at the Vega home
"Jade are you dating Trina" asks David
"you don't approve do you dad" asks Trina
"I always saw her with Tori, I didn't know you were even friends" says David
"we weren't friends David, Tori and Cat are together, they kept it hush, I'd asked Tori out not knowing and she said she was already taken, they went to China to walk the great Wall, they haven't texted Trina in days like they promised, they promised Trina they'd text her or call her every day, it's been months, Trina called me hoping my dad had contacts over there, which he does but they can't find them" says Jade
"is that how it happened between you two" asks David
"yes, I kissed her because I knew she was gay, I was hoping it would calm her down, I wasn't expecting to like how the kiss felt David, are you not concerned about Tori or Cat at all" says Jade
"I think I know why your father's contacts in China couldn't find her, there was a crate delivered from China at the port, they found over two dozen heat signatures, meaning people, probably girls, two with something on their wrists blocking the heat from that area as well as two bags, I'm about to go as the prime LAPD investigator, would you like to join me" says David
"sure" says Jade
At the port
"I'm sorry David they can't come in" says Port cop Danielle
"Danielle really, we have a sex slave crisis and you're worried about them, priorities please" says David as Danielle groans
"ugh fine but Jade can't touch anything, last time she snuck in here she nearly set the crane on fire" says Danielle
"maybe next time don't line the crane with flammable fabric" says Jade
5 minutes later as the crate is opened
"oh my God it is them" says Trina in tears as they're brought out
"what's your name" asks Tori pointing to David
"I'm your father" says David
"oh sweet" says Tori
"what happened to them, Cat's not speaking" asks Trina
"given that the ship that delivered this crate went through rough weather and nearly capsized I'd say amnesia, we opened it when we read the heat signatures and nobody responded to our questions, not even in Chinese" says Danielle
"well let's get them to the hospital then, I'll contact the feds, hopefully we can grant them asylum, they're lucky we got to them before the criminals did" says David
"the FBI arrived first, they already cleared them for medical treatment here, they're scared" says Danielle
"given their situation they have every right to be, call ambulances for them, Cat and Tori are coming with me, keep me informed" says David ushering Cat and Tori to his cop car
"are you sure that's safe" asks Danielle
"listen sister Tori is my daughter and Cat is her girlfriend, they will stay with me" says David
"I had no intention of stopping you brother, it's not my fault we don't get along" says Danielle
"no that fell on dad, the fact that we can even talk to one another professionally is a miracle, anyway seriously please keep me informed" says David as he gets in his car
Back home
"am I safe here" asks Cat
"yes, what do you remember" says David
"Tori and I eating at the Great Wall café for lunch then some scary Chinese police dude raided the café then put bags over our heads and cuffed Tori and I, that's the last thing I remember" says Cat
"we were gagged too, I knew there were more than just Cat and I in that crate but only Cat was close to me, next thing I knew we were pitching and rolling, I could hear people outside yelling, when one yelled counter tip a body hit the side and Cat flew and hit her head, I don't know how long we've been gone, it was July when we were taken, we'd been in China less than a month" says Tori
"it's November second, there have been a string of crates of trafficked Chinese teens here in LA, as an entry point into the US, most of the girls are barely fourteen when they arrive, how did you end up on a slave ship" says David
"all the girls in that crate were from that café, it's a popular school lunch place in the town we were in, the food is amazing" says Tori
"it's probably a trap spot, I'll inform the feds, as bad as the Chinese government is they have asked for help putting a stop to it, especially when the victims are teenagers, they however don't have a problem with trafficked adults, however that might change, anyway do you remember how old you are" says David
"no, I just know Tori is my girlfriend l, my memory is spotty when it comes to specifics about myself" says Cat
"I'm nineteen right, last year of school" asks Tori
"correct yes, Cat is eighteen, you'd have probably celebrated it somewhere in China, you're both legal now so I assume you two make love" says David as Cat blushes
"dad don't push them like that, especially Cat, you don't want to scare her" says Trina
"I'm sorry but as a father I need to know, they were cuffed in that crate Trina, they don't cuff slaves for no reason" says David
"she was caught without underwear on, that's the first thing they checked on the girls before loading us into the crate" says Tori
"I don't see why that's a problem, there were times where you would refuse to wear panties because of the fabric, why would they cuff her for that, or you for that matter" says David
"David, disobedience in slaves is bad, they cuff the ones slated to be killed for disobedience, that's one thing my dad knows about when it comes to the slave trade in China, one of his companies deals with assault awareness and prevention, it's the only company he owns that the Chinese government gave a pass to, the only company that he owns that is allowed in China" says Jade
"the whole slave thing still does not make sense, why Chinese girls" asks David
"Asians age differently, my moms Japanese, the skin doesn't wrinkle the same, girls stay prettier longer, they make ideal sex slaves, Japan had the same problem before world war one, China has a massive population, the slavers probably believe a slave trade wouldn't be noticed because of that, if my dad had his way all slavers would be dead, murdered in public for all to witness, he doesn't believe in a repressive society, slavers work on fear" says Jade
