26 - Great Northern
Great Northern gazed out over the lake, his thoughts elsewhere as Sir Gresley attended to his Ducks. The elder engine held zero interest in the creatures and wanted nothing more to do with them, preferring to be at work on the railway.
"The birds are migrating later this year, how odd," came the tired voice of Sir Gresley at his side. The man turned to him as he stood beside him in his human form, his engine towering over the both of them, casting them in an ominous shadow. "Thoughts?"
"The war perhaps," North shrugged dismissively. He really couldn't care less about the waterfowl that Sir Gresley looked after.
Sir Gresley sighed and shook his head. "Mallard would have an idea. He's a smart engine despite his shortcomings."
"He has become reckless and extremely volatile sir," North immediately scolded his cousin. "No one seems to be able to reign him in."
The chief engineer shook his head and an exhausted look appeared on his face.
"Oh Mallard," the man exclaimed quietly. "He tries to hide his demeanour from me but I know how bad he has gotten."
The engineer crossed his arms across his chest and frowned.
"Perhaps I was wrong to limit his Gold Dust," he murmured to himself. "I think I made a mistake in who I made the Golden Warden."
Great Northern's face paled. But he was the LNER's Golden Warden.
"What have I done to fail you, sir?" North bowed low to the man apologetically and Sir Gresley shook his head.
"Nothing. You have done your best and you have done a good and wonderful job, I have enjoyed your companionship immensely," the engineer reassured North with a clap on his shoulder. "But I do wonder, had I done things a bit differently, perhaps, had I been more open to it, Mallard would have been a most wonderful ambassador."
"Sir?" North was confused. Mallard was one of the most egocentric and brash of all his engines. "Mallard is-"
"A reckless and impulsive bragget, yes, I am aware," Sir Gresley nodded to him. "He insults other engines and he has little to no tact when dealing with other engines or people."
"Then why Mallard sir? I thought Flying Scotsman was your chosen engine," North questioned.
"He is, but, too much Gold Dust appeared to make him too… empathic and he lacks the confidence," Sir Gresley lamented. "I intend for Scotsman to lead the LNER into the future. But he lacks the desire to. A shame he cannot perceive just how much of a good leader he would be."
"That's just who Scotsman is sir," North found himself defending his younger brother. "Regardless of his soul being made from a fragment of the Lady's, I think no matter the amount of Gold Dust he would have turned out the same. Same with Mallard. The lack of Gold Dust is not why Mallard is a, forgive the term sir, asshole."
Sir Gresley paused, mulling over North's words, his thumb going over North's Golden Whistle he held in his hand.
"Your words make me feel confident in leaving my research and legacy in your hands, Great Northern. I can trust you to continue my work after I am gone." the Engineer finally admitted. "However, do not think I am going to let you off the hook for treating your siblings and cousins with such… abuse. You have caused damage that I fear will never be repaired."
North bowed his head shamefully. "My siblings won't speak to me anymore, Flying Scotsman made it quite clear that he would no longer defend me from them or the A4s. I… have even fallen out with Banbury whom I was closest with."
Sir Gresley said nothing, only staring out across the lake.
"I admit, I did place more responsibility and threaten you at times which may have contributed," he admitted after a long while. "Regrets from the both of us."
"I consider Mallard my greatest failure," North muttered to himself. "I wasn't able to curb his nasty personality."
"Mallard does not have a nasty personality, he acts abrasive and awkward, yes but he is not naturally nasty," Sir Gresley quickly argued. "If you had gotten to know him you would know that he is curious, creative and highly intelligent. He likes to be social with those whom he is comfortable with and he cares deeply for the few friends he has. He is loyal beyond words to those who earn his trust."
North said nothing. He'd never seen this side of Mallard that Sir Gresley spoke of but he knew that Sir Gresley in particular favoured Mallard when visiting this spot.
"I am sorry that I failed to even see the personalities of those who I spent years with, sir," North regretfully muttered.
"Your main issue is the same as Mallard's," The engineer remarked and North looked at him in surprise.
"I don't understand sir," he admitted, confused.
"You're both too concerned about how others perceive you, you focus too much on trying to impress others when you should focus on doing what you believe, even if people tell you otherwise," the man explained with a faint smile.
"I'm not Polly sir, I do what's best for the LNER," North defended himself.
"What's best for the LNER is not sometimes in the best interests of its engines or employees, North," Sir Gresley chided him and North hung his head again. "Regardless, what is more important is that my Gold Dust research is kept safe. I do not want it falling into the wrong hands."
