~Thank you for all the reviews everyone :D and I apologize if Daryl seems soft. Umm…because Daryl in the flashbacks is younger, he will be a little more innocent and a softy but I will try to make him more tougher.~

Archer POV

I woke bright and early for the day but I didn't want to get up. I continued to lay on my side and stare out in my room. Daryl came back to town last night and so many things were running through my mind.

Why did he come back?

Why did he leave in the first place?

Did I do something wrong?

When did things become complicated between us?

I remember when things used to be so simple between us.

14 year old Daryl and 12 year old Archer

We were in middle school at the time. While Daryl was two years older than me, he got held back a grade so while I was in 6th grade, he was in 7th grade. I was sitting on my porch doing my homework when he came over.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked as he hovered over me.

"I'm doing my math homework. You?" I asked him.

"Nothing. I came over to see if you wanted to go in the woods and shoot at squirrels or something."

"I really need to get this done, besides don't you have homework to do?"

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"I'm an idiot. School ain't for me. I might just drop out."

"You're not an idiot, Daryl."

"How the fuck would you know?"

"You're not an idiot. You're just lazy."

"Fuck you."

"Daryl…"

"I don't know why I even came over."

I scoffed. "You come over every day asking to do something."

"Whatever." He grumbled. I shrugged and went back to doing my homework. "Why are you outside anyway? Don't you have a desk in your room?" I didn't say a word. "Hello I'm talking to you girl."

"I needed the fresh air."

"That is bullshit."

"Do you always have to curse?"

"You're not answering my damn question."

I sighed annoyed and slammed my book shut. I stood up and grabbed his wrist and dragged him to my mail box. "My parents have been fighting lately."

"Like hitting each other?"

"No just screaming and the occasional throwing of plates. It's just hard to concentrate on homework."

"Why are you so focused on that crap anyway? Not like you're gonna use it again."

"It's a good distraction. Plus I know how to do the work."

We stood their uncomfortably and then he walked away without another word. I sighed and went back to my porch to finish what I was doing. Within 5 minutes he came back with his math book and opened it. I raised a brow at him. "Will you help me figure this out?"

"Daryl that work is two grades higher than me."

"You like the challenge. Plus you like to read and all that crap. I don't know."

I smirked. "Let's see what we could do." I took the book and read the first three pages then went to the problem and explained it the best I could. When we went to check the answer in the back of the book, I was right.

"I knew you could do it." He smirked and took the book back to do some work or pretend to. It was a nice gesture that he was trying to create a distraction for me. It was such a simple task to do and it meant the world to me that day.

I finally sat up in bed and sighed. I really didn't want to go out. I called in sick from work and then stay sitting in my bed. I eventually got up to shower and change into sweats and a tank top. I went over to my desk and grabbed my scrapbook that I made and sat back in bed. It was literally all the memories that Daryl and I had. If there wasn't a picture, there was a meaningful diary entry inside.

I flipped through some pages. I stared at the one of my first hunting trip. I was about 10 and he was 12. My dad was working at the auto shop with Daryl's dad, Will. Will and my father were good friends in a weird way. Will had invited him to join Daryl and Merle who was out of juvie at the time.

"I don't like the idea of you going hunting. I also very much don't like the idea of you taking Archer with you. She's just a little girl." My mother whined.

"I want to go mom." I begged her. I jumped in the car with my bow and arrows and my backpack. I watched as they argued a while then he jumped in the car and drove off. We drove for a good two hours before he got to the location. I recognized Will's truck on the dirt gravel. We got out of the car and grabbed all our stuff and walked the trail up to find where the guys were at the campsite.

"Will!" My father greeted.

"Jack, about time you made it. Your girls kept you held up?" Will questioned and you could tell from his voice he was a little drunk.

"Girl. My wife was giving a hard time but I finally came and I brought Archer a long."

"Oh hell no! This is a man's trip!" Merle complained.

"I agree. Jack why did you bring her? She's gonna get herself killed."

"No I won't." I defended myself.

"Yeah because you're a stupid fucking girl!" Merle yelled.

I glared at him as I put my bag down and I huffed. Who does he think he is?

"Guys Archer is more than capable. She was very excited and wanted to tag along for the experience."

Will just shrugged and drank more of his beer. My father went to join him. I grabbed my tent and started to set it up.

"Need help girlie? Don't want you breaking a nail." Merle teased but his tone was still annoyed.

"It's not my first time camping. I can handle it." I told him firmly. I struggled a little but got it done. I grabbed my father's tent and tried to set it up but seeing as it was bigger than mine, it was hard to handle so I gave up and dropped it on the ground.

I looked over at Merle and Daryl. Merle was snickering at my failure and Daryl was avoiding my eyes. I sighed and walked over to them.

"Problem?" Merle asked.

"I need help." I mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I need help." I huffed.

"I don't know. I am pretty busy and you did say you could handle it."

I groaned in frustration. "Merle don't be an ass." Daryl warned him.

"What was that baby bro? You have a soft spot for the girl?"

"No…but…"

"Are you arguing with me?"

"For fuck's sake Merle. She's just a stupid girl. She can't even put up a tent that's twice her size. It's pathetic."

