A/N: Welcome to my newest adaptation! Since I was on such a roll with these things, I want to write more if I get inspired enough. I don't want to just copy a movie and plop in the Trolls characters. I want to follow the general "road map" of the movie's plot while making the story more my own. I hope I can do that with this one.

Responses to reviews from Flame of Happiness Part 2:

Reby Montana – Thank you for your help in Part 2, and all the suggestions for Part 3. Hope this story will keep you busy until Part 3!

Neomoon585 – You were a great help in Flame of Happiness, and I hope you can help me in Part 3, too. I'm glad you picked up on that imprinting thing with Branch and Rosiepuff. I wanted to show the source of their strong bond by making Rosiepuff the first troll Branch saw. And, yes, that was a Big Bang Theory reference.

TAPDANCING GIRAF – Thank you! You know I'm going to torture my readers now and then, but there will be plenty of sweetness and family fluff to rot your teeth.

Guest – Remember, in Part 1, in a flashback, we see that Larch died because he was taken at Trollstice. As for his reaction to Stella's death, I guess I'm leaving that to the readers to imagine. The crystals will be explained in Part 3.

Cupcake – Stella was one of my favorite characters to write. I'm glad you liked her!

I hope you enjoy this one! Quick note: troll pregnancies in this story are like human pregnancies. That'll make sense in a minute.

Finding Poppy

Chapter One – A Little Bit of Hope

"Wow."

"Mm-hmm."

"I mean, just…...wow…..."

"Yes, indeed."

"Are you seeing this?"

"I have two working eyes; so, yes, I'm seeing it."

The troll chuckled, putting an arm around his wife and pulling her close. The male had peach-colored skin, wild magenta hair, an equally unkempt mustache, and dark hazel eyes. He dressed in brown pants and a teal vest. The female troll had cotton candy pink skin, rosy pink eyes, and spring green hair. She wore a pair of blue capris and a white blouse.

"You did say you wanted a view, Joy." The male troll pointed out. "Didn't think you'd get the whole forest and the meadow, huh?" He nudged her playfully. "Come on, say it. Did your man deliver or did he deliver?"

"Yes, Peppy." Joy rolled her eyes with a laugh. "My man delivered. He did, indeed." She took a look around their new home. The two of them married just three years ago, and spent much of their newlywed life in a pod deeper in the forest. But with a new addition coming to their family soon, they saw the need to move someplace that would be ideal not just for them but for their future family. Peppy found the perfect tree on the edge of a wide meadow, where there were plenty of places for their children to explore and play. Their pod hung securely, providing cozy shelter for the troll family.

Peppy inhaled deeply, he and Joy standing on a branch right outside their home. "You smell that? That's fresh air. A troll can breathe out here!"

"Peppy, it's wonderful." Joy said. "It'll be a lovely place to explore, and the neighborhood is great." She glanced to some of the neighboring pods and saw several other trolls talking, playing, and singing. Joy pondered their new home for a moment. "You don't think this is too much space, do you? I know the homes by the meadow are always sought after, but what if it's too much?"

"Sweetheart, this is our kids we're talking about." Peppy said. "Think about it: they wake up one morning, poke their heads out the window, and then—" He gasped excitedly, earning a laugh from his mate. "—they see a hill creature! Right outside their bedroom!"

"I suppose that would be exciting for them." Joy let out a surprised gasp, placing her hand on her swollen stomach. "The twins are quite active today."

"Well, they must be excited to get out and about." Peppy said. Joy was eight months pregnant, after all. It was only a matter of time before the twins would be born. Dr. Plum, a friend of Joy's and Peppy's, promised she would be over as soon as possible once Joy went into labor.

"Just think: in less than a month, we're going to be parents!" Joy squealed excitedly as she and Peppy headed back into their pod house.

"I had always been excited for this." Peppy said. "Now, I'm just nervous. We're ready for this, right?"

"Well, ready or not, they're coming." Joy said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"But what if they get sick?"

"We have a doctor on call."

"What if they don't make any friends?"

"With how we raise them, I'm sure they'll be fine."

"What if they're picky eaters?"

"You better set a good example for them, then."

"What if they don't like me?"

"Oh, Peppy." Joy laughed, heading for the kitchen.

"No, really." Peppy insisted as he followed his wife.

"We're having twins. At least one of them will surely like you." Joy said, pulling down her recipe box. "And you're their father. Why wouldn't they like you?"

"I dunno." Peppy shrugged. "Just new-father fears, I guess."

Joy hummed in thought as she browsed for a good dinner dish. "You know, we still haven't picked names for them."

"Oh, that's simple enough." Peppy said. "If it's a boy, Peppy Jr. If it's a girl, Joy Junior. See? We're done."

"We're having two babies. We may end up with two boys or two girls." Joy reminded him.

"Well what did you have in mind?" Peppy asked.

Joy thought for a moment. "I like 'Poppy.'"

"Poppy." Peppy repeated slowly. "Okay, if we have girls, we'll name one of them Poppy. But if we get a boy, I want at least one of them to be Peppy Junior. We could call him PJ!"

