Build A Fire: Reprise
Author's Note: So, y'know how I said these might get long? Well, this one is LONG. It's basically two chapters wrapped into one, but again, I really didn't want to split them up so… LONG CHAPTER. I just have a lot to say about JD and Bruce's relationship, ok, it means so much to me, and I didn't want to cut anything out, and I didn't want it to be rushed, and I'M A PERFECTIONIST ALRIGHT. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this, I did!
It had been about a week since John Dory's little "breakdown," and things had been going… ok.
His brothers had been staying with him these past few days, which was really nice, but also a bit overwhelming sometimes. He couldn't help but feel like he was just being a burden, dragging them away from their lives to help try and fix his. However, Branch continued to insist otherwise. "You would do the same for us," he kept saying. And he was right, he would.
He was getting more comfortable staying in his pod, but Branch had been right about that too. It was a little much for him right away. It was amazing, and being with his brothers helped, but it didn't fix things completely. Sometimes, he just felt more comfortable staying in Rhonda, in the familiarity she brought with her. And that was ok. It didn't mean he was failing or disappointing his brothers. They wanted him to take this slow, and not force himself into doing things he wasn't ready for. He just had to keep reminding himself that.
He still hadn't gotten up to watch a sunrise yet.
He knew things couldn't stay like this forever, they all had their lives to get back to. Bruce had a family to get back to. And sure enough, it soon came time for Bruce, as well as Floyd, to head back to Vacay island. But to John Dory's surprise, his brother extended this invitation to him, Clay, and Branch, inviting them over to what he called "A Week Long Brotherly Getaway."
"You're coming with me," Bruce had said, wrapping an arm around John Dory's shoulders. "And you're going to use my resort the way it's meant to be used; I'm putting my foot down this time." He poked a finger into JD's chest. "For the first time in your life John Dory, you're going to relax."
John Dory wasn't too confident in his abilities to do so, but he couldn't exactly turn down an island getaway with all his brothers, so he enthusiastically, albeit a bit hesitantly, agreed.
They packed up Rhonda, bidding farewell to Viva and Poppy, who'd come to see them off. Viva had been more than happy to step up and help with her sister's queenly responsibilities in Branch's absence. They both kissed their boyfriends goodbye, leaving Branch and Clay lovestruck and breathless, a funny look on both of them for sure, before walking over to John Dory.
Viva grabbed him first, wrapping her arms so tightly around him he could barely breathe. "Ugh, I'm so glad you're alright," she said, pushing him out to arm's length and giving him a stern look. "You had me worried."
"Sorry, Viva," he replied sheepishly, to which she just smiled, pressing her forehead against his before stepping back, allowing Poppy to wrap him in a hug as well.
"It's going to be ok, John Dory," Poppy said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, holding him tight. "You'll be ok."
"I know," John Dory whispered back. He could tell both their minds were fixated on a certain troll, standing a few feet away from them. "I've got some good help."
She smiled at him before stepping back next to Viva, both waving goodbye as the brothers took off towards Vacay Island.
John Dory followed his brothers out into a large, open area inside the resort. Bruce had insisted they have a 'spa day,' which was apparently what people did to relax around here. JD had never even seen this part of the resort. He scanned his surroundings, ears twitching nervously.
Bruce walked up behind him, clapping him on the back. "C'mon, you're going to love it. You're the only one who hasn't actually taken me up on my offers to chill here. I even got Bitty B to use the hot tubs once."
"What? I can relax," Branch replied defensively, crossing his arms over his chest in a pout.
"Uh huh…" Bruce droned, unconvinced, before brightening up, motioning for his brothers to follow him. "Anyways, this way. I know just where to start…"
Bruce led them over to a few lounging chairs, set up near the windows so the sun could flow in. He brought them some sweet, tropical drinks before coating each of their faces in some strange, but not bad smelling, paste. Floyd looked right at home, laying down and basking in the sun with a relaxed smile on his face, while Clay complained about the 'consistency,' wiping the mask off almost instantly and pulling out a book to read. Branch just sipped quietly from his drink, ears twitching every so often as he closed his eyes. John Dory wasn't sure about the whole 'weird smelling stuff slathered on his face' thing, but he did get to bask in the warm island sunshine, so that was nice. And his face did feel soft and tingly afterwards.
