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Chapter Text

John Dory had started his day by having a cup of coffee, as usual, and of course feeding Rhonda. Today he had decided to clean a bit of his living space. He had to admit that he liked to keep a lot of things and that it was becoming a bit cluttered. But nothing he hadn’t done before. He knew of his tendency and had decided early on that he would need to clean inside Rhonda at least once a month if he wanted to live decently. He hadn’t had the time to do it with all that had happened and needed to do it now.

He honestly didn’t know why he had literal rocks in one of the boxes. What did he think he would do with them? Totally useless. Same with some packaging. Why did he have a box of boxes? Honestly it could be understandable with the Brozone memorabilia. They were connected to his brothers, they were memories that he cherished even if all of them weren’t very happy. He had a hard time with throwing away things, but he really couldn’t keep things like that. And it was still inside Rhonda, he couldn’t make a mess like that.

As he was cleaning, he found an old photo album of him and his brothers. It was the only thing he had taken when he had left. He had to be honest, his brothers were very cute when they were children. The picture he had in his hand was one not long after Branch’s first hatching day. Their grandma had taken the picture. He had Branch on his lap, a big smile on his face. Bruce and Floyd were at his side, also smiling. And Clay was behind him making grimaces, he never was one to take things seriously. They looked happy.

“I just want to take it all back.” John Dory muttered to himself.

Twenty years apart from his brothers was a long time. At first, he was angry. After the argument he had spent a lot of time ruminating about all of it. But he was relieved to be away from his brothers, no more responsibilities. No more pressure to set a good example. In the end, was he really? That’s another question. But after a certain while, when he had time to cool off, he had felt so alone. He spent the last twenty years practically alone in the wilderness. Well, at least he had Rhonda.

During that time he had become more and more socially awkward if it was even possible. He had no one to talk to besides himself and Rhonda. Not to say that all of it was terrible or that Rhonda was bad company, quite the opposite. But in the end, he had terribly missed his brothers. Who he had thought dead. Huh. And at the time there was nothing he could have done. The Troll tree was already dead when he had come back. He could admit it had taken him a bit before trying to come back because he didn’t want to come home angry, but he had missed them so much. So at least now he knew they were alive.

If they really wanted to talk to him, they could. The real question is, did they want to? Despite what many thought, John Dory was no idiot. He had spent a lot of his time reflecting. I mean, what else could he do? He thought they were dead, and that, in a way, it was his fault. Maybe if he hadn’t left it wouldn’t have ended like that. But more importantly if he hadn’t insisted on the importance of perfection the band wouldn’t have broken up. He knew that he had really messed up back then. And at the end of the day, he couldn’t really blame his brothers. John understood that he was part of the problem, one could even say he was the problem. He was the reason the band broke up. He certainly felt that way.

If only he could change the way he had acted. Wait. That’s it! He obviously can’t change what he did back then. That was dumb. But he could still apologize for the things he did, a real apology. Maybe his brothers would be willing to forgive him.

The first course of action is to apologize. One on one would be a better option. He hoped no one would get overwhelmed that way.

A plan was starting to form in his head. He could do this! He just had to prepare beforehand; he didn’t want to say something insensitive when he’s supposed to be apologizing. It could be easy, or not. Maybe a list would be a good idea. Pick one brother to start with and go on from there. He could start with Floyd. He was the least likely to hold a grudge, at least he hoped.

He couldn’t deny that Floyd had been the only one happy to see him again after all this time. Well, he was also trapped in a diamond prison at the time, so maybe not the best example. He could then apologize to Bruce after that. He didn’t seem to be as angry as Clay and Branch had been when they saw him. Maybe more indifferent than angry for Clay, but still not happy to see him.

Mission apologizing to his brothers was on the go.

It was decided. He was going to do this. No change of mind. John Dory wasn’t going to lie; he was a bit scared. He knew it was going to be hard on all fronts. Realizing that what he had done was bad didn’t mean that he had developed a sudden eloquence. Apart from the apology he didn’t know what to say to them. But he would find the words. The way he was going to ask for forgiveness was very important. He couldn’t half-ass this.

He also knew that there was a chance they might not forgive him. That’s okay. He could deal with that, probably. Or not.

No need to think about that right now. The only thing he should think about is the content of his apology. He had to apologize for putting so much pressure onto his little brothers, so much that they all left. He had felt so bad when he had realized what he had done. He had driven them away. The band was supposed to be something fun to do together. And he had ruined it.

Nevertheless, he was going to be better for all of them. John Dory was determined to do better. He couldn’t go back to that sort of mindset, it had been bad for everyone, even him. And he had already kind of slipped on that part during the whole Floyd thing. He had to apologize for that too. He couldn’t go back to who he was just because he was scared and stressed, he couldn’t take it out on them. Especially when the one he was angry at was himself. He had become sloppy on the steps and his first instinct was to criticize his brothers. He really couldn’t do that anymore. He didn’t even know why he did that in the first place, he was angry at himself, not them. He was angry because he wasn’t perfect, not good enough, that had nothing to do with them. The stress of the band had gotten to him, once again that was on him, not them, never them. Nonetheless, he could have managed that better and should have.

He sighed.

He was still in Rhonda and it was still morning. At least he had finished cleaning up before taking a walk down memory lane. If he hurried maybe he could catch Floyd this afternoon and talk with him. He knew that he had to prepare to say sorry, but he should do it sooner than later. The fastest he does it and the fastest he can have a proper relationship with his brother. He was a bit hesitant but also excited at this prospect. He didn’t want to make things awkward any more just because he couldn’t put his pride aside to apologize.

He finished what he had to do, mainly putting things where they belonged and bringing out the trash. He spent time with Rhonda outside a bit, mainly petting her and getting licked in return. He was drenched in glitter. “I’m going out a bit, but I’ll be back by the end of the day to give you food, don’t worry girl.” He gave her a smile and turned in the direction of Branch’s bunker to fetch Floyd to maybe spend time together, he could apologize then.

Chapter Text

JD made his way to the bunker. It wasn’t that far away as he had made sure to park Rhonda close. He had wanted to stay as close as he could to his brothers even if he wasn’t always staying with them. Not that he didn’t want to. Sure, Branch had made rooms for them when he had built the bunker but it was a long time ago. Since they never came back he had used these rooms for storage. Fair enough. But it also meant that he had to clear these rooms if some of them wanted to stay.

Which was the case for Floyd. He had told them that he was fine with staying in the bunker, more than fine really. John wasn’t the only one who had missed everyone. And Floyd also still needed time to recover from the whole ‘almost dying’ ordeal. But he was getting better and that’s all that mattered for now.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized that he had stopped in front of the bunker. A noise startled him and he soon realized that it was only the door latch opening. He watched as Branch and Floyd stepped out.

