Thomas was on break when he saw Gordon approaching. The older engineer was furious, face red and his brow furrowed. In a few strides Gordon was right next to Thomas and Thomas could feel a hand on his shoulder before being whipped around to face the other. Gordon was practically emitting an aura of anger.
"Alright, where's Percy?" Gordon demanded.
"The loo," Thomas stuttered. "Why? What happened?"
"That doesn't matter. It's none of your business," Gordon said. "I don't know what you see in him. He's cheeky enough but this time he's crossed the line." And he stormed off, boots stomping on the ground.
Henry had come over by that time with a platter of biscuits which he set down in the breakroom. "Gordon? I brought some biscuits!"
"Keep your bleeding biscuits, I have to deal with Percy!" was the answer.
"Gordon isn't too happy," Henry sighed. He offered a biscuit to Thomas. "I don't know what happened, except for he found his tea was peppercorns instead. Never seen Gordon so cross. He thinks it was Percy who-"
Henry was interrupted by sudden yelling, the source clearly being an upset Gordon throwing all of the blame on Percy. Both Henry and Thomas covered their ears from the sound and stepped back when Emily came storming past them. Edward wasn't too far behind, already using his phone to call the Fat Controller and let him know that there was a major dispute going on in the sheds right near the break room.
"I think it's Gordon, he's telling Percy off for something that happened. Peppercorns in the tea? Mmmm. Yes, I think it's the tea that he keeps behind the biscuits. Very well, sir. Thank you, sir." And Edward promptly hung up and followed Emily.
"You leave him alone, Gordon!" Emily had gotten right up into Gordon's face, having stepped in front of Percy. She was strongly built and tall, nearly eye level with Gordon. "Maybe you shouldn't be taking tea without asking! Then you go and blame poor Percy here for something you did!"
"That silly fireman knew I was borrowing tea and then decided he should replace it! What ever happened to politely asking for a change?"
"I didn't put peppercorns in the tea, Gordon. It's not just silly, that's a downright rude thing to do." Percy had crossed his arms and situated himself next to Emily. "And I don't mind you taking tea, but it would help if you didn't just take without asking."
Gordon threw his hands into the air. "Lies! You will definitely never be allowed in the cab of engine four. I'll see to it that the Fat Controller knows exactly what you've done, Percy."
"Are you only hearing what you want to hear?" Emily asked. "I think Gordon is only hearing what he wants to hear!"
"Because I won't accept anything less than the truth. But I can see you aren't going to listen." Gordon scowled and turned around. "I'm heading back to my engine."
"Fine. Maybe your engine will finally get things past your thick skull." Emily's reply was sharp and bitter, but she turned to face Percy. "Gordon gives a lot of guff. I know you didn't do anything with the tea."
Percy shrugged. "I guess he's right to blame me, though. Who else would do something like that? But Gordon blames me for almost every small thing that happens that makes him cross."
"I guess he just enjoys blaming other people," Emily replied. "Wait. I know who replaced all of the tea bags. Bill! Or was it Ben? I can't tell unless they have their name tags on. I remember one of them was in the break room yesterday, asking where you kept the tea."
"That's odd. I thought they usually kept their pranks directed towards Timothy or Thomas. I think I'll have to go and talk to them about what they did." Percy started to walk away but Emily tapped him on the shoulder.
"You're not upset with what Gordon said, are you? He talks big but he doesn't mean all of it." Emily was looking Percy over for any reaction but he didn't have one.
"He's silly. I think he enjoys blaming me for things. Maybe I shouldn't have been so cheeky to him when I first arrived." Percy was looking over at Thomas. "I'll be right over, we should go back to work." He was visibly trembling, clearly a little distressed from the encounter with Gordon, but he still was able to smile and that was good enough for Thomas.
On the last ride of the day, engine six was beginning to not run as well so they stopped at a siding to wait for a helper engine to shove back to the station. From the cab they could hear the kids shrieking in the coaches, the kind of fake screaming that kids will do when they pretend to be scared. Oh, no! The train stopped. Something bad must be happening! But they were only waiting for the diesel helper.
"Umm. Uh. Sidney to engine… engine..." Sidney's voice came across loud on the radio and Thomas immediately responded.
"Engine six?"
"Yeah. Engine six. We're a few coaches away, and we'll be coupling up behind you. Do you have your guard on the ground?"
"I'm on the ground," Emily cut in. "Let's couple up and return to the station. I'll spot you. Let's switch to hand signals so we aren't clogging the radio. I'll let you know when we're ready to go, okay, Thomas?"
While they were attaching the locomotive to the end of the passenger train Thomas turned to look at Percy.
"You look like your day isn't going so well, Percy."
"Good observation. I guess I'm a little sad because of how Gordon was treating me, but I guess he's just like that. I'm going to talk to Bill and Ben after work. Did you want to come with me?"
"Of course! I know they like to tease. What kind of friend would I be if I let you face them all alone?" Thomas laughed and gave Percy a playful shove.
"Either way, you're still my best friend." And Percy returned a shove, though with a bit more strength and Thomas had to stumble to regain his footing.
"Maybe we shouldn't be shoving in the cab of a steam engine," Thomas observed and Percy laughed.
"I wish I knew that sooner. I didn't push too hard, did I?"
"No, no. Oh! I think Emily is ready to get going." Thomas held up the radio and spoke into it. "Did I hear that correctly? We're ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Emily replied.
A nasal voice cut right in, already laughing. One could almost see Diesel smirking as he spoke into his radio. "All right, steamies, let's go. I have an important and modern engine to be working with."
"By modern you mean a 1950s locomotive," Thomas bit back. "Alright. I'll sound the whistle and we can go."
"Nyeheheheheh," was the response from the radio before it clicked off. It sounded like Diesel was ready to move.
The return journey wasn't so bad, and the guests weren't too upset with arriving late after the tourist ride. Some of them had, in fact, enjoyed having extra time in the coaches. Annie and Clarabel were overworked, though, having been passing out water bottles to all of the passengers and wrestling with the occasional window. The two attendants were quick to dismiss themselves and head to clock out of work.
"Need anything else, you steamie drivers?" Diesel cackled. "Or can I return to my very important job?"
"What's your important job?" Thomas asked.
There was a pause and Diesel emitted a loud swear. "Apparently my job has been changed to shoving you and your consist to the sheds. Then I have to switch those silly coaches and bring them to the siding." He emitted a snarky laugh. "Maybe I'll be so upset that I'll put peppercorns in your tea, Thomas. Heheh!"
"Oh, stop being so horrid," Emily replied. "The more you talk the longer you have to put up with us."
"I can put up with you more than I can with Thomas."
"Diesel! That's no way to be talking!" Thomas radioed back.
"Alright, alright. Sowwy about that. Don't want your feewings getting hurt." Diesel gave his locomotive a few quick blasts of the horn and they were off.
"Diesel knows that the peppercorns are more closely tied to me than you, right?" Percy whispered.
"Diesel doesn't have very good eyesight, I think he gets us confused."
"Apparently his eyesight is good enough to distinguish colors."
Upon returning to the station and getting things ready for the night, making sure that everything that needed to be put away was in the right place, Percy and Thomas went to sign out for the day. They bid goodbye to Emily.
"Thomas, are you still coming with me to talk to Bill and Ben?"
"Of course! I know where they are, too. They usually head to Knapford after work. At least when they don't work the next day."
"More than likely to get piss drunk," Percy replied and they both laughed. "Let's take the bus. I don't feel like driving to Knapford."
And so the two friends went to the bus stop and hoped to arrive in Knapford in time to at least be able to track down the two troublesome twins, Bill and Ben.