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The trip back to pop Topia was awkward to say the least every time one of her brothers tried to start up a conversation with her it was quickly rebutted with an annoyed "no I don't want to talk about how my life has been for the past few years if you had stayed, you'd know more about me." followed by an awkward silence the only one of her brothers she wanted to even talk with was Floyd but he was mostly in and out of consciousness do to what veneer and velvet had done to him.

So, the major concern was making sure he was able to rest without discomfort but so far it seemed he was doing okay with leaning against his little sister branch on the other hand was talking to viva about the putt putt trolls and asking how they had managed to defend themselves with just the old golf attractions and even giving her tips on how to improve the defense of her home poppy was talking with clay and Bruce and John where talking about Ronda and Bruce's kids. After a few days and a few stops they finally returned to pop village "WE'RE BACKKKKK" poppy screamed with a smile as she jumped out of Ronda with Viva behind her whom ran over to peppy to hug him and cry about how she had missed him, and he had started to cry and hug viva as tightly as he could as if viva would disappear if he let go as branch got out of Ronda talking to her siblings.

"you can stay with me in the bunker while you get better I don't mind I have more than enough room it's no problem for me, I wouldn't of offered if it was " she says. "BRANCH! THERE YOU ARE DARLIN!" she quickly spun around to see hickory running as fast as he could to her, and she ran to meet him with a laugh. "Hey poppy?" Bruce says.

"yah?" she turns from her reunited family to answer, "who's that troll hugging our sister?"

"OH! that's hickory he's a good friend of mine!" she says.

"ah" was the collective answer until "he's also branches husband."

"HER WHAT!?" was roared out by her brothers ignored by branch as Hickory scooped her up and spun her around.
"I was so worried about ya! I almost went after ya'll once I found your note!" he scolds as he looks his love over checking for injuries and sighing in relief when he found none but when he heard the loud roar of her what his ear flicked as he moved the straw in his mouth to the other side and looking up "those ya kin?" he asks the slow drawl of his voice as he adjusted his hat to be more forward made branch shake her head as her country/yodeler hybrid husband looked angrily at her siblings.

Hickory had issues with her brothers he remembered the first nightmare she had in years after losing her grandmother to chef her waking up screaming for her grandma and sobbing into his arms begging him not to leave her like her brothers had dickory had actually broken down the door of branches room upon hearing her screaming and had joined him in hugging her as he reassured her he wouldn't leave her dickory promised as well swearing up and down he'd never abandon his family telling her she was his family now as well. That night found her smooshed between the brothers as she had cried herself back to sleep holding tightly to both of their sleep clothing was it weird for hickory and dickory yes. But it didn't stop them from trying to comfort her.

Dickory the next day had shown her a little black notebook with names in its Creek was at the top with a skull next to his name followed by all her brothers that had made her laugh. Hickory took a deep breath and let it out shaking himself out of the memory of that night and glared at the brothers who had approached while branch blocked him, and he shook himself out his tail flicking with annoyance.

"So, your branches husband?" John dory says the words tasting bitter in his mouth the idea that he and his siblings had missed so much in their baby sister's life felt bitter she had fallen in love with a troll and gotten married and they had missed that they had missed all of her life because of a fight. And by the looks of it her husband did not like them "yah that goanna be a problem partner?" hickory snaps back a hove stomping "no no!" Floyd says "it's nice to meet you I'm Floyd and this is clay, Bruce and John dory" he says as branch spins to talk to hickory "i left you a note honey" "I know that's the only reason i didn't follow ya" he grunts out "I'm Hickory" he says tipping his hat "ya'll be glad ya haven met my brotha yet." hickory says with a closed mouth smile before looking at branch "you sure your okay thou hun?" he asks as branch groans and dramatically slumps "I'm fineee!" she says with a smile as her siblings watch on

" BABE!" A female voice yells out and they spin just in time to see poppy get tackled by a red troll "SUKI!!!" poppy yells with a smile as she nuzzles her girlfriend with a laugh suki turns "branch! cooper said he took care of your bunker with hickory while you where gone girl!"

"i'll have to bake him something to say thank you" branch muses as she starts to walk away.

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Branches ear flicked followed by a tail swish as she spun around on one foot "soo you coming or not?" she asks tilting her head to stare at her estranged brothers who were standing around like a toad on a log while Hickory was turning around to follow her "ye..yeah" Clay says as he follows soon the others get the hint and follow including poppy and her sister and girlfriend as branch led the way to her and hickory's bunker. "sooo bitty b" john says "its branch not bitty b" she answers smoothly looking over her shoulder at them "right sorry so your married?" he says "yep" she says looking at her mate who takes her hand into his and smiles.

"so are you a Transgenres?" clay asks "I'm both country and yolder my brother respects me for it and i still love my history of my music delta dawn understood that when i told her I can't just be one so i'm both and it makes me a happy troll" hickory says as branch unlocks the bunker grumbling something about changing codes and something about a cloud hickory just pats her on the back with sympathy a slight chuckle escaping him as she swats at his hand "if you're so smart you can pick out the next code" she grumbles as he blanches "ah no honeysuckle i aint that bright" he says as she gets the bunker open and drops down into it

"well ya coming or staying out there?" she says poking her head up and out of the opening and the rest follow suit after everyone was in, she shuts and locks the bunker, and the elevator starts to lower into the bunker "it's amazing branch" Floyd says putting his hand on her shoulder earning a smile from the gray blue troll "thank you " she says hopping off the platform "anyways this is the main room of the bunker down that hall is bedrooms and storage that door leads to the private rooms that are my office mine and hickories room when we're here and not in lonesome flats visiting mama dawn" she says waving her hand around as she keeps talking

"wait who's mama dawn?" Bruce asks "oh its mayor delta dawn she took one look at me after the whole rock tying to take over the world thing and said and I quote "your ma daughter now you look like you need one I'm gonna your ma" she says shrugging "so i got adopted rather aggressively by her in my defense I had no one after i was five you all left when I was one leaving me with grandma who only got to see me to age five so the fact she looked at me and went this troubled troll is my kid now ya'll can fight me I just went along with it" she says as she digs around in the cupboards

."dickory was here luv" she says causing hickory to blink and tilt his head "he was how'd you figure?" he asks and branch turns and in her hands is a chunk of quarts "in the cupboards really" he groans. " uh what?" John asks "It's a running joke between me and my brother" he says taking it from branch "I will chuck this at his fur filled head next time gems don't go in the cupboards" he grumbles going to put it away as the rest of the guest spread out to explore taking note about the different levels and areas from training rooms to meditation to a med wing and rooms for a bunch of trolls those where more for if there was an attack on the village and the trolls needed a safe place to hide until it was over the main part of the bunker was very homey it had a big rug in the living room with a dark base color and bright abstract designs on it followed by tasteful neutral colored furniture on the coffee table was a rather large photo album and Floyd opens it the first picture is branch by herself looking rather pissed at whomever had taken the picture but what caught his eye was her gray skin and black hair his eyes widen in horror and he flipped through the pictures showing all the same until it showed her with blue skin and dark blue hair holding hands with poppy standing on the hand of a female Burgen. At that point he spins and runs even though loud protesting from his siblings echoed in his ears as he grabbed his sister and spun her around hands on her shoulders as she stared with wide eyes "Floyd?" she asks softly as he studies his sister her slightly down turned ears how she was a grayer blue then her bright blue from when she was little his eyes started to water as he hugged her and started to cry

