Ahhhh! I have Summative Tests and Exams next week. Great, that's just great. 😒So I'm not sure how my upload schedule might be effected. I might be able to get another chapter by next Saturday, I might not. But I'll do what I can.


All of the others either groaned or started snickering again. Shale smile and joined in laughing. "How bad was it?"

She looked over to Skarloey and Renneas who were holding their head in their hands and groaning. Duncan shoved their shoulder playfully.

"C'mon, you galant old engines. She wants to know."

"Alright, but it's... well, to call it an embarrassment would be a gross understatement." Renneas mumble.

"Guys you killin' me." She laughed "What'd I miss while I was out!"

"I don't think either of them caught a fish yet." Peter said "But I think Skarloey was ho startled by something and fell into the water."

"That explains why your not wearing a shirt and the lillypad on your head." Shale pointed out.

The eldest engine blushed and combed his hand through his hair to pick it out while the younger ones kept laughing. When he found it, he flung in playfully at Duncan's face, who spluttered and threw it off. He looked back to Shale and gave her a tired smile.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find anything. I knew it would be difficult but I didn't expect this."

"Well that's cause your doing it wrong." She laughed. "Did any of you see a fishing pole inside that shack?"

Renneas though for a moment. "Hmm, no. Could we possibly build one?"

"I guess?" Shale scratched her head. "I mean, at its core it's just a pole with some string and bait attached to one end."

"Splendid!" Skarloey clapped his hands. "I'm sure we could find something to salvage. What can we use?"

"Well, you could just break of some tree branches for poles. Vines could substitute for string and we could tie some bread to the tip." Shale look back at the fireplace "This might be a better base than the sheds. We're close to water and food and we still have a shelter."

"I guess that is a more practical point." Peter mumbled "I just... well, hoped we could sleep in out old sheds again."

Shale grimaced at this. "Sorry, Peter. But from a survival standpoint, this would be more practical idea. Your welcome to keep visiting, just be sure to bring a partner and to tell me when you go."

Peter tried to smile but it was obvious to both that they weren't completely happy with this. Falcon tried to comfort his old friend. "C'mon Stuart, she's got a good point. It'd be pretty dumb if we had to walk back and forth just to get fuel each day."

"Oh yea, just remembered something. Have any of you started feeling pains in your stomachs?" She tapped for emphasis.

Each of the engines looked to each other. Peter and Rusty even started poking the others stomachs for fun while the others tried not to laugh.

"No, I think we are alright." Peter smiled.

"But what about you Shale? Do you feel anything?" Skarloey asked

"Hold up." Duncan held up his hand. "Are you tryin' to ask us is we're hungry?"

"Hehe, yea." She rubbed her head. "But seriously, are you?"

"Nah, I'm still fuelled up." Duncan smirked.

"Are you feeling alright to Shale?" Skarloey asked. "You haven't fuelled up since this morning."

"Don't worry 'bout me." Shale stepped away and back into the shack. Edward followed her inside, while the others went about collecting branches and vines.

"Shale?" Edward placed her hand on her shoulder. "Are you really alright? You should be eating more for someone your age."

"Eddy, c'mon, there are more things to worry about than that." Shale started poking around shelves, dropping anything that seemed interesting into her bag. Walking over to the cashier, she tried to pry it oped again, but it didn't break open this time.

"May I try?

"No, Eddy, I got this." She grabbed the blade with both hands and tried again, but hissed when she felt the pressure against her bruises. "Just... keep looking around, their might be something-"

"Shale please, let me try." He took her hands away and picked up the cash register.

"Edward, pleas just hand it ba-"

She heard a crunch and saw how Edward had pulled open the slot and subsequently cracked the entire thing open. He placed the broken pieces down on the counter and held out the slot to Shale.

"Oh, wow." Shale mumbled, still stunned by the strength. "Thanks Edward." She pulled out some of the spare change along with some springs.

"Shale, I'm not Helpless. You don't need to do anything yourself." Edward said

"Yea, I hear you." She crawled under the counter and pulled out a faded blue cooler. She stood up but ended up hitting her head on the edge of the counter. "Shit!"

"Shale!"

She grabbed the back of her head with one hand and pounded the table. Hissing from the pain. But she grit her teeth and pulled up the cooler. Edward grabbed it from her and started to move her towards the bench when she pushed him away.

"Look, I'm fine!" She said, grabbing his arm. "Just bumped my head, that's just me being stupid."

"Shale, please calm down." Edward tried to comfort her. "You can sit down, please. I can do it."

"Edward, I said I'm fine!" She tried to pull herself out of his grasp. "Didn't you pick up the fact that I used to be a street fighter for a living! I'm used to this. I may as well make myself useful while I'm still here."

