A SKARLOEY WEDDING

Based upon "The Grand Opening" by James Mason and "Best Dressed Engine" by Polly Churchill

Adapted by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens

The warm summer weather was a welcome change of pace to the Skarloey Railway. They were bustling about, getting ready for what they thought would be their routinely May Day rush.

"I hope it won't be too hot," said Peter Sam to Rusty; the two were at Glennock with some slate trucks and a maintenance train, respectively. "I'm hoping to take Ada, Jane and Mabel out tomorrow."

"Well, as long as the passengers are wearing their sunblock, it shouldn't be too big a problem," the little diesel assured. "Just as well that we don't have to worry about such things."

"That would be pretty silly," laughed Peter Sam. "What would they think of next? Having a banner fly in our faces while taking a train?"

"Oh, that wouldn't be safe at all, especially if it blocked our drivers' view," Rusty noted.

"None of the drivers or firemen would allow it," agreed Skarloey, pulling in with some trucks of his own.

"Ah, hello, Skarloey," said Peter Sam. "Are you excited for May Day coming up?"

Skarloey just chuckled. "Well, funny you should mention that, Peter Sam. Mr. Percival wants all of us at the sheds as soon as possible."

"Whatever for?" asked Rusty. Skarloey just winked at them and set off again, much to the younger engines' confusion.

Soon enough, all nine little engines were gathered at Crovan's Gate. Mr. Percival was waiting for them, as were his son Paul and the Railway Girl herself, Annabelle Regaby.

"Oh, good day, Paul and Annabelle!" Rheneas exclaimed. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"What brings you two all the way out here?" asked Sir Handel.

"Well…" Annabelle strolled forward, holding Paul's hand, and holding up her other one. On one of her fingers was a special kind of ring, which could only mean one thing…

"You're engaged?!" cried Peter Sam excitedly.

"We are indeed, Peter Sam," Paul smiled. "We let our families know about this the day I proposed to Annabelle, and they were happy for us as well."

"Oh, this is wonderful news!" smiled Duke. "Congratulations to both of you."

"I wanted to tell you all," said Skarloey, "but they swore me and Henry to secrecy."

Mr. Percival chuckled at the other engines' gobsmacked expressions. "You certainly did a good job, Skarloey. Anyway, now that everyone is aware, I will say that on the day of Annabelle and Paul's wedding, schedules will be adjusted so that all of you can be there. The same will apply to the engines of the North Western Railway."

"You guys are as much my friends as you are my family," Annabelle smiled. "It wouldn't be right to leave you out of the fun."

"Count on it, Railway Girl!" said Flyer. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

When Annabelle, Paul and Mr. Percival left, the little engines were in a buzz of chatter.

"Do you think there will be, er… wait, what was that thing that Mrs. Kyndley's daughter and her husband had at their wedding?" asked Fred.

"A good luck package," Duke explained. "'Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue'."

"Maybe we could try and pull that off," Peter Sam suggested.

"Perhaps Sur Handel ower here cuid fill hauf o' that," remarked Duncan, "given that he's auld 'n' blue!"

Sir Handel glared at Duncan and rolled his eyes, as chuckles escaped from the others.

"We'll just have to see who ends up getting picked, won't we?" said Skarloey. "Perhaps we'll all be dressed up for the event!"

"Oh, sort of like how the engines were done up for when the Queen visited," said Peter Sam. "That'd be lovely."

"Well, Annabelle is rather special," said Sir Handel. "She deserves our best wheels forward."

The whole time that the engines on both the North Western and Skarloey Railways were in the dark about Annabelle and Paul's engagement, the Hatt, Regaby and Percival families all made the wedding preparations. On the Regaby side, Gwen and her boyfriend Tyler were expecting their first child within a few months, which meant that no alcoholic beverages were to be served at the event.

"Hello, future cousin," Annabelle waved to Gwen's unborn child. "I can't wait to meet you."

Gwen giggled. "You could easily be passed off as his or her aunt," she commented.

"Thanks, Gwen," said Annabelle. "Don't get me wrong, I know more than one child isn't for everyone, but I'm glad I had you and my other cousins in my life. It could get lonely sometimes."

Peter and Sophie's baby daughter, Phoebe, babbled eagerly at Gwen, and tried to stand up to get a better look.

"Yes, Phoebe," said Sophie. "A baby just like you is in Gwen's belly. You could become playmates someday."

