Chapter 5: Tough as the Boys

"Boys, would you get a look at that muscle!" shouted one of the trucks. "Real girl power!"

If it weren't for her polite disposition, Rosie could think of a dozen things to say back to those impudent goons the Euro dudes called trucks. Of course, even if she had the nerve to spit a couple of insults back at them, the fact that she was totally out of breath prevented her from doing so.

So much for her optimistic start.

It was the day after James and Edward's crash—Christmas Eve. Though that meant little, as far as she was concerned. The railway was still abuzz with engines and their operators at work.

And Rosie was determined to prove she could tackle whatever workload was handed to her. Even if her doubts were starting to creep up on her. The fact was, she was not having a good morning.

It didn't help that the trucks and their big, fat mouths were making her struggle stupidly apparent. But Percy didn't need the trucks taunting to become aware of the problem. Down the hill, he parked his load of trucks and observed. It could easily be thought that his attention was on Diesel, instead, far over on the opposite side of the yard. If Rosie was anything like himself, then she worked better when not under pressure. That meant Percy had to act as if he didn't know she looked like she was struggling.

Currently, Rosie was attempting to push a load of ten trucks filled with stone up the steep hill. She had clean tracks with no ice, but her wheels still slipped on the wet metal rails. The only thing keeping her from sliding backwards was her breaks.

Small engines such as themselves were made to be nimble, quick, and versatile. But everyone on the island knew of the tank engines' feats of strength. If she couldn't do this, there could be only one variable that set them apart.

They were boys, and she was a girl.

What she didn't seem to remember, however, was that going up required far more strength than going forward on a flat track. Usually, Thomas and Percy lent each other a wheel when pushing such loads up an incline. Even Gordon needed a boost up the hill that was nicknamed after him.

Percy was afraid to tell her that, though. Even if she was nice, he gulped at the thought of her reaction.
Soon enough, Oliver arrived, joining Percy on the track at his side. Though he was still upset about Toad, he had calmed down considerably since he and Rosie had agreed to help find him. And at this moment, his concern was only for the newcomer "Okay… what are we looking at here?"

"What does it look like?" Percy peeped helplessly.

"Seems to me either she's racing a tortoise and decided to let him win because she felt bad," said Oliver, "Or she's struggling with that stone."

"The tortoise would be halfway to China by the time that engine gets anything done," chuffed Mavis proudly as she brushed by the boys almost soundlessly. She was feeling much better today, but said nothing against the extra help. If one could call what Rosie was doing as 'help.'

Percy frowned. "And to think she came here for a fun change of pace."

"Why don't we go in and give her a boost?"

"I already asked. She refused. She wants to do it on her own," Percy said, nervously. "But I'm not sure if she can…"

Oliver, however, was much less shy when it came to asking. He rolled up behind Rosie. "Come on, kid!" he called to her. "Don't be proud. Let someone help you with that load."

But Rosie wasn't swayed by Oliver's boldness. "No…. thank… you," she said, in between gasps for breath. "But… appreciate the offer… ugh! Very much!"

"But you're gonna be at that all day at the rate you're going!"

"I'm… fine !" she insisted. "Really! I just… ugh… have to get some… UGH. Traction going!" And she made a big, toothy grin for emphasis. "See?"

Seeing as he wasn't getting anywhere, Oliver backed up next to Percy. "Stubborn broad," he said under his breath. "Gotta admire her fortitude, though."

Admire? Sure, thought Percy. But it doesn't feel right. How do I know when to step in? He bit his lip, agonizing over what to do. He never had an engine outright refuse assistance. And unlike when it came to Diesel, it was hard to force his authority over someone who was so aggressively kind.

If I insist she needs help, she'll get mad at me. And I don't want that. But if I don't and something happens, it'll be my fault. What should I do?

"Come on, Rosie, you can do it!" mockingly encouraged another truck. "Just another hundred meters or so!"

"Rosie? More like Read y!" said the truck closest to the engine. "Red as a tomato, and ready to ship to market!"
And they weren't kidding. Though Percy couldn't see it from his vantage point, it was probably for the better. Her freckles had disappeared beneath the deep flush blooming on her cheeks. A mixture of the physical strain, and the embarrassment of said strain.

