A/N:

Abbie51305: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :) Well, as for Poppy's going with Branch, this chapter might just bring an answer for that.

Ezza: Yep, Poppy's responsibilities are taking a toll on her for the moment. Don't worry, she'll be getting a break from them pretty soon. And as for Branch's parents, well, telling you anything before it happens would ruin it, so we shall just have to wait and see!

Neomoon585: Yep, being a leader is usually difficult, and Poppy's realizing just how hard it can be. But don't worry, like I wrote above to Ezza, she'll be getting a break soon.
Thank you! I love writing for the Trolls universe. Now if only I could get paid for writing fanfiction, my life would be complete XD

FALFAL: Well, I'm always one who likes to write happy endings, but who knows? I'm not revealing anything just yet. We will find out their situation eventually, but first Branch has to actually search for them.

Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy! Thanks for reviewing and reading! It's greatly appreciated!

Chapter 4: Not Alone

It was mid-afternoon by the time Branch reached his pod. He stopped by Poppy's and frantically knocked on her door. "Poppy, I need to talk to you!" he cried.

Silence. He heard no movement and no sweet voice of his crush answering him. Pushing the door open gently, he peaked inside. No one was home. He sighed. "I can't wait," he murmured to himself, jogging back to his own pod.

His blue home, though it contained the bare essentials, wasn't nearly so grand as Poppy's. He had a stack of books, a bed, a desk, some old poems, and the like, but that was about it. Sometimes he'd long for the old security of his bunker. It was solid and safe, not hanging and moving with the breeze like his current home.

Branch rushed around, hurriedly packing what little he had into a backpack, but the most important thing, Rosiepuff's journal, was still tucked neatly into his hair. It was safest there. If he lost his pack, then at least he'd still have the journal so he could follow his grandmother's old entries detailing where she had looked. She'd even drawn a visual map of where she'd looked for Bell and Spruce. Branch smiled at the thought. He must've gotten some of his survival instincts from her.

I'll have to stop at my bunker to get some better supplies on the way, he thought as he rushed to his door.

He suddenly stopped with a start. "Maybe I should tell Poppy before I go," he considered, beginning to pace around the room. "But then she'll insist on coming along!" he pointed out. "And it's dangerous in the forest. Last time she went out on her own she almost got eaten by spiders! If I hadn't found her, she would've died!" He shuddered. "No, I can't let her come along. She might get killed and... I can't lose anyone else." His voice lowered to a whisper. "Not after Grandma. Not again."

He sprinted back to Poppy's pod with a piece of paper and a pencil in his hands, scribbling frantically:

Poppy,
I've gone to find my parents. I discovered something in my grandma's pod that led me to think they might still be alive. I'll be back in a few days.
-Branch

Finishing the note, he tacked it to Poppy's door before turning away to rush off toward the old Troll Village.

He didn't get far, unfortunately, as another figure clashed into him and he suddenly found himself lying on his back. "Oof!" Branch sat up slowly, rubbing his forehead. "Ow..." He glanced wearily at the person he'd run into. A bright and glittered figure stared back, looking just as surprised as Branch was.

"Branch?" Guy Diamond stared at his friend's odd state, eyeing the pack slung over his shoulders. He steadily got to his foot and extended a hand to help Branch to his own feet. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To find my parents!" Branch cried quickly as he started to take off again.

Guy grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, Branch, what are you talking about? What about your parents? What's going on?"

An impatient scowl crossed the blue Troll's face. "Look, I don't have time to explain. All I can say is that I think my parents might still be alive and I'm going to try finding them. I'll be back soon. I should only be gone for a few days. Please, tell Poppy not to worry and to NOT follow me, okay?"

He tried to sprint away a second time, but Guy stopped him again. "But Branch, what are you even talking about? I thought your mom and dad passed away years ago and... you're just going alone? Just like that? Have you even told Poppy or anyone else?"

Branch pushed Guy's hand away from his shoulder. "No," he stated. "And I intend to keep it that way." He turned away. "Please, don't follow me and don't tell Poppy about this. It's way too dangerous!" He turned and sprinted away before Guy could say anything else.

It was very rare to see Guy Diamond with a frown on his face, but he wore one now. "Like hair I'm going to sit here and say nothing. Poppy has to know about this!" Guy turned and ran, calling the queen's name as loud as his lungs allowed.

"Where did he go?" Poppy inquired, a bewildered expression on her face. She and four of her friends were gathered at her pod. She held Branch's note in her hands, reading it over and over. Her fists were clenched together tightly, creating crinkles in the paper.

"He ran toward the direction of the old Troll Village, but I didn't follow him because I went to get you," Guy said rather sadly. "I didn't see him use the escape tunnels though. He must've gone through Bergen Town.

"What caused him to run off like this?" asked the fashion twins.

"He went to find his parents," said Harper, who had joined them for ice cream. "Wouldn't you go and find them if you had the chance? That's what I did."

Everyone turned to look at her with sad eyes. They all knew the fate of Harper's own parents. They were the ones who had helped her through the loss, after all. With droopy ears they all nodded slowly. If anything, she understood the most and had a fair point.

