Author's Note: Hey guys.I hope you like the new story. I have never focused anything on Faith before, so I hope its okay. It's going to be sad just to forewarn you. Please R&R and enjoy!!!

Chapter One

Finally, Faith heard the door bang open downstairs. She quickly got up and hurried down to her mother, only hoping that she wouldn't be too loud and wake Ben up. As expected, Joanne came stumbling in absolutely stinking of alcohol and cigarettes. The smell made Faith's stomach churn and her head spin.

"Hey honey." Her mother said catching herself on the bookshelf so as not to stumble over. "You look very nice this afternoon."

"Come on mom, let's get you to bed." Faith said walking over to her mother and supporting her.

"Don't be ridiculous its not bed time yet Hope." Her mother said grinning and burping, only to create a more vile smell of alcohol.

"It's Faith, and it's already four-thirty in the morning mom." Faith said knowing this situation all to well; she pulled her mom weakly towards the bottom of the stairs.

"What the hell is that mess?" Her mother asked feebly pointing a shaky finger at the kitchen. That's when Faith realized she hadn't done the dishes earlier that night. "For God's sake girl, when the hell are you gonna learn to do your chores?" Her mother yelled, yanking herself away from Faith and slapping her across the face leaving a red mark.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to I swear." Faith said trying desperately to force the tears away. Shaking all over she tried to comfort her mother again.

"Get your lazy ass hands off me girl!" Her mother now yelled. "Do I have to do every damn job around this house?" She said surprising Faith with another blow to the side of her head. "Get the hell out of my sight! Now!" She roared, pushing Faith onto the stairs where her head met the wall hard.

Faith scrambled up the stairs and made a dash for her room before her mother could catch her. She closed the door quickly and turned the lock hard and fell back against the door in tears as her face stung and her head seared with pain. Terrified, she heard her mother yell again.

"What the hell are you doing outta bed?" She heard her mother scream from down the hall. Ben!

Again she unlocked the door and threw it open just in time to see her mother's shoe connect with the side of Ben's head.

"I said what the hell are you doing out of bed? Are you deaf boy?" She screamed again.

"I'm sorry mommy." Ben's little terrified voice squeaked.

"I'm so damn sick and tired of you brats not doing as your damn well told!" Joanne yelled lifting her hand to strike Ben again.

"Mommy please I'm sorry!" Ben's voice squeaked.

"Stop it now!" Faith said jumping in front of Ben so that her mother's fist connected with her own face instead of Ben's.

"Get out of my way you selfish little bitch. Your brother needs to be punished!" She said trying to push Faith out of the way.

"Just stop it mom! Go to bed!" Faith said desperately.

"I mean it young lady get the hell outta the way!" Joanne yelled raising her arm again.

But before she could strike Faith again, Faith turned around scooped the small six-year-old up and made a dash for her room. She slammed and locked the door at precisely the same moment her mother crashed into it.

"Open the damn door!" She screamed from the other side. "You both need to be disciplined or you'll never learn a damn thing!"

Exhausted and in pain Faith and Ben huddled together in the corner of Faith's bed. Faith tried desperately not to cry in front of her brother, but her eyes began to sting. Ben's shaking body trembled in her arms as he sobbed into her nightshirt. Their mother stood banging ferociously on the door and screaming obscenities for at least twenty minutes while the two huddled on the bed.

At last, but still sobbing Ben fell asleep curled up into a ball on Faith's bed. It was now nearly six-thirty in the morning. Faith got up and walked into her adjoining bathroom to see what damage her mother had done. She barely recognized her reflection in the mirror. The side of her head was still bleeding from the blow against the wall, and her right eye was puffed up and blackened. Her cheek was also cut from one of her mother's rings and bruised from the blow. Faith turned on the faucet and washed her face with warm water. It stung and burned as she cleaned the blood from it. After drying her face she looked in the mirror again and then broke down into tears. She was sobbing uncontrollably on her bathroom floor.