Tuesday December 24th
Christmas eve
8am
"just a quick question, Lucy absolutely still believes in Santa, how are we going to fake that" asks Cat
"with Christmas magic obviously" says Zoey
"but that doesn't exist, I've had to fake it for her" says Cat
"ok fine, if you must know, I set up a secret Santa for Lucy and Trisha, they were asked to submit their biggest Christmas wishes to Chase and he'd mail it off to Santa, everything has arrived as of this morning" says Quinn
"how'd you get Lucy to believe that" asks Cat
"I told her that Santa isn't allowed on campus, that usually everyone is home for Christmas and if he stopped here other kids might not get presents in time so he would approve them and I'd buy them and be her Santa this Christmas but they'd still be from Santa, she didn't seem to question it" says Quinn as Valerie arrives
"hey Cat, is Lucy up yet" asks Valerie
"prove you don't have your gun on you first, that was the deal" says Cat as Valerie puts her hands up as Andre searches Valerie
"huh so that's why they call searches invasive, it's different being on the receiving end, Logan got out last night, he escaped so yes I had my gun on me when I arrived last night, I didn't trust that he wouldn't try and get onto the property overnight so I had the Malibu squad on duty covering the highway accessible area but I left the gun with Charles Rivers, I swear I don't have it on me, Quin assured me this dorm is secure" says Valerie
"Andre what's the verdict" asks Cat
"unless it's inside her body it's not on her" says Andre
"that would be a serious problem if I had Andre, I'm not that stupid, I'd be in the hospital, I wear gloves when I'm using the gun for a reason, I'm allergic to the coating they use on the guns" says Valerie
"what's changed auntie, why suddenly agree to compromise now, you've had lots of time, every day you didn't compromise was a day Lucy trusted you less" says Cat
"partly the investigation I was working on, it ended last week, the other part was I didn't understand exactly why me having the gun on me terrified Lucille so much, David finally explained it to me two days ago, I didn't realize she felt the gun was pointed at her, in the moment I didn't know she was a baby, it wasn't until you spoke to me in near perfect Italian that I realized she was a baby, I'd never intended to scar her like that, I feel like it's my fault Logan got to her" says Valerie
"no auntie it's not your fault Logan got to her, nor is it Dustin's fault, she's always been submissive in nature, all is fine until someone even slightly raises their voice on her, I had to use that to make sure she didn't take extra baby food when we were on the streets, I only had enough for two days worth and she had a tendency to grab three days worth, all Logan had to do was raise his voice and she would do anything he asked but he went farther and grabbed her by her neck and raised her up to his level, she was unconscious in a about a minute, nobody could have done anything, not without putting ourselves at risk, now there's something you should know about her situation…." Says Cat as Valerie cuts her off
"she's in a triad like relationship, I know, Eichner told me, I don't have a problem with it as long as she's happy and she's allowed to deny consent" says Valerie
"she is and she does, she won't be down here for about half an hour, give or take ten minutes" says Cat
"why" asks Valerie
"Sofie, the trans girl in the relationship just had the final surgery to fully present as a girl, something she's been dreaming about since she was four, to look on the outside as she feels she is on the inside, the doctor prescribed twice daily dilation to continue forming IT down there and Lucy's been helping, however it is painful at times for Sofie so Lucy's been offering her outer kitten for licking as a treat to distract her from the pain" says Cat
"and you approve of Lucy doing such a thing" asks Valerie
"it may be unconventional auntie but I've asked Sofie about it specifically, she's adamant that she only licks the outside and doesn't push inside, therefore legally not sex and you can't do anything, technically it's just exploration, technically not illegal at their age, besides Lucy's always been more sexually oriented than kids her age, Logan didn't push it further, if anything what he did pulled it back in some ways" says Cat
"what about Dustin" asks Valerie visibly nervous
"no, they self play naked while watching one another but in general that's as far as they get, unless he's helping Lucy bikini wax his hands never get anywhere near her kitten, tomorrow is the only day Zoey and I agreed to let all three of them touch their special areas but Zoey and I have made it quite clear what will and will not be tolerated, in the future they must let Zoey or I have three days notice before voluntary 'touching day' as Lucy calls it, three days time for either Zoey or I to say no, of which Zoey and I have agreed to say no the majority of the time, I suppose you disagree with my method of raising Lucy" says Cat
