Title: The Life & Times of Sara Sidle

Rating: T
Summary: (You all know by now)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters!

A/N: The showdown...bum, bum, BUM! dramatic music plays in background

August 1, 1986- 2:15 pm- Alley of Winston and Maple Street

Sara felt like she would die right there in the alley. She could see the detectives hunched over her lifeless body, shaking their heads and saying how it was a pity that she was so young. She could see her life flashing before her eyes, and she wasn't too pleased at the images that appeared before her. First she saw flashes of her drunk father coming home fighting with her mother. Then she saw flashes of purple and black bruises covering half of her body. After that, she could see the flashes of crimson and silver from the night her mother finally took a stand.

The nenxt few images weren't as gruesome. She saw a smiling Nancy and Ted waving at her and Josh running up to her holding his skateboard in his hand. She could see him sliding the bracelet on her wrist and could almost feel the tears forming in her eyes again.

But then, things got bad again. She could feel the awkwardness of seeing Matthew sitting in her kitchen eating lunch like any other day. She could hear Josh's warnings and watch as she shoved him into his house. She could hear the car driving off and Josh's muffled pleads for her to come back. And then, she could see herself walking into his room.

And after that, she came back to reality.

She could feel Matthew's cold hands still wrapped tightly around her wrists. She could feel his nails digging into the sides of her soft skin. Just to her right, she could see Josh looking furious. The last time she had seen him this angry was when he punched Melissa, and even that paled in comparrison to the ferocious look in his eyes, his glare digging into Matthew like daggers.

Matthew just barely turned his attention away from holding Sara in place against the wall. Still holding her wrists to her sides, he turned his head about 15 degrees to the left to see Josh out of the corner of his eye. Matthew obviously wasn't phased by Josh's statement, though it did get a little bit of his attention.

"Let her go, you sick bastard," Josh said, teeth grinding, hands balled into fists and knuckles turning white.

Matthew just continued to stare at him for a second. Sara could see his eyes traveling up and down Josh's body, examining his build. Sara knew Josh couldn't stand a chance. Josh wasn't nearly as tall as Matthew, plus Matthew looked to be a gym regular. He shifted his grip on Sara making her wince. She could tell that new bruises were going to be forming over the old ones- and they were just started to fade...

"Let her go," Josh repeated. "NOW."

Matthew smiled a bit as Josh's tone became fiercer and more frightening. He pulled Sara by her wrists in front of him and wrapped and arm around her waist. His other hand held her arms behind her back, twisting them in a peculiar position. Sara winced and whimpered a little as he continued to twist her arms in strange ways.

"Don't you dare," Josh said, taking a step forward. Sara had practically fallen to her knees from the pain, but she managed to look up at Josh and tell him with her eyes not to come any closer.

Matthew smiled again. He was enjoying the situation. He kneeled down beside Sara who was now on her knees and caressed her chin gently as he pulled her head against him. Sara had a look of total disgust on her face. Josh was giving Matthew a warning glance who only grinned in response. He slowly turned Sara to face him and she could barely look at his haunting green eyes. With a hand behind her head holding firmly onto the back of her neck, he leaned closer to her and planted his lips on hers. Sara had closed her eyes tightly now and was fidgeting, trying to escape.

"You piece of shit..." Josh said taking another few steps closer to the pair. Sara cracked one eye open a little so that she could see Josh's figure coming closer into view. A tear ran down her cheek as Matthew had again wrapped an arm around her waist and began to deepen the kiss. When he finally moved his lips away from hers he shoved her to the ground, her arms held against her back, her face planted in the dirt.

Sara grunted a bit, spitting dirt out of her mouth. Matthew reached his hand under her and again slid his hands onto the waistband of her pants. Josh saw this.

"Don't you dare..." Josh warned.

Matthew grinned again as he slowly started undoing the button. Sara cried out in fright and terror.

"You lay one more hand on her and I swear..." Josh said, raising his hand up to point at Matthew. Matthew had risen his hand up after unbuttoning her pants to her shirt and rubbed his hand across her stomach, making Sara want to gag. "You son of a bitch," Josh said running at him. Sara didn't have time to stop him and he had kicked Matthew square in the jaw. Sara fell to the ground shaking.

"You're a persistent little piece of shit, aren't you?" Matthew said to Josh, rubbing a drop of blood away from his mouth.

"It's a flaw," Josh said now knelt down beside Sara trying to calm her down. "It's going to be okay, Sara," he said putting a hand on her shoulder before Matthew's fist connected with his right temple. Josh fell to the ground motionless.

"Josh!" Sara yelled, running to his side. "Josh, wake up," she said shaking him. "Josh! Come on, wake up!" His eyes stayed closed and he made no indication that he was awake.

