When Donald and Douglas heard from Ryan about Thomas' ultimate abuse, the news spread rapidly along the island. Donald came up to Henry and whispered about Thomas and the Fat Controller. "Pass it on," he said. The word spread to almost every engine except Gordon, Edward and Emily. Gordon was still beaming in pride with the express, Edward was too busy on his Branch Line and Emily was at Tidmouth Sheds. Wherever the Fat Controller was, the engines stared crossly at him, saying nothing. The Fat Controller didn't think much of it as he was still fuming over Thomas' apparent behavior.
"Hey, Douggie," said Donald suddenly. "We still haven't alerted one important engine…that lovely emerald one." The twins went to see Emily right away at Tidmouth Sheds.
"Emily!" called Douglas. "Something has happened, and it's terrible!"
Emily heard the whole story from Donald and Douglas of Thomas saving Ryan but then how the Fat Controller sent him to the shed for the afternoon. She even heard that Thomas was crying, "like a poor, lost child," in his shed. Emily couldn't believe her controller had been so ignorant.
"I don't know him anymore..." she thought.
As the twins huffed away, she left the sheds for her evening train, feeling very sad. When she reached Knapford, her eyes turned to the Fat Controller, who was still grumbling to himself about Thomas' "destructive behavior." Her sadness for her star gave way as she watched him frowning the same way he did to Thomas several times since this mess began. He had driven his No. 1 engine to tears for saving a new engine's life and he was still refusing to listen to him. He didn't even think to ask Ryan or the vehicles what happened!
As she imagined how miserable, lonely and defenseless Thomas felt, Emily's face formed an infuriated scowl and her eyes felt like fireballs. The Fat Controller was still convinced he was right, she could tell…She wondered about Thomas' words about the ship when she brought him to the Steamworks...he was completely ignored by his own controller! It pained her to remember when he was ridiculed for trying to uncover the treasure Salty told him of years ago…But after being wrongfully punished, Thomas was feeling the same pain Emily felt when Gordon and James tortured her, and it was time for her to help him out by defending him...just like he defended her from 'Arry and Bert's cruel bullying.
The Fat Controller was refusing to notice the facts and Emily knew she had to step in and stop him before he did something to drive Thomas away from Sodor…and from her forever. She knew what she was about to do may look questionable but it was for the right reasons to somewhat regain Thomas' happiness. The Fat Controller was just crossing the track to the other platform when she carried out her plan...He would not hurt her star anymore.
"Sir-Bertram-Topham-Hatt!" Usually, Emily was respectful to her controller. But after what he did to Thomas, she didn't trust him. Her voice sounded almost poisonous. The Fat Controller turned at Emily's call, only for her to charge him, making him stagger back and fall over onto the tracks as she stopped with her front wheels just a few inches away from him. Emily then let off a big blast of steam and the wind blew it onto the Fat Controller, soaking him from head to toe.
"What do you think you're DOING?!" Emily shouted, not bothering to check if anyone was around...something in her wanted someone to know this. The Fat Controller gazed into her flaming eyes.
"What has happened to you?! The Sir Topham Hatt I knew when I was still suffering gave praise for good work, listened to those in need and cared about other's feelings! Donald and Douglas told me what REALLY happened and you just brought Thomas, your No. 1 engine, my true love...to tears! Can't you see how troubled he is at you not listening to him?!"
"Emily," the Fat Controller said after a moment, still very stern and slightly stubborn. "Thomas almost destroyed Ryan! He only makes more excuses and-"
"DON'T-YOU-DARE-BRING-THAT-UP!" Emily screamed as she surged forward, making the Fat Controller yelp. "Thomas didn't mean to derail the express coaches! He took them from Gordon because he called Thomas a 'silly little tank engine'. I understand Thomas needed to learn a lesson for being careless…but he only tried blaming me and Gordon because he was very scared of what you would say or do to him. Everyone gets scared if they do something wrong. He also found that blasted ship but you refused to listen to him and you selfishly gave Rocky the credit! And just today, Donald and Douglas told me he saved Ryan's life by pushing him into a siding and shunting the dynamite down the cavern!"
The Fat Controller slowly lost his stern expression as Emily kept confronting him...
"Did you ask the diggers or Ryan what they knew before you made your choice? Did you even give Thomas a chance to tell his side of the story?! NO!" Her scowl grew colder and darker, and her axles began to shake with her fury. For the first time, the Fat Controller looked and felt very frightened. "You punished him without thinking to listen and just sent the diggers back to work, leaving them to feel sad! I agree that hearing 'it's not my fault,' sounds like an excuse, but that time, Thomas actually meant it! THOMAS IS NOT DESTRUCTIVE!" She barked. At this moment, Emily was so close to her controller, her front wheels were just barely touching his feet, but she was careful not to move any closer.