"I do disagree, however I'm not in a position to judge, I've not been a great mother to my own kids as of late, let alone you and Lucy, you know her better, you did raise her, you'd know how likely she is to break rules" says Valerie
"believe me she acts like she'll break rules but she butts right up to them but is too scared to cross the line, every time her actions push the idea that she'll break a rule this time and yet every time she butts against the rule she pulls back, Cat's parenting strategies may be unconventional but she's proven that Lucy will respect and trust her word and that's huge, Sofie and Dustin follow Lucy's model, if a rule isn't broken by Lucy they don't push to break it either" says Andre as security plates drop and latch over all the door and windows
"what's going on, this looks like bank security tech" asks Valerie looking around as the red security lights turn on
"Quinn's security system, they're the reason this dorm is considered secure, it's probably another false alarm, they were installed on all the dorms on Friday as a security precaution, you know school shootings on the rise and all" says Zoey as Quinn walks over
"what's the situation Quinn" asks Valerie
"your squad accidentally let Logan onto the property but quickly realized the mistake and messaged me, all dorms are locked down as is the campus meaning Logan won't be getting away, not even by helicopter, extremely powerful lasers are essentially blocking sky access meaning Logan will be recaptured, any helicopter will be essentially destroyed on sight unless they signal a clear code, the lasers are FBI controlled, recommended by Malcolm to make sure PCA was safe and Logan would see justice, very few buildings are left insecure, that said very few staff are actively on the campus at the moment so everyone is currently safe, word of advice, don't get too close to the windows, they're not one hundred percent bullet proof, I couldn't afford to front that much money, the board of directors is paying me back but still, I don't have that much fluid cash but the company is letting me trade up to bulletproof when I get that extra cash" says Quinn
"what's the percentage" asks Valerie
"seventy-five percent, its an extra ten grand per dorm and I don't have that kind of money" says Quinn
"but I do" says Maddie snuggling Beck
"I can't ask you for that kind of money, that's half your paycheck" says Quinn
"I'm a student here now and so is Cassidy, who by the way is defenseless in more than a few ways, don't think of it as loaning you the money, think of it as Cassidy and I investing in our safety, Cassidy is dating Chase now to it makes sense to protect the entire campus, though I have to ask why you didn't protect the movie theatre with bulletproof steel" says Maddie
"that would cost half a million dollars in steel plating just on its own Maddie, besides Rivers has an automatic door locking system in place for that, also this place wasn't originally a school, at least not entirely, this was a school for the one percent back in the day, essentially what I'm saying is underneath my feet, exactly where I'm standing is a bomb shelter that was extremely over engineered and was revamped after the Japanese bombing of Pearl harbor, in this exact spot in each dorm there is a ladder, by locking down the main dorms we could all go down there in an emergency" says Quinn
"and Charles Rivers knows you know about the bomb shelter" asks Valerie
"absolutely, and as of last night one student per dorm was given a key and shown how to get into the bunker, powering it is why Paige was allowed to install her patented generator, it's been completely cleaned over the recent summer months and is completely habitable, which by the way is why I'm mentioning it, last night Lucy, Sofie and Dustin wanted to look around down there, Zoey wanted cuddles so I must have accidentally locked them in, it's a maze but it does get cell reception via boosters, the one thing they didn't have on them was a charger but there is a pa system we can contact them through, let's get going" says Quinn as she moves four tiles and unlocks the stairwell to the bunker as everyone else arrives to follow them
"you don't actually expect me to follow you do you" asks Valerie feeling the walls close in
"it's bigger than it looks, especially once we get below the ceiling, Nicole also has Claustrophobia issues and she is fine once she's in the bunker, we've been in and out a few times this month to get used to it, Carly also made the trek on Sunday to get used to it and also had no problems, as long as Logan doesn't have an automatic rifle on him all entrances are safe, oh and a girl in another dorm by the name of Isabella Valentine wants to talk to you, she'll be down there and at the moment that's the only way to talk to her" says Quinn as Valerie's face turns ash white
"who's Isabella" asks Paige as Valerie reluctantly follows them into the bunker
"Cat's older sister, a daughter my sister had two years before Cat but Isabella lived with her uncle in Pasadena at the time of the accident, she doesn't get along with Cat very well but her being at PCA is why I put the cash in for Lucy and Cat to come here, even if tense Cat and Lucy having family here would make the transition easier" says Valerie
