This chapter was a blast to make! (A Very Potter Sequel probably helped)

"How's the Gyre doing?" Jim asked, shifting his torso towards the window that was cracked open, making it so the car without air conditioning cooled down. Of course, they were going through a minor heatwave the week he, his mother, step-father, and best friend were driving across the country to Browns Mills New Jersey to move stuff into his and Claire's new apartment. They were eight hours into the drive and since they left late, it was already starting to get dark, forcing his mom and Strickler to switch.

"Surprisingly well Master Jim!" Blinky informed him from the other line. Though the trolls still had a week and a half until the market would be unsafe, they'd begun the hard laboring task of transporting supplies, food, and trolls across the country. The Gyre was repaired to a point it could carry around six trolls and a few crates. Troll Market was quite populated and they had to let the Gyre rest and mend it between journeys. But so far things were going pretty well." Aaarrrggghhh went along on the last run and via his return said they were able to locate a deep cavern we'll be able to camp in until we begin our search for the Heartstone. How are your own endeavors going, Master Jim? Oh and congratulations on your and Fair Claire's union."

"Hah, thanks Blink," Jim laughed, groaning at how Toby had drooled all over his shirt. It reminded him of when they'd go on vacation together as kids. Being the only friends each other had and neighbors, they'd join one another on family vacations that were typically boring and just to visit relatives."That's good, while we're there Toby and I are going to go through some local woods and look for any cave entrance or signs of trolls."

"Hmm, look for uprooted Heartstone. I doubt any would still be easy to spot but it's something to look out for," Blinky warned, turning his attention away from the phone and towards a gaggle of feuding trolls.

He'd never heard anyone say uprooted Heartstone but guess it was like an uprooted tree. Fragments of Heartstone that had broken the crust of the earth, uprising and showing hikers they could be near Heartstone. But over the decades and probably centuries, they could've easily been covered up by dirt, vegetation, or even stolen by some hikers thinking it was a type of amber.

"I'll keep an eye out for it," Jim said, letting a loud yawn escape."Bye Blink, keep me updated."

"Will do, Master Jim, and good luck with your move," Blinky said, hanging up from his end.

Jim sighed, letting his phone fall to the shallow floor of the car. It was strange being away from both Claire and Cassidy and personally, he didn't like it. He'd been away from them for more than eight hours but he'd still been in Arcadia. This time he was in a whole other state and soon would be in a whole other part of the country."Homesick already Young Atlas?" Strickler asked, his eyes cemented on the road ahead."If it is hard on a say car trip how do you plan on adjusting when living long term?"

"Huh? Oh, I'll be fine, it's just," he rambled, leaning forward and picking his phone from the relatively clean floor of the car. His finger grazing the screen, it lit up and the background he'd recently set was Cassidy as most his photos were. It was a normal photo of her smiling, blue eyes scrunching as she held some of her baby blocks."It's hard being away from them both,"

Strickler nodded, eyes trailing to his wife who'd fallen asleep. He lifted a sweatshirt she'd brought along, gently draping it over her in a quick motion before returning to his and his step-son's conversation."As I would expect, but enjoy these moments Young Atlas because soon there won't be any help."

The statement angered Jim dearly since it wasn't true. They'd only had people watch Cassidy once or twice and both times they either had work or just needed sleep. They'd never depended on his mom for no more than shelter and food. Besides that, they were fine on their own and he wasn't fearful of having to take care of Cassidy on their own since that's what they'd been doing the entire time. What he was worried about was money. All their furniture which comprised of a bed, crib, dresser, table, and the rest of Cassidy's things were either things they owned or got handed down. A car was another problem he didn't want to think about. At the moment it seemed like he'd get his mom's car since she was already in the market for a new one and Strickler had one he could easily drive her around in. But gas would be another thing that would ruin their small bank account.

"Walt," Barbara said, opening a tired eye to see they were still on the road." Wanna stop or switch?" she asked, tugging on her bottom eyelids in the hope to wake up that way.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving," he assured his wife, not showing a bit of exhaustion. Jim assumed since he was a troll, he didn't need as much sleep as humans, but still more than most trolls since he'd lived with a human schedule for all of his life. But Barbara who was a concerned wife, wouldn't take no for an answer, beginning an argument, Jim saved them both from.

