"Ya haven been complaining 'bout Flyin Scotsman lately," Douglas observed as he and Donald backed into the shed beside Duck. "What's wrong? Or did ye make up with the great Space?"
"He heard me complaining about him to Thomas and the little Arlesdale engines," Duck said.
"Oh aye see," Donald said. "And did ye apologise to him?"
"I have not."
"He's a good one that Space," Douglas said. "Not a true Scot but he's got some of that fightin spirit in him. I'd hate to see his bad side."
"Aye that Spencer got the worst of it, two days in a swamp," Donald laughed.
"In a swamp?" Duck questioned.
"Oh aye!" Donald said. "Apparently Spencer tried to hurt Tornado, so the Flying Scot took matters into his own buffers and tricked him into a swamp."
"Couldn't get him out fer two days the swamp was so sticky and mucky!" Douglas laughed. "A right mess it was! The engines from the other railway say not to anger the Flying Scot."
"Least you find yourself at the mercy of his buffers and at the bottom of a bog!" Donald teased and Duck paled in fright.
Donald and Douglas laughed at him.
"We're only teasing ya!" Douglas jeered.
"But ya should really apologise to the lad, he's a nice un once you get to know him," Donald advised.
"Should you really be going around calling him a Space?" Duck asked. "Isn't that an insult?"
"He don't mind our jabs," Douglas said with a grin. "Unlike Gordon he has a sense of humour."
The three engines stopped talking as they saw an unfamiliar green tender engine rolling into the yard. He was a little bigger than James and looked like Gordon except smaller and with only two bogey wheels.
"Oh aye who's this?" Douglas asked and Duck frowned.
"It must be that Green Arrow I heard James complain about," he said squinting at him trying to see the engines name plate. "He was the engine that tried to get Flying Scotsman scrapped."
Almost immediately the Scottish twins were suddenly filled with fury.
"Scrapping!? Scrapping?!" Donald furiously yelled. "What kinda engine tries to get another scrapped!"
"A disgrace of an engine that's what!" Douglas fumed. "Yer stay away from our Flying Scotsman yer hear!"
"Or we'll make an example of yer!" Donald threatened angrily. "Yer great green kettle!"
The strange engine was startled by their outburst and immediately seemed to try and flee from them in fear.
Unfortunately he only backed into a siding at speed and slammed into the buffers at the end with a strange croaking sound.
The engine sat on the siding for a long moment, gasping for air, the impact having winded him painfully. He managed to get his breath back and looked up at the twins and Duck who were watching him with very angry expressions.
"Twitchy engine isn't he?" Duck commented and Donald snorted.
"Probably worried about what's gonna happen to him if Scot gets a hold a him," Donald snorted.
"Maybe that's why Scot suggested he come 'ere?" Douglas put forward. "So he could deal with him himself."
The engine's expression suddenly became terrified at Douglas' suggestion and moved away from them at speed.
Douglas, Donald and Duck watched him go, angry but also bewildered at the engines strange behaviour.
"Yer really should apologise to Flying Scotsman," Donald told Duck. "So you don't end up like that fella."
Duck immediately agreed. He usually wasn't one to back down but he didn't quite like the idea of dealing with an angry express engine or said engine going back to the mainland and discussing his misdemeanours with Truro.
"We're seeing him up at the Castle later today, you're welcome to tag along, we could use a third engine on our goods train," Douglas offered and for once dealing with the Twins' tricks wasn't the thing he was dreading.
"Rebecca may I speak with you?" Gordon nervously asked as he rolled into Knapford Station beside him.
She looked over and found Gordon looking very coy and embarrassed. He was pulling a long line of goods trucks full of bricks and wood. She'd heard all about his little tantrum last night. She'd also heard about how distressed he'd been about Green Arrow being put on as a mixed traffic engine beside James.
She gave him an encouraging smile.
"Of course Gordon," Rebecca said kindly. "What would you like to discuss?"
"I um, I wanted to apologise for being so rude to you and calling you names," he said quietly, not looking at her. "I'm sorry for insulting you and harassing you this past week. I wanted to start over, if that's alright with you?"
"Well Gordon, I won't lie and say that your words haven't hurt me," Rebecca said. "And I know the Fat Controller told you to apologise to me but I will accept it."
Gordon gave her a faint smile but his eyes were grumpy.
"I'll ask if you can pull coaches again Gordon," Rebecca said and Gordon looked at her surprised at her offer.
"Really?"
"Yes," she said with a sweet smile. "Besides, Spencer and I are taking it in turns to make sure Green Arrow behaves himself and I can't do that with the express."
"I see," Gordon's expression darkened at the mention of Green Arrow. He knew that said engine was pulling goods trains on the island and hadn't encountered him yet.
