Sulit

A/N: I'm ALIVE! Sorry for not writing anything for several months. To be honest, I could go into a full-on rant about what had been keeping me busy, but I won't bore you guys with the details. Let's just sum it up to being life-changing, not all of it in a good way. Don't worry, it's nothing permanent, but it was a bit of a wake-up call.

But on the bright side, I've missed writing so much! Because of what was keeping me busy, I barely had any motivation for writing of any kind or for making videos. Since that proverbial wake-up call I had, I suddenly found myself less stressed out and with more free time to write. I still have a part-time job to keep up, along with helping around the house, but hey. Less stress is better for both my body and for my soul.

However, before you guys ask me anything pertaining to stories I haven't updated in a while, I will say this first. I still don't know when I will post any new content for them, or if I have announcements regarding them, but you guys will know about it. I don't know when, and I do have a lot of stories, both old and new ones that I want to share. All I ask is that you continue being patient with me, and refrain from asking too many times. It only adds stress.

Now, I'm pretty sure that you guys have been looking forward to this moment in the story. So let's get on with it. Roll it!

Chapter 6

The Egg Arrives

Two more weeks seem to go by so quickly since that night. During that time, Branch finally finished the nursery and showed it to Poppy when she came over to visit one evening. She was shedding tears of joy and amazement as she examined the circular room.

There was a pastel green circular rug placed out on the dirt floor, and fluffy yellow blankets hung as drapes on the walls. There was a dressing drawer with a changing table on top, the dresser itself painted a beige creamy color with pastel mint knobs. The beige color reminded Poppy of whenever Branch would stray away from his usual black coffee and go for something lighter and sweeter, like a cappuccino. It was rare, though, which often made the pink Troll wonder just how the gray Troll could handle something so bitter, even if it can wake one up almost immediately.

The crib, though. That was the sight that brought Poppy to shed joyful tears. Much like the dresser, it was painted the same light coffee color, with tall enough bars to keep the baby inside, but not imprison it. There were pastel green and yellow blankets inside, covering the soft plush mattress; and three marshmallow colored pillows, each as soft as a cloud.

She turned over to Branch and hugged him, laughing tearfully. That eased the gray Troll's initial worries, and he tentatively returned her embrace somewhat, until they both felt the baby kick, it seemingly wanting some space. Apparently, babies can still feel squished, even though they rest in a tight space.

For the next few days, Poppy began getting ideas on how to decorate the crib, starting with stuffed toys. She showed Branch pictures of different types of plush toys that she thought the baby would like. Needless to say, that became a bit of a challenge.

He didn't like any of the birds, backing away from the pictures like he was terrified of them. And he wouldn't talk about why he was so afraid of them, so Poppy decided to not push it further. So those bird plushies were a definite 'no'. Branch also wasn't sure about the unicorn or the princess doll, since he had to remind her that they weren't sure if the baby was gonna be a girl.

When Poppy next showed him a picture of an admittedly cute crocodile stuffie, she thought that she finally had a winner when she saw the wistful look on Branch's face. Maybe he had something similar back when he himself was small. But then he slowly shook his head, a sad look in his eyes, saying that they also weren't sure that the baby was gonna be a boy, either.

Finally, Poppy showed him a plushie of a red fox. Branch loved the deep, warm red and white faux fur of the soft-looking toy, and the little black beady eyes seemed to speak to him. He agreed with Poppy, and she got the plushie to bring over to the bunker the following day. It was perfect for their little one, whether it turned out to be a boy or a girl.

Their little one.

That very thought of it alone made the both of them fully realize that they were going to be a family. Yes, maybe they were not together romantically; they were just barely becoming actual friends, and that this whole thing may have started by accident, but regardless; this was a miracle.

There was only one thing about this new future that was confusing. Poppy would sometimes have her hormones spike up again and would throw herself onto Branch, but at least they were both comfortable with being intimate from time to time. Well, actually, neither were still too sure about it. But they couldn't let any awkwardness affect that.

Poppy would never admit it aloud, nor would any scrapbook or diary of hers ever learn of it, but Branch's touch was like fire, setting her alight with flames. She wasn't sure if it was just her hormones that were making her feel this way towards the gray Troll who was also the father of her child, but at least they would only spike up whenever he was around and not towards any other Troll.

As for Branch, he knew that the situation kept falling into his lap whenever Poppy's hormones would spike up, and he was selfishly taking advantage of it. But the pink Troll was breaking down the walls that he had built over the years the more time they spent together, and her sometimes literally pushing herself against him wasn't helping, either. But there were still some walls that should not come down whatsoever, even after the baby arrived.

