-O-

Picturebook Romance

A Trolls fanfic

By Dreamsinger

Chapter Twenty-Four

Stepping Up

As I followed the shrieks of terror I heard Cherry Blossom following me but I didn't wait, leaving her behind as I pounded on. I cursed my short legs, wishing there was something tall nearby that I could grab with my hair and use to hurl myself through the air.

As I arrived at the scene, I saw a large group of trolls gathered in a circle, all looking in the same direction. Most of them had stopped screaming, but all looked worried.

"What's going on?" I demanded. "Let me through!"

"Oh, Branch, I was so scared!" came Biggie's voice.

Suddenly I was suffocating, swept off my feet and squashed against the blue troll's chest.

"Urgh – too – tight-" I wheezed.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry. Sorry there, Branch." The pressure eased off and I gasped for breath, hanging as limply from Biggie's arms as Mister Dinkles ever did. My level of concern shot up several orders of magnitude. As a giant troll, my friend was normally careful never to use his full strength when hugging smaller trolls. This was serious.

"Wha – what's going on?" I panted as Biggie lifted me so I was sitting on his big belly, my legs dangling off to the sides. "Is someone hurt?"

"It's Poppy. She-"

He never got to finish as I instantly launched myself into the air, using his stomach as a springboard. Poppy! Danger!

I flipped twice, then plunged down into the center of the ring of trolls, aiming for a familiar pink shape. Poppy was on her hands and knees on the field. A yellow troll with mid-blue hair and an orchid-purple nose stood next to her, one hand on her back.

A moment later I thumped to the ground in front of her, one fist in the grass. "Poppy! What happened? Are you all right?"

I put my hands on her shoulders. She looked up, overwhelming relief in her eyes, but then to my horror her face crumpled and she threw herself at me. I clutched her to me, my heart pounding. She was shivering.

Then she let out a wail of fear and anguish, and my heart broke. I still didn't know what was going on, but I didn't have to to know that my Poppy needed me. And I needed her in my arms, to protect her from whatever it was that had caused my brave girl to cry. I shifted my hands to press her as much of her as possible against me, feeling her body shake as she coughed, and wailed some more, her trembling voice as plaintive as a trolling's.

I began to rub her back to comfort her, murmuring gently, "It's okay, Sunshine, I'm here now. It's all right, you're all right…" as if to a trolling Fern's age, sensing that she was more frightened than hurt. What is going on? I didn't see anything bad when I got here. Did I miss something? I scanned the area cautiously, but I couldn't see anything past the trolls surrounding us. Still, no one was reacting to any outside threats. All eyes in the rapidly expanding crowd were on us.

Poppy was clutching me almost as hard as Biggie had, but this time I wanted it, fervently craving the feeling of her alive and safe and breathing against me. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt her hands grasp the back of my new vest, as if she were trying to burrow inside me. Her heart was fluttering rapidly against my chest as if it too was shivering.

My world collapsed. Nothing existed except my girl, and her need for me. Wrapping my hair tightly around our bodies, I shielded her from the world while she shook, coughing occasionally, and letting out a thin, plaintive whimper every so often.

Even when she lost her colors, she didn't fall apart like this. Poppy is one of the bravest trolls I know. What could have possibly scared her this badly?

I never realized she was so…fragile.

I barely registered it when our friends gathered around us, enveloping us in warm flesh and repeatedly asking Poppy if she was okay. For once, the mob hug felt comforting, as if they too were using their bodies to protect my precious girl, putting themselves between her and danger.

Eventually I felt cool air on my body again, but I barely noticed. Only Poppy mattered.

"Branch."

Hands were trying to pull us apart.

"Branch."

I growled and spiked part of my hair outward, daring anyone to come near. "Go away!"

"Branchkin!" Leafe's sharp voice made my eyes pop open to see him, Cherry Blossom and two other trolls hovering just beyond the range of my spiny hair. "Let Doctor Plum examine her."

I hesitated, half-tempted to just leap out of there and take her with me, and realized why a moment later as I saw what must have been fifty trolls surrounding us, just inches away.

But I could see there was no menace here. They all looked just as concerned as I was.

What am I doing?

