23 - Suffocating
He didn't want to leave Truro, but in the same vein, Scotsman was equally excited to see 3801. He was conflicted but he had every faith in Winston. Shildon was where Truro had been stationed for decades long before Scotsman had come in and confessed his feelings for him. Long before Scotsman had dragged Truro into his complicated life.
If he thought back to a time when nothing made sense, Pendennis Castle had been right. As ridiculous as the Castle Class could be, he had a keen intuition for dealing with emotions. He had seen how the Pacific was confused and struggling with feelings that he had pushed down for years. The subtle suggestions and points over the years from his rival eventually made sense.
It wasn't until he had gone to Australia and seen Pendennis again that he finally admitted his confusion. Australia had changed him in many ways. Made him realise things about himself. About how he felt about Truro. Being so far away from him, he realised that he wanted the 'fighting' they always had. Why he was so angry, why over the years Truro had constantly challenged him. Why Pendennis kept insisting that he talk more to Truro.
Pendennis could see what they did not. Scotsman made a note to thank Pendennis the next time he saw him. Their little Australian Adventure had taught him many things, including not to trust Grey when she had a 'bloody good idea.'
He rocked on his frame slightly, reflecting on the famous Australian engine. He missed her, he desperately wanted to see her again. He was impatient. Oh, why did freight trains have to be so many miles long?
"Be careful Scotsman," a small voice called to him as he waited to depart Shildon. He was stuck in a siding just outside Locomotion, waiting for a freight train to pass when his attention was caught.
He looked over at the grassy edge of the track and saw a familiar young lady, dressed in red and gold. He gifted her a delighted smile as he recognised her.
"Hello Lady," he greeted her kindly. "I hope you're doing well."
Lady bit her lip, her expression worried. Scotsman frowned at her. The normally cheery lady was solemn, so unlike her usual self.
"Is everything alright?"
"No, no it's not," Lady shook her head. She did indeed look distressed and Scotsman became concerned.
"Anything I can do to help?" He asked as Lady smiled at him sympathetically.
"Not yet, but there are too many things going on this restless night, I have decided to spend it with Truro," Lady gave him an attempt to smile.
Scotsman resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Oh, how he hated how cryptic Lady was. But he understood that Gold Dust worked in mysterious ways and the more questions he asked, the more confused he would become.
He was glad Lady would be with Truro though. More friends for Truro meant that he would be safe.
"Truro will appreciate the company," Scotsman approved. "He needs the company of friends right now."
Lady nodded at him absentmindedly. She then looked at her feet, trying to find the words to speak with him.
"When you find out what happened to North," she suddenly spoke and Scotsman's full attention was now on her. "Do not be so quick to judge. Please, there is more going on than you know and whatever, whoever appeals to you, no matter what, please approach the situation with caution and an open mind."
The tone in Lady's voice frightened him. Never had he heard her sound so desperate. It did make sense somewhat. Lady was close, very close with North. Sometimes he thought they were a couple, they were so close. He was surprised that she hadn't rescued him by now as she had in the past.
Something was really wrong if Lady hadn't gone to North and pulled him out of whatever stupid thing he was doing.
"What do you mean?" Scotsman asked, bewildered and frightened. "What's happened to North? What's going on?!"
"Just please, promise me, I know that you're going to be in extreme distress, but please, listen to what he has to say, you've always been able to see through people's lies and you need to do that. Please, trust your instincts. Trust yourself," Lady advised but Scotsman was becoming increasingly irritated by her vagueness.
"Just tell me what's going on!" He demanded annoyed. "Who is 'he'?"
Lady turned from him slightly and gave him a sad smile.
"I trust you to be earnest and fair, as you've always been," she praised. "You'll make a wonderful leader, you know that?"
"What do you-" Before Scotsman could even finish his sentence, Lady disappeared in a shimmer of Gold Dust, leaving the A3 Pacific sitting alone on the siding, the back engine of the passing train honking at him as it passed by.
"Everything okay?" Came the voice of Vincent, sensing his confusion. His driver nor crew had seen Lady.
"I just-" Scotsman stared at the place where Lady had been before giving a deep sigh. He was fed up with this and he was tired. "Forget it, I just want to get to the Bluebell and meet up with Grey."
His driver frowned and Scotsman winched. It wasn't like him to snap at his crew. He must have been really unnerved by Lady's appearance to him.
"Are you okay?" Vincent asked and Scotsman sighed wearily.
"I don't know," he replied dejectedly. "Can we just, head to the Bluebell?"