"I'M SORRY BRANCH I'M SO FUCKING SORRY" he wails as she awkwardly hugs him back her eyes traveling over to the open book, and she sighs softly just letting her brother sob into her neck as she rubbed his back side eyeing her mate who nodded and went over to pick up the book but her other siblings had joined the very awkward hug she looked like she wanted to scream but didn't she just let the apologizes wash over her "it's fine I don't like talking about it" she says pushing them away from her before returning to start cooking "it's not okay you where gray branch!" Bruce says "I know" she answers closing her eyes to take a deep breath like marimba had coached her. "I'm fine its done and over with nothing more and nothing less just stop pestering me about it" she adds cutting off any of her siblings.

"go back to exploring just stay out of my room" she adds as an afterthought.  Begrudgingly they go to do just that and see on the wall a bunch of photos of different troll of different genres. "Ah you've spotted the family wall" hickory snorts "the family?" Clay asks "eyuhp" he says "those are the reggaeton trolls" he points to trolls with strips on their bodies with different colors then points to a bunch of colorful trolls "those are the Kpop trolls" he says smiling "that's my brother and myself" he says pointing to him and his brother in their yodeler attire then to a blueish purple troll with a sax "thats Chaz "then to a stroll with fins and a troll made of bright gold glitter . "that's king trollex and that's Conductor  Wolfgang Amadeus Trollzart" he says then points to another group "that's the king and queen of funk king Quincy and Queen Essance and their sons prince Darnell and Cooper" then to a grayish troll with red hair "that's Queen barb and her friends and dad" he says then points to a troll that looks likes similar to him "that is Mayor delta and her niece Clampers and her buddy growly Pete and holly darling." then he points to group picture that has branch in it with four male trolls in it "that is Kismet her band after you guys and her brothers that's ablaze, hype, boom and trickee." he says pointing to each troll in the picture. "Her what?" JD says, "her brothers you know the ones that didn't abandon her?" hickory says "point" clay winces "what is your job anyways" Bruce suddenly asks, "ah branch didn't tell ya." He says chuckling before his face grows dark.

"Im a bounty hunter same with my brother" he says then points to the kpop and reggaeton's and Chaz "so are they and they have all claimed branch as part of their family and believe me partner when i say they don't like ya'll very much." then he points to delta and barb "you are on both of their I'll will maim on sight list same with my brother" he says before spinning around leaving the now very afraid bothers to go join his love in the kitchen "what ya makin darlin?" he asks wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Gumbo using the recipe Quincey taught me" she adds "now if you're going to be in here make yourself useful and cut the okra" she says waving her hand at the yet to be cut up veggie. With a slightly dramatic sigh he goes to do what's asked as branches siblings quietly contemplate what hickory had said to her before long, they hear branch shout

"HICKORY YOU STOP TRYING TO STEAL NIBBLES OF THAT CORNBREAD RIGHT NOW OR I WILL HIT YOU!" followed by "but honeyyy you make such tasty cornbread!" "I know now stop trying to steal it!" after that they hear clinking sounds followed with "soups on!" so they go to join their sister and husband for dinner "holy hair branch this is fantastic" Floyd says with a smile.

"thanks Quincey taught me how to make it" she answers while smacking Hickory's hand away from her slice of cornbread "you have your own" she says chuckling at his pout "so branch?" Clay says "yes?" "how long have you to been together?" he asks 'might as well bite the bullet' he thinks "well it took a bit after the whole barb trying to turn music in to rock thing before I even gave him the time of day" she answers "but he already had a good head start after building a whole raft and i thought that was impressive it took his brother telling him to just ask me out to get him to actually ask me and it took poppy threating to cover me in glitter to get me to agree and I'm glad I did we've been together ever since then" Branch says with a smile at her husband. Dinner was then a rather quiet affair and branch showed them to their rooms after each brother said they'd be staying for a while with Floyd needing to see a doctor every few weeks and Bruce had to return home in a few days to help his wife but branch didn't seem to mind after all at least one sibling would be staying with her and her family for a while and then she paled after heading to bed that night "i forgot that our family is coming to visit" she says and hickory freezes as he pulls on a nightshirt "ah fiddlesticks" "this is not going to end well"

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The next morning was just chaos of arguing and yelling their extended family had shown up much much earlier than anticipated and he was stressed as was branch she was giving clipped answers, and her ears were seeming to be contently pressed against her skull after Gomdori sent JD into the wall that held their wedding picture witch then was put back up by said female troll who apologized profusely. He groaned as Branch looked at everyone with a look that said I'm happy but annoyed.

" We're sorry honey" delta says rubbing branches back "we should of let ya know we were going to be arriving earlier then we had planned." she says a look of shame on her face as her adopted daughter just held hickory's arm with angry tears in her eyes fuck was he stressed "Would ya'll like to hear the story of how i got branches families blessing?" he says knowing he'd regret dredging up that memory but anything to get everyone to sit down and shut the hell up and stop fighting before branch started yelling breakfast had been tense and so had cleaning up. "Sure why not" Clay says as everyone sits down Hickory chuckles and settles down a bit better branch promptly curling up into his side clampers crawling on the trolls lap and staring intently at them.

"well it started out like any other day he says with a groan " I had approached each one and asked and each one said sure but if you hurt her we'll kill you we know queen barb has a volcano and would be more than happy to let us throw your sorry ass init if you hurt branch i had to swear up and down that i wouldn't do a damn thing to hurt my honeybee because I did not want to be hunted down by a mob of angry trolls" he says shuddering at the identical evil smiles from each troll in the room as dawn chuckles "you don't get ta laugh after the whole I will bury you alive and the town will help me construct a saloon over your corpse and we will party if you hurt my daughter after I asked for her paw in marriage!" he says pointing at the female troll who crosses her arms with a feral grin "worked didn't it?" she says with a smirk. "branch aint complained about you being a piece of trash yet so my threat while a bit over the top was very effective" she says "over the top!? you showed me the hole and said be glad i didn't make ya dig it ya varmint" he says with a glower as branch sniggers

