A/N: Thanks for the reviews! TAPDANCING GIRAF: I know it probably seems like they got away a bit easy/Poppy was pretty on it, but it was necessary for the way I wanted the story to go :P Maybe in this AU Chef is a bit dopier haha!

I hope this chapter reads ok. I've had a super busy week so I've done it in bits and pieces. I probably should have checked it over some more but I just wanted to get it up.

Chapter 2

Once Branch had finally left his fellow trolls behind he'd had to take a moment just to lean against a plant and take a few heavy breathes, allowing his anxiety to reign for a short time. His departure had been briefly delayed, as he'd had to stop by his bunker first to let the villagers in and pack a quick bag of supplies for his journey. They'd never know how hard it was for him to surrender his safe place to them, watching the supplies he'd so painstakingly collected over twenty years consumed in moments.

But the worst part was the send-off. Somehow the support of all the villagers only made this harder. He was doing this for Poppy and her father not anyone else. But when every troll in the village had cheered him on his way suddenly the pressure threatened to crush him. He'd spent most of his life as a recluse, invisible to most trolls, but suddenly every pair of eyes were on him. It was totally overwhelming. As if the task at hand weren't daunting enough, now he knew the whole village was counting on him too.

He truly hadn't expected such a response, otherwise he would have just slipped away quietly. He didn't think of himself as a hero like Creek did. He was just a scared troll who wasn't ready to accept that the worst had happened. He supposed if he succeeded he would be one? He didn't relish the thought of all the attention that would bring. That was if he did succeed. The thought of returning empty handed to their expectant smiles was unbearable.

After a few minutes of much needed privacy his trembling began to ease and his stomach settled, and once he started walking with a purpose he felt like a different troll. Maybe Poppy was right in her approach to things. Taking action was much easier than hiding and overthinking the situation he quickly realised with surprise. He increased his pace, a determined frown fixed on his face.

Branch managed to find the bergen's footprints relatively easily. It hadn't exactly taken great care when it stomped angrily through the undergrowth after all. The trail did indeed seem to be leading him towards Bergentown as he had expected, but his stomach twisted into knots when he realised the bergen would reach the town far before he would. What would they do with one singular troll? Bergens weren't exactly the sharing kind. Perhaps they would be too busy fighting over her. He shuddered at the thought.

When night fell he was torn as to what to do. He didn't want to stop even for a moment – every second was another second that Poppy could have been eaten. But it was such a long journey, and he knew he needed to rest. He had to be on top form for when he reached Bergentown if he had a hope in hell of saving her. He pressed on for a short while after sunset, but soon the more dangerous predators began to emerge and he knew it would be a folly to try and continue. He knew better than anyone some of the terrible creatures that lived out here, and he couldn't save Poppy if he became a meal himself.

Branch felt horribly exposed sleeping out in the open, so he used his hair to climb a little way up a tree trunk and into a safe looking little nook in the bark. He had a good vantage point from here, and should be well hidden. Still his hands trembled. The stress of the day caught up with him once more, and he lay sleepless for some time. He couldn't stop his mind from calculating all the worst case scenarios, hundreds of horrible outcomes playing relentlessly through his head. The more time passed the more frustrated he felt. He wasn't moving forward but he wasn't getting any rest either. He just kept imagining how Poppy must be feeling right now – if indeed she was still alive, which she had to be – completely alone and in such a grim and hostile environment.

Branch knew she'd never been alone in her whole life. She'd always been surrounded by people who adored her, and she thrived off the love of her friends and her father. He was fairly sure Poppy had never even been in danger before, she'd lived such a sheltered life. He thought of all the times he'd wished her to realise this and winced. She needed a wake-up call sure but he'd never wanted this to happen, she didn't deserve it. She was lucky really – a lot of his frustration with her was routed in his envy of her blissful ignorance.

He wondered if she thought anyone was coming after her. She certainly wouldn't be expecting him of all trolls. How he wished he could send her a message somehow.

"I'm coming Poppy." He whispered fervently to himself, willing her to hear him wherever she was. "Just hold on. I'll reach you." Eventually he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

...

