Deviating from The Norm Chapter 3: From Across The Pond, a thomas the tank engine fanfic

Author's Notes:
Fandom: Thomas And Friends (In this story, any character's present are in a humanized state.)
Fan-fiction: Deviating from The Norm - Chapter 3: From Across the Pond
Pairings: EdwardxJames
Warning: Yaoi and Trans-MPreg. Please read Deviation before you begin reading this fan-fiction for context and continuity.

Mather Manor was a fond nickname given to the house in which Edward and James resided, along with 8 others. It was no manor, but it had the space to support them all. Those who wanted a room of their own were able to have it, though it was helped by the couples who wanted to share: Donald and Douglas were as inseparable as they were at birth; Thomas and Percy were given a place where they could play exclusively, and leave their toys lying around; Edward and James needed their own space, enough said.

The house and how cramped it was bore a symbol for the comradery its residents shared. Those initial relationships, formed forcefully in a student flat in Knapford, Sodor, lay down the basis for the life they now shared together. Edward, Emily, James, Donald and Douglas, Duck and Oliver had been put together in their student accommodation at the University of Suddery. They did gel and moved into a house for their second academic year, a nicer, larger, cheaper accommodation owned by a man who was equally as such. He was a man who deeply valued their tenancy and their cleanliness, considering they were students. His gratitude and good-will was reflected in his will, when he offered a house on the mainland to one of the flatmates who was struggling financially, all expenses paid. The house was too large for even just two people, so the others took up the space. People came and people went. Edward's father, Gordon, had slipped casually into the space with his younger son, Thomas, along with Emily's father, Henry, who also took on the role once again as best as he could with her much loved son, Percy, who's arrival was as much to her surprise as everyone else's. Duck and Oliver had relatively recently taken off on a globe-trotting tour of the world with their savings, rather conveniently at the time when Edward and James were about to (attempt) to bring home their first child.

Their two new arrivals were a guarantee this time and although they weren't coming yet and Edward was in no more discomfort than he had been this last trimester, Emily still wanted to get some home comforts to him sooner rather than later, while he was stuck overnight in a place he'd rather not be. She scurried around the couple's room, not afraid to infringe any privacy they had. One of the first things she grabbed was the double duvet, covered in a modest, beige and gold bed sheet. Having been in the same hospital herself (in a similar situation), she knew how unrealistically thin their blankets were and how cold Edward was bound to get. As she folded the duvet on the floor and tried to get it into a plus-size Selfridges bag to deliver it with dignity, she caught the sight of the detached cot that leaned against the wall. Before she could be a little disappointed that the couple (or rather, James) hadn't assembled it for the twins' arrival, a plastic shard, evidently from the cot, implied that it couldn't stay together any longer, it having been broken. How or why, she wasn't certain but she had an inkling as to when.

A Year Earlier:

Duck's stomach was tightened from the excitement the day would bring. There would be a new baby to greet, though it would only be a quick 'Hello.' He piled another large travel bag into the corner by the front door, it being the last of his baggage. He tried not to be anxious but there was always the nagging feeling that he'd neglected to pack something important, though he had been very organised. He had to be, with how long he was traveling for. You'd expected him to have been, with how much he had looked forward to this trip. He was meeting Oliver at the airport that night, where they'd head to their first destination and surprise an unaware Gator (and hope for him to give them a bed for the night).

Leaving one friend for an adventure with another, Duck would miss Edward dearly. He was comforted with the knowledge that he'd have a baby to keep him occupied and wouldn't miss him too much. He wouldn't have left Edward to fend for himself with the baby (under the assumption that James wasn't going to pull his weight) but it was just where the time of the trip had fallen. And, as James' staple red car was seen pulling into the driveway, Emily was just about to ask Duck if he was ready to leave.

"Talk about a quick meet and greet," Toby chuckled. He managed to squeeze in his goodbye-hug with Duck just before things got to hectic with the new baby arriving, not that it wasn't that hectic already with almost everyone resident crowded in the hallway.

