Build a Fire: Part One (Chilling On Vacay Island)

Author's Note: Oooo yay! Second part of the story, let's go! This is a longer one gang, so buckle in! I just had a lot to fit in this one and couldn't really find a place to break it so… yeah! (And you know I had to fit my angsty, symbolism filled dream sequence in there, I mean duh, do you even know me?!) Anyways, enjoy!

"JD, where's my vest?!"

"On the chair where you left it!" John Dory yelled back to Spruce, not taking his eyes off his task. He had been up late with baby Branch last night, the trolling fussy and not wanting to go to sleep. This led to him accidentally sleeping in this morning, and now he was rushing to make lunch for his brothers before they took off to school. Well, trying to. He'd already messed up the first two sandwiches, his knife tearing the bread as he spread on the jam too fast, so now he had to make new ones. His eyes narrowed in irritation at the setback.

Spruce grabbed his vest from the chair, slinging it over his shoulders as he walked up behind John Dory. "Here," he said, leaning forward. "I can help. Just let me–"

"No no no, go get ready for school. I've got this," John Dory said quickly, using his leg to push his younger brother away. The purple-haired troll huffed, but did what he was told. John Dory leaned in, trying to focus through the chaos.

Ok ok, troll-nut butter and sparkle-fruit jam for Spruce, troll-nut butter and snuggle-berry jam for Floyd, with extra jam since he likes it sweet, and one sandwich with just troll-nut butter for Clay, cut in triangles… He worked through everything methodically, like a checklist, his tongue sticking out in concentration. Baby Branch was crawling around in his hair, every so often reaching out to tug on John Dory's twitching ears; not to be a nuisance, but most likely just mesmerized by their movement. Clay was blowing noisily into a kazoo he'd won at the school spelling bee, and every note seemed to almost painfully worm its way into JD's brain, causing his ears to flick as he grimaced irritably.

"Clay, you got to stop it with that thing, man. Go get dressed," he commanded, throwing the sandwiches in some paper bags. Clay just shot him a dirty look, blowing into the toy loudly one last time before scampering off towards his room. John Dory rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to rub his still twitching ears. "Floyd?" he called, spinning around. "Floyd! Where's your school bag? C'mon bro, on the double."

"I don't want to go," Floyd said, sitting where he had been pouting all morning. "The trolls in my class are mean."

"You're just sensitive," Clay said, running back into the kitchen and grabbing his lunch.

"I am not!" Floyd yelled back, his lip quivering slightly.

"Woah, easy Floyd," John Dory said, cuffing Clay gently on the back of his head. "If kids are being mean to you, just beat them up. You have my permission. Or, I'll come and beat them up for you." He handed the now stunned Floyd his lunch, pulling out a brush and attempting to tame Clay's wild curls. "Hold still, Clay, you look like you touched a lightning bug."

"Get off!" Clay complained, grabbing the brush from JD's hand. "I'll do it myself."

"Yeesh," John Dory huffed, looking around to make sure he'd done everything. "Ok, everyone's got their bag? Got their lunch? Spruce! Your lunch!"

"I got it," Spruce said, plucking the bag from the counter. He gave John Dory a weird look, pulling nervously at his vest. "Are you coming to school today?" he asked, voice shaking slightly.

"Can't," John Dory replied, lifting Floyd off the chair he was pouting on by the back of his vest and setting him on the floor. "Someone's gotta stay home and watch baby Branch. Grandma's not going to be around for another week or so."

"But you were gone all last week!" Spruce insisted. "You're going to fall behind."

"Please, like I wasn't already ages behind everyone," John Dory scoffed, ignoring the way his gut seemed to turn sour.

"Look, maybe I could stay home with Branch," Spruce said slowly. "We could take turns. That way you won't fall too far behind."

John Dory spun around, feeling like his heart had skipped a beat. "What?! Absolutely not! You are going to school," he replied fiercely, herding his brothers towards the door. "You are all going to school. You're going to go learn things, and you're going to be happy about it, end of discussion."

"John…" Spruce started to say, an edge to his voice.

"Bup bup bup, end of discussion, Spruce," John Dory cut him off, opening the door. "Now go. You're going to be late."

"Ugh! You are so, so…" Spruce seemed unable to find the right word. "You're just so stupid sometimes!"

"Go!" John Dory repeated, pointing in the direction of the school. Spruce let out a growl, spinning around, as Clay pulled out his kazoo again, blowing into it as he followed after his older brother. Floyd gave JD a quick hug before running after his brothers, grabbing on to Spruce's hand. Once they were out of sight, John Dory closed the door, looking back at the quiet pod and letting out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

He did it. He knew he could. He didn't need help from Grandma or from Spruce. Grandma needed her own time, and Spruce just needed to be a kid. And John Dory could handle it. He always did.

