Chapter Text
Branch wasn't used to being away from home. Whenever he had to leave to deal with an emergency he would always look forward to returning to the safety and privacy of his bunker. Usually he would lock himself up in there, refusing to let anybody in. Poppy could sometimes convince him to open his bunker up to her and her alone, but usually even her company felt like too much. She understood it, and she respected it as much as she knew how.
A part of Branch couldn't wait to get home. He was exhausted, overwhelmed, and he needed a break from the world. The much larger part of him was a little nervous about going home, because that would mean saying goodbye to his brothers.
He knew it wouldn't be forever this time. They'd just reunited and made up, and they all wanted the relationship to work this time around, but they all had their own lives. Branch had Poppy, and he wouldn't be able to bear being away from her or even his bunker. Clay felt similarly about Viva and the Putt Putt trolls, even though he had admitted to having conflicted feelings about Viva at the moment. He cared about her and wanted to be at her side, but Clay wasn't quite ready to forgive her for sending Floyd away.
Branch understood. He felt similarly about Peppy.
Bruce had his family and business that he needed to take care of, though he had made it clear that any of them were welcome to visit whenever they wanted.
Branch didn't think that John Dory or Floyd had homes or families to go back to. The closest John had was Rhonda. He could live wherever he wanted. So Branch was surprised and a little hurt when John Dory had waved off his suggestion to move closer to Pop Village.
"It's nothing against you, Bro." John Dory had said when Branch tried to suggest it to him.
"I'm just not up for living with other trolls, you know? I don't know how to keep my opinion to myself when I see others doing things differently than I would." He shook his head. "I never learned how to play nice with others, and I think I'm a little old to start."
And Branch hated that he completely understood. He also liked for things to be just right, and he felt something like an itch in his very soul when he saw things being done in a way that he wouldn't personally do it. Poppy had been helping a lot with that, but it was still hard to resist. He imagined that John Dory would have an even harder time, because he'd spent twenty years living in the wilderness.
Branch knew what isolation could do for a troll, and he hadn't been completely isolated. He'd still interacted with other trolls, whether he wanted to or not. He didn't know if John Dory had even seen another troll until he had gone after Floyd.
"If you say so." Branch had said reluctantly. "But you'll visit, won't you?"
John Dory had given him a broad smile, and Branch was glad that he wasn't standing too close to his brother, because he was sure that his brother would have given him a noogie if he was in arm's reach.
"You couldn't keep me away." John Dory had said. "I'll be doing it for Floyd's sake, at the very least."
He didn't really know why Floyd had decided to stay with John Dory in Rhonda. Maybe John Dory had just been the first to make the offer, and Floyd had accepted without knowing he had options, and now he felt stuck there because he didn't want to hurt John Dory's feelings. Or maybe Floyd wanted to stay with John Dory because it was the only way he knew for sure that he wouldn't be left behind again.
Branch had thought that Floyd would come with him to Pop Village. He hadn't offered his bunker up earlier because he hadn't even considered that Floyd wouldn't go for it. He wanted to convince Floyd to reconsider, but he kept those thoughts to himself.
Floyd was struggling. He was out of the diamond, thank the muses for that, but he wasn't fine. He had nightmares all the time. He still slept more often than he maybe should. His legs and arms were still acting up, and it was too early to tell if that would go away with time or if it would be a more permanent thing.
Either way, Floyd needed more than just a roommate. He needed someone to take care of him, and Branch wasn't sure if he could do that. He was still getting used to being around other trolls at all, and he regularly had days where he just couldn't bring himself to have any interaction with anybody. He couldn't take those days for himself if he had Floyd down the hall, needing care and attention.
Floyd could take care of himself for the most part, but he had times where he couldn't stand at all, and times where he could and should be on his feet, but he was too scared to move them at all so he just stayed sitting. Branch didn't know how to tell the difference. Somehow John Dory could. He would be able to push Floyd when he needed it, and pull him back when he had to.
Branch knew this was for the best, but he still didn't want to say goodbye to his brothers at all. He would still miss them, even though they were already promising to meet up for dinner at Bruce's place in just three weeks, and they would have meetups like that regularly.
It wasn't the perfect happy family that Branch had hoped for since he was a small child, but it was far more than he had actually thought he would get, and he was grateful for this much.
He had hoped for a little more time with his brothers, but he knew he had to get back to Poppy and at least tell her what was going on. She was probably freaking out and had sent out search parties. Maybe she thought he had been kidnapped. He needed to let her know that he was okay before she went completely over the rails. And though it wasn't as urgent for Clay to go home, he still thought that it was better to return sooner rather than later.
