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Tara grins broadly at the students as they enter, her good mood almost super-human.

"Hey. Only three weeks until the end of term, huh? I don't know about you, but that kind of snuck up on me! So today we've got a pretty heavy discussion topic, and I want you to remember that this is just a class. Emo Closet is there if you need it, although I hope we call all be gentle enough with one another that it won't be necessary, okay?

"Because today, folks, we're going to be talking about rape - and all I'm going to ask you folks to do is define it."

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Rory stops in the hallway, clutching her neck in one hand and her looped cross in the other.

"That's...wrong," she says quietly, looking up at Parker.

Parker slows down, and puts one hand gently on Rory's arm. "What's wrong?" she asks, trying to keep her voice calm. "The topic? Something else?"

"The topic," Rory says coldly. "The way - how she's...how can she smile through something like that?"

Parker grimaced, not wanting to defend Tara, but not having an answer to the question. "I don't know. Maybe she has something else to be thrilled about this morning. Maybe it's all intellectual for her, or she thinks it is for us...." She's watching Rory for cues, noticing the way her hand covers the bite, and her face goes stony. "Do you want to sit down? Take a breather? There's a window-seat down the hall."

Rory nods, and gratefully sits. "The nightmares are bad enough, without...that kind of thing."

And Parker gets it. More than she wants to, when it applies to a friend.

"Oh." She bites her lip, remembering how glad she was in the clinic that Rory wasn't raped. But this was... still pretty damn bad. "I guess it would be."

Quietly, she asks, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rory shrugs. "He threatened to, you know that. But even though he didn't actually...rape me, he still...he still took a part of me away. And I know it's not the same, but...Tara shouldn't teach that. If I'm getting this upset, there have to be others who have real reason to."

"You have real reason to be upset," Parker says forcefully. "He scared the living hell out of you. Hurt you badly. And just because he didn't succeed, doesn't mean you want to revisit as an exercise." She takes Rory's hand, holding it lightly. "How bad are the nightmares?"

"Pretty bad. Professor Dream taught me some stuff to help them, but...last night I had one so bad that Anakin sensed it all the way from the fourth floor," Rory says, biting her lip and looking down. "And before that, Bridge picked up one of them. It's weird, to have other people know what I'm dreaming."

Parker looks extremely uncomfortable at the thought. "I would imagine. I'm glad Professor Dream is helping you." She sighed. "I should have suggested it earlier. He was a big help with me." She squeezes Rory's hand. "What does he have you doing? Is it helping at all?"

"Concentrating on my crosses," she says quietly, lifting them with her free hand. "How they're a symbol of my safety, and my connection to this world. He said that since Logan gave the necklace to me, it'll remind me that I'm needed and cared about here. It helped, kind of. I wasn't so scared or disoriented when I woke up, anyway."

"That's good. *Really* good." Parker holds out her hand with the silver ring on it. "My grandmother's. I've gotten good enough that I can wake myself up now before it gets too bad." She smiles hesitantly at Rory. "You will too. And the rest of this... It's going to take time. But. It's okay that you're not okay yet, you know."

Rory nods. "I know. I honestly don't know how long it's going to take to be okay, really. I'm trying, though. I mean...no one needs to know how," she gives a slight chuckle, "how incredibly broken I feel. You do, Logan does, Angela, my mom, and Bridge and Anakin...and obviously, he probably knows. And I'm trying to hide it. But that," she jerks her head towards the Ethics classroom, "just...brought it all back."

"Do you want to talk to a professional about this?" Parker makes a face. "I wouldn't trust that creep Crane farther than I could bitchslap him, but someone else?" She sighs. "I'm here, and I want to help. So do the others. But when you say broken... I don't know what to say, or do. I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing. Except I don't think you're broken, or messed up, or defeated. But I don't know if that makes it worse or not."

Rory smiled softly. "I think I just need time, really. And to not have people like that shoving topics that'll make things worse at me with a sick grin. And no, there's no way I'm talking to Jonathan Crane, not after what I found out about his involvement in the Kitty thing." She shook her head. "I think I just need time," she repeats.

"Then time you shall have," Parker says with determination. "Seriously. You can stay in my extra room as long as you like. If you don't want to talk about it, don't. But if you do, me, Angela, your mom-- we're here. Or Logan. I'm glad he's being so protective of you." She shook her head. "It'll be Christmas Break soon. You'll get away from this place for a while, and maybe that'll help too."

"We're going to Hawai'i," Rory smiles, grateful for the change in topic. "Me and Logan, I mean. And...thanks for letting me stay with you. Seriously. I know you don't like having a roommate, really. Or a suitemate, I suppose."

Parker shrugs. "Well, no, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be." She smiles ruefully. "It's fine. And Hawai'i sounds *great*. Do some parasailing and snorkeling when you're there, okay? And bring back pictures." She squeezes Rory's hand, then lets go. "You'll see. Next term will *definitely* be better."

Rory's smile widens. "Next term should be better. I hope so, anyway." She glances back to the classroom. "I think I'm going to go early to my next class. We're watching a movie, anyway."

"Do it." Parker's lips thin. "And if Tara asks, I'll give her a piece of my mind. And not a very polite piece, at that." She stands. "Get out of here, it's Friday, start it early. Say hi to Logan when you see him," she adds grudgingly.

Rory actually laughs. "I'll do that. He'll be so confused." She starts down the hallway, waving over her shoulder.

Parker waits until Rory is out of sight, then stalks back into Ethics.

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