1 week later
"hey Cat how's Tori" asks Jade having called Cat
"how should I know, I got angry and left, you should never have told her I called dibs on her, she started asking personal questions, questions I can't answer without her dad getting angry, isn't she with you" says Cat
"no, if she's not with you then I fear something happened to her, she's a perfect target for the traffickers, you never should have left her alone" says Jade
"yeah well my brother makes my moisturizer from weed products, not exactly in a legal way either, I didn't want her telling her dad about it" says Cat
"well now I HAVE to tell her dad she's missing, he was already on edge about her dating you, in his eyes abandoning her won't make him feel any easier about it" says Jade
"you broke a promise to me, you said you'd never tell Tori I called dibs on her, her being missing isn't my fault" says Cat as she hangs up
"that didn't sound good" says Naomi
"no I shouldn't have told you that Cat called dibs on Tori with Tori in the house, Cat made me promise never to tell anyone, do you have any idea where the traffickers might take someone like Tori" says Jade
"check the pier, if they got wind of Cat paying a trafficker off they'll try and make an example of anyone close to her" says Naomi
"what would they do to her" asks Jade getting very worried
"probably tie her up at the old abandoned Arcade up in the Hollywood hills arcade, the police haven't checked that place in years, its their hideout, the big boss is someone high up in Italian politics named Vanessa Abate" says Naomi
"you do realize that's Alessia's mother right" says Jade
"Wait what, oh my God that's not good, you need to tell Cat" says Naomi
"I think that bridge is long gone now maybe David could get through to her but I'm pretty sure she's changed her number again" says Jade
"ok I'm curious, why is her calling dibs on Tori such a secret" asks Naomi
"long story, Cat has tons of secrets, basically her medicinal moisturizer isn't prescribed to her, it's her brother's prescription but ninety percent of moisturizers she can get her hands on, her skin doesn't react well to, the secret is important because while her brother proves of Tori as a friend of Cat, she's afraid that if he finds out they have feelings for one another he'll cut her off, Tori's visited Cat's brother a few times for advice so keeping the whole dibs thing a secret from Tori was kinda a big deal" says Jade as they get dressed and head to the car to find Tori
"wait you said ninety percent of moisturizers set her skin off, what about the other ten percent" asks Naomi
"extremely expensive and only sold in a few dozen stores and sells out as she gets a notification that they're restocked and the brands she can use aren't available in Italy, they're available in Spain but not Italy, now let's find Tori before its too late" says Jade
45 minutes later in the abandoned Arcade
"FBI open up" says Claire
"not a chance fed, you've interfered in our business enough already, let us keep this hostage, if you break in we'll kill her" says crime boss Jackson Brown
"flip on the big boss and we'll let you live, now hand over the hostage before I get in there and kill you myself" says Jade
"that depends on how much Miss Valentine's girlfriend is worth, you know you really should have kept her safe" says Jackson Brown
"how about we prosecute you here and refuse to extradite you to Italy, you and I both know that you'll be treated here way better since your boss has friends in high places in Italian politics" says Jade
"Jade just give them the damn money, is my life not worth it to you" cries Tori
"we accept your terms miss West on the condition that you protect us from her, what we did was evil yes but we did it to protect our families, big boss ordered her daughter and her daughters best friend trafficked because of a fight they had, she couldn't control them so it was better they were gone and assumed dead" says Jackson as he and the traffickers walk out with Tori in tow
"what happened to her dress, why is it ripped" asks Jade getting angry
"it was like that when we found her, which by the way saved her life, a nearby gang wanted her as property" says Jackson untying Tori and they all put their hands up so they can be arrested
"Tori is what they say true" asks Jade
"yes, I ripped the dress leaving the restaurant, I was too upset to care and ended up getting lost, headed south instead of north" says Tori
"how's your vision, did they feed you" asks Jade
"my vision is a fair bit better but still not perfect, they fed me scraps but still fed me" says Tori
"take them away Claire and honor their request for protection but still hold them accountable for their actions" says Jade
"oh you better believe I will" says Claire
45 minutes later at the hospital
"how is she doc, is her timeline still the same" asks Jade
"I'm in shock actually, as much as they are criminals, whatever they fed her, even scraps, it targeted the eyes and sped up healing, she can now see up to nine feet away which is near what it used to be" says Doctor Vanca
"what's the baseline" asks Naomi
"fifteen feet" says Doctor Vanca
I feel like it's farth5than that" says Tori
"not according to your medical history, anyway Jade can I speak to you in private, Naomi watch your sister carefully" says Doctor Vanca as Jade follows him out and into an empty room
"something wrong doc" asks Jade
