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Bruce hadn’t meant to hurt John as much as he did with their fight earlier. He just got worried because his brother was going on and on about being perfect. Perfect broke their family apart, perfect gave him self image issues for years! He still struggles with it sometimes. Brandy, his beautiful wife, has had to help him out of his depressive episodes a lot during their marriage and sometimes even before they had gotten married.
He sighs as he walks up to the place John has been keeping Rhonda while they are at pop village. His older brother had apologized already for that, he had truly been trying recently and Bruce was very happy with that. He was happy he was getting his brother back, the one he had before John got too obsessive with perfect. The John he knew before their parents had gotten into his head with their perfect speeches. Bruce doesn’t know what they had said to John but after their last talk he became obsessed with being perfect, everything had to be perfect.
The fight got too out of control Bruce said some things he regrets now, that’s why he’s going up to find John. He needs to apologize. Branch was the one to actually knock some sense into him. Branch had been there when they had fought, he had seen how bad it had gotten. Once John had left branch had pounced forward and ripped into Bruce brutally with his words. Bruce winces as he remembers it.
~
Bruce watched John leave, gently shutting the door behind him. He didn’t even have time to unclench his fists before branch was in front of him. “What was that Bruce?” Bruce was startled, he stepped back a bit trying to get some distance between his suddenly too close baby brother and himself. “What?” He was honestly confused. “Oh don’t what me , you know what.” Branch folds his arms over his chest with a stern look. Honestly Bruce had no idea what. “Don’t give me that look Bruce, how could you do that to John?!”
“Do what?” He was getting frustrated again, “ tell him off because I don’t want his “perfect” to be near my kids?! Well news flash branch I don’t!” He throws his paws up in exasperation and anger, why can’t baby branch understand this? “ that toxic word has no place near my kids, I’m not letting him effect my family like he effected us.” Branch had raised an eyebrow at that.
“ oh, your family huh? Aren’t we also your family? Isn’t John Dory your family? Why did you separate us like that?” That hurt Bruce, genuinely. He didn’t mean to have it sound like that. “That’s not-“ he tries but branch interrupts him. “ not what you meant? I think that’s exactly what you meant. I’ve learned a few things over the years Bruce. People say things when they are angry that they genuinely think, that they never would say if they were calm because their brain to mouth filter gets loosened in anger. Surprisingly though, people are more honest when angry. But they are also more cruel. Did you see his face Bruce? You hurt him deeply. Are any of you even listening to John when he tries to talk to you?”
Of course Bruce was, why else would he be so angry? John still wants perfect! He didn’t learn anything! “Yes! Why do you think I got so angry!” Why wasn’t branch understanding?
“I think you got angry BECAUSE you weren’t listening.” That doesn’t even make any sense. “ Bruce, if you were really listening you would have heard John talking about how he was worried
HE wouldn’t be perfect. Not your kids, not your wife, not you. HIM. “ what? What would John need to worry about himself for? He’s just going to meet them! He doesn’t need to be anything but himself. Doesn’t he know that?
“Branch I really don’t think you’re understanding this right! John’s been obsessed with perfect for years! He-“ branch hold up a paw looking away and shutting his eyes with, was that disappointment? “I’m gonna stop you right there.” He looks back at him, yep that’s disappointment. That hurts Bruce a lot actually he doesn’t like this feeling. He doesn’t like seeing his baby brother disappointed in him. “Did you even accept the apology John had given us months ago? When he said he would do better? That he’s sorry for the whole perfect thing?” “Yes but-“ “no Bruce, you might have said you did but your actions today prove you haven’t.”
How does that work? Of course he had forgiven his brother, hadn’t he? “Bruce, John has been trying so hard to show us he’s sorry. Did you forget he lived basically alone for twenty years? He’s had a lot of time to think. Being alone for that long does things to people.” Bruce flinches back a bit at branch’s not so subtle hint at his abandonment.
“Yes , you have said you forgive him but that’s only one part of it, you have to trust him afterwards. Trust that he is trying to do right and fix the things he said he would. If all you’re doing is clinging to the things he’s already apologized for and reminding him constantly of what he did making him feel bad for it, you haven’t forgiven him. You’ve just said flowery words to ease your own guilt when you bring it up later. Because ‘you’ve forgiven him already’ ” Bruce feels his anger melting away at that. When did branch get so wise? Has Bruce really been doing that to John? Yes, he realizes. He has. Branch just continues though not giving Bruce time to interject.
