A/N: Plot twist time! I'd bet you won't see that one coming! Sorry for rushing so quickly through the build-up, but I'm working as quickly as possible toward the main story. I'll update that as soon as possible.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Victorious, its characters, or the cast members who portray them. Victorious and its components belongs to Dan Schneider and the cast members belong to themselves.

xolys

CHAPTER 2

Jade's first real master turned out to be nicer than she had expected. He ran the household, but her true duties belonged to his son.

Once they arrived at his smallish mansion, he escorted her to a small bedroom, which he designated as hers.

"This room is completely for you," he smiled. "I promise I won't hurt you. You're a present for my son, anyway. He's been asking for a girl for so long."

Jade watched the man without saying a word. The breaker had taught her not to speak unless instructed to. She had learned that lesson the hard way.

"Tomorrow, I have to work and my son has school. You will be home alone. Do not answer the telephone or the door. Do not use the computer. Do not watch television. You may read or watch a movie from the shelf. I would appreciate if you would do the dishes and prepare a meal for when I return home at seven. My son will be home at three. He is your master as far as it matters."

Jade nodded and watched the man as he spoke. He stood at about five foot ten and had greying brown hair and blue eyes. At first glance, he looked a little bit like Nicolas Cage.

"You should sleep now," the new master said. "It's almost eleven. I want breakfast by seven and lunch packed by the time I leave at seven thirty."

"Yes, Master." Jade nodded and turned to face the bed, where she began unpacking the suitcase of clothing her father had gathered for her before he sold her.

"You can call me 'sir,' " he corrected. "Good night, Jade."

"Good night, sir."

The man disappeared and a different set of footfalls entered the room.

A hand landed on Jade's butt as soon as she unzipped the suitcase, making her jump. She wanted to turn and yell at him, like she would have back at home, but she knew that would cause problems and probably get her chained in a basement again. The thought made her shudder internally. She did not reply.

"Hello, Jade," a tenor voice growled. She knew that voice.

She spun around quickly. "Sinjin?" she shouted.

"Yes, Jade. I got my dad to buy you. Isn't it great? You belong to me now." Sinjin traced rough fingers along her cheek bone.

Jade pulled her head away from his hand and backed toward her bed. "Sinjin, please."

"Please, what?" Sinjin smirked and stepped forward, pressing his lips roughly against hers.

"Please don't do this," a tear slipped down Jade's cheek and she pushed away from Sinjin to sit on the bed. "Please let me go home."

"Your dad sold you to me, Jade. You have to do what I say." He bent over and placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her to her back and kissing her roughly. His hands flew to her breasts and caressed them.

Jade wished she could slap his hands away and run back to Beck. Beck would keep her safe from this, this monster.

Sinjin's lanky fingers grabbed ahold of the button on Jade's pants and undid it, pushing them down to her knees. He spent a few seconds ogling how her pale body looked and the way her black boyshorts hugged her nether regions.

Jade bit back a sob at how dirty she felt.

Sinjin slid his hands from Jade's curvy hips and up along her stomach until he reached the upper part of her shirt and began pulling it over her head.

"Sinjin, please, don't," Jade begged. "This is wrong."

Ogling Jade's body, Sinjin dropped the shirt on the floor. "No, Jade, you're wrong. This is so right." He began unbuttoning his own pants and dropped them to the floor before pushing Jade's the rest of the way off. He kissed her pelvis almost tenderly and then nipped lightly.

Tears streamed down Jade's face. "Sinjin, please, let me go back to Beck. I won't rat you out. I won't call the cops. I won't press charges. I just want to go home."

"I can't do that," Sinjin whispered, clearly trying to be sexy. "You're mine."

"May I go to sleep now? Alone?"

Sinjin sighed. "Fine. Good night. I look forward to after school tomorrow." He winked and left without another word and Jade finished unpacking before brushing her teeth in the bathroom across the hall and climbing into the twin-sized bed.

Sitting in bed, Jade decided that the son may be the master, but the father was definitely the keeper.

Laying on the bed, Jade tried to fall asleep but found herself missing home. Not her father, of course, but Beck. She felt empty without him wrapped around her. And so unbelievably scared of what Sinjin would do to her.

After a few more minutes, Jade finally dozed off.

~

Jade awoke the next morning to the sun hitting her in the eyes.

