Disclaimer: This story deals with some ugly real life stuff, like rape and child molestation. Nothing is graphic, but please remember this is not for a child to read. As always, X-Men and Gen-X are Marvel's, Pine Valley is owned by ABC Daytime Television. Mucho thanks to Leary, who gave me the best idea for the story.

Cordelia Frost waved goodbye to her friends and started to walk the few steps to the bus stop. Wrapping her jacket around her for protection against the chilly night, she reflected that, for once, everything seemed to be going right. She had settled down in a good school, made real friends, and was actually happy. Since the death of her parents, it didn't seem like anything could go right again but it had.

Emma had even called her last week. Now, that was a rarity. Usually, Emma never took time to honor her with a call. Sure, Cordelia was bitter in some ways toward her older, absent, sister but she also had started to feel sorry for her. Emma forced out of her life anybody that might love her, and only understood people when they wanted something from her. Cordelia had tried to use that angle and failed. She had more or less decided that Emma would never have a part in her life. And while that hurt, it was okay too.

Cordelia looked around the Manhattan street and noticed that it was quiet. Almost too quiet. But she put that down to being silly. Having no desire to telepathically sweep the area for people, she enjoyed the near silence that surrounded her.

Glancing down at her watch, she noticed that the bus was late. Nothing to be really concerned about, she decided. Heck, when did the buses really run on time?

After a minute, she got a feeling akin to what the heroine in a horror film must feel just before the baddie jumps out from behind the bushes. The knot in her stomach grew as she looked around her. If this was that movie, this would be the second that the guy would pull the knife on her. But that was make believe, this was real life. If she was jumpy, she could go back to the party and call for a taxi. She had enough money.

But the bus would be here in another moment or two, she decided as she looked at her watch. If she went back, she would have to help clean up. It was better to wait here. Any second, there would be more cars on the street, and she would feel better.

The exact order of what happened next would never be clear to Cordelia. Emma would later blame Tessa for what happened. One minute, Cordelia saw a man come up to her and her sense of unease grew.

The next minute, she was struggling against him as he dragged her into a nearby alley. Women are taught to have a plan ready in case something like this should happen to them, if they were in danger of being raped. They were supposed to know if they were going to resist and fight, or submit and pray. Cordelia had always thought she would fight an attack. She didn't know that fear could freeze her, making her unable to scream. This, too, Emma would blame on Sebastian Shaw's associate.

He was tall, about six feet more or less. He had brown hair, buzz cut, and blue eyes. His face looked like a neanderthal's. There was a slight scar under his left eye. He had a dragon tattoo on his right upper arm, the one that was wrapped around her throat. Quickly, her mind began to memorize all the details.

It will be okay, she tried to reassure herself. Like her mother and sister, she had the ability to keep a cool head during a crisis. _He has to let me go at some point to get what he wants. And when he does, I can run. But as the pressure around her throat increased, she realized that she had hoped wrong. Mercifully, she blacked out.

It was a moment or two later that she came to. She could feel that her clothes had been torn off. He was on top of her. In her. Hurting her. Not wanting to open her eyes to the nightmare she was living, she tried to think.

Her hands started to explore for something- anything that could be a weapon. Something that could stop him, give her a chance to run. She didn't think to use her telepathic abilities, she barely knew how to use them. Finally, she found a board about a foot away from her.

She needed a diversion, so she forced herself to groan and open her eyes. "Please," she begged as she grabbed the board.

The man almost laughed at that word. "Shaw said to give your mother a message." Cordelia wrapped her hand around the board as she doubted the man. Her mother was dead. "Tell Emma he will have what he wants."

Cordelia swung the board and hit him with it squarely between the eyes. Then she pulled it back and hit him again and again with it until he fell off of her. Blood splattered her body.

It was only as she started to stand up that she noticed the board had three nails sticking out of it. Three bloody nails. She dropped the board and quickly slipped her clothes on as best she could.

Cordelia dashed out of the street and almost ran in front of a cab. She didn't notice him slamming on breaks or opening the car door. All she knew was that she was safer in the cab than outside it. She climbed in, and the cabby drove away.

***

"Geesh, sweetheart," the man started, "You gave me the scare of my life." He looked at the girl in the backseat, wrapping her torn blouse around her. Poor thing, it didn't take a genius to realize what just had happened to her. "You want me to take you to a hospital?"

The girl shook her head and gave him an address on Park Avenue. "Are you sure? If you were one of my daughters, I know I would want you to go to the hospital." The girl started to sob.

"Just take me to my sis— Emma will take care of it," she begged. He drove her to the address in an uneasy silence. She tossed him a hundred out of her wallet, which he tried to give back to her.

"Just doing the right thing, ma'am." She refused the money, and he handed her one of his business cards. "Then call the company and have them tell ol' Charlie that you're okay." His blue eyes softened as he looked at her.

If the girl heard him, she gave no sign. She quickly ran into the building and, after a long minute, he drove off. He couldn't help every girl in this city.