"Ma you can't just do that!" she says shaking her head as she leans even heavier onto her spouse "are you okay branch?" Essance asks with a small frown "I'm tired I have four siblings that I haven't seen in nearly twenty or something years suddenly in my house its loud and nosier than I'm used to and I didn't sleep because I was worried Floyd would have a nightmare about Velvet and Veneer" she says "then as i was about to sleep everyone showed up and started a screaming match" she adds grabbing the throw blanket and curling up in it while staring daggers at everyone who have the decency to look sheepish at the grumpy troll who huffs. "So how big was the wedding?" Clay asks, "dude it was the biggest event of a lifetime, and it was nearly ruined because some trolls just wouldn't listen to us" Hickory says as softy snores fill the room as branch promptly fell asleep "but that's a story for branch and i to tell together to be honest because boy howdy was it almost a disaster." he says and a lot of the trolls poppy included look ashamed "again I'm so sorry hickory!" poppy says and hickory just grunts and nods flicking the wheat in his mouth to the other side. "Where the hell did, he get the straw?" Jd mutters to Bruce who just shrugs in confusion as well "its fine poppy" he says shrugging. With that he gets up and scoops his wife up "noo no no no" she mumbles batting at him

"yes your tired come on lov" he says carrying her down the hall leaving everyone in a collective quiet "so what happened that nearly ruined branches wedding?" Floyd asks "welll....lets just say we didn't really listen to what they wanted for their wedding like dude this was one of the biggest events ever bigger then gristle and Bridgette's wedding they couldn't come of course branch like apologized a bunch but it was more for making every troll who still had issues with the bergens feel safe.

" she says rubbing the back of her neck "and well from the food to the dress everything was a disaster i really think a lot of the trolls involved wanted branch to feel the same way they did back when she still was really paranode about the Bergen's attacking us and it made her ruin a lot of parties and stuff and i think in a way they were just trying to be slightly petty but it nearly recked her and hickories relationship if delta and Essance and dawn and i hadn't gotten involved after the dress fiasco and taken things over to fix it all then I'm pretty sure things would of hit the fan in the worst way possible" she adds "like it was bad my guys really bad" she says.

It was a few hours after that when branch came back into the room looking annoyed and but rested "so you want to know about the wedding i guess?" she says as she goes to make a cup of tea for herself and stepping over clampers who was playing with a wooden train she had made the trolling last trollmas clampers looked up at her with a big toothy grin and playfully chomps at her foot "ah! no i have tea!" she yelps with a chuckle as she makes her way back over to the group of sheepish looking trolls " sorry about earlier branch we should of like sent a warning ahead" Prince D says with a chuckle as branch sits down with an wave of her paw "it's fine just don't start yelling matches like that again i thought something bad had happened" she says leaning back and sipping from the chipped cup with a flower pattern Clays eyes widen and he smiles slightly "That was grandmas cup wasn't it?' he says "yup and now it's mine it's my favorite" she grumbles sipping from it again "so about the wedding?" he asks

"Oh that horror show?" she asks "HEY!" poppy says "It wasn't that bad!" she says "poppy look at me" branch says and the queen does, and all branch does is raise one eyebrow and say "it was bad" poppy blushes and nods "it..was bad" she admits. [flash back] The village was going crazy with a wild excitement one of their own was getting married! Though to many the big surprise was that it was Branch who was getting married and celebrating it the town grump and local party pooper was having the biggest celebration of a troll's life and all the tribes were going to be participating that alone was amazing but some trolls felt like they needed to give branch a taste of her own medicine even though she was paranode and didn't mean to Panick as often and the younger trolls who never knew the horrors of the Bergen's thought it was funny to prank the poor girl but still they thought it would be fun to get a bit of payback, but they would soon realize that they should have picked a better way to be petty other than her wedding planning. The first few days was somewhat normal with Hickory and branch talking with poppy and the other royals about the location and where would be the best place to have it so far the lush forest of the pop village would be the winning place as there was a lot more room in the Medow next to it and there was a large lake next to it that the techno trolls could chill out in if they needed to as they had learned from Trollex they could be out of the water with no problem but it was best to have a place to rehydrate if they needed to. "Ok so the location has been picked!" poppy says grinning at the couple and the other trolls who were smiling as well "next thing would be Wedding invitations "

"NO GLITTER BOMBS" was yelled at her "aww man" poppy says with a smile but she would reel in the glitter after all this was for branch! her grumpy bestie. "Alright darln how bout me and my family make those?" dawn says with a smile "clampers would be tickled pink to be able to help" she says nodding to the hyper trolling who branch smiles at and crouches down

"hey clampers?" she says making the running about trolling stop and look at her with a big toothy grin "yeah cuz?" she asks "I have a very important question for you" she says with a smile "what!" she asks, "would you be the flower gir-ERK!" branch grunts as Shes tackled around the middle by the girl "I'd love ta!" Clampers says, "DID YA HEAR THAT AUNT DAWN I'MA BE THE BEST DARN FLOWER GIRL!" she roars "that's great urrhk " branch groans "opps sorry cuz." Clampers says with a grin as she gets off her cousin and hickory promptly starts to help branch up with a chuckle "I'm worried about tiny diamond reacting like this when we ask him to be the ring bearer" he says as Branch groans and rubs her stomach where she had been head butted by the overly excited trolling as they start to head back into the village. Sure, enough tiny diamond had the same reaction, but he ended up being caught before he could attempt to tackle hug branch around the neck by his father who thanks them for including tiny in the wedding. Branch just seems happy that she wasn't hugged without warning this time hug time was still touch and go as in if you didn't ask her first and just went for it she would either punch or bite depending on the troll Dj suki hugged her once without warning her and branch bit her arm in fear because she had hugged her from behind branch had apologized and suki had just brushed it off with a laugh saying she deserved it. But that's besides the point and back on track "so statin and chenille are going to make the dress?" poppy asks "yeah.. grandmas dress doesn't fit I'm a bit too bulky and tall" branch rubs the back of her neck "But I'm happy? to see what they come up with" she says.

"As long as I don't look like a disaster then I'll be a happy troll I'll keep my grandma's dress for my own trolling in the future if hickory and i have any i just hope she doesn't get my bulky build. " she says with a laugh. it was a few days later when things started getting bad trolls where purposely getting the orders wrong and mixing them up it started small with wrong flowers for the decorations easily fixed. But then it slowly got worse branch and hickory had wanted a dark chocolate and raspberry cake for their wedding but the baker made a strawberry flavored sample both branch and hickory looked agitated after that tasting and could be seen quietly arguing about who it was that changed the cake order when neither care very much for strawberry flavor the food for the after party tasting was even worse leading to a more public fight about the food one that poppy and suki had to intervene to separate the two arguing trolls who stomp off to cool down before apologizing to each other but things where starting to worry poppy and the other trolls.

"its getting annoying poppy" branch snarls out "nothing is going right! the food the cake down to the fucking flowers! i swear to hair if the dress is a wreak, I'm going to fucking scream hickory and i are about to call it quits with this wedding if another thing goes wrong if these trolls think i'm fucking stupid I'm not i know what they're doing. Sure, punish me for the stupid shit i pulled when the Bergen's where still a fucking threat and holy shit what the fuck is that monster?" she says as they step into the twin's pod and see what looks like a two-year-old trolling's art project it was bad it was covered in glitter with a huge bow and a mismatch of colors on it and had huge puff sleeves and flowers branch looked horrified and poppy and dawn looked shocked "STATIN CHENILLE WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!" branch screams.

