Author's Note: This story was written for the HS Bingo prompt "Rumours". Also, as anyone who watches the show should be able to guess, there is limited (non-graphic) discussion of rape.

"Did you hear?"

"Yeah, Michael Corinthos."

"Horrible isn't it?"

"Guess he found someplace Daddy couldn't protect him?"

Michael tried to ignore the whispering as he walked through the halls of Madison Prep. He knew it was about him. They were always talking about him. They had always been talking about him. His life never failed to provide more things to gossip about. 'Yeah, his dad is the Sonny Corinthos.', 'Did you hear his parents got divorced again?', 'Did you know his dad got arrested again?', 'Did you hear his mom's getting remarried?', 'He was kidnapped last year!', 'Did you know he ran away?', 'Did you know he was in that building when it blew up?', 'Did you know he was in a coma?' ... he'd heard it all. He was used to it.

What did he care if the latest hot topics around the school were 'Did you hear he killed his step-mother?', 'Did you know he was in prison?' and other similar things? It was nothing new. It was just how things had always been. So why did it bug him so much?

But it didn't matter. There wasn't anything he could do, so the best course of action was to just ignore them. At least that was the plan. Then realized exactly what they were talking about this time.

"So is that why he acts so weird now?"

"Yeah, Michael Corinthos."

"I heard he was raped in prison."

He fought back a gasp as he leaned back against the wall. How could they know? Did Franco let it out somehow? No ... chances were that this was one of the many rumors about him that had no foundation in fact. Only this one just happened to accidentally be true. After everything he'd done to keep it a secret now it didn't even matter. Some idiot just made up a story about it and now everyone was going to believe it. And they were right.

There was no way he could stay in that school. It took all of five seconds for him to make the decision to head for the door.

"Hey, Kristina!" a boy called.

"Yeah, Taylor." she said.

"What's up with your brother?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied, looking confused.

"He just left the school." her friend told her.

"He did what?" she exclaimed.

"He just walked out." the boy confirmed.

"And you don't know why?" she questioned.

"That's why I was asking you." he said. "Wait... do you think he left over the rumors?"

"I don't think he would. Michael's just as used to all the gossip as I am. But I better go find him" she said, heading for the door.

"Let me come with you!" her friend called.

"No. If he's upset, it's best if it's just me. I'll be fine." she insisted.

She sighed in relief when the elevator doors opened and she saw her brother sitting on the couch of their older brother's loft.

"I thought you'd be here." he said, coming to sit next to him.

"How'd you know?" he asked.

"I figured if you were upset enough to leave school, you'd want to be along and since Dante and Lulu are working... Well, it was the best I could think of." she told her brother.

He gave her a half smile before burying his face in his hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He sighed before replying, "I don't know what I'm gonna do, Krissy."

"About what?" she questioned.

"School." he said, not really wanting to explain.

"That really isn't very descriptive, Michael." she said with a grin.

"I don't want to talk about it, Krissy." he told her while looking at the floor.

"Well, whatever it was upset you enough to make you leave school, so I think you need to talk about it." she insisted.

He gave her a half-hearted glare.

"No, Michael. You've always been there for me, ever since we were little. This time you need somebody to talk to and so I'm going to help." she told him.

He took a deep breath and there was a long pause before he finally replied, "Did you hear what they were saying?"

"Yeah, but they're always talking about us. Why did you leave this time?" she asked.

"This time it's different." he said.

"Why?" she asked, looking confused.

"Because it's true." he said in a small voice.

Her whole world seemed to spin. Not Michael. Not her big brother. This couldn't have happened to Michael.

"Ok. We're ... we're thinking of the same rumor right? I mean ... the one that says - the one that says you were..." she couldn't even make herself say it.

"That I was raped." he whispered as tears formed in his eyes.

"Oh, Michael! How? I mean ... Jason was supposed to protect you!" she breathed, horrified.

"It happened before Jason got there. Just before he got there. I mean, I'm not really sure how long before. I kinda - I kinda ... shut down until Jason came in. Like when we were kidnapped and when you saw the Text Message Killer." he rambled.

"Are you ok? I mean, have you talked to anybody? Who did this? Oh, I'm so sorry Michael!" she exclaimed, hugging him and crying.

"Jason knows, I think. At least he seems too. I've talked to him some. It was the guy Jason killed, so he's gone now. Hey, don't cry." he said.

"But I've been such an idiot! I kept complaining to you about all my problems and I didn't even pay attention to how upset you've been! I should have known there was something else wrong! I should have helped you!" she said through her tears.

"Krissy, it's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. I didn't want you to know. I didn't really want anybody to know, but I never wanted you to know about this with everything else you're going through. I'm sorry." he said with a sigh.

"Don't you dare apologise to me! You shouldn't have to handle this alone. It's a horrible thing to have to deal with. With everything else he did, at least Keifer never..." Michael didn't let her finish.

"Hey! That doesn't change what he did do. What he put you through was horrible too!" he insisted.

Kristina wiped her eyes, "I guess we really shouldn't play the 'who-had-it-worse' game."

"No." was all he said.

"I'm glad you told me, Michael. You've been helping me so much and now I can help you." she told him.

"You don't have to do anything for me." he said.

"Yes, I do! You're my brother. I can't let you go through this alone." she replied.

"You're amazing, Krissy." he said, giving his little sister a small smile.

"So are you." she told him, returning the smile.

They sat in silence for a moment before Kristina spoke again.

"I think you should go to therapy." she said.

"Krissy..." he started.

"No, hear me out. Everyone knows you've been upset. They don't have to know why you're going to therapy and the therapist can't tell anyone what you tell them about it. The woman I've been going to is great, and I really think she could help you." she told her brother.

"Will it make you feel better if I say I'll go?" he asked.

"Yeah." she told him.

"Okay. Then I'll go. I guess as long as she doesn't turn out to be another psychotic killer, what can go wrong?" he said.

Kristina just stared at him.

"Oh, don't tell you managed to miss that story!" he said before beginning the long explanation.