“John was talking about himself not being perfect, he’s been trying so hard to earn love from us he thinks he’s lost. None of the rest of you guys are seeing it because you’re too lost in the past. When I told John I forgave him I meant it. I’ve been trying to get to know him better and I’ve actually been listening to him. Wanna know what I’ve found out about John?” No, Bruce really doesn’t think he can take anymore of this from branch. His guilt is building and it’s making his chest hurt.
Branch continues anyway ignoring Bruce’s hurt look. “He’s heartbroken, he has self worth issues, he thinks if he’s not perfect in trying to earn our love, that we will all leave him and he’ll be alone again. He was so worried about messing up his meeting with, as you’ve said, YOUR family that he was trying to get you to console him. He wanted to know that your kids and wife would accept him, because at the end of the day Bruce, we are all family. Your kids are our nephews and niece and your wife is our sister in law. He loves all of us Bruce, and just wanted to show you he can be there for you and your kids and wife.”
Bruce thinks back to John’s face during their argument. Well more like Bruce’s rant about how he never changes..
John looked truly sad and upset but most importantly he also looked confused. Like he didn’t know why Bruce was so upset. He messed up, Bruce realizes this now. “I need to apologize to Johnny don’t I?”
“Yes Bruce, you do.” With that branch turns and walks out leaving Bruce by himself in the living room.
—-
Branch really was brutal, but honestly? Bruce had needed that. He needs to apologize to John and actually forgive him this time. He wants to mend his relationship with his older brother who is also basically his dad. John had raised all of them since they were babies. Their parents hadn’t really been in the picture but John had filled in for all the things their parents hadn’t.
He needed to fix this. As he neared Rhonda he noticed something was wrong. Rhonda was making distressed noises. Bruce hurries up to her, “Rhonda what’s wrong girl?” She looks at him and wines in distress. “Is it John?” She wines again, that’s all Bruce needs to go running to the door. He throws it open and sees his brother in his bed facing away from Bruce. He goes over to him placing his paw on his brothers shoulder. “John?”he shakes his brother softly at first but he gets more forceful the longer John doesn’t wake up.
“John Dory?!” He pulls his brother from his bed checking for a heartbeat for anything showing his brother is alive. He can’t find a heart beat. Why can’t he find a heartbeat?! Frantically he puts his ear to his brothers chest, he basically stops breathing as he listens hoping to hear anything from his brother. He waits, praying for anything to show his brother is alive anything at all.
He hears a faint beat, it’s so slow but at least it’s there. “Rhonda!” She warbles at him, “ get us to the village!” She gets up to start getting them to the village, before she can though she’s stopped. Bruce is confused, why isn’t Rhonda going to the village? “Rhonda?! Come on we need to go !”
“I stopped her, there’s nothing they can do for him at the village.” Bruce clutched his brother close to his chest as he heard that. He whipped his head around and saw a weird looking troll who was, floating? What the troll?
“Of course there is! There has to be!” Bruce won’t let John die . He can’t die, Bruce hasn’t apologized yet. John hasn’t met all his kids yet, he hasn’t spent anytime with his wife yet. No, his brother can’t die! He won’t allow it!
The mysterious troll is looking at him with pity, why are they looking at him like that? “They won’t be able to help John.” They say that again like they know something. “How would you know that?! How do you know they can’t help him! He has to live! Please.. he needs to.”Hug grip on John never wavered as he fought with the mysterious troll. He looks at them imploringly, hoping to get them to tell him why the village won’t be able to help him.
“I know because I granted his wish, his body slowly stopping all functions is part of it.” What? No, his brother is dying because of a wish?! “John wouldn’t have wished to die! I know he wouldn’t have wished that!” Did he though? He hadn’t seen his brother for over twenty years and when he did most of the time they were fighting. He felt tears gather in his eyes making his vision blur. He looks down at John who he still has clutched to his chest. “He wouldn’t…” he hopes he wouldn’t have hoped to die, a few tears roll down his cheeks as he thinks about this.