"What? don't you like it?" the twins ask and branch just spins drops onto all fours and runs out "Statin chenille what the heck?" poppy says, "what we thought she'd like it?" they say sounding confused "girls does my daughter look like the type to wear something like that?" dawn asks with a look of answer wisely or else "We got over excited. and well" they have the good decency to look ashamed. "You both are going to apologize to branch once we manage to wrangle her, I'm not going to be surprised if barb and Essance get involved at this point and i'm going to have to have a big talk with everyone I know their being petty but its starting to stress out both hickory and branch they just won't stop fighting at this point" poppy says as she and dawn leave the pod "you're both in so much trouble" she says narrowing her eyes at the twins who flinch and nod "we know" they say. Branch was found digging rather ruthlessly in the dirt behind the tree were her bunker was located ripping up the weeds in her medical herbs "sweetie?" she looks up to glare at the slowly approaching trolls that are queen Essance delta and poppy

" what the fuck do you want?" she snaps wiping her face with a dirt covered paw her face muddy from tears mixing with the dirt "why is everything going so wrong?! I apologized to everyone! why are they being so mean and petty now? i just want to have ..a.. celebration that I can enjoy i know i messed up but trama is a bitch nothing is going right the dress is horrible so's everything else" she says her ears drooping and she seems to be getting duller? "OH SHIT NO BRANCH NO NO ITS OKAY ITS OKAY!" poppy screams running to hug the graying troll followed quickly by delta and Essance "oh honey it's going to be okay.

Don't go gray your going to be fine oh dear hickory is going to lose his shit" sure enough hickory had arrived spotted his graying partner and promptly turned "I'm going to go kill a troll or two" he growls "NO NO NO" Poppy says "I've already yelled at everyone same with barb and dawn and i know this is bad but we can fix it just give branch snuggles and love!" she scolds and he does scooping her up and cradling his now crying troll. Soon enough things where fixed properly with very harsh threats and vows of harm if this behavior was kept barb was particularly creative with her threats. But after along and horrific time things where finally fixed and when branch finally had her colors back when she got to see her fixed dress it was perfect it had thick band around the neck that buttoned behind it the pearls on it where light lavender matching with the pearls on the sweet heart line where the lace meet from where it left the band and connected to the bodice that was hugged around the waist with a thick band following the trim of the bodice where it meets the dress it had a large gem in the middle of the band the bottom of the dress had a thicker layer of fabrics on the top opening to see the main skirt the fabric meet in the back to drape in layer on the front and leading down in to along train with dropping sleeves that hang a couple of inches away from the shoulders the bodice itself had a soft beaded design making a sweetheart line where the lace meets the dress itself it was a soft cream color with pale lavender for the beads in honor of her grandma.

The dress was lovely and branch cried upon seeing it "we took a peek at your grandma's dress and tried to copy the flower pattern on it but we thought the sweetheart neckline with the lace was very pretty and we even patched up your grandmas vail and we hope that was okay but we thought you'd like to have oh!" the twins are shocked when branch hugs them sobbing "thank you so much you have no idea how much this means to me." she says with a watery smile. {end} "WHAT THE FUCK" JD says "so your wedding was almost wreaked because of some petty grudge?!" he says

" yup but it worked out in the end and my dress and the wedding was lovely my flower bouquet was pale white roses with lavenders and delphiniums" she says pointing to the wedding picture on the wall "I cried so hard when i saw my lovely wife' hickory says with a grin "so did pa but you didn't hear it from me she says with a wide grin.

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Branch groans as she stands up brushing off her knees. "

We need to get another box or two because we've run out of them" she says turning to look at hickory. Who looks over her shoulder and into the void she calls their closet to examine the boxes she had filled up and tapped shut with his help he noticed a few piles left of the stuff they needed to put away into the storage area of the bunker and he nods "I'd say we need bout two big boxes" he says nuzzling the side of her face and she laughs and bats at him. "lets go grab them then" she says, and they both leave the room forgetting that for the time being they are not the only two trolls living in the bunker and forget to fully shut the door behind them. JD notices the door was open when walking past and pokes his head in "bitty b?" he says waiting for an answer and looking around of what he can see of the room.

"You in here the door was open" he says when he gets no answer, he fully pushes open the door and that's when the rest of his brothers appear. "John didn't branch say to stay out of her room?" Floyd asks with mild worry as he's ushered into the room by the eldest of Brozone the other siblings are already in the room being nosey and Clay lets out a chuckle as he picks up a largish leather-bound book "might be her diary" he says opening it and looking down only to yelp and slam it shut blinking rapidly "clay you okay bro?" Bruce asks walking over. "Uh does this look like branch?" is the answer as clay reopens the book to show what appears to be branch, only Shes wearing a form fitting dress her hair draped over onside of her face and wearing makeup and seeming very pleased with herself.

"What the fuck" JD mutters looking at the picture with shock on his face. Clay turns the page to show branch wearing what looks like a swimsuit with the sides cut out and shorts with a bunch of beaded bracelets on her arms and her hair done in a rather large ponytail with ribbons. "kind of looks like she went to a rave?" Clay says blinking the next picture was similar only not as bright colors with abstract designs on it and less Jewlery. flipping threw it they find similar but different ones till a few pages in shows the troll wearing a different leaf vest a brown skirt and a sash with an acorn hat and a bunch of trollings with a banner behind them saying Leaf scouts in bright yellow letters and branch has the biggest grin on her face and is holding a glitter trolling on her hip who has the biggest grin next to branch
" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING IN MY ROOM" they freeze and turn to see a very angry female troll with a look on her face saying you lot are so screwed. Hickory just looks over her shoulder with a look of pity before shaking his head "ya'll shoulda listened" he says leaning on the wall as Branch storms into the room "GET OUT OF MY ROOM YOU JERKS!" she screams chasing them out screeching followed by terrified screams from her brothers as she chases them down the hall. Hickory just shakes his head and goes to finish packing up the rest of the stuff they were supposed to be packing having a good feeling with the crashing sounds he was hearing branch was trying to actively maim her siblings and he was not going to get in the middle of that she warned them, and they didn't listen in his eyes they deserved it. Finally, after branch had stop chasing the boys around her bunker long enough for them to explain why they had been in her room lead branch to apologize for jumping to conclusions when it had that time been her mistake to believe that the door had been properly shut. It was fun though making her brothers squirm as she talked about some of the photos however when they were asked if that was all they had found Hickory muttered a quick "I gotta go check somthin right quick" and had practically run away from the group leading branch to blink and suddenly blush long and hard and refuse to explain why she was bushing she was just relieved they hadn't found the other photo's that hickory had taken.

Chapter Text

Branch was sniffing the air as she traversed the forest; she knew there was berries nearby and she wanted them badly. However, there was a trolling playing in the woods she didn't know why the trolling was there, but she didn't question it to much a lot of trolls often hung out just outside the village in the forest. So, she took note of it but filed it under not to important check on trolling later supplies first. It was a roughly and hour before something in the forest changed it got more silent and branch stiffened her hackles slowly rising as she lifted her head and stopped mid grab of a Cloudberry.