Breathing hard, I reluctantly retracted my hair and gently helped Poppy to her feet. Doctor Plum began to approach her patient, but just then a cracked elderly voice cried out, "Poppy!"

King Peppy came hurrying through the crowd to rush past me and throw his arms around his daughter.

"Daddy," she whimpered, hugging him tightly, and coughed again.

Standing there, I couldn't help but want her back. My arms felt empty, aching to hug her again, but I knew she needed her dad, too. Even the doctor looked prepared to wait a little longer.

Then, in spite of my concern, I had to smile a little at my situation. If someone had told me a year ago that I was desperate to hug someone, I'd have thought they were crazy.

"Branch, what happened to Poppy?" asked Guy Diamond, his tone unnaturally subdued.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

I became aware of a ripple of worried murmurs flowing among the gathered trolls. I glanced around, reading the apprehension on many faces and remembered the way they'd panicked earlier when they'd thought something was wrong with Poppy, when we were visiting Fizzy the chocolate vendor. But this time something really has happened to her. What could it be?

I desperately wanted some answers, but the two leaders of the village were oblivious to everything but each other. Right now, they weren't king or queen, just a loving father comforting his little girl.

I stood there looking around at the other trolls and feeling useless, and then realized that there was at least one thing I could do to help. I lifted my hands into the air. "Okay, everyone, I know we're all concerned, but let's all step back and give them some space, all right?" I extended my hair in a wide ribbon, encircling Poppy, her father, Doctor Plum and the male nurse who was with her, expanding the ring outward and backing the obedient trolls up until I had cleared a twenty-foot circle around them.

Doctor Plum, who was reddish-purple in color with light yellow hair, approached the hugging trolls and quietly asked the king to let her see Poppy. As King Peppy nodded and released his daughter and the doctor began her ministrations, I let my hair return to normal.

I needed to know what was going on, and Poppy didn't seem up to answering any questions. Then I remembered that Leafe had been with Poppy when I arrived. I spotted the schoolteacher standing at the edge of the ring of trolls, hugging Cherry Blossom and looking more upset than I'd ever seen him.

He let her go as I approached them. "Leafe, what happened here?" I said in an undertone.

"Poppy was…she was choking," he said, his voice tight. His normally banana-yellow skin was a pale lemon now.

"What?"

I spun around, ready to run back to her, but she was sitting on her folded legs and looking straight up with her mouth wide open so that Doctor Plum could look down her throat. A thin band of the doctor's hair held a magnifying glass in its glowing strands, wielded with delicate precision to aid her examination. After a few moments, Doctor Plum straightened up and said something to Poppy. My girlfriend nodded, her hand at her throat, lightly rubbing it. Then she got to her feet, bent over, and coughed several times on command while the doctor pressed a stethoscope to her back.

The coughs sounded a little wet, and Poppy spit on the grass a few times, but she looked to be breathing with no trouble, so I reluctantly turned away from her and back to Leafe.

"How did this happen, Leafe? How did she get a bead caught in her throat?"

"It wasn't a bead." He pointed to a few crumpled white shapes in the grass. "It was that popcorn."

"Popcorn?" I blinked and stared at him with my mouth open, speechless. I could hardly wrap my head around that. "But…we're at a bead festival."

"I know. Ironic, right?" A hint of color began to brighten his peach-colored cheeks. "But the culprit here was ordinary food."

The crowd around us murmured at that.

I shook my head. "Unbelievable."

"No, Branch. You believed it could happen." Leafe came forward to put a hand on my shoulder, his teal-blue eyes beginning to mist up behind his glasses. "And I'm so thankful that you did." His voice sounded thick and wobbly.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my own throat. "What do you mean?"

"I used your method to save her life, Branch. The one you taught me, just days ago."

"You did?"

More murmurs and a few gasps from the crowd.

He gave me a look of anguish. "If not for you, we might be preparing for a funeral right now."

Louder gasps of alarm.

A chill passed through me, and my scalp tingled. I stared in horror at Poppy, all pink and pretty and drinking a cup of water now. She winced with every sip, but managed to smile wanly as her father made some kind of comment to cheer her up. Still, my stomach quivered. I wanted to snatch her up and not let go, ever, and had to clench my fists tight and force myself to turn back to Leafe again.