"Just let me know if something's up, alright? You know you can trust me, right?" Vincent advised him and Scotsman gave a soft hum.
"I know, I guess I'm just… really tired," Scotsman mumbled. "I apologise for snapping, I know it's not like me, but it's been a long day."
"Alright," Vincent didn't sound overly convinced but didn't press further, only releasing his brakes and slowly opening up his regulator with a tut. "Let's get to the Bluebell shall we?"
"Let's," Scotsman agreed.
As he began to pick up speed, he couldn't help but feel the darkness closing in on his boiler. That the night would be long and it would be fraught with trials and tribulations, he could feel it.
Evening Star was furious. She was beside herself with anger. She'd almost ripped the intake pipe of the water tower off, she was in such a state of anger.
She had warned them, warned them that leaving Tydfil alone would be a bad idea. Yet did anyone listen to her? No, they hadn't. She looked down at her crew who were standing around staring at her with a mixture of confusion and fright.
She blasted steam at them in response.
i'Get in or I'm leaving you behind,'/i she warned. They could either ride with her or she would leave them behind and there would be no arguing or reasoning with her.
Merrick glanced at Harley and gave a gesture to the signalman nearby who nodded in acknowledgement.
"We're going to keep in touch with the signalman, so if there's a problem or someone on the line, we will stop you," he warned Evening Star.
Evening Star gave a soft snort but otherwise did not protest her driver's advice. At the very least she would have her loyal crew, she considered. Without another word, she was off after the little Great Western, as the evening grew darker and a strange mist descended upon the island.
Evening Star was deceptively fast. Despite her class being designed for freight, Evening Star herself ran express trains, she ran them faster than the engines that were built for express trains.
Yet, it seemed the little Great Western had been so frenzied that not even the deceptively fast Evening Star could catch up with her.
"We should slow down, and ask if anyone's seen anything, she could have gone down any number of branching lines by now," Harley pointed out and Evening Star begrudgingly agreed. The Steamworks were nearby, she considered, it was as good of a place to start as any.
She steamed with purpose, her expression filled with intent as she barrelled towards the Steamworks. To her and her crew's utter surprise, she found the A2 Peppercorn, Blue Peter, sitting in an abandoned shed just outside the Steamworks grounds.
The Peppercorn noticed her racing towards him and his eyes shot open in panic. He seemed to have already been shaken by something but Evening Star did not care one bit.
"Where is Tydfil?!" Evening Star bellowed at him as she slammed into his buffers with a loud clang. There was the crunch of heavy metal on the ballast as Blue Peter's tender jumped the rails from sheer force.
He stared at her, mouth agape, his eyes wide and staring at her in complete shock. Evening Star briefly considered that it was from the fact that she was speaking to him when she'd been mute most of her life. She didn't care though. Not one bit.
"Where. Is. Tydfil!?" She angrily repeated, giving him a sharp shunt, her face livid. It seemed to snap Blue Peter out of his confusion and he looked back at the 9f with an expression of looking sorry for himself.
"Clun Castle took her," the Peppercorn quickly mumbled. "She took her to Ms Parons new holding at Harwick. I couldn't do anything to help her, I'm sorry!"
"You could have done something if you weren't such a pathetic coward!" Evening Star snarled in his face and Blue Peter shrunk away from her, whether from fear or embarrassment, Evening Star didn't know and she did not care.
"We are going to Harwick!" She commanded and her crew looked uneasy.
"Venus-"
"I am going to Harwick whether you agree or not!" Evening Star snarled at them and Merrick and Harley gave each other a knowing look.
"Very well, but you do anything we don't agree with and we'll smother your fire or throw you in reverse, understand?" Merrick warned. Venus didn't look particularly pleased at such a command and seemed to ignore it.
"Fine, whatever," she snapped petulantly before looking back at Blue Peter and proceeded to insult him. "Coward!"
The 9F blasted steam in his face, making him winch before she disappeared in a cloud of her own steam, her scowl still permanently on her face as she quickly backtracked towards the mainline.
She would save Tydfil.
Tydfil had been the only other engine to actually be able to understand her. Even Green Arrow hadn't been able to understand her at first. It had taken him years to understand. She didn't know what made her special but for someone who had been neglected, bullied and outcast by everyone else, it meant the world to her.
No matter the cost, no matter how many boilers she had to bust, no matter what stood in her way, Evening Star would save this young engine.
And if she got to take apart Clun Castle, the old cow who had tried to get her scrapped, while she was at it?
That was even better.