Stupid… The word seemed to echo in his ears, which began to twitch again. He still had that awful feeling in his gut. And his heart was beating fast… Was it supposed to be that fast? He leaned up against the door for support, one hand gripping the doorknob as his other reached up slowly, grabbing at his hair. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…

"D?"

A small voice pulled him back, and John Dory looked up to see baby Branch peering down at him, his blue eyes shimmering worriedly as he peeked over John Dory's goggles.

"Hey, Bitty B," John Dory said, his voice slightly shaky. He grabbed the trolling, pulling him down from his hair. "You're probably hungry, aren't you?"

"D!" Branch cooed, laughing as John Dory carried him over to his high chair, the sound putting JD's mind at ease.

"We gotta start teaching you some new words, B," John Dory said, placing the trolling in his spot and turning to grab some soft cereal. "Anyways, one serving of nasty troll mush, coming in hot–" He turned around, ready to feed it to his baby brother, but froze when he realized baby Branch wasn't there anymore. In fact, nothing was there anymore. The pod had disappeared. He was alone in a completely empty space.

"Bitty B?" he called, panic beginning to grow inside his chest as he spun around. "Branch!"

Suddenly, he turned and noticed a familiar looking troll standing in front of him. He jumped, nearly staggering back in shock, his eyes wide. No, he couldn't be here. He'd left years ago. It couldn't be…

"Dad?" John Dory said, the word almost weird in his mouth. He was no longer a kid anymore. He stood about the same height as his father, whose blue skin and dark green hair was bathed in a dull gray hue, the colors almost fully erased.

The troll didn't say anything, his eyes completely hidden in shadow. He reached out, placing a firm hand on John Dory's shoulder, before he finally began to speak.

"You're the man of the house now, John," he said, his voice completely emotionless. His grip seemed to tighten, digging into John Dory's skin as his mouth curled up in a snarl. "Don't mess this up."

John Dory's mouth was open in a petrified grimace, his eyes wide as he tried to pull away. But his father's hand only tightened further, an icy chill beginning to spread from where he was touching. John Dory looked over to see gray spreading across his skin like a mold, seeping into his colors and taking them away.

"Stop it!" he cried, grabbing at the hand, but the grip just strengthened, and John Dory's skin almost seemed to chip, to splinter into jagged pieces.

Finally, he was able to pull away, falling backwards onto his hands and knees. He watched as pieces of himself fell onto the floor, only shattering further as they hit the ground. "No no no!" he begged, picking them up and trying to stick them back together as he felt the icy gray crawl up his neck. "I can fix this, I can fix this…" But then his hand started to fall apart too. And there was nothing he could do.

He started to scream. And it sounded like he was a kid again.

John Dory sat bolt upright, letting out a frightened yelp. He must have fallen asleep at the wheel. Lucky for him, Rhonda was pretty much self driving, so everything seemed to be ok. Except for the fact that he was waking up screaming again. That probably wasn't a good sign.

At least it wasn't about being buried alive in a cave… he thought, shuddering slightly at the thought. All things considered, this nightmare wasn't that bad. Except for the whole thing with his father and the crumbling into little pieces bit. But that seemed like something he could try and unpack later. They had reached Vacay Island.

John Dory stepped outside, breathing in the slightly salty air as Rhonda shook the beaded water from her body. He had to admit, Bruce had really done well for himself. His home was beautiful, his family was amazing, and John Dory was so happy for his brother. He deserved it.

John Dory quickly grabbed some food for Rhonda before heading off towards the resort, a new bounce in his step. Despite his own issues that were going on right now, he was always happy to see his brothers. And literally as soon as he reached the beach, he spotted the first one, laying back in a beach chair in sunglasses and basking in the fading sunlight, the colors turning his usually pink hair a deep red.

"Floyd!" John Dory called, walking up to his younger brother, who spun around first in confusion, but then in delight, pulling the sunglasses off of his face.

"John Dory!" he said excitedly, hopping to his feet and walking over to wrap him in a tight hug. John Dory practically folded into it, holding his younger brother close as his entire body seemed to relax. He loved Branch, but his youngest brother was not much of a hugger. He'd missed this. He squeezed Floyd a bit tighter, taking a deep breath he didn't know he needed.

After a moment, Floyd pulled away, his face alight with energy. "What are you doing here?" he asked, before peeking behind him. "Is Branch here too?"

