AOAMIA29

A/N I had to make some small additions to the last chapter, due to a guest review, adding in a reference to Nathanial and to Autumn's birthday kitten. This chapter's when Autumn's rough patch where she needs to visit Sodor every day begins.

The day after her 11th birthday, something happened to Autumn. A kid at school was cruel to her and she was deeply hurt emotionally. Sawyer took her friend's hanky and wiped her friend's tears, then stuck up for Autumn. Autumn came off the bus, sobbing into her handkerchief. Her eyes and nose were pouring, so she sniffled, blew her nose loudly and wiped her eyes and face.

When Autumn came inside, she went to her room with a box of tissues. She sat in her room with the tissues on her lap, blew her nose and wiped her tears, soaking her tissues and decided to go to Sodor.

Autumn arrived on Sodor, her tears still pouring. Blowing her nose and wiping her tears, she saw Thomas, though she had to wipe her eyes to know. Her eyes were wet with tears and she was sobbing to hard to speak. She was sniffling, gasping, gulping, coughing as she choked on her sobs and hiccupping as her face was contorted and pinched and she shook with body-wracking sobs.

Thomas noticed Autumn's sadness. He tuned in to her, listening attentively and trying to pick up on her values and cues. "Blow your nose and wipe your eyes," he said. "Let it all out.". He let her vent without judgment, accepting and validating her feelings, not trying to fix her mood, just being there to help and comfort her as best he could.

Autumn finished crying, then as she was blowing her nose and wiping her red face and eyes, the latter inflamed and swollen from her tears, until they were dry, Thomas offered to take her for a ride on his branch line after she told him about her cruel schoolmate. His crew agreed.

Autumn had her train ride, then made her rounds, seeing all her engine friends and said goodbye to Thomas, hugging him.

Thomas said, "Cheerio," and whistled.

Autumn came home, threw out her soggy tissues and went on with her day, playing with her white 8-week-old kitten, Snowy for a while, when she had free time again. She did her bedtime routine at the end of the day and fell asleep cuddling her Thomas plush toy.

A/N Autumn's 11 and typed by my Fanfiction buddy as a sensitive type, who cries when overwhelmed with emotion.