16 - The Saint and the Star

Olivia awoke to find herself in her own bedroom, with medical instruments sitting at her bedside, humming and beeping softly.

Her entire body felt heavy and ached and she could feel a migraine starting to form in her head. She felt like someone had drained her of her energy and her body felt like a furness it was uncomfortably warm.

"Liv?" A voice to her left asked and she managed to look over and open her eyes slightly, Oscar sitting by her bed diligently, their son, Scott in his arms sleeping peacefully.

"Oscar?" She croaked out and Oscar was immediately at her side.

"Liv are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"What, what happened to me?" Olivia was completely confused. The last thing she remembered was going to take a short nap in her office.

"Sydney found you in your office, he couldn't wake you up," Oscar explained. "You had a fever and you didn't seem well. You were taken to the hospital before Dr Hendrick took over your care and brought you home."

Olivia wanted to sit up but found that she barely had the strength to even move. She groaned in pain and Oscar placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to stop her from trying to get up.

"It's alright, don't move, save your strength," he insisted. "Dr Hendrick wanted you on bed rest until the baby is born."

Olivia frowned, annoyed. Bedrest? Her? She didn't think so.

"Olivia," Oscar noticed the determined look in her eye and scowled.

"I don't do bed rest Oscar, you know this," Olivia insisted. "There's too much to do and I-"

Her hand had instinctively reached up to find the Scotsman's Gold Whistle but to her horror, she found nothing around her neck.

"The Golden Whistle, where's the Golden Whistle?" She asked, adrenaline suddenly giving her strength to sit up and glance at her bedside table. She found no whistle.

Oscar looked at Olivia panicked. The Golden Whistle was a very powerful and special artifact entrusted to her by the Flying Scotsman.

"I thought that you had stored it in the safe!" Oscar realised in horror. If Olivia hadn't stored it away and it wasn't on her person then that meant…

"Someone stole it!" Olivia realised with horror. "That Ms Parsons! She threatened North if I didn't give it to her! Oh no! She must have sent someone to steal it!"

Oscar's horror grew but he suddenly became preoccupied when Scott took that moment to wake up and start bawling.

"Olivia, we'll deal with this-" Oscar tried to assure her but Olivia looked livid and ready to jump out of bed and go and strangle Ms Parsons with her bare hands.

"North is in danger!" Olivia snapped, trying to push Oscar out of the way but suddenly her strength left her and she seemed to curl in on herself and collapse onto her bed with a groan of pain. She gazed at Oscar who carefully managed to move her back to a more comfortable position on her pillows.

"Oscar," she pleaded. There was sorrow in her eyes, a fierce desire to go and find North, to get back her whistle but an acceptance that she was too weak to do so.

"I know Olivia, I know," he assured her. "I'll do everything I can to get back North and the Golden Whistle."

Oscar then sat on her bedside and gently put Scott in her arms. Olivia took him and cradled him lovingly.

"For now, just spend time with our son," Oscar assured her. "I know you, I know you want to fix everything but this time you can't."

Oliva gave a defeated sigh and looked down at her son's face. The baby boy had calmed as soon as he had been put in his mother's arms. She'd been so busy with the museum that Oscar was now usually the one to take care of their son. It made her realise how much she had been missing in her son's life. How much baby Scott must have been missing her.

It reminded her of how her own parents had left her and her brothers all alone with no one but North, very much absent from her childhood.

She didn't want to make the same mistakes as them.

She looked back up at Oscar and nodded to him.

"I guess I can't always be an adventurous hero," she muttered and Oscar gave a soft chuckle.

"No, but you can always try to be a good mother, that's heroic in its own right," Oscar pointed out and Olivia nodded to him.

The adrenaline of wanting to save North, to beat the absolute snot out of Ms Parsons was still there but realistically, a heavily pregnant woman wasn't exactly in a place to do such a thing. She looked down at Scott who had grabbed her night sleeve and was currently trying to eat it.

"Would you like a brother or a sister little sir?" She asked the baby, trying to distract herself. Baby Scott said nothing, only trying to grab onto more of her nightshirt. "I'll take that as neither then."

Oscar smiled at his future wife and baby. At the very least Olivia was trying to distract herself. He knew how much being on the sidelines made her anxious.

She turned to look at Oscar.

"Contact Mr Corbyn, he'll have the best chance of knowing what's going on and how to deal with it," She told him and Oscar nodded. "Let Stanier know what's going on and find out who was stupid enough to go into my office and steal the whistle."