After that, they all headed over towards the hot tubs Bruce had mentioned before, large flower petals floating lazily in the water. Now these… these John Dory could get used to. Out on the Neverglade Trail, he pretty much always had to clean off in freezing mountain springs, the type that would make your feet go numb within five minutes of jumping in. And he'd just started getting used to taking warm showers again, courtesy of his new pod. But this… this was something completely different. The water seemed to caress him, soothing muscles he hadn't even known had been aching. Warming him almost all the way down to his bones.
He let out a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. He wasn't sure if he was relaxed, but this was definitely something.
"Hey, look, it's BroZone! All of them!"
John Dory's ears perked up, peeking one of his eyes open to see two Vacationers whispering loudly off to the side. His body immediately tensed.
"Huh… is that John Dory?" One of them commented, scratching his head. "Yeesh, what happened to him? He looks so… gray."
John Dory felt his ears begin to burn, anger flickering to life in his chest. But it was quickly drowned out by the overwhelming feeling of wanting to curl up into a ball and disappear. He looked down, jaw tight, slumping deeper into the water as he held a hand up in front of his face, not that it helped to hide the distinct gray across his entire body. Don't look at me…
"Hey."
John Dory turned towards Bruce's voice to see his brother had flipped his sunglasses up, glaring at the two Vacationers, his eyes flashing with fury. "Beat it," he snarled, in a tone of voice JD rarely heard from his laid back younger brother.
The Vacationers stiffened, clearly not aware that their conversation had been overheard. "Y-yes, Mr. Bruce, sorry." One stuttered out before they both spun around on their heels, quickly scampering away.
John Dory blinked in surprise, letting his hand fall back down. Bruce took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he smoothed his bristled hair, letting his glasses fall back down over his eyes. JD could see his other brothers had matching looks of anger on their face, glaring after the two larger creatures. Branch and Clay in particular had their hands clenched into fists, looking as if they were about two seconds away from leaping up and giving the Vacationers a piece of their mind.
"Don't listen to them," Floyd said, his eyes smoldering with uncharacteristic anger. "They have no idea what they're talking about."
John Dory couldn't help but let out a small laugh, touched by his little brothers' willingness to defend him. "Easy, guys," he said, making calming motions with his hands, the tenseness in his body beginning to ebb. "I think Bruce scared them enough." He turned towards his purple-haired brother, adopting a teasing tone to his voice. " 'Mr. Bruce?' How'd you manage that one?"
"What can I say?" Bruce huffed, climbing out of the hot tub with a smirk. "I just seem to command respect." He reached down, grabbing JD's hand and pulling him out too. "Now come on, I have one last thing I want us to do…"
"A massage?"
John Dory stared skeptically down at the table before shooting his brother a withering look. Bruce had directed their younger brothers towards the beach before leading JD into a small, dimly lit room. Well, small for Vacationers. To him it still felt very large. However, there was a smaller set up off to the side, with a troll sized cushioned table, a few different multicolored bottles and towels, and a stereo. Bruce pressed a button on it, soft music beginning to trill from its speakers.
"Yep," Bruce replied, popping the 'p' at the end of the word. "Trust me, John, massages are the best. I get one at least once a week. Does wonders for my back." He squinted at John Dory before reaching out his hand, making grabbing motions with it. "Here, give me that jacket of yours. I'm going to wash it for you."
"What? Why?" John Dory asked, quickly pulling the well worn jacket off and looking it up and down.
"Uh, because it's disgusting?" Bruce replied with a shrug.
"Wha…" John Dory scoffed in mock offense. It wasn't disgusting. It was a bit grungy, sure, but it wasn't like he never washed it. But he begrudgingly handed it over anyways, tucking the few things he had in his pockets up into his hair and setting the wooden stake he kept on the ready on one of the chairs. Bruce raised an eyebrow at the stake, but didn't say anything, taking the coat from JD and tossing it off to the side before patting the massage table. "Good. Now hop up here; I'm going to get my stuff ready."
John Dory did as he was told, flopping down stiffly onto the table. He wasn't sure what to do with his arms, so he just crossed them in front of his face, resting his chin on his hands. He could feel his ears flicking every which way as his eyes scanned around the room, his heart beating nervously in his chest.
Ugh, this isn't going to work, he thought dismally, his body so tense he could feel it trembling slightly. He startled a bit as he felt Bruce press his fingers into his back, tensing up further at the touch without meaning to.
"Gosh, man, you are wound up tight," Bruce commented, pressing his thumbs deeper in JD's shoulders. "Do these things ever relax?" John Dory felt his ears droop down a bit, his hands clenching slightly.
Suddenly, he felt Bruce flick his ear, John Dory grabbing at it immediately as he whipped around to face his younger brother. "Ow, Bruce, dang it..." he complained, glaring at him as he rubbed his ear.
