This is a story based on a true life story. It deals with sexual abuse, inner city gangs, drugs, the judicial system and child protective services as they all related to one little girl. The story chronicles her courage and the perils of survival. She is faced with the need to be loved and valued. Her courage is shown in her determination to expose her abuser despite his unyielding power over her family. There are muliple dynamics in this story. Most notably, there is the mother/daughter relationship that is loaded with denial and confusion. There is the mother/stepfather relationship that has passivity, agression, denial and manipulation. Although the main characters are rather typical in the family drama that most child abuse cases present, this story is about more. This story questions the missions of child protective services, the prosecutors, the courts, street gangs and families. It looks at a protective service that fails to protect, a justice system that fails to offer justice, a gang that fails to offer refuge and a mother who fails to nurture. This story is not meant to be a referendum against any of these entities. However, it is testament that there is a lot that could and should be considered when there is a need to determine what is in the best interest of the child.