No no, he doesn't want to hurt Duke.
They make him do it.
He can't resist...
No matter how hard he tries
—-
He's just a generator now, at least Duke's in the shed. Asleep most of the time, but he's there.
When Duke's awake they talk.
"Ya know Dukey, sometimes I wish I could travel through time."
"I know Smu... Lucky."
Duke still has trouble with his name, that's fine he'd gone by Smudger for a good two years.
He hadn't been Lucky for even longer.
He wouldn't blame Duke if he didn't talk to him, even if he was awake.
He wouldn't want to talk to someone whom had betrayed him either.
—-
"I'm sorry Lucky."
"Why Duke?"
A sigh passes through the wall that separates them.
"For how I treated you..."
"No Duke," he cuts him off "it's not your fault, it's mine."
"But I could have noticed..."
"Duke, it's not your fault!"
"Ok..."
—-
Sometimes Duke talks about his kids.
He denies that he thinks of them that way, but Lucky knows otherwise.
He can hear the way Duke's voice softens at the mention of Stuart and Falcon. The sadness when he speaks of them being sold and the pride when speaking of how much they'd grown.
He knows his companion misses his kids.
"I told them about Smudger."
He isn't mad at the confession.
"Ok."
"You're not mad?" Duke asks.
"No," he sighs "I understand and besides, it's all in the past."
"Yeah, everything's in the past now."
—-
"I think I love you."
"What?" Lucky asks in shock.
"I think I love you." Duke repeats.
"Oh... uh... wow." He struggles to form a sentence.
"I know it'd be difficult to have a normal relationship, but I do think I love you."
"Duke, I think I might love you too."
—-
Something changes after that.
They still talk, Duke still sleeps and Lucky still thinks, but there's something between them.
There are little pet names among their conversations and declarations of love.
Duke tells him of dreams about them being free of their prison and spending time together in truth.
Luck hopes that one day they'll come true.
He'd love nothing more than to travel down a line on a moon lit night with Duke.
—-
Duke gets rescued and doesn't mention Luck.
He's not bitter, just sad. They had discussed a day like the one where Duke is found.
They hadn't known what they'd do, but he had thought they'd mention the other.
Time passes and Luck sleeps, it's less lonely that way.
He misses the engine he loves.
—-
"Grandpuff? Are you ok?"
Duke glances to his left where Peter Sam is waiting for his crew.
"Oh just... do you remember Smudger?" The older engine asks the younger.
"Yeah why?"
"Well... he's still there. We talked when I was shut in the shed," Duke confesses "I told him about you and Sir Handle. He told me his real name is Lucky and..."
"And what?" Peter Sam looks concerned.
"We fell in love."
Peter Sam stares in shock. "You fell in love?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you tell anyone about Lucky?"
"At first I was just focused on getting out of there. It slipped my mind while I was at the works, but then it just seemed like I'd be dismissed."
Peter Sam hummed as he steamed away.
He had an idea.
—-
Lucky doesn't know how long he spends alone before the earth around him begins to shift.
Is it an earthquake? Could it be a landslide? He doesn't know and it scares him.
Eventually though, his eyes are assaulted ny sunlight for the first time in decades.
"Lucky?" A voice calls down to him.
"Who told you my name?" He calls back up.
"Duke."
He gasps as a crane is lowered into his little air pocket.
Duke had mentioned him, his Duke had mentioned him. If his boiler was still in tact then he knew there would be a fluttering in it.
He can't wait to see Duke again.
Maybe they can take a moonlight drive?
—-
It feels good to be on rails again, it feels good to have wheels again. Lucky rolls forward for the first time in decades and it feels like freedom.
He's going slow, just to get used to the tracks. As he does he's surrounded by other engines.
He's going to freak out later.
"Welcome Lucky, I'm Skarloey." The number one engine smiles.
"It's nice to meet you Lucky, I'm Rheneas." The engine beside Skarloey adds.
"I'm Rusty." Pipes in what Lucky thinks might be a diesel.
"I'm Peter Sam." A green engine whistles.
"And I'm Sir Handle," The blue engine beside Peter Sam huffs "Duke might have mentioned us as Stuart and Falcon."
"Oh," he realizes "you're Duke's kids."
"Duke's kids?" Peter Sam questions.
"Oh he never called you that, but I could tell he thinks of you as such. Where is Duke?" Lucky glances around in search of the tender engine.
"He asked us to tell you to meet him at Lakeside." Rheneas says.
"All right." Lucky mutters before chuffing away.
He's glad his new driver knows the way to the station, even so the sun has fully set by the time he catches sight of Duke.
"Hello Lucky."
"Duke, it's good to see you." He gently buffers up to the other engine.
"I'm sorry it took so long." Duke closes his eyes.
"I don't blame you Duke," Lucky breaths "I'm just happy to be out."
"I'm happy you're here." Duke leans forward.
"Duke..."
"Lucky..."
They close the gap and share their first kiss.
It's a gentle kiss, just a press of the lips, but it's full of the love they hadn't been able to express with words alone.
"I love you Lucky."
"I love you too, Duke."
There under the full moon they bask in each other's presence.
They're together, together and free.
He truely is lucky.