Chapter 3

Branch was back at the Troll Tree, at least he thought it was the Troll Tree. The branches were bigger and greener then Branch recalled, and there more pods closer together. He was sitting on one of the tree's branches and basking in the warm sunshine and he could smell laundry drying somewhere nearby. Oddly there seemed to be no one around.

"And I need you now tonight," an all too familiar voice rang in Branch's ears and he felt ice fill his entire body.

No, not again, Branch leapt to his feet and started running towards the voice, towards the smell of laundry and the site of impending doom. He could now see the bars of the cage surrounding the old Troll Tree, blocking out bits of light and closing in on him with every step.

"And I need you more than ever," the voice continued and Branch cursed it.

Shut up! Shut up you damn brat, Branch tried to run faster but only seemed to slow down. You have no idea what you're doing.

"And if you only hold me tight," the voice sang and Branch found himself barely able to breath.

"Please stop, please, not again," Branch sobbed, able to see the laundry just ahead of him. He climbed, unable to stretch his hair and arms feeling heavy. Why did this keep happening?

"We'll be holding on forever," the voice taunted Branch just as he managed to get to the top but his Grandmother was already running away, towards the younger him singing obliviously ignorant of the Bergen approaching him.

"Grandma, come back," Branch screamed after her but she couldn't hear him. She never did.

"And we'll only be making it right," younger Branch sang.

"Branch, watch out," Branch's Grandmother cried.

"'Cause we'll never be wrong-" younger Branch finally looked up at his Grandmother just in time for his Grandmother to push him out of the way and be snatched by the Bergan.

Branch saw his younger self fall and rushed forward, being able to hear nothing but her scream. He reached the end of the limb before the Bergan reached the gate but then everything around him disappeared, replaced with nothing but gray.

"No," Branch whimpered, falling to his knees and saw what little blue he reclaimed, wither away from his hands. "Come back…"

"-Together," Poppy's sweet voice called out to him and Branch saw her standing beside him as he knew her now, smiling as she lifted Branch back to his feet and continued to sing, "We can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight."

With a smile Poppy kissed Branch's cheek but then let go of his hands and she was gone.

"Poppy?" Branch called out but he was still alone. He could feel her warmth in the air but it wasn't reaching the chill inside of him and the grey was only getting darker. Against his will he began to sing, "Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
And there's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart."

"It's beautiful!" Hefty's voice happily called out to him.

Branch spotted Hefty standing a short distance away behind him.

All around them the gray is starting to turn a little lighter.

"Hefty?" Branch's feet take him towards the Smurf.

"Ever since I heard it, all I've wanted to do is seek you out," Hefty continued as if not hearing Branch speak.

All around them the ground shakes but Hefty doesn't seem to notice. Suddenly looming above, is a giant cloaked figure but it doesn't seem to be a Bergen. Could this be the wizard Hefty could them about?

The cloaked figure of Gargamel reaches for Hefty and Branch runs towards them butt he short distance between them stretches and Branch only gets further away. All he can do is watch as Gargamel lifts Hefty up and there's a flash of blue light and Hefty is just discarded midair.

Branch is finally at Hefty's side shortly after he hits the ground. Branch checks Hefty's grayed body for warmth, for a pulse, for anything but he finds nothing.

The grey that had been around them was black now and Branch can hardly make Hefty out anymore even though they're so close.

"No," Branch whimpers and he can fell the tears pouring down his face, "Hefty…"

"Thank you," the voice above him looms, sounding like a thousand voices echoing in the nothing, "For leading me to him with your singing."

The ice in Branch cracks but there's no warmth, only a deep pain spreading through his core. He almost wishes he'd go numb just so it would stop. If only he were dead instead of Hefty.

It seems as though Branch will get his wish as he sees Azrael's outline, bigger then he remembered, and practically glowing in the darkness, bounding towards them.

Branch awoke feeling something trying to restrain him. Instinctively he struggled, fighting and thrashing about as hard as he could despite the pain rippling through his arm and stinging his back so he could get free. He was not going down without a fight!

"Branch," Hefty shouted, scared to let go in case Branch hurt himself in his panic. "Branch calm down, it's me; Hefty."

Shockingly Branch immediately stilled and went partly limp trying to look at Hefty. His eyes were wide, unseeing, not unlike when he first awoke after Azrael's attack.