"is this really the only safe option" asks Paige feeling scared as Carly nods in agreement
"I can't guarantee Logan doesn't have someone at PCA working to help him, though it certainly isn't Isabella, she's the person that came with proof of what Logan was doing to Lucy and she was furious, she insisted that she would try to kill him, unfortunately she was unable to get close to him" says Quinn as they enter the big bunker complex
"whoa this is huge" says Paige in awe
"it was designed to hold LA city council as well as the LA port authority in case of a serious bomb threat or nuclear threat, one moment, Dustin Brooks, please respond with your room number" says Quinn, saying that last part into the PA system
"room R Ten" says Dustin over the PA in response
"return to Hallway RS at the first possible moment, Isabella Valentine proceed to Hallway RS, Chief Valentine is with us" says Quinn over the PA system
"on my way Quinny" responds Isabella on the PA
"wait did she call you Quinny" asks Zoey clearly upset
"adding Y's to names is kinda her thing Zoey, she calls me Ca-tiny and Lucille Lucilly, she's dyslexic so pronouncing names is sorta hard, like Lucy she is into the neko thing, though unlike Lucy, Isabella isn't afraid to wear it in public, she's the girl with the cat ears and ragdoll onesie and the felt skirt" says Cat
"ohhh that's the cat girl's name, I thought it was someone else, she doesn't talk to Zoey" says Nicole in realization
"she was on the wrong side of the backpack thing, though not because she didn't like them but because Stacy was part of her friend group and even though she wasn't friends with Stacy she feels Zoey would assume being associated with Stacy even barely means if she tried to talk to Zoey that Zoey would attack her so she makes herself stand out to make it awkward to talk to her" says Quinn as Isabella runs towards them
"you know she's actually cute in that outfit" says Cat as Isabella hugs Cat the moment she arrives at the group
"thanks Ca-tiny, it's not often that you compliment me" says Isabella
"you heard that…., I didn't mean it I swear" says Cat only half joking
"even joking it's still technicallyy a complimenty" says Isabella clinging onto Cat
"when will Lucy, Dustin and Sofie join us" asks Quinn
"the room they fell asleep in has a rather cozy bed, they slept in, Lucy had wanted to explore more of the bunker, they're doing the dilation thing, they'll meet up with us when they're finished, Dustin said Sofie's doctor was veryy adamanty about the schedule and that Christmas was no excuse to change it" says Isabella
"it is important, I assume you wanted to tell me something Izzy" asks Valerie
"unkie might not make it, he heard about the reese trial and that Cat and Lucy were victims, he had a heart attack, the ambulance just barely made it to him in time to stabilize himy, he's in hospital for chrithmas, he wanted to spend what might be his last days with you, get some stuff off his chest and tell you where his will is" says Isabella taking her time so the message gets across
"he never was one to go through things on his own, he's a very caring person, though he was closer to your mom than me, when you were staying with him he was battling cancer, the same cancer he had when he was little, your mom was glued to his side the first time round, they were twins but still, you have your mom's nose and eyes, Cat has her voice and both you and Lucy share her love of Japanese cat girl culture, he's had bad heart attacks before, they always feel worse because the cancer was blood cancer called leukemia, his arteries do not work as efficiently as they could, two bouts of leukemia make it even worse, he's survived before, I'll spend the morning here and head to the hospital after, he has a tendency to worry about things way too much, Chase's testimony alone is likely to sink Logan, Quinn, you're certain he can't get in here" says Valerie
"unless someone here helps him no he can't get in, if I'd let myself make the password then maybe he'd get in but I had Andre and his dad create it, I don't even know the password in its entirety, based on what I do know, he'd never guess it" says Quinn as Dustin, Lucy and Sofie appear in the distance
"IZZY" screams Lucy, running to hug her
"are you ok" asks Isabella
"we're fine but Lucy's a little spooked, she'd heard chatter from Chase that Logan escaped and is on the property" says Dustin as Valerie's phone goes off and she checks it
"indeed but the message I just received says he was taken back into custody, they had to surround him and use a stun gun but still, he'll be off the property in half an hour" says Valerie
"h-half an hour" asks Lucy nearly whispering because she's so scared
"unfortunately the FBI is busy so there aren't currently any agents in the area, they're all at the jail investigating how he managed to escape" says Valerie
"oh that's easy, he paid off the prison guard, or at least promised to" says Chase as he walks over with Cassidy
"if that's true he might be dead if they return him to that prison" says Valerie
