Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Fifteen years really went by fast. John could remember the days where he'd struggle to get by, slowed down by his seizures, but now he was so much better. He still had small ones but they were few and far inbetween, and that was more than he could’ve asked for. He was where he wanted to be in life now, independent and living life the way he wanted to. He would always have to take his pills but that was a small price compared to what could've been.

Rhonda warbled as they finally made it back to Vacay Island. They had left to go explore new places and find new trolls. Ever since two years ago when he and Bruce had ventured out and found trolls nearby, John suggested that he spread the word about Vacay Island to bring new people in. But it was to also introduce different genres to each other and learn from one another.

It has been successful and business was booming. A troll size resort was even built because of how many were coming through. Regular performances and karaoke nights were now a thing, band groups even came just to see if they could perform. With different genres in one place, it was a perfect opportunity to get your name out there.

“Good job girl.” John cooed at Rhonda while giving her loving pets, “Come on, lets see what we can steal from the kitchen, you deserve something special.”

They made their way to the restaurant and John smiled at the active beach. Vacayers and Trolls were both getting along, enjoying their time relaxing and having fun. It was fulfilling to John that this was made possible and that he was a part of it.

“Uncle John's back!” He saw his niblings playing in the sand and braced himself when they came running at him. He was scooped up in hugs, pulled, grabbed, and swore he felt a bite on the leg, but he could've just imagined that. He has grown used to this type of affection, but that didn't mean that he could withstand it for long.

“Ow! Ok, I missed you too!” Yeah, he did not imagine that bite, was it Junior again?

“Kids!” They all looked to see Bruce standing there with his arms crossed, “Be easy on your Uncle, put him down and let him breathe, he just got back.”

John stumbled as the kids reluctantly set him down. They voiced their displeasure but, after John promised to tell them about his adventure, they settled and left him alone. John smiled gratefully at Bruce and the two embraced, the younger giving a sigh of relief.

“Glad you’re back.”

“Good to be back.” They released each other and began to make their way inside the restaurant, “I didn’t miss anything crazy while I was gone did I?”

Bruce smiled, “Nothing more than what normally goes on, had some trolls who favored heavy music get worked up with a group of reggaeton trolls and they ended up having a dance off. They were schooled.”

“And you didn’t record it? Bro, that’s something crazy!”

“Don’t cry about it something will happen again, now come on, let's get you guys something to eat and you can tell us where you went this time.” Over a good plate of nacho’s, John relayed his journey to Lonesome Flatts.

He told of how he tried to be friendly with the locals who were weary of him. As soon as he brought up different music and being a pop troll, it wasn't long until the sheriff had come and thrown him in jail. John was used to the distrust, having learned what pop had tried to do, but this was the first time that he was imprisoned.

John tried to explain himself to the sheriff but she wouldn't listen, just told him that she was going to “rally an escort” and to not come back. But John retaliated by singing a country song. He knew a lot by heart, with it being his second favorite to listen to, so he easily grabbed her attention by giving a new song every time she tried to interrupt him.

It took a handful of songs but he made his point, he knew and respected country music, and finally they listened to him. The sheriff, Delta Dawn, apologized for the misunderstanding and he was treated as a guest. John was able to get to know the country trolls, talk about Vacay Island, show them his collection of country music and was gifted some for doing small favors during his stay. Before he left he gave them some different genres that they could listen to and promised to visit again.

“Miss Dawn said she'd consider it but she seemed pretty open to the idea. The country trolls have a lot they need to get done so it may be awhile before we see any come around.”

“That's amazing John!” Brandy praised him.

“Your adventures get more dangerous every time you leave.” Bruce looked as though he wanted to grab his brother and hide him from the world.

“I knew I was fine, Rhonda was stationed outside of town so she would've heard me if I called for her.”

“I can't tell if you were being reckless or stupid.” There was no heat when Bruce said it, just disbelief that John was unfazed by it all.

“Think what you want bro, either way, I did it.” John smiled, used to Bruce being a worry wart, it was amusing to him.

“Well we're glad that you're safe and back home, you were missed.” Brandy spoke up as she handed a couple drinks to a waiting customer.

“Rhonda and I are happy to be back, we could use the rest.” John stretched and felt his shoulder pop, wincing a little from the pressure.

“Well if you want to rest then you better not stay long, karaoke is going to start soon and you're lucky to get a wink with that going on.” John looked at the menu behind Brandy and saw the activity of the night posted up there, it was karaoke, and it started at–

“Alright folks, it's time to start Bruce's and Son's karaoke night!”

Oh, right now.

“I'll take that as our cue to leave, have fun bro.” The two embraced before John and Rhonda walked away, “I'll help with the restaurant tomorrow, promise!”

He had to shout over the cheering crowd but got a wave from Brandy and thumbs up from Bruce. It was always nice to go out and explore the world, but there was a fulfilling feeling whenever he came back, like finally accomplishing a difficult task.

He really did feel tired. He wasn't going to tell Bruce but he had an absence seizure when he woke up this morning. He blamed it on the stress the country trolls gave him during his stay. He didn't lie when he said he was locked up, he just left out the part where he was kept overnight, missing both his night and morning pills before he could convince them to release him.

John never liked to bring up his Epilepsy unless he had to. He's skipped meds before, when he forgot, so he thought that he'd be fine. He just never wanted to use his condition as a leverage so that people would listen to him, he didn't want anyone's pity. It all falls back on him but aside from this one careless decision, he liked to think that he was responsible with his Epilepsy.

“Aroo.” Rhonda cooed at him, and John gave her scratches when she bumped into him.

“Alright girl, let's find a place to rest.” They began to make their way to the outer edges of the island but John stopped in his tracks. He swore he saw something, something painfully familiar.

John walked back towards the restaurant and kept his eyes on that something, a troll. Their back was to him, but there was just something that screamed familiar to John. Even though they were shirtless and wore black jean shorts, something that was unfamiliar, it was the pink hair that he couldn't turn from.

He grew up brushing pink hair, de-knotting it, styling it, washing it, even simply running his fingers through it. There were many shades of pink hair that John had seen, but he could always point out that one specific shade that belonged to someone that he never thought that he'd see again. Even though John couldn't see his face, his heart knew exactly who that was.

“John, are you okay?” Bruce had noticed that John was staring and thought that he was having a seizure. So he was surprised that when he went to snap John out of it, his brother had grabbed his wrist to stop him. He didn't say anything, just looked like he was on the verge of crying as he pointed in front of them. So Bruce looked to see what John saw and felt his heart skip a beat. He could tell instantly who that was. John may have helped the most, but Bruce had pitched in when he wasn't available. He would know any of them at a glance.

“Floyd!” Bruce jumped when John suddenly shouted, but then their brother turned around and he no longer cared. Floyd was older, different, and he definitely adopted other genres of music given his attire. But when they saw the tears well up in his eyes they knew that he was just the same sensitive kid that they last saw.

“John Dory! Spruce!” They ran at each other and collided in a long awaited embrace.

Chapter Text

It was an emotional reunion but none of them cared how it looked to other people. They were back together and that was what mattered to them. John didn't even feel tired anymore as they went back inside the restaurant to talk. Floyd needed to meet Brandy and they had to catch up on everything.

“So, you travelled with different groups of trolls and have been learning their music this whole time?” Floyd had been telling his story to his brothers and Brandy, who he was overjoyed to meet, and just got done explaining.

“Pretty much. I first ran into some folk trolls and they're always on the move. They helped me learn some things about survival and how to polish up on my song writing. I stayed with them until we came near a village of yodelers and the pattern just kept going from there. I did some gigs solo for awhile but it was only a few years ago that I found myself near rock territory and formed a band. We're on a break right now and plan on getting back together in a few months.”

“That's amazing!”

“Speaking of, you've been busy huh, Bruce.” Floyd teased and John snickered behind his jellyfish slider.

“That is quite the understatement.”

“John.”

“Just telling it how it is bro.” Bruce rolled his eyes but held Brandy's finger when she placed her hand on the table beside him.

“No, it's exciting! I can't believe I'm an uncle!” Floyd happily said, practically bursting with joy.

“Yeah, don't think you'll be the favorite anytime soon, I've got six years over you.” John smirked at him, already starting the favorite competition.

“About that, you mentioned finding Vacay Island, what's the story behind that?” John paused and both Bruce and Brandy didn't say anything. He had forgotten, honestly, since his seizures have died down he doesn't really think about his Epilepsy until a seizure happens. But Floyd was back and he was going to be a part of their lives. John didn't want to worry him, but this was a part of his life, and there were the few days when he couldn't hide it.

“I found Rhonda sometime on my travels and she's stayed with me since. Going places, seeing new people, finding out and learning of different music and cultures, that’s pretty much what I was doing. But over time I needed help and one day it was real bad. So Rhonda found Vacay Island, and we pretty much have stayed since.”

Without looking at him he knew Floyd was staring and that his eyes were full of worry. He didn't really like to recall what was the most traumatizing day for Bruce, but in this case he had to. It wasn't right for his brother to be the one to say it.

Floyd grabbed his hand and John finally looked at him. The worry was there, but also a silent plea to tell him what had happened. John didn't want to drag it out so he just said it.

“I had a seizure and wouldn't wake up, had been having seizures but didn't know what they were. Rhonda took me here where I could get help and Bruce just happened to live here. I was diagnosed with Epilepsy.”

John smiled when he saw the tears well up, different year, different look, but still the same kid. He just sighed and pulled Floyd into a hug, the younger holding onto him while silently crying. John couldn't help but think that he hit the nail when labeling his brother the sensitive one, fifteen years later and it still sticks.

“He's a lot better now, rarely has seizures anymore.” Brandy chimed in, trying to help comfort him.

“She's right, her and Bruce helped me find the right medicine. How do you think people got the word about Vacay Island to begin with?” At that, Floyd pulled back, staring at him as if he just came to a realization, “Because I am well enough to travel, you don't have to worry about it.”

Floyd sniffed and wiped his eyes, “I didn't have a destination in mind when my band started our break. I was just going to see if I would run into some old friends. But a week in I found a group who heard of this place, had been here, and they recommended it to me.”

It didn't occur to John of how Floyd found out about Vacay Island, travellers discovered new places all the time, but the fact that he played a part in bringing his brother to them was mind blowing.

“I guess that's another upside to getting better, huh?” He ruffled Floyd's hair to get a smile from him and was rewarded with a grin and hands half heartedly batting him away.

“Enough, I worked hard on this hair.”

“It looks like the K-Pop gang got ahold of you.” Bruce commented.

“Oh, they've been here? Yeah, I traveled with them for awhile, they actually have a side job doing hair and pretty much bribed me into it. It was worth it though.” he looked amused as he recalled the memory, running a hand through his bangs fondly.

“Well that explains why they were obsessed with your hair,” Brandy directed her comment towards her husband, “the whole time they were here they wouldn't leave you alone.”

“I thought they had a thing for Bruce honestly.” John spoke to Floyd, “Their flirts and comments were just…”

“Uncomfortable.” Bruce had the most unamused and displeasing face they had ever seen.

“Yeah they can be like that. They're just passionate about what they do, they're sweet girls though, honest.”

“I don't care how sweet you say they are, there's only one girl who can be sweet to me and neither of them are her.” John gagged but Floyd cooed as Brandy gave Bruce a kiss on the cheek.

“Don't encourage them Floyd, it's nauseating.”

“I think it's cute.”

“Live with it for six years, you'll never think that again.” Floyd just giggled.

“Hey Charlie! Table two’s been waiting on their entrees, let's go!” A nearby waiter impatiently shouted back to the kitchen, followed by more shouting.

“Well, I better settle this before it gets out of hand.” Brandy smiled and stood from her seat.

“Need some help?” Bruce asked her.

“Talk to your brothers, I'll take care of this. Floyd, it was nice to meet you, you boys have a good night.”

They bid her goodnight and watched as she walked in the middle of the two employees arguing and went from sweet wife to scary boss. Floyd's eyes widen in surprise, John remained passive having seen this a few times, but Bruce could've had hearts in his eyes as he watched her tear into their employees for their loss of professionalism. Her voice was just loud enough to be heard over the music and her words held enough force to make you feel small. Brandy was a loving wife and doting mother, but she was dedicated to her business and did not put up with irresponsible behavior.

“Hair I love that woman.” Floyd looked at Bruce who was staring lovingly at his wife, then glanced at John who was busy drinking his water. He set his glass down before jerking a thumb at their love sick brother.

“See what I mean.”

Chapter Text

They ended up leaving the restaurant to find Rhonda. After Bruce had caught Brandy lecturing another employee, John practically dragged him out of his chair just as he was about to put on the heart eyes. John all but ordered Floyd to follow, refusing to put up with Bruce fawning over his wife again. Floyd didn't mind, he found it all funny and was content to watch them bicker.

"Seriously, you're overreacting." Bruce complained to John.

"Should I record you and make you see how cringe you look drooling over your wife in front of people? I'll do it, you know I will."

"When you find a partner then you'll understand, or are you leaving me in the dark."

"Do something behind your back and have no intention of telling you... yeah, that's not me." Floyd laughed as he watched them go at each other, it was like when they were little, when Mom was still around. John looked down at him with a smile and wrapped an arm around him, pulling Floyd into a side hug. Floyd leaned into his warmth, nearly crying from how much he realized he missed this.

"Alright, she should be around here somewhere." John muttered as he scanned the beach.

"She wouldn't have gone far right?" Before John could answer, he felt Floyd tap his arm, then saw him point off to the side. John smiled at seeing his girl, so he gave a whistle to summon her.

"Did that have to be so loud? You know she can hear better than all of us." But John ignored Bruce and held out his arms when Rhonda came running up to them.

"There's my girl." He cooed as she nuzzled him.

"Floyd meet Rhonda, John's girlfriend." Floyd snickered while John sent a glare at Bruce.

"She'll have no problem eating you you know."

"You wouldn't do that to Brandy."

"I'd be doing her a favor." He ignored the look Bruce gave him and turned his focus onto their younger brother. He had his hands held out and was letting her smell him, getting to know his scent. But then Rhonda nearly toppled him over when she gave him a lick.

"I think she recognizes you." Bruce spoke up while offering Rhonda some scratches.

"How so?" Through his attempt at wiping off the glittery saliva, he still smiled as he waited for an answer.

"John's got a bunch of Brozone memorabilia, shared it with her when it was just the two of them."

"Oh yeah, that's how she recognized you." John nodded to himself as he remembered.

"You went back?" The two older brothers stared at the sudden panic in his voice, "You only took your camping bag when you left so you had to... Clay, Branch, they're not here... they're not..."

They knew what he was thinking but they weren't going to let him say it. They didn't know the answer themselves, but proof that the escape tunnels were once used, proof that their brothers, even if all were unaccounted for, had escaped was enough to give them hope. So John and Bruce pulled Floyd into a hug and stopped his thoughts from spiraling, reassuring him that there was a chance.

"Come on, let's go inside, we still need to catch up." Floyd wiped his eyes and Rhonda opened her door, letting them in. John gave Floyd a small tour, telling stories from items they came across no matter how mundane, stories like his music collection, stash of mugs, the stain in the carpet, and other sorts of things.