Joy laughed, shaking her head and causing her ponytail to swish back and forth. Peppy stared with a fond smile on his face. How did he get so lucky as to have this troll as his mate? This beautiful creature was his wife for the rest of their lives. Boy, was he lucky.

"What?" Joy asked, finally noticing the look Peppy gave her.

"Just remembering how we first met." Peppy shrugged. "You remember?"

"I try not to." Joy said, pulling out a frying pan.

"Well, I remember it quite well." Peppy scooted closer to her. "The spirit of the holidays in the air. The stars sparkling above us. The music pulling people into a dance. And the loveliest troll I had ever laid eyes on just standing off to one side, all shy and nervous."

"Mm-hmm." Joy hummed, continuing to pull out utensils for dinner.

"And you just so happened to be standing under the mistletoe. And I scooted right over," Peppy moved so he stood right next to Joy. "I leaned in….."

Joy held up the frying pan, and Peppy ended up kissing that instead of her. "And I think I slapped you, if I recall correctly."

Peppy laughed. "Yes, that you did. So, I invited you out to dance to apologize." He suddenly scooped up his wife into a waltz across their kitchen. "And we spun and danced around like the night would never end!"

Joy squeaked and laughed in surprise. "Peppy, put me down!" But she could hardly speak when she kept laughing. Peppy continued to spin her around crazily until they both had to stop from their dizziness. The two trolls laughed, still connected in a loose embrace. Joy caught Peppy off-guard this time and kissed him. They stayed locked in that position for a minute, and then pressed their foreheads together. Joy still thought Peppy was crazy and silly, but she loved him with all her heart. She looked forward to raising their children in this pod, and growing old with this whacky troll she called her husband.

Peppy put a hand to Joy's stomach. "It's almost like they're dancing in there, too."

"Go on. Say 'hello.'" Joy said.

Peppy chuckled and knelt down. "Hello in there." He said to Joy's stomach. "It's your daddy. I'm very excited to meet you two. This world is so much fun. You have so much to see when you get out here." He could feel the kicks from the babies. "I love you already."

Joy pulled Peppy into another warm embrace. "You're going to be a great dad."

The next day, Peppy realized they hadn't gotten food for their new home. He wasn't quite sure where to find it in this part of the forest. Though he hated to leave his wife all alone, he worried more about them having access to food, especially in the winter.

"I'll only be gone a little while." Peppy told Joy as she escorted him out. "I may talk to some of the neighbors on the way, but I won't be gone long."

"Peppy, I'll be fine." Joy assured. "These babies aren't coming for a while. Just go. I'll stay right at home."

"Okay. And our neighbors in the tree next door know about the babies. They'll come right over if you call." Peppy hugged and kissed his wife goodbye, and he departed from the tree. Joy watched him go, giggling amusedly at his concern. Sometimes it felt like Peppy worried too much. Being eight months pregnant did not make her helpless. In fact, she had some laundry she wanted to finish today.

Joy hummed to herself as she dragged the laundry basket behind her. She couldn't wait for the twins to be born so she could move without the restrictions of a swollen stomach. Until then, she would work around it. Joy sang softly as she hung up the laundry on the clothesline outside. She patted her stomach a few times, thinking of all the songs she would sing with her children.

Halfway through her chore, Joy suddenly felt like something was off. Her singing trailed off to silence, and she realized the entire forest seemed quiet. Joy looked around. None of the neighbors were out, which was odd. Usually, in the afternoons, the trolls would be out and about. The kids would be playing. But now, there was nothing and nobody. Once more, Joy felt that strange feeling, like she should start running.

Hsssss

Joy's eyes widened. Very slowly, her eyes traveled upwards.

A green-yellow, brown-spotted snake lay coiled around a branch several feet above her. It opened its mouth and hissed again, revealing sharp teeth and even sharper fangs. Joy stood perfectly still, her pink eyes locked with the snake's yellow ones. These spotted snakes loved to eat small mammals, like trolls. With Joy all alone and without a way to fight the snake, she may become its next meal. This would be one of those moments where being pregnant seriously worked against her. She couldn't outrun the snake in her condition. Above all else, she couldn't let her unborn babies get hurt.

Maybe if I just sneak back towards the house. Joy thought. I'm not that far away. She took a slow step backwards. The snake hissed at her, but didn't move. Joy tried to take another step, then another, and another, and—

Suddenly, Joy kicked her laundry basket and she jumped. The snake lunged for her, mouth open wide. Joy grabbed the laundry basket with her hair and threw it right into the snake's gullet. While the snake gagged and choked, Joy ran as fast as she could and practically dove into her house, barricading the entrance. She panted heavily, praying this encounter didn't scare her into an early labor.

All of a sudden, the pod jerked to one side and Joy fell to the ground. She heard hissing from outside, and something struck the pod again. Then, the snake grabbed the pod in its teeth and began to shake it vigorously. Joy held tight to the doorframe leading to the kitchen. When the snake pulled the pod off the tree and threw it to the ground, the impact forced Joy from her safe spot. Luckily, she landed on the couch, and she had just enough time to get out of the way before a bookshelf fell on her.

