Poppy hid behind a tree and put on the bikini Branch vaguely remembered seeing before. She collected a plastic bag with soap, shampoo, conditioner and a couple of bottles he had no idea what were for. He turned to the fire and added some more wood to make sure it wouldn't die and leave their dinner uncooked.

"Oh, frosting!" He smirked and looked back at her. He tried to warn her about how cold the water was supposed to be, but she refused to go eat and sleep dirty. He really thought that once she felt the temperature she would just wash up quickly and get out, but even with clattering teeth, she followed the whole ritual of shampooing her hair, then rinsing and moving to the next steps which he watched in amusement. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Poppy asked him in irritation.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am." He laughed, seeing her curse a few more times. The pans were placed by the fire so he put the food in to start cooking.

"Come and join me," She grinned and Branch shook his head. There was no way he would be caught in that cold water. "You're covered in mud and you stink, Branch. Get in the water." The command was tempting, or the fact that she implied that he wasn't very snuggly at the moment had worked its magic, and soon, he found himself undressing and jumping in the water to splash her as much as he could.

He didn't expect the water to be freezing, though.

"This is torture!" He exclaimed, swimming back to get out as quickly as possible.

"Since you're here…" her voice sounded like dripping honey and he gulped, feeling his jaw start to shake. Poppy wasn't cold anymore, instead, as she swam closer, she seemed so used to the temperature that, for a moment, he felt he had forgotten he was trying to get away in the first place, "you're welcome." She gave him her soap and dunked to rinse off the excess of conditioner.

Her hair floated around her in hypnotic motions. He mindlessly washed himself, but his eyes couldn't leave her. She looked like a mermaid, an ethereal being that had become one with the water, shut down in her own world, allowing the stream to carry her far from the shore, with a content smile on her lips.

He was sure that the whole thing about the Moon Island was true. There was something magical about her coming to the surface - perhaps it was the growing love he felt for her - he had never seen a troll look so mystical before.

His face was splashed and a giggle was heard.

"Have you frozen your brain, yet?" She joked, collecting the bottles and swimming back to take them out. "Oh dear…" She was kneeling down looking for something inside her backpack. "I forgot the towels."

He didn't think about getting any, either, which was a big mistake since the wind seemed to make it even colder outside the water. They were lucky there was still a little sunlight and so, without need for words, they sat together to warm up. He observed her skin was covered in droplets of water, the transparency mixed with her pink color forming a miniature rainbow as the light went through.

She was cold, but she felt peaceful. She felt her hair dripping down her back and on her face and she hugged her knees, closing her eyes. The warmth that the sun provided slowly dried her body and it felt so bright from behind her closed eyelids… then the light was briefly blocked and she felt a small wet, and tentative touch on her cheek.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, still with her eyes closed, but with a curious smile.

"I'm thirsty." Branch couldn't believe how forward he sounded, if her eyes were open he knew he would see them rolling at his words… but the thought of it only encouraged him to lean forward again. "And you're all wet…"

With a shaky breath she remained steady as he kissed each droplet, drinking them as if he were dehydrating in the desert.

She felt something different rising with his sweet touch, like she was going to die if she didn't place her hands on him. Her heart was pounding so hard against her ribcage that she could fly into his arms and kiss him.

Yes, kiss! She wanted to kiss him. He was making her crave for it, inflating her senses like a balloon that would soon burst if he continued with his ministrations. She had never felt a need so intense before and it connected the dots, bringing her to the sweetest realization that it was the feeling that had always been missing. It was the overwhelming love that could be found only in him.

The fire cracked loudly and both opened their eyes, startled. Their food was ready and if they took longer it would burn. He smiled guiltily before busying himself with their dinner. The bowls, the juice, the spoons… yep, he had got everything ready and the pan was already out of the fire. Poppy took the opportunity to dress up and hang her bikini so it would dry. He also changed to dry shorts and felt incredibly clean and refreshed.

"Do you want to pay a visit to Barb when we cross her land?" Poppy sat down by his side, picking up her vegetable soup to blow it before eating.

"I think the less people know about our quest, the better."

Always prepared. He wouldn't allow himself to fully relax before they were back home. It was true that in the end everybody turned out to be friends and party buddies, but still, there was no need to alert everyone that Pop Village was temporarily without their Queen.

"C'mon, Braaanch…" She stretched the 'a' with a whiny voice, already knowing it was a nice trick to soften him up. "I hear her parties are the best."