So after Floyd was freed from the diamond the five of them spent the day together. They caught up. They made plans for the future. And Branch heard John Dory make tentative plans with Bruce for Floyd to stay over some time so John could return to Mount Rageous and scope the situation out. He wanted to know if Floyd was still in danger. Honestly, Branch wanted the same thing, but he didn't want any of his brothers going anywhere near those teenagers, let alone on their own.
Bruce felt similarly, and he sternly told John Dory that he wasn't letting him go alone. So, no actual plans had been made, but it was nice to know that they weren't just pretending this wasn't a problem.
Branch was anxious to go home, but not anxious enough to stay. So he sat on the beach and watched as John Dory looked over Rhonda, who had caught up with them the other night and was ready to travel again. They'd probably be leaving in a few minutes. Clay was in the restaurant, saying goodbye. Branch didn't feel comfortable with goodbyes. As far as he was concerned he'd said everything that he needed to last night.
But just because he was fine with leaving without mushy words didn't mean that the others were. When Floyd sat down on the sand next to him, probably desperate for a talk and the need to clear the air, Branch didn't give him the cold shoulder. He scooted closer to Floyd and wrapped his arms around him.
"You doing good, Bro?" Branch asked.
"I don't know." Floyd said. "I feel like I should be fine, but I'm not, and I don't know why."
"I get it." Branch said. He understood it all too well. He wondered if this was a Gray troll thing, or a thing in common with their family in general. He was a little afraid to ask the others. "I think you're going to be okay though."
"I'm going to miss you so much." Floyd said quietly. He snorted slightly. "It's weird, huh? We're going to see each other in a few weeks, and this feels more like forever than it did when I left twenty years ago."
Branch snorted. "I feel the exact same way."
Floyd's ears drooped slightly and he gave Branch a sad look. "I'm going to be visiting you, you know. I'll come back. I promise."
It was odd. Branch hadn't actually considered that his brothers wouldn't actually return. He was taking them at their word this time, and it didn't feel like he was forcing himself to be optimistic. He really was trusting them.
"I know." Branch said. "I trust you." It was incredible relief when Floyd looked like he believed him. Branch didn't know what he would do if his brother showed more of that self-hatred that he apparently had. He barely knew how to deal with his own issues, let alone Floyd's.
"I can't wait to show you around Pop Village when you visit." Branch said. "I won't be able to show you very much when you guys drop me off."
Floyd frowned slightly and drew in on himself. "I-I'm not going with you guys. John knows you guys are in a hurry, and Rhonda can go pretty fast, but he thinks that I'm not ready for traveling like that. So I-I'm staying here for a bit longer."
Branch's chest tightened. He knew that he hadn't wanted to say goodbye, but he had thought that he would have at least a little more time. He knew he wasn't missing out on that much, and that he'd see Floyd again soon. If he had to choose between his brother's safety or being in his company for just a few more hours, he would choose his safety every time, without even a moment of hesitation.
Branch was disappointed, but he was fine with it. Floyd on the other hand looked like he was going to fall apart. So Branch bit his tongue and avoided dismissively saying that it wasn't a big deal. That wouldn't help Floyd. His brother would either think he was just trying to put on an act, or that Branch genuinely didn't care, and why would Floyd come back for him if he thought Branch couldn't care less if he was there or not.
He wasn't good at this kind of thing. He wished Poppy was here. She always knew how to reassure without brushing issues off. But Branch was the only one here. He couldn't mess this up.
"I'll be fine." Branch said as kindly as he could. "I mean, would it be great for you to come? Absolutely. But you have to take care of yourself."
Floyd leaned against him. "I've never been very good at that."
"Me neither." Branch admitted. "It's a hard thing to learn. I'm still not very good at it. So I rely on Poppy. She takes care of me in a way I can't take care of myself. I just have to trust her. I listen to her. Do you think you can listen to us? Let us take care of you and help you figure out how to get better?"
Floyd swallowed thickly and wiped his eyes. He nodded and nuzzled against Branch. He was probably too emotional to try to speak. That was fine. He didn't need to talk for Branch to know that he was going to do his best.
"You know, I think staying here with Bruce is going to be good for you." Branch said. "You can get to know the kids. I think you'll like them."
Floyd stiffened slightly and shuddered. "I know. I know. I want to like them, I promise I do, they're just…they're so big."
"I get it." Branch said, and he did. "I still feel weird around bergens. I like Gristle and Bridget just fine, but it's so hard to forget how easy it'll be for them to accidentally just squish me or something. It's a trial, but I'm getting better. If I can do it, you definitely can. You've always been great at seeing the best in people."
There was a dark look in Floyd's eyes. "I know. That's why I ended up with them in the first place."