"if I had money to bet on it I would, it's kind of his thing, if the lawyer hadn't confirmed to Jade that the money was allocated for pain and suffering I wouldn't trust Logan's word that he set money aside, when it comes to money you shouldn't trust a word that comes out of his mouth" says Chase
"can we go back upstairs, as much as the bed was comfortable, I really don't want to stay down here, it's lonely" says Lucy as Andre gets a text
"not until my dad comes to pick up Logan, as much as my dad hates it given the crimes Logan committed, a prisoner tried to kill him shortly before Logan escaped, Logan used the threat to his life as an excuse for temporary freedom, that explains why he got captured so easily" says Andre
"does the attacker have any connections to us" asks Nicole
"funny you'd be the one to ask, does the name Zarah Bristow mean anything to you" says Andre as Lucy suddenly seems distracted
"my brother, I figured it might me him, he's never liked Logan, before he was arrested he used to say that if Logan ever did anything, even something small that he'd make Logan pay, the fact that he raped Lucy and Trisha would only make his blood boil, if he gets a chance Logan will be dead and he will have no regrets about taking a life" says Nicole
"what's up with Lucy, she seems distracted, she's talking to herself" asks Valerie
"forgotten already aunt Val, Lucy and I have fourth sight, we can see those who have died, that's why we have a fascination with Neko stuff, it makes people think we're a little off and don't think we're crazy when we talk to people they can't see, Lucy mostly listens, today's THE anniversary, yes that one, mom and dad talk to us, I just ignore them" says Isabella talking fast enough so that any mispronunciations get missed
"why ignore them, If I could see my sister again I'd do so in a heartbeat, I was always so jealous of her and Kyle, they got the gift and I didn't, it's not fair" says Valerie
"they didn't send me to uncle Kyle because he had cancer, they sent me away because I wouldn't stop talking about granny, granny kept warning me about some pipe bomb on the main highway on the day we were moving, mom called granny stupid and a liar, the bomb wasn't on the road, it was on the moving van, mom was ignorant and that's why they're dead, I don't care if being dead means she realizes I was right to trust granny, her ignorance meant Cat and Lucy spent years on the road, barely surviving, Cat almost died three times, I blame mom for that, I won't just forgive her because she begs me to, Lucy doesn't respond she just listens, she looks distracted because she's trying to act like she doesn't hear them, so that she looks normal, Aunt Val you're lucky you don't have to hear or see them, it's not just mom and dad, Lucy's seen half a dozen in just the past week, the moment they know she can see them they're begging her to help them, to get some sort of message to their families, some days she wishes Logan had killed her because her gift absolutely terrifies her most days, I see multiple every day and I can help but one a week, even then the families always call me a fraudster, that I'm using my gift to defraud people, I purposely keep Lucilly away from that, I protect her from the non believers, its not an easy life Aunt Val, believe me if I could give you my gift for a day you'd be begging me to take it back in less than an hour" says Isabella as Lucy suddenly charges at her
"YOU TOLD, YOU LIED TO ME, YOU TOLD ME YOU'D NEVER LET DUSTY KNOW ABOUT MY SO CALLLED GIFT, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET" yells Lucy hitting Isabella twice in the face
"it was supposed to be a family secret Lucilly, it was clear to me you felt he was family, at some point he deserved to know, the sooner he found out the better, if we have kids Lucilly there's a seventy percenty chance oury kids would have the gift, a relationship with secrets that big, Lucilly they don't last, I've been through more girls and boys than I care to admit because the moment I tell them they blow me off and I never see nor hear from them again, if dusty was going to leave you and Sofie he'd have done so by now, telling him was a test and he's passed the test, you trust mom, I don't, the only time I listened to her was when she asked me to tell Dustin and Sofie about your gift, clearly it was a mistake, tell Michael I'm sorry, that I have to hide again, it was stupid of me to trust mom" says Isabella as she gets up and runs off tears streaming down her face
"… Wait, her and Michael, she likes him" asks Lucy
"more than likes Lucy, aside from Chase, Michael is the only guy who found out about her gift and didn't ghost her or mock her, she's been trying to ask him out, setting up date nights then either freaking out moments before they sit down for the picnic date or calling him ahead of time to cancel, your opinion matters way too much to her, she's protected you from ridicule by non-believing relatives of the spirits who ask for help, she's afraid that you won't approve of Michael, that you'll think Michael could never be good enough for her" says Cat