"Have you forgotten that a few weeks ago she got me drunk?"

"Well…" How could she forget? It was hell and heaven on the same night. "You don't have to drink. I'll watch out for you.."

"Poppy, we can't go. She'll ask questions and I don't want to talk about the Moon Island." He insisted. It was going to be hard to convince his girlfriend to skip the part of their journey that she was mostly looking forward to.

"Oh, fine… it's your adventure, I'm just your sidekick this time." She raised her shoulders, brushing the importance of her role off as if he would do fine without her. But… at least… she was listening to him, and he was glad for it.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Branch was so angry at Creek. He watched, day after day, as the guru molded Poppy into someone extra cheerful, loud, annoying - and the complete opposite of what a princess should be. The worry about Bergen attacks was completely in the past for her, as it was for the other citizens.

He had to warn the princess that she was being manipulated, but again, she was under the impression she was being educated to one day take her role as Queen. Since the accident with Gia in his bunker, Poppy seemed to avoid crossing paths with him. He knew how she had followed him around since childhood, like he was a future friend, or a social project. It didn't make it easier for him to gather the courage and seek her out himself.

So, that afternoon he left the safety of his bunker while the sun was still bright in the sky, exposing himself to unknown dangers, to pretend to collect firewood and approach the princess when she was by herself.

He didn't count on seeing her with Creek in a deserted part of the forest. The area where he had written repeated warnings all over the trees that an adult Cuddle Pup had made a nest to have her babies. Branch cursed under his breath and kneeled down to hide behind a bush, preparing to help them if necessary.

"This is a perfect place to communicate with nature, Poppy." Creek said, sitting down next to the princess in a lotus position. "Breath in and out… feel the vibe... Become one with the trees and critters…"

Branch rolled his eyes at the stupidly of it all. What was the point of trying to 'become one' with nature? Were the critters going to back vocalize her songs or something? It was going to take a long time for them to get out of the danger zone… And Creek seemed to be taking an extra long focus on breathing.

Narrowing his eyes, Branch saw when the Guru opened his eyes, looking at the princess from her toes to the top of her hair. He kneeled up, getting too close to be comfortable for Poppy - and yet she still remained with her eyes closed, concentrating on his words! If any proof was needed that Creek was a manipulative jerk it was displayed right in front of him.

His hand was hovering just above the nape of her neck - Branch could foresee his next move - he was going to pull her in for a surprise kiss. The survivalist couldn't be quiet anymore. He stood, preparing himself to jump between them, to break Creek's nose, if necessary, with a fighting instinct that rarely made itself known.

But just then, a rustling in the bushes confirmed Branch's fears. The mother Cuddle Pop emerged, growling in irritation and Creek immediately stood up, discreetly poking Poppy so she would open her eyes. They walked backwards, staring at the predator in horror, completely helpless and fatally backing towards a wall of stone. There was no way out.

Branch knew he was going to regret what he did next, but he couldn't let the princess get hurt. He was already livid with Creek, he just had to redirect his anger to a more effective target. He did the craziest thing he had ever done: he jumped in the nest and grabbed a Puppy. The mother immediately turned around, seeing that her babies had been disturbed.

Poppy didn't see him, neither did Creek. As soon as the mother got distracted, they ran as fast as they could.

Breathing in relief, Branch put the puppy down and got ready to get out of there as well, but he forgot about the thorns in the tail of the predator, and a very angry mother struck him fully on the back, sending him flying forward with a blinding pain.

He remembered the smell of blood and the pulsing gash on his side. He was vaguely aware of orange feet approaching him in a hurry. He blinked a few times, fighting to stay awake. The pain was so intense he felt that passing out was the best thing that could happen to him… and so he didn't fight it.

The blur of lights and hurried whispers were the first things he noticed as his senses came back to him one by one. He was completely numb and was being held on his side by a troll dressed as a nurse.

"What…?" He managed to ask in a dry voice. He noticed then how thirsty he was.

"Hold still, boy… " Dr. Moonbloom's voice came from behind him and then he noticed there was a tugging feeling on his back. It didn't hurt, but he felt her touching his numb skin. "I need to finish the stitches before the anesthesia runs out."

"If it starts to hurt, you tell us," the nurse said, still holding him down.

