The Final chapter to Finding Home. I had wonderful time making this Fanfiction. Please let me know what you thought of it. I hope you all enjoy.

PART 3

With the night sky swallowing any evidence of the once beautiful sunset, a gentle cool breeze caused a ripple of movement among the leaves that framed their view of the now darkened Bergen town. The muffled sounds of music from the party below barely audible from their elevated spot amongst the leaves. The full moon cascaded filtered white light through the leaves on both Branch and Poppy as they sat on the mossy limb of the troll tree, hand in hand.

" When you brought me those figs to make up for the one that was eaten…" Branch recalled, "That's when everything changed."

"That was the moment, I…I started to fall in love with you." Branch admitted timidly, looking into her eyes with such sincerity and vulnerability, in hopes that she finally understood him.

Poppy's eyes widened as she silently absorbed what he had just said. 'He starting loving me…then?' She thought. She must have been around sixteen at the time; meaning Branch had been in love with her for the last five years? Poppy could hardly wrap her head around it. She thought that if anything, Branch had almost started becoming more curt and defensive around her after the fig incident. She always thought she must have really offended him by exposing that she knew where he lived. She knew how badly he tried to keep it secret. That was why she never showed up at his place again until the Bergen attack.

"Ahem" Branch had let out a little awkward cough to bring her attention back.

Branch was looking at her, his eyes exploring hers for approval from his confession. Poppy was so lost in thought she forgot to respond. She acknowledged his declaration by squeezing his hands in reassurance, giving him tender smile. She could see Branch physically relaxing from her reaction. He let out breath he had been holding in and smiled back at her.

"Instead of hating you, I began to admire your determination and your sheer will to never give up on me. Soon, I couldn't get you out of my head, despite all my best efforts." Branch explained. Poppy couldn't help but let out a faint giggle.

"I wrote about you in hopes that if the feelings I was beginning to feel for you were on paper, that maybe they would stay there and give my mind a break from thinking of you. But it was to no avail. If anything I thought of you more." Branch admitted. His smile fell as he swallowed hard before bringing himself to say what he wanted to say next.

"Because of that I began treating you worse. I needed to keep you at a distance because I could feel myself wanting to let you in. For you to see me smile… to take my hand and lead me away from the darkness I had built around myself."

It had all suddenly felt too real. Branch had never allowed himself to bring all of these emotions to light since he was little, and now he couldn't stop. The floodgates that had been holding everything deep down inside had opened, pouring everything out. When he thought of what he wanted to tell Poppy, he didn't plan on telling her all of it. He didn't want her to see him so weak. But now he couldn't stop himself. The moment he began opening himself up to her he could feel himself wanting to tell her everything. As if he had been waiting his whole life for this opportunity.

"But my fear always stopped me. I couldn't ever let you close because if I came to love you… only to lose you…I… "

Branch couldn't finish; his breathing was coming in ragged, as though even speaking about it somehow was bringing his words to life. He opened his mouth to try again but nothing came out. After losing his parents, and then his grandmother; the very thought of losing Poppy caused him immense pain. He had finally become the troll he always wanted to be and it was all because of her. If he were to lose her, he wouldn't be able to survive. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he felt her hands behind his ears bringing his face down to settle on her chest, her chin resting on his forehead as she held him there.

Poppy got up onto her knees, pulling his face into her chest. She wanted to comfort him desperately but was at a loss as to what to say, so she held onto him tightly instead. She hugged him close until he began to relax into her. She slowly brought her hand up to his head allowing her fingers to comb through his hair behind his head, gently grazing his scalp brushing her fingers up through his blue hair over and over again.

He felt like a child wrapped in Poppy's arms. Her embrace instantly transported him back to when he first turned grey and how badly he wanted someone to hold him, to tell him everything would be ok. Deep down he always feared that if he ever allowed anyone to see this scared, helpless side of himself, that he would be rejected. But everything was now out in the open. Branch was completely exposed to her judgment and she held him tightly in response. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to lean his weight into her, hearing her heart beating into his ear. He could feel every part of him start to settle into her as she began raking her fingers through his hair.