"The Germans sir?" North asked, glancing out across the lake, the soft hum of aeroplanes from the nearby air base echoing over the hills in the distance.
"Yes, but you know who I speak of," Sir Gresley scowled, a look of disdain in his eyes.
"Thompson."
"Quite," Sir Gresley looked away. "I have heard whispers, he is going to go after Mallard."
"Mallard? Why him and not Scotsman? Scotsman is your favourite engine," North pointed out.
"Scotsman may be my favourite engine but Mallard is undoubtedly my best engine," Sir Gresley stated, looking North dead in the eye. " Scotsman may be more famous, more amicable, but it is Mallard who is the best of all my engines."
North was silent. He had spent the past decade disagreeing with that statement, to hear the man himself say that-
"Thompson has his sights set on you too," Sir Gresley warned and North's eyes widened in alarm. "I will make efforts to make sure that you are safe, however, I cannot be 100% sure."
"I-" North was scared now.
"Great Northern," Sir Gresley turned to him, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I am entrusting you to keep your fellow engines safe after I am gone. I am trusting you to protect their souls, their legacy. Please do not let me down."
"I will make every effort not to Sir Gresley."
North felt the weight remain on his shoulders even after the CME released his grasp on him.
"Good man," Sir Gresley nodded to him then glanced at North's engine. "Back in your engine, North. The directors will get tetchy if I am away from my post for too long during these times."
North bowed to him in respect and in a flutter of Gold Dust, North returned to his engine as Sir Gresley went to farewell his ducks.
A darkness hung in the world these days, North had come to find.
It wasn't just from the war.
He could feel something coming.
Something terrible.
So terrible that no engine was safe, no matter how much Sir Gresley prepared.
"You were supposed to protect Mallard," Came the accusing voice of the deep blue A4 as he puffed towards Great Northern.
Great Northern himself was sitting in the sheds at Grantham, his shunting duties done for the day. He was finding that there was even less work for him as the days went on. The station master had called in a Class 08 diesel after he had once again failed to perform.
He avoided the A4s fierce gaze. He wasn't sure, but he suspected that Sir Gresley had somehow fused his own soul with the engine bearing his name. The A4 had been acting… strange since their engineer's death.
He had begun to act like the man himself, it was uncanny. However, there still remained the A4s original personality so it was hard for North to figure out what had happened.
Perhaps the man had split his soul? It would make sense as to why the A4 didn't have the man's memories. Maybe it went wrong and he only managed to impose his will on the A4.
Regardless, North knew that the engineer had done… something.
What, North had no idea.
"I couldn't even protect myself, Sir Nigel," North remarked, looking sorry for himself. "Thompson took me and… destroyed me."
"Perhaps it is karmic retribution, for your failures to your fellow engines," Sir Nigel pointed out North didn't even deny it, staring blankly at the A4.
"What did Thompson do to Mallard?" He eventually asked.
"It took Peppercorn a while to figure it out but it's the worst-case scenario," the A4 explained grimly. "His Gold Dust was purged and replaced with that vile liquid ash substance."
North's eyes widened in horror.
"No!" North choked out, "That will kill him! The Cold Iron Sleep will erase him and leave his engine empty."
"Surprisingly not," Sir Nigel informed North who frowned in response. "He's been like this for over a year now. Not a single sign of Cold Iron Sleep."
North stared at Sir Nigel flabbergasted.
"That should be impossible!" he exclaimed.
"Yes. But somehow, Mallard defies all odds," Sir Nigel hummed to himself. "Quicksilver thinks that it is because he is used to having such a small amount of Gold Dust. Either way, Thompson is furious that he could not kill Mallard."
"I'm… glad that Mallard is still alive," North mumbled and the blue A4 glared at him.
"No, you're glad that you don't have to deal with the shame of failing Sir Gresley," Sir Nigel scolded him. "You have never liked Mallard and you've never liked us A4s. Hell, you don't even like Scotsman."
That one stung him.
"How dare you! Of course I like Scotsman, he's my brother!"
"Then why did you always treat him like he was beneath you?! Like he was nothing but garbage! You threatened to give Thompson Gordon!" Sir Nigel shouted furiously at him. "You know how much that would have destroyed Scotsman! Gordon is his idol! His hero!"
"Gordon isn't our brother! He is a prototype! Like the P2's are to your class!" North snapped back. "Scotsman is wrong to idolise him!"
"So what is he supposed to do? Idolise a sad, pathetic Thompson rebuild that has been rejected by all the other Gresley's? Unlike Gordon, you are no longer a Gresley!" The A4 was furious now, shouting at him causing the other shunting engines to stop and stare.