"What about Flying Scotsman? Should we tell him?" Oscar asked and Olivia looked thoughtful.

Telling Flying Scotsman what was happening could result in the Pacific going after Ms Parsons and putting himself in danger.

Then again, he now had his Golden Soul and he could easily take care of himself, no crew required. She had to trust him, he was growing more mature and surprisingly had become more responsible and authoritative in the past few months.

Maybe the responsibility of being a Gold Dust warden had put some sense into him, made him less erratic and less prone to his hair-brained schemes.

"Tell Vincent, he's Scotsman's driver, he knows him well and I think he'll know best how to decide," Olivia nodded to Oscar. "I trust Scotsman not to do anything stupid."

Oscar looked unconvinced.

"This is Scotsman we're talking about," he reminded her. Olivia nodded.

"I know, but this is also dealing with Great Western hierarchy, even Scotsman not stupid enough to go nosing around another Railway's business without consulting Truro or Lode Star," Olivia pointed out.

"I hope you're right Liv."

Olivia just turned from Oscar and gave her attention to their son, who was now trying to climb on her heavily pregnant belly.

"I hope so too," was all she said.

"Do you think Thomas is having a good time on the Bluebell?" Henry asked Gordon as he found the big blue engine in Knapford Yard. The blue engine simply yawned and looked over at his best friend with a tired look.

"I shouldn't think why not," Gordon admitted gruffly. "He's going to be with all those little tank engines, he'll have a blast."

"I suppose you're right," Henry agreed before staring wistfully up at the sky. "I had hoped that I might pull a train with one of my siblings but Mr Stanier says that they're all been booked out till November."

Henry looked back down at the tracks before him, dejected, and gave a deep sigh. Gordon watched his friend concerned.

"Well, that's no good," Gordon tried to awkwardly sympathise with his friend but Henry smiled, knowing that Gordon wasn't good at this sort of thing. "I'm really sorry Henry, I know you want to spend more time with your siblings."

"Thanks, Gordon, I guess I'm just a little bit impatient, that's all," Henry admitted and Gordon chuckled. "Magpie keeps sending me coal spray painted in gold and says they're nuggets of affection, it's kind of sweet."

Gordon chuckled again.

"The only thing my brother gives me is headaches and fish in my tender," he complained but he had a smile on his face. Henry laughed with him. Their mirth was interrupted however when a large unfamiliar engine entered the yard.

The large engine looked like Tornado but he seemed to have a permanent scowl upon his face. Henry looked at him confused but Gordon just gave the engine a stoic look, but there was something brewing behind his eyes.

"What are you looking at?!" The engine snapped angrily once he noticed the two engines looking at him and Henry and Gordon glanced at each other before looking extremely irritated.

"An extremely rude engine clearly," Henry ground out and the engine glared at him. "Who are you?"

"Blue Peter," the engine snapped and Gordon suddenly hissed steam aggressively, catching Henry by surprise.

"You're the engine that abandoned and harassed Tornado!" He growled angrily. "How dare you show your face here!"

"He did what?!" Henry exclaimed flabbergasted.

Blue Peter just humphed indignantly and glared at them.

"You're all obsessed with that ridiculous girl!" He snarled angrily. "She's nothing like what my cousins! She's just a-"

"You better shut your mouth right now before I come over there and smash your smokebox in, you good-for-nothing engine!" Gordon suddenly threatened Blue Peter who stared at him in shock.

"Gordon!" Henry was surprised by just how… murderous the big engine sounded.

"Henry," Gordon grated, not taking his eyes off of Blue Peter. "This good-for-nothing engine harassed and abandoned Tornado in her hour of need. He tried to find a way to kill her! His own family!"

Henry looked appaled and now he too glared at Blue Peter, hissing steam at the Peppercorn. Although he didn't show it, Blue Peter felt incredibly threatened and afraid.

It was one thing to piss off a Gresley Pacific, but it was another to piss off a Stanier Black 5 as well. If there was one thing about Black 5's that he knew it was their loyalty to each other no matter what.

He did not see it ending well for him if he took on a Black 5. To take on one was to take on all of them.

"I'm here to pull a passenger train," Blue Peter informed the now angry engines, trying to diffuse the situation.

They still said nothing, both of them glaring at him. Blue Peter gave a frustrated sigh knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with these two old geezers.