"You're lucky King Peppy found you in time. You'd be Cuddle Pup dinner by now." Another nurse entered the room with a bag of blood and needles. They didn't talk anymore, but Branch knew it was for him. He felt weak, a classic symptom of blood loss… and his head was buzzing.

He refused to stay in the hospital more than necessary. As soon as he could walk again, he stood and walked back to his bunker, feeling the stitches pulling his swollen skin as he walked. He didn't care about the warnings that he wasn't good to go, yet, he refused to stay the night in a vulnerable place.

Branch never figured out if King Peppy told Poppy about his injuries. She never showed up with a 'get well soon' scrapbook-ed card or anything like that. In fact, she didn't appear for several weeks and it was only when he was well enough to go out again that he heard her singing and dancing to invite everyone to the 20th Anniversary of their freedom.

That girl was going to be a very disappointing Queen...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Branch sat up with a gasp, drenched in sweat, looking around in fright. He was in the middle of the forest. The fire was still going strong and there weren't any sounds that indicated a predator anywhere.

But he could hear it.

His nightmares were getting less frequent, but his grandma's screams still haunted his silent hours and the horrors his awakened mind completed in the events that followed were equally disturbing.

"Branch…?" He felt Poppy shifting from her sleeping bag, moving closer so she could place a gentle hand on his back. "Are you okay?"

The dreams caused a shame like no other. It was ridiculous how someone as rational as he was could be scared and tricked by his own mind. He felt exposed in the worst of times, when he was supposed to be the strong one on the road, to protect the Queen.

Hair… the screams had been so real this time…

"Do you have them often?" Poppy slowly asked, startling him. It was obvious what had happened then… as his heart returned to its normal pace and his body dried in the cold night air, he noticed that she was determined to talk it through.

"It's… they're not a regular thing anymore. They rarely get this intense." He exhaled angrily, avoiding her eyes because it would kill him if saw her giving him a condescending look.

"I guess they're bound to show up during this trip..." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and caressing his hair softly until she felt him relax under her touch. "It takes a lot of courage to look into the past."

He didn't say anything, just hugged back. He kept wondering if his father had his weakness as well and if they ever stopped him from accomplishing a mission with his King. The way Poppy's dad described it, the guy was a rock.

Poppy shivered and he noticed her skin had dropped a degree or two from being out of her warm sleeping bag, but he wasn't ready to stop hugging her. If she went back to lay several feet from him, he felt he was going to fall in a dark abyss once again. So he opened the zipper with one hand and pulled her inside, closing it back up so she was still oddly sitting next to him, but warm.

"Do you mind if I ask what you dream about?" Her voice was just above a whisper and he felt her shifting, tangling her legs with his to sit in a more comfortable position.

"I don't mind talking about it…" He replied, noticing that it was the first time he would open up about the nightmares. Nobody ever knew about them. Branch moved his hand to touch her hair, combing it with his fingers and noticed how soothing the act was. Her pink locks were the most mesmerizing thing when they were down. "It's that day when I lost my grandma… it replays in endless loops."

Her arms tensed and the hug got tighter. He was completely aware that her cheek was squashed against his.

"You do realize it wasn't your fault, right?" Poppy said. "You were just a child."

"If I wasn't singing…"

"Chef studied us, she observed and took notes. She would have acted anyway. Stop punishing yourself."

He had repeated that speech to himself several times. His rational mind recalled those facts every time he was on the edge of despair and, at the same time, it calmed his nerves about what he had witnessed, it twisted the reality and attacked him in a whole new place with vivid fabricated memories.

"The sound is disturbing." He choked out, not being able to control the sobs anymore. He didn't remember last time he cried like that. "I can't avoid thinking… about the sound… when a bergen was chewing…" He knew he was wetting her cheeks, but she never moved away, instead, she only seemed to grow stronger, to hold him tighter, to be the one he needed at that moment.

He was exhausted. He ached from his feet to his ears. His body felt like it was disintegrating from lack of proper breathing. She noticed it and helped him down, lying next to him with her head pillowed on his chest. His hands ran up and down her arms, as if he was the one calming her down.

She had never seen him so vulnerable before and there were no words she could say that would ease the emotional pain he was in. He had to crawl out of the darkness of his own mind by himself. All she could do was to show him he wasn't alone.

"You know… if I could, I would erase a lot of memories." His sobs quieted down, so he could listen to her like she was his path back to the light. "But I'm weak and that would be the easy way out. Now you, Branch… I can't think of a stronger person. Any other troll would have gone mad, but here you are, battling it and winning."

