87546 didn't want to return to Sodor, and made it known.

"Why should I go back to that backwards island? It's degrading! I won't go!"

"Listen here, 1638," said the Shedmaster. "You don't have a choice: you're the only engine that we can spare, so you WILL be going, or else!"

"Or else what, retard?"

"Else you will be used as a source of spare parts for your siblings. Understood?"

87546 did as he was told, but made sure to take a very long time to get there: he took the slowest goods trains along Great Northern Railway trackage and took the longest route possible. Consequently, by the time December rolled around, he had not made any progress and was stuck at Keighley.

"No wonder your crews haven't been giving you any positive reception," said his driver. "You're not even trying!"

"I'm going at my own pace, thank you," snorted 87546.

"Well you could pick it up," said the fireman. "You can't keep this slowness up."

"I don't see why I should stop going slow: it's only goods, there's no hurry."

"We're talking about you going to the island. We're in the same spot when the Shedmaster told you to go 3 months ago," said the driver.

"I don't see how: this isn't Colwick," 87546 pointed out.

"No wonder he had his name taken away during his time there," groaned the fireman. "All he does is complain nonstop. Let's just leave him here: I want to get home before Christmas."

"Christmas? What's so special about Christmas?"

"Of course a humbug like you wouldn't understand. It's a religious celebration regarding the birth of Christ."

"And it's also an excuse to leave us engines stuck inside the sheds with nothing to do but freeze. Honestly, we engines would be better off without Christmas," snorted 87546. The crew ignored him and left. 87546 was all alone, not that he minded. Keighley was a Midland Railway shed, but 87546 couldn't have cared less.

87546 was disliked even among other H2s. He never stopped complaining about the engines in Sodor, especially about 98462, how the Caledonian had betrayed him. Over time, they eventually decided it was best to just ignore his complaining. Newer engines, such as the N2s, were also wary of him, after a failed attempt to derail an N1 after it accidentally insulted him.

"Not everyday a Great Northern engine joins us Midlanders."

87546 was interrupted from his thoughts. Two engines from the Midland Railway came up to him. One was a 483 Class 4-4-0, the other was a 1532 Class 0-4-4 tank engine.

"What do you two want?" he asked grumpily.

"Just thought we'd say hi," said the 1532. "After all, you seem lonely."

"I much prefer to be lonely," said 87546.

"Even on Christmas? Who wants to be alone on Christmas?" asked the 483.

"Why do you care? You're just stuck in the sheds during that time doing nothing."

"True, but at least we have company," said the 1532.

87546 said nothing for a while.

"This isn't the Midland and Northern joint railway, is it?" he eventually asked.

"Of course not, but Isiah and I don't see a Great Northern engine," said the 483. "We see a sad lonely engine in need of company."

87546 just huffed.

"What is your name?" asked Isiah.

"Used to be Payne, not anymore. Don't see why you should care."

"What do you mean not anymore?" asked the 483.

"Doesn't matter," snorted 87546.

"Well, my name is Samuel, after my designer, Samuel Waite Johnson. So, Payne, what brings you all the way down here?"

"I was sent to the fucking NWR. Ever heard of it?"

"You mean that nowhere railway that's on an island off of Barrow? Yeah, partially," said Isiah.

"Apparently, they need another engine to help them build a bloody branch line. And that engine turned out to be me. ME! Honestly, should've gone to somebody else."

"Why is that so bad?" asked Samuel.

"I've been there before! And I got treated like shit! Especially by 98462! He betrayed me! I hope they haven't got to Lily yet, she's the only sane engine there."

"What did they do?" asked Isiah.

"Take my name, make me take rubbish trains, make me shunt, and sent me away for a joke!" 87546 snapped.

"What kind of joke?" asked Samuel.

"I'm tired," snorted 87546. "I need sleep, goodnight."

The next morning, 87546 woke to find Samuel wasn't there.

"Weird… Meh, who cares? At least I'm alone now."

"Wouldn't exactly say that," said Isiah. "Yes, I've been here all night. I live here. Samuel was needed back at Carlisle."

"And how long have you lived here?" asked 87546.

"All my life," answered Isiah. "I basically run this branch line."

"What branch line? I don't see any branch line."

"This is a branch line. Runs from Keighley to…"

"Yeah yeah, whatever," interrupted 87546. "Just let me rest in peace."

Unfortunately for him, his crew returned, determined to reach Sodor before New Year's Eve. However, a problem soon arose: Isiah's fire was refusing to burn properly.