Whenever she was ready to admit defeat, however, Rosie switched back to her ultra optimistic thoughts. Come on… come on… Tough as the boys… tough as the boys…

But for all her determination, and shooing away the doubts that crossed her mind, Rosie was slowing down. Her wheels fought for traction, and her axels spun. Steam billowed from her funnel and beneath her wheels into the air and began to make a cloud wall between her and the small green engines.

"Oooo…" Percy moaned. If he could pace around the area, he would. In fact, inside his cab, his driver was doing so. Come on, Rosie! "What should I do?"

At last, Rosie felt a jerk—her wheels began to move forward. Her coupling rods had spun a whole cycle. With her eyes still closed, she beamed as she felt her wheels inch up the track. "I'm-I'm doing it!"

"She's doing it…" Oliver said, stunned.

"Well, I'll be!" said Oliver's driver, wiping steam from his glasses with his handkerchief as he leaned out of the cab. "The lass has it, after all!"

Percy was delighted. "Way to go, Rosie! You're halfway there!"

Rosie's eyes snapped open. "H- Halfway?"

And from the corner of her line of sight, she saw what the boys saw. She was only halfway up the hill. Disappointment crashed down on her like a landslide. B-but I thought I was near the top!

And so taken aback by this discovery, her wheels gradually lost purchase.

And at the worst possible time. She was on a steeper part of the hill, now, and the weight of the trucks took full advantage. At once, they cackled and pushed against her front end.

Their combined weight and the incline was too much. Rosie began to slip backwards. At first gently, then rapidly. Her eyes darted left and right as panic set in. "Oh, nonono-no- no! NO!"

"R-R- Rosie! " Percy spluttered. "B-B-Break! Break!"

"I CAN'T!"

Oliver's driver, seeing what was happening, tossed his glasses up into the air as he fumbled to put them back on. Still on Rosie's track, the old western then rushed up behind her. She had just enough strength to slow herself down, and with a gentle 'bump', Oliver's bumpers caught her back end. "I gotcha, little lady! Don't worry."
He gently coaxed Rosie and her front load back down the hill. It wasn't easy. Oliver strained to maintain composure as he took control of the situation. And he wouldn't have been able to help Rosie if her driver didn't apply what was left of her strength to control the trucks, either.

Both engines were panting as they came to a weary, sad stop at the bottom of the hill. A couple stones had been thrown from the trucks before Rosie. Thankfully, none of the trucks left the tracks, and nobody was hurt. "Well, that was something," Oliver wheezed.

"Ohhh, I know I can do it!" moaned Rosie. "One more go! I know I can!"

But Rosie's driver shook his head. "Not happening, kid. You're worn out. You ought to see the state of your gauges. Let the boys finish the job. I'm pulling you on to the siding."

"Aww, man…" But like most engines, Rosie did take her driver's authority seriously.

Defeated, she backed away, and rolled over onto a side track, next to a shed. The sky was still cloudy, so she didn't even have a shadow from behind the shed to veil her defeated expression.

Conveniently, a cheerful pair of tooting whistles greeted the lot. Arriving from the Chinaworks, Bill and Ben rolled up, side by side. "You two look like you could use a hand," said Bill.

Ben frowned. "But we don't have any hands."

"It's just an expression, buddy," said Ben's driver, patting the outside of his cab.

"Oh! I get it!" the little engine replied, grinning bashfully.

"It's easy!" Bill told his brother. "Like if I said, 'Ben could really use a brain'!"

Bill became indignant. "Oh yeah? Say that to my back buffers, clay face!" he back at his twin, rushing ahead to take the trucks.

"Fine! It'll be a better view than your frontend, Benjamin Buttcheeks!" shouted Bill as he pulled over the points to the right track, and ran up behind his brother.

Together, with little effort, the pair began pushing the load of trucks up the hill.

Oliver watched them suspiciously. "IIIII had better go after them."

"Good idea," said Percy. "I worry about the trucks getting the better of them too."

"When it comes to those two, it's the trucks I'm worried about," Oliver tossed over his boiler.