"Don't Toby, I feel so bad," In all honestly, Duck was glad that Toby was giving him some attention given what about to happen. Not that he wasn't happy for Edward but he was about to take a large step into the unknown as well.

It seemed that Edward's stride would be that bit larger.

"Guys," Donald whispered sharply, coming out of the front living room, "There's no baby." His twin, Thomas and Percy followed suit, shaking their heads to back him up.

The older ones were slightly taken aback by the severity in the Scot's voice, though the accent didn't help. Henry piped up, trying to take some of the panic away from the situation, "Well, of course, they might have had to stay in hospital for a few more days. They are quite fragile, you know?

"No, Henry," Douglas insisted, "They look miserable as fuck."

"Douggie," Emily said sharply, nudging her head towards Percy while Gordon cocked his gaze towards his own son, urging him to not repeat what he had just heard. The two boys shrugged and neither confirmed nor denied whether or not they said the word before, let alone heard it.

"I'm sorry, I just really panicking," Douglas shook his fists, trying to disperse his energy.

"Seriously," Donald put his arm around his brother, "There's no baby, no baby carrier, nothin.'"

Gordon was now slightly irritated, and a little anxious, "Because the baby might have had to stay! How long have they been waiting f-?"

The lock clicked and a relatively unscathed James opened the door to allow a very drab Edward enter first. He kept his head hung low, the silence weighing him down. He caught a glimpse of Duck's travel bags. He knew he couldn't pull away and try and change the subject, wish Duck a safe trip. His face was enough to tell everyone what had happened. He didn't want to drag the attention away from Duck and his moment. He shielded his gaze with his hand and hurried towards the stairs, scampering up to his room. James had expected that much.

"Sorry guys," He apologized on Edward's behalf for his sharp exit without any explanation, "There is no baby. S'cuse me." He tried to squeeze past Gordon and see to his partner but a firm hand kept him at bay.

"Now, James, he's just going to want to sit there and sulk. Let him," Gordon sighed, not at Edward's behavior but at his previous misconceptions; the twins were right to have been anxious, "Tell me, what happened."

James shrugged, "She wants 'keep it," He tried to further detach himself from the child. Gordon was a little stunned with how blunt and emotionless James was. Then, his body jerked as he yelped and he held his hands to his eyes to try and stifle the tears. Gordon wasn't a stranger to sadness but he was hardly an able comfort. Henry took James into his arms and led him into the kitchen. Gordon followed, along with the younger ones, all of them curious.

Duck glanced up the stairs, "Em', I can't go now," He shook his head, and Emily shook hers.

The Present Day:

Of course, Duck had got on the flight that evening, while Edward sat sulking. Emily couldn't imagine how torn he must have felt. She also couldn't imagine how unforgiving any other person would have been given what he did, but Edward was Edward, a very understanding Edward, who was always a firm believer in not letting others dictate your life, not to let them emotionally drain you and have you carry their problems as well. Not that Edward had made her do this, but Emily was defying all of this right now for his gain.

She's come home from work to nothing but the sudden news that Edward had to go into a hospital because of complications with the pregnancy. She'd gone out of her way to put together a little pack of all of the things she knew Edward would appreciate and then, she'd set out on a fair trek to Liverpool at her own expense. She was tired. She was ready for a bath. That said, she knew Edward would be feeling the same way.

Though the house was by no mean structurally unsound, it still rattled when someone rushed through its halls or was a little heavy-footed. Henry could hear Emily prancing across the floor of the room next to him, getting a little anxious despite how normal the shaking was. He sighed at her selflessness as he put away his laundry, putting Percy's plush cat to one side which he'd also washed by request of the boy, who had just wandered into his room.

"Granddad?" Percy asked, though he need not continue.

"Percy, your cat's clean," Henry chirruped, tossing the stuffed animal towards him. As soon as he caught it, Percy pressed the toy to his nose, comforted by how pleasant it smelt, much better than it did this morning when Edward clumsily knocked a glass of orange juice all over it, which upset him far more than Percy.

"Thank you!" He acknowledged the rattling from the other room, "What's Mum doing?"

