A/N This is the final chapter because I don't have any idea left after this. It'll have a time hop in it. This is set last Friday. I once read something about a girl who's on the autism spectrum having a party with a Thomas theme. To me, Autumn's high functioning with no language delay, like me, but you can imagine otherwise if you prefer. Keep in mind though how much good Thomas in the old form could do for a kid who's autistic and autism doesn't mean unable to feel. It does mean there's only off and on for feelings, so when someone who's autistic does feel, it's strong. Emotion, cognition, imagination and symbolic play are areas in which it could help, TTTE that is. I've never had a themed birthday, except for the cake. Cat cupcakes or something when I was younger. If she's holding something, it goes with her to Sodor because in books I read with kids going to a different fantasy country, that's what happens. Whatever's on their person goes with them.
Autumn had just turned seven with a Thomas themed birthday party to celebrate planned. Her actual birthday was the first day of autumn, which is how she got her name in the first place. However, her party was to be Saturday. Here I am, she thought, crying in my room on the eve of it. An older bus-mate had found out about her party theme and called her a baby, laughing at her. He even said I was crying like one, she thought. Her baby doll was taking a nap under the girl's blankee and all her stuffed toy collection was in the hammock or on her bed. She hugged her plush Thomas, an old gift, sniffled and wiped her wet eyes. Then, she blew her nose loudly and stared at her Thomas poster on the wall, tissue box on her lap. She floated away to her friends.
Upon arrival on Sodor, Autumn sang The Island Song in a quivering voice. She wiped her tears to see more than a blur, to know where on the island she was. There's Thomas over there, she thought. Just finished having a drink. She walked slowly to that spot.
"Why the tears, Autumn?", Thomas asked with his most sympathetic smile. "I don't like it when one of my friends is sad. I shall take you to Edward."
S-someone c-called m-me a b-baby," she stammered, wiping her tears and climbing on. She sniffled and cried all the way to Edward's station.
Edward was recently arrived back from pulling a freight train. He gave Autumn a sympathetic look. She tearfully said why she was upset.
"S-someone c-called m-me a b-baby b-because o-of m-my T-Thomas th-themed b-birthday p-party t-tommorrow. A b-bigger k-kid d-down th-the s-street a-and l-laughed a-at m-me," Autumn said, whimpering.
"That's not right!," her engine friends said, angry at the other kid. They watched as Autumn stopped crying, wiping the last tears from her red eyes and then blowing her nose. Then, she managed to smile and hugged her friends. They returned the smile, just happy to see her happy again.
"I need to go back home," Autumn said. "Time to eat dinner, but I'll be back another day."
Her Sodor friends said goodbye to her with their peep peeps punctuating it. She ate her dinner, got on with the rest of her day and then it was Saturday, the day of her party. In the days, weeks, months and years ahead, she had more adventures until she was too old to follow the dream to a land of make believe. Some of them were when she was unhappy, not feeling well or punished for something naughty she did and confined to her room, but other times she was just bored or daydream-y. But she still loved Thomas, even when too old for a land of make believe and never forgot her childhood friends.
A/N Autumn's feelings were very hurt. The characters calling her by name comes from Mrs. Kyndley called by name in canon. This is a hurt/comfort chapter. Thomas is said to not like his friends being sad. He's his Season 3+ classic self here, I believe. Girls hug when happy, which is why Autumn hugs in this fic. I had some ideas about Autumn going to Sodor when she'd been naughty or didn't feel good, but I couldn't make them into anything share-able. Somewhere, I read about a 22 year old high functioning girl who still liked TTTE. I wrapped one of my baby dolls in my receiving blanket and had stuffed toys, the collections I still have. Her birthday's in the same season as mine, but a different month.