Apologies

We're sorry

It had been a hectic few weeks after saving Floyd.

Floyd spent each day recovering with the help of each brother, but slowly they all saw less and less of Branch.

Branch had been slowly distancing himself from them and they couldn't figure out why until it clicked for Floyd.

"We abandoned him!" He blurted out.

Clay looked at him, a bit confused, "What?"

Floyd teared up, "Branch is distancing himself from us because we abandoned him, did any of us even apologize properly?"

Clay frowned and thought for a moment, "Oh no..."

Floyd wiped his tears away, "We need to make it right."

Clay nodded, "I agree, I'll be right back with John Dory and Bruce!"

Floyd nodded and watched Clay run off.

A few minutes later he came back with the two oldest.

Bruce was the first to speak, "So what's going on with Branch? Clay told us you had a thought.."

Floyd nodded, "I do, but neither of you will like it.."

John Dory shrugged, "At this point, all that matters is making Bittie B feel better, he seems so down whenever I do see him.."

Bruce nodded, "I agree with him, we need to help Branch soon."

Floyd nodded and continued, "Well...we all abandoned him when he was a baby and none of us have apologized properly.."

Bruce and John Dory got a bit upset but they knew they could only blame themselves, they wouldn't blame their baby brother for feeling this way.

"How do we make it up to him?" JD asked.

Bruce grinned, "I'll carry him in here and we could trap him in a cuddle pile and take our turns apologizing?"

Floyd chuckled, "Or we could ask him to come to us and then we apologize, no troll-knapping needed!"

Clay grinned, "I'm with Floyd's plan. It's less likely to chizz off Branch."

JD nodded, "As much as I love your plan Bruce, we can't give him another reason to be upset."

Bruce sighed but nodded, "Okay, okay, but who will go get him?"

Floyd raised his hand and took a deep breath, "Not it!" He said.

Clay then sat next to Floyd, "Not it!"

John Dory and Bruce were now having a staring contest type thing.

Then JD shouted, "NOT IT!" And he flopped onto the end of the bed.

Bruce huffed and dramatically walked towards the door, "My own brothers! Sending me on my own into the wilderness!"

Then he left as dramatically as possible, making the three on the bed laugh.

After five minutes they grew concerned, they should've been back by now..

Another five minutes passed when Bruce walked in, holding a kicking and screaming Branch.

Clay deadpanned.

JD stifled his laughter.

Floyd sighed.

Bruce carried Branch over to the bed, but Branch kept screaming and kicking and squirming, but Bruce held onto him.

"Will someone help me?! He's so wiggly!" Bruce said as he tried to calm Branch.

JD sat up, "Come here!"

Bruce shuffled closer and forced Branch to the bed, "Okay Baby Branch, you need to calm down!"

Floyd sighed as Clay shook his head, "Bruce! I told you not to kidnap him!"

Bruce huffed, "I had too! He wouldn't come with me!"

"You could've...I dunno...asked him why he didn't come! Then talk it out from there!" Clay said.

JD was now helping Bruce keep Branch pinned down as he screamed.

Floyd reached over and gently placed his hand on Branch's stomach, Branch froze at the touch and almost tried to bite him but he relaxed when he realized it was Floyd.

Floyd rubbed Branch's belly with a smile, "There we go, there we go, nice and calm.."

JD and Bruce stared at the scene in shock, "How?" Bruce asked.

Clay smiled, "Branch always calms down when we rub his belly, especially when Floyd does it, he's been that way since he was a baby."

Floyd nodded as he continued, "Yeah! He always loved it! I remember the one time Grandma tried it and he nearly bit her!"

Clay chuckled, "I remember that! But um, we might wanna start our apologies now.."

Floyd nodded and helped Branch sit up, Branch stretched a bit then looked at each of his brothers, "So why did you kidnap me and why am I here?"

Floyd huffed, "Well it wasn't supposed to be a kidnapping, sorry 'bout that."

Branch nodded, "Okay.."

JD spoke, "We brought you here so we could apologize, properly apologize."

Branch just stared at them for a moment, as if he'd forgotten how they used to apologize to eachother.

That's when Clay realized that he probably didn't remember.

Clay nudged Floyd and nodded.

Floyd gently grabbed Branch's cheeks and touched their noses together, shaking his head slowly to rub their noses together, "I am so so sorry Branch, I always meant to come back, but I was so scared of the bergens, but that does not excuse what I did. I'm sorry, and I love you so much baby bro." He gently bumped their foreheads and closed his eyes.

Branch took a deep breath as his eyes filled with tears, but before he could even start to cry, Clay took his turn.

He gently grabbed him the same way Floyd had and did the same motions as he spoke, "I'm sorry Branch. I left you for no good reason and I wish I hadn't. I didn't even try to go back. I'm so sorry little brother. I love you so much." He said and gently bumped their foreheads together.

Branch silently cried as Bruce began, "I'm sorry Branch. I didn't even try to go back, I didn't wanna go back, I had started a family and I'll admit, I forgot about you guys for a while. I'm deeply ashamed of myself for that. I'm so sorry. I love you baby berry."

Then JD gently grabbed him, "I'm sorry Branch. I did try to look for you, but the tree was dead and abandoned, I should've looked harder and I'm so sorry I didn't. If I had then maybe we could've been together, like we used to be. I'm so so sorry baby bro. I love you so much." He gently bumped their foreheads together like each of the others had.

Branch was now crying as he reached forward and cuddled up to JD who hugged him back tightly.

Bruce helped JD lay down with Branch and they formed a cuddle pile, Clay reached over and gently brushed away Branch's tears as Floyd cooed, "Shhhh...it's okay Baby Branch.."

And it was okay.

Because they made it up to him.