"why would she think that, why does my opinion matter I'm still a child, she's the oldest" asks Lucy
"because when it comes to judging people you tend to follow my lead and I don't fully trust Michael because he was far more trusting of Logan than Chase was, it's not that I don't trust Michael, it's just I don't trust him around her" says Cat
"Nicole, if you don't mind me asking, why is your brother in jail" asks Sofie
"he killed my ex and with good reason, my ex was abusive to me, he would pull my hair, slap me if I looked at something he didn't like even if it was a bra, stuff like that, unfortunately at the end of the day he said he loved me and I hung on that, I was powerless to break up with him and Zarah knew that, he got me out of there but still had plans to kill him, my ex began targeting children, as in eight years old to then year old girls which is when my brother struck, even though he technically pled guilty, he explained his actions, he almost wasn't convicted two years ago, because of the reason he killed my ex he was given a chance at parole every two years, he's allowed to visit me every Christmas holiday from Christmas eve to new years, so he's coming here later today, I've already told Coco and agent Alexander, they said its ok as long as he's cuffed outside his bedroom, he's assigned a room on the first floor where Chase will be able to check up on him…. I mean her" says Nicole finally catching her mis-gendering her 'brother'
"wait is Zarah a boy or girl" asks Lucy
"she was born a boy but she's a girl, at least in private, she's too nervous about it to come out publicly, I don't get to talk about her very often so I often forget about her being trans" says Nicole
"you're certain she's not a threat" asks Andre
"she's protective of me, I can be very submissive, similar to Lucy, she's not a threat unless you lay a hand on me with ill intent, she's not violent by nature, I'm her airhead little sister, I get into situations I don't always understand and I can be taken advantage of, he's protective, that's all" says Nicole as Quinn gets a notification
"I'll be right back, Valerie you keep an eye on them, Andre go find Izzy, there are only a few places she could be hiding, unfortunately Rten is one of them, I don't want her picking up that smell because she'll see Lucy in a totally different light and it could fracture that bond" says Quinn as she heads back to the dorm for a moment
With Quinn
"what's up officer Reeds" asks Quinn pushing the plating back a little
"Zarah's here, she's to stay here until after her parole hearing in early January, she stands a good chance of being released" says Officer Reeds
"do they know about her attacking Logan" asks Quinn
"he attacked her first, he pulled her hair, insulted Nicole, said that if he got out he'd kill her, that's why Zarah tried to kill him" says Officer
"look this steel plating, it's for protection from people like Logan, there's a gap in the security line in the theatre, here's the key, I'll meet you there" says Quinn
"but that's not linked to this building, she's only cleared to be in this building" says Officer Reeds
"you don't know that much about PCA do you officer, there's a massive nuclear shelter underneath the property, all the buildings are connected, it was designed to hold the LA mayor and the council and port authority in case of credible threats that endanger lives, I assure you she will be escorted directly to this dorm, Nicole seems excited to see her big sister, there isn't much choice, until Logan's clear of this property we can't retract the plating, the FBI enacted a protocol because half or more of the girls here were victims in one way or another Logan most of the boys to push themselves onto the girls, only the FBI can authorize the retractable panels to be retracted, I know it's against protocol but things are different here, especially while Logan is still technically free, none of the girls here are safe, please just trust me" says Quinn
"ok but I have to escort him to the dorm, Agent Harris gave me specific instructions, he's like a brother to me, I can't let him down, not like this" says Officer Reeds
"Agent Harris won't let you carry your gun down there, too many victims, too many opportunities for death, there's a nurses station down there but not enough to stop someone from being killed from a gunshot wound, you'll have to hand your weapons over to his son Andre while you're down there, Chief Valerie Valentine is down there too and she had to give up her gun while off duty to even be allowed on the property, trust me she won't hold it against you, FBI rules overrule her wishes or protocol about weapons, trust me just get Zarah over there" says Quinn pulling back as Officer Reeds nods
Back in the bunker
"Nicole, Andre follow me, we have an early guest to meet" says Quinn
"I don't understand, there isn't another way in here, you told us that" says Nicole confused
"technically there is another way in but it requires the use of every single key so it can't normally be used, the FBI and I are the only ones with access to all the keys, now let's get going" says Quinn as they follow her