"Harper's right," Poppy spoke up, her voice lower than normal.

The twins eyed her suspiciously. "Poppy... are you alright?" Chenille asked gently.

The queen's eyes were hard, her lips a thin line. "I'm fine, but I am not letting him do this on his own." She turned to address everyone present. "Come on, guys, let's go talk to my father and let him know what's going on, then we need to find Branch. We'll check the trail to Bergen Town."

Tired and attempting to conserve his energy, Branch slowed his sprint to a steady jog. He had made it to the field just surrounding Bergen Town and now felt relatively confident he wouldn't be found. He had considered taking the old escape tunnels, but they might've been too dangerous and lead him astray, whereas if he traveled through and out of Bergen Town he'd know the exact way to Troll Village.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of nature. It had been a while since he'd truly gone out and explored, not since they moved back in. The solitude was nice. The sun was starting to get low on the horizon, but dusk had not yet begun. Flowers with faces humming little tunes watched curiously as Branch strolled through. Bugs in his path skittered out of the way.

A grin settled on Branch's face and he began to sing softly. "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away..." A small laugh escaped his mouth. "Oh geez, Poppy got that silly song stuck in my head!" He shook his head. He'd rather hear the sound of silence than listen to that song one more time!

It must have been at least an hour or two when a distant voice, several distant voices in fact, met Branch's ears. They were calling desperately. "What in the...?" Branch turned to look back, but the tall grass blocked his view. A groan drifted from his mouth. He planted his hands on one of the flowers. Gingerly pulling on the leaves of the flower, he hoisted himself up and began to climb.

He reached the top in seconds and planted his feet firmly on the flower's circular middle. Standing on the petals was too risky. They might break, even for a small Troll like himself. Putting his hand over his eyes to block out the sun, he peered out across the field. Though Bergen Town was far in the distance, it was still visible.

Also visible were five figures making their way rapidly through the grass. Three of them were of bluish hue, one especially sparkling. The two others were pink in color, but one was way more vibrant. Branch groaned. He'd know that vibrant pink figure with a spring in her step anywhere.

Poppy and some of her friends were making their way toward him. How did they find me so fast? Their speed was dangerously quick. At this rate they'd catch up to him in just a few minutes. "Branch!" they cried at the top of their lungs, Poppy especially. "Where are you?

"Wait, I see something!" one of them called. It looked and sounded like Harper. She was attempting to peer over the tops of the flowers from the ground. Her figure suddenly raised a hand and gestured toward Branch's direction. "Poppy, I think I see Branch!"

Five pairs of heads turned to look in his direction. "Oh no!" Branch cried as he ducked down, trying to flatten himself against the petals of the flower.

"It moved! It is Branch!"

"No, no, no, NO!" Branch slid down the stem as fast as he could and sprinted in the opposite direction of his friends. "Please go back, Poppy!" he murmured more to himself than anyone else.

"Branch, stop!" Poppy's voice was steadily growing louder. He swallowed thickly. She must be getting closer.

Branch was now running at full speed, zipping through the grass. He ducked under the low hanging pieces of grass and flower stems. The footsteps behind him increased in volume.

A flash of pink suddenly burst out of the grass behind him and hit him full force on the back. "Gah!" Branch found himself tackled to the ground. He and the figure flew through the air and across the ground. They rolled through the dirt, coated with a thin layer of brown dust. Tumbling forward several inches, they came to a stop with Branch on his back and Poppy on top. He stared at her with wide eyes, realizing just how embarrassing their position was. Thanks to her not-so-graceful tackling she was right on top of him.

She pushed herself up and peered down at him for a brief moment. A glare was on her face. Branch frowned back. "Poppy, what are you doing here?"

The queen stood up, pulling Branch with her. She planted her hands on his shoulders and stared him down. "Branch," she began sternly. "What do you mean what am I doing here? You're the one who just ran off on us!" She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her hair, the note he'd left on her door. "And what's this about your parents?" she demanded.

From the surrounding herbage emerged the four other figures of the twins, Guy Diamond, and Harper. Unlike Poppy, they didn't look annoyed, but more curious. Whispers of concern passed between them.

A slow sigh drifted off Branch's mouth. There was no way he'd be able to get out of this now. Poppy had caught him and from the looks of her steeled expression she wasn't too happy. She stared him down expectantly. He relented.

"Okay fine." Branch pulled his grandmother's journal from his hair and showed her the cover. "I was at my grandma's old Troll pod when I find this, her old journal. At first I thought it was just any old journal where she wrote down her day-to-day life, but I discovered something else." He opened to the page of the map. "She found clues that my mom and dad might be still alive and... I wanted to try finding them."

"How do you even know they're alive? I mean, wouldn't they have returned to the village years ago if that were the case?" Guy Diamond piped up.

Branch's face turned downcast. "I... I don't know. I'm... I'm just hoping that they're still out there. I don't actually have any solid evidence, just old details my grandma left."

Poppy's previously stern expression had vanished and she was now gazing at Branch with a smile of sympathy. "Wow... Branch, your parents might actually be alive? That's amazing! However... we're going to go with you!"

