AN: Welcome to Stitches, some of you have already read this first chapter so thank you for being subscribed to my tumblr, or you've read it because you're a , and you've read the entire story. Thank you for being a patron.

Summary: Santana shook her head. Maybe she could borrow Charlie's phone again and break it on accident. That would give her an excuse to put such an old brick out of its misery. "Come sit down and I'll get my bag out of my car. Then I can take care of your stitches."

Song: Stitches - Shawn Mendes

Disclaimer: I own nothing

She shuffled the wrapped box in her calloused hands as she waited for the school bus to arrive. She was a good distance away from the other parents, her presence made them nervous. Maybe it was the poorly done stitch job down on her eyebrow, or the fact that it looked like someone had taken out of her ear, they had. It could also be that she was an Alpha without a mate.

Their stares don't bother her anymore, she's well aware that they're never going to accept her. It didn't mean that she didn't try. She was polite, and she tried to be as helpful as possible, when she could. She was civilized even when they thought she wasn't. She kept her distance and stayed away from the mated omegas and for the most part minded her own business. She thought that maybe if they saw that she was here, every day just waiting, someone would get curious. Someone would say something to her to start a conversation, but they didn't. They probably never would.

Her ears perk up a bit and she turns to see the yellow and black bus slowing down as it pulls into the curb and she straightens herself out a bit. It didn't bother her that they didn't like her, she wasn't that good with people anyway. She hadn't been in years. It bothered her that they took out their prejudices against her on her daughter and so maybe she didn't put in the effort she should. The doors open up and she waits patiently, not approaching the parents who are crowding by the bus entrance.

A blonde streak managed to tear away from the herd of children and made a beeline towards her, causing her to drop to one knee and open her arms as small arms wrapped around her neck tightly hugging her. "Hey there Harper, how was school today?"

"We learned about the big bang," Harper said in an excited tone and looked at the wrapped gift and grinned at her mom. "Are we going to Beth's birthday party now?"

"Yeah, she's having it at Chuck-E-Cheese remember? So you get to have pizza and play in the arcade," she replies as she stands up and offers her hand to her daughter to hold. "So you want to tell me about the big bang? Did it really go bang?"

She was met with a laugh from Harper revealing that she was missing her two bottom teeth, "No silly—but it was an explosion. So maybe it did go bang—I've never seen things explode before," Harper explains crinkling her nose and looks up at her mother noticing the injury from the night before. "How's your cut? Is it getting better?"

She touched the stitched up wound on her eyebrow absentmindedly, "Of course, give it a few days and it'll be all better. Now what have I told you about worrying about me?"

"It's not my job," Harper whines. "It's your job to worry about me," Harper shakes her head not pleased with this. Charlie was her only mom, she didn't have another one.

"That's right," Charlie says and gently taps Harper's nose. She moves down to her car and opens the door for her daughter, noticing her hesitation. "Don't worry it's fixed," Charlie insists. "I did it myself."

"There was smoke the last time," Harper reminds her, and her mother had ordered her out of the car.

"I fixed it, I promise and the next fight I win, I promise we're going to get a new car." Just the parts for fixing this one had taken a huge chunk out of her winnings from last time and she wasn't sure if she had enough for food this week for the two of them. It simply meant that she'd have to eat as much pizza as she could and make sure that Harper had all three meals. She just needed to tell her daughter that she was trying to make weight.

"Really? Can I help pick it out?" This seemed to distract Harper enough to get into the car and she let her mom help her with her seatbelt.

"Obviously, we have to make sure it's cool right?"

"Right," Harper laughed again.

Charlie smiled, ignoring the pain in her face as she did and handed Harper the wrapped present. "Don't worry we got her a cool gift." Charlie promises. Thirty bucks for some toy that Harper insisted that Beth would love. She hadn't minded back then, they had been ahead this month until the car broke down. It was going to be a tight month but they got through it. They had for the past six years. She takes Harper's backpack and lunchbox and places them in the back seat before she gets into the driver seat.

"Are grandma and grandpa coming?" Harper asks as the car starts, she stares waiting for a plume of smoke to sputter out from the engine but it didn't and she relaxed. All her mom needed to do was win again and they could get a new car.

"Of course, you know how they love spending time with their favorite granddaughters—but uh, Harper, let's not tell them about the car breaking down alright? They're, old we don't want to worry them."