Speaking of the baby, both of them knew that the egg would be coming any day soon, and thankfully, Poppy's pregnancy hormones were finally settling down. But neither of them wanted to admit that they kind of were beginning to miss those intimate moments. However, that was something that they'll never share with each other. Poppy didn't want to make things between them even more complicated with whatever strange feelings she might have for the gray Troll, and Branch had to remind himself that once the baby hatches from the egg, they would both go back to their normal lives where they weren't really friends, only with the added, upcoming reality that they would be secretly raising a child together.

****************

It was a hot early June day, and Poppy was just dying for some chocolate ice cream. She managed to get herself a bowl and was just eating away at it, sitting down at a little table at the far side of the café. She was careful to not sit where others could see her body; more specifically her stomach. At this point in her pregnancy, anyone can easily see her baby bump if she would bend over or sit down. Her new outfit change can hardly mask it anymore.

In her maternity book, it said that her pregnancy is almost over, and that the egg is due any time. But when she had read that, it had been almost a week ago, and no egg yet. She just wanted that baby and its protective shield to come out now. She was getting more and more exhausted, and Poppy was starting to get worried that eventually, someone will notice and get suspicious.

"Poppy!" The pink Troll looked ahead and saw Creek coming to her. She managed to give him a smile before turning back to her ice cream. In all honesty, she was just too tired to even think about talking to anyone else. Besides her frozen chocolate dessert, all that was on her mind was a nap.

"Hi, Creek." She greeted him back.

Creek sat down across from her. "Have you been feeling alright, love?" He asked her. "We hardly see you anymore, and you look exhausted."

Poppy was too tired to even think about subtly panicking for a little lie. "I've been busy." She answered. "So much that I haven't been sleeping well."

She took one last bite of her ice cream, finishing it off. Poppy then carefully stood up and took her bowl and began walking towards the counter.

"In all honesty, a nap is just what I need right now." She added. "If you'll excuse me, I'll head back to my pod and rest for a little bit."

After she left the café, she saw that Creek was catching up to her. "Well, then I'll walk you there." He offered.

"That's very nice, Creek. But I can manage, thank you." Poppy said. As much as she would've liked to enjoy Creek's company, she was finding his presence less and less desirable at the moment. She just wanted to have a nice snooze before going to visit Branch that evening.

"Are you sure you won't allow me to escort you home, princess?" Creek asked, coming up to walk beside her.

Poppy lightly bit the inside of her cheek. This was not helping her or her increasingly sour mood at all. Can't he see that she was not some delicate flower to be watched over 24/7? It seemed that she had been noticing that about him more and more lately. At least Branch treated her like a normal Troll. He had said that while she was naïve about a lot of things, it didn't mean that she needed a bodyguard constantly. He knew that the pink princess was tougher than she looked.

"Creek." She said brusquely, making the guru Troll stop. "Please, I would really like it if I was alone for the moment. I'm sorry for my tone, but your persistent nagging is not helping my mood. Just let me go home, by myself, so I can rest. Now if you'll excuse me."

Poppy once again began walking towards her pod, leaving a gobsmacked Creek behind. She didn't even bother looking back at him. She just wanted her nap, and then later rant about her experience with Creek to Branch. One thing that she learned from their time together, when it wasn't about the baby, was that he was actually a good listener.

But the pink princess didn't even walk two yards when suddenly, she felt a hard kick inside her belly, making her flinch and stop. "Ooh." She whispered under her breath, bringing a hand up to touch her stomach. "Felt that one."

However, the pain didn't seem to go away after that kick. Instead, it felt more like there was something digging into her lower belly and back from the inside. Poppy's eyes slightly widened. She had read in the book that she would start to feel pretty bad cramps when-

The pain then happened again, and it almost made Poppy feel like she was going to keel over. She wobbled a little bit and leaned against the tree to keep her balance. Does this mean that....

The egg is coming?

Poppy took a deep breath and slowly righted herself up. She tried to walk again, but then another pain shot through her body, and she leaned against the tree again to brace herself, sucking in a breath.

Okay, she still had time. Maybe instead of her nap, she could just head straight to Branch's bunker to get ready to deliver the egg. But it was still a bit of a walk. Poppy turned to head into the forest, but another pain hit her, making her flinch.

"Poppy?" The pink princess froze when she saw Creek coming towards her.