"She's getting some things together for Edward. Come here Percy," He gestured with his hand as he sat on the bed. Percy clambered on the bed, only to move onto his grandfather's lap, "Your Mum is really tired and she'd love to go to bed right now but she's going to do a nice thing for Edward. Do you know what would make her feel better?" Percy looked puzzled, "A big hug from you, and tell her how much you love her." He nodded enthusiastically and trotted off to Edward and James' room.

"Mum," He caught her in a hug, halting her mad dash for a second, "Love you."

Emily chuckled, though she wasn't a stranger to these wonderful displays of affection, "I love you too Percy," She popped a kiss on his forehead before getting back to the task at hand, "I'm so sorry, I have to go and see Edward. If you ask the twins really nicely, I'm sure they'll help you with your reading for school tonight."

"Can I not come with you and see the babies being born?" He stepped in front of her with a pleading smile.

Emily was quite pleased with his fascination with the whole process, and couldn't be prouder with how well he'd taken Edward's situation in general, without prejudice, without disgust, "I don't think they'll be here tonight, it takes a while," She came down to his level, "I know you want to see Edward and make sure he's okay, and I'm sure he'd appreciate that but at the same time, giving birth can be quite embarrassing in front of a lot of people," She was speaking from experience. When she had Percy, it felt like everyone and their Mum was in that birthing suite.

"But you're going…" Percy moaned.

"I'm not staying, I'm taking this stuff and then I'm coming home."

"I want to help too!"

"If there's anything you can do, you know I'll tell you," She stroked his head, how much larger her hand was weight it down a little, bringing his gaze to the stuffed animal in his hands, reminding him of how much a comfort like that helped him.

"Will this help?" He chirruped, thrusting the cat into her face.

Emily caught a whiff of the washing powder, instantly reminding her of the house, "I'm sure he'd love that!" She took the cat and held it, ironically, like a baby. She remembered the smell of the women's hospital faintly, but that reminded her of an industrial accident. She figured Edward would appreciate this most of all, "You're so kind Percy, I'm so proud of you." The compliment made him giggle with a glee that always warmed Emily's heart.

She gathered together the essentials and said her goodbyes, grimacing as she passed the living room and realizing her favorite evening show had started.

Whilst driving, she tended to drift off into a trance, fully immersed in the road. Her ringtone suddenly beginning to play knocked her out of it, albeit roughly. She answered the call through the car's system, not knowing who it was.

"Hello."

"Hello Em,'" Sang a familiar voice with a Somerset twang.

"Duck, hi!" She replied, pleasantly surprised. Then, something dawned on her, "Oh my god, this call will cost you a fortune, what are you doin?'"

"Not if we're in the same country, it won't," Emily sensed a smirk on the other side.

"You're home?"

"Yeah, I may have told you the wrong end-date for my tour."

"I booked that day of work, you scumbag," She joked.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!"

"Well, congratulations! So, are you on your way home?"

"I'm actually still at the airport. I was kind of hoping that you would be able to give me a lift," He trailed off.

Emily had booked the date when Duck had said he was going to come home off so she could come and give him a lift, save him getting a taxi from Liverpool to Runcorn. It would've been no different now, except she was already running an errand for a heavily pregnant Edward who still hadn't told Duck the heavy truth that he was not only trans-gender but also pregnant. He was insistent that a web-call wasn't the time or the place to deliver such a truth.

"No. Yep, that's fine. I'm heading over there now, not a problem. We might have to make a little detour on the way back home though."

"That's fine! I'm so sorry to have sprung this on you."

"Honestly, it's fine." It was nothing compared to what Edward had to deliver to him later. Heh, deliver.

A Few Moments Later:

"Why are we at the hospital? Emily?" Duck asked sternly.

Emily was astounded that he'd said 'hospital' rather than 'women's hospital.' The large statue of a breastfeeding woman on the roundabout clearly hadn't registered with him, "Nothing's wrong, I promise and you'll get why in a second."

He caught sight of Percy's surprisingly clean stuffed cat on the back seat and his anxiousness went through the car roof, "It's not Percy, is it?" He covered his mouth as he shook his head.

