A Soldier's Will (Transformers Prime Fanfiction)

Meeting Family

Claire had retrieved her suitcase from Agent Fowler, then had Smokescreen bring her to her mother's house. She thanked him and waved goodbye as he drove away. She then sighed as she looked at the front of the house.

The house was colored a rich mahogany color and it was graced with a black shingle roof. The house also had black window frames and a black door. From what she could observe, it was a one-story house. That impressed her, but... it wasn't enough.

Claire never really saw her mother much. She had not seen her since her older brother's funeral, and the same could be said of her father. Everything had changed since that that day. The Chevalier family was split apart in more ways than one. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying her best to not let tears spill out.

She walked up to the door with her suitcase, sighing. She didn't want to do this. She really didn't want to go through with visiting her mother. It wasn't that she didn't love her. That was never the case. Claire didn't want to face her mother because she loved her work, and... She was afraid. Her mother would just remind her of everything all over again; she would be reminded of her older brother. She was still trying to cope from the loss. She didn't want to face to sea of emotions that came with it.

She looked at the door, silent. She steeled herself before she pushed the doorbell, hearing the chime. She brushed some loose hair away from her face, waiting on someone to answer as she rubbed her arm. She would footsteps come to the door and it would open. Her mother looked at her with a kind smile.

"Claire," she said. "Welcome home."

"Merci Mama," Claire replied, managing a gentle smile. "It's nice to see you. How have you been?"

"Living alone, but I don't mind it. It has some advantages."

"...Really?"

"Yes Claire," she said with a nod before getting excited. "Come in! Come in!"

Claire's mother walked in the house and Claire followed her. She looked around as she did. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and the decor made it work. However... she noticed something in the living room near the television. It looked like a small shrine. She got a closer look to see that it was a memorial to her older brother Sebastian. The picture that was there was of him when he was 18. He was wearing a graduation cap and gown. There were also some things that Sebastian liked, which were a camera and a video game controller.

Claire sighed. Even after all this time, it still hurt to see his picture. It was difficult to handle all that, as it still felt like yesterday to her. She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked to see that it was her mother.

"I miss him too Claire," she said. "Sebastian's death hit us harder than anything else we've faced..."

"You don't have to tell me twice Mama," Claire replied before looking down, tears brimming her eyes. "I don't think... any of my military training prepared me for the loss of a family member. I have lost soldiers in my charge, but... this didn't compare to what had happened."

Claire looked over at her mother to see that she had tears in her eyes. She knew that Sebastian's death hit her mother harder than anyone. How would you feel if you lost your only son?

She walked over to her mother and hugged her. Claire felt her mother's body tremble. She could her mother cry on her shoulder. She tightened the hug as tears filled her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she had to try and stay strong for her. She wanted to make sure that she could keep what family she had together. Even so, the loss affected her more than her mother ever knew.

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Translation Notes
Merci - Thank you