Finding Home Again - A Trollhunters story

Chapter Thirteen - Leaving

Short chapter today, but an important one!!! 
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            New Jersey

Trollmarket, present day

   Stomping wildly at gnomes, Bagdwella screeched for help.

   Uninterested, the other Trolls slowly and calmly walked right past, muttering hello's to each other and making small talk.

   "Oi, Grumble! Come o'er to the pub with me, eh?" One Troll, veridian coloured, called in a deep voice.

   "Busy." Came the answer from a grumpy one, who was re-stacking the TV's in his new shop across the way.

   The gnomes chattered madly at Bagdwella, who groaned, tired of chasing them. Blinky had appointed a temporary leader for the Trolls while he and the Trollhunter stayed in Arcadia after their most recent scuffle. Garna was an unusual trader who had lived a few minutes' walk from the old Trollmarket back in California whom Blinky had taken a liking to, and he obviously wasn't sure what to do about her gnome problem.

   She'd already asked their new council to no avail.

   There was only one thing left to do.

   She made the call, and listened as it rang.

   "Hello? Bagdwella?"

   "Oh! Thank Deya! These gnomes are everywhere! I have tried everything to get rid of them! But they keep coming back and–"

   A gnome on her shelf bared his teeth in a feral grin. She snatched him by the waist and he snarled and bit at her hand.

   Annoyed, and pulled her free arm back and threw hard, watching as he sailed through the air and landed in the street, yelping.

   Blinky sighed into the phone. "I am a tad bit caught up with other pressing matters. Did you let Garna know of your predicament?"

   "Of course I did! What kind of Troll do you take me for? An imbecile?"

   Blinky muttered something she couldn't hear.

   "Blinky!" She shouted into the old-fashioned telephone. "We need you back here! And the Trollhunter, too! And soon!"

   "Did something happen?"

   "Yes," she said exasperatedly, "the GNOMES!"

   Someone knocked on the door. A hard, sharp knock.

   Barbara stood up and opened it to reveal Blinky, who had a frown on his face and two hands clasped behind his back.

   "May I enter? I must speak with Master Jim." He said hurriedly.

   "Oh! Yeah, sure. Do you want me to..."

   "You can stay if you like."

   Jim cut in, "Um, what is it, Blinky?"

   "Trollmarket wants you back. Bagdwella says they need both of us to return to New Jersey, but your injury might complicate things. As well as your schooling."

   Jim leaned forward and ran a hand down his face, eyebrows scrunched together as he mulled it over. "Mom," he said, "how long until I can walk?"

   She sat back down and looked back and forth between them. "Few weeks, maybe? Do you want to go across the country again? Because even after those two weeks, you might damage your leg even more if you get hurt on the job. It might be too risky to be running around and all that."

   "You're right." Jim agreed. "Hmm. I should stay here until I'm one hundred per cent, and you should go back to New Jersey," he said, pointing at Blinky, who nodded thoughtfully.  "That could work for the meantime. This way I can heal and work on school a bit. And maybe I can attend on zoom or something."

   "Sounds good, at least for now," Barbara said. 

   "Did you tell him about Jack?" Blinky asked her, his eyes flicking to her. She shook her head.

   "Wait, who's Jack?" 

   She threaded her fingers together and crossed her legs. "This man who just showed up a half hour ago. He's the brother of your father. He's your uncle."

   Jim's eyes widened. "My... uncle. I have an uncle, huh. Did he leave, or is he still here?" 

   "Still here."

   "What does he want?"

   "He wants the help in any way he can, he said," Blinky said. "And he has been trying to reunite with his brother for a long time, apparently." 

   "Intresting," Jim muttered, leaning on the wall with his shoulder. "I'm guessig I can't go downstairs to meet him, can I?"

   "No," Barbara raised her eyebrows. "Not unless you want the pain to multiply."

   

   Jack spoke with the Trolls, asking question after question.

   Toby was slouched on the couch asleep with NotEnrique, who'd insisted on staying with his sister when Claire's mom, dad, and grandmother had gone home, was reading a magazine with a pair of shades–who knows where he got them from. 

   Bringing two mugs of tea out, she placed them both on the dining room table and walked over to Douxie. He leaned heavily on the wall, one leg bent so his hips were slanted. Archie looked at her from his arms and lifted his head.

   Krel had gone home after making sure that Claire and Jim were safe.

   Douxie's eyes were cast in shadow by his hood, which had been pulled up, making the dark circles under his eyes look darker.

   He straightened, seeing her. Claire smiled, holding her arms out, and Archie leaped out of his arms and onto the opposite side of the couch from NotEnrique.

   Claire put arms around him. He looked so exhausted, but his relief that her and Jim were okay showed in his eyes, adding a spark of lightness. He hugged her back tightly.

   "You okay?" She whispered.

   "Eh. Could be better. You?"

   "You already asked that, Teach."

   He chuckled, squeezing her one last time before pulling away, and saying, "It would seem so."