Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my first Blood Diamond fan fiction, and I hope you all enjoy it.I was disappointed by the lack of BD fics on here…it is such an awesome film! I think it is because the characters are quite challenging to write about, but I really enjoy writing about challenging characters'. I hope Danny is not too out of character, but he is quite hard to read so yeh sorry if he is :p

Hope you enjoy, please Read and review :D

C/C is welcome :)

Xxx

Disclaimer: I don't own this film, or Danny Archer, or Leonardo DiCaprio, blah blah blah…I own my own characters and the plot. That is all :p

Cape Town, 11th September, 2002

Danny Archer awoke as usual on September 11th, the rest of the world was mourning the 9/11 attacks from a year ago, he was waking up with a bottle of everything that had happened 3 years ago; he had not been the same since.

Sure, he had got Solomon and Dia to safety: and he strangely felt good about Archer was not one to be soft now: after all, he was meant to be ruthless. But really, he did not feel like it.

He should have called Maddy again: but he didn't want to interfere in her life. She probably thought he was dead anyway, since he dropped the phone on her. He didn't want to mess her up; they would never have a fairy-tale relationship. She didn't need him anyway. She was better without him, what was he good for anyway? All he ever did was snap at everyone, he didn't do emotion. Not unless it involved his parents, who he had never spoken about to anyone except Maddy.

He sighed, and bit his lip to make the mist vanish from his eyes.

Far from being dead, he had just been simply too exhausted to continue the conversation. When the NGOS had found him, he had been close to death though: in some ways, he had wanted to die then, knowing that he had done what he needed to do. Maddy got her story, Solomon got his family, and he got his honourable death.

But that was not to be: obviously God (who Archer had given up belief in a long time ago) was planning another time.

After he got back to South Africa from Sierra Leone, he had gone back to smuggling. What else could he do? He had never known anything but war, smuggling, guns, mercenaries, and fighting. He was not doing diamonds anymore now though; he was doing illegal firearms instead. He didn't feel bad about it: he had to make a living somehow. Some were just a little more illegal than others.

Taking another swig of gin, he turned the TV on, and changed into jeans and a t shirt. Archer had never really cared much about fashion: if it was comfy, it was good with him.

Knock Knock.

Was that someone at the door?

"Weird," he muttered to himself. Nobody ever really called here, and the ones that did usually walked straight on in, normally with a gun. So he was surprised to say the least when the knocking continued, followed by a shrill American voice.

"Mister Archer? Is that Daniel Archer in there?"

But everyone thought he was dead, right? Maddy published the article, and told everyone he was dead.

So why did they know he was here?

Grabbing a gun, he carefully opened the door, to find an American woman in business clothes and an assortment of documents.

T.I.A he sighed mentally, and snapped "Who are you?"

"I'm from the United States embassy. Are you Daniel Archer?" she , this woman was annoying. Of course he was, he wouldn't have opened the door otherwise.

He told her this, and she seemed more than dissatisfied.

"What do you want anyway?" he snapped.

"I'm here about Maddy Bowen."

Archer's eyebrows shot up "Maddy?" he choked out, "Is she alright? She isn't dead, is she?"

She looked at him sympathetically.

could not be dead. She was invincible, she was fearless, wonderful, beautiful, amazing…

"I'm afraid so, Mister Archer. Can I come in?"

Great, so this woman had just informed him Maddy was dead, and now she wanted to come in? He tutted, whilst holding back the tears, to no avail. Maddy was the only person who he had ever truly cared for, since his parents died. And this woman was telling him she was dead?

"How do you know who I am," he grunted. The woman appeared surprised by this.

"Of course we know who you are, Mister Archer. Just because you are no longer on the system does not mean that we have no idea you are alive. Now, I really need to discuss some things with you so if you will please…"

Archer slammed the door shut in her face.

"Please, Mister Archer. This is very important. Maddy wanted you to hear this."

The door reopened.

Archer stood, whilst the woman sat on one of the sofas, and spread her documents on the table. She turned to face him.

"Mister Archer, I am truly sorry for your loss. Maddy was reported missing in Afghanistan, where she went for her latest ,we, we, we have not heard back for over 6 months now, and our worst fears were confirmed last week when her body was found."

Archer felt the world stop around him: his beautiful Maddy was gone. He would never see her again, be able to tell her how much she had meant to him.

"Why are you telling me this?" he breathed, gritting his teeth. He couldn't deal with grief in front of others.

"Well, in the case of this happening, Maddy wrote in her will I have here that she wants you to be contacted, and given a half of the money she has left. She also left this;" she held up an envelope, "For you. I am presuming it is some sort of letter."

Archer nodded, shortly. Why couldn't she just leave and let him grieve in peace?

"Is that all?" he asked bluntly.

She shook her head, vigorously.

"Afraid not, Mister Archer. You might want to sit down for this one."

He refused.

"Very Well, Mister Archer," She sighed, continuing.

"Mister Archer, you have a son."