Bela calls over her shoulder.
Santana exhaled as she took a sip of her water. Today was a good day. Any day where she didn't feel like death was a good day in her books. Maybe it was a sign that she was getting better, that her body was fighting this. Especially after a week or three of bad days, this was going to be a welcome relief. Maybe she could finally do something with Bela tonight—and maybe if Charlie wanted to tag along. She had been around a lot and it felt normal almost and it feels—sort of nice. She shakes the thoughts out of her head for a moment as her phone rings and she picks up.
"You have a new client in the lobby Santana, do you want me send them up?"
Santana exhales and looks at the time, she really had wanted to call it a day early. "Alright send them up." She relaxes for a moment. She would deal with them as quickly as possible maybe she could take Bela shopping, or go for something as relaxing as a pedicure. She laughs to herself as she thinks of Charlie doing something like that now. It'd at least give her a good laugh maybe she'd invite Brittany as well it would be a nice girl's night out. She hadn't had one of those in a long time. The door to her office opens and she immediately stands up forcing the dizziness aside at the quick motion as she moves to greet her new clients only to freeze when she sees who it is. "Mr. and Mrs. Fabray." Her tone is flat as she says this and she immediately moves to sit back down.
Judy didn't let the flat tone bother her as she smiles brightly at Santana, taking the lead from her husband who couldn't exactly remember who Santana was. "Santana! It's so good to see you again. Out of all of Charlie's girlfriends you were always my favorite. How are your parents doing?"
"Still in Arizona," Santana says with a flat tone motioning for them to sit down. "They're enjoying their retirement—and thank you I think."
Judy smiled and looked around Santana's elegantly designed office, "Your parents must be so proud of you. That you went to university and you've managed to accomplish all of this."
Santana arched a brow at this statement, her father was a doctor. Her mother was a lawyer herself, why wouldn't they push her into entering a field like one of theirs? Her dad was still miffed that she hadn't gone to med school to become a doctor like he was. "Right, I imagine that you're incredibly proud of your children for going to university as well." Santana shot back. She closes her eyes, and counts to ten. She had never really liked Charlie's parents to begin with—she had tolerated them for Charlie's sake. "Why don't we get down to business?" She wanted to find out why they were here so she could get rid of them just as quickly.
Russell understood business and quickly got straight to the point. "We would like to see our granddaughter."
Santana stared at Charlie's parents for a moment. "No. Thanks for coming—please see yourself out." Santana said bluntly. Well that was quick. Maybe she could make that pedicure with Bela, perhaps it should be the two of them for some bonding.
Judy hadn't expected it and judging from the redness in his cheeks Russell wasn't expecting it either, and she immediately puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him from causing a scene. "Now Santana—"
Santana held up her hand immediately, she was so not in the mood to deal with this today of all days. "I said no. I'm not dating Charlie, and even if I was you don't have any sort of relationship with her that I need to step on eggshells to try and get your approval. I think I've made my position very clear. So we're done here." Santana said firmly. She didn't want to hear Judy trying to manipulate her emotions, nor did she want to have to deal with Russell trying to bully her.
"We just want to get to know our granddaughter," Judy explains trying to defuse the situation before it started.
Santana closed her eyes again and slowly counted to ten. She needed to keep calm. Getting angry was a surefire way to burn out her energy and she really did want to have a night with her daughter tonight. "My daughter is happy and healthy, and more importantly she knows that she is loved. I don't understand why you want to meet her. So you can give her gifts like you do with Beth? Or perhaps put insane aspirations and expectations on her?" Santana frowned. This didn't seem to be getting through to them. "Charlie and I are on the same page about this. We don't want Bela meeting the two of you. I doubt she's going to go out of her way to meet you. So can you please get out of my office and leave me and my family alone."
Russell bristled at this. "You think that we don't love our daughter? Our any of our children? I don't know what line of shit that my daughter has been feeding you but everything we did for Charlie was to help her get better. The fact that she's turning you against us, has more to do with her sickness than anything else."
Santana frowns at this, she didn't want to go toe to toe with Charlie's parents, she didn't have the energy for this and the stress would get to her quickly. "Charlie did drugs ten years ago. If you think that I don't know Charlie when she's high or when she's lying to me about something, you're sadly mistaken. I was at ground zero. Now, you want to be angry you want to be disappointed, then be my guest. But I'm Bela's parents and part of the reason I'm against this is because I don't need you poisoning her mind against Charlie. I don't need you buying her crap she doesn't need, and more importantly I don't need you making her feel unloved if she screws up."
"We tried our very best to help our daughter—"
"Understand that Bela isn't some bargaining chip, I don't want her to know you but if Charlie is willing to go to bat with you then so be it. I'll think about it. In case you don't understand what I'm saying. Fix your damned relationship with your daughter before you do anything at all. Now get the hell out of my office before I call security." Santana snaps at them and reaches for her phone.
"Are you kidding me?" Russell began his own patience wearing thin as he slammed his hand on the table only to have his wife put her hand on his. "She's our granddaughter."
Santana picks up the phone as Judy pulls her husband out. She listens to him rant until he tires himself out before she finally chooses to speak when they're in the elevator. "I don't think she's wrong—I mean you did tell Quinn to keep Charlie away from Beth. This is the exact same thing."
Russell frowns, "Not you too. I wasn't going to let a known drug addict near my granddaughter. What if she did something when she wasn't in control? Beth was a baby and before you go jumping down my throat, realize what this Santana did. She left with Charlie's child and now she thinks she's better than us, when she did the exact same thing we would have done." He exhales slowly. "After all the money we've given her?"
Judy sighs, "We don't give her money, I may put in a bit extra, but she does work for that money. I have to beg her to do the job and then most times she returns the money. Charlie doesn't take anything from us—I want to meet our granddaughter and perhaps we haven't been as in tune with our daughter as we should have. Perhaps we can at least make an effort, maybe we can do dinner with her."
AN: There's probably some Chartana happening next chapter. I dunno -checks- oh right there is. It's been awhile since I finished this story.
