Unexpected Heroes

by AaronCottrell97

Bill and Ben have been held up in their shed for weeks after their carelessness endangered Thomas and Emily at the Clay Pits, and by now they wish they could prove that they are sorry. Emily, however, is still very skeptical about the twins having learned their lesson, but with Summer proving to be as busy as ever, Bill and Ben will have to be let out of the shed sooner or later.

6. Unfortunate Complications: Part 2

Another night passed with Bill and Ben's return to work, and things weren't quite going according to plan or schedule since the day before, with both twins being ridiculed by Gordon for fetching his and Rebecca's coaches as opposed to Thomas and Percy, losing Henry's goods train on Gordon's Hill and Henry being less than polite about the twins' late arrival. It was a problematic error on Bill and Ben's part, which ended fairly enough with more work at the Clay Pits, but quite soon, both twins would really feel the sting of complications and their need for change would be put at considerable risk.

When morning came, Bill and Ben woke up first and looked to each other, gradually remembering their little talk at Arlesburgh with Percy the night before. Given their little slump the day before, they didn't feel as optimistic now.

"Well, Ben," said Bill. "Yesterday wasn't fully optimum for either of us. Just what will happen today? I really don't know what."

"Neither do I, Bill," said Ben. "But all we can do is take what's given to us. Our four trains are waiting for us, and the Fat Controller will surely want to see us afterwards."

So Bill and Ben got right to their day with no tarrying. They made way to the Clay Pit entrance and saw their four trains of six trucks each full of stone and clay lined up and ready to go. Bill and Ben got right to it and took the first two trains on their way. But this was only the beginning of the brick wall they were due to run into considerably hard.

Bill and Ben made their way to Brendam with their loads where Cranky and Carly were waiting to unload again. Both cranes got to loading and unloading the stone while Bill and Ben waited. But by most unfortunate coincidence, Diesel came along toward Salty and Porter's shed. He looked and saw the tank engine twins up ahead and glared. Like Gordon and James, he was not at all keen on Bill and Ben's return since he found it out in the first place, although his reasons were quite different than Gordon and James.

Bill and Ben's strong first day didn't give Diesel much to bother about, but after their less fortunate day before, Diesel now smelt a most devious idea. He stopped right in the shed, watching as Cranky made ready to manage the last truck of stone and clay.

"Those bees think they're on their way to being trusted again," he slithered quietly. "But they failed embarrassingly yesterday already. Now I'll show Bill and Ben who's best."

And just as Cranky began managing Bill's last truck of stone and clay, Diesel suddenly charged out of the shed and went BUMP, straight into Bill and his trucks, jostling them all forward, and upsetting Cranky's crane arm.

"Whoa! What the-" Bill exclaimed with shock.

"Bill!" gasped Ben.

"Hey, mind yourself!" Cranky exclaimed.

Then there was trouble. Cranky's unsettled crane arm jolted the truck through the air, and the stone and clay flew everywhere.

"Look out below!" cried Porter.

"Careful, Chuck!" Carly cried to Bill and Ben.

"Shiver me axles!" Salty exclaimed. "Clear the way!"

Workmen ducked and dodged as the stones clattered and bumped to the ground. As clay dust rained down on Porter and Salty, one of the smaller stones landed square on one workman's mug as he turned to drink, then stopped abruptly. Lastly, some of the stones bumped and rolled off the docks and into the sea, while Diesel smirked and snickered through it all, waiting to see what would happen next. By the time the ruckus stopped, stones and clay dust lay everywhere, and Bill and Ben were most confused and alarmed indeed. They were not expecting anything like this, and it couldn't have been a worse way to start the day.

"What happened THERE?!" Cranky exclaimed.

"It wasn't our fault! We were shunted too hard," said one of Bill's trucks.

"Who shunted those trucks and caused all this chaos?" Cranky asked.

"It wasn't me," said Porter.

"Nor me, matey," said Salty.

"Well, someone shoved us," said Bill's trucks.

Cranky suddenly stared down suspiciously at Bill and Ben, immediately suspecting that they had forgotten their path for change already.

"Bill and Ben?!" Cranky barked. "Weren't you saying just two days ago that you were seeking a need for change? But look at this! It seems you've let it slip your minds already! I might have known!"

Bill and Ben's eyes shot right upwards. "No! Not! Never! Bill didn't pull forward like that!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did, given the tricks you play with trucks!" Cranky cranked.

"I didn't, Cranky! I swear I didn't!" Bill protested. "Someone bumped me! And we all know it wasn't 'Geoffrey,' as Thomas once claimed!"

"Then, who was it?" Cranky asked.

Before Bill or Ben could answer, they both heard that particular voice from behind.

"Wake up there, Bill and Ben," Diesel smiled mockingly. "You have work to do...and a lot of cleaning up! Look at the mess you've made, and first thing in the morning too! Looks like you two haven't really changed after all!"

Bill and Ben looked back and immediately felt a different surge in their boilers. As opposed to focusing on their need for change, they were now most offended and very cross. This was a most unwelcome start to their day, and they would not stand for it.

"Well! I should have known you'd get in our way!" Bill snapped. "And WE didn't make this mess! YOU did!"

"You're the ones pulling those trains, aren't you?" Diesel teased.

"YOU rammed into my brother!" Ben wheeshed angrily. "Engines like you should be locked up in a shed immediately as opposed to the two of US! How DARE you bite our plans, you common, low, smelly dock-yard Diesel!"

"Indeed, you beastly thing!" Carly called down to Diesel. "What a nasty, underhanded thing to do!"

Diesel took no notice as he oiled away with a gleeful snicker. He didn't even say he was sorry to Bill or Ben. Before long, the workmen got to retrieving as many of the stones as they could and reloaded whatever they could to Bill's last truck so Cranky could manage it properly.

"Most barbaric!" Bill and Ben wheeshed together.

"Well, at least we retrieved what we could," said Carly. "And at least we know it wasn't either of you, Bill and Ben. I just hope the Fat Controller will understand for both your sakes."

"So do we," said Bill and Ben. "We'd best get our last two loads over here...before something else happens."

Bill and Ben whisked their empty trucks right back to the Clay Pits, then gathered the last two trains and set off to Brendam again, hoping badly that there wouldn't be another mishap. But as they approached the Docks again, things were no better. If anything, it got even worse. Ben huffed a few yards ahead of Bill as they approached the corner leading to Salty's shed. They passed right through, but just as they came alongside Cranky and Carly again, a loud horn split the air, making everyone look down the line.

Ben looked up, and there was Diesel barreling around the corner towards him at a most terrific speed, too fast for Ben to avoid.

"No-no-no! Not aga-a-ain!" cried Ben.

He screeched to a halt, but it was too late. Diesel bashed right into Ben and jolted him backwards so unevenly, that he swiveled left and right on the rails. This made some of the stone and clay jostle out of the trucks and onto the tracks. This made Ben's trucks bump and jostle along, then they completely tipped over. Once again, stone and clay spilled all over the place.

"No-no-NOO!" Ben howled with alarm. "Aagh! NOOO!"

Bill came rushing up beside Ben and could see what had just happened, and now felt much, much worse.

"Oh, no! Ben! This is not good!" he shook. Then he and Ben turned on their culprit.

"DIESEL!" the twins shouted together.

Diesel looked up with a blank, uncaring expression. "Oops. Why don't you watch where you're going?"

"Heaven's Sake, Diesel!" snapped Porter. "Have you no decency whatsoever?! Are you TRYING to pull Bill and Ben back to where they started?!"

"Well, maybe they should be more careful and mind whose way they're getting in," Diesel replied rudely.

Fortunately for Bill and Ben, the Dock Manager had seen everything.

"You're a very naughty engine, Diesel!" he scolded. "Now we'll need Harvey to help clean a whole train's worth of mess! Maybe YOU should get out of our way for today! And stop messing about!"

Diesel coughed a smoke of exhaust and gruffly switched away from Ben's line.

"Thank you, Diesel," Cranky cranked sarcastically. "Very clever indeed. Indeed NOT!"

Bill and Ben continued to stare at the mess along the line for a moment or two, with their hearts slamming very hard with worry and uncertainty.

"Oh, no! Oh, NO! This couldn't start out worse! What will the Fat Controller say?" gasped Bill.

"He won't like it," gulped Ben. "He really, really won't!"

"And who's going to tell him, I wonder?" Diesel sniffed as he rolled past them and out of the Docks. "Two little goody-goody tell-tales like you, I suppose?"

No less than how Duck and Percy felt with this sort of incident, Bill and Ben did not want to be tell-tales. At first, they thought perhaps they should say nothing...but they also knew quite well it would never do to keep something like this from the Fat Controller.

"We HAVE to tell him, Bill," said Ben. "Emily was not a telltale to explain everything about Gordon and James...and neither are we for this situation."

"I most certainly agree," said the Dock Manager. "You, Bill and Ben, should probably go meet with him at Knapford. I'll tell him what happened so he'll understand. Salty and Porter will manage your trucks once Harvey clears up this mess and the stone and clay is properly loaded. At least it was spilled here instead of out on the Main Line."

"Alright. Thank you, sir," Bill and Ben said lowly as they gloomily made their way out of the Docks.

For the whole journey to Knapford, Bill and Ben kept quiet and most nervous indeed. They hoped desperately that the Fat Controller would recognize who the real troublemaker was instead of jumping to judgemental conclusions, as he did with Thomas while he worked to prepare the Harwick Branch Line.

Eventually, Bill and Ben arrived at Knapford Station, and as they expected with sheer worry, the Fat Controller was waiting with his arms crossed and his foot tapping steadily. He had heard the news and was quite ready for Bill and Ben as they stopped as Platforms One and Two and braced themselves for a moment. Then the silence broke.

"Well, Bill and Ben," he said sternly. "Had a little scrape with Diesel this morning, did you?"

Bill and Ben looked down and nodded nervously.

"The Dock Manager told me a thing or two about what happened," the Fat Controller continued. "It is extremely important that work at the docks runs smoothly, you two! The ships from the Mainland depend upon it! Any delay there always causes trouble, and you both ought to know that now, no thanks to Cranky's carelessness trapping you and Salty there for a whole night all those years ago."

"Yes, sir. We do, sir," said Bill. "But if we may say so, with all due respect, Ben and I didn't fool around with our loads."

"No, sir," added Ben. "Diesel bumped Bill from behind with our first trip, then bumped me and upset my whole load on the second trip. We knew immediately you wouldn't like what happened...even if Diesel suggested we'd be telltales to explain what happened."

"Yes, the Dock Manager and Cranky and Carly all saw it," said the Fat Controller. "And I know it was Diesel's stroke of trouble that caused that mess, not you two. And you're most certainly NOT telltales to explain this to me."

