PIECE OF CAKE

Based upon "The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop" by James Mason and "Pop Special" by Christopher Awdry

Adapted by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens

It was the peak of summer on the Island of Sodor, and the little engines of the Skarloey Railway were busier than ever. As Fred rolled along the line with the weedkiller tanker in tow, she saw some children in matching uniforms setting up tents in a nearby field. When the children saw the little teal diesel passing by, they waved and shouted hello; Fred honked back in response.

"Who are these kids, and why are they dressed like that?" she asked her driver.

"They're scouts, Fred," her driver explained. "Mr. Hugh says they've come for their annual camp."

"Annual camp?"

"Aye," said Duncan; he was on the next track over with some slate trucks. "It's ta help wi' some small tasks on th' railway line for a holiday."

"That's not much of a holiday then, is it?" Fred snorted. "Sounds more like volunteer work."

"Skarloey says that th' Talyllyn Railway does somethin' similar," explained Duncan.

"Our supposed twin railway?" remarked Fred. "How in the world do eight out of nine of us have twins up there?"

"Coincidence o' th' century," Duncan muttered in agreement.

Up at Lakeside station, Peter Sam was pulling in with the old coaches when he saw a large crowd surrounding Neptune Refreshments.

"Must be that time of year again," remarked Ruth. "Goodness knows how many of them we'll be bringing down for the return trip!"

"We must have taken every passenger on the line up here!" exclaimed Beatrice. "And then some."

"My axles ache," yawned Jemima. "I could do with a quick nap…" The other coaches couldn't help but chuckle as she began snoring.

"I'm too thirsty for a nap," complained Peter Sam as he steamed over to the water tower.

"We might need to get a drink too," said his driver. He then looked over at the long line towards the shop and groaned. "This could take ages…"

The Refreshment Lady glanced over curiously. "Ah, Gyles! I thought I recognized your voice."

"Hello, Tessa," he replied. "I don't suppose you have a few cold drinks to spare?"

"Of course," she smiled. "Anything for my son-in-law." The crew nodded gratefully as the Refreshment Lady walked back into the room.

"I still can't believe you and her daughter are married," Peter Sam said quietly. "Especially after… my little stunt."

"Peter Sam," soothed his driver, "it was a misunderstanding, and both Tessa and Joanna forgave you."

"Besides," said the fireman, "if anyone's to blame, it's that blasted monster who shan't be named."

Peter Sam shuddered; although it had been years since he and Sir Handel had left the aluminum works at Peel Godred, even the mere mention of Jacob Hockings was enough to send shivers down their boilers.

"You're safe now," assured Agnes. "If he dares come here again, I'll send him running for the hills."

"Aren't we living in the hills?" asked Lucy.

"You know what I mean," grunted Agnes.

"I think Duke's presence alone would be enough to frighten that monster," chuckled Ruth. Peter Sam had to admit, Ruth did have a fair point. He could almost imagine what Duke would say if he ever caught sight of Hockings…

A couple of days later, Mr. Percival came to speak with Peter Sam as he was getting steamed up.

"Good morning, sir," Peter Sam greeted in surprise. "What's my schedule today?"

"The Refreshment Lady's tea room at Lakeside is getting so busy that there's not enough space for every customer," Mr. Percival explained. "She's requested to find another location to expand her business."

"I can find her a beautiful place along the line," smiled Peter Sam. "And the others can keep a lookout while on their runs too. Right, everyone?"

"Absolutely," said Rheneas. "The Refreshment Lady has been a friend of the railway for years." The others quickly agreed.

"Excellent, that's settled then," smiled Mr. Percival. "Keep a good lookout for the scouts too. They'll be helping us out for the next few days."

About an hour later, Peter Sam met up with the Refreshment Lady at Lakeside.

"I'm sure that this will be a piece of cake," she smiled as she hopped aboard Cora.

"Tea rooms don't live in cakes," Peter Sam remarked.

"No, silly," giggled Cora. "It's just a funny way of saying this will be easy and a lot of fun."

"Heh… I knew that…" Peter Sam blushed, embarrassed.

However, despite what the Refreshment Lady said, looking for a new place to set up shop wasn't easy. The first location Peter Sam puffed down was the Woodland Way by Skarloey station. The trees' leaves seemed to whisper when the gentle breeze blew, and the lake rippled as fish swam merrily about. Peter Sam saw Skarloey the engine with the old coaches in tow.