Oscar wasn't all that thrilled to be leaving Olivia alone in the house with nothing but a nursemaid to assist her but he knew that Olivia was a stubborn woman. If he didn't go to try and figure things out, then Olivia would most likely put herself in danger, such was her way.
He wondered if all Gresley's were like this and considered what he had seen from Flying Scotsman and other engines of the great man's design, he was right in thinking they all had that stubborn nature.
He'd just gotten off Toby's train at Ffarqhar station and was at a loss for what to do next. He supposed that he should go and talk to the station master or phone Sir Topham Hatt and ask for information.
He needed to get that whistle back and fast. In hindsight, he should have probed Scotsman if he had any more details on the thing but it was too late now and he couldn't exactly call him up.
As he considered what to do, a little green engine came to a stop beside the platform. It was a little Saddletank, Percy, he seemed to recall. Even while working on Sodor had hadn't seen much of the small engine and so smiled.
Percy had been one of his favourites in the books growing up. Something about how he and Thomas interacted reminded him of him and his little brother.
He watched as a tall man, dressed in what looked like a blue fox hunting coat with a raven perched on his shoulder disembarked from the little engine's footplate. Oscar raised an eyebrow at the strange scene.
"If you ever want to be a fireman again, you just give me a call ay?" The driver called to him and the the man shrugged.
"I have no intention to do so," the man bluntly said and the driver shrugged.
"Suit yourself," the Driver looked annoyed but didn't press the man further.
"But you're so good at it Mr Nigel!" Percy suddenly picked up. "You know exactly how to lay down coals for the best results! I've never felt my steam flow so easily! It was like breathing pure energy!"
"Just make sure your fireman's not making little coal piles in your firebox and if he is, yell at him," The man, Mr Nigel, waved the little engine off. "Thank you for the ride but I must be going."
Without another word, Mr Nigel turned away from Percy and began to stride down the platform, his head looking both ways as he seemed to try and figure out where to go.
Oscar was about to turn his attention back to his little mission when suddenly, the man's raven spotted him and took off, flying towards him at speed. Oscar flinched and put up his arm in front of him, unintentionally giving the bird a place to perch on him.
The bird, thankfully, did not attack him and instead peered at his face curiously, a fierce intelligence behind its eyes. As Oscar lowered his arm with a raven on it, he looked up to see the strange man approaching him, a pensive look on his face.
"I apologise," the man said with a voice that suggested that he wasn't sorry at all. "Herbert come here."
The man raised his hand and looked expectantly at the raven but the Raven just cawed at him and motioned back at Oscar who frowned.
He knew this man. Something about him was so familiar. He had almost certainly heard his voice or even met this person somewhere before but it escaped him where he had.
"Do I know you?" He asked trying to recall him and the man stared at him with a frown.
"I don't see why you should," the man exclaimed dismissively before trying to get the raven to hop onto his own arm.
The raven just nipped at him and moved his way further up Oscar's arm to his shoulder and the man gave an annoyed growl.
"I said come here!" The man snapped at the bird but the raven just cawed at him petulantly.
Something in the man's angry tone flicked a switch in Oscar's head. He knew who this was, he knew that voice and everything that Olivia had told him about Mallard clicked into place.
"Mallard," Oscar hissed through his teeth and Mallard looked taken aback by being recognised as the Raven cawed in response, as if affirming his accusation. "What are you doing here?!"
Mallard ignored the question and glared at Oscar with an annoyed look in his eyes.
"How do you know who I am?" He retorted.
"Olivia told me about you!" Oscar answered before shaking his head. "I didn't believe her, I thought she was loopy from meds but apparently she was telling the truth."
Mallard seemed to look alarmed at his words.
"Olivia was hurt?" He sounded concerned but Oscar did not buy it for a single second.
"Don't you dare pretend to care about her when you tried to kill her!" Oscar shouted at him and Mallard lowered his gaze to the ground.
"I- I didn't- I don't remember doing such a thing," Mallard muttered regretfully. "But I do apologise. I would never harm a member of my designer's family."
Oscar glared at Mallard as his raven made a strange soft wooing sound in his ear. He walked straight up to Mallard with a furious but determined expression.
"If you ever threaten or go near my wife, I'll make you wish that Flying Scotsman had permanently destroyed your soul!" He swore and Mallard stared at him, his expression unchanged but there was a hint of fear in his eyes.
"I promise that no harm will come to Olivia Gresley, if it does, I will give myself up to Scotsman and have him destroy my soul," he vowed and Oscar was surprised at the profession. This wasn't the nasty old engine that he knew.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Oscar scolded and Mallard frowned.