"Come here, Sara," Matthew said holding his arms out. "We're not finished yet."

Sara turned to look at Matthew, fear rising up inside of her again, but she was determined to keep her composure. "You sick bastard!"

He frowned. "Now that's not a very nice thing to say," he said putting a hand to his chin and rubbing it softly pretending to look like he was thinking. "I always thought you were more of a perfectionist. I thought you were polite and curdious, just what you told me."

Sara grimaced at the thought of actually sharing information with this guy.

"Come here, Sara."

"Go to Hell."

"Alright, then I guess I'm going to have to come over there myself."

Sara's eyes widened and her heart started to beat faster. She slowly got to her feet and started to back away from him, her eyes scanning the area for something she could use as a weapon. Matthew was only feet away from her. She swung her arm at him but she was too slow, and he grabbed her arm, his fingers tightening around it. Sara winced. She swung again with her other arm. That proved to be a bad move, because he grabbed her other arm and now she was completely helpless. He kicked her knees and her legs buckled under her giving way. He shoved her to the ground on her back. It was all happening again.

"Get off of me!" Sara cried rolling around under his weight.

"You know, Sara..." Matthew started. "Last time I was just getting warmed up."

Sara was panting with exhaustion and fear as she was forced to look into his eyes.

"This time is going to be a lot better," he said and rested his head above her chest. He just lied there for a moment as Sara tried to get out from under him.

"Let me go!" Sara screamed.

"Shh..." Matthew whispered pressing his lips against hers once again and sliding a hand onto her stomach. He reached under her shirt and a tear ran down her face. His other hand was unzipping her pants.

It was going to happen again.

As Matthew's tongue entered Sara's mouth, she bit down as hard as she could- it was her only defense- her arms were to her sides and her legs were useless under his weight.

"GAH!"

Matthew growled in pain and anger as he withdrew his mouth from hers and glared down at her. She returned the glare and spit in his face. "Damn you!" he yelled wiping it from his face and lifting her up by her shoulders. He threw her into one of the walls. Sara cried out in pain as her side connected with the brick wall. Matthew was like the Incredible Hulk- his strength was inhuman.

Sara moaned in pain as she looked up to see Matthew walking over to her once again. A drop of blood fell from his closed mouth making Sara note that his tongue was bleeding. Served him right.

"That was a pretty bitchy thing to do there, Sara," Matthew said shaking his head. Sara glared up at him and her leg connected with the left side of his rib cage. Again he growled in anger and pain and he punched her once in the face before slamming her into the wall, his hands wrapped around her throat.

"I could kill you, Sara," he warned, staring straight into her eyes. "But then I wouldn't have any fun, would I?" he added with a smirk and his left hand moved to her shirt once again.

"Get your hands off of me," Sara gasped.

Matthew grabbed her shoulders and shoved her to the ground, sitting on top of her. He ripped her shirt sleeve and threw it to the side.

"Josh," Sara gasped again as her eyes locked onto his still-limp form.

Matthew's hands were everywhere and he started to slide her pants off.

"Josh!" Sara yelled. His form did not change.

Matthew slid a hand up her shirt once again.

"JOSH!" Sara screamed before Matthew's lips curled around hers.

WHAM!

Matthew fell limp on top of Sara, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Sara was shaking but she sighed in relief when she saw Josh standing over Sara with his hand made into a fist. His right temple had a nasty red bruise on it.

"Josh..." Sara whispered.

Josh kneeled down beside her and shoved Matthew off of her. He looked at the torn shirt sleeve and unfastened pants. "Oh god...he didn't-"

"No, you stopped him just in time," Sara said and managed a weak smile. Josh turned and looked at the bruise forming on her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," she said slowly sitting up. She fell back down grasping her head. "My head is pounding..."

"Just stay there, okay?" Josh told her and she slowly nodded. He got up and threw a pebble at the corner store. It hit the window. Nothing happened. He threw some more and eventually the person from the register had opened the door.

"What do you want?" the old man asked.

"Call 9-1-1!" Josh yelled back to the man.

"What?"

"9-1-1!"

The man nodded quickly and ran inside. Josh knelt down beside Sara again and held her hand tightly as the man ran over to them. He looked at the unconscious Matthew to Sara to Josh. "What the hell happened?"

"My friend was almost raped! You were a lot of help," Josh said shooting the man a glare.

"I thought these kids were playing! You know how many things I see in the world today?" the old man said to his defense.

Josh rolled his eyes and turned back to Sara. Soon the ambulances and police cars arrived and the police handcuffed Matthew, carrying his limp form into a patrol car. Sara and Josh were led to an ambulance and took a seat inside before the doors closed and they drove off.