"Something feels… sticky," The Flying Scotsman said, trying to work out the strange feeling.
"Sticky?" Oscar yawned wearily. It wasn't everyday that he had to crew on a dawn train but this one was special. A trip on the Ffarquhar Branch Line as the sun rose on the Flying Scotsman sounded lovely. If you weren't the crew freezing in the cab that is. Or having to deal with a very over dramatic engine.
"It's hard to explain," he grumbled. "It should be fine but it feels like something is loose I guess?"
"Like a bearing?" Vincent asked.
"No, something else," The Flying Scotsman hummed. "It's barely noticeable though so I might be fretting over nothing."
Vincent looked at the engine curiously. Flying Scotsman did tend to complain about rattles, squeaks and loose bearings every other week but it was justified, he was almost 100 years old and was feeling his age.
It hadn't helped that he occasionally felt the results of that long stint in Ulfstead Mines to which had plagued him with problems.
"I'll give you a thorough check just in case," Vincent smiled at him.
The Flying Scotsman was an anxious engine when it came to how everything was working with him but Vincent knew checking him over was better than listening to Scotsman get himself worked up into an anxious mess and complaining constantly, which grew very annoying very quickly.
His crew adored him but there were times when Scotsman could be an enormous pain and a huge irritant.
Oscar and Vincent had found Gordon to be very much the same when they had decided to swap crews for a week after a bet with Gordon's crew.
Maybe it was a Gresley Pacific thing as both crews had come to the conclusion that they just complained about everything.
Oscar and Vincent spent the next half hour checking him over but found nothing wrong.
The Flying Scotsman looked sheepish.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time," he said embarrassed and Vincent just gently put a hand on his buffer.
"It's okay, we'd rather you be safe and running well," he assured the big engine who smiled at him. "We'll inform Olivia and the Fat Controller of your observation to cover our asses but you should be fine."
The Flying Scotsman beamed happily.
The doors to his berth opened and he immediately scowled angrily.
"Why is it so cold!" He shrieked as he was hit by a freezing morning wind. "I'm going to get icicles in my undercarriage!"
Oscar and Vincent sighed and gazed at each other in despair knowing that they wouldn't be hearing the end of this on the dawn trip.
If there was anything the Flying Scotsman hated, it was one, Mallard and two the cold.
"Who's stupid idea was this morning run? Stupidest idea I've ever heard, why couldn't we wait a bit and do this in summer, I swear to Gresley," the Scotsman suddenly ranted angrily. "This is RIDICULOUS!"
So much for a quiet trip.
"It's not even SNOWING!"
"Green Arrow will be taking your coaches today James, I need you to double head a goods train with Henry to Barrow," The Fat Controller informed the engine.
James' face turned as red as his paintwork.
"My coaches! My coaches taken by that traitor!" He screeched angrily. "Why don't you give them to Edward or Thomas? Not that Green pickle!"
"Edward is busy on his branchline as is Thomas," the Fat Controller said with a deep sigh. "I understand why you don't like Green Arrow but he does work on this railway and he's so far had no issues or complaints from passengers."
"But my coaches-"
"Where originally Henry's coaches if I remember correctly," the Fat Controller said sternly. "They were only given to you after you proved yourself by pulling the express. Now, you can go and couple up to Henry now and no more of this nonsense."
James huffed and pouted but did as he was told.
Henry watched him sympathetically although he did despair at the knowledge that he would have to hear James rant about the issue all the way to Barrow.
Both engines suddenly hissed steam angrily as Green Arrow arrived. The V2 avoided all and any eye contact with the red and green tender engines. He simply stared at the tracks in front of him.
"Hello sir," Yvonne called to the Fat Controller from Arrow's cab. "Ready to take the passenger train sir."
"Ah excellent!" Sir Topham exclaimed excitedly. "You've been doing an excellent job so far Green Arrow, I am very pleased."
Green Arrow said nothing, only stared blankly at the rails in front of him.
James looked ready to turn Green Arrow into scrap iron.
"Why aren't you talking pickle?" James jeered at him. "You're being very rude not acknowledging Sir Topham!"
"That enough James," the Fat Controller barked at James. "The both of you can collect the train at Brendam Docks now."
The two engines gave each a glance before pulling out of Tidmouth, furious scowls set on their faces directed at Green Arrow.
Yvonne watched them go with a frown before turning to the Fat Controller.