"Fine, whatever, I'll find it myself," the Peppercorn snapped and trundled off with a huff, the green and blue engines watching his every move as he disappeared out of sight.

"I don't mean to be vulgar," Gordon began grumpily. "But why does the Fat Controller insist on bringing over such undignified engines? First Green Arrow, then Clun Castle, now this sore excuse of an engine."

"Beats me," Henry rumbled as he prepared to steam out. "I'll keep an eye out on that Clun Castle though. I have a bad feeling and it's not boiler ache."

Gordon watched his friend leave with a contemplative frown.

Henry was right. He too had a bad feeling about something.

City of Truro found himself in languishing at the end of his berth in his shed. He felt exhilarated to finally tell Lode Star how he really felt about her. About how the years of representing a railway that had abandoned him, not even thought him worthy of being saved, had weighed heavily on him.

He'd never wanted the damn job, he wanted to be left in peace. He was happy as part of the National Collection but no, Mr William Parsons had insisted on making him the head of the GWR's engines.

Hearing about how King Edward I had gone out of his way to try and leave him to the mercy of Mallard had hurt him more than anything Mallard had done to him. Mallard had tried to take his soul, sure, but the A4 had been doing that to get at Scotsman and his Golden Soul.

King Edward I had maliciously tried to have him killed. Someone he thought that he could have at least had some respect of.

The City Class felt truly abandoned and lost. He wanted nothing to do with the GWR anymore.

Truro's attention was drawn from his thoughts as there was the rattle of the doors and he sighed. He didn't want to confront Mr Corbyn about what happened. He just wanted a rest.

To his surprise however, he found that it was some of Scotsman's crew opening the doors to allow him to come in. Truro's thoughts turned to the little argument they had had last night and he hoped that Scotsman wasn't still made.

Scotsman's face looked a bit sheepish as he backed into his berth with goofy smile, it faded however when he seemed to catch sight of Truro's face.

"Are you alright?" Scotsman asked concerned. "You look distressed."

"I'm-," Fine, Truro wanted to say but he knew that that would be dishonest and a blatant lie. Scotsman was good at reading others and he'd immediately see through his lie. It also wasn't fair of him to criticise Scotsman for not being honest and then be dishonest himself. "I'm doing better today."

Scotsman gave him a small smile.

"Well I'm glad you're doing better today," he smiled. "I want to apologise, for snapping at you last night. I had a bad day and was frustrated. It was selfish of me to have that attitude towards you when you were going through something, I'm sorry."

Truro just chuckled. "Forgiven, I know how much you care, you don't have to prove it to me Scotty."

Scotsman gave a breath of relief and a wide smile. He gave a laugh.

"I suppose my declaration of my love at Waverley was a tad dramatic," he admitted and Truro suddenly turned bright red.

"Wait, you told people about us?" Truro asked and it was Scotsman's turn to turn red.

"Oh, you didn't see?" He suddenly stammered flustered. "I was asked if there was any one engine that I wanted to spend my build day with by a reporter and I told them that it was you."

Truro stared at Scotsman.

"You told a reporter?"

Scotsman narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to hide this anymore Truro, I'm tired of lying and every other engine knows it on the railway anyway! I'm sorry if that upsets you, or embarrasses you but it's not the 1930s anymore!"

"Scotsman… I'm not mad," Truro tried to assure his partner. "Just surprised, that's all."

"I thought that you'd be mad," Scotsman admitted sheepishly. "I'm glad you aren't, I was just tired of the same questions all the time and I wanted to get back here and spend the day with you."

Truro just chuckled and smiled at him.

"Thank you Scotsman, I'd love to be with you for my birthday too," he declared happily. "It's coming up soon. Maybe a nice run down to my old stomping grounds together."

"I'd love that," Scotsman beamed, his grin reaching his eyes. "But Truro, you still look so sad. Did something happen while I was out?"

Truro gave a deep sigh and looked away.

"Lode Star was very… honest with her feelings about me," Truro explained and Scotsman frowned.

That uptight unfriendly engine. Scotsman had never liked her. Always had something jammed in her firebox or up her tender. Never knew how to take a joke.

"Truro, it doesn't matter what that uptight cow thinks of you," Scotsman comforted him. "She's always going to be stuck in her ways and never be pleased."

"I know, but she was mainly upset that I never told her my true name," Truro explained.

"Well that's not her right to know," Scotsman argued. "From what you've told me, true names are the most precious thing a Great Western would own, why would you share something so precious to someone you dislike?"