"Still not talking yet, is she?" asked Annabelle. "I know Phoebe's capable of walking, so it shouldn't be long before she says her first word."

Barbara looked on at her full grown daughter, a tear of joy pricking her eye. "It's strange," she said to her husband in a hushed voice. "One day, we were bouncing her on our knees, and now… she's about to get married."

"It almost feels like yesterday when Edward, Annie and Clarabel helped in her delivery," Henry Regaby agreed. "I can almost imagine that Alice is looking down with pride."

"Her wedding won't be like Alice's," Barbara said firmly. "She'll thrive with Paul."

The big day finally arrived, and the engines were bursting with excitement. Thomas had spoken with Edward, Annie and Clarabel, and it was agreed the older tender engine would be taking them.

"It's only fitting that you were there to help Annabelle's mother to the hospital," Thomas noted. "And now you're bringing our Railway Girl to the next chapter of her life!"

"Thank you, Thomas," smiled Edward. "And thank you, Annie and Clarabel. I'd be honored to have this role."

"Look after each other," Thomas called, heading off to find other coaches to take guests to the celebration.

Edward puffed into Knapford station, and found Annabelle and her parents on the platform. Annabelle's wedding dress had small hints of blue and green at the bottom, as well as on her sleeves. She also had her hair in a ponytail.

"Wow, Annabelle!" cried Edward. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Edward," she smiled. "It's wonderful to see you as well, Annie and Clarabel."

"Your wedding will be a day you'll never forget," said Annie.

"We're very happy to take you there," added Clarabel.

Annabelle and her parents happily strolled inside, and the young adult embraced both her parents on the seats.

"Did you two feel this happy on your wedding day?" asked Annabelle.

"We did indeed, dear." Henry Regaby kissed his daughter on the forehead. "Seeing your mother walk down that aisle with your grandfather beside her, and then saying our 'I dos'…" He closed his eyes, remembering. "And now it's your turn, Annabelle."

For a while, Edward, Annie and Clarabel listened to the family chatter amiably. The two coaches found it very pleasant to run with their old friend.

"It's nice to have a slower pace," commented Annie.

"Oh, yes," agreed Clarabel. "Ever since meeting Bertie, there's always been an odd chance he and Thomas would get into races."

"Younger engines," chuckled Edward. "I remember being there once."

"You?!" cried Annabelle, glancing out the window in surprise. "Racing around?"

"Oh, yes," Edward remarked. "When I was first built, I used to be an express engine. But as time went by and newer designs came out of the workshops, my siblings and I were relegated to slower duties. Our poor steaming capabilities didn't help our case either."

Annabelle gasped quietly. "Annie, Clarabel… is this true?"

"Yes, dear," sighed the front coach. "It's part of the reason why he was rebuilt."

Annabelle's heart lurched. That was why Edward was ousted before he came to the island? "I wish I was there," she said. "So I could have been there for you."

The old engine glanced back, his eyes warm and kind. "That's really sweet of you, Annabelle. But I did have a couple of friends to fall back on, even back then."

"Oh, really?" asked Annabelle. "Who were they?"

"Well–" Before Edward could say anything, as they approached Elsbridge, he saw a signal swing upwards. "Flatten my funnel!" He braked to a halt alongside the platform, and he felt a slight jolt behind him. "Annie, Clarabel, are you two alright?"

"Just slightly shaken," Annie confirmed.

"What's happened now?" asked Clarabel.

"For some reason, the signal is red," Edward explained. "Perhaps the stationmaster will tell us what's going on."

And he did. He explained that the signal's controls were jammed when they tried to set it to "clear", and it was set at "stop" instead.

"Oh dear," sighed Edward. "A jammed signal is dangerous."

"How long will it take to fix?" asked Annie.

"It'll probably take a few hours," sighed the stationmaster.

"Hours?!" cried Clarabel. "We don't have that kind of time!"

"Just how are we going to get to your wedding on time?" groaned Barbara; to her, this was the last thing they needed on such a big day.

"What about Harold?" suggested Annabelle. "He could fly us to Crovan's Gate, and quickly too!"

"Good idea, Anna," smiled her father. With that, Edward was switched to the Ffarquhar branch, and started heading up to Dryaw.

Up at Crovan's Gate, the little engines were bustling about, taking guests to the wedding along with various decorations and food for the catering.

"The Percivals uniting their bloodline with the Hatts," said Flyer. "Could this be the wedding of the century?"