At the sight of his familiar face, my heart swelled as an overwhelming rush of gratitude nearly knocked me to my knees. "You saved her, Leafe. I wasn't there, and you saved her life." I took a step toward him, holding my arms out. "Thank you so much."

He embraced me tightly. I was surprised to feel him shaking, and even more surprised at what he said next. "That was the most…terrifying thing I've ever been through, Branch. I'm just a schoolteacher, you know. I'm not used to danger… I'm not brave like you. I – I don't know how you do it."

I was astonished. Back when we'd been roommates Leafe had always seemed so experienced; so steady and calm and logical. Nothing ruffled him. And yet here he was, looking to me for comfort, as if we'd suddenly switched places. When had that happened?

When we let go, Cherry Blossom came up and put an arm around her husband, who wrapped his own arm around her waist. I said seriously, "You're wrong, Leafe. I still get scared when something threatens us. In fact, I always assumed that I was more afraid of danger than other trolls, not less. Why else would I go to the trouble of devising all kinds of safety measures if I wasn't afraid?"

"Well, you don't look it." He gestured toward me with his free hand, and I saw the respect in his eyes. "You always know what to do."

Cherry Blossom nodded in agreement.

I was shaken. No, I don't. I just do the best I can, and so far things have always worked out. But I didn't say that aloud, because I saw that both of them needed to believe it was true.

Leafe took a deep, shuddering breath. "I was looking for Cheery when I heard someone shout that there was something wrong with the queen, and when I saw her in the center of a group of trolls she was staggering around with this terrible, desperate look on her face. She fell onto me and looked up at me as if she was begging for help, but, disturbingly, she didn't make a sound. She almost looked like she was pretending to be a mime. But then she stumbled and fell down, and her…her colors started to fade. She was dying."

There were outcries all around me, but I was still, frozen in horror. I could see the scene in my mind. It was like something out of my worst nightmares.

Leafe's eyes were glassy, staring unseeingly off into the distance. "I didn't know what to do. People started screaming. Someone yelled, 'She's going gray!', but to me it looked as if she was trying to throw up. Then she put a hand to her throat, and it hit me: she couldn't breathe!"

"Your training kicked in, and without thinking I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up, pushing my fist up under her ribs like you taught me, but it didn't work. I wanted to use my hair, but I didn't dare, in case it just pushed whatever it was further down. Desperately, I tried again, harder, and this time I felt something pop. She jerked and coughed, and spit something out, and coughed some more. Her colors started to come back. Then she started to fight against me, so I let her down onto the grass so she could breathe."

The yellow troll put a shaking hand over his face. "I…have never been so afraid in my entire life, not even when the bergens captured us." His voice was trembling again, and Cherry Blossom responded to her husband's distress, lovingly wrapping him in her arms and her hair just as Poppy had done for me that morning.

He hugged her close, anguish creasing his face as he looked over her shoulder. "It was all…up to me. If I hadn't been able to save her, right now she'd be…"

I didn't even want to think about it.

Seeing my old friend so tormented was like a punch in my own gut. "I'm so sorry, Leafe." My shoulders began to bow under the familiar weight of guilt. "I should have been here."

"But you were, Branch," Cherry Blossom said unexpectedly, turning to look at me without letting Leafe go. "In passing on your knowledge, you enabled Leafe to save a life."

I blinked. Huh. I hadn't thought of it that way. Unexpectedly, I felt better.

I wished I could say the same for my friend. Poor, peaceful Leafe. Maybe I am better equipped to handle this kind of thing, emotionally. Who would have thought that being dragged along on Poppy's crazy shenanigans would turn out to be so useful?

Sympathetically, I put a hand on Leafe's back, wanting to do more to help my friend. Maybe it's time for me to pass on another lesson I've learned, and do some positive thinking.

"Yeah, you did it, Leafe. You saved her life!" Deliberately I let a gush of enthusiasm spill into my voice as his extraordinary deed really started to sink in. "You're a hero! I'm so proud of you!"

"You are?" He looked surprised, then pleased at my praise.

"I sure am, pal," I said warmly. I patted his back, and his colors started to brighten.