Branch couldn't believe how much he hated people he had never seen before. He didn't know Velvet and Veneer, but he hated them in a way that he had hated very few creatures before.
He squeezed Floyd's hand. "They've taken so much from you. Please don't let them take your kindness too." He looked at Floyd. "Don't let them take our family from you." Floyd was probably the best of all of them to be a good uncle for their niece and nephews. He would adore the kids. He shouldn't be afraid of them.
Floyd sighed, and any look of fear or resentment just slipped away. Branch had always thought that Floyd was far too forgiving, being able to so easily let go of things that bothered him. Only now did he see that it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart, at least not entirely. It was because he was tired.
"I'm trying." Floyd said, and that was all that Branch could ask from him.
They didn't talk much after that. Branch was comfortable just sitting in silence, and Floyd seemed content to just be with him. At one point Clay came to join them, sitting on Floyd's other side and still not saying a word. It was nice, but they all knew it wouldn't last.
John Dory would probably give them as much time as they wanted. He wasn't in a rush. Branch and Clay were the ones who had places to be. Branch stalled for as long as he thought he could, but he would rather get back to Pop Village before dark, and he could already see the sun sinking lower in the sky. It was time to go.
Branch stood up. Floyd reluctantly released his hand, and Branch almost wished that he hadn't. He needed just a little bit more, so even though Branch wasn't a hugger he wanted a goodbye hug. He turned towards Floyd and offered his hand out to him, raising an expectant eyebrow at him. Floyd looked a little nervous.
"I don't know if I can stand right now." Floyd said. Branch thought about taking him at his word, but he'd been holding Floyd's hand just seconds ago. His grip had been strong. From what Floyd had told them his legs and hands tended to act up at the same time. If he could cling to Branch like a lifeline, he could stand for a second.
"Just try." Branch said. "I'm not going to let you fall. I promise."
Floyd didn't look like he believed in himself, but he believed in Branch. He accepted the hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. He stumbled a bit, but Branch thought that might be from being out of practice as opposed to not being able to hold himself.
Branch pulled Floyd in, hugging him. Floyd clung to him tightly. It wasn't long before Clay joined them, and Branch didn't mind at all.
"You're going to be okay." Branch said. He wanted to tell Floyd to take care of himself, but he knew he wouldn't, so he told him the next best thing. "Let our bros take care of you. And if you need anything from me, don't be afraid to ask."
"Only if you do the same." Floyd nuzzled against him. "I'm going to miss you. Both of you." He turned his nuzzle to Clay, who happily returned it.
"We'll see you soon, little bro." Clay said. "It'll just be for a few weeks. Then you can show us how much better you've gotten." He gave Floyd an encouraging smile. Branch was sure that Floyd would have improved a lot, physically and mentally, in three weeks, but he still had that pessimistic voice whispering in his ear.
"If you're not doing better though, it'll be okay." Branch said. "We won't be disappointed."
"Right." Clay nodded. "We'll just have to put together a new recovery plan."
"And backup plans." Branch's mind was spinning with ideas. "You know, in case things go wrong."
Clay looked like he was going to agree, but then he looked at Floyd and seemed to catch himself. "Not that we'll need backup plans though. Because you're going to be okay."
Right. Branch momentarily panicked. He had been trying to be prepared, but he didn't want to scare Floyd with his paranoia. His brother needed comfort and reassurances, not whatever Branch could offer. He tried to figure out how he was supposed to backtrack, but he relaxed when he heard Floyd laughing.
"Thanks, guys." Floyd said as he laughed. They must have done something right, though Branch wouldn't be able to say just what it had been. They held each other for a long minute before Branch pulled away. He looked towards Rhonda. He wasn't surprised to see John Dory and Bruce standing there. Bruce was at least pretending to look the other way to give them the illusion of privacy. John Dory had no such issues. He was just standing there, beaming at them. Branch rolled his eyes. He had forgotten how annoying his brothers were.
"I guess you got everything with Rhonda figured out." Branch said dryly.
"Yep, she's all ready to go when you guys are." John Dory said.
Branch and Clay looked at each other. "Then I guess we're ready to go." Clay gave Floyd one more tight hug while Branch rustled his hair slightly.
"See you later, bro." Clay said. They all walked to the others. Floyd went to Bruce's side and clung to him while Branch and Clay joined John Dory by Rhonda. Her door was open, and this was really it. Branch was leaving his brothers, and it was…it was okay. He wasn't happy to be rid of them, and he wasn't devastated that they were going to be gone from his everyday life again. He was fine.
