Hello there, once more! I am back with another chapter! This time, it's part two of everyone's favourite pairing in the entire movie! Branch and Poppy are like bread and butter! I mean, you can eat bread without butter, but who does that, anyway?

Once more, sorry for not having faith in myself. I'm a bad person. I have some problems with myself that I can't seem to solve, so I'm sorry about that.

I'm going to say this is a weird chapter. It really is. It just doesn't feel right. Sorry.

I have nothing else to say, so let's start this! I call this an achievement for not having to make you all read author's notes for fifteen minutes. Yay!

Chapter (III): Everything Is Better With Somebody Else

The Troll Queen looked at the night sky. It was beautiful, as always. But she didn't feel as good as she did last time. She felt something was missing. It was a troll. A certain azure troll with blue colored hair that had his color drained from him for twenty whole years.

Of course she was thinking about Branch. He'd saved everybody a few months ago, helped them make peace with bergens. He was amazing. Absolutely flawless. She stood there, thinking about him, hoping she won't be stuck in the "friend zone". She told herself it was okay, and tried calming herself by singing a song.

"I used to believe

We were burnin' on the edge of somethin' beautiful

Somethin' beautiful

Sellin' a dream

Smoke and mirrors keep us waiting on a miracle

On a miracle...

Say, go through the darkest of days

Heaven's a heartbreak away

Never let you go, ne-"

CRUNCH.

Poppy turned around to see the source of the sound, but she saw nothing that could've even made a sound anywhere near her. She guessed it was just the wind, and continued singing.

"Never let you go, never let me down

Oh, it's been a hell of a ride

Driving the edge of a knife

Never let you go, never let me down

Don't you give u-"

CRACK.

Okay, she was getting suspicious. It was the middle of the night and everyone had went to bed. She couldn't sleep, so she came out to look at the stars. Now that something might be stalking her, she was creeped out. She walked back to her pod to get a good night's rest before she starts going insane or hallucinating.

A certain pair of blue eyes (*) were disappointed to see Poppy leave.

"Urgh, I knew I should've been more careful. I just wanted to hear her sing a bit more. Her voice was great, heck, even better than some of those singers out there."

Branch sighed and went to bed. Now that he's thought of it, what he did was pretty creepy. He just wanted to listen a bit more. Well, he screwed up. He could always try tomorrow, right?

He's actually had a crush on Poppy ever since he met her. While she was annoying, she was positive, cheerful, optimistic, determined, beautiful, pretty, amazing, full of wonder, se-.

He stopped before he went too far. He just wanted to become something important to Poppy. Like a... like a boyfriend. His mind was starting to get frisky from there. Maybe as husband and wife. Maybe as king and queen. Maybe... maybe as fath-.

"Stop it, Branch. This isn't you. Cut out of it!", he thought to himself.

It's just that he's always been thinking about Poppy. He loved her. Very much.

He's thinking about confessing to her tomorrow night.

The next day, everybody woke up with a start. Today was much sunnier than usual. It was a beautiful day outside. Branch rushed his shower, got dressed, cooked up the simplest breakfast possible (Eggs are yummy!), and headed outside to find his friends. He saw the Snack Pack watching Guy Diamond and Moxie Dewdrop have a dance-off.

"Trust me, I'm better than you, G." (**)

"Oh yeah? Let's see who's better, then!"

After the dance-off, Guy came out victorious (Because the good guys always win, am I right?), winning over the "Razzle Dazzle".

"Great job, there, G. The Razzle Dazzle is getting a bit dull anyway."

"Wanna compete next time?"

"You bet!"

As Moxie walked off, the Troll Queen said something to Branch.

"Isn't Moxie amazing? She's always a confident one, even though she knows she's not much of a match."

"Yeah, all trolls are amazing," he replied.

"But none of them are as amazing as you."

"What was that? I didn't really get it," Poppy asked, confused.

"Oh, umm, I didn't say anything," he replied, trying to hide his blush.

"Okie dokie. I'm going to have to go now. A troll reported to me that one of the tree branches is starting to become a bit unstable."

"W-wait, I'll help."

"You read my mind, Branchie. I needed someone to solve the problem. I'm not really that smart of a Queen, really."

"Queen Poppy! The branch is almost going to fall!" A troll ran to where they were, informing them of the situation.

"Come on, Branch! We have no time to waste!"

"Coming!" The two sprinted to the scene, hoping they got there in time.

With the help of some trolls and a bit of support from the branch below, all of the pods on the collapsing branch were moved to another one, safely, just before the branch fell to the ground, making a huge 'thud' sound.

"Thanks for saving our houses, Queen Poppy. We would've been homeless without you," one of the trolls said, tears filling in her eyes.

"It's not a problem, really. It was Branch who came up with this idea." Saying her name make her feel warm and fuzzy inside, a blush starting to form on her cheeks.