“I’m off to see Poppy. See you later Floyd. JD.” Branch waved at them and left in the direction of the village.

“John! What are you doing here?” Floyd said as he gave him a quick hug.

“I just wanted to spend time with you, if you’re not busy?” John smiled, returning the hug.

“No, I’m not busy. I went out for some fresh air actually.” Explained Floyd.

“Can I come with you then?” Floyd smiled at him.

“Of course John, I’m always up for spending time with my brothers.” John Dory was delighted, he could spend time with Floyd and apologize. “I wanted to go to the clearing if that’s okay with you?” Floyd said as he walked towards the forest path.

“Good with me.” JD responded, following him. “Any reasons why you picked the clearing?”

“I thought that some time in the sun would do me some good.”

“Fair enough, wouldn’t hurt me either.” John chuckled.

They continued their walk in silence for the most part. It was already pretty sunny for that time of the day. The clearing wasn’t that far away thankfully and they arrived soon enough. JD was trying to find ways to start a conversation the whole time but he was worried about his apology. What if he said the wrong things. They decided to sit not too far from a tree in case the sun proved to be too much.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Huh?” John Dory blinked, realizing that he had been silent for a moment. Floyd was looking at him with a grin.

“You look like something’s on your mind. Are you okay?” Floyd frowned. “You seem stressed, did something happen?” He tilted his head questioningly.

“No, no. Everything is okay nothing to worry about.” John waved his arm frantically as if to dismiss the thought. He hated worrying his brothers, especially Floyd, as if he hadn’t worried enough already. “I just…wanted to talk about something with you.”

‘Okay JD you can do this.’

“Okay, sure. Don’t make that face it can’t be that bad.” Floyd replied jokingly, it made JD snort.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s just…I’m trying to find the right words.” He sighed.

“It’s okay, breathe, take your time. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” Floyd was a tad worried about John, it wasn’t like him to act like that. He was usually more collected, sure of himself. Whatever this was, really was getting to him.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“What do you mean?” Floyd asked, perplexed. He was trying to find what would have caused this. He didn’t recall the need for an apology from his brother. Not from something recent at least. JD was staring at the ground. “John?”

JD flinched. “Sorry, lost in my thoughts again.” He laughed awkwardly.

“What are you apologizing for?” Floyd looked at him like he had two heads. He didn’t understand. Not really how John Dory thought this would go.

“What do you mean, what am I apologizing for? For everything? I ruined our family, Floyd.” It was JD’s turn to be surprised, what else could he be apologizing for? He was apologizing for being the reason the family fell apart.

“You know exactly what I have to apologize for.” He took a deep breath. “First of all if it wasn’t for me and my stupid obsession with perfection, we wouldn’t have spent twenty years apart without talking to each other or thinking that the others were dead. I was the reason the band broke up. It was because of me that everyone decided to leave and we left Branch all alone. The worst part about that is that I didn’t even know all of you had left. I thought that me leaving would be enough. Guess not.” He rubbed his eyes resignedly.

“The band broke up because I couldn’t treat you guys properly. All because I was too into my own head at the time and couldn’t listen.” He took a brief pause for air. “I’m sorry Floyd. I shouldn’t have pushed you with all the ‘sensitive one’ bullshit. It was wrong of me. I knew that you were more than that.”

Floyd didn’t know what he had expected his brother to say but it definitively wasn’t that. Not that he didn’t think that JD was incapable of apologizing. He just didn’t know that it was eating at him like that, he could see it on his face. Of course, he knew that his brother didn’t believe those things he said but that didn’t mean that they weren’t hurtful at the time. He was thankful for his apology. And JD thought they were dead? That explains why he was so happy to see him, also why he came when the letter was obviously not from him. But even without that he was certain that John would have come for him either way, he always had. He didn’t have the time to add something that John Dory continued.

“You were also the one who always had to step up when we were fighting. While I’m thankful that it kept things from getting too heated, it was not your job Floyd. I’m sorry I should have been listening to all of you.” JD took a quick glance at Floyd but couldn’t bear to see his brother look at him like that, with tears in his eyes.

He passed his hand through his hair. He could do this, just finish what you have to say.

“JD, wait.” Floyd took his brother’s hand in his. “Thank you for your apology. But everything is not your fault. Yes, you were hard on us but it wasn’t out of malice, you cared about us. Even if you hurt us, it wasn’t your goal. And maybe we should have tried sooner to talk to you about it.” He gave him a small smile.

“Thanks Floyd but I must take responsibility for this. Even if I didn’t mean to, I did hurt all of you. It wasn’t fair to any of you.”

“But you are taking responsibility, right now. If it wasn’t the case, you wouldn’t be apologizing. You’re trying to be better, I know that. Since we came back to Pop village there hasn’t been any fights for one.” Floyd knew he was trying and he was thankful for that.

“Hum…about that…” He had the decency to look remorseful. Floyd shot him a questioning look. “It was because of me that we got into an argument on the road. Something could have happened to you because of me, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you because we were late.” He was avoiding Floyd’s eyes.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, so I can’t say much, but I think that it’s not me you should apologize to for that. In the end all of you came back for me, it’s in the past. I’m sure all of you were stressed, it was a delicate situation. And it’s not like we didn’t leave back then when the tensions were still high. Add to that twenty years without seeing each other. Yeah. I can see why things went south quickly.” Floyd nudged him gently as if to say ‘drop this it’s not worth mentioning now’. JD sighed, again. Floyd was really too forgiving.

“You’re right. I’m going to apologize to all of them next. I’m really glad you’re okay Floyd.” He squeezed Floyd’s hand. “I really don’t know what I would have done if we had lost you.” Tears were gathering in his eyes. ‘Wow a lot of emotions for today.’ He tried to wipe them discreetly but was stopped by Floyd suddenly hugging him.

“Thank you for coming back for me John Dory.” Floyd’s voice was hoarse. “I was so scared. I thought that I was going to die alone.” Floyd was now full on crying on his shoulder. Not that JD could say anything because he was in the same state. He had been so scared for his brother that he couldn’t keep his emotions at bay right now. He couldn’t even imagine what Floyd had endured during those months. But he knew that he wouldn’t be alone anymore and that was enough.

“I will always come back for you Floyd, for all of you. Even if there was only me, I would have come back.” He hugged him tighter. “Always.”

They stayed like this for a moment, just basking in each other’s presence, glad to be together. It was relaxing to be there with Floyd, with only the sound of nature surrounding them. He didn’t want to think of the last time he had been this comfortable, too long ago for him to even remember. The sun was a soothing presence too. He could almost fall asleep like that.

“You know that I would have been happy to see you even if I wasn’t stuck in a bottle, right? I really missed you.” Floyd said, his voice sightly muffled by the fact that his face was still smushed in JD’s jacket.