Bill and Ben felt the weight in their hearts begin to lift. But just for a moment.

"However," the Fat Controller added, making Bill and Ben swallow. "The fact that this issue occurred with you two involved at all is not likely to please those who expect you to be on your best behaviour at all times...including myself. If you want to make that need for change come true, you'd both better toe the mark."

"...We'll certainly aim for that, sir," Bill said solemnly.

"I should hope so too," said the Fat Controller. "With Harvey, Salty and Porter cleaning up and managing that last load of trucks, it's time you both move on with today's schedule."

"What may that be, sir?" Ben asked.

"Well, you two, after yesterday's errors, and now with your little scrape with Diesel, it's a bit of a double-sided coin," said the Fat Controller. "The two trains that need your attention today are of utmost importance. One for Arlesburgh, and another for the Mainland. And with the bustling schedule of this summer, it would never do to have either of these trains wind up in trouble, confusion or delay."

Remembering the day before and hearing this now made Bill and Ben feel a small creeping warning in their boilers that something was bound to go critically wrong on their part. They couldn't put their buffer on it, but something was indeed telling them that something would happen and the biggest roadblock of their path to change was due to fall soon. They did their best to hide their inner worry as they answered.

"Yes, sir. We know, sir," said Bill.

"So what goes to Arlesburgh?" asked Ben.

"There's a shipment of building material waiting right here in the yards for you to take there," said the Fat Controller. "Donald and Douglas will manage it up to Harwick, and when you return, I will fill you in on the other important shipment to take to Vicarstown, where Henry will manage it to the Mainland again."

"Yes, sir," said Bill and Ben. "We're on it, sir."

And the twins huffed through the yards to find the shipment for Arlesburgh. Just then, James bustled in after a brief goods run to start his passenger run. He went looking for his shiny red coaches, and suddenly caught sight of the twins double-heading with their train for Arlesburgh...and they just happened to be right beside James' coaches. James had heard a little about what happened at the Docks and gave a hiss of steam, making Bill and Ben stop and look worriedly.

"What's this I see?!" James remarked indignantly. "What are YOU two doing around my precious red coaches? Keep your smelly trucks away from them!"

Bill and Ben did not take kindly to this and were no shrinking violets with the matter.

"Lighten up, James! We never touched your coaches!" grumbled Bill.

"We're simply gathering our load to Arlesburgh, and they're NOT smelly!" added Ben.

"Passengers and trucks don't mix," sniffed James. "No more than you two mix with the rest of us. Word of useful advice...DON'T touch my precious red coaches!"

"Ja-a-ames!" came the Fat Controller's voice from the platform.

"What?" James huffed angrily before noticing his mistake. "Eh...! Sir..."

"Ohh...!" the Fat Controller glowered, shaking his head.

"Come on, Bill. Don't listen to that puffed up redhead!" Ben wheeshed notably to James.

And Bill and Ben set off out of the yards and on their way to Arlesburgh. James huffed indignantly and collected his coaches before stopping at Platform One.

"Sorry, sir. Didn't mean any harm," James said bluntly. "Just making sure my coaches aren't tampered with by those two. Think of my passengers."

"Huh! Honestly, James!" said the Fat Controller. "Passengers are indeed most important, but ordering Bill and Ben about is NOT doing their matter any good! The best way you can help is NOT to bother with their schedule!"

"Bill and Ben aren't doing much good by messing up their own trucks at Brendam this morning, so I've heard," James replied.

"Well, you heard wrong, James," said his driver, Dermot. "Contrary to what you say, it wasn't Bill or Ben, but Diesel who upset their loads and didn't follow rules and regulations!"

"Hm! What of Bill and Ben?" James sniffed. "Are THEY following rules and regulations?"

"That's inappropriate talk, James," Dermot cautioned sternly. "You ought to bite your tongue to save it."

James most reluctantly said nothing to this and after his passengers arrived and boarded, he was on his way.

Bill and Ben, meanwhile kept on with their journey to Arlesburgh, trying not to think about James' behaviour toward them. It was then that they started thinking again about their little spat with Donald and Douglas the day before.

"Hey, Ben," said Bill. "With Donald and Douglas having to manage our load soon, you don't suppose they might be a little more understanding of our hopes today, should they see us?"

"Why do you say that, Bill?" asked Ben.

"Well...given how it played out yesterday, they did seem to believe we may yet have hope...just so long as no one else makes them think otherwise..."

Then Bill and Ben were interrupted by Gordon's whistle as he came up alongside their line with passengers on a tour to Arlesburgh Beach.

"Those little demons shouldn't be allowed on the Main Line!" Gordon huffed to himself before speaking to both twins. "Out of my way, you silly little engines! You're too mischievous to be really useful! And do your best NOT to get in my way!"

And he quite indignantly raced on past. Bill and Ben felt hurt and cross too.

"Uhh! Put a piece of coal in it, will you?!" they called out, though Gordon took no notice.

Before long, Bill and Ben made their way to Arlesburgh and trailed through the village to get their load to Donald and Douglas. They found them waiting close to the pier. Bill and Ben came up alongside and whistled to announce their arrival.

"Your shipment, Donald and Douglas, as scheduled," they said together.

Donald looked up first. "You lot again? We suspected as much. Doing any better than you were this morning?"

"Aye, because we hear your path to change has been a little uneven of late," said Douglas.

Bill sighed. "Yes, Douglas. It has been."

"And we hear Diesel gave you both a rude surprise at the Docks, overturning your stone and clay," said Donald.

"Yes, Donald. It's true," said Bill. "But that was not Ben or I's doing. It was all Diesel being what he always is. Devious and always showing off."

"Indeed, it was," said Donald. "Fancy that smelly beast trying to upheaval your efforts to make better of yourselves."

"But you've certainly made better by coming here with no delay," assured Douglas. "Thank ye for bringin' this lot. Now, we'd best get this lot to Harwick."

Bill and Ben were uncoupled from their train, and Donald and Douglas took it themselves, setting off further along the line to make way for Harwick. Bill and Ben followed their path so as to reach the turntable and turn around to return to Knapford. Soon, they came to the part of Arlesburgh where the tracks overlapped each other, right where Thomas and Skiff overlapped each other on the chase for the treasure.

Then there was trouble. As Donald and Douglas made their way through, Gordon was making his way down the other line, having just dropped off his tourists. He saw Donald and Douglas pass on through and clear the way. Gordon was just about to glide through his way, when suddenly, just when he was a few meters away from the overlap, Bill and Ben came huffing along, blocking his way. Gordon whistled with alarm and Bill and Ben looked up.

"Whoa! Look out!" Bill and Ben exclaimed.

"Oh, no!" Gordon exclaimed.

He braked hard and strained strongly not to bump into Bill and Ben, and he came to a stop, just inches away from the twins. Donald and Douglas stopped and looked back.

"What was that?" Donald asked. Before Douglas could answer, another spat with Bill and Ben suddenly ensued.

"Uhh! Bill and Ben!" Gordon hissed crossly. "What did I tell you about getting in the way?! You almost caused a most unfitting accident."

"Sorry, Gordon! We didn't see you coming," said Bill.

"We were only following Donald and Douglas to the turntable to return to Knapford!" added Ben.

"Pah! Donald and Douglas cleared the line fast enough!" snorted Gordon. "More likely, you were trying to get in my way and trick me! I should have expected you'd do such a thing as this!"

"Quiet, you great loony!" Douglas shouted back to Gordon. "Bill and Ben brought us our load, and there was no accident! They just didn't see you!"

"Correction, they already had an accident this morning!" Gordon hissed coldly as he glared at Bill and Ben. "Nothing more than two upstarting, spoiled boys who can't live up to dignified standards! Fancy letting Diesel topple your load at Brendam! Topple yourselves off the line next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

And to prove his very clear point, Gordon issued forward and gave Bill a slight bump, which tipped him up ever-so slightly.

"That's for you!" Gordon spluttered. "And you! AND you!"

"Gordon, you stop right there!" Donald demanded. "Let Bill and Ben through!"

"They won't get by me! I'll teach them!" Gordon snorted as he gave another bump that tipped Bill a little more, almost tipping Ben.

"God's Sake, Gordon! You'll derail them!" Douglas shouted.

Gordon took no notice as he kept lightly bumping Bill and Ben to get out of his way. But as he paused to bump them again, someone stepped right in his way and stood his ground with his hands on both hips. Gordon stopped where he was as David reflected the guard of his naval cutlass in its scabbard against the sunlight, and David's eyes were glittering with authority.

"Back off," he droned sternly.

Gordon held his breath and tried to contain himself. "...David, my navy acquaintance. I have no quarrel with you."

"Back-off-Gordon," David enunciated. "Or, by God, I will turn you over to Sir Topham Hatt before you can say 'Express'."

Gordon took a shaky breath as he slowly backed away, with David following him a few steps before he gave a single nod to Bill and Ben.

"Go on, you two. Report back to Knapford. And don't worry, Donald and Douglas. I'll handle this," he said.

Bill and Ben whistled to say thank you and scurried away to find the turntable, and Donald and Douglas carried on while David turned back to Gordon, who watched as Bill and Ben left. Then he looked to David again, who immediately glared and clopped his foot on the ground, hard.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" David yelled suddenly. "Look, I'm sorry if Bill and Ben don't live up to your so-called 'dignified' standards, and I'm still fairly skeptical about their promise to change! Believe me, I am, but YOU didn't have to go pull a stunt like that!"

"Well, they got in my way, didn't they?!" argued Gordon.

"Oh, right, right, yeah," David gloated sarcastically. "Gordon just 'happened,' to puff along the overlapping line, and Bill and Ben 'magically,' ended up in his way! Sir Topham Hatt would believe that! Yes, he would!"

"What-you...you're saying I'M in the wrong, and not them?!" Gordon protested.

"Well, if the dome fits!" David remarked.

Suddenly remembering how he lost his dome off the viaduct all those years, Gordon almost grinned angrily. "Say that again."

"If-the-dome-AH...fits," David enunciated.

Gordon's face reddened quite crossly and he simmered angrily for a moment or two, but suddenly sighed and gathered himself together, knowing it would be most grossly undignified to argue with a soldier, let alone Emily's best friend.

"Hmm. Oh, the Irony," Gordon said blankly, as opposed to indignity.

"What irony, Gordon?" David asked annoyingly. "That you're causing more trouble than good for Bill and Ben's need for change?"

"Such a strange irony that you're letting those demons have another chance," Gordon sniffed. "And yet you helped spread as much word of their close slide as possible along with the Fat Controller three weeks ago."

