GORDON AND REBECCA, COMING THROUGH!

Based upon the episode by Davey Moore

Rebecca stayed in the sheds for several days following her first goods run. In her absence, Henry and Bear took it in turns to help Gordon out with the express.

"Blast from the past, isn't it, Gordon?" chuckled Henry.

"You still got it," Gordon smiled. "Still… it's strange not seeing Becky on the express with me…"

"You and Rebecca have become quite close, haven't you?" asked Henry.

"Ever since she gave me emotional support during my, er… 'hot temper' phase, yes," Gordon admitted. "She has been a good friend."

"I know the feeling myself," said Henry. "Nia and I struck up a friendship after we had the animals at Vicarstown together last Christmas."

"I do hope Rebecca is okay," said Gordon. "She was very upset when she realized what her 'game' was getting her into…"

Speaking of whom, Rebecca was sitting in her berth at Tidmouth sheds, feeling very sorry for herself.

"No one will want to see me after that…" she sighed. "What if that had been a coach full of passengers? Oh, I couldn't forgive myself if–" She bit her lip, trying to hold back tears.

"Rebecca?" called Sir Topham Hatt. The yellow engine looked up, surprised that the controller had come to see her.

"Oh, sir!" she exclaimed. "Wh-what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I believe you're ready to get back out there," he replied. "But… not by yourself."

"All engines have their crew, right?" asked Rebecca. "I wouldn't be alone no matter what."

"I meant with another engine," said Sir Topham Hatt. "You'll be double heading the express with Gordon today."

Rebecca looked surprised upon hearing that. "Oh… er… o-okay, sir. I'll be down there as soon as possible."

"There's a good engine," smiled Sir Topham Hatt. Rebecca started to leave as Sir Topham Hatt sighed. "I might need Mrs. Kyndley on standby… just in case."

At Knapford station, Rebecca and Gordon both backed onto their train. Other engines were already there.

"It's good to see you out and about again," Gordon commented.

"It's nice to be out and about again… I guess," Rebecca replied.

"You guess?!" gasped Duck. "Rebecca…"

"I mean… yes, it's great to be here!" she went on. However, the others raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure you're okay?" wondered Thomas. Before anything else could be said, the guard's whistle blew and Gordon and Rebecca puffed away.

"Gordon's got his work cut out for him…" sighed Derek.

Out on the main line, Gordon and Rebecca were going at a steady pace. Gordon whistled hello at other engines passing by, but Rebecca stayed silent.

"Rebecca?" asked Gordon. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"No…" said Rebecca. "Oh, Gordon… I could have really hurt someone by getting the trucks to do that! Or a lot of people… we are very powerful…"

"While that was foolish," said Gordon, "the main thing is that you and Philip were fine."

"Yeah… we are now…" the yellow engine sniffled. "More or less…"

"Just remember; you are among friends," Gordon soothed. "Nobody's perfect. And if there's ever any trouble, just let me or the others know. Okay?"

"O-okay," stammered Rebecca. "Thank you, Gordon…"

At first, everything seemed to be going smoothly for the two express engines, but then they felt a small bump on the line. Some of the passengers jolted in the coaches.

"Oh my!" gasped Rebecca. "Did we hurt someone? I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Just a minor bump!" called one of the passengers. "We're fine."

"No derailment," Gordon noted. "It's okay, Rebecca; we can keep moving."

"A-are you sure?" stammered Rebecca. "W-what if… if one of the couplings came loose? Then a coach could roll into the middle of the line and–"

"The emergency cable would have been pulled if that happened," Gordon reasoned. "The train is running smoothly and we'll be at Crovan's Gate in no time. That being said, we do need Maeve and Placido to look at that track…"

Rebecca wasn't sure about it, but decided to trust Gordon's word. "Yeah… we can't have bumps in the track… I wonder how that got there?"

"Ah, warped tracks could happen any time," said Gordon. "Though the weather is getting a bit cooler now… it's more uncommon this time of year…"

As the duo continued further, they came into view of some trees, a lake and the sounds of various animals.

"Henry's forest, right?" asked Rebecca. "Oh, I never tire of this place."

"It is nice to pass through," smiled Gordon. The birds were chirping their song, the deer were frolicking in a meadow, the bunnies were hopping in and out of their holes…

…and a branch suddenly fell onto the track.

"Whoa!" Gordon and Rebecca braked hard. Many of the passengers fell out of their seats upon impact.

"Is everyone alright?" called Gordon.

"Ugh…" groaned one of them. "I think I bruised my leg…" But then there was more trouble…

"No… No, no, no!" exclaimed Rebecca. "I can't hurt anyone! I can't hurt anyone! I have to stop! I have to stop!"

"Rebecca we've stopped alr… Rebecca?!" gasped Gordon. Poor Rebecca was becoming short of puff and hyperventilating. "Driver, fireman, what's happening?"

"She's having a panic attack," the driver explained. "We have to remain calm and get her to refocus herself."

"IhurtsomeoneIhurtsomeoneIhurtsomeone…"

"Rebecca," Gordon called. "Rebecca… I know you're scared, but this is normal. You'll get through this."

"Someone'shurtsomeone'shurt…"

"Take a deep breath," Gordon advised. "Slowly."

Rebecca started to obey Gordon's words. "Someone's… someone's…"

"Now out again. You can do it." Rebecca did so. "Good. Now, keep doing that."

Rebecca's breathing started to slow down to a normal pace.

"Okay, now, what are four things you can see?"

"Er… you… the trees… the animals… the grass…"

"That's good, Rebecca," Gordon said quietly. "Three things you can feel?"

"The tracks… our coaches… er, does my fire count?"

"Yes, it does," said Gordon. "Two things you can hear?"

"The birds… our voices…"

"And one thing you can smell?"