"I am still a Gresley!" North tried to claim but his tone was lacklustre and betrayed his true feelings.
Sir Nigel tutted and sighed.
"The class leaders have spoken to me and made the executive decision to name me leader of the LNER engines," Sir Nigel finally spoke. "You have been demoted. I will be taking over Sir Gresley's legacy from now on."
"You can't!" North exploded in anger, his expression one of rage. "You never knew him as well as I did!"
"That's true," Sir Nigel admitted. "You have all his secrets, his knowledge, but despite all that, you never even knew your family. How could you possibly decide what is in the best interests of your family when you never even knew them, Great Northern?"
North stared at the A4. He wasn't smug and wasn't lauding that fact over him which made North think that Sir Nigel was being 100% genuine.
Though, to be fair he had seen this coming the moment Flying Scotsman himself had dressed him down in front of his passengers for being late.
"I see I have no choice in the decision, no matter my protests," North admitted quietly.
"None whatsoever," Sir Nigel bluntly replied.
North was hurt but, at the very least he was grateful that he had heard it from the engine himself.
"Thank-you for telling me in person at least," North managed to mumble and Sir Nigel gave a huff of approval.
"I'm glad to see you're taking this maturely," Sir Nigel remarked. "Seems your rebuild has at the very least humbled that ego of yours."
North said nothing.
"I'll take my leave then," Sir Nigel informed him politely. "A good day to you, Great Northern."
"Wait," North suddenly spoke out and the A4 paused. "If- if I find something that can help Mallard get his soul back, I'll let you know."
Sir Nigel frowned at him and gave a soft hum.
"I'll keep that in mind," was all he said and promptly left, no longer wanting to give North an inch more.
The other engines spoke in hushed words and tittered among themselves but North ignored them.
He was used to other engines being catty about him. They were irrelevant.
Just like he was.
"Mother and father don't visit me anymore, why?"
Great Northern turned to look at the small frail form of Olivia Gresley lying propped up on her pillows in her hospital bed. He had been assigned to watch over her, but North knew that it was to keep him out of the Gresley's way. They did not like him in the slightest. None of the humans did.
He focused his attention on the young girl, all manner of medical instruments were attached to her and she seemed dejected and sad. She was looking up at him, exhaustion evident on her face.
She was too young to go through this. Too young to be in such a horrid state. She was only 6 years old yet she had spent most of her life in hospitals, surrounded by unfamiliar people and horrid chemical smells.
He was unsure of what to say to the young girl. He had never been good with his younger siblings, that much was obvious.
"Is it because I'm going to die?" She asked quietly. "Because my heart doesn't work?"
There was a tone in her voice that told him she had accepted her fate, like his siblings who had been sent to the scrapyard and awaited the torch. It frightened him deeply. A child so young should not have even thought of such things.
Deeply concerned now, North walked to her bedside and gently grasped one of her small hands that lay limply on her bed covers.
"You are not going to die," he tried to assure her but Olivia turned her head to look away.
"I heard the doctor talking to Mum," she quietly recounted. "He said I have maybe a few months to a year to live."
North inwardly sighed and looked away from his young ward. He wanted to protect her, but all he knew was the secrets of Gold Dust. He knew how engines worked, he knew everything about them inside out thanks to Sir Gresley but when it came to humans he was at a loss.
Why was it that no one in his care ever turned out well? Why was it that he lost almost everyone under his responsibility? Or rather, failed them miserably in every possible way he could.
North knew it was a long shot, that Gold Dust might not even do anything to a human but he had to try. His mind began to swarm with ideas, anything that could lead to a breakthrough.
He had to do something, or at least try.
It had been almost 50 years. Mallard was still soulless, all his knowledge and research had amounted to nothing. He still didn't even have the faintest clue how Mallard could still be alive. But he was.
Even Sir Nigel was starting to give up hope.
But Olivia was their engineer's flesh and blood.
If he failed her… he would never forgive himself.
"I'll try to save you, Lady Olivia," he vowed and Olivia stared at him.
"But you're not a doctor silly!" she giggled at him.
"No, no, I have something better!" North put on a voice he had seen Scotsman put on when he was often speaking to children or getting a crowd excited for an event. "Gold magic!"
Olivia laughed at him but soon began coughing and stopped. She regained her composure and pouted at him.
"Don't be silly Uncle Nathan! Magic isn't real!" she scolded him and North smiled. She was just like her Great Grandfather in many ways.