"That's true," Truro agreed. "But it always made things difficult between us when we tried to command the other Great Westerns. I often wondered if I did the wrong thing by not telling her."

"Ultimately, I don't think it matters," Scotsman asserted. "What happened, has happened and now you are free to enjoy your retirement as you should have done for these past few decades."

Truro knew Scotsman was right. Of course, he was, but still, doubts were in his mind. Not only that but he could feel the sharp cold tendrils of his nightmares picking at him, trying to exasperate them to make him anxious and sleepless.

"You really need someone other than me to lean on I think," Scotsman observed his friend. Truro glance at him confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"When was the last time you saw Winnie?"

Truro lit up at Scotsman's suggestion. He hadn't seen the Battle of Britan class in such a long time. Not since he had last visited Shildon.

"Oh, a trip to see Winnie would just be marvellous!" Truro exclaimed happily. "As much as I love it here in York, I would not mind a stay at Shildon!"

Scotsman chuckled. "I thought you might love it, shall we call it a date?"

"A date? You'll come with me?" Truro was elated now.

"Of course, I have a question I want to ask you, been meaning to for a long time now," Scotsman remarked with a wink and at that, Truro turned extremely red in response.

He didn't know what Scotsman was referring to but he had a pretty good idea.

"Well, I've- been meaning to ask you a question for some time now," Truro quickly interjected and Scotsman laughed. "I even asked Sir Nigel for advice on it. I was worried he might tell you."

"Well, I think we both know the question and the answer so why not make an event of it?"

"Does everything you do have to be dramatic?" Truro sighed and Scotsman chuckled.

"Why of course, I am a most dramatic engine! I should be at the Globe performing Shakespeare!" Scotsman declared and Truro couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculousness.

Scotsman calmed himself and then gazed over at Truro.

"We, don't have to do that if you don't want to though," Scotsman assured him and Truro let out a bark of a laugh.

"Clearly you never heard about what I was like as a young engine, I daresay I was even more dramatic than you!" Truro shot back and Scotsman gasped in mock horror.

"More dramatic than moi? How dare you! There is no engine more dramatic than me!" Scotsman boisterously retorted and Truro burst out laughing. "Well, alright maybe Taw Valley but she's in a league of her own."

Their laughing was cut short however when Vincent, Scotsman's driver approached them with a worried look on his face.

"Vincent? Whatever is the matter, my dear fellow?" Scotsman asked his driver worriedly.

"It's Olivia, Oscar found her passed out in her office, she was taken to hospital," Vincent explained and Scotsman was shocked.

"What? Is she alright? Will she be okay?" he demanded.

"She's alright from what Oscar has told me, but she's been sidelined for now," Vincent gave his engine a worried look.

"Is Great Northern with her?" Scotsman asked. At the very least, he knew that Olivia would be safe with his brother. North was constantly watching over her, a protective guardian.

Vincent however frowned. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully so as to not upset Scotsman.

"That's the thing, no one has seen or heard from North in the past week," Vincent explained worriedly. "He stayed back on Sodor to look after some trivial business for Olivia but he's not contacted Olivia or Oscar at all. His car was still at the Ulfstead museum. It's been unmoved for a week. Olivia thinks Ms Parsons has something to do with it."

Scotsman frowned. Something was wrong here, very wrong. Olivia suddenly going to the hospital and North was missing for a week. This was not a coincidence.

North was a perfectionist, he would do everything to the letter. For him to not notify someone was very out of character for him. He was precise and he was diligent.

And Ms Parsons… he'd always felt something off about her whenever she'd be around Truro.

He reached inwards, calling upon his gold dust, trying to use the Gold Whistle to reach out to Olivia to confirm what Vincent was saying but found nothing.

"Her Golden Whistle…" Scotsman suddenly gasped. "It's gone, I can't sense it!"

"What!" Truro looked alarmed now as did Vincent. "What do you mean? Are you sure?!"

"I can't sense anything but a faint shimmer! It's gone! It's nowhere near her!" Scotsman was panicked now. "Someone must have taken it!"

There was no way that Olivia would lose such a precious artifact. She would always keep it close to her, on her person if possible. She was one of the few people who knew the secrets of Gold Dust and how to wield it. Sir Nigel trusted her. Scotsman trusted her.

She would not part with it for anything, no amount of money, no reason whatsoever.