"Michael doesn't have feelings for Izzy" says Nicole
"I know that" says Quinn
"but she doesn't know that does she" asks Andre
"she knows but she's in denial, she spent a lot of time trying to get close to him, I mean a LOT of time, helping him with homework mostly, Michael's told everyone he doesn't like her that way, everyone but Izzy herself, in an attempt to spare her feelings he's done tons of damage instead, she is however close to this girl Melissa Reed, close enough to kiss without being judged or yelled at but she's afraid, afraid that Michael will be mad at her for seemingly lying about having feelings for him, a lot of guys think that girls don't actually have feelings for other girls, that it's all an act to make them jealous, that's Izzy's biggest fear, that Logan made Michael believe that, she doesn't have many friends, mostly just me, Zoey, Cat and Lucy, though the Cat and Lucy probably don't count as actual friends as they're her sisters" says Quinn as they turn around several corners
"Lissy, man she's cute, not Zoey cute but still cute" says Nicole
"who is this guest exactly" asks Andre
"Zarah Bristow, it's an extended stay until her parole hearing in early January" says Quinn
"that can't be, her next parole hearing isn't till next year, this is year three of ten for her" says Nicole as they stop for a minute
"the parole board seems to have new information, they wouldn't call for a meeting with her otherwise though I have a feeling her attacking Logan is playing a part, that prison is monitored by video all day every day, Isabella, get up you're not allowed in this part of the complex and you know that" says Quinn
"but Michael doesn't love me, I feel lost" says Isabella
"you still have Melissa as an option, last time I spoke to her she spoke about loving you" says Quinn
"there's a police rule, officer's kids aren't supposed to date one another, it could compromise our parents work, it's Aunt Val's protocol, unless she grants an exception it doesn't matter how we feel about one another, rules are rules and I never met a rule that was worth breaking, no matter how much breaking the rule would make me happy, rules provide structure to my rather strange life Quinny, I depend on them" says Isabella doing her best to speak clearly
"go back to Valerie, ask if it's possible to get an exception, explain how you and Melissa feel, Lissa's dad is the one Agent Harris chose to bring Zarah here today, that can't be a coincidence, her dad knows lissa's been depressed lately, he knows about her feelings for you, if you don't feel comfortable going back and talking to Valerie right now come with me and we can talk to Lissa's dad first and he can bring it up" says Quinn
"ok" says Isabella as she gets up and follows them to the entrance
"don't say a word to Zarah or Lissa's dad about Nicole, I know you two don't exactly see eye to eye but Zarah's in this mess because Nicole's ex was abusive to her and Zarah took control and ended up killing Nicole's ex, Zarah's very protective of Nicole" says Quinn as she begins putting the keys in
"understood Quinny" says Isabella saluting Quinn as Quinn rolls her eyes
"I told you, you don't have to salute me" says Quinn
"Quinn, it's a sign of respect from one military family to another" says Nicole as Quinn turns the last key and opens the door
"well I guess you weren't lying, I guess I should trust you more" says Officer reeds as he and Zarah enter the bunker complex
"any restrictions" asks Quinn as they head to the main bunker hallway
"she's to be allowed to be in her dorm room alone, a preliminary decision has just now been made on her future, she is allowed to roam the dorm freely but can only enter rooms with permission of the students in a given dorm room, she can leave the dorm but only with an escort that is approved by both you and Andre or his father, Nicole is already cleared as is Zoey" says Officer Reeds
"Officer Reeds, I like your daughter" says Isabella nervously blurting it out
"and she likes you, though her mother would use the term obsessed when describing Melissa's feelings for you, though there is the issue of protocol, I have no problem with my daughter being a lesbian Isabella, I've known for quite some time, she's not good with pain, her periods are mild but pain is pain and she can't take it, usually as you know Isabella sexuality isn't usually a choice someone consciously makes but her doctor said her reaction to pain is too high for her to be in an even remotely sexual relationship with guys, that she should consider a lesbian relationship with a girl, she brought your name up within seconds of her doctor finishing his sentence" says Officer Reeds as Zarah looks at Nicole questioningly
"she was my roomie last year but this year I was given a room to myself, Lissa hasn't spoken to me since Halloween, maybe I missed my chance… you know what forget I even asked permission, she's clearly moved on" says Isabella as she runs back to the group under the dorm
"Isabella sure is jumpy today" says Andre
"she usually isn't" asks Officer Reeds