"Not with that attitude, young lady!" North smirked and Olivia giggled at him again.
He gave her a mysterious smile and put his hand in his coat pocket.
"I can magic up a gift for you right now in fact!" North declared and Olivia narrowed her eyes at him.
"Is it the model train in your pocket?"
North grinned, proud of her. She was such an attentive human child.
"You may have it, if you can guess the model of the train," he explained and Olivia squinted at the lump in his pocket.
"Well it doesn't look like a round-boilered one from the lump," she mused carefully. "So it must be a strange one. Is it streamlined?"
North nodded, unable to stop himself from grinning.
"And it must be a Gresley but I already have an A4 in my box so… is it the Hush Hush?"
"Ah, not quite young lady," North lamented. "But a very good guess."
He took out the model to reveal an A4-looking engine with an extra pair of wheels.
"A P2!" Olivia exclaimed but then looked dejected. "I didn't guess it though so I can't have it."
"You guessed it was a Gresley, that is more than good enough for me, precious Olivia," North smiled as he pressed the little train into her hands.
Olivia gave a small squeal of delight as she turned the model over in her hands.
"Thank you!" She cheered but as she looked over it, her hands began to spasm and she dropped it, it almost rolled off the bed and would have smashed had North not caught it.
"Olivia?" He asked concerned as she winced in pain and she trembled from it. "Are you alright? Do you need help?"
She nodded silently and North reached over to press the emergency button. He went to go out into the corridor to flag down a nurse or doctor but stopped when Olivia grasped his hand firmly.
"Olivia?" He asked, confused.
"Please don't leave me," She begged him, her eyes filled with tears. "You're the only friend I have."
North nodded quietly and squeezed the small hand that clung so desperately to him.
"I won't leave you, I promise," North promised the young girl.
Olivia seemed to be in a lot of pain now but she kept her grip on his hand tight.
"Thanks, Dad," she mumbled, barely audible to North but he had heard it. He had no idea why but those words made the tears well up in his eyes.
Silly Olivia, he wasn't her father. He thought to himself but in her defence… he was probably the closest thing to a father she had ever known.
"I need your help," The little Steamworks Wren looked up from his work to glance at Great Northern who had entered the catacombs and was once again making demands. "It's urgent."
"How could I possibly help, I thought you knew everything you needed to know about engines from me North," Hendrick, once the little Wren of the Steamworks retorted with a sour look. "Or are you going to mock me further for wanting to learn about humans?"
"It concerns Lady Olivia Gresley, Hendrick," Great Northern frowned at him and the little Wren immediately sat up straight, behind him, Pretty Polly's run-down engine creaked as she straightened herself on her wheels.
Her engine was worn, rusted and vines had grown over it since the decades that North had rescued her but still, she was bright and happy. She had been trapped in these catacombs underneath the Gresley manor for so long yet somehow her attitude was positive.
North would never admit it but he was impressed and even jealous to some degree.
"How is the poor girl?" Polly asked and a look of despair flashed across North's face.
"The doctors say she only has months to a year to live," he explained grimly.
"Oh no, the poor girl!" Polly was aghast with horror. "Are her parents at least helping her?"
North sighed and looked away.
"They've given up on her," he muttered angrily. "They've neglected her for the past year and it's not right! She doesn't have any friends and I'm the only person besides her brothers that sees her these days."
If she could have, North knew that Polly would have gone and given the girl's parents a piece of her mind. Probably more.
"We have to do something!" Hendrick implored North and the man gave an exasperated sigh.
"I've been trying but nothing works. She's human, she's not an engine, she doesn't respond to Gold Dust," he muttered. "I've done everything I possibly can but without a Golden Soul, I don't think I can save her."
North collapsed into a nearby chair and looked helplessly up at Hendrick.
"I figured you might be able to try something, anything," North implored the Wren desperately.
Polly and Hendrick glanced at each other but North paid them no heed. He needed to do something… anything.
"You care more about this girl than you ever did any of your siblings," Polly noted and North clenched his fists in response, his anger flaring up.
"I did care about all of you," he snapped back but Polly held his glare.
"You had a funny way of showing it!" She snapped as North jumped up and marched towards her furiously.
"This isn't about what I did in the past!" He shouted at her furiously but Polly just scoffed.
"You going out and rescuing engines at the last minute does not make up for what you did! Rescuing Olivia won't either! It does not make up for the damage you caused! For what you turned Mallard into-"
"I KNOW THAT!" North roared at her, surprising her with his ferocity. It faulted almost at once and a look of complete and utter hopelessness appeared on his face. "I know that! No one more than me knows how awful of a person I was, Polly!"
