Chapter 4 - War Is No More
Gordon and Rebecca was in Knapford Yard and watched as soldiers returned home to their families. The war was won.
Both of them sat with grins on their faces as children ran up to their fathers screaming with joy.
"You know..." Gordon started. "I'm sorry for what I said to you last week. I just didn't know what to do with myself after..."
"It's fine Gordon, I understand. You're just scary sometimes."
"I should talk to Thomas and use that as a prime example of a backhanded compliment." Gordon chucked.
Rebecca giggled too. "Sorry I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay, I understand. You're just annoying sometimes."
Both engines laughed and laughed as the sun started to set.
Thomas, Rosie, and Percy were all talking with Stanley by the seaside. The sun was setting over the water, lighting it in a bright colour of orange and pink.
"Pah! You know it was Charlie, pranks are his new thing now," Thomas argued.
"But it used to be your thing Tommy." Rosie chuckled.
"Not true. You don't have any proof of that!" Thomas laughed.
"Liar Liar, tanks on fire," said Stanley. "Percy has seen nearly every stunt you pulled."
Thomas sighed. "Still that doesn't make me the culprit."
"If you can think of a punchline it's Charlie." Rosie said as she contemplated the prank in question.
But Percy wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. He couldn't take his eyes of Thomas. The orange sun reflected off his funnel and whistle, and his large smile made Percy's fire roar with excitement.
"Percy?"
Percy was flung out of his thinking to see all three engines looking at him. "Yeah?"
"What do you think?" Rosie asked.
"What were we talking about again?"
"How Salty was hit with a parachute yesterday. How did you not hear us? We were shouting the whole time," Stanley laughed.
"I don't know, I must have vagued out for a bit," he said as he tried to shake himself out of his dreamy haze.
"Oh well. What else is new?" Thomas asked trying to shift the conversation away from his accusation.
"Your stubble." Rosie giggled. All the tank engines laughed.
"What are you boys going to do, keep it or not?"
"Nah, I want a baby face," Stanley answered.
"What do you think I should do? I like it," Thomas asked.
"Well, women like it too, so maybe you should keep it," Rosie blushed.
"I don't have any so I don't get a choice," Percy shrugged. They all laughed.
"No war means new paint," Stanley remembered. "What colours are you guys going for?"
"We get a choice?" Thomas asked.
"Yeah, Fat Hat wants the railway to be colorful again."
"Back to green," Percy said with a big grin on his face.
"Blue for me," Thomas added. "What about you Rosie?"
"I'm not sure... I don't think pink suits me anymore. What do you guys think I should get?"
"Purple," Stanley suggested.
"Maybe dark red…" Thomas added.
"Cool, I'll think about it," she said as they turned their attention back to the sunset.