Poppy awoke to the sound of the zipper being torn open. She didn't even remember falling asleep and her heart pounded as she looked about the dark space in panic, sleep still clouding her mind. She felt a pull on her hair and suddenly she was blinded by daylight after the confines of Chef's pouch, the sudden fresh air making her feel light-headed. She dangled helplessly from Chef's repugnant purple claws, her feet a dizzying height off the ground.

As her eyes adjusted she saw a short, green bergen sitting opposite her, a small crown atop his mop of hair. The bergen king she presumed, rose from his throne and as his eyes met Poppy's his face filled with awe. Was this her fate? Was she to be a royal treat?

"You found the trolls!" Poppy shrank away as his chubby little fingers reached out for her, but to her surprise (and Gristle's) Chef smacked his hand away. Was she not going to be fed to the king? Seemingly unfazed, the king continued.

"So this means… I might actually get to be happy!" He bounced gleefully in his chair, and Poppy's stomach roiled. How could anyone be so happy at the prospect of eating a living person? Had they no conscience at all?

"That's right!" Chef leered smugly.

Their words faded into a jumble for Poppy as they began to talk about bringing Trollstice back. This holiday was supposed to be a thing of the past. Having only been a baby when they escaped, it was more of a scary story told to her as a child than a harsh reality. She was dreaming right? She had to still be asleep. For a moment that stretched out into an eternity the room swam and she thought she was going to be sick, her ears ringing and her vision blacking out at the edges. Abruptly some of Gristle's words cut through her daze, clearing her head instantly.

"You have the rest of the trolls too right?" This was the first time Chef had appeared thrown.

"Uhh, well…" She stuttered and the king quickly turned angry.

"How are we supposed to have Trollstice if there's not enough trolls?"

"There's plenty more where that came from sire!" She recovered, finding her tongue. Poppy's blood ran cold.

"Are you sure? I want every Bergen to get a troll."

"No no sire, everything will be fine! Do you know why?" She gave him a broad, sickening smile. "This troll," She bounced Poppy unceremoniously about by the hair, "this is the princess!"

Gristle's anger eased somewhat, and he looked from Chef to the pink troll with intrigue.

"I know the location of their village and I have their most precious troll! Getting the rest will be a cinch."

"You'll never take them!" Poppy yelled furiously. Chef growled in irritation and quickly stuffed her back into the stifling confines of her pouch. The stale air and small space worsened Poppy's panicked state, and she felt like she couldn't breathe as the walls closed in around her. She couldn't hear what they were saying anymore, their voices muffled by the fabric of the pouch and drowned out by the rushing sound in her ears. She began to hyperventilate and black spots danced across her vision, before it all turned to black.

The next thing Poppy knew she was being tossed uncaringly from the pouch and landed hard on a cold metal surface. Her cheek stung from the impact, the pain rousing her from unconsciousness. She quickly discovered that she had been thrown into a small metal cage, with bars that were spaced just tantalising far enough apart that she could probably get most of herself out except for her head. Poppy turned around to see Chef fitting the cage door with a padlock the same size as her. She scowled up at the bergen defiantly.

"I don't know how you think you're going to use me but it won't work!" Poppy yelled, stomping her foot and balling her fists.

"Oh, I think it will." Chef smirked confidently.

"They'll already be miles from that spot, they won't wait for you to come back!" Poppy hoped it was true.

"I don't think so. They wouldn't leave without you now would they?" Chef teased her.

Poppy didn't know how to feel. Of course it would be a pleasant thought that they would wait for her, that someone might come and rescue her, but what were the chances? She didn't want the whole village to end up being eaten just for her. And who would come after her? Her father was too old, surely he wouldn't try it? Perhaps… would Creek come and save her? He always seemed so worldly, like he could do anything. The thought of him valiantly storming the castle and whisking her away to safety made her stomach flutter. She quickly shook the image out of her head. She didn't want anyone to get hurt worrying about her, it would be better if they just moved on.

"I'm sure they'll come out of hiding when they hear about all the horrible things I'll do to their princess if they don't." Poppy's heart missed a beat. She looked back up into Chef's blazing red eyes, so full of mirth. What was she going to do to her? The bergen's grin stretched wider at the look of horror on the little trolls face. "Well I'd best hurry back and let them know." Chef made to leave.

