Author's Note: Okay, maybe I lied a little about the next few chapters being a bit more light-hearted…we've ventured back into angstville somehow...woops! On that note, this chapter does come with a warning of some strong language. Enjoy!

"Earth to Dinah!"

The dining car shook her head and blinked, momentarily disorientated. She'd been distracted all morning, her mind fogged and swirling full of thoughts that she couldn't shake off. Thoughts that had been tormenting her since last night and weighing her down, to the point where it was almost suffocating. This was the third occasion whereby she'd fallen into a daze, where everything would blur and contort and the voices around her would become muffled and distorted, like she was underwater. It was like her mind was temporarily disconnecting her from reality in an attempt to protect her. But as soon as she broke out of her stupor, she'd feel drained, as if all the energy had been zapped from her. She also suspected the sleep deprivation from last night was also a culprit.

After tucking in Luna, she'd slipped into bed with Greaseball and realised how lonely she felt. She was used to drifting off wrapped in the warm comfort of his arms, but lately this had become much less frequent. It suddenly dawned on her that she'd not slept like that for a while and the chill she'd felt had served as a stark reminder as she'd pulled the covers tight. That night, as she had lain silent staring longingly at his bulky silhouette in the gloom, it felt like there had been miles between them in their bed. She contemplated for hours how it had come to this; where had they gone wrong? The more she dwelled on it, the more she ached. She ached for him to draw her close and whisper in her ear that he loved her. Those were words she'd not heard in forever. Deep down she knew she was responsible for this great divide between them. He'd never wanted Luna. She had just brought her home and expected him to accept her with open arms. Sure, she'd thought she'd convinced him it was the right thing to do, but now Dinah realised he'd probably regretted the decision all along. He had simply tolerated Luna all this time just to appease her but now the cracks were beginning to show. His patience was wearing thin. He couldn't keep up this pretense for much longer. But to Dinah, this silent drifting stung more than a slap in the face. The truth was laid bare: she was losing him and she had been blind all this time.

After being lost in her thoughts, Dinah finally glanced up and noticed the looks of concern etched on her friends' faces as they sat at the bar.

"Sorry, I…um…"

She clenched her fists in her frustration. She couldn't find the words to express how she felt. She felt helpless, like she had been pulled out to sea with the tide, unreachable to anyone. She felt like she was chained to the demons in her mind and no matter how loudly she screamed, nobody could hear her. Tears welled up in her eyes but she frantically blinked them back. Feeling embarrassed, she turned her back to them and pretended to be preoccupied with scrubbing a pan she'd probably washed two times already.

"You totally zoned out there," Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Are you ok?"

Dinah felt compelled to turn around and scream that no, she wasn't ok. She was falling to pieces. She was trying to raise a three-year-old child whilst also trying to salvage a relationship that was fast diminishing before her eyes. It felt like she'd been presented with a trophy only for it to be cruelly snatched away. Before Luna had come along, Greaseball had been her prize. After all the events of the championship, they had vowed to try harder. She forgave him wholeheartedly and wiped the slate clean, willing to forget all of his mistakes. Now, she thought, she'd gone and tore down those foundations they had been re-building by bringing Luna into their lives. But then again, she had no regrets about her decision to save that tiny, defenceless infant that cold November night. All in all, Dinah was simply lost; she didn't know what to do. And yet, she knew shouting would achieve nothing and she didn't want to do something she'd probably regret later. There was enough damage right now without her harming her friendships too. So, instead, she took a deep breath and lifted her head from the sink and simply said:

"I'm fine. I just have a migraine, that's all…"

But it didn't fool anyone. Ashley narrowed her eyes. Something wasn't right, she could sense it. Beside her, Pearl shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing at Luna who was quietly colouring in the corner. She had been quite subdued when Pearl had arrived, with no loud exclamation or even a smile. She'd simply rushed over and given her a hug and even then she'd lingered longer than usual, as if she needed the young coach's reassurance. It was clear even the kid knew something was amiss and found it all disconcerting. But before anyone could probe further, Caboose sauntered into the diner.

"Hey C.B! On your own today?" Buffy asked innocuously, taking a sip of her lemonade.

The Caboose leant casually against the bar. "I am indeed! I'm actually just on a quick break. Greaseball just asked me to pick up a coffee to go so we can crack on with training."

Dinah silently prepared the coffees, grateful for the distraction. But she faltered upon hearing the brake truck's words and her heart sunk. Greaseball's absence confirmed her fears. He was deliberately avoiding her. Realising she desperately needed to change the topic, she took another deep breath, turning her head to face Caboose.

"We're taking Luna up to Hark Hill to watch the Lights tonight…you wanna come along?"

Hark Hill was an annual tradition for the yard. Each year the friends would gather to watch the spectacle that was the Northern Lights from the best vantage point in town. The scene was breathtaking. This year was a little more exciting than usual too, as Luna was now old enough to appreciate the light display.

She watched as C.B's faced contorted into an awkward grimace. "Oh, uh…thanks, but I promised G.B that I'd head to the gym with him later after training. Says he could use the motivation." The Caboose cracked a wide smile. "Perhaps I should start being his personal trainer."