Bruce sat on the couch and just watched with a smile, knowing what John was doing. When they were little, and one of them was upset, John would tell stories to distract them so they would stop crying. He was very imaginative, which came in handy with Floyd who needed multiple stories and songs to feel better, especially when he was tiny, before Branch was born. He was a Mama's boy and would cry everytime Mom had to leave. Grandma, as sweet as she was, could not settle him like John could.

Being an adult now it was clear that this didn't have the same effect that it used to, but John was comforting their little brother the only way he knew how. Regardless, Floyd didn't seem to mind, Bruce could see the nolstalgia in his eyes as he too remembered those days.

"Hey John, why don’t you tell him how you just got out of prison." Floyd went from half listening to fully alert.

"You were in jail! What did you do?" John's face shifted to annoyance.

"It was a misunderstanding."

"That's not all you told me." Bruce smiled and watched John give him a look.

"Bruce." There was a warning in his voice but the playful hostility didn't last. Floyd grabbed John's hand and stared up at him with big pleading eyes.

"Can you tell me the story please?" Bruce held in his laughter. John was the most stubborn person he knew and could make him want to rip his hair out because of it, but everyone had a weakness, and the one thing that John could never say no to were his little brothers pleading eyes.

It was evil on Floyd's part.

There was a pause but... "Get comfortable." It seemed as though those ninety eight degrees of separation hadn't changed a thing.

So with John in the middle the brothers listened to him tell his latest adventure. Unlike when he was explaining it just hours before, he went into more detail. He spoke of how hot and miserable it was to get there, the personalities of the country trolls, what they looked like and what they did. He also told them of the work that had to be done and how he helped and recieved small gifts as a thanks, what was considered normal hospitality for country trolls.

"You still didn't say how you ended up in jail." John sighed but continued to thread his fingers through Floyd's hair. "I sang a pop song."

"You said you told them you were a pop troll and they flipped." Bruce yawned.

"Yeah, after I sang a pop song."

"I could've told you that was dumb."

"I was singing to myself not the whole town." John pushed Floyd away and he laughed, he was going to snuggle up to John again but pointed at Bruce instead.

John had felt Bruce leaning on him halfway through his story, but upon looking at him he could see that he was asleep. Honestly, John was not surprised, stories had always put Bruce to sleep. The number of times him and Brandy had to wake Bruce up when they were reading a bedtime story for the kids still amazed him.

"Wake up bro, story time's over." John shrugged his shoulder and Bruce sat up.

"I'm awake."

"Yeah sure, if you wanna sleep then let's go to bed." The brothers stood and John went to a basket tucked in the corner.

"Night Floyd." John turned to see Bruce hugging the youngest who looked confused.

"Bruce, what are you doing?" He pulled away, also confused.

"I'm going to bed?" Hair he really didn’t get it.

"When I said, let's go to bed, I meant all of us." John then reached into the basket and pulled out a pile of blankets. Floyd's eyes widened in delight while Bruce just now got the memo.

"A nest?"

"Yep, we're having a sleepover." Floyd happily grabbed the blankets in Johns arms and brought them to an open space on the floor.

"But, Brandy doesn't–"

"She knows where you're at." John pulled a second stack, the last of the blankets, and made his way towards Floyd.

"She'll need help with–"

"There's enough help at the restaurant to shut down while she puts the kids to bed, and bro, she's done that on her own before." Floyd giggled when the blankets were dropped on top of him.

"But there's–"

"Ok Bruce, I know you're tired and you have your priorities, but listen to me." John paused to make sure that he was listening, "When was the last time that you were a brother, not a Dad, not a husband, a brother. Taking care of me does not count." Bruce closed his mouth and tried to think of the last time that he was just John's younger brother. When they went camping last? That was... no, he couldn't count that, John had actually got hurt and he had to be his caretaker. The times before... no, John was still out of it.

"Uh..." that was all the answer John needed, he grabbed the pillows from the couch and tossed one at Bruce.

"Come on, this nest isn't going to build itself." Bruce, too tired to argue, finally began to help.

"She's going to make us watch the kids for a week you know."

"A perfect opportunity for Floyd to get to know them." Bruce smiled at John's stubbornness, for once not frustrated with it.

"Come on Bruce." Floyd excitedly took the pillows from John while encouraging their brother.

"I'm helping, I'm helping." While they worked on the nest, John went to grab his pills that sat on the counter. He knew that once he lied down he wasn't going to get back up. As he was taking them, he failed to notice a pair of eyes watching him.

Much like when they were kids, the nest was just as comfortable as they remembered, and they quickly got settled. John was once more between them, lying on his back while Bruce was on his left, lightly holding onto his arm. Floyd was on his right, happily snuggled up to John with an arm wrapped around him. If Clay were here then he'd be lying on top of someone, seeking body heat because he always got cold at night. Branch would be in John's hair, lightly snoring throughout the night... baby Branch that is.

"You know, my kids make nests sometimes." Bruce yawned out.

"You're serious?" Floyd asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, Brandy thought they were just having a sleepover the first time it happened so I had to explain it to her. I don't think she fully understands it but she thinks it's cute when they cuddle." His eyes weren't open, he was barely awake.

"I'm sure Floyd would love to hear more in the morning." John felt Bruce nod before hearing his deep breaths, signaling that he was asleep.

"And he says I'm stubborn."

"I always thought you two were evenly matched, just in different ways." John considered Floyd's words before agreeing.

"Yeah, I can see that." They fell into silence where John thought Floyd was trying to sleep, but after a few minutes he spoke up.

"John, what did you mean when you said that Bruce took care of you? I don't want to make assumptions but..." Well that woke him up.

"Yeah, when my seizures were bad. Like I said, I needed help, and Bruce and Brandy helped me get better." John could tell that there was a lot that Floyd wanted to know, so he waited.

"What do I do if you have a seizure?" Oh, that. Well, that was kind of sweet that he wanted to know.

"Nothing really, the seizures I have now I am aware through them and can function while they happen, not to mention they are brief so it doesn't affect me much." But Floyd was shaking his head.

"I know there are seizures where you fall and your whole body shakes, you had those right?" There was something in his voice that John couldn't describe.

"I used to, not anymore, I haven't in nearly two years." That didn't seem to settle him.

"But what if you had one... what do I do?" John could get Floyd wanting to understand, but not why he sounded scared.

"Turn me on my side if you can, remove any objects that I may hit, cushion my head, and time it. The main thing though is not to panic, I'll wake up." Floyd didn't look at him.

"But what if you don't." Now John understood. It was true that it could happen but it didn't happen as often as Floyd was probably thinking. This was a worse case scenario usually caused by choking or suffocation.

"Floyd, the odds of that happening are very, very, slim. Given how long it's been and how well I am, it's very unlikely that it'll ever happen." Silence, "What is it?" Floyd hesitated.

"You needed us and we weren't there. Despite what had happened when we were kids, we shouldn't have left like that."

"Floyd," John pulled him in a tight hug, "the last thing I wanted was for my brothers to take care of me. I had no choice with Bruce and Brandy, but more than anything did I want them to just be parents and owners of a successful restaurant." Hair did he pray for that, he just hated how long it took.

"They say they don't regret it, but I regret putting them in that position. I'm glad that you had the chance to find yourself and live your life, so don't regret not being here, because I want you happy while we hang out, not worried while you watch over me. We're together now, let's focus on that."

He felt Floyd nod and took it as a win. No doubt there was going to be more conversations later on, but it could be laid to rest for now. It was late and they were tired.

"John, it doesn't have to be tonight or tomorrow, but do you think we could talk about that night?" He knew exactly what night he was talking about, the night they split and what lead up to it. Bruce wanted a similar talk shortly after John had arrived on Vacay Island, but John couldn't recall everything, or give him clear answers. Bruce had to learn to move on and let go.

"We can tomorrow, I'll try my best." He didn't want to hide anything from Floyd, if it meant that he would stay then he'd tell him whatever he wanted to know.

"I missed you John, you and Bruce." Floyd yawned and finally settled.

"We missed you too."

Chapter Text

It's been a few weeks since the brothers have been reunited and Floyd has learned a good bit of what's gone on in their lives. A lot was explained about what has happened within the last fifteen years. Stories shared of when they were apart, Bruce finding Vacay Island and falling in love with Brandy, taking over her family's restaurant, and starting a family.

John talked fondly about what traveling with a baby Armadillo Van was like, how playful and mischievous she was but very smart. Some things were said about what has happened since John had arrived on Vacay Island, but some things were never explained. At least, not when John was around.

Floyd quickly realized that John did not like to talk about the times when his seizures were more active. He always received vague answers.

"What was it like? Annoying more than anything."

John never elaborated on his answers, and Floyd didn't mean to pry but he just wanted to understand. He knew this was the worst his brother had been health wise and he could only imagine what it was like. Despite John's reassurance, he still felt guilty for not being there.

But Bruce had no problem telling him about the doctor appointments, describing the seizures, his bad days, and forgetfulness. It felt more like a venting session, an opportunity to let out the struggles they went through without hurting John's feelings. Floyd almost wished he hadn't asked simply because his brother got upset by the time he was done. It was probably the first time Bruce truly spoke about how he felt, with Brandy helping as well, there were some things he probably couldn't say in order to keep the peace.

Despite that, Bruce had a lot of good things to say too. 

"It was the worst thing that could've happened to John, but it brought us and the family closer."

That was when Floyd learned of how John was always eager to be with the family, wanting to help in the restaurant even if he struggled, entertained the kids and became an attenive and adored uncle, kept a positive attitude and the stubbornness he was known for. The regular customers came to love him because they saw him as a sweet person, kind, and enjoyable to talk to. He was there to keep Brandy company when Bruce was busy and the kids were at school, bringing out the scrapbook and telling her stories about Bruce and their brothers when they were kids. The pictures helped him remember the story and she always laughed at something. Even when he was having one of his bad days, she'd say that him just being there made her happy.

So Floyd decided to stop asking. He realized he didn't need to know everything, because despite what had happened John had been fine. Much like how Bruce had to accept that he'd never get a straight answer about the perfect family harmony, he too had to accept that he wasn't there for John and couldn’t make up for that. He needed to focus on the now and make up for lost time instead.

But, he couldn't help but point out some differences from when he last saw him. John was more compliant, when told to do something he did it unless he had a reason not to. He asked a lot of questions, not just to get to know Floyd again, but more along the lines of remembering or confirming something. He was quieter too, not so loud or starting fights, sometimes not saying anything unless someone spoke to him.

What was most noticeable though was that John was more affectionate; physical touch and soft words for reassurance, casual arm around the shoulders, a hug with every greeting, and positive words when someone was down. It reminded Floyd of when they were younger, when John would look after them while Mom went away for work.

Was all of this a side effect from his Epilepsy? Or was John just being himself without the stress of Brozone and the Bergans? It didn't really matter to him, being alive and well was what was important.

They did end up talking about the night the band broke up, but Floyd saw what Bruce meant when he said that John was more forgetful. He really struggled to remember the details of that night, just performing, arguing because it went wrong, then him being the first to leave. He really couldn't explain anything about his obsession with the perfect family harmony, just that he felt he had a justifiable reason for it.

And Floyd was alright with that. After being on his own for awhile and calming down, he didn't want an apology or explanation, he just wanted his brothers to be together again. And while two of them were currently missing, he felt happier than he had been in a long time.

"You seriously don't know?" Floyd and John were in the restaurant discussing random things over a good plate of nacho’s.

"Yeah, it's weird. Doc said there was some tissue damage showing I had dislocated it at some point. Every once in awhile when I stretch it'll pop or feel strained." Floyd had caught him massaging his shoulder after he'd stretched his arms above his head. He was starting to get used to hearing the phrases, I don't know, or, I'm not sure, when John would tell a story.

"Does it hurt?" He shrugged nonchalant.

"It just feels strained, doesn't really hurt." He grabbed a nacho with a generous amount of cheese and ate, not showing he was bothered about not knowing how he recieved an injury, like he was alright with not knowing, or just used to it.

"Hmm? Oh, hey Bruce." Said brother took a seat beside John looking disgruntled.

"Hey." Yeah, definitely not happy.

"What happened?" Floyd asked and watched as Bruce rubbed a hand over his face.

"A band of rock trolls were demanding that they perform tonight." John gave nod of understanding, but Floyd was confused.

"Are you booked for the night or something?" John pointed towards the menu where the night activities were posted.

"It's Sunday, Sunday nights the stage is closed. This is Vacay Island, a variety of music and people are nice but it's still a place to relax and enjoy yourselves." Bruce took a nacho and picked off the jalapeños.

"The Vacayers had to get used to music nights, they complained a lot about not being able to enjoy a quiet night. So Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night, out of respect of the natives to this island, the stage is closed." Floyd understood, he could see the fairness in this arrangement and how frustrating it would be for someone to disrespect that.

"That makes sense. Well, at least they know now." Bruce sighed.

"They already knew, they've been here before. Some rock trolls just don't understand that it's not alright to be aggressive." Floyd wished he could argue against that, because he truly liked the rock trolls, but he knew he couldn't. "Besides, they wanted to be extravagant as if it were an actual concert and not a sit down restaurant. I mean, they wanted smoke, pyrotechnics, even strobe–"

They all froze when they heard a heavy chord play over the speakers, loud enough for people on the beach to hear. The guitar played as his bandmates quickly set up, and Bruce got to his feet red in the face.

"What did I just say!" Fog machine, strobe lights, and fireworks that came dangerously close to people and the bar suddenly began. "Get John out of here!" Angry, Bruce yelled over the music before sprinting towards the stage.

Floyd stood, slightly confused over the demand, before glancing at his brother and putting it together. John had his back to the stage, hands pressed against his eyes to block the lights. Floyd knew that strobe lights could induce a seizure for some people, in the moment he just forgot that John was prone to that. So he wasted no time in grabbing his brother and leading him out of the restaurant.

Floyd allowed John to keep his eyes covered and was sure to be careful as they left. Some of the Vacayers were leaving, uncomfortable with the loud noise and intense light display. But they got out without much trouble and Floyd let John know that.

"Let me know when the lights are off." As if those were the magic words, the lights and music were cut, final sparks in the air slowly dying.

"You're good, it's off." John just hummed in acknowledgement and dropped one hand, using the other to rub his eyes. They were quiet as they walked towards the beach, John rubbing his eyes, letting them blink, before rubbing them again. Floyd made sure he didn't walk into anything, at one point grabbing his hand to go around a sandcastle.

"Are you ok?" Floyd cautiously asked.

"Fine." Came his irritated reply.

"Do you want to sit down?" John finally stopped rubbing his eyes and took the offer, clearly not happy. He kept his gaze on the ocean, refusing to look at Floyd.

"Sorry, it's just frustrating." He could understand, he didn't need an apology.

"It's not your fault, they were told not to and didn't listen. Although, I've never seen Bruce that angry before, he's become pretty protective over the years huh?" But John shook his head.

"It's not just that. He wasn't just angry on my behalf, I'm not the only one who's at risk at having a seizure because of strobe lights." Floyd blinked.

"You're not the only Epileptic?"

"No, I'm the only one, but strobe lights in general just aren't safe. The elderly and children are more at risk at having a seizure from them than a healthy adult. Besides, LaBreezy has voiced her discomfort over it, saying it makes her feel dizzy or nauseous. The last thing Bruce and Brandy want is for one of their kids to have a seizure, not when they've seen what it did to me. So the ban on strobe lights isn't just for my safety, it's for everyone."

