TrollHunters One-Shots

Worth It

"Yes, of course it's been hard on me. I mean, I never once let my grades slip, but all those late nights doing homework certainly took a toll on me. Always tired, often sick, but never sorry." Claire said defensively, squeezing her phone in her hand so hard it seemed that she would crush it. She was speaking to her parents, who were begging her to come back to Arcadia. They all missed her greatly, and Claire missed them just as much—especially Enrique.
"But Claire, honey, what about your future? You can't possibly expect to live underground with a bunch of trolls forever, can you? Think about it. Just because your high-school boyfriend is a troll now, you're going to give up everything? Your future, your career, your family?"
The words stabbed at her heart and stung like papercuts rubbed with lemon. She recalled the long hours of studying to get the credits she needed to graduate early with the highest grades. She remembered how she'd worked hard in rehearsals, preparing for auditions so that she'd be able to achieve her dream of being an actress. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought back on the sound of Enrique's bell-like laugh as she and her parents tickled him and fed him mashed sweet potatoes. A future. A career. A family.
She glanced over at Jim, curled up in the corner of the cave where all of the trolls were hiding from the morning sunlight. The sun, which she rarely saw anymore, shone on her skin, warming her. Jim looked so peaceful as he sat with his eyes closed, enjoying the silence that he achieved only by hiding away. The soft edges of his stone face were beautiful, and his elegant horns curled upward towards the sky. His armor was bound to him, and it glowed faintly in the shadows. Even in rest, he looked like a hero.
"Jim did all of that for me." She whispered as tears fell from her dark eyes. "He sacrificed everything for me, for you, for everyone. He put himself in the midst of the worst dangers possible to save your son, and he gave up his world for ours. It's the least I can do to stay by his side through all of this. I know you think that we can all just forget about this other world beneath our feet, but it is as real as anything. And...I can't just leave Jim to be with you. I love him. You know that." Claire's hands were shaking with emotion. Anger at her parents' narrow-mindedness, sadness due to missing her family, firmness and determination in her current path, and love for Jim.
"I promised I'd be back." She said, slightly calmer. She glanced back at Jim once more. "And I will be. But for now, I'm giving what I can to help others who really need me to be here. And it is hard. But in the end...it's all worth it."

Hey guys!!! Sorry for writing nothing but plotless angst lately, but Season 3 broke me. I'll have some really cute Jlaire AUs up soon as well as some other stuff! It's finally summer and I'll hopefully have more time to write. Thanks for being awesome! Keep it Crispy! ;)
—ficklefangirl