"The flowers over there…"

Rebecca gave a weak smile. "Oh… Gordon… I…" A tear came to her eye. "Oh… I'm so sorry…"

"You've nothing to apologize for today," Gordon pointed out. "You've been doing very well."

"Thank you, Gordon…" said Rebeeca. "I'm glad we came out here today… Though… what about the others? I mean…"

"They forgive you, Becky," Gordon assured. "I will tell you one thing. Thomas did have a point in the sheds the day you took trucks out the first time. Trucks and I don't mix well at all."

"Wait, really?" asked Rebecca.

"I don't like taking them," Gordon admitted. "And when I was relatively new here, I came to a standstill on the hill between Wellsworth and Maron. If you're wondering why it's called Gordon's Hill… that is the reason."

Rebecca couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, Gordon! At least I wanted to try it." And even Gordon couldn't help but laugh.

By now, Gordon's driver had gone to phone for a crane. Rebecca's crew, meanwhile, were inspecting the fallen branch.

"Hey! Look at this!" exclaimed Rebecca's driver. "That branch looks as though it was cut down on purpose!"

"Who could've done that?" wondered Rebecca's stoker. "They've even left their axe behind!"

"Must've been an act of sabotage," said the driver. "We'll phone the police at the next station."

"Yes, indeed," said Gordon. "This forest is a wildlife preserve. They only take logs from here if a tree is torn down by a storm or something."

At last, Harvey arrived with some workmen and a flatbed. The branch was cut down into smaller pieces so that Harvey could better lift it onto the flatbed.

"Richt, that's that all cleared now," the crane engine called. "You're both good tae carry oan."

"Thanks, Harvey," replied Rebecca. "Your crane arm certainly comes in handy. I wish I had something like that."

"Well, it's part o' what makes mah design unique," chuckled Harvey. "An' yer design is quite unique too. Ah don't think Ah've ever seen an engine look like ye."

"I do have a lot of siblings built like this," admitted Rebecca, "some of which are preserved on heritage lines all over the place."

"How many of your brothers and sisters are left?" asked Gordon.

"Eleven Merchant Navys – our bigger cousins – and twenty-one of us West Countries," explained Rebecca. "Including me, that's thirty-three of us remaining."

"Wow…" gasped Gordon. "You're lucky to have so much of your family still around."

"You're lucky too, Gordon," said Rebecca. "You may not have as much of your family living, but that means you have more time to keep in touch with those you have left."

"I… never thought of it like that," Gordon admitted. "Thank you, Rebecca."

In spite of the delay caused by the fallen branch, Gordon and Rebecca reached Vicarstown without further incident.

"Thank you for the journey," said a passenger. "You two make a good team."

"Glad to be of service, sir," Rebecca smiled. She glanced back and sighed. "Oh… I don't know if I can handle trains on my own again. After that panic attack…"

"Rebecca, you can do it," Gordon said firmly. "You do have your crew to fall back on if I'm not there."

"That's true," she replied. "But… what if… if…"

"Come on," said Gordon. "Let's go and take a break. Then maybe we can see about taking a goods train together."

"You're… willing to do that?" gasped Rebecca. "You said you don't like them!"

"Emily would tell you a similar story," chuckled Gordon. "We'll show them that they can't mess around with us express engines."

After a short rest, Gordon and Rebecca went to the yards where a goods train was waiting.

"James would usually take this one about now," said Gordon. "Won't he be in for a surprise when he gets home?"

Rebecca smiled as they buffered up. "He sure will," she giggled. "Remind me again; when's he due back from his trip to India?"

"Sir Topham Hatt says that it should be about two or three weeks from now, as he boarded a ship home a few days ago," explained Gordon.

"Ooh, he'll have a lot of catching up to do," remarked Rebecca. With that, the two friends set off. Because Rebecca was at the front, the trucks could only see Gordon before them.

"Oi, look, lads!" cackled the lead truck. "If it isn't our favorite Galloping Sausage!"

"More like the Falling Star!" jeered another. "Who'd have thought he'd be stuck pulling trucks?"

"You hush up back there!" scolded Rebecca. "Gordon's a hard worker whether he's pulling trucks or coaches, and you should be respectful to him!"

"Oh, crumbs!" gulped a third truck. "Becky's on the train too!" At the realization at who else was pulling them, the trucks all fell silent.

"Looks like you've got them more well-behaved than Salty ever could," joked Gordon.

"Maybe I could give him some pointers," Rebecca remarked innocently. And the two shared a good laugh as they carried on their way.

The engines were taken by surprise to see the two engines on a goods run, but upon hearing Gordon's explanation, they quickly understood.

"Don't worry, Becky," assured Emily. "We don't hold any ill will towards you over that incident. And you are learning from your mistakes."

"Thanks, Emily," smiled Rebecca. "Gordon is really sweet when you get to know him."

"He is a good friend," agreed Emily. She saw Rebecca's cheeks blush bright red. "Wait… Rebecca, do you have…"

"N-no!" she gasped. "He's a good friend. That's all!"

Emily gave her a cheeky wink. "I know that look…"

Author's Comments

It was a little over four years ago that Gordon and Rebecca, Coming Through! first aired in Australia, and since the last five episodes of Series 24 aired early by mistake, this is technically the very last new episode of the original show that ever aired. And we all know what happened next... Anyway, I like this episode, and I was looking forward to seeing how our version of it would go. Well, it took a far different direction than I would've expected, carrying over the consequences from the previous story, eventually leading to Rebecca having a panic attack. It really does open up a new side of Gordon previously unseen, that while he can be pompous from time to time, he will put that aside to help his friends. The ending also hints at something else going on between them... but that's another story.

Next time, there's more trouble on the main line when Gordon Gets the Giggles!