Polly's expression turned to one of surprise as she watched North mope back to his seat and hang his head in his hands.
"The least I can do is try," North croaked weakly. "Every single thing I try to restore Mallard's soul has failed. All those attempts to try and awaken Flying Scotsman's Golden Soul have failed. I pushed every single person in my life away! I'm a failure, I get it!"
The amount of spite in his voice for himself left them shocked but North ignored them.
"But if there's one thing I can't do, it's fail this innocent young girl," he muttered weakly. "I can't fail her, she deserves a life, she deserves happiness, I just want at least one thing to go right in my life."
A tense and nervous silence filled the catacombs as North tried to stifle the tears and sobs that involuntarily came to him.
Hendrick glanced at Polly who looked lost for words before walking over to North and gingerly putting a hand on his back in comfort.
"I don't have a doctor's extensive knowledge of humans quite yet," Hendrick admitted. "But I'm sure that we can figure something out."
North took a moment to regain his composure before he sat up straight, peering at the little Wren and his sister. He blushed, embarrassed at the tears on his face and quickly looked away.
North rarely if ever showed emotion. Especially showing himself vulnerable like this.
"North," Polly began but North shook his head.
"You're right Polly, everything terrible you say about me is right," he claimed. "But I want to try to make things right. I want to atone for what I've done, I'm not looking for praise or to be friends again. I just want to repair some of the damage I've done."
Polly's expression softened and she gave him a slight smile.
"I'll wait until I see results to make my judgement North," Polly acknowledged. "But I will support you in trying to help young Lady Olivia. Getting Mallard his soul back should also be the top priority. He's started to destroy preserved engines at an alarming rate. I fear he may try to scrap Scotsman again."
North nodded, still feeling numb from his unexpected outburst of emotion.
"That's all I ask, Pretty Polly."
"I'd love to meet this sweet girl," Polly lamented to North as he sat at the bench going over plans to resurrect Quicksilver with her nameplate.
Polly seemed bored but North could not blame her, being cooped up in an underground catacomb for almost 2 decades at this point.
"You know Quicksilver very well," North muttered offhandedly as he worked.
"I meant Little Olivia, you silly old fool," Polly huffed indignantly, shifting on her frames.
"I doubt her parents would want their seriously ill daughter scrounging around in a dark dusty catacomb," North pointed out and Polly rolled her eyes.
"Must you always be so dense, brother?" She tutted. "I miss Scotsman. She was playful and fun, even when things were dire."
"She's in Australia right now," North commented, ignoring the snide remarks from his sister.
"Oh! More memorabilia for your collection! I bet she's having a wonderful time! Do you think she and Pendennis got back together?" Polly cheered sarcastically and North sighed and threw down the pencil he was using, deeply annoyed.
"The sooner I get Quicksilver back, the less I'll have to hear of you gossiping about others," North muttered curtly.
"It's about Scotsman though," Polly pointed out. "I thought you were obsessed with her."
"I'm not obsessed with Scotsman!" North denied but Polly just snorted in response, eyeing the large collection of 'Flying Scotsman tat' that hung around his workbench.
North went red with embarrassment and shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," he muttered to himself before returning to his work.
There was a pause.
"How is Little Olivia anyway?" Polly finally asked. "Any progress? Is Hendrick's knowledge helpful?"
"Hendrick's studies have revealed promising results," North noted. "We've tried acclimatising her to Gold Dust and it's halting her illness."
"That's good!"
"Yes, but the Gold Dust often fades," North sighed. "It is unstable and we constantly have to replenish it. It is a constant battle to keep up with her illness."
Polly hummed thoughtfully.
"So she needs a stable source of Gold Dust to keep her healthy," Polly murmured to herself softly. "Interesting."
North suddenly sat up straight and narrowed his eyes.
"Don't even think about it," he warned her but Polly just frowned.
"Think about what dear brother?" Polly asked innocently.
"Giving your soul to her," North growled out. "It is out of the question."
"You have no power over me, brother!" Polly sneered and North glared at her. "You may have rescued me from that siding but you do not have a say in what I do with my soul! I have sat here watching you mumble and complain to yourself for almost 2 decades! Sometimes I think I would have preferred being left on that siding-"
"I can't lose anyone else! Especially not you!" North suddenly shouted at Polly.
Polly scoffed in response.
"And what is so special about me exactly?" She demanded. "Am I some kind of special Golden Construct that you can use, hmm?"
"No, I need you because you challenge me and my stupidity!" North argued. "You keep me from doing dumb things! You keep my head in the game!"