No, no, no! Not now! Poppy thought frantically as she tried to force herself to walk.

"Is everything alright, love?" Creek asked.

"Yup!" Poppy immediately answered. "I'm fine! Please, don't worry about me, Creek! I'm heading home!"

"Love, you look pale." Creek said, coming up beside her.

He was about to place a hand near Poppy's hidden, bulging stomach, but she quickly moved away from him. But she only got a couple of feet away before she felt another jab of pain, making her flinch. She lightly bit her lip to keep herself from yelping in pain.

"It's all good!" She exclaimed, smiling as wide as she could to mask her discomfort. In her mind, she was hoping and praying that something will happen to save her from this awkward conversation.

"Are you sure, Poppy?" Creek questioned again, walking back to her. He was about to reach out to hold her across her front, where he could possibly feel her bump, when suddenly, there was a familiar voice calling out.

"Poppy?" The two Trolls looked ahead and saw Branch standing a couple of yards away. Slung around his back was a bundle of sticks in a large bag with a shoulder strap.

In Poppy's mind, it was like the angels were singing when she saw her savior. She immediately moved away from Creek and practically ran over to Branch despite the pain in her lower area, almost tripping as she did. Luckily for her, Branch met her halfway, arms outstretched to catch her and pulled her in his arms in a protective hold, hiding her belly.

"Branch! My man!" Poppy exclaimed with pure relief. "Just in time!"

The gray Troll looked over at the pink female in his arms and saw that she was looking... frazzled, to put it best. So much so that it looked like she was starting to sweat a bit.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. "You don't look so good."

"Oh, I'm fine!" Poppy answered in a chipper tone that sounded way too chipper, even for her. "It's just... I'm so excited about my latest 'invitation' for you!"

Branch raised a brow. What was she talking about? If he was being honest, he hadn't gotten an invitation from Poppy since their accidental one-night stand. Well, even though he didn't miss the glitter, he knew that there had been a few parties since that he hadn't been invited to. Possibly because he would mostly just worry about Poppy and hope that she won't overwork herself in her current condition.

Poppy could see that Branch was thoroughly confused, and there was a crowd starting to form around them and the suspicious Creek. She really hoped that he would catch on.

"You know, the 'invitation' that I left for you at your bunker?" She continued, hoping that she didn't sound frantic while enunciating the last two words.

She stared into Branch's sky colored eyes while smiling widely. He briefly narrowed his eyes in bewilderment before he took notice of her current state. Poppy was smiling widely at him, her hand was almost touching her bulging stomach, and she was hiding herself from the crowd of suspicious Trolls that were getting closer to them.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock when he faintly heard Poppy suck in a quiet breath while flinching, her fingers lightly touching her stomach. The so-called 'invitation' was their code word that they chose during their last visit a couple of days ago, for when the egg was coming.

"Oh! That 'invitation'." Branch replied while trying to sound as convincing as he possibly could despite his worry, and Poppy felt so grateful that he caught on so fast. "Uh, sorry, Poppy. I didn't see anything over at my bunker."

"Are you sure?" Poppy asked as Branch subtly began to guide her towards the forest, his arm lightly wrapped around her waist. "I could've sworn that I left it for you there, since you were out when I visited this morning."

"Nope. I didn't see anything." Branch said.

"Well then, I guess we should go and find it." Poppy replied. "And don't worry. No glitter this time."

"Still won't make me change my mind, Poppy!"

"We'll see!" With that, they had disappeared into the forest. Once they were out of sight, Branch immediately scooped Poppy up into his arms and began running towards the bunker.

Over in the village, the small crowd of Trolls were a little befuddled by the interaction between the princess and the gray hermit. But they didn't think too much of it and continued on about their day. All except for Creek.

The purple guru had a feeling that those two were hiding something. Branch hated physical contact, and yet, he let Poppy practically hug him! She seemed so eager to be near that gray Troll instead of him. Well, whatever they were hiding, he was going to find out what it was. He needed Poppy to see that that gray freak was not worth her time, and that she should focus on surrounding herself with nothing but the best. That being him.

********************

In the bunker, Branch had locked the trapdoor and hit the emergency button to get the elevator immediately down to the last floor, all with Poppy in his arms. She was panting heavily with a prominent sweat forming on her brow as another contraction happened, making her cry out loudly in pain. Now that they were in the bunker, with no one around to hear them for miles, she could scream as loud as she wanted because of how bad the pain was.

"Don't worry, Poppy." Branch tried his best to assure her.