"I agree. Come on let's go help her."

The both got up and went to put up my father's tent. I was a little hurt for being called stupid and pathetic but I suppressed the feelings and went to unpack the rest of my bag. When they finished the tent I went and threw his sleeping bag inside it then went into my own tent. We didn't really do much that day except unpack and eat dinner. I got called shit for being a girl and that I shouldn't be here to hunt but I'll show them tomorrow. I snuggled warmly in my sleeping bag and knocked out.

In the morning we woke up bright and early. I quickly changed my clothes and put my bow over my shoulders. We ate our breakfast and went over the game plan. If you didn't catch at least one thing by the end of the day, you don't get to eat.

My father and Will stuck together and I stuck with the Dixon brothers as we went in the opposite direction. Merle wasn't happy about this but I ignored him. I saw a squirrel and grabbed an arrow to shoot at it but I missed.

Merle laughed at me. "Leave it to the girl to hunt something pathetic as a squirrel and miss."

"Are you going to make fun of me this entire trip?" I asked him.

"Well you are a girl. You shouldn't be here. Why don't you leave the hunting for the men? I'll shoot you a squirrel so the adults could believe you hunted and can eat dinner tonight." He patted my back roughly then kept walking.

I glared at him.

"Ignore him. He's just being Merle." Daryl told me.

"He's an idiot."

"I know he is but he does have a point. You shouldn't be here."

"I wanted to hunt."

"Can you even hunt? I know your good with the bow and arrow but you missed a squirrel. How?"

"It moved…"

He laughed at me. "Did you fucking think it was going to stay still for you?"

"No but…"

"You're pathetic." He followed after Merle.

I sadly followed behind them. We walked and I listened to them talk about strategies. I glanced to my left and saw a boar walk by. I looked at the Dixon brothers who had not noticed it. I quietly walked in the direction of the boar.

I walked a good 15 minutes following what I thought were its foot prints. I couldn't find it again. I sighed. I turned around and decided to head back. I took a few steps and heard a charging sound but before I could make of it, I was forced in the air and I landed on my back hard. I groaned in pained and rolled to my side to see my attacker. It was the boar. I gulped as I saw it kick its front leg in the dirt getting ready to charge again. I tried to get my bow and arrow ready to shoot but it charged again and hit my hand hard with its tusk. I cried out in pain as I saw that it was bleeding.

"Son of a…" I couldn't finish it. My momma raised me better than that.

I looked at it in horror as it was going to charge again. I quickly grabbed my bow and arrow again and had it set before it charged. Before it was a foot away from me I shot it straight between the forehead. I breathed heavily as I laid on my back trying make out what just happened. My hand was stinging in pain but I ignored it.

I finally got up and grabbed the boar's feet and dragged him with me as I tried to make my way to camp. This thing was really heavy. I dropped it and tried to catch my breathe.

"Archer!" I heard what I thought was Daryl's voice.

"I'm…over…here!" I shouted back.

After 5 minutes both Merle and Daryl appeared and then gasped in shock at the sight they saw. I stood covered in dirt and a bloody hand with a dead boar next to me with the arrow still in its head.

"Holy shit girlie you did that?" Merle asked.

"Yes I did." I said proudly.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. We both each caught a dear and a few squirrels but shit you got a wild boar."

I smiled happily then kind a got a little woozy. "You ok?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." I nodded and felt my head with my clean hand. It was wet and sticky. I looked at it and almost cried at the sight of blood on my head. My hand was one thing but my head. "Omg I'm going to die."

"Don't be stupid. You're not going to die." Daryl told me as he looked at my head. "It's just a scratch. What the hell did you do? Wrestle the damn thing?"

"Umm it charged at me twice and hit me. It hurt."

Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed frustrated. "That's why girls don't go hunting."

"Well Daryl this girl earned her dinner. She ain't like any girl I've seen. Come on let head on back to camp and get her cleaned up and take her treasure." Merle picked up the Boar and carried it while Daryl and I followed behind.

That day hurt a lot but I was allowed to go camping and hunting with them more often. Merle and Daryl taught me how to shoot a better with moving targets and how to track. It was one of the many things I learned from Merle and Daryl.

Merle. I haven't talked to him in a long time. Daryl was close to him and respected whatever he had to say but in all honesty I couldn't help but wonder if maybe Merle was the reason why Daryl left for 4 god damn years.

Merle made of had good influences but shit he knew how to drive people away. We have had our battles because I wasn't going to take any of his shit like I did when I was younger which he respected but I still couldn't help but wonder. I hope that I would find out soon.

~So how was this chapter? God a few more flashbacks. Tried to make Daryl kind of tough but it is younger Daryl that was in this chapter. Oh and so I didn't make it clear but in this Daryl is 12 in the hunting scene like I said but I made Merle about 19 years old. Derp ok. So please review and anything you would like to see or maybe some questions you would want to know about younger Daryl :D It would help inspire more flashbacks and yes if I do use it I will give credit to whoever the idea came from ^-^ but don't worry I have a few flashbacks in my head that I want to type but I have to bring up the right moments I guess.~