A/N This chapter's not based on a scene, as the others were, but an idea only.
Thomas found Erica at Knapford Yards and told his "sister", "We're taking a train of trucks to Brendam Docks. At least, if you can be my back engine."
Erica said, smiling at her "brother", "I can. Really Useful Engines help friends, I guess. I know you do.".
Thomas said, "Even as a young engine, I wanted to help. Like how I got my branch line." His eyes twinkled as he smiled, remembering. "I was happy as can be on arrival at my branch line, so I cried tears of joy."
Erica replied, "My only tears of joy in my life are associated with this place. Even if I had happy moments with my oldest brother in my post-WW2 years in my homeland. Now, I love my country of origin, except for the bullying, but I didn't trust the other heritage railroads wouldn't be full of bullies. My first ever tears of joy in my life were when I was on my way here. Even this place has a few bullies, but they tend to be diesels, mostly. Gordon and James are the only steamies here that have given me trouble."
Thomas said, "Gordon and James aren't the most emotional engines, so sometimes they don't understand. They rarely cry, so they don't get on with Henry when he gets emotional, even if they're friends. Sometimes, like when his former driver or The Thin Clergyman died, he's come to Knapford when we're both not busy. Or Edward's station, if I'm busy and Edward's not. I, along with my friends Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Toby and Duck were very sad over The Thin Clergyman. Gordon, James and Duck didn't cry after their initial weeping, but the rest of us did some more crying, especially Edward, Henry, Percy and me. Well, it's time to get to the docks.". They had talked while being prepared for their train.
The "siblings" went to Brendam Docks and found Edward broken down. Thomas asked what Edward was unable to move for.
"My injector's failed and my fire's been doused," Edward said.
'Arry and Bert overheard and said, "We'd like to make your class go extinct, you useless old steamie. We know you're the only one left of your kind, so if we could shunt you to the scrapyard, that's the result.".
"I'm a useless old engine in this state, so I need to go to the Steamworks to be Really Useful again," Edward said, his eyes wet with tears. He sniffled and began to cry, emitting small sobs as big, big tears poured from his eyes, deeply hurt and saddened by their treatment.
Being at Brendam Docks reminded Thomas of that unpleasant visitor awhile back telling him it was based on Southampton. He began to cry, sobbing and sniffling over the loss of his siblings, as he pressed his buffers against Edward's.
Edward's driver saw his engine was sad. "There, there," he said soothingly as he gently dried Edward's tears away with a cloth. "They're just bullies."
Edward sniffled, again, loudly and said, fresh tears flowing from his eyes constantly, "Dr-driver, I-I'm s-so d-depressed." He could barely choke out the words.
His driver said as he continued to wipe the tears away, "Let it all out. I shall comfort you as long as you're sad."
Edward finished his cry, smiling a bit as his driver patted his last tears away.
As Edward was being comforted, Thomas was, too."Dr-driver, c-can y-you dr-dry m-my t-tears?", he said, in a shaky, sob-filled voice. Great tears flowed from his eyes and wet his face.
Thomas's driver said comfortingly to his engine, "There there, Thomas. Let those tears get out. I know these are real.", as he took a cloth out of his pocket and softly dried Thomas's tears.
"B-being h-here r-reminds m-me o-of m-my s-siblings," Thomas sobbed as he cried more. "Th-this pl-place i-is l-like S-southampton, wh-where th-they w-worked.".
His driver said, as he continued to wipe the tears away, "Cry all you feel you need to, in that case. It's fine. I know you miss your siblings, so let yourself go.". He rubbed his engine's tear covered cheeks and wiped his eyes dry of tears as best he could.
Thomas finished his cry after a while and smiled a bit as his driver dapped his last tears away. Erica, who had given each of her friends a brief buffer press, had to go back to Knapford. Thomas had a drink and shunted Edward to the Steamworks.
A/N The part with the unpleasant visitor being the root of Thomas associating Brendam Docks with Southampton's from an earlier chapter of this story. Respect my Thomasverse, especially Erica. Members, don't flame Erica and this story stays up.