Lily's crew had been working nonstop ever since they started driving her. Though they would take breaks, they refused to let anybody else drive her, knowing she could easily trick any other crew. Consequently, they started suffering the consequences of sleep deprivation, and the Fat Director was getting worried.

"You shall take the week off," he ordered. "You both look exhausted!"

"We can't take the week off!" protested the driver. "Lily will manipulate whoever takes our place!"

"I'll have no choice if you don't get any rest: you'll die if you don't get anymore sleep," said the Fat Director.

"Sir, we're fine!" insisted the fireman, though he couldn't help feeling dizzy. "We must keep…we can't…" Suddenly, without warning, the fireman passed out.

"That just proves my point," said the Fat Director. Lily's driver reluctantly agreed to take the week off while the fireman was driven to a hospital. The Fat Director went through great efforts to make sure Lily's replacement crews wouldn't be easily manipulated: he warned them about her past deeds and her tricks. He also talked to Lily very sternly.

"I shall not have you pulling any tricks with these crews," he said sternly. "If I find out you have been causing trouble, I shall turn you into a stationary boiler."

"Yes sir," said Lily. When the Fat Director left, however, Lily harrumphed. "He's got some nerve threatening to turn me, the most modern engine on this line, into a station boiler," she grumbled. The other engines, by now used to this, ignored her as she ranted on and on. It seemed Lily either didn't realise this or just didn't care.

Somebody did eventually get tired of all this: a young cleaner who had just joined the railway. Not wanting to listen to Lily anymore, he walked over to her front and stuffed a rag into her mouth. He then dusted off his hands and walked away with a smirk.

"Why didn't we think of that?" asked her fireman. Lily spat out the rag.

"Ew! Disgusting!" she shrieked. The crew looked at each other and grinned, then the fireman went off to get some spare rags.

"It serves you right for all your complaining," said Emily. "If you actually worked as much as you complained, you'd be a happier engine."

"What do you know? It amazes me you haven't been scrapped yet."

"And for a good reason: I work hard and do whatever job is needed of me," said Emily. "I've told you this before: hard work brings success, complaining brings nothing."

"Complaining indeed!" scoffed Lily. "You should be honest: I'm…"

"A pompous old toad growing too many warts," said Edward, steaming into the yard. "You smell like one too."

"How dare you!" shrieked Lily.

"You're the one who said we should be honest," Edward replied with a smirk. "Your modernity won't save you forever: newer engines will always come, you know it, I know it, everybody here knows it."

"That's what you think," said Lily.

"Then why did you need to be rescued by a tank engine?" Edward asked.

"I didn't!" Shouted Lily. "He set out to sabotage me!"

"Oh yes you did," said Emily. "I happened to pass you when your breakdown happened."

"Well, screw you!" snorted Lily, and she steamed off.

"You'd think two months would be enough for her to change," said Emily.

"The same could be said about 87546," said 98462, steaming alongside Emily. "But he wouldn't. Just like Marron…Why did I let that mogul influence me?"

"Marron?" Emily asked.

"A tank engine from my old railway who acted similarly to Lily and 87546," Edward answered. "I told him about her a few weeks ago."

"And she's still fresh in my mind," said 98462. "The only difference between Marron and Lily is that the former may have acted like that as a result of being heavily disliked by the crews: they even cheered when she got scrapped. Lily, on the other hand, doesn't have any excuse. Neither did 87546."

"You used to be a jerk yourself," Emily reminded him.

"And I've regretted it for a while," said Max sadly. "I was a jerk on my old home in Oban too. My class was always second best compared to the 903s, and we never got used anywhere that wasn't the Callander and Oban line. I only ever had two friends, excluding my brothers, two 652s: 938 and 939, they don't have names and are painted black. For reasons I still don't know, I was also given the number 60."

"What's wrong with that number?" asked Emily.

"Nothing wrong with the number itself," said 98462. "The problem was that the Caledonian still had a 66 Class 4-4-0 carrying that number when I entered service. I assume the ones who assigned me that number either forgot about him or believed he had been withdrawn when he actually hadn't."

With that, he steamed away.

"A mistake is definitely what I would call Lily," Edward said. "I don't know what led her to grow this attitude, but it definitely isn't a result of something going wrong with her construction."

"I just wish there was a way we could make her see sense," agreed Emily.

Edward decided to ask Skarloey if he had a solution.

"She's definitely got some sort of insecurities," said Skarloey gravely when Edward told him the situation. "However, she seems to be way too proud to admit them. Perhaps you should ask your Fat Director to look into her class and figure out if they have any mechanical problems."

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner?! Thank you Skarloey!"

Edward steamed back to Vicarstown and asked the Fat Director.

"It'll take time," he said, "but I'll see what I can uncover. Perhaps any faults her class has may indeed give her insecurity."

"Thank you sir," smiled Edward.

While the Fat Director got into contact with Horwich Works to make inquiries, life went on as normal. Well, mostly normal: the doubling of the line running through Ballahoo was approved, though it was found the NWR didn't really have the funding to proceed with it. Prior to departing for Horwich, the Fat Director managed to make a deal with the Admiralty: in exchange for the Admiralty providing funds for the doubling, they requested the NWR build them a branch line going to Harwick from Tidmouth. The request was accepted, though at the time, neither party would know there wouldn't be a need to extend beyond Arlesburgh

Timmy, despite his young age, was assigned to help out with building this line. This meant extending from Elsbridge to Ffarquhar would be put on the backburner. As for the engine put in charge of doubling the Ballahoo line, the Fat Director assigned Lily. She didn't like this at all of course, but her crews always stuffed a rag whenever she started to complain, meaning she was never able to have a say in the matter.

