I was kind of hoping this chapter would just…be longer? But it's not. Oh well
—
"Trollhunter!"
"Draal!"
The two trolls ran at each other. Jim colliding with Draal and sending them rolling over the ground. They butted heads and clattered their horns against each other. Then Draal swept him up into a tight, backbreaking hug that would easily crush a human.
"Look at you!" Said Draal, with a heavy punch to the shoulder. "Why, we could be brothers! How did this happen?"
The punch did nothing the boy, and he returned it with gusto. "Forget me!" Jim laughed. "What about you?! You died! And now—how!?"
Draal laughed. "Oh, but I asked you first."
Jim huffed and plopped down to the floor, his legs crossed. "Fine."
Draal likewise did the same, as did the others, all prepared to hear the story.
"It wasn't much longer after we...lost you. Gunmar got the staff of Avalon, but we found Merlin."
"Merlin? The real Merlin? Creator of the amulet?"
"That's right," said Blinky. "But don't give him too much credit, he is, as Jim has so eloquently called him, a gaping asshole."
"I see." Draal considered. "So you found Merlin—?"
"Right, and Gunmar took over Trollmarket and absorbed the Heartstone."
"Yes, Arrrgh has said as much in that regard." He said with a frown.
"He also freed Morgana."
"Morgana? Truly?"
"Yeah."
"So," interrupted Toby, "Merlin decided that if Jim wanted to beat Gunmar, Angor Rot, and Morgana all together, he'd have to be a Troll."
"Because I needed my humanity, but also strength and agility."
"I concur." He grinned slightly, "I mean no offense, but you would have been pulverized."
Jim snorted. "Away, Merlin created a potion to turn me into a Half-troll. There's parts of me still human, but other parts Troll." He held his hands out, showing his odd number of fingers.
Draal studied the difference. "And this worked? You succeeded?"
"Well, against Angor and Gunmar. But Morgana…" He took his shirt and hoodie off and displayed the crater-like scar on his chest. "She was a little harder."
Toby continued as Draal prodded the wound. "Claire opened a portal with the shadow staff, and pushed her in, and then destroyed the staff."
Draal listened patiently. He knew there were parts of the story he was missing, but questions would come later.
"After that, we went off to find another Heartstone—which we did—but it was too small, so we brought it back, and now we have to rebuild Trollmarket. Now will you tell us how you're here!?"
Draal laughed, giving Jim an affectionate head rub. "Alright Alright," He chuckled. "About a month ago, I woke up in Merlin's cavern, where I was stabbed. I remember beginning to turn into stone…I know I did. But never the less, I woke up underwater. When I realized I wasn't dead, I made my way here on foot. It took awhile, but I walked along the gyre tracks, I assumed it made it faster. When I arrived, the market was a mess and no one was here. I…truly didn't know what to think. Had Gunmar won? Was I the last independent troll on earth? But as I made my way to the surface, I saw the sun was shining, and I knew everything was alright."
Jim smiled.
"I used the old tunnel to your dwelling, in search of you. I did find Bar-bo-ra, and she said you were gone on a search for the Heartstone. But she called over Toby and Arrrgh. We've been working here ever since."
"It was about a week ago," added Toby. "I wanted to keep it a surprise, so I didn't tell you right away. Then when you said you were coming home, I knew it was too perfect."
"I still don't understand how you could be here!" Jim exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. "I saw you begin to turn to stone too!"
"I have already told you," laughed Draal.
"Never shattered." Said Arrrgh, "Never shattered, so could come back. Like Arrrgh."
"I suppose," Blinky began, "this is something we will have to consult Merlin about."
Jim sighed, giving Draal a fond look. "You know, I'm just glad you're back."
"As am I, Trollhunter."
Jim just smiled widely. Then, recent events returned to his mind. "Draal? Is…there a way I could ask you a favor?"
"Of course, Trollhunter. I owe you a great many things."
Jim smiled in acknowledgement. "Would you be willing to guard my house again?"
The troll tilted his head slightly, perplexed. "Even now? I would have assumed you'd be able to defend your home from anything."
"I mean…I'm sure I could, but…my father is home."
"Your father? I don't know if you've ever talked of him before."
"I don't like talking about him. He's…he could potentially be dangerous. At least he has some dangerous people out for his blood." He seemed to consider something, then continued. "Let me get the okay from mom and him first, I don't want him coming after you with a shotgun like he did with me."
"Your dad pointed a shotgun at you?!" Cried Toby.
"Yes," Jim huffed. "I doubt he would have hesitated if I wasn't holding my mom."
Toby grasped his arm warmly. "Well, my couch is open, if you need a place to stay."
Jim smiled in thanks. "I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway. So I'm just going to be working here."
Toby yawned. "Well, could you give me a ride back home first?"
Draal nodded him on. "We will wait for you here, Jim."
—
The drive back home was quiet. Toby was tired, being a human and all. Jim was also physically exhausted, but mentally…his thoughts were moving too fast.
"You sure you're okay, dude?"
"I'm just overwhelmed. A lot of good things happened today, and so did bad. Now I have to explain Draal and my father are both back to Claire. And mom wants us to have dinner together…"
"Jim, it'll be fine." Toby assured. "You have so many more people that want to be your dad, don't let James get to you."