Joy tried to crawl out the window, but the pod rolled and her escape was blocked. The snake tore open the pod house, searching for its meal. Joy grabbed the fire poker and swung it towards the snake, hoping to frighten it away. It didn't seem to work, and the snake tried to lunge a few times. Joy managed to get one lucky hit in and tried to run while the snake was distracted.

But, with her guard down, the snake had a chance to lunge again with lightning-like speed.

A scream of agony ripped free from Joy's throat as the snake's fangs pierced her body. She stabbed the point of the fire poker into the snake's eye. That's when the snake finally let go, and it reared back as it hissed in pain.

"Get away from my wife!"

The snake suddenly found itself whipped across the face with a length of dark pink hair. Peppy ran fearlessly up to the snake, striking it repeatedly with his hair. The snake finally decided it wouldn't be worth it to try and eat the troll it bit. So the scaly creature slithered away to escape the onslaught of attacks.

Peppy watched the snake leave, and then hurried to his destroyed house. "Joy!" He scanned the wreckage and spotted his beloved wife lying limply on the overturned couch. Peppy gingerly lifted her into his arms and brought her out of the house. He knelt on the ground, cradling Joy and assessing her injuries. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, and blood stained her blouse deep red. One of the fangs hit her shoulder, and the tiny front teeth pierced her chest. The other fang, to Peppy's horror, had gone into her stomach.

Joy wheezed a little, staring at Peppy with half-lidded eyes. "Babies….."

"I don't know." Peppy had no medicinal knowledge. He could only assume his children did not survive. "It'll be all right. Just stay with me, okay?"

Joy shakily put a hand on her bloody stomach. My babies…

Peppy took Joy's hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly. "Joy, just hang on. We can have more kids. But I can't lose you. I can't get another mate as wonderful as you."

Joy stared up at him. She smiled softly. "Be strong…always strong before…..don't give up…"

"I won't. I won't, I promise." Peppy hugged her gently. "Just don't give up on me now. Stay with me, Joy, please."

Joy weakly raised her free hand and put it to Peppy's cheek. She was too weak to go up towards him, so she simply guided him down so they could share one last kiss. "I love you…"

"I love you, too." Peppy breathed, resting his forehead against her head. He hooked an arm under Joy's legs and lifted her up. "Hang on, Joy. Stay with me."

Peppy ran as fast as he could without jostling Joy to much. Dr. Plum's tree was just a short distance away, but it felt like hours passed by the time Peppy got there. When Dr. Plum heard Peppy shouting, she and a couple other trolls took Joy into an operating room to try and save her life and the lives of the twins. Peppy paced anxiously in the waiting room of the large pod. Dr. Plum's hospital was made of one large pod and multiple little ones that served as resting rooms for patients. One of the nurses came by to attempt to calm Peppy. He still had bloodstains on his clothes from carrying Joy, and there was blood on his cheek from Joy pulling him in for their last kiss. Peppy refused the kindness and offers of drink or even a blanket. He just wanted to see Joy again.

Several agonizing hours later, Dr. Plum emerged from the operating room. She left her bloody scrubs in the other room and had changed into a fresh dress.

Peppy approached her with a worried yet hopeful gaze. "Well? Where's Joy?"

Dr. Plum looked down. "We lost her about an hour ago, Peppy. She lost too much blood, and the wounds were too fatal. One of the snake's fangs hit the babies."

Peppy suddenly felt weak. He collapsed into a nearby chair and buried his face into his hands to muffle his sobs. How could this happen? Just yesterday, he and Joy moved into a new home and discussed baby names. In a matter of hours, he lost all of it. His home, he could rebuild. But he would never find another troll like Joy, nor would he ever be a father like he wished.

Dr. Plum put a hand on Peppy's shoulder. "Peppy, there is good news: one of the babies survived the emergency delivery."

Peppy's head shot up, shock evident on his tearstained face. "Really? One of my babies is alive?"

"Yes. A little girl." Dr. Plum confirmed. "The fang pierced the heart of the first twin, but miraculously missed the major organs of the second. The fang did hit the baby's knee, so we had to amputate."

"But she's healthy?" Peppy asked hopefully.

"Very healthy. Just missing half of one leg." Dr. Plum turned as a nurse entered the room carrying a bundle wrapped in a spring green blanket. The nurse placed the baby into Peppy's arms, and Dr. Plum and the nurse left.

Peppy stared at the teeny tiny baby in the blanket. She had pink skin like her mother, and his dark pink hair. Peppy started crying again, this time with happiness and pride. One of his babies lived. He still had a family. This little baby was his daughter.

The baby seemed to sense the lingering tension, and she no longer heard the voice who spoke to her comfortingly. She began to whine and fuss.

"Sh-sh-sh…." Peppy shushed his daughter. "It's okay. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you."

The baby brought her tiny fists up to rub her eyes. When she opened them, Peppy discovered the baby's eyes were the same shade as Joy's. The baby reached for her father, and Peppy gave her one of his fingers to hold.

"Yeah, Daddy's right here." Peppy said in a soft voice. He kissed her head. "I promise I will never let anything happen to you…Poppy."