Oh no, I'm late, Jade worried. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it read quarter of seven.

She quickly pulled on a bra, clean underwear, socks, a black tee shirt, jeans, and a sweater and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. Searching through the cupboards, she eventually found a frying pan. From the fridge, she collected two eggs, a green pepper, an onion, and some mushrooms. She cracked the eggs into a bowl and whisked them until they blended smoothly, adding milk to make the right consistency. Using the first knife she found and a plate, she chopped up enough pepper, onion, and mushroom to make a good omelet and tossed them in the frying pan to brown.

At exactly seven, Jade flipped the completed omelet onto a plate and set it on the table next to a full cup of orange juice and a plate with two pieces of lightly buttered toast.

Her keeper scaled the stairs a few seconds later and Jade pulled out the chair so that he could sit. Once he began eating, she began preparing his lunch.

Jade thought about the task at hand and wondered what she should make. She settled on making a quick ceasar salad wrap and packing a bottle of iced tea with it. Five minutes before her time limit, Jade set the completed and packed lunch on the island.

Sir finished his breakfast and stood, walking over to Jade. "Don't forget coffee next time," he stated flatly.

Jade nodded. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I won't do it again."

"I believe you. You're new. You may make Sinjin breakfast now. He will be down in approximately fifteen minutes. Once he finishes eating, you may make breakfast for yourself. I expect dinner to be prepared when I arrive home."

"Yes, sir." Jade bowed her head and turned to make Sinjin the same breakfast that she had for her keeper.

The keeper left without another word and Jade listened to him start his car and back out of the driveway.

~

Days at this house were lonely. He had no pets. He had no art supplies. He didn't give Jade access to scissors. He had no piano. Jade made a point to clean the house every day until it was spotless. Before Sinjin came home.

Every night, she made sure her keeper came home to an immaculate house and a hot dinner. Every night, Sinjin took her up to his bedroom to "pay her for her work." Every night, she would return to her room and curl up under the warm blankets, wishing she could go home.

To start, Sinjin was tentative about what he did and he was always careful with Jade, never hitting her hard enough to leave a mark. He had fantasies which she was forced to fulfill, like a rape fantasy and some cosplay. Sinjin had a thing for bondage, but an aversion to anal. Jade became all-too-familiar with the sex swing in his closet and the ball gag he kept in his dresser.

One day, the keeper arrived home holding papers. Jade stood by the dinner she had prepared: a casserole with potatos, ham, cheese, peppers, and onions, and watched him approach and set the papers on the table, face down.

Jade wanted to know what the papers said, but she didn't risk saying anything. After five agonizing minutes, the keeperinstructed her to sit at the table opposite him.

"Sinjin's grades have fallen, so as his punishment, I'm selling you. Tomorrow is the next auction. I want you to eat something nice right now, because this may be the last time you will."

Jade froze in her seat. She said nothing. She knew she couldn't say anything. She couldn't believe her keeper would sell her. He had been so kind. So merciful. Only slapped her when she messed something up. Never beat her like the breaker had.

Even Sinjin's treatment wasn't awful. She still hated every minute of being in his bedroom with him, but he never actually hurt her: only violated her frequently.

Jade rose with her head bowed in defeat and walked over to where the casserole sat in the dish. She scooped herself some of that and reheated some of last night's leftovers, sitting down across from her keeper again. She ate in silence and once her keeper finished, he watched her.

"Just tonight, I want you to really speak to me."

Jade let out a muffled sob. She didn't want to be sold. She didn't love it here, but it wasn't like the stories of the masters that the other slaves told the first time she was at the warehouse. She wasn't beaten daily or raped with objects. She wasn't cut open because of a blood fetish. She wasn't kept in a dark basement.

"Please tell me what you're thinking."

Jade shook her head. Slaves weren't supposed to think. It was wrong that she still thought. It was too free. Too human.

"Jade, I want you to tell me what you're thinking."

Again, Jade shook her head violently. Her keeper reached his hand across the table and grabbed her wrist, making her flinch in fear. The other slaves had told her about this, too. Masters turned evil on their last night, hurting everything that could easily be covered up at the auction the next day.

"Jade. I know you're afraid. Do you want to just do the dishes and go to sleep?"