"Because they put Thomas and Emily in potentially grave danger with that incident," David remarked sternly. "But that was before and this is now! I think you'll find it's SIR TOPHAM HATT'S decision what jobs his engines do. Have you no recollection of your behaviour at the Blue Mountain Quarry when Henry got the Express?"

"Yes, David, I do remember that time," said Gordon. "But I can't help but feel that those impudent twins are just waiting to give each other the secret signal and spring back to mischief, right when we least expect it."

"Uhh! The Devil take it!" David groaned. "Always, you must meddle! Looking for trouble where little to none exists! And anyone's got better sense than to pick a fight just for not seeing the other engine coming. You had no business bumping them like that!"

"Look, David," Gordon replied bluntly. "The island knows what happened with that close slide, and of course there are those who truly don't trust them anymore, like James and me. Whereas Thomas, Percy, Nia and even Rebecca and Emily seem to think they have a chance. Just who else could possibly think they'll change at all?"

"Well, damn it all, I do!" David barked. "Mother told me last night that perhaps Bill and Ben don't want to walk their path of mischief anymore! And that should be more than enough for you! Just because Bill and Ben were unhelpful and perhaps unfriendly to Thomas and Emily that day DOES NOT mean you should be unkind in return! Sir Topham Hatt expects much better out of all of you! As difficult as it may seem to you, Bill and Ben ARE making an effort for better cause. You can remain blind to it, but if they are to stand any chance of getting out of their hole, they have to keep moving forward."

"That's absurd," Gordon snorted. "As much as I've said it already, Bill and Ben are nothing more than little demons, conjurers of mischief and tricks."

"And so I thought too three weeks past," said David. "But their heart is in the right place to be really useful. Even Bash and Dash were fairly-"

"Bash and Dash!" Gordon cut in indignantly. "Do not speak to me of the Logging Locos. Especially not Ferdinand. With the exception of Emily's little story with Dash, those three are a most foolish lot."

"Well, they're odd, I grant you," said David. "And granted their speech is of overly simplistic vocabulary."

"It's not that," Gordon gloated needlessly. "It's their excessive consumption of oil and wood, as opposed to coal. Surely it's what addled their brains and disfigured Ferdinand's teeth."

David looked most perplexed and could see he wasn't going to get much further with the Big Blue Engine.

"O...kay," he said slowly. "I hope the rest of this talk does you well, Gordon. I have to return to work. But I don't wish to hear of any more nonsense involving you with those twins!"

"Alright, alright," said Gordon. "But only because you command it...Captain."

And Gordon carried on his way. David watched him go, shaking his head slowly before he went back to his work, knowing very little that Bill and Ben's hopes would unfortunately be scraped badly in a few short hours, no thanks to one more most unfortunate complication. Then would come the turn of the tide for the Tank Engine Twins.

Further down the line, Bill and Ben were making their way back to Knapford, feeling most troubled and discouraged by Gordon's behaviour upon them both.

"The nerve of some bossy boilers!" huffed Bill. "We weren't up to anything, and he loses all his sense!"

"Perhaps he thought we were taking a wrong road that time, like we teased on him all those years ago," said Ben. "Beyond stupid!"

"We MUST tell the Fat Controller about this, Ben," said Bill. "Otherwise, James might get a similar idea."

"Right you are, Bill," said Ben. "Gordon won't walk away from this unchecked!"

Soon, Bill and Ben returned to Knapford and they immediately saw the Fat Controller looking right at them as they pulled in and stopped. They didn't have to look twice to know just what he was thinking.

"So I hear you got your load to Donald and Douglas well enough," he said solidly. "But then something else happened...with Gordon. Is it true?"

Bill and Ben wasted no time telling the Fat Controller all about Gordon and what he did until David arrived and broke it up. The Fat Controller listened carefully and nodded every now and again.

"I see. Well. Very good of you both to tell me this," said the Fat Controller. "I definitely have a thing or two to say to Gordon when he returns."

"Yes, sir. Thank you sir," said Bill.

"And now..." said the Fat Controller. "About your other important job to manage..."

"Of course, sir. What's the story?" asked Ben.

The Fat Controller looked to Bill and Ben, looked down for a moment, then straightened his hat. The time had come.

"Alright, you two," he said solidly. "This is a considerably critical moment for you, given how yesterday didn't turn out perfectly, and just today, there have been further complications. That being said, you two are the only engines available to help with this train, and so you must proceed with it. This utmost important train to the Mainland is waiting at Brendam Docks. But you can't manage it alone; it is a very long train. As many as twenty-five trucks. As such, I've arranged for Henry to take some of the trucks while you take the rest along with him until Vicarstown."

Bill and Ben pondered this and knew this was indeed a critical moment. Given Henry's less-than-savory interaction with them the day before, this wouldn't be the most positive journey. But as long as they could simply get it done, that's what mattered most right now. But it was then that they began to feel that little warning in their boilers again, which weighed on them even stronger this time.

"Yes, sir," said Bill. "We will. And we know just how important it is that we don't mess this up."

"I just hope Henry doesn't make it too difficult for us," said Ben. "He wasn't happy to see us yesterday."

"Well, if you work harder, you're sure to argue less," said the Fat Controller. "On your way now, and good luck. You may need it."

Bill and Ben breathed deeply, then whistled as they set off down the line with heavy and nervous hearts. The Fat Controller watched them leave, feeling a little unsure himself about those two...until Gordon came from Arlesburgh and into the station. The Fat Controller immediately remembered and turned around at once.

"Wait right there, you!" he remarked sternly. Gordon jolted to a stop and immediately felt he had been caught, remembering just what happened.

"S-sir?" he noted nervously. "Is something-"

"Don't think I don't know what happened with you this morning," the Fat Controller checked.

"About what, sir?"

"Bill and Ben told me just what you did, and I'm NOT standing for it!" snapped the Fat Controller. "Oh, you don't expect me to let you pull coaches behaving like that! Don't you and the others WANT to see Bill and Ben make better of themselves?!"

Gordon hesitated, then spoke blankly.

"I just don't think those two won't change very much anyway, however much they pledge it. If I were in charge of those twins-"

"The fact is you're NOT, Gordon!" the Fat Controller cut in. "Luckily, David knew what to do, so Bill and Ben told me, and he's perfectly right to step in the way he did. As for YOU, for rudely tampering with Bill and Ben when they didn't cause any accident, you'll be managing goods for the rest of the day!"

"A goods train! A GOODS train?!" Gordon spluttered.

"Now, Gordon. You know what you're going to do!" the Fat Controller pointed. "YOU are taking that goods train, whether you like it or not! I've had enough nonsense about some of the others hampering Bill and Ben's efforts as it is!"

And the Fat Controller returned unhappily to his office and shut the door. Gordon was not happy either, but he knew he couldn't argue any further. With simmering chagrin, he collected his trucks from the yard and hissed angrily out of the station on his way again.

"The SHAME of it," he glowered contemptuously.

But as soon as Gordon was out of Knapford...that's when Diesel sidled out from behind the station wall. He had been hiding there, and heard everything ever since Bill and Ben came back. He had been kept busy outside of Brendam since that morning, but when he heard Bill and Ben's talk of helping Henry just now, he now felt his chance had come; to enact one more most harmful plan for Bill and Ben's path to a better image.

"Perfect," Diesel whispered. "When the Fat Controller sees how bad those twins performed, they're destined to hit rock-bottom once and for all!"

And Diesel slipped quickly through the yards and down the line. He overtook Gordon at Crosby Station, to which Gordon snorted indignantly. Then as Diesel rushed ahead, he saw Bill and Ben making their way down the line and came up alongside them. Bill and Ben were still thinking hard and anxiously about what would happen with them and Henry next, but they immediately felt a rush of worry when they saw Diesel again.

"Good afternoon, busy bees," Diesel grinned.

"What are you up do now, Diesel?" Bill groaned unpleasantly. "Up to upsetting our loads at Brendam again, are you?"

"But of course not, you two. You mustn't worry," Diesel lied. "The Dock Manager wants nothing more to do with me today. I'm off to Maron to take some most tiresome trucks further up the line."

"Wait...to where from Maron?" Ben asked suspiciously.

"Where? Why from here to there," purred Diesel. "And again, from there to here. Easy, isn't it?"

And Diesel set off ahead of Bill and Ben and around the bend. Neither twin was convinced Diesel was telling the truth and felt even more unsure about their upcoming job.

"If he's heading for Brendam, we'll know it," said Bill. "And if Henry sees him, he'd let us know...I hope."

"You hope, do you?" said Ben. "All I hope is that nothing more happens today...I almost hope beyond hope of that..."

Meanwhile, Diesel hurried along the line through Wellsworth, then suddenly switched off the Main Line and headed south toward Suddery. On the way, he trailed right across the Fenland and took a little look.

"Yes. This might be just the place for it to happen," he snickered with glee.

Diesel then hurried onward through Suddery and Lower Suddery, until at last, he made his way back to Brendam Docks, taking great care not to be seen as he snuck through the sets of trucks. Before long, he found an enormous line of twenty-five trucks. The very train that Henry was supposed to take with Bill and Ben's help. The trucks looked up and saw just who had come along.

"What are you doing back here, Diesel?" said a truck. "Have you already forgotten the Dock Manager's order to stay away?"

"Shh! No, I haven't," oiled Diesel. "I'm not here to derail any of you like I did before...I'm here to talk and make some plans with you."

"What plans?" asked another truck.

"Well," Diesel began. "I see some of you are not completely happy with the return of those two bees. They've often been mischievous and rough with all of you, while you just want to have a good laugh, am I right?"

"Indeed, you are, Diesel," said the trucks. "Those two don't know half what there is to know about us trucks."

"And I hear eight of you broke away from them and set them on runaway yesterday," Diesel added.

"Indeed, Diesel," giggled the trucks. "And they're coming back to manage some of us. But with twenty-five of us now, they haven't a chance!"

"Exactly," Diesel snickered. "I suppose you're also expecting Henry to bring you all to the Mainland soon?"

"Yes," said the trucks.

Diesel grinned hugely.

"Well, then. Perhaps you'd fancy what I have in mind to help you wind Bill and Ben right back in their sheds...so they can't be a cheeky burden to you so much anymore?"

Unfortunately, these trucks were a particularly badly-behaved bunch and they immediately fancied Diesel's idea.

"Yes-yes-yes!" they chattered. "So what do we do?"

"Good. Good," said Diesel. "So...Here's what you're going to do. Don't tell Henry, Bill or Ben I told you."

Over the next minute or two, Diesel whispered several things to the trucks, all during which the trucks grinned and chittered quietly to what Diesel said. At last, Diesel's plans and propositions were complete. The trucks fully agreed to do what Diesel suggested.