Polly stared at North for a long while before sighing and closing her eyes, a tired expression appearing on her face.
"You need to learn to trust yourself, at least a little," she finally informed him and North gave her a sad little smile.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to trust myself again Polly," was all he said, utterly defeated.
Polly just stared at him as he turned back to his work, a look of despair on his face, sympathy in her gaze.
"Perhaps. But your efforts have not gone unnoticed," Polly praised him. "I have a feeling that you will save Olivia. Sir Gresley made you his Golden Warden, that has to account for something. He trusted you. Therefore, you can trust yourself, at least in his judgement."
North stared at the bench in front of him, his expression unchanging at her words. She was right. Pretty Polly did tend to be right about such things.
Olivia was still alive.
There was still hope.
"Polly what have you done?!" Great Northern thundered as he laid his eyes upon the empty shell of her engine.
There was no sign of Cold Iron Sleep and he would have noticed if she had turned herself into a Gold Construct and left the catacomb. The doors were alarmed, it wouldn't have been possible for Polly to leave without tripping his security.
That meant-
"No, no, no!" North began to panic and he sprinted out of his catacomb workshop as fast as she could to his car.
There was probably an extensive list of traffic violations he had committed on his way to Hendricks's house; the former Steamworks engine had left his employ to attend medical school in an attempt to find anything to help Olivia.
Much to North's chagrin, Hendrick wanted to become an actual doctor, not content enough to be his assistant. And so now he found that Hendrick was doing very well for himself as a human.
North found himself jealous of the little Wren.
Hendrick had barely opened his front door when North suddenly barged into his house and grabbed him by the collar.
"What did she do!" He demanded and Hendrick just stared back at him completely calm.
"Who is she?" He asked and North gave a growl in response.
"Don't play me for a fool, what did Polly do?!"
"I wasn't happy with it either," Hendrick regretfully revealed. "We were running out of time. Olivia would have died in the next few weeks if we didn't try something!"
"Polly fusing her soul with a human means she's lost forever!" North shouted at him and Hendrick shook his head.
"She knew that North, she did it anyway," Hendrick simply confirmed his suspicions. "I'm sorry."
North looked ready to punch the wren in the face but instead he roughly let go of him with a slight shove.
There was a look of devastation on his face. He turned to leave Hendrick's house but the Wren blocked his way.
"You are in no condition to drive home North," the Wren stated and North tried to shove his way past him but Hendrick held firm. "I have a spare room. You will stay the night. Or if you like, I can drive you back to the Gresley's."
"Fuck off!" North snapped and Hendrick's eyes widened in shock. He had never heard North use such crude language before.
"North, I must insist or I will call the Police on you," Hendrick threatened and North glared at him. "It's for your own good, Great Northern."
There was a pause but North relented, turning away from the Wren.
The Wren gave a nod and closed his front door with a satisfied nod.
It was one of the only times that North had actually listened to the little Wren.
"I have a friend, Mr North!" The young girl waved up to her Uncle Nathan. The elder man smiled down at her as she sat up in her bed, recovering from a recent surgery.
Olivia noticed that her Uncle Nathan had been noticeably sadder recently. Olivia didn't like it when Uncle Nathan was sad.
"How did you make a friend when you haven't been out little one?" Uncle Nathan asked, his voice full of humour, a hint of sadness behind it.
Olivia frowned. That tone meant that he didn't believe her.
"She appeared to me! She said she would protect me and make me well!" Olivia pouted at her Uncle. "But you don't believe me!"
"I'd much like to meet your friend if she exists," Uncle Nathan mused. "You've had imaginary friends in the past little Olivia."
That was true. But being alone in the hospital with no one but nurses to accompany her made her angsty. She wanted her parents. She wanted her brothers, Gordon and Griffin, yet they couldn't see her most of the time.
And so, her imagination went wild. Of course, her parents disapproved and sent Uncle Nathan to dissuade her from such ridiculous fantasies.
But what else was a bored, lonely, young girl to do?
"I know, but this one's different!" Olivia insisted.
"How so?"
"She just is!" Olivia crossed her arms and pulled a stink face at him. Hurmouring her Uncle Nathan just smiled warmly.
"Alright then, what's her name?"
Olivia turned away from him and mock-snubbed him.
"You'll make fun of me!"
"I promise that I won't," Uncle Nathan held out his pinky to her and Olivia smirked. "Pinky swear."
Olivia giggled and took his pinky swear.