However, in all honesty, he was freaking out, too. The egg was coming. His and Poppy's egg. But Poppy was the one going through all of the pain, so he had to be the steady one. For her.

"Everything's gonna be okay." He continued as he carefully laid Poppy in his cushioned reclining chair and leaned it back, with the foot rest coming up.

Poppy cried out again as another contraction happened, and she tried to adjust herself and her dress so that her underside was bare. "This- this is the WORST thing I have EVER felt!" She screamed.

"I know, I know." Branch said as he zipped into his kitchen, got out a good-sized bowl and filled it up with water. "But you gotta hang on a little longer. The book said that this is just your body getting ready to push the egg out."

"JUST GETTING READY?!" Poppy screamed in disbelief. "I MUST'VE MISSED THAT PART!"

Branch then got a little hand towel and quickly headed back over to Poppy's side. He then dipped the towel into the bowl, wringed it out a little so that it wasn't too wet, and then began to gently dab Poppy's forehead to wipe away the sweat.

"Well, I guess one good thing about it is that if you're experiencing it now, then it won't be long until you're ready to push." He said.

"Oh, joy." Poppy muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Branch continued to wipe away the sweat off Poppy's forehead for a couple more minutes, flinching as he watched the pink princess writhe in pain as the contractions became more frequent. But then suddenly, Poppy screamed so loud that he felt his ears were going to bleed, but he resisted the urge to cover them.

"Poppy?!" He asked.

"I- I- I feel..." Poppy panted heavily, trying to regain her breath. "I feel something is trying to come out of me!"

"That's how you feel when you're in labor." Branch answered, as if it should be obvious.

"No!" Poppy yelled. "Like something is literally about to come out of me! And I can't move! I can't move my legs!"

Branch's eyes widened. Guess she was closer to delivery than was expected.

"Okay!" He exclaimed, putting the wet towel down. "Hang on! I'll be right back." Then he headed out of the living room.

"Branch!" Poppy called out for the gray Troll. But he was already gone.

Sitting all alone in the living room while feeling both helpless and in pain was really starting to scare Poppy. She needed his company. She needed him. All of those thoughts began swirling in her head, making her feel even more short of breath.

But then, Branch came back into the living room with a large wicker basket in his arms, the inside cushioned with blankets and foam padding at the bottom. He slid it under the foot rest, and then came back to Poppy's side.

"Hey, hey." He said to her gently, pushing her bangs away from her sweat-soaked forehead with a light brush of his fingers. "It's okay. It's okay. Everything will be okay. I'm here. I'm right here."

Poppy looked up at him with teary eyes and smiled at him. Already, she was starting to feel less and less anxious as she stared into the tranquil ocean and sky that were Branch's eyes. Even the pain of labor didn't seem that excruciating anymore with the gray Troll by her side.

With one shaky hand, she took hold of Branch's strong arm. Branch looked at it for a second before lightly prying it off. But then he just held her hand in a firm, protective grip. When they locked eyes again, they were suddenly hit with the notion that together, there wasn't anything that they could do. It was like they were a team. They had come this far in this accidental and secret pregnancy. Now, the egg that would be holding their baby was ready to be brought into the world.

The moment ended when Poppy lightly winced in pain as another contraction hit. She then looked down at her feet. She couldn't see anything, but she and Branch both knew that it was time. Branch readjusted his grip on her hand, with his other arm coming behind her upper back.

"When I say 'three', push as hard as you can for about ten seconds." Branch said. "Then stop and take a breath."

"Okay." Poppy replied. She was ready. Not ready to feel even more pain than she already had been feeling, but ready to get this egg out of her body.

"One... two... three!"

Immediately, Branch felt like his hand was being squeezed to death as Poppy pushed, wincing loudly before it turned into screaming. Despite the even worse pain that she was feeling compared to her other contractions, Poppy counted in her head ten seconds before plopping back down in the chair, panting heavily and releasing her grip on Branch's sore hand.

Branch lightly hissed at the pain in his hand. He shook it off before handing it back for Poppy to grab. They then repeated the process about three more times, with the gray Troll reminding the pink princess to breathe after each push.

"Is it... is it almost out?" Poppy asked, panting for breath.

"How do you feel?" Branch asked her.

Despite all of their previous intimate sessions due to Poppy's pregnancy hormones, he still didn't, and wouldn't dare, look at her nether regions, so he wasn't going to take a peek and see. Plus, even if they could have called for a doctor, it was too late now. All they could do was keep going until the egg was out.