"I'm looking for Great Northern," came the surprising response and Oscar furrowed his brow.
"To what? Kill him?" He accused and suddenly the raven nipped him in the ear in protest and flew back to Mallard. Oscar shouted at the nip and glared at Mallard who was now looking at him apologetically.
"No, I am not going to kill my only chance to get my brother back," Mallard snapped at him. "Whatever I did before, I don't remember, all my memories of myself as an engine are completely gone."
"Well I don't care," Oscar snapped. He turned away, having had enough and moved towards the StationMaster's office before he frowned and thought it over.
Olivia had mentioned that Ms. Parsons had threatened North in exchange for her Golden Whistle. The two had to be connected somehow and if Mallard had Gold Dust then it could make his own mission somewhat easier.
He looked back at Mallard who was staring at him with a mixed expression of disdain and a piercing intelligence. Oscar sighed, realising that this may be his best chance at finding the Golden Whistle.
"Olivia said you were there when Ms. Parsons called her, did she say anything of note regarding her Golden Whistle or North?"
"Not really, she got angry and mentioned North being missing I believe," Mallard responded carefully. "I'm not sure what a Golden Whistle is but my sister asked me to find North as they didn't have anyone else to investigate what was going on with this woman."
Oscar looked thoughtfully at Mallard before giving him a slight nod. He knew that Mallard was dangerous, he knew that the old A4 Pacific was a nasty piece of work but if they both had the same goal, if something happened to him then Mallard would have incited the wrath of both Olivia and Scotsman. Something which he doubted even the blue A4 wouldn't want to tempt doing.
"If these things are connected then perhaps we should pool our sources together," Oscar offered and Mallard didn't look convinced.
"You just threatened me and now you're offering to work with me?" Mallard scoffed. "I'm not an idiot, human, why would I work with you?"
"Oh forgive me for being angry when confronted with someone who threatened my engine and the woman I love!" Oscar snapped angrily. Though he did agree, his behaviour must have been so confusing to the engine's human construct.
Mallard simply shrugged and looked to his raven who was watching their interaction closely.
"I honestly don't remember doing such things," Mallard simply reiterated and looked back at Oscar. "But I don't have anything to go on except my instincts so I'll bite."
Oscar gazed at him curiously before turning back to the station master's office. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mallard conferring with his corvid friend before following him at a distance.
There was something strange about the raven. Before he could consider it further, the Station Master appeared at his office door.
"Can I help you?" He asked eyeing Oscar with curiosity before giving a brief glance at Mallard standing a little way away.
"I called earlier about investigating Ms. Parsons and her engines," Oscar informed him and the Station Master smiled.
"Oh yes, Gresley sent you didn't she?"
"That's right," he nodded.
"Ah yes well, Ms. Parsons and her engines are operating out of the abandoned foreman's house near the Dryaw Goods Line," the Station Master informed them. "I hope that helps because that's all I have."
"No, no, you've been a great help, thank you," Oscar nodded to him before giving him a short good-bye and turned back to Mallard. "Well, what do you think about that?"
Mallard looked thoughtful for a moment before looking to his raven, almost like he was asking it for advice.
"We should investigate it, it might lead to clues," he finally relented and Oscar nodded. "They might have both that whistle and North there."
Although he didn't like the idea of working with Mallard, it seemed like in order to get Olivia's Golden Whistle back, this was the best chance he had.
"Hello, Ms Grey!" Tornado shouted as she chuffed up to the Australian Express Engine, ready to back down onto the front of her and her train. "Mr Keaton said yes! So long as you do most of the work and I stop as soon as I start to feel pain in my firebox!"
Grey laughed heartily at her.
"I've got no problem with pushing your weight around young'un!" She exclaimed boisterously. "When Scotsman visited us down under, I pushed him and our train up an incline because his fire was weak."
"He never told me about that!" Tornado squeaked and Grey laughed again.
"Of course he wouldn't! Doesn't want anyone thinking he needs help that one!" Grey pointed out. "It's alright to feel that way, but it ain't right to dismiss help when you need it. Everyone needs a little help from time to time, you know?"
Tornado didn't reply as she was coupled to the front of Grey whose face frowned slightly.
"Tell me if yer having trouble alright Stormy," Grey asked of her and Tornado frowned. "I'm a big girl, no matter my hang-ups, I'll do me best to help you out, mate."