She sniffed the air and her eyes narrowed and then widened Deep woods wolf scent flooded her nostrils and she spun what the hell was a dweller of the deep woods doing in the not deep? then her eyes widened the trolling who had no adult with them and was all alone one trolling weak and easy prey. 

Her eyes darkened.

Her claws extended. 

She RAN.

Nothing was going to hurt a little one not while she was alive and kicking she'd remove the danger scare it off or kill it, as she ran claws digging deep and gorging the earth she leapt over roots and fallen branches ears twitching as she heard it the scream of a scared child shit the kid more than likely had wandered deeper into the woods branch leapt once more over a rock and landed over the scared trolling with a feral roar that made the wolf back down before returning its own roar and swiped at the troll who dogged and kept hold of the glitter covered child before tossing the kid into a nearby soft bush to hide it as she leapt forward now no longer encumbered by a trolling she slashed and got the wolf in the face as it attacked her with anger she kept fighting.  She could feel the blood both hers and the wolfs making their attacks harder the wolf would bite and she would doge they were slowing down.

She didn't stop she managed to get under them where the fur was the thinnest.

She slashed.

The wolf HOWLED.

SHE CUT.

IT STOPPED HOWLING

IT

WAS 

DEAD

DEAD

DEAD!

Branch's chest heaved as she straightened up she wiped her paws on the wolfs corpse before slowly walking over to where the trolling was hiding the child whimpered in fear at the bloody troll sporting injuries that she got helping her the trolling was picked up and she watched as the gray trolls hair split and she was set down and then incased in the black hair and she felt the troll begin to move.

"Your safe now little one" Her eyes widen as branch spoke "It won't hurt anyone ever again i made sure of it i'm sorry i threw you" she spoke

"Thank you for saving me" she whispers. 

"Your welcome" was the only response.

------------

King peppy startled at the firm knock on the door to the royal pod it was rather late in the evening but something told him to answer the door and her nearly had a heart attack when he did branch was standing there with blood dripping from her body "BRANCH!" he cried out "I'm fine my king its from a deep forest wolf it tried to kill a trolling" she says reaching into her hair and pulling out a glitter trolling and handing her to him she states bluntly "she nearly died but she didn't I saved her. Make sure to keep the trolls out of the center woods until i send word i got rid of the body of the wolf" she says bluntly "Now i need to go and clean off before any troll thinks i killed some troll." 

Branch turned and left her tail wagging with a weak i did a good smile on her face as she vanished into the forest.

"Mister peppy?" king peppy looked down at the trolling silverleaf if he remembered correctly "yes?" he asks his erratic heartbeat slowing down to a normal level. 

"What was that trolls name?" she asks wide eyes staring at the king.

"Her name is branch and Shes a pop troll who keeps little ones like you and big trolls like me safe no matter how much gripe the others give her for it" he answers and the trolling's eyes shimmer. 

"I'm goanna be just like branch!" she proclaims much to peppys amusement.

Branch was not seen for a while after the incident, but the clearing was now cleared of the corpse branch now had new hooked blades for gathering and cutting vines and other things. 

However, Silverleaf's mother got the surprise of her life when branch awkwardly approached her and thrust a Handmade Rag troll doll into her paws "I'm glad your trolling is okay" was all that was said before branch ran off leaving Sunny Mist in shock as her daughter grabbed the toy and grinned, she was so going to follow in branches paw steps whether the gray troll liked it or not.

She just had to figure out where to meet her new hero without the danger of possibly being killed by a random forest monster but for now she had to deal with her parents keeping her away from the forest until they got it into their heads that she was alive and that someone had saved her peppy kept it that it had been branch to keep them from accusing branch of being what had tried to attack their trolling.

Chapter Text

A get to know branch a little better

So as we all know branch has been living alone in the forest by herself and because of that she's developed a 'few' i.e. a lot of quirks.

She also stands taller then the average pop trolls besides biggie who is the kindest boy. As we have seen in the Christmas episode of the trolls cartoon country trolls can hold trolls that are the same size as themself and weight so hickory will still be able to lift branch.

The average high troll both pop and rock come to branches hip roughly excluding biggie whom branch comes to about his upper to lower arm.

Onto branches traits

Trait one: Her senses of hearing is phenomenal due to having to keep an ear out for predators and prey she can hear in her words a rat pissing on hay down the hall and in another room.

Trait two :if she's more feral and around a trolling she will pick them up by the scruff with her teeth and walk away on all fours

Trait three: Sense of smell like a fucking blood hound she has sniffed at jd with a straight face and said you smell like a bitch before going to track clampers who got lost.

Trait four: Has great night vision

Trait five: She can and will sharpen her claws on a scratching post.

Trait six more of a quirk: She chews on sticks like they are a chew toy.

Trait seven: She is stealthy as fuck like put a bell on her and do not take your eyes off her *JD looks away from branch and branch just vanishes and reappears on top of the bookshelf JD spots her and nearly faints because fuck she scared him*

Trait eight: She perches in high places to get a better scope of the land
Trait nine: she's a light sleeper when she was younger around the one to five age range she could sleep like the dead nothing short of a hurricane could wake her now if hickory so much as moved to get up to go to the bathroom branch is awake. Floor board creak she's awake door opening even minimally she's awake she only sleeps like she used to if she's cried her self to sleep or is sick as hell and taking strong meds.

Trait ten: when sick doors stump her she can't figure out how to turn the door knob and just paws at it whining in confused high off her ass on cold meds. Door: 10 sick branch: 0

Trait Eleven: Like a cat with the laser pointer she will chase the elusive red dot laser pointers are banned from any and all official meetings because branch attacks the red dot and follows it everywhere noting gets done because she just wants to get the red fucking dot that keeps escaping her

___________

Branch is not allowed to play Red light Green light nor is JD both are to quick and stealthy and it scares everyone who plays and ends up doing red light and green light.

Chapter Text

Branch stiffened and subtlety sniffed the air it was the trollings from a few weeks ago trying to sneakily follow her brach simply stands up and spins around looking about before spotting her and waving her over much to the trolling joy .

"IM SLIVERLEAF!" she loudly exclaims before branch just shushes her with a groan "your very loud first rule of the forest talk softly if I can hear you then something bigger can." She says with a sigh crouching down to get more to the little ones level.

"Care to explain why you're following me like a taranlpuff?" She asks "I'm wanna be just like you!" She shouts much to branches shock "wait what no no you don't you don't want to be gray!" She says "no I want to be a survivor like you" is what's said in response

Branches long turned grayed out blue eyes widen "what?" She says 

"I want to be able to survive and help others like you can you saved me and now I want to do the same thing!" Sliverleaf answers her magenta eyes wide with determination and a set expression of Im going to do it on her little face.

