Chapter 21 – Subtle

'Maybe I like this roller coaster

Maybe it keeps me high

Maybe the speed it brings me closer

I could sparkle up your eye'

Sodor – 2013

The awkward and somber silence had turned joyful as the three engines giggled in unison. "I had almost forgotten how much fun it was to tease him." Erika admitted. There were a few things about her time there that she had forgotten up until recently. "I could tell I was breaking him down even if it was slow going and he resisted me constantly. A brick wall will go down even if all you have if a spoon. As the days went on I could tell I was falling in love. In love with the thrill of it all, the chase, and with him. I'd often come in early to admire him. Sometimes I'd get lucky and he'd be in the middle of a bath." She closed her eyes as the image filled her mind. Sofie and Ivette chuckled as they watched her.

"You vere very much in over your head," Sofie added.

"I was… very much so and I didn't care, though I eventually realized that I may have been coming on too strong."

"Ja, you think?!"

Ivette flashed the two a grin, "Erika has the right idea Sofie. I go about my business that way as well. When I first met Edward, I'd never seen an engine turn so many different shades of red in one day!" she snickered at that, "For some, that's the best way to get to them. Adolf must be much the same."

"Very true!" Erika smirked right back before turning her gaze to Sofie, "I'm straight forward usually, Sofie. But after thinking it over, I decided to try being a bit more… subtle. I figured he'd break faster if I tried to just talk to him without the flirting and dirty talk."

"How'd that go?" Ivette asked, arching a brow.

A small grin formed on the GS-4's red lips, "Well…"

Kollsvik – November 1966

It was another cold evening on Kollsvik, though it never really seemed to get warm so it wasn't really a surprise to any of the island's residents. The largest of the engines that currently dwelled on the island rolled along quietly as she searched for the only other large tender engine for what was possibly a good few hundred miles. She knew he'd be on patrol soon and was hoping to bump into him before his shift so she could talk to him. As outright flirting seemed not to be working all that well she had decided to try a different tactic to try and get him to open up, even if it was just a little. She figured just talking to him without the lewd comments might just work, it was worth a shot.

She found him in a place she really didn't want to be in, the locomotive graveyard, also known as the scrap yards and smelting facility. He was deep within the metallic cemetery being serviced. Like a ruler sitting atop his throne, he surveyed his barren kingdom quietly, ignoring his dirty human servants as they got him ready for the overnight patrol. They worked quickly but carefully for one slip up could harbor the ruler's performance and then they'd have to deal with the goddess of the land. She watched him in silent awe. He was both alpha and omega, he was the only thing that could make her feel small and she kind of liked it. She liked it when he yelled at her, when he glared at her, maybe even when he insulted her. He was indeed king of this island and she wanted nothing more than to rule alongside him as his queen. She wanted to be his mate and run alongside him in the darkness of night. She wanted his affection, his love and if she had to plunge into the darkness to get it then…

His regal demeanor altered into a look of disgust as he spotted the GS-4 not too far off. Unless she was working, and he knew she wasn't, she had no business being this far out. He was well aware of her issues with death and hoped that was enough to keep her at bay. She took a deep breath and did her best to ignore her surroundings as she dared to approach him. The BR59 stared her down coldly. Though he was a bit amused by the fact that she overcame her fear just to piss him off, he was still greatly put off by her presence.

She came to a stop in front of him, though was far back enough to not get in his space, hopefully. The American engine greeted him with a soft smile in spite of the looks she was getting from the workmen. "Hi Addie." She said kindly. As usual he responded with the typical glare which was followed up with awkward silence. She tried not to let it bother her and continued, "How are you?"

The German engine blinked slowly as his glare defaulted to his standard look of annoyance and unamusement.

Erika sighed and frowned softly. "Aren't you going to say anything? Usually by now you're telling me to go away or be quiet... or both."

He continued to stare her down without speaking. It was a good five minutes or so before he finally decided to speak. "Go avay."

"That's more like it!"

"You should be back at zhe sheds vith everyvone else. Now get out of my face and off my line."

"Aw don't be like that. I came to keep you company before you start work."

"Like how a flea keeps a dog company…"

She frowned in response. The things he said amazed her sometimes. He was like a dictionary of insults. If you looked up the word "rude" you'd probably see his picture. "Now that's just rude. I only want to talk."

"I don't. Now go before zhe controller shows up and makes you."

"Pff. That old hag'll be tucked up in bed by now."

He raised an eyebrow at her slightly. "You should not discount a surprise visit from Miss Charlotte so easily, especially since you have been nozhing but a pest since zhe day your drivers touched zhese rails."

"You know…" she said in a wryly tone. "The easiest way to stop me being a pest is to just talk to me."

"Or I can sit here and vatch you get into trouble... again."

"Come on, you can't honestly tell me you like sitting in silence all the time. That's boring!"

