Joy Western : Chapter 1
At Tidmouth Sheds, the engines are all ready to get some goodnight sleep. And when Edward went into his berth, he was surprised to see a little girl curl up in there. Looking very scared and confused.
"Why, hello there, little one," Edward said kindly. The little girl look up hearing Edward's voice. By that, Edward can see the little girl more clearly now.
The little girl has a gray blue hair with a pair of hot pink eyes. Her skin is white and she looks very small. She wears a tatter clothes that makes Edward shocked.
What makes Edward even feel more bad is the way she flinched and whimper hearing his voice.
"Hey, it's okay, little one. My name is Edward. What's your name?" Edward asked kindly. The little girl cringed at that and look away, before she scaredly reply...
"I-I don't have a name... I'm a runaway from the orphanage.." the little girl said. That makes Edward even more sad hearing it. Not just because she came from the orphanage, but she doesn't have a name either.
When Edward was deep in his thoughts, the little girl then said quietly, "C-Can I stay here for tonight? I-I'll be gone by tomorrow morning, so I won't bother you any further.."
Hearing that, Edward feel a deep sympathy for her.
"Don't worry. You didn't bother me at all. You can sleep on my cab if you want. It's warmer than sleeping on the ground," Edward said kindly and gently. The little girl didn't argue. It is cold on the ground and if she could get a warmer place to sleep, then that's the place she's going to sleep in.
So, slowly but surely, the little girl went up to Edward's cab and fell asleep in it immediately. Edward, hearing the little girl's light snoring, feel content that the little girl is safe with him now.
Edward intended to bring the little girl to the Fat Controller in the morning, and hope that he can help her. But when the morning came, the little girl has already gone from his cab. He knew it because his driver and fireman didn't say anything. So Edward disappointedly went to do his work on his branch line and hope that the little girl is okay by herself.
That night, in Arlesburgh Shed, the engines are ready to go to sleep. Duck was about to close his eyes when he saw a peculiar sight near the shed.
There, sat a little girl, curling up to sleep but shivering because of the cold night air.
"She is too little to go out by herself in the middle of the night," Duck said to himself. So he approached the girl carefully so he won't frighten the little girl and turned on his light.
The little girl was surprised to see the sudden light on her, but she froze when she locked eyes with Duck.
"Well, hello there, little girl. My name is Montague, but you can call me Duck. What's your name?" Duck said, starting the conversation. The little girl gulped in nervousness, but replied to the kind introduction.
"I-I don't have a name.. I'm a runaway from the orphanage.." the little girl said. Duck was shocked but regain his composure and asked again.
"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night by your own? Don't you have a place to sleep?" Duck asked. The little girl look away shamefully and that was enough for Duck's answer.
"Well in that case, why don't you sleep on my cab? It's better than sleeping in the open cold air," Duck invited. The little girl didn't argue and quickly climbed on to sleep there. Duck's driver and fireman had left him enough steam to move a little bit when they left, so Duck can approached the little girl and backed down to his berth, slowly and quietly so he won't wake the others and the already asleep little girl.
Duck has the same intention like Edward in the morning to tell Sir Topham Hatt about the little girl, because he worried that the little girl is too young to go off on her own and she doesn't have any permanent place to stay. But when Duck's driver and fireman went to his cab and didn't say anything, he knew that the little girl is already gone. Duck can only hope that the little girl was okay.
And that night, the little girl hasn't gone far from Arlesburgh Shed, so she went there and hoping she could sleep in Duck's cab again for tonight. But the little girl's memory is vague and she didn't remember which berth is Duck's. So the little girl try her luck and go to a random berth. And when the owner of the berth came, both of them were shocked.
The little girl is because it wasn't Duck and Donald was surprised to see a very little girl in his berth.
"Why, what are yee doing here, yaeng girl? Are yee lost?" Donald asked, concerned. The little girl took her time, but she replied the same thing to Duck and Edward.
"I'm not lost. And I'm a runaway from the orphanage.." the little girl replied. That took Donald by surprise though.
"Runaway? How old are yee anyway?" Donald asked incredulously.
"I..I'm 4," the little girl said hesitatedly. But Donald didn't want the little girl to run off in the middle of the night, so he offer the little girl the same thing Duck and Edward offered her too before.