Now Floyd understood, he didn't realize how harmful lights could be to so many people, but it made sense. He thought only Epileptics were affected by strobe lights, it didn't cross his mind that other people could have a sensitivity to them. Bruce's anger was justified, not only did those rock trolls disregard the rules, their actions put people in danger and caused John to have a seizure, not to mention it made his restaurant look bad. Floyd loved the rock trolls, but he could admit that there were some that he didn't speak to because of their behavior.

"Well, will you be alright?" John sighed.

"Yeah, it'll go away in a moment." Floyd could see it, how his eyes were rapidly blinking. For some reason it looked familiar, and then a memory that had been buried resurfaced.

"I've seen you do that before." John looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes have done that before back at the tree, it was months after we lost Mom." John had that thoughtful look, trying to recall a moment when he could’ve had a seizure when they were kids.

"I don't..." he left it at that.

"We were trying something new for Brozone. Clay came up with the idea of introducing lights, the kind that moved and flashed to the beat of the music." John's eyes had thankfully stopped, but he didn't seem to notice as he just waited for Floyd to continue, "When we were trying it out during practice you stopped dancing and said you felt dizzy."

"Really?"

"We took a break and tried again when you felt better, but your dizziness returned and your eyes wouldn't stop blinking. Grandma told us that it was the lights and that sometimes people reacted that way to them. So we just dismissed the idea and went with a different look instead."

John remembered going through the phase of wearing a different outfit at every performance. They matched each other of course but it was their way to surprise the crowd the next time they went on stage. The people loved it, and hearing their guesses only gave them ideas on what to wear for their next performance. But he didn't remember that his inability to handle strobe lights was what had started it.

"That's... interesting. I knew that I was having seizures when it was just me and Rhonda, I didn't think that I was having them that early."

"We didn't know what it was, it wasn't popular at the tree." Floyd must've had a look because John's tone shifted to reassuring.

"I know that and it's fine. The fact that Grandma saw it as a side effect rather than something else says it. Even if I got looked at early on, I doubt they would've done something. I got help in the end so I can't complain, and really, Vacay Island helped me more than what the tree could've done. Don't you agree?"

Did he? Floyd thought about it. He thought about that one time when his stomach wouldn't stop cramping and he was high with a fever, how long it took for the doctor to figure out what to do to help him. He thought about when Clay had broken his arm and needed it set but, from what he heard from Grandma when she thought he wasn't listening, Clay had passed out from the pain from all the prodding they did trying to find the right angle to press. He thought about when Bruce had fallen into a patch of thorns and needed to get them removed and disenfected, but they found some more later that night when he couldn't sleep from the discomfort.

Being trapped, their resources on medicine were limited, and over time the doctors who once practiced under a free sky had passed. Their knowledge was trained unto the next doctors who had to adjust to what they had, and the more generations lost, the worse it got. This poor practice was a result of years of improper medical knowledge due to the confinement they were forced under.

So no, the tree would not have helped John, Vacay Island saved him.

"Yeah, this was better." Floyd has been to many places, and while there were some towns with great healthcare, having family by his side was probably what kept John happy through it all.

"Say, do you wanna hear a funny story?" Floyd was taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but he could take the hint when it's given.

"Yeah, tell me."

"So, Bruce has mentioned that he likes to go surfing right?" Floyd gave a nod, "Well, a couple years ago he was riding these big waves and suddenly lost control. It was a hard wipe out, his board broke and we had to go in and get him because he lost consciousness."

"This is funny?" 

"I'm getting to it." John smiled as if he was amused, "It took a few minutes for him to wake up and he was clearly not with it. He looked at me and the first thing he said was; hey beautiful."

Floyd laughed. He couldn't help but picture it, a disoriented Bruce accidentally complimenting their brother like that.

"Did he even know he said that?"

"Oh, he snapped out of it as soon as he said it. He tried to explain that he thought that he was in bed, waking up from a dream." Well, at least they know that Brandy gets a warm greeting every morning.

"Was Brandy there to hear it?"

"Him calling me beautiful, no. But she came as I was telling him; You're alright handsome, I'm sure your wife will forgive you." This was one of his favorite memories and he was happy to tell anyone who would listen.

"I can't believe you." They turned to see Bruce standing behind them, baring a look of betrayal.

"Sup bro!" John happily waved.

"I came here to check up on you and you're telling Floyd that story of all things!" It really was one of his most embarrassing moments, he had hoped that Floyd would've been spared from it.

"Had to pass the time somehow." Bruce was clearly flustered, his face flushed with embarrassment as he tried to grasp for words that would help turn things around, but he couldn't.

"If you're well enough to make fun of me then you're clearly fine." He turned to leave.

"Don't be like that Brucie." John gave Floyd a playful look and the two followed their brother.

"Leave me alone."

"I didn't mind that you told me that I was beautiful."

"Stop being weird John."

"Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Floyd."

"I think he's pretty, don't hurt his feelings Brucie."

"Knock it off."

"Come on, is Floyd beautiful?"

"Tell me!" Floyd suddenly grabbed Bruce and he jumped in surprise, a smile finally showing.

"Get away from me you freaks!" Bruce took off running but his brothers were close behind, demanding for an answer until Brandy later saved him when she heard the commotion they were making.

Floyd was willing to let it go for now, but he was going to get an answer eventually.

Chapter Text

Ok, John did feel a little bad about taking a detour home knowing his brothers were waiting for him. He couldn't help it though, Rhonda had found a beautiful spring at the bottom of a waterfall and he had to spend a few days to enjoy it. He made sure to take lots of pictures and mark it on his map, he wanted to take his brothers here one day. Actually, Brandy probably would enjoy it more, spa days were a luxury for her, and Floyd apparently.

It's been three years since the brothers were reunited, and it took no time at all for them to reform their bond. There was an understanding between them that they had their own lives that were different from each other, but Vacay Island had become the meeting point.

When Floyd would leave, John would drop him off at his destination before going off on his own. Bruce would tag along when he could, especially if Floyd's band was going to perform, they've even went on stage like old times just for the thrill. It was all different, things weren't the same, but a promise to never walk out on each other was one that they were going to keep.

John knew that Floyd had probably made it to Vacay Island by now, he would stay for a few months before going back so John wasn't too worried about being a little late. But it was about time they had another field trip, last years would've been fine if they hadn't got caught in a rain storm and Rhonda hadn't got spooked by all the thunder and lightning. There were multiple, minor, injuries from the chaos and quite a few broken supplies. Brandy was not happy to see them all bruised when they returned.

But this oasis had shelter and lots of berries they could eat. Even if they lost their supplies or were caught in a storm, they would be safe. So this year it was going to happen, he'd make sure of it.

"Alright girl, ready to go home?" She gave a coo and John hopped in, double checking that the spot was marked on his map before taking his seat. Rhonda had found this place when John fell asleep. She followed the river and ended up here, but it brought them further away from Vacay Island. It was worth it though, he knew he was going to get a lecture from Bruce once he got back but he couldn't even be irritated by the thought of it.

By the looks of things, it was going to take about two days to get back. Rhonda could run long distances and only needed a few hours of rest before she was ready to get going again. They would make great time as long as the weather was fair and nothing came at them.

"Let's find our way Rhonda, there's not a place we've been to where we couldn't get back home." But hours past and John was starting to doubt. He felt all turned around despite the fact that Rhonda was calm. After awhile he had realized that they had journeyed further than they ever had, which John realized he may have underestimated how long it would take to get back.

"Aroo." She sounded concerned.

"I know girl this is new territory, but we can do this, just stay calm." John tried to sooth Rhonda, but he fell out of his seat when she suddenly cried out and came to a stop.

He was quick to get out and investigate, but not before grabbing his machete by the door. Was it a predator? Was she stuck? Was there something that was scaring her? He wished it was, he could defend her and protect her, but it was the worst thing that could've happen.

Rhonda's leg was bleeding, having snagged it on something sharp. She kept it off the ground and whimpered, carefully lying down to not hurt herself.

"Shh, it's ok girl, let me see it, I'll make it better." She remained still but still cried in pain, and upon seeing the wound John understood why. An Armadillo Van's skin was thick, specifically their shell, but it took a lot to get a wound bad enough to take them down. Rhonda had a deep gash, cut from something that could only be dangerous and John was internally fuming. His girl had gotten hurt whether it was from his carelessness for not seeing it or someone else's for littering, he was going to find out.

First things first, stop the bleeding and stitch her up, it was too big of a wound to just be wrapped on its own. So he went back inside her and found the first aid kit, plus a belt that he could use as a makeshift tourniquet. He hated that he would have to cause her more pain, but he loved her too much to just let her bleed out. He knew that sometimes it hurt to get treated, but that pain would be worth it, it was better than the alternative.

"Hey, did I tell you the time that the kids tried to throw Brandy a surprise birthday party on their own? After we had gone to bed, all of them had got up and tried to decorate the restaurant, but they're not very tall so they really struggled." John tightened the tourniquet and ignored Rhonda's whimpers, he made sure it was tight enough to stop the bleeding before he started to clean the wound. 

"I woke up when I heard a crash and it turned out that they had made a banner and stood on top of each other to try to hang it up. No one was hurt but they were set on getting it all done before she woke up. I ended up helping them and we pulled it off by the time Bruce came out. He was letting her sleep in and was going to make her breakfast in bed, but he ended up calling her out to see the surprise."

Most of the blood was cleaned up now and nothing was in the wound, which was a relief, all John had left to do was to stitch her up.

"The staff had come in and ended up making breakfast for all of us. Brandy got to enjoy a good meal, open gifts, and take a nap with her kids afterwards. They were so tired from staying up all night they couldn't help it. To this day Brandy says that it was the best birthday she's ever had." It broke John's heart to hear Rhonda's whimpers everytime he pierced her with the needle, but she was doing such a good job at keeping still.

"I'm almost done girl I promise, you're so brave sweet girl. I'll make you better and you can rest all you want, take your time to heal, and we can move when you're ready." John tied off the last of her stitches then carefully removed the tourniquet. He was relieved to see that they were holding, as long as she stayed off that leg, she wouldn't bleed.

"There we go, you did so good Rhonda, my brave girl." John wrapped the wound to keep it protected before going to Rhonda's face. He sat on the ground and held her, gently petting her and telling her all the reassuring things he could think of.

The truth was John was scared, he had that underlying fear of somehow losing her. He knew that he did everything he could, and all he could do now was keep the wound clean and ward off any infections. John hadn't felt this strong of a need to protect Rhonda since she was a baby, before she could hunt or fend for herself. It was so long ago, but those faint memories of watching her stumble and hop around as she tried to keep up came to the front of his mind.

"I'll keep you safe sweet girl, go ahead and rest, I'm right here." She gave a sad coo and leaned into him, doing her best to relax, so John sang to help.

A gentle breeze from hushabye mountain, softly blows or'r lullaby bay

It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to sail your worries away

It isn't far to hushabye mountain, and your boat waits down by the quay

The winds of night so softly are sighing, soon they will fly your worries to sea

So close your eyes on hushabye mountain, wave goodbye to cares of the day

And watch your boat from hashabye mountain, sail far away from lullaby bay

John had forgotten parts of this song over time, but he asked Bruce if he remembered and thankfully he did. This was the lullaby that their Grandma would sing to them, her voice comforting and sweet in the darkest and scariest of nights. Bruce made it a lullaby to his kids and John would sing it to himself when he was sad and it would comfort him. It was also a coincidence that it made Rhonda tired, perfect to get her to rest, she didn't need to be awake and in pain.

John had to sing it a few times but Rhonda eventually fell asleep, giving soft snores to show that she wasn't waking up. He watched her for awhile before getting to work, John cleaned up the first aid supplies and set them off to the side before grabbing his machete. He had to see what had hurt Rhonda, and given how abruptly she stopped, the object wasn't far. She would be alright on her own for a few minutes while he investigated, then after he'll make himself a shelter. John wanted her to rest, not provide for him.

So John walked back from where they came and kept his eyes open. He followed her tracks back to the patch of dense foliage which they ran through. John sliced his blade to cut down a path but soon he hit something hard. He immediately began to push away the weeds to see a giant piece of plastic, part of it was resting on the ground while a rock kept half of it tilted in the air. John followed the plastic piece where it touches the ground and saw that the corner was broken, the jagged edge sporting a streak of red.

John angrily smacked the weeds. Someone had left this hazard to rot years ago, nature took over and camouflaged it, and now his girl was hurt because of it! The carelessness, the disrespect towards wildlife... this is what John always stressed about whenever he went camping. He was meticulous with cleaning up his belongings and would emphasize the importance to any new campers he came across. There were reasons for these precautions and that was to prevent serious injuries, or illnesses depending, towards any person or creature.

He didn't understand how it was so hard for people to pick up their trash. Now the plastic piece was obviously too big for him to dispose of, but the least he could do was clear it of foliage, make it noticable, and block it off to avoid any future incidents. Rhonda wasn't going to be able to walk for a few days so he had the time to do this.

First, it would probably be safer if he set up some traps to keep Rhonda safe while he worked. Armadillo Vans were tough but she was completely defenseless right now. If she was overwhelmed then she wouldn't fight and it could be too late.

With a plan in mind John made his way back towards Rhonda so he could get started. By the looks of how much sunlight they had, John only had a few hours, enough time to build a few traps and make a decent shelter. But by the looks of the weather he could probably just build a handful of traps, set them up, and pull a blanket next to Rhonda. If he kept a fire going then he'd be plenty warm... yeah, that was a better idea.

"Alright girl, we're doing this like old times." John felt himself calming down as he worked with his hands. The fire was quickly started and wood was collected and set aside as he picked up suitable sticks for his traps. John even managed to find some vines that he could use as rope. By the time the sun was setting John was leaning against Rhonda with a blanket in his lap, feeling satisfied with his work. A fire with plenty of wood to last until morning, and five traps surrounding them to keep them safe.

Despite the reassurance of their safety, John still felt uneasy. They were in unknown territory that gave off vibes of isolation and abandonment. It was eerie, almost haunting, barely a sound was made from critters nearby as if they were afraid. John was never afraid of camping in a new area, but it overwhelmed him now. The quiet of the night only broken by the rustling leaves and small hoots from distant birds.

But John knew that stress was playing a big part in this. He was stressed about Rhonda's safety and health, and he was starting to worry about what his brothers were going to do when he didn't return within a week. They'd freak out no doubt, but John had about two weeks before it became urgent.

He had two weeks of medicine left in Rhonda, so as long as they got home before he ran out then there was no need to panic. But this wasn't about himself, he couldn't go anywhere without Rhonda, it was not an option. Even if he had to wait a month, regardless of the consequences, he would, he'd find a way.

He was her protector when she was a baby, then when she was big enough Rhonda started to protect him. After all these years of letting her be his shield, John was ready to return the favor. So regardless of his fear and the drowsiness he began to feel, John did not sleep, his girl needed him, and he'll keep her safe.

Chapter Text

It was early morning and John was about to doze off when he heard one of his traps catch something. It instantly woke him up, putting him on high alert. His jerking response stirred Rhonda and she sleepily opened her eyes.