With newfound pep in his wheels, he chugged after the pair, his gruff, authoritative voice trickling down from the hill in his wake. "Hey, watch it! Watch it! Whadduya think this is? The Grand National? Slow down!... "

Percy turned his attention back to Rosie, sitting alone and glum by herself. "Can I talk to her?" he asked his driver.

"Seems like Oliver and the boys will be fine for a few minutes. That would be a great idea," his driver replied approvingly.

Percy made his way over to the siding and parked just in front of the resting tank engine.

Rosie began talking before he came to a complete stop, but she wouldn't look him in the eye. "My second day here, and I've already almost caused an accident."

"Everybody makes mistakes when they're new. Shucks! On one of my first days, I forgot to whistle to the man in the signal box, and I parked myself on the main line right when Gordon was rushing through with the express!"

"Yikes!" Rosie never heard that story. "Were you two hurt?"

"No. My driver had me start backwards, but I… ah… couldn't stop… " he looked away, still a little embarrassed. "Not for a few kilometers."

"Kilometers?" Rosie blinked for a few moments, and Percy bit his lip.

And then, suddenly, laughter. Rosie was howling.

Percy looked away, still grinning. "I guess I can laugh at it now."

"I'm sorry, but that-that scene! And you—I can just picture that so well! It feels exactly like something I would do!"

"No, that's alright." And then he looked up. "Wait—you mean that?"

Rosie's smile dropped. "What?"

"Mean that, well, that you could have…" he trailed off. He was becoming warm in the face, and he didn't know why. "Ah well. Nevermind."

"But hey, look at you now: A yard managing, supervising engine. You can't say you don't come far."

"I guess," Percy said. It felt strange to be in this rank. He'd only dreamed of getting such a promotion, looking down at other engines doing the grunt work. It was a total honor, and one he honestly thought he'd never see. And he took it very seriously. "But on days like today, I feel like I'm still not ready for this."

"What would make you think that?"

"I can't make quick managerial decisions. I get caught up in what might go wrong with every choice, and I just… freeze up. Panic..." His eyes rolled over to Oliver and the Twins in the distance. "I mean, look at him ! He just does things without even thinking about it. Why can't I be like that? Why am I always so… anxious?"

The lady engine thought carefully before speaking. "Percy, as far as I can judge, if anyone's more fit for this job, it is you. Because you care."

Percy beamed. "Thanks, Rosie. That… means a lot."

Both of their gazes turned towards the voice of the little great western, trickling down from the hill, the words now hard to distinguish.

"Poor Oliver," said Rosie. "It can't be easy seeing a pair like Bill and Ben and not miss his break van."

"I hope he's doing alright over there," thought Percy out loud.

"Can't their drivers control them?"

"A little. But sometimes their over-eagerness takes control. They're a bit like Thomas in that way—really stubborn. The difference is that Thomas is somewhat more aware of what he's doing." Seeing her slowly raise a brow, Percy quickly backtracked. "Ahehehe. I just realized that's not a name you'd like to hear anymore…"

"I'm not that fragile, Percy. I can handle hearing his name."

"Oh… good. You know, I'm... sorry that word about that got out."

"So what? I was smitten with him, sure…. But that was years ago!" She said in a tone she couldn't decide was meant to convince him, or herself. "I had just got here, and I felt small and unimportant. But then I met Thomas—a tank engine, with all these important jobs. And I thought 'wow!' He must be important! And if he could be important… maybe someday, heck! I could be important, too!"

Percy's face was stoic, but inside, he was quite annoyed. Of course, the first thing anybody thinks about when they think of important tank engines is Thomas. I might as well be chopped liver. But he worked up his managerial face and tried to bury his jealousy. "Well, we all need a role model… I guess."

"But that was then, this is now," she said at last. Although she still sounded a little bitter. "I can be my own hero. Not that it's any of his business," Rosie said, rolling her eyes towards the grunting Diesel who's been dismissed from the conversation. "I knew he didn't like me back. Not like that. And it took some growing up, but I realized it wasn't right to push myself onto him. Anyway, I wasn't the only one into him; he had choices."

That last part had been meant as an afterthought. But it's what made Percy's eyes widened with surprise. "Wh-wh-wait a minute. What was that last thing you said?"

"About… what?"