"Do yee want to sleep in my cab for tonight?" Donald asked. The little girl smiled a little and nodded. She slept peacefully that night with Donald, while unbeknownst by her, Duck was worrying about her in the next berth and Edward was worrying and thinking about her in Tidmouth Shed.
The next morning, Donald wanted to check on the little girl, but it seems she's already gone because his driver and his fireman didn't say anything when they went on his cab.
Donald told this to Duck, Edward, and Douglas, which make the former two surprised. Duck and Edward told him that she had slept on their cab too in the previous days. Douglas thought that his brother was seeing things, but if Duck and Edward saw her too, that means she is real.
"We wanted to take the little girl to Sir Topham Hatt so he can help her, but she always gone missing in the morning," Edward said, voicing Duck's and Donald's thoughts.
"Well if that's the case, let's just hope that the little girl is okay by her own for now. We can nae do anything if it's out of the railway," Douglas said. The other 3 engines agreed, but can't help but to feel worry for the little girl.
That night, the little girl still hasn't gone far from Arlesburgh Shed, and last night, she picked a random berth and ended up meeting Donald. She just hoped this time she pick a right berth and meet up with either Duck or the black big tender engine she met yesterday.
When the little girl saw a big black tender engine, she instantly thought that it was the engine she met yesterday. But Douglas was surprised to see the little girl that his brother just told him earlier.
The little girl smiled sheepishly to Douglas and asked, "Can I stay with you again for tonight? I-I won't bother you again tomorrow."
By that, Douglas knew that she thought he's Donald and decided to just went along with it.
"Sure. Besides, yee're nae a bother at all. Hop on my cab," Douglas said kindly. The little girl climbed in and get ready to sleep before she muttered something...
"Well some people thought I was a bother.." the little girl muttered. Douglas heard that and instantly felt bad for her. He reconsider his choice to tell Sir Topham Hatt about her, or just simply let her wonder off by her own. Douglas finally settled with the first choice. He knew Sir Topham Hatt is a nice person, or else he would've sent Douglas away from a very long time and he would've been scrapped by now if it wasn't because of Sir Topham let him stay and work on Sodor.
Besides, he, Duck, Edward, and his brother, are quite fond with the little girl already. They would do anything to keep her out of harm ways.
In the early morning, Douglas awake when the little girl is awake and was about to go away.
"And where are yee off to?" Douglas asked, surprising the little girl and made her jump.
"I.. Wait, you up early," the little girl said curiously.
"Well, yeah, sometimes I'm an early riser. Naew, where are yee off to anyway?" Douglas asked again. The little girl look away and replied...
"No where I guess. I will just searching for some food for the rest of the day and find another place to sleep for tonight," the little girl said innocently.
"Another place to sleep? So yee do nae like to sleep on my cab?" Douglas asked teasingly, but the little girl thought he was cross so she quickly shook her head no and said...
"No, I mean, I did say I won't bother you again. So I'll be off on my way and.. Oh, and thank you so much for this 2 days. It's very comfortable to sleep on your cab rather than the ground. I very appreciate it," the little girl said gratefully while saluted at Douglas a little. Douglas chuckled at the cute gesture, but when the little girl was about to go away, he said...
"Wait! How about if I take yee to Sir Topham Hatt instead? He can help yee," Douglas said. The little girl hesitatedly look back at Douglas and said...
"I can't.. He might send me back to the orphanage and I don't want to go back to that dreadful place.. I'll-be off now, bye," the little girl said quickly, but when she took a step back, Douglas said...
"Nae! Please, wait! Sir Topham Hatt is a nice person. I'm the living proof of that," Douglas said. Then he told her the story when Sir Topham Hatt only expected Donald to come to Sodor, but Douglas tag along instead because he knew that he'll be scrap if he stay. When he and Donald proved themselves to be really useful, he let both of them stay.
By the time Douglas finished his story, the little girl realized that there are two big black tender engines that look alike with each other and she still refused to see Sir Topham Hatt.
"He let you stay because you're really useful, Douglas. While I'm only a 4 year old girl and not really useful at all. He'll send me away to the orphanage if he sees me. I just know it," the little girl said and then run off out of Douglas' sight. Douglas told her to wait, but she already gone. Douglas worriedly stand there waiting for his driver and fireman when he saw Duck and Donald awake.
"Douglas? What's wrong?" Donald asked when he saw his brother's worried expression.