"no but she can communicate with the dead, both good and bad, the bad ones like to get into her head, make her doubt things or second guess herself, it doesn't help that she's dyslexic" says Quinn as they round another corner
"that explains it then, Melissa is obsessed with paranormal stuff, she's always believed there were spirits walking around, neither her mother nor I could convince her otherwise, that would be how her feelings for Isabella started, over the summer she wouldn't stop talking about the paranormal and how she thinks it's affecting Isabella" says Officer Reeds
"it's not just Isabella, Lucy Valentine, her little sister can also see the dead, it's a family gift thing" says Quinn
"so that would mean Catarina can also see them" asks Zarah
"she's never admitted as much but it is possible that she can in some way, her behavior says as much but it's a touchy subject with her so don't bring it up, last time someone brought it up she nearly lost an eye, it was like asking the question makes her blood boil, both literally and figuratively" says Quinn
"noted, you know I'm not violent right Quinn, I killed her ex because he abused her, he took her virginity by force, he had to pay for his sin and Niccy is too submissive to be able to testify to his abuse in court he'd have intimated her 8nto silence, I didn't feel like I had much choice, me attempting to kill Logan was more self defense than anything, he attacked me, he took several inches of my hair, hair I spent years trying to grow to the length I wanted, then he called Nicole the S word just because she's dating you AND Zoey, which mom and dad have no problem with and neither do I, he threatened to kill her today, that's why he came here, the chemical salt thing didn't persuade you girls to change your testimony so he felt losing her would be enough to stop you, he's always been evil but killing someone for revege, that's new, his accomplice ratted on him, which is not something I'd think Stacy would do, I mean she did get expelled but still, she seemed to regret trusting Logan after she was told what the chemical salts did to you girls, I got to talk to her for about an hour, talking through everything, from stealing the backpack idea to what Logan got her to do, after that she curled into a ball crying, as it turns out Logan's been manipulating her from the start, she had a huge crush on him and he kept promising to go out with her if she did him favours, it was his idea to make the 'backpacks by Stacy' thing not hers, he'd promised her that if she made a specific amount of money and got Zoey absolutely pissed that he'd take her on a date, she was also a risky picture victim, the last encrypted folder was unlocked thanks to her and its pretty bad, not as bad as Lucy or Trisha's folders but bad enough that it rivals Cat's in its creepiness, Stacy feels absolutely responsible, she said 'I'm more responsible for what happened to them than Logan, I trusted him again and again, all because of my feelings for him, I deserve to be hung for what I've done', she's not taking the kind treatment by the prison guards very well, she's insisted a few times that they should beat her up, leave her black and blue, clinging to life, that she couldn't live with what she's done" says Zarah
"she needs to be brought here, she needs to apologize for what she's done, Zoey never understood why Stacy did that, she says she felt that Stacy was truly good at heart, it confused her, with Logan in the same prison I assure you she won't be safe there" says Nicole
"she was brought to that jail because she said you girls would never trust her, I'd need a consensus vote to bring her here but it could be done, Lucy and Trisha's vote on this matters the most" says Officer Reeds
"Lucy and Trisha knew she was being manipulated, how I don't know but they knew, they'll want her here more than anything" says Andre
"Stacy's grandma had been communicating with Lucy, their home was apparently very dysfunctional, to the point that Stacy almost drowned in the tub several times as a kid, Lucy says Stacy wants stability more than anything, that her chasing after Logan was an attempt at stabilizing herself, Lucy said that Stacy doesn't really understand her emotions, not well enough to understand who she likes or dislikes, Trisha won't interact with Stacy but she has said Stacy doesn't deserve to be in prison with Logan, that being manipulated is a crime that Logan should have to pay for not Stacy" says Quinn as they near the group and Melissa is among them but not beside Isabella
"Zoey what's your opinion on Stacy" says Officer Reeds
"Stacy needs to be here, she needs to atone for her sins against us but she doesn't deserve to be there with Logan, he will kill her if he learns she's turning against him, she's not safe there" says Zoey
"Cat what about you" asks Officer Reeds
"I believe that Logan will choke her to death if he gets the chance, at this moment I don't believe she's able to be redeemed but I'm malleable on that subject, I need to hear her say she was manipulated or otherwise, I can tell when someone's faking emotions, which is why I believe she should be here, I may not agree with her on politics but she was part of the 'fawning over Zoey' friend group, I can't just let her die by his doing, a life is a life and I'd rather she not haunt me from beyond the grave, I promised my Nona that I'd protect the vulnerable before death if I could" says Cat