"She had it this morning," Scotsman squinted his eyes as he tried to remember. "I am absolutely sure I saw her wearing it this morning. I would have immediately noticed it was missing. Someone must have stolen it when I was in Edinburgh."

"That's what Olivia thinks," Vincent nodded. "For obvious reasons, she can't go and investigate this herself but-"

"Be rest assured, I will find out!" Flying Scotsman snapped, sounding dangerously angry.

"I do hope nothing has happened to North," Truro murmured, concern all over his face. "I was starting to get along with the fellow."

Scotsman said nothing, only staring ahead his mind a maelstrom of thoughts and fears. He looked over at Truro. His face fell.

He really didn't want to drag Truro into this. Not after how Mallard had been so close to killing him.

"Can I at least take you to Shildon first? I don't want you caught up in this, not again, not like last time," Scotsman asked and Truro smiled at him. "Winnie will protect you, should anything happen."

Truro had almost died the last time something serious had happened.

"I wish to help but…Mallard completely destroyed me, he broke my soul…" Truro sighed and looked defeated. "I don't think I could ever do something like that again."

"I never asked you to, Truro," Scotsman smiled. "As grateful as I am. I never want you to put yourself in such danger again. Even for me."

"I know," the City Class gave Scotsman a resigned smile. "But nothing had better happen to you, or I'll be very angry."

"I don't doubt it," Scotsman smiled at him.

Bear sought to find Edward. He couldn't find the gentle blue number 2 engine anywhere. He'd checked along the branch line and he'd tried to find Boco but the other diesel was elsewhere. The only other place he could think of was to go north to Ulfstead Castle. Edward often spent time with the Earl and often took his time off to visit Stephen.

The Hymek slowly entered the castle and tentatively approached the museum. Green Arrow's words had sunk into his mind, he really did need to talk things over with someone. He feel like he was an irritant to the other engines, he didn't want to be a bother but… he really couldn't help himself. He struggled to reign in his impulsive, overly friendly nature when he saw an engine he looked up to.

Bear sighed. He wondered if he could at the very least keep it together in front of Stephen or any of the display engines. He would soon find out he supposed.

He was supposed to be helping the twins in the clay mines but truth be told, he did not want to be down in the clay mines.

As happy as he was and as optimistic as he tried to be, their tricks and jokes often wore him down. It was hard some days, trying to put on a show of always being helpful, and always happy to help. Some days he wasn't, some days he just wanted to push those horrible engines off of a cliff.

The only engine apart from Edward that seemed to tolerate him was Henry. Henry was always happy to see him and always encouraging.

Bear sighed, he had to get his radiator in check, he knew that.

"What are you doing loitering around?" A gravelled voice suddenly called to him, drawing him out of his thoughts.

Bear looked up to find a small red engine peering at him, a displeased look on his face. He recognised it from some of the plaques and historical displays he occasionally saw when he was at Barrow.

Bear gave a dramatic gasp as he excitedly realised who it was.

"You're the famous Coppernob!" Bear exclaimed excitedly, his face morphing into a look of awestruck. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir! The people at Barrow still talk of you! How their grandparents would see you on their way to work!"

The red engine looked less than impressed. He glowered at the diesel annoyed.

"Enough, go back to your work diesel," Coppernob chided Bear.

"My name is Bear sir," Bear introduced himself but Coppernob was having none of it.

"I told you to go and be useful to your railway, diesel," Coppernob pointedly ordered him. He didn't look at all amused by the Hymek.

"I am sir, I'm just trying to find Edward," Bear relented, realising that Coppernob would not entertain him. "I needed his advice on something and Edward's always so good at giving advice."

Coppernob seemed to frown and a dark expression appeared over the Red Furness's smokebox.

"I find it hard to believe that someone who so blatantly disrespects their roots has any business giving advice to others, especially to a diesel," Coppernob retorted and Bear was hurt.

"But, Edward's a noble and gallant old iron," Bear insisted. "He does everything he can for the North Western, he's very heroic, he's saved many engines from scrap, even ones that aren't railway engines."

Bear had no idea why, but Coppernob now looked livid.

"Ah yes, perfectly heroic!" The red engine seethed. "He goes off without a second look back at the railway that created him! Sauntering off to heroically save engines while engines like 25 struggle to be put back together! I will not see it, I will not!"

Bear was taken aback by the old red engine. Number 25? He had no idea what the Furness was referring to.

"I- I don't understand," Bear stammered. "Please stop yelling, I meant no offence! But Edward would never abandon an engine in need, not even a diesel!"

