James didn't know how long he sat derailed at the end of the unfinished bit of track, but after what seemed like an eternity, he felt someone couple up to him from behind.

"That was a close call, red engine," said Frankie firmly.

"Yeah, you could have done yourself some serious damage, James, going off the rails like that," said Hurricane; unlike Frankie, the tone in his voice was more of concern. He managed to pull the red engine back onto the rails. "That old track hasn't been used for years!"

"And how would we manage without you?" remarked Frankie. "You can't expect Hurricane and I to be doing all of that dirty work! We have more important jobs to be doing."

"Hmph, I suppose so," James muttered sarcastically. Fortunately, he'd suffered no damage from his derailment, so he was allowed to go straight back to work.

However, the red engine was rather curious about something. James waited until Hurricane was filling up at the coal depot.

"Hurricane?" he asked. "Why… why do you work with Frankie? She didn't show any concern towards my well-being, but you did."

"She… wasn't always like this," admitted Hurricane. "Let me tell you a story…"

Past

Down at a yard, Frankie was the main pilot. She was often shunting trains for the bigger engines to take on long journeys.

"Chop chop!" called a green diesel numbered D282. "This isn't time for lollygagging!"

"You're supposed to be shunting my train!" exclaimed a bronze green diesel numbered D5501.

"I'm refueling!" cried Frankie. "Hold your horses, I'm getting to you."

"I'll show you 'getting to you'!" snapped a blue diesel numbered D5701. The blue diesel was so impatient and spiteful, that she shunted Frankie right under the fuel pipe. Oil spilled all over her and she coughed and spluttered. The three of them laughed and laughed.

"Ooh!" huffed Frankie. "You three should put on clown faces and join the circus! Oh wait, I forgot; you're not humorous enough to join!"

"You certainly are though!" smirked 282.

"Is she really?" I huffed as I stormed into the yard – pun intended. "I don't see the joke here. You only laugh along with someone; to build up isn't necessarily to put down!"

"What's it to you, steamer?" scoffed 5701. "You've got no place around here."

"Yeah!" said 5501. "Go back to your heritage line."

"Well, if you three won't shut up… I'll make you!" I wheeshed loudly at the trio of diesels.

"Ugh…" coughed 282. "I just remembered… I have a train to prepare."

"Same with me." 5501 couldn't get out of there fast enough.

"Hey, wait up!" cried 5701. "Ugh… what my brother sees in steamers, I'll never know…"

Frankie gasped in shock. "You… you shooed them away! Oh, no one's ever done that for me before. Thank you so much!"

"Heh," I smiled shyly. "Think nothing of it, miss. I'm Hurricane; you know, like a storm!"

"My name is Frankie," she smiled. "Oh, I'm honored to meet you. Wow, you are one amazing engine."

"Oh, I'm not that amazing," I said modestly. "I'm just built differently from other steam engines. But why does that lot treat you so horribly?"

"They think that just because they're bigger than me, they're automatically better than me," Frankie explained unhappily.

"Well, that's not fair," I scoffed. "Hmm… tell you what, how about I get my manager to buy you for our Steelworks?"

"You'd do that?" asked Frankie. "Oh, thank you! I'd love that."

"It is the hottest place in town," I said proudly.

When purchased, I quickly introduced Frankie to the others. There were lots of us back then. As well as Sixteen, Harvey, Norman and Dennis, there were Lexi, Theo, Madeline and Monica.

Present

"Wait a second!" cried James. "I know all those names. Madeline is at the Rolling Hills Railway, Monica is at the Earl's Railway Museum, and Lexi and Theo…"

"Lexi and Theo?!" Hurricane gasped. "I haven't seen them since they ran away. Are they alright?!"

"Wait… back up," James trailed off. "Ran away? Like… I tried to do?"

"Yeah," Hurricane sighed.

Past

I remember us all singing our song to Frankie for the first time.

"This is the hottest place in town,

We'll warm you up, when you're feeling down," Sixteen and Monica sang.

"We'll make a smile out of every frown…" sang Harvey, Dennis and Norman.

"Just take a look around at the joy we've found!" I went on.

"This is the place you can have some fun

Where you can feel like number one," we all chorused.

"We've got more sunshine than the sun

There's a light in our eyes we simply can't disguise…" Lexi, Theo and Madeline seemed to miss their cue, as Frankie burst out laughing.

"Just what are you three?" she asked Theo, Lexi, and Madeline. "Rejects from a drawing board brought to life with magic?"

"We prefer the term 'experimental'," huffed Madeline. "I am a freelance design."

"I'm cab forward," said Lexi.

"A-and I've g-got a few extra c-cogs," said Theo.

"That's nae excuse fer makin' fun of them!" snapped Harvey.

"And what about you?" laughed Frankie. "You don't even look like an engine; more like a breakdown crane on wheels."

"At least he's a hard worker who means well!" snapped Amanda. "What gives you the right to come in here and make fun of engines who look different?"

"I was just giving my honest opinion," Frankie insisted. "Honesty is the best policy, is it not?"