"Tori's in an active suicidal mood, I know we promised to let her leave after the test but at this stage we'd only be putting her life on the line" says Doctor Vanca
"do you think it's something the traffickers did, any sign of rape" asks Jade
"kit came back negative, other than muscle strain on her shoulders and rope marks on her wrists and ankles there's no sign of anything being done to her, however something happened on that date with Cat that's got Tori all out of wack, we need authorization to put her on a seventy-two hour psych hold, you need to get Cat back here, Tori's life may depend on it" says Doctor Vanca
"if I could I would, trust me, unfortunately it's out of my hands this time" says Jade
"do whatever you can, you have seventy-two hours" says Doctor Vanca
"I'll do what I can but I don't make any promises" says Jade
24 hours later as Cat arrives in LA for a business trip and David awaits her at LAX
"you do know this isn't a good look for me right" says Cat
"don't get me started on 'not a good look', you assumed that Jade told Tori about the whole calling dibs on Tori thing when in fact she was talking to NAOMI about it because Naomi doesn't know that much about you or Tori, Tori had been in bed for an hour and wasn't expected to be up at the time but unfortunately Tori had gotten up for a snack around midnight and hearing Naomi and Jade talk she was quiet so as not to disturb their conversation, Jade nor Naomi even knew Tori was up until Tori opened the fridge, at which point they'd finished talking about the whole calling dibs thing, by the way Tori had no problem with it, she actually told me that it was cute that you did that, we need to talk about your moisturizer issue" says David as he walks Cat to his car
"what about it" asks Cat
"you can't get it from your brother anymore" says David
"why, did he find out I have feelings for Tori or something, this is exactly why I wanted them kept secret, you don't understand that most moisturizer actually does the opposite for me, there's three expensive brands that I CAN use but they sell out in a few hours and they're not available in Italy, the medicinal moisturizer is the only one that works that I have access to, my skin dries up like sand if I don't use moisturizer" says Cat
"the dispensary has an issue with the frequency of his moisturizer delivery requests, they won't give him any more, why not get your own medical card" says David
"my parents signed some damn document that states that any medical tests or prescriptions have to be authorized by them, I had to go behind their backs in Rome just to get an autism diagnosis, my parents think that my symptoms aren't severe enough to require a medical card or any new meds" says Cat
"yeah that document doesn't hold water anymore" says David
"wait you spoke to my parents" asks Cat getting into David's car
"Jade asked for my help, Tori's in a suicidal mood because of how things went on that date, she says you yelled at her and she said you've never looked so angry, it terrifies her, Tori's in the hospital for a guaranteed seventy-two hour hold of which a whole day has passed" says David
"that sounds like an autistic meltdown not suicidal tendencies but she's not autistic" says Cat
"not officially diagnosed anyway, the doctor who was charged with administration of the autism diagnosis test by Tori's doctor held a firm belief that girls simply couldn't be autistic like ever, I've begged her for a few years to try again but she's terrified about getting a diagnosis, the label in Canada where you were supposed to take her to an interview took her no show as a sign of disrespect and cut all communication and probably told other Canadian labels to steer clear of her as a result, she masks pretty well however the anxiety is what shows and is why she ditched you all those years ago for Brad over that movie, her anxiety got way worse, she had three panic attacks in ten hours, she decided that it was better to stick with a current relationship than to experiment on fantasies" says David as he drives to the hospital
"wait why are we headed to the hospital, I have a business meeting in an hour" asks Cat getting worried about a forced confrontation with Tori
"don't worry we aren't going to the hospital Tori's at, I'm dropping you off to get a medical weed card so you can get your own moisturizer" says David
"I can't afford to delay the meeting Mr. Vega, it's about a slight remodel of the main agency building so I can start interviewing models, it has to happen in the next hour" says Cat
"it won't be long, they mostly just need your signature, your brother attested to the moisturizer working really well with no side effects, they just need a signature and ten minutes of your time to check for allergic reactions to it" says David as they pull into the emergency parking lot and get out
"this is the emergency entrance, why are we going through there" asks Cat
"this is where doctor Andrew told us to meet him" says David
"I was ambushed last year by a doctor, I got away but now I don't trust random doctors, do you trust him" says Cat
"he's my brothers boyfriend, he's not into women in the slightest, he's one of the only doctors Tori trusts, by the way it would be in your interest to try that first date again" says David as Doctor Andrew greets them