“Oh no, he didn’t wish to die,” he looks back at the mysterious troll hope blooming in his chest and anger rising to meet it. “ he wanted to turn back time to fix his mistakes. He wanted the chance to raise his children properly without causing a huge fight, and tearing your relationships apart. “ Bruce felt pain in his heart. John wanted to go back and fix things? To be a better father? But, he was a good father! Bruce never forgot how John had raised them all, kept them all safe on trollstice and sacrificed everything for them. Right? He wouldn’t have forgotten that.. but he did. His anger fizzles out as he thinks how he treated John recently. How even though John was trying to be there now, to listen to them, to make up for the past, Bruce never saw that.
His tears came faster, he needs his brother back, he needs to make up with him and tell him he’s sorry. To accept that John has been trying. But how? How is he gonna do that?
“If he wanted to go back in time , why is he dying?” He didn’t understand why he was dying if he wanted to go back in time . It didn’t make any sense.
“His body is dying here but his soul is somewhere else. You can’t really go back in time, but I gave him the next best thing. I sent his soul to another dimension where mostly everything is the same but the fight and big concert would have happened earlier. You all would have been younger when you split up and branch would have been younger when he went grey.” They get a sad look on their face “ I sent him there to stop a tragedy. And he’s already made huge improvements. He’s taking his second chance seriously.” There was other dimensions? His tears have stopped and he thinks this over. His brother is helping their other dimension selves be a family. But what about them? They need John too!
“Can you bring him back?” He’s looking into his brothers relaxed face. He wants his brother to wake up. He wants his dad to come back, to be with them again. Is he a terrible person? For wanting John back when he’s helping a different version of them be happy? To take their happiness away so he can have his happiness back?
The troll is quiet for a moment. Bruce honestly thinks they are going to tell him no, that they are going to run it in his face that he lost John forever. He closed his eyes and rests his forehead on John’s resigning himself to that lose. His heat breaking for his missed opportunities, for the fact his kids will never know John. Never know the one who is both their uncle and basically grandpa. “It is possible for him to come back.” What? He can get him back? How? Hope again rises in his chest and he looks over at the troll.
“How ? Please tell me how! I’ll do anything.”“Never tell a magical being you’ll do anything. It’s dangerous, they will take advantage of you.” The troll sounds angry at him, he sheepishly apologizes. He just wanted to save his dad.
The troll looks at him for a bit before sighing, “ your realize that your asking me to doom your alternate selves to a tragedy?” This makes him hesitant. Did he want to cause child versions of him and his brothers to go through a tragedy just so he can have John back? He didn’t know. He was torn between wanting John back and wanting to spare children a tragedy. His inner war must have shown in his face as the troll gets an understanding look on their face.
“Let me show you some of the things John has accomplished so far. Then at the end let’s just ask John what he wants to do.” They hold out their paw inviting Bruce to take it.
He takes the outstretched paw in his own. All of a sudden he’s floating in a blank space, John’s body no longer in his arms. He looks around confused, where is he? “Let’s see what the first thing he did here was.” All of a sudden he’s back in the backstage area before their last ever show. He sees slightly younger versions of him and his siblings. They are all doing the things he remembers them doing the last time. He doesn’t
get it what changed? It looks the same just with younger versions.
He watches John trying to see what changes, his older brother is going over the song lineup just like last time. All of a sudden John stops mid sentence. Oh that’s different , all the younger versions of him and his brothers all look over at John confused why he stopped mid sentence. Bruce would be concerned too if he didn’t know what was happening. John doesn’t just stop like that. Floyd is the first to ask after John, the others all come over next to him after. Except branch who he sees standing by the curtain.
He sees the confusion on his bros face as he looks around him. First at his younger brothers then looking around till he spots branch. He watches as their past selves talk for a moment trying to get John to tell them what’s wrong. All of a sudden John’s face morphs to realization. He watches as John says he needs to tell them something, he sees his younger self go from concerned to annoyed. He watches their shock as John apologizes. Throwing perfect out the window, how he apologizes for putting them in metaphorical boxes.