"Shh, I'm sorry girl, I didn't mean to wake you." John glanced in the direction that the trap had gone off and knew he had to investigate, "I'm just going to look at something then I'll be right back, go ahead and sleep."

But Rhonda gave a coo and watched him grab his machete as he walked away. It was an attempt but John knew the chances of her going back to sleep were little to none. She had gone to bed early the day before so no doubt she was wide awake now. John just needed to hurry and pray that whatever had set off the trap was still there, the last thing he needed was an elusive, possibly dangerous, pest roaming around.

So John took careful steps and raised his weapon before moving away the brush. He let out a deep breath at seeing a harmless prey caught and dead. Well, at least Rhonda had something to eat, berries were good but meat was what would give her the strength she needed to heal.

John had done this so many times he was no longer phased by the body, he just simply moved it to the side and reset the trap. Rhonda didn't need it skinned so that was one less thing he needed to do, he had food stored inside her that he could eat so he wasn't worried about himself. John actually felt a wave of calm as he carried the animal back, being able to do something right when everything seemed wrong just made it feel like things were ok.

Rhonda cooed and John realized that he was back, so he smiled and held up their prize. "It's alright girl we just caught breakfast is all. Now, I want you to enjoy your meal, your bandages should be fine for now so I'll go ahead and get started on clearing up the weeds around that plastic piece." 

Rhonda gave him a lick of thanks before eating, and John gave her a few pets before once more grabbing his machete to leave. But he stopped as he remembered that he had to take his morning pills first. It may be early, but he was awake and would forget if he didn't do it now.

So, John changed direction and went inside Rhonda to grab his medicine. He always left them on the counter but they were on the floor, they must have fallen when Rhonda had stopped running. But when John picked up his pillcase and looked at the days he smacked his forehead. In all that had happened yesterday, he had forgotten to take his night pills, not the biggest crisis but irritating all the same. He should be fine, he just shouldn't stress himself today and get plenty of rest. That always seemed to compensate his mistake.

"Ok, clear the weeds get at least that done today, stay hydrated, take breaks." John took his pills and filled a water bottle to take with him. Game plan set he finally started to get to work. He could hear Bruce chastise him for forgetting and could only imagine how much fretting he would do. Floyd would be concerned, wanting to spend the day by his side as a just in case, but unlike Bruce he wouldn't confine him into a safe space.

Bruce really took after Mom when it came to worrying over the well being of the family. Overprotective, sleepless nights, arguing because he knows what's best, it was near impossible for John not to make a jab at him because of it. But it never felt right to make a joke about their Mom so John always resisted and just commented on how Bruce was overreacting, which he was half the time.

Floyd got her eyes and her soft gentle nature. His outlook and tastes might have darkened over the years, but it never changed towards people, specifically kids. He adored his niblings, and the way he treated them reminded John of how Mom used to play with them when they were little.

Clay had got his love for jokes and being funny from her. She loved to make people laugh and smile, and it seemed to be a natural talent of hers, one that Clay picked up easily. Not so much though after they lost her.

Now Branch had her hair color and, according to Grandma, the voice of an angel. She said Mom sang perfectly the moment she hatched just like Branch could. While all trollings had beautiful voices, it wasn't often that they were pitch perfect at birth.

John wasn't sure what he had got from Mom and he didn't mind not knowing, he just hoped that she was happy and proud.

You weren't a good brother, you abandoned them, you broke your promise.

John tore a stubborn weed from its roots and tossed it aside. It'd been a few hours and he was not happy with what little he's got done. His focus was not in this but he needed to do this before someone else got hurt. John didn't know why he was suddenly thinking about Mom, and as much as he wanted to look through the scrapbooks now he needed to work.

"Come on John Dory, I know this is a lot to clear but this is nothing, it's just been a while since you've had to put in so much work around your campsite." That got him moving, "You see how lazy that made you sound? You've had it too easy using Rhonda as shelter, a home to go back to, it's been too long since you've had to tough it out. What are you useless?"

John found himself motivated to move, an anger fueling him to work. Quick swipes with his machete and hard pulls with his hands started to clear the plastic piece, the danger that had hurt his girl. John knew that most of his anger revolved around this and whoever had left it there, because in his eyes Rhonda was a critter that needed to be protected. She may tower over him but John didn't see a full grown Armadillo Van right now, he saw the baby that looked up to him when the world was too big for her. And it pissed him off that someone, even unintentional, had hurt her.

But he was also angry at himself. He kept thinking that if he hadn't fallen asleep then Rhonda wouldn't have explored on her own, wouldn't have found the springs, they wouldn't have gotten lost, and she wouldn't have gotten hurt. He wasn't upset with her exploring, she had every right to and he even encouraged it, it was just the unfortunate events that had followed this one time.

There was also a part of himself that screamed that he should've seen the danger and avoided it, but him and Rhonda had an agreement when it came to steering. John would keep his focus on their destination, be the navigator so they can get there the safest and fastest way. Rhonda would keep her eyes on the road, pay attention to where they were going so that their drive was smooth and she could watch her feet. This made it so that John didn't control her too much and Rhonda's focus was on running, not constantly fighting his every command. Unless John saw something that she didn't then he really didn’t steer her, just nudges in the right direction.

It wasn't his fault though, and especially not Rhonda's, yet he was so angry he couldn't stop himself from taking it out on the weeds. But John briefly remembered Floyd's words when he had lost his temper on some jerks who were bullying Floyd last year; he said that anger was toxic and didn't just hurt the person it was directed at, but yourself as well. John just thought that Floyd was trying to dissuade him from punching those idiots lights out, but when he swung his machete and it hit the plastic, causing pain to shoot up his arm, he thought that maybe there was some truth behind Floyd's words after all.

John dropped his weapon and held his arm, walking away only to start pacing. Cheese and sprinkles that hurt, all the way to his shoulder too, the one he had dislocated a long time ago. That had to be karma laughing at him, getting back at him for throwing a tantrum like a trolling.

But John looked up to see how much progress he had made and was pleased. Even from the angle he was at, he could tell that the piece was at least ten times the size of Rhonda, rectangular in shape, and an ugly yellow/brown color. Most of the vegetation was gone, just a bit more to get on ground then it was clearing what was on top of it. After that it was finding a way to close it off to prevent more incidents.

John drank his water and felt his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten anything yet and knew that he should stop for the day, check the traps, find Rhonda food, replace her bandages, get the fire going, then just relax. He really was feeling tired.

"I can hear you worrying Bruce, relax will ya."

"I wouldn't have to worry if you'd stop being an idiot." John imitated his brother.

"Well it's called living, these things happen."

"And they can be prevented if you'd just think. Now I don't want to see you doing anything else for the rest of the day or else I'll let Brandy deal with you." he sighed.

"Yeah, you would do that, she's definitely more devious than you." And that was the truth, Brandy was not afraid to get her way by any means, especially if she had to play dirty, she had fun with that.

So John called it a day and returned to Rhonda, happy to find her sunbathing and showing no signs of pain. She heard him coming and immediately perked up, smiling as she began to stand.

"No! Rhonda stay down, you'll pull your stitches." John hurried to her and she obediently lied back down. "Good girl, I see you're feeling better." She stuck out her tongue and gave small wiggles making John laugh. He gave her some pets before making his way to her leg, and upon removing the bandages he could see that her wound was looking great. The stitches were holding and the area was beginning to turn red and starting to swell. That was good, that meant it was in the process of healing, he still had to keep an eye out for an infection but it looked like Rhonda was going to be alright.

"I know I've said that I love surprises, but can you not pull this one again in the future?" She gave a rumble and smiled, "I hope that's a yes. Alright you're all good, I'm going to find some food and check the traps, call if you need me."

John grabbed his machete and made his way towards the nearest trap. He had picked this spot because it was near berry bushes that had obvious tracks passing through. He didn't know how many or what kind of critter(s), but by being near a food source there was a high chance that he was going to catch something.

John yawned, a wave of drowsiness hitting him hard. He probably should've tried to sleep last night regardless of how uneasy he felt. He had gained a peace of mind watching over Rhonda though, but now it was bitting him. But these traps weren't going to check themselves, and all else fails they have berries. John just needed to check the traps, feed Rhonda, then eat something before he can sleep.

Maybe he needed to listen to Bruce more... nah.

John looked around and tried to remember where he left the trap, he knew it was near... something that... not now.

The machete fell to the ground and John put a hand to his stomach as a weird feeling suddenly overwhelmed him. He didn't know what he was staring at but he couldn't blink, couldn't look away, like his gaze was frozen. Instinctively, John tried to call out to Rhonda, forgetting she couldn't walk, but he couldn't get a word out. So John felt behind himself and was grateful for the mushroom stem that he was able to slide down.

He wanted to blink, to move, he wanted Rhonda, to sleep, he wanted his brothers.

It had felt like seconds to John but, by the dryness of his eyes when he was able to blink, he knew that he had spaced out for awhile. John pulled up his knees and rubbed his eyes to try to ease a bit of the pain. He hated it when he had the staring seizures, his eyes always hurt and he usually got a headache after.

"Stupid eyes." John mumbled, but he didn't hear Rhonda respond. He looked around to see that she wasn't there, and he was essentially in the middle of nowhere. An assortment of plants that he knew did not grow near Vacay Island surrounded him, along with an unusually quiet atmosphere. John tried to wrack his brain but he had no idea where he was or how he got here.

He tried not to freak out as he stood, yet John took a shaky breath and shouted, "Rhonda!" A couple seconds passed and he heard her call back, not too far from where he was, which immediately relaxed him, "Stay there girl, I'm coming!"

John spotted his machete and picked it up, beginning to wonder what it was that he was doing here. He felt like there was a purpose but he wasn't sure, it wasn't berry picking because he had no basket, so maybe he was scouting, or hunting? But it just all felt wrong, like he was being watched, the eerie quiet and minimal noises that surrounded him was just abnormal. A forest was not supposed to act this way.

Rhonda, get Rhonda.

"Rhonda!" he heard her call and began to run, "I'll be there, hang on!"

John soon began to see a small clearing where he knew Rhonda was, but his foot got snagged on something and he fell. Falling face first into the ground with a headache was the last thing he wanted to do. He was not in the mood for this, he just had a seizure, was confused, and his nerves were shot from exhaustion. So John sat up and glared at what had tripped him, gripping his machete for the chance to destroy it. But the glare disappeared as he realized that it was a hole.

"Aroo?"

"I'm fine girl, just fell." John sighed and stood, he was going to turn away but something nagged at him. John looked at the hole again, realizing that it was more than that. It was oval in shape, practically the size of his body, hair included, and with the way it was formed it didn't look like something mother nature had made herself.

John started to grab the small plants that had grown in it, tearing them out the best he could so he could better see this "hole". It dipped inward, enough to be noticeable but not enough to be considered a drop. The edge was solid, showing that this "hole" had been here for some time. There was no way something this smooth was created by an animal, this almost looked like... no!

John looked at the oval shape, noticed the one uneven side, and ran in the opposite direction. He didn't have to go far, there was another one, this one slightly bigger than the other. John ran and found another, and another, each bigger than the last, but then he stopped at the biggest one, and it was twice the size of Rhonda. John wanted to deny it, but as he slowly walked to the clearing where Rhonda lied and studied the area, he just couldn't.

These weren't holes, they were toe prints, part of the footprint that they were settled in.

John felt like he was going to throw up, there was only one creature he knew that made footprints this big. He had seen the prints before as he listened to the moans and grumbles throughout the streets. The very creatures that took their Mom, maybe his brothers.

Bruce and Floyd are safe, but Rhonda... oh no we need to go!

"Ok, everything's alright girl, I know that I told you to rest but we need... to..." John caught sight of the plastic piece that he had been clearing, the weeds on top of it blowing in the wind. That's right, he had been clearing that so no one else got hurt, but why was it there? What was it?

"Hang on." Now distracted, John made his way towards the very reason that they had stopped. Something this big couldn't have been made by someone as small as him, it had to be a Bergan, so what was it? Where exactly were they?

John faced the sign and could make out faded green letters, so he climbed up and looked for the main vines, once spotted he cut them and held on as he slid down. John tumbled as the sign was cleared, but he didn't care, he just looked at what the sign read and felt his stomach drop.

Bergan Mini Golf Course (Fun This Way)

No, not again.

Run, you need to run!

John grabbed his machete and ran to Rhonda as fast as he could, unable to think of anything but getting somewhere safe.

They'll grab us if we don't hide.

"Come on Rhonda we need to go! Let's go, uh... this way, come on." John helped Rhonda stand and acted as her crutch so she didn't have to put weight on her leg. She was heavy and it was slow going, but they couldn’t stay.

We're almost there, keep going!

John opted to go right, it looked the least dense and easiest for Rhonda to go through. Hopefully they'll be able to find some shelter to–

THUD!

He fell from the sudden vibrations, Rhonda following suit. She gave a cry of pain at landing on her leg but John was frozen with fear. That... that felt just like...

They're coming, hurry!

"C-come on, let... let's go." John realized that his breathing had picked up and it was hard to get words out. Nevertheless he tried again to get Rhonda up but she shook him off and cooed, looking at him concerned.

THUD!

"Rhon-a... come..." she gave a low rumble and still looked at him as if she wanted to take care of him, but she couldn't, he had to.

I'm right here, it's ok.

THUD!

John shook as he gripped his machete and tried to figure out where it was. It felt like it was everywhere, like he was surrounded. But he had to do something, he promised he'd protect her.

THUD!

Johnny...

He could barely breath.

THUD!

We can make it, I need you to be strong.

John fell to his hands and knees trying to breath.

Wake up baby...

THUD!

She needed him, he had to protect her.

Keep going, I'm right behind you!

He couldn’t fail again.

I'm here Johnny, you're going to be alright baby.

John's vision swam, and before his world turned black, he swore he saw a familiar pink eyes with blue hair.

Chapter Text

He had a headache, the kind you get from being tired for so long that when you finally sleep your body kicks you for being stupid. Yeah, Bruce would not be happy with him right now, Floyd would even lecture him before subduing him with cuddles so he'd have no choice but to rest. Just as long as he was spared from Brandy, she was truly the scary one when she wanted to be.

John sat up and stretched, feeling as if he'd been asleep for a long time, but as he opened his eyes he realized that he wasn't inside Rhonda, not even near her. He was in a nest of blankets that was just as comfortable as the nests him and his brothers would make when they were little. What threw him off the most though was the building he was in, it was big, colorful, and more spacious than what he was comfortable with. John didn't know why, but the interior reminded him of how a troll would decorate their pod, and it was unnerving. He needed to find Rhonda.

So John climbed out of the nest and quickly ran towards the exit, not knowing what awaited him. He was so focused on figuring out which way to go that he failed to notice a shadow moving nearby.

"Aroo!" He was aware enough to hear that, and to his shock Rhonda was resting beside the building, wiggling happily.

"There you are." John felt himself relax as he hugged her. "You had me worried girl, how's the leg?" She smiled and stuck out her leg to show him, and to John's surprise the bandages had been changed, someone had helped her.

