Thank you all for such wonderful, kind, and lengthy reviews. They all inspire me to do my best!

James Clark Ray: I'm sorry your first few reviews didn't post. There's a setting where I can choose to moderate guest reviews, and I had it on. I've turned it off now, so your reviews should automatically be posted. I really enjoy your in depth opinions. Thank you!

This chapter is a little short, but it's because the next chapter is going to be a lot longer. Hope you guys can be patient!

"And four years later, we're finally back." Jim announced, coming into the cave.

"Ah, Master Jim. It's was only over the day. Were you successful?"

He and Claire held up their grocery bags. "Well, I think the truck outside the sewer tunnel in the woods should be a good answer."

"Ah! Splendid!"

The assembled trolls sighed in relief, glad that they wouldn't be carrying the stone back on their own.

Jim started to unpack the items that others had requested from the surface. Some store bought, and others picked from the garbage.

He handed Blinky a can of whipped cream. "Did you guys figure out who's coming with us in the truck and who's walking?"

"I will be coming, as well as Merlin and NotEnrique. It's not that I don't trust you, but I want to see to that the Heartstone is properly cared for. And I would like to be able to make sure the stone is placed as soon as possible."

"That's fair," Answered Claire.

"Why NotEnrique and Merlin?"

"Merlin is still a human," said Merlin, coming into view. "And Merlin wants food and a soft bed."

NotEnrique joined the group. "I'm coming because I don't take up space, but I walk really slow." Then he glared at Jim, "and someone's gotta play chaperone on this love boat."

Nomura, who was in her human form, approached the group. "I will stay behind. I can go to the surface in this form and get any supplies we may need."

Jim looked at her, perplexed. "I thought you couldn't shape shift into a human if your familiar was out of the dark lands."

Nomura smiled. "You misunderstand. Our familiar just has to remain safe and unharmed. My familiar is currently being cared for by your mother, and as so, she should remain safe enough for me to keep up appearances."

"Wow, you guys really have this all planned out." Jim noted.

"Trolls don't sleep," Merlin said, matter-of-factly. Rifling through the groceries. "So while you were napping peacefully in your hotel room, we were talking for hours."

Claire was beginning to suspect that Merlin was easily jealous.

"Well, the truck should be able to fit all of us. It has a back seat." Jim pondered a moment. "With gloves and a hoodie, I should be able to drive all day and night."

"Are you okay with that?" Asked Claire. "I'm not that good at driving, but I could take over when you need me to."

"It's alright," he assured. "We'll take breaks for food and stuff."

"So I suppose the only thing left to take care of is putting the Heartstone on the truck," Pondered Blinky.

"And that's going to take all the help we can get." Jim turned to the Trolls in the cavern, "alright, I need help from the strongest trolls to move the new Heartstone!"

"Carefully!"

Once the Stone was loaded on the truck bed, with only a few bumps, the group discovered a new problem.

"Who on Earth do you expect to fit back there?!" Blinky asked, looking at the club seating.

The seat was a bit smaller than Jim had initially thought.

"Well, you were the one that wanted to come along." Jim shrugged. "Look, we put a UV protector on the windows in the back, but in some states, it's illegal to have them in the front."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that no sunlight should come in the backseat."

"I have an idea," said Claire. "During the night, Blinky can sit up front, then during the day, I'll sit up there."

"And what about me?" Merlin asked, crossing his arms.

Claire huffed. "Fine, we'll just all take turns."

"In that case," said Blinky, "I would like a turn at driving."

"Absolutely not." Everyone else said in unison.

So Blinky rode shotgun first, being that it was still nighttime. While Claire and Merlin sat in the backseat. NotEnrique curled up on Claire's lap, to nap. Jim plugged his phone in to charge, and turned on his GPS.

Then they were off.

For a while, they travelled in silence, just listening to the hum of the engine, as Jim navigated his way to the highway. From there, it was silent in the car as Siri gave lane switches and proper exits to take. It was a wild ride of weaving concrete and Jim was doing everything possible to avoid any kind of collision.

"Fascinating, do all carriages go this fast?" Merlin asked.

Claire answered. "Mostly, they can go faster, but there's a legal limit."

"Limit! We want to get back to Arcadia, don't we? I say we punch it!"

Jim frowned, his eyes glued ahead. "But that could potentially get us in trouble with the police, and I'd like to avoid them as much as we can in this trip, hmm?"

"Police? Oh, your law enforcers. Do their carriages also move quickly?"

"Whatever you're thinking, don't."

The first tollbooth was passed, and everyone fished around for enough coins to feed the machine. Getting more coins would be a necessity down the road.

At around 3 am, the road was wide open and straight. The only light came from the headlights, buildings dotting the distance, and the soft glow of the heartstone in the truck bed.

