Joey and Serenity arrived on their front doorstep, tired and fearing the worst.

Joey looked at Serenity and smiled encouragingly as he lifted his fist to knock the door. He hoped his smile had been convincing; he actually felt ready to throw up.

He noticed Serenity hadn't smiled back. She hadn't even looked at him. She was looking at the door, staring in a determined way.

Joey knocked.

Almost the same second as he did so, his mother's worried face appeared in the doorway. "You're back!" she cried. She fell to her knees and allowed Serenity to hug her.

Joey stood there awkwardly. Why did he have a nasty feeling that his mother was pleased only to see Serenity?

Just then, his mother stood up and pushed Serenity gently into the space beside her, then turned her gaze on Joey. "Joseph! Where have you been?!"

Joey winced. He had never been yelled at by his mother before. Then he heard it. An almighty bellowing coming from upstairs, heavy footsteps on the floorboards. Then he smelt it. The smell of beer and what must have been every alcoholic drink in the world mixed together hit his nostrils. Joey recoiled in fear as his father began to trudge down the stairs. "Celeste?! Is that wretched boy back yet?!" he growled.

Joey looked at his mother, as if asking for help, reprieve from the unpredictable monster coming down the stairs, but her expression remained cold and frozen as ice.

"Where've you been, Joseph?!" his father bellowed.

Serenity stood and shivered with fear, hiding behind her mother as she watched her brother cower under the towering form of her father. She felt powerless...what could she do?

Joey backed away against the front door as his father loomed over him. Joey felt small and insignificant as he stared up at the face of the one person he hated the most.

"Where've you been, boy!?" his father growled, more urgently this time. "You do understand what your mother's been going through, waiting for you to come home? You do realise she's nearly had the cops out looking for you useless kids?!"

Joey stood, paralysed by fear, and looking with pleading eyes towards his mother. "Mom..." he whispered quietly.

"You're trying my patience, boy!!! Now where have you been?" his father yelled, right into Joey's ear.

Joey curled up in fear. He was crouched in the corner, not just feeling small, but wanting to be small; so small, he would disappear.

Serenity looked up to her mother. Why wasn't she helping Joey? Why was she letting her father yell at him? Surely she could do something?

"I...I was just...taking Serenity out. She...she said she wanted to go to the beach...so I took her." Joey said through his tears.

"Out?! Out?!" his father yelled even louder. "Oh, to the beach now, was it?! What if something had happened to her, you stupid boy?!?"

"I just wanted to make her happy!! I'm her big brother, I –" Joey felt a bit more courageous, but was still crying hysterically. "I'm sorry!!"

"Oh, you will be sorry..." his father said harshly, raising his hand, ready to hit Joey.

Joey covered his eyes, ready for the impact. He cringed and gritted his teeth.

"Ow!!!"

Joey looked up as he heard his father yell. Then he saw Serenity standing bravely in front of him. She had stamped on his foot.

"Leave Joey alone!!" Serenity cried out, yelling as loud as her little voice would allow her, tears of anger rolling down her cheeks, her fists clenched, her arms tensed by her sides. "He is the best big brother anyone could want and I love him!! He is so kind to me, not like you!!! I hate you daddy, you always hit mom and make her cry, you upset Joey and me, and you ruined everything!! I hate you!!!"

Her father stood, staring in disbelief at Serenity. Then his expression changed. His face turned harsh and he raised his hand again.

"No!!" Joey heard his mother gasp.

Joey jumped up as he heard the impact of his father's hand against the side of Serenity's face.

Serenity just stood there, wavering, not quite believing herself or what had just happened, tears still rolling down her cheeks, her gaze still fixed straight into her father's eyes.

"How...How could you?!" their mother gasped.

Their father turned around sharply and cornered their mother.

Joey reacted quickly, grabbed Serenity and ran upstairs. Joey locked them both in the bathroom, and they listened to the banging, yelling, smashing and screaming noises from downstairs. It sounded worse than usual.

Joey and Serenity curled up together in the corner of the room and cried.