Chapter 51:

Thomas opened his eyes slowly. Without a firelighter stoking his fire, it was a lot harder to muster up the will to open his eyes. But there was a noise outside his door that was bothering him. He looked to each side where Percy and Toby gradually awoke as well, and the noise grew louder, louder, and then suddenly stopped. "Wha's that?" Percy mumbled.

"Sounds a bit like a lorry to me." Toby replied.

Suddenly, the shed door in front of Thomas opened, and there stood Sir Topham Hatt, his smart blue car behind him, and he was beaming and red from the cold. "Merry Christmas my engines!" He declared.

"What are you doing here sir?" Percy asked, waking up a little more.

"It's Christmas Day, shouldn't you be with your own family?" Toby asked.

"Of course, which is why I'd like to make this quick." Hatt replied, stepping further inside the sheds. "What would each of you like for a Christmas present?- from me, that is."

Thomas was taken aback, and Percy and Toby seemed equally surprised. "You didn't ask us this last year." Thomas recalled.

"Things were different last year." Hatt replied. "But this year I'm inquiring of each of you this morning what it is I can do to improve you and the railway."

The three engines looked at each other in confusion, before Toby spoke up. "Well sir. I'd like a sort of different coat of paint, if you please."

"Different how?"

"I think Henrietta and I should be the same colour of brown, which we haven't been, and it'd be a nice detail if my cow-catcher had the letters 'NWR' on it, like trams I knew that had 'GER' or 'LNER'."

"That's a good request Toby, I'll see what I can do about that." Sir Topham Hatt nodded, then looked to the two Tank engines. "What about you two?"

"It'd be grand to be rid of my snowplow." Thomas mumbled, looking at the drifts piling up on the track outside. "But if you could find a way for it to be more comfortable, I'd be happy with that too."

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled a little at Thomas's request, and nodded before turning to Percy.

The little caterpillar engine thought hard about it. Thomas and Toby had both had sensible requests, but try as he might, Percy was hard pressed to think of a thing he wanted. Hatt had already granted his wish to keep Donald and Douglas a part of the North-Western Railway, and he'd never scared him like his past controllers had. What more could Percy want?

"Nothing sir." Percy finally decided. "I've got everything an engine could want."

[]

"Merry Christmas m'Lady." Burnett greeted the legendary engine as he stepped into the hidden workshop. "Anything I can get you from Shining Time?"

"No thank you Burnett." Lady replied. "I am content today."

Burnett nodded and moved to a workbench nearby, fiddling, as always, with the stolen Conductor's Whistle. As much Gold Dust as Lady produced for it, it never seemed to activate, much to Burnett's annoyance.

"Burnett, last we spoke, we discussed the idea of returning to the Island of Sodor-" Lady began.

"Beg pardon," Burnett interrupted. "But I still don't think that's any kind of good idea."

"If only to reassure of my existence!" Lady objected.

"Diesels live there now- and all over! Living Diesels, like the prophesied destroyer." Burnett reminded. "And there's more. I found out just yesterday that The British Railways, in all of it's grand intelligence, has officially rolled out a new kind of Diesel- which exactly resembles the one we fear."

Lady pondered this. "I have felt a dark presence rising." She admitted. "What does this Diesel look like?

"The new Diesel Sub-Class is a modified Class 42 'Warship' class, but with a unique detail on it. There's a claw attached to it's roof- used for line-clearing and scrapping. They call it the 'Battleship' class. The first of its kind used it's claw to prevent a train robbery by crushing the criminals."

"The claw is attached to it's roof?" Lady asked again. "How many are there?"

"Only 5 are on the rails right now, and only one of them is sentient, but there are at least 7 more in development."

Lady sighed and looked to the single window in the wall. "Then the prophecy will come true."

"It can't. And that's why we're here Lady, in America, where these 'Battleships' can't get to you."

[]

"That's easy sir!" James laughed. "Another coat of paint? Another polish perhaps?"

"Godred James, you're worse than Henry ever was." Gordon grumbled.

"At least I haven't boarded myself up in a tunnel, eh?" James sniggered.

"Alright, enough of that." The Fat Controller laughed. "That's a fair request." He turned to look to the others, all of whom were thinking about what they might like. "Henry- I actually have something specific for you."