But his joke was met with silence. The coaches watched as Dinah's shoulders sunk in disappointment. Her eyes cast down to the floor. What did she expect? She bit her lip to fight back more tears. They were done. This was the final blow. As she witnessed her friend start to crumble, Buffy restrained herself momentarily to see how C.B. would react. But when he simply turned his back to the dining car and bid farewell, completely ignoring Dinah, she slammed her fist down on the counter, causing everyone to jump.

"THAT'S IT!"

Buffy stormed out of the diner after C.B. Luna scrambled up from her seat and rushed over to Pearl, confused and clinging to her for reassurance. The first class car gave her a weak smile as she lifted the girl onto her knee and gave her a comforting hug, tilting her head sympathetically at Dinah.

"He hates me," Dinah whispered, clinging onto the counter for support, biting her lip, her eyes still set firmly to the ground.

"Oh Dinah, don't say that!" Pearl said. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't."

"He's just being a typical man, honey," Ashley shook her head. "Sometimes I think us coaches are better off without them. We girls should just stick together and not take any of that-"

The smoking car glanced at Luna, who was sitting quietly on Pearl's knee, eyeing her warily, then back at Dinah. "-trash,"

The rephrasing made Dinah smile briefly.

"Besides, " Ashley continued, shifting in her seat. "I think we can rely on Buffers to knock some sense into him. If she doesn't wring his neck first, that is!"

Pearl reached out and rested her hand on Dinah's arm.

"Let's go to the Lights tonight and have some fun with Luna. Everything will work out in the end, you'll see."

Dinah nodded. She could only hope that Pearl was right.

"You need to get a grip!" Buffy spat as she approached Greaseball, seething.

Much to Caboose's bewilderment, she'd insisted on following him back to the racetrack. Greaseball rolled his eyes. He was never in the mood to speak with the buffet car, but today he really didn't have the patience for her. Of Dinah's friends, Buffy was the one he found the most irritating. She didn't know when to keep her mouth shut.

"What's all this about?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Buffy jabbed a finger in his direction, her words full of venom. "I can't stand to the side and watch this shit anymore. I'm sick and tired of seeing my friend let down, time and time again."

Caboose retreated, not wanting to get involved with the buffet car in all her fury.

"I'm not stupid," Buffy continued. "I can read between the lines. You blame Dinah. You're pissed off because her life revolves around someone else that isn't you!"

Greaseball shook his head and gave a sigh of exasperation. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really? Well, perhaps if you'd bothered your ass this morning to come to the diner instead of chickening out and sending dumbtruck over there…" Buffy tilted her head towards C.B. "…you would have seen what damage you've done!"

The diesel clenched his jaw. Who did the buffet car think she was getting involved in his personal affairs?

"You know nothing! I never asked for this! Have you ever stopped to think how I feel about the whole thing? She came home with a baby and just expected me to be ok with it and for nothing to change!"

"What did you expect her to do? Leave the kid to die alone in the freezing cold? She was a baby! I'd like to think even you wouldn't have done that if you'd found yourself in that situation, but clearly I'm wrong. Dinah took her in out of the goodness of her heart. She saved her. And since then she's done nothing but her best to make sure Luna is loved. But you," Buffy narrowed her eyes. "you weren't prepared to commit. So you slunk away into the background. I bet Dinah wished it could have been that easy. She was so overwhelmed, so scared, but at least she wasn't a coward!"

The diesel's frown unfurled. Her words were making him doubt himself; had he really been unreasonable? Buffy hesitated, watching the diesel as he took in what she was telling him, before forcing herself to take a breath and compose herself. She needed to be a bit more civilised. At that, she took a step closer to the engine.

"The very least you could do is support her. She needs you, Greaseball! There's no point pinning the blame on her or taking it out on Luna; it's not going to change anything. Besides, you clearly cared about them once. Rusty told us that you defended Dinah's decision when Electra snatched Luna. So, what's changed?"

Greaseball sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I…I still care about her."

"Huh, well you sure have a funny way of showing it! Maybe you should stop trying to impress and be all Mr. Tough Guy for once and be a real man!"

Buffy unclenched her fists and began to retreat. "It's your move, Greaseball. Only you can fix this. But I will say this: give the girl a chance. She's a good kid."

At that, Buffy turned on her heel and rolled off back to the diner, leaving Greaseball standing in the middle of the racetrack, deep in thought.

Caboose let out a whistle as he joined Greaseball's side, having watched from the sidelines. "Jeez, that buffet car sure is a loose cannon! She's a nutcase!"

"She has a point."

Greaseball's response threw him. The diesel was actually agreeing with that crazy coach?

"I haven't been there for Dinah. I haven't really made an effort to make things work. I just…gave up."

"She brought a baby home. A kid! Who needs that kind of commitment when you're trying to regain a championship title? I mean, it was like she expected you to drop everything to help her care for it!"

But Greaseball had stopped listening.

"I'm afraid I'll be cancelling our gym session tonight, C.B,"

The diesel starting to roll away, looking behind his shoulder to see the Caboose standing aghast, his mouth open in bafflement.

"Nothing personal."

