This is an author's note. The story is over, so know one should be upset. I received a review a few weeks ago on chapter 19. It was the day before I was going on vacation. So I didn't reply to it until after I got back. I wasn't going to post chapter 20 until she wrote me back. I think I waited long enough. It's not happening. Because if she wrote back… I wouldn't be writing this Author's Note.

We all make mistakes. Wish we could just admit to them.

This is what the review read.

Ok what normally would be a heartwarming chapter has been ruined by your poor use of handeling child molestation. Wally was molested as a child and Iris and Barry's reaction was not to press charges (assuming the stature of limitations hasn't expired)? WTF? They would not do that. If they had expired by the time they found out or Wally put too much of a resistance, they certainly would not let him into their home around Wally and they would certainly would not let Wally even visit them while he is under their care. Actually why would they especially when other people's kids are there? Do you really think any of the father figures would want their kids around a child molester even if they could take care of themselves? Do you really think Iris and Barry would put Wally at risk and expose him to more trauma (which would actually realistically happen)? Even if Rudy has shown regret and Wally wants forgiveness, they are the parents and must do what is right regardless of what Wally thinks and they would not let him near Rust especially when alcohol is involved increasing the chances of rape. They would be charged with child endangerment. In addition, your handeling of a victim's psychology was beyond poor that it was insulting. Rape as a background must be handled carefully and delicately. It must be shown realistically and the trauma and overcoming it must be done realistically and it must add something to the character i.e. You can't substitute it with another trauma. None of that criteria was fit. What Rudy has done could have easily been substituted with physical or verball abuse and frankly the handeling of it would have been a little more realistic and a little less insulting. Wally's overcoming of his trauma was completely unrealistic. Victims don't meet their rapists for lunch. They avoid them if they can once they are free of them (unless in court and that is up to the victim) and they do not make friends with them (which is the most insulting part since they could be raped again be used for the rapist to get close to another victim). Now I have read real life stories where victims (of any trauma) have learned to forgive their perpetrators and they become friends but those stories involved years between the act and the friendship, remorse on the perpetrator's part and doing penance, no rape or molestation, and correct handeling of te victim's trauma before re meeting the perpetrator. Maybe if this criteria was met and the writing was better, this could all have been believed, but your handeling of rape was poor, your handeling of Wally's trauma was beyond realistic, and your handeling of the other characters' handeling of Wally's rape was poor and make them look like child endangering and trauma inducing parents and authority figures rather than morally outraged and protective people. It's extremely bad writing and insulting to people who actually have gone through with this in real life

This is what I wrote her.

Okay let's begin. I didn't read your review until the night before my vacation. And to be frankly honest, I didn't feel like dealing with ignorance. But I am rested and ready now.

First off, Insulting? You know, why don't you ask an actual victim of childhood sexual abuse/rape. Oh wait, you don't have to because a victim wrote about it from her point of view. Hi, how do you do? Victim of molestation and rape at your service. That's first.

Second… In my family, not everyone is related by blood.

Friend - if you are a friend, your a nobody. You barely exist in our life.

Best friend - you move up, your welcome, your given trust.

Bro/Sis - last step before you are welcomed into the family, basically as if you are outer family.

Cousin - you are officially a member of our family, but you are at the bottom of the chain.

Brother/Sister - you are in tight with us, you are stuck with for life.

So, to just state it, when I had Wally refer to Rudy as a friend, that isn't shit. That is nothing. Completely worthless title. Basically just a person you surround yourself with on rare occasion.

Now, before I begin my real rant, the statute of limitations doesn't exist until a child turns 18. So, for example, if a child is raped at the age of 8, and don't tell until they are 16( over the normal statute if the child was a grown up) they can still go after the rapist. Once the child turns 18, that's when the year's start counting. The child has to say something before they turn 25. That's seven years.

That being said. I used parts of my story and parts of my brother's (my sister's brother's) (or to a close minded person, my friend's brother's) story.

I was abused by a once family member, but you would call him a family friend.

The brother that I mentioned, was molested and raped by his father. Raped anally once, raped orally and molested repeatedly. Since the boy was 5. He told when he was 8. His father received only two years in prison.

