Will they return her to him if she tells them she's been abused?

Fight hard for her, nothing else in the world matters right now than for her to be yours. Surely the court is able to obtain evidence that he had abused her. If you are worse than the father, than you have no other choice then to send her to a foster home. Your love for her and her fathers love for her means nothing. The only thing that matters is her well-being, in this situation your feelings are useless. She needs you so you can't give up on her. My father abuses me, and all I have is my five year old brother, I want him to go to a foster home so he can be safe, but I can't bear the thought of losing him. I know what it's like to love someone, but sometimes whats best for them isn't your love, and sometimes it's all they need. Think about how she would cope living with you, and if you believe that you can raise her and care for her like any loving mother, then you need to prove that to the court.