Branch chokes on her own breath as she straightens up. "You want to learn how to survive and help others your going to need a lot of training." She says

Little eyes widen " like I said before in the forest being quiet is key if I can hear you something else or someone else can hear you and you don't know if it's a friend or enemy so being quick and quiet are your two most important things to remember when in the woods on your own I didn't survive for this long with out almost losing my life because I was a naive little trolling who was to loud." She says with a feral grin the trolling returns it. "Today we learn the rules of survival in the forest" Sliverleaf giggles as branch begins her lecture of forest safety.

Over the next few weeks sliverleaf showed up and she'd start to stalk her like a baby tiger and branch was encouraging it by dramatically acting shocked she caught on to it soon enough but she didn't mind it just made her more determined to actually startle the adult.

However one day when branch arrived to the clearing she did a double take instead of one trolling there were five she walked up and looked down at them before shrugging "time for a refresher on forest safety today" she says before sitting down and pulling out the journal she had started for sliverleaf and reading them all the rules again.

Sliverleaf smiled brightly she was excited branch accepted her friends! The little group was growing and she was pleased.

As the days went by branch started to enjoy the day she spent with the kids having made a carrier for a runt rock trolling so they wouldn't struggle to keep up. Teaching a funk trolling how to weave a basket showing a techno trolling a simple fish trap for fishing.

Showing a country trolling how to weave a rope out of vines

She blinked and looked up at the gathered kids.

They needed a uniform she thought.

So she made them and handed them out two weeks later vests and shorts or just a sash in case of the four legged funk trolling who was pleased as punch followed by acorn hats she even made her own uniform with her own hat and she showed them a bunch of symbols "to pick out our logo for our troop!" She had said they all picked the leafs "we're the leaf scouts and your our branch you nurture us and encourage us your the tree and branches we're the leafs!"

They had said she cried and hugged them they had gotten the first hug from branch she had never hugged anyone in years and they got the first one she'd ever given in years. 

They felt accomplished and happy they had made her happy.

They where even prouder when she smiled big and tooth filled her fangs on display as they had identified poison oak together as a team without her help.

However one trolling was being a bit..naughty.

she was eyeing him out of the corner of her eye as he approached a bush she knew that he knew contained  nightshade berries she was grabbing him by the scruff before he knew it "ASHER YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU!" she yells "nightshade berries are deadly they will kill you even the residue on your paws if you don't wash them thoroughly I have told you time and time again no we don't eat those they are dangerous and could and will kill im disappointed I've been over this one to many times young man! I swear I should make you write lines!" She scolds him as she carries him away from the bush "i know they smell good but you cant eat them for the love of all that is hair see id i bring any of you into the deeper woods again!"

"

She looked lighter gray! 

She was getting happier

But that happiness wouldn't last for long.

Chapter Text

The trollings were behaving odd from randomly going missing till almost one in the afternoons on random days to suddenly owning strange articles of clothing including something that looked like an acorn hat one set of parents threw it away by mistake and their trolling freaked out before vanishing the next day and a new hat appearing in their room three days later.

They were concerned the kids refused to tell them where and what they were doing and so the next time all the trollings met up the families and ambassadors were planning on following them.

They're going to get to the bottom of it so a few days later they followed the trollings into the woods unknown by the trollings as the talked excitedly but also rather softly about what they were going to do that day one was talking animatedly about making baskets?. 

When they finally stopped in a rather large clearing they saw a trunk near the base of one tree that the little ones swarmed and opened to pull out unfinished or almost complete projects and started to pair off in groups depending on what they had in their paws.

'what in the world?' Val whispered

'its like they're a little troll scouts group' lownote says

The other adults agreed and froze when they heard the leafs russling and their eyes widen in shock as BRANCH emerged from the tree line across the clearing.

"Miss branch!" The trollings yelled as she got closer and closer with a soft smile but then she froze. 

The trollings froze too as branch lifted her head and started to sniff the air and her head snapped to the left and she was staring right at them. 

She backed up much to the confusion of the little ones before dropping to all fours and running away the trollings crying out in confusion and panic then they froze as the adults came out with looks of shame as the kids turned on them "How dare you follow us!' sliverleaf cries out the trollings voicing agreements as their parents and ambassadors lead the way out of the forest asking them all sorts of questions they they refused to answer about Branch and about the leaf scouts.

They were promptly banned from entering the forest

And branch wasn't seen for days.

"You told me to make friends and no one wanted to be my friend!" A techno trolling yells at his parents and ambassador "it wasn't until I met branch and the leaf scouts did I feel accepted and welcomed she went out of her way to make sure she included all of us!" 

A country trolling was running looking for the mayor when they found her they ran up and grabbed her hand and delta looked at the trolling.

"Well howdy lil one what can miss delta do for ya?" She asks crouching slightly to get more to the youngsters level.

"Miss dawn is it wrong to wanna learn to mend clothing make a camp and Lear just how to survive in general?" 

Dawn felt her eyebrow raise.

"No why"

"Well I was learnin with other trollings from a real nice troll her names branch but the adults and ambassamdors were spyin on us and she saw them and ran away shes gray and apparently to them that makes her a bad guy we haven't seen. Miss branch in days! I'm worried about her she's real nice!"

Dawns eyes narrow her ambassador and this trollings parents were judging a troll? Based on their skin color.

Oh Hell no

"PETE WE'VE GOT SOME TROLLS TO BEAT SENSE INTO THEY BE DOIN A TROLL WRONG AND WE'RE GOING TO FIX THIS SITUATION." she roars.

Before trotting to go find Holly and drag her and the trollings parents back to trollopipa 

All around the leaders where furious and gathering their ambassadors and the trollings parents to go back to popvillage to apologize to this troll for the blatant disrespect they had shown this one troll.

Queen poppy looked very angry when they had shown up this meeting was not going to go well they feared.

Chapter Text

The leaders approached poppy who had her hands on her hips watching them with their ambassadors and the trolling's and their families her arms crossed.

"So, you called this meeting because of what happened with branch a few weeks ago?" she says her eyes narrowed as they nod and she sighs and puts a hand on her cheek.

"Look I get you brought them all here to make them apologize to branch and this meeting is super important and stuff but when I asked branch if she was willing to come with me to the meeting she said no and was actually terrified to leave her bunker." she says looking over her shoulder with a sad smile before turning to look at the large group and puts her paws on her hips.

" So, listen I'll take you to where she is but if she tells us to leave then we leave because I Refuse to have branch stuffer anymore. She was teaching our future generations and you all besides us your leaders thought she was endangering them, but she wasn't branch is one of the most selfless trolls you will meet she even risked her life to save me from spiders twice our size and faced her fear."

"She fucking sang, and she hates singing because of what happened when she was fucking five, she's been gray ever since she was five and she is one of my dearest friends." with that she turns and starts to walk away from the group of trolls they start to follow her into the forest.

As they followed her, she had led all of them to the general area of where branches bunker is making them stay far enough away, they wouldn't be able to know the exact location of the entrance. When they get to the halfway point of branch's bunker, poppy would've signaled and tried to encouraged branch out of hiding with a few different calls ranging from chirps to howling.