"Who in the–"

"You're awake!" John certainly did not scream in surprise, no, it was a... an imitation of Floyd... and he nailed it.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, we were worried and have been waiting for you to wake up." This troll looked familiar, and John recognized her pink eyes and blue hair that he embarrassingly thought was someone else. But now that he was looking it was obvious that she was a stranger, her eyes were more of a magenta color, and while her hair was blue it was much darker and wavy, he should've known better.

"Um, others?" He'd think on it later, right now he needed answers.

"Yeah, you see we found you– oh! Calder, do you mind telling Viva that our guest is awake?" John looked to see a troll that was walking by look at him in surprise before happily confirming her request and leaving.

"Uh..."

"Oh you're going to love it here!" John balked at this statement.

"I'm gonna what?"

"There's so much to do and it's such a safe place, but if you don't like staying inside the walls then that's ok, you can be a scout."

"Now hold on–"

"That's what I am, and I get to help collect food and look out for any bad critters or you know what so it's an important job you know."

"You need to stop."

"But you can take your time finding what you want to do, even your cute critter can help out once she heals. We weren't exactly sure what critter she was but–"

"Stop, please!" She stopped talking, and John saw the realization cross her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was a lot."

"Yeah, a bit." John couldn't be mad at her though, she seemed young, maybe early twenties?

"Um, can we start over? I'm Misty." Feeling relief that things were calming down, John shook her hand.

"I'm John Dory, but I mostly go by John." She smiled happily and then turned when they heard hurried footsteps. Running towards them was a troll with pink skin and wavy yellow hair. John deduced that this was Viva, more than likely their leader, so he was ready to start getting some answers.

"Oh my gosh! It is so fantastamazing to see you!" However, he was not ready to be picked up in a hug and spun around dizzy, she was strong he'd give her that. "My name is Viva so if you need anything, want anything, you just let me know–"

She kept talking, and John wondered how these two came to the conclusion that he was going to stay. They never asked him if he had a home, a family, they just assumed that he was like a lost child in need of shelter. Last he checked he was an adult who could take care of himself.

"Oh! Are you hungry? Thirsty? We can get you something real–"

"I want answers please!" Both Viva and Misty looked at him surprised, he didn't mean to raise his voice but this has just been a lot, "I'm sorry, but I don't know where I am and the last thing I remember was being outside and in danger... I couldn't breathe."

"Hey now, don't be scared, you're in the safest place you can be." Viva had comforted him before gesturing around them, and John took in his surroundings for the first time. It was a golf course, a giant mini golf course, with colorful lights that gave it a magical atmosphere, and it looked amazing.

Bergen Mini Golf Course (fun this way)

The sign... that's what this was, an abandoned mini golf course left behind by the Bergen's turned into a refuge for trolls. John could see them, trolls moving about doing tasks while some had noticed him and began to stare, curious and happy to see him awake. Did they all want him to stay? He couldn’t, this wasn't where he belonged.

Answers, let Rhonda heal, determine if future contact is possible, leave.

"Then what was– why did I..." John didn't know what he was asking, didn't know where to begin, but the two girls just smiled in understanding.

Misty touched his arm and gave him a squeeze, "You got so scared out there that you had a panic attack."

John just stared, "A what?" Both females looked at each other before Viva explained.

"You know, an overwhelming feeling of dread and anxiety that spikes your heart beat, it's kinda common around here. You just happened to pass out before Misty or someone from her team could try to calm you down."

John tried to process this. He swore that he's heard of a panic attack before but... it was terrifying, he thought he failed Rhonda, he thought he was going to die. But of course he's never had one before, he's lived on an island vacation getaway for over ten years now. He didn't have a lot of worries because his family was there to help him through them. Even when thinking about his biggest fear, aside from needles, he was fine, because he knew that the Bergen's weren't going to find them. But it had felt so different right then and there, for the first time in eighteen years he felt the same fear he did when he was a teenager trying to hide and survive with his brothers.

He didn't want to think about that anymore.

"I was in danger."

"Oh, you weren't in any danger." Misty reassured him.

"But the ground was shaking, we were in a Bergen footprint and..." he heard screams and scurrying feet, even Misty covered her ears.

"Yeah we try not to say that word around here, it's ok, you didn't know." Viva looped her arm with his, "Come on, we'll explain on the way, Misty?"

"So John Dory, like I mentioned before I'm a scout and I was out with my team gathering supplies. It was a normal run when we heard noises from a big critter and it turned out to be your friend."

"Her name's Rhonda." Her face lit up in aww.

"A scouts job is to gather supplies and look out for any potential danger." Viva took over, "We have a defense system that we use to scare off big predators if they have been spotted or are too close to our base."

"Come on, take a look!" Misty ran ahead to a ladder that went up the wall and to a platform that gave you a view as to what's outside. John followed behind them, wondering how they had this much energy, and he was made aware of his age for the first time once he reached the top. He wasn't out of breath but he for sure wasn't looking forward to climbing down.

"Ok, come here." Viva held a pair of binoculars and gestured him over, curious John followed. "Alright, you see that group of trees with that boulder?" He nodded, "Look at the boulder." Viva then passed the binoculars to him. John was confused but accepted them and went along with it. He didn't know what to expect, but seeing rope tied and knotted around the boulder and leading into the trees was not it.

"What is that?" John pulled away and Misty jumped in to excitedly explain.

"It's a pully system! We managed to rig this boulder so that whenever a threat is spotted we can just lift it up and drop it, creating the illusion that something bigger is near to scare them off. Of course it needs regular maintenance and is checked up on often but it is very effective and is our greatest defense!"

John was honestly impressed, that was genius, and it would explain why the forest was so quiet. He just wished that he hadn't fallen for it like so many other critters. If they were this smart in creating ways to ward off predators, maybe he could learn something from them to better protect Rhonda.

"That's very smart."

"I know! Mister genius always comes up with the best ideas, if you like that then he's got loads more we can show you, he loves sharing his ideas." John couldn't help but be amused by Misty's fascination with this guy.

"I'd love to learn more but–"

"Great! But first why don’t we get something to eat. I'm thinking fries. And. Shakes. To. Celebrate!" Viva then slid down the ladder and started ordering people to bring out food.

"Come on John Dory!" Misty then copied her and John was left alone. He considered following suit but ultimately sighed and climbed down, knowing full well how it would've turned out if he tried.

He still had a lot of questions, but since it was obvious that him and Rhonda were safe here then he could wait on those. They were going to be here for awhile anyway since Rhonda needed to heal, maybe another week, so he could use that time getting answers, maybe talk about Vacay Island if they're up for it. But John had a feeling, with how many precautions they've taken to protect their home, it didn't seem likely. He wouldn't mind just coming to visit though, there were other reclusive groups that he's run into that like their simple life. He usually stops by to talk to them about outside life and they see it as an amusing travelers tale.

But until he gets a definite answer he'll wait, just because people appear nice doesn't mean that they are.

"Here you go John Dory!" John looked up from where he sat and saw Misty gesturing at the fries that a couple trolls had dropped for him.

"Uh, thank you." He ate one and melted, it reminded him of the fries back at the restaurant, soft, a bit crispy, light on the seasoning, and warm as if they just got out of the fryer. Bruce would be proud of these, all he needed was a burger and the meal would be perfect.

"Do you like it?"

"They're very good." John took another bite but realized that Misty was still there, staring, "Yes?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that this golf course once belonged to them but they left behind a lot, recipes included. They were pretty clueless on seasoning though cause that was the only thing that needed fixing, but what they failed at we perfected. We just keep learning and keep surviving and you know what that's like right?" She became quiet and looked away, "I bet you could even teach us a few things, like how to survive out there."

John didn't know what to make of that. Viva claimed that this was the safest place to be, but it felt as though Misty was saying otherwise. He truly didn't know what to say, he just got here, the last thing he needed to do was overstep boundaries by disrupting their way of life. Misty clearly wanted some kind of life advice or survival tip, but for what was the question.

"Misty!" She jumped at hearing Viva, who was standing not too far, "John's had a big day, why don’t you let him eat ok?" She smiled bashfully before spouting an apology and running off.

John was honestly grateful for that. Misty was a good kid but he was still processing things, still questioning things. He'll explore and talk to people tomorrow, right now he felt exhausted.

"Are you alright John?" Viva had approached looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." She smiled at that.

"It's ok if you want to turn in, I can imagine it's been a lot, we're just happy that you're alright. Rhonda hasn't moved so she's waiting for you."

That reminded him, "Thank you for taking care of her."

"Oh it wasn't a problem, she's such a cutie I wouldn't be surprised if someone was giving her affection now. She kept purring so much we were afraid she would wake you if we let you rest in her." That explained why he woke up in a building, "Anyway, I need to check up on some things, I'll talk to you tomorrow ok?"

Her gaze caught someone and she quickly ran off to talk to them, but John just sat there feeling like he could finally relax. He was grateful for the hospitality but the immediate warm welcome was unnerving. No one should be that trusting of bringing in strangers to their fortified home, even if they were the same species. No questions were asked, no probing into his life, just acceptance as if he'd always been here.

They also adored Rhonda, and John understood she was adorable without trying, but a part of him worried that they would try to take her from him. Rhonda would never attach herself to someone else though, he knew that with certainty, and it brought him comfort knowing that he was her person. But that didn't mean that they might keep them apart simply because they wanted her.

This was worse case scenario running through his head, he needed to come up with a plan before something happens, if it happens. John didn't know the motives of these people, just that they wanted him to stay, but what would they do when he told them that him and Rhonda needed to go home? He'd bring that up when Rhonda can walk again just in case things went south, but he'd have to come up with a plan and soon.

He had two weeks of medicine, two weeks to understand these people, learn the layout, find the exits, have Rhonda heal, decide whether or not returing is safe and if informing their departure is worth it, and go home to face his family. Hair he missed them, they were going to be so worried, they've never been this late before. But he could deal with it, one problem at a time.

John ate the last of his fry before grabbing a couple to take with him, he didn't know when Rhonda last ate but he was sure she'd like it anyway. John felt relief when he saw her resting, recieving pets and affection from a some trolls who just couldn't resist. But he noticed that Rhonda was soaking it all in, purring and leaning into the touches as if she had been neglected from love. Traitor.

John cleared his throat, making the trolls jump, "Thank you for keeping her company, but we should turn in for the night." He recieved a mixture of apologies, thanks, and compliments towards Rhonda that he barely listened to, his focus was on the one who was smiling and wiggling happily at him.

"You are not touch deprived, I wasn't even gone that long." She stopped her wiggles and stared, "I don't care if you enjoyed all the attention, the least you could've done was remain loyal." She shuffled towards him to give a nudge, cooing when he lightly scratched her cheek, "Oh, now you recognize who your favorite is?"

She closed her eyes and relaxed, perfectly content, and John couldn't even pretend to be hurt anymore. He smiled and offered her the fries, happy when she began to eat. He was just going to check her wound once more before turning in when something caught his eye. It was a blur, had passed in his peripheral so fast he almost missed it, but he definitely saw the door to the building he had slept in close.

John, now curious, went to the door and knocked... no answer, so he tried to open it... it was locked. Did this home belong to someone who had lent it to him until he woke up? Were they shy around new people? John glanced at the window and saw messy green hair quickly retreat.

John cleared his throat, "If this is your home then thank you for letting me stay until I woke up. I promise Rhonda and I won't cause any trouble, I'll leave you alone but feel free to talk if you want."

He then turned away from the house, faintly seeing green hair retreat once more, and made his way inside Rhonda. He was tired, but there was so much on his mind; Rhonda's health, the history of this golf course, his brothers, the fact that he had a freaking panic attack, and those words that he had long forgotten.

Keep going, I'm right behind you!

Out of everything, why did he have to remember that.

Chapter Text

I'm sorry for dropping this story like I did, but I didn't forget it. My cat was sick with cancer and I was trying to make him comfortable while preparing for my brother's wedding at the same time. About a week after my brother got married my cat passed away and it kinda hit me hard. He was twelve years old and I raised him from a kitten, so even though I was ready to let him go, I had no idea what the emotions were going to be like. Some people will say that "it's just a pet" but there's a point when that pet becomes family.

I am doing much better now and have a couple drafts in the works, but I don't know when they'll get done. My life is getting kinda busy so updates may not be so frequent. I am going through some lifestyle changes and just figuring some things out, and it's taking longer than I thought. I just want you to know that this story isn't forgotten and I appreciate everyone who shows my work just a little bit of love.

Chapter Text

It happened so long ago that he had forgotten. Memories of life at the tree were usually foggy or just small recollections that he didn't think back on too often. Some were unpleasant, some were about his brothers that just made him miss them more. So he focused on life with Rhonda, making new memories that he could smile back on. But that just made him forget an important memory about their Mom.

John Dory was fifteen years old, and the day before Trollstice is when it happened.

Flashback 

The day before Trollstice everyone knew to take precautions and stay indoors, it was best not to be spotted and targeted for the upcoming day. Not that it would change the fact that lives would be taken, but it was time spent preparing for the worst and making plans on how to protect the young ones. They were rarely taken, but it was tragic for everyone when it happened, which is why it was taken so seriously to protect them.

So even though Bluebell had issues with her Mother, problems from years ago, it was all pushed aside so her and her sons could hide together. If something were to happen to her then she knew that her boys would be taken care of. Their family was big and was about to get bigger, which worried her greatly, especially since her oldest was starting to look less and less like a child everyday.

John Dory didn't act like a child anymore, except when playing with his brothers, and there was a good chance that the Bergen's have seen his maturity. Which is why Bluebell was against him accompanying her outside the pod. Floyd had been sick recently and needed his medicine, so she wanted to grab it for him so he could rest. But John Dory insisted on going with her.

"You can't be alone, what are you going to do if you need help?" He'd been worried about her, she was carrying an egg and had been getting tired and sick a lot unlike with the others. She said it'd be her last one.

"I promise I'll be quick baby." She was going to caress his cheek but he grabbed her hand before she could.

"Then this should be a piece of cake." He then walked past her towards the door and waited with his arms crossed. Bluebell couldn't help but smile at his stubbornness, while it was endearing now she hoped it wouldn't be a problem when he got older.

"Be careful, ok." Bluebell looked at Clay, her sweet, lively child that always made her smile.

"We'll watch over each other, I promise." He hugged her, and she ran her fingers through his unkept hair.

"Come back?" She spotted Spruce watching from outside of their room. He had just managed to calm down Floyd after she had hugged him bye. He didn't want her to go and had went hysteric when she was adamant about it. It broke her heart to see him cry but she had to take care of her boys. Bluebell held out an arm for Spruce and he joined the hug, and just holding them sent a wave of calmness through her.

"We'll come back safe, I promise baby."

John stood outside the pod and kept watch while his Mom got the medicine. In the span of ten minutes, there were only four trolls that he's spotted running around, and within a couple hours everyone will be settled. It was a risk now to be out with the increase of Bergen's watching on the streets. It made John anxious, how quiet the tree was, no singing, no parties, just the feeling of being watched and waiting for something to appear. It wasn't safe, they needed to hide, how long did it take to grab medicine?

"Mom, did you get it?" He tried not to talk too loud when he called inside.

"Yes Johnny, can you come here." Her voice shook, so John quickly came in to find her sitting on the couch with her hands in her hair.

