A few days had gone by since James and Percy had their shares in a little gambling caper between themselves and their crews concerning Molly and Emily respectively. Both gambles played out nicely for James and Percy when they managed to enjoy another evening with Molly and Emily alike. And so summer was still going forward for Sodor, with a most immensely busy bustle for all the engines to manage day by day.
But when it came to two other engines, it was quite another matter entirely. Bill and Ben the Tank Engine Twins were both in disgrace and felt very, very low. For almost three weeks now, they had been shut up in their sheds for being so intensely naughty to Thomas and Emily when they came to help them at the Clay Pits. Through the twins' naughty and mischievous antics, Thomas and Emily's patience was tested to the last straw when Thomas ended up saving Emily from a close slide in a blasting zone, which resulted in him being badly crushed, while also saving Emily from the accident herself. David and the Fat Controller were so furious with Bill and Ben, they had spread the word to the rest of Sodor, who all agreed that Bill and Ben had gone too far that time.
Over the past three weeks, while Bill and Ben were withheld in their shed, Timothy and Marion had been working much harder than usual to keep up to speed in the Clay Pits, while other engines came and went to help them every now and again. But through it all, Bill and Ben could not stop thinking all about what fools they had been toward Thomas and Emily, with behaviour they had never demonstrated at such magnitude before. Even for them, it was admittedly unbelievable. Everything David and the Fat Controller had said to them had not left their funnels for one moment, and indeed, it left a strong, unbreakable impression on the two Tank Engine Twins. An impression, which unlike many others before, would last for a long time.
It was the end of another busy day on the island, and most of the engines were returning to their sheds. At the Clay Pits, Timothy and Marion were returning to their sheds for the night after working extra hard together. They were both tired and proud, while Bill and Ben idled on in their shed together, still locked away and huddled together in utter shame. Despite having done nothing for almost three weeks, the silence between them finally broke today.
"Bill, stop staring out into the distance," Ben said miserably. "Thomas and Emily are not coming back to help us after what we did to them, and the Fat Controller has given no indication that he'll let us out even now."
"How? Just...how, Ben? How could we have been so piggish and atrociously horrendous?" Bill asked. "How could we not have seen what Emily offered us as Sodor's Safety Engine? We've been here for so long now, Ben. What have we gotten ourselves into?"
Ben answered with a most glum look on his face.
"A deep load of filthy coal dust is what we're in right now. As it has been for almost three weeks. Day in and day out, we've been held here. Probably for the best after all we did to Thomas and Emily. Especially for getting Thomas into that nasty crash he rescued Emily from...which she was in great danger of too."
"Beyond brave for Thomas to do," Bill admitted. "He would do anything to keep Emily safe. What were we thinking to assume that she was getting in the way as opposed to helping us?"
"Irrationally, and childishly. That's what and how we were thinking," Ben remarked. "We should have learned our lesson with Fergus."
"And yet we never held onto it...probably until now," said Bill. "After a long time to think, it's true, Ben. Emily is a most professional Safety Engine. We just never took it to heart like we should have."
"Indeed, she is professional, Bill," said Ben. "I should never have blocked her way at the points with those trucks."
"It wasn't all you," said Bill. "I was naughty too."
Ben remembered how Bill said that once before when he got new buffers and Bill didn't.
"Of course you were. We're twins," Ben answered. But he didn't smile this time. "...Twins who have behaved ferociously badly for too many years. Just like Donald and Douglas came to realize with their snowball incident with Emily, it wasn't you or I...it was both of us."
Bill looked down to his buffers, knowing that Ben was right.
"Yes, Ben. It was. All the same, we were locked up for good measure," he replied. "Stupid engines that we were, pressing Thomas and Emily's patience in such an audacious manner, to the point that Thomas gave up his duties for a week to save Emily."
"And such oriented, imaginative cheek from both of us, even after the incident," Ben added. "I think David and the Fat Controller's words are a breakthrough for you and I. Everything they said to us and about us is true. I just feel wretched about what we did to Thomas and Emily, and we're still here, locked in our shed. We must NEVER escalate ourselves to that magnitude again."