That was not something that he had expected his brother to say, but once again Floyd wasn’t one to be resentful. He would lie if he said that his words didn’t fill him with happiness. At that moment JD could only be happy to have all his brothers back.

“Where is this coming from?” Of course he was happy but it was said a bit out of the blue.

“Just thought you should know.” Is all Floyd said before he made himself comfortable on JD’s lap. That’s when John realized that he wasn’t the only one getting sleepy there. He watched as Floyd’s eyes slowly closed. He was out in the blink of an eye.

“Guess some things never change.” JD muttered. Ever since he was a child Floyd had always been able to fall asleep in any circumstances or places. John was amazed to see that his brother had kept this trait in his adulthood. Or his brother was just relaxed enough in his presence to fall asleep easily. Either way it was adorable. However it also meant that he was stuck there until he woke up. But he could also just carry him back to the bunker, it’s not like he was heavy and they weren’t far. Some time passed and Floyd didn’t stir up once, he really was asleep.

In the end he decided to do just that since Floyd didn’t look like he was going to wake up for the moment. Not that he didn’t want to spend more time with him but he thought that it was better for him to sleep in his bed. He had all the time he wanted to spend time with him now. He could wait. JD was really thankful that the day had ended like this. Tension had left his shoulders when he had understood that Floyd wasn’t angry with him about what he had done, at least not anymore.

After leaving Floyd in his room, without waking him up, he explained to Branch how he had fallen asleep during their afternoon out. He, of course, left out the subject of their conversation. He bid him goodbye and left to go back to Rhonda.

It had been a stressful day but it was actually ending on a positive note. Floyd had accepted his apology! He was so relieved. He knew that Floyd wasn’t one to hold grudges, but at the same time he knew that what he had done was hard to forgive. At least this gave him hope. Hope that his other brothers will forgive him, or at least will be willing to in the future. Not to say that they weren’t talking to him at the moment but he could sense tensions, which were justified, don’t get him wrong he knew he had messed up. And he was worried that he would say something insensitive without meaning to and start an argument.

But anyway. One apology done, three more to go, he could do this.

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since his first apology. JD had never felt better. A weight had genuinely been lifted from his shoulders. His talk with Floyd really gave him hope for how things would go in the future. He had also spent more time with Floyd during those last days. He was really happy to have real conversations with him now that things were getting better. He had the opportunity to mend his relationship with his brothers and was grateful for that.

He was now trying to find ways to apologize to Bruce. He knew that it was going to be harder than Floyd, for sure. Firstly, because he had more to apologize for here, way more. And secondly, he had to actually go and see Bruce for this to work. Bruce had to go back to Vacay Island to help Brandy with the restaurant and the children. Which was totally normal. He had a family, he couldn’t stay in Pop village eternally. And they could still send letters or visit. In fact, they had talked about this and decided that they would see each other regularly from now on. They would go to Vacay Island or everyone would gather to Pop village. It was working, for now. In the end he would take this over not seeing anyone.

He hadn’t seen Bruce since then, but he still sent letters. Bruce was busy and it was understandable. Again, he had the restaurant and the children to take care of. Thirteen children were a lot and John Dory honestly didn’t know how he did it. He could only feel older when he thought of Bruce having children. He had grown so much. Four younger brothers had been more than enough for him. He winced. He really should apologize for that. It’s not like it was their fault.

Anyway, after his apology to Floyd, he had actually sent a letter to Bruce asking if he could come to Vacay Island because there was something that he wanted to talk about with him. He had not said much more on the reason for the visit, but it was not like Bruce would have told him no. So the only thing he was hoping for now was for the conversation to go well.

He wanted to reconnect properly with his brother and an apology was due there. He had to if he wanted things to go well. Bruce had been the brother he was the closest to, once upon a time. Before he ruined everything of course. It wasn’t surprising, they were close in age and Bruce was his first baby brother. There had been JD and then JD and Spruce. They were practically attached at the hip at the time. If one was doing something, the other would surely follow not long after. Not to say that he wasn’t close to the others after they were born, but the bond that he had with Bruce had always felt more special. Once again that was until he blew everything up. He missed that, he missed Bruce. He once had felt that he could tell him everything, but it was so far now.

His relationship with his brothers had started to decline the moment he had stopped listening to them. Too obsessed with the band and the fans. Honestly, he was very stressed during that time. Once again not a reason to treat his brothers like that. He didn’t know why he thought that he had to do everything on his own at the time. But despite what he believed it really didn’t help with the situation. To be honest he still had trouble asking for help, a long time alone wouldn’t help with that, but it was still better than before.

Okay maybe he knew exactly why he acted that way. Yet his own self-doubt shouldn’t have led to this. He could have at least accepted help when it was offered to him. And perhaps things wouldn’t have ended that way. He had always struggled with his pride as an older brother. Never accepting help, look how it ended. He didn’t like thinking about the band days, he didn’t think the others liked to either, but for completely different reasons. This era of his life showed that he had utterly failed as an older brother.

Right now he was trying to be better. Alone time made him realize how ridiculous he had been. Better to accept help, admit that he was wrong, and stay with his brothers. Looking back, he didn’t know why it had been so important at that time. Maybe perfection was the only thing keeping him sane, but he was far from it. His self-issues had taken control and he thought perfection would save him. In his brothers’ case, he had always wanted what was best for them, he took it too far. It was never what was best for them just what he thought was, and he was very off track.

Well enough ruminating for now. He was nearly at Vacay Island right now. He had left Pop village in the middle of the afternoon so that he could arrive at the start of the evening. He mostly didn’t want to disturb Bruce while he was working. And he thought it was better for them to talk in the evening and maybe spend time together tomorrow, if the talk goes well.

He was glad he could take his time to go now, no life or death mission here. Rhonda and he could take breaks, more for Rhonda than him really. He didn’t want to push her too much. The journey was definitely more relaxing than last time, that’s for sure. No need to drive off a cliff either, Rhonda was not waterproof even if he had said so. It had been a bit funny in the moment but not something he would do again.

He had apparently timed his arrival perfectly because when he arrived near the restaurant the sunset was about to start. He parked Rhonda not too far and got off. The lights were still on so it was seemingly open. Bruce had offered to close early today so that they could chat and he was glad.

He finally found the courage to push the door after staring at it for a few minutes. He walked in and he could see Bruce talking with a Vacaytioner. The rest of the restaurant was otherwise empty. Bruce quickly noticed him and waved at him, he quickly went to greet his brother. Bruce probably had finished his conversation because he saw the Vacaytioner leave as he arrived at Bruce’s side. He gave him a quick hug, who knew maybe it could be the last one. He shook his head, no need to think like that wouldn’t help him.

