January had passed on Sodor after a most impressive Burns Night which Donald, Douglas and Duncan were very happy to see again. Now February was in motion, and over the course of one night, a thicker blanket of snow covered the island, just as Duncan had alluded on Burns Night. All the engines would have to wear their snowploughs again to clear the lines. This usually wasn't a major problem for the engines, but for Rebecca, it would be a little more of an obstacle to be faced with, and it would be sure to pull Gordon into the mess too.
At Tidmouth Sheds, when morning came, the engines all came out of their berths and could see the thick layer of snow all around them. They already had their snowploughs on since the previous night, having been prepared for this very snowfall. Thomas and Emily were both happy to see more snow around them. Percy took a deep breath and knew not to panic the way he did just before that past Christmas. Some time later, the Fat Controller arrived.
"Good morning to you all. Today shall be very busy in clearing the line again as you work," he said. "Even after you complete your day's work, it would do us well if you'd continue clearing all the tracks you can. Now you must take good care today. The tracks are rather icy, and we don't want any undue accidents."
"Yes, sir," the engines replied as they made their way out of the sheds, one at a time.
When five of the engines had left, Gordon and Rebecca were the last to leave. But as Rebecca began making her way to the turntable, Gordon suddenly felt a slip in his boiler. He remembered something about Rebecca from when she first arrived on Sodor, and suddenly felt concerned for his Golden Queen. As Rebecca settled on the turntable, he spoke up.
"Wait, Rebecca. I...I don't know for sure if it's entirely safe out there for you."
Rebecca looked back. "Oh? Whatever do you mean, Gordon?"
"Be careful, Rebecca," Gordon remarked. "Whether you're pulling trucks or passengers, mind you keep on the rails today. Icy tracks are sure to be bad for your brakes."
"My brakes?" Rebecca asked.
Gordon chose his words carefully. "No offense, Rebecca, but your brakes haven't been the most reliable sometimes, and I mean that in the best way there can be. I remember a few times your brakes didn't work all the way, when you first came here to meet us at Knapford, then when you bumped into the Fat Controller and Winston after taking trucks for the first time, then the time you ran into that honey truck, then the vegetable truck. What if they don't work while the tracks are icy?"
Gordon had a fair point. Rebecca had been on Sodor for just over two years now. She was a bright, sunny and immensely cheerful engine to all her friends, and just that past December, she and Gordon had sworn themselves to each other as the first express engines to fall in love. But among her very cheerful traits, she always had difficulty with her brakes since she came to Sodor, miscalculating her very first stop behind the Fat Controller and Winston. Then it happened again following the first time she took trucks, then when she ran into the honey truck and vegetable truck, sparking off Gordon's giggle fit. Her brakes didn't seem to be too big a problem except for how she'd bump into trucks sometimes. But with all the snow and ice that would cover the line by morning, she was in for more than she would be expecting.
"Oh, dear. Hmm...well, Gordon. It is true my brakes are a little miscalculating in how I stop, but no harm done so far," said Rebecca.
"Well, with the icy tracks today, you'd best be careful out there. I would never want to see you end up with broken brakes like James did when he crashed into Tidmouth Sheds. Oh, I dread to think such things happening to you!"
"Thank you, Gordon, but I'm sure I'll manage. My brakes have worked alright lately. And our ploughs and sanding gears will help with the ice after all."
And Rebecca made her way out of the shed, while Gordon looked on with concern until he set off and followed her.
At Knapford Station, Rebecca saw her line of trucks to take to Wellsworth Station, while Thomas fetched Gordon's coaches from another siding. Rebecca's plough cleared the snow in front of her. Her driver applied her brakes to stop, but as expected, they didn't lock all the way, and the icy rails made Rebecca slide along by a yard or two before stopping.
"Oh! Whoopsies," she remarked. "Oh, what am I like?"
"It's your brakes again, Rebecca...and the ice too," said her driver. "We'd best fill up your sanding gear for today."
