Chapter Text
“Goodbye forever!!”
Those words made Spruce even angrier. Johns response to his brothers quitting was …quitting harder?? How childish… John had NO decorum. For how big he talked about being the oldest, he sure didn’t act like it. Giving himself so much credit, and for what, traumatizing his younger brothers??
“Guys, Come on, this isn’t right!”
That snapped Spruce from his thoughts.
It was Floyd.
The thought of their pink haired little brother made Spruce slow his charged stomp. Thats when Clay bumped into Spruce’s back, and reminded him that it was now three of the oldest that had walked out on the youngest.
That made Spruce stop completely.
Clay was not privy to the same thought process, and just moved around Spruce to keep stomping away. Clay was always so set in his way of thinking… he was a lot like John Dory in that regard. It was so hard for Spruce to get John to stand down and think outside of his box…
But Clay looked up to Spruce. And if Spruce could use that to keep Clay from becoming John… he’d waste no time.
Spruce caught Clay’s wrist, but not for long as the middle brother wrenched himself free almost immediately. It was like muscle memory.
That conjured memories in Spruce. The middle brother always wriggling himself out of the playful torment of his older brothers. Spruce remembered laughing in those moments as the younger would storm off. Those times always felt like playing to Spruce.
But now there was something sour on Spruce’s tongue about it as he watched his younger brother’s retreating form. Clay was leaving leaving.
Spruce felt his stomach drop when he realized that he was in the middle of leaving too.
Floyd’s voice echoed from Grandma’s Pod again. Louder. “Dad wouldn’t want this!”
Clay stopped in his tracks.
“And neither would mom!!”
Spruce’s heart sank. Floyd never pulled the mom and dad card… none of them did. Except John. Spruce could see how tense Clay was, and felt anxiety curl in his stomach. Was Floyd’s word enough to keep their middle brother from leaving??
John would spare no thought in forcing Clay to do what he thought was right. Spruce always tried to ease off Clay in that area… Who was Spruce to boss the kid around?
A though dropped into Spruce’s mind: Clay was only 14. No matter how independent he tried to be, Clay was still a kid. And Spruce was his elder by four years. And his older brother. So in the Absence of John Dory, Spruce was the Big brother.
Like hell Spruce would let Clay leave.
He stepped forward until he could put a hand on Clay’s shoulder.
“Floyd is right, Clay.”
Clay’s tail flicked.
Spruce sighed in his mind and geared up mentally to haul his brother back into the pod, but Clay was the one to turn on his heel and stomp back to it on his own. He let out a sigh of relief, before feeling his limbs warm with buzzing anxiety.
“Charming,” Spruce muttered, looking down into his shaking palms.
“Spuce?”
That made Spruce’s head snap up.
There, standing in the archway of the pod entrance, were his three younger brothers. Looking back at him.
Clay with his arms folded, had that familiar grumpy expression of resign. Floyd tried to look courageous, but Spruce could still see how scared he was, with how tightly he was holding Bitty B’s hand.
And Branch… the one who had called Spruce’s name… his round eyes were wide with confusion, and a hint of fear.
“You going?”
That crushed Spruce. Baby Branch thought his brothers were leaving him. Tears pricked at Spruce’s eyes, which he quickly blinked away. His feet paced him forward, and before he knew it he was scooping Branch up into his arms and squeezing him.
“No, no I’m not going.”
He felt Branch’s small arms hug his neck. Spruce cradled the back of Branch’s head and peered over at the other two middle children. “No one is going,” He gave them both the eye to let them know that his words applied to them as well.
Clay scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah… Tell that to John ‘Goodbye Forever’ Dory.” He jabbed his thumb at the window.
“Alright alright,” He shifted Branch to perch on his hip and grinned down at his baby brother. “Let’s go get the knucklehead back here.”
Branch nodded, finger in his mouth while his brows knit. He was too young to be making a face like that… Spruce would have to beat JD’s ass later for making their youngest look so nervous.
He walked to the window and peered down at the lower branches. “John?” he called. When there was no response, Spruce handed Branch off to Floyd so he could lean out the window properly.
Spruce’s core flexed as he projected his voice louder. “John Dory!!” There was barely an echo, the leaves swallowing the sound as it passed.
The moment of silence that followed was too long. His brothers stepped up on either side of him to look out the window. Bitty B pushed up onto his tip toes to see over the ledge, and spruce place a hand on his tiny shoulder for precaution.
His brothers were quiet. Listening. Even Clay. If there was a scathing witty remark on the middle child’s tongue, he would have said it. Instead, he looked out with sharp eyes. Meanwhile Floyd looked like he was reaching a depressing conclusion.
Spruce beat him before he could find the punch. “He’ll be back.” None of the others responded. “Come on, guys. He’ll be back, I mean it!! Do you think he can stand to be away for that long? Who’s he gonna boss around??”
He waited for a laugh, but Clay just clicked his tongue loudly. Spruce sweat a little. Clay’s input could make or break the attitude of the younger two.
“Yeah. And who’s gonna sing the ‘perfect family harmony’ with him?? The critters??” Clay used air quotes and a silly voice, which made Bitty B giggle.
Floyd let out a chuckle, still tensed with nerves, but far from the spiral Spruce was predicting from the 11 year old.
Spruce exhaled, then shot Clay a grateful look.
“I’ve got your snacks!!” Grandma Rosiepuff’s sing-song voice came in through the entrance. The boys turned to her, and Spruce saw how fast her eyes head counted. “Where’s John Dory?”
Spruce took a breath, but Clay spoke first with a dismissive wave of both hands. “He’s letting off steam. We uh… Crashed and burned out there.” He punctuated his words with a sheepish laugh. He was better at acting than Spruce gave him credit for.
Unfortunately, Spruce couldn’t let this one slide without context.
“Here, you guys eat up, I’ll talk to Grandma about it.” Spruce picked up Branch with one arm and placed him at the table. Floyd and Clay exchanged looks, then clay shrugged and Floyd sighed.
Grandma placed the tray of post-performance snacks on the table, and looked to Spruce. The second oldest gestured to the entrance. He didn’t want to talk in front of the boys.
As they walked out, Spruce looked over his shoulder to his brothers. Seeing only three in number at the table was odd. But at least no one was yelling at them or making jokes at their expense.
Spruce decided that would have to change. When JD got back, they would be having a serious talk.
And that little voice at the back of his head, asking what would happen if John never came back?? Well, Spruce muzzled it.
There was no point giving any thought to worst-case-scenarios.