"Ears up, Johnny boy," Bruce replied, smiling smugly. "It's fine. That's what you've got me for. Now just lay down, breathe for trolls sake, and chill, alright? I'm a professional."
John Dory let out a grumble, but did as he was told, laying back down and trying to take smooth, deep breaths. As he did, he felt Bruce begin to slowly massage his shoulders, working them with each breath he took. He was using some herbal scented oil, the smell tickling John Dory's nose slightly as he breathed.
He had to admit, Bruce knew what he was doing.
He could feel the tenseness in his body ebbing, being replaced with a heavy exhaustion. It was almost like a feeling of relief… or release? Well, whatever it was, John Dory did feel himself relax a bit at his brother's practiced touch, his eyes drooping slightly.
"Holy crap… where'd you learn how to do this?" he mumbled, trying to keep himself from closing his eyes.
"Brandy taught me," Bruce replied, John Dory able to hear the loving smile on his face. "She gives the best massages. I mean, you want to talk about tight? You should have seen me when I first washed up here. I had about an entire childhood's worth of trauma stored inside my exquisitely chiseled muscles."
His voice grew soft, his thumbs pressing into John Dory's spine. "But Brandy, she taught me how to relax, to loosen up. How to… be more comfortable with myself. I don't know if I could have done that without her." Bruce let out a sigh. "What a woman."
John Dory chuckled softly at this, his eyelids growing even heavier. Ugh, he blamed Branch and the 'caffeine cleanse' his little brother had insisted on for his constant tiredness. But Bruce was definitely not helping. His experienced hands seemed to lull John Dory deeper into this state of calm, the music thrumming softly against his ears.
John Dory had spent most of his life on high alert, constantly on edge. He had to be. When raising four little brothers, quiet wasn't necessarily a good thing, and out on the Neverglade Trail, or even just back at the Troll Tree, keeping vigilant could be the difference between life and a painful, agonizing death. But now… he realized he really didn't have to be. The only sound he could hear was the soft music and Bruce's gentle voice, the only thing he could see was the dim colors of the room around him. And slowly, he allowed himself to feel more at ease, turning his head slightly to let his cheek rest on his hands and his flicking ears to still as Bruce continued to work his aching shoulders. There was no danger here, he was safe. It was just him and his brother, and it was ok.
When Bruce brought out the warm stones, setting them on his back and slowly working them across his skin, he knew it was over. He listened to Bruce ramble aimlessly until his eyes flickered shut, and he drifted into unconsciousness.
When he awoke, he was alone, the room quiet. He pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and noticing a blanket draped over him. John Dory smiled, heart swelling at the kind gesture. He really did have the best brothers a troll could ask for.
He stood up, stretching. Man, his back felt great. Bruce may be on to something with these massages. He rolled his shoulders, looking around for his jacket. His eyes landed instead on a folded green and blue floral print shirt and a note written in loopy writing, which he read through slowly:
Going to build a fire with the family. Meet us on the beach when you're ready. Love, Bruce.
John Dory smiled before picking up the shirt, giving it a skeptical look. It was definitely one of Bruce's, he was the only troll JD knew who wore floral shirts unironically. He rolled his eyes, but threw it on anyway, the soft fabric much lighter than he was used to. He opted to leave the wooden stake behind. Then, he made his way down to Bruce's favorite spot on the beach, following the sounds of laughter echoing across the sand.
He walked through the undergrowth and was met by a heartwarming scene. Brandy sat next to a large fire, Bruce on her shoulder, both watching with matching smiles as their kids raced around them, clearly locked in an intense game of freeze tag. He could see his younger brothers sitting by a smaller fire off to the side, away from the pounding feet of Bruce's kids, chatting happily to one another. And all this was lit up by the fading light from the sunset.
Without really thinking about it, John Dory reached up into his hair, pulling out the camera he'd been gifted. He lined up the shot, then took a photo, letting it develop in his hands.
Bruce must have noticed the flash, because he immediately jumped down from Brandy's shoulder, walking over. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? The whole point of these things is that you're in them!"
"Please, in this?" John Dory replied with a smirk, gesturing down to his floral shirt. "Yeah, this is a fashion disaster that doesn't need to be remembered, thank you very much."
Bruce laughed, throwing an arm over JD's shoulder before grabbing the camera. "Kids! Come get a picture of me and your Uncle D in our matching outfits!"
"I've got it," Floyd appeared by Bruce's side, grabbing the camera from him as his eyes sparkled mischievously. "Smile!"
