John inhaled deeply. "I can do this..." he muttered. "Okay..." He rubbed his arm. Then he shuffled his feet. He smiled awkwaedly. "One second." He turned around.
"I can't do this!" he quietly panicked. "I can't do this!" He inhaled again. He put his hands on his face and slid them down. "Ugh! Come on, John Dory! Go!" He turned back around.
He scanned the expressions of his brothers. Clay and Spruce show signs of annoyance, Branch also showing the same signs, with a hint of concern, while Floyd's expression is just concern.
John looked at the ground. "I'm not a perfect person," he started singing, much to everyone's surprise. Their expressions changed for a second before returning to their previous ones. "I many things I wish I didn't do. But I continue learning." John looked up.
"I never meant to do those things to you. And so, I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know. I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new. And the reason is you." He held his hands out in front of him. His brother's expressions softened but they stayed silent.
"I'm sorry that I hurt you. It's something I must live with everyday. And all the pain I put you through, I wish that I could take it all away, and be the one who catches all your tears. That's why I need you to hear.
"I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new. And the reason is you. And the reason is you. And the reason is you. And the reason is you." John held out the last note a little longer then stopped for a breath.
"I'm not a perfect person. I never meant to do those things to you. And so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know, I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new. And the reason is you. I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know. A reason for all that I do. And the reason is you." He held down the last note for a while again, then turned around. "I'll just...leave."
John started walking away. Branch's brothers all shared glances before turning their attention back to John Dory. "Wait," Clay said, putting a hand out. "You, uh, apologized?"
"Yeah, I just...couldn't find how to say it," John admitted.
"After all these years?" Spruce asked.
"Y-yeah," John replied.
"Do you...mean it?" Floyd asked.
"Of course I mean it! I never wanted to hurt anyone!" John cried. Branch was silent for a little bit. "So...you still want to be my...brother?"
"Wh-of course, Branch! I never wanted to-I never meant to-I mean-I do but-" John stopped talking and sighed. "It's okay if you don't want t accept it, Branch. I just...thought you guys would like to hear an apology after twenty years."
"I've been waiting for those words," Branch said, smiling.
"Huh?" John asked. "You-"
"Get in here!" Branch said, charging his brother. He wrapped John in the tightest hug he's ever given. Floyd smiled. "Wait for me!" He ran into the hug as well. Clay and Spruce smiled, Clay giggling, before running into the group hug. John's smile spread across his face. "Oh, you guys!"
"I hope things went well for John," Poppy said.
"I'm sure they did, sweetheart," King Peppy replied. "After all, he is Branch's family."
"True," Poppy said. "He just seemed really nervous."
"He hadn't apologized in twenty years, of course he was nervous!" Viva said. "Imagine if I hadn't apologized in twenty years!"
"You know, that's actually kind of sad," Poppy said.
"That's why it needed to be done," King Peppy replied. King Peppy dug in a box then came out, holding a large, fake tree. "Look what I found!" he sang, waving it around.
"The tree!" Poppy and Viva exclaimed in unison. "Jinx! Jinx again! Jinx again again!"
"Girls," King Peppy interrupted. "Are you going to keep calling jinxes or help me put up the tree?" He smiled. "Poppy? Viva?"
"Yes!" Poppy exclaimed.
"I've always wanted to put up a tree with Poppy!" Viva cheered.
The tree is taller than King Peppy, but not by much, just by a hair. Viva placed the star on top while Poppy put some candy canes onto the branches. King Peppy threw tinsel around it and plugged it in. The tree lit up. "Wow!" they all said together in awe.
"The tree is beautiful," Viva said.
"And we all put it together," Poppy said.
Spruce pulled a small box out of his hair. "What is that?" Clay asked.
"It's a tree," Spruce said, putting up the small tree. They stared at it. "It's wonderful," Floyd said.
"Why did you bring a tree?" Branch asked.
"I figured you didn't have one, living inside of rocks and the underground," Spruce explained. Branch stared at him then shrugged. "You're right."
Spruce pulled out a string of white lights, a few small ornaments, and a star. "It's not much."
"It'll do," Floyd said.
"Crossing the window with my open view," Clay started singing as he put an ornament on the tree. "Thinkin' of the time I spent with you."
"And I close my eyes and I see the family," Floyd added. "Thinkin' of their wish list. All dressed up for Christmas."
"On my own for too many years," Branch sang. "I miss the happiness, I miss the tears."
"When I close my eyes and I'm all alone," John sang, starting the string of lights. "And I think of all the love we shared."
"When I need a friend or a helping hand," Spruce added. "I know that you will all be there."
"I've been gone for so many holidays," Branch sang again. "But you can light the fire, 'cause this year-"
"I'll be home for Christmas," all of the brothers sang together.
"I see the children playing in the snow," Viva sang. "Precious memories that I used to know."
"And I see the love in my father's eyes," Poppy added, hugging King Peppy. "Always there to teach us-"
"The real meaning of Christmas," King Peppy finished.
"On my own for too many years," Viva sang. "I missed the happiness, I missed the tears."
"When I close my eyes and I'm all alone," Poppy joined with her sister, "and I think of all the love we shared."
"When I'm in need of a friend or a helping hand," King Peppy sang. "I know that you will all be there."
"I've been gone for so many holidays," King Peppy, Viva and Poppy sang together. "But you can light the fire, 'cause this year, I'll be home for Christmas."
"It doesn't matter how old you think you are," Clay and Floyd sang together.
"Something happens to you when you see that shining star," John and Spruce sang.
"When I close my eyes and I'm all alone," John, Branch and Clay sang. "And I think of all the love we shared."
"When I need a friend or a helping hand," Spruce, and Floyd added. "I know that you will all be there."
"I've been gone for so many holidays," they sang together, "but you can light the fire, 'cause this year, I'll be home for Christmas."
"When I close my eyes and I'm all alone," BroZone added, except for Branch.
"I'm all alone," Branch sang halfway through their line.
"And I think of all the love we shared."
"The love we shared," Branch added in a falsetto.
"When I need a friend-"
"Need a friend."
"-or a helping hand," they finished.
"Helping hand."
"I know that you'll be there," they all harmonized, even Branch.
"Be there," Floyd echoed this time.
"But you can light the fire," John Dory, Spruce, Floyd and Clay sang, extending the final note, singing slower.
"I'm sending out this wire," Branch added in a falsetto.
"'Cause this year, I'll be home for Christmas," they all sang.
"I'm coming home," John added.
"I'm coming home," Spruce sang.
"I'm coming home," Clay sang.
"I'm coming home, I'm coming home," Floyd sang.
"I'm coming home, I'm coming home, I'm coming home," Branch added.
"I'm coming home, I'm coming home, I'm coming..." BroZone added together, drawing out the final note, "...home." They descended down an octave, one note at a time, to end at a harmonized chord. Branch put the star on the tree.
"Thanks, guys. This...this has meant the world to me," Branch said.
"No problem, bro," Clay said.
"That's what we're here for," John said, rubbing Branch's head.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading! I kept seeing the likes go up and it definitely threw me for a loop each time! I really appreciate it! Thank you guys so much!
This is the end of the story! I really do hope we get a holiday special for these guys (it's a high hope, mind you)! I would love to see how they grow closer together as they seemed to have made up at the end of Band Together! I changed just a little bit of things around with that last song! Again, thank you for reading and supporting! (BroZone's tree is also not a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree)