Bruce looked at JD, rolling his eyes in disbelief. Of course it came back to the Family Harmony, The cause of everything; John's desire for perfection. Bruce simply took a deep breath.
"Look John, even if I wanted to help, I Can't just leave on an adventure; I have a family" Bruce added, gesturing to Brandy who was cleaning the bar as the kids playing on the ground with some toys. Poppy looked at Bruce, wondering if asking him to leave his family was a bit too much as they conversated about getting Bruce on Board.
The Brothers proceeded to talk, by which JD and Bruce were arguing with each other about various topics. Branch taking a deep breath, feeling like pulling his hair out. It was just like this before. His two oldest brothers at each other's throats. Branch excused himself for some fresh air, leaving the bar.
Branch made his way to the sand-covered beach. it was a calm afternoon as Branch plopped on his back, laying in the sand. He needed to get away from the argument, having kicked loose bad memories in his head. He laid down trying to relax as he looked up, seeing Barb standing over him, drink in her hand.
"You look like you need this" she replied handing him the drink as he took a sip. The Redhead took a look around to see that no one had noticed the two trolls on the giant beach before she comforted him, laying beside him on her back, adding how hectic it was back there.
Branch revealed that Bruce and JD got into a really big argument right before they split and being there, made him feel like he was one year old, and it was happening all over again. Brab simply brushed his hair. she looked up, feeling the box in her rear pocket pressing against her.
Barb had just remembered she still had the ring in her pocket from earlier, before this whole BroZone mess as she looked at Branch teasing him "I still can't believe you were in a boyband".
"You're never gonna let me live that down are you" Branch replied as she smirked, adding that she could get used to calling him Bitty B. adding that he would look good in a perm as she was clearly teasing him.
Branch smiled at the Rock Queen, making a deal that if he got a perm, she had to frost her mohawk. "I wouldn't ask you to cut it, I'm not heartless" he replied as she chuckled adding that she could pull off a frosted mohawk, but she would not be caught dead in a puffy vest, that was where she drew the line.
The two shared a laugh as Barb reached her hand out, Branch gently squeezing it. Part of her really wanted to propose right there on the beach. from what Barb read in Carol's romance novels the beach was supposed to be super romantic.
On top of that, seeing Bruce and Brandy like that got her thinking about herself and Branch, would they ever be like that. happily married with a young Trolling of their own. Barb never thought about having children, focusing on balancing her Queen duties and Rocking out but eventually she would have to, so she could pass the crown down when she got too old. She eventually decided to slowly bring up the topic before dropping a bomb like that on Branch who was clearly dealing with out.
"So, Bruce is a family man, that's cool" Barb tossed out as Branch rubbed his arm nervous, feeling conflicted about that. happy that Bruce found a pleasant life with others who care for him but remembered that he practically cut off his old family for the new one.
"I'm Not asking you to focus on the Bruce part, but the family part. do you ever think that..." Barb was going to say something but was cut off when Bruce and JD walked out. telling them, they have come to an agreement to save Floyd. If their younger brother was in danger, they were willing to their petty squabbles aside...for now.
"But you should probably talk with your wife before leaving" Barb added, wanting a few more minutes of beach time with Branch as Bruce nodded saying that Brandy was all for it. Bruce may have to watch the kids alone at a later date, but it would be worth it. The two got up, brushing sand off their rears as the group walked back to the Bar. Poppy was talking to Brandy.
They all grouped up, since they Had Bruce, all they needed was Clay, which would be harder than expected as JD admitted he had no leads as to where Clay was, asking Branch and Bruce if they knew anything.
Bruce was the first to respond, asking if JD seriously no idea of where to BEGIN the search for Clay. admitting he had not heard a word from him since the big fight. JD sighed and decided they could come up with a plan to find Clay when they got back to Rhonda, leading Bruce to ask who Rhonda was.
"Oh, she's my Armadillo bus, very friendly" JD explained, telling Bruce they left her behind since she could not drive through the forest, telling everyone it was time to move out as the group left. Bruce waved to his bar as they walked away from the beach. He remembered promising to bring his kids a cool souvenir from his adventure as well as bedtime story material.
The Group was walking as Poppy was striking a conversation with JD and Bruce, about the Band as JD looked as Bruce, his eyes giving away the fact that Poppy was a fan as she asked who wrote the song 'Give you all My Love Baby'. John Dory pointing to himself, declaring himself the writer as Poppy then asked who wrote 'Girl, You're Sweeter than Cotton Candy' which had JD point to Spruce as this continued.