Bruce explained to him that the children were already sleeping and he just had to finish this and they were good to go. JD was kind of nervous but he could do it. He saw Bruce glancing at him but just decided to help him clean up the restaurant before he closed it. The quicker they got it done the quicker they could talk.

He had already apologized one time and he could do it again. But there were more things to apologize about this time, it made him nervous. He didn’t want to mess this up. In the end it’s his responsibility. He has to own up to his mistakes.

They decided to go on the beach to watch the sunset while they talked, it had just started. It was a warm evening, but would it stop him from wearing his coat? Never. But at least in this weather he didn’t have to make a fire if they wanted to stay outside. It was nice. And the view of the sunset and the ocean was breathtaking. It wasn’t dark yet so they could still see each other, just them and the sound of waves. Very relaxing, almost made him forget why he was here, almost.

He knew Bruce was waiting for him to speak, squinting at him. Okay. Deep breath.

“Uhm.” Bruce snorted.

“Sorry bro, you’re looking so serious right now it’s cracking me up. Loosen up a bit would you.” JD shot him a betraying look as Bruce put his hand in the air defensively at the glare he was receiving.

“Stop laughing at my misery.” He lightly jabbed Bruce in the ribs. “Well, actually…I came here to apologize to you.” He looked at him to gauge his reaction. “You…Don’t seem surprised?”

“Well…” Bruce appeared to be embarrassed for a second. “So maybe Floyd sent me a letter explaining that you apologized to him, and maybe I connected the dots when you asked to see me.”

“That’s…Sure, why not. Guess it’s easier that way, no need to beat around the bush anymore.” He sighed. “I wanted to apologize for what I did during the band days. I know that I hurt all of you. At least, now I mean, it took me a while to really understand what I did. I’m sorry. I didn’t have the right to treat you this way.” He briefly looked at Bruce and saw that he was nodding at what he was saying. He doesn’t look pissed, so JD must make sense. In any case, he hoped so because he didn’t want to ramble too much. “I was the reason we broke up because I kept pushing all of you, insisting on the importance of the perfect family harmony. I was also probably the reason why we didn’t achieve it at the time, but that’s not the point.”

Bruce arched an eyebrow at him, that was a lot. “I mean, I can’t blame you for everything. Most of the stuff yes, but not entirely.” He gave a side eye to JD. “But thank you for apologizing for that.” Then he sighed. “We were all younger and pretty emotional at the time, no wonder things escalated quickly. Now that I have children I have an outside perspective on all of this and it must have been hard managing so much. No wonder you were stressed.” He huffed.

John Dory didn’t know what to think about this. He appreciates the acknowledgement, but it doesn’t excuse his actions. “I guess? I was kind of stressed back then. But again it doesn’t justify how I acted, what I said.” He grimaced. “About the whole heartthrob thing…I shouldn’t have pushed that on you like that. It was too much and not realistic to achieve.”

“I’m not going to sugarcoat this. It really messed up my body image you know? It was kind of hard to look at myself in a mirror for a bit after I left.” Bruce was staring at the sea in front of him, not looking at JD. It was hard admitting this to his brother but he deserved to know if he really wanted to apologize. It was easier those days but there had been days where he couldn’t even leave his house out of shame. Shame of what? He didn’t even know. But no need to delve on the past now. “But it’s been twenty years since the break-up. I’ve had time to come to terms with that. I started by changing my name to detach myself from that. And I went to therapy, works well, you should try.” He looked at JD with all the sincerity he could convey. “The point is, I’ve moved on, and maybe you should try too. Of course it hurt me, but you acknowledged that and apologized. Besides I know you meant it, and that’s all I need right now.”

Maybe JD had tears in his eyes, but that was between him and Bruce. It was dark but not enough to hide his tears, but that was okay ultimately. Bruce is his bro, if he can’t be emotionally vulnerable with him what’s the point. He could use more vulnerability honestly, maybe conservation would be easier that way. But wanting and actually doing something are different.

It honestly broke his heart to hear his brother say that, even if it was true. He hadn’t meant to hurt them like that. But it was necessary, he needed to hear that, understand what he had done. He couldn’t move on and atone for what he did if he didn’t completely understand what had happened. It was stupid of him to think that constantly nagging his brother about his body wouldn’t lead to body issues. He doesn’t even know if he would have cared back then, but he certainly cares now. He would do this right this time.

“I’m truly sorry Bruce.” He realized that all this time he had been gripping his thigh and it was starting to hurt, bad habit died hard. He relaxed his hand. “I don’t know how I can make it up to you for all of this but I will try, I swear. I don’t want to be old bossy John Dory anymore.” He wiped his eyes. “And I won’t ever say anything about your body, you have my word.” JD made direct eye contact with Bruce to show that he really meant it. And he did, he really did.

Bruce’s eyes softened. He was proud of his big brother, after all these years he had accepted the errors that he made and tried to do better. It won’t take back what he did, of course, but he was willing to move on from this behavior and that was enough for now. He was glad to have him back.

“And I’m sorry for the argument on our way to Mount Rageous. You were right Bruce. I got way too into my own head and reverted to my band day behavior.” He shivered. “We were all stressed and it definitely wasn’t the time to start a pointless argument, again. Not doing that again.”

“Relax bro.” Bruce threw an arm over JD’s shoulder and pulled him in a side hug. “I can see you overthinking again. You haven’t changed on that part.” He smiled. “I appreciate the apology. It’s water under the bridge at this point and I’m not resentful enough to not forgive you. You meant what you said and that’s enough for me.” He nudged JD in the shoulder to get his point across. “Honestly don’t you think we’re getting too old to hold a grudge over petty arguments like that?”

John Dory laughed stroking his shoulder in fake hurt. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”

“As long as you don’t freak out on us again I think everything’s going to be okay for now.”

“Never again.” JD went on to properly hug his brother this time. He could appreciate this moment for a few minutes. Because, for once, he truly felt at peace, here on the beach with his brother. “You know I’m sorry about your name too. Really wasn’t doing it on purpose.”

“Yeah I know.” Bruce wasn’t letting go of the hug, so neither would JD, for now, it was nice. Both of them had missed the other. “I kinda figured that out. Sorry for blowing up about this. It struck a nerve in the moment.”

John Dory squeezed him one last time before releasing him from the hug. “Understandable.” He put a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “I promise I’m going to be careful not to make the mistake again.”

The moon was now up in the sky, and it was getting colder. Not enough to be uncomfortable but enough to be noticeable. They spent a few more minutes talking with each other, mostly reminiscing. But ultimately they had to go to bed, can’t spend the night on the beach after all. And both of them could go to sleep with a lighter heart. Both of them talked about how they were glad to be able to spend time together tomorrow. JD walked Bruce back to the restaurant, said goodnight, and went back to Rhonda.

