Disclaimer:

I do not own Trolls or these songs. I have been inspired with new stories and more chapters to write. My posting will be once a week since I do have other stories and life going on as well. I have so many new songs to add! I have looked at all the song requests in the comment section in Lone Concert and I will do what I can to not only add those songs but maybe even more. Hope y'all enjoy!

It had been a few days since the incident at the bunker and things have not gotten better for Branch. He did not want to complain about having his family back. It was everything he had ever wanted. His family has finally returned to live in the home that he had spent years to make for them. As weird as it was to have so many people in the bunker it was not cramped. Remember the entire kingdom can fit comfortably in the bunker without a problem, but Branch was having a problem and it wasn't about space. For days his brothers have been treating him like a baby non stop. He is a grown up now. He helped save everyone. Didn't that at least deserve a little respect? Apparently no. Also to top it all off John kept trying to persuade him into singing together again. Branch may be taking a lot of baby steps outside of his comfort zone but JD was pushing his luck especially since Branch had already told him "NO" roughly ten times already, but JD would not let up.

It was one morning in the bunker and it was only the adult siblings in the bunker having breakfast. Ozzy and Delta had taken Dixie and the grandkids out for the day and Brandy was having some ME time at the troll spa. She loves her family but they could be a lot. So it was just Barb, JD, Floyd, Clay, Spruce, Holly, and Branch sitting at his kitchen table. Branch was slowly drinking his pure black coffee. "Yuck. I will never understand how you can drink that without anything in it. Bitty B." Clay said making a face as he poured himself a cup and then added in a lot of honey to sweeten his drink. "Yeah. I don't get it either Clay. I once let one of my kids try it but they tasted it before I could put milk in it. They made the funniest face and then asked me if it was a form a child abuse." Spruce said laughing. The rest of the siblings let out a laugh but Branch who just let out a tired sigh as he was still waiting for the caffeine to kick in. "It's Branch. And you get used to it. Honestly the sweetest thing I will probably consume is." Branch was saying before he was interrupted by Barb saying something under her breath. "Poppy." Everyone heard her and most broke out into a laugh while Floyd and Clay just cringed. Branch was blush profusely and was trying to get back to what he was saying but was stuttering which only fueled the fire of laughter. "N-n-n-oo. Uh. Barb. I was going to say strawberry cupcakes." Barb was about to make another crude comment and Branch shut her down before she could. "Not a word." Branch said sternly pointing at her. She just placed her hands up in surrender.

"Ok. Changing topics from Branch's love life to your love life Barb. Have you and Carol set a date yet?" JD said, trying to defuse any possible fight that could break out. They all knew Barb was poking fun and once Branch had his coffee he would have been a little more relaxed about such comments but she couldn't even what till he had even finished his cup. JD was glad he had changed topics because Branch had perked up at hearing of his sister's wedding. Branch had been somewhat disappointed at missing Spruce and Brandy's big day then missing the birthday of his 12 nephews and one niece, also the birth of his half sister Dixie, and the remarriage of their father to Delta. This was the first big family event that he would get to be a part of in a long time. Branch was actually really excited for his sister and that he would get to see her big day.

Barb on the other hand was not fidgeting around with her hands nervously but before anyone could make a move to tease her Branch placed his hands on hers steading them and looked her in the eyes. "Hey are you ok? You're not having second thoughts are you?" Branch asked. Barb went wideeyed and looked right at Branch. "What no. Wedding's still on but there's still just so much to do and it's all just overwhelming." Barb admitted. Branch shook his hand in understanding. "I get it. It's a lot, but at the end of the day it only matters that you are with the person you love with the people who love you and that's that." Their brothers were just staring at them now. "You make it sound so simple." Barb said with a small smile appearing on her face. "It's not but it's a nice thought." Branch said letting go of her hands and went right back to her coffee. Barb just dropped her jaw before giving him a playful shove. "Dude." Branch had a smirk that he hid behind his cup. "Man. Poppy was right when she said you had a way with words though Baby Branch." JD said with an obnoxious chuckle as he slapped Branch's back making him choke on his coffee. After his coughing fit Branch just glared at his oldest brother and muttered under his breath. "It's Branch."

Branch was getting angerier each time one of his siblings would call him the wrong name. Actually it was just an issue with his brothers. Barb and Holly didn't have an issue with calling him Branch. Now some times Barb would call him Baby Bro but that felt more like a term of endearment because 99% of the time she did call him by the right name so he did let that slide. Maybe he wouldn't have such a big problem with it if they did call him by his name most of the time but they didn't. There was just so much that was frustrating him about his brothers and family right now that he just felt like he was being ungrateful over the fact that thye are back, but his trauma is still there too. Everytime he did try to bring it up it would get side shuffled into the back burner. With each passing day Branch felt more and more like his pain didn't matter. That he didn't matter. That he was that little trolling they all left. That they all still treated him as. But he had promised himself that he would not make a scene. He wants them to treat him like a grown up then he needs to act like one and not give them any reason to treat him like a child.