"Mom?" But she just took a deep breath and removed the egg from her hair, the egg that had been attached for months now. John had never seen an egg detach before, he wondered why his Mom wanted him to see this.

"Looks like we have something to smile about, hmm?" The egg was pretty, light blue hues fading into dark blue, like a summer sky transitioning into night. But the tuft of hair was just like their Mom's.

"It's like you." Was the first thing he thought of.

"You all are, in your own special way." John sat beside her and lightly touched the baby's hair, mesmerized at how easily it held onto his finger.

"They're going to hatch soon, will they be ok?" Bluebell smiled at the genuine concern in her eldest eyes. She swore that his life revolved around his brothers, and it warmed her heart to see how much he loved them.

"You're an amazing big brother John Dory, of course they will with you watching over them." He smiled at the praise and gently removed his finger from the baby's hair. Bluebell then stood, ready to go, but she was tired and wavered slightly as she put the egg in her hair. John was there, hands ready in case she became too unsteady on her feet.

"Are you ok?" Bluebell didn't like how much her son worried but didn't blame him the slightest, everyone was on edge the day before Trollstice.

"I'll be fine, now let's get back to Grandma's, we don't want to keep your brothers waiting." John was first out the door, wanting to make sure it was clear. Bluebell followed her son down the branch but was more tired than she thought and tripped over her own foot. She didn't fall though, John caught her with a smile.

"See, I knew you needed me."

"I won't underestimate you next time, I only hope that you'll put this much effort into protecting your brothers."

"Don't worry Mom I'll keep them safe, I promise." She was going to speak but a quick glance over his shoulder had her pushing him against the tree. She held a hand over his mouth and shushed him while using her hair to camouflage them. John couldn't see it but he felt it, their stomps accompanied with their groans.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

They were taking early. They rarely did this unless they planned on preparing a big meal that took longer to make. The Bergen Queen had passed a couple months ago, they probably wanted to celebrate her.

"They're coming, hurry!" Hearing the urgency in her voice, John didn't hesitate to follow her up the tree. They had just reached the next branch when the screams began. John looked down and was surprised to see nearly twenty trolls coming out of hiding and rushing for the tree. He had no idea they were there, he swore he only saw four but why were there so many taking such a big risk?

"John!" He felt himself being yanked up by the arm, his mom looking at him with a face full of seriousness that he had never seen before, "Run, you need to run!"

The gate to the cage creeked open and John shook as he saw five Bergen's enter. He had never been this far from Grandma's pod when they came. He was always scared of the Bergen's finding his family and taking them, especially his little brothers. They were too close, too big, too–

"Johnny, look at me baby." Warm, soft hands were on his face and he was seeing his mom. Bluebell stroked his cheeks with her thumbs and hummed a lullaby, tuning out the danger that was closing in, "I'm right here, it's ok."

"We're gonna make it." John said, not sure if he was asking or making a statement.

"We can make it, I need you to be strong." She smiled with confidence as she pulled him up so they could continue to climb. It helped him believe her, and for good measure he continued to hum the lullaby, about a peaceful sleep and sailing away your worries. Yes, they could make it, they just had to stay focused on getting back to Grandma's.

A shrilling scream pierced the air and John paused to look down, "We can't stop John!" He quickly tore aware from what little he saw, "We're almost there, keep going!"

John could see it, Grandma's pod, just a few branches away. It was higher, safer, and less likely to be damaged during Trollstice. Trolls preferred lower pods because it was safer for trollings who were still learning to control their hair. They had high endurance to falls but they were still prone to injuries if not careful. It was instinctual to build a pod on a low hanging branch for the trolling, their safety was priority. But considering Trollstice was once a year, sacrifices were made just so they could live.

There were more screams but John ignored them this time. He could hear the cries for help, the desperate pleas, could practically see the smiles as the Bergen's grabbed frantic trolls trying to make it back to their families. But he couldn't stop to help them, he had to focus on making sure Mom and the egg got back to Grandma's safe.

But then the tree shook and Mom lost her grip. John saw it, the Bergen's pounding their fists against the trunk of the tree as he grabbed her hand. Her weight though, caused him to let go, but the branch below was not far so they landed unharmed.

"Mom?" But she was already helping him up.

"They'll grab us if we don't hide."

"We can make it to Grandma's–"

"There's a safer option." She pointed a couple branches away to a hole in the tree, big enough for them to squeeze through. "It's closer than Grandma's pod, we can't waste time."

She wasn't wrong, with how much the Bergen's were shaking the tree to try to get trolls to come to them, it'd be harder going up than down. Besides, Mom hadn't used her hair properly in months because it was incubating an egg, latching onto branches was something she would need a few days to practice on. As much as John wanted to make sure that his brothers were safe, he knew that Grandma would stay with them and keep them calm until this was over.

"Let's go." John grabbed her hand and they jumped to a branch below. They landed just fine but had to steady themselves from the vibrations. All they had to do was swing to the next branch then they could run for their hiding spot. So John tightened his grasp on his Mom's hand before stretching his hair to the above branch, then with an encouraging nod they jumped.

Maybe it was because John was so focused on making sure that his Mom's hand never left his, or that he was doing everything he could to dismiss the cries below, but maybe that's why he screwed up. Whether he overshot it or slipped he didn't know, he just knew that his Mom was safe when they landed and he found himself falling.

He heard her cry for him but he couldn't respond, his eyes locked onto a Bergen who stood below, eyes lighting up with joy. John twisted and was going to use his hair to grab a branch, but he landed on one instead. His back hit the surface first followed by his limbs and head, and John couldn't do anything but gasp for air. Among the throbbing in his head and sting in his back, his breath seemed to have left him. For a moment, the world was muffled, and he could only feel the vibrations on the tree and stomps from below.

"Johnny..."

THUD! THUD! THUD!

"Wake up baby..."

He couldn't breathe. The world spun when someone sat him up but he couldn't voice how dizzy that made him. That feeling didn't last for long though, there was a hard slap to his back and the air came rushing into his lungs. He began to cough but someone held him and ran their fingers through his hair, making everything feel better.

"I'm here Johnny, you're going to be alright baby."

Mom... she sounded scared. The Bergen's. They needed to hide.

"M fine Ma." John said while pushing away from her.

"John..."

"We gotta go, be safe." She looked at him for a moment before helping him stand.

"Lean on me, ok." The tree shook but Bluebell paid no mind, she kept her son standing knowing that he was right when saying they had to move. She was pretty sure he had a minor concussion and knew that moving him could make it worse, but staying was certain death. She'd rather her son survive with brain injuries than abandon him to die.

It was difficult getting her hair to latch onto the branch she wanted with all the shaking, but she managed to. The hard part was lifting her son and herself up, being out of practice from incubating an egg. But just thinking about the two lives that were depending on her right now dismissed the voice telling her that she was going to fail.

Bluebell was happy to see that John was able to pull himself up the branch when she gave him a small boost. He still seemed out of it but was lucid enough to function. She believed they would make it to the hole so they could hide, she believed that they were going to make it and be safe.

The branch violently shook before they could stand, and Bluebell paled when she saw a Bergen hand grasping it tightly. Breaking the tree, even damaging it, was frowned upon, so the fact that this Bergen was going against the rules just showed how desperate they were for more trolls.

"John go, now!" She watched him clumsily get to his feet before managing to run towards refuge. He fell a few times but got back up again, and Bluebell struggled to keep up, with the shaking and her exhaustion her sole focus was on not falling off the branch.

"Mom." John had paused to check on her, but fear spiked through Bluebell's heart in an instant.

"Keep going, I'm right behind you!" He listened and she could breathe again, but she nearly screamed when the branch broke and she felt herself falling, only to grab onto the broken edge. Bluebell gasped in shock before pulling herself up. She saw her son push himself to his hands and knees before quickly turning, nearly falling from the motion.

"Mom!" Her heart sank as she watched him stumble to his feet and try to run back to her to help. Fear filled her knowing that he was putting himself closer to danger. A grunt from below had her glancing down, the Bergen threw the branch to the side and reached up for her.

Bluebell didn't hesitate, she took the egg out of her hair and threw it, knowing that John would protect their unhatched sibling.

And John's gaze immediately went from his mother to the egg. He forced himself to stop and change direction, suddenly gaining more control of his balance as he reached for the egg. An instinct that was ingrained into every troll, to protect trollings and eggs, the most pure and delicate of the community. To ignore this trait took a lot of will power, not that there was ever a good reason to, but it was simply a golden rule to put the young first.

And as John fell on his bottom with the egg tightly held to his chest, he realized what his mother had done. But upon opening his eyes he could see that she was no longer there, no scream, no final words, just gone. Yet he sat there and waited as if she wasn't, like she just needed to pull herself up. But when a Bergen hand entered his line of sight he snapped out of it and ran to the hole.

John fell to his knees once he got inside and scooted as far from the opening as he could. It was only then while catching his breath that he was able to process the fact that his Mom was gone. He couldn't save her, he couldn't protect her, and now she was gone. His brothers... what does he tell his brothers.

John hugged the egg with one arm and covered his eyes with the other, crying as reality started to sink in. He'd never have another special outing, Spruce will never learn a new recipe, Clay will never be introduced to a new book, Floyd will never hear a new song, and the egg... the egg will miss it all. They'll never hear her voice, her laugh, feel her hugs, or have something special that only the two of them will do. They'll never hear her call them baby, her soothing lullabies, her warmth that made everything scary go away.

They will never know, because he couldn't protect her.

"I'm so sorry." John whispered to the egg, "I'm better than this, I promise."

He felt it wiggle and jerked back in surprise, but when the wiggling pursued he froze. Once detached it didn't take long for the egg to hatch, some took a half hour up to a few days. John knew that he took a day to hatch, Spruce was a day in a half, Clay was twelve hours, and Floyd was three in and a half days. This egg hatching not even an hour after detaching was strange but he didn't think it was a concern, just an early hatcher. He'd have to ask Grandma.

Grandma... he'd have to tell her that her daughter's–

The egg shook and John sat it on the ground, wiping his face to try to pull himself together. He knew he looked like a mess but he at least needed to calm down. The emotions of a newborn reflected those around them, so he needed to get it together. John had watched all his brother's hatch and knew how important a positive impression was. He was the big brother, he had to, he could.

It only took a few minutes before John saw a small blue hand push out of the shell, waving around and flexing their fingers.

"Are you ready to come out?" John was surprised when the hand stilled before grabbing the edge of the shell and breaking it, another hole with a tiny fist popping out shortly following.

John smiled, remembering how Clay was eager to leave his egg too. But much like Spruce, the baby was mostly using their fists to break the shell. They were tiny like Floyd though, a cute little face showing through with sky blue eyes that blinked up at him. Once the trolling was free, they stared up at John, and he felt himself forgetting the chaos outside of the hole.

"Hey there, I'm your big brother, John Dory." He picked up his new baby brother and melted at the toothless smile he was given. He removed any remaining shell pieces before running his fingers through the baby's hair to make sure that it wasn't tangled. Their scalp was delicate after hatching, so any knots or tangles left untreated could cause scalp sensitivity when they got older. Mom had explained that to him after Spruce had hatched.

Mom... she'll never get to meet him, never get to name him. She always had him help name his brothers, she'd pick a few suggestions and he'd decide which one should be the name. But there were no suggestions, no options, she never gave him any. With it being so close to Trollstice her attention was on preparing and staying safe, plus taking care of a sick Floyd on top of that.

John felt the baby pat his face and saw red on his brother's hand. He must've gotten a cut when he fell.

"Don't worry about that bro, believe it or not I've looked worse. You should've seen me at the glitter fiasco four years ago, I'm still finding it everywhere." He smiled and rubbed the blood off the baby's hand while taking an arm to brush against his face. It stung, and it reminded him of the throbbing in his head, how much of a migraine he had.

The baby whined, "I'm ok bro, promise, I just need some rest and I'll be better."

He had to be better.

"Now Mom always went with nature themed names, except Floyd, he was named after Grandpa. So we can think of a nature name for you yeah? There's lots of them out there but it has to be unique, Mom put thought into our names, so yours has to mean something."

He couldn't let this happen again.

The baby reached for him so John brought him to his chest and eased himself against the wall, wincing from his aches. There were still shakes and screams but John ignored it, using his baby brother as a distraction. This name was important, it had to mean something, Mom would have to approve, and...

Mom pulled him up after he fell on that branch. She held on when the Bergen broke the branch in an attempt to get them. She threw her egg so both of her sons would remain safe on that branch. The branch that led to the hole they were safely hiding in.

John looked at his baby brother who was pulling his shirt with one hand, not knowing, not understanding what all was happening.

"It's alright baby Branch, your big bro won't let anything happen to you." He promised he'd take care of his brothers, he couldn't fail, he had to be better, he had to be perfect.

End Flashback 

John wiped his eyes as he closed his journal, carelessly tossing it on the floor. With some time alone after getting some answers from Viva, he was able to think back on that memory, that voice. It helped when he wrote it down, like recalling a lost story, and this wasn't the first time that he regained a memory through some sort of event. It always made him happy to recall a lost memory, but this... he wasn't sure if he wanted to remember his mother's death.

It was overwhelming to suddenly remember this. He always shared the memories with his brothers to confirm that he got it right, but he felt sick at the thought of telling either of them.

John stood from the table and went to the counter to take his pills. He then crawled into bed and began to sing the comforting lullaby that Mom always sang. Hushabye mountain, a place of rest and peace, but even with that he had a fitfull rest. And for the next few days he tried his best to forget that memory.

Chapter Text

It's been a few days and John has learned the layout pretty well thanks to the tours that Viva and Misty had given him. What they didn’t show he had wandered on his own to find out, and other trolls were happy to answer questions about the golf course, except the exits or possible secret passages, which only confirmed his suspicions. But John knew not to push and just played it off as curiosity, he couldn't let them know that he couldn’t stay, not until Rhonda was healed.

And she was healing, she was walking actually. John would catch her getting up to move somewhere so she could better watch what was going on around her. Rhonda never went far though, knowing not to strain herself, but it was progress. Yet, there was something that he was vividly aware of...

He was being followed.

It was the same troll from before, the one that hid in the house and wouldn't answer the door, with messy green hair that keeps disappearing around the corner before John can see their face. It was annoying and unsettling, especially when he was turning in for the night and the last thing he sees before he closes Rhonda's door is that green hair retreating again. It's been becoming hard to fall asleep and get a full nights rest. What bothered him the most though was that he wasn't the only one to notice this troll.

Earlier That Day

"What's wrong?" Viva asked him after he had stopped walking and quickly turned around.

"I swear someone's been following me." Viva suddenly had a guilty look as if she had been caught in something. Her smile became strained as she looked around for something.

"Weeeell I didn't know that, heh, I'm sure it's nothing but why don’t we just– Misty!" John saw the poor girl jump and nearly drop her bag. He would've complained about his wounded ears but found himself being pushed towards the younger troll.

"Hey girl, why don’t you have John help you fix the windmill yeah?" She looked at Viva confused.

"But I don't need–"

"Perfect! Alright, I'll catch up with you later have fun!" And in a blink she was gone.

Present Time

This was how John found himself assisting Misty by handing her four nails. A step needed to be replaced, one plank of wood, and it took no time getting the old piece off and placing the new one on. It was so redundant, but John didn’t want to argue and start something he shouldn't get into.