Bill hummed miserably in agreement, then trailed his eyes outside the sheds as the sun set over the cliffs.
"You're right, Ben. We mustn't. But general mischief and playing around is what we've been doing for so many years. It's never went away...which is why I've been thinking a little today..."
"Thinking? About what, Bill?" Ben asked.
"Well...we weren't always naughty to the core," said Bill. "There have been times when we worked fairly well together. Not perfectly, but still getting the work done...and I can't help but wonder. Will we ever truly learn to be trustworthy, disciplined, honest, mature, responsible and reliable engines? Will we climb out of the slump you and I are currently in?"
Ben felt his boiler stir to these questions. He remembered that those were the qualities the Fat Controller had told them both to think about before they would be allowed out of their sheds again. And to be free of the slump he and Bill were in would be something truly remarkable. But how to get there was no clear path at the moment.
"I don't know how we could do that, Bill," he answered. "I wish we really could learn those traits and hold onto them. At least, much stronger than we have in the past. But just how could we convince the rest of the island that we could show those qualities? And Thomas and Emily too?"
"I know. That will be the delicate part," said Bill. "Their animosity to us has surely grown considerably since that close slide. And after David and the Fat Controller spread the word to so many, that complicates things. How could we prove it to them, indeed?"
"I don't know, brother. I don't know," said Ben. "But what I do know is that we can't go on like this, with or without the Fat Controller's order to keep us in here."
"You're right, Ben," said Bill. "We'll have to return to work sooner or later."
"Indeed, we will, Bill," said Ben. "It's sure to be tricky to give ourselves a good name again. But whatever happens, we're getting through it together, you and I. We're twins."
"Twins who will work together," Bill agreed.
With that, Bill and Ben fell silent as night slowly came, and they soon fell asleep, hoping to find a solution to make themselves a better image whenever they would get the chance. Things would change for them soon enough.
Meanwhile at Tidmouth Sheds, after another immensely busy day, the engines had spent the evening exchanging stories about their schedules which had left them plenty tired, and there was still even more to come as summer went on. At last, the engines bade goodnight to each other and fell asleep, until Thomas and Emily were the only two left awake.
"Such a busy day yet again," Emily hummed to herself. "Now...Mmm...Time for bed. Another busy day ahead and...Thomas?"
Emily looked to Thomas and saw him staring blankly ahead into the night, clearly engulfed in a lot of thought. He didn't look at Emily or respond for quite a few minutes. Emily wondered what he could be thinking about this time. Perhaps going out for another big world adventure, or reminiscing memories of him and Emily on how their relationship started and blossomed over the years, or anything of the sort. But not tonight.
"Thomas? Are you okay?" Emily asked.
Thomas looked to Emily, his eyes still conveying a deep sense of thought.
"I'm alright, Emily. But my mind is too full to sleep just yet," he answered, rather absorbed.
"Why, Thomas?" Emily asked. "We need all the rest we can. What with summer still working us away minute by minute. What's keeping your mind awake?"
Thomas took a deep breath and sighed. As it turned out, Bill and Ben were not the only ones thinking a few things of late.
"Emily...I know we've been very busy of late," said Thomas. "This summer is indeed proving to be a hustle and bustle for us all...but for quite some time now...I've been thinking."
"Thinking about what, Thomas?" Emily asked.
Thomas looked to her with a deep expression in his eyes. The line of thought he had been tinkering with had been in his funnel for a few days now, and now that Emily had inquired to it, he had to tell her.
"In the midst of being so busy, I've really been wondering now..." he began.
"About what?" Emily asked.
Thomas looked at Emily, blinked once, and let it out. "About Bill and Ben."
When Emily heard this, she was taken by mild surprise. She had not thought much about Bill and Ben ever since Thomas' close slide three weeks past. To be reminded of them now was not the most welcoming prospect for her after another immensely busy day.
"Bill and Ben?" she remarked, not particularly impressed. "And just why are you thinking about them of all engines, during the busiest time of the year, Thomas?"
"I've been thinking about them on and off for a few days now," said Thomas. "You see, it's been nearly three weeks since my close slide with you, following such outrageous behavior from both of them, and they've been held in their shed, completely silent and still all this time."