"Okay Ms Grey," was all Tornado replied with and Grey gave a hum of disapproval.
"Little Storm, promise me you'll tell me if something's wrong so I can take over, alright?" Grey poked Tornado and Tornado felt angry at her for bringing it up again. She wished people would stop questioning how she was functioning or insisting she tell them something was wrong.
"Alright, I will!" Tornado answered, exasperated, sounding like a petulant child. Grey just raised an eyebrow at her in response.
"Tornado," Matthias warned his young engine. "Don't be rude to our guest."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled in response. She could feel Grey staring at the back of her tender with worry.
"You don't have to do this Stormy," Grey insisted. "I'll be fine pulling the train on my own."
"But I want to pull it with you!" Tornado insisted. "I wish everyone would stop treating me like a child! I wish people would stop doubting me when I say that I'm fine!"
She hadn't meant to sound as angry as she had but she couldn't help it.
"Tornado, we're just worried about you," Came Chloe's soft voice from her cab. "We don't mean to. I'm sure Grey is just worried about you like the rest of us."
"Besides, you have a history of not telling us when things are going wrong," Matthias pointed out.
"Can we just… go please?" Tornado muttered annoyed and there was a moment of silence as Matthias called Grey's driver, Roe, asking if all was good.
"Listen, if Tornado's all good then we're ready to set off mate," came the answer from the grizzled Aussie driver and Matthias nodded to Sean who smiled back.
"Alright, Tornado," the fireman called to the Peppercorn. "But if you don't tell us about any problems or pain you're having, then you're going to be in serious trouble after this trip."
"Fine I will!" Tornado snapped angrily and blasted jets of steam in response. "Just drop it already!"
Certainly there was a throbbing ache in her firebox that occasionally gave her a searing pain that radiated down her boiler on occasion but it had been going on for months now, it was nothing. It had to be nothing. Because if it was something then the engineers would have to take her apart to see what the issue was and that wasn't worth complaining about.
"Ah, she's young!" Grey exclaimed as the passengers boarded their train. "I was a bit of scamp when I was younger too. Bothered my crews to no end, surprised they didn't send me to the scrapyards for it! You'll grow out of it Tornado!"
Tornado seemed to pout, annoyed at Grey calling her young but at the same time she was grateful for Grey sticking up for her.
Before she could respond however, two little tank engines, Thomas and Fenchurch, came up to them with excited expressions on their faces.
"Hello Tornado! Hello Ms Grey!" Fenchurch chirped. "Happy travels on your train!"
"We're just going around the railway, nothing too intense!" Tornado scoffed. "The way these guys are talking you'd think we're going to Scotland or something!"
"They're just worried about you Tornado," Thomas pointed out and Tornado sighed in response.
"I know," she conceded. "I know."
"It'll be fine," Grey chuckled. "Plus, she'll have me around. I'm a big girl, can handle anything!"
There was the loud clatters and banging of the doors to the coaches being checked and shut as the two engines slowly built up more steam.
"When you get back, Flying Scotsman will be here!" Thomas informed them and Grey gave an excited peep of her whistle.
"Oh good-O!" Grey exclaimed. "I can't wait to catch up with the old fart!"
"I don't think he'll like you calling him an old fart," Fenchurch pointed out but Grey just burst out laughing at his response.
"I've called him worse things than 'Old Fart'!" She exulted. "Plus he's a big boy, he can take some banter!"
"You should hear the names Bittern calls him," Thomas smirked and Grey chuckled.
"I'd like to meet him too, to be honest, I've heard… stories," she gave a cheeky grin and winked at Thomas who laughed in return.
It didn't go unnoticed that Tornado was strangely silent the entire time. There was a sense of unease from her, but the other engines didn't press.
There came from the yell of the guards as the train appeared ready to depart.
"Let's get rolling ay!" Grey cheered and there came the loud blast of her whistle, Tornado quickly following suit.
A sharp stabbing pain ran from Tornado's firebox down to her smoke box as her regulator was engaged yet she ignore it and pushed through, detemined to show no emotion nor discomfort upon her face.
It was fine. She was fine.
Nothing would go wrong and she would complete this trip with no issue, she assured herself as she felt Grey take up the slack and power through, surprising Tornado with her strength.
Everything would be fine, Tornado told herself but the sensible, desperate little voice in the back of her mind told her she wasn't going to make this journey. It was screaming at her to stop this foolishness.
She ignored it and pushed onwards.
Everything was fine.
"Do you need some help, Little Peony?"