"Don't you dare–"
*click*
"Ugh, we look ridiculous," John Dory groaned as he stared at the picture, trying to look annoyed by failing miserably. He and Bruce stood side by side, John Dory trying to push him away, a grin on his face, as Bruce just held him tighter, winking at the camera. And they both were wearing those stupid floral shirts. He loved it.
"Definitely a keeper," Branch said, snickering. "You guys look like two washed up dads."
"Hey, I am a washed up dad," Bruce huffed, smoothing out his hair. "Literally."
"That's not an excuse for this crime against fashion," Clay said, holding up the end of Bruce's shirt.
"Ok, I don't have to take that from the guy who wears a sweater romper," Bruce replied, poking Clay in the chest.
Clay gasped, clutching his hand across his precious sweater. "That's blasphemy. Sweater rompers are classy."
John Dory laughed, tucking the photo up in his hair for safekeeping. He felt someone tug on his shirt, so he turned around, finding a few of Bruce's kids standing behind him. Bruce Jr., Cove, and Windy.
"Uncle D, we made you this!" Cove said, holding out his hands. John Dory looked down to see a small, slightly cracked shell with a string running through it, the letters "J" and "D" etched onto the front.
"It's a friendship bracelet!" Windy added excitedly, before scratching his chin. "Well, a friendship necklace, I guess, cause you're so tiny."
"Cove broke it," Bruce Jr. chimed in, to which Cove immediately started protesting. "But look!"
Bruce Jr. flipped the shell around, revealing beautifully pearled colors on the bottom. They seemed to shift and move, almost hypnotically.
"We thought you'd like it anyway, cause it's so pretty," Windy said, shyly holding it out to JD.
John Dory took it in his hands gingerly, almost speechless. He looked over at his brothers, who each held up their own 'friendship bracelets' as well. He turned back, feeling his eyes starting to sting, but he quickly cleared his throat, grinning up at them. "Aw, you guys, I love it!" he exclaimed, immediately pulling it over his head and looking at the shell with a smile. "I love it. Thank you."
"See, I told you he would love it!" Bruce Jr. said, sticking his tongue out at Cove.
"I never said he wouldn't!" Cove retorted, stomping his feet.
"Boys, c'mon, no arguing!" Bruce chimed in, stepping between his squabbling kids.
"But he–"
"Bup bup bup, end of discussion," Bruce interrupted, both kids crossing their arms over their chests with a pout. "You all did a very nice thing together; there's no need for arguing." Bruce seemed to think for a moment before pulling a box of something from his hair, a grin stretching across his face. "You guys want some sparklers?" he asked, his kids eyes practically lighting up as they looked at him.
"YES!" they chorused, grabbing the box from him and racing back towards Brandy. Bruce just watched them go, a proud smile on his face.
John Dory smiled as well. "You're such a good dad, Bruce," he said quietly, the shell on his neck still clasped in his hand.
Bruce's face grew a bit sad, looking down at the ground. "Yeah well…" he replied, turning his gaze back up towards John Dory. "I learned a lot from you."
John Dory blinked, struck completely speechless. He was about to try and choke out some sort of response when Branch unknowingly interrupted, his eyes locked apprehensively on the kids now sprinting around with sparklers in their hands.
"Does this seem like a safety hazard to anyone else?" he asked, a nervous laugh escaping his lips as he clenched and unclenched his hands.
"Nah, they're fine," Bruce assured him, setting his hands on his hips.
"Want to see me put this in my mouth?!"
Bruce's eyes widened, his face falling, before he quickly sprinted down towards his kids. "Guys, no! We talked about this! No fire near our mouths!"
Laughter echoed across the waves.
They spent a good while just hanging out by the fire, enjoying each other's company and watching the sunset as they listened to Bruce's kids run around excitedly. And before long, the sun had completely dipped below the horizon, the excited giggles replaced by tired yawns. Brandy began to corral the now exhausted kids back towards the resort, watching them stumble up the path before turning back to the brothers with a smile.
She picked up Bruce, giving him a kiss before pressing her cheek against his. "I'll see you later, alright? Have fun with your brothers. I love you."
"Gosh I love you," Bruce breathed as she set him back down, an almost drunken smile on his smitten face. John Dory couldn't help but lean over and teasingly muss up his perfectly smoothed hair. When his brothers loved, they loved hard, and it was absolutely adorable.
"Oh! I almost forgot," Brandy continued, pulling out John Dory's coat and handing it to him. "Sorry it took a bit longer. I wanted to stitch up some of the holes for you."
