15 minutes later, Thomas entered Cronk station with the trucks in tow. Toby was right by.

"Ah, hello Thomas. Hello Christopher. Glad to be together again, are you?" the old tram engine asked politely.

Thomas was about to respond when Percy approached came up with Christopher in his cab. The boy leapt off onto the platform saying "Oh, you can say that."

"Christopher?! But if you were on Percy than who was just driving Thomas?" Toby asked, genuinely curious.

"Myself!" Thomas answered excitedly.

"What?!"

"You heard right!" Percy chirped in.

"But no engine on this island has ever pulled a train by himself."

"Except one! And you're looking at him! Brilliant idea, Christopher!"

"Wait, wait! This was YOUR idea?!" Toby asked Christopher.

"Uh-huh," the lad responded enthusiastically.

"It was amazing too! It was like I was in control! Like I was on my own! Like I was…."

"Human?" Christopher finished for him. Thomas froze at his suggestion.

"I….I suppose so," he replied. Suddenly, an unexpected voice was heard coming outside the station.

"What is all this I'm hearing?" It was Sir Brown.

It was from there that Thomas explained everything; Christopher making him pull the train by himself, him finding the proper speed and deciding which route to take, and even Christopher hopping from his cab. Sir Brown's reaction however was not what anyone else expected. He turned angrily at Christopher.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?! Do you reckon Thomas could have gotten in an accident because of you? I knew I shouldn't have let you drive him!" he growled and walked towards him.

"But he…"

"You're lucky the Germans are still bombing Britain or you'd be back there in a heartbeat!"

"Sir, it's all right!" Thomas piped in excitedly. "I can pull a train all by myself! Just think what else I can do on my own."

Sir Brown had now response to his statement. His face adopted a sadder, more melancholy look.

"That's…..wonderful, Thomas," he replied and sadly walked back to the station. Christopher was shocked by his absolute lack of joy and pride in Thomas.

"Um…sir," Percy said, causing Sir Brown to stop. "Since Thomas can drive all by himself… would it be unfair if…"

Sir Brown sighed.

"A week. Engines can drive on their own for a week. After that. You're back to being driven. Is that clear?" he said before walking back into the station.

"Crystal, sir!" Percy responded excitedly. He and Toby chugged away, leaving Christopher and Thomas there at the station.

"I just don't understand…why isn't he happy?!" the boy asked, still flabbergasted.

"He's just concerned for my safety is all."

"So he expects you to be his son forever?"

"Hey, I will always be his son."

"Well a 'father' should be celebrating his 'son's' successes."

"That's enough, Christopher! He's always been like this, all right? For as long as I can remember."

"As long as you can remember."

"Yes!"

"From when you were born."

"EXACTLY from when I was born."

That night, when there was a buzz of excitement throughout that the shed at the prospect of the engines driving themselves starting tomorrow, Thomas was ruminating on a particular memory of his. One that he has always treasured; when he first met Sir Brown.

He had opened the eyes that he had just gained. He was on a track, just a few feet away from a cliff. Right next to him, a tall, thin man was sitting on the ground, sobbing. He had never met this man before, but he somehow knew what it meant to hear such crying; that the man was deeply upset about something and he couldn't bear to hear it. He had to say something to help him.

"Excuse me….are you all right,"

The man froze upon hearing his voice. He slowly turned around and he jumped up upon the sight; his red puffy eyes the size of saucers.

"And here, Thomas, is your big sister, Jane."

Right by him was a young, pretty girl with auburn hair and blue eyes. She appeared to be quite flabbergasted herself upon meeting her "brother".

"In a few days, she'll also be your driver. She just needs to do some research is all," Sir Brown said.

"Hello there, Jane!" Thomas said, showing his wonderful smile. Her returning smile wasn't quite as enthusiastic.

"…hi," she said meekly.

"This whole island is mine to explore?"

"Of course it is, Thomas!" Sir Brown was in his cab as he chugged along on a grassy field on their way to Maron.

"Can we go there to the left at this fork, then?"

"Um…..except there. You must never go there."

Thomas realized that there was one mystery for him to solve tomorrow…