"You've been too hard and overprotective of late, sir. Right now, you're acting more like Diesel 10 than Thomas ever has since he found the pirate ship, or ever in his life! You've been mistreating him and practically BULLYING him just like Gordon and James bullied ME! You said it was your job to ensure that there is peace among us all…What RUBBISH, you top-hatted charlatan!"
Looking at the plain, crystal-clear humiliation and shame on the Fat Controller's face, Emily knew that she had won. At least he listened to the facts...for once, and Emily had gotten her point across perfectly. Still very angry, Emily reversed roughly, leaving Sir Topham Hatt free to get back up as she glared at him again, intending on finding Thomas so she could calm down and hopefully help him feel better. Now she spoke very quietly…and very dangerously.
"Think about your recent actions, Sir...Topham...Hatt," she said, darkly. "Think long and hard about how you treat Thomas when you next see him, because he thinks you don't want him anymore...we've almost lost him twice before, after Stanley arrived and when he drifted off to Misty Island. We were lucky to get him back…but if you're not careful, the Island of Sodor, or even worse, I could lose Thomas...forever…and if that happens, Emma's dying request will be shattered, and I will never, EVER forgive you. Diesel 10 had to hear these words; now you'll hear them too: YOU will put right everything you damaged! Now go apologize to Thomas this INSTANT! SAY YOU'RE SORRY!" Emily snarled as she steamed away in a huff to hopefully find Thomas. While taking her train, she stopped and saw Edward, looking hard at her.
"Emily, I heard what happened back there...why did you do it?" he asked.
"…I defended Thomas from horrific bullying by our controller! I'll tell you more later," Emily said abruptly, leaving Edward surprised.
Meanwhile, he Fat Controller returned to the Harwick construction site to regain at least some of Thomas' confidence. But Thomas wasn't in his shed. "Thomas has run off for the docks, sir," said a worried Ryan. "Why?" griped the Fat Controller. "He said if leaving Sodor will satisfy you, he'll make it so," panicked Ryan. The Fat Controller was silent for a full minute...
"Oh no," he finally said. He dashed back to his car and left immediately. Emily had just delivered her train and was feeling a little better. "Oh, if you could see me now, Thomas…" Suddenly, the Fat Controller pulled up. "Emily! You have to come with me, now! Thomas is on his way to the docks! We've got to go after him!"
"Oh no!" cried Emily. "To the docks and hurry!" she panicked and steamed off as fast as she could while the Fat Controller sped alongside her.
Emily sped up until she was going almost as fast as Caitlin, her wheels rang against the rails like the Flatbeds of Fear and sparks leapt from her funnel. She knew the Fat Controller would reach the docks first…there were some diverting tracks and she was still a considerable distance away. The Fat Controller saw a shortcut road and swerved onto it. He could see the docks up ahead. "Oh, I hope we're not too late!" he and Emily trembled together.
Cranky had just lowered his crane harness down to Thomas and the workmen started securing him. "Alright, Thomas…I hope this will be worth the time and effort...unlike with Rosie and Percy," he cranked.
"It WILL be, Cranky," Said Thomas firmly. "I'm leaving Sodor, to escape the Fat Controller's unfairness and his snobby big engines."
Cranky was taken a little aback by this. "Thomas…you might be wrong..." he said gently, with some concern and care. But Thomas' frown made him be quiet and he began lifting him.
The Fat Controller reached the Docks. He screeched to a halt, just as Cranky lifted Thomas up off the tracks. The Fat Controller pushed and jostled through some workmen, barged into the Dock manager's office and grabbed the loudspeaker. Cranky had lifted Thomas as high as he could and was just about to turn round to lower him onto the ship when…
"STTOOOOPPP!" A deep, familiar voice split the air.
Cranky was so surprised, his arm jolted Thomas halfway down. A huge wave crashed loudly against the harbour port. "Cranky, put Thomas down!" the Fat Controller demanded.
"NEVER!" burst out Thomas as a lighthouse beam flashed on his paintwork, and his voice was a loud as the waves. "You rob my Branch Line, let Gordon escape red-handed, ignore my ship explanation and ignorantly punish me for saving Ryan's life! You don't want me, I'll get rid of myself and join all my brothers…and Emma!" Thomas shrieked in anger, then started to cry at mentioning Emma. Everyone at the Docks, Salty, Porter, the workmen and Cranky fell silent.
Thomas…" said the Fat Controller gently as the clouds slowly parted, revealing beautiful rays of the setting sun. "Please…listen to me. Emily gave me a good scolding. She told me what really happened and why."
Thomas was surprised. "What did she tell you?" he asked.
