My Sweet Sentinel

Chapter 14: Molly's way out

Dart hadn't been able to sleep much that night, his eyes snapped open as he felt Salty's soft morning kiss. He had been lost in thought.

"Good morning, first mate." The dockside diesel whispered softly. "I didn't mean to startle ya."

"It's ok, captain. I just…" Dart jawned. "Ok, I might as well tell you everything. I really need some advice… and I would normally have asked Den, but… you know…" he grinned goofily.

"You don't have to hide it anymore, Dart. I know how you feel, or felt, about Den." Salty smiled, even if his eyes had a spark of insecurity in them.

"I AM over him, I promise." Dart coupled up to him, pulling him closer. "It just takes a while to adjust. And there is something broken between him and I, our friendship might never be the same again."

Dart brushed his lips over Salty's chin, trying to ensure the other engine that he owned his heart, and that Den was no threat to them.

The red diesel responded to his affection, kissing him until his axles tingled. Dart looked up at him with glossy eyes, licking his lips. Salty was awakening feelings in him that he thought he didn't even have. He pushed his buffers against Salty's, hungry for more, but the dockside diesel stopped him.

"Later, first mate. We're not alone…" Salty chuckled softly. "What were you going to tell me?"

Dart had to shake his front to snap out of it. "I… uhh… I forgot…"

Then he caught a glimpse of something yellow between some trucks. "Oh, right… ok… Listen, captain. I really need your help…"

Salty had listened to his story without interrupting him, and now he was staring thoughtfully into the horizon.

"I wish I had a simple solution for you, me hearty." the red diesel murmured. His mind was working hard, trying to come up with something, but he had to admit he was blank.

"I really want to help poor Molly. She doesn't deserve this. And… if she gets happier, I'm sure it will solve the problem with Arry too. He is moody because Molly is miserable, and he can't help her…It really eats him." Dart said low, throwing a glance at Molly who was picking up some trucks nearby.

Salty closed his eyes, sighing heavy.

"James will never change…" he mumbled. "And I doubt Sir Topham Hatt will listen to any of us. James is one of his favorites."

"What if we get any of the other steamies to talk to him? He is sure to listen to them, right?" Dart lit up. If they could get Henry, Gordon or any of the others to…

"Sorry to pull you back to earth, first mate… but do you really think any of them would help Arry?" Salty said, glancing at him.

"N-no… but… they would help Molly, right?" Dart wasn't ready to throw the idea away just yet.

"And how are we going to make them believe that James is abusing her? Molly won't tell… and James won't let them know the truth. They will only think that this is the work of a jealous ironworker, trying to blackmail James, so he can get Molly himself…" Salty said glumly.

Dart slumped low. Salty was right. It wouldn't work.

"Then we have to think of something else…" he stated. He was determined to help Molly, no matter what. She didn't deserve living in fear and pain.

"Aye." Salty nodded, he was already thinking it through. The situation seemed impossible, but the dockside diesel had not yet encountered a problem he couldn't solve.

"The difficult is possible, the impossible is just another challenge." he said, smiling sly. He was going to figure this out, no matter how long it would take.

"I knew I could count on you!" Dart said, kissing his cheek before he took off in the direction of the dieselworks. He had promised to help Den out today.

Den and Dart were working side by side, it felt almost like the good, old days. Dart felt relieved, nothing had changed between them. Their friendship was the same as always.

Dart had even started to enjoy Mavis' frequent visits. The black quarry diesel was cheerful and vivid, and impossible to dislike. And she didn't seem to carry any grudge towards him for his hostile behavior earlier. She made Den happy, and that was all that mattered to Dart. It didn't hurt to see them together anymore. He had someone too. Salty. He always spent the nights at the docks now, even after a long day at the dieselworks, he would drive all the way to Brendam, just to buffer up to his beloved dockside diesel.

Mavis was helping them out today, she was pulling trucks with scrap and broken parts away, cleaning up the yard. Diesel 10 was loading them for her.

The harmony was broken as Daisy came thundering into the yard, crying like there was no tomorrow.

"Daisy?" the four diesels said in unison as the railcar screeched to a stop.

Mavis drove over, trying to calm the heartbroken, green diesel.

"What's the matter?" she asked gently.

Den, Dart and Diesel 10 slid up beside them, worried.

"It's… M-molly!" Daisy sobbed violently. "She was… such a… wonderful friend… and… and... now she is… gone!"

"G-gone?" Dart yelped. "Did she run away?"

"No!" Daisy sniffled, tear running down her face, making her mascara run. She looked terrible, but nobody seemed to notice. They were all too focused on what she was trying to tell them.

"That… that red asshole!" Daisy continued. "He… went too far! And she… she…"

"Oh my…" Mavis choked out. "Did he… kill her?"

"No…" the railcar laid down, unable to stand on her wheels any longer. "She… took her own life. She… she…"

Den and Diesel 10 exchanged stares, shocked over what they just had heard.

"How?" Dart managed to ask after a while, his whole chassis was trembling now. He had failed. Failed Molly… he hadn't been able to help her in time. He had been too late.

"It's not your fault, Dart." Den whispered, as if he had read his mind. "Nobody could have foreseen that it would go this far."

"Still…" Dart felt broken inside. "Poor Molly…"

"She… went into a building site…"Daisy sobbed. "A new section of railway is being built there. They were using explosives… and she stood there and waited... until the warning signal sounded, and it was too late to stop her. Then she ran straight into the… the…"

"It's ok, Daisy… we understand." Mavis stopped her, not wanting to hear the details. Molly had been a friend of her too. Not a close friend, but it was painful to hear about her demise.

"She can't be repaired!" Daisy said low. "There is… nothing left. Just parts… scattered around and… Oh my God… poor Molly!"

The yard was silent, incredibly silent. Even the birds had stopped tweeting. It was as if time itself had stopped for a moment.

Dart looked up at the sky. What would happen now? Would James finally get what he deserved? There had to be witnesses to what he had done to the poor girl… or was Daisy the only one who knew?

He closed his eyes, feeling a tear tickling his cheek. No matter what the others said, he still felt like he had failed Molly.

"I knew what she was going through… but I didn't do anything. I was trying to think of a solution, but… it took too long. I failed her." Daisy said.

"Me too…" Mavis mumbled.

"We all failed her…" Dart said low, the sorrow felt overwhelming.

Diesel 10 clenched his claw, this was the first time he had heard the story, and it angered him. Extremely. Even if it was a steamie…

"We should have ganged up on him…" he growled, putting everyone's thoughts into words.

"It's too late now…"Dart choked out. "Nothing can bring her back."

"Nothing…" Daisy whispered, not caring if her tears ruined her make-up. She had lost one of her best friends. Her make-up could be replaced, but Molly could not.

"I need a moment…" Dart said, driving out of the works. He needed Salty now. He needed a buffer to cry on.

Tears stung his eyes as he entered the docks, it was very quiet, as if work had been stopped.

Salty and Porter were parked in their shed, both looked sad. The news had reached them too.

Dart buffered up to Salty, leaning his forehead against his, crying silently.

"We failed her…" he whispered, sniffling.

"Aye." Salty whispered back with a pained expression. "We did."

To be continued….