John Dory took the jacket gingerly, looking it over. He didn't think he'd ever seen it so… nice looking. And it smelled like roses. Roses! That didn't exactly fit with his grungy survivalist reputation, but then again, that wasn't really who he was anymore, was it?
"Thanks, Brandy," he said gratefully, folding the jacket in his arms.
She smiled at him, leaning down and giving him a quick kiss on his forehead. "You take care of yourself, ok John?" she said warmly. "We love you." She stood up, waving goodbye to the rest of the brothers before following her kids back up towards the resort.
John Dory looked back down at his jacket, grabbing a few photos, including the new one of him and Bruce, and his weathered list from his hair, tucking them safely inside the coat pockets. But he decided against wearing it for now. The floral print was starting to grow on him. He joined his brothers by the fire, where Bruce had pulled out a bag of marshmallows, a sly look on his face.
"Don't tell my kids I have these, alright?" he joked, holding out the bag. "I said we were out."
"Whoo, yeah, understandable. Those nighttime sugar rushes are no joke," John Dory said, grabbing a marshmallow from Bruce. "I remember Floyd always trying to sneak treats at night, then complaining when he couldn't sleep."
"Hey, that was Clay's idea," Floyd pouted, popping a marshmallow in his mouth.
"My idea that you followed through with," Clay retorted with a smirk. "I claim no responsibility for your foolish actions."
"You're so full of it, Clay," Bruce laughed, jabbing a finger between him and the wild-haired troll. "We were the troublemakers. Remember when we shoved Floyd's face into that cake on his birthday?"
"That was mean!" Floyd complained, but couldn't contain his smile. "I wanted to eat that cake!"
"You did!" Clay snickered. "It was all over your face!"
John Dory laughed, the memory fresh in his mind. He noticed Branch out the corner of his eye, pulling a familiar scrapbook from his hair. The younger troll flipped through the pages before smiling, holding it out to his brothers. "This one, right?"
His brother's eyes sparkled with delight as they looked at it, Bruce grabbing the book for a moment. "Hah, yeah! That's exactly it!"
Floyd flipped a page, a grin on his face. "Aw, Branch! You were so tiny," he cooed, causing the younger troll to roll his eyes. "These are so cute!"
"Gosh, we look young," Clay said, narrowing his eyes at the photos. "These have got to be from before BroZone, right?"
"Yeah…" John Dory said fondly, looking over at the photos, his brothers' smiling faces staring back at him. His eyes then drifted to the background on one of the photos, his younger self sitting slumped on one of the couches. He looked… exhausted. And Clay was right. He looked so young…
John Dory could feel Bruce's eyes on him, so he quickly cleared his throat, shaking his head. "This is the only one I have from before BroZone so, I thought Bitty B might like it. Since he has such a hard time remembering it and all."
"I was a baby," Branch grumbled, though JD could see the smile playing across his lips.
They continued to look through the old photo album, reminiscing about this and that. It was nice, laughing with his brothers about fond memories, but John Dory couldn't help but feel a heaviness settle into his chest. His eyes kept catching on himself in the photos, something he typically tried to avoid.
Finally, they reached the last page, poking goodhearted fun at their late Grandma and her inability to scrapbook. "It's like she just glued every last picture she could find on this one page!" Clay said, looking through the unorganized mess of photos.
"She never got better at it either," Branch added, a soft smile on his face. "I think I saw her try once? She definitely glued her fingers together for a few days."
They all laughed at this, except for Floyd, who leaned in closer to the scrapbook, squinting his eyes. "Hey, is that another photo?" he asked, reaching out towards the messy page.
"Please, Floyd, I had this book for twenty years. I think I'd know if there were extra photos tucked away," John Dory replied dismissively. However, he quickly ate his words as Floyd grabbed onto the corner of something peeking out from behind the crudely glued on photos. He tugged it gently, pulling it from the page, a few photos falling away with it. He was right; it was another photo. One that looked like it had been hastily covered up by all the others.
Floyd looked up at his brothers with uncertainty before carefully peeling the other photos off from the new one. And within moments, he held the slightly ripped photo in his hands, the silence absolutely deafening as they all looked down at it.
It was them. Well, Bruce, Floyd, Clay, and JD. When they were very, very young. John Dory held a tiny Floyd in his arms, clearly struggling against the weight, but grinning anyway. Bruce stood next to him, holding the hand of Clay as both of them waved at the camera. And behind them…
John Dory felt like his heart stopped.