"Alright! Her name is Polly!" Olivia brightly exclaimed and though he tried to hide it, Uncle Nathan couldn't hide his shock. "Pretty Polly!"
Olivia had grown into Polly but with Sir Nigel's stern demeanour, North recognised it when he became aware of the engineer named Olivia Spence.
In hindsight, it had been so obvious that it was Olivia Gresley. The natural attunement to all things related to steam engines. The resemblance to her Great Grandfather. The little attributes of Pretty Polly that occasionally shone through.
It was all there.
And now he found himself under her stewardship.
Funny how things turned out.
It took a while for him to get used to the fact that Olivia was now the master of the Gresley manor. He was so used to Roman and Jaqueline's presence that it was very different to how Olivia ran things.
It was more homely and comforting than her parents who had run a home full of alcohol and tension.
North was pleased to be back in his study after his time in the hospital, though he could not go into the catacombs where his true work lay due to his broken leg, he was still pleased.
The encounter with Mallard and Scotsman however, had left him with deep scars.
There was a knock on his door and he looked up to find Olivia leaning on his door frame.
"Lady Olivia," he acknowledged with a smile. "How may I assist you, ma'am?"
It was such a delight to see the once weak and frail little girl with heart issues grow into a powerful, tall imposing woman. One that held herself remarkably similar to Gresley himself.
"Always so formal, Great Northern," she tutted annoyed.
"I apologise, it's been 100 years of me being formal," he bowed his head to her. "It is a hard habit to break."
"If it's no trouble, I'd like you to meet your grandson," Olivia insisted, moving to take hold of the handles of his wheelchair.
"I am not your father Olivia," North reminded her but Olivia just shrugged and went to push him out of his room and down the hall to her son's nursery.
"You were the closest thing I had to a parent my entire life," Olivia chided. "That makes you my father."
North had no response to that, allowing her to wheel his chair into the nursery. He was not going to argue with her because he knew that she was right. That he had been the one of the few constants in her childhood.
The nursery was decorated, dinosaurs adorned the yellow walls and on the ceiling was projected an image of the stars. Little Scot's cot was decorated to be like a train, specifically a certain brother of his.
"Scotsman was the one who matched Oscar and I together," Olivia noticed his gaze on the cot. "We thought it best to honour him."
"There have been numerous marriage proposals on his trains, he seems to have a specialty for it," North conceded as he watched Olivia gently pick up her son.
She turned to him and smiled, carefully putting him in North's arms. North felt himself freeze, it had been so long since he had held a child but Olivia did not panic and instead positioned his arms so he could hold the baby.
"He has no heart issues, perfectly healthy," Olivia beamed and North breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"I am glad, you deserve a healthy baby, Lady Olivia," North nodded to her. He looked down at her son who was staring up at him curiously. There were golden flecks in his eyes.
"You're very charming," North smiled kindly down at him. "You'll grow up and be as strong and reliable as your mother, yes?"
Olivia said nothing, only watching them silently for a long while.
"How did you… save me?" Olivia suddenly asked after a long while. "I… should have died as a child but, you used Gold Dust to save me didn't you?"
North paused, unsure of how to answer.
"I wasn't the one who saved you," North finally murmured. "Pretty Polly gave her soul to save you. She, despite my protests, fused her soul with your body. Not part of it like Scotsman or another Gold Warden does with a Golden Whistle but her entire soul."
Olivia stared at North, her expression unreadable.
"Couldn't - couldn't she or you have used part or given me a Golden Whistle?" She asked.
"I tried but nothing happened," North muttered dejectedly. "I tried everything I possibly could to save you but every time, it failed. My Golden Whistle lost its dust when Sir Gresley died and I could not use it. Polly tried to argue that giving her soul to you was the only way but… I was afraid that it wouldn't work. I refused to listen until one day, Pretty Polly's engine was empty and dead and you suddenly had an imaginary friend named Polly, your ailments disappearing over time.
"Wait, her engine?" Olivia suddenly frowned at North and North suddenly went pale. "Another A3 engine was saved?!"
North shook his head but stopped when a familiar voice suddenly spoke.
"Tell her," Pretty Polly's voice demanded and North looked up to find Olivia's eyes shining gold, a scowl on her face. "Even now after 100 years, you're still jealous of Scotsman! Sir Gresley is gone, his golden whistle holds no power! You need to pass it on to Olivia and Scotsman before something happens to you!"
"Polly-" North tried to argue but Olivia returned to herself and she was staring at him in bewilderment.
"Pretty Polly was saved this entire time? And no one knew?" She demanded of him.