"Not if it means putting others down!" growled Norman.

"There's a fine line between being honest, and flat out being mean, you idiot," added Dennis.

"Efficiency is key to a railway's survival," huffed Frankie. "We'll have to see how well the place runs with some freaks like those four involved."

I frowned. I didn't like the idea of Frankie making fun of my friends for being different. Yet at the same time, I still wanted to make her feel welcome after her rough life in the shunting yards. "Frankie, I think you need some time outside to cool off," I said.

"Oh, a delightful idea, Hurricane," she grinned as she rattled outside.

"My deepest apologies," I said quietly as I followed.

Time went by, and engines slowly began to leave.

"Guys, guys!" called Harvey one day. "Ye'll ne'er guess what happened; Ah've been asked tae go tae a new railway."

"You have?!" cried Monica. "That's amazing, Harvey. Best of luck."

"W-we'll m-miss you, Harvey," Theo said shyly.

"What?!" exclaimed Frankie. "You're leaving us?"

"Why would ye care?" snorted Harvey. "Ah figured ye of all engines would be happy that an oddball like meself would be out of yer hair."

"There will be more work for the rest of us, that's why!" snapped Frankie. "You can't expect this lazy slacker over here to pull his own weight!" She was, of course, referring to Dennis, who was in the middle of one of his many between work naps.

"Well, ye try an' figure that one out, Frankie," grunted Harvey, "bein' so clever an' all."

"Well," said Lexi, "we hope you'll thrive in your new environment, Harvey. I know the rest of us will greatly miss your presence."

"Thank ye, Lexi," he smiled. "Farewell, mah friends."

To a chorus of whistles and toots, Harvey left the steelworks and joined the North Western Railway on Sodor. And he was just the first to go…

Over the years, the other engines all left for various reasons. Madeline and Sixteen were both bought by the Rolling Hills Railway; Dennis left for Sodor and… we also lost Norman; Monica recently went to that railway museum you mentioned, and… before that…

"Come on, come on!" grunted Frankie. "Theo, why can't you take more trucks than that?!"

"I-I wasn't built for s-strength!" Theo protested, carefully trying to move a set of trucks.

"And Lexi," snorted Frankie, "why can't you get coupled to those trucks? It'd make things so much easier!"

"My cowcatcher isn't the best for that sort of thing!" they huffed.

"We are so behind," Frankie snapped. "What with everyone leaving left and right!"

"You know what?" growled Lexi. "They all had a good idea."

"Just what are you getting at?" demanded Frankie. Lexi glared defiantly at the bossy shunter.

"I quit!"

"M-me too!" stammered Theo. "I'd r-r-rather be homeless than b-bullied for being d-different!"

"I support your decision," said Monica. "I'll only stay here to keep Hurricane company, but you two go."

"Thanks, Monica," I smiled weakly. "Still… you two run along."

With that said, Theo and Lexi left the Steelworks, never to return.

"You traitors!" Frankie snapped. "Go ahead and run off! Maybe you'll find new life in a traveling circus or something!"

Present

"And… what about Monica?" asked James. "How did she…"

"I encouraged her to go," said Hurricane. "She just couldn't take Frankie being so spiteful and relentless, and so that's when… your Earl was here… she took that opportunity."

"Why didn't you call Frankie out on what she was doing?" James demanded. "How could you just sit idly by and let her act so horrid?"

"Well, I tried speaking up for them," Hurricane insisted, "but Frankie kept doing it anyway. All that time she was being pushed around in the yard, I was trying to be a good friend for her and make her happy."

"But don't you see?" James asked seriously. "You practically spoiled her! By letting Frankie get her way so much, you unintentionally enabled her to become the psycho she is now. You should have put your wheel down sooner, or better yet, send her to get some counseling before she got as bad!"

Hurricane went pale. "I… you're right. Everyone was chased away because Frankie was so spoiled and selfish… and I was indulging her."

"You need to take a stand against that brat," encouraged James. "The sooner you do, the better you'll feel."

Hurricane paused at James' words. He had submitted himself to a bully for years… could he really do it?

Author's Comments

Okay, I think you guys have been kept in suspense for long enough; this is where we go into fuller detail about why several engines ended up leaving the Steelworks with most of them ending up on Sodor. One thing that was never brought up at any point in Journey Beyond Sodor was why Hurricane and Frankie stayed together during the Steelworks' hardships; with Sailor John and Skiff, it's a cut and dry situation where the latter has no choice in the situation. Here, Frankie was bullied by bigger diesels on the mainland (Simone the 40 and Goyle the 31 are from Bluebells of England, and Tempest the 28 from Escape), yet despite being given a chance in a new location, she took her frustrations out on those who looked different. The last scene is the point where James truly begins to turn around for the better, encouraging Hurricane in that he deserves better than being trapped in a toxic friendship, and the Decapod knows it, but doesn't have the gumption to stand up to Frankie... yet.

Next time, some of our Sodor friends start Taking Action!