"NO! Please don't do this!" Poppy called desperately, but Chef simply laughed at her as she slammed the door behind her.

Poppy fell to the floor of her cage, hugging her knees to her chest in a vain attempt to comfort herself. A sob shook her body, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Before she knew what she was doing instinct had taken over and she found herself softly singing, her voice choked and full of tears.

And now it seems that I have found
Nothing at all
Want to hear your voice out loud
Slow it down, slow it down
Without it all
I'm choking on nothing
It's clear in my head
And I'm screaming for something
Knowing nothing is better than knowing at all

On my own

On my own…

She wasn't sure where the song came from, she wasn't even sure she'd eversung such a sad song before. Still, it helped to calm her nerves and kept her tears more or less at bay. Poppy wiped the moisture from her eyes and sniffled. She had to remember the positives. They were all safe. Her father would keep them out of harm's way, he wouldn't let Chef find them. Chances were they had indeed already left the area - there was no reason for them to hang around. Chef could do whatever she wanted to Poppy, it didn't matter.

Poppy curled herself up into a tight ball and closed her eyes tight shut against the gloomy kitchen and the claustrophobic cage bars. She visualised being back home, surrounded by her friends. She could almost feel the warm rays of the sun on her skin, could smell the fragrant plants and flowers, could hear her loved ones laughing and singing. A small smile spread across her face.

...

Branch kicked at the ground angrily. He didn't have time for this! There were so many more tunnel entrances than he remembered. He'd hoped he would recognise which one led to the troll tree when he got here, but they all just looked the damn same! He could feel his anger bubbling up inside him. He couldn't just guess, what was he going to do?

"Choose a hole wisely," A strange, ominous voice suddenly announced. Branch sprang up, his ears pricked for any sound and his eyes scanning the area for the source of the voice.

"For one will lead to Bergentown, and the others… to certain death!" When Branch still couldn't spot anyone, his heart began to race.

"Who said that?!" He yelled angrily, trying to mask his fear.

"It was… me." Branch couldn't believe it as one of the clouds suddenly opened it's eyes, sprouted legs and walked down from the sky and towards him. Was he hallucinating right now? "Hey there! Welcome to the route tunnels. I just wanted to warn you that one of these tunnels leads to the troll tree, and the others to certain death, death, death…" The cloud guy echoed his voice melodramatically as the end and Branch just stared at him with disdain. He did not have time for… whatever this guy was.

"Ooook… great. Thanks for the warning." Branch said sarcastically before turning away.

"So you know which one to take right?" Branch bristled as he heard the cloud guy following him. Branch huffed with frustration.

"No," He grudgingly admitted through gritted teeth.

"How are you gonna pick then?" The cloud continued to tease him, his dopey eyes blinking separately. Who was this creep? He didn't need his doubts voicing.

"Look I don't need your help ok! Just leave me alone!" Branch snapped, but the cloud just kept smiling dopily at him.

"It kinda seems like you do. You know I'd hate for you to fall to your doom, or end up in a nest full of troll-eating spiders, or drowning at the bottom of a swamp." Branch's pulse quickened a little at this. Was this guy just winding him up? "I'd be willing to help you you know. I can tell you which one to take, but first you've got to give me a high five!"

"What? No! I don't do high fives!" Branch reeled at the stupidity of the conversation. Did this guy even know at all or was he just taking him for a ride?

"Come ooon, it's just one little high five!" The cloud guy persisted, raising his hand.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke? Every second I waste is another second she could be…" Branch trailed off, for a moment his sorrow dampening his anger. His grief didn't seem to faze the cloud in the slightest.

"If it's so important then why not just do the high five?" The cloud guy quirked an eyebrow at Branch, still holding his hand out as he grinned smugly.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Branch eyed the cloud with suspicion, focusing briefly on his ill-fitting socks.

"Do you see anyone else around here to ask?" It wasn't really an answer but Branch knew it was the truth.

"Urggh, fine!" Branch growled with frustration. It was the best he had. Without a recommendation he would only be guessing anyway, so he had to take the chance. He grudgingly raised a hand to slap the cloud's blue one.