"Do it at the right place at the right time, and it will be quite a show," Diesel oiled as he slithered away to hide from Bill, Ben and Henry.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho!" guffawed the trucks. "The Fat Controller will be FURIOUS with Bill and Ben when it happens! And so will Henry, and all the others too!"

"It's all worked out," said another truck. "We'll just wait until it's absolutely perfect..."

Eventually, Bill and Ben arrived at Brendam Docks again, waiting for Diesel to spring out at any second. But as they looked around, to their initial relief, they couldn't see Diesel anywhere. Then as they came around the bend, right where Donald, Douglas and Emily's shipment of steel pipes once stood, there was the enormous line of twenty-five trucks, all full of crates.

"Goodness, Ben," said Bill. "We certainly can't manage this one alone, even with the two of us."

"Indeed, we can't," said Ben. "If we were Donald and Douglas, that would be quite different. At least Henry will manage a fair deal of this lot."

"And it's imperative that nothing happens with this lot like yesterday. Henry would not like that at all," said Bill.

Then right on cue, Henry bustled in. He came huffing up alongside the long train, quite impressed to be taking such along train...until he saw Bill and Ben and frowned unpleasantly, immediately remembering how they delayed him just the day before.

"Henry, there you are," said Bill. "Here for your important load?"

"Yes. I am...but I never asked to be working with you two again!" grumbled Henry. "You already lost my train on Gordon's Hill yesterday, and I'm not out to see you lose any of this important lot!"

"You may know, Henry, that we're the only other engines available to help you until Vicarstown," said Bill.

"And we know just how important it is for this train not to have any mistakes," said Ben.

"Huh! You're only here because the Fat Controller said you had to be," Henry frowned. "And seeing as you both have a sheer talent to argue, don't you get any fresh ideas of sticking me in the middle, like Donald and Douglas did with Emily!"

"We have NO intent of doing such a thing, Henry," Ben replied. "And there's no need for you to argue with us either!"

"That's rich, coming from you picking an argument already!" huffed Henry. "Now stop wasting my time and get to the back while I take the front!"

Before Bill and Ben could answer, one of the trucks spoke up.

"Oh, Henry. We were just thinking about that. It so happens we have a plan to help you make sure these bees don't slow you down."

Bill, Ben and Henry all looked to the trucks.

"Just what do you mean by that?" asked Henry.

"What plans are these?" Bill and Ben asked.

"Well...Henry may move more trucks than three Diesels put together," another truck said to the twins. "But twenty-five is still quite a few. Much too many for you two to manage alone, not like yesterday when you lost eight of us on the hill."

"I'll say," said Henry. "So what plans do you have?"

"Well, instead of Bill and Ben pushing from behind," said another truck. "What say they take some of us...and ride alongside you, so as you can keep an eye on them...and ensure they don't start arguing again and lose this most important load?"

Henry wasn't sure about this, and neither were Bill and Ben. They all knew trucks could delight in mischief, which could also cause trouble. But Henry thought if he could see it for himself that Bill and Ben would keep themselves in line, he reluctantly agreed.

"Very well," he said. "I'll manage fifteen of you, while you, Bill and Ben double-head with the last ten. Just you stay right by me, and no tricks with me!"

Bill and Ben looked to Henry and the trucks and knew now the critical moment had arrived. If ever there was a time not to cause any confusion or delay, it was now.

"Yes, Henry," said Bill. "We'll keep right alongside you."

"Now...shall we?" asked Bill.

Henry whistled and proceeded to the front of the train and was coupled up. His fireman then uncoupled the train from the fifteenth truck, and Henry moved aside so Bill and Ben could take the other ten trucks. But little did Bill, Ben and Henry all know that the trucks had other ideas bubbling away in their heads, no thanks to Diesel's little talk with them. Presently, Henry, Bill and Ben lined up side by side with their loads, and whistled to announce their departure.

"Ready to go, Bill," said Ben.

"Right, Ben," said Bill.

"On our way...finally," said Henry.

And with that, he, Bill and Ben all set off out of Brendam...while Diesel lurked out of his hiding place and watched them leave, smirking with triumph, and practically tasting the pending disaster for those twins already...

For the first few minutes of the journey, Bill and Ben kept right alongside Henry, while he gave occasional glimpses to them both, making sure they weren't up to anything. The trucks also kept unexpectedly quiet and well-behaved as they rolled right along behind their engines, but they did not let up their plans for a single moment. They just kept waiting and watching for the right time to strike.

Soon after passing through Suddery, the three engines came to the Fenland. As they huffed across the lake, some of the trucks looked slyly around the Fenland and the water, thinking about what Diesel said and chittering very quietly amongst each other.

"This is just the spot to make it all happen," one of them whispered from the back. "Just like he said."

"Quiet," whispered another one. "Mustn't alert them. Mustn't ruin it now..."

"Yes," whispered a third. "First, we must coax them...to the hill."

Soon, Henry, Bill and Ben were approaching the junction that would connect them to the Main Line. The signals were red and Henry, Bill and Ben had to stop and wait.

"Not bad so far, youngsters," said Henry. "But we'll be approaching Gordon's Hill soon. You'd better not let my trucks run off on you again, and make you fall right back to arguing as usual."

"Don't feed on the thought, Henry," Bill replied huffily. "The last thing Ben and I want is to even contemplate that happening again."

The trucks heard the engines talking and immediately sensed to each other that their time was drawing near.

"Just a little but longer...then they're in trouble!" they thought mischievously to each other and themselves.

Then the signals showed clear, and Bill, Ben and Henry made ready to set off again for Gordon's Hill. But as they started to move, Bill and Ben's trucks suddenly held back and slowed them down.

"Hold back. Hold back!" they giggled.

"No. Not this. NOT this again!" Bill huffed. "I'll have none of your nonsense now! Come on, Ben! You're not pulling hard enough!"

"No! YOU aren't!" Ben argued. "Pull harder!"

"You pull harder!"

"No! You!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

"Y-O-O-U!"

"Ohh, NO you don't!" Henry hissed firmly. "Don't you dare start arguing now! Just pull together and keep with me!"

"Well, we're trying our best, Henry!" Bill called.

"You aren't trying your best, Bill!" Ben hissed. "I'll show you who's best!"

And Ben gave Bill a strong biff from behind, jolting him and the rest of the trucks further.

"There! Now keep up with Henry!" Ben huffed as he biffed Bill again.

"Alright, alright! Quit shoving!" Bill shouted.

The twins grumpily caught up with Henry as they got on the Main Line again, then after going around the bend, they came to Gordon's Hill with the trucks still joking and fussing behind Bill and Ben. Both twins now felt they were in for a difficult time. They looked at Henry, who gave a stern glance to them, then proceeded to climb the hill, huffing strongly as he went up and up. Bill and Ben looked up the hill and swallowed hard.

"Okay...here we go," they said together.

Henry huffed strongly up the hill, followed closely by Bill and Ben, who were already starting to struggle with the trucks holding them back even now. Bill and Ben huffed and heaved hard to keep up with Henry as their faces reddened slightly. But in this moment of given chance and fate, the twins' trucks chose this moment to enact their plan in its full force...then build up on their second plan immediately afterwards.

"Tired already, Bill and Ben?" they jeered rudely. "Obvious, isn't it? Ten of us with you today, yet eight were able to break free from you two bees! What say we find out what you've got right now?!"

"No, you don't!" Bill heaved crossly. "NO-YOU-DON'T!"

"Go to it, Bill and Ben!" their drivers called up the hill.

Bill and Ben puffed even harder, coming up beside Henry again as their faces reddened more and they panted harder. But the higher and higher they got with Henry, the more and more their trucks held back and joked more and more.

"Just like they were yesterday! Too slow! More power! Here all night! Tomorrow too!"

"Uhh! Ben...Aagh! My wheels can't hold on much longer!" Bill strained.

"Don't let them beat you, Ben!" Ben strained. "I can feel them pulling right back on my coupling!"

"Don't you let them run away!" Henry ordered. "We're almost at the top, and I can't see further back than either of you!"

"Oh, is that so, Henry?" said one of his trucks. "Maybe you should have taken all of us after all? You're so, so strong, and Bill and Ben are almost out of breath! It'll take all night for them to manage the rest of us up the hill!"

"Will you lot shut up?!" Bill snapped. "You just HAVE to make everything worse for both of us!"

"Don't start arguing again, Bill!" snapped Ben. "Or it WILL take all night!"

"I'm not arguing!" Bill protested.

"Yes you are!" Ben snapped.

"Are not! Are so! Are not! Are so!"

"Now's the time!" some of the trucks signaled.

Then suddenly, Bill and Ben's trucks pulled back so hard, the twins stopped right where they were, just before the top of the hill.

"Stop arguing and PULL!" Bill shouted to Ben.

"I AM pulling!" Ben shouted back.

"Then why aren't we moving?" Bill asked. "We...we're slipping!"

And they were. Bill and Ben's wheels were now slipping where they were. They heaved and hauled as hard as they could, but their wheels kept slipping. They couldn't pull the train at all.

"What the HELL are you two doing now?!" Henry called back irritably.

"Ben isn't pulling hard enough!" Bill huffed to Ben.

"No! YOU aren't!" Ben huffed back. "Hurry up and put some cylinder into it!" Ben huffed back.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho! You can pull, but we won't go!" sang the trucks.

This made Bill and Ben very cross. They pulled, and they pulled...and they pulled...and they pulled! Then suddenly, Bill finally lost patience and stopped pulling.

"SHUT UP, back there!" he yelled to the trucks.

"You're just two little bees!" the trucks jeered. "Henry really should have managed all of us himself! You two just don't have the strength! Such a shame!"

Finally, Bill just snapped.

"We may not be as big as Henry, but I STILL know how to biff a truck!" he roared, then suddenly reversed fiercely.

"NO!" Ben cried.

"YES!" shouted the trucks.

Bill biffed back into Ben, who biffed back into the trucks...and suddenly, both engines heard a loud snap from their first coupling...then just like before, both twins shot forward a few yards by themselves...and Henry saw they weren't pulling anything.

"Wh...What did you DO, you two?!" demanded Henry.

"Hurrah! Hurrah!" roared the trucks as they soared away from Bill and Ben. "We've broken away! We've broken away!"

"No-no-NOO! Not AGAIN!" Bill and Ben exclaimed. "NOOO!"

Then Henry's trucks laughed and laughed.

"What are you all laughing about?! WHAT is going on?!" demanded Henry.

"Oh, Henry! You poor, unfortunate green wonder!" said one of his trucks. "It's not your fault. Perhaps Emily, Rebecca, or an engine of more sensibility and judgment for safety would have seen this coming all the way across Sodor...but this was all worked out between us even before you came along for us!"

