Dear Brother (TFP/RID & Reader)

Chapter 15

The morning sunshine peeks through from the small opening of her curtains, directly hitting the side of her face that she can't help but to squint lightly. The laptop on her desk sits stiffly; printed papers, notes, and sticky notes with scribbles are scattered around it. On the far corner, a cold cup of coffee remains half-empty.

(Y/n) had been working on the case that night. She found a new strength and will not only to find her brother, but also intends to put Starscream down once and for all; legally, like her father always taught her to do. Yesterday's talk with Ultra Magnus gave her a new perspective and train of thoughts, she went to start right away after she got back to her hotel yesterday.

Her eyes begin to feel sore from staring at the laptop screen the entire night. (Y/n) decides that she needs to get away from the device for a while. So, she gets herself another coffee, dumping the cold one in the sink and reusing the same mug. Stepping to the tall windows, (Y/n) leans her side against it, watching the busy city below her. Traffic, people, and other things commonly found on the roads. Vaguely, she hears the sound of a train passing the railway.

It reminds her of that time she and her brother ran away.

She gets lost, then. She gets lost in her own thoughts and blurry memories in her head. That time when she woke up for the first time in the hospital, she remembered seeing Elita's face instead of Smokescreen's. Panicking, she jolted awake and pressed herself backwards, aware of the strangers.

'Where is Smokey?' her quiet voice had asked that morning.

'He is only out for a while, sweetie. He'll be back soon.'

But he never did. For 15 years.

When she returns back to reality, (Y/n) finds herself sobbing silently. She barely recognizes the fat drops of tears rolling down her eyes to her cheeks. Her hands feel warm because of the steaming mug of coffee she's holding, but it isn't helping her to calm down.

She returns back to the desk, sitting comfortably and sets her mug away. (Y/n) jumps into the one thing she's very good at: researching.

To her surprise, there are many online articles and papers talking about street children.

"Five Street Children Went Missing: Kidnapping or Child Smuggling?"

(Y/n) raises an eyebrow suspiciously, scrolling through the article to gain more information.

"...what?"

—

(Y/n) walks into the office hurriedly. The folders she hugs with one arm and a bag on the other annoy her a little. A security officer notices her and immediately pushes the door open for her.

"Good morning, ma'am." He greets rather stiffly, most likely to keep the professional image.

(Y/n) nods with a small smile. "Thank you."

She goes straight to her cubicle, placing her things down. With a heavy sigh, (Y/n) runs a hand through her (h/c) locks before pulling out her laptop and turning it on.

"(Y/n)!"

Her eyes widened at the familiar voice calling out her name. (Y/n) quickly whips her head around only to find someone she least expected to be here.

"Strongarm!" She exclaims, half whispering. "What are you doing here?"

She gets up to her feet to hug Strongarm, somehow feeling less lonely now that her friend is here. The other, of course, is taken aback by the hug, but she returns it anyway.

"To help you, of course." Strongarm said with a proud smile. "Sir Magnus called your father yesterday, saying that you were having a problem. So, the head of the Prime himself requested me to come to help you! How cool was that?" She pats (Y/n)'s shoulder. "He said he had to attend to some matters there at the moment, so he couldn't make it here."

(Y/n) chuckles at the admiration Strongarm had for Optimus, and her pride.

"That's okay, thank you, Strongarm." She replies. "I'm so happy you're here."

"No problem. Always happy to help a friend."

Strongarm pulls a nearby chair and sits next to (Y/n), looking through her folders and papers.

"So, what's the problem?"

(Y/n) sighs and rubs her forehead. "Starscream wouldn't tell me where he sent Smokey 15 years ago."

"Who?"

"The owner of the foster home I lived in with my brother."

"Oh."

Strongarm squints her eyes, trying to fit the pieces together.

"You want to press charges against him, right?"

"Mhm." (Y/n) nods, not taking her eyes off her laptop. "But I can't seem to figure out wh—"

"Kidnapping." Strongarm says instantly, earning a 'seriously?' face from (Y/n). "Seriously! I looked through the files you compiled and that's the first thing that comes to my mind."

"Here."

(Y/n) leans closer, listening to what Strongarm has to say.

"You can persecute him with Article 1365 of the country's Civil Law."

"When did you—"

"I came prepared." Strongarm winks. "You helped me to be where I am right now, so I planned to return that favor."

That melts her heart. She feels so grateful.

"Anyways." (Y/n) turns her attention to the folders again. "Look at these. The missing children seem to hang around in the same area where Starscream lived, according to your paper, so if those children live in his foster home, then he could be a suspect."

"Yes, but how can this help me find my brother?"

(Y/n) watches Strongarm roll her eyes. "Simple. Your brother might be among one of the children who were missing. Look at the dates. The first paper covering this problem was published—"

"15 years ago." (Y/n) breathes out. How could she have missed that information?

Strongarm nods in agreement. "So, it has been going around for years." She looks at her with certainty. "If you can prove that all those missing children cases were Starscream's handiwork, not only can you prove him guilty, but you can also accuse him of your brother's kidnapping."

(Y/n) stares at the papers for a while; somehow, a spark of hope appears in her.

"That will serve him a long jail time." Strongarm convinces her, closing the folder in her hands and shoves it to (Y/n). "I know you can do this."

"But I'll need more evidence." (Y/n) mumbles. "I don't know, Strongarm."

"Come on, this isn't like you." Strongarm replies. "Everyone knows that you're a good lawyer, (Y/n). Don't let your personal feelings hinder your professional skills."

There is a small bout silence hanging in the air between them. (Y/n) lets out a thin smile at Strongarm, at last.

"Thank you, Strongarm. Now I know where to start."