A/N Erica's issues reflect mine, like her sensitivities are like mine as a kid. I didn't like to be yelled at because I didn't like loud noises and still don't like sirens or fire alarms and the like, anything really loud. I'm also smell sensitive. Unlike her, I wasn't bullied much, but I did have a rough life, some. However, even when I lost my happiness for a while, I had help to find a way back. Most of the rough parts of my life were out of home things, like tough times at school and such that wouldn't apply, so I used bullies as an analog.

Thomas was pulling a train with Erica as his back engine. They made it their destination, but then Erica got annoyed.

"It smells unbearable!", she said. "I just want to get away from that nasty stuff."

Thomas said, "It's not a nice smell, but you seem more upset by it."

She told her "brother", "Sometimes, I experience things stronger than others typically do.".

Duck came by and said "Erica, I, too, feel that way. I've got sensory issues. Years ago, I was told I seemed to have Asperger's or Level 1 autism now, as it's called. Any friend of Thomas deserves my help, as it's the fair thing to do, if I can help." and he told Erica how he dealt with his issues.

Duck chuffed off and Erica and Thomas steamed back to where they came from. Erica thought, Duck's another friend for me.

Thomas thought as he left, Erica sure didn't like the stinky cheese smell at the dock we took our train to. We need to go back there again.

Erica said to her "brother", "Why did you volunteer us to take cars to the docks when stinky cheese was being shipped? I don't like really loud noise, like Gordon's whistle or strong smells, like stinky cheese and smelly onions." She whistled in an annoyed way.

He told his "sister", "I didn't know they were shipping that cheese today. Just one more time there and we shall be done with this job." He smiled sympathetically at her. "All the other available engines were passenger engines, but that's all.

They collected the rest of the cars and took them to the dock. Donald and Douglas came by as the "siblings' were arriving. Thomas introduced his "little sister" to them. Then, they talked briefly, but had to leave. As the "brother" and "sister" were finishing up, Oliver came along and was introduced to Erica.

Erica told Oliver, "I'm Duck's new friend." and then they talked until she and Thomas had to leave. Her dark eyes were shining as she smiled and whistled happily, even laughed briefly, full of joy over the new friends she found in the Little Western tank engines, especially.

Thomas smiled, too, telling Erica how glad he was to see her happy as they went their ways. He needed a drink before pulling Annie and Clarabel on his branch line and she needed coal before going back to shunting at Knapford Yards. Her "brother" thought about how happy she was. Must be the present means so much to her, he thought, remembering the brightness in her wide, dark eyes. His black eyes twinkled as he had his drink as his thoughts turned to his next train. I shall whistle in Knapford, when I arrive with my coaches.

Erica went to get coal and then went on to the yard. As she was shunting, she started to feel funny, spluttering, sneezing, smoking and sparking, and told her crew, saying "I don't feel so good." and asking them what was wrong.

Her fireman said, "You've got some bad coal, Erica."

Her driver said, "You can manage, even if you do feel bad. However, we shall use the other hopper next time."

The blue-ish purple tank engine heard her "brother" peep his whistle and she returned the whistle. ACHOO-SHOO! She sneezed loudly as he passed by.

"What's wrong, "little sister" to make you sneeze like that?" he asked.

"I took some bad coal", she said, spluttering.

Her "brother" replied, "I've had bad coal. Now, I've got to leave. Cheerio."

His sister spluttered, "See you later."

After a while, Erica's driver said, "Before we, your crew, go on break we're taking you to the Steamworks. You need your firebox cleaned out."

Erica arrived at the Steamworks and her crew left her there until after their break. It got really loud there and she began to cry, overwhelmed by the noise.

A kind workman heard her sniffle and pulled a cloth hanky from his pocket after climbing on her buffers. He gently dried her face and wiped her eyes dry.

"There, there, Erica", he said as he dried her tears. "You didn't like the noise, but it won't hurt you. Even if it was upsetting."

"Keep wiping", she said, sniffling, long and loud as fresh tears filled her eyes.

"Cry as you need to and I'll keep drying your eyes", was his reply.

Erica calmed down and stopped crying, telling the workman "Thank you for comforting me, especially wiping my eyes. I feel better now." and smiling.

Her crew came back and she said, "All ready to be a Really Useful Engine again, after I have a drink." And they took her back to Knapford.

A/N I thought of the smell being stinky cheese after I wrote the scene with Duck. The main purpose of this chapter became my trainsona meeting the Great Western tank engines and the Scottish twins. There's a video about someone's head-canon about Duck being on the autism spectrum, which I allude to here. Duck and Erica bonded on their common issues. With Oliver, it was being tank engines and their similarities in personality. My fanfic buddy typed Erica, along with the canon engines. Oliver and Thomas are among the ones most similar to her in personality and they share being tank engines, too. When I first created Erica, I wasn't sure what shade of purple to make her, but then I gave her in my mind a slightly blue cast.