"Yes!" grinned another truck. "See, Henry, we were waiting for just the right moment for these two to start fighting again, and help us break loose..."

"Just like Diesel told them both to do, just before you came to fetch us, Henry!" another truck suddenly lied, just as they had planned.

Henry immediately turned his blazing eyes to Bill and Ben and bared his teeth. "YOU?!"

"No! No, Henry!" Bill protested. "They're lying! We NEVER saw Diesel!"

"They did too!" the trucks lied.

Henry looked back down the hills, then to Bill and Ben with fury. "You lost half of my train again...You...you bickering, sneaking little FOOLS!"

"Aww, come on, Henry! It wasn't my fault!" Bill complained.

"Yes, it was!" Bill argued. Then just like Donald and Douglas, it happened.

"It wasn't! It was! It wasn't! It WAS! It wasn't! IT WAS!"

Then just as Emily did with Donald and Douglas, Henry gave a shrill whistle and silenced the bickering.

"You trouble-mongering upstarts!" he wheeshed furiously. "The Mainland Managers won't be happy with me, no thanks to YOU! If I get my buffers on you, I'll bump both of you what-for! So help me, I will!"

"We'll get your trucks back, Henry!" Bill and Ben pledged. "We did it yesterday, we'll do it today!"

"You? He-heh!" Henry suddenly snickered. "Don't tell me you're going on a chase like Percy did with Bertie and the Fat Controller? Those trucks might head for another hill and roll back again. Maybe not into a village, but right into both of you."

"We're not afraid of a few runaway trucks, Henry," said Bill.

"And they WON'T knock us off track!" Ben added as he and Bill raced back down the hill.

"Hm-hm! Well, go on, then!" Henry gloated with a grin as he carried on over the hill. "It's your mistake, not mine! Go on, go on."

Meanwhile, Bill and Ben's trucks were thundering and racing back along the line, making such a racket of cheers and laughter. Thomas and Percy were working their way up the line with a deliver for Brendam, when they suddenly saw the line of trucks whizz right by them.

"Cinders and Ashes! Look out, Percy!" Thomas exclaimed.

"Yikes! Thomas! What's happening?" Percy gasped.

Then suddenly, Thomas saw Bill and Ben reversing furiously back down the truck's line.

"Bill? Ben?" Thomas called. "What's all this about?"

"Sorry, Thomas! No time to explain! Busy, Thomas!" Bill blurted hastily as he and Ben shot past too.

At Wellsworth, Philip was passing through, when he suddenly heard the sound of rushing trucks up ahead. He looked and there they were, coming right along his line!"

"Oh-oh-oh, goodness!" Philip exclaimed as he began reversing furiously. "Look out!"

The trucks came nearer and nearer to Philip, until they buffered up to him. Philip could feel them pushing him along, but he then decided to brake and slow the trucks down, right until they stopped.

"Hello there, Philip," the trucks laughed.

"Whew. That was close!" gasped Philip. "What are you all doing racing along the line...and with no engine?"

Just then, Bill and Ben came whistling down beside Philip, having switched to the other line to see him.

"Oh! Philip! Thank goodness you stopped our runaway!" said Ben. "This lot broke away from us on Gordon's Hill! Again!"

"They're part of Henry's train to the Mainland, and they tricked us into fighting on Gordon's Hill!" said Bill.

"No! You started arguing with them first!" Ben huffed.

"For the last time, I-DID-NOT!" Bill wheeshed.

"Alright. ALRIGHT!" Bill's driver snapped. "Now that we've got Henry's load back, will you both settle down?!"

"If Ben does, I will!" Bill huffed.

"Uh...maybe you two should just go on and catch up to Henry as best you can?" Philip suggested.

Bill and Ben sighed. "Yes, Philip. We should."

Before long, Bill and Ben recollected their trucks and set off again. But by now, they were both frustrated and cross with the trucks and another muck-up on Henry's part, they were still in an argumentative mood.

"You just HAD to let these trucks get away, didn't you? Never paying attention!" Ben grumbled behind Bill.

"Well, where was YOUR effort to stop this from happening?!" Bill barked back.

"Where wa...I was not biffing them backwards like YOU made us do!" Ben snapped. "You've infuriated Henry, and if we don't hurry up and get these trucks back to him, then it's quite literally Hell to pay for BOTH of us!"

But Ben had spoken the exact wrong words at exactly the wrong time. The trucks heard him and saw this as their signal to enact their second and final plan of ruin.

"Ohh! So you want to hurry up now, do you?" they sang loudly. "Alright, then! We can help you with THAT!"

And without warning, the trucks all started pushing fiercely, one after the other.

"On, on, on!" they yelled.

Bill and Ben were away with the trucks screaming and yelling behind them. They both tried to slow down, but the trucks kept pushing fiercer and fiercer.

"Stop! Stop!" cried Bill and Ben.

The trucks took no notice. They kept pushing faster and faster, right back toward the junction. The trucks looked to the signal box and conjured another idea.

"Oh! Uh...POINTS! POINTS!" two of them called out to the signalman, impersonating Bill and Ben's voices.

The signalman wasn't looking and misheard the voices, assuming it was indeed Bill and Ben. He indeed turned the points...and in the speed and pandemonium, Bill and Ben had been diverted off the Main Line, and back down the Brendam Branch Line, back the way they came!

"What the...stop, all of you! We're back on the Brendam Branch Line!" Bill cried.

"You can't get away! You can't get away!" the trucks rallied. "Push-push-push!"

All the while, the trucks kept pushing and forcing Bill and Ben along the line...until they looked ahead and could see their planned target. There was the Fenland up ahead. Bill and Ben's drivers fought for control and tried to apply the brakes, but then, as more poor chance would have it, both twins' brakes jammed. Their drivers reduced steam, but Bill and Ben were still going too fast. The trucks glided onto the Fenland, with the sleepers creaking under their speed, until at last, as they crossed the halfway point of the bridge, the trucks chose this very moment to drive Bill and Ben's chances over the edge, quite literally.

"Alright, fellows!" the leading truck called to the other trucks. "And...NOW!"

Instantly, the trucks bumped and jostled off to one side, upsetting their loads, and making Bill and Ben bump and jostle along the Fenland, until at the last moment, the trucks jostled even more and derailed themselves straight into the muddy pool with a biff, a bash and a terrible smash! Only a second later, Bill and Ben were then tugged off the rails and splashed into the muddy water after the trucks...then all was still, and very wet.

The drivers and firemen had all jumped clear, but Bill, Ben and the silly trucks were sunk! As they lay there in their muddy nest, Bill and Ben could now feel their hearts almost leaping out of their throats in sheer shame, fright, humiliation and absolute disgrace. This was by far their worst day since their return to work, and the rest of the island would surely insist their proposed need for change had failed.

"H...H...Henry's train!" Bill gasped and panted. "It...it's ruined...! RUINED! It's...AAGH! It's ru-u-u-ined!"

"Ruined! Oh, NO!" Ben cried out in shame. "Our return to work started so well! And then these idiots had to TRICK US! Oh, why cruel fate?! WHY-Y-Y?!"

"By Aunt Betsy!" exclaimed Bill's driver as he gazed at the big mess. "This is an absolute disaster! We'll have to get Emily and Rocky over here to pull this all out."

"And wait till the Fat Controller hears about this!" Ben's driver added.

Just then, Bill and Ben heard Thomas and Percy's whistles as they came back from the Docks. Thomas and Percy gasped and stopped when they saw what and who lay below the Fenland.

"What the Hell...Bill! Ben! What happened here?" Thomas exclaimed.

"Oh, Thomas! Please help us!" Bill pleaded. "We were helping Henry with another load to Vicarstown for him to take on to the Mainland, but these bloody trucks ran away on us again, then after we retrieved them, they pushed us and tricked us back along this line and toppled us down here...and they say Diesel told us to do it all! They set us up!"

"Diesel?! Rubbish and poppycock!" Thomas said at once. "I don't believe it! I KNOW you two didn't pact with him!"

"Yes, Thomas! It's true!" Ben added. "Please get Emily and Rocky!"

"Right away!" Thomas promised as he and Percy raced off at once.

At Knapford Station, Emily had just come back after a long run of goods trains herself, wondering occasionally what was up with Bill and Ben at the moment, and hoped they were doing alright. Then she looked to the Fat Controller's office and saw him on the phone. He didn't look happy as he hung up and came out of his office quite hastily.

"Sir? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, Emily. It's not good at all! I should have known it would happen!" said the Fat Controller. "Even when I tell them it's an extremely important train, Bill and Ben have had yet another runaway on Gordon's Hill! Henry's driver called me from Vicarstown and said they lost ten of his trucks while Henry took the other fifteen! Unbelievable and outrageous!"

Emily suddenly felt alert. "S-sir...you don't suppose Bill and Ben have..."

Suddenly, Thomas and Percy rushed in with a whoosh of steam.

"Sir! Emily! Something's wrong!" Percy urged.

"What's the matter, Thomas and Percy? What is it?" asked Emily.

"It's Bill and Ben! And they're in trouble!" Thomas urged. "They were sent on runaway by their trucks and crashed into the Fenland! Those trucks were meant for Henry's special to the Mainland!"

"What?! But...how?" Emily asked worriedly.

"Those trucks said something about Diesel making a pact with Bill and Ben to cause this accident," said Thomas. "But I don't believe a word of it! They must have been tricking!"

"Well, I NEVER! We must find those twins AT ONCE!" boomed the Fat Controller as he got onboard the No. 12 Safety Engine. "The bees never stop buzzing around, do they? Come on, Emily! We must fetch Rocky and bring him to the Fenland!"

Emily immediately felt her Safety Engine instincts kick in again. "Emergency! There's no time to lose!"

And she raced off to the rescue, followed closely by Thomas and Percy.

Back at the Fenland, Bill and Ben were still soaking in the lake, as were their trucks, hoping most desperately that this wouldn't be too nasty a knock for them both. But even then, they felt like doom and gloom was just waiting for them now. Presently, they heard engines approaching the Fenland again. They looked up and saw Thomas, Percy and Emily hurrying on their way to the Search and Rescue Centre. They didn't look at Bill or Ben.

"They're getting Rocky," Bill figured. "They won't be long."

"But our need for change will most certainly take a long time now," Ben groaned pitifully.

Just a few minutes later, Bill and Ben heard Emily's whistle again. They looked back and along she came with Rocky to retrieve the trucks and rescue Bill and Ben. Thomas and Percy followed closely, but stopped before the Fenland, so as not to put too much lingering weight on the bridge. They looked worriedly and pitifully at Bill and Ben. Emily stopped just above Bill and Ben, and looked down with a solemn, serious look. She didn't look happy, but she didn't look angry either. Just discouraged, and Bill and Ben immediately saw why. There, in her cab was none other...than the Fat Controller.