His heart lurches a bit when he hears the nicknames John used for both his and clays younger selves. He hasn’t heard them in decades. If he brought John back could he have this with him? This reunion with the nicknames and soft moments where they just show how much they love their brothers? This soft family bonding?
He wants this. He wants John back, so much. Even more now that he knows John never forgot those silly nicknames. The younger versions of him and his brothers could go without his John Dory right? They would have their own. John could come back with him. He turns to look at the troll, who has been watching him this whole time, to say just that when he hears baby branch talk.
Bruce knows that if he looks at baby branch he won’t be able to ask for John back. He won’t be able to doom his baby brother to going grey again. He feels his face fall in anguish. He knows what he wants, but what he wants will hurt just as much as the other option, he knows it will. If he takes John back with him this smaller, younger branch will suffer more. Just like their branch did but this one hasn’t even reached a year yet.
Still looking at the troll he needs an answer to this next question. “ when does grandma die” please be in a few years, please. “In two days.”
His heart skips a beat. No. He finally looks at baby branch. The moment has stopped at them all looking ready to go on stage. They are all concerned but determined to do the show. Branch is in John’s arms looking brighter than Bruce has seen him in decades. “What would have happened to branch.” He doesn’t know if he really wants the answer
The trolls hesitation tells him he doesn’t want to know the answer. “He goes grey in two days. Nobody wants to care for him just like last time, but this time everyone forgets he’s even there and he gets left in the pod. I’m sure you can guess what happened.” Bruce can guess. He wished he couldn’t. He closes his eyes against the tears that spring up when he thinks about it.
They are quiet for a few more moments, Bruce fighting tears and the troll trying to give him some privacy by looking away.
Eventually the troll has to ask him the question he no longer wants to answer.
“ would you like me to bring John here now to make the decision?” That’s not the question he was expecting, but he’s glad it isn’t.
Does he want to bring John here? To let him know he’s leaving them all behind if he stays with these younger versions of themselves? To make him choose between leaving all his brothers that he’s just reunited with and the brothers who won’t know they have lost branch in the most cruel way until years and decades later?
Bruce can’t do that to John, it might actually kill him.
Despite all the fights they have been in Bruce knows John cares deeply for all of them. He raised them to the best of his ability till they broke up. And even then he’s told Bruce he wouldn’t have left if he knew they would leave too. It’s always been his biggest regret, and apparently his greatest wish was to fix it.
He struggles internally for a long time, the troll being patient the whole time, before he decides. “ no, I can’t make him choose between us. We’ve all lived into adulthood and we’re able to reconnect, they won’t without him to help.” He watches the still image of his brother/dad with the younger versions of him and his brothers with longing. This will be the last time he sees John Dory alive. This will be the last time he sees baby branch. This will be the last time branch was this vibrant.
He can’t bear to look anymore at what he will never have again, and turns to look at the troll. “Take me back please, I need to tell my brothers about John.” The troll tips their head in assent and the next thing Bruce knows, he’s back in Rhonda holding John’s almost dead body.
“I’ll leave you to it then. He will be gone in a few minutes. Also don’t be alarmed but Rhonda wanted to go with him.” With that they disappeared. What? Rhonda wanted to go with him? He notices the distinct lack of movement or worried rumbles from Rhonda. Ah, that’s what she meant. This makes Bruce hurt even more. He has lost his older brother and father figure and his basically niece in one day.
It just hits him then that the last thing he ever said to John was “why did you even come back if you didn’t change?”
He will never get to apologize, and that. That crushes him. His tears fall fast and his crying is ugly. He wraps his hair around them as he rocks on the floor. Crying into his brothers chest as he breathes his last breath.
~~
Branch is worried. Bruce had gone up to Rhonda an hour ago and still hasn’t come back down.
“Branch?” He turns and looks at Clay who was standing behind him. “ you’ve been glaring at the lift for thirty minutes. Are you okay?” Is he okay? He’s worried about Bruce and John.
So maybe?
“ I got upset with Bruce over his and John’s fight. Bruce went up to apologize and has been gone for an hour.” He folds his arms, his face resting in its regular scowl so he doesn’t show how worried he is. Bruce should be back already.