"Word is that the Flying Scotsman asked Green Arrow to be sent here so he could personally take care of him if you know what I mean," Rebecca whispered to Gordon and he looked up at her curiously.
"I uh no, what do you mean?"
"Well I wouldn't take someone trying to scrap me all that well would you?" She put and Gordon frowned.
He had been wondering why his brother had even suggested that Green Arrow be stationed anywhere near him.
A considering his brother was known to have a quiet vengeful side, he wouldn't put it past him to be planning something for the V2.
"I never thought about it that way," Gordon admitted quietly.
"Spencer and I will keep an eye on him for you Gordon, don't you worry," Rebecca reassured Gordon. "But knowing your brother, he probably has plans for Arrow himself."
He gave her a genuine smile at that.
"I uh, thank-you Rebecca," he said and Rebecca smiled at him brightly.
"No problem Gordon," She said cheerily as she began to pump her pistons. "Have a good day!"
Gordon silently watched her go, his mind busy with racing thoughts.
Ulfstead Castle was still awash with visitors at closing time as people had lined up to see the Flying Scotsman.
He was sitting out the front, his coat gleaming and he was in Steam, allowing kids in his cab to pull his whistle and people to admire him up close.
Other engines hated these kind of events, they didn't think much of being constantly ogled at or children getting their paint covered in fingerprints but Flying Sctosman was used to it. It happened almost everywhere he went so he had come to accept it in his stride. It was apart of life for him now.
He'd rather people be able to meet him up close and personal like this than risk their lives for a passing glance at him on the rails. It gave him a chance to meet people, let them tell their stories and see their amazed faces in person. He liked that the most about his travels, meeting people and seeing a small glimpse into their world.
As the people were shooed away from the castle and the place began to close down, he was surprised to find the Scottish twins pulling into the station outside with a very long heavy goods train.
"What's all the building supplies for?" He asked Stephen who was sitting beside him.
"Sir Robert is building a new technology museum for all kinds of engines and machinery to be on display," he answered. "He does love collecting engines like me."
"Oh you mean a new place for you to sleep you mean?" The Flying Scotsman teased and Stephen laughed at him.
"Don't be cheeky, you'd be right in there alongside me and you know it," Stephen shot back and the Scotsman chuckled.
"Suppose I would wouldn't I?"
"Aye oh yer Great Space!" The Scotsman turned his attention to Donald and Douglas who were coming up to greet him.
"My my it's the two troublesome twins hello!" He greeted as the twins came into greet him.
"Oh no that's not us, that's Bill and Ben," Douglas defended. "We just argue with each other mostly."
"You mean you always argue with me," Donald rolled his eyes and Douglas frowned at him.
"I do not."
"Do too."
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Alright, alright," The Scotsman laughed. "It's good to see you two nonetheless."
"We brought a friend to see you!" Donald said and the Scotsman looked over and saw the Green Great Western Pannier Tank engine who'd insulted him the other day looking sorry for himself.
"Oh hello!" The Flying Scotsman greeted the engine. "It's Duck isn't it?"
"I, yes, I'm Duck," Duck said, avoiding Scotsman's gaze. "I wish to apologise for the other day, Flying Scotsman. I said those things in frustration and I apologise. It wasn't very proper for a Great Western like myself."
The Flying Scotsman smiled at him.
"I accept your apology Duck," he grinned wider. "Truro thinks highly of you, he speaks proudly of you and how you make the Great Western proud."
Duck's face light up at the Flying Scotsman's words.
"He- He does?" Duck spluttered shocked. He was certain that Truro would have forgotten about him. He hadn't seen the famous engine in many decades and there were many Pannier's like himself still in service.
"Of course, why wouldn't he?"
"I thought he would have forgotten about me," Duck said quietly looking down at the rails in front of him.
"You made quite an impression and Sir Topham often tells him how you're doing when he comes to the mainland," the Scotsman said.
Duck smiled to himself. He looked up at the Flying Scotsman.
"You know, I wish you worked here instead of your brother sometimes, you're a lot more friendly," he said and the Scotsman raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, what's my brother done now?"
"He hasn't exactly been nice to the new engine," Duck explained.
"Oh aye, been a right spiteful fandan he has," Douglas confirmed.
"Ah yes Rebecca, she has complained about him to me," The Flying Scotsman said. "But Gordon's spitefulness tends to fizzle out when new changes settle down, I wouldn't worry. He's just never liked change so he tends to act out when it happens."
"Oh I remember when I was new, he tried to boss me around with the other big tender engines," Duck rolled his eyes.
"I'm more worried about how he's going to react to that new engine." Douglas said.
"New Engine?"
