The next morning at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines were abuzz with chatter as Percy recalled the previous night's events with his friends. Everyone was hooked onto every one of his words, even the bigger engines Gordon and James who were often skeptical of his stories (and honestly were a bit now).

Percy excitedly relayed every detail he could. "I never saw something so tiny and precious before! A-And as I looked at her, I got this strange fuzzy feeling in my boiler. It was like I would still feel warm even if my fire hadn't started."

"Was it a bad feeling?" Henry asked.

"No, actually!" Percy peeped. "In fact, it made me feel really happy. I just don't know why…"

"I'd be really happy too if I did what you did last night, Percy," smiled Edward, the eldest of the engines. "I'm sure what you felt was the pride of being a really useful engine."

"Oh, I did feel very useful, Edward!" Percy replied. "It's just… even with all of the jobs I've done before, I never felt that way before. It was… it made me wish I had arms so I could hold her tight."

"Pah!" The booming voice of the biggest engine, Gordon, sounded in a dismissive manner. "Nonsense! What you're describing is only for people to understand and care about. You must've burst a pipe or overheated. Go check in with Victor when you have the chance."

"And besides, really useful engines don't let such trivial things as 'fuzzy feelings' distract them from doing their job," James added, backing up his best friend.

Just then, Percy's best friend Thomas started to chuckle. "That's funny coming from you, James! Because you certainly let something as trivial as how you look keep you from doing your work all the time!"

The sheds filled with laughter as James glared at the little blue tank engine, his face turning as red as his beloved paintwork. "That's quite enough of that, Thomas!"

Henry noticed the unsure look on Percy's face as he tried to comprehend the unusual reaction he had to seeing the baby. He gave a little smile. "I think you were very brave last night, Percy. Once the baby finds her home, I'm sure you'll feel much more relaxed. But I suppose a stop at the Steamworks wouldn't hurt."

Percy gave Henry a smile back, touched by his words. "Th-Thank you, Henry. That's very kind of you to say."

Gordon rolled his eyes at the bigger green engine. "You're becoming such a softie…"

"So what if I am?" Henry huffed back.

"It's just… strange for you is all. Not like the Henry I know at all." Gordon replied, trying to find the right words. Henry just rolled his eyes like Gordon did and looked away.

"Engines can change, Gordon," Edward said gently, earning a smile and a tiny bush from Henry. "In fact, I remember there being one tank engine who was just as cheeky as Thomas when he first arrived on Sodor."

Now it was Percy's turn to bush as all the other engines at the sheds giggled at memories from decades past, but even he had to smile.

The sound of tires rolling over the railroad ballast was heard as a little blue car drove up to the sheds. Out stepped the short, stout man himself: Sir Topham Hatt. He strode up to his engines and held the sides of his suit jacket in an important-looking manner. "Good morning, engines! And an extra special good morning to you, Percy! I heard all about your heroic actions last night and must congratulate you in person. I've also received word that the newspaper would like to interview you and your crew for tomorrow's print!"

Percy's smile grew wider and wider as the Fat Controller talked, his friends whistling happily for him. "I-I'm honored, sir! Thank you, sir!"

With that, the jobs were given out for the day. Since there weren't too many jobs that needed to be done, Sir Topham allowed Percy to stay in the sheds and rest up after his extra long night. As the other engines went to do their jobs, Percy was left alone with just his thoughts. He tried to close his eyes and catch up on precious sleep, but said thoughts kept flying up into his funnel. He scrunched up his eyes tighter. He adjusted his wheels to a comfy position. He even tried to count sheep (he never understood why it had to be sheep). But memories of the previous night kept plaguing his vision. Percy couldn't stop thinking about that little baby in the bushes reaching up to try and feel his face. And that warm feeling that seemed to fill every part of him…

"I have to see her again…" Percy said to himself. He had given up trying to sleep, but it would be a couple hours before Mr. Roberts and his fireman would arrive. He wasn't sure he would be able to wait that long.

"Perhaps even brave enough to… try driving yourself tonight?"

Percy's throat tightened as he remembered Roberts's words to him. The thought of not having a backup in case of an accident made his wheels shake uncontrollably. However, his firebox still felt full enough from last night, he didn't feel very thirsty, and the hospital wasn't too far away. The memory of the baby's sweet face as they gazed at each other flashed once more. And then…

"It's that feeling again..!" Percy gasped. Despite not knowing what it was, it was a sensation he welcomed. Just like he said to the other engines earlier, he felt cozy and warm even though his fire wasn't even lit. He let a smile cross his lips, then a determined smirk formed soon after. "I can do this… I have to for her…"

There was a small click inside his cab. A flame suddenly ignited in his firebox. The fire quickly grew and heated up the water in his boiler. Once he had built enough steam, Percy took a deep breath and steadily made his way out of Tidmouth Sheds. His wheels were still wobbly, but his confidence was growing more the further he got from his berth. I'm doing it… I'm actually doing it..!