"Phh. So?" Emily scoffed. "They got what they deserved! Taking our trucks and landing you and I right in the blasting zone indeed!"
"I know, Emily. But after three weeks time, it's making me wonder," said Thomas. "They can't stay locked up indefinitely. As horrendous as their behavior with us was, perhaps even now they could be given a chance to be useful again? Maybe do some good for the island again?"
"Don't waste your thoughts on those little demons, Thomas," Emily remarked a little scornfully. "They gave you and I such Hell when we had to help them, and you got smashed up very badly, although you did save me most gallantly. And even before that, they gave us trouble, interrupting our close kiss at the washdown shortly after you brought the real me back, splashing me and Percy with mud, and mucking up Valentine's Day for you and Rosie. Once mischievous and naughty, ALWAYS mischievous and naughty for them! We all have too much to do this summer, and those little demons can idle in their shed all year, for all I care!"
Thomas suddenly frowned and became a little stern.
"Now, wait a minute, Emily," he replied sharply. "They were no doubt atrocious towards you and I, but come now! Have you no open heart for them?"
Emily suddenly looked perplexed by what Thomas had asked. She wasn't expecting him to speak such words about Bill and Ben, but she gathered herself and sighed before answering.
"I mean this in the best way I can, Thomas...but why would I have an open heart for them after what they put upon us?"
"Because," Thomas answered firmly. "They're not all bad. They certainly seemed to be with our close slide, but even then, they had no intention of putting us in that much danger. And given how busy Sodor is right now, they're bound to be let out sooner or later, Emily. The Clay Pits will need them, with or without their useful side. Maybe another chance could actually do them well for once, and I mean that truly."
"It sounds too risky, Thomas," Emily remarked. "Those twins never learned any useful lessons they were taught. And I pity Marion and Timothy if those twins are let out again, just as mischievous and naughty as ever!"
"They won't be, Emily," Thomas answered. "Gordon and James were certainly changed for the better after coming out of the out-of-use siding. Still proud and boastful, but they did learn for the absolute better on your behalf. Perhaps Bill and Ben could have a similar affect upon coming out of their shed."
Emily sighed and looked away, not sure what to say to this. It was then that Thomas suddenly remembered a particular story concerning Bill and Ben, which made his heart jump. A story from many years ago which involved Bill and Ben doing quite the unthinkable, but in a very good way, which stood out so strongly compared to their regular mischievous ways. Thomas suddenly looked to Emily again and crept a smile over his face. He now felt that things were going to start happening with Bill and Ben again, very soon.
"You know, Emily..." Thomas said slowly, making Emily's eyes trail back to him.
"Yes, Thomas?" she replied.
"Bill and Ben...they weren't always atrociously naughty and mischievous."
Emily looked back to Thomas, suddenly curious as to what he was suggesting. "They...they weren't?"
"No, Emily," said Thomas. "If anything, there were times when they really were useful."
"I find that particularly hard to believe," Emily replied. "Then again...you've been here almost as long as they have. Long before I came here on Sodor."
"Exactly, Emily," Thomas answered. "I could tell you about one particular time that really sticks out for them. A story you would never expect to be connected to Bill and Ben."
"...Is that so?" Emily pondered. "Well...since you've been here longer than me, I know you're telling the truth, Thomas. So Bill and Ben weren't always a burden?"
"No, Emily. They weren't," said Thomas. "While being naughty and mischievous has been their trademark of behavior since the beginning, there are notable times when they have both done fairly well for us all. I hasten to add, they've done very well on some occasions...which brings me to the story I'd like to tell you."
"And what is that, Thomas?" Emily asked.
Thomas looked at Emily with a deep sense of seriousness.
"As miraculous it may sound, Emily, there was a time when they were actually...heroes."
When Emily heard this, she felt herself go very still for a few moments, lost in initial disbelief. She stared at Thomas, trying hard not to smile and giggle in disbelief.
"E-Excuse me, Thomas. Did you say...heroes?" she almost snorted through a giggle. "Phh-hm-hm! Bill and Ben, heroes? How can Bill and Ben be heroes?"
Thomas slowly huffed out of his berth, to the edge of the turntable well.