"Now, we're in trouble," they moaned grimly.

The Fat Controller stepped down from Emily's cab and took one look at Bill and Ben. He was very cross. Then suddenly without warning, he boomed like a volcano.

"BILL-AND-BEN, THE TANK ENGINE TWINS!"

"Oh, no. Oh, no," Bill and Ben moaned shakily.

"So THIS is what it's come to!" the Fat Controller scolded. "Henry's driver told me the most shocking thing! You two started arguing yet again right on Gordon's Hill! And once again, you have caused confusion and delay! You ran into a riff with Diesel this morning, Gordon bumped you both about at Arlesburgh, and now...you've ruined Henry's load to the Mainland! ALL of this work today was extremely important, and you have NOT taken care!"

Bill and Ben knew the Fat Controller was right, and they felt very, very bad.

"Yes, sir. We know, sir," they said lowly. "But be assured, sir...we never meant for this to happen."

"That makes little difference now!" snapped the Fat Controller. "It's happened, and the train is ruined! Now Thomas told me that these trucks say you made a pact with Diesel to cause this accident. I truly hope for your sake that this isn't true. So tell me! Did you, or did you NOT?!"

"No, sir! We SWEAR we didn't!" Bill urged.

"However, Diesel did pass us by on our way to Brendam," sad Bill. "After he bumped us about this morning, we were sure he'd be up to more trouble, but he said he was collecting trucks from Maron and further up the line."

The Fat Controller immediately frowned. "I never arranged for Diesel to go to Maron, and he was never there today! Clearly, he was lying!"

"The Hell he was, sir!" said Bill. "I had a feeling he might have snuck to Brendam, but we didn't see him there. Neither did Henry!"

"Of course you didn't see him!" one of the trucks blurted out. "Because you didn't make a pact! WE DID! Diesel came along and told us exactly what to do on that hill and...Oops..."

Everyone stared at the trucks. Particularly the Fat Controller and Thomas.

"I knew it," Thomas said at once. "Diesel does it again!"

"Ohh...Heaven's Sake!" the Fat Controller exclaimed crossly. "Such a calamity today has been! I'll have Diesel to rights for this! But before I do, HOW did this mess happen? Explain yourselves!"

"The trucks started fooling with us before Gordon's Hill, sir," said Bill. "Holding us back and making such a fuss. Then on the hill, they pulled us back harder and harder, until they finally broke away!"

"Indeed, sir!" Ben added accusingly towards Bill. "And no thanks to Bill's arguing and biffing me back with the trucks, we lost our bunch on Gordon's Hill!"

"For the LAST time, Ben! It wasn't me!" Bill argued. "It was those trucks!"

"No true! You started arguing with them! THEN me!" argued Ben.

"Did not! Did so! Did NOT! Did SO!"

"SI-I-IL-E-E-ENCE!" the Fat Controller roared, making Thomas, Percy, Emily and even Rocky shut their eyes in recoil. "You boys have had your fun arguing, now PAY for it!"

Instantly, Bill and Ben's hearts shuddered with fright and shame. "W-W-W...What do you mean, s-s-sir?"

"Here's what I mean! You've had your chance yet again, Bill and Ben," the Fat Controller stated sternly. "And I did say it would be most tricky for you to mend your image, and now it seems like things have pulled right back to where you were three weeks ago! I'm sorry, boys, but at the moment, it looks like your need for change has hit a halt!"

"No! No! No-no!" Bill protested desperately. "We can't go on like this!"

"Indeed, sir!" Ben protested, a little defensively. "We didn't start this accident!"

"You did so with your arguing! And you didn't finish it either!" the Fat Controller barked. "Did you stop the trucks from running away on you?"

"No," Bill said begrudgingly.

"Did you stop them from taking the wrong track?" the Fat Controller asked.

"No!" Ben added begrudgingly.

"Did you stop them from crashing into the Fenland?!"

"NO!" both twins answered with sheer reluctance.

"EXACTLY!" the Fat Controller snapped. "And so, you have indeed caused a most hampering ripple to Henry's goods! Now he'll be stuck taking only half of them to the Mainland, and delaying the rest! As for YOU TWO, once you and this lot are fished out, you will leave these trucks at Wellsworth to be looked after until they can get to the Mainland themselves! You, meanwhile will go to your sheds and consider most intently how you improve yourselves tomorrow, as unlikely as it may be at this point! Perhaps you really should stay there until you are wanted, yet again!"

Thomas, Percy and even Emily gasped worriedly. They had heard everything and now felt conflicted. They could see Bill and Ben had weaved into a serious accident and delay, but they could also see they didn't want any of it to happen. They all watched as Rocky hauled Bill and Ben out of the water, followed by their trucks. Once they were back on the line, Bill and Ben looked to each other for a few moments, then back to the Fat Controller, who held his angry glare on both of them. After a moment of shameful silence, the twins spoke again, solemnly, meekly and most miserably.

"...We're very sorry, Sir Topham Hatt," Bill said lowly.

"Perhaps there are a select few things we cannot change about ourselves..." added Ben. "But we promise...we will never disappoint you at this magnitude again."

And with a low, sad whistle, the twins huffed slowly and sadly away with their wet and damp trucks. The Fat Controller got back onboard Emily, who looked sadly to Thomas and Percy as she went to return Rocky to the Centre. Thomas and Percy decided to follow Bill and Ben along to Wellsworth, hoping to bear them company. But when they came up alongside the twins, it didn't help any matters.

"Bill? Ben?" Thomas said softly. "Just so you know...we know you-"

"Don't say anything, Thomas," said Bill. "Just don't."

"But Bill, Ben," Percy added. "It wasn't your f-"

"Percy, don't!" Ben retorted. "If you and Thomas want us to feel better, leave us alone! Please!"

Thomas and Percy sighed and huffed right on past them, feeling even more lost and bewildered over their yellow friends. This was an absolute disaster. Now Bill and Ben were upset too as they made their way back along the line, feeling most painfully sorry for themselves. They soon arrived at Wellsworth and left their trucks in a siding to be taken care of later. Then they took one glance up and suddenly stopped.

Thomas and Percy had gathered with Edward and were whispering lowly to him about everything that had happened, while Edward's eyes widened and blinked as he took everything in. Then Thomas and Percy set off and headed for home, with such grieving expressions for the tank engine twins. Bill and Ben stood and looked to Edward with a sense of considerable weight. They had not seen him at all ever since their return to work until now, and didn't know what to think. Then Edward looked up and saw them right there. The two engines he always kept in order whenever he needed to. Bill and Ben waited for him to glare with disappointment and resentment, but instead, he just leaned left and right, shaking his head in pity for the tank engine twins. Bill and Ben had no words at the moment. They just sighed mournfully and backed down the line again to go home to the Clay Pits. Edward watched them leave, thinking back to his talk with Thomas and Emily at Vicarstown, and after hearing what he had just learned, he decided that now was his time to step into the situation and play his part in Bill and Ben's need for change.

The hours passed. Steadily and surely, word got across to the whole island of Sodor about Bill and Ben's predicament with Henry's trucks and the Fenland. The engines picked up the news and passed it on to others. Thomas, Emily and Percy were most disheartened by this major setback as it seemed fairly promising when it started out. Nia and Rebecca felt most sorry for Bill and Ben indeed, as did Donald and Douglas when they heard the news...but of course, when Gordon, James, Henry and even David heard what had happened, their suspicions felt completely confirmed for the worst.

"Just as I thought, Gordon!" James huffed. "They'll NEVER change!"

"Indeed, they won't, James!" Gordon huffed in turn. "Once little demons, ALWAYS little demons!"

And at Arlesburgh, David heard the news and passed it onto Beatrice.

"Bill and Ben! I just can't believe it!" David exclaimed. "I actually thought they yet had a chance, and now...! Damn, they were this close! This CLOSE to making a fair change...but no! It HAD to fall right back to where I spread the word to everyone here three weeks ago...when they were considered crooks! This should NEVER have happened to either of them!"

"I can't believe any of what just happened, David," said Beatrice. "I truly felt if we gave it time, we would see...but now, even I'm not so sure. They could have had a chance...but what can they do now?"

"I don't know, Mum. I don't know," David sighed disappointedly as he held her shoulder. "Reckless they were before. Now, matters are worse..."

That night at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines were in the midst of an indignation meeting concerning Bill and Ben's latest disaster and how their plans seemed to be crumbling by the moment. Thomas, Percy and Emily were still trying to hope there was a chance even now.

"It just seemed like such a spectrum to see," said Emily. "If only I could have seen them truly useful and even heroic."

"Only for them to be thrown off the rails, all through a trick!" Percy added. "It's not fair at all!"

"Well, well, well! So VERY much for seeing a need for change!" James huffed. "I always knew they wouldn't elevate themselves up again!"

"They will so," Thomas insisted.

"They will not!" argued James.

"They will!"

"They won't!"

"They WILL!"

"They WON'T!"

"Will or won't, Pah!" snorted Gordon. "Whatever the rest of you think, don't expect me to be open to those little pests anymore, now that they have another damn roadblock to pass!"

"Well, maybe if you and James didn't harp on them so much, it might have been easier for them!" Rebecca scolded. "I can't BELIEVE you tried bumping them out of your way at the overlapping line at Arlesburgh! I'm damn ashamed of you, Gordon!"

"For you sake, I am sorry, Rebecca," said Gordon. "But after what just happened to them at the Fenland, any open mind we had of them is all in vain! Just as David and the Fat Controller said three weeks ago, those twins are delinquents and peace-disturbers!"

"God's Sake, Gordon. I thought you knew what Bill and Ben's goal is," said Thomas. "I thought you, James and all the rest of Sodor knew getting better is what they want to do!"

"Of course the island thought so. Until now," Gordon grunted. "The evidence all stands now!"

"Well, I'm sorry. But I don't quite understand," Thomas lectured. "What is about these two engines that isn't living up to YOUR expectations? Did you think Bill and Ben were going to be performing like noblemen every minute of every hour of every day? You thought they'd be perfect enough to providing amenities for a five-star holiday for the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, taking them to their summer home every other day as opposed to Spencer?"

"I just thought after three weeks in disgrace, they would have learned SOMETHING worthwhile!" Gordon hissed. "James and I spent longer than that in the out-of-use siding after you brought Emily back to who she truly is, and yet Bill and Ben haven't taken ANY leaves out of our book of experience!"