John Dory was really happy. Bruce was willing to forgive him. That was all that mattered to him in that moment. He fell asleep with a smile on his face. Only two more brothers to go. Not the easiest one that was for sure but he could do it.

Chapter Text

Apologizing for a second time had been easier. Really. Maybe also because it was Bruce and that he was understanding. Well, he was glad he did it. But now he had to face another obstacle, apologizing to Clay. And he knew it was going to be hard. Really hard. For this to go well Clay had to actually want to talk to him and he wasn’t too keen on that lately, to JD’s regret. It was going to be difficult since Clay didn’t want to stay alone with him and is super defensive in his presence. Once again, his fault, but it was going to be hard to talk in those circumstances.

He understood Clay, sincerely. JD was a pain in the ass. And he didn’t take him seriously for the longest time. He wouldn’t deny this, the band’s persona and his actual brother had been blurred in his mind for a moment. John had been focused on the band at the time, too much, he had neglected his brothers as a result. He didn’t want to screw this up too.

One wrong word could be his demise. The conversation would end and it would be over for him. Clay would never talk to him again.

Clay had always been like this, always one to take things at heart, maybe a bit too much at some point. Not to say that he was one to start fights, on the contrary, he was pretty calm normally. But if someone said something to him that he didn’t like, he wouldn’t back down. He was a stubborn child there was no denying it. And when you put Clay, who won’t back down, and JD, who won’t listen, it doesn’t end well.

John Dory didn’t exactly remember how many times Clay had complained about the funderdrawers, but it was a lot. The worst thing about this was that Clay was right, they were stupid, he didn’t know why he insisted on him wearing this. Yeah, of course, they were “76%” more fun, but what was the point if Clay didn’t like it? He couldn’t even remember where he got them. And it’s not like he was cruel enough to leave his bro on stage in only his underwear. So, apart from a photoshoot there was no reason to wear them. He should have listened, yet again. If he didn’t like them he shouldn’t have to wear them, end of story.

But no, JD knew better than everyone so they had to listen. He didn’t know if it was possible to roll his eyes at himself for his stupidity, but the sentiment was there. What was he thinking? He really hated himself sometimes.

And with everything that happened he still kept the funderdrawers. Why? Good question. If Clay knew he would have thrown it at his face, again. Not that he didn’t deserve it. He knew it was gross to keep that, but it was memorabilia. What could he do? It was one of the last things he had of his brother. He couldn’t bear to throw them away, despite everything.

Well, Clay was “serious” now, and it was because of him. He had pushed the “fun boy” persona so much that his brother thought he wasn’t allowed to be fun anymore. Otherwise, people wouldn’t take him seriously, like he had done. JD understood that perfectly. It was heartbreaking to see that it was his fault. His brothers couldn’t be himself because of him.

It’s not like Clay wasn’t serious when they were kids either, he could be when he wanted to. But most of the time he didn’t and that was normal. He was young he should have enjoyed himself at that time. Clay had taken a liking to reading as soon as he could read “grownup books”. He could read anything really. If he had time alone, he would spend it reading. That is when he was not playing with the other bros. Again he was very energetic as a child. That’s why he liked dancing so much, and JD was thankful it was a good way for him to run through his energy.

That’s also why John had asked him to help with the choreography of the band in the first place. He knew he was good at that and that he liked it. He could be useful and still enjoy himself. That was a win for JD. As much as he didn’t like any help, he was overwhelmed with responsibilities at the time, and he thought it would be good for Clay to channel his energy in something like that. It had been a good idea, Clay was good at it. And then JD went and screwed things up. Obviously Clay would be upset that he didn’t follow the choreo that he had specifically asked for. He was an idiot, truly. Clay was proud of his choreo, and he had the right to. It was very good.

When JD had become so stubborn that he couldn’t listen, it had become impossible to talk with Clay. Maybe these weren’t even talks in the end. JD would say something and Clay would storm off because he didn’t like it. To be fair to Clay, he only went to talk to him about band-related things. John didn’t have the time. He regrets this now. He never should have put the band first. He had convinced himself that it was for them when it wasn’t. He would give everything to change how he acted back then.

The important thing is that he could change now, he had the opportunity to and he would take it. He could be a better brother. It was sad to think that before the band took control of his mind he was kind of close with Clay. Back when he still listened. Clay would come hang out with him to tell him about his books. Well, he would do this with everyone but JD appreciated it. John Dory wasn’t good with books, not at all. So it was nice to hear Clay talk so passionately about them and hear new stories. When he was obsessed with the band he didn’t have “time” anymore for that. And he honestly missed it.

Clay had spent more time with Bruce and the others as a result. At least they could keep each other company. That was also the time when Clay had discovered a passion for pranks. And what better victim than JD. Honestly, he should have seen this one coming, with how much he annoyed Clay. But since he was absorbed with band stuff he didn’t.

Well, the first time was surprising to say the least. He had seen Clay prank the others occasionally before that. It didn’t mean that prepared him from having a bucket filled with water fall on him when he opened the door to the pod. Clay was lucky that it wasn’t Grandma that had opened the door because he would have been in trouble. John was drenched from head to toe that day. Not fun. And it was just the start. Clay surpassed himself after that. He got everything, drawing on his face when he’s sleeping, gluing his goggles to the table, etc. The worst had to be the bucket of glitter that he had dumped on him while he was sleeping. Weeks later he could still find some.

He hadn’t said much about it at the time. Of course he was annoyed, but he had other things to do. He genuinely should have made time for his brothers. Of course the lack of reaction angered Clay even more. He didn’t know what kind of reactions he had expected honestly, even now. But he kind of missed the pranks now, he could now admit that they were funny.

And there was also the fight in Rhonda.

To be truthful, JD didn’t have the best record at getting along with Clay. Things would be fine and then he would open his mouth. Each time he tried to speak with Clay he seemed to say the wrong words. So he was not confident about this apology, not at all. What if Clay didn’t want to hear him out? Or just decided to never speak to him again? He would respect his decision, naturally, but it would hurt him tremendously. But if it was what would make him happy, he would do it

He shouldn’t think like that. The bond was already strained and it scared him. What if it was definitely broken? But he would keep on trying. He had to apologize. He would say what he had to say and if Clay didn't want to forgive him so be it.

He does understand why Clay is angry, he’s not that dumb. He knows he’s not the most pleasant person to be around. But he is trying and he hopes his brother will too, if only just to indulge him.

He just wants to be with his brothers again. No bullshit like the perfect family harmony to prevent that from happening again. His only obstacle is himself. He’s aware of that.