Jade nodded, making eye contact with her keeper, even though her breaker had forbidden it. Her eyes glistened with tears and fear radiated from her expression.

The man stared back into her eyes stoically. "Fine. Do as you wish. Tomorrow, shower, get dressed, pack your bags, and put on your makeup. Make breakfast for us both by seven. Be ready to leave by nine."

"Yes, sir," Jade hiccupped and stood up from the table, carrying both of their dirty dishes out to the kitchen, where she made quick work of cleaning them and putting them in the cupboards where they belonged.

She then walked upstairs and silently padded into her bedroom, where she sat cross-legged on the bed her keeper had provided her. And she cried.

Jade West never cried. Never like this. Jade West didn't feel fear. Jade West was strong.

Jade fell over and buried her face in her pillow. Jade West didn't exist anymore. Jade West was a sex slave. It didn't matter what she felt.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

~

In her dreams, she visited Beck. He sat on his bed with her picture in his hands, crying. She walked over and knelt by his feet.

"Beck," she whispered.

He didn't hear her. He stared at the photo and his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Jade," he sobbed. "Please come home."

~

Jade woke up with a start and glanced at the clock. Two in the morning.

She had dreamt of Beck every night since she had been kidnapped. Always the same scene. Always the same crying. He could never hear her.

She wanted Beck back. She needed him back.

In silence, she spent the remainder of the night grasping onto her memories and happy thoughts of Hollywood Arts and Beck and Cat and Andre and Robbie and even Tori.

She knew that she would probably never go back. But she would always have those memories.

~

At five, Jade gave up on sitting in her bed and walked around her room, packing her suitcase with all of her clothing except what she planned to wear that day.

Naked, she ran across the hall to take a shower. She carried her clothing in her arms and threw them on the ground in the bathroom. In fifteen minutes, Jade had finished her shower and gotten dressed. She applied all the makeup she needed and dried her hair. The green streaks had faded to a dull bluish blonde and her hair never curled cooperatively. It formed unruly, tight curls that bounced more than she would have wished. Even still, she kept her hair how she wanted it. One girl at the first auction had told her about how her master forced her to dye and style her hair in a different way every week or two. Jade was glad she never had to do that.

By quarter of six, Jade had begun breakfast for her keeper and herself. She settled on a breakfast that would take an hour to finish: blueberry crumb cake.

Maybe, Jade hoped, if I can impress him with this cooking, then he won't sell me. Maybe he'll just let me go home..

At five minutes before seven, Jade's keeper trudged down the stairs and sat at the table while Jade brought him a plate of blueberry crumb cake and praline bacon and a mug of coffee.

"Thank you, Jade. Make yourself a plate and sit with me."

"Yes, sir," Jade bowed her head in respect and scurried over to the stove, where she prepared a plate for herself. She was careful not to serve herself as much food as she had served her master, but she was hungry, so she dished out a good deal for herself. Besides, nobody knew when she would next eat.

Jade sat down across the table from her keeper with her food. She watched him produce the sale papers from a folder beside him and fill out the blanks. Her first name; her age; her eye, hair, and skin colors. He measured her height, weight, and dimensions and wrote them all down. At the bottom, Jade watched him describe in excruciating detail every physical aspect of her body.

"Sir," Jade whispered. He looked up. "With all due respect, must I go to another master?"

He set down his pen and sighed. "I'm sorry, Jade. You're a good girl, but Sinjin doesn't deserve you."

"Must you sell me at an auction, though? Why not ransom me back to my parents?"

"Jade, your father sold you to me. Do you really think he would buy you back? Besides, if I ransom you, I will be arrested. Unfortunately, auctioning you off is the only way I can clear my tracks. I'm sorry, Jade."

Jade didn't say another word for the remainder of the morning. After breakfast finished, she washed all of the dishes and put them away, then silently returned to her room, where she checked the room to be sure that she didn't lose any more of her belongings. She gathered her makeup, toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair brush from the bathroom and packed them in her suitcase as well.

Her keeper called her down half an hour before nine. "Jade," he stated, "you never learned my name in the time you have been here. Why haven't you asked?"

"I know your surname is VanCleef, sir." Jade replied in a deadpan.

"But you do not know my first name. I know yours."

"Sir, a dog does not know its owner's name. Why should I know yours?"

