"So I've been doing some light reading," Quinn stated as she dropped a stack of textbooks that she had swiped from Charlie's room. She wasn't that interested in physics but Charlie's rather intensive notes that were written in the margins of the book, and the sticky notes had allowed her to understand.

Marley frowns ever so slightly, "That's light reading?" She touches one of the textbooks, "Where did you even find them?" There wasn't a library barcode and the books did look used, so she knew that someone had used them, but it didn't seem like Quinn to buy used textbooks.

"Charlie's room," Quinn explains with a shrug of her shoulder and turns to look at Rachel. "I had to do some skimming and some digging, most of Charlie's physics books are about electricity and magnetism, but I did find a few books that dealt with sound."

"Sound? Why would Charlie be interested in that?" Rachel asks, opening one of the books and looking at the rather extensive notes, and weird doodles from Charlie.

"Microphone," Marley mumbles, looking at the notes that Charlie had taken and blinking in surprise at the level of detail and the math that Charlie had done.

Quinn immediately turns to look at Marley, "You're going to need to explain that statement."

"How do you think microphones work? Sound gets converted into electrical signals. If Charlie was looking for a way to generate electricity outside of her body it would have been worth looking into. She'd need some sort of converter of course—" Marley tilts her head, that was certainly an idea.

Quinn gently pokes Marley in the cheek and flashes her an amused smile, "Focus this is about Rachel, who actually needs our help."

Marley huffs and nods, glancing over at Rachel who seemed to be focused on Quinn, she narrows her eyes for a second before looking at Quinn who hadn't seemed to notice Rachel's attention. She immediately pushes the jealousy aside, she trusted Quinn. "So what do you have in mind?"

"Sonic weapons," Quinn said proudly looking at Rachel with a massive grin on her face, like she had just solved all of the world's problems.

"Sonic weapons?" Rachel repeats, looking at the printouts. She frowned as she flipped through the folder, her abilities were music and song based, which was a subclass of sound-based AI, but people who could manipulate sound were powerful.

Quinn nodded, she had put a lot of thought into it. "We can use it to augment your abilities, while they're still developing. At the end of the day, if I understand the textbooks, sound is merely a wave. If we can manipulate the wave, and give you an amplifier we can turn it into a weapon."

Marley pauses, "You want me to build an amp?"

"Not quite, Rachel can't go around carrying an amp, or anything that big. I was thinking that could be built into her uniform, I know I'm not Jane but I drew some designs that might give you an idea," Quinn said quickly, she could tell that something as boring as an amp would never hold Marley's interest. She would simply pass it off to Roderick to complete. She pulls out her designs from the back of the folder and pushes them towards Marley.

Marley scans them for a moment, she was always taken aback by how good Quinn was at sketching. She flicks through the sketch for a moment before tilting her head. "I mean it could work, it's going to be expensive. And I don't necessarily think it's going to impress any scouts. But I mean it shouldn't be too difficult. I know how to build an amp."

"Sectionals, is like three weeks away, how soon can you get it done?" Rachel asks, looking at Marley. "I would like to use it during practice, so I can get used to it." Lawrence and Artemis had taken over McKinley's ability training, it had been one of the many conditions Charlie had set for her return to the team.

"I mean, I could get it done this weekend, but we had plans—"

"I don't mind," Quinn interrupted. "Sectionals are only a few weeks away, and once that's done we'll have plenty of time to spend together."

Marley stared at Quinn, this was her first free weekend in what felt like forever. While she wasn't expecting a trip to LA like before, she had expected a few days with Quinn. She tilts her head to the side, and shrugs her shoulders. "I mean I can get it done, might take me all weekend," she manages in a clipped tone.

"That's great!" Rachel said smiling at Marley. "Quinn I would like to try out a few new songs, if you don't mind. I've been trying to find the right song to convey my feelings, and I find that it's easier for me to transmit emotion when I choose the correct song, but I need someone to test it on. Charlie refuses to let me get a note out during the ten minutes of hell drill." Rachel shudders as she rethinks their new drill. For ten minutes it was the Titans against Charlie. They hadn't managed to last the entire ten minutes.

"Well we have the backyard to practice, so let's practice there and give Marley some space to work," Quinn said leaning in to kiss Marley on the cheek, not noticing the look of annoyance on Marley's face. She stretches and opens the sliding glass door onto the patio with Rachel right beside her, leaving Marley at the dining table.

