A/N: When the holiday season began to dawn on the horizon, I said to myself, "Black Raider, you must write another holiday fanfic!" Everyone loves to get into the holiday spirit with their writing, and I didn't want to pass up this opportunity. But I struggled to come up with a good idea until about a week ago. Now, I'm on a roll. I'll be uploading one more chapter for Flame of Happiness, and then I'll be taking a break to finish this story.

Also, fun fact: the title is inspired by the Nickelback song "Savin' Me." You ought to listen to it!

So here's the first chapter! I hope you enjoy this story!

Savin' Me: A Holiday Quest

Chapter One – Holiday Kindness

Joyous peals of laughter rang out through the forest, and it wasn't even Tickle Day. Snowballs sailed through the air, often hitting the ground or a mushroom instead of the thrower's intended target. But every now and then, there would be a satisfying squeal of surprise when a snowball hit its mark.

Princess Poppy could never refuse a good snowball fight, and practically ran her side of the battlefield like a general. The nine-year-old had an uncanny ability to analyze the best places to throw and when was a good time to duck behind the snow barriers.

"Cooper! Throw a snowball over to the left!" Poppy ordered.

"On it!" Cooper chucked the hunk of snow towards the other side of the battlefield.

"Satin and Chenille, cover our right!" Poppy called.

"We got it!" The twins said.

"Enemy fire at twelve o'clock!" Creek warned.

"It's actually twelve-thirty." Biggie said.

"Duck and cover!" Poppy yelped. She and her friends managed to duck down right before a barrage of snowballs pelted their snow barrier. The troll children on the other side of the fight waited for the white flag of surrender.

"Head's up!" one of them shouted as a large, boulder-like snowball came soaring towards them. The children scattered in a panic, and the snow boulder ended up hitting at least three of them. Everyone laughed heartily, not in the least bit upset over the loss.

"Poppy wins!" Creek called. The children all clapped for the princess.

"We all won!" Poppy declared. "Let's go get some hot chocolate to celebrate!" The children cheered again and ran off back towards the village. Poppy began to follow, and then paused. Her friends turned to her just as she sneezed.

"Gesundheit." Smidge said.

"Thanks." Poppy rubbed her nose on her mitten.

"Still have the sniffles, Poppy?" Suki asked.

"Yeah." Poppy even sounded a little congested. "But I'm getting better!"

"I bet some hot chocolate will help!" Guy Diamond suggested.

"Race you there!" Cooper challenged. The kids took off running. The idea of warm hot chocolate in her tummy fueled Poppy's legs to make her run faster than her friends. But when they cleared the line of bushes that separated them from the village, Poppy ran into someone which caused her friends to run into her which resulted in a huge pile of troll children on the ground.

"Get off me!" someone shouted from the bottom of the pile. The children managed to untangle themselves, and Poppy and her friends discovered they landed right on top of Branch. The fourteen-year-old grey troll growled at them in irritation as he gathered his fallen kindling. "What's the matter with you? You came running through here like a Bergen was on your heels."

"We were just excited." Creek explained, helping Branch stand. "We're going to get hot chocolate!"

"Do you want to come?" Poppy offered. "We're gonna have marshmallows and peppermint sticks and candy and marshmallows and whipped cream and cinnamon and marshmallows!"

"You said 'marshmallows' three times." Branch droned.

"Yeah, because we got regular marshmallows and mini marshmallows and marshmallows as big as your face!" Poppy said gleefully. "What do you say?"

"I'll pass." Branch said. "I'm perfectly happy going home and having a plain cup of bloomingflower tea."

"If I may recommend something," Creek offered. "I always prefer a cup of chai tea with a splash of milk and a dash of cinnamon. Something dark and strong sounds like it would fit you." Creek immediately regretted saying that last part, unsure if Branch would take it as an insult or be weirded out.

Branch had his usual frown. "Thanks, Creek. Maybe I'll try that. Now get on home, all of you."

"Before a Bergen gets us?" Biggie guessed. Fuzzbert snickered.

"No, before I get you!" Branch warned, baring his teeth threateningly. The kids (except Poppy and Creek) screamed in terror and ran away.

"Bye Branch!" Poppy waved cheerily, skipping after her friends.

"So long, Mate!" Creek jogged after her.

Branch huffed grumpily and marched towards home. He only glanced back once to make sure the kids reached the village safely.

Peppy checked the soup on the stove for what must've been the thousandth time. This was such a simple recipe, yet he was so paranoid that he burnt it or put in a wrong ingredient or forgot one altogether. His focus also wandered to listening for his daughter and determining whether or not she was still occupied. Cooper, no doubt, would happily play with Poppy until dinnertime.

Peppy stirred the soup and tasted it. Hmm, not bad. Being a single father wasn't easy, especially since he was never much of a cook. He could teach Poppy to bake any pastry or sweet under the sun. But it took him two months to learn how to properly make a real meal. Peppy often wished he hadn't let Joy do all the cooking when they were married. Joy, ever so kind and helpful, always prepared dinner herself. Whether or not this decision was influenced by Wolfrick, Peppy couldn't say. He only knew that, after Joy died, he turned out to be a horrible cook. Then again, maybe he was always like that. Rosiepuff once claimed Peppy burnt water.