But knowing that he wasn't going crazy was a comfort, it was knowing that Viva knew was what disturbed him. Was this a test? Was she having someone watch him to make sure that he stayed in line or didn't escape? Or was he being paranoid and this was just a very curious and shy troll? He just hoped that now that he pointed it out to her that it'd finally stop.

"Do you want a sandwich? I packed extra." Misty held one out to John and he took it.

"You're a life saver, I'm starving from all this hard work." She laughed, and they sat on the new step to enjoy their lunch. "I didn't know there was troll size food here."

"There is, but it's like something you make yourself inbetween meals. Big food is made for the designated times to eat, it's more convenient to make fewer, larger portions of food for everyone to share. Plus it's fun."

John didn't know if it was convenient but eating giant fries did make meals more enjoyable. He didn't know how long they've been settled here, but if giant meals comforted them from their daily fears then John saw no harm in that. He's gotten to know more about their system and realized that while a handful of things didn't make sense or felt out of place, it worked. Everyone functioned as a united community, they respected their system and in turn each other. But John could tell that there was more behind their story.

"Misty."

"Hmm?" John wasn't sure if she would have a problem telling him.

"How did your people end up here?" She gave a shrug.

"It happened after the great escape." That made John pause, and he began to get an idea of what kind of escape she was talking about.

"Can you explain?" She briefly glanced at him confused before nodding in understanding.

"Yeah, a lot of people don't like to talk about it. Apparently, we used to live in this tree that was caged by them, they didn’t know how to be happy and for some reason thought that eating us gave them that happiness. So they made a holiday out of it..."

John listened with his heart pounding. He had his suspicions but to hear it confirmed just swept him with a wave of emotions. His village made it out alive, they escaped, and his little brother's could be here. Years of searching and finally he had them!

"Unfortunately we got separated when the tunnels collapsed, but thanks to Viva we managed to escape. We found this golf course and made it ours."

Separated?

John paused, "What do you mean you were separated, you're saying that the rest of our people are out there somewhere?"

Misty shrugged, "That's what everyone tells me– wait, you escaped too?"

"I uh, I left long before that. I had no idea what had happened to everyone." She placed her sandwich down and looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you more, that's all I know."

"All you know, or all you want to say?" John knew his words were mean, but he was desperate for answers and didn't even think about Misty or her trauma in the moment. He regretted speaking them and instantly went to apologize.

"Eighteen years." She spoke with a blank face, "We escaped eighteen years ago." John realized that they'd left not long after him, if only he had waited, "Do you know how old I am?" She waited for a response.

"Early twenties?" It's what John had originally thought, she did look young and had energy, but she was also mature like most adult trolls that he's met.

"I'm eighteen John Dory, I was an egg during the escape." And that was a surprise, "That's why I was so happy to meet you. I thought that since you have traveled places and been safe this whole time, maybe you could change Viva's mind."

"What do you mean change her mind?" She got an irritated look and glanced down at her hands.

"She believes that leaving the golf course is dangerous, that they are not far and just waiting for us to make a mistake. Only scouts are allowed to leave the walls, but there's a perimeter that we don't cross so that we're still close to base, can be safe."

"You want to leave."

"I want to explore, find the other trolls, maybe my family. But Viva..."

"You're loyal to her, and that's ok." He felt that he could trust her, "I was going to talk to Viva anyway, I can't stay here, I have a family waiting for me. Rhonda and I were supposed to be home about a week ago so you can imagine how worried they are."

She stared at him for a minute before picking up her sandwich, "Well, I hope you can convince Viva then, cause your family may have to wait a while for you."

John felt dread at hearing those words. So much was going to go wrong if he didn't leave within a week. He'll be out of his medicine, his seizures will start up again, and he won't be able to protect Rhonda. They would truly be stuck here.

But his brothers, they would be devastated at his disappearance, search for him in fear that something bad had happened. Neither of them were as skilled to survive in the wilderness, for a week yes, but they'd need more than basic skill to find him here. Even if they did then what was the plan? They'd be just as stuck as him, and then Brandy... hair, her and the kids would be broken.

No, he had to think of something.

"John Dory?" Misty snapped her fingers at him concerned, "You zoned out, are you ok?"

"Yeah, just got lost in thought." He turned away from her and took a bite of his sandwich. If Viva thought that leaving was dangerous, then John had to come up with a very good reason as to why leaving left no room for argument. Saying he had a family might not be enough, he'd try it, but he needed a more persuasive response.

John rolled his neck to relieve some tension that he was starting to feel when something caught his eye. There in his peripheral, was the lime green haired troll that refused to confront him. The reason why he felt on edge and struggled to sleep, another problem on his list that'd been slowly growing ever since he got here.

His eye twitched.

"Woah!" Misty shouted as John suddenly began to run, elicting a surprise squeak from the mystery troll. They tripped in their haste to get away but quickly found their footing and ran.

John was done letting this guy get away with stalking him. He may not be the fastest troll but he was going to make a point that he was not putting up with this anymore. This lanky, frizz-headed troll owed him some answers and John was not going to let him go this time.

He looked scrawny. 

This troll was thin but not concerningly so, and clearly took care of themselves minus the hair. A knitted romper with wristbands... wristbands that felt familiar to John. The way he ran, the way his hair curled from not being brushed, it was almost like...

Flashback 

"Come on Clay, this won't take long." John stood with a hand on his hip, hairbrush held in the other, trying to coax his younger brother out of the closet.

"No!" Clay stubbornly yelled.

"Clay, you've been playing all day and didn't brush your hair this morning, we need to take care of it." John tried to convince him.

"No, it hurts!" He gave a heavy sigh.

"It only hurts because you never brush your hair, see how that works?" He got a whimper in response and John tried to think of something when his eyes landed on the book Clay left on his bed.

"Why don't you read to me while I brush your hair then? Any book you want, I'll be gentle and we can go at your pace, ok?" There was a beat of silence as John waited, but after a minute the door creaked open.

"You promise?" He smiled at Clay's timid expression. His brother had gained a slight scalp sensitivity a couple years ago when he was in preschool. He got glue in his hair during arts and crafts and the teacher wasn't as mindful as she should've been when brushing it out.

"Absolutely." John held out a hand and practically glowed when his brother took it. Clay ended up picking a book about a boy who really wanted a couple Tracker Bugs so that he could hunt for sport. He trained them, took care of them, and the bugs had such a strong bond that when one passed the other shortly followed. Where the boy had buried them a beautiful fern had grown, a sad, but truly amazing story.

John was done with Clay's hair before they got halfway through the story, but with how content his little brother was he let him finish. And no, John did not cry, Clay was just seeing things.

Flashback End 

A spark of hope ignited in John and he pushed himself to run faster. His heart was telling him that this was Clay, just like it did when he first saw Floyd on Vacay Island. John had spent years searching for his brothers, so if this was Clay then he was not letting him go again.

"Clay!" He flinched and ducked his head, "Clay, stop, please!" But he didn't, and John took that as his cue to end this.

John stopped running and quickly whipped his hair towards the troll, wrapping it around his waist, and giving a good yank. The troll fell onto his back and coughed, gasping for air from pushing himself so hard. John knew that he wasn't going to be able to run for a bit, but he rushed towards him anyway. He had to know, had to be right, this had to be him.

Tears fell as John saw his little brother alive, sneaking and hiding from him yes, but breathing, safe, and healthy. Clay sat up and moved back, looking as if he was going to get up, but John quickly knelt in front of him and held his shoulders. To keep him grounded, to keep him here.

"Clay, it's alright, talk to me." He didn't look as happy to see John as he was to see him, just annoyed, wait was this about... yes, Bruce was like that on day one, "You're still mad at me, it's ok, I made a lot of mistakes. I hurt you and you need time to forgive me, that's ok." For some reason, Clay's face just hardened.

"You can be mad all you want, we can talk things through, I'll tell you everything I can just... believe me Clay things are different now. Trust me ok?" But Clay just leaned back and gave a slight shrug, removing John's hands.

"Are you done?" The lack of emotion was a punch in the gut, and John had to wonder just what all he did to mess up with this brother.

"Clay..." but he was already pushing himself to stand.

"Sorry for following you, just never thought that you would end up here, it took me by surprise." He casually brushed himself off and John quickly stood with a sinking feeling.

"If I had known it was you I would've reacted differently." Clay turned to walk away, "You told Viva not to say anything didn't you, our walks, she was keeping me away from you to avoid this." It wasn't a question, and when Clay froze and played with his wristband, a nervous habit he's had since he was a kid, John knew that he was right.

"Don't drag her into this, she was doing me a favor."

"So, you had no intentions on saying anything to me at all?"

"I figured you'd have left by now!"

"Rhonda is hurt, I can't leave without her!"

"But you can leave your brothers behind without a second thought!" John felt the air leave his lungs, "You could ignore our discomfort and pain and push us through the day because of goals that you wanted to accomplish! You could turn your back on our cries for help, for a change, but you didn't and instead forced us to be something that you wanted!"

John often forgot how horrible of a brother he was. Both Bruce and Floyd had accepted him back and forgave him pretty quick realizing, and knowing, that things were different. He did have that underlying fear that they would hate him for some time and give him the cold shoulder for a long while. But to outright despise him, to show this disdain at just being near him, to quickly throw his past mistakes in his face as if they were recent events, this was something else. John felt like there was this wound deep inside that was being torn open with every sharp word that Clay was throwing at him.

And it hurt. As deserving as it was John felt a familiar irritation from when he was younger, when fights were common, when his brother's just wouldn't listen or didn't understand. And instead of being able to talk things through they vented their frustrations at each other loudly.

"You know what Clay?" He was the oldest, he was the leader, it was his job to fix mistakes, "I was a dumb kid who made dumb mistakes, I know that. I don't know why I was obsessed with the perfect family harmony, why I pushed you guys into being something you weren't, but I wish that I did. However, it has been eighteen years since we've last seen each other, can you really look me in the eye and tell me that a person can't change after all that time?"

John didn't yell, he only raised his voice to emphasize his irritation. He truly didn't want to fight, although Clay clearly did, but he knew that he had to fight back some if he was going to get his brother to listen to him.

It was only five seconds when Clay made eye contact.

"A person can change in eighteen years, but that doesn't mean that they're forgiven... or wanted."

John had a look of devastation that made Clay pause, but he soon turned away looking uncomfortable. John just watched him leave with this aching in his chest, not sure if he wanted to scream or cry. He knew that he messed up, he knew that he hurt his brothers, but all he's ever wanted since being apart was to hold them and tell them that he was sorry.

He failed them so bad. He promised Mom he'd protect them but he walked out when they needed their big brother the most.

John fell to his knees and gripped his chest, trying to breathe, trying not to drown. His tears blurred his vision and he couldn't tell what was around him anymore. This was a hurt unlike anything that he's experienced before, and he didn't know how to fix this, if he could.

He used to have dreams of where his brothers would tell him all of the things that he was afraid to hear from them, right before saying how they're better off without him. John wanted so badly to hear Bruce reassure him that he was wanted, that they wouldn't separate again. He wanted his brother to hug him like he used to when he had a bad day, because he felt so lost and alone right now.

But I am wanted, just not here.

John knew that he was loved and accepted for who he was by people that mattered so much to him. But to be rejected by Clay, a brother who he's worried and missed for years, hurt so much. He didn't want this to be it, Bruce and Floyd needed Clay too, and he'd never forgive himself if he walked away again.

He had to make Clay see that he was different, that he wasn't the dumb kid that bossed his brothers around for some reason. He had to, he just couldn't–

"John Dory!" Misty ran towards John and sat on her knees, cautiously taking his hand, "Hey, you're alright, just breathe."

John snapped out of his racing thoughts, now aware of his rapid breathing and the tears. He felt Misty's hand in his, gently stroking her thumb over his knuckles and heard her humming a sweet tune. It grounded him. John focused on the melody, her grip in his hand, and he could feel himself calming down.

"Is he ok?"

"Yeah, he panicked a bit, just give him a minute."

"Here, I got him some water."

"Do you think he needs a blanket?"

John opened his eyes to see three other trolls standing behind Misty. They spoke quietly, just waiting in case they were needed. Upon seeing that John was looking at them, they gave him soft smiles, no pity, no concern, just a silent look that said I am here.

"Take your time, you're alright." One of them said, and John focused on Misty, who was still humming. He saw her reach for the water that one of the trolls had and hold it out for him, waiting for when or if he wanted it.

John couldn't tell how he felt about this, but he did feel a lot better so he took the water. His body felt warm and a little shaky, but at least he wasn't struggling to breathe anymore. Right now he just wanted to sleep, a part of him wishing that this was just a dream, and he'd wake up to either Bruce or Floyd knocking on Rhonda's door to tell him that breakfast was ready.

But he'd be crushed because he'd dream that he found Clay, despite it not being a happy reunion, he found his brother. So no, he couldn't run from this, he had to somehow fix this, to bring Clay home, to show him what he's missed. Unlike before, John could be here now, he could be the brother that he was supposed to be, so he couldn't walk away again.

"Are you alright now?" Misty spoke up, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

He honestly didn't know, there was just so much going on it felt like he couldn't think. John just knew that he felt hurt and numb at the same time. He just wanted things to turn out right, to go his way so that him and Rhonda can go home. But he couldn't leave without Clay.

Bruce would have no problem settling their despute, he dealt with fights all the time, and Floyd was good about arguing back to make the other back down. John wasn't good at arguing, he just knew how to rile somebody up and say hurtful things. Considering he didn't hold onto anger anymore, it was hard to fuel that desire to fight.

He wanted to tell Clay that he could prove him wrong, but he couldn't find the words to express his sincerity.

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah, I think he needs a minute."

"Thanks for helping guys, we'll take it from here."

Wait, that was...

"Just looking after one of our own, give us an update Viva."

"Of course." John barely registered the three trolls leaving, he had his gaze on the one who he could never figure out until now.

"Hey John, we're not going to make you talk about it, when you're ready we can go to Rhonda so you can rest."

Talk about it? Oh no, they were going to talk about it.

"What made you think that you had the right to keep me away from my brother?" Viva gave a look of surprise and took a step back, "I came back to a dead tree and collapsed tunnels, thinking that everyone was gone for years. But I found one of our brothers and since I've been able to, I've been searching for the others."

Misty had moved back and covered her mouth, looking like she might cry. Viva's breathing picked up, and her eyes became glossy as she held back her tears.

"John I-I didn't know, Clay just told me that you two were on bad terms and he didn't want conflict. I knew you were his brother but I respect him so I didn't question it."

John stopped listening to her, he just stood up feeling angry and was satisfied to see Viva close her mouth, "Viva, this is not my home, I have a family who needs me, Clay has a family who needs him. You say it's not safe out there but you're just letting your own fears control your life and the lives of the trolls who follow you. I do not follow you, so I'm going to be speaking to my brother as I please and I'm going to leave when I want, because I do not hide from my problems unlike you, I face them so that I can fix them."

Normally John would feel bad for making someone upset, but he found that he really didn't care right now. He had half the mind to apologize but pushed it down and began to make his way towards Rhonda. He needed a break from this place and it's people, he needed to clear his head, he had to talk to Clay.