"Hefty?" Branch said slowly, almost unsure of what he was seeing.

"Yeah, bro, it's me," Hefty assured, loosening his hold on Branch so it wasn't so tight but kept him close.

"What's happening?" Branch's voice was still very soft, uncertain.

"You were having a nightmare," Hefty answered and, at Branch's confused face, reached up a hand to wipe way a few of Branch's tears which only seemed to confuse him more. "I take it that you don't remember?"

There was a pause as Branch thought about it, looking at Hefty as if he had never seen him before. He sighed and shook his head, "Just a vague… feeling."

"Must have been bad to react that way," Hefty recalled Branch struggle even in his sleep, crying and tossing so much Hefty held him in an attempt to calm him. He wanted to ask if it was about the Bergen but Branch said he didn't remember and he promised Poppy he wouldn't bring those monsters up while Branch was sick.

Branch hummed and shifted, looking at the rest of Hefty now, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

A warm chuckle escaped Hefty, "No man, not even a scratch."

"Pretty sure lots of muscles don't equal invulnerability," commented Branch.

"I'm fine," smiled Hefty, "I promise."

Silence stretched out for a bit but it wasn't uncomfortable. They just sat there, Hefty holding Branch close and upright, which confused Branch a bit. He was awake and calm now, why was Hefty till holding him?

"How long have I been asleep?" Branch questioned.

Keeping a hold of Branch, Hefty looked towards the window, trying to gauge the light to tell the time, "A few hours, you should probably eat again and take more medicine."

"Watching me sleep and playing nursemaid must all be so riveting for you," Branch grumbled, "Is Poppy bouncing off the walls yet?"

"She was but Smurfette came back and they went out together," Hefty carefully made sure Branch could sit up on his own before getting off the bed, trying not to think about how empty his arms suddenly felt. "And before you panic, Smurfette won't let anything happen to Poppy and Papa old the others to be on their best behavior."

"They better be," Branch crossed his arms, carefully not to agitate his injured one any further. Plus, he was starting to get chilled again since Hefty left the bed. He better not be becoming dependent on Hefty for warmth or Poppy just might abduct the unsuspecting Smurf when it was time to head home. There was no doubt in Branch's mind that she would do it too.

Hefty grabbed the empty soup bowl and headed back to the other room to retrieve more soup and Branch looked around the room a bit. The mushroom was basically three rooms, the main room where medicine was made, this room with the bed and a side room that Branch didn't know what was.

Curious, Branch extended his hair to open the side door, not surprised to see a washroom. That was good, he'll need to use that sooner or later.

Returning with the soup, Hefty watched as Branch pulled his hair back to himself, "Your hair can be rather useful, huh?"

"Most of the time," Branch brushed his hair back a little once it fully returned to it's relaxed position. He took the offered soul from Hefty and noticed Hefty now had a bowl for himself as well. The poor Smurf had been stuck with him practically non-stop since Hefty saved Branch from Azrael. "You don't have to stay with me all day you know. You can take a break, work out, eat some of that nasty sarsaparilla."

"Hey, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean sarsaparilla is nasty," Hefty used a spoon for his soup as Branch drank his from the bowl again. "And I'm just fine hanging out here with you."

"Are you sure your name isn't Nurse Smurf?" asked Branch.

"Ha ha," Hefty laughed sarcastically and rolled his eyes. He ate for a bit in silence, trying to think of a way to ask Branch what he wanted to ask. "So, Poppy mentioned her father earlier; King Peppy?"

"Yeah?" Branch paused to look at Hefty, feeling like this was leading to another question.

"So, Poppy is a princess?" asked Hefty.

"Yep," Branch drank some more soup, still wandering where this was going.

Though Hefty knew the answer from talking to Poppy, Hefty figured it was the best way to gauge Branch's feelings by asking, "So you're going to be the Troll King one day?"

Branch almost spat out his soup, coughing a bit as he turned to Hefty, "Say what now?"

"Well when you and Poppy get married," Hefty ventured.

"Poppy and I are not getting married," snapped Branch. "What made you think that?"

Oh Smurf, Hefty should have thought this out better. "Well you're so protective of you and, um, she said she loved you?"

Branch stared at Hefty weirdly and Hefty knew he should have kept that last part to himself. Way for this to backfire.