Clay and JD didn’t really have time to talk since Floyd’s rescue. Or maybe Clay was avoiding him on purpose. Who knows? Okay, that was mean. He shouldn’t say that he knows that Clay’s occupied with the Putt Putt at the moment. He and Viva had a lot to do now that they knew that the rest of the Pop Trolls were alive.

Their main concern right now was deciding who wanted to do what. Some Putt Putt wanted to stay at the golf course, and it was their right, but some wanted to move back to Pop village. Anyway, they had established an official road between the two villages so it was easier to come and go. Which also brings back JD to the “problem” at hand. There was no real problem, he was just nervous. Clay had asked him for help to move the people and some stuff between the two villages, it was easier with Rhonda. And John Dory was always willing to help so he accepted quickly.

What really surprised him was that Clay asked directly for him. Did Floyd say something to him too? He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. Even if he didn’t outright tell him, Bruce had connected the dots on his own, Clay wasn’t dumb either. So, is he giving him a chance? Maybe he wanted to know if he was serious about the apologies. He didn’t know. But he wouldn’t turn down a chance to apologize and spend time with his brother. The sooner the apology the better.

Anyway, Clay had asked him this a few days ago and today was the day in question. It wouldn’t take long to go there so it was stressing him out. He had left not too long ago and he was already like that. Think positive John Dory.

He had to clean up Rhonda a bit. Can’t let people see that he wasn’t organized. Thankfully, he only had some things that needed to be put back in their places. And some boxes that he had to put in the closet. Not that much in the end. But it took him the rest of the way to the golf course to finish that up. He only realized that he was there when Rhonda stopped. Good timing nonetheless. Contrary to the first time they came here, the door was actually open and he could see the Putt Putt going about their occupations as he got out of Rhonda.

Luckily, he quickly saw Viva and went to greet her. She then proceeded to explain to him what was needed of him, who was going to go with him and what they were going to bring. They had sorted out all that before he arrived. It was pretty simple in the end. He was mostly here to drive Rhonda but he did help here and there. With all the back-and-forth, the day passed pretty quickly. The thing is, he hadn’t seen Clay yet. Kind of weird since he was the one who had asked him to help. Oh, well. He was doing the last round-trip of the day so he would see him when he came back. It's not like he could avoid him there.

And the moment was now, apparently. He didn’t even notice that they were already back. He saw Clay leaning against the wall near the door, reading a book. JD got off of Rhonda and walked in his direction. Clay noticed him and closed his book. JD waved at him as he got closer, not risking a hug.

“Clay, hey!”

Clay looked at him up and down and started walking. “Follow me.”

Okay? He wasn’t expecting that. At all. Sure he wasn’t expecting a warm welcome either but he was the one who had asked him to come, so he was a bit confused. He did as he was told and followed him. They arrived near a building. Oh, yes, the admin building, Clay’s bedroom. His brother opened the door and waved at him to enter. The inside was messy, to say the least. But maybe he shouldn’t say anything, he wasn’t better. Papers were stacked on the desk and some had fallen on the floor.

“Don’t pay attention to the mess, didn’t have time to clean. Sit here if you want.” Clay said as he pulled up a chair behind some papers. He threw his book on the bed in the corner of the room.

He didn’t want to stand uncomfortably so he sat down. Clay was leaning against the door, his arms crossed, looking at him. It was awkward, he had no idea on how to start the conversation. Until Clay finally spoke.

“Well?”

“Uh?” He looked up at Clay in surprise.

“Don’t you have something to tell me?” Clay arched an eyebrow at him, and in response to JD’s lack of reply rolled his eyes. “Floyd sent me a letter telling me to.” He made quotation marks with his hands. “Not to be mean to you and listen to what you had to say.” He looked at John Dory. “So I’m asking, what did you want to tell me?”

JD was speechless. So Floyd did tell him, not entirely, not at all in fact, it was kind of ominous said like that. No wonder Clay reacted like that.

“I wanted to apologize?” Stupid. Why did he say that like it was a question? Clay was looking at him in disbelief. “Wait, wait, wait. Sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that. It’s not a question.” He waved his hands as if to dismiss the thought from the air. “I wanted to apologize for how I acted back then. I was wrong. You were more than just the fun boy Clay. I’m sorry.” JD was glaring a hole through the floor, too scared to look at Clay. “I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that. I’m really sorry.”

“That’s it? I should just forgive you like that because you’re sorry?!” Clay was glaring at him, pointing his finger in accusation. “Yes of course. I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t hate myself for years because of what you said. And everything will be alright.” He laughed bitterly.

Clay was angry. Twenty years of pent-up anger towards his brother was a lot. Years spent trying to separate the fun boy persona from himself. Trying to be taken seriously. He was respected now, people listened to him. They took him seriously, they even went to him for advice. He didn’t want to be the fun boy anymore, he didn’t know if he really was at one point.

“Clay…” John Dory got up and walked to him. He averted his eyes. “I’m…I’m not asking you to forgive me. You have every right not to. I just wanted you to know that I am truly sorry. It’s not some half-assed apology. It won’t make up for what I did, I know that. But I want you to know that I will never make that mistake again. I’m trying to be better for all of you.” He was on the verge of tears. “But…Uh…Maybe I should go.” He was still standing in front of Clay, who was in front of the door. “You shouldn’t have to indulge me if you don’t want to.”

He stepped away from the door. JD left looking dejected. Clay was looking troubled. He was feeling conflicted. He had no clue what to think. He didn’t really want JD to go. Of course, he was still angry. At the same time he didn’t want to resent his brother forever, he did look remorseful. And the apology seemed sincere too, at least to him. He bit his lips.

“John, wait, don’t go.” JD turned to him with a startled look on his face. “I…I’m not saying I’m forgiving you yet, or at all. But don’t leave.” He took his hand and guided him back inside. “You still have some explaining to do.” He sat down on his bed and gestured at JD to do the same.

That escalated and deescalated quickly. All of this was not good for his heart. But he will do this right, Clay is waiting for him. He wiped his eyes quickly.

“I was sincere when I said I was sorry. And I’m sorry for making you feel like that, it wasn’t my intention at all. I was so stressed at the time that I thought the premade personas would help us go forward. That wasn’t the case. I can’t rationalize everything I did at that time because even I know it didn’t make sense. And then I pushed my desire for perfection on all of you. I won’t do that again I promise. And I’m taking you seriously Clay, I swear. I’m proud of the man that you have become.”

Clay wasn’t saying anything for the moment, just listening to what JD had to say. But he appreciated his brother saying that. He was sitting while hugging his knees close to his chest. He was definitely calmer now. It was nice in a sense.

“Again I’m sorry for what happened on the road to Mount Rageous. I went back to my old ways, you were right. I won’t act like that anymore. There was nothing wrong during the repetition I was just stressed out and took it out on y’all, sorry.” John Dory finally looked at Clay, waiting for a reaction. “Clay?”