"Then he is a fool!" Coppernob shouted. "Why won't he come here and face me?! Why won't he embrace his history as he should? Our history fades away with every passing moment and yet Number 2 does nothing!"

"His name is Edward!" Bear snapped angrily. "And he doesn't like being referred to by his number!"

Bear had no idea what was going on but Coppernob seemed to have issues with Edward, something that he did not like in the slightest. Famous or not, no engine had the means to insult Edward.

Coppernob glared at Bear.

"You have no place to talk back to me, diesel!" Coppernob snapped. "Especially when your kind caused Steam Engines to go extinct! Go back to your grease-filled shed and stop defiling this place with your oil!"

Bear stared at Coppernob, his radiator feeling like it had cracked into a million pieces. Never before had a steam engine spoken to him like that before. It was something he had never really dwelled on.

The grim reality was that Coppernob was right. His kind being produced had led to the withdrawal and extinction of the steam engines.

"Go on, leave!" Coppernob snapped at him and Bear couldn't even look the Furness in the eye for fear of the tears welling up in his eyes falling loose.

Bear didn't say a word as he reversed out of the museum yard and out of the castle grounds.

It wasn't until he was back on the branch line that he let tears slip down his face.

To say that Tydfil was surprised when the huge green 9f class stood waiting for her in the yard as she finished her last job for the day was an understatement.

She hadn't really been expecting to see her but it made her interested.

"What are you doing here?" Tydfil asked as she approached Evening Star.

"Waiting for you," Evening Star explained and Tydfil stared at her.

"Why? I don't need a babysitter," Tydfil scoffed. Now if only Clun Castle and Ms Parsons would understand that.

"You intrigue me, I'd like to get to know you better," Evening Star offered and Tydfil stared at the 9F curiously. "Before the other engines jumped in. I prefer to talk one on one with people."

Tydfil looked Evening Star up and down. The big engine was stoic except for a burning curiosity behind her eyes. Tydfil would never admit it but Evening Star had a more menacing presence than her brother. She seemed angrier, more volatile underneath but for now, she seemed calm, tranquil

"Sure," Tydfil hesitantly gave with a small smile and Evening Star seemed pleased.

"You were hesitant to accept our shed offer, do you not like Green Arrow? Even though he is my friend, I understand a lot of engines do not like him," Evening Star asked and Tydfil frowned.

"Well, it's just that when I first met him when he crashed into the back of me and ah, I said nasty things about him," Tydfil explained. "I- don't think he will be happy to see me."

Evening Star stared at her.

"Then why did you still accept the invitation if you're afraid of him? Is your current shed that appalling?" The 9F eventually asked after a while, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Before Tydfil could answer, however, there was the toot of a whistle and the cackle of an irritating voice.

"There you are you absent-minded engine!" Came the drawl of Clun Castle as she entered the yard, an unpleasant look upon her face.

She stopped when she suddenly saw Evening Star. A wicked grin stretched over her face.

"Oh, it's you, the spoiled child, never did anything of worth yet somehow preserved," Clun Castle sneered and Evening Star blasted steam loudly, frightening Tydfil. "Careful now, don't scare little Maindy Hall. She doesn't deserve to be threatened by a huge ugly monster like you!"

"Leave me alone you horrible old hag! You almost got me scrapped! You destroyed my reputation!" Evening Star snarled at Clun Castle who just laughed at her. Tydfil however looked disturbed and was eyeing Clun Castle with a worried gaze.

"You're still too stupid to talk I see," Clun Castle huffed and then turned her attention to Tydfil. "Come along girl, it's time to turn in for the night."

Tydfil rolled backwards away from Clun Castle as she approached her. The Castle class noticed this and glowered at her angrily.

"I said come along girl," Clun Castle snapped impatiently but this time Tydfil found her voice.

"No! I've found somewhere else to sleep, somewhere where I won't be bullied by the likes of you!" Tydfil snapped at Clun Castle who suddenly wheeshed steam at Tydfil, scaring her and advancing threatening towards her.

Tydfil tried to stand her ground but she faltered. King Edward I would fetch her anyway if Clun Castle failed to bring her back and King Edward I was ten times as horrible as the Castle.

She gave a barely audible whine which caught the attention of Evening Star who immediately blocked Clun Castle's way and struck the Great Western's buffers hard, jolting her back.

"Wait, stop, don't!" Tydfil squealed terrified.