That made Edward loosen his grasp long encounters for Shale to pull away. She turned to start browsing through the cooler, until she heard Edward stepping back and muttering to himself again.

Shale groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Eddy, look. I get that you engines like taking care of kids and all that crap, but I'm not some kid. I can pull my weight around here." He heard him mumbling louder and his breath quickened so she turned around. Edward was staring of into the distance, wide eyed and terrified.

"Crap." She muttered. Shale made sure to stay still but held out her hands in a sign of surrender.

"Sir? Where did you take the others?

"What?" Shale raised an eyebrow, confused. Who was he talking to? She was the only one in the room. Then he was having another flashback.

'Shit.' She grit her teeth but tried to look calm. "Hey, Eddy, c'mon, you know it's me."

She tried to take a step back, but Edward followed in suit. "No. Sir, please what did you do? Where did you take them! Please! I need to know!"

His voice had started cracking at this point, and Shale noticed how his hands were balling into fist. And surprisingly, he didn't look like he was going to cry. Instead he looked angry.

"Eddy, please. Listen to me, I'm S-"

"Sir, please! Where are they? Please! I need to know if they're safe!" Edward screamed

At this point, the others could hear him screaming. So each of the Narrow Gauge rushed through the door. Concern written across their faces.

"Edward! What happened? We heard you screaming." Skarloey stepped out first, followed by the others.

Edward whipped around and stared at each of the other engines. Shale expected him to start panicking again. Instead, he rushed towards the door. She was about to step in to hold Edward back, expecting him to barrel through the others and out through the door.

One of her predictions was true.

Edward ran towards the door but instead of charging through, he crashed into Skarloey. Wrapping himself around the other like a lifeline. Everyone in the room was stunned, including Skarloey, who had his arms raised above Edwards back. Unsure of what to do next.

"You're here." He mumbled, grabbing at his jacket. "Your safe."

Skarloey looked up to Shale, who was just as confused as he was. She didn't expect this from Edward, for him to be this clingy immediately after one of his flashbacks. This hadn't ever happened before.

She believed it was because of the inherit familiarity that they already had, which made sense. But it still hurt.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Edward started crying again, balling more of his jacket.

"E-Edward? You don't need to be sorry." Skarloey patted his friends back, trying to mimic the motions he'd seen from other humans.

Renneas walked up. Glancing at is brother before placing a hand on Edwards shoulder. "We're all safe, we're all here with you Edward."

The later engine looked up with reddened eyes, before latching onto Renneas as well.

"I'm so glad your safe James." All the other engines were confused by this. Until they heard what he said next. "When they took you, and Thomas and dear little Percy. I... I."

Each of them looked to each other and cringed, knowing what had happened. Skarloey looked up to Shale, silent question in his eyes.

'Does he know?'

She nodded. Though this didn't help either of them with the situation, since breaking the news a second time didn't seem like a good idea.

"Hey Edward?" Peter Sam chirped up. "Umm, don't worry, we'll keep you safe. We'll keep each other safe." Stepping up to the group forming around him.

"Yea, for how long." Falcon muttered. Skarloey was going to snap at him again but Falcon didn't stop.

"But until than, I'd like to see another human get past us." He said proudly.

"Uhh, did you see what Skarloey did to that rod?" Duncan pointed out. Slapping the older engines back enthusiastically. "I'd like to see 'em get within ten feet of us!"

"Well you already failed that, since I'm still here."

Each on the engines turned to her, though they couldn't hear exactly what she said. Shale was left leaning behind the counter, cooler slung over her shoulder and some odds and ends sticking out. Skarloey winced in sympathy, he could see the purple edges of the bruises forming around her collarbone. That had to be painful to carry.

He jumped slightly when he heard a snap. "Hey, eyes up here, Steamie." She tried smirking, but it was more muted. "I've got everything we need, I'm headin' back outside."

She didn't wait for their answer, instead stepping around and out through the door and back onto the fireplace by the lakeside.

The other engines looked back to Edward, who thankfully seemed calmer. "Edward?" Skarloey asked. "Are... are you back?"

"Hmm? Ooh." It took a moment for Edwards eyes to focus again, but once he did, everything seemed to sharpen. "Oh!" He looked around to see the other engines surrounding him in a almost-hug.

"Umm... yes? I-I'm better now." He took a moment to look around. "Wait, where's Shale? Wasn't she here before?"

"Yea, she just walked out." Falcon pointed his thumb towards the door.

"But why?" Edward asked. "Is she alright? D-did I do something?"

"No, Edward you didn't do anything!" Skarloey stated.

"Then why did she leave?"

"I'm not sure." Skarloey frowned. "Anyways, she said she found what we needed to make a fishing rod." He took Edwards hand nod led him outside. "Let's see what we can do."