"I wonder if Branch knows where it'll be?" Poppy suggested.
"But isn't Branch really upset right now?" Demo asked. "Wouldn't it be a bad idea to go talk to him?"
"Maybe...but he needs help and he is going to get it!" Poppy sad. "Plus, I'm his girlfriend! He can't get too upset at me...I hope..."
"Poppy," John said. "Please be wary. Branch can be...apparently...very grumpy so..."
"I get it," Poppy said. "I got this! I'm Poppy! The happiest Troll he knows! I can handle it! You guys can come too but I'm not sure he'll want to see you."
"It's okay, Poppy," Demo said. "We can handle ourselves. We can keep looking somewhere else."
"Thanks guys," Poppy said.
Poppy walked back over to Branch's bunker. John had stopped with her in front of the mat while Demo hung back. Demo said he didn't want to bother Branch so he'd wait outside until they came back out. John said he would go in with her but stay back.
Poppy didn't knock on the door, instead she just opened the mat, invited John onto it, waved goodbye to Demo, and pulled the lever down. Once they went under the ground, the mat closed.
"Poppy, why do you want to help Branch?" John asked.
"Well, he's sad," Poppy stated simply. "I don't like seeing anyone sad. But...his sad is a different kind of sad. It's a hurting kind of sad. The kind of sad that leaves an permanent empty hole in your heart. It's just...devastating. I hate seeing him like that. I can't help but want to make him feel better." John stayed silent for a short while. "That's a really nice thing for you to do, Poppy."
"I try," she replied.
The elevator stopped. "This is our stop!" Poppy said quietly. "You can hang back here. I'll go talk to Branch."
Poppy walked into the room where she saw Branch last time. "I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me," he started singing. "This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy. I need somebody to heal, somebody to know, somebody to have, somebody to hold. It's easy to say, but it's never the same. I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain."
Poppy put her hands on her heart. "Oh, Branch," she cried quietly.
"Now the day bleeds into nightfall, and you're not here to get me through it all. I let my guard down, and then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved." Branch paused for a moment, either to catch his breath or change songs. "If you're gone, maybe it's time to come home. There's an awful lot of breathing room, but I can hardly move. If you're gone," he held down that last note a little longer, "baby, you need to come home, come home. There's a little bit of something me in everything you do."
Poppy held back tears. She's heard Branch sing a lot of sad songs but none nearly as sad as this medley. "Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming 'round." Poppy gasped silently and held her hand up to her mouth. "Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears." Branch paused again. "And I need you now tonight, and I need you more than ever. And if you only hold me tight, we'll be holding on forever. And we'll only be making it right, 'cause we'll never be wrong. Together we can take it to the end of the line. Your love is like a shadow on me 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...Hold on, hold on, hold onto me. 'Cause I'm a little unsteady, a little unsteady. Hold on, hold on, hold onto me. 'Cause I'm a little unsteady, a little unsteady.
"Once upon a time there was light in my life, but now there's only love in the dark." He stopped again. "Nothing I can say...But total eclipse of the heart."
Poppy held back tears and walked closer to Branch. "Branch?" she asked slowly. "Are...are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, Poppy," he said, wiping his eyes. "How much of that did you hear?"
"What would you do if I said all of it?" Poppy asked. Branch weakly chucked. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."
"No, I'm sorry you're feeling that way," Poppy said. "I love medleys but I never heard such a sad one in my life." Branch stayed silent and looked away from her. "What do you want?" he asked.
"I just came to check how you were doing," Poppy said.
"I'm doing the best I can," Branch replied, a little grumpy. Poppy rubbed her arm. "I hate to ask this of you, Branch, especially right now but...do you know where your grandma's cloak...might be?"
"Her cloak, if I'm guessing right that you've already checked her pod, might be near the old Escape Tunnels," Branch said, his voice a little shaky.
"Really?" Poppy asked. "Like where I found Croco?" Croco is now sitting in front of Branch, facing the table. "Yeah..." Branch said. Poppy smiled, gently. "I'll find it for you, Branch. I promise."