Rebecca coupled to her trucks and made her way back to the platform until she was ready to go. At that moment, as Gordon arrived at the platform, two workmen arrived at the station, each carrying a bag full of sand. Then they began filling Gordon and Rebecca's sanding gears.
"Very good. Now, use your sand wisely, Rebecca," said Gordon. "We don't want to run out on the icy line."
"Of course, Gordon," said Rebecca. "This sand will certainly come in handy since I slid a little while fetching my trucks just now."
"I see. Then I suggest you do your best to take care," said Gordon. "My passengers need to be looked after, and I must be truly careful."
Shortly after their sanding gears were full, the passengers arrived and boarded Gordon's coaches. His guards whistle blew and he set off with moderate speed as not to go too fast too soon as his plough cleared the way. Then a short while later, Rebecca's guard blew his whistle and she set off too with her load.
As Rebecca huffed along the line, her plough endlessly sprayed the snow off the track, and for now, her wheels ran rather smoothly along the line. She couldn't feel any slippery ice yet and felt as though she'd be alright.
"Hmm. This isn't so bad," Rebecca said to herself. Then she heard Emily's whistle from beside her. Rebecca looked and saw her ploughing away too.
"It's a good thing you came prepared, Rebecca. You'll need your snowplough today. It's very icy," she said as she passed on by.
"Yes. Well, thank you, Emily," Rebecca whistled back as she continued on her own way.
A fair while later, Rebecca passed through Crosby, where Percy was busy ploughing along his line. As he looked up to Rebecca, his wheels slipped a little along the line. His driver opened his sanding gear and dropped more sand on his line.
"Whoa! Goodness," said Percy. "Mind how you go, Rebecca. The tracks are rather icy out here."
As soon as Percy ended his sentence, Rebecca's wheels suddenly slipped along too.
"Oh! Gracious!" she exclaimed. "Whew. I see that. Well then, perhaps I should use my sand too. Thanks, Percy."
With that, her driver opened her sanding gear. A thin layer of sand sprayed just in front of her wheels and onto the track, letting her wheels get more of a grip on the lightly iced rails. Now Rebecca began to wonder what would probably happen. She looked down and thought about her brakes. While they had worked fairly well on several occasions there were still the times they didn't work so well. Then she thought about Gordon. She hoped he and his passengers were safe enough, and it made her wonder if she'd have another close call with him, rather like when the trap points saved her from colliding with him.
"The tracks are indeed icier here," Rebecca thought. "But then again, this sand is giving me a smooth ride just the same. Perhaps it won't be that bad."
Soon, Rebecca arrived at Wellsworth Station, where Edward was waiting. By now, the tracks were even icier than they were at Crosby. As Rebecca approached the platform, her driver applied her brakes and worked her sanding gear. Luckily, Rebecca's brakes worked this time as she stopped smoothly enough at the platform.
"Whew. Well that worked nicely. Hello, gentlemen," she said to the workmen.
The workmen tipped their hats and got to work unloading her trucks. As they did this, Rebecca looked ahead and saw a set of points leading to more track that was still covered in snow. These points stretched for quite a distance along the line. Rebecca suddenly got an idea. Perhaps she could do more than just her goods run, and clear even more of the line. But as Rebecca pondered this thought, she didn't see the workmen walk off to find a sandbag to fill her gear again.
"Hmm. There's a lot of snow today," Rebecca said to herself. "And the engines need to keep to their schedules. Perhaps I should clear even more track. Then it would save time for the others. I don't have much more work after this goods run anyway."
"I don't know, Rebecca," said her driver. "Your sand has certainly helped in case your brakes don't work, but remember what Gordon said? I don't fancy running out of sand, and risking your brakes failing on icy tracks."
"Yes, Rebecca," said Edward. "There was a time when Thomas ran out of sand while making a delivery of ice skates to Town Square. I used some of my sand to try and help him, but he stopped too suddenly and sent his crate flying. Luckily, none of the skates inside were broken."
