This is set before any of my cannon Archer/Toad fics like Stoic. Its going to be a relatively short fic, but I thought I'd give you guys a little 'back-ground' on the relationship when they were like brothers and a lot more insight on Archer's back-story. The plot line to this was just a bit of a random thought I had that I started thinking about and figured that it'd make for a nice explanation and such and I decided I'd post it, so here you go, summary first.

Thanks for Reading, Fly High Aim Higher

~Spitfire out

Archer can't risk injury, can't risk being sent home to his only family, his father, for med-leave. Toad doesn't want it anymore than Archer does. But when it inevitably happens and Archer is wounded on a mission and is being forced on a medical leave, old memories are stirred up and nobody wants a repeat of the past.

Archer sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh. Toad sat down next to him quietly and put an arm around him.

"Archer…"

"You remember those days in secondary when I'd show up with rope burns on my wrists and all those bruises?" Archer asked without looking at him, "And when you'd try to ask I'd always deflect the question and keep you off of it…"

Toad was quiet for a minute, "Yeah… Archer… What was that?"

Archer took a breath and turned away, "Well, you know how my dad blamed me for mum's death…" Archer hesitated, this was the one thing Toad didn't know about him, what his dad did, sure he knew about the beatings and everything but this, this was different.

"Archer, I already don't want you going back if you're going to be stuck with him for two weeks, and I'm sure you don't want to go either, what's one more reason?" Toad persisted.

Archer shook his head, "I don't know, I just…" he sighed, "You know what things were like when I was a kid, how my dad used to blame me for mum's death, something I can't help and rather despise nonetheless… Only… You don't know, not the worst of it… I didn't want you or your folks worrying about me even more."

"What if I took my leave and you came with me, you know my parents love you, it's almost like we're actual brothers, not just really good friends," Toad suggested.

Archer shook his head, "Doesn't work like that, Toad, I have to go to family, and he's the only family I have left…"

"Then tell MacTavish! Archer, you can't go back there! You'll end up worse than when you left!" Toad was firm in his decision, and when Archer didn't speak, he did, "… At least tell me what you've been leaving out… please?"

Archer sighed, "I can't tell him Toad, I don't want to risk discharge for mental issues that don't exist, you know how the military is, if they knew something like this they'd over-react… and as for what I've left out…" Archer took a deep breath, "The old man and his drinking buddies liked to gang up on me from time to time, expected me to fight back and win. And when I couldn't do it… He'd tie me down, blindfold me so I couldn't see what they were doing and… well, you can guess the rest…" he explained quietly.

Toad got the message and was shocked, "Archer… No, I'm not letting you go back to that filth! There has to be something we can.."

"No, Toad, there isn't," Archer cut him off, "He's the only family I have left and I wish he didn't even exist. Look, I'll keep my cell on me at all times, if you call, the only way I won't answer is if something happened, okay?"

Toad bit his lip but nodded, it was better than nothing, "Okay… But please, if he tries to do something, at least try to fight back?"

Archer nodded in response, "I will, Toad, you know I will. Now, I've got to go see Doc before I go, and we all know how Doc is about injuries."

Toad hummed in response, not oblivious to the obvious topic change, "Yeah, he's very meticulous with them… Damn good thing to, almost lost you."

Archer chuckled, "Don't you think you might be exaggerating just a bit?"

"No…" Toad stated bluntly, "Come on! That sniper got you in the gut! And even with Doc hanging over you like a damn shadow you were out for a good week afterwards."

Archer chuckled at his spotter's reaction and shrugged, "Well, it's not like I remember most of what happened anyway," he admitted.

"That too…. Wait, what? You don't even remember what happened?" Toad questioned in shock.

Archer laughed lightly at his partner, "Last thing I remember was shouldering my rifle when I heard something," he shrugged.

"Guess it's my turn to tell a story then…" Toad shrugged, "You heard something that I didn't apparently, you shouldered your rifle and I didn't have a damn clue what you were doing, we kept walking a couple steps, stop, you scanned, then out of nowhere there was a bang and I saw you jerk out of the corner of my eye, when I faced you, you were starting to cough up blood and there was a scarlet stain spreading over your gut… then you just dropped and I almost panicked, but I managed to keep myself calm long enough to take out the enemy sniper," he explained, "Then MacTavish called in asking for a sit rep and when I answered, well, I had a bit of explaining to do but I basically told him what happened and he sent CASEVAC in to get us out."