Harper nods and zips her lips closed, pretending to toss away the key. "Okay," she grins when her mom holds out her pinky. "I pinky-swear." Her small finger curls around Charlie's and they shake on it.

If her parents knew they would insist on buying her a new car, and she would never be able to pay them back. They'd say it was a gift or a simple assurance into Harper's safety, but she was an alpha she had to provide for her family. She was too proud to go to them to come bail her out. She wasn't a teenager anymore. Besides they had done enough, she rented an apartment from them. They would only take five hundred a month for the small two bedroom, but at least she was giving them something. Even when things were tight, she still managed to get her rent in on time every single month, despite her parents saying that it was okay to be late.

Charlie watched from beside the food table as Harper ran with Beth and a couple of the other kids ran toward a giant flashing arcade game. She took another slice of pizza, feeling only a little bad that she was filling up but it was sucky pizza and Quinn and Rachel were loaded. She kept an eye on her daughter, not wanting to impede her opportunity to have fun with the other kids, but places like this were creepy and she wasn't going to let her guard down just because they were at a kids' arcade. She saw Quinn glance over at her out of the corner of her eye and rolled her eyes when her twin approaches her. She didn't need Quinn's pity, she was an alpha too and she took damn good care of her daughter.

"I'm surprised you came." Quinn admits, looking over the more obvious of Charlie's injuries with a frown. She had long ago given up trying to convince Charlie she didn't have to fight to make a living, but it didn't mean she accepted it.

Charlie shrugged. "Harper wanted to be here." She also had about a million texts from her mother about this party and given the amount of free babysitting she milked out of her parents, it was the least she could do.

Quinn rolls her eyes. She loved her niece, but she wasn't delighted that Charlie was here. Regardless, she had followed her parent's pleas and had invited every single parent she knew. And yet her twin stood next to the food. No wonder she was still unmated. "Have you tried talking to any of the other parents?" She suggested pointedly.

"No. I'm not here to make friends." Charlie frowned when Harper ran beyond her view with some of the other kids to the far corner of the arcade. "It's not like I would have anything in common with them."

Quinn scoffs. "Everyone here is a parent. What more do you want?"

"I don't want anything." Charlie smirks when she looks at some of the other parents. "And I especially don't want to mingle with a bunch of betas." She spat the last word out like it left a bad taste on her tongue.

Quinn didn't know what problem Charlie seemed to have with betas, but she was tired of this regular fight. "There are some omegas here too." She notes.

"I should go check on her—"

"She's fine." Quinn assures. "Let her be a kid for a few minutes."

Charlie bristles. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She would give her life for her daughter and she might be a fuck up in a lot of areas, but she didn't fuck up when it came to Harper. She was a good mother and even though she wished she could do more for her kid, they got by.

But Quinn was an alpha too and wasn't about to back down. "It means that she's a seven year old omega who shouldn't be trying to take care of her deadbeat mom."

"Fuck you." Charlie snarls at her. She wants to say more but when people turn to look at them she quiets down, she wasn't going to make a scene at Beth's birthday. She did actually like her and Beth didn't seem to be afraid of her.

Quinn shrugged, she could think of so many biting comments to add but she choose not to, instead smiling to show everyone that everything was fine. That her unmated sister wasn't going to go on a murderous rampage. She eyed Charlie carefully and took a step back just to be safe, she probably wasn't. "You need to find a mate."

"I'm not a deadbeat, I provide for my kid. I help her with her homework, I make sure she had clean clothes and I take care of her," Charlie manages to defend herself. "I didn't abandon her."

Quinn sighs, "You're right, I'm sorry. But my point stands, you're an alpha. Harper is an omega, she does worry about you. You're the only alpha in her life and you don't have an omega of your own. Which means she's going to worry, she's going to try and take care of you, it's what she's hardwired to do. You need to find a mate Charlie, so she can just be a kid."

Charlie shifts, she doesn't want to admit that Quinn as a point. "We're fine being on our own." she says finally. They look out for each other. All she needed to do was start winning fights again and they'd be okay.

Quinn pinches the bridge of her nose, they've had this conversation—no argument before and she can't be bothered to have it again. Not at Beth's party. "Look mom and dad made me invite all my single omega friends, can you just—I don't know talk to one? So they can get off my back?"