The Fat Controller began to tear up. "She told me that Gordon teased you into upsetting the coaches, that you were only trying to blame him and her because you were scared. I can understand that now. She told me that you really did find the ship, for which I am now proud of you, and that Donald and Douglas told her you were saving Ryan from certain destruction by pushing him away from the dynamite while you shunted it into the cavern. I'm so sorry for not listening to you and being so unfair. I DO want you here, Thomas…" He then took a handkerchief out and blew his nose loudly.
When he recovered, he continued more calmly. "I was just upset with all the delays that had occurred during those accidents...and I wanted to help you get over your cheeky behavior. I didn't mean to make you think I wanted Ryan as my No. 1. That is not true at all. You are Sodor's No. 1 and always will be, no matter how cross I get with you. I brought Ryan to run the Harwick Branch Line, but he came too early, so I thought letting him run your Branch Line would help him learn until you came home again from construction."
Thomas was astonished. "Do...do you mean, sir…when the new line opens, I will come back to the main line and you will give me my Branch Line back?"
The Fat Controller smiled. "Yes. You will come home upon completion of the new line…and of course I'll give you your Branch Line back! These things take time, and everyone must wait their turn. Meanwhile, though, I'm sorry, Thomas…" He was close to crying again. "I'm eternally, sorry. Please come down...come home. It's what Emma would want. Remember what she told you?"
Thomas looked back to that day…"You have a famous branch line and a wonderful home, please cherish them forever." Emma had said. Thomas didn't sob out loud, but tears soaked his face yet again as he realized he almost neglected his late sister's request.
The clouds had now completely disappeared and the sunset was now shining brightly on Thomas, illuminating him in a beautiful orange glow. He heard Emma's voice in his head. "I live on inside you, Thomas. I understand how you felt, but you must never turn your back on Sodor. You are No. 1 and your controller relies on you to keep us alive in you." Thomas was now fully convinced his controller loved him and admired him with great dignity and prosperity. He finally smiled himself.
"...Cranky, put me down, please."
"…Grrr…CURSES! I should have known this would happen again!" bellowed Cranky as he lowered Thomas back down. "Everyone makes mistakes, Cranky," said Thomas.
Emily puffed into the Docks just as Thomas touched the rails again. She instantly started sobbing with overwhelming relief and happiness. "SIR! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she spluttered. Then, she looked at Thomas..."My darling cobalt star! Thomas! THOMAS!"
"EMILY!" squealed Thomas.
"OH, THOMAS, THANK HEAVENS YOU'RE STILL HERE!" Emily wailed as she rushed forward, buffered up to Thomas and showered his face with kisses. Then they cried happily for several minutes, their warm tears dabbing onto each other's faces. "Oh, Emily! You're my hero!" Thomas echoed Caitlin's words when Emily saved her, much to her delight.
When they both calmed down and stopped crying, the Fat Controller addressed them. "Emily, if you please, take Thomas back to the Harwick construction site. The work there is nearly finished. Tomorrow, I'll send Ryan to collect more dynamite to finish the blasting. And you, Thomas, will perform your last duty there…you will take construction waste to Whiff's Waste Dump. Then I'll let you work on the main line until Harwick's Branch Line opens. After that, you can go back to your Branch Line."
"Oh…thank you sir…for everything!" whistled Thomas. "I'll work hard and responsibly too!"
"Excellent!" chuckled the Fat Controller.
By nightfall, Emily had brought Thomas back to the construction site. "Ohh…oh…thank you so much, Emily…what would I do without you, my beautiful emerald angel?" Thomas breathed. "Aww," said Emily. "Always happy to help you, my cobalt star. That's what loved ones are for. Besides…It's a wonderful way of repaying you for saving me."
"I thought so," smiled Thomas. "I'll always support you, Tommy, just as you support me," Emily cooed.
Then her soft, warm, sweet lips intertwined with Thomas' and they both melted into it completely, after all the struggling and suffering they had been dealt with these last few days, this wonderful kiss was precisely what they needed to feel, when they added their tongues to the mix, things could not be more perfect. At last, after ten whole minutes they pulled away, staring into each other's twinkling, sparkling eyes in the moonlight. "I love you, Emily…I'll always love you…You have made me the happiest engine in the whole world…"
"I love you too, Thomas…I feel just the same way, and I promise, we'll be together again after you finish up here and when this line opens." She paused for a moment. "Um...Thomas, you can say no, but…would you like me to sleep here with you tonight?" she asked.
"I'd love that, Emily," smiled Thomas. "However…after you helped me today, I'm so happy, I think I can endure one or two nights alone. We've survived a few nights alone in the past." Emily knew that. She was OK with his feelings. "OK. One or two nights isn't bad. I'll have the other engines keeping me company," she smiled.
