A/N Michaela belongs to FurryFoxFires

Erica had had a tough day. Gordon had whistled loud right on the track beside her while she had a smelly flatbed of onions no one else could take then. She hadn't been able to do anything she liked all afternoon and now she was puffing sadly past the Little Western junction. Michaela was there and picked up her friend's sadness.

Michaela told Kennet she was sad and how she wondered if it was related to her friend because she wasn't sad before Erica went by the junction. So, they went to the nearest siding and the iridescent engine saw her friend there being comforted by her driver as she cried. She asked her friend what made her so sad, as she buffered up to her friend.

Erica said, voice quivering with her tears as her driver dried her weeping eyes with a handkerchief, "I had a bad day. Gordon whistled really loud as I was going down the track with a flatbed of onions. I was the only one who could take them. How did you know I was sad?" She sniffled after asking her friend that.

Michaela told her friend, "I'm what's called an empath, as I mentioned before, so I picked it up when you went past the junction. I'm bothered by things, too, like that. So, I get it."

Erica's driver said as he continued to wipe her tears away, "I guess the task you just did was the limit. You just needed to let it all out."

Erica finished crying and her driver dried her remaining tears, wiping her eyes dry at her request. She smiled at her friend and her driver. "I feel so much better now", she said. Maybe I can see my "brother". His "sister's" been too busy to see him much today."

Michaela said, "I must be on my way. My driver always comforts me when I cry with him there. I've been told I'm too reliant on him, but I depend on my friends when he's not there."

Erica said, "Good-bye, I depend on my friends myself, especially Thomas, who's like a big brother to me. He lost all his real siblings, but he's got an adopted sister in me. He's my closest friend here."

And they went their ways.

Michaela thought, as she went back to work, Erica's sort of like me in certain ways. She's more aware of her surroundings than me and happier, too, though. In some ways, she reminds me of some of our other friends, like Oliver and Thomas. It hurts me to see a friend sad and distressed like her just now.

Erica went back to Knapford. Unlike Michaela when she had her meltdown over the scrap cars, there was no one to call me a cry-engine. Gordon was too much in a hurry with his Express. I was already sad from not seeing my "brother" or doing anything I liked today and I dislike the smell of anything strong, like onions. So, Gordon was the last straw and I wailed my distress. At the end of my cry, I asked Driver to dry my damp eyes and he did. I remember my driver and fireman talking about wiping away my tears and one thing I really remember is the line "I feel I'm wiping her pain away, symbolically, when I wipe all her tears away.", she thought as she shunted.

Thomas was pulling his evening train past Knapford Yards and whistled. Erica heard her "brother" and whistled back happily. Thomas smiled, imagining his "sister" smiling. She's got a lovely smile, he thought. I love how she can smile like that even with her past. He finished his job and waited until his "sister" was done with her work. After finishing his work, he was told he was a Really Useful Engine, which made him smile and whistle happily. I live for this, he thought, knowing his "sister" maybe heard, as it happened in Knapford.

Erica finished her work and said happily, "Hello, Thomas, my "big brother". Your "little sister" had a busy day today. Always glad to see you, even now."

Her "brother" said, "What all did you do?"

Erica's smile faded, "For a while, I had to do things I didn't like. One of those was taking a flatbed of onions when no once else could. I had a meltdown while taking the onions because of Gordon."

Thomas said, "I shall talk to my ally and let him know, maybe with Sir Topham Hatt present, so they can help you. I know his whistle and shouting bother you.'

Her reply was, "Because he suddenly appears with that really loud whistle of his and yells at me, "Out of my way! Express coming through!", which makes me wail. I was told it's called a meltdown. She said sadly, "In my homeland, other than my oldest brother, everyone engine just ignored me or called me a cry-engine for my meltdowns. I comforted Michaela when she had a meltdown recently over shunting cars for a scrap train, gave her a hug, which she did for me this afternoon."

They finished talking and went to their sheds. The next day came and it was worked out if Gordon was within range of Erica's hearing, he'd whistle from a distance first, so she'd be prepared instead of him just suddenly whistling loud and yelling on the track beside her, making her wail from having a meltdown. Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt told Gordon how Erica was different from other engines in ways like Duck and Michaela. Gordon's driver would make sure his engine did right by Erica, even if they never were really friends.

A/N You can review, but don't flame Erica. She's supposed to be something like kid me, just in engine form.