Any worries that might've held him back were replaced with the thoughts of being reunited with that tiny human being that made his smile only grow wider the more he thought about her. Percy was able to apply his breaks for stop signals all on his own, and not once did he feel out of control. As soon as he saw the hospital approaching, his pistons pumped with pride. "Won't Mr. Roberts be proud of me!"

He stopped near the entrance and puffed out his cheeks, letting out a shrill whistle to hopefully grab someone's attention inside. Sure enough, the hospital's receptionist came out to investigate the noise. She seemed surprised to see Percy there. "Oh! Wait a minute, aren't you the little green tank engine that I've been hearing so much about? The one who found that little girl who came here last night?"

Percy smiled and let out a friendly peep. "Yes I am, ma'am! I actually wanted to ask you about that. You see, I was wondering… if I could see her. Just really quickly."

The lady gave him a puzzled look. "See her? Whatever for?"

Percy felt a shy blush make his way to his cheeks. "Well… I honestly just want to meet her again, ma'am. I barely got to see her last night, but for the brief moment that I did… M-May I see her for just a minute? Please?"

The receptionist carefully pondered this question, visually inspecting the tank engine in front of her. "I… suppose I can ask. Wait right there." She walked back inside, leaving Percy to anxiously wait. Just when he thought that he couldn't wait a minute more, he saw the doors open again to reveal a doctor dressed in scrubs, a hair net, mask, and plastic gloves. Then Percy saw what was in his arms. He whistled with excitement, puffing out steam and jumping forward a bit. "It's her!"

"Shh!" The doctor held the baby close to him protectively. "You must be more quiet, little engine. You wouldn't want to startle her."

"O-Oops… sorry, sir," Percy whispered. "I'm just very excited."

The peep of Percy's whistle made the purple blanket in the doctor's arms wriggle a bit. No crying followed however. The man pulled back some of the blanket to reveal the baby's face, and her eyes immediately locked onto Percy. Getting to see the baby girl again made the little green engine beam from buffer to buffer. Just like before, the warm feeling returned in his boiler. "Hello again, little baby! I came to visit you."

When she heard Percy speak, the infant let out a joyful squeal. Her tiny arms raised up from the blanket and reached once again for him. Percy giggled from the happiness that he simply couldn't contain. Despite this, he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the doctor who got to hold her safely in his arms. He chuffed forward a bit. "P-Please, sir? Can you bring her closer?"

The doctor held out a finger, letting the baby grab onto that instead. "I'm afraid I can't do that. We have safety and sanitation regulations to follow. As such, I must keep a distance of at least two metres at all times. And with the fact that you're a locomotive, it would be much too dangerous for me to come even that near with an infant."

Dangerous..? Percy let out a small but disappointed wheesh of steam. "I see… I understand, sir. Thank you for letting me see her again."

"You're most welcome. Rest assured we will take the utmost care of her until we can find her family. Have a good day." With that, the doctor went back inside with the baby.

Percy sighed quietly, preparing himself to head back to Tidmouth Sheds. However, he quickly encountered a problem. He underestimated how much water he had left in his tank. Now he was too low to build enough steam to take off again! "Oh, flatten my funnel!" Percy exclaimed. "I'm stuck! The Fat Controller will be cross if I'm not back in time to receive my work for the day. Whatever shall I do..?"

As Percy sulked, he eventually heard the sound of an engine coming. He looked over and saw Toby the steam tram coming back from dropping off the quarry workers at Ffarquhar. "Toby! Oh please, Toby, won't you help me?"

The square, wooden engine put on his brakes. "Hello there, Percy. Whatever is the matter?"

Percy blushed slightly. "I drove myself here without my crew, but now I don't have enough water to make it back to Tidmouth. Please could you push me back?"

"You came all the way here from Tidmouth on your own?" Toby's eyes grew in surprise. "Bust my buffers, Percy! That was very brave of you. An old engine like me could never do that. You should have waited for your crew however." He backed up to switch onto Percy's line.

"I understand that now…" Percy replied as the old engine buffered up behind him. "I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to come here and see that little baby!"