Charlie glanced over again, they were mingling with the Beta's and she clenched her fist tightly, "I'll think about it," she says finally.

"Don't think about it, just do it," Quinn said and glanced at the pizza that Charlie had been picking at. Beth loved it but honestly the pizza tasted like cardboard that had some cheap cheese and tomato sauce dumped on it. She wonders if money is tight again this month, she would offer to buy Charlie groceries but she knows her twin would never accept it. She didn't understand why Charlie had to be so difficult half the time. She grumbles and goes to find Rachel. She needed her mate so she didn't feel the urge to smack Charlie upside the head for being so frustrating.

She didn't understand how it happened, Charlie had been bright she could have gone on to become a lawyer or a doctor, or maybe even president. But just as they were entering high school, things derailed for her twin. She started skipping class, withdrawing from life. She got expelled twice for viciously beating up other alpha's and a few beta's. She joined up with the wrong crowd and eventually dropped out of school. Her father tried to be stern with her to get her ass back into gear, but she simply left. Dropped out of their lives completely. Until two years later when she had come home carrying a child.

Charlie grinds her teeth but chooses to stay quiet. "I'm going to go check on Harper," She declares, entering the arcade. She wasn't going to say anything, she was just going to watch from afar and make sure her daughter was having fun and none of the damn Beta parents were talking to her.

Quinn shakes her head, she wasn't sure why she even bothered. It's not like Charlie had ever listened to her before. Soft arms circle around her waist and her irritation almost entirely disappears. This was why alphas needed omegas.

"She'll find a mate in her own time." Rachel assures. It unnerves her, a little, to see Quinn this upset. But after years of family functions, she's used to Quinn's frustrations regarding her twin. Charlie wasn't a bad alpha, not like movies and the media made most unmated alphas seem. She was just lost.

Quinn sighs and leans back against her mate. "I doubt it, but it's not worth worrying about."

Rachel's about to counter, pointing out how important Charlie's happiness is to Quinn when a familiar face breezes by.

"Sorry I'm late." Quinn's best friend, Santana deposits the large gift she's carrying on the floor beside the food table.

"No you're not." Quinn scoffs. Santana is almost never on time, so she honestly hadn't been expecting her for another half hour. She eyes the present on the floor, "Please tell me that isn't something ridiculously expensive and impractical."

Santana smirks, "Fine I won't tell you," she laughs easily at the huff that Quinn makes and grins at Rachel who sighs. "What? You just told me that I had to be here for whatever reason. So where's the little lizard?" Santana asked. "She should totally come say hello to her auntie Snixx."

"It's her birthday party, we're at Chuck-E-Cheese's, where do you think she is?" Quinn said waving towards the arcade. "You'll see her when you see her—must you really get her big expensive presents?"

"Yep. Who else am I going to spoil rotten?" Santana asked, there was another laugh. "Did you really need to have it here? She does know that this place has the worst—"

Rachel grimaces. "I know, the food here is deplorable. But honestly, Santana, Beth has plenty of toys and hardly needs any more expensive gifts." She joins her wife in chastising their friend, unaware that Santana was no longer paying attention. Santana was hopelessly single, and while that didn't carry the stigma for an omega like it did for an alpha, she just hoped that one day Santana could find the right person.

"You okay?" Quinn asked, watching Santana carefully.

"Yeah—there's an alpha here—" she blinks and turns back to them, the smile back on her face. "How do I look? And yes Quinn, I am going to try and pick someone up at your daughter's birthday party. And to answer the question you're about to ask, I have absolutely no shame. I thought we already knew this."

"No, no, you are not doing this. The only alphas here are my Dad and my twin sister." Quinn shuddered at the thought.

Santana frowned. She hadn't ever smelt anything like this, but it was just her luck that it came from one of two mated alphas. "Well I certainly don't want to be your future step-mother, that would be awkward," Santana smirked. "Although—"

"Gross," Quinn interrupted shaking her head. She didn't want to think about it and her parents were happily mated. Santana wouldn't be able to break that bond.

But Santana loved getting under Quinn's skin. "Come on, Q. I thought you said I needed to find an alpha."