"For 252 miles, Use the left 2 lanes to stay on I-76 West toward Harrisburg."

Jim groaned.

"252 miles? Why, that's not that far." Merlin placed his feet on the seat, against Claire's legs and reclined.

Claire shoved him away, jostling NotEnrique in the meantime, and glanced at the map. "Yeah, but that's just until our next turn. Our total trip is going to be 2,771 miles, according to the map."

"Oh." Merlin noted, with an unhappy tone.

"We have driven quite far already. I venture this was more that a few days travel on foot."

Jim nodded. "And after all that, I'm glad we're sitting and driving back. I'm exhausted."

"You never really got to rest after the final fight," Blinky observed. "How is your wound?"

"Mostly the same." Jim admitted. "It looks okay, but it still stings."

Back when they were at the hotel, Jim had come out of the shower in only his sweatpants. Claire had seen the mark on his chest, a shallow crater with cracks coming off of it like lightning. It looked like a scar, but she knew it had to still be bothering him. Even then, she was exhausted, and the moment wasn't right, so she hadn't mentioned it.

"Do Trolls scar?" She asked, as the conversation lulled.

Blinky seemed to think. "Suppose you hit a stone and it leaves a mark. Does that ever heal?"

"Um, not that I've ever seen."

"Trolls are living stone. That is why our tattoos, as you call them, are created with a chisel, and not a needle and ink. But, as I have said before countless times, this may not be the case with Master Jim. If he is wounded, who's to say it will or will not scar? Only time will tell."

Claire took this answer with a shrug.

They had been driving for hours now. Conversation popped up here and there. But Blinky wanted Jim to concentrate on driving, and Merlin had a tendency to kill a conversation prematurely.

If only the radio worked.

Claire pondered this as Merlin drawled on and on about a battle waged in 1500 that he played a role in. The others in the car doubted his honesty, but stayed quiet, with nothing better to do.

"Incudo." Claire whispered under her breath.

Suddenly, the sound system came to life, the speakers blasting electric guitar.

Merlin stopped talking as everyone stared at the radio.

"Peculiar," Blinky said simply.

Jim smiled, "Hey! I know this song!" He started bobbing his to the tune, an 80's rock anthem. Then he started singing, with gusto.

"Can't explain all the feelings that you're making me feel,

My heart's in overdrive and you're behind the steering wheel."

Jim sat up in his seat, trying to match the falsetto of the singer. "Touching yooooOOOOoooooOOOOOu, touching meeeeEEEEEEeeeeee!

Touching you, God you're touching meeeeEEEEEEEEEE!"

Jim wasn't really ever the musical type. It wasn't that his singing was bad...it just wasn't great.

But here, stuck in a truck with his beloved, his dad, and an asshole for hours on end, halfway asleep, he just decided to belt out the words and notes, glad to be a little goofy.

"I believe in a thing called love,

Just listen to the rhythm of my heart!

There's a chance we could make it now,

We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down!

I believe in a thing called loooooooooooove!"

Oof, that high note was killer, and Jim's voice cracked as he tried to reach it. For the next verse, he reached behind him, trying to touch Claire.

"I want to kiss you every minute, every hour, every day!

You got me in a spin but everything is !"

He growled, in an attempt to be sexy.

Claire laughed, and sang along with him, just as badly, since she didn't know the lyrics.

"Touching yoooOOOOoooou, touching meeeeEEEEeeeeee,

Touching you, God you're touching meeeeeEEEEEEEE!"

Merlin covered his ears.

"I believe in a thing called love,

Just listen to the rhythm of my heart.

There's a chance we could make it now,

We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down.

I believe in a thing called looooooooooove!

AAAaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA!"

As the guitar solo broke out, Claire asked, "how do you know this?"

"My mom used to listen to it all the time! And we'd always sing along to it. How can you not!?"

The vocals came back in, with just clapping. "I believe in a thing called love,

Just listen to the rhythm of my heart.

There's a chance we could make it now,

We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down.

I believe in a thing called looooooOOOOOOOoooove,

YEAAAAHHHHHHH!"

At the trash can ending, Jim drummed his hands on the steering wheel dramatically.

Blinky smiled. "It's always so fun to listen to traditional human ballads."

Merlin removed his hands. "Is it over?"

NotEnrique laughed. "I didn't realize we were doing karaoke!"

Jim focused back on driving, panting slightly, though it didn't matter too much, they were the only ones on the road. "I don't know, I just really like that song."

The next song started with a strike of cords on a piano, a bit of salsa thrown into the mix.

"Oh no…" Jim moaned.

"What?"

"I know this one too!"

"It's Señorita!" Claire clapped cheerfully.

It was then that the group realized that they were listening to a CD, and even if they didn't know the song at first, they would by the end of the trip.

