Naughty or Useful?: RIP Percy

A/N This chapter will include some sad parts. I had the Naughty or Useful? idea, but needed RIP Percy to make it more substantial. My FanFiction buddy who likes Hurt/Comfort gave me the idea, just because she likes that stuff. I can't hurt Thomas without comfort, because I'm Thomas sensitive. Even then, it still tears me up, if it's sad enough.

Thomas had been very cheeky one day. Now, he had to go to his shed for a long time. He began to cry and sob when put in his shed, due to feeling bad about what he did.

"Driver, can you dry my tears?" Thomas said remorsefully. "I'm sorry I wasn't a Really Useful Engine.".

Thomas's driver climbed on his engine's buffers and said, "I know you regret your naughtiness.", as he rubbed his engine's eyes with a cloth.

"Yes," Thomas replied, still crying, and allowed his driver to keep drying his eyes.

His driver said, as he continued to wipe the tears away, "When it's time for you come out of here, I shall return.".

Thomas finished his cry after a while, emotions spent. He watched his driver leave until he could no longer see him through the window of his shed. The doors were closed.

Many days passed and Thomas was let out. However, his punishment was merely reduced. He lost his branch line for a while, relegated to shunting and not sure how long it would be. All he knew was it was see you later, not good-bye. He was still angry about being away from it. However, then he changed to sad about not being back with Percy and his coaches, given to replace Annie and Clarabel. He began to cry, a tear falling from his eye with more waiting.

"Driver, can you dry my tears?" he sniffled.

Thomas's driver pressed a cloth to his engine's watery eyes and then rubbed his cheeks, saying "Thomas, I know you miss Percy and your coaches, but you were so naughty you need to shunt for a while, to prove you can be a Really Useful Engine. It's not like you can't go back to the branch line. It's not closed forever or assigned to another engine for always. And you're still on the NWR rails, not in the scrapyard or sent away for your cheekiness.".

Thomas sniffled again and said, with fresh tears pouring from his eyes, "I just miss Percy so dreadfully, even if I like shunting.".

His driver said as he continued to wipe the tears away,"I shall see if I can find out how long you're on shunting. Maybe you can be in Knapford."

Thomas's tears and sniffles slowed to a stop and his driver wiped his cheeks and eyes dry of his last tears.

The day came when Thomas could go back to his branch line, but the good times would last only so long. Thomas returned to his branch line weeping, in floods of happy tears to be back with his coaches and Percy, as they were best friends. Shortly after though, Percy had an accident that left him so heavily damaged he was unable to survive. Thomas began to cry immediately at the news, wailing sobs and constant tears until he had no more left to cry.

A meeting of the engines in Knapford was called and Toby told Thomas, "I'm here for you if you want someone to talk to.", then he silently pressed his buffers against his friend's.

Thomas's driver held a cloth to his eyes as the tank engine gave a tearful speech about Percy.

Thomas, sobbing and sniffling, barely able to choke out the words said, "Percy, my best friend, has now gone to The Big Railway In The Sky to join Ashima, my love before Rosie, along with Emily, Annie, Clarabel and Edward. We shall miss him very much, especially Toby and me. But we must all carry on being Really Useful Engines.".

The meeting went on, with the railway being closed to allow everyone to mourn Percy and also JoJo replacing him on the Steam Team, as he was friends with all the other members.

All his friends, human, like his crew and the Hatts, as Sir Topham Hatt's fatherly side came out, and engine, comforted Thomas in his situational depression over Percy, JoJo included.

JoJo, pressing his buffers against Thomas's, said, "Thomas, I may not have known you as long as some, as I came here only last year, but I'm here for you. I'm here to listen to you when you feel a need for someone to talk to. It's fine to express your feelings that way, so I'll help you find the words, if your feelings can be expressed that way. You've got my empathy and support. I can even help you see from a new perspective when you're ready."

The railway reopened, time passed and the engines recovered, as much as they could.

A/N Thomas's reaction to his naughtiness mirrors a little boy in a book I was given. The boy sobbed and rubbed his eyes. The engine version of that's what Thomas did, sob and ask his driver to dry his tears. His driver knew Thomas's sobs were tears of remorse, so he consented. Situational depression's where someone feels that way (depressed) for a reason, so I once read.