"I'll drive." he intervened, wanting to keep from any fights starting up.

Barbara and Walt both turned back to him, then at one another, and then his mother turned back to him."I don't know sweety, you haven't ever driven on the high-"

"I've driven on the highway before," he said, annoyed even at eighteen, married and with a baby, his mother didn't trust him with simple tasks."And if you don't trust me with this, how are you gonna trust Claire and I to live on our own?"

Strickler hummed a laugh."He has a point Barb,"

"You're not helping," she snapped towards him, calming herself before turning back to Jim who stared with pleading eyes."Fine, I guess you can drive,"

Once again, he found it infuriating he had to be told yes by his mother to drive and it wasn't just something he could do. It also made him feel like he had to do better, impress her almost. Luckily, that feeling perished when she, along with everyone else in the car, fell asleep. Alone with his thoughts, Jim tried to diverge them from his duty as the TrollHunter which he was aware he'd neglected, and from the money problems, he and Claire were facing. Instead, he thought about how New Jersey would help them. It would give them independence and freedom from their parent's influencing gaze. Now married, it felt like they were finally a family but having their own place to call home would make the feeling even more of a reality.

He also looked forward to getting excited for Estelle. Somehow, Estelle's pregnancy had been more stressful than Cassidy's at that point, and living on their own and being fully moved in would hopefully give his self and Claire, the time to get excited for their next baby, and prepare Cassidy for a younger sibling. He wondered what Cassidy's reaction would be to her little sister. She wasn't that big, still under a year, and he and Claire had noticed a few small changes in her behavior lately, but they weren't concerned since everyone around her had been weird so they just assumed she was projecting their energy.

Yawning loudly, Jim looked at the car's digital clock. He was only 2 hours into his shift if you could call it but for a teen dad, 10 o clock was past his bedtime. Having a harder and harder time focusing on the road, he wished he'd chugged some coffee like Toby had before they left earlier that day. Soon it grew impossible and he felt his eyes finally close.

Listening to the car swerve, Jim jolted awake, gasping as he realized he'd fallen asleep." Wha... what happened?!" he asked, still half asleep.

"Young Atlas, I hate to say but your mother might be right about trusting you with the wheel." His eyes finally managed to adjust and found he was in the passenger seat and Strickler sat at the wheel." But don't worry, I won't tell her about your near sleep deprivation caused crash." he ended with an off smile.

Still recovering from the second long panic attack, Jim ungripped the arm of the seat and nodded his head in a delirious pattern."S-Sorry, I didn't mean to actually fall asleep."

"Do not worry Young Atlas. Sleep is something you of all people know is not to be taken for granted but I employ you, if you are deprived of sleep, do not offer to drive." Strickler informed his step-son pulling off the highway.

"Ya, I-" Jim stopped himself, amazed by the snow-capped trees and slush-covered ground. All people walking through the streets or in cars had hats, gloves, and coats, all bundled for the cold of early January."Where the heck are we?!" he asked, touching the window and immediately regretting it when the frostbitten window froze the tips of his fingers.

"Pennsylvania," Strickler answered simply, leaving the TrollHunter jaw dropped.

"H-how!" Jim asked, knowing that it was impossible to drive from California to Pennsylvania in one night.

Stickler laughed with his mouth closed, stopping at a red light."I'd think by now you'd know I am capable of many things, including which is fast-paced driving,"

"I wish I'd known my mom married Edward Cullen," Jim sighed, still traumatized by watching the Twilight movies with Claire, enjoying some of the first but finding no good point of the rest.

"I am sorry but I'm not familiarized with your era of pop culture," Strickler said, familiar with some pop culture from his students but when it came to reading and movie watching, he was more of a history buff.

"Good," he said, memorized by the snow. All his mother's relatives lived in Oregon and they always visited in summer so he'd never seen snow in person. Though impressive, he still didn't like the cold so this would be a big adjustment, though a bigger one for Claire who despised the cold. Strickler pulled the car into an early morning diner, parking in a spot close to the door."We're close to the New Jersey border. It should be another few hours of driving but I predict we'll be there by nightfall."

"Without your Vampire driving?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow as he reached an arm back and threw his sweatshirt at Toby's face.