From within his heavy overcoat, Hatt produced a slightly crumpled package that he'd received from Lowham a few weeks back. He approached the big green engine and opened the package to reveal a single, standard bolt. "This is for you." He told Henry.

"Umm…. Thank you sir?" Henry replied awkwardly.

Topham laughed. "Don't worry Henry, this isn't just any bolt."

"Oh, whew." Sighed Henry. "I didn't want to be rude, but any old bolt was not the best gift you could give an engine."

"Indeed." Hatt agreed. "This bolt was stolen by my brother from a scrapyard he was trespassing in. Usually I don't thievery or anything my brother does, but the scrap yard in question was a certain Scottish yard- manned by a newly-built 'Battleship' Diesel."

Donald gasped. "It cannae be!"

Douglas' eyes widened in realization as Hatt turned the bolt to reveal a bit of red paint on the head. Henry gasped now too. "This belonged to Eagle, and it was all Lowham could obtain before he was caught and arrested."

The other engines watched somewhat reverently as Hatt set the package in Henry's cab. "I hope that's a decent gift."

Henry's tear-filled eyes said Thanks enough, and Hatt looked to Gordon and Duck. "Have either of you boys decided yet?"

"My request is simple, but potentially unrealistic." Duck said. Hatt indicated for him to continue. "I'd like to get away from the yards, Sir, and towards the Sea. Working in Brendam was a lovely time, and Knapford Harbour is a wonderful place as well."

Hatt smiled. "You seem quite sentimental about the ocean, Duck." He stated. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you Sir." Duck nodded.

"I'd like a Sandwich, Sir." Gordon decided bluntly. "That's all."

The other engines roared with laughter. "So i's YOUR faul' eyh keep findin' meat on th' rails at yon station!" Douglas shouted. "Eyh might'ave known!"

Gordon began to flush red. "Oh the Indignity." He mumbled.

Hatt patted Gordon's buffer kindly. "I know just what to do about that Gordon! I've got an M. C. BUNN. loyalty card that I can leave in your name. You'll get free sandwiches every week!"

"YES!" Gordon shouted happily. "Thank you Sir Topham Hatt!"

The engines laughed again as Hatt looked back to the twins. "And I dare say I've given you quite a bit." He said, pointing at the two of them.

"Coul'nae ask fer anythin' more!" Donald agreed, and Douglas tooted his whistle in agreement.

Sir Topham Hatt smiled and walked back to his car. There, on the roof of it, sat a newspaper. Topham looked around, but found nobody nearby who could have left it there. He grumbled a little and scooped 'The Sodor Post' off the roof to find a simple and bold headline: HATT KEEPS ILLEGAL ENGINES: By: Anonymous

Sir Topham Hatt sighed, tired of the charade. He knew very well that 'Anonymous' was Jerry's way of staying out of the public eye after the previous night, and that this was to be tomorrow's regular, slander-filled paper. He tossed it in the back seat of his car and drove off, due for Brendam.

[]

"Any request?" Bill asked.

"Anything at all?" Ben added.

"Anything within reason, boy, which we all know you lack." Hatt kept a smiling face on as he said this, but had half-heartedly considered skipping them this morning.

Bill and Ben looked downright gleeful. "Sir- we want you to know something." Bill said.

"You are the kindest- Ben continued

"Greatest-

"Most Thoughtful-

"Most Handsome-

"Great… wait you already said greatest."

"GET TO THE POINT!" Topham shouted over the twins' false flattery.

"Can we have a bouncy ball to play with like the children do?" They asked in perfect sync. The Fat Controller facepalmed loudly, the smack echoing around the Clay Pits.

"An engine-sized one of course." Ben added.

"We'd just like something to do when there aren't trucks to take!" Bill continued.

Sir Topham Hatt sighed and shook his head. "You know what- fine. I'll see if I can buy an 'Engine-sized bouncy ball' for you two. Godred knows where I'd find one though."

Bill and Ben whooped in joy, and Hatt hurried back to his car before they requested any other engine-sized playthings.

[]

Burnett wiped the excess oil away from Lady's wheels and sat back to examine his work. "Well-oiled, just like you like them."

Lady rocked back and forth a little to feel the smoothness of her wheels, then nodded in agreement. Burnett turned to put the tools away, and she spoke up. "But of course, what good is a well-oiled machine if it doesn't do anything?"

Burnett sighed. "We've gone over this, m'Lady."

