A/N: Hello everyone! Once again, sorry for the long delay. I've been busy (as usual), with school, life and just a whole bunch of things in general. But I'm back and I wanted to thank you all for the reviews, favorites, follows, everything. You guys are so awesome! I mean, really, I love you guys!

Special thanks to my beta Harmony Valenka Smith for being so patient with me and helping out with the story!

I listened to a lot of Fall Out Boy when I was writing this, and I was also listening to a little of Ariana Grande (I don't know why but she always gets me in a Baffy mood). I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Thank you!

"My heart is like a stallion; they love it more when it's broken."

"Do you got room for one more troubled soul?"

-'Alone Together' Fall Out Boy

Daffy despised hiking; it was just one of those activities that never appealed to him, like deep sea fishing or stamp collecting. He'd rather be at home reading a book or hanging with Anna, definitely not out in the sticky heat, being eaten alive by bugs and trying to find a place to rest his aching feet.

He wasn't even that interested when Bugs asked him to come to the Chandler family's annual hiking trip up to Sarah's Peak, one of the most beautiful mountains in Shadow Oaks. They were hiking to the Chandler's lodge where they'd have hot cocoa and spend the night. It was very tempting, especially the idea of spending time with Bugs, Anna, Ace and their parents while being out of town for a little while. However, Daffy couldn't help being a little hesitant, after all, hiking would still have to be involved.

"Daffy, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable. Besides, I'll call you and text you as much as I can while I'm away. It would be as if I'd never left." Bugs' warm voice over the phone calmed Daffy a little.

Daffy smiled though Bugs couldn't see. "You're such a prince, you know that?"

"Yeah, and this prince isn't afraid to tell you that he's going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too."

"And just what are you going to miss about me?" Bugs' signature cockiness shone through.

Daffy sighed, rolling his eyes tenderly. "Your inability to never shut up."

That earned him a laugh from Bugs, Daffy's smile grew bigger. It was a Friday night, Bugs was at home packing for the trip while Daffy was at home, flipping through the channels on t.v.

Anna would usually be with him, but her parents approved of her going on the trip with Ace and now she was busy packing too. So Daffy was going to have to spend a not-so exciting weekend with his parents. Yay.

"I'm going to be so bored." He complained out loud.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. Your parents are probably dying to spend time with you." Bugs comforted.

"My mom is an interior designer and my dad collects rare comic books and yet the only fun thing we ever do is go to the supermarket." Daffy frowned.

Bugs chuckled. "Supermarkets are fun."

"Bugs, my dad talks to the fruit, which is embarrassing and yet... pretty entertaining actually."

"Ace can't go a minute without knocking something over. He once knocked down a whole shelf of laundry detergent because he wasn't paying attention. I swear he's a knucklehead."

It was Daffy's turn to laugh. "Ace, the loveable klutz."

After a few more shared stories about their supermarket woes, Bugs had to go because his mother wanted to speak with him. Daffy didn't think much of it and remained flipping channels, willing himself to finally decide on something to watch, when Bugs called again.

"Melanie's coming." Bugs declared miserably.

Daffy nearly dropped the phone. He didn't hate Melanie, but he definitely wasn't psyched by that news.

"What do you mean she's coming?" He groaned.

"My parents want her to come. In their eyes, she's totally normal and sane."

"And what about Seraphina?"

"She has the flu and so Melanie's going to be at home with no one to hang out with, at least that's what my mom said."

Daffy got a flash of Melanie and Bugs bonding over their childhood memories, and despite himself, he began to worry. "I don't want her hanging out with you-your brother!" Daffy bit his lip, what a terrible save.

"What?"

"Yeah, I mean, Melanie can be a bit...out there, and Ace may want to hang out with Anna without distractions." Daffy knew the lie sounded terrible, but either Bugs was really naive (he wasn't) or he didn't think much of it as he seemed to agree with Daffy.

"Yeah, Ace isn't going to be thrilled to hear about this."

"I'm sure." Internally, Daffy was panicking. The rational side of him, the side that wanted to give Melanie the benefit of the doubt, wanted to believe that there was no threat there, that she was seriously just someone who needed to grow out their childhood crush and that Bugs would surely shut down her advances. Yet, the other side of him, the part that worried ceaselessly and that was actually really instinctual and correct most times, told him that Melanie was more than just a pretty face, she was someone who could actually win Bugs' heart and that bothered Daffy.

After a few more minutes, where Bugs discussed how much he hated camping but could stand hiking, while Daffy tried to listen but was mostly just focusing on the anxiety coursing through his system, another thought came to Daffy's mind. Go with them! To keep an eye on Melanie and ensure that she didn't have Bugs all to herself.

"Bugs, I just thought of something. I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Um, sure Daffy, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, really." He didn't give Bugs a chance to say anything else, he just ran to pack his things.

The next day as Anna and Melanie met the Chandlers at their house, where Bugs, Ace and Mr. and Mrs. Chandler packed one of their numerous cars with hiking stuff, they were all surprised to see Daffy jogging up the block with his bags.

"You're coming?" Bugs asked, barely keeping the happiness from his voice.

"Yep." Daffy smiled, chancing a quick glance over at Melanie.

Anna came to his side while Bugs took Daffy's gear. "Thought you hated hiking?" She whispered.

"I do. But I thought I'd come around to it."