~ O ~

Charlie stretched as she bounded up the stairs to the porch, with her two fuzzy shadows hot on her tail. They had gone for a run and to go play in the park. It was a relatively nice day outside despite the snow, but Arte and Wolfgang had enjoyed frolicking in the snow with her and she had managed to get a bit of training done. It had been a relatively productive Saturday afternoon.

"Wipe your feet," Charlie reminds her dogs, as she enters the house and kicks off her wet snow boots and heads inside, waiting until Wolfgang and Arte enter the house before using her abilities to close and lock the door, as she makes her way to the kitchen. They would need plenty of water and food in their bowls and then they could spend the rest of the afternoon watching cartoons. She expected an empty kitchen, her mom and grandparents had gone to help Frannie, she expected to see Quinn and Marley making out on the couch or something, not to see Marley sitting alone drawing sketching some notes out. Charlie blinked and looked around the floor, but she couldn't see her twin. "Marley?" Charlie asks, causing Marley to turn to look at her. "Why are you in my house?"

"Designing some more gear for Rachel," Marley answered going back to her design, frowning she couldn't get the numbers to add up.

"Why?" Charlie asks, moving to take a look at what Marley was designing and pausing as she began to look at the equations that Marley had written out.

"Quinn thinks that Rachel needs sonic weapons to be competitive," Marley replied, shifting so Charlie could take a look at her notes.

"Your math is wrong," Charlie informed her after a moment.

"I know—" Marley snaps before closing her eyes, as Charlie picks up a pen. "I've been working on it for the past twenty minutes, while Quinn and Rachel are out in the backyard, practicing."

"You're using the wrong formula." Charlie scrawls the answer to Marley's math problem and flicks her eyes to the backyard, and sure enough there were ice pillars indicating that Quinn was definitely back there. "Do you want some relationship advice?"

Marley looked over at the math that Charlie had scribbled out, she had skipped a few steps but the math held up. She glances at Charlie, "Will your advice be as surprising as you completing advanced physics and engineering problems?"

Charlie shrugged her shoulders and pulled back as she went to the tub of dog food, and began to pour out food for Arte and Wolfgang who immediately sat at her feet, and stared at their bowls of food. "Understanding the physics of my ability lets me think up new attacks on the fly. It also fundamentally helps me understand my abilities." Charlie points out not the least bit offended by Marley's question.

"You know you don't seem the type to be reading physics textbooks," Marley admitted, but before Charlie can reply. "You have relationship advice?"

Charlie places the food bowls down and fills up their water bowl. "Talk to Quinn about it. My sister has never done this before. She does like you."

"She also is in love with Rachel."

Charlie turned to look out the window, where she spotted Quinn talking animatedly with Rachel. "That doesn't change my advice, you need to have a conversation with Quinn."

"You're not denying it?" Marley laughed, was she the only person who didn't know?

"I know that it may seem like I'm all powerful but I can't actually read minds. I don't know what Quinn feels for Rachel." Charlie places the food and the water bowls down on the ground where Arte and Wolfgang immediately attack. "Quinn's not good at relationships, this is her first one, and I knew she'd be terrible at it but I thought that since we were twins that she may have picked up something."

Marley raises a brow for a moment, everyone on the team—no everyone at school was talking about the fact that the power couple was no more. Charlie and Santana weren't speaking, they weren't spending time with one another either. Practices were getting more awkward between the two of them. "How to avoid your problems?"

Charlie makes a face, she had no idea why everyone kept asking her about Santana. It was weird that even her grandparents were asking about her. "Santana and I were never a couple, we never had a conversation where we talked about being exclusive, we never had a conversation where we talked about being in a relationship. She doesn't like me, she made that abundantly clear last week when I was making my decision, so I don't really get why everyone wants me to do something," Charlie responds, her tone conveyed the exasperation that she felt.

"Speaking of Santana—"

"I really don't want to talk about Santana."

"—she asked me to create something that could block your access to bio-electrical signals. I created a fabric that should work. She thought you were leaving the team and she wasn't going to let it be easy for you to knock off McKinley."

Charlie shrugged her shoulders, "I don't actually need to use bio-electrical signals to win a fight. So do with it as you want. Also good for Santana for trying to figure out a way to be a pain in my ass." Charlie looked outside once again before sighing, she really didn't want to get involved in the shit show that was Quinn's love life, but she couldn't just leave Marley here on her own. "I'm making food, do you want some? Unless, you're a vegan in which case you're on your own."