Their parents. Their mom and dad, smiling as they wrapped their arms around each other. They looked so happy.
He stared at the picture, frozen, feeling his eyes darting across it. At the happy grin on his face, not a hint of exhaustion behind his sparkling eyes, at the way his mother stared down at them, the love practically radiating from her. And his dad… He couldn't stop looking at his dad. He was smiling. He was colorful. He looked… alive.
"John?"
John Dory blinked, sucking in a gasp of air. Bruce was the one who'd spoken, his eyes shimmering with worry. "You ok?"
"Hoo, yep, yeah…" John Dory replied, pulling his eyes away from the picture, feeling slightly out of breath. "Sorry, just, wow, heh. There's a… there's a lot to unpack there." He sat back up against the log, holding a hand to his chest, taking a few slow breaths. "Sorry, I… I didn't know that was in there."
"I think Grandma tried to cover it up," Branch said, taking the photo from Floyd, eyes narrowed. "That's our parents, right?"
"Y-yeah…" Floyd replied, looking shocked. "At least, I think so…"
"Yeah, that's them," Clay chimed in, jaw tight.
"So this was before Mom died…" Branch said quietly, softly tracing his fingers over the photo before looking up at John Dory. "Before Dad went gray."
"Wait, he what?!" Clay shook his head, stunned. Floyd had a matching look on his face, his hands clenching.
"I didn't know that…" Floyd whispered, looking over at John Dory and Bruce. "He went gray?"
John Dory took another breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "After Mom died," he said softly, unwanted memories pounding on the inside of his head.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Clay asked, eyes flitting between Bruce and JD. He didn't look angry, just… frustrated. "I mean, I knew he left, but I… I didn't know…"
John Dory shrunk in on himself a bit, unable to meet his brothers' eyes. "We just never really talked about it," he mumbled, ears drooping down. "And… I don't like thinking about it."
He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and he peeked up to see Bruce, his face serious. "Don't you think maybe you should?" he asked, nodding back out towards Clay and Floyd, who looked back at him expectantly.
John Dory felt his jaw grow tighter. Gosh, was he really going to do this? He pushed himself up a bit, facing his brothers, pulling his goggles off his head and looking down to see his own troubled face staring back at him. He took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes tight for a moment to muster as much courage as he could. Jumbled memories bubbled up against his mind, and for the first time in a long time, he let them. And he forced himself to speak.
"Mom and Dad were scouts, back at the Troll Tree," he began softly, mouth dry. "They kept an eye out for Bergens trying to sneak in before Trollstice. They knew the risks, but they were always kind of adventurous that way." His brothers sat with rapt attention, hanging on to his every word. So with another deep breath, he continued.
"Then one Trollstice…" he began, feeling the memory light up inside his head. He'd been playing 'pretend camping' with his Grandma and brothers, something they did every Trollstice while their Mom and Dad were out. It was a surefire way to keep the younger trolls quiet and keep from drawing attention to themselves. There's a monster outside the camp… he'd say, holding a finger in front of his lips. So we have to be quiet. His brothers would mimic him, giggling as they shushed each other, too wrapped up in the game to know what was actually going on.
"One Trollstice, Dad came home alone," John Dory said, hands clenched into fists. "And he was gray." He could remember his Dad bursting into the house, scratched up and bleeding, his colors completely gone. His Grandma had stood up, blood draining from her face. His Dad didn't have to say anything. He shot one, hopeless look at their Grandma before walking into his study, slamming the door behind him. Grandma Rosiepuff had sprinted out of the house, her desperate cries fading as she ran through the tree. And John Dory was alone, his brothers fearfully gripping onto his clothes.
"After that, Dad really wasn't around much," John Dory continued, his mind turning fuzzy. "I don't really remember much about those few weeks, but I know I was scared. And I was angry. It was like he couldn't even see us anymore. He was just… gone. He was still there, physically, but it was like he was empty, just a shell with nothing left inside. I tried to get him to snap out of it, to bring him back, but I wasn't… it wasn't enough. And then…"
John Dory was practically thrown into the memory, the scene vividly playing out in his mind…
"Where are you going?"
John Dory was shaking, holding a small bowl of soup in his hands. He'd just put his brothers to bed, and was bringing his Dad some dinner. His Dad never seemed to eat the food JD left for him, but that was ok. It clearly just wasn't good enough yet. He'd been practicing every day to try and get better, hoping his Dad might see that and finally come out of his room again. Maybe even eat dinner with them.