“ oh, I’m sure they are okay, maybe they got into another fight.” The way clay said that really got on his nerves. It’s like he’s expecting them to get in a fight, like he doesn’t think they could actually apologize to each other. (Mainly Bruce, he was being a fluffin
idiot)
"what part of them getting into another fight makes them alright?" he wants to know what his older brother has to say to that. why is fighting okay? they were all trying to do better right?
Clay gives him a slightly pitying and sad understanding look. “ ah, I forgot how young you were when we left.” What the actual? His brother comes over and places a paw on his folded arms. “ John is gonna do something that makes Bruce mad, probably more of his perfect stuff again.” He shakes his head “ they always used to fight back at the tree, it’s not a surprise that they fight so much now.”
Branch scoffs, snarling as his hair fluffs in anger. “How could you say that?” “Branch -“ “no clay you listen to me.
John has been trying so hard to show all of us he’s changed. He-“ “ branch you don’t know that. He’s always obsessed with ‘perfect’ and he always will be! The fights we all get in with him are his fault.
Sure he says he’s changing but people don’t change that much branch. If he was really trying why would we fight all the time? It’s because he’s not, why can’t you see that?!”
Branch has never wanted to kick any of his brothers out of his bunker more than he does right now. Branch’s hair puffs so large and starts to stick out in different directions as his anger and stress at his brother escalates. His color dims a few shades as he starts growling at Clay. Clay actually takes a step back in the face of his anger. GOOD.
“ How dare you throw away all of John’s work like that.” He takes a step forward “ John has been trying more than you have Clay! If anyone hasn’t changed it’s you! Yeah sure you told me that your ‘sorry for missing me grow up’ and that you were ‘glad to be there for me now’, well guess what Clay! I’m still waiting for you to be there for me now.” Clay flinches back and backs up even more. Branch doesn’t let him say anything though and keeps going.
“ John HAS been trying, he’s taken the time to go with you to your sad book club, he’s taken an interest in your spreadsheets. When you rant at him he listens! You get upset because he starts to nitpick at things, but have you thought about why he does that? He does that because he’s trying to be helpful! He wants you to be proud of your work, so when he happens to see something wrong he wants to try to help you fix it!” Branch can see the dawning realization on his brothers face. Regret and understanding on his face is painful for branch to look at, but he’s not stopping now.
“ and those fights you always complain about? You start them! You get so upset at anything John does, especially when he starts talking about something being slightly wrong with something. Anytime he makes a comment even slightly mentioning something wrong with something else you blow up! Telling him to stop being perfect all the time. He isn’t even trying to be perfect Clay! He deliberately doesn’t use that word anymore because he knows it causes problems with you! Sometimes it slips out and when it does, even if it’s an accident, one of you always jump on it and verbally attack him!”
Clay looks hurt, branch feels kinda bad but why are his brothers like this? Why can’t they see how hard John has been trying? You know what? He’s not doing this EVERY time he sees one of his brothers. He’s going to go check on Bruce and John.
Still growling slightly he gets on the lift and leaves Clay there in his bunker.
His hair still hasn’t settled down but it’s grown less poofy by the time he reached the top of the lift. He opens and exits from the rug door and securely closes it before heading off to go find Rhonda. His colors have started to slowly go up in shades as he gets closer to where John normally parks Rhonda when he stays in the village. He takes and releases a calming breath as he sees Rhonda in the same spot. He was honestly worried John might have up and left.
“Hello Rhonda, do you mind if I go in to talk to Johnny?” He pats her side, she doesn’t move. He grows concerned, walking up to the front he tries to get her attention. “ Rhonda? Is John inside?” When he gets to her face he stops in shock. She looks….. dead… her eyes aren’t focused on anything and she’s not moving. Horror fills him and he runs to her door, he throws it open and sees Bruce with his hair wrapped around him and something he’s holding.
Looking closer he sees it’s John Bruce is holding. No. It can’t be. He runs over and kneels next to his brothers. Bruce is crying and rocking on the ground while holding John as close as he can to his chest. “Bruce! Bruce what happened?!” He feels like he knows, why else would Bruce be reacting this way? Bruce wraps his hair tighter around himself and John and cries harder. “ Bruce ! What happened to John?!” When he still doesn’t get an answer he tries to pull Bruce’s hair away from John so he can check on him.
