Thomas had stayed out all night searching for the Rail Bandits again. He was exhausted.
"I don't get it! I've searched all over the island, and they're just gone!" He rolled to a halt at a signal, which was stationed alongside a road. Thomas yawned loud and long, and began to fall asleep.
"Maybe a quick rest will help me find them…" Thomas' eyes shut, but he was woken up by the sound of loud sirens. His eyes jerked to the road, and saw a long line of police cars speeding down the road. He raised an eyebrow.
"Where are they going?" As soon as the signal dropped, Thomas began following the police cars along the line up to Ulfstead Castle. Up ahead, Rosie was rolling along when she heard the sirens too, and Thomas sped by.
"Oh no." She sped after him and the police cars as well.
Up at the castle, Harvey had just hauled the dejected and damaged Samson back. Connor and Caitlin were in the platform, and alarmed to see him.
"Samson, are you alright?" Caitlin asked. Harvey looked back to his dejected passenger, who was simply staring at the ground. Before anyone could say anything, the loud sound of police sirens sounded out and several cars came zooming up the hill. The engines all watched as the cars stopped just outside the platform. Suddenly, Millie's whistle sounded out and the little engine arrived with Sir Robert on board. The Earl stepped down and frantically ran over.
"Oh, thank goodness, the police!" The small and large officers from earlier, along with a squad of several others, walked over towards the Earl.
"We came as soon as we got the call." The smaller officer said. The Earl clutched his scalp.
"Last night, Samson was attacked and very valuable artwork was stolen! I don't know what to do-" As the Earl spoke to the police, Thomas raced up the line towards the castle.
"What's going on?" Thomas asked. Harvey looked to Samson, and then back to Thomas.
"Samson got attacked last night. The Earl is working with the police to try to figure out what happened." Thomas looked to Samson.
"Did you see who attacked you, Samson?" Samson sighed and spoke a few words.
"Very dark. Looked like firebox behind cab." He continued looking down at the ground. Thomas briefly thought for a moment.
"There's only one engine on Sodor like that…but it couldn't possibly be him! Were you blinded?"
"No." Thomas stopped for a moment.
"The Rail Bandits always blind the engines they attack…maybe this was a copycat?" Suddenly, a shrill horn sounded out and Roy zoomed in, with Detective Regan on board. Behind him was the Fat Controller in his car. Behind them was Rosie.
"Great. She's here." Thomas grumbled as Rosie rolled alongside. Rosie panted.
"Thomas! Lucian told me something odd about Jeb and Bon-"
"Rosie, this is serious! Samson was attacked was last, I don't have anymore time for your conspiracy theories!" Thomas rolled away to speak with Roy and Detective Regan, leaving Rosie to groan. She sped along after him towards the police.
"Honestly…" As Rosie rolled along, Harvey looked at Samson. The tank engine simply stared out into space, expressionless. Rosie rolled alongside Thomas, who was watching the Earl speak to the police, while the Fat Controller stood alongside.
"…And I find Harvey on a siding, Samson crashed, and my artwork stolen!" The Earl finished. Detective Regan finished writing a sentence on his notepad. He looked up.
"Sounds like the Rail Bandits alright." The detective said, "Did Samson see his attacker?" The Earl sighed.
"He says it looked like the engine's firebox was behind its cab." The Fat Controller raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds like Slim Jim's engine, Jeb…but it can't possibly be him, can it?" Rosie spoke up from behind Thomas.
"Sir, I-"
"Quiet, Rosie." Thomas snapped.
"No, Thomas! I'm sick of you not listening to me-" However, Detective Regan cut her off.
"Sir Topham? Are there any important trains heading out tonight?" The Fat Controller furrowed his brow.
"Yes; The express. What are you suggesting?" Detective Regan wrote something down.
"I think if we play our cards right, we could bait these bandits out into the open." He said, "We could have Gordon act as a trap." The Fat Controller tapped his chin.
"If it will finally bring these bandits to justice, I'll do it." He said.
"If you aren't the bandit…" Roy muttered, more unsure of himself than usual. Detective Regan shot him a sharp glance, and the buggy silenced. Thomas spoke up again.
"Sir, The Rail Bandits-"
"That's quite enough, Thomas." The Fat Controller said, "Don't you and Rosie have work to do?" As the Fat Controller, Earl, and police discussed the evening's plans, Thomas and Rosie reversed away.
"Thomas, there's no one besides Slim Jim, Jeb, and Bonnie who could be the Bandits at this point! Why won't you believe me?" Rosie insisted. Thomas rolled his eyes.
"I don't believe you because you haven't nearly done all the investigating I have!"
"You haven't found anything!"
"Well, I don't spend my time knocking over bridges and closing branch lines!" Rosie was becoming increasingly irritated.
"Thomas, more important things are at stake!" Thomas, however, braked, leaving Rosie to keep reversing down the hill. Thomas snuck back up towards the Fat Controller and the police.
"Stake…" He thought, and listened in.
"We'll stakeout at Knapford and follow after Gordon." Detective Regan said to the Fat Controller, "Then we can catch this criminal once and for all." Thomas grinned.