Suddenly Branch felt something wet on his temple. 'Is Poppy crying?' He looked up to see her trying to hardest to keep her composure. Her pink eyes looking upward to keep the tears from falling, but the stain on her cheek proved him right.

" Oh, Branch," Her voice wavered. Tears now freely falling down her glittery cheeks. " I…I didn't know..."

Poppy wanted to stay strong for him. But her heart couldn't handle anymore. With only knowing happiness the majority of the time, this much pain was beyond her. The thought of him living everyday of his life like this caused her body to shake in sorrow.

" No, Poppy please don't cry. Of course you didn't know. No one knew" He tried his best to reassure her, but his words only made her cry harder.

Branch gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her trembling body into his embrace. He felt terribly guilty. Seeing her cry made his heart wrench but relieved that she cared so much for him that she would cry on his behalf.

She was suppose to be a shoulder for him to cry, but here she went ahead and made it about her. If only she was stronger, she could say the comforting words he needed to hear. She wanted to be the one to mend his old wounds but here he was holding her because his tragic past was too much for her to handle. She felt ashamed of her sudden tears.

" If...If I knew," Poppy sniffed, looking embarrassed of herself. "I wouldn't have constantly asked you so many painful questions all the time. I didn't realize how my meddling hurt you. I am so sorry."

"Don't you realize? If it wasn't for all your meddling I would never be who I am today." He assured her, lifting her chin to meet his eyes while brushing a lone tear away, "So please don't apologize."

" Thank you, Poppy." He smiled sincerely, allowing his forehead to rest on hers, his hands coming to cup each side of her face. "All of this is possible because of you."

The warmth of Branch's skin on her forehead instantly caused her to let out a sigh of relief, relaxing her completely. She sniffed away the last of her tears while held her cheeks. They stayed there, holding onto each other in a state of complete contentment. Branch slowly moved his head away giving Poppy a serious look that she wasn't expecting.

Branch abruptly broke the silence between them. "But none of what I said excuses the way I treated you."

"Back then I only thought about protecting myself, I never thought of how my words hurt you," Branch expressed regretfully, " I am so sorry, for everything. I was horrible to you for so long, you never deserved to be treated that way."

" No, I…" Poppy tried to interject but he shook his head lightly to stop her. He needed her to know how sorry he was. He let his hands fall from her face to hold each of hers hands in his.

" I know I said that I couldn't believe you were going to be queen one day," He recalled, "and now after everything you have done. I can't believe I ever thought you couldn't be."

"Poppy, you freed us from the fear of being eaten, you brought us back to our home, you saved your friends, all of the trolls…and you saved me," Branch explained. " You are an amazing Queen."

Her heart swelled. She had felt nothing but insecure all afternoon about her ability to be the type of ruler her people needed. Even after the cheers of the crowd from her speech just hours before didn't stop the creeping feeling that maybe she wasn't cut out to be Queen. But Branch's words instantly cast away any bad feeling she had about herself. His words meant more than he could ever know. She couldn't help but throw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly in appreciation.

"Thank you" She exclaimed, feeling truly grateful.

" Poppy I promise you. I will spend everyday of the rest of my life making up for all the terrible things I have ever done to you in the past."

"Branch, my love for you isn't on the condition that you have to make it up to me." Poppy explained, breaking their hug to look him in the eyes, giving him her most sincere smile.

" I just want us to be happy together, and that's enough."

His trust in Poppy only grew with her simple words. To finally tell her everything he had been hiding even from himself, allowing his entire being to be washed over in relief. The burden of holding on to this heavy sadness for so long felt as if it was slowly escaping him, making him feel lighter than he had ever felt. He felt as if he could finally smile from his heart, the need to hide his real self vanishing into thin air. He wanted nothing more than to be happy with Poppy. The thought of a happy life with her by his side brought a smile to his face. For the first time, he no longer felt scared of what the future held.