Peony squeaked and whirled on her heel, baby Scott cradled in her arms as she spun to find Olivia standing in the doorway to Scott's nursery.
"Ms Gresley you should be in bed!" Peony argued, dashing forward to guide the woman back to her bedroom but Olivia just chuckled and pulled Scott from her arms.
"You would deny me quality time with this little man?" Olivia hoisted her baby up into the air to which Scott giggled joyously and babbled happily. "Someone is very happy to see me!"
Peony stared at Lady Gresley bewildered. She didn't look sick anymore, she appeared… completely healthy.
The dark circles under her eyes were gone, colour had returned to her skin and her eyes… her eyes were burning with Gold Dust.
"I can look after Scott for a while little Peony, you must have a lot of chores to do," Olivia smiled down at her.
It was the first time Peony had seen her stand, Olivia towered over her and the large coat she was wearing over her nightgown made her appear even bigger. She was very intimidating.
But Dr Hendrick had told her to remain firm and not back down even when Ms Gresley intimidated her.
Peony frowned, putting on her toughest face and crossing her arms over her chest angrily.
"You should be resting Ms. Olivia!" Peony insisted. "Your illness, the baby!"
"It's all sorted, little Peony," Olivia assured her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're very sweet but you need not worry about Olivia."
Peony froze the second she heard it. It was subtle but it was there. There was another voice behind Olivia's. The inflections, the tone, the Gold Dust. It was reminding her of someone. Someone who she looked up to, who a lot of the little engines looked up to at the old LNER Top Sheds.
Peony flinched and backed away from Olivia, her eyes wide. Olivia seemed to freeze at her reaction and stared at her like she had been caught with a terrible secret.
"Miss… Miss Polly?" Peony asked frightened. "Is- is that you Miss Polly?!"
Olivia's gaze seemed to harden and she frowned at Peony before giving her a slight nod.
"I didn't think you would recognise me, it's been so long," Olivia spoke in Polly's voice.
Now Peony was convinced. Something weird had been going on with Ms Olivia and it hadn't been her imagination.
"Where's Ms Olivia? What have you done to her?!" Peony demanded. As much as she wanted Polly back, it shouldn't come at the cost of the lovely human that was Ms. Olivia. She really liked Ms. Olivia. Ms Olivia was kind and she had a family.
If Polly was now in Olivia's body, where had Olivia gone? Was she safe, was she still in there? Why after all these years, after asking Quicksilver, Dr Hendrick, and Sir Nigel about Polly and always being told she had never been able to be recovered… Why now had she appeared seeming out of nowhere, taking over the body of Ms Gresley? It didn't make sense.
Polly in Olivia's body was looking at her sympathiclly but Peony didn't want sympathy, she wanted to now if Ms. Olivia was alright. She wanted to know if she was safe, if she was still in there somewhere.
"I don't like this Ms Polly!" Peony shouted at her. "Ms Olivia is kind and sweet! Where is she?!"
"Please calm down little Peony, Ms Olivia is fine, I promise," Polly tried to reassure the riled up woman. "I am here to protect young Ms Olivia, I swear on soul."
"You promise?" Peony asked concerned, crossing her arms across her chest. "I don't believe you."
Polly nodded at her and offered her a smile.
"I promise," she vowed. "And it's understandable why you don't believe me. Would you like me to explain everything to you? Mind you, it is a long story, fair warning."
"I don't care, tell me!" Peony demanded and Polly in Olivia's body nodded to her.
"Of course dear," she acknowledged before looking out the window at the darkened sky. "How about we put little Scott to bed and I'll explain everything and answer any questions you might have."
Peony looked unsure and pursed her lips before nodding to her.
"Alright Ms Polly," she finally conceded after a long pause. "But I want to know everything!"
"Of course little Peony, no secrets from me, I'm not North after all," she assured her and Peony's lips twitched into a slight smile.
"No secrets!" She insisted before allowing Polly to put little Scott to sleep.
"Of course Peony, no more secrets."
Fenchurch and Thomas were waiting eagerly around the station platforms of the Bluebell, a few people loitered around, some with cameras, and others were just railway staff eager to see the celebrity engine arrive.
"It's been a long time since I last saw Scotsman," Fenchurch exclaimed excitedly. "I've been in disrepair every time he's visited. Missed him every time."
"Ah well, I'm sure he'll be his lovely charming self as always," Thomas grinned and Fenchurch blushed.
"Oh I know," the Terrier mumbled and Thomas squinted at him, suspicious.
"Do you have a crush on him?" Thomas teased and Fenchurch's cheeks flushed pink.
