Rose

Bedtime was always rough with the yodeling brothers. Usually ending in frustrating yelling and both ending up with frustrated broken hearts. This didn't change with the addition of the pop troll, at least not t first.

For the first few weeks of living with the two yodelers John seemed to avoid Hickory like the plague. Unless of course the younger troll walked up to John and directly asked for something, in that case John would do whatever the troll wanted mindlessly. If the two of them where in a room though, John would eventually leave. Dickory asked him after the first week, but John just brushed him off saying he couldn't sit still.

Considering the amount of sugar Dickory was having to purchase for John he didn't doubt that.

One night, that started like many others, something changed in the pop troll. He hung around the cracked door of Hickory's bedroom, watching as Dickory failed to get his younger brother to sleep.

Finally after a while of helpless back and forth between the two brothers Dickory was at his wits end.

"If ya' don't go to bed right now I swear by all the harmonies-"

"I already told' ya Dickory I ain't tired. I couldn't sleep even if I wanted."

"Oh you'll sleep like the dead after I pack enough elderberries in ya to knock out a yeti"

John could see from his perch that this argument was going no where, and the longer it went on the more John could hear the echos of his own frustration from putting clay to bed. He couldn't handle living in that situation again, he couldn't go back to the yelling and guilt and frustration. He didn't want Dickory to go through that either.

The door squealed as he pushed open the door drawing both brothers ire's toward him. The dejia vu alone made him want to cringe back and run to the safety of the couch. Still he pushed the door open wider stepping into the war zone of the bedroom.

"Hey um- John squared his shoulders telling himself that he's not being stupid, "Would you guys want to join me in a late night dance party?"

The room seemed to hush in confussion, Dickory's frown slipped into a more annoyed confused scowl. Before he could say anything though Hickory seemed to pipe up from the bed eagerly.

"That sounds fun! Can we Dickory?" He turned to the older yodeler an excited smile on his face at the idea of putting off bedtime for a while longer.

"What? No. You need to sleep, Dory can do his stupid dance party by himself" Dickory gave John a betrayed scowl, his eyes giving a warning glint to not push back on this descision.

John's never been good at not pushing things though.

"Common five minutes Dickory, I promise we'll dance so hard that he'll pass out on the spot."

"Dory." Dickory warned his glare hardening, he was already at his wits end it wouldn't take much for something to push him over the edge.

"Dickory, Five minutes. Scouts honor he'll fall asleep, won't you Hickory?" John asked giving a conspiratorial look to the young boy. Dickory followed the look to Hickory his glare softening the barest bit.

"Yeah! That's right I'll pass out right away Dickory." Hickory exclaimed hurrying off the bed to stand by John. The two misschief makers waited as Dickory fixed them both with a scowl before he sighed rubbing his brow.

"Fine fine, but if he's not asleep in five minutes Dory you'll be the one I'm shoving elderberries into."

"Don't even worry about Dickory, I'm a master of getting little brothers to sleep." John boasted puffing out his chest, Dickory just rolled his eyes the corner of his scowl twitching up.

Hickory tugged on John's hand bouncing on the tips of his hoofs. "What song are we going to dance to, a pop one?"

"Oh sweet melody better not be" Dickory ground resting against a desk of drawers.

"Considering I'm a pop troll it's kinda of hard not to sing a pop song…unless" John gave a mischievous grin at Dickory who raised his brow at the grin.

"Whatever you are thinking dory, don't."

"Oh well, I guess you'll just have to deal with your little brother listening to a pop song to go to bed."

"Whatever" Dickory huffed looking away from the two energetic trolls.

John shrugged turning back to Hickory. "You got something you want the song to be about little man?"

Hickory took the question very seriously, his bushy little brows furrowed in concerntration. Just as John was going to tell him to stop, he'll get wrinkles if he kept doing that, Hickory seemed to come to a conclusion. Only it seemed he was nervous to ask for it, giving John a hesitant look.

"Um We can sing about your family? I know you don't talk bout them cause they are like me and Dickory's mama and papa but i would like to hear about them. Cause ya know it makes them feel good even though they aren't here." Hickory rambled still holding onto John's hand.

Any warmth that had formed in the room fled as John stared down at the young yodeling troll. He couldn't move for a moment frozen in the moment. the wind whistling outside the house even sounded like their screams.

"Hickory!" Dickory hissed pushing hiself off the chest of drawers.