Marley let out a laugh, she could certainly see why Charlie was popular, "I am not a vegan, so I can eat."

Charlie nodded, she had been in the mood for burgers and making some for Marley wouldn't be a big inconvenience. She really did need to talk to Quinn about Rachel, but it really would be best if Marley did it. She didn't want to touch this shit show with a ten foot pole.

~ O ~

"How do you not have a birthing plan Frannie, you're usually on top of this!" Judy rubbed at her temples as she looked at her eldest daughter.

"I do have a birthing plan, I just haven't told you what it is," Frannie groaned, she had no idea why she had opened a portal for them. Maybe if they were actually paying for commercial flights they would think twice about coming to visit, but if she forced them to pay they would probably stay longer. "You guys are aware that I'm nearly thirty right? And I'm not financially dependent on you and haven't been since I turned eighteen? I'm not a child. You have a child at home already."

"Charlie's turning seventeen in a week," Russell pointed out. "You guys are aware that leap year babies do age right? Like you know how time works right?" He frowns and leans over towards Judy. "Is this pregnancy brain?"

Judy doesn't hesitate to swat him, "Ignore him. I know that you think that we're trying to infantilize you Frannie, but you haven't told us much about what your plan is, who the father is. What happens if you need babysitting? I know it may seem like you can do everything, but a baby is tough and we're here to help."

Frannie groaned, at least Charlie hadn't informed their parents that she had met Joe before them. "I know you want to be in the room with me mom, but it's going to be a c-section. It's elective, and because I have Brittany there won't even be a scar. The father of the child will be there with me, and I will not be using my abilities closer to the due date. In fact if you want to see me after today you're going to need to fly commercial mom."

"That's fine I'll be staying at the house closer to the due date," Judy said without even looking to check with Russell who looked rather pleased at her suggestion. She frowns, perhaps sleeping with him had given him the wrong idea. They were never ever getting back together.

Frannie glanced between her parents for a moment, "If you're both going to be here, and grandma and grandpa are going to be here, who is going to watch Thing 1 and Thing 2?"

"Don't call your sisters that," Judy sighs, even as Russell snorts at the comment. "Quinn and Charlie aren't you and Brittany, I trust them to not throw a massive party."

Frannie sighed, she wasn't going to get her way. She could spend her afternoon trying to convince them that she didn't need them, or she could wrangle expensive things out of them. "Fine."

"Have you given thought to what happens if your child is a level 5 and presents at birth?" Russell asks. "You, and Brittany didn't present at birth but Charlie and Quinn did, even if it was weak. Will there be a team of suppression AI's there? Have you been experiencing any weird skills?"

Judy blinked, "I didn't even think about that, do you know?"

"My abilities have been stable. I haven't exhibited any secondary skills that are unrelated or even related to my abilities or the fathers. That may of course change, closer to the due date. But I've been taking care of myself, my vitals are good. And in case my child does present as a level 5, then I'll deal with it at that time."

"If he does, do not sign anything that is given to you without reading it, and it will be best if your grandmother is there. The government won't try anything with her nearby," Judy said firmly.

Frannie paused and squinted her eyes as she looked at both her parents. It was cute that they were still trying to protect her, but she was an adult and no longer needed them to be her protectors. "I know about the agreement that the government has with grandma. We talked about it when I signed my first contract with the military. I get paid a very large retainer every year, and if war ever breaks out I am to take care of deployment."

Russell exchanges a look with his wife, who frowns. "Your aunt Cassandra was supposed to take up your grandmother's mantle. You girls were always supposed to be free to make whatever choice you wanted with your life. But you still need to be weary."

Frannie hesitates again and places a hand on her protruding belly. She refused to be ruled by fear. It didn't matter if it was the government, a monster, or a psychopath. She would protect her child. There was something on the horizon, and she wasn't quite sure what her grandmother's ultimate plan was. "Even though Brittany is going to heal me—I think I'll still need everyone to help, I still have nightmares of you bringing the terror twins home from the hospital. While I truly believe that my child will not be awful—" Frannie gestures with her hands.

Judy beamed, "Of course, I could never say no to spending time with my grandkid."

"I will of course have instructions when I give more thought on how I wish to raise him," Frannie frowned, she knew Joe had some opinions, but quite frankly he was a hippy and she wasn't going to simply allow her child to think that dreadlocks was an acceptable choice.

Russell frowned, narrowing his eyes at his daughter, "You're not thinking of restricting his diet? Being vegan or whatever?"