Bruce was the one to interject, being respectful as he asked if he could just write a list of who wrote which songs. Poppy nodded, before asking who wrote 'Girl I Want to Slow Dance with you Under the Stars (and Get Lost in Your Eyes)' as the two looked at each other as JD smirked "Actually, that was all Branch" JD admitted as the girls turned to him shocked.
"That is like my favorite BroZone song ever" Poppy admitted as JD and Spruce could not keep a straight face as they both chuckled. JD admitting it was him who wrote it, adding Branch never wrote anything.
"He was a baby, what would he have known about tween music" Bruce added as Branch grumbled. Barb noticed this, looking at the two admitting Branch was a GREAT song writer. way better than their 'Baby Girl Baby' swill as JD looked at her.
He corrected that it was 'Baby Girl Babe' as Barb simply snorted through her nostrils, making him back down. Barb made it a point that when they got back to Rhonda, she would show them what Branch really capable of music wise.
Back In the Troll Tree all those years ago, Eclipsa's leg had fully managed to heal as the Rock Troll no longer needed her cane. Her and Oaken stood before King Peppy, Eclipsa doing a stand on her tip toes, commenting how it felt much better. Oaken looked at her, smiling as he praised the woman, hugging her.
Eclipsa simply let Oaken melt into her as Peppy put her hand on his best friend's shoulder, asking if the two of them could speak in private. The two walked off as Oaken asked Peppy what was on his mind. Peppy simply smiled at Oaken, saying he did a good job tending to Eclipsa as the green Troll nodded.
"It was weird at first, the moment she found out I was a Pop Troll she almost bit my fingers off but the more time we spent together, the more we found out we had in common, she actually really sweet" Oaken admired as Peppy recognized the look on Oaken's face as the king turned to his advisor asking him if he knew what this meant. Eclipsa's leg healed, meaning she would be leaving soon.
Oaken practically forgot about Eclipsa leaving, as it was the arrangement when she first arrived, when she was fully healed. The Pop Trolls would send her on their way. But did that have to happen, the two were bonding. He asked if it was possible for Eclipsa to stay. they could just not tell anyone she was a Rock Troll.
As the Advisor, Oaken knew some of the secrets that most Trolls did not, The Strings, the Other Tribes and how they separated, both the versions that Peppy and Eclipsa told him.
"It's not so Simple my friend, Eclipsa is The Rock Advisor, if the Rock Trolls find out we have her, Things could get messy" Peppy explained as Oaken bit his thumb as The King's words held truth. Eclipsa wasn't just another Troll, she was the royal advisor and a personal friend of the Rock King.
As much as it pained Oaken, he knew that most likely Eclipsa was going to leave and return to Volcano Rock, but he wasn't expecting what Eclipsa told them when the two returned from their private discussion.
"Well, Eclipsa, since you're healed you know what that means, you have to return to your tribe" Peppy explained as Oaken was clearly nervous about this, letting Eclipsa know it was not his say. and it was only because of I'm the Pop Tribe agreed to nurse her back to help. he could see the deflated look in Eclipsa's eyes which pained him, as she hugged him again.
Oaken simply patted her back, telling her that he wished that wasn't how it had it to be. but the truth was she was a high-ranking Rock Troll and her being in the tree brought danger to them.
"I Can't leave Oaken" Eclipsa responded as he looked at her, telling how this was painful for both of them. he told her he wished she could stay, that they could stay together in his pod, with his sons, but told requested she leave before he begged her to stay.
"No Oaken I CAN'T Leave... I, I'm carrying" Eclipsa admitted as King and Advisor looked at each other shocked then back at Eclipsa. The Rock Troll reached into her blond hair pulling out a black stone egg which resembled a Rock Troll egg but the detail worth noticing was that the glow between the plates were not the typical reddish orange color but a greenish blue.
You, You and... You Two bred?" Peppy replied dumbfounded, Trolls mating outside of species was seldom heard of as he saw his best friend holding the egg in his hands, analyzing it, tapping the rocky shell, verifying it was real as Eclipsa wiped a tear from her eye.
"I Wanted to surprise you but..." Eclipsa drifted off as Oaken looked at Peppy, explaining this made things difficult as she took a deep breath. Peppy pinched his forehead, fathoming this.
"I Know that things are difficult. You have an egg with the Rock Advisor, seriously Oaken." Peppy asked as Oaken glanced away, recalling that night of passion in detail, and it was known Troll Biology that eggs only occurred if both partners loved each other. This mass in Eclipsa's hands was proof that it wasn't just a fling.
(A/N: We finally have Branch (or at least his egg) in the flashbacks. since Eclipsa was the one had had the egg, it has more Rock-Like traits and no one knows what the Trolling will look like until it hatches, hence why it's a big deal. also, Barb Daydreaming)