North sighed and shook his head in despair.
"Yes. But I did not tell anyone because they might have tried to separate Polly from you and you would have died," North admitted sadly. "Hendrick also knew but we do not want to lose you. You were the only thing I could be proud of!"
Olivia stared at North for a long while, her eyes slid in and out of focus. North suspected that Olivia was speaking to Polly in her mind.
Olivia eventually shook her head.
"You must show me her engine at the very least," Olivia implored and North gave a nod of his head.
"Of course," he looked down at his broken leg regrettably. "It is hard with a broken leg, however. I will show you once I am fully healed."
Olivia nodded and smiled.
"Thank you for trying to save me at the very least," she thanked him. "Even if in the end Polly was the one who saved me. You tried your best."
"I would never forgive myself if I hadn't," North nodded to her. He looked down at her son, sleeping soundly in his arms. "And I promise to protect this little one too."
Olivia hugged him gently before taking her son in her arms and putting him back in his cot.
"You were worried, about me getting the Golden Whistle," Olivia mentioned as she wheeled him back to his study.
North frowned but nodded slightly.
"Yes," he admitted.
"Was it because of Scotsman sharing his memories of you with me?" Olivia asked.
"Not entirely," North tentatively answered. "It has more to do with Scotsman being infected with Black Smoke."
Olivia paused and frowned at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sure you're aware of Scotsman's condition when he was brought by the NRM, especially regarding Black Smoke," North turned to look at her, a grim look on his face.
"Dover paired Scotsman with the City of Truro while he was being rebuilt to try and give him the best chance at a successful rebuild," Olivia recounted and North turned away from her and tutted.
"But then Cain took over the operation and caused even more harm to him," North muttered through gritted teeth.
"I'm well aware of what Cain and Mallard tried to do to Scotsman," Olivia rolled her eyes deeply annoyed. "What does that have to do with me?"
North glanced at the Scotsman's Golden Whistle hung around Olivia's neck.
"The Golden Whistle is like a doorway," North finally explained. "It can let Scotsman's Soul commune with yours but it can also-"
"Let Black Smoke in," Olivia realised.
"Black Smoke doesn't affect humans usually," North explained. "At most it makes humans around them uneasy or anxious."
"But my life depends upon Polly's soul," Olivia realised and looked away. "I'm kept alive by Gold Dust."
North nodded to her.
"If Scotsman's whistle were to come into contact with Black Smoke," North shook his head, his hands trembling. "I fear that Polly's soul would not be enough to save you anymore."
A heavy silence hung in the air between the both of them as they contemplated the consequences of such a scenario.
"Let's, let's hope it never comes to that," Olivia shakily offered, anxiety laced in her voice.
"I dearly hope so, I don't think I could bear to lose you young Olivia," North admitted quietly.
Olivia said nothing in return, only moving to the front of North's wheelchair and kneeling so they were at eye level.
"Same goes for you, old engine," she murmured. "I'll never forgive you if you were gone."
"I'm not old," North muttered, feigning offence. "I'm just over 100! Coppernob is an old engine!"
Olivia just snorted in mirth.
"Sometimes, just sometimes there's just a little bit of your brother's silliness that shines through your grumpiness," she smirked and North blushed in embarrassment.
"I'm not that ridiculous," he muttered. "Scotsman is nothing like me."
"You used to be when I was a child," Olivia accused and North's face turned even redder. "You've got that showmanship he does, don't deny it. You can be just as ridiculous as Scotsman."
"You can't prove it," North denied immediately and Olivia laughed, if a bit forced.
"Hmm, I'm sure I'll be able to if I dig deep enough," Olivia teased as she resumed wheeling him back to his study.
"I'll die before I admit that."
"Don't jinx yourself now North," Olivia Gresley warned him with a scowl.
North said nothing in return as he was returned to his study.
For those of you confused as to why Flying Scotsman suddenly has female pronouns in the middle of this chapter it is because they are genderfluid and from 1970 to 2009 they identified as female. There are a few chapters in my Traintober 2023 short fic marathon that go into this period of time.
A lot of elements in this chapter were expanded on in there so go give it a lot if you want.
Mallard and Green Arrow were once friends not just because Mallard was trying to manipulate Green Arrow to kill Flying Scotsman but because Mallard and Arrow have very similar personalities and interests and naturally gravitated towards each other even with Mallard being infected with Black Smoke. They would have been excellent friends had all this nastiness not played out.
But alas, being soulless and infected with Black Smoke accentuated Mallard's darker personality traits like his rage, egotism and jealousy so it was not to be.