"Stake-out." He chuckled, and began to make a plan…
That evening, the police spoke to Oliver at the Steamworks before going to stakeout at Knapford.
"Are you sure you didn't see them?" The smaller officer asked. Oliver sighed.
"No. They blinded me before I could get a glimpse." The larger officer wrote something down before the smaller officer spoke up again.
"Thank you for your time, Oliver." They turned around, but Oliver called out.
"Wait!" The two officers looked over their shoulders.
"Please…find Toad." The larger officer looked at the smaller one before speaking.
"We'll do our best." They got in their car, and drove away, leaving Oliver behind. The Great Western Engine stared at the night sky, miserable. Victor saw him, and rolled alongside.
"Are you going to be alright, Oliver?" He asked. Oliver looked to him.
"Hm? Oh, yes. I'll be fine, Victor. Thanks." Victor took a deep breath.
"Just…tell me if you need anything." He then rolled away. Oliver looked up at the full moon and sighed again. Somewhere, he heard the tune of a guitar playing a peaceful tune, and began to sing to it.
"Why did we have to fight, like we did?
And why were you stolen away?
I just want us to be together again
And I'm missing you by the day." Oliver imagined a constellation of Toad in the night sky, which he tearfully sang to.
"If I could find you, Toad, I'd try and I'd try
To show that our friendship is true." The Toad constellation slowly faded away, leaving only formless stars in the night sky. Oliver, looking down at the ground, continued his tune.
"There's no friends like those on Sodor
No friends like me and you."
Elsewhere, Rosie was sleeping in her shed in the shunting yards when she heard a whistle and saw a familiar blue tank engine racing by.
"Thomas, where are you going?" She called, but Thomas either ignored her or couldn't hear her. She sighed, and began singing the same tune Oliver had.
"Why won't you ever listen to me
Even though I just want to help?"
"I miss you, Toad…" Oliver sang from the Steamworks, ringing out over Rosie.
"If I want to make things just like they were before
I'll have to do it myself…
And though I know you can do it, I have to as well
And soon you'll no longer be blue
Cause there's no friends like those on Sodor" She looked away from where Thomas had gone by. Elsewhere, Oliver joined in on singing the next lyric.
"No friends like me and you."
Harvey had just dropped Samson off at the rear of the Steamworks, and was preparing to return home. However, Samson was still staring dejectedly at the ground, and Harvey felt sorry for him. He sighed and reversed towards him.
"Samson! Samson! Are ye alright?" Samson looked to Harvey.
"Oh yeah, Harvey, I'm fine." He muttered, and looked away. Harvey frowned.
"Samson, what's wrong?" Samson took a deep shaky breath.
"They're right, Harvey. They're all right. I completely ruined the Earl's trust in me. I'm just an idiot who couldn't pull a train properly if I tried." He forced out.
"Samson, that's nae true!" Harvey interrupted. Samson frowned.
"Yes it is."
"Nae, it's not!" To Samson's surprise, Harvey began signing, the same tune that Rosie and Oliver had.
"So what if ye muddle up once or twice,
And ye say the quite wrong thing to say?" Samson still looked dejected, leaving Harvey to swing his crane arm towards him, looking like he was putting his arm around him.
"Ye can't on keep moping over yesterday's mishaps,"
"But how can I look at today's?" Samson interrupted. Harvey smiled, and swiveled his arm back towards the night sky.
"Samson, I don't knae how they do things on the mainland,
But I'm sure that ye'll have to concede
There are nae friends like those on Sodor,
Nae friends like ye and me." Harvey smiled at Samson, who smiled back weakly.
"No friends like those on Sodor?" He asked. Harvey smirked.
"Ye know that I'm here, and speak true." He sang. Samson smiled.
"There are no friends like those on Sodor." He sang, reassuring himself. Harvey grinned, and the two sang together.
"No friends like me and you." However, Samson frowned again as the music began to calm down. Harvey smiled a little smaller, and sang again.
"Let me bear your load..."
"There's so much more I could have shown…" Samson continued.
"Thomas, listen to my ode!" Rosie sang from the shunting yards.
"I miss you Toad…" Oliver sang from the front of the Steamworks.
"No friends like those on Sodor." They all sang together. Oliver then sang, alone again.
"No friends like me…
And you." Oliver sighed shakily, and managed to drift off to sleep as the music reached a calming ending, the guitar strumming out a final chord. Rosie went back to sleep in her shed, and Harvey rolled away, leaving a less melancholy Samson behind. But where was Thomas the Tank Engine?
And now, the aftermath of the other parts of Jeb's plan! "No Friends Like Those on Sodor" was the first song I wrote for the special, and it's ironically the last original one to be sung. Writing more Oliver, Samson, and Harvey is always great, and seeing Samson at his lowest is something I've really yet to do. However, Harvey comes through as a friend, and this really strengthens their dynamic. As for Thomas? Well, see what happens to him with his plan in August 27th's twelfth chapter; Trainnapped!
On another note; the narration of Don't Loo About is now on SoundCloud! Check it out!