“Oh? Yes sorry, kinda spaced out.” Clay rubbed his eyes. He sat more properly on the bed. “I…I guess I’m willing to try this out? If you promise that you really won’t act like back then. I won’t hesitate to cuss you out.” He said half-jokingly and half-seriously.

“Yes of course, thank you! Wouldn’t expect anything else from you.” JD responded, a smile on his face. He saw Clay picking up his book from where he had thrown it before. “Wait…Is that?”

“My copy of The Metamorphosis? Yes. That’s the only thing I picked up when I left, couldn’t leave it behind.” Clay was flipping through the pages absentmindedly. It was a miracle the pages were still sticking together.

“Don’t you know it by heart by now? You read it all the time back at the tree.”

“You remember?” Clay said tilting his head slightly. He didn’t think he would, after all these years.

“How could I not? The number of times you came crying to me that it was unjust and that Gregor didn’t deserve this. And you read it out loud a lot too. Hard not to remember that.” JD was rubbing his neck, slightly embarrassed that his brother didn’t think he could remember that. He really must have been awful for Clay to think that.

Clay yawned. “Sorry, didn’t sleep much. Yeah no wonder you remembered. I mostly keep it for comfort now, I do know it by heart.” He rubbed his eyes. A few tears slipped from his eyes. Oh.

“Clay?!” JD looked alarmed now. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No! No. Sorry, I’m just…tired. Too many emotions in one day I guess.” He tried wiping his eyes. “Can I have a hug?” Clay asked, almost embarrassed.

He didn’t have to ask twice. JD almost instantly embraced him. He had missed this. He heard Clay sigh.

“I missed you.” He looked at JD. “Tell someone I said this and you’re dead.” JD just laughed. “I think it’s time I go to sleep or I’m going to fall asleep on you.”

He squeezed his brother’s hand before getting up. “Yeah, you’re right I should go to sleep too.” John Dory watched as Clay made himself comfortable on his bed. “Good night Clay.”

“Night John.”

He left and closed the door behind him. He did it! And it had gone mostly well. Clay was willing to forgive him, eventually. It was a good way to end the day, and he could spend time with Clay tomorrow as well.

Now there was only Branch left.

Chapter Text

After his talk with Clay he had spent some time with him at the gold club, mainly helping him move some things. But it was nice to spend time with his brother even so. He was now back in Pop village.

That meant he could apologize to Branch now. He was the only one left after all. He could do it anytime soon. But he hasn’t yet. Why? Well, Branch’s apology is not like the others. He had to apologize for different things here. Mainly never coming back. He regretted that every day. And in his case, it’s not that he didn’t come back, it’s that he came back too late. Which is worse in his opinion.
In a way, he had always thought he was too late, just not the same end results. He believed they were all dead. They were not. Not everyone at least. But he had been too late. If he had come back sooner he could have seen Branch. Seeing the tree like that really broke all the hope he had left.

Now he knew they were alive, that’s what matters. And he had to apologize for leaving them behind. Yes, everyone left, which he didn’t know, but he was their big brother he should have stayed. He honestly didn’t think everyone would leave after him. He was the problem after all. If there wasn’t a problem then everything would be alright. Right? He had spent time pondering about this and had come to the realization that him leaving had been the best for them. Or so he thought.

He couldn’t even blame his brothers for leaving, he understood, that was his fault. They needed to have a life outside the band, without him around. That’s what they all wanted. But Branch was still a baby at the time, he couldn’t understand everything. That doesn’t mean they should have left like that, without saying goodbye. Yes, it was in the heat of the moment, but he was the oldest. He should have thought of this better. Branch didn’t even understand why they left at the time. Of course it was because of his obsession with perfection.

He had missed so much of Branch’s life because of this. Of everyone really. But Branch was so young at the time. He wasn’t here to see him grow up. And it’s not that he had spent much time before leaving either. Sure, he did take care of him. But at some point, he became too obsessed with the band, so he didn’t have time to play anymore. Branch spent most of his time with Floyd or the other bros. That’s really sad because he used to tuck him in each night before he decided that he needed to work on songs all night. Now he cherished these memories. He also played with him during bath time. It was nice. But once again, band-related things became more important to him.

He wasn’t there when grandma died.

Sure, she wasn’t young. But he never thought she would get eaten, saving Branch, nonetheless. He couldn’t imagine how he felt. He was so young at the time too. And he had no one. JD really had to make up for that.

The only thing he was “thankful” for was that he didn’t have much time to push the perfect thing on Branch before the band broke up. He knew the perfection thing was bullshit but how he thought that a baby could be in his image of “perfection” was beyond him. Having a good time was the only thing Branch was supposed to do on stage. He sometimes believed that it wasn’t really him at that time, he couldn’t be that dumb. But it was. He hoped Branch didn’t pick up on all of this at the time at least. It would appease him a bit.

It was a good thing, in a sense, that he wasn’t there when he was growing up. That way he didn’t push his bullshit on him. And Branch didn’t hate him for it. well he hated him for leaving him so it wasn’t better. Maybe hate is a strong word, but he definitely wasn’t pleased with him.

He didn’t like to think that he would have done that. But who knows? What if he had continued to push him to be perfect? It was a possibility. He really wasn’t in the right mindset at the time. The good thing is that now he would sooner leave than repeat all that.

He was kind of dumb but not enough to push his brothers away all over again.

Right now? He just wanted them to be happy. Since the other apologies went well, he could say that he was in the right direction. And now he knew that if he slipped up, his brothers wouldn’t hesitate to tell him. That was comforting.

More importantly, right now, he had to apologize for what he said in Rhonda. He was out of line. What he said wasn’t true, he didn’t want to go back to his own after all this. Of course, he wanted to stay with his brothers, or at least still talk to them. But he panicked and said this. And he hurt Branch in the process. He was truly an idiot for having said that. He knew that. He had the tendency to say the wrong thing when he was stressed. There are no excuses, they were all under pressure at the time.

And he genuinely didn’t know about the hideout. Or maybe he forgot. He honestly couldn’t remember.

He was disappointed in himself. All these years of thinking about what he wanted to say to his brothers, what he would have changed. And now that they were finally here, he had messed things up, again. He had been the source of conflict once more. But he was apologizing, he promised to be better, he wouldn’t break that promise.

He should really just go and apologize. He knew he had to stop overthinking things. He should stop stressing over this before he has a mental breakdown before even talking to Branch. He made his way to the bunker. When he arrived he saw Branch outside carrying a bunch of sticks. He waved to him.

“Hey Branch, can I talk to you?” Branch arched an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, sure. Follow me inside.”