"Too slow!" At the last moment the cloud snatched it away, so Branch's hand fell through the air causing him to lurch forwards. The cloud guy snorted and laughed at his own joke. Branch growled angrily, already turning away towards one of the entrances. He'd rather blindly guess than put up with this time wasting nonsense.

"Hey wait! Come on man I was just having a bit of fun." The cloud guy skipped after him down the tunnel.

"Well I haven't got time for fun! This is serious! The time I've already wasted with you might have been enough to be the difference between her being alive and her being eaten!" Branch yelled angrily, finally wiping the smile of the clouds face. He coughed awkwardly.

"Well then, if you haven't got any time to waste you'd better not take the wrong tunnel." The clouds smirk quickly returned. Before Branch had time to process what he'd said the cloud had turned around and began to run back out of the tunnel, at a surprising pace for a cloud.

"Hey… wait!" Branch tried to keep up. When he emerged back out to the entrances cloud guy had already disappeared. Which one had he taken?

"Hurry up dumpy diapers!" A voice echoed from two tunnels along. Branch quickly darted down and after the cloud, catching sight of a fluffy white bum not too far ahead. He cringed at the sight but pushed his legs as fast as they would go as he tried to keep up.

"Would you slow down? HEY!" Branch could just hear the cloud cackle up ahead.

Soon enough they burst into daylight.

"Tadaa!" The cloud guy threw his arms up the air to celebrate their arrival. Branch looked around in surprise – he actually did know where he was going. Before he could say anything more he realised the cloud was already leaving. "I gotta go, got some cloud stuff to take care of. Catch you on the way back? Unless… you die die die…" Branch just stared at him in disbelief for a few moments before coming back to his senses.

The troll tree…

Branch had only been a small child when they'd evacuated the tree, but he wouldn't have recognised it anyway in the state it was in now. It was withered and leafless, the once lush branches now brittle and brown.

He cautiously approached the edge, peering down into the miserable looking town. A chill ran down his spine as he gazed upon the surly inhabitants, plodding about the streets aimlessly. Every one of them expressed some kind of negative emotion, be it anger, despondency or just plain boredom. He suddenly wondered if this was how he appeared to people, but quickly shook the notion from his head. That kind of thinking wasn't going to help right now.

But where was he going to start? He was just a tiny troll and the town was so dauntingly huge. He felt a moment of despair threaten to well up and consume him, but fought hard to keep it supressed. He had to keep a clear head and just think logically. What would a bergen do with one troll? Surely if they were going to eat it they would have done so right away. So if they wanted to bring Trollstice back they'd have to propose it to the king. The castle seemed the most logical place to start. He could see its craggy peaks where it sat a little higher than the rest of the town. If she hadn't taken Poppy there, he had absolutely zero other leads, so it looked like the decision was made.

Using his hair he swung carefully through the streets, using gutters and telephone wires as handles and running across the rooftops, praying he wouldn't be spotted. He reached the castle relatively swiftly, his heart hammering with adrenaline. But it was a big place, and he still had no clues.

Branch wasn't sure how long he spent searching the various rooms and endless hallways – it felt like they went on forever. He just knew it was taking longer than he wanted. From up on the lamp shades he could see the preparations being made for Trollstice, which made him feel physically sick. He'd overheard several bergens talking excitedly – it seemed Chef and the other cooks had left to obtain the rest of the trolls. His stomach dropped at this, but he knew they were safe in his bunker as long as they stayed there. He tried not to panic thinking about it.

But still there was no mention of Poppy. He started to wonder if he really was too late, with each new room he didn't find her in causing his nerves to grow more and more frail. He found himself fighting back tears, refusing to give in. He still had a few more corridors to check, he didn't have time for crying. Eventually he found a smaller, less grand corridor that led down into the servant's quarters and kitchens.

Branch's heart pounded as he entered the main kitchen, quickly swinging himself up high to the topmost shelves and diving behind some jars. She had to be in here, she just had to. His heart nearly stopped as a soft voice reached his ears.

When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows
What it's like to be the only one buried in this hole
You can make it to the sunrise
You can make it to the sunrise

Branch would recognise that angelic voice anywhere. He scanned the room frantically, his heart beating so fiercely he thought it was going to burst. His eyes soon landed on a spot of pink inside a small cage, sitting on a table top across the room. He immediately eyed up his surroundings, calculating a route over to the cage and swung over to the lampshade in the centre of the room. Poppy continued to sing, as yet unaware of his presence.