Rosiepuff…... Peppy sighed to himself as he turned the stove off. Once upon a time, it was his closest friend doing this for him. His first year without Joy hurt, and Rosiepuff stepped in to be a mother figure to Poppy. She also kicked Peppy's tail into gear, reminding him that he had a daughter to care for and a kingdom to run. He couldn't turn grey when he knew that.

"Daddy!" Poppy's voice jolted Peppy from his thoughts. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"Yes, almost!" Peppy grabbed a few potholders. "Go sit at the table, princess! You too, Cooper!"

"Okay!" Poppy's and Cooper's feet pitter-pattered across the floor, and Peppy chuckled. Cooper joined their little family just a year after they escaped the Troll Tree and Bergen Town. Cooper always stood out amongst the other trolls, but that may be one of the things Poppy loved best about him. Peppy took the soup pot into the small dining room and set it down on the table. Poppy sat on a couple cushions so she could better see over the edge of the table. She bounced in her seat, spoon gripped tightly in one fist.

Peppy ladled some of the soup into her bowl, and then noticed something. "Poppy, what happened to your hair?"

Poppy glanced up to her dark pink locks, specifically the tangles in her now-wild mane. "I was trying to braid my hair like Maddy showed me."

"Oh. Well, we're going to have to brush out those tangles before you go to bed." Peppy said.

"Okay!" Poppy nodded, spooning some soup into her mouth. "This is yummy!" Cooper seemed to agree, seeing how he practically stuck his whole face in the bowl as he ate.

"Good." Peppy sighed in relief. "Cooper, mind your manners. Now slow down, Poppy. You're getting soup all over your face." He took his napkin and gently wiped the soup splash off her chin.

Cooper picked up his soup bowl and drank his dinner. "How's that?"

"Much better, thank you." Peppy said.

Poppy daintily lifted the spoon to her lips and slurped up the soup. "How's that?"

"Very ladylike." Peppy chuckled.

"Like a princess?" Poppy asked.

"Yes, like a princess." Peppy nodded. "Of course, I think you act like a princess every day. A princess cares for her people, and you look after the other trolls—especially your friends—very well."

"Thanks." Poppy continued eating. As she finished, she thought about what her father said. She really did like to look out for her friends. She knew they were all having dinner with their families, tucked away in their cozy pod homes. Poppy requested more soup when she finished her first bowl, and she inhaled the sweet aroma of the food. Gulping down the hot soup sent a feeling of warmth throughout her body. Tonight, she would cuddle up with her fuzziest blanket and hear a story from her father before going to sleep.

Poppy glanced outside. It's so cold and snowy outside. I wonder if Branch is safe at home. Does he get to have warm soup for dinner?

"Poppy?" Peppy asked, pulling Poppy's attention from the window. "Everything all right?"

"Yep!" Poppy nodded. "May I be excused?"

"Yes, you may." Peppy said. "Go get your pajamas on and I'll come in to brush out those tangles."

"Okay!" Poppy hopped down from her chair. She brought her soup bowl along with her.

"Ah, excuse me." Peppy piped up, causing Poppy to pause. "Where do you think you're going with that, young lady?"

"I wanna take this to Branch!" Poppy said. "He needs hot soup on a cold night. He didn't get hot chocolate with the rest of us, so I think he's very cold right now."

Peppy knew that was wrong. Branch was no doubt cozy in his little bunker. But he did often think about the grey teenager and wonder if he was doing all right. "Well, it's awfully dark right now. Why don't we take the rest of this to him tomorrow?"

"Okay!" Poppy returned her bowl to the table.

"Poppy, why do you want to bring soup to Branch?" Cooper asked. "He really scared us today!"

"Well, we ran into him first, so I think…..I…" She suddenly sneezed, sniffled, and rubbed her nose on her arm.

"Now don't do that." Peppy said, kneeling down in front of his daughter. He noticed a bit of a flush in her cheeks, and he put a hand to her forehead. "You feel warm, princess. Are you feeling all right?"

"Just a little sniffle-y." Poppy said. "And chilly."

Peppy hummed in thought. "Maybe you ought to take a warm bath tonight. We'll get you all cozy and you'll feel better tomorrow."

Poppy yawned. "Okay. Can we take Branch hot chocolate and marshmallows too?"

Peppy chuckled, awed by Poppy's kindness. "I think that would be nice."

When Poppy came down to breakfast that morning, she was a full ten minutes late. Cooper was already halfway through his cereal by the time she came down. The little princess looked sleepy and a tad pale. She coughed a few times on her way to the table.

Peppy felt her forehead again. She was definitely burning up. "Poppy, I want you to go right back to bed. I'll bring you your breakfast."

"But we gotta…..." Poppy coughed again. "…...we gotta take hot marshmallows and chocolate to Branch."

"Hot chocolate and marshmallows." Cooper corrected.

"That's what I said." Poppy mumbled.

"Poppy, you have a fever. You should rest before you get sicker." Peppy said.