"No," Her Scottish twang making her sound more irritated than she was, "It's not-."

"Emily, Jesus, just tell me. I'm freaking out."

"It's…It's Edward."

"Oh my god! No!" He yelled, overcome with guilt, "He's depressed, isn't he? Because of Millie? He tried to hurt himself, didn't he?"

"Oh my-! Duck, that's a fucking shot in the dark if ever there was one. You're as bad as the twins. There's nothing wrong, I said so."

"Why the hell is he in hospital if there's nothing wrong with him?"

"There isn't anything wrong with him, relatively speaking, "She muttered, "You'll get it as soon as you see him, I promise."

"Oh, fuck my life," Duck sighed as he swiftly slid out of the car.

He did overtake Emily at some points as they made their way through the hospital, but then discretely hung back when he realised that he didn't know where he was going. He kept his eye on Emily, not the signs. He didn't even click that they were in the maternity ward.

Emily rang James, hoping the no- mobile-phones rule didn't apply in the lobby. She urged him to come to reception and after James made several attempts to just give her directions to the room, he finally met them in reception upon her request.

James noticed Emily straight away, while that was who he was expecting. He was trying to ignore a dirty stare from Duck and by extension, Duck, who he definitely wasn't expecting. "Hi Em,'"James gave her a forced smile, though his ill will was aimed towards Duck, "He'll appreciate all of this, cheers," He tried to take the bag off her, but she lightly pushed him away.

"Ah, I want to see him as well and so does this one," She gestured towards Duck.

"Oh, Duck, you're home early," He spoke with an element of dull surprise.

"Your powers of deduction are staggering James," Duck replied, also lacking in enthusiasm.

Emily pursed her lips at their petty behavior, "James, let him in."

"'Not my call," James flailed his hands, "Edward's the patient."

"Why don't you ask Edward for me then James?" Duck raised, "I think he'll be alright with it though, we are kinda best friends as well, we might as well be soul mates. Whatever he tells you, he tends to tell me."

"Oh, really? So you know why he's here then?" James spat.

"James," Emily nudged him a lot firmer this time, "You know why he doesn't know, come on." She started to pull him towards where she thought Edward was but now, she didn't know where she was going, "Duck, stay here, I'll text you." Duck nodded and sat in reception, looking no more normal than Edward did when he sat in the same spot. He was in his comfiest travel clothes of shorts and flip-flops and a large t-shirt, perfectly normal attire in Britain's Autumn months.

"Emily, I swear to god," James began when he was out of earshot of Duck, not that he cared.

"He called me on my way here, he'd just landed."

"Why didn't you take him home?"

"Because I thought it would be nice for Edward to see him. As much as you don't like him, he and Edward are pretty tight, admit that."

"I get that but can we just not tell Edward that he's here?"

"James, that's not fair on Edward. What if he wants to see him? What if he wants him there for the birth?"

"Oh my god, please don't say that. I really don't want him there."

"Surely, it's about what Edward wants?"

"Em', I love Edward so much but I think I hate Duck that little bit more."

"I cannae understand James, why do you hate him so much? I swear you didn't hate him this much at Uni."

"Because I barely saw him with lectures and shit! Now, I friggin' live with him and hi-."

"You haven't lived with him for almost a year-."

"With him and his shitty accent and…"

"It's his accent?" Emily tugged on his arm, halting them both.

"No!" James moaned, "He's just irritating, and he thinks he's better at everything because he can afford to go travelling and shit."

"Stop saying shit," She eyed the other midwives and was almost certain that they thought that they were having a domestic, "So it's just his accent and…" She tried so hard not to mimic James.

"Oh come on, even you can admit he's a pompous…" The lack of an ability to swear meant his vocabulary was severely lacking.

"No James, it's literally just you. I don't think anyone else has had a problem with him."

"So it's my fault?"

"Exactly. Just try and grin and bear it, and stop taking digs at him. You started that in reception."