He was awesome. He always helped the town when there was a problem. With him around, no problem was too big or small. What would Poppy would've done without him?

"Umm, Queen Poppy? Are you alright?"

Poppy snapped out of her daydream, wiping the drool on her face. "I'm okay, I was just thinking about something."

"Alright, the-"

"Queen Poppy! There's something wrong with the water supply!"

"Coming!" She ran off immediately. "C'mon, Branch! We've got a problem here!" She said, pulling his hand.

"A-alright! I'm coming!"

For the next three hours, problems were sprouting all over the town, one was even about a parasite of some sort in the tree, eating through the fruits. Luckily, Branch was able to kill it with some home-made pesticide, used for getting rid of pests.

It was a rough day, problem after problem, case after case. The Queen was exhausted, and so was Branch. At about four o' clock, the two finally had a chance to rest. They decided to have lunch at the nearby diner (***), the food was good and healthy as well.

"So, Branch, it was a tough day, eh?"

"You go through this every day. But, yeah. It was."

"I don't know, really. I get to this with you, so I kind of had someone to talk to."

She blushed when she finished her sentence. 'With you'.

"Good evening, your majesty. What would you like to order?" the waiter asked.

Poppy had a grilled chicken salad with cranberries, avocado and "goat" cheese. Branch had a roast "beef" and "horseradish" wrap. Surprisingly, it only contained 194 calories.

As they feasted on their meals, Branch noticed something on Poppy. She was breathing much heavier than normal, something that worried him a bit.

"Hey, Poppy? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

"No, Poppy. I know something's wrong. Please, tell me."

"I-I-I'm fine, Branch. E-everything's alright. I just n-need some rest." As she said this, her breathing became heavier.

"Poppy, please, just-"

Poppy collapsed on the floor of the diner, everyone looking and horrified at the scene. A few trolls ran over, looking at the situation.

"We have to get her to the hospital! Someone! Inform the doctor!" Branch yelled at the top of his lungs, worried for Poppy's life. (****)

After a lot of trouble and with the help of many other concerned trolls, the Queen was safely taken to the hospital. Branch wasn't sure why, but he wanted to blame someone on this. He felt someone was doing this, but that wasn't the case. He stopped thinking about it and focused on Poppy.

After she was laid on the bed, the doctor checked for any problems.

"If she alright, doc? Is she alright? Please tell me she's alright. If she's not alright then tell me what I can do to make it alright. Please, do-"

"Calm down, sir. We're trying our best."

"But what if she gets into trouble? What if she has cancer? What if she has some virus on her body that can't be cured? W-what if she DIES!?"

"Please, calm down, sir. It's nothing that horrific. Besides, it's probably just a fever," the doctor said, not knowing what to do with the slightly overprotective blue troll.

No, he wasn't slightly overprotective. He was very overprotective.

"Just a fever? Just a fever? You don't know anything about this. A fever could be a sign of Viral Meningitis, Influenza or even Dengue! It could even resu-"

"Sir, the results are out," another doctor walked out saying.

"Is it good or bad? Is it good or bad? Please tell it's good. Please don't tell me it's bad. Please-"

"Sir, don't worry. She just has a minor fever from working a bit too hard. She needs a rest, but I'm not sure how she's going to manage that, considering she's the Queen and all."

Branch was relieved. His love wasn't in any danger. All she needed was a rest. The doctor does have a point, however. Who could possibly be in charge while Poppy is gone?

An idea sprouted up in his head.

"May I go in and talk to Poppy?" Branch asked, wanting to see his crush once more.

"Actually, sir, she's asleep as of right now, so... maybe you can come later in the evening?"

"Will do," the blue troll said, thanking the doctors and walking out of the hospital.

He headed over to Peppy's pod, asking him for a favour. (*****)

"Hey, umm, Peppy?"

The former king turned around and saw the once grey troll. As an old troll, his memory wasn't as clear as before, though.

"Who are you? I don't recognise you..."

"W-wha? Peppy, it's me, Branch. You know, the one that went grey for about twenty years?"

The memories flowed back into his head. "Ah! Broth, my dear! I haven't seen you for the past twenty years!"

"Actually, you saw me two weeks ago. Also, my name is Branch."

"Oh, did I?" Peppy chuckled. "Sorry, my bad. We old folks don't remember anything right. Tell me, why are you here?"

"Poppy's in the hospital and there's nobody in charge right now. You think you can help?"

"Hmm? Me? I do have some experience, I guess I can take care of the town until Poppy's back in shape. What do you say, Brunch?"

"Branch. And, sure. I'll spread the word about Poppy being hospitalised and you in charge for now. Thanks, Pep!" With that, he ran out of Peppy's pod.

"Anytime, Basket! Err, Brick!"