"I'll be back soon, Floyd." John Dory said while Branch and Clay got in. "I promise." Branch could hear the almost urgent edge in John's voice. It sounded almost possessive, but Branch wasn't worried about that. He remembered how panicked Floyd had been when he had thought he'd been abandoned by John Dory, left to slowly drown in his diamond prison.
Floyd had every reason to be a bit anxious about being left behind for the third time by their big brother. But he didn't look scared. He looked sad, absolutely, but he didn't seem nervous about John's return. He was stronger than Branch in that sense. He didn't know if he'd be able to trust anybody so easily after everything that Floyd had been through.
He was far tougher than he gave himself credit for, and Branch hoped that someday Floyd would realize that.
"We'll be fine." Bruce said, his arm around Floyd's shoulder. "We'll see you guys soon."
John Dory nodded and joined Floyd and Clay inside of Rhonda. He took a deep breath and got behind the wheel, urging Rhonda on. John Dory seemed tense and almost more upset than the rest of them. Clay and Branch looked at each other. Neither of them liked seeing John Dory like this. He was supposed to be loud and confident, as well as more than a little annoying. This subdued act was more than a little concerning.
Branch wasn't great at cheering people up, but he had an idea.
"So, uh, John, you've got a lot of pictures from when we were kids." Branch couldn't believe he was going to be doing this. "My girlfriend, Poppy, she's really into scrapbooking. She's going to be really upset that I just disappeared on her for a few days. I wondered if maybe you had any spare pictures I could have to make it up to her."
John Dory was still for a long moment, and Branch was worried that he had misjudged things. Had he messed up? But finally his older brother turned around to look at him, smiling, a mischievous look in his eyes. Success.
"Oh, I've got pictures." John Dory said. Branch knew he would regret this, but seeing his brother act a bit more like himself again made it worth it.
"You guys do your thing." Clay said. "I've got the controls."
John gave him an odd look. "You know how to drive her?"
"No." Clay said. He ran his hand across the dashboard. "But I'll figure it out." There was a gleam in his eyes. One that Branch was familiar with. It came from the desire to understand things. To know what was what, and why and how it was like that. He hadn't realized how similar he and his brothers were.
"Have fun." John Dory said. He grabbed Branch's hand and pulled him to the back where his memorabilia was. He started going on and on about the good old days, with Clay adding in his two cents from the front. Branch wasn't as into it as John Dory was, but his brother's enthusiasm, while a bit annoying, was still kinda nice. This was how he had been caring about them and coping with the distance. Branch had tried to forget his brothers, and John had tried to hold on to the memories of who they had been. Neither of them had really considered who their brothers had grown up to be.
"You know, things aren't going to go back to the way they had been before." Branch couldn't help but cut in. To his credit, John Dory stopped in the middle of his story. He actually seemed to consider Branch's words.
"I know." John Dory said. His tone was serious, but he didn't have that painfully sad look in his eyes that Branch was starting to recognize in all his brothers. "The thing is, I'm starting to think that things had never been 'the way they were before'."
"And that's okay." Branch said quickly. "It was…I mean, it wasn't great, but we had good times." He really didn't want all of those good times to be blocked out by the fights and struggles. Especially not when they were all working to fix their relationship.
"We'll have more good times." Clay said. "Better than before."
John Dory looked down at the picture in his hand. Branch remembered the day that picture had been taken, because it had been terrible. They had to practice for their upcoming tour, go do a bunch of promotional stuff, and record their new songs all in one day, and it had been exhausting for all of them. They had all fallen asleep the second they got home. They didn't even change out of their costumes or go to their room. The five of them just sprawled out on the floor on top of each other. Grandma had thought the scene was cute, and she saved a picture of it.
Branch saw the picture and all he could remember was the overwhelmingly long day. It wasn't a good memory for him. But looking at John Dory it was clear that wasn't what he saw. He just saw him and his brothers, curled up together and looking cute and relaxed. It really was a nice picture, even if the memory wasn't the greatest.
John Dory ran his hand across the picture, a look of longing in his eyes, before he sighed and put the picture away.
"You guys are right." John Dory said. Branch hated that it sounded like he was admitting defeat, but then John turned to look at him, that stupid mischievous look in his eyes again and Branch already hated the words that would be coming out of his mouth next. "So, who wants to get home to their princess first?"
"Why do you gotta say it like that, man?" Clay groaned.
"Excuse you, Poppy is a queen." Branch said matter-of-factly, because she was. She was literally the queen of the pop trolls, so he didn't know why his words made John Dory burst into laughter and Clay groan in annoyance. He really didn't understand his brothers. He probably never had, and he didn't think he ever would.
But he loved them, and for right now that was good enough for him. They would figure the rest out later.