"do you love Jade Trina" asks Tori
"I guess your memory wasn't as affected as Cat's, I know we couldn't be more different but yes we are in love, only together two weeks, I started having nightmares about you and Cat getting killed over there, Beck moved to Canada in July and Jade couldn't leave, or rather couldn't bring herself to follow him" says Trina
"I never expected to like Trina, after you and Cat left for China Trina changed, she became more soft spoken and nervous, even the littlest thing made her scream, all I had to do was click my tongue and I swear she'd jump three feet in the air, my mom and I had a fight about me not following Beck so I'd stayed here, sleeping on the couch since July tenth, only as of two days ago have I chosen to sleep in the same bed as Trina, did you know she snores" says Jade
"Cat hit the side of the crate thing and then slammed into me, my memory is fragmented sure but not as bad as hers, Trina had a sleep study last year but they determined it wasn't bad enough to warrant a Sleep apnea machine or further testing, they suggested she lose weight, which would work if it weren't for Trina inheriting a recessive gene which makes maintaining or losing weight hard" says Tori
"how did you not die trapped in a crate for months without food" cries Trina
"we had food, the FBI agent Sarah took all the wrappers and bottles of water, Cat and I had to be fed, thanks for saving us dad" says Tori
"ahh yes Sarah West, she's a by the book agent, one of my favourite to work with" says David
"wait my aunt is the agent working this case, that's going to be interesting" says Jade
"why" asks David
"because she's autistic and a bit of a germophobe, she's very particular about chain of evidence and doesn't work with many people, she's not exactly liked at the LA field office because of that" says Jade
"believe me when it comes to investigations I'd rather work with her than anyone else, she's good at her job, sure she's touchy but she cares about the victims, you don't get that very often in FBI agents" says David
"what happened to mom, why isn't she here, didn't she get fired before Cat and I left" asks Tori
"yes but she got hit by a car in September, hit her head pretty bad, she's in and out of a coma, you know she wasn't as bad as you made her out to be" says David
"dad she cheated on you for the last four years" says Trina as Cat lays on the couch with Tori
"not by choice Trina, a medication her doctor had her on altered her mental state while on the medication she didn't believe we were married, she believed we were just FWB or friends with benefits, once she was taken off of it in August she returned to normal, she felt terrible Trina" says David
"is the room spinning" asks Cat
"no….. Dad get a bin for Cat to puke into fast" says Tori as David quickly empties the garbage bin and hands it to Trina just in time for Cat to puke in it
"is she ok" asks Jade
"she's fine, at one point in that crate we were on the ceiling then the walls, being on solid ground is disorienting given she hit her head, she always ate the most" says Tori as Cat pukes again
"would medication help" asks Trina
"stomach settling meds yes, don't let her parents visit here" says Tori
"why did something happen between them, I always thought her and her mom were close" asks Jade
"they aren't a fan of her dating me, that's why we went to China alone, they were supposed to come with us, her brother slapped her before we left, they were even closer than her and her mom Jasmine, it left a major stain on her trust of them" says Tori as Jade reads a text
"That's a reason I can work with Andre and Robbie saw the news, they're coming over tonight, you two should probably shower and change" says Jade
"but Cat doesn't have any clothes here" says Tori
"then share yours, your panties are the most hypoallergenic around, she shouldn't have a problem with them" says Trina
After the shower in Tori's bedroom
"I'm tired tor" says Cat
"just a little bit longer ok, if anyone can keep your family away from you it's Jade" says Tori
"Jade and Trina seem cute together, I didn't know Jade liked girls" says Cat
"by the sound of it she didn't realize that either, though she did try and ask me out before we'd left for China, she didn't seem to be fully interested in love as a whole with me, I think it was more the clothes I was wearing at the time, my aunt from Spain bought me this sexy bikini set and I was wearing it for you" says Tori
"the… oooh I like those ones" says Cat
"your brother didn't touch you did he, you said you had PTSD and you said you'd explain it in China but you never got to" asks Tori
"no not my brother, my uncle John, he was a real creep, I think he's still in jail, I don't know, my brother is the way he is because of that incident, he kept eating at himself, saying he was a terrible big brother, that he should have protected me, it devolved into psychosis, the fault in his logic is that nobody could have protected me from uncle John, my brother got so paranoid that he locked all my windows and stole all the keys to my room, so that only he had access to my room, as a way to protect me, unfortunately that's where that rumor started but he wasn't like that, if I walked into his room with a bra and no shirt on he'd make me go back to my room and put a shirt on first" says Cat
"why doesn't he approve of me, I know he hates me the most out of your family" asks Tori
"it's not you it's everyone, he doesn't believe anyone can protect me from creeps, that only he could" says Tori
"sounds like he wanted to touch you" says Tori
"ok yes he admitted to thoughts about doing so but I was confident in my body, I'd walk around the house most often without shirts or pants on, you do the math Tori, he told me he hated our uncle for inappropriately touching me and he would never let himself become what he hated, that's why he insisted I put shirts on around him, in his mind out of sight really is out of mind, if he can't see the skin he won't think about it" says Cat
"ok, now we can sleep" says Tori