"hello Miss Valentine, don't worry you're safe with me, I work for the feds, I know about the incident last year, that doctor was immediately arrested and is now serving a long prison sentence, anyway come with me so we can get the process started" says Doctor Andrew as Cat timidly follows him
"I'm coming with you Andrew, she's clearly anxious about this encounter" says David
"as long as you're not on duty you're more than welcome to chief, guns are forbidden in my ward" says Doctor Andrew
"as if I'd pick Cat up while on duty, that's both disrespectful to her as it would be you" says David as he follows them to a private hospital room
15 minutes later
"congratulations Cat, you now qualify for a medical weed card to be used to your needs at any dispensary, your card will be delivered next week to your recently purchased home" says Doctor Andrew
"how do you know about that, I didn't buy it under my name" asks Cat
"I work for the feds most days treating victims they bring me, I know a stealth buy when I see one, it's a nice house, also you did register it with the government under your real name so it will be sent there whether you've moved in or not, or I can have it sent to David's house" says Doctor Andrew
"I'm moving in tomorrow but I'm surprised you didn't accuse me of lying to justify getting a medical card, my own parents have done so in the past, most doctors in California are scared of them" says Cat
"if you claimed allergies to only cheap brands I might have accused you of lying but your brother has told me that you have issues with several expensive brands as well, also you had to go out of your way to get an autism diagnosis, to which there are few positive reasons to get an autism diagnosis except to understand one's self better and stop making excuses for your odd behavior, as someone with an autistic daughter there is no reason someone would fake being autistic and being autistic in my eyes means you're less likely to lie, why lie to get a medicinal weed card when people with autism generally have access to more powerful drugs" says Doctor Andrew
"ok so now my problem is my skin dries like sand without moisturizer and I ran out this morning, would a dispensary give me some if I provided my information, is there some sort of card number I could give them" asks Cat
"unfortunately I don't control that which is why your brother pointed me to a brand you don't have issues with for you to use in the meantime, it's fifty-nine dollars" says Doctor Andrew as Cat hands him a few hundred dollar bills to cover the lotion and the allergy test
"oh no no, just the fifty nine dollars is fine, your international insurance covers all tests, however if I may give you advice on Tori, if she's asking a question its because she's genuinely interested in your side or point of view, look back at your time at Hollywood arts after she arrived, I think you'll find her jabs at you were always half hearted, as if she never wanted to hurt your feelings" says Doctor Andrew
"you know Tori well huh" asks Cat slightly suspicious
"I am her God father Catarina after you left she often found herself lost and confused, she came to me for advice as Trina's answers only made her more confused, that fight before the Hollywood arts graduation ceremony weighed heavy on her, she has yet to forgive herself for her harsh words towards you even if she feels they were warranted she feels she was too harsh" says Doctor Andrew
"I don't even remember that fight, then again since my modelling agency took off I tend to have little time to reflect on my past" says Cat
"it was about a dress you'd borrowed from her for the last play of your high school education, she believes you never returned it" says David
"OH that dress, yeah I'm certain I gave that back, Tori was often out playing music with Andre so I probably gave it to Trina" says Cat
"Holly rarely let Trina keep anything that was brought into this house unless it was purchased with family money, regardless of whether it belonged to Tori or not, if you are remembering correctly and you did give it to Trina to give to Tori I know where it might be, anyway I should take you to your meeting, no need for you to be late" says David
"ugh now it's going to bug me about if I DID actually hand it to Trina or not" says Cat mildly annoyed
Meanwhile with Tori, Jade and Naomi at the hospital
"Tori, Cat's back in town, maybe she'll pop by and apologize" says Naomi
"that's not her thing, besides she's a busy woman, why visit me when she has to get her LA headquarters up and running before the end of the month, she has no time for me, I'm the one that messed up, I'm the one that should suffer, I just hope I'm still here when she does have time" says Tori
"ok this is sounding way too much like an autistic shutdown" says Naomi
"as if a doctor would give me such a diagnosis, I've always been told that girls can't be autistic, that's why I was so curious about Cat's experience, I wanted to know if dibs meant dibs as bestie or dibs as girlfriend, I don't understand what goes on in her head very well so I was trying to learn about the real Cat and only made her mad" says Tori
"dibs as besties as far as I know but Cat can have alterior motives, she called dibs on Andre and they ended up half dating for a month prior to graduating middle school, only stopping because his grandmother freaked her out big time, that's why at Wankos when he hugged her to stop her from going anywhere she giggled, she thought about kissing his hand" says Jade