Adolf frowned at her. "I'd rather sit in silence zhan be annoyed to death. It may be boring but it ist better zhan breaking rules of vhich you still have little to no grasp of understanding."

"Oh I understand… I just don't care."

"I can see that." He replied dryly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Now go find someone else and make zhem miserable."

"But that's just it. I'm not trying to make you miserable, quite the opposite actually."

Adolf chose not to respond this time and looked ahead as if she wasn't in front of him. He was done talking for now. Erika sighed and looked down briefly. Being flirty only upset and flustered him and trying to have a normal conversation was near impossible. What else was there to do? How could she get through to him?

"Addie, please don't ignore me." Despite her plea, he continued to do so. "Addie, please?" She got no response still and she found herself sighing again, her eyebrows knitted together in sadness as her blue eyes fell to the floor. "I sometimes wonder if you're even capable of a normal conversation…"

"If you haven't figured zhat out by now, zhen you really are a fool."

Erika's eyes shot upwards to meet his again and she glared at him slightly. She was beginning to think he really was incapable of saying anything positive. "You don't constantly have to be mean to people you know...especially when they're trying to be nice."

"I don't need anyvone to be nice to me. Vhat I need is for you to go avay and leave me the hell alone."

"Not gonna happen, baby."

"Oh it vill. Zhere ist only so much she vill put up vith until you'll find yourself on a ship back to your homeland... or vorse."

The GS-4 snorted a bit in response. "I dunno what would be worse really, being scrapped or going home just to be stuck on static display, left in some park somewhere to rust."

"Either vay, you von't be in my space anymore, disturbing my vork. I cannot vait." He actually sounded a little happy after saying that last part.

"Well then, you'll just have to keep waiting because for the time being I'm still here." She paused as a few chuckles escaped from her. "And you'll learn to enjoy my company very, very much."

"I severely doubt zhat, pest."

"Doubt it all you want but you will," she smiled sweetly at him, but even he could see the mischievous look behind it.

"You are like a cockroach. No matter how many times zhey spray, you keep coming back."

"Not the nicest comparison, but true all the same." She chuckled again and grinned.

His face twisted in disgust at her.

"Oh don't make that face." She scolded. "If you keep it up your face will stick that way, and that would be a travesty." However his face remained unchanged. Erika would have shrugged if she could. "Oh well, it's your face."

The workmen soon finished their work which meant it was time to go, thank God. Adolf couldn't have been happier if he tried. He was tired of having to stare at Erika for longer than he was forced to. His lights flickered on dimly and steam hissed from his cylinders. However there was an 800k pound blockade in his way. He frowned at her, "Move."

Erika pouted, "Awww, but I was getting comfy!"

"Get out of zhe vay!"

"Ask nicely first!"

"Vhat…? No, move!"

"Not if you keep asking like that."

"Get out of my vay!" The black engine glared at her, his eyes growing bright in an attempt to blind her.

She yelped and shut her eyes tightly, "Alright, fine!" She backed up into a siding so he could pass. As he rolled by, Adolf made sure to shoot of steam in her direction. "Now that's really rude!" But he ignored her and Erika glared at him as he dissipated into the darkness.

Erika looked down at the tracks before her, she had failed again. He had rejected her, harder than he usually did. Why couldn't he see she had good intentions? Why wouldn't he give her chance? He had nothing to lose. She sighed heavily and sunk down on her drivers. This guy was so hard to figure out. He was cold then he was angry, then he was really angry and she wasn't quite sure why. She was beginning to wonder if she was truly making progress or were they just taking bigger leaps backwards. No, that wasn't true; there was progress even if all he was giving her was negative attention. Even if all he did was yell and insult her, he was treating her differently. What if he was doing it to protect her? What if he was keeping her at bay so either of them wouldn't get hurt? Erika bit her lip, she knew that if they got together and Charlotte found out, she'd be screwed. But she was willing to take that risk; even if it meant she'd get sent home. She had come too far to give up now. She had made up her mind long time ago that this was what she wanted. If they were careful and played their cards right, she was almost certain that they'd be alright in the end. All she had to do was get him to see it that way too.

"You ready to head back, girl?" Todd asked.

"Does Adolf's route just run along the main?" Erika responded with a question of her own.

"Yeah, he goes from one end of the island and back again."

"How long do you think it would take for me to catch up to him?"