"Because they WERE heroes in this story, Emily," he answered strongly. "I know it's a shock, but it's very true. There was a time when they really did know how to react in a real emergency. Would you...care to hear the story?"
Emily blinked and slowly came out of her berth until she herself was at the edge of the turntable well. Now she and Thomas could talk together.
"Yes, Thomas. If they really were heroes...please tell me about it," she whispered. "Tell me all that you know."
"Very well, Emily. Here it is," said Thomas. "One morning, Bill and Ben were busy at the quarry, pushing and pulling trucks into their proper places. They are cheeky and love to play tricks, but they were starting to feel restless after doing the same thing over and over again. Ben then stated that he and Bill needed a surprise. Bill was puzzled until the Quarry Manager told them that the Fat Controller wanted to see them at the harbour."
"Hmm. I see. No doubt a mischievous surprise," Emily remarked. "What did the Fat Controller want to see them for?"
"At first, Bill and Ben were worried if they had done something wrong again," said Thomas. "But that wasn't the situation. The Fat Controller told them to shunt trucks at the station while Edward was taking children on a trip around the Island. Bill and Ben promised to do their best, but Gordon saw the twins too, and ordered them to behave on the Main Line. Ben teased Gordon that when they saw him, they thought they were back at the scrapyard, much like they did before when he took the wrong road."
"Of course," said Emily. Thomas went on.
"Gordon was cross and demanded them to have his coaches ready by that evening. Bill and Ben began shunting, thinking they knew all about trucks, when they really didn't. The trucks claimed they wanted to help Bill and Ben, who were most unaware of the tricks trucks can play. When evening came, the yard was in a dreadful muddle. The twins had let the trucks tell them where to put things."
"That's confusion and delay, all over," Emily replied. "No surprise to me. What happened then, Thomas?"
"Gordon and the passengers waited impatiently outside the station while Bill and Ben tried to sort things out. But by the time Gordon was able to leave, it was very late indeed."
"I do hope he didn't take the blame for those little demons' knack of trouble," said Emily.
"In so far as I know, no, he didn't, Emily," said Thomas. "But then the next day came...and in the case of Bill and Ben, some of the unthinkable happened...and they both performed in a way you would never have suspected. This is where their hero sides comes into play."
"Alright. What happened, Thomas?" Emily asked.
"Bill and Ben were back at the quarry...when a sudden rumble sounded all through the quarry. Bill had never heard a sound like that. But his driver had. Then, just as he had predicted, a rockslide began cascading down the quarry walls."
"Oh! Then what?" Emily asked.
"The alarms sounded and the Quarry Master alerted everyone to evacuate the area immediately. Bill and Ben waited for all the workmen to board their trucks. But just as Bill and Ben were leaving, one workman called for help as he was left behind. Ben bravely waited until he was also onboard, and with that, Bill and Ben got out with the men just in time. Towers were toppled over, sheds were crushed to bits, water towers splashed everywhere, and rocks and boulders cascaded left, right, up and down all over the quarry!"
Emily could see it all in her funnel and was completely taken by shock to hear just what Bill and Ben had done under such a dangerous scenario.
"Ohh...That's almost exactly what happened to you and I when you saved me!"
"Indeed, it was, Emily," said Thomas. "From what Bill and Ben must have seen, the effect of that rockslide was devastating. It was as if someone had taken the whole quarry, turned it upside down, and threw it back into place!"
Emily shuddered. "Ohh! Was everyone safe?"
"Yes, Emily. Everyone was safe," said Thomas. "Bill and Ben had gotten everyone out of the quarry in time. But seeing such massive wreckage and damage made Bill and Ben worry deeply. That rockslide had nothing to do with any games or tricks of theirs. It was all mere coincidence, and they both worried bitterly over what the Fat Controller would say, hoping he would understand."
"And? Did he?" Emily asked.
"Well, Bill and Ben had to wait for what would come next," said Thomas. "And the next day...Edward came along with the Fat Controller."
"So? What did he tell them?" Emily asked.
Thomas smiled impressively.