"My name is Jacob." Master placed his hand under Jade's chin, since she had settled on watching his feet as the breaker had taught, and tilted her head up so she was forced to look into his face.

"Sir, this is wrong. I should not see your eyes. It's not my place." Jade pulled away and averted her gaze again.

"You look Sinjin in the eyes." He cocked an eyebrow.

"Sir, if you don't mind me speaking about my previous life, I went to school with him. I knew him already. You, sir, I just met."

The keeper, or Jacob, or whatever Jade should call him simply nodded. "Place your suitcase by the garage door. We are leaving in fifteen minutes."

Jade did as she was told. She placed her suitcase by the door and pulled on her boots, lacing them carefully. Before Master could come back downstairs, Jade ran into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, checking over her appearance. Her curly, dark hair still laid as she had placed it, covering the tiny hole in her shirt. Said shirt, a black top with black lace sleeves, hugged her body in a way that showed her off without it being vulgar. Covering her legs, she wore dark green skinny jeans and now combat boots. It almost looked like she was on her way to school. On her way to Beck.

She returned to her suitcase and sat upon it, waiting for Master.

"There is no upper hand, I've given you mine," she sang quietly to herself. It was a song that brought her home. "It doesn't have to end up wasting your time. There's things that I could say, but hear it my way, I want to let you know that's it all okay."

"You sing beautifully."

Jade snapped her head around to find her keeper standing there behind her. "Thank you, sir," she whispered.

"I can see why Sinjin liked you."

Jade bowed her head. Unfortunately, caged songbirds don't sing. She began to hum "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from Sweeney Todd.

"Unfortunately, it's time to go, Jade." He took the suitcase from the ground as she stood up.

She followed him out to the car, where he placed her suitcase in the blacked-out back seat and then gestured for her to climb in. Of course, she complied.

Just like the ride to Jacob's home, the ride away passed in silence. Jade leaned her head on the window and tried to tune out the world.

Eventually, Master opened the door and quickly escorted Jade into a warehouse. This one was different than the previous. It looked more like an old, run-down speakeasy. It most definitely wasn't in LA. Maybe San Diego?

"You will be here for half an hour maybe," Jacob stated as he led Jade into what probably used to be a wine cellar.

He shut the door behind her and she heard the lock behind her click. Across the room, several young women and even a few young girls sat crying. The older ones cradled the younger and several told each other stories.

Jade saw one girl about her age sitting in a corner with her arms around her knees. Nobody neared her. She was skin and bones, her cheeks sunken in and her entire physique looking frail. The girl looked up at her with fear scribbled across her face. Jade walked across the small room and knelt before her.

"Hello," Jade whispered.

The girl looked up and met her gaze. She looked just like a slightly younger version of Tori, but with straight brown hair that draped down her back.

"Hi," she hiccuped.

"I know you're afraid," Jade moved so she sat cross-legged, "but whatever happens happens for a reason."

"You have no clue what I've been through," she whispered. "You have no clue how much of a monster my last master was."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"Yes," the girl muttered. "I think his name was Gabriel. Like the angel, but nothing like him at the same time. Every night he would use me or one of the other girls. He had five of us at any given time. Most nights he wasn't using us, one of his friends would. The oldest of us was Amanda. She seemed to be special to him. He was less harsh to her than to the rest of us. He also had Zoey, Nicole, and Quinn. I'm Lola, by the way."

"Why is he selling you?"

"I'm feisty," she chuckled a little and sniveled. "He said I don't listen well. And I bite." Lola paused for a moment, then looked Jade in the eyes. "Why are you being sold?"

"I was a present for my master," Jade sighed. "His father, who bought me, got upset with him and decided that removing his sex toy was the best form of punishment." Chortling softly, Jade continued. "You want to know what got me into this mess in the first place?"

"What?"

"I broke up with my boyfriend and went to my Dad's house because it was closer than my mom's. He sold me into this. His reason? 'Because you're pretty, Jade. People would pay big bucks for you.' "

"That sucks," Lola sighed. "Tell me about your boyfriend."

Jade moved so she leaned on the wall next to Lola. "He's my ex now, but I regret leaving him. He's tall, dark, and handsome. And born in Canada, but that's not important. He's an actor and was always so patient with me and my crankiness. If I could see him now, I would take back everything I had ever done to hurt him." A tear slipped down Jade's cheek.