3 years later:

Branch awoke to soft pink light shining through his unopened eyelids. He reluctantly opened his eyes to the flood of light. The thin walls of the flower pod allowed the sun to cascade the room in the morning sunshine giving everything a warm pink and purple glow. After years of sleeping in complete darkness in his old forgotten bunker, he had finally begun to get accustomed to waking to the brightness of the sun.

He lay there contently, enjoying the perfect temperature of the covers surrounding him. As warm as the suns light was on his face he knew the moment he threw the blankets back he would instantly be engulfed by the cold morning air. Plus he had no want to move from his current location, the weight of Poppy's head on his chest felt as though he was anchored to the bed. He ever so gently moved his arm off of her shoulder to a more comfortable position behind his head.

Branch loved mornings. He has always been a morning person, but back when he was grey he woke early to escape the confines of his lonely home, to start working just as the sun would rise. But now he awoke early for a vastly different reason. In the quite hours of early morning, everything was peacefully quiet in troll tree. Before all of the other trolls would make their way out of their pods to start their daily routine of cheerful morning songs. Not that he minded the singing; he just learned to finally appreciate silence as a rare pleasure, because the life as a troll was a noisy one.

It was in these quite moments that he allowed himself to run his fingers through Poppy's bright pink hair as she slept, to gaze upon her sleeping features and be thankful for everyday with her. He will admit that this morning however, she was not the picture of elegance. With her disheveled hair glued to the side of his face and drool threatening to drop from her open mouth as she snored. Branch suppressed a small laugh from shaking his chest to prevent waking her. The moment Poppy would wake, the silent spell of the morning would be broken by her usual morning routine.

Branch remembered that she had a busy schedule today, so reluctantly he placed his hand on Poppy's back to gently wake her up. He could feel her start to stir underneath him as he rubbed her back. He knew exactly what was about to come next. Poppy wasn't one to softly rouse from her slumber.

"I'M UP!" Poppy slurred loudly, scaring herself awake. She had raised her head urgently from the comfortable spot on Branch's chest. He had no idea how she managed to always wake like this, but now he had come to expect it.

"hmmmm…morning" Poppy yawned, as if her sudden jolt into wakefulness never happened. Lazily stretching before placing her head back onto the warm spot she had previously been taking up on his body. Wrapping her arms around him to get every last bit of warmth from him.

" Oh no, no this time," Branch sternly warned her, " I am not laying in bed all morning just so I can be your personal pillow. Some of us have important things to do today."

" mmm…What important things do you have to do today?" Poppy wined in protest to his statement.

"Not me, you." He explained, knowing full well that she was trying her hardest to fall back asleep on him.

" Don't you have your annual End of Trolltice party to plan with the Bergen's today?"

Poppy shot up at Branch's comment. "It's not an End of Trolltice Party!" Poppy huffed angrily. "It's a Peace celebration!"

She opened her mouth to explain for the millionth time why it's wasn't called the end of trolltice when she realized he said it only to rile her up. Her angry face falling into a look only an unimpressed wife could muster.

Branch cocked an eyebrow while smiling coyly at her. He couldn't help be proud of himself, teasing her was almost too easy.

" You just said that to wake me up!" Poppy growled, trying her hardest to hold back a smile.

"Huh, look at that," Branch exclaimed with fake surprise. "You are up!"

He quickly took advantage of Poppy kneeling on the bed to whip back the covers and get out of bed before she could use his body to fall back asleep on.

Poppy grumbled to herself for falling right into Branch's trap. With a final stretch she kicked her legs over the side of the bed. She grabbed her hairbrush and started working on her bright pink mess on her head. She looked at the picture of Branch on her mushroom cap nightstand. She smiled happily to herself. Branch had giving her many gifts over the years, but this picture she cherished. To her it wasn't just a picture of the troll she loved; it represented one of her happiest memories. She will always remember the night that Branch had place his trust in her and finally opened himself up. As they walk backed to their pods for the night, Branch had remembered the picture Biggie had taken of him stashed away in his hair. Ever since then Poppy had carried it around with her everywhere she goes. She gave the picture a quick kiss before storing it away in her hair.

