A/N The opening scene was written before my other ideas for this chapter, so if it seems weird, that's what's up. My buddy here who likes Hurt/Comfort says Thomas is an emotional type, happy and optimistic, but also sensitive
Erica was steaming down the line one day and found Thomas broke down on a siding. She asked her "brother", "What happened?"
"I ran out of water," he said. "There was another engine at the last water column I passed and I thought I could make it to the next one, but not quite. My fire's been doused. British engines like me got a part that allows our water into the firebox to douse the fire if we're low enough on water."
"I've got plenty of steam," his "sister" replied. "I can push you to the next station, so you can get a drink."
"Oh, thank you little sister!", he cried out.
And off they went.
Thomas had his drink and they parted. Erica went to Knapford and Thomas went to Ffarquhar. Percy was oblivious to a red signal until almost too late and that led to a fight with Thomas, which upset Percy.
James was pulling a train to Knapford and teased Percy. "About to cry, Percy?", he asked teasingly.
Percy was hurt by the teasing of his fellow engine. Hurt on top of hurt, more or less. He began to cry, sniffling hard as his tears fell, wetting his face.
Erica heard Percy and comforted her friend, asking "What's wrong, Percy?" as she pressed his buffers with hers in an engine hug. "I can be your buffers to cry on.".
Percy said in a sad voice, "I had a big fight with Thomas. Nobody fights like best friends. I missed a red signal, almost and we blamed each other for the near miss. Then, James teased me because I looked about to cry. That made me completely unable to hold back."
"There, there", Percy's driver said, drying his tears with a cloth, "It's okay to cry. I know your feelings were hurt in the fight and by the teasing as well."
Big tears welled up in Percy's eyes again. He sniffled loudly and said, "I feel very sad about what I said to my best friend and what he said to me. I hate fighting and hope we shall make up."
Percy's driver said he continued to wipe the tears away, " I know you feel dreadful, so let the tears get out. You deserve comfort." He wiped under Percy's eyes.
Thomas came by, pulling a train to Knapford. He saw Percy in tears and it made him feel terrible.
"Was it our fight or what upset you?", Thomas asked his friend.
Percy said, "That and James teased me about looking ready to cry.".
Erica had to leave, so Thomas engine hugged Percy and they said "Sorry" and made up from their fight. Thomas began to cry, feeling bad about their fight and Percy being sad because of it. "Driver, can you dry my tears?" he asked.
Thomas's driver climbed from the cab and patted his engine's tears away with a cloth. "There, there, Thomas", he said. "Let it all out."
"I feel so bad about our fight and making you sad", Thomas sniffled, crying more.
His driver said as he continued to wipe his tears away, "You were angry and just said what you did out of anger."
Thomas finished his cry and his driver wiped his cheeks and eyes one more time, to brush his last tears away. He smiled, feeling much better for having made up with Percy and crying. Then, he and Percy each had a drink and went back to work on the branch line. Thomas whistled when going by Knapford Yards, to let his "little sister" know he was there. She whistled back and all the friends went on with their day.
A/N I just got the idea to have Percy cry and the fight was a way to make him unhappy. James just seems like the sort to tease someone about crying and I felt inspired to give him a role. Respect my story and especially Erica, my trainsona, if you want this story to stay up, regarding the latter. I'm not British, they are, so if I worded or phrased anything a little off or seem like I'm trying too hard to capture the characters' dialect, excluding Erica, that's all. She's US-built and lived in said country after WWII, so it makes sense for her to use my English some. My Thomasverse is rooted in the models, when drivers would offer comfort and advice to their engines. Being Thomas sensitive means needing him to be comforted when unhappy. Model era Thomas feels unhappy when he does something wrong and cries twice over naughtiness in Season 1. The personality type my buddy here types Thomas as hates fighting, which is why he feels so bad about his argument with Percy.