"That-a-girl," said Thomas, dotting her cheek with a kiss. "Goodnight, angel."
"Goodnight, star," Emily smiled, as she softly kissed the love-spot on his cheek. As she left, she sang out, "I love you, Tommy!"
"I love you too, Em!" Thomas called back.
Duck, Ryan, Donald and Douglas came later and settled down to sleep too…apart from Thomas. He had heard Skiff pass by and went out to meet his new friends again. Sailor John was checking the map when he saw Thomas arrive with a beaming smile.
"Ahh, glad you could make it, me hearty," laughed Sailor John. "You'll be really useful you shall."
"Especially if we lose the wind again," added Skiff.
Thomas laughed with Skiff. "Always happy to be really useful, Sailor John," he smiled. "Did you get the shovel?"
"Shovel? Oh…We got the shovel alright," replied Sailor John, examining the map. "Hmm…I can't say for sure…" He inquired, stifling a chuckle. "…but it looks to me like the treasure should be buried over that way. Shall we sail on? Thomas, could you be the wind in our sails again, matey?"
Thomas immediately obliged and began pushing Skiff and Sailor John into the night. By now, Thomas was feeling much better. He had some reassurance from the Fat Controller, thanks to his angel and he was even more eager to help his sea friends. As they went, Sailor John spread his arms and glided along with the breeze. He even gave Thomas a chance to look through the spyglass. Through it, Thomas could see the "Red X," where the treasure was to be buried. The first location the map directed them to was a rock. At first, Sailor John was puzzled, then he got an idea.
He got a rope and anchored it to the rock, then tied the other end to Skiff. Then Thomas, pulling hard, helped shift the rock away. While he circled round the line to face the right way, Thomas was observing the map as it flapped in front of him, then it blew onto Skiff. Thomas gave him a wink. Upon returning, Sailor John ignited Skiff's headlight where the rock once stood and Thomas shone his light on the same spot. Now, Sailor John could begin his treasure hunt.
While the pirate dug his way in, Thomas grew amazed and excited. After discovering the ship, he couldn't wait to lay eyes on the treasure…and tell Emily about it when he got the chance. Suddenly, Sailor John's shovel came loose and cracked off the handle. Right away, Thomas was gliding along the line with Skiff. When they came back, Skiff was full of shovels and diggers.
Sailor John kept digging, occasionally throwing dirt and stone over his head on Thomas and Skiff, while they merely laughed it off.
Hours passed. Thomas and Skiff kept changing position and Sailor John kept digging…to no avail. While still eager, Thomas was beginning to lose his excitement. Just before dawn, Sailor John had dug ten holes altogether and still, there was no sign of the treasure.
"Ohhhhh! I've dug everywhere now and there ain't no sign of that treasure. But according to the map it should've been here! Unless...someone has beaten us to it...eh, Skiff," said John, looking suspiciously at Thomas. Skiff was confused. "Huh?"
So was Thomas. "What? What are you saying?"
"Oh, I'm not saying anything, but only the three of us have laid eyes upon that map, and I've been with my sailboat night and day," said John, accusingly.
Suddenly, Skiff called to his master. "Day, John! Day!"
Sailor John groaned at those words and Thomas had a feeling they'd be going now. Then Skiff started singing "Day-O," much to the pirates inner annoyance. Almost right away, he griped. "Alright, Skiff! I heard you. I'm coming." Thomas felt unsure. John usually wasn't like this...
"But don't you go thinking this is the end of it, Thomas!"said John, as he pushed one of Skiff's oars into the ground until they started to roll along the rails, with the wind pushing them away from Thomas and past where Marion was sleeping...with the treasure in her shovel. Thomas was now feeling sad and confused. Sad that his new friend was accusing him of finding the treasure himself, but also confused by what he meant by this was the end of it. He puffed away with that thought in his mind.
At that moment, Marion woke up and saw the treasure chest in her shovel. "Oh, yes, I am the shovel master! Queen of the...Oh! Oh, Thomas! Thomas! Guess what's in my shovel? Go on, guess! You'll never..." At that point, both Thomas and Marion bumped into each other, causing Marion to drop the chest on top of Thomas, covering him in gold chains and gold coins. When he realized what it was, Thomas gasped.
"The treasure! Marion, you found it!" exclaimed Thomas, with overwhelming joy.
"You mean, my wish. It came true!" exclaimed Marion, with equally overwhelming joy, as Jack, Alfie and Oliver arrived at the scene and gasped in amazement when they saw the magnificent ancient discovery spewed all over Thomas.
The penultimate chapter his here folks, this was almost entirely written by Jeremy, and I must say that you have done an amazing job Jeremy. With that all said and done, there is only one more chapter folks, so please leave a review and look forward to the grand finale of "Restoring Lost Honour". See ya then!