"does Andre have feelings for her still" asks Tori looking for reasons to give up
"I don't really know, we don't talk much anymore, he's a big artist in France now, if Cat wanted him she'd have sought him out, she went looking for you not Andre" says Jade
"I guess I'm just feeling a little hopeless, I really messed up" says Tori
"love can make you feel like that sometimes Tori but you must have hope" says Naomi
Tori returns home
"how is she" asks Molly as Tori just heads right to bed
"tired and feeling a little hopeless but her eyesight is near enough to normal that the doctor is allowing her to return home relatively unmonitored" says Jade
"so now it's just you and Naomi alone huh" asks Trina
"yeah, it's going to be awkward for a bit but we'll get there, Naomi was interviewed by Cat yesterday, it went pretty well" says Jade
"any idea as to if she got in" asks Molly
"chances are pretty high yeah, Cat's latest line focuses on complimentary colors for Latina and Italian skin tones so it's likely that Naomi will be a big part of it" says Jade
"why do I get the feeling that Cat designed it for Tori" asks Trina
"it's definitely a good possibility but Cat's not known to single people out when designing things, it's likely Tori's skin tone played a big role in the designs but it wouldn't have been designed specifically for Tori, mainly because of Cat's rule about not dating employees or her models and designing something specifically with Tori in mind would mean she hopes that Tori wants to be a model for her" says Jade
"ok anything we need to know to keep Tori safe and fed" asks Molly
"make sure she eats, though she's unlikely to leave her room much and she definitely won't leave the house, she feels that being curious about Cat having called dibs on her and refusing to change the subject turned Cat against her so not Tori believes she must suffer the consequences of alienating the only girl for her" says Jade
"Cat isn't exactly known for giving up that easily" says Trina
"we know that but Tori's convinced that Cat's love is no longer open to her and that Cat has most certainly moved on, I haven't been able to convince her otherwise, I'm under the assumption that the accident has done something to her mental stability" says Jade
"when I visited her at the hospital she didn't seem that off to me" says Molly as Trina clues into the situation
"Tori's been known to hide things from doctors ever since the whole 'girls can't be autistic' thing, she won't willingly show any symptoms while being monitored by doctors if it means she might get admitted to a mental health care facility" says Trina
"so this has happened before" asks Jade
"yes, we were little, we got hit in the trunk area of the car by a car running a red light, we spun out, Tori hit her head on the door pretty hard, it resulted in temporary personality changes but after a month she returned to normal, she started intentionally hurting herself but after the month was over she was normal again, did Tori get an MRI or CT scan" says Trina
"she got both yes, the doctor didn't notice anything out of the ordinary" says Jade
"she's autistic babe, ANY change could be bad, her vision was affected so anything in that area was also likely affected, that explosion shockwave wasn't exactly weak, I'm honestly surprised she survived at all, she was basically encased in the car when they found her" says Naomi
"so Jade you living at Naomi's or your own place" asks Trina changing the subject
"Naomi's for a bit, I'm remodeling my house, the idea, assuming Naomi and I work out long term is to sell my house and move in with her but for now I'm just moving rooms around so the main bedroom where Naomi and I will sleep is big enough for us both" says Jade
"that's fair" says Molly as Tori comes down to the kitchen for snacks then heads back upstairs
"and Tori's moleing, she's definitely autistic" says Naomi
"what's that" asks Trina
"she just came downstairs and got fifteen snacks, a bag of chips and the fries you were making, moleing at least by my definition means getting enough food and snacks to stay in one's room for hours so you only have to leave to use the bathroom, it's what I tend to do after an incredibly stressful week, what Tori's been through lately definitely qualifies" says Naomi
"ugh those fries were my favorite" says Trina
"you've been taking advantage of Tori's over accommodating nature for most of your life Trina, why do you think I never used to get along with you, you used to be very entitled, you can put up with a few weeks of her sneakily taking your favorite food, besides we can just get more" says Molly
"you can maybe but Tori's been relying on me financially, I can't afford much" says Trina
"wait Tori's been relying on you financially, since when" says Jade
"since university wiped her out financially, I don't usually mind as she usually helps around the house so dad gives her a little money but without her helping around the house she's entirety dependent on my income" says Trina
"I thought she was looking for a job" asks Jade
"she was but they all reject her saying her job should be as a singer so she stopped since all local companies think her immense talent is wasted working for them as if she doesn't have to start somewhere" says Trina
"I mean they're right in a way but that's stupid, even I started somewhere before getting into modelling full time" says Naomi
"right" says Trina