James gave a gruff sigh as pushed open the door to Edward's suite. Emily wasn't sure what to expect, whether he'd be as detached from the whole patient situation as possible and sat on the guest chair rather than the bed, or covered in wires and baby monitoring equipment and looking extremely sorry for himself. He was a loose combination of both; He was sat on the bed with his legs crossed in his favourite pyjamas, though the top was pulled above his bump to make room for the Doppler tied around his middle to keep track of the twin's heartbeat. He was fiddling with James phone rather than his own, but Emily then remembered that he'd left it at home in the rush and she'd picked it up for him before she left.

"Hi Eddie," She sighed with sympathy, though she could only partially relate to his situation while her birth had gone relatively to plan.

"Hey Em!'" He opened his arms to hug her, it being easier to do so while he was sat down despite the bump.

"Is it as scary as you pictured it?" She chuckled, referring to the hospital.

"It's cold. The food is cold. Their equipment is cold," He tugged at the Doppler around his middle.

"Well, I've got something that might help with that," She brought the bag with the duvet inside onto the bed. Though it was partially covered, Edward knew exactly what it was.

"Oh Emily, ha-ha!" He was happier than he would've normally been to see his bedding but he was a hormonal wreck.

Emily giggled as she hauled the duvet out of the bag. Edward lay back and let it smother him. Even the twin's seemed to relax with the familiar warmth, releasing some of the tension from his middle.

"But wait, there's more!" Emily reached into her handbag and handed Edward his phone and headphones.

"Oh my god, thank you!" Edward had always loved his music, he'd felt a little lost without his phone.

"And Percy also sent…"She pulled the plush cat from the same bag that the duvet had come in and rested in on Edward's bump, as if it was hugging him, "This, all clean as well."

Edward's eyes welled up a little. Granted, it was probably because he was already emotionally unstable from the twins but he knew how much this toy meant to Percy. They might as well be joined at the hip, rather like Donald and Douglas when they were born (though for them, it was a little impractical).

"Oh Emily, bless him," He blubbered, rubbing his eyes with the cat's paws.

"I thought it would smell a little more like home."

"It actually does!" Edward bundled the cat's body under his nose, thankful for the change from the hospital's scent.

"You look a lot happier already!" Emily hoped she had brought some happiness to a hopeless situation.

"Thank you so much Emily, you didn't have to do this," He rubbed his eyes again, still feeling overwhelmed.

"Oh Eddie, it's no trouble. What happening anyway?"

"I'm going to stay in overnight and see if my contractions kick in and then I can home."

"If they kick in," James took Edward's hand, trying to show what little support he had for leaving the comfort of the hospital's sterile environment, "If not, we're staying."

"I think you'll be alright," Ever the optimist was Emily, "I know I've only had one, but maybe it is the twin's. Maybe it just takes everything a little to kick in. I hope you get your homebirth."

"So do I," Eddie nodded towards Emily, glancing towards James, hoping he'd share their optimism.

"Just in case you do stay though, I did bring some baby clothes in the bag as well."

"Cheers Emily."

"I also might have might have picked up something else on the way here," She trailed off with a cheeky smile.

Edward glanced at James, who had rolled his eyes as he leaned back into the guest chair. He was puzzled, "You didn't bring me a take-away, did you?"

"Not quite, no. Guess who rang me and wanted a lift from the airport?"

Edward clocked-on instantaneously, "Duck's home?" His abdomen tightened again.

"He's in reception," Emily nodded excitedly.

"Oh my-. Does he know? Shit," He hissed, feeling a little guilty. He tugged at the duvet a little, trying to obscure the bump, though he knew Duck wasn't in the room.

"Honestly, he doesn't know. He thought you were in here because you were depressed and you'd slit your wrists." Edward snorted, "Yeah, that's what I said too. You are gonna have to tell him though, he's worried sick."

Edward bit his lip, glancing at James who looked just as disgusted as he expected him to look, "Um, fuck, how? I don't really want him to just walk in here and see the bump. He doesn't even know that I was a woman."

"Um…Get under the covers, like, on your side."