Toby began pushing Percy back to Tidmouth Sheds. "Oh yes! I heard my passengers talking about what you did last night. One of the quarry workers is the brother of the fireman who was with you. He told us all what he heard. I have never heard such a tale!"

Percy smiled brightly. Then he started to think. "Toby, you're an old engine. You've been through a lot more than I have. Have you ever felt a fuzzy feeling in your boiler that makes it feel warm even when your firebox is out?"

Toby's face wrinkled in thought. "When did this happen?"

"Last night when I saw that baby girl. And then it happened again while I was thinking about her, and when I was visiting her at the hospital, it felt stronger than ever!"

This made the tram's eyes widen once again even further. "Really now? I wonder…"

"What? What do you wonder?" Percy asked expectantly.

"...Oh, um, nothing, Percy. Nevermind. Just thinking to myself."

That's when Toby's coach Henrietta decided to speak up. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Percy. In fact, I believe Toby and I both agree when I say that these feelings of yours are actually a good thing. Isn't that right, Toby?"

Toby remained silent for the rest of the trip, hiding his blush, and now Percy was left more confused than ever. The only stop they made was to refill Percy's tank with water. When they arrived back at Tidmouth, he saw that Sir Topham Hatt and his crew were waiting there. Percy gulped.

"Percy! There you are! Where in heaven's name were you? And why has Toby brought you back?" Sir Topham asked with a serious look on his face.

Percy stared down at his buffers shamefully. "I-I'm terribly sorry, sir. I decided to go out on my own, but I ran out of water and had to wait for help-"

"You drove yourself, Percy?" Mr. Roberts asked, his surprised expression turning into one of pure elation.

"I knew it was foolish, sir. I should've waited for you and the fireman to-"

"You actually drove all by yourself!" Mr. Roberts beamed with pride, clapping his hands together. "Haha! I knew you could do it, my boy! That's my brave little tank engine!" He went up and patted Percy's buffers, replacing any anxiety the number six engine had with his own surge of pride. However, the sound of the Fat Controller clearing his throat and looking sternly at the two of them caused their celebration to be cut short. Mr. Roberts composed himself. "Ah, uh, yes, ahem… I'm happy that you're learning to navigate on your own, Percy, but you engines have yet to be fitted with the proper mechanisms needed to be fully autonomous."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "What does 'atta'-"

Before Percy could finish, Mr. Roberts answered. "That means 'able to run on your own'."

"And as such," the Fat Controller continued, "you and all other engines are not allowed to drive yourselves without your crew aboard until further notice. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Percy replied simply, shame returning once again.

"Very good. Now then, I will have you collect stone from the quarry and bring it to Brendam Docks. Then you will take a load of milk from Farmer McColl's farm to the dairy. And before your mail delivery tonight, you'll be interviewed along with your crew for tomorrow's paper."

"Right away, sir!" A typical work day today, minus the interview of course. Percy had to admit that his boiler was bubbling with excitement over it. Once his crew climbed aboard and built up plenty of steam, Percy was off again under the careful guidance of his driver. On their way to the quarry, Percy decided to strike up a conversation with his driver. "Mr. Roberts, sir? Were you really actually proud of me for driving myself?"

"Proud?" Roberts chuckled. "Percy, I was as proud as a father for his son! You really do learn fast."

Percy couldn't stop his smile from growing on his round cheeks. "You really mean that, sir?"

"With all my heart," he grinned. "But where did you head off to in the first place?"

"Oh! Well… I went to the hospital. To see the baby again."

Mr. Roberts went quiet for a moment. Percy was worried he said something wrong until he spoke up again. "So you've been thinking about her too, have you?"

Percy's jaw dropped a bit. "You have too, sir?"

"Yes, Percy," he nodded, "I have. I can't help but worry about her. To be honest, I really don't want her to return to her family. I don't feel she'd be safe with whoever left her in the woods just placed in the bushes like that."

"Maybe it was just an accident?" Percy suggested.

Mr. Roberts admired Percy's optimism, but he knew his engine was also quite innocent and naive. He considered telling Percy the other reasons why a baby would be left all alone, but he decided to refrain from making the young engine worry any more. "You're right. That's a possibility."