Holly noticed the tension in Branch's shoulders and wanted to see if she could help him out a bit. "Hey Barb have ya decided who is on your court or what not yet?" Barb drew her attension to Holly and nodded her head confidently. "Yep. I was actually hoping you, Floyd, and Branch would be my bride's maid and men." Branch was touched by this and he was going to say that he would be honored to but JD had to ruin the moment. "Ha. Man? Baby Branch? Nah. He'd be more like the flower boy." Spruce had chuckled at this and Clay smiled, but Holly, Barb, and Floyd just gave him an annoyed look. Branch was clenching his fists trying not to throttle JD. "Hey, how about all of your brothers singing at your wedding? Come on Branch. You need to sing at the wedding!" JD pushed yet again for Branch to sing out in public. "I've told you before I don't really sing in public that there were a few instances and they won't happen again. Please stop asking." Branch said, removing himself from the table to wash his cup in the sink. "Come on dude don't be selfish." JD whined. Him. Selfish? Really. "Hey if he doesn't want to sing then he doesn't have to sing." Holly said defending Branch. "Thank you. Besides if Barb does want me to make music at her wedding which she hasn't even said that she does. But if she does I could. Play my guitar as she walks down the aisle." branch suggested. "What? No way you play! Me too. That would be so rock'n'roll. Thanks Baby Bro!" Barb said, actually excited for Branch to do that for her. He gave her a small smile. "No problem and I would be honored to be your bride's man." She just smiled at her little brother. She was really happy that he was going to be there for so many reasons.

"I still think you should sing." JD said. Branch still felt iffy about singing in public because of what had happened to their Gramma. What did JD not get about that? Did he not know? Did he just not care? "Please just drop it." Branch said trying his best to keep his temper under control. He thought King Peppy told them what happened. Did he leave out the part that he still blames himself for her death? Branch knows that Poppy will tell him that it wasn't his fault but he knew that it was. If he had not been singing she would still be here. "Awe come on Branch why won't you join us. Just sing!" JD pushed again. This time Spruce and Clay saw how tense Branch was getting. "I'm JD. Maybe you should listen to him." Clay suggested. "Yeah man." Spruce added worriedly for their little brother. "No. Come on Bitty B. Stop being a grey baby and join us. Why won't you sing?" John shouted. But that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Because Branch snapped back at his brother, shocking the whole room. "Because singing killed Gramma." Branch shouted shutting JD up effectively. "Now leave me alone." That was the last thing Branch said before leaving the bunker to go to who knows where. None of the siblings made to follow him, being too shocked to move. "He asked you to stop." Floyd finally said. "I didn't know." JD managed to say. "You never asked. And this is what we were talking about with bandries!" Floyd said angrily.

They all then heard the elevator to the bunker start to head down to their level. "Great he came back when Branch gets in here you need to apoligize John." Floyd said sternly. "I will. Ok." But it wasn't Branch on the lift, it was Poppy who was now looking confused. "Um. Where's Branch?" That caused an awkward silence to loom over the room. It was finally Clay who had enough courage to tell the Queen they messed up. He explained everything to her about John pushing the singing and Poppy held in all her anger towards the brothers for making Branch upset. She knew that her being mad was not going to help Branch. "Why would he think singing killed Gramma? I thought King Peppy said she died saving Branch during Trollstace or something like that." JD asked, confused. Poppy let out a sad sigh. "Branch was singing. He was so lost in song he didn't hear her calling out to him. Before he knew it she was taken saving him. He's been blaming himself since. He has been the only one to think that it was his fault and it's not." Poppy said with tears threatening to spill. "I'm going to go find him." And without another word Poppy left the bunker leaving all the siblings with a lot to digest.

Poppy found Branch on his secret mushroom. The Extended Snack Pack promised to stay away from this area and Branch had yet to tell his family about it and he probably wouldn't. Even though space was not an issue in the bunker this was still Branch's safe place where he could just be and let any emotions he was feeling at any given time without fear of judgement. The only other troll that did bother to come around those parts was Poppy. And it was there that she had found her boyfriend with tears in his eyes as he tried to violently wipe them away. "Hey Branch. What's wrong?" She had made her way to the top of that mushroom in record time and had Branch in his arms. "It's stupid Poppy. You don't need to worry." Branch said trying to wipe his tears away again but was being held back by Poppy. "Hey whatever you are feeling is valid Branch. If it is causing you to become this upset. Then it is important and not stupid. Please don't ever say that ok. Let me in." Poppy said, allowing Branch to calm down. She wanted him to tell her when he was ready to. "Ok. You know I am happy to finally have my family back. I mean Ever since the day they left I have been waiting for them to come home. I mean I even had originally built the bunker so we all would have a place to live. As a kid we used to talk about building a hideout safe from the Bergans." Branch said, rambling. Poppy just watched her boyfriend with fascination in her eyes. "I didn't know that." She said in a soft and loving voice. At the sound of her voice Branch stopped his pacing. He gave her a small child-like smile that Poppy just absolutely loved. "You didn't ask." Branch did not say this to be accusing but more as a way to sidestep the question a bit. "That is so cute. Sorry, continue."