Strickler laughed again, a puzzled look on his face."So is that what this Edward Cullen is? Strange I don't understand your people's obsession with vampire's when I can assure you they're not real."

"What's this about the Cullen guy?" Toby asked, annoyed by the rude awakening by his friend. Throwing the sweatshirt back at Jim, the pudgy boy stretched his arms out, nearly avoiding Barbara who Strickler was trying to wake."Don't tell me Claire and Darcy are watching them again because I will not endure watching vampire se-"

"Jim was just saying I drive similar to the main protagonist in the series," Strickler said, finally managing to wake his wife up.

"Hmm?" Barbara questioned, struggling to open her eyes."Walt where are we?"

"Pennsylvania," Jim answered, looking down at his phone as he slammed the car door. No messages from Claire. The sight of just his screen saver brought a frown to the teen's face, wanting any news about what they were up to. Even if it were just the news she'd slept through the night or hadn't slept of all, it just would be nice to hear from her. The cold air rushed over him and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. They definitely didn't have the right gear for the cold winter of New England and that was confirmed by Toby's loud teeth chatters as he rubbed his arms not covered by sleeves.

"Who knew New England was so goddamn cold," he complained, pulling his sweatshirt out of the car, quickly pulling it over him. Pulling the drawstrings, the hood closed in on his round face, giving him little warmth.

"Ya," Jim said, paying little to no attention to his freezing friend. The screen saver with no new notifications saddened him and he grew more anxious for when Claire and Cassidy would drive up.

"God I'm starving. Let's hope good old Pennsylvania has some good eats," he said, holding the side of the car as he walked past Jim since the ground was covered in a thin layer of ice.

The group huddled into the diner, hair covered with small snow flurries and all shivering through their California clothes. It was around 7 and the diner was already quite busy, people sat at the counter and tables. The theme of the diner appeared late 80s mid-90s, checkered floors, and even a jukebox in the corner that a few young kids were huddled around, forcing quarters into the slots. Warm air vented out and warmed their chilly bodies.

"I'll go grab us a table," Strickler said, entering the swarm of hungry people to find a free table.

"And I have to use the bathroom," Barbara said, practically busting after over ten hours in a car. Before beginning to search for a bathroom, she handed Jim her credit card." I'll just have a coffee and bagel," she said, yawning as she turned to the unisex bathroom.

"Parents credit card," Toby said jokingly, though stared at the credit card as if it were the world's greatest burrito.

Jim sighed, stuffing the credit card into his pocket, pulling Toby to the counter." We're not buying the restaurant if you were going to ask. Watcha want?" he asked, stepping up to the counter.

"I've matured Jimbo," he assured him before turning to the menu, struggling to make a decision."Let's see, it says their specialty is egg sandwiches so I'll have a bacon ham and cheese sandwich and a coffee."

"Okay," Jim laughed, mouth-watering at the sound of an egg sandwich made by someone who wasn't him.

"I assume you're both from out of town." the girl - appearing to be around 22 - behind the counter said. She had deep freckles and long blue hair with swooping bangs. On her apron, she had a name tag reading: Alexandra.

"I beg your pardon?" Jim questioned, stopping Toby as his childlike side took control, spinning on the stools beside the long counter.

"I said I assume you're from out of town," she said, speaking louder as the song Mony Mony began to play from the jukebox.

"We are bu-"

"And what gave you the perception we were?" Toby asked, speaking in one of his matter of fact accents.

Cleaning a cup with a sudsy rag, Alexandra sighed, bags under her eyes deep and prominent."First of all your dressed like your from the south and second, I saw your car and it has a Cali license plate,"

"Stalker much," Toby muttered to Jim, just loud enough the tired young adult hear.

"Ugh," Alexandra sighed, hitting her rag against the counter with a hard grip."Are you two gonna order or not?"

"Uh yes," Toby said, beginning his declaration of what he wanted and exactly wanted(just to annoy her). Jim smiled at the scene but felt bad for the lady, recognizing the longing for sleep in her eyes as she mentally noted Toby's lengthy order. About to intervene, Jim stopped when he felt the vibrations his phone gave off when he got a notification. Hoping it was Claire, Jim smiled seeing a message and video from her. Clicking the video first he just saw Cassidy playing blocks with Enrique. Halfway through she began to do her "Motorcycle Hands" as Claire called them. It was a simple action she'd started doing when excited and quickly Jim wrote it down to be the same as a dog wagging its tail.