"Not at my daughter's birthday party, you don't." Quinn groused. Why were they friends again? She had only invited Santana to come because Beth wanted her here. She definitely didn't want to parade her best friend in front of her disaster of a twin.

Rachel hit Quinn's arm softly. "But Charlie's here."

"The mysterious twin with the kid?" Santana clarified. "Why do I care about yet another mated Fabray?"

Rachel blinked and turned to Quinn, "You never told her?" she questions her mate.

"Never told me what?" Santana frowned glancing at Quinn who looked away. She turns back to Rachel, if Quinn was going to keep being mysterious about her twin sister then she was going to get some answers. "Hobbit."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the nickname. This was ridiculous, Santana was a grown up. She doubted anything would come of it, but she might as well tell Santana. "Charlie doesn't have a mate,"

"But she has a kid." Santana frowned. It wasn't unheard of, but it was rare for an alpha to be a single parent. Typically that only happened if the alpha's mate died, but she had heard of them where the alpha had a kid with an unmated omega who later mated with a different alpha. The only reason she knew the second one could even happen was because it had been part of a question on her public health exam back in med school.

Quinn frowned, her family didn't exactly discuss this publicly. It was a bit of an embarrassment, and truthfully it wasn't anyone else's business. But this was Santana, they had been friends for years. She was sort of Beth's unofficial godmother. "She never mated so far as I know. Honestly I don't know most of the details, all I know is she got an omega pregnant. The omega dumped the kid on her. Here we are seven years later. I don't know the name of the omega or even how much contact she has with her, probably not a lot." Quinn shrugged. It's news to Santana and she can practically hear the gears in her head turning. "Don't, you're my best friend and Charlie is well—Charlie. I love her, don't get me wrong but—" Quinn didn't know how to describe it. She didn't know her twin as well as she used to. Not anymore. It was rare to see her unless she need some babysitting or they bumped into each other during family get-togethers, sort of like this one.

Santana slapped Quinn's shoulder with the back of her hand. "I can't believe you."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I don't care if you can't believe me. She's my sister and you're my best friend. It's her business and she's a pretty private person. It wasn't any of your business."

Santana went to retort, only to stop as a blonde woman approached, scratching the back of her neck. "So is the cake here?" Harper was fine, and had beaten her in some silly arcade game. It had probably made her day. She pauses and notices that her sister and Rachel were talking to someone else and her eyes fall on an omega. They linger for a moment just a brief moment before she turns back to Quinn promptly ignoring the omega. "So cake?"

"The cakes been here for over an hour." Quinn frowned, folding her hands over her chest and pointing to the food table. "You should know. You've been standing next to it the whole time."

"Oh." Charlie's brow furrowed. "Then what—?"

Santana eyed Quinn's twin closely. They really were identical. Well, other than the badly stitched eyebrow and the fact that Charlie was clearly more defined than her twin. "Santana Lopez." She seductively purred, holding out her hand in introduction.

"Oh. Hi." Charlie swallowed thickly, somewhat surprised that she was practically salivating. This was ridiculous, she wasn't some sixteen year old child who couldn't control her hormones in the presence of some unclaimed omega. She met unclaimed omegas all the time and it was never a big deal. She refused to think that her body's responses could mean anything else.

"Hi." Santana sniffed the air slowly. This was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Half of the reason she was friends with Quinn in the first place was because she smelled better than most of the pea-brained alphas she had met. But this? It was almost heavenly, almost as if—oh shit. It was almost as if this alpha was her mate. "Quinn's told me a lot about you." She lies. They've been friends for years and the things she knows about Charlie could fit on a post-it.

"That's surprising." Charlie frowned at her twin, "I was pretty sure Quinn pretends like I don't exist."

Santana laughs even as Quinn looks away at the truth of the statement. "Nonsense. You're a fighter, right?" She guessed, actually having no idea. It was a guess, but it was broad enough that she could use it to find out more about her.

Charlie nods carefully. Most omegas would have dismissed her by now or offered some judgmental comment, but Santana's still looking at her like she expects to carry on this conversation. "Yeah, I um," She scratches at her sore ear out of habit, "I fight twice a week at a club on the east-side."

"I bet you win a lot." Santana surmised.