"You sure a certain Ellington sister had nothing to do with that?"

Daffy blinked, Anna was too perceptive at times. Then again, that's probably why they got along so well.

"Alright guys, we're heading out." Mr. Chandler announced. They all piled into the sedan. Ace sat beside Anna, while Daffy sat between Bugs and Melanie who was strangely silent through most of the drive.

It wasn't until they reached the hiking ground when she started recounting memories to Bugs of the time when she used to push him into the mud when they were six. For once, Bugs actually blushed, remembering. "You never left me alone back then." He mentioned.

"I can't leave you alone now." She responded.

Daffy frowned and Anna shot him a worried glance. "Melanie, do you know any road trip songs?"

"No?"

"Do you want to learn one? Because I'd be glad to teach you-"

Ace chimed in. "Okay, I think before things get heated, we should know that we're almost there so everyone just relax." He rubbed his girlfriend's arm soothingly, knowing that although Anna was a quiet girl, she also had a quick temper.

Daffy tried to think calming thoughts.

Soon they were all putting on their hiking gear. Anna helped Daffy with his while Melanie begged Bugs to help her with hers. Which, to Daffy's discontent, he did.

Mr. and Mrs. Chandler led the way, while Bugs and Ace argued over who should hold the map. Ace won two of the three rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors, so he was the one to read the map. Bugs didn't look as if he cared much.

After an hour, they stopped to take a break. Daffy was glad for that because they had reached a thicket and he really wanted to admire the earthy smell of the woods and the feeling of being surrounded by so many trees.

They walked for about half an hour before Melanie pointed out that she saw a particular moss covered rock before.

"What?" Bugs asked, incredulously.

"I'm telling you, we've passed it a few times." She restated.

"Alright, we're lost. Dammit Ace!" Bugs cursed.

Ace looked up from the map. "I'm not sure how, but she's right."

"Of course she's right! How many of those particular moss covered rocks do they have here, ones that look like that one specifically?" Bugs threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"It's okay." Anna placated. "We can just call your parents and tell them to come get us." She whipped out her cellphone and started dialing, except there was an obnoxious beeping sound and then Anna announced that she had no signal.

They all checked their phones and had the no signal icon pop up.

"Well, guys we can't stay here kicking ourselves. We have to do something." Ace said.

"It's getting dark." Anna mentioned.

Daffy put his backpack down. "Then we have to stop moving. We'll only get more lost."

"He's right," Bugs agreed. "Maybe someone will find us. I mean civilization has got to be somewhere."

Ace frowned. "Yeah, except Mom and Dad wanted us to have a private hiking ground. No one's allowed up here. But I'm sure they've noticed we're missing. Maybe if you just gave the map to me in the first place instead of wasting all this time, we wouldn't be in this predicament Bugs."

"Don't start with me Ace. If I had given you the map sooner, we'd just be even more lost than we are now!"

"Arguing isn't going to solve anything." Daffy declared. "We're lost. It's done, it happened. No use crying over it."

"Daffy's right. We need to think about survival." Said Anna.

"We have to stick together." Melanie confirmed.

They all found a place to sit down. After a couple of hours and no sign of being rescued yet, they began to think about their lives and all the wrongs they'd like to make right.

"Ace, I'm sorry that I argue with you sometimes. The truth is, no matter how much of a pain you are. I'm happy that you're my brother." Bugs confessed.

"I'm sorry I'm hard on you. You're a great brother, believe me. I just want what's best for you." Ace said, patting Bugs' back.

Anna made eye contact with Ace and they smiled, sharing the same loving glance.

Bugs leaned over to kiss Daffy's forehead. And that was enough, for now.

"I'm sorry." Melanie admitted. Everyone stopped to stare at her.

"I'm sorry Daffy, I-I know that I keep flirting with Bugs. But to be honest with you, I know that he doesn't return my feelings. I guess, he was someone from my past and I wanted to hold on to that. I never meant to impose. I see how much he loves you and I can't see myself getting in between that."

Daffy's jaw dropped, it took him a while to find the words before he found his composure. "It's okay Melanie. I forgive you."

Ace jumped up. "Okay, group hug?"

And it was probably one of the best ideas he had in a long time.

They were found by Mr. and Mrs. Chandler soon. Apparently, their parents had put a tracker in both Ace and Bugs' phone, just in case.

They got to the lodge where they had hot chocolate, watched Cupcake Wars (Bugs' favorite show, he was reluctant to admit), and where Daffy and Anna actually taught Melanie to play Tic Tac Toe.

Finally, before they all went to their respective rooms, Ace stopped to say: "We will never ever speak about what happened in the woods today, okay?"

Bugs snickered. ""Okay. Mr. Marshmallow." Ace blushed, Anna hugged him and before they knew it, they were all stuck in another group hug.

"The amount of love in this room makes me uncomfortable." Melanie confessed, but she grinned as she said it and Daffy figured that she wasn't so bad after all.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate it! Fun fact: Melanie's name was supposed to be Melody but somewhere that didn't process in my brain and I ended up writing Melanie (maybe because of Melanie Martinez? IDK). She's supposed to be kind of goth, and I know she's annoying. I'm actually basing her after a friend I once had. (And no relation to Melanie Martinez except the first name, because Melanie Martinez is awesome.)

Once again, thanks for reading! Love you guys!