Clun Castle looked apocalyptically cross, her face turning purple in fury.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME YOU FILTHY ENGINE!" She screeched but Evening Star ignored her and charged at her again.

"Stay away from Tydfil!" Evening Star demanded even though she knew that Clun Castle couldn't understand her.

Clun Castle tried to push past the 9F, straining her wheels and pistons against her but Evening Star didn't even move a millimetre. She simply held firm, glaring down at the Castle Class while Tydfil watched on frightened.

While Murdoch had defended her in a similar manner before, Evening Star seemed to have hidden anger behind her striking out at Clun Castle.

"Get out of my way you pathetic excuse of an engine! They should have scrapped you when you destroyed your buffers!" Clun Castle snarled at Evening Star but the 9F just suddenly let out a furious cloud of steam and charged at Clun Castle with her full might before Merrick could even touch her brakes.

"VENUS NO!"

"You tried to have me scrapped!" Evening Star bellowed, hissing steam, her frames shaking with rage.

"You freak!" Clun Castle shrieked as her wheels hit a set of points and derailed. "You clumsy piece of scrap! You derailed me!"

Evening Star didn't seem to care, going to charge at her again however Merrick had slammed on her brakes.

"EVENING STAR ENOUGH!" Merrick shouted at the 9F. She ignored him and forced herself to move, until he threw her into reverse, forcing her to put her brakes on so she didn't shoot backwards and ram into Tydfil who was watching on terrified.

"You harass Tydfil again and I'll turn you into scrap!" Evening Star snarled at Clun Castle who was staring at the 9F, her expression a cross between shock and fury.

"This isn't the end of this! King Edward I will hear about this! Ms Parsons will turn you into nothing more than a useless pile of shit just like that Great Northern!" The Castle class shrieked at Evening Star. "I'll have you thrown off this railway you- you hideous monster!"

Evening Star wanted nothing more than to rip into the Castle Class and turn her into a pile of scrap metal but she knew that Merrick wouldn't let her do such a thing.

Instead, she reversed to Tydfil who was staring at the derailed Clun Castle.

"Shall we head to the sheds for the night, Ms Tydfil?" Evening Star asked her and the Saint class lifted her gaze from Clun Castle and looked at the larger engine.

To her surprise, she found a warm smile and a kind expression on her face making Tydfil feel at ease. The 9F had defended her from Clun Castle. She was more grateful than she could express.

"Thank you for defending me, Ms Evening Star," Tydfil thanked her and Evening Star gave a her wide smile.

"Please, call me Venus," the 9F offered and Tydfil felt herself smile. Being offered Evening Star's name felt like she had earned something special indeed.

"Okay Ms Venus," Tydfil smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"Truth be told, I've been wanting to give that bitch a proper smash for a very long time!" Evening Star admitted with a bark of a laugh.

"I don't blame you, Clun Castle is extremely arrogant despite being such an unlikeable and unremarkable engine!" Tydfil sneered in the direction of said engine who proceeded to hurl insults at her.

The two engines ignored her however and started to make their way to Brendam Sheds.

"I like you Tydfil," Evening Star told the Saint class and Tydfil felt a smile stretch across her face.

"I like you too Ms Venus," she grinned.

Mallard found himself in a relatively decent-sized garden with beautifully kept flowers and vivid foliage. A small pond sat on the edge of the garden, a couple of stone statues of mallards sitting around it.

He frowned, confused. He wanted to go back to his ducks, his little lakeside signal box where things made sense. Where he wasn't a complete monster as Sir Nigel said he was.

He felt Herbert nuzzle into his neck and he reached up to scratch his companion's head. The raven seemed to purr and click its beak in happiness.

"Hello, dear Mallard!"

Mallard jumped, startled at the female voice that had called to him. He spun on his heel and found a refined-looking lady in a large hat sitting on an ornate chair and table underneath a gazebo with hanging flower pots and vines creeping over it.

"You know me?" Mallard questioned and the lady gave a soft giggle.

"Of course, why wouldn't I know you?" She smiled sweetly at him.

Mallard stared at her for a second before he suddenly gave her a smile.

"Quicksilver," he nodded to her and she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Yes! Finally, someone recognised me on this day!" She cheered, delighted before gesturing to the chair opposite. "Please, come sit! Enjoy my garden! We have much to talk about!"

If she could, Olivia would have knocked out Ms Parsons and taken North back to York in no time and this story would have been over so fast.