"Hello, Peter Sam, Cora," greeted Skarloey. "Made a good start on the search?"

"Well, I think this location is a possible candidate," said Peter Sam. "There's lots of birds to watch, and the lake just sparkles in the sunlight."

"And sometimes, the trees grow blossoms in springtime," smiled Cora. "It is beautiful."

"Well, it is quite a sight to behold, if I do say so myself," chuckled Skarloey.

"Careful, Skarloey," teased Beatrice. "Your younger self might come back out if you keep that up." Skarloey, Peter Sam and the coaches all had to laugh.

The Refreshment Lady gave a thoughtful nod. "I'll take this into consideration."

"There is still more where that came from," said Peter Sam. "See you, Skarloey; goodbye, girls."

Peter Sam's next stop was at the whispering waterfall near Rheneas station. Although it was often given that nickname, the waterfall was anything but quiet. It rumbled overhead, seeming to hold the engines protectively as they headed through the gap in the falls. The little green engine glanced over to see Rheneas himself with Ada, Jane and Mabel the open coaches.

"Good day, Rheneas," said Peter Sam. "Hope the passengers didn't get too wet in Ada, Jane and Mabel passing through the falls."

"We should really get roofs installed," sighed Jane.

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of us being 'open' coaches?" asked Ada.

"Not exactly," said Rheneas. "Some of your siblings on the Talyllyn had roofs installed and they're still open coaches."

"Regardless," said Mabel, "you do get a great view of the waterfall. It seems to stretch up and down for miles!"

"I remember that, as Skarloey and I got older," said Rheneas, "many passengers would say I was the strong waterfall to Skarloey's calm and thoughtful lake."

"I can definitely believe that," smiled Peter Sam.

"And this place is definitely a contender for where the tea room should be," said the Refreshment Lady.

The third stop along the line was by the old castle causeway. The ruins of Sodor Castle still looked rather majestic amongst the forest, and there was a big canal to the right. This time, Peter Sam saw Duke with Gertrude and Millicent.

"Hello, Granpuff," smiled Peter Sam. "There sure are a lot of tourists today."

"Are there ever!" said Duke. "At this rate, we may need an extra coach to run alongside Gertrude and Millicent."

"That would be helpful," said Gertrude. "I was getting cramped from too many passengers."

"If there are a lot of visitors here," said Cora, "maybe this location could be a possible candidate for the new tea room too."

"This place is very beautiful too," said the Refreshment Lady. Having gone through three landmarks along the line so far, it seemed as though she wasn't sure where to set up another tea shop!

The Refreshment Lady's mind was whirring all day, and she sighed when Peter Sam and Cora dropped her off.

"I'm very grateful for your help, Peter Sam and Cora," said the Refreshment Lady, "but I don't know what to do. I can't build a tea room in every place…"

"Don't worry too much," said Cora. "Let's all sleep on it tonight."

The little engines were trying to sleep, when a loud crack awoke them.

"Ah!" cried Fred. "What's that?!"

"It's just the thunder," soothed Skarloey. "Oh dear… If this is a big storm, I can only imagine the clean-up in the morning."

But Peter Sam wasn't focused on the storm outside; his mind was still on finding a suitable location for the Refreshment Lady's new shop.

The following morning, the storm had ended. The engines were surprised to see Mr. Hugh giving out orders instead of Mr. Percival.

"He's gone with his family to attend Stephen and Helen's wedding," he explained. "I couldn't go myself as there's a railway to run, but I do send them my regards."

"As do we, Mr. Hugh," smiled Rusty. He frowned when he saw the damage the storm caused. "It looks like we have our work cut out for us, everyone."

"An' so will those scouts," added Duncan. "Goodness knows they'll be tired before th' day's out!"

"We've got to help them out as much as we can," said Sir Handel. "Let's split up to cover more ground."

"That was exactly what Mr. Percival had in mind before he left, Sir Handel," said Mr. Hugh. "I suggest you go in groups of two to help clear storm damage. Do I have any volunteers for the area near Lakeside?"

"I know Peter Sam and Rusty would like to work together," suggested Sir Handel, with a hint of a smirk.

"W-we would?" both engines stammered, blushing.

"Er… well, both of you work very well together," said Mr. Hugh, "so I don't see why not. Now for the rest of you…" As the railway's chief mechanical engineer continued to assign pairs, Duke could only give an amused smile at Sir Handel, knowing what he had in mind.