After waiting for some time, poppy got worried as did the leaders and the trolling's and was about to repeat the calls when branch appeared looking absolutely terrible and terrified. What made it worse she was a deeper shade of gray and her eyes where blood shot from all the crying and seemed hollow and sunk in from the lack of sleep and the anxiety she had been feeling the whole time she was hiding form everyone Branch kept her distance, but the trolling's weren't having that and one of them tried to approach her but branch refused them from getting near she didn't the leaders to hate her more for wanting to be near her trolling's. The trolling breaks down crying and calls out to branch which breaks her heart to see the trolling in distress, but before poppy or one of the leaders could step in. Branch quickly and gently lifts the child and begins to comfort the trolling. Branch while holding the trolling by her hip slowly approaches the group but still keeps her distance once she gets close enough, she sits on the floor to allow the other trolling's to approach her. The trolling's practically tackle her to the ground all of whom were crying while branch let out a series of chirps and purrs to try and comfort them. Unaware she was slowly turning a lighter shade of gray.

Poppy turns to the Leaders, Ambassador's, and Parents and puts her hands on her hips and then points.

"Does that look like a someone who would endanger a child?"

However, the minute one of the other adult trolls sneezed she was gone leaving the confused trolling's scattered on the ground as she hides in the trees with a nervous energy coming off her. 

Poppy would try to coax branch from her hiding spot, but with little to no success. 

Branch was clinging to a tree branch shaking with fear and refusing to come down no matter how much poppy said no one was mad at her.

While poppy and the rest of the leaders r trying to come up with ways to get branch down without overwhelming her, but it turns out one of the younger leaders decided to take matters into their own hands. Which was to climb up the tree and talk to branch.

"h-hey man, are you ok?" Branch was surprised which she will take to her grave to hear that voice. That familiar voice that used to mock and threaten their way of life could now be so soft and gentle towards her.

Branch slowly turned her hidden face towards that voice. In all her glory was the queen of rock herself...Barb.
Barb while everyone had started talking had climbed up the tree.

 Branch sunk her claws went deeper into the bark as she looked at the queen of rock with wide eyes filled with tears "why?" Would be all branch manages before scrambling father because a troll moved and broke a branch she would keep looking between barb and the others "why doesn't anyone care? Why do they HATE me "spews out of branches mouth before she would just start crying during her hiding she did not take care of herself her hair is disgusting and in desperate need of a good wash same with branch herself she did not take care of herself all that work poppy and her friends taught her about taking g care of herself down the fucking drain in a matter of days because of other trolls actions branch wasn't even wearing her every day vest just a top that allowed the faintest hint of the scar from barbs ultimate power cord to be seen from over the top of her shirt.

Barb stared in horror and began to panic, and she slipped and fell.

she was falling.!

Something grabbed her around the arm and yanked pulling her fast and hard into something she opened her eyes and saw gray fur and she paled branch had jumped and caught her but now they were both falling.

*THUNK*

And there is panic and chaos from everyone when branch is knocked out cold having landed first with barb on top of her so she ended up hitting the ground extra hard while the adults were freaking out who jumps into action trolling's who immediately check on barb and make sure she's okay but turn to the adults "we don't wanna move miss branch incase she's got a broken bone we need help please." but that wasn't the only thing there was the blood slowly oozing from branch.

The adults sprang into action the funk trolls summoning a medical evac to take branch to their hospital for treatment Lownote goes as well to get information.

Barb was okay mostly bumps and bruises with a sprained arm from the force of branch pulling her into her chest.

Low note returned a few hours later with news branch to everyone's concern was put in a medicated coma to try and help her recover as she had a severe concussion, and a broken bone internal bleeding was minimal but did require emergency surgery to stop it. The trolling's were besides themselves and bawling because their hero was injured by being self-sacrificing. The funk trolls told poppy branch would not be returning until she was healed.

The country Trolls leader told her firmly that branch would be living with the country trolls until fully recovered and would be seeing a therapist in funk town the country trolls just wanted branch away from the whispers and glares of the pop trolls that poppy desperately tried to stop.
They had to shave branches head to put in staples because of the bad crack on the back of her skull luckily for branch she had no brain swelling. Her hair did grow back in oddly enough it grew back in a dark blue before fading back into black the funk troll doctors kept that information private just in case, she hadn't talked about the colors she used to be.

But while branch was in a coma thing where tense in trollstopia after that.

 The pop trolls began to either secretly or openly criticized/blame branch for the whole thing (some things never changed even though branch SAVED THEM from being eaten) in front of their new "friends."

However poppy and the other leaders were having none of that. A lot of punishments were delt out.

The trolling's behavior went downhill for the adults as well.

Went from being perfect little children to spawns of Satan in less than twenty-four hours.

It took the tribes' leaders and ambassadors to calm down the trolling's and telling them branch was going to be okay she's just really hurt right now and needs to recover and they're more than welcome to write her letters and poppy would use a massager firefly to send them to dawn in lonesome flats were branch would be staying for the time being.

Branch was very disoriented when she was finally woken from her medical coma.

It took a few days before branch opened her eyes due to the lack of proper sleep, she was slow to regain conciseness. 

Was her room filled with gifts and get-well cards from trolls and trolling's from all over much to her shock.

She didn't remember what had happened she had to be told she was worried about barb Who told her not to be wore about her but to be more concerned about herself.

"So what i'd do it again though?" branch said with confusion in her voice.

Chapter Text

After branch had finally woken up and ended up with barb hitting her chest gently for making her upset, she was surprised by the amount of cards and flowers in the room only to blanch when she was told it fed out into the hallway the doctors thought it was sweet branch on the other hand was confused. 

The adult trolls learned that branch actually took care of their trolling's better than they did as they learned quite quickly as their own kids wouldn't listen to them at all while branch was in her coma it takes The tribes leaders and ambassadors to calm down the trolling's and telling them branch was going to be okay she's just really hurt right now and needs to recover and they're more than welcome to write her letters and poppy would use a massager firefly to send them to dawn in lonesome flats were branch would be staying for the time being once she'd been given the all clear from the funk hospital.

Oh boy would they learn branch did not know how to relax and they would learn this the hard way.

A few weeks later branch was given all clear they had kept her to make sure her concussion was healed but would have to use either a wheelchair or crutches until her leg healed the bone that had broken was her leg femur and that alone would take six to twelve weeks and branch would hate being out of commission for that long.

"Alrighty Miss Branch your cleared to leave the hospital however your being released into the care of Mayor Delta dawn as your friend poppy informed us about your living conditions and we would prefer if you stayed above ground were you have better ability to stay level and the fact you live in a forest doesn't help with your recovery so is that alright with you?"

"I don't mind. Mayor Delta seems like a nice troll to let me stay in Lonesome flats while I recover. " The doctor nods with a smile.

Branch was soon finding herself on an angler bus headed to lonesome flats.

The second the angler touched down she was taken to Major deltas home where she was set up on the sofa so she wasn't confined to a bedroom right off the bat.