"Sodor is a safe place!"

"We don't know that! It takes a few days for me to get news from Lowham or Robert at all, and neither of them have written about Sodor for over a year now! It could be entirely Dieselized now!"

"But it isn't, Burnett. I sense only a small taint of Diesel on the Island- do not forget my powers!"

"Powers which are doomed to fail when it matters most- as Proteus prophesied."

"I could blow you and this mountain to bits without scratching myself! I could teleport right to the center of the Island right now and declare myself a god, and no-one would disagree!"

"But you won't, because you know better."

Engine and Driver stared off for a moment, before Lady looked away and Burnett sat at his stool in defeat. "What else do you propose we do?" Burnett asked.

"There's got to be some way to find out more about the island- is there anyone we could send there?"

Burnett tapped his foot against the floor nervously. "Well… There's a guy in Shining Time…"

"Yes?" Lady pushed.

"W-we aren't on very good terms right now though. After I…"

Lady groaned as she realized the situation. "The Conductor. Not just any Conductor either, is it?"

"I stole this from him." Burnett raised the tampered whistle for her to see. "But if he could make it work, he could go back and forth from the island for us in a matter of minutes."

"Then… then you must give it to him!" Lady told him, her voice reaching desperate peaks.

Burnett rolled the whistle on the table. "I don't know if this is a good idea Lady."

"But it's the only way I'll stop bothering you about it."

Burnett rolled his eyes and picked up the whistle again. "Godred… I hate it when you're right."

"I'm an angel Burnett, I'm always right."

[]

"So Edward, what would you like?" Sir Topham asked his final engine. "And please be quick about it." His exhaustion was enough already, since he'd driven himself to Brendam sheds to speak to Edward, only to realize Edward had been sleeping in the side-shed at Tidmouth all along.

"Oh that's easy sir, I'd like a tune-up if it's alright." Edward replied, his grey face showing it's years. "I've got a few aches in my boiler and my left axle feels wobbly."

"That's just fine Edward. Merry Christmas!" Hatt waved to his engine as he began to trudge back through the snow to his car. Edward tooted his whistle in response and Sir Topham Hatt turned the corner of the shed to find a surprise there.

"Jerry Jingle." Hatt sighed. "Kindly remove your bottom from my car."

The unwelcome reporter, ever dressed in his brown trenchcoat and matching fedora, slid off the hood of the baby-blue car. "Mornin' sah." Jerry smiled, but his smile seemed almost genuine.

"What do you want, It's Christmas Day blast it!" Topham demanded, brushing snow from the roof of his car as Jerry stepped away.

"I was wonderin' if ya'd go''en mah sneak-peek of tomorrow's pap'a." He replied in his cockney accent. "Tha' li''le article on front 'as your name on it!"

"No doubt you're proud of your handiwork." Hatt grumbled. "'Course I saw it, you left it right on my car here!"

"Mah Handiwork?" Jerry laughed loudly. "Never! I'd never be so blunt to ya!"

Hatt stopped, looking the cheery reporter over for a minute. He reached into his car and picked up the paper one again and inspected the article. Sure enough, the piece was written in a different hand than Jerry Jingle's. "Alright then, what is it you want?"

Jerry sighed and leaned against the car door Hatt held open. "Look sah, aft'a we talked a few weeks ago, I realized ya' don't know what it's like for me, as a reporter." Sir Topham Hatt scoffed and Jerry stood straight. "Ye don't understand, I don't just write what I think! I've got t' write what sells! And the truth is- Slander sells."

Jerry's smirk never faded as he sold the hard truth to the Fat Controller, and Hatt listened as Jerry explained a little of how the Sodor Post had become a much more popular paper after he'd begun writing stories about the railway. Everyone on the island was influenced by the NWR, and stories about it kept the public on edge and always buying.

"So you see, I've never had a thing against ya, Sir." Jerry laughed "Though I suspect ye've always disliked me."

Jerry stepped away and began walking toward Tidmouth Town, but Topham called out. "Wait, then who wrote this article?" He pointed to the latest paper, where the article's author was listed as 'Anonymous.' "And why can't I find your name in here?"