The scouts were scattered all around the railway to assist with the storm damage. Some of them were helping to move away clearings of branches and leaves at Lakeside.

"I don't know what's gotten into Sir Handel," said Rusty. "Duke too, for that matter."

"It's not like Granpuff to go along with whatever jokes Sir Handel or I come up with," agreed Peter Sam. "Unless…"

"…they know something we don't?" finished Rusty.

"Well, Sir Handel did get one thing right," said Peter Sam. "I do like being with you."

"And so do I," smiled Rusty.

"Rusty, Peter Sam!"

The two engines glanced over in surprise.

"Fred?!" cried Peter Sam. "I thought we were in pairs."

"Nine can't be evenly divided by two," the teal diesel sighed. "I've been floating around." She then glanced down the track. "You two have got to see what I found. Neither of you will believe it!"

Peter Sam and Rusty followed after Fred, wondering what she had discovered.

"It's an old shed, see?" Fred announced. Peter Sam and Rusty looked at the "shed" with surprise.

"Does a shed have multiple doors and windows?" asked Rusty.

"It's an old coach!" exclaimed Peter Sam. "I wonder how long she's been here?"

"Huh…" The old coach blinked in surprise. "Stuart… By the Great Railway, is that you?"

"It is indeed," the green tank engine smiled. "But I go by Peter Sam now. How did you know my old name?"

"I used to run on the Mid Sodor line long ago," said the coach. "Remember?"

"I… oh yes!" he gasped. "I remember when the line started out, you were used all the time. Then…" He trailed off. "When the number of passengers increased, you were used less. And…"

"The dark days…" trailed the old coach. "I was sold to a local farmer to act as storage until most recently, when he got a bigger shed."

"I know two other engines who'd be pleased to see you," said Rusty. "Duke and Sir Handel. Otherwise known as Falcon back–"

"Falcon?!" the old coach exclaimed. "He's here too? And Duke?"

"Indeed, and so are Cora, Gertrude and Millicent," said Peter Sam.

"The guard's van and two of the bogie coaches?" the old coach gasped. "My goodness! There's so many of them."

"Come on, let's get you restored," said Peter Sam.

"We'll take it from here, Peter Sam," said Fred. "Rusty and I will be fine."

"Okay," sighed Peter Sam, quite disappointed. "I'll work with you another time, Rusty." Rusty felt disappointed too.

As Peter Sam made his way down to the Steamworks, along the lineside, he could see some scouts looking very tired. Some had even gone to catch some shade beneath the trees.

"Oh dear," said the old coach. "Those poor scouts. If I wasn't on my way to be restored, I'd help them to the nearest refreshment area for a drink."

"That's at Lakeside, and it's quite a ride away," said Peter Sam. "If we could get some drinks for them, it'd be much easier…"

Then the little green engine went silent; an idea had flown in his funnel.

"That's it!" he cried excitedly. "I know just how we can help both the scouts and the Refreshment Lady!"

"I don't follow," said the old coach. Peter Sam then quickly explained about the Refreshment Lady's situation, and how it tied into the scouts' situation.

"That's brilliant! Let's get to Steamworks as quickly as possible."

While they were doing that, Duke and Sir Handel were helping with the clear-up at Crovan's Gate. They were shocked when Peter Sam came back out of the Steamworks.

"Hello, Duke, Falcon."

"By His Grace's name!" exclaimed Duke. "You're a coach from our old line."

"It's good to see you too, Duke," said the old coach. "I wish I could say the same regarding Falcon…"

"Oh… right…" Sir Handel winced and looked down at his buffers.

Mr. Hugh looked over at the "reunion", puzzled. "Care to explain, Sir Handel?"

"She was one of the coaches on the Mid Sodor line that I talked down to, just because she was a four-wheeler," the dark blue engine explained. "Not a phase that I care to look back on with fondness."

"You… don't?" asked the coach. "Why? What happened?"

"Long story short," said Sir Handel, "the dark days left me with a lot to think about. I was trying to make it right with you then… but you bumped me off the tracks every time. It didn't help my reputation with Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice here."

The old coach's eyes widened. "Oh… now I feel like a fool. I'm sorry, Falcon… er… Sir Handel now, is it?"

"Yes, that's right," the dark blue engine confirmed. "It's a bit of a long story as to how Stuart and I got our new names. And I'm sorry for all my rude remarks and bumping you back then."