She was shocked at how welcoming the country trolls were and were willing to take care of her.

She had forgotten how nice it felt to be taken care of by someone other then herself for once.

Chapter Text

Branch was chuckling as delta scolded her after being found not resting like she was supposed to be doing but was instead trying to cook something on the cooker much to the dear sheriff's worry.

"Darlin let me help ya! You're in no shape to be trying to do anything other than rest. You heard the doc you're lucky to be even alive sugar" branch sighed smiling faintly.

"I'm sorry I'm not used to having trolls worry about my well-being other than myself" she says allowing delta to move her wheelchair back into the living room before she trots off and returns with a basket.

Carefully placing the basket on the pop troll's lap.

"Here ya go sugar. This is mah embroidery things how bout ya try some needlework? Keep ya hands busy and outta the kitchen" she suggests smiling as she shows branch how to make a needlework before going to work on whatever it was branch had been trying to cook.

Branch cackles at deltas expression when she pokes her head back into the living room "I don't know what y'all was making but how the hell did ya make it and why is it pink?"

"It's not supposed to be pink"

"Then what the hell color was it supposed to be?"

".... blue"

"CHILD!"

"IT SUPPOSED TO BE BLUE! ITS A BLUE SOUP!"

"ITS PINK! HOW?!'

"It's blue!"

"Pink!"

branch starts laughing hard at deltas expression it was torn between amusement and I'm going to strangle her 

"Its a bluebell soup it's supposed to be slightly tinted blue with food coloring add any red food dye and milk you get pink soup it's actually pretty good" branch says giggling.

Delta smiles and leans on the door frame "a blue bell soup?

"Im joking delta it was supposed to be a veggie soup" 

Delta smiles "so it's just pink milk in that sauce pan?'

"Yes" 

She snorts and turns to take care of the milk mixture.

"Ya make it to prank me didn't ya?"

"Oh most definitely no one will ever believe you."

Delta throws her head back laughing loudly.

Branch grins as she looks down at her work.

"Make it blue" she whispers running a finger over some of the work.

"HOW THE HELL?!"

Branch starts cackling 

"YA LITTLE SHIT! Y'ALL LAYERED THE FUCKING MIX?!"

Delta is laughing now in pure exasperation in her voice.

"First she made it pink now its blue what in the world" she says.

"Pop trolls one thing we can do well is prank and make things in layers" branch says as she stitches.

"Although that little prank was taught to me by my grandmother"

"You would've loved her."

"I'm sure I woulda darlin iffn she was anything like ya are"

Delta says and chuckles then shakes her head as she washes out the pot.

After a while of quiet she pokes her head into the living room again and sees branches head is hanging and tilted to the side and she trots over.

"Ah"

She smiles and shakes her head branch had fallen asleep a half finished needlework in her paws

Delta looks at it.

It's a face of a troll she's never seen before with green hair with white in it.

She carefully pulls it out of her hands and sets it on the coffee table.

"Alright darlin let's get ya ta bed"

She looks at the work one more time

"Whoever that is won't mind waitin for ya to wake up"

"Something tells me that" she says softly as she pushes the chair down the hall.

Unaware of a faint outline of a troll appearing by her coffee table if she had turned she would have seen it matches the needlework. 

But she didn't so she missed the troll holding her pearls and whispering a soft question before vanishing.

'take care of her for me won't you?'

Chapter Text

Delta froze halfway down the hall and turned her head blinking she swore she had heard something, but she didn't see anyone just her empty living room.

"What in tarnation?" she muttered turning back and continuing to push the wheelchair down the hall to her guest room and she carefully moved the chair close to the bed and with ease scooped the troll up and laid her down on the bed leg propping up on what had to be a massive pillow that had horseshoes all over it. 

It was clearly Clamper's sleeping pillow, and she raised an eyebrow Clampers Loved that damned pillow after all her mother had made it for her before she had passed.

Due to the country trolls Body style, they had a bit of a harder time sleeping in a regular bed unlike the funk trolls who didn't have hooves. 

The luck bastards in delta's opinion however while they did have bed platforms, they had special made pillows for their bodies if they chose to lay on their sides however, they often slept with their legs tucked under them and resting their upper bodies on the backs of their partner or on one of these specialties made pillows that tended to range in size depending on the size of the country troll themselves and it was often shaped like well a weird bean shape in deltas opinion.

She shook her head and put her hands on her hips staring at the bean shaped pillow that HAD not been in this room earlier last time she saw it was in clampers room.

She sighed she really should talk to her wife Holly about this.

She carefully moved the trolls broken leg back onto a proper stack of pillows and pulled the covers over her and backed out of the room slowly shutting the door leaving it cracked so she could hear branch if she called for her.

She turned now she had her niece to find.

And a possible chat with Growly Pete he seemed to have basically adopted branch in his own gruff way from what she had been told by her fellow trolls they had seen this grump of a troll doing the one thing he swore he'd never do RENOVATING his home Pete had liked his house how it had been perfect for one troll one bedroom one cramped as hell bathroom.

How the fuck he managed to even do anything in that bathroom was a mystery.

But now he's been seen expanding his home working with plumbers 'found a leak I couldn't fix my ASS' Delta thought with a snort she'd seen the soft Lilac fabric WITH lace in his cart a few days ago she shook her head ever since he found that 'leak' he'd been gun hoe about fixing and even adding on he wasn't hiding anything they had all figured it out he was making his home bigger for one reason.

That reason was currently asleep in her guest room asleep under a gingham patterned quilt.

When a troll had asked him, his response was a back kick to the face.

Delta shook her head and peeked into clampers room.

"There ya are kiddo"

"Aunt Delta!"

"Care ta explain why your pillow was in the guest room?"

".....I wanted her to be comfy"

"Clampers this pillow can't support her leg properly, but the thought counts I promise. But her leg needs a stable pillow, and these types of pillows rock so don't mess with those pillows again, okay?"

"okay..."

"Clampers what's wrong sugar?"
"I..is it my fault she got hurt?"

"Oh god lord no!" Delta exclaims walking over to her niece and kneeling a hand on clampers shoulder.

"Sugar the ones to blame are the adults. We made the mistake of quite literally driving her up that tree we didn't know she or barb would fall."
"Barb owes branch a debt for saving her life BUT it's not your fault or your friends y'all gave us hell in return after the accident. But she's alive Sweetie she's alive and kicking and is as stubborn as a sand dog" Delta makes clampers look at her.

"But it is not your fault"
"It was your quick actions that made it much faster for the Funk trolls' medical team to even be able to save her and I Have never been prouder of you." Delta smiles as she speaks and kisses Clampers forehead.

"But right now she needs rest and to be comfortable, okay?" 

Chapter Text

To our fellow readers this is coffeeg speaking...and I would like to inform u all that NightengalesMidightmelody will taking a short hiatus due to personal matters. But don't worry I have her permission and support carry on well try to update the fics to the best of my abilities.

Thank u for understanding.