Twilight cast it's orange glow across the dimming sky. Clouds of smoke around Tidmouth sheds began to dissipate as drivers for the North Western Railway were completing their end of day inspections. A once over of each engine to guarantee a successful start to the weekend. Everyone was beginning their farewells for the evening, except for one…
"Catch!" Thomas called up to Number 6's cab as he tossed a granola bar into the dark interior.
An unmistakable 'thunk' let him know his friend had fumbled the catch.
"Awh come on. You need to give me more of a heads up than that!"
Percy poked his face out of the darkness before reaching to the floorboards to retrieve his fallen treat.
"What's this for?" He asked quizzically.
"I had it left over from my day. Figured you could use a bit of a boost for the night train."
Percy smiled at his friend. He pulled out his green handkerchief and folded the treat carefully into it before tucking it in his pocket.
"Thanks Thomas. I have a long night ahead of me."
His eyes veered off into the darkness outside the doors of Number 6's birth. Without Edward to take his half of the mail train from Wellsworth Junction, Percy was picking up the slack and delivering across both branches and the mainline. He sighed sadly as his face frowned in anxious contempt.
"Sir Topham Hatt says he's bought two new tank engines that will be arriving at the start of next week. That'll be something." Percy tried changing the subject, not wanting to linger on his own misfortune.
"He's also starting two new drivers shadowing some of us as well." Henry added as he and Rebecca came over to the pair.
Thomas lifted himself onto Number 6's running board and sat as Percy continued stoking the fire.
"Well that will be a big help for sure! I wonder who they will shadow?" Thomas asked as Henry jumped up next to him.
Rebecca faced the two men and put her hands squarely on her hips.
"No room in our cab I'm afraid. With Henry and me, a third wheel would just get in the way."
She nodded her head back toward the Bulleid who's fire had just been dampened.
"It'll probably be me again. After all, I do have the longest track record of completed jobs on the railway." Gordon proudly made his way over to the group.
"Remind me, does that balance out with the number of late arrivals you've had, or does completing the same job over and over again qualify?"
James appeared on the other side of Number 6 and leaned his shoulder against the engine smirking.
"Should we also include snoring in the cab in between trains as a special skill?" Thomas piped in grinning broadly.
Gordon scoffed and adjusted the bill of his cap.
"If you truly want to compare resumes perhaps we should discuss beekeeping James? Or how about snow plows Thomas?"
"Easy Gordon! We're only kidding" Henry laughed as James had begun rolling up his sleeves and Thomas had begun a retort.
Rebecca's eyes darted to Gordon who was walking toward the open shed doors. She looked back to Henry who mouthed, 'He'll be fine.' Before giving a wink. She smiled and went over to sit next to him.
"If we can circle back to the new engines for a second," James began. "Do we know what kind we're getting, who's being reassigned to them?"
Everyone looked around the group with uncertainty.
"I'd imagine you'll probably be staffed to one Henry." Percy said, again popping out from inside the cab. "You know, considering…"
Henry scratched the back of his head as Percy trailed off. Thomas shot his friend a brief look as if to say. 'Come on, why did you say that.'
Henry looked around at his friends. "I guess you're right. I haven't heard anything about Number 3. The damage was minor, but if it was repairable I'd expect to be back in it's service by now."
"Pity for you Henry, you get to work with a new engine and not have to babysit me anymore? What a shame." Rebecca popped him one on the shoulder and smiled kindly trying to lighten the mood.
"You're not so bad." Henry smiled back. "At least you don't make your cab smell like ditch water."
"I HEARD THAT" Gordon fumed from his post by the doors.
Everyone laughed as James stretched his arms up and let loose a loud yawn.
"Alright you guys', I'm calling it. Need to be here bright early tomorrow."
"That sounds fair." Rebecca said as she leapt to the ground. "I'm parked by the platelayers hut if anyone else is headed that way."
"I'm there too." Henry replied. He too took leave of Number 6 and walked over to Gordon. "Pretty sure I saw you over there too friend. Let's go." He came up behind him and put his hands on his shoulders giving a rugged shake.
Gordon had been staring at the sky, the moon was full and the air was crisp.
"We're going to have an early winter." He said plainly.
"Then it looks like I won't even have to prompt your cold shoulder." Henry chuckled as he, Rebecca, and Gordon set out into the night. James waved them off and headed the opposite direction. Thomas took a breath and walked over to the cab opening.
"How's it coming Perce?"
"I'm ready to go. Just, pumping myself up." He said shakily.
It wasn't the workload that made him uneasy, it was pulling an all-nighter on parts of the line he wasn't familiar with. The uncertainty made him feel uneasy.
"There's no reason to worry." Thomas looked up and put on a toothy grin. "You are an incredibly capable person who runs an engine perfectly fit for the mail train. You're going to do great."
He lifted an affirming thumbs up causing Percy to smile in reflex.
"Thanks Thomas, I know. I already know half of the route. For the rest I just… follow the tracks!"
"Exactly!" Thomas gave a definitive nod and started walking away. "I'll put on your headlamp! Then you just roll out of here!"
Number 6 bustled along the line. It's headlamp cutting through the darkness and supplemented by the full moon. It was a beautiful night. Percy floated back and forth between his cab windows, watching the track extending ahead intently. He pulled out his green handkerchief and wiped the sweat accruing on his brow. As the cloth moved in front of his eyes, he opened them to a surprise. He pushed himself as close to the cab window as he could and looked out at the line. He could see two beams of light in the distance coming toward him on the track to his left. Percy used his green handkerchief to try and clean the window in case it was an odd reflection, but there they were. Two oncoming lights.
"What is that?" He asked aloud.
Leaning out the side of the cab, he put his hand over his eyes trying to see clearly. They were getting bigger and brighter, the shape of the object impossible to distinguish.
"Is it an engine?"
The lights were unbelievably low to the ground to be even a small tank engine like Number 6. Percy reached up and gave a quick chirp from the whistle. He waited bated for a response. Nothing called back. The object was much closer now, in a few seconds it would pass right by.
"Hey!" Percy called, cupping his mouth to try and project past Number 6's stuttering pistons. "Hey you there!"
The lights came close, closer, closest, and whirred right by the cab. Percy clutched his cap and looked back. The light of the moon gave a distinctive sheen to the object, but he couldn't identify it's shape.
"Bother that." He frowned. He watched until it was out of sight before turning back to the controls and shaking his head.
"Wait until Thomas here's about this."
Hoorah! We finally met Percy and got to see a bit more of James. I liked experimenting with everyone coming together at the roundhouse. I'll be treating that area similar to a working railway where the engine occupants are reflective of whoever was working closest that day. But for a first 'group meeting' situation I felt having some core steam team fit the bill.
Ground work is being laid! Who are the new engines? What was the object? Why is it so fun to write anything with Gordon and Henry? All that and more soon =)
Thank you Cherry Lau for the encouraging words! I'm glad you're enjoying it =) And RaceFanGurl I always appreciate your feelings on how my canon is implemented!
And as always thank you for reading! -REN