Searching for a way to escape the madness
A dire need for change as we fight for better days
The hurt and the pain cut deep like a razor blade
Holding in a cry for love, abandoned and afraid

The words she sang were such a shock that it made Branch falter. He'd never heard Poppy sing such sad words, and it was gut wrenching. Did she really feel abandoned? He gazed down at her and the sight broke his heart. She was curled up tightly in the centre of the cage, her eyes screwed tight shut as she sung to herself.

When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows
what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole
You can make it to the sunrise
You can make it to the sunrise

Branch felt a rush of emotion at the thought of seeing her face light up when she realised he'd come to rescue her, that she hadn't been forgotten at all. He quickly looked for a route down to the table, and was a split second away from jumping down when the door was abruptly flung wide open, cutting off Poppy's bittersweet song.

Branch ducked down immediately, cursing himself that he hadn't been quicker and yet acknowledging how close he had just been to getting caught himself. If her song hadn't thrown him, if he hadn't hesitated… well it didn't bear thinking about.

The bergen – Chef he presumed – looked absolutely furious. Branch grinned smugly – their mission to get the rest of the trolls must have been a failure.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" She yelled at Poppy furiously, slamming her hands down on the table and scaring the poor troll half to death. Branch's smile was gone instantly.

"How would I know I've been here!" Poppy yelled back, and Branch felt a moment of pride at her boldness.

"You expect me to believe you don't know where they would go in this situation?"

"Even if I did I wouldn't tell you! I already told you you can do whatever you want to me but you're never getting to them!" Poppy stamped her foot defiantly. Careful Poppy… Branch thought worriedly. She might have given up on her own life but he hadn't given up on hers. There was no way he could face seeing her get killed right in front of him.

Chef snarled in frustration. She turned and snatched a pair of tongs off the counter and reached for Poppy's cage. Branch gasped, his stomach constricting painfully. What was this Bergen going to do to her? Before Poppy had time to react Chef had opened the cage and reached in to grab her with the tongs. She tried to scramble away but Chef easily seized her by the hair, dragging her out and moving toward the fireplace.

"No!" Branch choked out, barely able to stop himself from shouting.

Chef dangled Poppy over the open flames as she struggled, pulling desperately in a futile attempt to release her hair. The flames licked dangerously close, the heat searing her soft pink skin.

"Urgh… no! Please… please!" Poppy cried as she writhed, but the grip on her hair was too strong for her to overcome. She could feel her toes getting singed and tried to curl herself away.

"Are you ready to tell me where they are?" Chef enquired.

"No! I told you… never!" Poppy's voice wasn't quite as strong as before, now it wavered with pain and fear.

It was too much for Branch to endure. What could he do? He couldn't just sit here and watch her get cooked alive! He looked desperately around the room for some inspiration, for anything that could help. He couldn't just swing down from this angle, they would both just end up in the fire. Poppy's whimpers of pain cut through him like a knife. He could tell she was trying to be brave, but it had to hurt.

"What's the point of protecting them, they clearly didn't care what I was going to do to you." Chef goaded her nastily.

"That… that doesn't matter," Poppy coughed, the smoke starting to get to her. Chef tipped her slightly closer to the flames, and she could feel her bangs beginning to sizzle, her cheeks stinging from the heat. She couldn't breathe, and she could feel a fierce panic beginning to take hold of her body. Branch was on the brink of jumping down even without a plan at this point, but at the last second Chef retracted Poppy from the fire and flung her back into her cage.

The bergen growled with irritation. A burnt troll would taste horrible, she'd just have to think of something else unpleasant to do to break the princess. At that moment another cook popped his head in the door, looking nervous.

"The king wants to see you." He announced quickly, before fleeing once more. Chef's expression instantly turned to one of concern. No doubt the king would want to hear about the success of her mission to retrieve the trolls. She had to come up with something and fast.

"This isn't over." Chef growled at Poppy before storming back out of the kitchen.