"About not being the only one after Thomas!"

Rosie scrunched her face, like she suddenly smelled something foul. "I… thought everyone knew."

"I didn't know!"

"What about it?"

"Rosie—" Percy was gasping his words, teetering on a revelation. " —A-are you s-saying you know for a fact that Mira had feelings for Thomas?"

But upon hearing this name, Rosie looked puzzled. " Mira ?"

Suddenly, the whistle blew. The yard manager was announcing the time: Four PM.

"Shoot! Sorry, Percy, but I gotta go!" Rosie frantically rolled back out of the siding. "I got a special with Neville and I'm going to be late. We'll have to continue this talk next time. I'll see you the day after tomorrow, alright? Same time, same place?"

Percy nearly sputtered. "Uh-of course! M-Merry Christmas! OH! Won't I see you at the party?"

"If I can come down to Tidmouth, sure! If not, Merry Christmas, Percy!"

But as he watched her hurry away, closing his eyes as the wind blew her steam down onto the bed of the quarry, cooled in the air and misting his warm cheeks.

Percy really liked working with Rosie. He wondered if the excitement was mutual. It was going to be hard to see her going back to Vicarstown at some point. A serene moment took place where he contemplated if, thinking it would be seriously naughty, if there were ways to prolong the project, somehow…

"Toad's missing?"

"That's what Oliver said."

On his way back to Tidmouth, Percy caught up with Thomas alone. And it was then that Percy disclosed the news of Toad's disappearance.

"Creepy, isn't it? They said they just left him alone one night, and by the next day, he wasn't there."

"Strange enough, anyway," Thomas agreed. "But what did Oliver's crew have to say about it? Are they absolutely sure they didn't just misplace him? Drop him off somewhere for the night and forget where?"

"It didn't sound like it. And besides, Oliver said Toad's been missing for weeks. If Toad was just shunted somewhere he shouldn't have been, someone would have found him by now, wouldn't they?"

"I guess." Still, Thomas was skeptical. "But if he's so desperate to find him, why hasn't he told everyone yet?"

"I'm not... sure," Percy admitted, then lowered his voice. "But between you and me, I think he's too embarrassed to admit how much he misses him. I mean, it's a peculiar thing, isn't it? For an engine and break van to be that close? Maybe he's afraid we'll make fun of him."

"Oh, come on," Thomas scoffed. It wasn't that he didn't sympathise with Oliver. Quite the contrary, he couldn't imagine how devastated he'd be if he went to look for, say, Annie and Clarabel one day, and couldn't find them. Those coaches were precious to him. He'd worked buffer to buffer with them for over three decades. "If he wants to keep it a secret, then so be it. Everyone will figure it out soon eventually. Either way, It can't be that hard to find him. The island's not that big."

Even still, a break van was harder to identify from afar than an engine. And there were twice as many break vans on the island.

"With a few extra pairs of eyes, it'll be a cinch," Thomas said, trying to sound encouraging. "Besides, if Oliver is missing Toad, Toad will be missing Oliver. Surely, he'll be calling out for help to be reunited with his favorite engine, wouldn't he?"

"I'd hope so," Percy said. And his worry showed on this face. He barely knew Oliver, let alone the break van, and yet something about this whole thing unsettled him deeply, and he couldn't quite pinpoint why. He just wanted Toad found and the matter to be over with. "Maybe if he doesn't turn up after Christmas, we can ask Sir Topham if we can arrange a search party, er… something."

"Now that's a great idea!" Thomas agreed brightly. "The more eyes, the better! It's no wonder you're a boss, Percy."

"Oh, I wonder a lot…"

"Well, you're a great friend, regardless. You can't deny that."

Percy gulped. He'd made a promise to not keep any secrets from his best friend, and this very much concerned him. But he wasn't sure how Thomas was going to react to this. "Eh, speaking of that, Thomas, er, that's not all that we talked about at the quarry… y-You know how we promised to tell each other everything?"

"Yeah?"

"Well… I wouldn't bother to trouble you with it, except it's something that concerns you."

"Me?"

"Uh… you remember Rosie, right?"

"Oh. Yeah," Thomas answered, dully. Just the mention of her name brought up a whole period of awkward encounters in their past. "What about her?"