At that point, James finally made a move, taking Edward's hand as he struggled to shift onto his side, a movement that the babies didn't particularly like. They all shifted the duvet so that it bundled around Edward's middle, making it look like it was the duvet that was bulging out. Despite his relatively healthy look, Edward looked a little feeble lay in the position that he was in, with the wires from the Doppler looking a little sinister as they trailed from the bed to the nearby foetal heart monitor.

So, of course, Duck found it hard not to be a little panicked when he finally saw his long-time friend. The time they'd spent apart hadn't helped either.

"Hi Duck," Edward said as casually as he could, though he sounded a little rough around the edges, contributing to his friend's worry.

"Shit, Edward," Duck rushed to his side, taking his hand a little over-dramatically. Emily couldn't help but stifle a giggle.

"No, please, I know it looks bad," Edward graciously took his hand, more for Duck's comfort than his own.

"It is bad, you're hooked up to all of this shit. What happened?"

"It's one thing Duck," James chimed in, chuckling. He was finding this all too amusing.

"James is right, it is just one thing and it's literally just a heart monitor. Just, calm down," Edward halted all opportunities for Duck to interrupt him, trying to get the truth our sooner rather than later, "Duck, did I…um, ever tell you that I was transgender?" He gritted his teeth nervously.

Duck was by no means against the idea. It was truly just the abnormality of the statement that caused his silence, "Oh! …shit, that… um," He didn't know what to say. He wanted to make a joke, to show him that he was okay with it, not just provide an awkward silence, "That explains a lot. That explains your nice legs."

"Oh, thank you!" Edward effeminately gestured, ironically, "I got rid of the boobs, of what little there was to get rid of-."

"Did you have tea-bag tits?" Duck raised his eyebrows, easing into the idea of Edward's previous life, almost forgetting about the hospital setting.

"That's the perfect analogy for it. It was meant to be, I suppose. But yeah, I didn't get rid of everything." He saw Duck's eyes flick straight towards his abdomen…or his crotch, he couldn't decide which though he figured he got the idea. Duck now realised how stupid his previous assumptions where. He continued to search for the bump while the covers where doing such a good job at concealing it. Edward decided to put him out of his misery and rolled back the duvet, "So no, I didn't slit my wrists after Millie," There was a slight hesitation when before he said the name, "We just made our own," He looked at James to make sure he wasn't feeling to scorched by Duck's presence.

Duck flailed his arms a little before clenching his fists, trying to contain his shock and excitement. Out of pure curiosity, he reached out and placed his hand on Edward's bump, a little shocked to find that it was a part of him, and an unborn baby (or rather, babies) was a real prospect. James had been watching Edward closely and noticed he hadn't flinched or tensed when Duck had touched him, and he always seemed irritated when he tried to engage with his unborn children. Now James was irritated. Emily noticed but thankfully, Edward didn't.

The pregnancy didn't continue to be the topic of conversation. Much to James' annoyance, it drifted towards Duck's adventures with Oliver, though Edward was the one who asked him about his travels. He courteously didn't mention Gator in front of Emily and his hedonistic lifestyle, avoiding his responsibility towards Percy. Emily then drifted off to attend to those duties, taking Duck for a shower and some well-deserved R&R, and leaving Edward to do the same, far more to James' delight than his partner's. James didn't mind not having a bed to sleep in that night, though Edward had offered to move up a little so he could squeeze onto it as well. He was just glad he didn't have to spend a night in the same house as that combine harvester-driving twat of a Somerset Cuckoo.

Considering how much I didn't want to write this chapter, it's one of the longest yet. It was needed though while I needed to establish a couple of important plot points. I apologize if you find it a little rushed, I really couldn't be arsed with this part but I hope you get more enjoyment out of reading it than I did writing it. Lot of backstory here. Take note that some of the family relationships shown here aren't part of my permanent head-canons, they're literally just for the sake of this story in particular.

Please leave an in-depth review if you have the time, while this is something I've wanted so to desperately share with you for a while. I would love more than a 'I like this.' Tell me why you liked it and even better, anything you think I could improve upon.