And so the workday began. The stone arrived at the docks, and the milk was delivered to the dairy. And just before evening, Percy, Mr. Roberts, and his fireman Jonathan (although Percy only remembered his name once the fireman was asked who he was, the young man being a very quiet and shy person) were interviewed for the next morning's newspaper. Percy gave as much detail as he could about that night along with his driver. Jonathan would interject every now and then to either give extra information or correct a statement. They even got a photo together that would be featured on the front page! Percy let out a whistle of excitement. "I'd never been interviewed for a newspaper paper before! Please will you bring a copy for me to see tomorrow, Mr. Roberts, sir?"

His driver chuckled. "Of course, Percy! I was planning on doing just that. Now let's get started on your mail delivery."

Percy's route went like clockwork, this time with no lost children or any sort of surprises. He wouldn't be back in the sheds until early morning as usual, but he was greeted to a wonderful surprise from his driver before his workday began that day: the daily newspaper featuring the little engine himself, his crew, and a picture of the lost child.

"The paper gave out instructions for anyone who recognizes the paper to go to the nearest police station immediately," Roberts explained.

Percy grinned happily. "That's wonderful, sir! Her family is sure to come get her in no time. They must miss her dearly!"

"I hope so, Percy…" Mr. Roberts sighed quietly before they set off to start the day. And so the waiting game began. Roberts knew the police would notify him once the child's parents were found through Sir Topham Hatt. The day passed. Then the next. Then a whole week. Percy found himself being approached often by the other engines several times a day asking him the same question.

"Did that baby find her parents yet, Percy?" Thomas asked on Monday. Percy said 'no'.

"Is that baby home safe and sound, Percy?" Edward asked on Tuesday. Percy replied 'no' once again.

Then on Thursday, Percy ran into the Scottish twins Donald and Douglas. "Hullo, Percy! Any news on that wee lass ye found?"

Once again, Percy had to say 'no'. He was starting to get a bit tired of getting asked the same thing every day.

Friday came and Mavis was waiting for him at the quarry. "Percy! I hope things are going well with that little baby. Do you know anything yet?" She asked, but she could tell that Percy's 'no' sounded a bit irritated.

Finally, Saturday was the last straw. James looked over at him from his platform at Knapford. "Hey, Percy, how's the ba-"

"I don't know anything about the baby!" Percy cried out, gaining him plenty of bewildered stares from both engines and passengers. James muttered something about someone waking up on the wrong side of the shed. Percy huffed, suddenly looking quite down. "And at this point, I don't think I ever will…"

However, Sir Topham Hatt was on the phone in his office that day. He nodded his head slowly. "I see… and you're sure about this? …Mhm. Alright, I'll let them know. Thank you. Yes, good day."

The Fat Controller stepped outside as Mr. Roberts was attempting to soothe his little engine. "Percy! And Mr. Roberts and Jonathan as well, perfect timing! I have some news I wish to share with you three."

The station became quiet very quickly. Everyone had an idea of what the news the Fat Controller had could be. He took a deep breath, gazing up at Percy and his crew as they waited with bated breath. Mr. Roberts suddenly got a lump in his throat when he saw the downcast look in Topham's eyes. The controller finally spoke. "I regret to inform you that all attempts to locate any family belonging to the lost child have failed."

The station filled with gasps and whispers expressing sorrow and pity for the baby. Mr. Roberts's heart sank, his head lowered, and his fists clenched. "Why…"

Percy couldn't believe what he had heard. "But… but we printed her picture on the front page of the newspaper! They were sent to every house on Sodor! How could her family not have found her?!"

Sir Topham Hatt shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Percy. The hospital unfortunately cannot care for her forever. She'll be put up for adoption where she'll hopefully find a loving Mum and Dad who will care for her permanently. Don't worry, she'll find a new home soon enough."

Sir Topham went back into his office. Everyone watched as Percy slowly chuffed out of the station, his eyes downcast and bleak. Jonathan gave Mr. Roberts a gentle pat on the back in an effort to show his support. Mr. Roberts seemed occupied in his thoughts.

The three continued in silence until, "I just don't get it…" Percy spoke up. "I thought her family would be so worried about her. But even after a whole week, no one showed up! Why, Mr, Roberts…"

Roberts sighed. "I don't know, Percy. I wish I knew… but at the same time I'm glad I don't. We can only hope for the best now."

"But I've been hoping for days now!" Percy puffed impatiently. "Whenever I thought about that little baby looking up at me, I felt this wonderful cozy feeling in my boiler unlike anything I've felt before. But now when I think of her all alone… I feel cold. I feel angry!"

"I understand, Percy. I feel the same way," Mr. Roberts petted the wall of his cab. He pondered Percy's words. "…You're truly a special engine, you know that?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "I am? What makes you say that, sir?"