Maybe the endearment helped. I'd never called him that before. Back when I'd lived with Leafe, I'd tried to avoid emotional displays, often hiding warm feelings under a mildly grumpy façade, but the truth was, he'd meant more to me than he'd probably ever realized. I remembered all the times in the past when I'd been the one who was upset and he'd helped me feel better, in his own quiet way, and then I recalled something he often used to tell me.

-O-

Nothing beats having a good puzzle to solve when you're upset. It's a great way to distance yourself from the situation for a while, and then later on you can come back to it when you have a clear mind. It works wonders; you'll see.

I'd followed his advice time and again. In fact, it was one of the reasons I'd built my bunker in the first place. Leafe probably hadn't meant for me to "distance myself" for quite as long or as far as I had, but I didn't regret it now.

Because one day a few years ago I'd been cleaning out some old boxes from my bunker and had come across some belonging to my family. I hadn't even been able to think about those boxes for years, but that day, in my safe space, I'd felt secure enough to go looking for a piece of my past.

When I opened them, I'd found family photos, some handwritten books on a variety of subjects including engineering and romance, a few personal journals, and at the very bottom of the box, in the tattered pages of a scrapbook that was more scrap than book, I'd learned the technique that had saved Poppy's life today.

-O-

A good puzzle, huh? I think I've got just the thing.

"Here, Leafe. Take this."

As Cherry Blossom withdrew her light pink hair and my friend turned to face me, I pulled something from my own hair and handed it to him. He looked it over curiously. It was a small sphere made of slender wooden chutes forming a complex yet airy little sculpture of sorts. The Whizbangs had given it to me while I was waiting for Poppy that morning.

"It's a pre-wedding gift," Savvy had told me with a kindly smile. Touched and embarrassed, I hadn't known what to say.

"It's our toughest puzzle ever," Tuney had assured me, and grinned in challenge. "Even for you."

The puzzle sphere was beautiful and intricate and I knew Leafe wouldn't be able to resist its lure any more than I had. It was just the thing to distract my friend from his trauma.

As he looked up at me questioningly I said, "It's a puzzle. Go on, solve it. It'll help you calm down, and keep you from dwelling on what happened. And you'll be less likely to have nightmares later. Believe me, I know."

A look of understanding passed over my friends' faces, and Leafe smiled. "Thank you, Branch."

"No, thank you, my friend." I remembered that Cherry Blossom had said Leafe knew about Poppy and me. "You know how much she means to me. If you hadn't saved her, I'd be-" I was caught off-guard as my voice broke and cut off, my throat closing up on me. For a moment I couldn't speak at all.

Now it was their turn to comfort me. Compassionate yellow and ruby hands covered mine, and we spent a moment giving each other strength.

We weren't the only ones who were upset. All the trolls around us were still and silent, radiating worry and fear. Many were hugging, drawing comfort from each other as trolls did, and for once, I felt completely one of them. All of us were united in our love for our Queen.

Just then Doctor Plum announced in a loud, cheerful voice, "Good news, everyone! I'm going to take her back to my pod just to be sure, but thanks to the quick action of our hero of the hour, Leafe, Queen Poppy is in absolutely no danger whatsoever!"

The air filled with gladness and glitter, and something came loose inside me. I put a hand over my heart and heaved a great sigh of relief. Oh, thank goodness. Everything's going to be all right now.

Abruptly Leafe was pulled away from me, joyfully tossed into the air by the throng of ecstatic trolls who were shouting, "Three cheers for Leafe the Hero!"

By the third cheer he was beaming a happy grin and cheerfully lifting his arms in the air with each toss, completely at ease with being bounced around like a boingo fruit.

Upset as he is, Leafe's still a troll. Being happy just comes naturally to him. I mean, us, I reminded myself. I noted with amusement that he kept a tight hold on the puzzle sphere, though. It made me feel good to think of my friend enjoying figuring out its secrets.

Not for the first time I appreciated the way my people had the ability to put the past behind them and live in the moment. Of course, it didn't do them much good when the moment was perilous – trolls had a tendency to panic - but after so long, I'd finally come to recognize that those times were few and far between. Funny how the same thing that used to infuriate me is now something I've come to admire…

"Now that things are okay, he'll bounce back fast," I commented to Cherry Blossom, serenely crossing my arms. The ruby-red troll nodded, smiling proudly at her husband, whose colors were bright once again.