Branch was looking at Poppy across the pod through the reflection of the mirror in front of him. With his crown finally in place in his hair he turned around to face her.

" You don't need to kiss the picture when you have me in the flesh right here." Branch joked.

"Har, har," Poppy faked a laugh while hopping onto her feet, ready to start the day.

" Well I better get…"

Suddenly their front pedal entrance opened to the group of loud troll children clamoring inside. 'And so much for silent morning…' Branch thought to himself.

" Queen Poppy!" A small lime green troll boy bellowed louder than necessary." What story are you going to read us today?"

"Oh! I am so sorry little ones," Poppy said apologetically, bending at the knees to acknowledge them, " I completely forgot I promised you a story! I have to go work on finishing the plans for tonight's celebration!"

"Awe." They said in unison, looking at one another in dismay.

Poppy picked up the young pink troll the group had brought and gave her a big squeeze before placing her on her hip.

"Maybe just one." She walked over to their bookshelf and pulled out one of her scrapbook stories.

" AH, ah, ah, you don't have time." Branch informed her, "Don't worry, I will read to them today."

Branch took the book from Poppy's hand and placed it under his arm. He then grabbed the tiny pink girl holding tightly onto Poppy and tucked her into his hair.

"Are you sure?" Poppy questioned but Branch gave her reassuring smile. "Thank you, love. I promise I will be back by lunch."

"Ok Pebble, give Mommy a big kiss before I go." She leaned in towards Branch.

The tiny pink troll with ultraviolet hair poked her head out from Branch's hair and leaned over to give her mother a kiss on the nose.

" Bye bye, Mama." The tiny two year old peeped.

Poppy waved as she left. Branch turned around to the storm of little trolls climbing all over their house.

" Ok listen up! Everyone in the middle!" Branch announced.

All the children listened and quickly found their place semi circled around Branch, eager to hear their morning story. Branch sat down and lifted his daughter out from her hiding stop and placed her right beside him. Pebble could have been a small mini version of his wife with her similar pink complexion, if it wasn't for her dark cobalt hair like his. She snuggled his arm waiting impatiently for him to start reading to her.

" Alright, What story did she pick out from you this time" Branch admired the cover of her scrapbook.

"The lonely grey troll…who became King …of the trolls… You have got to be kidding me." Branch said in disbelief. His unimpressed scowl caused the children to laugh loudly. He couldn't believe Poppy made a storybook of his life. She was going to hear about this when she got home.

" Yay! My favorite!" a little girl eager vibrated on the spot, waiting for the story to start.

" I love this one!" said another.

'Oh, no' Branch thought. He began to get up off the floor to grab another one when Pebble gently grabbed his dark green vest.

" Dada, Read!" Pebble begged, her large blue eyes giving him a pleading look.

Branch let out a sigh; his daughter knew exactly what to do in order to get her way. Branch knew that she knew he was completely wrapped around her tiny finger.

"Ok, Fine. Are we ready?"

" Yes, King Branch!" the children cheered.

THE END

Alright! I hope you all enjoyed Finding Home. I am very proud of myself for taking on this little project. I have never written a story before and I will admit it did not come easily. But I am very glad I tried. Your words of encouragement ment the world to me. Thankyou everyone who reviewed, liked and followed my story. I still have a few side stories that unfortunately didn't make it into this story. If you want, I can try making a sequel of short stories. Please let me know by reviewing.

I have also drawn up a couple cute pictures of Poppy and Branch from certain points in this story. And I must say, I much prefer drawing them than writing. Drawing is much easier! I will post in the reviews where everyone can view the said images.

Thanks again for reading!