"She doesn't mean it that way," Branch put down the soup and curled up a bit, ear drooping a little like Poppy's had when she told the story of the Bergen.

"You love her?" Hefty really regretted opening up his line of questioning now. His stomach was feeling all knotted and he also put his own soup down.

Silently, Branch fiddled with the blankets over his knees.

"Yes," Branch said slowly but almost like a question, "No?" He sighed and shrugged, "I don't know. It's been so long since," he sighed again, "It's complicated."

This was definitely dangerous territory. Hefty should've waited to bring it up or never brought it up at all. Still he was already one foot in the grave, he might as well keep digging.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hefty scratched the back of his neck. "Talking about things helped before, right?"

Silence was Hefty's initial answer again but he expected it. Branch wasn't the sort to just share things without being pushed or without thinking it over and thinking it over some more.

"While I've been asleep," Branch started, unsure, "Has Poppy told you more about how Troll colors work?"

"A bit," Hefty admitted.

"Did she tell you about me," Branch hesitated. If Hefty didn't already know did he really want to share this? It hadn't been a secret for twenty years and if Branch had met Hefty just a month or so earlier he would have known off the back but somehow, he wanted didn't want Hefty to know. He wanted to keep that secret buried away with so many other things but he also knew that he owed Hefty something about himself after everything even if was just Branch greedily working through his own problems, again.

Branch licked his lips and stared at his knees, "About me being gray?"

"Er, yes," Hefty admitted slowly, hoping Poppy wouldn't try to get even for this later.

Rubbing his eyes, Branch stifled a groan. He should have known Poppy would share something like that without thought. At least it saved him some trouble of explaining the basics.

"I was four when, when we came to where we live now," Branch began. "I was at a home with other children who, who lost their parents but I couldn't stand it there. It was crowded and loud and they were so happy despite everything and I lashed out a lot. After a bit I ran away and made myself a camp outside of the village. I'd still come for school and such but I ran away each time they took me back to the home. After a while they stopped trying."

Despite himself, Hefty thought back to when he was four. Papa wouldn't allow any of them to handle knives and the most they could do to help in the kitchen was stir and help clean up. Back then they all lived in one giant mushroom, where Papa would hug and kiss each one of them good night, before they were older took down the big mushroom to build their own smaller mushrooms. While he was always surrounded by love and family, Branch had been alone.

Not noticing Hefty's thoughts, Branch continued, "I started to build my bunker, a place I would be safe in case, in case anything bad happened. Everyone left me alone except for…"

"Except for Poppy," Hefty reasoned.

"Except for Poppy," Branched nodded. "From the moment she could walk around on her own she followed me around trying to 'brighten me up'. She would sing and dance and invited me to parties, no matter how many times I refused or how mean I was to her. For a long time, I just thought she was annoying, I hadn't realized how much I came to relay on her happiness until she needed me to help her be happy once."

"That's how you started to get your color back," Hefty sighed. It was good leaning more about Branch and he was glad Poppy had helped him but, he wished it didn't make him feel so Smurfing hopeless.

Again, Branch nodded, "I do love Poppy. She means the world to me and I would do anything to protect her." He sighed. "But being in love with her; I don't know. I haven't loved someone since… and I've never been in love. I wouldn't know what it felt like if it tried to eat me like that stupid cat-thing."

"I really hope falling in love doesn't feel like being eaten," Hefty offered a soft smile.

"Have you ever been in love?" asked Branch, wanting more than anything to stop talking about himself for a bit.

Hefty fiddled with his spoon as he thought about how to answer. Honesty was probably the best approach.

"I thought I was once," Hefty admitted.

"You thought you were?" Branch questioned.

"Yeah," Hefty shrugged, "With Smurfette."

Oh, that one girl Smurf Poppy was so flustered by. Why did Branch feel like he had double the reason not to like her now?

"I know I said earlier no one on the village is really related but they've always felt like my brothers," Hefty furthered explained. "Part of why I work out so much is that I wanted to be strong enough to protect them."

"So, it isn't purely ego," Branch couldn't help but tease.

"Eh, ego helps," Hefty admitted, smiling at Branch rolling his eyes. "But Smurfette didn't grow up here. It's not my place to tell you her origins but when she came to live here, I thought she was the one. She's amazing, funny, smart, beautiful; you know, the whole package sort of deal. I flirted with her for a long time but it never really went anywhere.