"so you can see spirits" asks Melissa as Cat begins twitching
"if only it was that easy an explanation Lissa, all I know is you're meant to be with Izzy, it's the only relationship that will see you die of old age, the other options have you dying young, whatever you're afraid of let it go, it's only making Izzy feel less and less deserving of her gift and you, if you love her you will do what is best for her, she needs you in her life Lissa, more than you know" says Cat
"but the protocol, we aren't allowed to date because it could compromise my dad's job" says Melissa
"far be it for me to let my eldest niece suffer because of a rule I put in place, the rule is meant to keep relationships between officers kids a secret so criminals can't blackmail them into dropping charges, it wasn't meant to keep those in love apart Melissa, cops children have a lot in common, mainly fear of losing their parents to the job, I imagine Andre has the same fear about his dad being FBI, all I ask is that you never lie to her, unless it's about birthday or Christmas presents, those you can keep secret but she has a ton of responsibility on her shoulders, when I became a cop I lost my gift, the gifted aren't allowed to use their gift for money, if they do they risk losing the gift, Cat's right Isabella needs you more than you know, please just don't mention you're a cops daughter" says Valerie
"if anyone asked me that direct of a question I'd be concerned, so it's really ok for me to date Isabella" says Melissa
"yes" says Valerie as Isabella walks over and hugs Melissa
"auntie are you certain" asks Cat
"Catarina I trust your gift, you see connections between every living person, if you let yourself you can see into the future of any given relationship, you can give advice, as long as you don't ask for a ton of money for the advice you will always have this gift" says Valerie
"but I was fooled by Logan….. what if they give me money I didn't ask for" says Cat
"Logan was able to fake just enough to hide the connections, it was something your mother struggled with as well, it takes a crap ton of training to see the fakers, your mom was just mastering it when the accident happened, that's why the move happened, both neighbours on either side of that house had evil intentions with all three of you, it wasn't just a move for a better job, her intention was pure Cat, monetary gifts don't count as long as they're less than five hundred dollars, not five hundred or less, less than five hundred dollars" says Valerie
"would mommy be proud of us, two thirds of her kids are in relationships that could produce kids" asks Lucy putting her Paci in her mouth
"the last thing I asked her to do when her and I were still talking was to look into your futures, glean connections and see where they lead, she hated me for that because while she liked that you and Cat were in loving triad relationships, the thing that worried her the most was Isabella's future, going after a boy that didn't like her back even in the slightest, she said and I quote 'going after that boy is going to get her killed', Isabella she'd be overjoyed that you're moving on from Michael, that you're happy" says Valerie
"what about going after Michael was going to get me killed Aunt Val" asks Isabella
"Stacy, she likes him but she repressed it for so long because he didn't seem to notice her, which is likely why she fell into Logan's trap" says Cat as Isabella's jaw drops
"I'll inform Alexander to release Stacy into Quinn's care as Zarah is now, someone should be with her at every moment because she will likely be suicidal, Zarah wasn't lying when she said she wished to be beaten go within inches of death" says Officer Reeds
"you really think she will be released into my care, just like that" asks Quinn
"well for one aside from Michael you're the only one she trusts enough not to strangle her for her past actions, she was only put in prison because she was adamant that you would be outvoted" says Zarah
"by who, me, absolutely not, I've moved on, all I require is an apology, that's all I've ever wanted, if she'd asked to help me sell the backpacks I'd have absolutely let her help, it got out of hand very quickly, it went from helping Nicole cover a rip in her favorite backpack to buying backpacks to customize and sell, I was absolutely in way over my head, it was stressful, the reason I sold the backpack idea to the school had everything to do with my stress level and nothing to do with her trying to do the same thing, I was never mad that she copied my idea, it was her not asking, she's a victim like us, we need to stick together or Logan will truly win" says Zoey
"ok, Quinn lead me back to the exit, I'll get authorization and if granted I will bring her here" says Officer Reeds
"will do, Izzy, Lissa, it's snuggle time, I'll be back " says Quinn as Melissa pulls Isabella to the floor playfully