Frannie looked at her father in horror, "I was talking about playing classical music and reading age-appropriate books and never ever leaving Charlie in charge of the child. I'm hardly going to be one of those parents."

~ O ~

Blaine let out a small hiss of pain as Kurt pressed an ice pack against the massive bruise on his ribs, and he closed his eyes, wincing slightly at the how cold it felt, "Careful," he mumbles under his breath.

"I can't believe that she keeps picking on you, I thought things would change once coach Beiste was put in charge, but the rumors indicate that the Fabray's are funding a new training center for McKinley. Clearly she thinks she can get away with anything now," Kurt grumbled. At least Blaine could get medical attention at home, both of his parents were doctors. "You should be the captain of the team."

Blaine shifts his head, and turns to look up at Mercedes who was helping Kurt prep the ice packs, he had bruises all over his body. All of the damage was superficial, they had been sparing and Charlie had been pulling her punches as had he, so they wouldn't cause any serious injuries, and despite the fact that his body hurt, sparring with Charlie had been fun. "I can't be captain, I'm new no one on the team would accept it—but the only reason that Charlie is captain right now is because we want to get to nationals."

"You know she's only picking on Blaine because she and Santana broke up," Mercedes reminds Kurt. "This is probably her getting all her frustration out on him."

Blaine shook his head, "No, things have been different since Santana convinced Charlie to stay. People are actually taking training seriously, and honestly it's been a bit of fun. I thought that because it was Charlie's grandparents they would be rather strict, but we've spent the past week and a half since Charlie came back relearning our abilities and strengthening them, I mean we played dodgeball today, and Sam actually managed to use his abilities to dodge out of the way."

Kurt huffed, yesterday it had been a black eye, tomorrow it could be a broken bone. "You know you can say no right? If you think it's too dangerous."

"I want to be a hero Kurt, it's a dangerous job. I want to fight villains, I want to save people," Blaine reminded him. "Being able to go toe to toe with a level 5—I won't be able to get that training anywhere else, and I can talk to her. She's really easy to talk to, we exchange tips and stuff. She drops her hands a bit too much, exposes her chin."

Kurt frowned, "I don't see what you're getting out of this apart from bruises."

"I snagged an invite for extra training at the Fabray house, that's where both Rachel and Santana go like every weekend. I saw Santana last year at regionals and her powers have grown in a really short period of time. I didn't know Rachel back then but I think her abilities have grown since regionals. So if I do whatever special training that they have in store for me, I'm pretty sure I'll get into a top school as well," Blaine explains.

Kurt turned to Mercedes maybe she could convince Blaine that he was being taken advantage of. "Why not before sectionals?" Mercedes asks.

"What does Cooper have to say?" Kurt crosses his arms over his chest. Maybe that could convince Blaine that this wasn't the right move.

Blaine paused, Mercedes and Kurt had been super nice to him ever since he'd arrived, but it was becoming clear why Rachel had left. They simply didn't understand, everything was far to black and white. "Because I can't risk a serious injury before sectionals."

"What does Cooper have to say?" Kurt asks as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Cooper?" Blaine hesitated, Charlie and Santana had both asked him to be a pillar of McKinley's defense and offense. It was a leadership position, on a team that he had just gotten to. Dalton had never given him one—Sebastian had never given him one and either had Cooper. He really didn't want to get kicked off the team. "Cooper is having conversations with Vocal Adrenaline, I think they're paying him to you know—spy on the team."

Kurt's jaw drops, "Have you told anyone?"

"I didn't want to get kicked off the team," Blaine frowned, if he was going to be a Titan, then he needed to tell someone about this. Vocal Adrenaline was a ranked team and if they had accurate information of McKinley's weaknesses then they could exploit it.

Kurt shot a look to Mercedes, if Blaine got labelled as a traitor their recent boost in popularity would plummet. "Okay we can still salvage this—I think we need to go to Beiste. It's best if the rest of the team doesn't find out."

Blaine frowned, talking to Beiste made sense but he didn't want to hide something this important from the rest of the team. Though he could already predict how the team would react to the betrayal. Charlie would be amused, and she wouldn't care. But the rest of the team—they had just begun to trust him, this would set him back. Both Santana and Beiste had made it clear that he was only on the team because Charlie had one of her whims. "I'm going to meet with Beiste and Charlie tomorrow to let them know. If they want to alert the team there is nothing I can do about it, but having this leak is a problem that really does need to be plugged."