"Oh! Goodness," said Rebecca. "Well, perhaps if I go carefully, my sanding gear will help if my brakes don't work all the way. Gordon may be slowed down by deep snow. Who knows?" Rebecca suggested. "And if we go carefully, my sand might really help."
Her driver wasn't sure, but as the other engines were busy with their own jobs and ploughing their own lines, he nodded.
"Very well, Rebecca. But we must be careful," he cautioned.
So Rebecca left her empty trucks in the siding and continued down the line toward the points. She switched to the line beside her and got to work clearing more tracks...without loading on more sand. By the time the workmen came back with a sandbag, she was already far down the line. Edward and the workmen called out to her, but Rebecca was already too far to hear them.
Rebecca ploughed diligently through the snow, clearing the way as she went. She felt proud to be a help to the line as she wondered what Gordon would think if she ran into him further down the line. She soon cleared one line of track, then reversed back and switched to the other line and cleared the snow away on that line too. Every now and then, her wheels slid on the ice and her driver dropped more sand on the rails from her gear.
Soon, Rebecca had cleared both lines, then carried on further down the line. She decided that perhaps she'd have to go faster to catch up with Gordon in case he needed her help. So Rebecca slowly gained speed as she travelled further. But then, she came to Gordon's Hill. As she approached the start of the climb, she looked up just in time to see an express coach pass over the top. Gordon wasn't too far ahead, having been slowed down a little by the snow.
"Oh! Gordon's just up there!" Rebecca chirped. "I'd best clear my line and see if he needs help!"
So Rebecca started up the hill. But the rails here were now steadily icy. Gordon's Hill was steep and high already, but icy rails and thick snow made climbing it ten times harder.
"Bust my boiler!" Rebecca gasped. "This is hard work! I'll need plenty of sand to get up this hill."
So Rebecca's sanding gear was opened as far as it would go, while she pushed and braved with diligent might up the hill. Her wheels slipped a few times, but she kept huffing higher up the hill. It took a few minutes of hard puffing and heavy ploughing to climb the hill, but at last, Rebecca reached the top. She could see Gordon and the express gliding down the bend at the bottom.
"Ah! At last! Here I come, Gordon!" Rebecca called as she made her way down the other side.
But then there was trouble. Rebecca's driver worked the lever to apply her brakes...but felt no response. He tried again, but nothing happened.
"Oh! What's...what's happening?!" Rebecca asked, suddenly afraid.
"Your brakes, Rebecca! They're not working!" her driver urged.
He kept trying, but there was no response at all. Rebecca's brakes had failed altogether. This was the disaster that had been waiting to happen. There was Rebecca, sliding speedily down Gordon's Hill, with no hope of stopping now. Her driver urgently opened her sanding gear. Sand sprayed from along the line down the hill, giving Rebecca's wheels some traction. But without her brakes, Rebecca couldn't slow down, and after missing a chance for more sand at Wellsworth, only a few seconds later, more trouble came along. Sand stopped spraying from her gear, and her driver looked out.
"Oh, no! Rebecca, we're out of sand too! We've got no chance of stopping now! Brace yourself!" he shouted.
Rebecca's fireman became frightened too. He desperately tried to apply her brakes a few times more, but it did no good. They shot to the bottom of the hill and tore around the bed. The driver reduced steam, but Rebecca was still going too fast as the ice offered no grip.
"Ahh! I've no brakes! I can't stop! Help me, please!" Rebecca wailed desperately as she slid down the line. Then she looked ahead and gasped.
Gordon was going quickly, but carefully all the same for his passengers on the line beside Rebecca. Ever since he began his express run, he had been taking care with his sand and hoping for a fair enough day for Rebecca...but in that moment as he kept on with his schedule, he suddenly heard a most troubling call to his ear, which made his heart race with much alarm.
"Gordo-o-o-on!" Rebecca wailed with fright as she slid alongside him, then right past him, her wheels slipping and sliding as she went.