"No!" The Terrier denied adamantly before looking away embarrassed. "Maybe just a bit."
Thomas began laughing at him and Fenchurch turned even redder.
"Shut up it's not funny!" Fenchurch exclaimed, flustered. "Besides he's engaged to Truro!"
"Doesn't mean you can't crush on him," Thomas pointed out. "I bet people will still be crushing on him no matter what. He's a celebrity after all."
"It's improper!" Fenchurch squeaked. "Besides, I've only met him once before, he probably doesn't remember me! He's too famous to remember a little tank engine."
"He tries to remember everyone he meets so he might," Thomas thoughtfully remarked. "And I doubt you're the first engine who's got a crush on him. I've seen humans have crushes on him!"
Fenchurch just wheeshed a jet of steam and looked away.
"It's embarrassing, it's impolite, he has a partner!"
"Doesn't stop others trying to have a go at him," Thomas snorted.
"But it's rude!"
Thomas was about to retort when the piercing whistle echoed in the distance, the glow of an engine lamp illuminating the tracks northward.
Fenchurch squeaked as the ramble of humans became frenzied, cameras out and talking excitedly.
"Brace yourself, the big man's here!" Thomas teased Fenchurch. "Blimey, you're turning redder than James!"
"Shut up!" Fenchurch scolded Thomas but the little blue tank engine just laughed.
"I'm only teasing!"
"Hello everyone!" Came the deep baritone voice of Flying Scotsman as he slowly came to a halt before the station. "You all stayed up late to see silly little me! You shouldn't have!"
Fenchurch gave a nonsensical noise as Scotsman stopped right next to him, Thomas stifling his laughter at the Terrier while Scotsman addressed a few of the humans who had come up to him.
Fenchurch glared at Thomas as his face turned red from trying not to laugh at him.
"Thomas stop it!" Fenchurch shouted at him catching Scotsman's attention to the both of them.
"Thomas! Hello! It's good to see you on the mainland!" Scotsman grinned at him before turning his attention to the little black terrier. "And you're- no wait don't tell me! Terrier, Terrier, which means you must be Stepney's brother, Fenchurch! It's good to see you again!"
Fenchurch gave an awkward squawk in response to which Scotsman raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"He likes you!" Thomas teased and Fenchurch wanted the shunt him away from the platform in response.
"Shut up I do not!"
"Well of course he likes me! Everyone likes me!" Scotsman boasted cheerily.
"No, I mean he like likes you," Thomas teased and Fenchurch wheeshed at him loudly.
"SHUT UP THOMAS!" Fenchurch yelled at him.
"Aw Fenchurch I appreciate the affection, but I have a partner, er, fiancé," Scotsman sympathetically told the little engine. "And I, uh, I was never into tank engines I'm afraid."
"Typical tender engine," Thomas tutted, to which Scotsman rolled his and Fenchurch just looked away embarrassed.
"I still can't help the way I feel," the Terrier mumbled with a frightened look at Scotsman.
"I know little Fenchurch," Scotsman gave him an encouraging smile. "You're not the first engine to have affection for me and you certainly won't be the last. You'll find someone or perhaps, you'll learn to turn that love inwards to yourself! So chin up ay? Having an affection for a celebrity isn't the end of the world so long as you respect my choices."
Fenchurch seemed to understand and gave the bigger engine a brave smile.
"I will Scotsman, thank you Scotsman," the Terrier grinned at him before glaring at Thomas. "I need to be up early to do shunting tomorrow so please excuse me, I stayed out just to welcome you Scotsman."
"I'm very honoured, say hello to Stepney and the others if they're awake won't you?" Scotsman asked and Fenchurch smiled in affirmation.
"I will, you can count on me!"
"Good man! Have a good rest!"
"Thank you I will!" Fenchurch squeaked as he backed down the track with a squeak at speed. He almost jumped on a set of points and his driver loudly cursed his foolishness.
Scotsman stared at the track Fenchurch had been before turning his attention to Thomas.
"Is he okay?" He asked and Thomas laughed.
"Oh he stayed up to greet you because he has that crush on you," Thomas explained and Scotsman guffawed in response.
"It makes sense, it did seem a bit more than just the admiring I'm used to," he laughed before turning his attention to Thomas. "What about you Thomas? Do you have a crush on me too?"
"In your dreams, maybe!" Thomas cheekily retorted. "I came out to greet you because I promised Gordon I'd keep an eye on you. Made sure you arrived safely."