"The little girl. I managed to wake up before she's gone in the morning. But when I told her about the Fat Controller, she ran off and said that he will send her away for sure if he sees her," Douglas said sadly. While Duck and Donald look disappointed to missed their chance seeing the little girl again.
"Why she's afraid to be send away? Sir Topham Hatt is a nice person. He will nae do that," Donald said confused.
"She said she's nae useful because she's 4. I just hope she's okay. It's very dangerous for a young girl like her to be out on her own like that," Douglas said worriedly. The 3 engines silently hoped that she will be back to their shed again for tonight. But she didn't.
The little girl was afraid to be send away so she moved from Arlesburgh to a far place. At night, she was so exhausted from running all day, she didn't realize she was sitting near some engine's berth. When the engine backed down to rest, he was surprised to see a little girl beside his berth.
"Why, what do we have here? Hello there," Timothy said. The little girl was surprised, but calmed herselfs downs when she noticed it was just an engine. The little girl run pretty far from Arlesburgh to the Sodor Clay Pits. And she was so exhausted.
"Ehm.. Hello.." the little girl said. She actually didn't want to meet another engine, afraid that they might tell Sir Topham Hatt about her. But she doesn't have much of a choice for now. She was far too exhausted to run again.
"I'm Timothy. What's your name?" Timothy asked nicely. The little girl only said the same thing like she said to Edward, Duck, Donald, and Douglas.
"I don't have a name.. I'm a runaway from the orphanage.." the little girl said. She was too exhausted to noticed Timothy's eyes widened in realization at her words. While Timothy was far beyond surprised. He wasn't expecting to meet the orphan little girl that every engines were talking about this day. Edward, Duck, Donald, and Douglas already spread the words to the other engines about the little girl, in hope she can sleep on their cabs, and the engines can take her to Sir Topham Hatt without telling her, so he can help her. They are very sure that Sir Topham Hatt can help her, since he's a human too. But to do that, they need to be sly and sneaky since she just run away from Douglas. So Timothy just offer her to sleep on his cab.
"You look exhausted. How about you sleep on my cab?" Timothy asked kindly and gently. The little girl smiled a little in gratitude and quickly fell asleep when she lay on Timothy's cab.
Unbeknownst by her, Timothy's driver and fireman are still around, so Timothy asked them if he can just stay at Knapford Station so he can show the little girl to Sir Topham Hatt tomorrow morning. They agreed and then quietly went to Knapford Station and let Timothy slept there. The little girl was too exhausted, she ended up in a deep sleep and didn't wake up as early as she used to.
The little girl woke up when the station is already become so busy. While Timothy is already awake and wait for the Fat Controller to come. When Gordon blew his whistle, the little girl jumped from Timothy's cab and fully awake. The little girl was wide-eyed and clearly scared of the busy station.
Some of the rude people quickly judged her tatter appearance and that made the little girl even more scared. Timothy tried to calmed her down and so did Duck, Donald, and Douglas when they arrived at Knapford Station, but the little girl look at them in distrust. Something that made their fireboxes' twinge in guilt. But they have to do this if they want to help her.
"What is going on in here?" boomed a familiar voice for the engines.
The Fat Controller has arrived at the station and see people are muttering about something and his engines are frozed in their place. He was even more surprised to see Timothy in the station and a very little girl with a tatter clothes.
The little girl noticed him and quickly make a run for it.
"Wait! Look out!" Timothy called out. But when the little girl noticed him, it was already too late. She was running in full speed so she can't stop when she saw Edward in front of her. While Edward is trying to break as hard as he could.
Edward managed to stop, but the little girl still collide with him and hit him in the buffer on her side that made her rolled up to his buffer beam painfully. Edward is okay but he can see that the little girl was holding her left side in pain while laying down on his buffer beam in her last position.
The passengers who watched, gasped. Some are frighten while some help. Sir Topham Hatt's workers quickly helped the little girl. While a passenger, who is a doctor, quickly checked her side.
"It's fine, just a big bruise. Thank goodness her bone didn't crack," the doctor said, relieved and so were the engines. But it become their last concern when they hear the little girl start screaming.
"Get away from me! Leave me alone!" the little girl screamed. The passengers and the workers took a step back from the little girl to giver her some space. But the little girl was too stressed out. The stress was too overwhelming for her that make her cry softly. She was still sitting on Edward's buffer beam, so she unconsciously looking for someone to comfort her and wrapped her arms around Edward's face.