"No- no its okay Dickory. I- I haven't sung about my parents in a long time Hickory." John crouched down next to the younger troll. He was the same height as Floyd had been when it happened, John took a deep breath pushing away the thought. "While I appreciate you trying to keep their memory alive I um, I can't sing about them yet."

Hickory who seemed to slump under the guilt of the conversation adverted his gaze. John smiled bending so he could make eye contact with the boy.

"However would it be okay if instead sung about my Great Great Grandma? My mom used to tell me and my brothers stories about her. It's a little bit easier for me."

The yodeler thought about it before nodding, his eyes seemed to be glossy with guilty tears. John quickly ruffled the more orange then red hair he had.

"Well then let me see where does it start?" John hummed rubbing his chin theratrically enjoy the excited wiggle Hickory gave. "Oh, Dickory would you mind adding some of your yodeling charm to the story?"

"For fucks- Sure Dory just get on with it" Dickory grumbled slumping back against the chest of drawers trying to seem like he was disinterested as possible.

"good to know, okay i think i remember where it starts." John cleared his throat and gave one last smirk at Hickory before starting. "She was born by the sea, Her father bounced her on his knee. While he shared past stories of grandeur."

Hickory giggled as John pulled him into a jumbled mess of dancing singing in a sea shanty way that bounced off the walls jolly and loud.

"That would dance inside her head, Every night while tucked in bed. Same tales, different actors." John sung smiling as Hickory tried to sing along but the words kept being interrupted by his laughter.

"There were costumes on the floor, She'd use a wooden stick and bored. To vanquish the foes that were after all them stuffed up toys, that were sticking round by choice. They were a family, in this together." John felt his chest get heavy at that verse thinking of his own family, no longer together all be cause of him. As if sensing his sadness Hickory pulled John towards him trying to get the pop troll to swing him around again. John obliged trying to let the yodelers giggling heal the hole he caused in his chest.

"Well she grew like a tree, She sought out bonny company- built the finest crew you could ask for. They were brave and sturdy lads that reminded her of dad. Back to back birds of a feather." John looked over a Dickory who was watching the two trolls dance, meeting John's eyes he raised a brow confused. John reached over grabbing Dickory's hand, pulling him towards the dance despite the trolls protest.

"This is your cue come on sing with us." John grinned as Dickory glared at him, only the green of the yodelers eyes were soft and his scowl had softened into a annoyed grin. "Repeat after me; Ah-di-ah hi-di-oh, a voyage for the soul. Back to back- Birds of a feather."

Dickory didn't hold back, atleast he didn't after he heard John's poor attempt of a yodel.

"Never do that again, your yodelin' is a crime against my people" Dickory criticized but John just smiled at him continuing onto the next verse.

"With a scaled down graph, her husband did the math. On a course to have the advantage, 'Cause the- Yodelers they ere smart, but they didn't have the heart of our strong Pop companions!" John sang pulling both yodelers along into a wild dancing. Dickory hearing the part about yodelers threw his head back in laughter joining the joyful melody that Hickory was already singing.

"They can write shoddy laws, and try to buy her off but they'll never own what we have here. A solidarity within familiar seas, 'cause we are one in the thousands." Somewhere in the lyrics Hickory seemed to have let go of John's hand yawning pitifully. Scoping him up, John gave Dickory a nod as he finished the verse cueing him for the chorus.

"Ah-di-ah hi-di-oh, a voyage for the soul. Back to back- Birds of a feather." Dickory sang, and John couldn't help but join in. The two seemed to be lost in the melody as they danced around each other arms connected like a may fair pole. "Ah-di-ah Hi-di-oh, A voyage for the soul. Back to back- Birds of a feather."

Hickory joined in leaning against John but still giggling and singing. John allowed his body to be gentler switching to more a steady rock then a swinging and dancing of arms.

"She defended her name as the cannon shots and flames. Tried to deter what she was after, and although she lost her love She's never giving up. To these tyrant, dirty ol' B Words" John sang giggling with Hickory as he censored the swear word. Dickory just laughed, which John admitted sounded really really nice.

"We would charge as a pack, you could never hold us back. We are fierce and grew with each battle. 'Cause it's etched inside our veins, The hardship that we've gained. We've become a myth unraveled." This time when John went to signal Dickory he found the other troll pulling him into a new dance one with feet and movements that were foreign to John but Dickory seemed to know by heart. This time when they started the chorus all three of the trolls joined in.