"Well, you see, I was speaking with her, and she admitted she used to… ah… have… an infection."

"An infatuation," Thomas corrected, rolling his eyes. "Thanks, Percy, but I was already aware of… that."

"But do you know why she started leaving you alone?"

"I figured she just lost interest." Whatever the reason, maybe simply because he didn't return her feelings, he was grateful it was over. The unrequited crush was one of the most uncomfortable situations he'd never been in. "But if you're bringing this up, I'm guessing there's a different reason. Did I do something to make her hate me?"

"No! Well.. she seems to think there's another girl that likes you. I guess… someone who she thinks you might already like back."

"Where would she get that idea?" asked Thomas. And then, as the face of a little brown tank engine entered his mind, he pulled to a sudden stop. "Percy. You don't mean—"

"I-I-I don't know who she means!" Percy stopped a little further up the track. "She-she left without explaining! But she seemed pretty convinced, a-and the thing is, Thomas, I-I'm not sure it's—" abruptly, the green engine stopped talking.
Both he and Thomas stopped and listened. And so did their crews, turning their ears to the sky.

After a moment of concentration, Thomas' driver leaned out of the cab. "Is that… Edward?"

"Yelling? Edward?"

"We'd better go see what's going on," Percy suggested, his wheels already beginning to spin. "There might be trouble."

"Not a bad idea, supervisor." And he and Percy chuffed off towards the nearest station. James, what have you done now?

They arrived at Maithwaite to a proper anomaly indeed. But contrary to Thomas' suspicion, James was nowhere to be seen.

Facing each other on opposite tracks were Edward and another tender engine, alone by the deserted platform. Only later would they learn that she had cornered Edward when he stopped for one of his men to have a restroom break. " Why couldn't you tell me before? Instead of embarrassing me in front of the whole shed?"

Percy and Thomas crawled behind the two, hiding behind Edward's line of trucks. They'd moved so tentatively that even with no one else around for miles, their wheels were practically soundless next to the arguing engines.

"I didn't know Sir Topham was going to ask me to pull that train!" Edward shouted at his antagonizer. "I don't know where he could've gotten the idea to ask me! I'm not a psychic!"

"I was humiliated!" Emily told him. Though it was still cold, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were misty with tears that were one gust from turning to icicles. "And for no reason at all! I can't help but feel like you had to have done that on purpose!"

"No! It's not that at all!" Edward looked as miserable as Emily looked hours ago. How uncomfortable it was for an engine to be stuck in place in an argument with another, and no way to escape. "Please Emily, just respect my wish," he lowered his voice, "and leave me alone! Please! "

"I won't if you won't tell me why!" Emily shouted. She didn't care who heard. "I—I was so looking forward to this! I thought you would be, too! I thought you liked working with me! I thought you were my best friend!"

"I am your friend! I'll always be your friend! But I already told you! It's not about you !" Edward fired back. He was trying his best to stay calm, but the tank engines could tell he was frustrated. "It's nothing about you or-or anything you've done! This job—it's—completely personal! I never meant to hurt your feelings! You just have to take my word for it!"

His last words carried through the empty station as if it echoed. Emily sat there in silence looking increasingly convinced of whatever thoughts she was having, as the winds battered their ears. At last, she spoke. "I will. Because… At the end of the day, I am your friend, and I respect your privacy, even though that leaves me with no other conclusion but that you find me so ugly and pathetic you can't even pretend to be my husband for one night!"

"Emily—"

"Merry Christmas! " And as soon as her driver released the break, Emily rocketed from the station, almost knocking her crew off of her feet.

Edward sat there, his face red, and his lip quivering. He, too, looked like he wanted to cry, but something was holding him back. He took a deep breath, and stared ahead. "I heard you two pull up. Might as well show yourselves."

Thomas and Percy looked at each other in shock. Embarrassed, they trundled up the track next to Edward, to speak to him. "We didn't mean to eavesdrop," Thomas said shyly.

"We heard shouting, and we were worried," Percy peeped. "I mean, it's not like you to—"

"No, no, I understand." There were heavy creases under Edward's eyes, and he wanted a drink of water so badly. "I appreciate the concern. Not that there was anything that could've been done to prevent this. It's all my fault, anyway."