"I wanna see Branch." Poppy said stubbornly. "He needs to stay warm in the winter."

Even when sick, Poppy's kindness never failed. Peppy thought for a moment, analyzing his daughter. "Well, I suppose if we were just gone for a few minutes. We'll go out and give Branch our gifts, and then we'll come right home so you can rest."

"Okay!" Poppy hurried off to get changed.

Once they were all bundled up, the royal family headed out to find the grey troll of their village. Peppy carried the leftover soup in its pot, Poppy carried a large jug of hot chocolate, and Cooper practically dragged a sack of marshmallows behind him. The snow crunched under their boots as they left the main hub of the village and headed for its outskirts.

Peppy looked around the forest area. He had only ever been to Branch's bunker once or twice, and never went inside it. "Where does Branch live, again?"

"Underground like a hedgehog." Cooper snickered.

"Except hedgehogs aren't so grumpy all the time." Poppy added with a giggle.

Peppy scanned the forest, and then noticed a patch of black hair poking out from behind some snow-covered rocks. "Branch! That you over there?"

The grey troll paused and hopped over the rocks to approach the royal family. "What are you all doing out here?"

"We came to see you!" Poppy skipped up to Branch and held out the hot chocolate jug. "We brought you soup and hot chocolate and marshmallows so you'll be warm tonight!"

"I do have a fireplace in my bunker, you know." Branch said. "The chimney goes right up through the bunker and safely allows the smoke to escape."

"But do you have hot soup and hot chocolate?" Poppy asked with a knowing smile. "Do you have soft blankets and fluffy pillows?"

"Do you have fuzzy socks? Or beanie hats?" Cooper asked.

"I have my scarf." Branch tugged the red and green scarf around his neck. "And I have a pair of earmuffs if my ears get cold. And I'm all bundled up in pants, a jacket, boots, and gloves. Clearly, I don't need hot chocolate with a ridiculous number of marshmallows."

"What about some homemade soup?" Peppy offered. "When was the last time you had a good, homecooked meal?"

Branch glanced to the pot in Peppy's hands. "I can cook for myself. But I guess I have been so busy getting ready for winter." He hardly finished before Peppy pushed the soup into his arms. Poppy put the hot chocolate jug on top, and Cooper tucked the marshmallow sack under Branch's arm. "Seriously?"

"You can never have too many marshmallows!" Cooper declared.

Branch rolled his eyes. "Great. Now go home. It's freezing out here." He trudged off, balancing the pot and jug in one arm and dragging the marshmallows behind him with his free hand.

"You're welcome!" Peppy called after him cheerily.

"He didn't say 'thank you,' Daddy." Poppy pointed out as they headed for home.

"Yes, he did." Peppy assured. "Branch has his own….special way…of saying 'thank you.'" He scooped up Poppy and placed her on his hip. "Now let's get you home, princess. You still need your rest."

"I'll stay with you, Poppy!" Cooper offered. "We'll play games and read books and sing songs and drink lots of cocoa!"

"Can we, Daddy?" Poppy asked.

"I don't see why not." Peppy said. "You're going to need something to wash down the cold medicine I'm going to give you."

Poppy and Cooper both stuck out their tongues. "Yucky!"

That night, Cooper insisted that he stay with Poppy in case she needed anything. The two children fell asleep halfway through their father's lullaby. Peppy made sure they were tucked in before sneaking out of the room. He sighed tiredly as he made his way to the living room of the royal pod. Despite Poppy being bedridden for most of the day, Peppy still found himself busily taking care of her. Cooper was alert and ready for anything she might need, and he would go running about the pod all crazy-like looking for whatever she politely requested. Her room was a mess of games, books, and toys that Cooper grabbed to entertain her.

Poor child was sick as a dog. I'll give her a break. Peppy eased himself into his chair and sighed again. Being a single father for two rambunctious children was tiring on its own; add on the fact that he was a king, and Peppy sometimes wondered if that was the reason his hair looked as crazy as it did. Depending on how Poppy was feeling tomorrow, he may have to find a babysitter.

That single word, "babysitter," sparked several memories. Peppy pushed himself to his feet and went to the bookshelf, pulling down one of the older scrapbooks. He returned to his chair and flipped open the book. He turned the pages, past the pictures of him and Oaken, past the pictures of him and his wife, past the pictures of him and Rosiepuff.

There it is.

The picture showed Peppy, about fourteen years younger, holding a familiar blue baby in a white onesie. Peppy had a grimace on his face as the baby tugged on his mustache. The baby laughed gleefully. Sometimes Peppy found it hard to believe that this adorable little boy was the same as the grey teen who stood out from the other trolls of the village.

Peppy's smile faded. Time and time again, he tried to convince Branch to move back into the village. Heck, he could even stay with Peppy and his family. Peppy was Branch's godfather, after all, as requested by Branch's mother. He was convinced that, if he could get Branch to stay around the trolls more often, the grey troll would be blue once again. But, time and time again, Peppy failed to keep Branch in the village for more than a day.

He needs friends and family and love, not isolation. Peppy thought to himself. What can I do to make him see that?