Bruce does something branch has never seen his older brother do before. He growls deep in his chest at branch when he touches his hair that he has around them. In return branch does something he knows he’s never done before. He flattens his hair down his back, pins his ears to his head, flattens his front to the floor with his limbs tucked underneath himself and lets out a high pitched warble chirp. After he did that, he is confused on what just happened. Why did he do this? He tried to move but his body won’t let him, his limbs feel tight and bunched where they are pinned under him.
When Bruce doesn’t do anything different other than stop growling, branch lets out another warble chirp. It’s almost like he’s asking a question but he doesn’t know what it is. He needs to check on John, why won’t Bruce let him check on John?! Why is he stuck like this?! Bruce still doesn’t do anything to acknowledge branch or his strange sound. Frustration builds in his chest and brings angry tears to his eyes. He hates that he can’t do anything, and he doesn’t even know why.He can’t speak no matter how hard he tries. He can only make the warble chirp sound and it’s starting to scare him.
He can’t do anything, he can’t ask anything, his brothers are on the floor in front of him and he can’t check on John. Rhonda is no longer with them, and branch doesn’t know what to do.
~~~
Floyd hummed to himself as he lowered into the bunker. Today was a good day so far. He coming down to spend more time with branch. He still feels bad about not being there for him when he was a trolling, so he’s been spending time with him one on one so they can learn about how the other has lived while they were separated.
He gets to the bottom of the lift and sees his older brother Clay, he’s crying. What happened? “ Clay? Are you okay?”
“Oh, hi Floyd, *sniff* I’m okay I just realized some things that I wasn’t prepared for.” At least he’s okay? But what did he realize that has him crying so hard?
“ clay what was it that made you cry so hard?” He makes his way over and places a gentle paw on clays shoulder. Clay tries to wipe the tears away “ branch got so upset with me about John Dory. He said some stuff that was true and I just realized how terrible I’ve been to him. Both of them.” Ah, that would do it. Floyd knows branch has been upset because of how the older two have been treating him. He doesn’t know if branch is also upset with him, he hopes he isn’t… branch can be scary when he’s mad.
“Okay, well where’s he go?” He hopes Clay knows, Floyd doesn’t want an angry branch roaming around alone. “ he went up to Rhonda where Bruce went an hour ago. Well, more like an hour and forty minutes now. “ branch was worried then. “So let’s go up to Rhonda to see what’s happening, okay?” He holds his paw out in front of him, waiting for Clay to grab it with his own. “Okay” Clay grabs his paw and they get back on the elevator, time to go find their bros.
~~~~
Clay is so grateful Floyd comes with him to check on the three in Rhonda.
He feels so terrible, branch was right. They are almost to Rhonda now and Clay is kinda anxious. He needs to apologize to John but he doesn’t know if he should do it now or not.
Floyd gasps and lets go of his paw, running over to Rhonda. “Clay Rhonda’s gone!” What? She’s right there he’s literally looking at her. “She’s dead Clay!” Ice fills his chest. No. Rhonda’s the sweetest critter he knows. Why is she gone? Horror comes after the ice in his chest. How’s John? Floyd must be thinking the same thing as they look at each other before both moving for the door at the same time.
Clay reaches the door first and throws it open. The site in front of him is one he knows will haunt his dreams. Bruce is hugging John protectively, his hair wrapped around them both as he rocks on the floor. And branch, oh branch. He’s curled on the floor in his protective curl. Clay doesn’t even think branch knew what he was doing. Trollings will go into that curl as a way to keep them safe when their parents or someone they trust who is in their family growls warningly at them to stop them from something dangerous. It’s a way to keep the trolling still so they don’t run away into danger. Nobody told him it would still work on adults, this is bad. If Bruce does it again to them they can’t help John until Bruce calms down because he has to release them.
Judging from branch still on the floor Bruce isn’t recognizing what he’s done. “Clay what is it?! Move so I can see!” Floyd pushes him further forward then he stops and takes in the site in front of them. Branch makes a warbchir
And that kick starts Clay into moving forward. A warbchir is the warbling chirp the trolling or it seems adult troll will make to ask if it’s okay if they move. They are asking if the danger is gone, they won’t move until the one who warned them answers with their own warble letting them know it’s okay .