And so will Poppy. Unable to resist the pull any longer, I turned to look at my sweetheart. She still looked a little distressed, but she wasn't crying any more. The nurse was saying something to Poppy with a friendly expression, and she nodded and smiled politely. Up to now the nurse had stayed unobtrusively in the background, but now that I noticed him, something about him caught my attention.

He looked fairly young; probably still a teenager completing his training under Doctor's Plum's mentorship. I hadn't visited a doctor since old Doc Whipple was the village's main doctor, so I didn't really know the younger ones, but somehow this nurse seemed familiar to me.

Where have I seen him before? He was mint-green with bluish-lavender hair, a light lavender-pink nose, and sky-blue eyes. His features looked sensitive and sweet, his manner gentle and thoughtful. Wait a minute. Those colors… My eyes widened. That's Acorn!

I wasn't expecting the surge of warm tenderness I felt at the sight of him. Aww, look at him…my Little Nut. He's all grown up now. And he did become a nurse, just like he wanted.

I didn't realize I was smiling at him until he gave me a wide-eyed glance, then turned his face to the side. He brushed self-consciously at the front of his white nurse's tunic, then waved shyly at me.

Surprised and pleased, I waved back. His eyes lit up and he began to walk toward me, but the doctor said something to him as she pointed in the direction of her pod. Acorn stopped, giving me an apologetic look as he went back to stand with Poppy's little group.

I was moving to join him and Poppy when I felt a tug on my vest. I looked down to see little Conifer standing there, his glitter-freckles sparkling gold against his orange cheeks in the late-afternoon sunlight. "Branch, is Queen Poppy really gonna be okay?"

I glanced at Poppy, who was listening respectfully to the doctor. She was breathing normally as far as I could tell, but then she shifted her weight, pressed a hand to her stomach and winced. The doctor gave her an unusually sharp look for a troll.

That bothered me. Maybe Leafe hurt her by accident while he was saving her. Of all the bad timing, with her stomach already sore from yesterday…

"Branch?" Conifer called as I started toward Poppy.

I'd forgotten about him. I hesitated, then answered, "Yeah, she's going to be fine. Leafe knew what to do."

"But what if it happens again when Leafe isn't there to save her?" Conifer happened to speak during a dip in the surrounding noise level, his little voice carrying clearly throughout the market square.

Again I paused, this time in unexpected delight. "Well now, that's a good question," I said in approval. "You're a smart boy, to want to plan for future disasters. You're right; Queen Poppy – or someone else – could choke again at any time. Or get hurt-"

The cheerful chatter around us cut off as dozens of bright-colored heads whipped in our direction. In the awkward silence I put a hand to the back of my head, trying to smile, but I think it probably looked really weird. And wrong. And creepy.

Feeling everyone's eyes boring into me, I whined internally, Aw, come on, you guys! I don't want to be a downer, but look at what just happened. Then I looked back at Conifer and the freaky excuse for a smile dropped off my face.

The sparkles on his plump little cheeks were tears, not glitter-freckles.

"Oh."

I faltered, my stomach starting to churn. Maybe…maybe I shouldn't encourage him. Conifer seems to be unusually sensitive, like I was. And…like another young troll I remember. I looked up and met Acorn's eyes. A gray shadow seemed to fall across his face. We shared a long, sorrowful stare before he looked down and to the side, avoiding my gaze.

My chest twinged painfully and a heavy, almost forgotten burden rolled onto my shoulders. He hasn't forgiven me. Oh, Acorn, I'm so sorry.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to fight back the painful memories, and felt Conifer's little hand touch mine. "Branch, are you okay?"

I'm not going to make that mistake again. Conifer will grow up safe and happy. I'll keep him safe – I'll keep all of them safe. And happy.

"I'm fine." I picked him up and hugged him close, wiping away his tears as I said reassuringly, "You don't have to worry. There's actually quite a few trolls who know the Heimlich Maneuver - that's the technique Leafe used to save her - including me. In fact, I taught it to them."

He looked at me with wide purple eyes. "Really? Then could you teach me? Please? I want to learn to save people, like you, Branch."

I went still as another joyful young voice echoed in my head. 'I wanna be just like you, Branch!'

A little voice in my ears. Little arms around my neck. A warm little body cradled against me. It was so familiar, so achingly familiar...and so was the heartache.