"Nope, just me," John Dory replied, hoping his brother wouldn't be too disappointed. He held a fist to his chest, speaking dramatically. "Our beloved Bitty B stayed behind to help the Queen of Pop." He shot Floyd a mischievous look. "The audacity, amiright?"

Floyd laughed, and John Dory felt his smile widen at the sound. "The audacity," the younger troll repeated, shaking his head. He started walking towards the resort, motioning for JD to follow him. "C'mon! Bruce and everybody will be so happy to see you!"

John Dory walked easily at Floyd's side, watching a few Vacationers playing volleyball. He was about to comment on how fun it looked when he noticed Floyd staring at him, his eyes squinted slightly. His heart skipped a beat. He had a feeling he knew why.

"What?" he asked, forcing a smile to his face. "The golden hour doing wonders for my complexion?" Argh, why did I say that?! he thought immediately, cursing himself out.

"I mean, sure, but…" Floyd said, his expression tinged with a hint of concern. "You just look a little… off. Are you feeling ok?"

"Fine, fine," John Dory waved him off. He wasn't lying; technically, he did feel fine. "Just got a little motion sick on the ride over; no biggie." Ok yeah, that part was a lie.

"You get motion sick?" Floyd asked, looking skeptical.

"Sometimes," he replied, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Rhonda has her off days."

They reached the entrance to the resort, Floyd weaving them through giant Vacationers over to the bar where Bruce typically worked. As they approached, Bruce's many kids noticed them, their eyes lighting up excitedly.

"Uncle D!" They called in unison, rushing towards him.

"Gremlins!" John Dory yelled back, spreading his arms out wide and bracing himself as they tackled him to the ground, practically smothering him under their weight. He laughed despite the wind almost being knocked out of him.

"Uncle D! I caught a fish yesterday!" One of them exclaimed.

"That's nothing. Uncle D, I caught two fish and a rock!" Another quickly interrupted, and soon his ears were filled with overlapping chatter.

"Good for you guys!" John Dory said back, his voice slightly breathy, but still full of pride.

"Kids! I told you not to do that anymore!" He heard Bruce's voice rise above the babbling as JD felt the weight on top of him decrease, the kids being lifted off him one at a time by large purple hair. "You're going to crush him!"

Finally, John Dory could see his brother, practically wrangling his kids who were already twice his size. "Ooo, you better listen to your Dad," John Dory teased, shooting Bruce a mischievous look. "He's crazy."

"Don't you start," Bruce replied, rolling his eyes as he shooed the kids off towards his wife, Brandy, who was working behind the counter. She gave John Dory a quick wave, smiling as she mouthed the word "Sorry" before grabbing her kids and leading them over towards the kitchen. Bruce gave Brandy a quick thumbs up before letting out a relieved sigh. His face seemed to brighten as he turned around, a grin stretching across it as he walked up to John Dory. "It's good to see you, man!" he said, smoothing his hair. "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd come visit," JD replied with a shrug, wrapping an arm around Floyd. "I guess I just missed my baby bros." He held a gloved fist up to the younger troll, who after rolling his eyes, made a fist of his own, driving it into JD's. A sharp pain traveled up JD's arm, and he flinched, letting out a small hiss. Turns out, his hand was still a bit sore from yesterday.

"Ah! You ok?" Floyd asked immediately, eyes wide with worry.

"Yeah yeah, I'm good," John Dory assured him, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice as he stretched out his fingers. "Hand's just acting up today."

Floyd's expression remained worried, so JD quickly tried to change the subject. "Anyways, looks like I made it right in time! That sunset is gorgeous."

"It always is," Bruce said with a smile, before peeking around expectantly. "Where's Branch? You two are usually joined at the hip; I'm surprised he didn't come with."

"Ha ha, right…" John Dory chuckled nervously, pulling his arm off Floyd. He didn't need to tell Bruce who exactly was being the clingy one in this situation. "Bitty B's helping Poppy around Pop Village," he said, trying not to think too hard about his apparent reliance on his younger brother. "So I guess you're just stuck with me."

Bruce laughed, clapping a hand on JD's shoulder. "I guess we'll just have to manage," he teased, giving his arm a comforting squeeze. Memories of his dream from earlier threatened to pop into John Dory's head, but he tried to focus on the welcoming smile on Bruce's face instead. He perked up suddenly, remembering Branch's letter and reaching up into his hair.

"Speaking of Branch, he wanted me to give you this," he said, handing the envelope Branch had given him over to Bruce and Floyd. "Kid's got me running errands now, can you believe that?"