"We told you and the others everything I told Emily four nights ago!" Thomas spoke back. "And in case you haven't picked up on it, this accident WAS NOT Bill and Ben's full doing! Those idiotic trucks set them up back there, all thanks to Diesel! Percy, Emily and I heard it ourselves at the Fenland!"

"It makes no difference to me!" retorted Gordon. "Bill and Ben are still probably as close to getting past this disgrace as they always were at moving past their mischievous and quarrelsome side as ever!"

"Gordon, please!" Rebecca implored. "See reason! You wouldn't be saying any of this if you'd truly seen what happened with Bill and Ben."

"You want to know why James and I turn those twins down the way we do?" Gordon shook to Thomas. "To make sure they don't give you another close slide! Or Percy, or Nia, or Rebecca, or Emily!"

"You think other engines haven't been at low points themselves?!" Thomas barked. "Like I was when you teased me into upsetting your coaches! You think I don't know Bill and Ben feel how I once did?!"

"My point is, Thomas, none of this would have happened if Bill and Ben weren't the ones managing that load!" insisted Gordon.

"Oh, so you KNEW this would happen?!" Thomas cynically replied.

"I didn't know what would happen!" Gordon barked. "Which is why they should have been kept in their shed even now!"

"STOP IT!" Percy yelled shrilly, making everyone fall quiet and look to him. "This isn't going to help Bill or Ben!"

The other engines looked at Percy for a few silent moments. In the midst of all the divisive opinions, Percy did have a simple but true point.

"You're right, Percy," said Thomas. "And I don't think any of us can do anything for Bill or Ben at the moment. I think it's time. Only Edward can help them now."

To this, the engines didn't know what to say. While the opinions were most divisive, they all seemed to agree that Bill and Ben were in a most difficult and unhealthy position at the moment, and perhaps it was indeed time for Edward to step in. Soon, the engines started to get tired and fall asleep, one after the other. All that is, except Thomas and Emily. They were still awake and full of provoking thoughts about Bill and Ben. Thomas looked to Emily as she sighed and leaned left and right, shaking her head.

"Emily? Are you okay?" Thomas whispered.

"Thomas..." she whispered as turned to him and blink. "I think we need a word together. Let's go somewhere more fitting."

"I agree," said Thomas. "I think we need to talk too."

Then he huffed out of his berth and turned to Emily's berth and buffered up to her. Emily looked to the engines, then to Thomas as they rolled over the turntable and disappeared into the night. They huffed solemnly through the night, buffer to buffer to Knapford Station. Just beyond Platform One, they gently idled together, looking at the stars for a few minutes before they looked to each other and began their little chat.

"Well, Thomas. Today has been a calamity indeed for those two," Emily said solemnly. "If Bill and Ben are called the bees...I'd say they've hit quite the hornet's nest."

Thomas sighed and looked down to his buffers. "Emily...I'm afraid you're right. Given how hopeful they started out, they've indeed hit a nasty rock bottom, and the hornet's nest has burst wide open on them both."

"Oh, Thomas..." Emily said shakily. "I think I really do have an open heart for those two now. I can see they didn't mean for any of that to happen. Isn't there any hope left for Bill and Ben?"

"I don't know, Emily," said Thomas. "All I know is that Bill and Ben can't be frowned upon like this anymore. As I said just a few minutes ago. Only Edward can help them right now. But how?"

"From what we've heard so far," said Emily. "Metaphorically, I feel that Bill and Ben's hopes to change stand upon the edge of a broken bridge. If they stray but a little, it will all fall to the bottom again. I do hope Edward can do something for them."

"So do I, Emily," Thomas sighed. "I was so looking forward to the time you could see them be heroic."

"Me too, Thomas," Emily sighed sadly. "Those two need more time, and today's events have certainly taken a bad toll on their hopes..."

At that moment, Thomas and Emily heard another engine coming from afar. They looked up and heard a familiar whistle. Then around the bend came Henry, having returned from his Mainland trip with half his load. As he neared Thomas and Emily, Emily whistled softly and Henry stopped and looked at them.

"Hello, Henry," Emily said solemnly.

"Oh...hi, Emily...and Thomas," Henry said lowly.

"I trust you heard what happened with Bill and Ben?" said Emily.

Henry was still in a slightly flustered mood after all that had happened with those two, and losing half his train to their arguing.

"Hm. Not everything quite yet," he replied. "But I DO know they completely muddled up my special train to the Mainland! I was left with fifteen out of the twenty-five we started with! I'm just grateful the Bridlington Manager understood when my driver told him what happened."

"I see," said Emily. "Well, Thomas and I are admittedly worried for Bill and Ben, because they're not doing so good at all after what happened today. First Diesel upset their trucks at Brendam, then Gordon bumped them at Arlesburgh, and just this afternoon, they fell into that nasty argument on Gordon's Hill which had them lose some of your train...then...those trucks pushed them off the Main Line and toppled them both into the Fenland."

Henry took everything in and responded stressfully, then more loudly as he continued.

"Just the recipe for disaster upon their so-called 'need for change'! I should have known it was only a matter of time until those bickering upstarts would get too wrapped up in their own problems all over again, and fall right back to where they started with that close side! Those twins are NOT capable of such broad changes they propose! Do you understand, Emily?! Bill and Ben are just-not-capable!"

"Henry!" Emily checked. "You need to grab some downtime, Big H. I don't think Bill and Ben have any incapability. I think it's just getting really, really hard for them to mitigate their argumentative ways. Didn't you hear it was all Diesel who set up all their accident today?"

"Diesel?" Henry said with surprise. "The trucks said something about Bill and Ben being told what to do by Diesel..."

"They were LYING to you, Henry!" Thomas insisted. "They slipped the truth at the Fenland when Emily brought Rocky along!"

Thomas then told Henry what the trucks said at the Fenland. To this, Henry thought back and looked a little ashamed.

"Well...that does make a range of difference," he admitted. "But it makes no difference that my train was still cut in two and those ten trucks now have to wait until they're properly ready to go. At the time it just sounded and felt like such trickery when I heard what those trucks said, I immediately sensed that Bill and Ben had made no changes whatsoever...but now, I should have seen it more clearly. Diesel telling tales to trucks...just as he did to get Duck sent away!"

"Well, I can understand how it would feel to hear such trickery, except... Bill and Ben DID NOT form a pact with Diesel!" Emily replied sharply.

"Uh-oh! Now I'm back to being worried again!" quivered Henry. "And that can lead to Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis! Or EPM for short."

Thomas and Emily exchanged a perplexed look to each other, then looked serious again.

"Henry, you're not getting 'Equine-Proto-Thing-umy', whatever," Emily enunciated. "No more than you once thought engines could get chicken-pox. Bill and Ben just need to figure out a way to get back on track! And it looks like Edward is the only one left who can help them. Being the engine that he's been with them all these years, perhaps he can provide the final charge Bill and Ben need to keep going."

Henry suddenly looked up at once at the mention of Edward's name.

"Edward? Actually, that reminds me, you two..."

"What, Henry?" asked Thomas.

"Well...on my way here, I actually saw Edward going down the Brendam Branch Line. I wonder..."

"If he's paying a visit to Bill and Ben tonight?" asked Thomas. "Percy and I did tell him everything after Bill and Ben's accident. Perhaps like Bill and Ben have a ray of hope even now..."

"Hope? At a time like this? Right after that splash in the Fenland?" said Henry, doubtfully. "Even with Edward, I don't think so. After all these years, and even three weeks since their close slide, even I don't feel those two have much of a chance."

"Oh, yes they DO!" Emily replied stubbornly as she let off a loud hiss of steam to make her point.

"Okay, okay, okay! Okay, alright, OKAY!" Henry replied. "I don't think this is going to work, but I trust you. I just hope Edward knows what he is doing."

And Henry set off again through the station and into the night to turn around at Tidmouth Sheds and return to Vicarstown. Thomas and Emily then looked to each other.

"Well, Thomas...I believe Edward will bring something about for those two," Emily said with a little smile.

"So do I, Emily," Thomas winked. "But for now, let's sleep on it. We'll find out his results in the morning if we can."

Thomas and Emily then went through the yards and settled into Knapford Sheds, and with a soft kiss to the lips, they cuddled each other's cheeks and fell sound asleep together.

At the Clay Pits, clouds were now covering the moon, casting a dim and uncomfortable sense for the two engines in their shed, cold lonely and miserable all over again. Bill and Ben were not happy at all. If their first day back was steadily good, the day after and today had changed for quite a nasty turnaround. After such persistent intentions of making a change for the better, they felt like they were indeed slipping back to where they started.

"Uhh..." Bill glowered most miserably. "Now how are going to ascend to a better position?"

"A better position? Are you kidding?" Ben retorted. "It's hopeless now, Bill. We've utterly failed! We're practically right back where we started!"

"It just seemed so perfect," stated Bill. "I was used to the others not being convinced by our efforts. At first, at least. But now..."

"We had such a high start, but now they're saying we let down the whole Railway. Again," said Ben. "Broken promises are the worst. Perhaps we shouldn't have promised anything."

"They don't trust us, Bill," said Ben. "Their minds are set. We've tried our need for change, but maybe we're just fooling ourselves. They won't see us as anything...but a nuisance. It's hopeless."

"Just as Toby once thought when his line closed all those years ago...nobody wants us," Bill sighed sadly.

And the twins went unhappily to sleep. For about an hour, Bill and Ben tried to let sleep sink into their boilers for the night, when suddenly, were sure they heard an engine whistle from afar. Bill and Ben opened their eyes again and wondered. Then they began to fall asleep again. Only a moment later, they heard someone coming toward them, and they could also feel a certain brightness through their closed eyes. Then as they heard a hiss of steam right in front of them, they couldn't stay asleep. They opened their eyes to see which engine had come along, then spoke.

"Hello."

Bill and Ben looked, and were then surprised to see who had come to the sheds tonight.

"Edward?" they whispered together. Then they suddenly let it out. "Edward! Thank the stars you're here!"

"Before you say anything else...there is no need to tell me about what has passed," said Edward. "Thomas and Percy told me everything that happened today, and Thomas and Emily told me everything else about your return some time earlier than that. The first thing I must say is this: you two should have taken heed to my advice before. You two should have listened to the Fat Controller. And today, you two should have overcome your arguments when those trucks started taking control."

"Indeed, we should have, Edward," said Bill. "We know we don't have to tell you everything since the beginning, but what are Ben and I to do now? After a mostly promising start, we're right back where we started with our close slide on Thomas and Emily."

Edward leaned left and right, shaking his head.

"I don't have to guess how you feel right now," he said. "Even though it was accidental, you nearly got Emily injured by that ruckus three weeks ago, and you did hurt Thomas quite badly. And today, you could have hurt yourselves badly too with that fall in the Fenland."