"Have you found a shed for Green Arrow to sleep in, sir? Green Arrow will be damaged if he keeps on having to sleep out in the open," She asked of Sir Topham.
"There is a shed at Wellsworth he can use," Sir Topham said. "However, it is old and has leaks and it maybe too small. The only other space free is at Ulfstead castle in the private berths with Flying Scotsman. Though if he is placed there the engines will have a fit over it."
"Would Flying Scotsman even allow that?" Yvonne asked concerned.
"Surprisingly, yes he would," Sir Topham said scratching hos chin. "It's quite odd. Of all the engines on the Island, Scotsman actually seems to be the least hostile towards Arrow."
Green Arrow looked up confused and stared at the Fat Controller.
"Olivia was concerned however and so you wouldn't be allowed to use said berth," he finished and Arrow looked away disgruntled.
Yvonne gave an annoyed grunt.
"Can't have anything happen to her precious favourite," she sneered and Sir Topham frowned.
"She refused because it would cause the Sudrian engines to target and bully Arrow even more than they already have, for him to use the berth the harassment will have to be dealt with," he explained. "Olivia is aware of how much bullying he is getting and has asked a few engines to ease up on it. One of them was Thomas."
Green Arrow's eyes brightened up. He knew Thomas, Thomas had been kind to him and they had become friends during their short acquaintance at the museum.
"You'll actually be seeing Thomas today," Sir Topham spoke to Green Arrow seeing the engine's mood lighten. "These coaches are an extra service for his branchline. I think Thomas will be kind to you, he hasn't really approved of the bullying you've gotten."
Green Arrow didn't think he would. Especially after what he had done. He might be civil but he couldn't see the little tank engine being nice to him.
He looked up as Sir Topham smiled at him.
"Off you go," he urged Green Arrow and Yvonne quickly put the V2 to work collecting his coaches.
Immediately Green Arrow felt a sinking feeling in his boiler as he pulled into Knapford.
Gordon was sitting in a siding at the station between breaks and he gave Arrow the worst of the bullying from the Sudrian Engines.
He could understand why, Gordon was Scotsman's brother and he had a personal vendetta against the smaller tender engine.
Green Arrow slid into the station as quietly as he could to avoid waking the bigger engine up.
It seemed to work as the big engine hadn't reacted or even woken up.
For a few tense minutes, Arrow kept his eyes sternly fixed on the big express engine hoping that he wouldn't wake up and notice him. So much so that he didn't see Spencer coming into the station next to him.
The Silver Engine gave an extremely loud blast from his whistle, waking the blue engine up with a startled yelp of shock.
"Sleeping on the job again Gordon? That's awfully lazy of you," Spencer sneered at him to which Gordon glared at him.
"Can I for once get some rest between express services WITHOUT someone being disrespectful?" He shouted angrily but Spencer only laughed at him.
He then spotted Green Arrow who had paled in fright realising he was between the two big engines.
"Then again, maybe this dirty little sneak was trying to come up behind me and have me done away with huh?" Gordon snapped at Green Arrow.
Green Arrow looked away from him and wanted nothing more than to leave but he hadn't been shunted his coaches yet.
"Nothing to say as usual? What a pity, I always heard you were good with words, a shame," Gordon said looking at Arrow with a pitiful gaze. He then looked at Spencer.
"Back on Sodor for the Summer?" He asked the A4 who seemed to gleam even brighter.
"The Duke and Duchess do want to use their Summer House after all," he said smugly and Gordon rolled his eyes. "Truro and Tornado send their love. Tornado misses her big brothers dearly, she's become quite rebellious in your absence. Even Truro's having a hard time keeping tabs on her. Oh to be young again."
Gordon gave Spencer a puzzled look.
"I thought you didn't talk to Tornado," he said.
"Oh I don't, but the poor girl was so desperately sad that she approached me to send her love to you and Scott," Spencer said with a sad smile. "The poor thing is very lonely these days."
Gordon's face fell as he heard those words.
"I miss her too," he said quietly.
Spencer glanced at Arrow.
"She asked me to pass on a message but I won't do it while this nasty green zucchini is here," the A4 said looking at Green Arrow.
Green Arrow looked straight ahead, trying to ignore the two bigger engines.
"Don't worry, he can't talk anyway," Gordon said with a laugh. "I don't know why or how but he hasn't spoken to anyone since he got here."