"Did my offer yesterday to take over the train make this mess even worse?"

"No! Thomas, No. The show must go on, and you were just trying to problem-solve."

Awkward silence fell on the three engines.

"This is going to be one awkward Christmas," Percy said to the open air.

"You're telling me." The elder sighed a very tired sigh. "Thank the Lord I'm leaving after this run to take James to the Works. I don't care what the party is like. I don't want to be here for it."

The tank engines quietly shared that feeling. The very idea of a Christmas party this year sounded insufferable, with how things between the Tidmouth engines were shaping up. At least Percy would be taking his mail train solo. Thomas would still be in the thick of the drama until Christmas was over.

And after his fireman returned to his cab, sadly, minding his freight carefully, Edward puffed off, away from the station.

"It's just like you said, Percy," Thomas relented. "Gossip does get around on Sodor—a little too quickly. I don't know what I was thinking by adding to it."

"Yeah… about that…"

But Thomas had long forgotten about their conversation from a few minutes ago. "I wish he weren't so stubborn with his secrets. What kind of reason could Edward have for not wanting to pull one passenger train?"

"I don't know. Maybe… he's just tired? He's an old fellow, y'know? And he did have to try and stop James from destroying himself the other day."

"I guess that'd make sense. But then… why say it was personal? Why not just say that?"

"Maybe he's embarrassed to admit it." Percy thought quietly for a while before responding. "Maybe whatever the reason is is too embarrassing to speak."

Too embarrassing even to share with Emily? His supposed 'best friend' Emily, whose heart was in a trail of pieces along the track behind her? "I just wanted to pay Edward back a favor by giving him something that would make him happy. I can't figure out what his problem is. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

The words tumbled out of his lips as the realization finally sank in. "Edward really doesn't like Emily back that way. Maybe he's been trying to think of a way to let her down, but he's been too nice to break it to her!"

"I think she knows now."

"No kidding," replied Thomas, the engine who started the benign little snowball that had grown into an avalanche. "So does the whole island."

Think I'll get it finished before next Christmas? \_(ツ)/ Who tf knows.

This one took me a while to finish since I was struggling to write Rosie and Percy's dialog in a way that sounded vaguely correct. I'm still afraid of Rosie coming off a bit OOC, and if she is, I'm sorry. I haven't seen all the CGI series and how she's depicted in that, and she's only got a handful of episodes in the model series. Since this isn't a ThomasxRosie story, I kinda started feeling like Rosie and Percy could be a thing? They're both down to earth, earnest and have the capacity to stand up for themselves, even if they're seen as soft, especially Percy. Whereas a couple like Thomas and Emily appeal to me because they could bring out the best of each other through competition, Rosie and Percy JUST build each other up in a wholesome way.

One of the mistakes I noticed when I came back to this story after my hiatus—Thomas' driver can't be the same age as him and also be his first driver if he arrived in 1915, like I implied back in Thomas and Spring Fever. Fail on my part. (If you go back to Chapter 2 the writing's changed a bit.) But I'd still really like Matthew to be the driver who was there for at least SOME of Thomas' key milestones—the same driver who told him "Don't be impatient, Thomas" way back in season one. So I'm bumping his age up to ~58. I kinda saw him as older anyway. And that way he'll have been around 18 when he got saddled with the notorious tank engine sometime in the 1920s. Not to mention maybe I could do a thing where I imply David the current fireman is eligible to take over as driver if/when Matthew retires. It may or may not be realistic for steam engine crews, but since secondary engineers in diesel powered locomotives are considered like backup drivers, I feel like it's reasonable.

2/25/25: While I still need him to be there for the purpose of telling us Toad is missing (and giving an ally for Percy to bounce off of), I realized I haven't really come up with an in-universe reason for Oliver to be helping out at the quarry, although Duck did a lot of work when the harbor was being built. Maybe he's doing it for the experience. I admire how in the first few seasons of the show, the engines and their jobs were roughly consistent with ongoing continuity as they all got promotions. Percy's taken on wayy too much, considering he's 1st mail engine. But we'll see later what Percy's practice being in charge is leading to.