"Rebecca! Rebecca! What's happening?!" Gordon gasped.
"My sand has run out, and my brakes have failed! I can't stop!" Rebecca cried out. "Gordon, help! Save me!"
Gordon could not believe what he was seeing. The big blue engine watched in horror as his Golden Queen kept sliding along the icy rails, with failed brakes and no chance of stopping. He looked back to his coaches, and suddenly felt a new sensation within him. In that moment, he didn't care if he delayed his passengers. He had to do whatever it took to save his beloved express engine. His Golden Queen.
"The express is highly important, but so is my Golden Queen!" he declared strongly. "I will NOT stand by while she whirls off to disaster!"
So Gordon rushed ahead even faster, with his sanding gear working away until he arrived at Maron Station with a sudden, uneven stop.
"Get off quickly, please!" Gordon ordered. All the passengers scrambled out of the coaches as the fireman uncoupled Gordon.
"What's going on?" asked one passenger.
"Is it about Rebecca? I saw her rush past!" said another one.
"I'm sorry, everyone, but we must leave you here for now," said Gordon's driver. "Rebecca's become a runaway! No sand, no brakes!"
"I'm coming for you, Rebecca!" Gordon roared as he took off down the line at a terrific speed, his plough spraying the snow away and his sanding gear still working well enough for him. The stationmaster had seen Rebecca rush past, and called several signalmen ahead.
"Clear the lines! It's a runaway train!"
Signals were changed and points were switched. Rebecca had never been so frightened in her time on Sodor. Her wheels continued to slide and squeak along the line with no chance of stopping. A few hundred yards further back down the line, Gordon was panting up behind with every ounce of steam he had. In less than five minutes' time, he caught up with Rebecca again. But as he got right alongside her, they looked ahead and saw a big lump hidden under the snow on Rebecca's line. They came nearer and nearer, until suddenly, Rebecca's plough broke off. That lump was a large rock hidden in the snow.
"Ahh! My plough is off!" Rebecca cried out. "Help, Gordon! Help! I'm sure to crash any moment!"
Gordon was frightened to hear these very words from Rebecca. But then he looked ahead. There was another set of points and a signal box. He suddenly remembered Thomas' trick at the Great Railway Show to help Ashima. Now it was his turn.
"Look out, Rebecca! Points, points!" Gordon called.
The signalman looked out the window and ran for the levers to turn the points. Gordon rushed ahead of Rebecca, then switched to her line. He was now right in front of her, but they were now both running at a rather dangerous speed for the icy tracks.
"Oh, dear! Oh, no!" Rebecca wailed. "Help me-e-e!"
"I'll catch you, Rebecca!" whistled Gordon.
He looked back and slowed down just a little, closing the gap between his tender and Rebecca. Rebecca kept sliding along as she came closer and closer to Gordon's tender. Gordon looked back and thought how to slow down with her so neither of them would end up derailed. Then he remembered what Thomas had learned about Tai-Chi with Yong Bao. Now was his own chance to move with energy to save Rebecca.
Rebecca, whimpering and gasping with fright sped onward toward Gordon's tender, then her buffers hit his tender head-on. Gordon felt himself speed up as Rebecca's brakes were now completely finished. It was all up to him now.
"Hold on, Rebecca! I've got you!" Gordon strained against the push on his tender.
His driver opened the sanding gear once more, coating the rails with sand every inch the two express engines rushed along. Gordon's driver reduced steam and braked hard. As this happened, Gordon's wheels sent sparks onto the rails, melting the ice a little and allowing him a good grip. Rebecca shut her eyes tight as Gordon braked harder and harder. The heat from the sparks from Gordon's wheels helped melt the ice quicker and the sand on the rails helped even further. Both engines began to slow down as they neared another bend in the line, and with a deep sigh of relief, Gordon felt himself and Rebecca going slower and slower...until finally, after a most frightful chase and rescue, they stopped.
Rebecca opened her eyes again and saw all was well. She suddenly gushed and gasped with such relief and overflowing rejoice.