Meanwhile Adolf rolled along the rails quietly with the only sounds coming from his pistons and the roaring fire inside his firebox, his silver eyes illuminating the darkness with their eerie white light. The cold November breeze swept past his frame but he was used to it, he found it comforting at times. It was refreshing and allowed him to clear his mind and think, and right now she was in his thoughts again. The realization of it made him cringe. It wasn't the first time she had plagued his thoughts and it probably wouldn't be the last. If this kept up he was going to need some serious therapy. She made him feel things he hadn't felt in decades, feelings that were so suppressed that he thought he was incapable of feeling them. Some of the feelings were completely foreign to him. Though she was starting to wane on him, he wasn't going to admit it publicly. Even if he did, it wouldn't work. In an environment like Kollsvik there was no way they could last. It was too risky and he wasn't sure he could take losing someone he cared for, not again. It was too painful and he had spent too long preventing that from happening, but Erika wasn't a normal girl and he needed to make her realize that it's not worth it before he reached his breaking point.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of another engine approaching and he knew exactly who it was. He sighed heavily and deeply. Will it ever end? Adolf rolled his eyes and continued to look ahead of him in hopes she was going to continue on her way and go home, but even he knew that wasn't going to happen. He would never be granted such fortune. To no one's surprised she didn't continue on her way; she didn't even overtake him and just hung back which annoyed him greatly. He knew what she was doing and it made his face heat up slightly.

"... Zhere's ist plenty of line here. Zhere ist no reason for you to tail me." He pointed out.

"But it's such a nice view!" Erika replied from behind. After a bit more tender gazing, she slowly rolled up next to him and was met with a menacing glare. She just smiled at him.

"Go avay!"

"Why? You can't tell me you don't get lonely out here?"

"No."

"Liar, no one likes to be alone…"

"I'm fine vith it."

"Suuure you are."

Adolf sighed, "Vhy must you make my life hell?"

"Because you're not letting me make it better!"

"You can make it better by pissing off."

She frowned at the comment. "Being rude will get you nowhere."

"Nor vill you trying to be nice to me." He shot back.

"I figured it's worth a shot."

"It isn't."

"Might be!"

"It's not."

"… Isn't that for me to decide?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because you're annoying!"

"Only because that's you're messed up perception on the situation." She said matter-of-factly.

"I vas fine before you showed up."

"Yeah, yeah sure, not lonely at all, huh?"

"Ja, now go home."

"Nah, I'm happy being with you."

Adolf's frustration faded suddenly and he simply stared at her in mild surprise. He would have shook his head if he could but instead went with another sigh. This wasn't going to stop and the more he pushed her away, the harder she pushed back. He didn't understand why she wanted him so badly and why she felt he was so deserving of her attention. It didn't make any sense. He had never been nice to her or to anyone really. So why was she so desperate to get close to him? "Vhy? Vhy me? Vhy are you so determined to be near me?"

Erika looked up at him, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Apparently not," he continued without out giving her the chance to answer, his voice just loud enough for her to hear. "You are no different zhan zhe other many faces I see zhat pass through this place in succession. The comings and goings of strangers is a constant in my life, and zhe little people fall away from me vith no remembrance in zhe end. However you, unlike zhe others, refused to allow zhat to continue. You have persistently pursued my attention, sought nozhing but companionship vith me even as I spat upon your efforts vith zhe controlled fury zhat frightens everyone else avay... I cannot fathom vhy you desire to be near me so badly vhile all I've done is trample on your... somevhat pushy advances. I don't vant nor deserve positive attention from somevone so radiant, but it ist clear to me zhat you vill not give up zhe fight until I do… Vhat I vant to know ist how you vill intend for zhis to vork?"

Erika looked back at him silently; it was time for her to be shocked. He was actually considering it maybe! At least that's what it sounded like. "We could try." She answered finally. "If you're willing I'm sure it'll work out. It won't hurt to try."

"Zhat's what you're not getting, Erika. It vill hurt to try. Look vhere ve are! Zhist ist not a place for romance and love, no railway is! Have you even considered zhe consequences?"

"I don't care about the consequences," she admitted.

"Ja I know and zhat's vhy zhis cannot and vill not vork. Your reckless and shameless behavior ist not vorth zhe trouble nor zhe pain it vill cause in zhe end. In zhe end, it does not matter vhat you vant or vhat I vant and do you know vhy? Because ve are machines and nothing but. Ve vork until ve lose our usefulness and are scrapped. Ve have no say in vhat becomes of us however, ve can extend zhat usefulness by doing our jobs and doing vhat ve are told. Vhen you finally figure zhat out, you vill realize how stupid you've been zhis entire time and, for your sake, I hope you figure zhat out before you vind up on vone of my trains." With that said he picked up a bit of speed and continued on his way, leaving her in the cold, darkness of night. Deep down Adolf somewhat regretted his words but he couldn't go back on them now, even if he secretly wanted it to work out in the end.

Erika slowed a bit before coming to a stop completely. She stared in the direction Adolf had gone for what seemed like hours before she let her gaze fall to the ground. In a way he was right. She had little to no control over what went on in her life. She knew how toxic an emotion love was to her kind. It was an emotion strong enough to get them killed but some didn't care, like Elena and Glen. She knew it could work but Adolf wasn't even willing to try and that's probably what stung the most.