For the first time, Jerry stopped smiling. "I dunno who wrote that one Sir." He replied, and looked toward Tidmouth Sheds- away from Topham. "And the reason ya won't be hearing of me writing anymore is because I've got a new job. I'm working with anoth'a Newspaper in Bristol. After your speech last night mah boss got worried we'd lose sales because 'a me, and called his brother- the owner of the other paper- to transfer me."

For the briefest moment, Hatt felt a mix of joy and sadness. He was glad to at last be rid of the tormentous reporter, yet he felt somewhat bad for the real man, the man behind the author who was just doing his job. "I see." -that was the only response he could muster.

Jerry waved to the Fat Controller for the last time, then kicked a snowdrift apart as he wandered back to Tidmouth. And that would be the last time Sir Topham Hatt and the engines would see of Jerry Jingle for a very long time.

"Is he gone?" Gordon called from the sheds as Jerry faded from veiw.

"Yes Gordon," Topham declared. "Yes he is."

[]

"Diesel, 10 wants to meet us in the scrapyard." BoCo called.

Diesel shoved the trucks he was shunting into their siding and rolled backward and turned on the nearby turntable to face the big Green Class 27 Diesel who'd called to him. "What is it this time?" He growled, but BoCo wouldn't respond.

He followed BoCo through the large workyards and honked away a group of crows. The Scrapyard lay just beyond his working area, but 10 summoning him into the area was nothing new. The Warship of Barrow was the sentient, known leader of the yards and took orders only from the controller.

A handful of other Diesels were there already. Two other Class 8s that Diesel had come to know as the Iron Twins. Beside them was a Class 7 who worked at the docks nearby and wouldn't shut up about the sea. Sitting in the front, high and mighty on his ramp and waiting patiently for Diesel and BoCo was Diesel #10, the Warship of Barrow.

"Took you long enough." He sneered in his drawling and pompous accent. "I was beginning to think you'd tried to run again, BoCo."

BoCo gulped. "I- I learned my lesson 10." He replied.

D10 smirked and turned to Diesel. "You've caused me quite a problem, Blackbird." 10 growled. "Our… Introduction… to Sodor has been halted." Diesel tried to stutter an apology, but 10 cut him off. "BUT! This will only be a minor setback in the long run. I have forgiven you this time Blackbird, but do not fail me a second time."

"Wha's yer plan then 10?" one of the Iron Twins asked.

"My plan will be revealed when it's time, Bert." D10 snapped. "But I will tell you this. The reason I've gathered this specific group together is because, when all is said and done, we all will be on Sodor."

Diesel had his doubts, after everything he'd seen on the Island, not to mention he himself would never be welcomed back. "And then what?" he demanded. "After we're all there, what is it you've said you're going to search for?"

Diesel 10 laughed. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." He rolled down his ramp and moved the Sea-loving Class 7 onto another track. "Now, I've got an appointment with the mechanics. I'm destined to become a Battleship."

[]

[]

Forgive me my friends. This episode was meant to be done and posted long before now, much closer to Christmas like I'd planned. But with family drama and writers block I didn't feel like getting it out there. But, I'm back and you can bet your buffers that I've got big plans coming up.

Now, to those who have reviewed, let's go in order shall we?

To Tweetsie12: romance between engines is not only possible for the story, it WILL happen. However Lady's story arc is not going to end up the way, she's got a different path to take. As for Thomas? We'll see :)

To 'Guest': yes, Rev Awdry's think clergyman will be appearing eventually, but I'm not sure how soon I can implement him.

To PurpleGuest: real railway incidents inspired a few of Awdry's stories, but I am looking at including a few ones he never drew inspiration from.

To PrincessJunebug13: thank you so much!

To tate310: The legend of Proteus is more than a Sudrian tale. Sentient engines hear stories from their drivers about other railways and pass them to each other. Duck, having lived on the popular GWR for such a long time, would hear such a legend regardless of which island they'd have lived on.

To Guest: I hope you're satisfied with the story I've created about Jerry Jingle. I'm proud of this weird reporter OC I've created and I hope you like his logic.

To SailorAquos16: Thank you for reviewing cuz honestly your glowing review is what dragged me back to this story. It's good to know people still like this idea so, I'm back and I'm ready to tell you all more.

And on that note, the upcoming stories will not only combine Awdry and Allcroft stories, with my classic spin on them, but it's going to go directions you won't expect and I'm excited to keep writing! Give me about a week and the next episode will be ready!

-HunterCreeper712