The only chance she would get to complain would be at night when all the staff had gone home. Wisely, the other engines slept elsewhere to avoid this. When Lily actually noticed this, she couldn't help but feel lonely.

"I'll show everyone…" she muttered. "They won't ignore me when I prove how modern I am, especially after SHE is dealt with."

The next day, Lily found Emily taking on coal and gave her a bump.

"What was that for?!" Emily shouted.

"Don't play dumb with me, Single!" snarled Lily. "I know it was you who told everybody to stay away from me."

"I did no such thing!" Emily snarled back. "Your constant complaining is the reason nobody stayed at the sheds last night: even Edward is getting tired of it."

"Do I look stupid to you?!" Lily shouted.

"Yes," said Emily bluntly.

Enraged, Lily bumped her again, causing coal to fall all over Emily.

"Bitch!" shouted Lily.

"That's funny coming from you," said Olive, steaming alongside Emily.

"Says who?"

"Don't give me that crap," said Olive. "You've been a brat ever since you arrived."

"It was that tank engine!" protested Lily. "He's a fusspot! He…"

"Thomas helped you to Killdane when you broke down when he could've just left you there," said Emily sternly. "And you've never thanked him for it. He works harder on this railway than you do."

"He's just a shunter!" shouted Lily. "Shunters don't work hard, they just mess around pulling practical jokes!"

"Bull crap!" shouted Emily. "If Thomas wasn't here to shunt, we would all have to fetch our own trucks and coaches."

"But…"

"There are no buts," said Olive. "Now knock your behaviour off, or the Fat Director will give you an earful when he returns."

"It's your word against mine," said Lily.

"Then it's just as well I've overheard everything," said Lord Harwick. "I must agree with Emily: your behaviour is unwarranted. The only reason we even keep you around is because your old railway refuses to allow you back. Need I remind you that Sir Topham threatened to turn you into a stationary boiler if you didn't stop?"

"I much prefer leaving this railway and going home to Lancashire. Even if whoever is in charge doesn't want me back," said Lily.

"Well too bad," said Lord Harwick. "Now get back to work. You'll do whatever you're told to do. Or else…"

Lily stormed off, fuming. Surprisingly, she behaved for several days!

One night, the other engines talked about it.

"Am I the only one concerned about her recent good behaviour?" Edward asked. "Sure, it's an improvement, but even so…"

"Pooh, who cares?" scoffed Olive. "I'd rather have her behave than be a bitch."

"Still, maybe she's up to something?" said 98462.

"That's what I'm worried about," said Edward.

"Well, what do you think Thomas?" Selena asked. But there was no reply.

"He's not here: he took Conan and Jewelie down to Kirk Ronan, remember?"

"Oh, right," said Selena, embarrassed.

"Probably a good thing too," said Olive. "If I were Thomas, I'd stay as far away from that Dreadnought as possible."

As it would turn out, Thomas wasn't the target: Lily had found new allies in some of the track workers for the Ballahoo Project, these being fans of Fernby and upset he got his case dismissed. While her crews refused to take part, the upset workers could easily be talked into siding with her. Secretly, they would begin plotting together when Lily started behaving. Tonight, their plan was being put into action.

The next morning, Emily backed down onto the express. The conversation from last night was heavy on her mind.

"Lily can't be up to something," she said to herself. "Surely she wouldn't try to sabotage the railway! She'd be ruining her own life if she did that!"

But try as she did to convince herself otherwise, the Stirling Single just couldn't shake that uneasy feeling.

Soon, the guard blew his whistle, and off Emily went., still thinking about Lily.

The Battlefield Bridge had been repaired, but a slow order was still in place, as the bridge had damaged the track running under it as well. Emily knew this and slowed down as she approached the Ballahoo junction. But much to her surprise, there was no speed restriction sign anywhere!

"That's odd! Surely, we would've been told about the speed restriction being removed!" Emily pointed out.

"Maybe Lord Harwick forgot to tell us," said her driver. "He is a busy man after all. Come on, let's increase the speed."

"Ok, driver," said Emily, and she sped up a little.

Soon, they were near the bridge, and Emily, to her horror, saw that the tracks ahead were still damaged

"Holy hell!" she shouted. She slammed her brakes full emergency, but it was no good: she hit a broken rail and came off the line!

Luckily, no coaches were telescoped. The crew, who jumped clear, were confused though.

"Why wasn't the signal at red?" asked the driver.

"I think we should be asking why the speed restriction was removed if there was a broken rail," the fireman pointed out.

"Lily…" muttered Emily. "She did this, I'm sure!"

Emily was recovered and taken to Crovan's Gate for an examination. No passengers were killed, though some were injured severely. The Fat Director was told about this when he returned that night.

"Emily suffered a lot of damage from her derailment, and has been sent over to Vickers Shipyard for repairs," he told the others at the shed. "While this is happening, Olive, you'll be handling all express trains. I assume there won't be any problems with this?"

"Not at all, sir," said Olive. "We must keep the trains running."

"Excellent, glad I can rely on you!" smiled the Fat Director. "Now then, nothing else will change, I'll send some workmen to fix those rails soon. As for the speed restrictions sign not being there, an investigation was done and it was found to have been moved. By what or who, we don't know." The Fat Director paused: Lily seemed to have a rather timid look on her face. "Do you know anything about this, Lily?" he asked suspiciously.

"N-n-no, sir, I don't," she stammered.

"Are you sure about that?" the Fat Director quizzed. "I know you all too…"

"I SAID I DON'T, LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lily shouted. The Fat Director was at a loss for words! Lily steamed out of the sheds and went elsewhere.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked.

"I don't know, Edward," said the Fat Director solemnly. "I really don't know…"

(Author's Note: Emily's derailment was inspired by the 1895 St. Neots Railway Accident, circumstances are similar.)