Jim frowned, parking in the driveway. "I'm sorry Tobes, here I'm complaining about my dad being back…while you don't even have a dad."
Toby blew his lips like a horse. "Nah man, complain away. No offense, but I'd rather have a dad that died, than one that left on purpose."
Jim nodded. "Me too."
There was a gentle tapping at the passenger side door, where Strickler was waiting patiently.
Jim rolled down the window.
"I'm very sorry if I'm interrupting."
Toby made a great show of a yawn as he opened the door and slid out of the truck. "Nah, Jim was just dropping me off. Later, Jim! Later Mr. Strickler."
"Night Tobes."
"Goodnight Toby."
After the teen left, the other two sat in silence.
"Might I have a word?" Walt asked, timidly.
"I was going to go back to Trollmarket…"
"May I come with you, then?"
Jim nodded, and the man got in the truck.
After a few minutes of driving, Walt found his words. "I suppose my warning wasn't that helpful, was it?"
Jim shrugged. "You were right. If you had told me he was back while I was driving, I would have gotten in an accident. But, I appreciate that you tried."
"It makes me sick to my stomach," confessed the man. "You and your mother are such good, kind, and loving people, and for him to just…"
"Yeah, he's a dickhead." Jim blanched, "pardon my french."
"You have every right to swear at him. I won't stop you. In fact, I'd say he'd be a great source of anger if you ever needed it in a fight."
"That's one positive thing." Jim chuckled. "And, you should be happy. He pulled a gun on me, which is much much worse than a knife."
"Did I ever apologize for that? Because really, a grown man drawing a knife on a teenager? Barbaric."
"Well, I forgive you. I think you've changed, and the chances of you pulling a knife on me again are slim."
"I would have to be crazy to pull a knife on you, oh great defeater of Gunmar." Though there was jest in his tone, Jim could also understand his sincerity. "You know, I never got the chance to thank you."
"For…what, exactly?"
"You saved my life. Me, and the other changelings…well, those that survived."
Jim didn't answer, letting him continue.
"We wanted to free Gunmar originally, because we thought changelings drew the short end of the stick. Not quite human, not quite troll. And as such, we couldn't truly exist in either world. We just wanted a place we could belong. Morgana created us, so surely she would bring us our promised equality, right? But I saw it coming from miles away. Gunmar thought of her as a pawn, and likewise did she. Changelings would only ever be canon fodder. And I saw that with my own eyes. The Janus Order, reduced to a pile of bones in Gunmar's quest for power. Without you and your mother's influence, I would have been among them."
Jim chose not to address the slaughter of almost an entire species, and instead said, "you and my mom seem to be…getting along better."
"We're working on it. Since James came back, she's asked me to spend more time at the house, even when she isn't there. I think he frightens her."
"Sad." Jim sighed. "He's not the same man I knew. Not by a long shot."
"Jim, you've only exchanged a few shouts with him."
"I suppose." He turned the truck down into the canal, and parked it under the bridge. "Apparently we're having dinner tomorrow."
"I hope you're cooking."
"It'll be…interesting." Jim finally amended.
"Jim?"
"Hmm?"
"Look…uh, this might be odd to hear from me…"
Jim scoffed, "Oh god, are we having the 'if you want to see me as a father' conversation?"
Walt shrugged. "That was the intent…"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but the 'paternal' role is kinda claimed."
"Blinky is a wise troll. He's older than I am, and has been there from the beginning. You need a father figure in your life, and he's great for that. All I hope, is that I can return to being a mentor for you. As I was before you became the Trollhunter."
Jim was quiet.
"I know we were enemies once, but I think of you as a hero now. And…I love your mother. And by extension, I love you."
"I…thanks?"
Walt chuckled. "It's alright, you don't have to say it back. Just…if you need a—mostly—human male to talk to, my ears are open."
"Thanks," Jim said earnestly, with a smile. "And, I think I have a solution for keeping mom safe while my dad's around."
"Oh?"
Jim grinned. "Draal's back too."
"Draal? I thought he met a demise from Angor Rot?"
"That's what we thought too, but he's in the Heroes Forge right now."
"Fascinating! I'd love to talk to him about this!" He made to get out of the car, but paused. "That reminds me, I know you have quite a lot to think about at the moment, but I thought I'd let you know I returned to my job."
"Your job?"
"As Principle of Arcadia Oaks High."
Jim tilted his head, baffled. "They let you?"
"Senior Uhl voluntarily stepped down fairly easily. Once he and the other staff realized why I had taken an absence, they practically begged me to come back."
"Really."
"Yes really!" He laughed, "as a changeling, I've always had a thirst for power. Turns out being the principle of a small quiet high school is enough for me."
Jim shook his head in disbelief.
"Look, all this is to say, I am working on a plan to allow you to graduate."
Jim stared at him, wide eyed, "um...I have a job already, I don't really need to..."
"Of course you don't," Walt assured. "But your mother and I talked about it. We think it might be best for you to have that socialization with other humans. And, you've been working hard up until this point to graduate with honors. It would be unfair to take that away from you."
Jim didn't have the words. Sure, he and Claire had joked about him going back to school, but he didn't actually think that would happen.
"But—like this?" Jim whispered.
"It's only if you want to."
Without another word, Jim stepped out of the vehicle, and headed into Trollmarket.
