Title: The Life & Times of Sara Sidle

Rating: T

Summary: (You all know by now)
Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: A thanks to CSHighland, again, and to everyone who reviewed!

August 12, 1986- 12:54 pm- Courtroom

Sara stood over the sink in the bathroom, cupping her hands together and throwing cold water onto her face to help calm her down. Josh was right behind her with a hand on her shoulder as she washed her face and moved to get a paper towel to dry off with. She had finally stopped throwing up, but Josh wasn't sure what would happen once the fifteen minute recess was over.

"Are you okay now, Sara?" Josh asked her as he handed her a paper towel.

Sara sighed, grabbing the paper towel and wiping the water off of her face. "I...don't know."

"He can't hurt you, Sara. No one's going to let him hurt you. He can't do anything to hurt you anymore," Josh said.

"Then why does it feel like he's killing me?"

Josh sighed, lowering his head. He slowly walked over to her. "Sara...you'll get through this. It's just going to be a little longer and then he'll be put away for the awful things he did to you. You need to understand that. None of us are going to let him come near you."

Sara slowly nodded. "I'm sorry...it's...it's just that...when...when he looks at me, it...it feels like...he's just waiting...like he's just waiting for that opportune moment...and...I...I know I wouldn't be able to stop him..."

Josh put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not going to let him hurt you, Sara."

She slowly nodded, composing herself. "Okay..."

Josh nodded. "Okay...the...recess is up, so...we need to..."

Sara had already walked out of the bathroom, the door closing behind her. She lowered her head, sighing deeply as she made her way down the hallways of the building, the whole time staring at the marble floor. When she looked up she came face-to-face with the wooden door leading back into the courtroom. She took a deep breath as her fingers wrapped around the doorknob. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but she smiled when she saw Josh standing behind her. She slowly opened the door and took a step into the courtroom.

Josh went back to his seat behind Sara and her lawyer at the counsel table. Sara looked around the room again- it was such a big room, though it felt as though the walls were closing in. It was intoxicating- there were so many people there, and Sara again got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Josh looked over at her from his seat and motioned to her chair. Sara blinked and walked over to her chair at the counsel table. She took a seat as the judge walked back into the room and took a seat at her stand.

"Court is now in session," the judge spoke.

Sara looked around the room once again. Matthew's green eyes were staring right at her and she quickly turned away. Even with her back turned, she could still feel his eyes burning into the back of her head. She lowered her head slowly, enough to where she could no longer see Matthew's form.

Sara's lawyer had gotten up out of his chair, leaving behind a thick file on the counsel table. He stepped around to the front of the table and reached back onto it, picking up a glass of water. He took a big sip and set it back down before turning to the jury in the room.

"People of the jury," he said in a loud tone. "It has obviously been made clear that Matthew Dillan has emotionally traumatized my client."

Sara sighed- he was basically saying the bastard raped her in more technical terms.

"And please take into consideration the following," her lawyer stated. "Strong forensic evidence has been collected from the residence of Ted and Nancy Wilcoff," he said, hands behind his back as he walked in front of the jury. "Recovered at the crime scene was a small piece of my client's blouse that Matthew Dillan ripped off of her shirt."

Sara grimaced.

"The lab had it tested and Matthew Dillan's epotheleoles were found."

Sara was silently calming down as the evidence was pointing more and more towards Matthew, but she gulped a bit as she saw Matthew still staring at her with a sick grin on his face.

"The group of criminalists that went to the scene also found semen on the bed sheets."

This made Sara want to gag.

"The semen belonged to Matthew Dillan."

Sara covered the left side of her face with her hand so she couldn't see Matthew's eyes burning into her head.

"And also," her lawyer continued. "Matthew Dillan's skin cells were found underneath Sara Sidle's fingernails and vice-versa. This proves that a struggle ensued. Sara Sidle reportedly had a large scratch just under her neck."

Sara absent-mindidly moved her hand right above her chest and ran her fingers over the skin where the scratch had been.

"All of the evidence is there. Semen found in the rape kit and crime scene, disturbed furniture at the scene, and of course the horrible traumatic memories left by the horrible experience. We have shown you various photographs taken of my client's injuries. A pregnancy test was issued, and thank god my client was not pregnant." He looked around the room. "This is something no 12-year-old girl should have to go through. Matthew Dillan was invited into her home. He was someone she should have been able to trust." He looked over the jurors before finishing. "Thank you." He walked back over to the consel table, and Sara noted that he appeared to be patting himself on the back subconsciously.

Matthew's lawyer stood up next. "Semen...hmm, that's a funny thing. You know, I thought when people had sex semen was expected to be found," she said looking at the jurors. "In this case, a condom was not used, so it's understandable how the semen appeared on the bed sheets. But is it also possible that the semen could have been from...let's say...my client simply ejaculating on the bed sheets?"

Sara raised her head up- this didn't seem to be going too well.

"I have heard of cases of rapes that the prosecutor- in this case Sara Sidle- actually said the word 'no'. Maybe Matthew didn't think she was being serious, that when she said 'no', she actually meant 'yes' as a flirtatious come-on. It is possible, isn't it? And the injuries she sustained could have been from the two of them just having sex. Consider this as well- Ted and Nancy Wilcoff left both Matthew and Sara alone. And if Matthew Dillan did rape Sara Sidle, then who really is to blame? Matthew, or the foster parents?"

Sara's eyes widened- no, she couldn't be trying to pin this whole thing on Ted and Nancy, it wasn't their fault, no one knew that it was going to happen...

"They are the parents, and they had welcomed Matthew Dillan into their home. And in giving him a home, they also gave him 24-hour access to their foster daughter, did they not? To my understanding, Matthew's room was right next to Sara's, it would have been easy for him to get to her. Don't you think they should have considered this? He is five years older than Sara, he is almost a legal adult, after all, and they had only had him in their home for so long, they shouldn't have him alone with her."

Sara turned around to see a terrified Nancy and Ted. Nancy's eyes were wide, and she was holding onto Ted tightly, her knuckles turning white. Ted was horrified, his jaw dropped, eyes widened, and knuckles turning just as white as Nancy's.

"Thank you."

And with that, Matthew's lawyer walked back to the counsel table and took a seat. Sara was having trouble grasping what was happening- what if Matthew went free and Ted and Nancy took all the blame for this whole thing happening?

"Court is dismissed. We will all call you back when the jury has reached their decision," the judge said.

With a pound of the gammel, the judge walked out of the room. Matthew stood up and after giving Sara a wave and walked out of the room with his lawyer. Things definetly weren't going well. Even if Matthew was found guilty, the most he might get could be one to two weeks of jail time and community service hours. And what would happen with Nancy and Ted? Sara knew this wasn't their fault.

All she could do was wait for the jury's final verdict and hope for the best.

Whatever that was.