He reaches branch and finally gets a good look at branch and bruce. Branch looks terrified, from the situation he’s in and how bruce is holding John. Branch meets his eyes and Clay can feel his brother’s confusion and panic at the situation he’s in right now, he makes another warbchir. Bruce still doesn’t answer. “ it’s gonna be okay branch, I’ll get Bruce to release you soon okay?” He looks over at his older brother. Bruce looks heartbroken, he’s crying intensely, He’s clutching John to his chest so tight it would hurt. Clay has a sinking realization that John probably can’t feel anything.
He doesn’t touch him, he doesn’t want to trigger Bruce’s protective instincts. “Bruce” he keeps his tone low and folds his ears back so he looks smaller and less threatening. “Bruce I need you to tell me what happened. Please Bruce.” His brother doesn’t look like he heard anything he’s said. “Bruce, please we need to know what happened. “ Floyd was next to him now, also trying to talk to Bruce.
Another warbchir from branch makes clay even more anxious, how long has he been like this? He’s probably starting to get muscle cramps. Bruce’s ear twitches ,Clay and Floyd look at each other for a moment and nod. Floyd also lays his hair back and they both chitter. Normally this sound would be used as an answer to the soothing rumbling chiter used to put small trollings and younger siblings to sleep when they are safe. Clay hopes this instinctive sound shakes his brother out of his grief long enough for them to get answers.
Bruce stops his rocking and twitches his ears.
It’s working, they do it again, and Bruce slowly unravels his hair from around himself and John.
Clays first look at his older brothers breaks his heart.
Bruce’s eyes are puffy and red from all the crying he’s done. He’s holding John way too tight to his chest in a protective embrace. When clay study’s John he knows he was correct. His older brother can’t feel anything right now.
~~~
Bruce comes back to himself, pulled out of his grief by chittering. Who’s chittering? His kids? No, he’s not on vacay island right now, so who? He Lowers his hair from where he had wrapped it protectively around himself and John’s body. Clay and Floyd stand in from of him, shock and fear all over their faces. They chitter again, this time Bruce answers with his own. Letting them know he’s aware now.
Clay doesn’t make any sudden moves but he is super anxious, “ Bruce, you have to release branch.” Release branch? He’s not holding branch, he’s holding John. Wha- his thoughts are cut off by a warbchir. He automatically looks over to where he heard it, branch is curled in the floor in his protective curl. Oh no, did he do that? He quickly rumbles softly at branch, releasing him from his curl.
Branch immediately uncurls, sitting up with tears in his eyes. He must be cramping, Bruce doesn’t know how long he had kept him like that. “ Bruce! What the troll was that?! Why- you know what ? Never mind that, what’s wrong with John!?”
Bruce is still crying, still heartbroken over losing John. But he needs to tell his brothers. He takes a deep breath and tells them about the weird floating troll, about the alternate universe John has been sent too. How John was saving that one from tragedy, and was saving branch’s life in that universe. About how rhonda went with him.
By the end they are all crying, Bruce can see the disbelief in their eyes. He knows they don’t want to believe him. They all sit in silence when Bruce finishes his tale. They stay like that for a while, until branch stands. “ we need to move out John’s things that we want to keep so we can put them to rest.” Bruce watches as his baby brother moves to the clue board John had left up all these months, as he takes it down and turns back to them.
“ we should bury them together.” Bruce wants to fight that. Wants to say he wants John buried closer to them all. They can’t do that if they also have to bury Rhonda, she’s too big. Ultimately he knows John would want to be buried with his girl. He agrees, standing and placing John back on his bed. He arranges him to just look like he’s sleeping. Then carefully, he takes John’s goggles, cradling them in his paws and makes his way out.
He should have trusted John. He should have seen how hard he was trying. Now he never will get the chance to mend their relationship. He doesn’t pay attention to anything as he goes back to the bunker, to his room and locks the door behind him.
He doesn’t see his brothers leave Rhonda, doesn’t notice them following him back to the bunker. Doesn’t participate in the funeral plans. For the first time in his life his color dulls, not grey dull, but dull enough to let people know he’s mourning.
What’s he going to tell his kids?