Spencer gazed at Green Arrow with an intense curiosity. Arrow avoided his gaze, still staring straight ahead and pleading for his coaches to be shunted to him.
"Really? You think Scotsman did it?" Spencer asked and Gordon frowned.
"I asked him and he said he has no idea why Arrow won't speak. Ms Olivia doesn't know either but she thinks someone tampered with him at Crewe," Gordon said, staring at Arrow intently.
"I don't mind," Spencer smiled. "He's much better this way."
Green Arrow glared at them angrily, jolting as Percy harshly shunted his coaches into the back of him with a rough bang.
His face turned red as he felt the stares of the engines. He moved off with his coaches as quickly as he could not looking back and blinking away the pesky tears that had started to form in his eyes.
"Hello Green Arrow!" A bright voice suddenly greeted him as he pulled into Dryaw.
He was startled and looked over to the other line to see Thomas sitting there waiting for him patiently.
He couldn't speak and so merely gave Thomas a small strained smile.
"Thank-you for helping me with my branchline today," he said kindly. "We've been having troubling keeping up today seeing as the Scotsman took a train along the branch line earlier. There's so many passengers that Percy and I can't keep up!"
Green Arrow's expression suddenly turned into one of panic. He really didn't want to see the famous engine, especially after his encounter with Gordon and Spencer this morning.
"It's okay," Thomas assured him. "Scotsman has probably left by now, he took some rail enthusiasts on a special dawn train."
Thomas sighed wistfully.
"I bet that was nice, watching the sunrise while in the country, I wish I could have pulled it," he sighed softly with a look of wonder on his face. "But I'm not as strong as Scotsman is. Sometimes I wish I was."
Thomas looked back at Green Arrow. He gave him a kind smile.
"I'm here to double head," he explained. "They're putting more coaches on your train. You know, like how we did on the mainland for the museum!"
Thomas seemed to be genuinely excited and happy.
Green Arrow allowed himself a bigger smile. Thomas was the same young and excitable engine he had befriended when he'd come to the museum.
He didn't seem to hold the same resentment as the other engines.
"It's good to see you again Green Arrow," Thomas said, picking up that Arrow seemed to relax with his friendly attitude towards him. "I'm sorry about the other Sudrian engines, but scrapping isn't something we take lightly."
It had been made quite clear to Green Arrow that that was the case.
In the end, when it came down to it, confronted by the Flying Scotsman in the metal, he found that he just couldn't bear to scrap another engine.
He'd been a fool.
He knew that.
But it wasn't like he could explain himself anymore.
Even if he could he doubted that people would ever believe him anyway.
"Hey, it's okay, I can see by your expression you regret it," Thomas said and Arrow looked at him. "And Flying Scotsman doesn't actually hold anything against you. If anything he feels sorry for you, for how Cain treated you. He thinks that you deserved a rebuild more than he did."
Green Arrow was surprised by that. He wanted to question why but he couldn't. Instead he gave a frustrated weesh of steam.
Thomas looked at him sympathetically.
"Shall we head off now?" He asked and Green Arrow gazed up at him. His eyes narrowed and Thomas took it as an affirmative.
Thomas beamed and turned himself around to couple himself to the front of Green Arrow with a happy little peep.
Green Arrow found himself smiling in happiness for the first time in many years. He gave a happy whistle which Thomas laughed at as they both set off with the train.
Arrow enjoyed himself, as Thomas wittered on about nonsense that he didn't really care for but Arrow didn't mind. He was just happy that someone was being friendly with him for once.
He hadn't felt like this since he had been friends with Tornado.
Tornado's bubbly attitude always brightened his day, especially after having to deal with the big engines mocking him for being small and only good for pulling fish wagons.
He sighed sadly.
He missed Tornado, more than anything. But Thomas was at least being friendly with him, that was something.
The train began to slow as they pulled into Ffarquhar. Green Arrow's brief happy mood was shattered however when saw a large green engine sleeping in a siding behind the station.
Thomas suddenly yelped in panic as Green Arrow suddenly slammed on his breaks so hard that it yanked on their coupling and the coaches.
"What's going on!?" Thomas cried out, startled and in shock. He looked around widely but stopped as soon as he saw the Flying Scotsman sitting on a siding at a station now waking up from the loud shouts.
"Oh. I see."