"Oh, Gordon! You're my hero!" she cried happily.
All Gordon could do was look back and smile from buffer to buffer, just as Emily did with Caitlin. He was indeed a very rightfully proud engine.
Gordon's driver ran to the nearest telephone and called the Fat Controller, telling him what had happened. When the Fat Controller heard everything, he hurried out of his office and arrived at the scene of aftermath onboard Emily, who was most astounded to hear such news. Gordon looked up and suddenly felt worried about the express. But the Fat Controller was smiling proudly.
"Well, I say! Well done, Gordon!" he stated. "You were so brave to risk the icy tracks and save Rebecca from a most unpleasant accident. A most noble deed of you to perform!"
Gordon was surprised. "You're not cross with me, sir? After I left my passengers at Maron Station and delayed the express?"
"Rebecca was in danger of crashing due to her failed brakes, Gordon," said the Fat Controller. "And it's a far more important issue than Percy panicking the way he did this past December. The express is indeed very, very important, but if there's one thing more important than being really useful, it's looking after your fellow engines, and you, Gordon, have saved the day for Rebecca."
"Thank you, sir!" Gordon beamed.
Then the Fat Controller turned to the yellow express engine.
"Now, for you, Rebecca," he said. "I see you're safe and still on the rails. Now I know you wanted to be helpful by clearing more track for the other engines, but it did use up all your sand...and from what I have heard recently from Gordon's driver, your brakes have completely failed. There's only one thing to do about that. You'll need a proper repair so your brakes work properly, and all the time."
Rebecca turned a little red, feeling silly to have gone further up the line and using up all her sand instead of waiting at Wellsworth.
"Yes, sir. I only wanted to help clear more of the line for the other engines."
"I know," said the Fat Controller. "Just consider yourself fortunate that Gordon came for you."
"Oh, yes, sir," said Rebecca. "I don't know what would have happened if he didn't come for me! Thank you, Gordon!"
"My deepest pleasure, Rebecca. And I am forever proud to have done this for you," Gordon declared proudly.
The Fat Controller nodded and turned back to Gordon. "Now, Gordon. I believe you have the matter of passengers to help and make up for lost time?"
"Oh, yes, sir!" Gordon replied. "I'll get right to it."
Gordon was soon on his way back to Maron Station to retrieve his passengers. Then Emily looked to Rebecca.
"Wow! I never imagined that Gordon would save you in a similar way that I saved Caitlin when her brakes failed!" she exclaimed.
"You did? That's amazing, Emily!" Rebecca smiled. "You and Gordon are both heroes!"
Emily smiled. "Thank you. Now, Rebecca, I'd best get you to the Steamworks. I'll be your brakes until we get there."
While Emily took Rebecca on her way to the Steamworks, Gordon was kept busy throughout the afternoon, making up for lost time with his passengers. But none of them were cross at the delay. When they heard about Gordon's rescue and Rebecca braking badly on the line, they were all amazed by Gordon's devotion to his fellow express engine and cheered him on as he finished his express run.
When Gordon's express run was done for the day back at Knapford, he suddenly remembered about Rebecca. He looked ahead and saw Thomas and Emily making their way through the station for Tidmouth Sheds. Emily had told Thomas about what happened, and he was staggered to hear such a story about Gordon.
"Hello, Gordon!" he whistled. "Emily told me all about it! You saved Rebecca! Cinders and Ashes!"
"I did, Thomas," said Gordon. "She says I'm her hero! Speaking of which, Emily, how is Rebecca?"
"She's still bubbling away with joy over you saving her," said Emily. "And...she said she'd like you to bear her company at the Steamworks tonight."
"Thank you, Emily!" Gordon whistled as he set off down the line, while Thomas and Emily looked back and smiled as they made their way home.