Now, his Dad was out of his room, just like John Dory wanted. But he had a single, gray hand resting on the doorknob, leading outdoors. And John Dory felt like he was going to puke.
His Dad didn't look at him, his face blank as he stared down at the ground. "The Neverglade Trail," he replied softly. That was the first time John Dory had heard him speak since Mom…
John Dory set the bowl down on the table next to him, scared if he held on to it any longer, he was going to drop it. "When will you be back?" he asked in a small voice, trying to keep it from trembling.
His Dad shrugged, that small movement enough to send panic shooting through John Dory's body. He couldn't hold it in anymore, his fear ripping itself from his lips. "Please, please don't leave," he begged, feeling tears beginning to flow from his eyes. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, ok, I'm sorry! I can make things better, I can be better, I'll do everything you ask, please!" He choked down a sob, wrapping his arms around his shaking body. "Please don't leave!"
His Dad walked over, his face unchanged. For a split second, John Dory had hope that he was choosing to stay, that he'd wrap him in a hug and tell him everything was ok. But he didn't. Instead, he reached up, pulling his goggles from his head, and lay them on John Dory's forehead, the too big goggles nearly falling down over his eyes. Then he reached up into his hair, pulling out… an egg.
He pushed the small egg into John Dory's arms, JD holding it gingerly as he looked up at his father in shock. His Dad looked him in the eyes, clamping a tight hand down on his shoulder.
"You're the man of the house now, John," he said, mouth curled up into a pained grimace. His grip tightened on JD's shoulder. It hurt. "Don't mess this up." And then he left. And John Dory was alone again.
He was still for a moment, then fell to his knees, legs too weak to hold him up anymore. Tears ran from his wide eyes as he stared out the open door, the heavy goggles resting on his head falling down over his face. He quickly pushed them back up, looking down at the tiny egg in his hands. It was blue, a beautiful indigo, with details that almost looked like branches reaching up the side. I can't do this… he thought, staring down at the egg. I can't, I can't, I can't…
But then he felt the egg move, just a little, the smallest nudge in his hands. He could feel the warmth radiating from it. And suddenly, it didn't matter if he couldn't do this. He had to do this. He wrapped his arms around it carefully, words beginning to flow from his mouth without him meaning them too.
"It's ok, it's fine," he whispered, his voice hysterical and breaking. "We're fine, it's going to be fine, we're ok…"
He didn't move from that spot until Bruce found him in the morning.
John Dory blinked his eyes, gentle tears rolling down his face. He quickly wiped them away, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He looked around at his brothers, who had matching looks of shock and pain on their faces. Bruce set a hand on his shoulder. It was soft, gentle. Nothing like the grip that had left bruises on him all those years ago.
"Do you feel any better?" his brother asked quietly.
John Dory took a shaky breath. "I don't know," he admitted, his heart heavy. He didn't know if he felt good, but he did feel… lighter.
Floyd sniffled a bit, wiping tears from his own eyes. "Thank you for telling us," he said, his arms wrapping around himself. "I… I can see why you don't like thinking about it." Branch sat by him quietly, his face troubled. His youngest brother had heard this story before, but not like this.
"It wasn't that bad…" John Dory started to assure them, but one look from Bruce shut him right up. Right, honesty. "Ok, maybe it was that bad…"
Clay leaned back up against the log, blinking a few times. "Man, we… we kinda had a crappy childhood, didn't we?"
His brothers all nodded in agreement, and surprisingly, John Dory felt himself nodding along with them. "Yeah, we did," he said breathily, ears drooping down.
Bruce wrapped his arm around him, hugging him close. "Hey, I'm proud of you man," he said, leaning his head against him.
"C'mon, Brucie, don't say that crap," John Dory complained, his eyes tearing up once again. "I'm enough of a mess as it is."
"Yeah, well, join the club," Branch grumbled from off to the side, but he smiled at John Dory as well. "No one said talking about this stuff would be easy." Branch fiddled with his hands nervously, looking off to the side. "But, at least we have each other now, right?"
Floyd drew his little brother in for a hug, pressing his forehead into his. "Right."
They went quiet, each leaning back up against the logs and just looking up at the stars. The waves crashed against the beach, the soft shifting of water and sand drowning out everything else. And John Dory could truly understand why Bruce liked it out here. The stars really were beautiful.
After a while, John Dory realized his brothers had drifted off. Floyd lay curled up in the sand, a hand locked on Clay's sweater romper, while Clay lay practically spread eagle, mumbling softly in his sleep. Even Branch had his eyes closed, his hands folded over his chest as he breathed slow and even. John Dory couldn't help but smile at this. He was so glad their youngest brother was so comfortable around them now. John Dory closed his eyes as well, breathing in the salty island air.