Poppy coughed from where she lay on the cool metal floor of her cage. The cold surface felt soothing against her burning skin, so she didn't bother to get up. Her throat felt horribly raw, but she didn't expect she'd be getting water any time soon. She could only hope that she was strong enough that Chef wouldn't be able to break her. She felt tears begin to prickle at her eyes, and a sob caught in her throat. She'd never felt so alone in all her life. She didn't even feel like singing.

A soft thump sounded next to her, and her ears perked up.

"Poppy?"

Had a voice really just whispered her name, or was it just wishful thinking? Or perhaps a hallucination - she did feel dizzy from all the smoke. She raised her head slowly, almost afraid to ruin the illusion. The face her eyes fell upon could not have surprised her more. Her mouth fell open, but she found herself speechless. Was this real?

"Poppy! Are you ok?" Branch's face was creased with worry, his ice blue eyes shining with moisture. He gripped the bars of her cage fervently.

"B-branch?" She sniffled, pushing herself unsteadily to her feet with shaking arms.

"It's ok! I'm gonna get you out!" Branch could see her confusion, she clearly couldn't think straight after her ordeal. He saw something click and her face turned to one of desperate relief in an instant, and she flung herself towards him.

"Branch! I can't believe you're here!" She tried to be brave but a couple of tears escaped her eyes as she grabbed the cage from her side. Branch didn't waste a second, quickly reaching into her hair to grab the crafting scissors he knew would be tucked away inside, and jamming them into the padlock to release her.

He'd barely removed the lock when she threw herself into his arms. The shock nearly overwhelmed him and for a moment he stood frozen as she squeezed him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. But when he felt her body quaking with sobs he cautiously wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. No matter how much her hugs had vexed him in the past he felt undeniably relieved to be embracing her once again. He thought he'd lost her, but here she was safe in his arms. He let out a shakey breath of relief, sinking deeper into the hug. The feel of her soft, fuzzy skin against his own made his heart sing, filling him with warmth. She smelt a bit smokey but he could still detect her distinctive Poppy scent – she smelt sweet like candy. He let it cloud his mind a moment longer before coming to his senses.

"Come on, not here." He said softly, gently prying her grasp away from his body.

"Sorry," She sniffled, trying to centre herself.

"It's ok," He looked at her apologetically, feeling unusually shaken from seeing her crumble. "We just have to get out of here before she comes back. Can you follow me?" She nodded more resolutely, gradually looking more like herself. Branch gave her a brave smile before throwing his hair out, and swinging himself back up high to the shelves.

They easily left the kitchen behind, but as they were running down a high shelf along a corridor, Poppy began to cough. Branch looked back to see her falling behind, quickly coming to a stop.

"I'm ok, keep going," She croaked out, trying to hold back the coughs. Branch looked at her anxiously. "I'm fine!"

"No you're not." He said firmly, pulling her against the wall and sitting her down. "You need water, and rest." His brow crinkled with worry.

"Well we can get that when we get out of here." She said trying to stand back up, before another bout of coughing forced her back down. "Ugh… ok so maybe I'm not so fine." Her head swam dizzily.

Branch looked around, letting out a sigh of frustration. They couldn't stay here, they were too exposed. There were lots of nooks and crannies in the castle walls that he'd used to get about. They could probably remain undiscovered in one of these high up crevices for some time but it wasn't going to be easy to get out of the castle once Chef discovered Poppy was missing. He looked back at Poppy. She stared vacantly at the ground, her breathing heavy and her skin paler than usual. There was nothing for it, she couldn't go on like this. They had to rest. He'd have to worry about getting out of the castle later.

"Come on, there's a crack in the wall over there where we can hide for a bit." He gestured across the hallway to a door frame with a big crack that reached up to the ceiling. Poppy gazed up at him dazedly, her eyes unfocused. Branch sighed, and blushing he reached down to pick her up.

Poppy just continued to stare at him, her eyes widening a little in surprise as he hoisted her up, clutching her securely to his body. She couldn't make her mouth form words but before she knew it he had leapt from the ledge and they were swinging through the air to reach the designated hiding spot. Once they were safely hidden inside Branch gently set her back down on the floor.