"Well Like I said I am happy they are back and even with the extension of said family there is enough room in the bunker." Branch continued rambling, before stopping to take a deep breath to finally slow down as he was finally getting to the point of the problem. "My brothers. They still refuse to call me Branch or treat me like an adult and even though I understand that they had their reasons for leaving but it still hurts. For twenty years I was alone. For twenty years I thought that they just didn't care or that I wasn't good enough. And even though I know the truth now." Branch stopped to take a breath but he didn't need to finish his thought, Poppy understood. She stood up and grabbed his hands. "It does not change the two decades of painand trauma that you did go through. Branch all of that matters. Have you tried to talk with them about this?" Poppy asked. Branch just looked down at his feet, closing his eyes. "I've tried but it just feels like that they don't care and now they are going to probably hate me because of what happened to Gramma. That is the frustrating part about all of this. I want to talk about it but I also don't because I don't want to drive them away again, but I probably already did." Branch said with a whimper in his voice that just broke Poppy's heart. She quickly wrapped her boyfriend up in a hug and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Them leaving was never your fault, your Gramma was not your fault, and I will say it as many times as you need me to until you believe it ok?" Branch just nodded.

For many trolls singing was a way to express themselves or to have fun, but for Branch his music was more a part of his soul than any other troll that she has met. When he sings she can really see a part of him in it. It's why his songs were so addicting when the Snack Pack was first hearing them. It's why she felt like she now couldn't live without them. She and Branch sat back down on the mushroom and she held him while he sang. They heard the music start like it always did.

You know I'd give you the world (world)

You had me in the palm of your hand

So why your love went away

I just can't seem to understand

Thought it was me and you,

Me and you until the end

But I guess I was wrong (uh)

Don't want to think about it (uh)

Don't want to talk about it (uh)

The two just stayed there listening to the words Branch sang. Poppy could hear the hurt and the pain he felt when they all just left him. She felt so mad at his family for hurting him the way that they did. Even though it was unintentional they have yet tried to talk about it to try and make amends. As she learned painfully. Actions have consequences. Rather we meant them to or not.

I'm just so sick about it

Can't believe it ended that way

Just so confused about it (uh)

Feeling the blues about it (yeah)

I just can't do without ya

But tell me, is this fair?

Is this the way it's really going down?

Is this how we say goodbye?

Poppy felt a tear slip down her cheek as she held onto Branch tighter. She felt Branch wrap his arms around hers. It was a silent promise that neither of them would let the other go. Not just now but ever. They would be by one anothers side from this point on. Branch began to sing the final bit. The song was shorter than the rest but not any least impactful and powerful.

Should have known better when you came around

That you were gonna make me cry

It's breaking my heart to watch you run around

'Cause I know that you're living a lie

But that's okay, 'cause in time you will find

What goes around, goes around, goes around

Maybe Branch was a little bitter and hoped that his siblings would get what they deserved one day but right now he could not care less. He was just so tired. "We will talk to your family as a whole together, Branch." Poppy vowed. Branch just looked at her and she could see the shed tears of the little boy that he had locked away all those years ago, who was just begging for his family to love him. "We will do this together. I promised I would be by your side through thick and thin and I am not going to stop now. Tomorrow we will sit them all down and talk and they will listen. Because listen to me Branch. You. Do. Matter." Poppy said sternly. Branch felt better about everything after hearing Poppy say this to him. For the rest of the day Poppy just held Branch doing everything she could to show him that he was indeed loved and vauled. Tomorrow she would rain down hell fire but right now Branch needed her full and undivided attention and that's what is where she was going to stay until he felt better enough to head back to the bunker even then she was not planning on leaving his side.

Hope you enjoyed the extra chapter this week. I have so much planned for this story and I will try to do all that I can to at least get weekly posting on this story. My other stuff will be touch and go because I have so much going on but I promise to not let this one go to the back burner. I love reading the posts that are left please let me know what songs you wish will make an appearance. I think I got most of them and a few more. So y'all will just have to wait and see which one will come next. But as promised two weeks ago we finally have What Goes Around… Comes Around. Enjoy.