Yet he could only relax against Rhonda as he gently pet her, finding comfort in her rumbles and purrs. It calmed him, and John soon felt like he could sleep for days even though he knew he couldn't. So John soaked in a bit more of Rhonda's comfort before reluctantly prying himself away from her. He then gave her praise and a promise of something sweet before going inside.

While his head had cleared, John had thought of an idea. He knew that actions spoke louder than words, meaningful gestures that silently made a statement could leave a lasting impression rather than something said on the spot. It was a long shot but maybe.

John wasn't the best at scrapbooking, it always looked messy and disorganized despite his best attempts, yet both Bruce and Floyd cried when he gave them theirs. Ever since finding out that everyone had left the tree, John had taken a lot of things from their childhood home, including pictures. He made scrapbooks for each of his brothers as a way to cope with the loss, but upon finding a brother he'd give it to them as a gift.

John had yet to finish Clay's, but now he had no reason to hang onto it anymore.

Chapter Text

John spent the next day with Rhonda to personally make sure that she was healed. He had caught her sprinting while playing with some admirers, so John knew that she'd be able to at least run for a few miles. They could leave today, they were able to now, but there was still so much that John had to take care of before he left.

First, he had to make sure that Viva wasn't going to interfere with their departure. John hadn't seen her since he lost his temper, and frankly he was glad she wasn't pushing for an interaction. He was still mad at her but not so much anymore since he's calmed down and had time to think everything over. Viva didn't know the full story, she was doing a favor that Clay asked of her, she was innocent but in the wrong at the same time, so she was not to blame.

But that lead to John's second, and the more difficult, task which was having a heart to heart with Clay. Now that his brother was exposed he has disappeared completely to avoid him, but John wasn't worried about that. He didn't survive in the Neverglades by just dumb luck, traps and tracking were a specialty of his. He'd find Clay whether or not he wanted to be found.

But before John could go after him he had to finish Clay's scrapbook. Pictures of him and Bruce playing with his egg, Grandma scolding them for drawing on baby Clay's face with markers, messes in the kitchen, school and developmental achievements, band rehearsals, and his first performance. John made sure to hoard as much as he could from the tree, he thought that Brozone would get so famous that they would have a Pod of Fame dedicated to them or something. Memorabilia, their childhood and history, it felt like something that could boost their ratings if it were to happen.

But all of it was thankfully spared during the escape and he could use those memories so that it'd actually be appreciated. John had learned years ago how precious memories are, so while he may look like a hoarder, his reasoning for hanging onto things was strictly to remember. And John was happy that he did, because he was able to share and give to others what he held close to his heart.

Which is why John stayed up all night to try to get the scrapbook done. It took him over two hours to find the pictures he wanted and then organize them into the order he thought was best. He had to think of the background color, glitter, extra color, stickers, wording, if the page would have all if a few of those things. John didn't usually go crazy unless it matched the pictures, but Clay was an eccentric child so there were a handful of pages that required more attention.

John could feel his back and neck aching from his hunched position, but he finally lied on the floor when he was done. He was so tired he felt like he would pass out any second, and hair did he want to, he was regretting pulling an all nighter. John's arm twitched as he raised it so he could rub his eyes but he didn't notice it, he just groaned knowing that he'd have to get up and take his morning meds.

Reluctantly sitting, John grabbed the scrapbook and stood, he set his work on the table before going to the counter. He then filled a glass, locating his pills by the fridge. After John downed his glass, he was about to go to bed when there was a knock on the door.

"John Dory?"

He did not want to talk to people right now.

"It's Misty, I just wanted to check up on you." John almost forgot that she had witnessed him lashing out at Viva, "Yesterday was a lot and you don't have to talk about it but– are you ok?"

John had opened the door in the middle of her sentence. If he looked as tired as he felt then it was no wonder Misty looked concerned.

"I was working on something last night so I didn't sleep. I'm ok, I'm just going to take a nap before I look for Clay." It took her a moment to find her words.

"Uh, good, that's good, yeah. He's been hiding in the admin building lately so he should be there." John smiled at that.

"He still hides from his problems."

"He's always done that?" Misty smiled at the fond look John had.

"Clay's never had a problem fighting, but if he had to confront his feelings then he'd ignore the problem until someone forced him to work through it. It made him a handful, but it made it easy to know what was wrong."

Of course there was yelling involved. Clay would have to be cornered and pressured into opening up purely for his own good. The few times they allowed his feelings to fester, hoping Clay would come to them, he had a meltdown that lasted for hours. So, while Clay may be an adult now, if he's still hiding from his feelings then John saw no other choice but to push him into opening up.

"Where's the admin building?"

And it was probably stupid to confront Clay before he had a nap but John couldn't wait. He had run out of time to waste anymore now that Rhonda was healed. He was down to three days of his medicine, and more than likely they'd have to use the hustle button which was a bad idea given how he was feeling. But John would do anything to get home at this point.

So he thanked Misty before knocking on the door. It was depressing to see how small the building was, he could only hope that it was more cozy on the inside. When there was no answer John let himself in, and he was upset to see that it looked just like an office. There were shelves filled with books, and stacks of paper covering the desk that looked as though it was being sorted into files. A trash bin nearby stood overflowing with crumpled paper and discarded pens.

In the corner was a nest with many blankets and a stand that held personal items, these two being the only homey things in here. The blankets were a variety of colors and patterns that were all hand knitted, what didn't make the nest, the rest were neatly folded and stacked off to the side. The stand held only a few items, a green and pink friendship bracelet with the letters C&V, a postcard of a sunset with the words Wish You Were Here, and an old framed picture.

The picture was when Floyd was newly hatched, one that John didn’t remember. Mom was holding a sleeping Floyd in one arm, her other was around Bruce, while he had his arms around her waist, smiling up at the new baby. John stood beside Floyd, hunched over with one eye closed, looking like he was holding in a laugh. He had his arms held up to possibly catch a younger Clay, who had his upper body poking through John's hair and one hand pressing against his forehead, forcing John to close his eye. Clay was smiling as gleeful and innocent a child could, and John longed to know all of the fun that they had that day.

"What are you doing?" John shouted and quickly turned around, he didn't even hear Clay come in.

"You almost gave me a heart attack." He could feel his heart racing and took deep breaths to calm down.

"What are you doing here." Clay pushed, and John fought the urge to look away.

"I wanted to talk to you." But Clay just huffed and gestured to his desk.

"As you can see I am very busy, so come back some other time." He went to walk past John so he could sit at his desk, but John grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Eighteen years is enough Clay, we're going to talk about this." But John was met with a fierce glare before the arm was yanked out of his grasp.

"I've made my life here, built something that I am proud of, and co-own this golf course with Viva. You have no right to make demands of me anymore!"

"This has nothing to do with bossing you around!"

"That's exactly what this is about! I know you think you can take charge of my life again but I've done that myself without your interference! I became a better leader than you and had a perfect example of what not to be, so at least I have something to thank you for!"

John looked away blinking hard, he knew that Clay was just hurting, that he just didn't understand. If he could just get a word in, if he could just explain, then maybe he wouldn't be so upset. John couldn't see Clay returning with him this time, not when he was this heated. But John had to make it clear that he always cared and he always loved him.

"I came back after a few years and found the tree abandoned, the tunnels dug and ruined." John stole a glance at Clay and was happy to see that he was listening, "I thought that you all were dead, and the only one that I had left was Rhonda."

Clay's expression shifted and he moved past John to sit at his desk. He was refusing to look at him, choosing to put his focus on his stack of paperwork. But John knew that he was listening, he was just trying to distract himself so that he didn't have to focus on the emotions that he was starting to feel. And that was fine, Clay didn't have to talk, John just wanted him to listen.

"It wasn't until I wound up on Vacay Island and was saved by Spruce that things changed." Clay froze but he didn't look up, "We've talked things out and have moved on, he married a Vacayer, they run a restaurant, and they have thirteen kids. It's been amazing." Clay was looking at him now with a mixture of disbelief and longing.

"It was only three years ago that Floyd made his way to Vacay Island and reunited with us. We live our own lives but we always come back to each other. We've promised that there would not be a repeat of the past." Clay had looked away and was now messing with his wristband.

"Since finding Spruce, I take Rhonda and search for you, because finding Spruce gave me hope that the rest of our brothers were alive. Now knowing that the rest of our tribe made it out helps narrow down where Branch might be." Clay looked like he wanted to say something, but by his expression he was just overwhelmed and at a loss.

"I would love to bring you back with me Clay, to see our brothers and meet our sister in law and niblings, but I need to leave tonight." Alarmed, Clay whipped his head at John, "Our brothers have been waiting over a week for me to return, I don't want to worry them anymore than I have already." John took the scrapbook out of his hair and placed it on the desk, "You don't have to come if you're unsure, I was going to come back to help Viva and the others. You can take your time to come to a decision alright, I'm not giving up on you bro."

As Clay let his hand glide over the colorful binding, John decided to leave. He didn't have anything else that he wanted to say and knew that any progress from here needed to come from Clay. Plus, there was one more thing that he had to do before going back to Rhonda.

"Tomorrow." John stopped at Clay's voice and saw that he was staring at him, "You should leave tomorrow, you look like you're about to pass out." And as much as John wanted to deny this, he found himself warmed by the concern and easily agreed.

"Alright, I'll get some sleep." With a smile John closed the door, feeling like things were heading in the right direction. A weight felt like it had been lifted, but there was one more weight that he had to take care of before he could leave.

So John found himself standing in front of the same building that he woke up in on his first day here. He had found out after his first couple of days that this was Viva's home. She was usually running about doing something or talking to someone but, from what Misty had told John, she hasn't been seen much at all. So now John could not walk away on good conscious without explaining himself to Viva. No fighting, no accusing, just talking about the truth.

"Just a second!" She shouted after John had knocked on the door, and he didn't have to wait long for her to open it. It truly did hurt to see her smile fall once she realized who he was. Despite the short time that John has been here, and the secrets that she'd kept, he had grown fond of Viva. Her bright and energetic personality was a change from the laid back attitude of the Vacayers. It almost felt like he was hanging out with his brothers again when they were little, figuring out what to do for the day as he helped get them dressed after breakfast.

Except he was trailing behind her finding ways to help, asking questions and giving suggestions to improve their home in ways that he knew from his own experiences. Much like when John took care of his brothers back then, he felt that same satisfaction with helping Viva.

"Hey Viva, can we talk?" She faked her smile and stepped aside.

"Sure, come in." As John stepped in, he took the time to take in her home since he'd failed to do so his first time here due to his confusion and worry for Rhonda. The place was colorful and bright, with many hand knitted blankets and macrame projects lying about. Pictures, drawings, games, crafts, and books were on shelves and in piles on the floor showing how often they were used. It reminded him of Grandma's pod with his brothers, it made him feel safe.

"John, I really am sorry." Viva spoke softly, "I was just trying to keep the peace and keep you safe and I didn't think–"

"Viva stop." John didn't want an apology or explanation from her, he now understood that she had enough on her shoulders and adding a misunderstanding was the last thing that he needed to add to her stress. "I'm the one that should be sorry."

"Wh-what?" Viva stared at him so John gave a nod.

"I should not have yelled at you the way that I did. You were just doing a favor for a friend without knowing the whole story. It's your job to help and protect your people and that's exactly what you were doing." He gave her a second to take in those words, "However, I would like to explain my reason for why I have to go."

He watched her tense, panic setting into her eyes, "Look, I know what you said but I'm just trying to keep you safe!"

"I know."

"We take care of each other here, no one is left behind!" Her voice wavered, and John understood that he wasn't speaking to a leader now, he was talking to someone who's trauma was greater than he had originally thought.

"I understand that Viva, but it's not just because of my family that I must leave, it's for my health as well." She looked at him confused, and her gaze spoke her silent question. "I have to take medicine for my condition and I'm almost out. It's important, it helps me focus and function so that I can be myself."

John then pulled a necklace from his pocket that had a purple tag. At the top was his name and right below that was the medical sign, then underneath was the word Epilepsy. Bruce had this made for him a few months after his diagnosis and had allowed John to pick the color, which shocked him when John was adamant with purple. The whole point was to let people be aware in case he had a seizure if found by a stranger. But after sometime it became uncomfortable for John to wear so he stopped entirely. 

But he could see a realization cross Viva's eyes as she looked between him and the necklace. He held it out for her to look at and she hesitantly took it.

"What is Epilepsy?" John watched Viva read the back of the tag where Bruce and Brandy's name was along with the restaurants phone number.

"It's a neurological disorder where there's abnormal activity in the brain causing seizures, and my medicine is the only thing that can control them." He saw her have an internal debate as she took in this information, and he let her. John himself never liked to be pushed into making decisions and, given what he knew of Viva, he could tell that she was the same. Her heart was in the right place wanting to protect people, but she had to let him go in order to do that.

"What if you get hurt?" She finally asked.

"I have Rhonda to protect me and she can find the way home." She still looked uncertain, "I will come back Viva, I want to help your people and hopefully find the rest of our tribe. Besides, Clay's here, I'm not letting him go again." She finally smiled and gave a nod.

"You promise?" To Viva's shock, John held up his pinky.

"I promise." He would always come back.

And he meant it, he was never going to abandon the ones who needed him again, although, he didn't expect a pinky promise to be so dramatic. He's never seen someone do it, it was rarely done at the tree because the Bergen's made it impossible to keep promises, but he didn't regret it. Viva definitely looked more reassured and calmer than she had in days. But his promise had attracted attention outside of Viva's home, and John found dozens of eyes staring at him as soon as he stepped outside.

"Can I help you?" They all suddenly remembered that they had things to do and walked away, all but Misty, who looked like she wanted to question what had happened. Instead she walked up to him and gave a smile.

"So, I guess you changed her mind?" It took him a minute but he remembered what she was referring to.

"She needed some convincing but yes, I'm leaving in the morning."

"That's good, I mean, that's what you wanted. You can see your family again." John was reminded of how Misty told him that she wanted to look for hers.

"Did you... want to come with me?" She looked at him hopeful but then turned her gaze at Viva's house conflicted. They could see her through the window, talking to herself and rubbing her arms as she paced the room before darting towards her stash of candy and string.

"I don't... know? I mean, I know I want to but, I don't know if she'll be..." John knew what Misty was saying, she was worried about Viva. Being fully aware of her mental state Misty was more concerned for a friend than her want to explore.

"I was going to come back after the dust had settled back home. Why don’t you and Viva come up with some expedition plan until I return?"

"You're coming back?" John thought back on yesterday and realized that he never cleared that up to her.

"Yes." She suddenly hugged him, but before he could process it she had let him go.

"This is going to change everything!" She looked so happy, "We could start expanding our travel distances and learn more about the creatures out there with your guidance. Maybe Viva would feel safe in Rhonda and agree to try? There's so many possibilities–" she kept going, and John smiled at her excitement for the future. Viva was a great leader in keeping everyone together, Clay was good at making sure their people were safe, but Misty was perfect for advocating for progression.

"–don't you think?" John didn't hear the last bit she said, he just covered his mouth as he yawned and improvised a response.

"I think that as long as you push your positivity towards the future, everyone will be ready to embrace it." He at least hoped, but John knew for sure that he was ready to embrace his bed.