"I wouldn't go that far," chuckled Rusty. "But it is exciting nonetheless."

Sir Handel was with Gertrude and Millicent, and his guard's whistle just blew. But to his surprise, he didn't feel his regulator open yet. "Hmm? Driver, fireman, what's going on?"

"Oh, sorry, Sir Handel," called his fireman, stumbling over his feet. "I felt a… bit dizzy this morning."

"Are you sure it wasn't something you ate last night?" asked the driver.

"If it was, I'm sure it was minor," assured the fireman. "I'm okay, and I don't want to miss Annabelle and Paul's big day."

"Neither do I," admitted Sir Handel. "Just… take it easy today, okay?"

"Right," said the fireman, and with a blow from his whistle, Sir Handel finally set off.

At Dryaw, Percy was there with some trucks talking to Harold, when Edward, Annie and Clarabel pulled in.

"Edward? What are you doing here?" asked Percy. "I thought you were taking Annabelle and her parents along the main line!"

"Signal failure," explained Edward. "But then Annabelle suggested that Harold could take her and her parents to Crovan's Gate."

"Would that I could, Edward, old chap," said Harold, "but unfortunately, I've got engine trouble. And I don't think you'd want to take a ride in Tiger Moth either."

"Quite right; it's most definitely out of the question!" scoffed Barbara. "I wouldn't want to crash into a hay bale!"

"Now what do we do?" groaned Annabelle. "There has to be a way to get us to the wedding on time…"

"Maybe there is," said Percy; he glanced over to a familiar looking contraption that gave Johnson grief a few years ago.

"You can't be serious!" cried Barbara. "I told myself I wouldn't go into these things again after a terrifying experience with Uncle Lowham!"

"I know you're not that fond of heights, dear," said Henry, "but as far as I can see, we don't have any other option."

"Dad's right, mom," said Annabelle. "It's either that, or we wait until the signal is fixed."

Barbara sighed, seeing that she was outvoted two to one. "Very well," she said. "But just this once!"

"The wind direction seems to be in our favor," said Henry, "so we should be there in no time!"

Soon, the Regabys were up in the sky, riding the hot air balloon.

"Wow…" Annabelle trailed. "The island looks gorgeous from up here." She smiled and waved to the various engines passing by. "Hello, Henry, and the red coaches. Looking splendid, James. Gordon, very proud with his express as always."

Henry Regaby chuckled and put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "At least someone's enjoying the ride." Barbara just gave an indignant scoff in reply.

Up at Skarloey station, the little engines were gathered together. Mr. Percival was quickly doing a number off, but he didn't get very far.

"Wait, where's Sir Handel?" he asked.

"I don't know, sir," said Peter Sam. "He said that after he brought some of the guests aboard Gertrude and Millicent, he'd bring Annabelle and her family up here."

"He wouldn't be the type to turn down an opportunity like this," Duke said quietly.

"Let's just be patient," advised Skarloey. "Maybe some pigs got on the line or something."

"I get the feeling it was something he ate last night," sighed Sir Handel's driver. The blue engine and his coaches were stopped at Glennock station, and the fireman had been in the restroom for some time.

"Maybe call the hospital," suggested Sir Handel. "I don't think humans should be… that sick for this long if it wasn't this serious."

The driver nodded and did so at once. Thankfully, an ambulance showed up shortly after and the fireman was taken there.

"Hope you feel better soon!" called Gertrude.

"He'll be in good hands, sister," said Millicent. "But now what are we going to do? There's no way we can get to Skarloey station, drop the guests off and go back for Annabelle and her parents before the wedding starts."

"It looks like I'll have to operate you by myself, old boy," sighed the driver. "There's no time to call for a relief fireman."

"Better that than nothing I suppose," said Sir Handel. "We're going to be very late!"

Sir Handel wasn't the only one running into trouble, however. The balloon's flame suddenly went out.

"What's happened?" asked Annabelle. "Why are we going down?!"

"The wind's gotten too cold," the pilot explained as the balloon began descending. "Everyone, hold on tight!"

"I want to get off!" screamed Barbara

"Not now, dear," said Henry calmly. The family huddled together, clinging tightly.

"D-daddy…" whimpered Annabelle.

"Easy, sweetie," he soothed. "It's going to be okay…"

Sir Handel was going a bit slower than he would have liked, with his driver doing the work of two people.