"I feel like my insides are being ripped apart!" Poppy yelled, making Branch wince at the volume because of his sensitive ears.

"Let's do it one more time." He suggested. "Do you think you can do that?"

Poppy nodded and took hold of Branch's hand one more time. He nodded at her confidently, and for the first time in a long time, he made a smile of encouragement. A real smile, one so small but so radiant at the same time. It would've caught Poppy off guard if she wasn't in so much pain and if she wasn't feeling so exhausted. All she could do was prepare herself for what she really hoped was the final push. So she just smiled back at him and lightly squeezed his hand back.

"One... two... three!" Branch exclaimed.

Poppy squeezed Branch's hand hard as she pushed as hard as she could, screaming. After pushing for ten seconds, she plopped her head back down, panting heavily. But this time, she felt lighter than she had felt in months. She and Branch looked down at herself and saw that her bump was gone.

Branch slowly let go of Poppy's hand and went to take a look in the basket. He gingerly took it in his hands to show the exhausted Poppy. What they saw was the most amazing thing.

Inside the cushioned basket was a small, cyan blue egg. On the shell were navy blue squiggles circling it, pink music notes on the top, green leafy vines on the bottom, and red hearts in between the squiggles. Popping out of the very tip was a little tuft of reddish-pink hair, which looked a little goopy.

Poppy breathed out in awe and immediately reached out her arms, eager to touch and hold her egg. Branch carefully wrapped the egg in the blanket and handed it to her. She began cradling it as she looked at it with tears of wonder. Even though the baby had not hatched out yet, this was like a precursor to what will happen in the next three months.

The amount of joy that she was feeling was immeasurable, but she was so tired that she didn't want to jump up and celebrate. This kind of joy was both real and calm. Something amazing had been brought into both hers and Branch's life.

Branch couldn't help but smile again as he watched the Troll that he just couldn't push out of his life gently hold the egg in her arms. Their egg. Trolly moly, that egg was also his. His child was in that egg. It was a heavy thing to process, but this time, he didn't feel as stressed out and anxious as he did when Poppy first told him that she was pregnant. Instead, he felt more... relieved and in awe at the little being that was in that protective cocoon.

He carefully dipped one end of the towel into the water and handed it to Poppy. "I think its hair needs to be cleaned up a bit." He said, seeing the goop beginning to pull it down.

Poppy giggled and began to lightly wash the little tuft of reddish hair. "So... reddish hair." She said.

"Maybe it is a girl if it has a hair color similar to yours." Branch said.

"I don't know." Poppy said. "Maybe. But then again, I got my hair from my dad. Maybe it will become a pattern if it turns out to be a boy."

Branch lightly chuckled. "That's true." He said, remembering that there was someone in his family tree that also had a similar hair color.

As Poppy continued to clean the little tuft of hair, she noticed something along the base of it, right where the hair met the shell. She carefully brushed it along the top for a better look. Then, her eyes widened.

"Branch." She said. "Look at this."

Branch came over for a closer look as Poppy showed him what she found. When he saw it, he almost felt his blood freeze.

The roots of the little hair tuft was coal black. Just like his own hair. Not blue like his former colors that he hadn't seen in so many years. Black. Ebony black.

If anyone would take a second look at the kid when it hatches, they can easily tell who the father is. And it's very possible that as the kid grew up, those black colored roots would only become more prominent. Branch looked over at Poppy, wondering what she thought of it.

But instead of fear, or worse disgust, Poppy actually looked.... amazed. "I've never seen anything like that before." She said quietly. "Except for Satin and Chenille's hair."

"They're conjoined twins." Branch said. "It would make sense that each other's separate hair color would blend into one like that. But yeah, you're right. I've never seen anything like this for just one egg."

"Well, it would make him or her very special, then." Poppy said.

Branch was silent for a few seconds. "...Are you sure?" He asked. "Because some kids could make fun of them if they see it. Can you promise that they won't be mocked for having black roots; a telltale mark of who their father is?"

Poppy was silent for several moments. Then after a heavy pause, she spoke. "You're right. I can't speak for others, so I can't make those promises. But I know that even if others will tease them or make fun of them, we will be there to comfort our child. Both of us."

Branch just looked at her, not sure what to think. What if the kid grew older, and the bullying never stopped? Would they become ashamed of their father? What would they do to others, or even to themselves, just to make it stop? He once had to suffer through such bullying growing up himself, and it had gotten to the point where he dropped out of school completely and retreated to the outskirts of the village to build his bunker just so that he would finally be left alone. What if the child did something similar, or worse?