"He said to them, 'Bill and Ben, you still have a lot to learn about trucks, don't you? But you acted quickly and bravely in an emergency. So three cheers for Bill and Ben, our heroes! Hip-Hip Hooray-hooray-hooray!' Bill and Ben were most impressively delighted, and they had to agree that being called heroes was quite a nice surprise...just as they had been hoping to have. And that is the end of this tale. So there you are. That's Bill and Ben's story of being heroes. What do you think, Emily?"
Thomas waited for an answer and looked. Emily stood there, enthralled, surprised, and almost entranced by the story Bill and Ben's lives had to tell. She had never heard this story before, and for Bill and Ben to be the heart of it all was most unexpected. Never did she imagine that engines like them could be so capable, responsible and reliable in an emergency like that. In that moment, her perception of Bill and Ben just began to change. At last, she took a big, shaky breath and answered with a little tremble in her voice.
"Wow...Well...I was not expecting anything like that to be in their lineup," she replied. "Not in the very least at all, Thomas. Most remarkable, and nothing to overlook in the least. They really did know how to react in that emergency, and I would have been amazed to see it myself...and yet they had no wit or whereabouts to react the same way when you had to save me from that close slide."
"Not that time, they didn't, Emily," Thomas agreed. "But that was probably because they didn't know how to take your Safety Engine stature seriously, like they should have done."
"Perhaps, Thomas," said Emily. "And...now that I've heard this story...I think I'm wondering now..."
"What's that, Emily?" Thomas asked.
"Well...ever since I came to Sodor, Bill and Ben have only proven themselves to be an annoyance and quite the load of trouble...but now knowing that this story is part of their lineup...I'm beginning to think that maybe my perception of them could change. Hopefully?"
Thomas looked at Emily for a moment, then settled on the turntable and turned around to her berth, buffering up to her softly.
"I'm most intrigued to hear you say that, Emily," said Thomas. "And I feel the same. But, surely you haven't forgotten about how they were the ones who saved me from the landslide after I first found those dinosaur footprints in the Clay Pits. Have you?" asked Thomas.
Emily blushed slightly as she suddenly remembered when Thomas told her about Bill and Ben saving him on that stormy day, and being present for when the Fat Controller had gathered some of the engines to pay tribute to Bill and Ben for their heroic actions, and then everything that happened between Percy, Gator and James.
"That...might have slipped my mind..." she whispered feebly, feeling silly for forgetting about what led to one of the most difficult periods of Percy's life, but realizing something else that annoyed her. "They saved you from one landslide...only to then make you end up buried by another landslide!"
Thomas sighed, knowing that the irony of the situation was a valid enough point to bring up.
"Yes, yes, but my earlier point still stands, Emily. You can make all the arguments you want, but I know Bill and Ben better than you do," sighed Thomas. "And no matter how cheeky they were, they have never wanted anyone to get hurt by antics."
Part of Emily wanted to argue, but she knew that Thomas had much more experience with the twins than she had ever had. For now, she knew that it would probably be best to trust Thomas' judgment.
"I just can't help but wonder..." Thomas sighed again. "Can Bill and Ben rise to that pinnacle of usefulness, and I even add...heroism again?"
"Hmm...that is a very curious question, Thomas," said Emily. "I've actually never seen them being that heroic and selfless in my life here, not with my own eyes. Even when they did save you, the most I got from their response to the praise was soaking up the glory to feed their egos. The most they've done with us is tease us when we almost kissed, briefly mucked up Valentine's Day for you and Rosie, and of course, your close slide with me."
Thomas nodded as he softly pushed Emily into her berth again.
"All the same, it would be fascinating if they could rise to that peak again," he whispered. "And so you could see it yourself, Emily."
Emily hummed softly, agreeing with her star.
"You know, Thomas...I think you're right," she said gently. "It would be amazing if I could see them turn over a few new leaves like that. Perhaps letting them out could do something good on their part. Thank you for telling me such a story about them...and making me remember such an important, more recent event. But for now, we must go to sleep. We have a great deal more work still to cover through tomorrow."
"Too right, we do, Emily," said Thomas. "And maybe Bill and Ben will have some work again too."
"Maybe, Thomas. Maybe," Emily nodded.