Around dawn, Jim pulled off at an exit that sported a pair of yellow arches.

"It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you

But when we are apart, I feel it too

And no matter what I do, I feel the pain

With or without you

And no matter what I do, I feel the pain

With or without you!"

Jim pulled into the parking lot, parking under a tree, and shut off the truck.

"Thank God," Merlin muttered in the backseat.

"Alright, Claire and Merlin get to go in and have breakfast, while Blinky and I figure out how to get him in the backseat."

Merlin hopped from the truck gratefully, stretching and popping his spine. "And whilst you figure that out, Claire and I will decide who gets to ride in the front. I delegate myself, because I have longer legs."

Claire huffed. "And I delegate myself because I didn't turn Jim into a Troll."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I suppose you're not going to let this go anytime soon, are you?"

Claire just smiled at him. "Take a guess."

As they walked into the McDonalds, Jim climbed out of the truck as well, looking under the seats while Blinky inspected the Heartstone.

"Is everything alright, Master Jim?"

"Yeah, I'm just looking to see if there's a way to bring the seat up a little."

"It's alright. I have become used to sitting in tight, enclosed spaces. Just be glad we are not traveling with Arrrgh."

"There's no way he'd fit in here." Jim chuckled. There was no way to move the seat forward, but he did find a level that allowed the back of the seat to flip up, so Blinky could get in better.

Blinky climbed in, and Jim closed the door and the seat around him. "Comfy?"

Blinky returned a blank look while Jim just snickered. "I only wish I had brought a book or two with me to read."

"Well, if we pass a book store, we can send Claire in to find something." Jim climbed into the driver's seat once again, just in time to dodge the sunlight that peaked through the tree branches. He relaxed, closing his eyes, and getting some rest.

But then, there was a knock on the window.

Jim jolted a bit, and swiveled his head over.

A police officer was staring at him.

Jim put both hands on the wheel. "Stay statue still," he muttered to Blinky.

"Not going to be a problem."

Carefully, Jim moved one hand and opened the door a crack. "Can I help you, officer?"

The policeman opened the door all the way, leaning against the frame. "What's with the get up, son?"

"It's a costume, sir."

"And that?" He pointed at the large, unblinking Troll crammed in the backseat.

"Uh…my girlfriend's costume."

"Do you have your driver's license with you?"

Jim nodded, ready to cooperate with the officer. "And I just bought this truck used, so I don't have my insurance papers, but I can call my mom—"

"That won't be necessary…" He peered at the license, "…Jim Lake Jr. Do you know why I'm here?"

Come to think of it, he wasn't even driving. Why was he being questioned? "Uh…I can't park here?"

He officer huffed, looking stern. "Last night, there was a break in at the Mineral Museum. Someone stole a very large and very valuable gem. One very much like the one in the back of your truck."

He could have laughed if it wasn't so totally unfair. Of course. Of course someone stole a giant rock that looked like the Heartstone. Why not? This trip couldn't just be a simple drive back to Arcadia. Not after the mostly smooth hike. No sir, it had to be filled with drama.

Jim smiled awkwardly. "Uh…you probably wouldn't believe me if I said that we just happened to find it, would you?"

"Son, I'm going to need you to step out of the vehicle."

With a defeated sigh, Jim slid out of the seat.

The officer had to look up to meet his eyes. "How old are you?"

"16, sir."

"Biggest 16-year-old I've ever seen." He muttered, turning Jim around.

"I recently had a growth spurt." He tried to keep a casual voice as he made eye contact with Blinky in the back seat. "I'll be fine." He mouthed.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you by the court. You can decide at any time from this moment on to terminate the interview and exercise these rights. Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you?"

"Yes sir, I have nothing to hide." That wasn't exactly true, but his secrets weren't exactly illegal.

"Alright. I'm calling a tow truck. We'll be going down to the station, and the director of the museum will be called to identify your rock. If you truly did 'just find it', you'll be free to go." And with a stern hand, he was guided to the awaiting squad car and locked in the back seat.

Jim looked into the restaurant, hoping that Claire and Merlin would see him in distress. But instead, he saw them in a deep conversation as they ate breakfast.

All too soon, the tow truck came, and Blinky and the Heartstone were also on their way to the station.

A few minutes after they left, Claire and Merlin came out to a empty parking lot.

"Where the bloody hell is the Trollhunter?!"

NotEnrique, who had craftily snuck out of the truck while Jim was being ushered into the squad car, laughed by the door. "Ole Jimbo was arrested, for theft of a huge, precious gemstone."

"Oh, is that all?" Merlin snorted. "Then I'll be here, having another coffee."

The song they sing in the car is 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love' by The Darkness. It is the ultimate sing along song.