I don't own Sons of Thunder, but i do own Rea.

Rea strode along the cement walk with a goal in mind, she had, had enough of being afraid it was tie to get some help. She had been keeping up with the newspapers and the news reports on television, and had come across a Trent Malloy many times now and knew he would help her, the only problem was striking up the guts to tell him what was going on at home.

Her mother had died three years ago and not wasting any time, her father had taken a belt to her after the funeral. She had never had peace since, Everyday it was the same routine she did everything in her prower to make him happy and it was never enough. He always found a reason and if he couldn't find one he made one up. Last night had been the final straw, he taken his abuse one step to far for her liking. He had come into room after she had gone to bed and crawled in with her, not sure what to do she just lay there to frightened of a beating to move, when his hand snaked down to her breast it slammed her, he was going to rape her! She fought then, fear be danged he wasn't going to make her his sex slave on top of the beatings. It hadn't been enough he just forced her down and had his fun. It was the most painful thing she had ever been through and now she felt so dirty and humiliated. She had knelt in the shower for most of an hour last night trying scrub away the filth.

She halted in her walk noticing she was about to pass her destination. She smiled at the decaled words on the wide pane window that was big enough to show the whole inside area. Thunder Karate was decaled, front and center, the contact info under the name. She took a deep breath, turned, pushed the door open and stepped inside the air-conditioned room. Voices called out in unison as she watched them punch, kick, and chop through various routines and exercises that a Tall blond man she took to be the instructor was showing them. She watched them, a smile playing at the edges of her mouth. She dropped her book bag on the floor and sat down to wait.

An hour later they were dismissed, and she stood ready to ask him for help when her stomach flip flopped. He turned and was walking towards her, she had already been noticed. She hadn't seen him look at her the whole time she sat there but apparently he had seen her anyway.

"Hi, You interested?" He asked her, jerking his thumb back at the mat the students had just vacated. She had fully intended to tell him the whole story but at the last second she chickened out and nodded. She scolded her self as she followed him up the stairs to a make shift office, 'Great you came to tell him about the abuse and you sign up for lessons instead, way to go, coward!' she thought. he handed her a from to fill out and asked about her parents, she looked at him, right into his big blue eyes and hesitated, a second before telling the truth, or half truth anyway.

"My mother died three eyes ago, and my father doesn't care what I do so long as I don't spend any of his paycheck on it." she explained,that was mostly the truth, he really didn't care what she did with the money her mother had left to her, mostly because he didn't know about it. she told him this, leaving out the last bit about her dad not knowing about the money.

"I'm sorry about your mom." He offered Rea smiled and handed him the finished form.

"Okay everything looks good, classes are every day from four to seven and when you come in for your first class I'll a gee for you." He explained, she nodded her understanding.

"Then i guess I'll see you tomorrow." Rea smiled and hurried off out the door. She walked quickly down the street to her fathers apartment. 'If all else fails maybe I can beat the tar out of dad instead him beating me' she thought as she hurried inside and went to the kitchen to fix dinner she found the menu pinned to the fridge and sighed, chicken, oh joy' she hated chicken, hadn't been able to stand the stuff since childhood. That meant she would go hungry again tonight. She hated this why hadn't she talk to Trent about her father, why had she chickened out again? She had been trying to get the courage to talk to Trent for a few weeks but every time she would make it almost a block away, she would turn and run back home to afraid to reach out for help. At least this time she had made contact even if she hadn't told him about her father, she would soon she just had to work up the courage. She breaded the chicken and put it on a cookie sheet before sliding it into the oven, then she made the corn and mashed potatoes he asked for and slide some rolls in with the chicken, that done she set about cleaning the house. Thirty minutes later Her father come stomping through the door and she stood before him with her head down, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Hello father." she said in a soft and sweet tone, I swear when i learn how to defend myself I am going to beat you into a coma!' she screamed in her head. A finger lifted her chin and she was forced to look directly at him he was smiling at her in a way that made her stomach turn.

"Hello daughter, I think its time for another lay down don't you?" He asked, She cringed inwardly, and wanted to cry.

"Yes Father, I will go and ready myself for you." She answered obediently and left her presence just as a tears fell down her cheek.

When he finally stopped she lay there waiting for him to dismiss her, he stare down at her panting and sweating.

"You may go." She went fast and just barely made it to the bathroom, before she spewed what little she had in her stomach. She came back to the Kitchen to find him waiting on her to serve his dinner, she did and then waited to be excused. He stare at her for a moment and then finally released her to her room where she grabbed clean cloths and ran for the bathroom. Putting the shower as hot as she could stand it, she climbed in and knelt there under the hot spray for a few minutes. Finally she stepped out not much cleaner then when she went in but, she knew that dirty feeling would never fade, nor would the fear.