I can't go through that again. "No, Conifer-" I began, but then the group of trolls around us began to chime in.

"I want to learn that!"

"Me, too!"

"And me!"

"Can you show us what to do, Branch?"

Everyone began to gather around me.

"What, right now?" I protested. "No, I- Poppy needs me; I have to go with her-"

"Awww…"

Suddenly I had a sea of woebegone faces surrounding me. I looked around, bewildered and a little exasperated. "You know, a minute ago no one wanted to hear about this, and now you do?"

"Well, it's one thing to talk about danger when you're helpless to stop it, but when there's something you can do to make a difference, then it's empowering," Cherry Blossom pointed out.

I opened my mouth, closed it, and groaned. They would pick now to decide to listen to me!

"Come on, guys…" I looked pleadingly in Poppy's direction. My girl was looking at me with a slight smile, not objecting to the others' claim on me, like a good queen, but I could tell she was still shaken underneath. She was too still, and she looked pale. I could see her leaning against her father, needing the contact to comfort her the same way I had this morning in her pod. Her spark was gone.

I looked back at the crowd. "Sorry, I can't right now."

Poppy brightened as I turned to face her, but the gathered trolls wilted, their eager enthusiasm wavering and falling silent. Poppy looked around at all of them, biting her lip.

No, Poppy! With a sinking heart, I recognized her expression. Nothing calls to her more than the needs of her people. I looked back and forth between her and the other trolls, and then down at Conifer's wistful face, all of them giving me those big, shimmery puppy-dog eyes that are so hard to resist.

I felt my own resolve weakening. Well…maybe I could teach a quick class while she's at the doctor's… Or maybe someone else who's taken my class can. Ooo! How about Leafe? He's a teacher…

I turned to look at my friend, who was happily fiddling with his new toy while his wife alternated between watching what was going on and avidly following Leafe's progress. I smiled and made a mental note to ask the Whizbangs for a few more puzzle spheres for my friends, and for me. I knew Savvy and Finetune would be delighted to see their creations enjoyed by such an enthusiastic audience.

Looks like Leafe's feeling better. I hate to ask him to teach a Heimlich Maneuver class after what's he's been through today. I'd rather not take Cherry Blossom from him right now, either. I suppose I could ask our friends, but since this is about a life-or-death issue, I feel like it's something I really ought to supervise myself…

Objectively, I knew that I should take advantage of the trolls' sudden hunger for some of the knowledge I'd so painstakingly acquired over the years, but emotionally… I don't want to leave Poppy-

"Please, Branch?" Conifer put a small hand on my cheek. "I'm scared."

I was lost. Helplessly I met Poppy's eyes, and saw that she was too torn to make a decision. She wanted me with her, but the distress call of her people was more than she could stand.

So I made the decision for her. I let my face soften into an apologetic smile and angled my head toward the other trolls. Duty calls.

She understood, and returned the smile with a touch of regret. It's okay.

She wasn't herself, but she would be all right, as long as she wasn't alone. I sighed and smiled down at the trolling I held. "Okay, Conifer. I'll stay here and teach you all. I'm sure King Peppy will be happy to accompany his daughter to the doctor's."

"Of course, Branch," the king agreed.

A cheer went up among the crowd, and even though it went against every instinct I had to let her go without me, I couldn't help but be pleased at their reaction. I remember when no one wanted to listen to me.

I set Conifer down. "Just give me a minute, okay?"

"Okay."

I went to my girl and embraced her, finally relaxing now that she was back in my arms where she should be. I gently rubbed her back the way she liked and she went all soft and pliant against me, sighing in contentment. "Are you really all right?" I whispered in her ear. "I'll come with you if you want me to."

"I want you," she whispered honestly, then said out loud, "I'm okay, really. My throat's just a little raw, that's all."

I leaned back just far enough to look her in the eyes, carefully assessing her mood. "You sure?" I touched my forehead to hers, glancing down to indicate her stomach.

Poppy gave me a wry sort of half-smile, knowing that she wasn't fooling me, but letting me know that she wasn't hurt too badly. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered in the same positive tone, but I knew she wasn't, physically or emotionally. Not yet.