"Ah-di-ah Hi-di-oh, a voyage for the soul. Back to back, Birds of a feather. Ah-di-ah Hi-di-oh, a voyage for the soul. Back to back, Birds of a feather."

John peaked down at Hickory smiling as he saw the younger trolls eye's closed and his lips sleepily mouthing along the lyrics. He gave a glance over to Dickory and nodded towards the sleepy troll. Dickory's brows widened before he just let out a soft chuckle, John couldn't help but join in. Placing a finger over his lips he softly finished out the song swaying with the rhythm.

"In those final days. In the castle she had claimed she drew the sword that had brought her, through countless victories that she survived to see. In the tale of her own grandeur" John sung softly moving towards the bed as Hickory trailed off in his arms.

"Ah-di-ah Hi-di-oh, a voyage for the soul. Back to back-birds of a feather. Ah-di-ah Hi-di-oh, a voyage for the soul. Back to back- birds of a feather. Back to back, birds of a feather. Back to back birds of a feather, back to back birds of a feather…" Dickory settled on the other side of the bed and finished out the chorus brushing the stray locks away from his baby brothers face. John joined in softly letting the song slowly fade into the darkness of the room.

Hickory snored in the quiet and John could practically see the weight melting off Dickory's shoulders. John Dory of course could never let a good thing last.

"Told you he be out in five minutes flat" John teased. Dickory's soft smile fell as he gave John a annoyed glare.

"This proves nothing, Dory." Dickory huffed before he gently pulled the comfort around Hickory tighter making sure no stray cold air would disturb his baby brother.

"Right sure, you know you can just say thank you" John grumbled mirroring Dickory to make sure Hickory was good on his side.

"…thank you dory. You were somewhat useful tonight with this." Dickory confessed looking anywhere but John.

"Somewhat useful?" John asked.

"Don't push it dory." Dickory growled moving to leave the room shooing John out with him.

"Okay okay, got it I'm a somewhat useful pop troll." John grinned.

"I'm warning you pop troll. I will kick you out on the streets"

"But then you wont have a somewhat useful pop troll to help you put Hickory to bed" John laugh dodging the pillow that seemed to hurl at him from Dickory's bed. He gave a hesitant look towards the couch rubbing his back, phantom pain already forming on his lower back from the lumpy furniture.

Dickory seemed to catch his Delima because the next thing John knew there was a grumbling yodeling troll shoving him into the only other bedroom in the house.

"Uh, what's going on?" John asked allowing himself to be herded into the bedroom.

"Get in the bed you useless pop troll, before I change my mind." Dickory grumbled crawling onto the other side of the mattress.

John opened his mouth to respond, to tell Dickory that he didn't need to share his bed with him. When he was about to say something though he noticed Dickory was giving him a glare.

"Would you stop over thinking this Dory, I don't need the smoke from your big head filling the room."

John hesitantly crawled into the bed letting the mattress cradle his muscles, it felt like heaven. When was the last time he slept in an actual bed? It must have been months maybe more.

The comforter was pleasantly warm, the wind howling outside reminded him of the breeze that would rock their house in the troll tree, Dickory's dip in the bed strangely reminded him of when spruce would sleep with him, and he… he felt so comfortable. Sleep muddled his mind until he could only think in half coherent thoughts and emotions.

The bunker was bigger than hickory was expecting, when they had been corralled down into the hole he had been convinced that Dickory would flip his lid. Of course they had come this far and John was next to them leading the way. A ghost come back to the life.

He couldn't believe he was alive.

John had passed out soon after they got back to the bunker, the excitement of the day must have drained him. Dickory practically growled at branch when he tried to separate the two so john could go rest. Thankfully the grump didn't put up too much of a fight especially when john asked for him to stay.

He brushed his hand over the dirt wall, grimacing at the gritty texture seeping into his paws. John's room was covered in the soft glow of lichen, it helped the sickly pale color of his skin look somewhat normal. He looked so different then he used to, but the same glimmer shown in his eyes that hickory remembered.

It almost seemed normal, John curled up next to dickory his snores softer then before but the rumble was the same as ever. His swiped at his eyes pushing down the tightness in his chest.

"It's not as bad as it looks"

He glanced over one of John's.. brothers was next to him, Floyd maybe. His pink hair fell softly over one eye with black highlights racing through the strands a cruel mirror to the white ones that seem to run through John's hair. He gave hickory a gentle smile looking at the two trollls in the bed.