"I do okay." Charlie shrugged and fell silent. She knows she's being awkward, but at least she's not being rude—hopefully that will be enough to keep Quinn off her back for a while. She notices Rachel glaring at her and sighs, she doesn't really want to do this in front of her family—especially not when she knows that there are a couple of topics that will send even the omegas with the best of intentions running for the hills. "I support my daughter, so it's enough."

But instead of excusing herself politely, which Charlie expects, Santana simply smiles. "Harper, right? Beth talks about her cousin all the time."

Charlie tries not to outwardly react but eyes the new woman carefully. "And how do you know Beth?" She hopes it comes out somewhat conversationally, but based on the other woman's smirk it sounds a little too protective.

"She's my best friend, dumb ass." Quinn grumbled. She didn't like this one bit. She had seen Santana on the prowl, but she was mostly harmless most of the time. She was a terrible flirt and she had a string of broken-hearted betas in her wake, but they had known each other since college and she was a terribly loyal friend. But seeing Santana make googly eyes at her twin sister was just a little too much for her to bear.

"Santana works at the hospital." Rachel explained for Charlie, trying to prod this conversation along. It was almost painful to watch, but the more that she thought about it, the more that Santana and Charlie might make sense together. She had an instinct about these sort of things.

"As a nurse?" Charlie guessed.

Santana narrowed her eyes at the alpha. "Why? Because omegas can't be doctors?"

"No." Charlie held up her hands defensively, realizing that she had put her foot in her mouth. "I mean, sure they can. Fuck, I'm sorry. That sounded rude. I was just thinking maybe I could get you to take a look at my stitches, but I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Charlie's never been a fan of doctors," Rachel says trying to help the conversation along.

Santana eyed the stitches and moved closer, well so long as Charlie was never officially on her table, then she was probably okay on a purely ethical basis. The last thing she needed was to get in trouble with the state-licensing board. "Is that string?" She asked slightly horrified, it was about the worst stitch job that she had seen.

"Uh. I ran out of superglue and the sewing kit was a dollar at the gas station. I'm just wondering if it'll hold for my fight tomorrow night?"

Santana frowned, blinking back the lust from her brain. The stitches would probably burst open if there was stress applied, it was just string after all. But she had noticed the almost imperceptible limp, the labored breathing and the bruises on her fists. "No it probably won't—"

Charlie frowned at this a bit, "Alright, I'll pick up some super-glue or something on the way home." That was five dollars that she couldn't really afford but she couldn't afford to be blinded by her own blood later. She had been on a losing streak lately and while she was a popular fighter, you could only lose so much before the fans started to abandon ship.

"You really shouldn't be fighting with your injuries."

"Yeah, well I've got to pay the bills somehow." Charlie bristles.

Santana sighs. Leave it to her to find a mate who is a stubborn idiot. She smiles charmingly, hoping to defuse some of Charlie's frustration. "Well if you insist on fighting, and promise not to tell anyone, maybe I can stitch it up for you?" It was a little closer to a breach of doctor-patient ethical standards, but she was pretty sure no one would find out about it.

Charlie glanced at Quinn who simply rolled her eyes, "Okay—how much?"

Santana blinked the smile fading, as she heard Quinn groan loudly. "How much for what?" She was confused.

"For the stitches?" Charlie explained slowly. Nothing in this world was free, she didn't like to take charity from anyone.

Santana glanced at Quinn for a moment, she looked close to banging her head against a wall and she turns back to Charlie and the flirtatious grin is back. "Just a date," Santana said, she heard Quinn groan again. She was probably going to have to listen to Quinn bitch at her for days.

"Oh," Charlie said and rubbed the back of her neck. "I uh—don't do that anymore." Charlie mumbles.

Quinn's eyes widen a bit at the implication of Charlie's words. "What do you mean anymore?" When had things gotten so bad that Charlie had resorted to selling her body to get money or goods. Was that how Harper was conceived? Did she still do it now? Was that how she paid for Beth's birthday present? "Charlie—"

Santana laughs easily, "Well aren't you forward. I was thinking dinner maybe drinks. Maybe if the date was going well I'd let you cop a feel."

Charlie frowned and rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't do that—I have to take care of Harper. So um thanks but I guess no thanks." Charlie said. "Anyway I should probably go check on Harper again. It was uh—nice meeting you Santana."

"We'll watch Harper, how does tomorrow night sound? Charlie, you said you have your fight, maybe Santana could come and watch you and you could do dinner afterward?" Rachel cut in.