"Thank you," She said sincerely, still gazing at him curiously. She still couldn't believe that it was Branch that was here. Of all the trolls in troll village why was it him that had come to her rescue? The one troll who seemed more afraid of bergens than anyone else? She didn't even think that he liked her. She opened her mouth to ask him but her raw throat caught, making her cough once again. "Ugh," She groaned.

"Are you ok?" Branch asked her, concern etched into his features.

"My face hurts." She muttered sadly.

Branch eyed her sore skin. It didn't look too bad thankfully, but her cheeks and nose were a bit red. He wished he was back at his bunker, he'd have just the right ointment to sooth her burns.

"Is it bad?" She asked worriedly, making him realise he'd been staring at her.

"No no, it's nothing worse than a little sunburn." Branch reassured her and she gave him a small, warm smile of thanks. It was so good to see her smiling again that he found it contagious, a grin spreading across his own face. She was so beautiful when she smiled. He reached a hand out to tenderly push her singed bangs off her sore skin, tucking them behind her ears. When she looked up at him with surprise he realised what he was doing, quickly flinching his hand away.

"Uhhh… I'm gonna go find you some water." He said quickly turning his face away so she couldn't see his own burning cheeks. Thankfully his announcement distracted her from his momentary lapse of self-control.

"What? No you can't!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him back. He looked from their clasped hands to her worried face with shock.

"But you need water,"

"No, I need you to stay here! What if you don't come back? I don't want to be alone again!" She panicked, desperation in her eyes.

"Poppy… I will come back," He assured her, placing his own hand over hers. It unsettled him to see her so unhinged. He'd never really seen anything faze her before, she was the kind of troll that wore a brave face no matter what.

"But… but…" Poppy floundered for a comeback, her argument falling flat.

"As soon as you feel better we can get out of here, and you need water to feel better." He reasoned out. She frowned and looked down at the ground, knowing he was right. Her throat screamed for water.

Branch began to pull away. He knew his best bet was to go back to the kitchen, but it was of course the last place he wanted to be. The sooner he was in and out the less likely he was going to bump into Chef on the way. He was startled as once more Poppy threw her arms around his neck.

"Please come back." She whispered into his neck.

"I will, I promise." Branch tentatively hugged her back. He hadn't returned a hug in twenty years and here he was doing it for the second time in one day. What was happening to him? His stomach tingled strangely and he suddenly felt horribly self-conscious. He cleared his throat, awkwardly breaking off the hug and backing away. Poppy just stared after him dejectedly.

"Just try and get some rest and I'll be back before you know it. Don't leave this spot, and don't make any noise!" He said sternly, pointing a warning finger at her. She plopped herself back down, rolling her eyes at his instruction.

"I won't so long as you hurry back!" She threw back testily. Branch scowled at her words, but knew it was the best he was going to get. At least she was acting more like her usual self. He turned away, and hurried back towards the kitchen.

A/N: I hope I didn't ramble too much in this chapter! The lyrics are 'On My Own' by the Used and 'Sunrise' by Our Last Night. I like alternative music so I hope it's not too weird a combo, I imagine Poppy singing them very sweetly. I just wouldn't know what to pick otherwise. It is very hard to find lyrics that suit a situation and I've never done it before so I hope it worked ok D: I just know I probably couldn't do a Trolls story without having Poppy sing at some point!

I like to think Branch would be a lot more short tempered with Cloud Guy in this situation. He's in more of a rush and doesn't have Poppy to lighten his mood. Also, I can't write funny bits so I really just needed to get past Cloud Guy XD sorry if it sucked. Also have you ever noticed cloud guy has a butt? I noticed it for the first time when going back over their encounter for this and now I can't unsee it.

I don't know if I will be writing about Bridget's story – I don't think two trolls could even make that head of hair? I feel sad to miss her out but at the same time I don't know how to fit her in, and I really just want to write this for the Broppy moments, I don't think I'd do her justice and wouldn't want to put her in just for the sake of it. I hope it doesn't disappoint anyone too much D: I'm not 100% sure yet anyway, it depends what ideas I get for this. I know how I want it to end but I still have to decide about the next bit. I'll do my best to get it written soon as possible, but it's London Comic Con this weekend so it won't be until next week, sorry! Thanks for reading :)