Hickory followed his gaze looking at John again, seeing the bags under his eyes, the scars littering his body, the way his chest stuttered with each inhale like they hurt, what happened to him that it just hurt to breathe. Hickory grimaced eyes making contact with dickory for a second seeing the matching bags under his own brothers eyes. The defensive position he'd put himself in able to jump over john to protect him with his life, the same one hickory remembered he brother used to do when they were out on bountys.

The anxiety settled in his chest, a writhing mass of worry and fear.

"Okay…its- its pretty bad" Floyd admitted the same anxious gaze in his eyes.

"What-..what happened?"

He didn't want to know but he had to know. He needed to know how john had seemed to lose all the pop troll energy hickory had always known him to have.

"Two teenagers used him as a talent supplement, sucked all the pop essence right out of him."

"Wha- what?"

"It's… a long story" he was given that same small smile, it seemed Floyd had a specialty in making them.

He glanced back in the bedroom, dickory shuffled closer to john brushing the fading hair from his face. His brothers hair was loose down his back,a rare show of vulnerability from his overly defensive brother. Harmony help the troll that decides to bother his brother while he's like this.

"We got time, no ones gonna get withn' fifty feet of john right now."

Floyd gave the duo a wary look glancing over to hickory a nervous grin on his face.

"We have refreshments in the kitchen, I think, but you sure your bother won't do anything that might hurt john."

"Oh no' he'll wait till john has energy back in him before he kills him."

"Oh.." Floyd gave a more nervous glance at dickory.

"Not actually of course, he'll just yell at your brother for a few…hours maybe a day or two."

"Yeah well he can get in line, i think we all have some choice words for john." Floyd joked making Hickory chuckled. Floyd gave him another one of those perfect smiles he seemed to have mastered. It made hickory want to smile back in a way that he'd never felt before.

"Come on the kitchen isn't too far"

"Thank you"

"You aren't the only one who's worried about him."

"Yeah' but I'm the only one who can pull dickory of one of ya' brothers if he decides their a threat."

This time Floyd laughed, not the quiet sweet thing that his smile was but.. oh that's why hickory liked it so much, it reminded him of John's laugh. It wasn't as deep but he could still hear it. The loud echoing joy that always made him feel like the house was a home, that even the creaking cold drafts were hugging him.

Floyds was sweeter, but his mirth could be felt through every breath- his grin was contagious as a cold. Hickory found himself giggling along with the pop troll chasing the joy that seemed to spill from the others lips.

"Oh, Floyd by the way. I don't think we were properly introduced."

Hickory took the pop trolls hand shaking it like the respectful gentleman delta had shammed him to be.

"Hickory, I remembered your name vaguely from John's stories. There was one he always told about you sneaking out and getting your ear pierced."

Floyd grin turned into a grimace like the memory put a bad taste in his mouth, "oh that's…awesome."

"I remember wanting to get one just like you did when he told me the story, even tried to do it myself once with a hot iron. Didn't turn out well though for me."

Floyd nodded retreating into the kitchen, it wasn't anything special just a dingy room with a small kitchenette and a plain wooden table in the corner. Hickory wondered over to the table running his hand over the wood of one of the chairs, only one of them matched the wood of the table the rest of the chairs seemed to have been scavenged from all over the house. One of them even looked like it was supposed to be a rocker for the living room.

"You like anything specific," Floyd called fiddled with the gas stove before letting out a triumphant grin as he managed to light it.

"Y'all got any sweet tea here?"

"Um yeah? I'd assume so pop trolls love sweet things."

"You say that like ya' ain't one?"

Floyd turned to him resting his back against the counter, a quirked brow that made hickory feel like he was missing something.

"Well..I am technically but I don't really see myself as a pop troll anymore."

"oh."

"Yeah, I've been with the rock trolls now longer than I ever was with the pop trolls. So…I kinda consider myself a rock troll. I don't mind pop music, but it just doesn't really… It just doesn't feel like me." There was a new sharpness in Floyd's tone, and hickory could see that the soft gaze he had been given all morning was only a act of kindness. Floyd eyes could have easily skinned hickory from head to toe if he wanted them to. "I hope that isn't an issue for you hickory."

"N-no not at all" He was pretty sure Floyd could smell fear. "Actually i uh- I get what you mean. I mostly stay with the country folk's now a day, they just… they feel right in a way yodeling never did. So I get ya', no worries from me."