Scotsman just rolled his eyes and tutted at that.
"I'm not a child," he muttered. "But thank you, Thomas, I'm glad my brother has my best interests in his mind."
"He threw a fit when he couldn't come to the gala," Thomas revealed and Scotsman burst out laughing.
"Of course he did! I swear Gordon has the petulance of a child sometimes!" Scotsman sighed to himself before looking up at the night sky. "That's okay, I think we both do. I am very childish and so are you Thomas!"
"I am not childish!" Thomas pouted at him annoyed. "You sound like Gordon! I thought you were the fun one."
"There's nothing wrong with being childish Thomas!" Scotsman assured him and Thomas grinned. "Besides, I am the fun one. Would you like me to remind you how much fun I can be?"
Thomas shuddered, recalling the time that Scotsman had pulled a prank on him. Neither he nor Henry had found it particularly funny. Everyone else did though.
"No thank you!" Thomas quickly requested and Scotsman just laughed at him for that.
It took every rivet in Tornado's boiler not to cry out in pain as she felt the pain in her boiler start to become less like an occasional stabbing pain and more like a constant barrage of welding sparks and a searing cutter's torch behind her smokebox.
"Y'know, I wasn't sure about an evening tour and not being able to see anything but this is nice!" Grey was saying with a slight bounce to her stride.
The Australian engine was enjoying herself greatly it seemed but her swaying on her frames was rocking their coupling and making Tornado's tender sway which made her felt ill. It felt like her boiler was being filled with rank sewage water and being shaken violently.
"I'm glad I took that Toaster up on her offer, this is lovely," Grey continued with a cheery disposition as she watched fireflies glimmer against the darkened sky. "This railway is so pretty, even in the dark."
Tornado wanted to respond to her but she felt that she couldn't. Speaking would give away the fact she was struggling and in pain but she didn't want to ruin Grey's trip, she didn't want to let her crew know she was in trouble, she didn't want to be disassembled and broken apart again and so Tornado kept her silence.
Grey didn't seem bothered, more interested in their surroundings but her crew was definitely picking up on the fact she wasn't talking at all.
"Everything okay Tornado?" Chloe asked concerned as she leant out her cab window, looking past her boiler. "You're being quiet."
Tornado said nothing as the pain behind her smokebox seemed to worsen as the track slowly began to incline.
'Please not an incline,' Tornado thought desperately and almost cried out in anguish as the track before them began to climb into a steeper gradient. She was almost at her limit, she just wanted the trip to be over and to go back to a shed to recuperate.
"Something's wrong," She heard Chloe suddenly call out. "Check her firebox."
Tornado shook her footplate frustrated. Despite her pain she could keep going, she could-
Even with the firebox closed she could feel something very wrong with it. Her steam was growing weaker, her fire felt like it was being choked, suffocated as something curled around it and began smothering it.
She struggled to breathe as she felt her fire grow colder, the lack of heat choking her as she grew desperate for steam.
"Hey… Stormy, you're getting real heavy there," Grey suddenly spoke out, as Tornado felt herself grow weaker, Grey was beginning to push her and take more of her weight. "You need me to take over or what?"
Finally, Tornado decided to admit she was in trouble.
"I… I can't breathe…" she rasped, her voice coming out as a strangled gasp and she felt Grey's alarm. "I can't breathe! Everything hurts! Please! I can't breathe!"
"It's okay Stormy, I got you, girl!" Grey assured her but Tornado barely heard the other engine as she struggled for steam, for her very breath. All she could do was wheeze as she felt her pressure drastically drop.
"There's steam leaking into her firebox!" Came the cry of someone, she could not tell who though as she began to sputter and choke, desperate for steam.
She heard her driver cursing and calling to Grey's crew but she couldn't make out the words as everything started to blur and she struggled for breath, for power but nothing was moving her pistons anymore.. She couldn't breathe, her wheels were slipping and she was dimly aware of the fact she was crying.
She began to panic as she felt her firebox grow colder, the fire inside being smothered into nothing but glowing coals. She was failing, she was broken… she couldn't do anything, her strength was escaping her as her wheels slipped and failed to gain traction.
"Help me!" She tried to cry out but all that out was a strangled choke of pain as she felt consciousness begin to slip from her grasp.
The last thing she heard was people calling out to her, cry out her name as her steam was spent with one final desperate gasp, her strength failed completely and she slipped back towards Grey, limp and completely spent.
Tornado's vision faded to pitch black and she felt herself slip into a dark and cold unconsciousness.