They stepped on the elevator and started going down. He was still in awe at the bunker. To think that Branch did all of this alone. Wow. It was truly very well-made. The place was huge too, they could all live here without problems. Which makes sense when he thinks that Branch had made it with them in mind. He still felt guilty about that. The good thing is that they could actually use the rooms now when they wanted to stay. And the thing was, Branch could still add more rooms if he wanted to. He was truly impressed by it. He didn’t think he could do that, and definitely not now with his back.

The elevator stops and they step down. He followed Branch to the main room. Branch has been adding more furniture to the bunker now that they are here. They decided to sit on the sofa to talk. He waited for Branch to put his sticks away. They sat down when he came back.

“So?” Branch gave him a look. Way to break the silence.

“Uhm…yes. I wanted to apologize to you.”

“It was true? You’re really apologizing?” Branch said as he crossed his arms, still looking at John Dory.

“Yes? Why would I lie about this?” JD was perplexed. He didn’t think Branch would react like that. Maybe he expected more anger. “Wait. What do you mean is it true? Did Floyd snitch again?” Branch was avoiding his gaze. He sighed. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. Yes, I wanted to apologize. I have been for a long time actually, but I didn’t think I would actually get to do it.” Branch shot him a questioning look. “Remember when I said that I came back? I didn’t lie, I really thought you were all dead. But you’re not apparently.” He smiled. And then looked at Branch’s shocked face and quickly added. “Which is great!” Ok not to a great start.

Contrary to what he thought, Branch didn’t make that face because of how he worded what he said but more about what he actually said. He hadn’t believed JD when he came back and said this. He had honestly assumed that he had said that to excuse the fact that he didn’t come back. But he did. He thought they were dead.

Unaware of Branch’s inner thoughts, JD continued with what he had to say. “Well, I’m sorry for leaving and coming back too late. It was because of me that the band broke up. I was too obsessed with perfection back then and everything went to shit because of it. But you were still a baby at the time, a really well-spoken and talented baby but still a baby. I don’t know if you understood everything at that time but it wasn’t your fault. But still I’m sorry I’m the reason everyone left.”
True, Branch was still a baby at the time, but he still picked on things. He didn’t know what the problem at the time was but he had noticed some tensions between his brothers at some point. But they tried to keep it subtle around him. Or Floyd would try to distract him when they started to raise their voices. It’s not that it happened all the time, but he remembered it anyway. He didn’t recall much of his brothers in the end. The time they had spent together had been limited and he was young. But he had good memories of them. Until they all walked away, that is.

“Branch?” He looked up and realized that JD was looking at him worriedly.

“Sorry I was lost in my thoughts. Go on.” He waved his hand to accompany his words.

“Right.” JD looked a bit unsure but continued anyway. Better get this done. “I’m…I’m sorry for what I said in Rhonda Branch. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t even mean it. I know I hurt you when I said it, I’m sorry.”

Branch was frowning, looking at his lap. He didn’t know what to think right now. He was thankful for the apology at least. And it was at least a bit comforting to know that he had tried to come back. He looked back at JD, who…looked like a deer in headlights?

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to start screaming at you.” He rolled his eyes then smirked. “At least not now, who knows what will happen later.” He shook his head. “Well, erm, thank you for the apology. I’m still angry about the leaving thing, but you did try to come back at least.” He scratched his head pensively. “Look, I’m not saying that I’m forgiving you right now. But it’s not like I hate you either, so…” He shrugged.

Okay, that was good. Branch didn’t hate him. John Dory was relieved. None of his brothers hated him. He didn’t really think they would, but he never could be sure. “Thank you, Branch.” He still had things he wanted to tell him but maybe he could wait.

*Ding*

“What? JD don’t look at me like that, I’m not going to…Okay, you win, come here.” He opened his arms for a hug. You didn’t have to tell JD twice, he didn’t hesitate to hug his brother. “Only one hug okay?”

“Yeah no problem.” He was lying through his teeth. It was nice to properly hug Branch. He wouldn’t mind doing it again. He hadn’t realized how touch deprived he was until recently. But most importantly, he was glad to be able to talk to his brother like that, and have a real conversation. They hadn’t really had the time to talk properly before, one on one, and it was nice. He squeezed Branch tighter. “I’m sorry about Grandma Branch.” He felt him stiffen in his arms and he was worried that he had said the wrong thing, but Branch quickly relaxed again.

“Thanks JD.” Branch detached himself from John Dory. “Okay, that’s enough hugging for a year at least.” John just laughed. “You’re laughing, but I’m totally serious.” He said, pointing his finger at his brother to make a point.

“Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.” Branch could say that if he wanted, but he knew that he wasn’t serious. “Thanks for listening to what I had to say anyway.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to throw you out because you wanted to apologize. That’s dumb. And Floyd told me you were sincere. No reason not to listen.”

“I can’t believe Floyd told everyone.” JD laughed.

“In his defense, I think he was just trying to convince us to at least listen to what you had to say. And it looks like it worked, so maybe you should thank him.” He saw JD put his hand on his chin as if he was contemplating something.

“You know what? Maybe it’s a good idea. We could do something. And not just Floyd. We should all do something together now that things are better.” It could be fun to do something with all of his brothers.

“Yeah, why not? It would be nice. It’s not like I had opportunities to do things like this before or one that I remember much of.” He smiled.

“Sorry.” JD winced, looking apologetic.

“What? No I didn’t mean it like that. Uhm. It’s just that I was so young. I do remember some stuff that we did together.” He paused. “You were the one tucking me in, right? And there was the time we made a blanket fort with everyone, even Grandma joined in.” He didn’t remember everything, maybe because he was too young or because he had been gray for so long, who knows. But, in his opinion, he remembered the most important things, the time that he had spent with them. His last memories of them were of the band days, of course, but there were still other things.

“You remember that? We had to beg Grandma to join us, she kept repeating that she was too old to sit on the ground like that. But we managed to convince her by giving her our pillows. Maybe I have some photos of that. I should check in Rhonda later.”

“Maybe I could come with you?” Perhaps Branch wanted to spend time with his older brother, who could blame him. It’s not like he was forced to, and he was curious to see what other photos JD had of them. Not counting the photos of him with a perm.

“Yes? Of course, if you want. We could go now? Unless you have something else to do.” JD was smiling like an idiot, but he was so happy that his brother wanted to spend time with him.

“Yes, why not. It’s not like I have other things to do.” Branch tried to look disinterested, but he couldn’t fool anyone.

“Right. Let’s go!” With that the two went back to the elevator.

John Dory had finally done it. He had apologized to all of his brothers and it went relatively well. He spent time with them and he didn’t mess it up. He was proud of himself on this one.

He could move on from the person that he was back then for good this time.