"You deeply care for this baby, don't you? You're always thinking of her, you want her to be safe and happy, and being around her makes you happy. Isn't that how you feel?"

"Yes, sir! I do! I don't know why I feel so strongly about that. I barely even know her."

Mr. Roberts smiled. "Babies do tend to have that effect on people, loving them just for being alive."

Percy went quiet again. Mr. Roberts could tell he was thinking. "What's on your mind, Percy?"

"…Sir? That warm, cozy feeling I mentioned before that I got whenever I saw her… Is that what love feels like?"

Mr. Roberts saw the slightly shocked look Jonathan had on his face from this question. The older man just turned toward the front of the cab, that proud smile showing up once again. "Yes, Percy. Yes it is."

"Huh…" Percy continued to think to himself as they rolled along the rails. "Love… I like it! It's a nice feeling."

Mr. Roberts was dropped home after work that evening. Another driver would take Percy out on his mail run while he got to rest. He hung up his hat and jacket on the coat rack and slipped off his boots. He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, letting his body relax after another day of work. He looked around the little house that he called home. It wasn't much, but it was perfect for a man like him living on his own.

Roberts went to the kitchen and warmed up the leftovers from the dinner he made for himself the other day. He sat down at his table and let his mind wander as he ate. Some may have viewed this scene as lonely and possibly sad, but Roberts didn't mind the quiet. It was a nice break after spending the day on the noisy railway. Despite the silence of home, his mind was anything but quiet. It was causing him quite a bit of stress to the point where his appetite suddenly vanished.

He let out an irritated grunt as he got out of his seat and went out to his living room. It was decorated simply with a reading chair, side table, floor lamp, a small television next to a bookshelf, and the fireplace he currently kept unlit. Mr. Roberts looked up at the shelf mounted above it. On it sat two things: a vase of flowers and a picture of a smiling lady with a teenage boy. Roberts let out a deep sigh.

"Hello, Mother…" He said quietly. "It's been a while since we last chatted, hasn't it?" His thumb brushed over the well-kept frame, caressing the face of the woman in the photo. "Still as beautiful as ever, heh… I just really need someone to talk to." He took the picture frame in his hands and sat back down in his armchair. "Something's been on my mind all week, Mum. That baby girl… I can't help but see myself whenever I think of her. You were always there for me from the beginning, unlike Father… but she has no one at all. I would've been all alone if you hadn't been so strong and raised me by yourself. And now I want to be the one who does that for her!"

He focused on the picture in front of him before letting out another frustrated sigh. "But I'm not you, am I? You always knew what to do. I'm no mother. I'm a working man. But still, I just feel something inside of me saying differently. And yet here I am, a thirty-six year old with no wife just trying to get by on his own. What little girl would want to grow up without a mother?" He placed his head in one of his hands. "I know I couldn't have lived without mine."

He looked around the room as he thought about his next words. He spotted the little saddle tank engine model on his side table given to him as a gift from Thomas's driver Mr. Atkinson. Just like Percy and Thomas were best friends, so were Mr. Roberts and Mr. Atkinson. He smiled fondly at it. "Percy's been such a good little engine, Mother. Ever since that night, he's been thinking about her just as much as I have. He told me something extraordinary today. He told me about these new feelings he's been experiencing lately. It's obvious he cares about her, but I think it's more than that."

Roberts gently set the picture of him and his mother down on the side table and replaced it with the little metal train. He turned it around in his hands and examined it closely. "Engines care about many things. They care about work, they care about their fellow engines, they even care about the people around them." He looked at the black smokebox door where the face of a Sodor engine would normally be. "But it's always been assumed that engines can't feel love like people can. They say they're just machines, so they can't truly feel affection for others. I don't agree though. Sodor engines are so much different than the rest of the engines of the world. I feel I can connect with them just like any other person. I don't think you could say that about any other piece of machinery. Maybe they're more like us than we give them credit for. If Percy really does love this child, then…"

He then stopped suddenly, staring in front of him until he started to laugh a little. "Oh, there I go rambling! Haha, guess I had more to say than I thought." Roberts looked back over at the picture. "…You know what? You always told me to take every good opportunity I have while it lasts. I've still got that box of my own baby things that you refused to get rid of. Hehe, I guess you were smart to do so. If I don't try, I know I'll regret it." He smiled and got up from his chair to set the picture back on the shelf. "I knew you'd be able to help me, Mother. Thank you."

Roberts gave the picture a kiss before going to get ready for bed.