Floyd grabbed the letter excitedly. He immediately ripped it open and started reading, Bruce leaning over his shoulder to peek as well. After a moment, Bruce's smile widened into a grin, and he turned his gaze up towards John Dory.

"You got a pod?!" he exclaimed, striding over and giving JD a hug. "John, that's awesome! I'm so happy for you!"

"Heh, yeah, me too," John Dory stammered out, a confused smile on his face. "Wait, is that what the letter's about? The new pod?"

"Yeah! Branch sounds super excited, I can't believe it!" Bruce pulled back, eyes shimmering with joy. "We gotta celebrate or something; have a pod-warming party!"

John Dory felt his smile grow tight. "That's… exactly what Branch said," he replied with an uncomfortable laugh. He looked past Bruce at Floyd, who was still reading the letter. He didn't seem to be sharing in Bruce's enthusiasm, instead sporting a worried look as he read through it. He was about to ask about it when Bruce began speaking again.

"We could probably get together in a few days!" he said, clapping a hand on John Dory's back. He smiled up at him, eyes bright with pride. "Gosh, I'm just so happy for you, man." He let out a sigh, clearing his throat a bit. "Anyways, the restaurant should be closed in an hour so… Floyd, you going to hang with us?"

Floyd looked up from the letter, seeming to think for a moment before he shook his head. "Nah, I think I'm going to clock out for today." He turned towards John Dory, a tired smile on his face. "Bruce has been waking me up at the crack of dawn for surfing lessons, and it's much harder than it looks."

"Please," Bruce scoffed. "He's a natural. I have to kick him off his board sometimes to keep his ego in check."

Floyd huffed, but couldn't help but continue to smile. "Well, either way, I'm wiped. I'll talk to you in the morning, ok?" He walked over, giving JD another hug before holding him out at arm's length. "I'm so happy you have a home now, John," he said, his voice a bit thick. His expression dropped for a moment, and it looked like he was going to say something else, but appeared to decide against it, instead just patting JD's shoulder and walking over to Bruce. He handed over Branch's letter, and seemed to exchange a look with the purple-haired troll before giving John Dory one last wave. "Have fun you guys!" he called, before walking off into the back of the restaurant, letting out a yawn.

"Geez, you must be working that kid hard, Brucie," John Dory said teasingly, watching Floyd disappear into a back room. "Isn't he supposed to be taking it easy still?" He turned to look back at Bruce, who was reading through the rest of Branch's letter. His face had become more serious, his mouth curled into a frown. Finally, he looked up, quiet for a moment, before he seemed to register he still hadn't answered JD's question yet.

"Oh, yeah, that…" he said, shaking his head and tucking the letter into his hair. "Floyd's been doing really well lately, so we're just taking it slow. I still can't get him to go to the doctor's though." He pursed his lips. "I think he's scared it's going to be bad news, which I doubt, but, it's definitely got him on edge."

"Hm…" John Dory hummed, looking towards the spot Floyd had left. Bruce cleared his throat again.

"Well, I should probably get back to work; Brandy's probably wondering where the heck I disappeared to," he said with a laugh, doing a quick 180 and heading towards the kitchen, waving his hand in a shooing motion. "Go find a place to chill on the beach, and I'll come find you after ok?"

As John Dory watched Bruce begin to leave, he knew with every fiber of his being that he definitely did not want to go sit on the beach, alone with his thoughts. He needed to do… something. Anything other than just sitting. Thinking… He sprinted to catch up with his brother, who was speed walking down a table of sorts between Vacationers.

"Wait, Bruce, I can help!" he said quickly, grabbing Bruce's flowery shirt. Bruce turned towards him, looking surprised, with a hint of something else as well. "Look, you said you have an hour left, right? And you're probably behind because you stopped to talk to me, so let me help! Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it, ok?"

"John, I really don't think…" Bruce started, looking uncomfortable. "You should go relax, man. That's what this place is for. Relaxing."

"I'll relax after," John Dory replied, trying not to look desperate as he gave Bruce the best puppy-dog eyes he could. "C'mon bro, let me help you!"

Bruce hesitated for a moment, looking his brother up and down, before finally caving in, grabbing a notepad from his hair. "Fine, fine. If you're going to be so insistent about it. Just, take some orders for me, ok? From that area, over there. Then run them back to Brandy, and I'll help take food and stuff out, alright?"

John Dory grabbed the notepad, eager to have something to do. "You got it, chief," he said, spinning around on his heels. "I won't let you down!"

He could feel Bruce's eyes boring into the back of his head as he sprinted off.