I assumed she was making light of any injuries to keep the other trolls from freaking out, but I would definitely be asking for an update on that later. Most likely it's only bruises. I won't say anything right now, either; no need to make Leafe feel bad for hurting her.

I waited a few more moments in case she changed her mind, then replied, "Well, okay… If you're sure…" I lifted my head, wishing I could do something more to cheer her up.

Then I saw her eyes go to my lips, and a strangely enticing heat lit her vivid magenta irises. I swallowed, tensing up as I realized exactly what was on her mind. Our lips were so close…

Come on, Branch! shouted the part of me that was hair-over-heels for her.

I can't! Everybody's watching! the old, cautious me shouted back.

Branch-the-lover urged, What if she'd died before you ever had the chance to kiss her? Or be with her? Whatever happened to the Branch who declared his love for her in front of the entire village?

He only comes out when I sing! cautious Branch moaned.

Poppy finally realized what she was doing and glanced up to see what must have been a weird, anguished battle on my face. Compassion followed surprise and she looked a little apologetic before she pressed her face into my shoulder.

I just about melted into a puddle right then, cuddling her against me and vowing to tell her a hundred times over how much I loved her the next chance I got.

The trolls around us were getting restless, and I realized I had no idea how long we'd been hugging. Reluctantly I slid my hands to her shoulders and moved back so I could see her face. "Well, if you need me, just call." A precious memory came back to me, and before I could censor myself I sang impulsively, "'Cause I will always be there'."

At the reminder of the first time I'd made that promise, the air was filled with quiet chuckles and awws, and Poppy finally smiled a real smile.

I knew I ought to worry about what I'd done, but at the sight of that brilliant, loving smile I just couldn't bring myself to care. And while I was busy not caring I went ahead and did something even more incriminating, tenderly pressing my lips to her forehead.

Into the total silence that followed, I assured her, "I'll see you soon."

I took a step back, and then another, sliding my hands down her arms to maintain contact with her as long as possible. Poppy didn't want to let me go either, holding my hands for several moments while my heart moved in a trembling dance of its own. Fingers clung and caressed before finally breaking contact.

Bereft of her warmth, I gazed longingly after her as she began to move away from me. She looked wistfully back over her shoulder as she joined her father and the others, heading off to the doctor's pod. I watched her until she used her hair to lift herself into the tree out of sight.

When at last I turned to face the other trolls, I fully expected them all to jump to the right conclusion, but although there were a lot of wide-eyed, curious looks, no one said anything directly to me. Huh. Maybe, like Conifer, they all just assume we're best friends? Or like a doting big brother worrying about a much-loved, hyper little sister?

Finally I shrugged and gave Leafe and Cherry Blossom a wry grin as they approached me. "Guess I'm going to have my debut as a teacher a little sooner than I planned."

Author's Note:

The choking scene was one of my earliest plot lines and it went through a lot of changes. Originally I created Cherry Blossom to be the one who choked and Branch saves her. Then I decided it was more important to show the value of Branch's knowledge to the whole village, as its future king, so I was going to have Biggie or some troll who'd been in Branch's class save her in front of a big group of trolls. Then at some point I realized if it was Poppy who choked, not only would his knowledge be proven valuable, Branch could then step up to fill the leadership shoes while Poppy and her dad are basically incapacitated, plus it generated some lovely angst-guilt for Branch, that he wasn't there to save her. Lots of opportunity for endearing hurt/comfort scenes for a lot of characters!

Leafe got to step up, too. I chose Leafe as the hero (sorry, Leafe) because all of Poppy's friends are more used to dealing with danger, as Branch is. I wanted to show Branch connecting emotionally with trolls other than his small group of friends, both for himself and to show the village trolls what he's capable of, (emotionally and knowledge-wise).

Notice how to Branch, Poppy's dad is not "Peppy" but "The King"; someone to watch his step around.

I've read scientific articles where they've done studies on people who played Tetris for a short time (20 minutes or so) in hospital waiting rooms after having just been in a traumatic incident. Those who played had less PTSD and other residual emotional trauma compared to those who didn't. Apparently, focusing hard on something unrelated to the traumatic incident kept the brain from storing the traumatic memories as deeply. Doing a complicated puzzle, reading a book or some other type of mental activity where you have to focus moderately hard is the key.