Poppy could see the worried storm in his eyes. She reached out with one arm and took Branch's hand in hers. He blinked with surprise at the contact, coming out of his negative mental rabbit hole as he looked into her tired but still vibrant magenta eyes.

"I can see your worry, Branch." She said. "But we can't control what others do. All we can do is be there for our child should anything happen. I still may not know a whole lot about your past, or what you had to go through, but I guess that you felt so alone growing up because you felt like you had no one to turn to when things got hard. But our child will have us, both of us, to look up to. They will have us to support them, no matter what."

Branch looked down at the egg in Poppy's arms. Suddenly, another swirl of emotions began filling his soul. One of not just pride and awe, but also of protectiveness. All of these unfamiliar feelings were churning inside, making him feel like he was going to do anything for this little one. And he will. No matter what anyone says about him or the baby, he will do everything he can to make sure that his child will have a happy and safe life.

He then looked back up into Poppy's eyes, and they both shared a warm look. It was almost as if their minds had the same thought of protecting their little one, from now to its hatching and past that. Watching their baby grow up, from infancy into childhood, to the dreaded teenage years to adulthood. They both wanted to see and experience every bit of it.

Poppy suddenly stifled a yawn as she tried to cover her mouth with her arm, turning away from Branch's gaze. Branch lightly chuckled as he lightly touched her shoulder, making her face him again.

"I can hold it for a little bit." He said. "You get some sleep."

The pink Troll princess didn't want to let go of the egg yet, but every part of her body was just begging her to shut her eyes and take a nice nap. Branch could see her slight hesitation, but eventually, Poppy relented and carefully gave Branch their egg. Immediately, they both felt a warmth inside the shell, along with a gentle tapping. They both chuckled again as Branch cradled the egg gently in his arms.

"I guess they really do like it when they can sense both of us near." He said.

"They were like that when they were still inside of me." Poppy replied. "I doubt that will change just because they are out, and in an egg."

Branch snorted softly as he held the egg. "That's true." He said before reminding her. "So every two weeks, we'll take turns incubating the egg in our hair to avoid any suspicion. But that means that our hair cannot stretch when it's carrying it. It will increase the risk of the egg breaking prematurely."

Poppy yawned, too tired to worry. Plus, she had read the book about thirty times already. "Okay." She agreed. "No stretching hair. What about carrying other things?"

"We still can hold other little things in our hair, but we still have to be careful about how much stuff we put in." Branch answered. "Again, it can increase the risk of early egg breaking."

"Holding things in hair to a minimum." Poppy yawned again. "Got it."

She then snuggled into the cushion of the reclining chair. "You get the first shift."

Branch lightly rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Poppy." He said. The pink princess was too tired from the delivery to really think about anything else other than sleep. He was pretty sure that once she got some rest, she would want to have the first shift instead.

Well, she just might have to fight Branch on that. He was going to have a lot of fun reminding her that when one of them carries the egg, they will experience a ton of mood swings, just like how she went through some of them while she was still pregnant. Particularly crabbiness.

A crabby Branch, that's not news to the village if he must visit or pass through it. But a crabby Poppy? Oh, he can't wait until she comes running to the bunker, begging him to hide her from the "Poppy 911" horde, everyone carrying bowls of soup.

A/N: My headcanon about this whole thing is that when the egg arrives for a Troll female, it's the same process of labor for female humans. But it does happen quicker than for the average human, which can take up to several hours. I think the whole thing of the egg's arrival happened in less than an hour, considering the time span.

That egg is basically my rough edited design of what the egg looks like. It's not the best, but I did use a lot of editing to make it. And the music box cover song I used at the top, it would be playing after the egg was revealed. I will admit that I have a headcanon about the song and how it fits in with Branch. Curious?

Well, now that Poppy and Branch have their egg, they can take turns incubating the egg, keeping it safe and warm in their hair for the remaining three months until the baby is ready to hatch. Does the baby's hair or the designs on the eggshell give you hints about the gender of the baby? Still not revealing which one it is, though. You guys will have to wait a couple more chapters before that big reveal. Leave out your guesses, though, if you still want to play that game.

Well, that's it for my first chapter of 2025, and the first chapter that I have written in months. I have a lot of catching up to do with other stories, along with new ideas to share. So just keep an eye out! Please leave a comment about what you think.

Got to fly! ;)