Thomas then leaned in and kissed Emily's cheek goodnight. "Sweet dreams, my love."
Emily yawned peacefully and kissed Thomas' cheek in turn. "Sweet dreams, Tommy dear."
Thomas returned to his berth, then he and Emily fell asleep under the stars, awaiting the potential time Bill and Ben could become unexpected heroes. But even as Thomas and Emily slept, there were still a couple more who were thinking and pondering through the night.
In the Rider home at Arlesburgh, Beatrice was sound asleep in bed with a peaceful smile on her face. But downstairs in the living room, David was still awake, looking out the window to the stars outside. As it turned out, he too had been thinking about Bill and Ben's fiasco three weeks past with Thomas and Emily. Ever since he and the Fat Controller encouraged everyone to speak their minds about the matter, little to no word about Bill and Ben had been circled around. But now, just like Thomas and Emily were wondering, David couldn't help but give thought to the possibility that Bill and Ben may yet have had a chance, as unlikely as it would seem to some.
Speaking not a word, David walked to the bookcase in his living room and drew some of the storybooks of Thomas concerning Bill and Ben in the Railway Series. He sat down at a nearby table and spent a time of it, slowly turning the pages and looking at the divine illustrations of Bill and Ben. He kept glancing out the window every few moments, absorbing himself in deep thought about Bill and Ben. He knew quite well of their story of being heroes, and he admired it greatly for what it was worth. And so he wondered too if there really could be a chance for them sometime soon. Maybe the lesson was indeed well-taken, not just by the people of Sodor, but Bill and Ben themselves. Only time would tell, and David was soon back in bed again for the night.
And in Topham Hall, while most of the Hatt family as asleep in bed, the Fat Controller was still awake too, in his pajamas and house robe. In all the rush, hustle and haste of all the summer work being done by the Railway, he too had been thinking for a few days about Bill and Ben, endlessly wondering what to do about them. It had been nearly three weeks in the shed for both of them, and the Fat Controller knew that punishment couldn't go on indefinitely. Bill and Ben would have to be let out at some point. Then it would be a matter of whether they had truly learned their lesson this time or not. So many times Bill and Ben had gotten into mischief, apologized for it, and had been told to learn a lesson, and yet almost every time, those lessons were let go of, and mischief kept ensuing from both tank engine twins.
"Oh, dear, Bill and Ben. What are we going to do about you?" the Fat Controller murmured to himself.
This was indeed a complicated question, and there was no clear answer to come just yet. The Fat Controller knew just how much trouble Bill and Ben had gotten themselves into with that close slide, and for them to recover and regain their usefulness for such an act would require a mass of effort from both of them. He had also not forgotten what he and David did to spread the word across Sodor about Bill and Ben's resulting consequences upon Thomas, Emily and themselves. As such, the Fat Controller knew that any efforts from Bill and Ben to revitalize their image would have to be treaded carefully. It was indeed a tricky spot, but as with every busy summer season on Sodor, the Railway needed all the engines it could get, and after several minutes more of thinking and pondering, the Fat Controller took a deep breath and sighed. He had made a decision for the next day.
"Hmm...I think I need a word with Bill and Ben," he said quietly to himself. "First thing tomorrow."
And so, with his plans now put in place, the Fat Controller returned to his bed and went to sleep. The next day, things would start happening with Bill and Ben again. After three weeks of sitting idle in their shed for their worst onslaught of mischief and bad behaviour, it was time for the two tank engine twins to climb back up again, see a need for change, and maybe even become unexpected heroes.
First of three possible chapters is finally up, and if you've noticed how a lot of my older stories have been split into multiple chapters, and that's largely because I realized that they really should've been done in multiple chapters from the beginning instead of shoving so much into just one chapter, because that just made them take even longer to edit and read for you guys. Yes, it may have been annoying for you guys to see the updates in the last few weeks and only realize that the older stuff was getting revamped instead of seeing new stories, and I'm sorry about that, but don't be surprised if a few more stories get the same treatment later down the road, and even then it doesn't affect the chronology of these stories since the timeline is still the same. Anyway, the next chapter should be an interesting one, so tell us what you thought of this chapter, and as always, stay safe.