At the Steamworks, Rebecca was safe inside as a work crew examined her brakes and worked on what needed repairing. By now, she felt much better after such a frightful runaway on the icy line, then being rescued by her fellow express engine. Having him save her just made her love him even more. Then she heard Gordon's whistle. She looked up and saw him huff inside until he came right up to her buffers, smiling immensely as she smiled right back at him.
Then Victor rolled alongside the two express engines.
"It's a good thing Gordon came for you, my friend," he said to Rebecca. "Otherwise, you may have ended up trapped in the snow like Kevin did. Well done to you, Gordon, for saving dear Rebecca. And for you, Rebecca, with enough care and precise work, your brakes should be good as new by tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Victor," said Rebecca. "Having proper brakes will really do me well!"
"You wanted to see me, Rebecca?" asked Gordon.
"Oh, yes, Gordon," said Rebecca. "I'd adore your company for a while after you saved me out there. Oh, that was indeed scary!"
"Oh, Rebecca!" Gordon remarked. "You don't know how worried I was when I saw you rush past me on the line with faulty brakes! That was most shocking for me to see today! I'm ever-so thankful I came to your rescue before something terrible happened!"
"Oh, Gordon!" Rebecca gasped. "I can't thank you enough for coming to my rescue. I should have been more careful out there."
"That is very true, Rebecca," said Victor. "And it's much better that you're here with us, instead of trapped in the snow out there, like Kevin was when he went to get Emily's piston rods, although Thomas brought them here safely enough and managed to help Emily down again."
"Indeed, Victor," agreed Gordon. Victor then left the two big engines in peace.
"Well, I may have been braking bad today," said Rebecca. "But now, thanks to you, Gordon, I'm safe on the rails, and soon my brakes will work properly all the way! Please, Gordon, will you bear me company through tonight?"
"Well, you'll be fit to go tomorrow morning. I'll gladly bear you company, my Golden Queen," Gordon smiled.
Rebecca gasped and giggled with glee as Gordon buffered closer to her and touched his nose to hers.
"Well, now that you're safe in here, Rebecca. How do you feel?" Gordon asked gently.
Rebecca beamed happily. "I feel much better now, in the warm Steamworks, having my brakes properly checked at last...and having you right here to bear me company. You were amazing today, Gordon. What a brave gentleman you are!"
Gordon's eyes went wide. "Gentleman? Goodness me, that's most dignified indeed, Rebecca. You deserve a warm night here with me, and proper brakes in due course. You're my hero just as I'm yours, Rebecca."
"I'm so lucky to have you for my very own, Big G. Thanks for helping me!" Rebecca giggled as she kissed Gordon on his cheek.
"And I'm the luckiest big blue engine to have a lovely lady like you, my Golden Queen!" Gordon beamed back.
And with that, he buffered closer and kissed Rebecca's lips, which made her giggle and follow suit for a minute or two before they let go and shared a few more kisses to their cheeks, bearing a smile to each other until they found themselves feeling sleepy.
"Well...sweet dreams, Gordon. I love you, my Big G," Rebecca yawned. "And thanks for saving me, my hero."
"You're infinitely welcome, Rebecca," Gordon replied. "I love you too, my Golden Queen. And sweet dreams."
And with that, Gordon and Rebecca fell asleep together in the Steamworks, holding their faces together while her work crew continued to look over her brakes and give her the repairs she needed and deserved. On into the night, Gordon and Rebecca held closely and surely in each other's warm hold, until morning would come again and they'd be working together yet again. It had been indeed an eventful day for both express engines, but they had made it through with success and rejoice, and they had made it through together.
Yes, the title is supposed to be a play on the "Breaking Bad" show, even though I've never watched that show. This story was really just an excuse for us to close up Rebecca's braking problem, as after Series 23, it's never really brought up again, unless I'm forgetting if it happened in Series 24, which I don't think it did, but it gave us a great opportunity to turn it into another Gordon and Rebecca story. Now, for our next story, we're going to be giving James and Molly more focus, although it's really Molly that's going to be focused on more, so until then, tell us what you thought of this story, and we'll see you next time. Stay safe.