"Ay we saw a large green tender engine near Harwick," Donald informed him. "Looked like a smaller version of you and Gordon."
The Flying Scotsman looked thoughtful for a second.
"That would probably be Green Arrow, he belongs to the NRM," he said quietly. "Ms Olivia moves fast. I only agreed to have him sent here two days ago."
"You sent him here?"
"Well, it was my idea to have the museum loan him to a railway," The Scotsman admitted. "I didn't know he'd be leant to the North Western."
"We thought you sent him here so yer could deal with him yerself," Douglas said with a glance at Donald.
The Flying Scotsman gave a soft humm.
"I see," He said after a long pause. "While I have been known to threaten other engines I draw the line at scrapping them. The only other option Green Arrow had was to be preserved and put on static display. I do not want him to be scrapped or turned into an exhibit. He is the last of his class, I want him to remain on the rails."
Duck looked confused.
"But isn't Green Arrow the engine that tried to scrap you?" He asked and the Flying Scotsman looked away from them, clearly uncomfortable. "Why would you be so lenient towards him? He tried to kill you."
"Yes, yes he did," The Scotsman said with spite. "But… it's complicated."
An awkward silence hung over the five engines.
"Hello you lot," the silence was broken by the sound of Olivia walking towards them with a kind smile. She'd been around the castle speaking and talking to visitors all day and showing off her knowledge.
The engines greeted her with polite whistles.
"Oh a Pannier Tank Engine! You're a lovely thing aren't you? In beautiful condition too!" She exclaimed as she saw Duck. "I think Didcot has a few of you. Do you still work?"
"Yes, Ma'am! My name is Duck! I'm in perfect working order and I run a branchline with my friend Oliver, he's a Great Western 1400 that Douglas saved from scrap," Duck said proudly.
Olivia smiled at him.
"Truro mentioned a Pannier named Duck once," Olivia mused and Duck's eye lit up brightly. "It's nice to meet an engine Truro gives his appraisal too. It's rare of him to do so."
The Flying Scotsman laughed at Duck's reaction.
"See, I told you Truro remembers you," he said encouragingly. He paused, seeing Duck's expression. "Are you crying?"
"No!" Duck hastily denied but the other engines present just laughed at him.
"I'm sorry Green Arrow but there's no sheds left," his driver, Yvonne said sadly.
That was a lie.
Green Arrow knew that there were sheds empty on the Harwick Branch Line. The other engines simply refused to allow him to sleep under the same roof.
He wanted to complain.
He tried to speak but all that came out of his throat was a frail wet choke. He hissed steam in frustration and his cab shook furiously.
"Easy," Yvonne warned. "Let's not blow a safety valve Arrow."
Green Arrow didn't care.
He'd been insulted and ridiculed all day. He was tired and angry and he wanted somewhere safe to sleep to at the very least have some peace and quiet for a few hours but he couldn't even have that.
He couldn't even retort or respond to the other engine's taunts.
His voice box had been damaged after someone at Crewe had messed with his systems.
He suspected he knew why.
So he couldn't speak against Cain and reveal the extent of his plans to the authorities.
Ms Olivia had been extremely furious when the little red engine, Victor, had told her that Green Arrow had been sabotaged.
Even if they fabricated him a new voice mechanism it most probably wouldn't work properly.
Victor said he would try to make him a new one, but his original voice had most definitely been completely lost.
Yvonne carefully moved Green Arrow into a quiet siding that was away from the mainline and had trees growing beside it so it shielded Arrow from any passing engines or trains.
She was annoyed as it meant she had to walk a very long while to get to where she'd parked her car but nonetheless she'd obliged Arrow, knowing he didn't want to sleep somewhere where he could be picked on by the others.
Yvonne had been hand picked by Olivia as she knew that Yvonne adored and loved the last V2. Her grandfather had driven one back in the day and she was honouring his memory. There was no chance of Yvonne selling Green Arrow out to Cain.
She gathered her things after shutting down Arrow and cleaning out his firebox, climbing out of his cab and going to start the long walk back to the station.
She turned and looked back at Green Arrow as the fireman wandered off without her.
He looked completely and utterly depressed.
He looked down at her sadly.
She knew that Green Arrow had done terrible things and said terrible things but he didn't deserve this.
To be left out in the cold, alone and unprotected in the dark.
Not only that but to be completely unable to speak.
It was cruel.
She walked back and touched his buffer gently.
"I'll speak to Sir Topham and Lady Olivia tomorrow about finding you a shed," she assured him. "This is most inappropriate for a beautiful engine such as yourself."
Green Arrow just stared at her blankly before closing his eyes.
Yvonne stared at him sadly for a long moment, for turning heel and following her fireman.