Branch told the Snack Pack about the situation and told them to split up and tell everyone else. After another three hours, every troll in town had been told of what had happened. Branch was exhausted. Six whole hours of hard work. It was worth it, though. While he was about to faint, he still had the determination to see Poppy. He ran to the hospital to check on the Queen, swiftly and with no time wasted.

"Hello, umm, may I know which room the Queen is staying in?"

"Oh, she's in the second pod from the left."

"Thanks!" With that, he rushed to the pod, yet quietly at the same time, hoping not to disturb the other patients that were hospitalised.

He opened the pod to see Poppy eating something, apparently it was called porridge. It was something the bergens ate. Ever since the they started living in harmony with trolls, they decided to share a bit of their cuisine with them.

Poppy noticed Branch and immediately opened her mouth. It was still full, though.

"Hey, Bra-"

"Don't eat with your mouth full, Poppy. The food will fly out of your mouth and mess up the whole place."

She gulped the porridge down her throat right after that.

"Never mind, I guess."

"Branch, could you tell me what happened? A-and who's in charge of the town right now? I mean, I'm here, and the town's going to go crazy without me! I-I..." Poppy was about to choke. She still had a bit of porridge in her mouth, really.

"Your dad is currently taking care of it. You need a rest, Poppy. You have a fever," Branch said, trying to convince her that everything was alright.

"Is that the reason the doctor said that I can't eat cupcakes until I'm okay?"

"Yeah, kind of."

The pink troll was a bit disappointed that she can't eat sweets anymore, but was happy that the one troll she loved was here to take care of her. Just the two of them.

"Hey, umm, Branch?"

"Yeah?"

Her face was starting to go red. She can feel the heat dancing around her face.

"I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it, Pops? Spit it out!"

"I-I..."

She finally mustered up the courage to say it.

"I love you, Branch!"

She started crying on the bed, tears soaking the sheets.

Branch was dazed at her confession. He decided to make it up to her.

He joined his lips with hers, closing his eyes as he had a little bit of fun with Poppy. Poppy was shocked that he actually had feelings for her as well. She twisted her head to the side as they deepened the kiss.

BANG.

They opened their eyes to see that's their foreheads had crashed into each other's. It was awkward, but still funny nonetheless.

"Poppy, I love you too. Ever since I laid my eyes on you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the entire world," he let his secret out, feeling much better than before.

"Y-y-you d-do?"

"Yes. I do." (******)

"Oh, Branch! You're the best troll in the entire world!"

"So, you want to try this "boyfriend and girlfriend" thing out?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Poppy smiled. She had the boy of her dreams. It was something she'd always wanted. A loved one.

"You know, Branch. I've always felt like I've been missing something in my life."

"And what would that be, my Queen?"

"You," she said. "Ever since I met you, everything in my life had sparked up. You helped me in the darkest of times. You were always there for me, Branch."

"You know what they say. Everything is better with a friend."

"I think anybody would do, actually."

"You always look at the positive side of things."

And with that, they cuddled up together in the bed. Branch didn't mind the fact that she was still ill. All he cared about was the fact that she was here. With him. As he drifted off to sleep, he had one sentence engraved into his head.

"Maybe everything is better with anyone. With somebody else."

Yes! I have finished! Sorry if this this one is shorter than the other two. I didn't really have much of an idea on this one.

As you may have noticed, this one-shot is in a universe different from the other two. Sorry about that. The next Broppy one-shot I make will be in a common universe.

Also, I seem to tend to start stories with beds and end stories with beds. I don't know. Probably because I'm writing this at two or three o' clock in the morning for me. You guys in Europe or the United States have daylight. I'm stuck in darkness. I think I have insomnia. Sorry.

Sorry if the ending was a bit off. I know, it's pretty bad. I try to make my one-shots have relation to a certain saying, making it feel more meaningful.

This chapter might have been a bit worse than the other two. I didn't really get Branch's character right. This chapter had also been based off of a lot of other ones. I took quite a bit of inspiration, so you can say it's not original. I also don't have any faith in myself. Sorry, neomoon585.

Nonetheless, I hope that this was to your enjoyment. Hopefully, I'll improve in the next few chapters. That's all I have, really. Time to write down this stuff that you guys will never read.

"Let Me Love You" belongs to DJ Snake (ft. Justin Bieber).

(*): Yes, I checked. Branch's eyes are indeed blue.

(**): I don't know anything about Moxie. Please, hate on me!

(***): I imagine the diner being an abnormally sized pod from where the owner of the diner came from. This makes no sense, I know.

(****): I imagine the "hospital" being five or six whole branches with pods hanging from them where the doctors and nurses came from. Still makes zero sense.

(*****): This part was heavily inspired by another story. Sue me, please. I deserve it.

(******): Imagine this sentence being used in the future, when I write about their wedding. Yes. *Evilly laughs in corner while playing game that I never seem to win no matter what.*

Yeah, I think that's all I have. Reviews and criticism (mostly criticism) are highly appreciated. See you all!

-Ellohell