"What memories do you want erased?" he asked, finding a way to stop spiraling in his own agony by focusing on something else.

"Just memories that made me afraid of some things…" She felt like the conversation was starting to take an uncomfortable turn for her.

"You? Poppy? Afraid?!" His voice was almost back to normal and she cheered inside. "You laugh at the face of danger. Especially if I'm with you."

"Thank goodness you're with me most of the time…" She giggled softly, closing her eyes to enjoy the sound of the beating of his heart.

"Poppy…?" He had his eyes opened, staring quietly at the sky while she snuggled close to stop fighting the sleep that was coming back.

"What?" she whispered.

"Which memories?" He insisted, feeling his protective instincts kicking in. He didn't think she had one bad moment in her life. She had grown up in a controlled environment, with all her needs being taken care of, there was no way she could have gone through something worse than her hair jitsu training… unless it was specifically that that she wanted erased.

"Promise me you won't hate me if I tell you?" Her head lifted and her big pink eyes found his in a pledging gaze. He had never seen her battling her feelings like this. It was like she wanted to push them back under the surface, but needed to show it at the same time.

"Jeez… Poppy, what is it?"

"I've envied Gia for such a long time." She burst out in tears, feeling like the worst of sinners, confusing Branch beyond words. For a moment, he thought she was going to confess she had killed someone.. It wasn't possible that she felt that a disinclination could be so crushing. "Everybody loved her and her grades were excellent and… you know… she didn't make an effort to be perfect. She simply was."

"Poppy, everybody envies someone at some point in their lives." Branch tried to soothe her, feeling that it was almost taking a turn into comedy. He successfully was over his nightmares then. Barely, breathing, she continued her rant as if she wasn't listening to him at all.

"And every boy wanted to kiss her and I was so sad that nobody wanted me…"

Now he could see where this was going, even with the surprising revelation that she thought nobody wanted her.

"And Creek showed interest and I thought that it was my chance. And it was so horrible I thought there was something wrong with me."

"Wait, your chance?" Well, whatever her plan had been to make him forget his nightmare, it worked out perfectly because he completely forgot about it as the absurdity of her words continued to flow out of her mouth.

"Yes, everybody was talking about it and I had to do something."

"You're saying… your first kiss was a royal duty? With Creek?" So the rumours had been true...

"Do you hate me?" Her desperation was sort of adorable. It didn't favor his feelings for the arrogant guru in any way, but still, he found comfort in knowing that she had never liked him in the first place.

"No… quite the opposite." Branch wiped a tear on her cheek with his thumb and her lips timidly curved into a half smile. Silently he traced his finger over her lip, thinking about what she had said. That it made her afraid of things… well… if she was afraid that her kiss would be disappointing, she was so very wrong.

He lifted his head just enough to surprise her with his mouth covering hers. He felt her tensing up and his suspicion was confirmed. Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her down on top of him so she could feel free to leave and return to her sleeping bag any time she wanted. His hands caressed the length of her back, going all the way up to play with her hair. It made her tremble and gasp. He took the opportunity to slide his tongue past her lips, touching hers while never stopping the sweet embrace.

Pretending he didn't feel her startled eyes widening mere millimeters away from his closed ones, he retreated, resuming the tugging and brushing of lips. Warm shivers ran down his spine when he felt her giving in, closing her eyes and simply trusting that they were learning together and there was nothing wrong with her. His heart leaped in a happy victory dance when he felt her lips parting, inviting him inside once more.

The first time she moaned in delight was like he had found a small treasure. She felt his smile and ended up smiling as well, ending their kiss with silly and satisfied grins. Falling on his side, she circled an arm across his chest using it as a pillow at the same time. It was funny how she fit perfectly in there, like the shape of his body was designed to mold hers.

Poppy didn't want to go back to her sleeping bag, and he didn't push her away.

"We can go to Barb's party tomorrow night…" Branch said… getting a content muffled sound as response. "...but I won't drink."

"I wouldn't expect you to…" She was almost dozing off, but he had to ask just one more thing.

"Do you believe in soulmates?"

"I don't know… I know I've always loved you." She sighed; eyes closed; words barely rolling out right. "I'm sorry I was a pest."

"I'm sorry I was rude."

Notes: Happy Halloween :)