'When we discovered the lost village of girl Smurfs, we almost lost her and I was devastated. After we got Smurfette back, I was so relieved but after that, I don't know, happiness high faded, I realized the romantic feelings just weren't there anymore. It was the relief of discovering my friend was safe, not the potential of someone I wanted to spend my life with.

'And, believe it or not, we actually grew closer afterward and she's my best friend I go to when I need to talk to someone. I actually went and talked to her before I snuck off to find that siren's voice I kept hearing."

While Hefty spoke, Branch had given the occasional nod to show that he was listening but didn't respond right away when Hefty finished.

"Dude," Branch stared at Hefty. "Did you just call me a siren?"

When Hefty's cheeks turned a darker blue, Branch realized that the Smurf was blushing.

"You should finish your soup," Hefty almost knocked over his stool with how quickly he stood up. "I'll go get your next dose of medicine."

Watching Hefty rush from the room, Branch wondered if he would never understand Smurfs. He guessed he had time to figure it out while he waited for his fever to pass.

This would probably be a good time to use the washroom before that medicine made him sleepy again. He carefully got off the bed and just stood still for a moment to make sure he wouldn't fall over. His head was still a bit off but if he went slow, he didn't foresee any problems for he really didn't want Hefty's help on this one.

Hefty paced in the other room a bit, trying to calm his racing heart. He had not meant to call Branch a siren to his face. What if Branch thought he was weird now? Or at least weirder than Branch already thought he was. He couldn't face himself if that little slip made Branch uncomfortable around him.

Like a pair of angels, Poppy and Smurfette came into the mushroom. They must have gone to tailors for Poppy was wearing a dress identical to Smurfette's. At least the dress used o be identical for while Smurfette's was pristine as always, Poppy's dress had what looked like cake batter, grass stains and mud staining her dress, and it was randomly flaked with something that sparkled in the light.

"How's our patient?" asked Poppy, holding up a basket from bakers. "We brought muffins; I helped make them."

That explained the batter at least. What else had these girls been doing that got Poppy so messy?

"He's awake," Hefty said softly, "But I'm really glad you're here Poppy."

"Thanks," Poppy said softly in return. "Why are we whispering?"

"So Branch doesn't hear," whispered Hefty. "I need you to distract him for a bit, make him forget anything he may have wanted to ask me before you got here."

"Why?" asked Poppy.

"Because."

"Why?"

"Because!"

"Why?"

"Because I accidentally called him a siren to his face and now he's going to think I'm weird and I need him to forget about it, okay?" Hefty said as loudly as he could in a whisper.

"Aww," Poppy cooed. "He's your siren? That's so cute."

Hefty wanted to scream when he saw Poppy had lifted her hands to make the shape of a heart. He barely held back from shaking her to make her focus for he knew Branch would never forgive him if he accidentally hurt her.

"Hefty, do you have a crush on Branch?" asked Smurfette.

"No," snapped Hefty at the same time Poppy said, "Yes."

"I do not," growled Hefty.

"Fine, you love him," grinned Poppy.

"Poppy," Hefty warned.

"You wanna kiss him," Poppy sang.

"Poppy," Hefty tried again.

"You wanna make little Troll/Smurfs if that's even possible," Poppy put a little dance into her singing, which made Smurfette giggle.

"Poppy!" Hefty grabbed Poppy by her shoulders to make her stop.

"Poppy, I don't know what you're doing, but stop tormenting Hefty," Branch called from the other room which made Hefty freeze and look around in a paranoid manner.

"Do," Hefty swallowed. "Do you think he heard?"

"Nah," Poppy shook her head and stepped back from Hefty's hold. "Branch is oblivious to feelings. You could probably profess your undying love to him and he'd still think you were joking or something."

Poppy skipped into the other room and Hefty took a deep breath to calm himself. At least he had a shield from Branch's questions for a while.

"Hey," Smurfette put a hand onto Hefty's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "If you like him, you should tell him. Not right now obviously, but later when he's better and it's a more romantic setting."

"I don't know," Hefty admitted and absolutely hated it. "Things are complicated."

"Maybe but nothing is going to happen if you don't try," Smurfette smiled at him, "He'd be lucky to have you, you know? You're great."

Slowly Hefty smiled, "Thanks Smurfette."

When the Smurfs joined the Trolls in the bedroom, Poppy was sitting on the bed next to Branch, happily munching a muffin while Branch sniffed one and nibbled.