"I'm sorry."

Before either girl could say anything more, the door unlocked and a man barged in with heavy steps. Lola stared at him in fear. "No! Master, don't make me go!"

The man, probably six foot two and two hundred pounds of solid muscle, grabbed Lola by the hair and drug her to her feet. "Follow, whore."

Reluctantly, Lola acquiesced and stumbled behind her master, whose hand still grasped her hair tightly. After the door slammed behind him and the lock clicked, Jade trotted over and listened to the conversation on stage.

"This is Lola," she heard the muffled voice announce. "She is sixteen. I have owned her for three years now." The voice went on to describe her height, weight, cup size, sexual prowess, and do's and don't's of owning her. Occasionally, Jade heard a sob echo from Lola's voice.

She was sold for five thousand dollars. The buyer described her as being "worn out, but still young."

Jade slid down the wall and leaned her head against it, staring up at the ceiling of the cellar. For the first time in Jade's life, she prayed. She prayed to whomever might listen.

"God, if there is a God," Jade hiccupped, trying to keep the tears inside, "please save me from this Hell. Find me a merciful master. Have policemen rescue me. Take my life. I don't care. But please, please God, don't make me suffer any more. Don't make me relive the torture I did in my father's basement. Save me."

Jade dropped her hands and jumped when the door opened. Her keeper walked in and found her quickly. "It's time, Jade."

"Please, Master, no." Jade started to tear up. Her master reached down and grabbed her wrist without a word and drug her to her feet. She trudged out the door behind him, only to be hit harshly by stage lights.

The auction passed similarly to the previous one, but Master described her in detail without commanding her to do anything. The buyers also didn't come examine her.

Jade listened to the bidding this time around. "I want to start the bidding at five thousand, considering she's not very worn in."

Inwardly, she scowled. Worn in? Like a shoe?

Men in the audience began shouting bids.

"Fifty five hundred."

"Six thousand."

"Sixty two fifty."

"Sixty five hundred."

"Seven thousand."

"Ten thousand," came a voice and a door slam from the left of the stage, opposite the cellar. Jade's head shot around and she caught sight of Lola's previous master. Her eyes shot wide.

"Fifteen thousand," Master Jacob negotiated.

"I just sold my last whore for five thousand. I'll give you twelve and a half for this one."

"Done." The man came up on stage and shook hands with Master Jacob.

Jade gulped and shook her head with wide, scared eyes.

"Please, sir, no, I beg you," Jade pleaded again. She dared to look him in the eyes and plead using her eyes, too.

The big man came over and grabbed ahold of Jade's wrist harshly, dragging her off stage. "I can't wait to add you to my collection," he sneered.

Jacob and the other man spoke for a few minutes in the dark loading dock where a van was parked. A female slave who looked to be about twenty, if not older, took Jade's suitcase and placed it in the back of the van before climbing in herself.

After Jacob received his payment, he left.

The new master grabbed Jade's breast and she jumped, a little squeak of surprise slipping out at the unexpected contact. The back of his open hand landed on her cheek with such force she fell to the ground.

"You will learn to behave," the new master scolded. "Mark my words, whore, you will learn to behave."

Jade didn't reply, but she trailed her hand over the spot where his hand hit her face. Blood trickled from a gash on her cheekbone. Glancing up at her master's hand, she figured out why. On every one of his ten fingers, he wore a ring.

The master produced a blindfold from his pocket and Jade stifled a gasp. She hadn't been blindfolded since she was broken back in her father's basement. Knowing it was safer to cooperate, she didn't resist when he brought the material over her eyes and pulled it a little too tight.

"Can you see, whore?"

"No, sir." Jade's eyes were closed anyway. Testing to see if she could see, she opened her eyes. She hadn't lied. Master had done a good job of blocking out any light.

Master's hand slammed down on the same cheek again. Tears filled her eyes when the ring pulled her gash open further. "Are you lying to me, you filthy whore?" he growled.

"N-no, Master." She shifted to her knees and buckled over in subservience with her hands clasped over her head.

"Up, girl." The master grabbed her wrists roughly and yanked her to her feet. She stumbled behind him as he drug her over to the van.

What did I do wrong? Jade wondered as he shoved her into the back of the van and slammed the doors. What did I do to deserve this?