Knowing he couldn't just leave the young child on his own, Peppy brought Branch back to his pod, deciding that he would be the one to take care of this recently orphaned boy...

Of course... Branch didn't want to go... he wanted to just stay in his small hole forever... never to see the light of day again... after all... he deserved to be alone... he deserved to be miserable... the young child still felt guilty about what he had done... it was his fault... his grandma was dead... because of him...

But Peppy wasn't taking 'no' for an answer, insisting that Branch come home with him...

The young child knew he couldn't say no... his grandma had always told him that if the king ever asked you to do something... you do it... no questions asked...

     Even though his grandma was gone, and he would never see her again... the little troll still didn't want to disappoint her... so he went with Peppy, the young boy doing as he was told...

Peppy smiled slightly as the little gray troll slowly emerged from the dark and damp hole dug out from underneath the base of the Troll Tree, the old king reaching out a friendly hand to the young boy...

His eyes glossed over with tears, Branch stared at the hand outstretched to him for a long moment before finally reaching up to grab it, the two troll's hands immediately intertwining in a comforting feeling of not being alone...

"Come along, my boy..." Peppy instructed in a soft tone, smiling down at the young trolling in order to help him feel safe. "Let's get you inside. It's getting chilly..."

Branch nodded, the young boy having to admit he was feeling rather cold, his shirtless overalls not giving much protection from the elements of nature...

—————

Once inside, Branch looked around the royal pod that he had actually been inside of many times before...

It seemed so much different then it had only a few days prior... When the young child was here with his grandma... the home seemed so happy... so full of life... but now... it just seemed dark and lonely...

Branch sighed at the empty sensation in his chest, his heart feeling like a black hole of sorrow as the little troll lowered his head, the young boy shutting his eyes gently in despair...

"You can sleep on the couch tonight..." Peppy informed in a soft tone as he looked down at the saddened child. "We'll figure out a more permanent place for you in the morning..."

     Branch looked up at King Peppy for just a moment before then walking slowly to the couch, laying down with his back to the older troll...

Peppy sighed as he watched the little trolling fading into a state of pure uncontrollable sorrow, feeling bad about the situation Branch had unfortunately found himself in...

He had lost his wife, but Branch... Branch had lost his Grandma... his only family... and he was jus so young... The old king couldn't even imagine what the little trolling was going through right now...

"Well..." Peppy finally sighed softly. "Good night, Branch..."

Silence...

The old king somewhat expected the little troll to reply... but he certainly didn't blame him for staying silent... after all... the extremely young child was going through such heartbreak that most adult trolls didn't even have to suffer through... he felt alone... the only gray troll in a village of colorful happy beings... no one was suffering as badly as Branch was right now...

With another sigh, Peppy looked down to his daughter who had fallen asleep in his arms during the walk home, the tiny pink princess smiling in her slumber, the innocent trolling having no knowledge of the horrendous heartbreaking events that had occurred only a few moments ago...

Giving Branch one last concerned look, the old king finally walked away to put Poppy to bed, leaving the young boy to catch up on some much needed sleep on the couch...

Looking behind himself to make sure Peppy was actually gone, Branch slowly reached up into his hair, finally pulling out his snuggle toy, Crocko...

He looked at the blue alligator now resting safely in his tiny gray hands, the little trolling remembering the day his Grandma had given the stuffed friend to him...

Flashback
—————

The night was dark, the clouds outside gray and rumbling loudly with thunder... Branch had always been afraid of thunder... but that's not the reason the young boy was crying... not on this day at least...

It was Trollstice three years ago, and the tiny toddler had just lost his father...

Rosiepuff walked into the room she had just set up earlier that day for her grandson, the old troll holding her hands behind her back as if hiding something...

"Branch, sweetie..." she said in a calm and gentle voice, approaching the young boy who would now be living with her. "I know it hurts..."
"I miss him, Gwama," Branch cried, looking up to his grandmother with sad tear filled eyes. "I know..." Rosiepuff muttered in a quiet whisper, wrapping her arm comfortingly around the little trolling. "I miss him too..."

Luckily, the little toddler hadn't seen the disaster accrue. He was visiting his grandma when it all happened... the two of them, grandmother and grandson, had always been close, Branch often referring to her as his 'favorite'...

The little trolling had never said those words to upset his father... he didn't even know that saying that one little word could easily upset the person who wasn't receiving it... but now that he was gone... the young boy wished he had told his father more often that he loved him too...

"I lost my father at a young age as well..." Rosiepuff explained softly. "I was distraught... so my mother gave me this..."

Branch looked up at his grandma as she pulled an old alligator toy out from behind her back, showing it off to her grandson.

"His name is Crocko," she informed with a smile, handing the toy to the young toddler.

Accepting the gift, Branch took the stuffed alligator into his hands, rubbing his eyes to remove some of the tears leaking out of them...

"Cwocko?" he repeated, sniffling slightly as he looked down at the precious toy.

Rosiepuff nodded in agreement, lifting her grandson up into her lap.

"My mom told me that no mater what happened... Crocko would always be there to protect me..." she told him with a loving smile. "And now, he'll be there to protect you..."

At the sound of those words, Branch looked into the marble eyes of the stuffed alligator, more tears beginning to slide down his cheeks as the boy hugged his new friend tightly.

Admittedly... he felt much better with Crocko in his arms and his grandma by his side...

"I wuv you, gwama..." the tiny toddler whispered, extending the hug to his grandmother. "And I love you too, my little peach fuzz... Always..."

Now
—————

Branch hugged Crocko tight now, remembering his grandma and how much he truly loved her...

     Crocko had always helped the little trolling get through tough times in the past. Whenever he was sad or scared... he would just hug Crocko and feel better. Just like his grandma had told him... Crocko would always protect him...

     But right now was different... his grandma was no longer by his side... she wasn't even in the next room over, so he could go talk to her if he needed to... She was gone... and she was never coming back...

Branch cried louder than ever before at the horrible feeling gripping relentlessly to his heart, the poor boy squeezing Crocko as tightly as he possibly could in his little arms to try and relieve the pain... but it didn't help... He wanted his grandma... he needed his grandma...

Suddenly... just as all his hope was completely lost... Branch felt something press up against his back... Something warm... something... comforting...

Confused about what was happening, Branch turned to see what was now pressed tightly up to his back, the young boy shocked to see Poppy snuggled up beside him, the baby holding a little blue hedgehog toy in her tiny arms...

The very young princess sighed deeply in content as she lay there, sleeping peacefully beside her best friend...

     Branch looked at her for a moment longer, a small smile coming to his face as the tears finally stopped pouring from his eyes... He suddenly didn't feel so alone...