"If Duncan and Fred didn't know the context, I'd be the laughing stock of the next few weeks," he muttered. He was so lost in thought, it wasn't until Gertrude gasped that he glanced up. "Gertrude? What's the– Bust my buffers! What's the balloon doing out here?!"

"It looks like they're about to run into that tree!" cried Gertrude.

"Who's in there?" called Millicent.

"I can't tell," her sister admitted, "but it looks like three terrified passengers!"

Sure enough, the hot air balloon crashed into the tree, and the basket hung right in front of Sir Handel.

"Great Railway Above!" he exclaimed. "Colonel Regaby, Constable Regaby and Annabelle! Are you three and the pilot alright?"

"We are now," groaned Annabelle. "Although my mom is not very happy right now…"

"My new hat is ruined!" Barbara exclaimed.

"It's okay, dear," said Henry Regaby. "We just need to get down."

The four of them managed to scramble down from the tree, with Sir Handel's driver and the guard helping.

"Talk about a crash landing," muttered the pilot. "I'm terribly sorry, you three."

"Well, we were originally going to meet up with Sir Handel at Crovan's Gate," said Annabelle, "but we ran into a few problems along the way. I didn't think we would meet up this way!"

"You're here now," said Sir Handel, "and there are a few seats left in Gertrude and Millicent. It might be slow going since my fireman's fallen ill."

"Hmm… maybe not," said Henry Regaby thoughtfully. "Sir Handel, I'll be your fireman for now."

"Y-you will?!" he cried in surprise.

"I helped out occasionally on the railways due to Alice's influence," he explained. "It'd be my honor, especially on my daughter's wedding day."

"But your suit will get dirty!" protested Barbara.

"We're already a bit of a mess, so a little coal dust won't matter much."

Sir Handel was quiet, but very grateful nevertheless. He thought back to when he and Rusty worked overtime to get the quarry back in line after Peter Sam's accident. It wasn't quite the same circumstance, but… it made him appreciate Annabelle's father all the more.

With Henry Regaby acting as relief fireman, the rest of the journey to Skarloey station was much easier. It almost felt as if Alice was right beside her brother, guiding him on what to do next.

"If only you could be here now…" he whispered.

Up at Skarloey station, everyone was getting anxious about Sir Handel's late arrival.

"Should one of us go looking for him?" asked Rusty.

"'N' collect Annabelle 'n' her parents?" added Duncan. "Ye cannae hae a wedding wi'oot th' bride!"

"That was never the plan, Duncan," said a familiar voice, and bustling into the station was Sir Handel, Gertrude and Millicent. The guests poured out of the coaches to join those already at the ceremony. To everyone's surprise, Henry Regaby stepped out of his cab, his suit now covered in coal dust and soot.

"Sir Handel!" gasped Rheneas. "What happened back there?" The blue tank engine quickly explained the situation.

"Well, you're all here now, and that's the important thing," said Mr. Percival. "The rest of us can now make the last minute preparations for the wedding."

Annabelle and Barbara were the last two to exit Millicent. Barbara stepped out just fine, but Annabelle's dress got caught in one of Millicent's doors.

"Oh my!" gasped Millicent. "Annabelle, are you okay?!"

"Oh, Annabelle, your dress!" exclaimed Barbara, dismayed. A small tear had appeared near her blue and green trimming at the bottom.

But much to everyone's surprise, Annabelle started giggling. "Look, father!" she proclaimed. "We match now!"

Once Henry had a look at his daughter's ripped dress, and then at himself, he too started to laugh, and even Barbara saw the funny side as well.

"Well, we'll be quite a sight, won't we, dear?" Henry Regaby chuckled.

Inside the church, Paul and his siblings waited for Annabelle and her parents to show up. Not only was Peter joined by Sophie and Phoebe, Pansy was also aided by her boyfriend Ian Trent. An organ was standing off to the side.

"Hey, you're not nervous, are you, Paul?" asked Penny; even she agreed to dress formally for the occasion.

"Who, me?" asked Paul. "N-not at all. I'm very confident that nothing will go wrong."

"It's okay to admit it," insisted Pansy. "You only do it once." She nodded at her boyfriend. "Maybe we should get married here too!"

"We'll think about it," said Ian.

"Look! Here comes Mrs. Regaby!" called Patrick. The guests – aside from those aboard Sir Handel's train – were surprised upon the sight of Barbara Regaby arriving at the ceremony looking rather disheveled.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed Mrs. Percival. "What on earth happened to you?"