Charlie frowned. She did need someone to watch Harper and had been planning on asking Quinn after the party since her parents were apparently doing some important thing. Rachel arched her brow expectantly and Charlie had a vague feeling like she was being bribed. "I'm not usually much fun after a fight." She admits.

Santana shrugs. She'll be coming off a fourteen-hour shift herself so she might not be that pleasant either, but she's not about to let this chance slip away. "I don't mind. Friday is great. What time is your fight?"

"Six?" Charlie wasn't quite sure what exactly was happening here, but based on Rachel and Santana's triumphant smile she was pretty sure she had lost. "I usually walk—"

"I'll pick you up." Santana offered. This was getting better and better.

Charlie nodded, finally running out of excuses. "I'll—write down the details for you," Charlie mumbles.

"Just text it to me, here let me see your phone," Santana said holding her hand out and watches as Charlie hesitates before pulling out an old flip phone. Santana blinks and takes it, she had one of these back when she was a kid. She was sure she still knew how it worked probably. She moves to the contacts and inserts her name, though it takes forever, but she finally hands it back to Charlie. "There you go. Just text me the details and I'll meet you."

"Great." Charlie said flatly.

Santana shook her head. Maybe she could borrow Charlie's phone again and break it on accident. That would give her an excuse to put such an old brick out of its misery. "Come sit down and I'll get my bag out of my car. Then I can take care of your stitches."

"Here?" Charlie looked around. "You want to do it here?"

"Do you want to come to the hospital?" Santana countered, smirking when Charlie paled. She's not sure she's ever felt the desire that so many mated omegas describe, but now maybe she gets it. She just wants to help Charlie. Not like in a weird stalkery way—she really hopes she didn't come off as weird stalkery, but she's hot so maybe nobody noticed—she wants to take care of her. Charlie moves over to the seat that Santana had pointed out and she trots back to her car to retrieve her spare supplies.

She shakes her head and shuts the door to her car, it's ridiculous and she's not some lonely spinster that watches too many romantic dramedies. She barely knows Charlie, this probably doesn't mean anything. But Charlie just seems so lost that Santana can't help but want to fix her. She tries to ignore the little voice in the back of her head that seems to be crying out for Charlie to recognize her as her mate. According to Quinn, alpha's just sort of knew. So what was Charlie's excuse? Probably and most likely one to many blows to the head.

"Santana you can't simply stitch Charlie up in front of the kids! What are you thinking?" Quinn hisses at her. "You'll scar them for life."

"No I won't, in fact they'll love it. Hey kids who wants to see me give someone stitches!" Santana calls out to the children who suddenly turn to her. "It'll be fun. Well for me, not really for you." Santana says to Charlie patting her on the shoulder.

"You're going to stitch up my mom?" A voice cuts through the crowd and Santana turns to look at the three foot tall girl with two missing teeth.

"I am, I was going to do a half buried vertical mattress suture, so it doesn't leave a scar. That way your mom can still look pretty later," Santana explains to Harper who moves even closer.

"My mom has lots of scars." Harper murmurs to herself.

Santana smirks. "Well that's because she didn't have me to stitch her up." She's aware that some people might call her cocky, but she's just honest. She looks over at Charlie. "I have a local anaesthetic we could use, but—"

"Just do it." Charlie closes her eyes. She doesn't like needles, but it's not like it can hurt any worse than it did when it happened. She hisses at the pricking and pulling sensation against her sore flesh, trying to ignore the almost overpowering scent coming from Santana. It would almost be easier if it were disgusting, she's used to the smells at the gym of body odor and sweat. This is deliciously sweet with an almost mysterious kick to it that Charlie craves more of. But there's no way that Santana is—she's just sore and nearly delirious from lack of sleep. And even if she was—well Santana was a doctor and she was just a fighter, barely making any money at all.

She wasn't ashamed of who she was, she knew what she was and she had come to terms with it. There was nothing that Santana could see in her. She winces a bit and keeps her eyes closed. Then there was Harper. It was just the two of them and it was how she liked it, she simply couldn't risk it. Harper was her daughter and she'd take care of her. She didn't have time to date, and she wasn't going to invite someone into her life that could break Harper's heart, or worse.