"It's so pretty!" Luna breathed, her blue eyes transfixed in wonder at the sky. "How do all the colours get up there?"

The girl turned her head, directing the question at Greaseball. His unexpected presence at the Lights had surprised everyone and the trains had been unsure how to react. He's quietly joined Dinah's side and was thankful for once that Luna was around to take the attention away from him. That is, until now.

The diesel squirmed at the question, noticing the others turn their heads to him expectantly. Boy, he hated being put on the spot. He simply shrugged, unsure how to answer. "I'm not actually too sure," he admitted.

"Poppa told me that all the different lights are made from all the trains who have passed on and joined the Starlight," Rusty piped up.

Luna gazed back up at the vibrant arcs of variant shades of greens, purples and blues, tilting her head.

"Is your Momma up there?"

The question took Rusty by surprise. On one of his days out with Luna, he had taken her to visit Poppa. He'd been delighted to see the girl and had sat her on his knee and told her stories of Rusty as a boy engine, showing her photos of times past. One such photo that had particularly grabbed her attention had been of the three of them in a traditional family portrait: Rusty, Poppa and Momma. Rusty had explained that Momma had passed years ago and that she had gone on to join the Starlight and help him in Heaven.

"Yeah, I'm sure she is," he grinned.

"What about me? I'm not a train…would I be up there someday?"

The group hushed, both in awe and uncertainty. How could a kid conjure up such thoughtful and deep questions? Each one gave the other a nervous glance. Pearl sat upright.

"You're extra special," she smiled, pointing up at the stars that were twinkling brightly with the Lights. "See the stars? You'll be shining bright like one of them."

The girl frowned. "Buy you see the stars all the time!"

"The Lights are around all the time too, although we can only see them once a year. That's because trains are really busy, even in Heaven. Whereas people have all the time in the world!"

Beside her, Ashley gave a nod of approval impressed by the young coach's response. Seemingly satisfied, Luna curled up to Dinah and continued to silently admire the scene. Before long, she had fallen asleep. Greaseball sighed.

"I guess we'd better head home…"

But when Dinah shifted to move, a hand placed on her shoulder stopped her.

"It's ok, I'll take her," Ashley whispered, giving a reassuring wink. Even before this morning, she knew Luna had placed a lot of strain on the pair's relationship. They deserved some time alone. Dinah smiled gratefully as Ashley scooped up the child into her arms. Pearl, Rusty and Buffy also took their cue to leave and farewell. Greaseball didn't miss the backward glare from Buffy as she left.

For several moments, the pair sat in silence. Dinah rested her head on Greaseball's shoulder. After another minute, Greaseball noticed a single tear trail down the dining's car's cheek. She lifted her head to gently brush it away.

"I'm sorry."

She was suddenly overcome with emotion; all that she had been bottling up earlier now springing to the surface. She just couldn't keep her feelings locked up anymore.

"I know this has been hard for you," she said, her eyes averted, looking into the distance. "I made this choice without consulting you properly. I threw our lives into chaos in the blink of an eye! You have every right to be angry at me, I was being so selfish that I didn't think of anyone else…"

Greaseball turned and faced the dining car, taking her hands in his.

"Dinah, I'm the one who should be…" he tried, but the word simply wouldn't come. Dinah simply nodded, showing she understood what he was trying to say. "I've been a fool. I should have been there for you and I wasn't. I was a coward and instead of facing the challenge head on it was easier to just run away. I left you to it. And you are the most selfless coach I know!"

Dinah smiled at the comment. She did try and make sure everyone was happy although sometimes that could mean sacrificing her own happiness in the process. The dining car thrived on seeing others smiling and it was what made her such a likable train on the yard. But she never realised that it could also impact those around her in such a negative way, even if it was unintentional.

Wiping away another stray tear, Dinah looked the diesel in the eyes.

"The thing is, I miss you…and I miss us! I never wanted us to turn out like this, not after all that happened before. I just…I just wanted you to love Luna. And maybe that was wrong of me-"

Greaseball hushed her, drawing her close.

"I do like that kid, it was just me. I was just scared. I had no idea what to do with a baby! So I just thought you seemed to have it all figured out, it seemed so natural for you, so I just focused on training and kept out of the way. But I swear, from now on I'm going to give the kid a chance and I'll try my best to help you. You both deserve better."

That seemed enough for Dinah. She smiled as he cupped her face with his hands. They shared a kiss beneath the magical sky.

And as Dinah closed her eyes, she made a wish to the Starlight.

Meanwhile, Ashley let herself into Dinah's depot and carried Luna into her bedroom. She flicked on the girl's nightlight and carefully laid Luna in bed, unbuckling her shoes and laying them by her bedside, before tucking her in. She brushed a tendril of brown hair from the girl's face. The smoking car had to admit she had never been fond of children and had never desired to have any of her own. But she had found it impossible not to love the little girl with her sweet-nature and bubbly laugh and marveled at how creative and smart she was. She was, undeniably, a miracle gifted from Starlight.

"Sweet dreams, Luna," she whispered, softly kissing the child on the head.

As she reached the door, a murmur made her pause; three little words that made her smile.

"Night, Aunt Ashley."

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