"Hey, John?"
John Dory startled a bit at Bruce's voice. He hadn't realized his brother was still awake. He hummed in acknowledgment, turning towards the purple-haired troll.
"I… I don't think I ever thanked you," Bruce said hesitantly, continuing to stare up at the sky as he spoke.
"Thank me?" John Dory replied, confused. "Thank me for what?"
"For stepping up," Bruce continued, his mouth tight. "For taking care of us, when we had no one. I mean, you shouldn't have had to in the first place but… you did."
He sighed, eyes dropping down to the ground. "You did a good job. It wasn't perfect by any means, and we all messed up a lot but… it was good." He grimaced, ears drooping slightly. "I said it before, but the only reason we had even a semblance of a good childhood was because of you. And I'm sorry you had to sacrifice so much for us. I know we didn't make it easy on you."
"Bruce…" John Dory started, but he was immediately cut off.
"Just, let me finish this, ok?" Bruce said, clenching his jaw. "You gave us every bit of yourself. And even though I wish you would have let us help you back then, I know I can't change the past." He finally looked over at John Dory. "But I'm really, really glad you're letting us help you now." His eyes dropped down once again. "So thank you."
John Dory swallowed, looking back up at the sky. "I would do it all again in a heartbeat," he stated, without any bit of hesitation.
"I know you would," Bruce replied, a sad smile on his face.
They were quiet for a few moments, just listening to the gentle shifting of the waves. Then, he felt his ears flick up, hearing a soft sniffle next to him. He sat up, worry shooting through him. "Bruce?"
"Sorry, I'm ok…" Bruce replied, his voice slightly shaky. "I'm ok, I just… Gosh, you scared me." John Dory moved closer to his brother, who was quickly wiping the tears from his eyes. "When we went into your pod, and I saw that shattered mirror and those pictures everywhere, and the blood… I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm just really glad you're ok."
Guilt fluttered to life in John Dory's stomach as he wrapped an arm around Bruce's shoulders. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, biting his cheek. They were both silent for a couple minutes, allowing for Bruce to regain his composure. John Dory could feel a question burning at the edge of his lips, his eyes shifting back down towards the ground. And after a moment of hesitation, he asked it. "Do you… ever think I'm just like Dad?"
Bruce stiffened at this, turning to look at him. "What?"
John Dory drew his arm back, his body stiff. "When I ran away to that lake, when I was thinking about leaving… I thought I was acting just like Dad. Heck, I even looked like him, and it scared me…" He hugged his arms around himself, shame heavy in his chest. "Do you think after everything, I turned out just like him?"
"You're nothing like him," Bruce replied, voice intense.
"But I'm broken, aren't I?" John Dory replied, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "Something's wrong with me, Bruce. Maybe all this stuff that happened to me in the past messed me up too bad." He closed his eyes, jaw tight. "I just don't want to end up like him."
"John." Bruce grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to face his younger brother. "You are nothing like him. You're not broken, and neither was he." JD could see guilt flashing in his brother's eyes. "Look, Dad… Dad didn't feel like he had anyone left, but you have us. And instead of leaving like he did, you stayed. You're not broken, John. You're just hurt. You're nothing like him."
Bruce wrapped him in a tight hug, John Dory returning it tenfold. "Besides," Bruce continued, his voice heavy. "You wear those goggles a lot better than he ever did."
John Dory laughed, pushing his brother back a bit. "It's true, I have a much more roguishly handsome charm."
Bruce rolled his eyes, laying back down and pulling JD down with him. "Don't let it go to your head," he replied with a smile.
John Dory lay his head back up against the log. He wasn't sure if he felt… better, yet. But just like before, he almost felt a bit lighter, the tension in his shoulders easing as more and more weight was released from his body. He blinked slowly, letting his body relax into the sand. He could feel the gentle warmth from the fading embers of the fire pulsing against his skin.
Once the fire had burned out, both he and Bruce stood up, each grabbing one of their little brothers. Bruce scooped Floyd up into his arms, the small troll just curling into him, while John Dory grabbed Branch, holding his baby brother close to his chest as he continued to peacefully sleep. JD was about to try and pick up Clay too when the younger troll pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly as he blinked his eyes tiredly. So instead, John Dory just grabbed his hand, leading him up towards the resort.
And this time, John Dory decided to stay with them there. Rhonda would understand.