Claire: We all miss you!

A moment later, another photo she'd messaged appeared. Well, two to be exact. The first was the most recent ultrasound she must've gotten earlier that morning, and the second was a photo of her small but still prominent baby bump. Smiling through a laugh he quickly replied.

Jim: Glad to see Estelle's growing.

Claire: You really like that name huh? Well, I hate to tell you but I'm betting boy.

He laughed, excited to see her face when he was revealed to be right on the sex of their second baby.

Jim: We'll see...

"Jimbo," Toby said, waving his hand before Jim's face."Earth to Jim.

"Cali kid," Alexandra said, slapping her hand against the counter, instantly getting his attention."Whatcha getting or are you just here to feed the fat one?"

"Why you," Toby said, bringing a fist together, forcing Jim to restrain him.

"A cinnamon raisin bagel, two egg sandwiches, and three coffees," he said, assuming Strickler would be fine with a coffee and egg sandwich.

Alexandra nodded, jotting down their meal in messy handwriting."M'kay, that'll be out in-"

"Alexandra," a voice belonging to an older woman rang from the foyer of the diner. A middle-aged woman with blonde-grey hair thrown up in a messy bun, deep brown eyes, and a worn puffy coat walked in. In her arms, she held an 8-month-old boy that was obviously not her own. The woman approached Alexandra as if she had some power, holding her head tall so it surpassed the crown of the girl's.

Alexandra groaned, ignoring Toby and Jim as she cut past them, walking closer to the woman, she obviously didn't want to see." You said you could watch him." she said, grabbing the baby from the woman. The boy had a pale complexion and messy brown hair. Like Alexandra, he donned a few freckles and a deep one on his cheek. He too wore old hand-me-down clothes.

The woman crossed her arms, looking at the young mother sternly."I did but you didn't mention you were taking a double."

"Triple," she muttered under her breathe, growing annoyed when the boy started pulling at her hair."Stop that. Look I really need to take this extra shift, so can you please just watch him for a little longer Auntie," she begged, her aunt appearing unused.

Her aunt stared down at her with a firm gaze."It ain't my responsibility to watch your little mess of a boy. If you didn't wanna be working three shifts then you should've said no to that ass-"

"Hallsie!" her manager shouted from the back."Get back to work."

"Halaway," she said under her breathe, before turning back to her aunt."Please, it's only another hour."

"Fine," her aunt hissed, taking hold of the tousled boy once more." But you better be saving those tips instead of spending them on those cigars of yours," she said, turning dramatically and exiting the diner as quickly as she'd entered.

"Drama," Toby whispered, quiet enough no one besides his best friend heard.

"Ya," Jim said, watching as Alexandra sighed, and walked back behind the counter, noticing that they'd witnessed the entire scene.

"Your food will be out in a few," she said in a relatively nice voice.

"Jimbo, come on," Toby said, pulling him towards the back, specifically to a table Walt had found that was not covered in syrup.

"I ordered you an egg sandwich," Jim said, mentally back on Earth. He took a seat beside Toby who was staring out at the falling snow."I hope that's okay,"

"It will suffice Young Atlas," Strickler said. though troll, the canceling was adapted to consuming human foods and when it came to that he had a much more refined palate.

"God, I'm glad I don't have to deal with this every day," Toby said, removing his hand from the frozen window.

"Aren't you going to college up here?" he asked, recalling that Toby planned on attending a college in Ne Jersey to be closer to all the action and his best friend.

Toby moaned, throwing his head back."Don't remind me."

Both Jim and Strickler laughed, Jim's quickly being interrupted by the beeping of his phone. Seeing that it wasn't another message from Claire but instead, Blinky Jim quickly answered."Hey Blink, so Tobes and I are going to be able to look for the Heartstone sooner than we thought cause Stri-"

"Master Jim," Blinky breathed, voice filled with shock and fear.

From becoming the Trollhunter, Jim had learned fear was something not to be taken lightly." Blink is everything okay?" he asked hesitantly, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Douxie and Nari are back... and so is the Order."