Trolls and the Search for the Missing Mom (remake)

Chapter 21

Pansy looked at Peppy in shock. She never thought she would ever see him again, and yet there he was... standing right in front of her.

Peppy hugged his daughter tight, but soon looked up, his eyes widening, when he saw Pansy.

"P... Pansy?" he said softly, slowly beginning to approach her.

She looked at him in shock, and then slowly began backing away.

"I know what you're gonna say, Peppy," she said. "How could I stay away all these years? Stay away from you? From our daughter? I... I had no choice. I'm... I'm so sorry. I was just trying to keep you safe."

"Pansy..." Peppy said softly, still approaching his long lost wife.

She backed up into a wall, Peppy walking right up to her.

"Go on... yell... tell me how irresponsible I was... how stupid I was," Pansy said.

He said nothing, he just stared at her in disbelief.

"Say something!" Pansy yelled.

Slowly, he reached up, placing his hand on her cheek, as he gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"You're as beautiful as the day I lost you," he said, softly.

Suddenly, he leaned into her, kissing her.

Uueeka covered his eyes with his wing, looking away, disgusted, but then slowly looked back, peeking through his feathers, as he chuckled quietly.

Peppy pulled away from Pansy, both of them smiling at each other.

"Dad?" Poppy finally said, after what seemed like hours of standing in silence. "What are you doing here?"

He turned to her, and then hugged her tight.

"I came to find you," he said. "It's not safe out here, Poppy. The forest is home to many dangerous critters."

Poppy pulled away from the hug, looking at him, confused.

"Not safe? But... but you're the one who gave us the map."
"No, Poppy," he said, shaking his head. "I would never send you on a mission as dangerous as this one."
"But... but Branch said..."

Slowly, all three of them turned towards Branch, who was still hiding behind the rock, only his head poking out.

"Branchifer..." Poppy said, sternly, crossing her arms, as she glared at him.

He gulped, his ears drooping, as he slowly moved farther behind the rock, trying to hide from view.

"Branch!" Poppy yelled.

Slowly, he peeked back out at her.

     "Get over here now," Poppy demanded.

     He looked at her, and then her two parents standing behind her. They all looked as if they where about to kill him.

     Slowly, he looked back at Poppy, gulping in fear.

     "Uh..." he said, softly. "I... I think I'm good over here..."

     Poppy glared at him, taking a single step forwards.

"You... here... now..." she said firmly, pointing at the ground in front of her.

Branch gulped again, slowly stepping out from behind the rock, walking towards her, as he fiddled nervously with his fingers.

"Y... yes, Poppifer?" he said, his voice low, and shaky.
"Did you lie to me?"

He shrunk down a bit, taking a small step back, as he looked away, his ears still drooped down.

"Branch!" Poppy yelled again.

He flinched, and then looked back at her, frowning.

"Did you lie to me?" she asked again, sterner than the time before.
"Y... y... yes..." he said, nervously, as his whole body shook in terror. "I'm... I'm sorry..."
"Sorry isn't going to cut it, Branch!" Poppy yelled, angrily. "You lied to me!"
"And you stole my map," Peppy added in a shout, glaring at Branch.

Branch shrunk away even more, not daring to say even a single word.

Pansy glared at him, and then looked at her daughter, who was very upset at the fact her boyfriend had lied to her.

Suddenly, Pansy pounced, knocking Branch to the ground, holding her stick against his throat, so he couldn't breath.

"P... please..." Branch gasped, struggling to breath. "D... don't... kill me... again..."

Pansy kept her stick against Branch's throat, pushing down harder, as she growled in anger.

Branch cried in fear, as he tried desperately to push her off of him, but it was no use.

"Mom... stop," Poppy said calmly, pulling Pansy off of Branch.

He gasped for air, coughing, as he sat up.

"You're not gonna kill him," Poppy continued, gently leading her mom away from Branch.

Slowly, Branch rose to his feet, Poppy turning back to look at him.

"I am!" Poppy yelled in anger, suddenly pushing him back down to the ground.

He whimpered in fear, turning his head away, as he shut his eyes tightly.

"How could you do this, Branch!?" Poppy yelled, glaring down at him. "How could you lie to me!?"

"I'm sorry!" Branch cried out. "I... I just wanted you to be happy!"

Poppy's anger quickly turned to sadness, as she looked down at him, cowering on the ground.

"You... you wanted me to be happy?"

He looked up at her, breathing heavily in fear, and then slowly nodded.

Slowly, he stood back up, rubbing his arm, as he looked away from her.

"I saw how sad you where..." he said, softly. "You just wanted to know about your mother... but... but Peppy wouldn't tell you... I found the map in his pod and I... I just thought about how happy it would make you... so... I took it... I'm sorry..."

He lowered his head in shame, closing his eyes, gently.

Poppy looked at him for a moment, and then finally sighed.

"It's ok, Branch..." she said, softly, hugging him. "I hate that you lied to me... but you did it to make me happy... so... I forgive you."
"You... you do?" Branch asked softly, looking up at her.
"You do!?" Peppy and Pansy yelled.

They both looked at the two old trolls, who where still glaring at Branch in anger.

"Yes," Poppy said, softly.
"Well I don't!" Peppy yelled. "You stole from me, Branch! Even worse... you put my daughter in danger!"

Branch cowered behind Poppy, as Peppy stomped towards him.

"Dad!" Poppy yelled, stopping his approach. "You're no better!"
"What? Me?" Peppy asked, confused.
"You lied to me too!"

     Peppy's ears drooped a bit, as he lowered his head, slightly.

     "The difference is... Branch lied to help me... to make me happy... you just lied to lie. What kind of father does that?"

     "Poppy... I..."
"No, dad. I can't believe anything you say anymore. You lied... why would you do that? I... I thought you loved me..."

She turned, quickly running away, as she cried softly.

Branch watched after her sadly, his gaze slowly turning to Poppy's parents, who where glaring at him once again.

He gulped, backing away slowly, as his ears drooped again.

"I... I'm just gonna... go."

Quickly, he turned, running off after Poppy.