"And with that close slide and today's events, we are most aggrieved with our behaviour, Edward," said Ben. "David and the Fat Controller even declared us crooks after that close slide."

"...Even for the Fat Controller to say such things about you two, I must say is an overreach," Edward admitted.

"Just what are we to do now, Edward? We want to make change, but some things about us will never change," said Bill. "Ben and I are used to mischief, Edward. It's been our trademark for as long as anyone can remember."

"So I've noticed since the very beginning," said Edward. "And I don't suppose you can tell me why you're bent on giving up now, so it seems?"

"Perhaps because those who don't trust us will never view us differently," Bill answered gravely. "Just as it always has been. Ben and I still remember how it was before Emily and David triumphed over Diesel 10 at the Glenfinnan Viaduct on their first big adventure together. For the most part by other engines, Ben and I were looked upon like vermin, Edward."

"And of course, even as we try to climb out of our hole," Ben put in, almost crying. "Bill and I are still looked upon like vermin!"

Then Bill and Ben couldn't hold it in. Their tears began to issue from their eyes, and they couldn't hold in their sobs. Edward stayed quiet for a few moments, letting the twins diffuse their inner pain before he came closer and gave a hiss of steam to make them look at him again.

"Bill and Ben. Read my lips: Don't say such things about yourselves!" Edward checked. "Others such as George, Diesel, Diesel 10, 'Arry and Bert have made livings out of being vermin, and you, Bill and Ben are NOT, I repeat, NOT vermin!"

"Maybe not to you, since you're the best at keeping us in order," said Bill. "But you know what happened here with Thomas and Emily. They came all the way here to help us with a great load of work that had to be done."

"And what did Bill and I end up doing?" Ben continued. "We disobeyed Emily's stature as Sodor's Safety Engine, put her in unintended danger and practically got Thomas incapacitated, just as we incapacitated Henry's special train, no thanks to our constant arguing! The Fat Controller was right. Three weeks ago, we were crooks. We weren't useful engines in the least, and even now, the island insists we aren't. And just today...maybe we were crooks yet again with all this confusion and delay."

"Bill and Ben. Please, no," Edward checked strongly. "You two are NOT crooks. You are engines of SODOR!"

"For how much longer?" asked Bill. "One more accident, and the Fat Controller is DONE with us!"

"And what do we do then, Edward? You tell us!" added Ben.

"...One thing I can certainly tell you NOT to do at any time," Edward said powerfully. "And that's quitting. Quitters never...well, they don't win. They can't, don't you see? And winners – they never quit."

"We weren't useful three weeks ago," said Bill. "And perhaps we weren't fully useful today. But no one else is getting hurt or delayed badly because of the two of us. We just want to fix our image while we can."

"And that is exactly what I wish to talk about with you two," said Edward. "We're only engines, Bill and Ben. Just like people, we all have high points and low points. The true test of usefulness is how we deal with the low points."

"The most we've been dealing with thus far is resentment and distrust," said Ben. "With only a shroud of faith from a few on the Railway."

"Strong reputation is not formed in a day," said Edward. "It's not broken as fast either, even if it was greatly lowered for you two with that close slide."

"You're kind and wise, Edward," said Bill. "But Ben and I have just been having it rough, and we can't wait anymore. Three weeks we waited, right here in our sheds."

"You can be sure that the rest of the island is feeling a rough patch themselves about your recent complications," said Edward. "But if you are to really change your current image, you must start with you. If you don't forgive yourselves and get on with it, how are you going to help an engine who truly needs you when the time comes?"

Bill and Ben noticed Edward starting to smile. For him to say such encouraging words to them at a state like this was just what they needed to start feeling little glimmers of hope again, just as Thomas and Emily had predicted at Knapford, but most of their doubt still lingered a little even now.

"You're not bad engines, Bill and Ben," Edward assured. "You're fairly helpful engines, to which lots of bad has happened, and it can be overcome, just as Percy overcame his crushed spirits. Your time will come. I promise you both. I wish you both newfound heroism, whenever it may be. Goodnight to both of you now...and find the change you're looking for. I know you can."

And with a small, but clear wink, Edward left the Clay Pits to return to Wellsworth. Bill and Ben watched as he huffed out of sight, then silence fell upon them again. They pondered their old friend's words for a few moments, and were indeed moved by his encouragement, but they soon felt sad again after such a bad day. They may not have caused a close slide for any engines today, but after such optimistic hopes that started them off, it was all in pieces again.

"Edward is such a good lad...but what about us, Ben?" said Bill. "It seems like Sodor's mind is set, and they don't trust us. What's to become of us? What if we never reach that good point again?"

"What if this keeps on for years and years...until we're finally too much for the Railway to manage?" Ben worried.

Then Bill and Ben found their minds wondering into a certain daydream regarding this matter...

It was many, many years later on Sodor. At Knapford Station, Thomas, Emily and Percy were still working away as they always did, but on the platform, the Fat Controller was resting on a bench, now retired and very old and frail, with glasses and a walking stick. David sat beside him, considerably older himself, reaching his middle ages as he read through one of Bill and Ben's stories from the Railway Series.

"Whatever happened to Bill and Ben?" David asked bluntly to no one in particular.

"You remember, David," the Fat Controller said with a frail voice. "I sold them back to the Mainland thirty years ago. That's when it got so nice and quiet around here."

Thomas, Emily and Percy all turned to David and whistled in agreement as they left the station with their trains.

"No, that's ridiculous," said Bill as the daydream ended. "The Fat Controller wouldn't send us away when we're making our efforts right now."

"Maybe you're right," said Ben. "But if we don't improve in good time, if our ways aren't at least changed even a little for the better...what if it were up to someone else to decide what happens to us?"

And Bill and Ben began daydreaming again, about a different scenario...

It was several years later on Sodor. All the engines were still working as busily as ever, except their crews were starting to get a little elderly, and the Fat Controller had retired. There was a different manager in charge of the Railway, and after so much time passing by with nothing but mischief and trouble between these two engines, Bill and Ben had just been called to Knapford Station to have a little word with this new manager. Emily was there to meet them.

"Uh...we're here to see the New Controller?" Bill asked nervously.

"Mm-hmm," Emily hummed neutrally as her eyes turned to the station's office door.

Bill and Ben watched as the door opened...and out came David, the 'New Controller,' of the Railway. But in complete contrast to the proposition Diesel 10 had made at the Glenfinnan Viaduct prior to his final defeat, David's command of the Railway was that of precision and excellent care. As the New Controller, he had Emily as his loyal adviser, just like she had been for Dowager Hatt, and David was managing the railway for a responsible, reliable, and really useful cause, just like the Fat Controller did.

"So...what's this all about, Emily?" Bill asked.

"Well, you see, Bill and Ben," said Emily. "There are certain engines that are suitable for certain jobs, and other engines that are not."

"Yes, Emily. That's exactly right," said David. "Which is why, Bill and Ben, I have good news."

"We can move on to being really useful at last, David?" Bill asked, a little childishly through his enthusiastic delivery.

"No," David replied. "But where you'll be going, you can goof around, get into mischief and play all day: Preschool with Dexter the School-Coach!"

"Indeed," Emily added with a teasing smile. "You'll both be with young, mischievous children who fit your sort perfectly!"

Bill and Ben suddenly fell into desperate panic.

"Please, Emily! Please, David! Don't do it! Ben and I can do better! We know we can! We KNOW we can...!"

At that moment, Bill and Ben's little daydream ended. Their hearts raced for a few moments...then they looked to the moon as it shone through the clouds again. They remembered Edward's closing message tonight, and bore a smile to each other.

"We KNOW we can," they said together.

And with that, they slowly, but surely dozed off to sleep with a fresh sense of duty in their funnels.

Meanwhile, in the dark of night, David had rode on Bertie to Knapford Station to think by himself about everything that had happened concerning Bill and Ben's events. After willfully giving them a chance to change and seeing how their luck was badly crippled by today's events, David really wanted to get to the bottom of how their accident exactly happened. He spent almost an hour pacing up the down the platform, thinking and wondering endlessly. Then suddenly, he picked up on one little detail he didn't recall earlier.

"Diesel...he was never at Maron. He was lying, as usual," he murmured. After pacing for a few more moments, it suddenly clicked inside David.

"It was also Diesel who bumped their stone and clay twice in a row this morning, and Henry's train came right from Brendam as well," he said quickly before he gave a gasp. "Diesel must have set up Bill and Ben's trucks to perform that stunt and hurl them both into the Fenland. If it was Diesel and the trucks' pact...it wasn't Bill and Ben. Ergo...they still have yet a chance to change for the better...and if Edward is any indication of being the towering example for Bill and Ben...Right...now it's all coming together."

Suddenly, the doors of Knapford Sheds flew open and David ran inside. "Thomas! Emily!"

A gasp came from inside the shed, as Emily's lips were locked with Thomas' in a deep kiss in their sleep. They suddenly pulled away with a loud, wet, smooching pop of their lips.

"David?!" Emily exclaimed with surprise and shock.

"Ohh!" David recoiled with shock himself, not expecting to see this. "I-I-I beg your pardon! But I have a little something to tell you..."

"This had better be important!" Thomas added, feeling a little irritated from being interrupted so.

David spent the next minute or two explaining the conclusion he had just come to about Bill and Ben, and Thomas and Emily went from feeling interrupted off guard, to fully agreeing with David on everything he said.

"I'm glad to see you've figured that for yourself, David," Emily said with a smile. "And yes, it was all Diesel. He'll be put to rights for what he did soon enough."

"And we did hear from Henry that Edward was likely on his way to the Clay Pits to talk with them both...I think the tides are now turning for Bill and Ben."

"I certainly hope they are, Thomas," said David. "Especially for you, Emily. I feel that something big is going to happen. Big...but very good. Goodnight now, you two."

And David blew a kiss to Emily and went home for the night. Thomas and Emily smiled to each other, shared a soft kiss to the lips and fell asleep again. As for Bill and Ben, as they slept with their newfound sense of usefulness, they knew something was going to happen. They didn't know what, but they had a strong feeling that it would carry a strong significance in their part to play. Their need for change had been acknowledged by most across Sodor and it had indeed shown various results. But the time would soon come when these Tank Engine Twins would shape their images for the absolute peak of their lives.

---

Okay, so, in between this chapter and the last one, I ended up getting COVID, which sucked but it really could've been a lot worse as I was lucky enough to not suffer any breathing difficulties, and I have since recovered. Bill and Ben have obviously hit rock bottom, as the chapter has already made painfully obvious, but they will obviously have their shining moment in the next chapter. So we'll see you all next time for the finale, and always, please stay safe and wash your damn hands since this godforsaken pandemic is still a thing.