"Well this won't do," said the Shedmaster. "A stopping train is due out soon. This engine here will have to take it."

"ME?! I can't I'm…."

"Not in any position to argue," said the Shedmaster. "Now get fired up: you're needed right away."

"Ugh, fine!" snorted 87546.

His fire was soon lit and he puffed up to some coaches. Neither said a word to each other as he took them to the platform and ran around the train.

"Isn't there a turntable anywhere?" he asked.

"I'm afraid it's frozen," said the driver. "We'll have to pull this train backwards."

87546 rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for the people to board the coaches. Eventually, the last door banged and the guard blew his whistle.

"Come on, come on!" snorted 87546, and he pulled the coaches out of the station.

For 87546, the journey was rather boring: wait times at each station took forever to him, mainly because facing a coach meant he couldn't see the countryside. It wasn't until he arrived at Oxenhope that he could finally run around.

"Finally, the backwards journey is over!" he sighed happily.

"Don't be satisfied yet," warned the driver. "You'll need to take on water, and with the water towers frozen, that's not going to be easy."

"I'm sure all is fine," snorted 87546.

All water towers are heated to make sure they don't freeze, but sometimes, temperatures in winter get so cold even this doesn't work. Fortunately, this was not the case here.

87546 made good time on the return run.

"Excellent, just in time for the next train," said the stationmaster. "Slow goods down to Oxenhope. Come on, time's wasting."

87546 rolled his eyes: he was eager to have a rest.

"I'm tired! And I'll stay here all I want!" he complained.

"Engines do what they're told," said the stationmaster firmly. So 87546 did.

All day long, he found himself busy running the branch line. Isiah helped out once he got up enough steam, but 87546 still found the work dull.

"I do appreciate you helping me," said Isiah when they met at Oakworth Loop. "It gets very busy during this time of year."

"Doesn't it always," snorted 87546.

Evening fell, and 87546 was waiting at Oxenhope with a parcel train. The winter snow had started to form a blizzard and he was glad to be wearing a snowplow for this run. As soon as the last parcel was loaded, a family of three came running up.

"Will there be another train?" asked the father.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the stationmaster, "I'm afraid our last passenger train left an hour ago. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"But we can't wait until tomorrow: our boy needs treatment and nowhere in town can we get that!" cried the father. It was then that 87546 noticed something he hadn't before: the boy that was with them was holding crutches. For the first time in his life, the H2 began to feel upset for somebody that wasn't himself: this boy was in urgent need of care and there were no other trains available. Thus, he made a decision.

"You three, get in my cab," he said. "I'll take you there."

"87546, you know only four…"

"Screw what the rules say, driver!" snapped 87546. "That family needs help and I'm giving it to them! Now help them aboard."

So the driver and fireman did. As it turned out, there wasn't enough room for all five. Fortunately, the guard was willing to allow the family to travel with him in his brake van. He made sure they were comfortable, then blew his whistle. 87546 set off into the cold night.

The H2 couldn't lie: it was a hard journey with all the heavy snow, not made easier by every stop he had to make at all the other stations, but he struggled on.

"This bloody snow won't stop me…The boy needs a doctor, and I'm the one who can take him there," he would groan.

Wheel-turn by wheel-turn, he pushed through all the drifts. He pushed, and pushed, and pushed, until at last, he made it to Keighley!

"Thank you," said the father. "We're glad you helped us. Please, take this as a present."

The father placed a necklace with a silver bell on his lamp iron. 87546 glanced at it, then smiled.

"Thank you, I couldn't just leave you," he said.

The family went off to the hospital. 87546 made a decision.

"Driver, you and fireman can go home for Christmas. But before you do, can you please put me in the shed? I'd like to keep Isiah company."

The driver was happy to oblige.

87546 backed down next to Isiah, who was just about to go to sleep.

"I thought it would be best to get out of this cold weather," said 87546. "Sooner, the better."

"Not that I blame you," said Isiah. "After all, it is…say, who gave you that?"

"This family I helped," said 87546. "Their boy had a problem with a leg or two and I was the only train there. They gave me this as a reward. Please, don't look too much into it, I'm still not looking forward to my journey to Sodor. That railway is still shit"

"Alright, I won't," said Isiah. There was a silence that followed. It was 87546 who broke it.

"Isiah, Merry Christmas," he said with a grin.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Payne," said Isiah, and with that, both engines went happily to sleep.