Summer in Boston: 1987

The hot summer sun beat down on the pavement and the children playing in the street. Summer in Boston was brutal, especially in this area there was very little shelter from the heat and no one could afford air conditioning. On the few lucky days someone busted a hydrant there was some relief.

Six year old Faith sat on her stoop watching the other kids play ball in the street. Sweat ran down her face and she wiped it away with her shirt. Her white stained t-shirt was soaked with sweat. Her greasy brown hair was half pulled back with a rubber band, hair still coming loose and sticking to her face.

The boys in the street weren't from her block but they must live around here she thought. They were older and cleaner looking then the boys she was used to seeing around. Faith kicked at the dirt causing a cloud to rise she could feel the dust sticking to her sweaty face. Faith would much rather be inside but the door was locked and she wouldn't be able to get in until her mother came home, whenever that would be.

Faith didn't know where her mother went all day, and didn't care. She cared on the days when her mother disappeared and left the house locked. Faiths always feared someday she'd lock the house and disappear for a week. Her mother was known to disappear that long, sometimes longer. Faith had only just started living with her mother again, and in the few short months she'd been with her she already disappeared for over two weeks. She had been living with her grandfather but he'd gotten tired of Faith and shipped her back to her mom. Faith was used to being bumped around. All she really cared about was having someplace to sleep.

The ball rolled over to Faith and she got up and picked it up. A boy ran over, he looked maybe eleven or twelve. Faith looked at him. "Can I play with you?"

"No." He snapped. He reached out and grabbed the ball from her, pushing her to the ground. Faith landed hard against the stoop and tears welled in her eyes. She looked up at the boy. "Aw baby gonna cry?" he mocked with a smile on his face. He turned and headed back to play when he felt something hard collide with the back of his head. He spun around just as another rock flew at him, this time hitting him in the face.

"I'm not a baby, dumbass." She yelled picking up another rock. She chucked it at him, but he put his arms up in defense. Before she had a chance to pick up another one he had her arm in his hand.

"You're the dumbass." He said tossing her off her stoop and into the dirt. She slid until she hit the pavement. She felt a pressure on her back as he climbed on top of her. He flipped her over and his fists came crashing down she tried to push him off her, protect herself, but he was stronger. She got her leg loose and kneed him in the back as hard as she could. He rolled off her and she scrambled to her feet. But by this time his friends had come over and grabbed hold of her.

"Get the hell off me! Help!" She screamed. She flailed around managing to get loose a couple times, but there were too many. They pinned her down again, she could hear them laughing over her screaming and cursing.

"Hey." She heard a woman's voice yell. "What the hell's going on?" The hands holding her down released their grip, and within seconds the boys were racing down the block. Faith pulled herself to her feet and wiped the dirt off her clothes. She looked up to see an old woman across the street glaring at her. The woman looked in the direction the boys had taken off to and mumbled to herself before heading into her house.

Faith looked down at the ground and picked up the ball the boys had been playing with. "Guess I got a ball now." She shoved the baseball into her pocket and took a seat on her stoop. A little bruised, a little bloodied and just as hot as before, she waited.

Hours later Faith awoke her face glued to the step with sweat. She peeled herself off and squinted in the dark. The block was deserted and the darkness swept over Faith as she sat there confused. She looked back at her house but no lights were on. She stood up and walked over to the door, she turned the knob but nothing happened. She pulled on it hard, shaking the door back and forth. She kicked the door as hard as she could and let out a screech of frustration and pain. She leaned against the door her arms folded across her little body. Her lower lip pushed out as tears fell from her eyes. She looked around again for any sign of movement but the night was still and silent except for her soft whimpering.

Faith wiped the tears furiously from her face and jumped off the porch. She looked around once last time before heading off down the block. She raced down the hill letting her hair fly back behind her, she ran as fast as she could racing past the dark houses through the empty streets and deeper into the darkness. She ran as fast as her little legs would take her and didn't look back. She wasn't sure where she was going but she was only concentrating on keeping one foot in front of the other. She turned a corner and a burst of light hit her eyes causing her to come to a halt. She leaned against a mailbox trying to catch her breath. Looking up she saw the first working street lamp in miles.

Up the street were more lights, and people lots of them. Faith had run all the way into the city, the good part. With light and life. She wandered the streets, just watching. Watching the people interacting. Watching as they ignored the child wandering alone in the middle of the night. She spotted a group of men stumbling along laughing, they entered a building and music poured out onto the street. She crossed the street and followed them in. The stench stung her nose as she entered but it was a smell she was used to. Stale beer and thick clouds of smoke.

The place she was in was packed with drunken men none of whom paid her any mind. She made her way over to the bar and pulled herself up onto a stool she sat and watched the television that was playing above her. The sox were on. A smile spread across her face as she watched them get run after run. Faith cheered them on. The men around her smiling at her and laughing as she yelled and cursed with them when the other team got a hit. It was a few innings before anyone spoke to her but then a younger man came and stood beside Faith.

"Ay, what's your name?" he asked leaning into her. Faith looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Why do you want to know?" She said as confidently as she could. The guy smiled and took another sip of his beer.

"Sassy. I like it." He laughed, and returned to watching the game.

"My name aint sassy." Faith frowned. The guy looked back at her and laughed.

"Well, I asked you what it was didn't I?" He leaned in closer studying her face. "You shouldn't be here." He whispered.

"Why not?" Faith asked quietly.

"Because you should be in bed. With your Mommy and Daddy." He sighed turning and leaning against the counter. Faith looked back up at the game and watched ball sail over the crowd as the sox got a home run and ended the game. It was an old game Faith realized. The sun was shining down on the field and the tiny players on the screen.

"Tell that to my mom." Faith replied finally. She slid out of her stool and left the bar. It was darker then before, if that was even possible. It was dark like it had been back on her block. The stores were all locked up and the lights turned out except for the little light streaming out of the bar. She headed back the way she came. This time staying on Mass ave as long as she could. Before turning down a side street and into the darkness.

When she finally reached her block her legs were sore and her eyelids felt heavy as she struggled to keep them open. She made her way to her house and stopped. A light inside was on and she could hear their old tv playing. She rushed up to the door and flung it open. Inside on the couch lay her mother.

"Where the hell have you been?" her mother said looking Faith up and down. "Been fighting again?" She said tossing back another beer.

"You locked me out." Faith said stunned.

"The door aint locked." Her mother turned her attention back to the television and Faith knew the conversation was over. She headed to the bathroom and closed the door. She looked in the mirror at her dirt covered face. Small purple bruises had formed under hey eye and around the side of her face. Her lip was split and the blood had dried around her mouth. She sighed and left the bathroom she climbed into her bed too tired to wash up. Within moment of settling in she was asleep. Her body curled up in a ball and her thumb securely locked in her mouth.

Authors Note: This is my First Faith fic. I love Faith she's my favorite character in Buffy and I loved the book Go ask Malice and always am thinking about little Faith and what she went through so I thought I'd write this. I decided to start it at six but I'm thinking I'll probably jump time. It's going to be basically a bunch of One shots about different stories from Faith's Childhood. I'll keep it going until I either get to Faith age fifteen If I decide to do it chronologically or until I run out of ideas. Please let me know what you think, if you think this is a good or bad idea.

xxFive by Fivexx

Katie