That night Luca, Street, and Chris this time, head home. The mood in the house is melancholy. Going into the kitchen, Street pulls out three beers, knowing it was a good idea in the long run. He slides one over to Luca and hands another to Chris
"If it is her father, why doesn't she leave and not look back?" Luca asks, taking a swig. The three gathered around the island in the kitchen
"If her mom did die recently, Isa might've stayed for her" Street says "maybe Isa protected her from her father or something"
"Maybe the father's anger is directed at the mom" Chris comments "makes Isa want to protect her mom. But Isa probably doesn't understand love and family bonds"
"But, I just don't get it, why? Why her?" Luca asks, getting visibly upset. The couple hug their friend
"The world is messed up" Street says
"That's why we are cops, to help clean up the mess" Chris finishes, reading his mind
"Why her though?" Luca asks again
"I don't know man" Street answers "but I think things will only get better from here on out"
"You think?" Luca asks
"He knows" Chris answers for Street "life can only go so far down" Luca nods in thanks
After making sure he is ok, the three talk a bit more while the drink the beer. Then Street and Chris go into his room to do what couples do. Meanwhile, Luca numbly gets ready for bed. He lays down and finds himself stress and restless. Hours tick by slowly as Luca tosses and turns under the covers, his mind refusing to slow down. The last thought on his mind before finally falling asleep was that if Isa was his daughter, he would never let another person hurt her.
In the morning, when Luca wakes up, he finds that he slept in late. He jumps out of bed and frantically get ready for work. He sprints out the door and into the car while eating a protein bar, Luca races to HQ. Somehow, his parking spot is still open so he pulls in. There, Deacon is leaning of the trunk of the tree, waiting for Luca to arrive
"Cutting it close aren't we?" he says with a false tone of scolding
"Yeah, I guess" Luca answers, getting out of his car. Luca's eyes scan the tree, there is no Isa
"You alright, Luca?" Deacon asks, seeing the worry in his eyes
"Yeah" Luca says grimly, trying to play down his disappointment
"Still thinking about last night" Deacon asks, he nods "We found her this morning Luca"
"Where?" He asks, now looking at Deacon
"This morning, I got here really early and Isa was sleeping in the tree. She was very banged up so I decided to wake her. But as I woke her up, Isa fell out of the tree" Deacon explains "she's inside, come on" Deacon motions for the man to follow as they enter HQ. They enter the locker room where Isa sits on one of the benches facing the showers. She grips the bench seat as if her life depended on it
Isa's legs are bloody, cuts covering her more than skin. The back wounds have reopened which makes it hard to move and leaving the once nice shirt torn. Her right check has a harsh red outline of a hand. The side of her jaw is black, making her ability to speak decrease. Overall, Isa looks like hell. She sits next to Chris, who is trying to explain to Isa that a shower won't hurt her
"It's so you can get clean, and feel better" she says
"I can... in river" Isa argues, words clumping together as they try to escape her lips and into Chris' ear "that metal... metal thing"
"The shower head sprays water" Chris explains "like rain"
"Just rain?" Isa asks, Chris nods "how... you know?"
"I have taken countless showers here and the only thing to come out is water, Isa" Chris reasons
"White bar... on shelf?" Isa asks, getting flustered as her words come out with varying degrees of success. Despite her having a swollen accent, Chris understands
"That is soap" she patiently explains "it is used to clean you and to smell good. It might sting the wounds, but it cleans them too, so they don't get infected" Isa doesn't answer
"Isa" Deacon calls "Luca is here" she turns to look at him. Her eyes light up and she nods in greeting
"Why don't you take a shower, Chris can help you" Luca suggests, Isa looks at the shower terrified "you will feel better after, Isa" his words makes her finally nod. Chris smiles and guides her into the bathroom. In command the team meets Hondo
"Since Becky lied, and with no new info, today might not have a lot of action" he tells them
"More time to focus on Isa, you saw her this morning" Tan says "I don't think those boys did all of that"
"She can't move" Street says "and that mark on her face, that is an adult's hand, an adult male's hand"
"I know" Hondo whispers "I know"
"Hey Luca" Tan says, as Luca and Deacon enter "how is she?"
"Barely talking" Luca says "she is taking a shower, Chris is helping her"
"Didn't know what that was either" Deacon adds "this child knows too much about the wrong things in life and too little about the good things"
"Yeah? Whose fault is that?" Luca asks angrily
"We don't have proof, until Isa says something, we legally can't do anything" Hondo argues sternly
"Sometimes, I hate the rules" Street mutters
After Isa is done her shower, Chris helps the girl dress into some clothes. Isa now wears another one of Chris' SWAT shirts and her tan shorts are cleaned to the best of Deacon's ability.
"Feel any better?" She asks Isa, she nods
"Thank you" Isa answers, the cold shower helping her speech, words coming out clearly again
"Of course" Chris says
"Chris?" Isa asks "how do I pay you back for the shower? And the shirt? I did not mean to ruin it"
"Don't have to" Chris says
"That does not seem fair" Isa argues
"It is more than fair" Chris replies, Isa doesn't answer, her face going a bit red.