"Did we finish the mission?" Archer asked.

"Yeah, you were hit on the way to the LZ," Toad answered with a brief chuckle at what his partner was worried about.

Of course Archer wouldn't be worried about himself, he'd been through too much to be worried about himself; he just wanted to make sure others made it through and were okay.

Archer nodded, "Good, as long as we got the job done… I can handle my dad…"

The next day found Archer outside the door to his old home, which he spent little time at after meeting Toad. This only served to make things worse between him and his father though. Archer thought about turning around and finding a hotel or something but before he could, the door opened to reveal his father, drunken, unshaved, and fat.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded, his voice slurring in his drunken state.

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, trust me…" Archer said sourly.

"Ian?!" his father seemed to wake up, "Thought I told you not to come back…"

"Afraid I don't have a choice, I'm being forced on medical leave…" Archer explained, "You try anything and you'll have a good portion of my squad on your ass," he added, holding up his cell phone, "Anything happens, well, the Doc's rather paranoid about the injured, they'll find out."

Anthony Richards scowled and motioned for Ian to enter the house. The house was disgusting, beer cans and other rather… questionable, substances littered the floors, tables, and the single, dirty couch. The door closed behind him and Archer heard his father walking up behind him.

He turned around in time to be slugged in the jaw but blocked the other hit, "Don't," he said simply, not phased at all by the punch, "I can fight better than you can now… Especially when you're drunk…"

Anthony stepped back and looked Ian over; he appeared to be sizing him up. Archer just looked at him evenly, not saying anything. His father grumbled and trudged off, Archer watched him go. He shook his head and made his way to his old room. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to be anywhere but here. Archer had joined the military under the pretense of getting away from his father and Toad had coincidentally followed him in after his parents had decided to stay permanently in Braintree after finding out about his and Archer's friendship, they had been on vacation there or something and Toad ended up having to go to school there while they were on said vacation, which is where the two met under somewhat ironic circumstances.

He let out a breath and set his bag down, thinking that he ought to call Toad. Archer fished his phone out of his pocket and called his friend.

"Archer?" Toad's voice immediately came through the other end, making Archer chuckle, "You okay? You make it there?"

Archer laughed, "Yeah, Toad, I'm good. Just wanted to let you know I made it, mate."

"That bastard didn't try anything did he?"

"Toad, come on, what did I tell you? I'll be fine, even if he does try something."

"I know, I know, I just can't help but worry, with the shit you've been through because of him…. I don't know about this Ian, I keep feeling like you're just going to end up worse than when you left," Toad admitted.

"I know Chris, but I'll be fine, I can fight better than he can now, you know that."

"Believe me, I know," Toad answered crossly, "You've proved it to me plenty times, Arch…"

"Oh hush," Archer said with a brief chuckle, "Ugh, this house reeks of drugs and shite…" he muttered, holding the phone with his shoulder as he picked up an old frame off the floor.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw it. The glass was broken but the picture inside the frame was in a fair condition. It was a picture of him, his mother, and his father a few days after he was born.

"Archer? You okay?" Toad asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Y-yeah," Archer answered quietly, his voice tight, "I just…. I found an old photo… I gotta go, Toad, I'll talk to you later…"

"Okay… bye Arch."

Archer hung up the phone and let it fall back in his pocket as he stared at the picture he held. His mother had been killed when he was no older than five, and he'd been forced to watch it happen. Archer hadn't even known that there were any pictures of her.

He could tell his dad was in the doorway, he didn't need to see or hear him, he could smell the drugs and alcohol on the man. Archer didn't bother turning to face him.

"So, how in the bloody fuckin' hell does someone like you become a sniper then?" Anthony asked roughly.

Archer grunted ambiguously, this again, "With a spotter," he answered bluntly.

"Well obviously this spotter isn't good enough…"

"Hell of a lot better than you," Archer shrugged, "Wasn't his fault, neither of us noticed till it was too late," Archer didn't know why he was even trying to hold a conversation with this man.

Archer set the photo he was holding down on the beat up dresser as he heard his father coming up behind him. Ian turned to face Anthony and stared the man down.

"How does someone like you live with himself?" Archer asked bluntly, "Knowing everything you've done, how it was all meant to hurt people. How, the fuck, do you live with yourself?"

Anthony hardened his glare and lunged towards Ian, he'd had enough of his son's big talk and accusing looks, he drove his fist into Ian's gut.