"It's alright," said the coach.

"So," said Duke, "why are you restored with a tea shop window on one side?"

"It was Peter Sam's idea," explained the old coach; she quickly summarized his ideas for a mobile tea shop.

"That's an excellent idea, little brother," smiled Sir Handel. He turned his attention back to the old coach. "And… I know it won't make up for my past behavior, but… I do have a name for you. The son of the person I was named after, Sir Handel Brown, has five daughters; one of them doesn't have a coach named after her yet. Her name… is Hilda. Do you want to be called Hilda?"

The old coach smiled. "I love it. Thank you, Sir Handel."

"I think it's perfect," agreed Mr. Hugh. "Mr. Percival would be proud of both of you when he returns."

And indeed, he was. And so was the Refreshment Lady when she saw the restored mobile tea shop for the first time.

"She looks beautiful," said the Refreshment Lady. She asked the mobile tea shop, "Do you have a name, dear?"

"Hilda," she replied. "It was Sir Handel's idea."

"Welcome to our railway, Hilda," said Mr. Percival. "And well done on thinking of the idea, Peter Sam."

"Thank you, sir."

"I told you it'd be a piece of cake," chuckled the Refreshment Lady.

"Er, and with many cakes in it, I'm sure," said Mr. Percival. "And you, Peter Sam, shall pull the tea shop special."

"I'd be honored, sir."

On the first run of the tea shop special, the Refreshment Lady was able to serve the thirsty scouts their drinks, as well as many other passengers along the way.

"Thank you!" the scouts smiled, and they cheered for Peter Sam and Hilda.

"You've been helping us out with clearing the lineside," Peter Sam smiled. "It only seemed right that we returned the favor."

Among the customers were two familiar faces.

"Paul and Annabelle!" Peter Sam greeted warmly.

"Hello, Peter Sam," said Annabelle. "And who's this lovely coach? I've never seen such a special coach like her before."

"This is Hilda," he replied.

"It's nice to meet the two of you," Hilda said. "Do you work for the railway? Or the North Western Railway?"

Annabelle and Paul shook their heads. "I just completed some courses at Tidmouth University," said Paul, "so I'm going to be trying for a job soon."

"I'm just starting out," said Annabelle. "I couldn't go without seeing you engines or coaches for too long though. I'd miss you too much."

"Sounds like you two were born into the railway business," remarked Hilda.

"That's no exaggeration," chuckled Paul. "My dad is your controller."

"And my maternal grandfather is the North Western Railway's controller," added Annabelle.

"Are you going to mention to Peter Sam and Hilda about how you were working with Edward on the day of Stephen and Helen's wedding?" asked Paul with a cheeky smirk.

"Oh! Er…" Annabelle's face went red at her boyfriend's remark.

"Ah, so that's why Mr. Percival mentioned the first wedding photo was a mess," said Peter Sam.

As Annabelle and Paul went to get their drinks from the Refreshment Lady, Peter Sam knew in his heart that the Skarloey Railway had become more connected with the community as a whole. And they'd also made a new friend feel at home. However, Peter Sam still wished he could have told Rusty how he really felt… but that is another story.

THE END

Author's Comments

A lot of my most recent writings have contained romance in some capacity; I promise you this was completely unintentional! Anyway, The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop is a nice little spiritual sequel to Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady, especially given that the two characters have a much more positive interaction since the Series 4 episode. Pop Special, on the other hand, is one of the most boring stories out of the Railway Series. Sure, it was nice to see Duncan show more personality besides being a grump, but I do feel like srmcd1's adaptation is much stronger and gives more of a justification behind Duncan being the lead. Had Peter Sam and Duncan swapped stories in Great Little Engines, both this and Prickly Problem may have fared better. Rachel and I have given the mobile tea shop sentience and the name Hilda since, according to RWS lore, she was the only Brown daughter without a coach named for her. (And likewise, Jemima had no daughter to be named after.) Hilda's basis is exactly that of Talyllyn Railway coach No. 7, which was, at one point, a tea van, so it was nice of the writing staff at the time to draw some inspiration from the Talyllyn Railway, intentional or not. Notice that we've also included references to the previous story, Late for an Important Date, given the presence of the Percival family at the wedding at Suddery.

Upcoming stories:

- No "I" in Team

- Thomas the Jet Engine

- Cab Your Fear

- The Lorry of the Forest