Branch's eyes grew wide and his brows shot up to his hairline. "What? No. You can't come along!"

"What? Branch, why not? It's great that you want to find your parents, but alone? No way."

"Poppy, please, just let me handle this by myself!"

"No."

"I'm not letting you come with me, Poppy!"

"And I'm not letting you go alone, Branch!"

"Poppy, you don't get it!"

They were both standing squarely, hands on their hips, facing each other with hard glares. "What don't I get, Branch?" Poppy demanded.

"I..."

"You what?"

Branch swallowed hard, glancing at their audience. The last thing he wanted was for them to witness him have a fight with Poppy. He turned to the queen, his voice trembling. "I... I can't do this. Not here." He suddenly stepped forward and grasped her arm gently. His voice dropped several decibels. "Can... can we talk somewhere more private?" His whole demeanor changed with that question. He looked at her with pleading eyes.

Poppy's expression softened. "Ok," she relented, gesturing him to lead the way. She glanced back at her friends.

They gave her worried but slow nods of understandment. They'd heard the panic in Branch's voice. They knew he still had a difficult time opening up. People didn't change overnight after all.

Branch led her through a clump of shrubs, pushing aside the plant stems so Poppy wouldn't get smacked in the face as she followed him. The sun was beginning to set and a small cold wind began to blow through the field. Poppy shivered, earning herself a glance of concern from her blue companion, but she quickly reassured him she was fine.

Once they were out of sight, Branch turned to face her. His gaze was on his feet and his hands clutched the backpack straps tightly against his shoulders. The tension pressed down on both of them from all sides, but Branch especially. He chewed his bottom lip, his heart thundering in his chest. Poppy gently touched his shoulder. His eyes met hers. She hoped the blush dusting her face when he gazed at her wasn't obvious. Opening her mouth, she softly asked, "What's wrong?"

He looked hesitant. "You can't come with me," he insisted.

Her scowl returned. Not this again. "Why?"

Branch returned her scowl with a glare of his own. "It's too dangerous!"

"Branch, like I said before, I'm not letting you do this alone! Why are you being so stubborn all of a sudden? What could possibly happen?"

"Oh, you want to know what could happen? Just watch as one of us falls into an unsuspecting trap or gets eaten by a wild animal! Besides, don't you have responsibilities as queen to take care of?"

"I already told my dad I might be gone for a few days. He's willing to look after everything while I'm gone, so why are you so against me going with you?"

"Poppy, please..."

"Why, Branch? What aren't you telling me?"

"I... uh..." he trailed off.

But Poppy was persistent. She always was. "Branch..."

Branch's eyes glistened with unshed moisture. "I... I..." His words hung in the air, unfinished, unable to voice his concerns.

Suddenly he lunged forward and threw his arms around her tightly. Letting out a startled squeak, Poppy froze as he clung to her. His embrace was tight and he was shaking. Gradually she wrapped her own arms around him and returned his embrace. "Hey..." she began, her anger at him completely forgotten. "Branch, what's up?"

He drew back and didn't meet her gaze, but his hands remained snaked around her sides. "I'm... I'm afraid," he finally confessed. "Poppy, what if... what if something happened to you? Or one of your friends? I don't know if my parents are still alive, but if they are they're a long way off through a dangerous forest. You were almost eaten by spiders the last time you traveled through nature and winter's coming. What if we got lost? What if we got separated? What if...?" He paused to wipe his wet eyelids.

"Oh, Branch." Poppy wrapped her arms around him even tighter, hoping to give him reassurance. She drew back quicker than he wanted her to, but her hand drifted up to touch his cheek ever so softly. He shivered, her touch sending a tingling feeling down his spine. His stomach felt like it was performing acrobatic flips amongst a rabble of butterflies. Oh, I really want to kiss you, he thought.

"Don't be afraid," Poppy continued. "Nothing's going to happen to me, or you, or any of our friends. As long as we stick together, we can make it, but... I'm still not letting you do this alone."

Branch sighed. "But..."

"No buts, Branch."

"Alright, you can come, but..."

"Branch."

"However," he corrected himself. "Please, just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll be careful and won't take any unnecessary risks while we're travelling." He looked her in the eyes, silently begging her to agree.

She smiled softly. "I promise." She again threw her arms around him. "Don't worry Branch, after all..."

He eyed her with confusion. "What?"

She stepped back, eyeing him with a teasing gaze, and began to sing, "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away..."

Branch let out a groan. "Really? That song AGAIN?"

"Yes, really!" Poppy burst into a fit of giggles.

Branch couldn't help chuckling as they walked back to their friends. She led the way and he was happy to watch her skip along and sing playfully, falling even deeper in love with the pink queen. Privately he was glad she was in front of him, otherwise she'd almost certainly notice the blush on his cheeks and the dreamy look on his face.

4/13/2017 Edit: One of my reviewers pointed out that in the original draft they caught up with Branch quite fast and that was an oversight on my part, so I changed a tiny bit of Guy's dialogue to help make it seem more believable. Thanks for pointing that out, BornOnTheBreakOfDawn!