"How is it fair to you?" She asks
"Because I enjoy helping others, that's my reward" Chris answers, she takes Isa's hand. The guys are waiting around in Command. They then spot Chris and Isa approaching. Both are still wet from the shower adventure, but Isa definitely looks better. The guys plaster on the best smiles they can make
"Lookin' good Isa" Hondo says, and Street whistles on a flirty manner. Both of them make her smile slightly before it disappears, Isa finding it too painful to bother with the gesture
"Why don't we get you checked out by first aid" Tan suggests, noticing the bruise on her jaw is swelling. Isa is about to decline when Tan adds "I need to pick up some stuff there anyway"
"Are you sure? Are you not working?" She asks
"This is our work" Tan explains "helping people" Isa looks at the ground, but nods. Stilling on to Chris, they begin to walk out of Command when Isa sees the pictures from the case on the screen. The pictures are from the various loading docks, suspects' house, and of course the pills themselves. Isa stops in her tracks. Something catching her attention
"What is it Isa?" Luca asks
"I recognize that" she says, pointing at the rose symbol from the bottle cap
"From a movie?" Luca asks
"I do not know what that is" she replies, his heart sinks "I know it from a pill bottle"
"Isa, come over here" Hondo says, who was still Command. He motions for her to come closer and she complies "where have you seen that? From a picture or maybe a friend?"
"I take one or two from the bottle" Isa replies "every night"
"Why?" Tan asks, she shrugs
"Isa, I think you know" Street says, looking at her face. She squirms in her spot, not wanting to respond
"Isa, we aren't going to judge you, ok? We just want to know" Luca says "that's what friends do, we care about one another" Isa takes a deep breath, her eyes still on the floor
"Take it or be knocked out. After awhile, I began to prefer the first option" Isa whispers "helps me sleep they say"
"Isa, do you recognize this boat?" Hondo asks, showing her a picture. She looks at it carefully
"I recognize the name, it is probably theirs"
"Who is 'theirs'?" Deacon asks
"I should not tell you, anyone" Isa says, shaking her head "I already got in trouble for wearing a new shirt and playing with cops. I will be dead before tomorrow if they knew I was still talking to you, never mind what I would be saying"
"Isa" Street says, crouching to be eye level "does your father hurt you? Does he make you do things you don't like to?"
"The rules are meant for following" she replies sternly, copying her father's words "when they are broken, there must be consequences"
"What rules? That your hair needs to be kept short, that you can't get new clothes, that you can't eat?" Street asks "I was just like you when I was younger, Isa. Staying silent does nothing" Isa looks at him, the two sharing a painful connection
"Remember when we talked about family?" Luca asks, he kneels now and places his hands on her shoulders. They look at each other square in the face. The team can't help but think that they look like father and daughter "we are your family, ok? Not just friends, we will have your back no matter what you tell us. But we need you to trust us"
"I will be punished for it" Isa argues
"And I will make sure that will not happen. You are safe with us, Isa. Can you trust us? Can you trust me?" Luca asks, Isa swallows air, and looks at the team. Her heart wants to listen to her new found friends while her brain really doesn't agree. However, after a minute of thinking. Isa decides for the first time in her life, to let her heart take the reins. Her eyes go back to the ground
"My name is Isaac Adler" she tells them "Father spends the night with Mr. Sullivan, when they caught me listening one night to their meeting with a lady named Becky, I was punished. After, they started giving me the pill every night when I come home"
"What were they talking about?" Hondo asks
"Selling a pill they made called Muerte Roja"
"Red death" Chris translates, recognizing the language as Spanish
"Last thing I heard him say was that people call it the Sleeping Beauty Pill. And that they want to make the symbol a rose, from a thing he called a movie"
"Are they the ones who own those boats?" Luca asks
"They share the payment and therefore share the name, St. Sandler" Isa tells them
"Do you remember anything else that they talked about?" Hondo asks gently
"If I got in the way, they do me like Mother" she whispers
"And what was that?" Deacon asks, using his father voice. She doesn't answer
"What has he done to you Isa?" Street asks her, she doesn't answer right away, finding that those words don't come out as easily. After a moment, Isa lifts up her left hand to reveal the tattoo on the inside of her wrist. The numbers 2-15-25 in bold black lettering
"2 is B, 15 is O, and 25 is Y" she whispers, voice becoming small, wanting to disappear. The team barely makes out her last words "I am a boy, his boy. I am nothing else" tears form in her eyes, she blinks rapidly, not used to the liquid in her eyes
"It's alright Isa" Hondo says. He squats to eye level again with her, but Isa refuses to look at him "it's alright, ok?"
"It is my fault" she whispers
"None of this is your fault, Isa" Street says firmly
"It is, you do not get it. It is my fault"
"And why is that?" Street asks, Isa thinks hard, not finding any better reason than
"Because it just is" Hondo now looks at the team and says
"I am getting Hicks" Hondo stands and makes a bee line for Hicks' Office. Luca, instinctually hugs Isa, cradling her head on his shoulder. She still doesn't move, but looks up at the team. And this time, they don't miss her eyes changing to being completely white