My rapist, for three years molested me. I was only raped three times. He was brother material to my parents. Uncle to me. He only received 4 years in prison. I was in middle school. I told on him when I was 12, almost 13. It was summer time. ((My birthday is in October)) Just finished 8th grade when I opened my mouth.

Not everyone gets their rapist or molester put away for life. You act like they all get a life sentence. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they don't get put away at all.

So, that being said, I had Wally tell on Rudy when he was 8. Rudy received 4 years. Making him get out when wally was 12. He did his time, now he wants his son back in his life.

The brother I mentioned, they hold the Dad Walk at their home. The father asked him, when he was 11 if he can be apart of his life again. Despite his mother and step father's disapproval. But he said he wants the anger to go away. So, we allow the former dad to come to parties. He is constantly watched by someone. To the point where when he visits the bathroom, someone follows him into the bathroom. Last year when the father tried to grab a drink of a alcohol at our Christmas bash, he was automatically kicked out. You act as if precautions aren't taking.

We even have police at our events. My grandfather is an retired detective who can still kick ass. Two uncles who are both cops.
An aunt fresh out of the academy. An uncle that is CIA. And a shit load of KCA agents including myself. Also, including myself the room is filled with black belts. Precautions were made.

In the story the only reason I didn't mention the precautions was because I figured the reader can figure out that it's a room full of superheroes and police who all know about the situation.

When I was 13, I was ready to sneak out to speak with my rapist. He was still in prison. At the time. And we moved even further from the jail. My parents caught me. You know what they did? Well, they brought me to the jail. Because they knew that kids will do what they want. It's true. If they didn't take me, I would have found a way to get there. Whenever I was told no, I did what I want in a sneaky, deceitful matter.

I gave Wally this same type of perspective.

Don't you think you should ask next time before you rant about my or anyone else's inconsiderateness. Because you were pretty inconsiderate. You sound like an ass.

I was a victim, now a survivor. And let me tell you, not everyone cries about it for the rest of their life. Not everyone cries about it ever. I have no problem sharing this story. It's in the past, I don't let it define me.

The brother, to this day feels dirty for not saying no.

So I gave Wally that feeling. I had him say the same thing that brother said to me. I did what Artemis did in the story. I told my own.

I didn't know what to say to him. So I thought I'd I shared my own story, it would make him feel better. And it did.

So how do victims act. I'm sorry I must be doing it wrong. Right? Because you know it all. I'm suppose to be a crying, sniveling mess when I retell my story. Is that right?

First, it's not like it's a new wound.

Same goes for Wally.

Second, even when it was fresh. From the first time I told someone. I didn't cry about it. I sucked it up. My mom was crying, and when I was inside with the officer, my mom right next to me, I asked if everyone was gonna be crying. I didn't like crying. Still don't. Back then I saw it as a sign of weakness, I don't anymore, but I don't like the feeling.

You can't change the past, why cry about it…?

You are ignorant to clump all victims together and say we are all suppose to have the same psychological damage. Well the damn truth is, the only two things mentally wrong with me afterwards was me believing I was ugly, when I am fucking gorgeous. And the second problem was thinking I would now victimized a child. Of course that's ridiculous, but the fear was there. I'm pretty much "normal" again. Whatever that word means...

But I got over the rape and the molestation really quickly. Right after I told my mother actually...

I'm so disgusted. I really thought you were better than this. There is so much more to say. I'm not gonna right now. It's ridiculous that I had to waist my time to write this. But I couldn't let you go on thinking you're better than me, when you made an ignorant assumption. Next time ask a damn question. It would have taken two seconds to ask me, "why I wrote the dad walk chapter the way I did? Why I had Rudy be a part of the story? Why would I had Barry and Iris allow that man into their home, around Wally?" And I would have told you.

There is so much more to my story and if you want to make up for what you said, if you care… if you have morals… Well, take my advice and ask me sometime!

She never took my advice. I felt like writing this Author's Note to spread awareness. Victims are not the same. That is because people aren't the same. Siblings raised the same way still end up differently. My birth brother and myself for example. He's a criminal, I am not. I only shed tears when a loved one hurts, he cries when he's in trouble. I never stole while he just stole 5 minutes before I published this Author's Note. And that is not the first time.

Remember people. Questions never hurt but accusations do. We all know what assume means right?

If you Ass-U-Me, you make an ASS-'out of' U '&' ME.