Edward was taken aback. But he quickly regain his composure and tried to comfort the little girl.
"There, there, little one. You're okay. You're safe. It's okay," Edward whispered comfortingly and gently. The little girl kept crying, but she quickly calmed down and her cries become a soft sniffles. The passengers and engines, who watched the little girl's cries become a soft hiccups, quickly sighed and breath in relief.
"There you go. That's a good little girl," Edward praised happily. He knew that the little girl was so scared, so it was very brave for her to try to calm down.
But when Sir Topham Hatt approached them, the little girl whimpered and hold on to Edward more tightfully. Edward feels the little girl's fear. So he whispered to her ear softly and gently, "Can you be brave for a little more, my little one? For me and the other engines?"
Edward's voice bring comfort to the little girl. She hasn't feel that kind of parental love since she was born. So she nodded and let go of Edward, but still sitting on his buffer beam.
Sir Topham Hatt also noticed her fears. He looked down a little to her to match her eye level and said very gently, "Hello there young one. What's your name?"
The little girl wiped her teary eyes with her sleeves before answering, "No.. I don't have a name.. I-I'm a runaway from the orphanage.." she admitted.
The Fat Controller was stunned. But keep his calm face on and asked, "Oh? And why do you run off from your orphanage?"
"I-I..(hic) They don't care about me since I came.. They hit me and told me that I better gone away from their life..(hic). So-So I did. I ran and sneak on to some boat and arrived on Sodor.. I-I've met some of the engines, and-and they are really nice to me.. Bu-But please don't send me away! I don't want to be back at the orphanage.." the little girl said, crying a little. When Edward was comforting her again, Sir Topham Hatt seems to be in a deep thought.
Edward, Duck, Donald, Douglas, and Timothy were afraid that Sir Topham Hatt might sent her away. So they look at each other and decided something that they never did.
"Ehm, Sir.." Edward said. Sir Topham Hatt looked up and asked, "Yes?"
"Do you think, we can keep her? I mean, adopt her as our family? We are quite fond of her and we really want to take care of her," Edward said. The other engines whistled in agreement.
"But taking care of a child is a big responsibility. And you need some money to raise her," the doctor from earlier said.
"We can take care of her," Duck said confidently.
"Yeah! And all of us will help too! We'll work harder so we can get more money to raise her!" Thomas said, who heard and see everything.
"Yeah!" "Of course!" "We'll do it!" were the responses from all the steam engines. All the steam engines went to Knapford Station when they heard about the little girl. And they all want to support her so she could stay.
"Don't worry, Doctor. For all her needs, I can support her from the engines' hard work. But do you really could take care of her?" Sir Topham Hatt asked to his engines. They all whistled in agreement and said an excited "Yes!" throughout the station.
"Well, then I will take care of the adoption paper then. And you all will be responsible for her. Do I make myself clear?" Sir Topham Hatt said, smiling. The engines whistled as loudly as they could in agreement and cheered happily for their newest member of the family.
The little girl smiled and then saluted, while saying, "Thank you. Thank you so much!"
"But before that, she needs a name," Sir Topham Hatt said.
"How about "Joy"? Because she is the joy to all of us!" Donald said. The other engines whistled in agreement.
"Then how about her last name?" James asked.
"How about 'North Western' for North Western Railway?" Gordon suggested.
"But we work at the 'Little Western Railway', Gordon. It didn't stand to represent all of us," Duck, Donald, and Douglas protested.
"Then how about.. 'Western'? To represent Sir Topham Hatt's railway," Edward suggested. The others puffed and whistled in agreement.
"So your name is 'Joy Western' now. What do you think?" Timothy asked to the girl in question. Everyone quiet down to hear her response. The little girl grinned widely and said...
"That is a great name! I love it! And I'm grateful that I can stay with you all from now on!" the little girl or rather 'Joy' said excitedly. The engines and the passengers cheered while Sir Topham Hatt smiled and chuckled. He knew that his engines will take a good care of her. And now 'the little girl' are known as...
Joy Western...
Finally! A Thomas and Friends fanfiction! I hope you guys like it, because it contains my oc and my favorite engines, which are Edward, Duck, Donald, Douglas, and Timothy! I hope the concepts are not too weird, I just want to see the engines interact more with the children as their family by adopting Joy. So.. I hope you enjoy it! Hopefully you can comment, like, or follow because it will really make my day! Thank you for reading! See you in the next chapter!