"If you don't mind, Polly," said Barbara, trying to maintain dignity, "I'd rather wait until our children have made their vows."

"Er… of course, Barbara," Polly shrugged.

At that moment, Headmaster Hastings started to play "Here Comes the Bride". Annabelle and Henry Regaby started to walk up the aisle. The guests – again, apart from those from Sir Handel's train – were even more shocked upon seeing them.

"What manner of thing happened to them?" Penny whispered to Pansy, Sophie and the rest of the bridesmaids.

"I dunno," shrugged Pansy; little Phoebe – a flower girl – babbled in Sophie's arms.

The minister stepped up to the bride and groom, slightly puzzled but brightened upon seeing Paul and Annabelle beaming at each other; the former didn't even seem fazed upon the sight of the latter. He was just glad Annabelle made it at all.

"It is a splendid occasion for us all today," he began, "to see these two young individuals take another step into their fulfilling lives."

Annabelle blushed modestly and Paul nodded encouragingly.

"Annabelle Regaby, do you take Paul Percival to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and care for, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she said; she was surprised how calmly she said it.

"Paul Percival, do you take Annabelle Regaby to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and care for, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Despite his nerves, it rolled out smoothly as well.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the–"

To everyone's surprise, it was Annabelle who leaned in first, giving Paul a big kiss on the lips.

"–groom?"

Some of the guests found it quite amusing, while others cheered regardless of the circumstances.

Later that day, everyone was gathered at Crovan's Gate for the afterparty. Representing the North Western Railway were engines numbered one through eight, as well as Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta.

"I'm so glad you could make it too," said Annabelle.

"It was impractical for everyone to be here," said Henry the green engine, "but we do have some engines from the Rolling Hills covering for us."

"I understand," nodded Annabelle. "For the others who couldn't make it, send them my love too."

"Of course, Annabelle," Toby assured.

"A… A… Anna!"

Sophie and Peter gasped, looking at Phoebe in surprise. "Honey, did she just…"

"She did!" Sophie urged Annabelle to come over. "She said her first word!"

"Anna!" Phoebe squeaked again, reaching a tiny hand out to her newly-wed aunt.

"Yes, that's my name, Phoebe," she smiled. "I'm your auntie Anna." The baby giggled as Annabelle covered her face and uncovered it. "Peekaboo! I see you."

The engines and coaches of both railways gazed upon the party goers fondly.

"They will make a wonderful life together," said Percy.

"And calling her Annabelle Percival will take some getting used to," agreed Flyer.

"She'll still be our Railway Girl," Peter Sam assured. "No marriage will change that."

After the party, Annabelle and Paul waved to their guests as they headed to their honeymoon. The engines all whistled and tooted goodbye.

"Oh, Paul," she said as they got in their compartment. "Today may have been chaotic, but it was worth it. I rode in a balloon, saw the engine and coaches who helped start my whole life, and my father got to relieve an important memory of my aunt Alice."

"Those are all good memories," Paul agreed. "I don't know where life will take us next, but I'm ready to face it together."

"As am I, my darling," Annabelle smiled, kissing her husband.

Meanwhile, the engines, tired but happy, retreated to their sheds for the night. However, none of them noticed a trio of women watching from afar…

"So, she's made the ultimate betrayal," muttered one.

"As long as I get him, I'll be fine," said another.

"Girls, it's late," grunted the third. "Let's head to bed before one of those engines catch us."

"Fair point," sighed the first. "This isn't over… Annabelle Regaby!"

THE END?

Author's Comments

Happy Valentine's Day! At long last, we finally approach the wedding of Annabelle Regaby and Paul Percival, in this rather loose mashup of The Grand Opening and Best Dressed Engine, with more elements being adapted from the former rather than the latter. In the case of Best Dressed Engine, I'd imagine that, while not mentioned at any point, the engines would have decorations in blue, green and red, representing the respective colors that Annabelle and Paul usually wear. Headmaster Hastings from Faulty Whistles is the organ player, as a reference to said Series 6 episode, also narrow gauge focused.

While this story does have the sense of a finale, there are still ten more stories of Series 6-7 Redux to go, if the final scene with Addison, Evelyn and Julissa is any indication.

Upcoming rewrites:

- Another Fine Mess

- The Star of the Show (Harold and the Flying Horse/Percy Gets it Right)

- Bill, Ben and Mavis

- Salty's Stormy Tale

- Stick with Steam (Mud, Glorious Mud/Pop Goes the Diesel)