Floyd let up on his murderous gaze, his eyes softening back to their merciful state. Hickory tried not to let out a relieved sigh. The rock troll pushed off the counter taking the small steps necessary to walk over to the table and take a seat.

"You mentioned early that john used to tell you stories about us?"

"Yeah, never anything bad! At least not ta' me"

"What… did he tell you?" Floyd asked the guarded expression was back in his eyes, but it more nervous like he wasn't scared of hickory hurtin him but more like the actual stories would.

"Well um," he trudged his memories up in his mind trying to remember the details that got forgotten in the fog of emotion. "I remember from the stories that you always sounded like you watched out for your brothers, and I remember that john told me once that you do really neat eyeliner. I didn't know what eyeliner was but the way john talked about it was like it was a mighty fine thing ta' learn."

Floyd let out a wet chuckle quickly wiping at one of his eyes. "Ah, I um I never knew he liked it. He always seemed so annoyed when I did his makeup."

"Whenever he told me about it, I always got the feel'n he felt guilty. He- ya know john, he would smile but it never reflected in his eyes ya know?"

"Yeah… I know the face your talking about. He was so stubborn about admitting that he wasn't happy. Drove me crazy."

"Don't I know it, Ya know one night Dickory seemed to break through to him."

"Really? I didn't think it was possible."

"Honestly the only one who matches dickory in stubbornness is john. Unstoppable force meetin' a immovable object those two."

Floyd chuckled at that letting the room fall into the comfortable warmth of his mirth. Hickory relaxed into the silence, grinning

"So, um how did you guys meet up with john?"

"uh- I'm not really sure if I'mma be honest, apparently dickory and him met when I was pretty young. It's kinda a blurry memory for me." He tries to think back to the day they met but his mind failed him,memories of john reading him bed time stories and the loud laughter that used to get his brother grinning popping up instead.

"Oh! Did john stay with you guys long?" Something shifted in floyds gaze as he asked and the warmth of the room seemed to get distracted by something leaving them back in the coolness of earth.

"Um a couple years, we… we lost him in an avalanche. Dickory thought he was gone but, I don't know he always seemed larger than life ya' know. Didn't feel right, think'n of him as dead."

"Yeah… he's he always seemed that way." Floyd agreed his eyes distant.

The kettle screamed at them from across the room, interrupting whatever Floyd was thinking. Hickory watched as he swiftly moved across the room, gracefully even. He really didn't seem like a rock troll but hickory had learned better than to judge a book by its cover. There was still something bothering him about the whole situation.

"Ya know, I don't mean ta pry but why weren't you with john when we met him?"

Floyd seemed to freeze at the kettle, before stiffly pouring the two cups of hot water into the cups and placing gigantic sugar cubes in them. Hickory was so engrossed in watching him he almost missed the answer that Floyd seemed to whisper.

"He wasn't John when I last saw him."

Hickory stared trying to figure out what that meant. John had always been John; loud, sad, and energetic John. Floyd turned back to hickory before he could get a question together.

"After our parents died…John started to do anything to not think about them. We were in a pretty popular band and so he turned all of his attention to that. He stopped being my big brother John after a certain point, and it just hurt to be around him. It hurt to be around all of my brothers after a while."

The room hadn't changed in any real way, but it still felt different. Like the walls were hushed trying to make way for the truth that Floyd confessed.

"So… you just left him?"

Floyd seemed to crumble at little at the question, he turned back to the tea trying to shield his face.

"There was nothing else I could have done, He wouldn't listen to me"

Hickory stood up taking care to push the chair back under the table before walking over to the rock troll. If Floyd noticed his approach, which he had to have noticed it by the little flick his ear gave, he didn't say anything. Reaching over hickory picked the tea up resting back against the counter facing the door.

"I ain't judging you Floyd, ya'll's story seems…"

"Complicated?"

"That seems like quiet an understatement."

This seemed to encourage a laugh out of Floyd that made hickory's poor country heart warm. The rock troll turned around holding the cup of tea in his hands. Together the two of them leaned against the counter letting the quiet seep into the cracks a slowly ease the pain.

"Thank you." Floyd whispered, the words barley strong enough to move the steam from his cup.

"Ya don't need to thank me. I should be thank'n you."

Floyd gave him a impish grin that hickory damn near melted in. Seriously what was with the pop trolls and their ability to change the world with smiles.

"How about we call it even, both of use helped the other. Deal?"

"Deal." Hickory couldn't stop the stupid smile that came to his checks as he reached out and shook floyd's hand.