"How long did that dress stay clean," Branched eyed the formally white dress. "Five minutes?"

"Ten minutes, thank you very much," Poppy quipped.

"Ah yes, please forgive me for underestimating you," Branch rolled his eyes.

"You're forgiven, now eat," Poppy poked Branch's muffin.

Branch batted her hand away, "Sorry I'm not an endless vacuum like you."

Poppy put her hand to her chest and gasped in mock hurt, winking at Smurfette when she came over to sit at the foot of the bed near Poppy.

Still Hefty hesitated to join them. He shuffled his feet and went over to stand by Branch, "Um, listen, I need to grab some things from my place but I'll be right back, okay?"

Branch blinked but nodded, "Alright."

"Make sure he takes the medicine when he's done eating," Hefty handed the vial to Smurfette for safe keeping.

"Fear not Hefty, Smurfette and I shall guard Branch with our lives," Poppy saluted him.

"If I'm in danger in bed, there's something seriously wrong here," Branch mumbled but it was easy enough for them to hear.

Chuckling a little, Hefty turned to head out.

"Hefty?" Branch's voice called.

"Yeah?" Hefty turned back.

"Um," Branch hesitated, "See you soon?"

"Yeah," Hefty smiled, "See you soon."

Instead of heading straight home, Hefty walked around a bit trying to clear his mind.

All around him, he could see some of the girl Smurfs milling about with his brothers. There was no clear indication if they were moving in yet but it was a nice distraction from his thoughts, though it didn't last long.

As it stood, Poppy loved Branch but was not in love with Branch. At the same time Branch loved Poppy but wasn't sure what that love exactly was. Where did that leave Hefty?

To be completely honest with himself, Hefty was in love with Branch. He may have not realized it yet, but he was from the moment Branch's song first reached his ears. The love took hold when he first heard the singing up close and finally heard the siren voice crystal clear. Along with agitation at Branch's initial hostility, the love grew with each interaction, loving Branch's stubbornness, his fighting spirit, his protectiveness of his village, and later of Poppy, and those moments of honesty and vulnerability.

There wasn't an exact moment where the love made itself known to Hefty but he felt it as surely as he felt the sun on his skin. Somehow it just felt right but also like he was just setting himself up for disappointment again like he had with Smurfette.

First of all, despite the blue hue of his skin, Branch was not a Smurf. Smurfs and Trolls were vastly different and lived far apart from each other. How would a relationship between them even work?

Would Branch even want a relationship? With Branch's uncertain feelings for Poppy and his general hesitation to trust a relationship seemed like a stretch. Poppy said that Branch would probably think Hefty was joking. Was Branch that convinced that he was so hard to love?

But really, could Hefty blame Branch if that was the case? Branch had been alone for most of his life, no family and other adults who had given up on him for being difficult. Were Trolls so happy that they couldn't handle one troubled child?

No matter what happened Hefty would make sure Branch was not going to be alone anymore. He'd go to the forbidden every day to see Branch if Branch would be willing to meet him somewhere like before. He'd make sure Branch knew Hefty cared about him and, maybe, one day tell him how he feels.

Up ahead, Hefty spotted Papa Smurf talking to Smurf Willow and headed for them.

"Ah, good afternoon Hefty," Papa Smurf smiled warmly when he spotted him. "Taking a break from watching over your friend?"

"Sort of," Hefty scratched the back of his neck. "I just need to get a few things before I head back."

"I see," Papa scratches his beard, watching Hefty shift around awkwardly in a manner very untypical of Hefty. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Hefty said quickly. "I just, that is I just wanted to…"

Stepping forward quickly, Hefty grabbed Papa up into a hug and just held him. When was the last time he just hugged Papa like this? He thinks he was still an apple shorter than the elder Smurf and he regretted not doing this more often.

"Hefty?" Papa hugged Hefty back but couldn't help but be concerned. He always expected protectiveness, bravery and a bit of ego from this particular Smurfling; open affection was not all that common outside of moment of extreme distress or overflowing joy but Hefty didn't seem to be either. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Hefty kept hugging Papa, not caring if the entire village saw. "I love you Papa."

Papa smiled, holding Hefty a little tighter and wondered if he had that blue Troll to thank for amazing gift, "I love you too, my little Smurfling."