April 1964 - After a while, James gets a response from Edward.
Word Count: 933
He wrote back.
James didn't think Emily's idea would work. Sure, it had worked fine for her but that was her sister. It was someone she knew. Edward was, in the end, a foreign stranger. Yet—
"He actually wrote back!" James exclaimed, seeing the closed envelope Fred, his driver, waved in front of him with a smile. "What did he say? Can you read it, please? Please?"
James' driver chuckled at the ecstatic engine as he looked around. The engine and his crew were in a siding, with a brake van and guard in hand, awaiting clearance. There was a disturbance up the branch line. "I don't see why not, chap. We have plenty of time."
"Open it, then!"
"Calm down!" he scolded. "Not that long ago, you were brooding about."
With a snort, James retorted, "No, I wasn't!"
"We nearly missed the boat."
James huffed, letting his cheeks burn. "Ok, maybe a little."
Satisfied, the elderly raven head pulled out his pocket knife and cut the envelope open from its side. He grabbed it from the opposite end and tapped it against the palm of his hand, getting the letter out. It took a bit but it eventually slipped out and into his hands. The Englishman was about to unfold it, only to see another letter slip out. With a quick reflex, he was able to catch it before it fell onto the tracks and under James. Unlike the first one, there was writing on the outside.
Curious, Fred cleared his throat. "From Quinn Burns, a volunteer of the Furness Railway Trust," his driver read aloud, just as George, James' fireman, quietly approached them. "I'll read this one first."
"But-!" James began.
"It could be context for what Edward has to say," interrupted his driver. "Might as well know who wrote it for him."
James hummed impatiently, receiving an eye roll from his fireman.
The driver quickly tucked the first letter and the envelope into his pockets. He opened the second letter, pinched the opposite corners between his fingers, as if it were a scroll, cleared his throat, just to get a kick out of James, and read what was written with ink on the thin sheet of paper…
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.
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"Greetings to James' crew!
When the Furness Railway Trust received your engine's letter, we were quite surprised, especially with whom it was addressed. While we were aware of the mishap that led to FR 21 being on the North Western Railway by accident, we were unaware that he had made a friend. And for that, we are very grateful for!
For one, Edward didn't have, shall we say, stable relationships in the past. When Old Coppernob was around for the Great Railway Show, Edward didn't get along with him. He ignored him the moment they met, so he's been a loner since. Considering what little he's told me about his "prime" days, I can see why.
And two, I don't think I and the rest of my colleagues have ever seen him this happy before, compared to how he reacted when we told him he'd partake in the Great Railway Show once again. Edward told me everything that happened while he was in the NWR. He was initially apprehensive about James but with the little time he spent on the island, he enjoyed his company. We're glad that he's made a friend.
Sincerely,
Quinn Burns"
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Fred chuckled at seeing James' face scrunch up, curious by one piece of information, joined by George.
"'Once again'?" repeated James. "He's been to the show before?"
"Sure seems like it, old chap," replied his driver, folding the letter back up and tucking it back into the envelope. He proceeded to do the same to the other with no writing on the outside. "Let's see what your friend's got to say," he continued as he opened the letter, the paper audibly wrinkling.
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.
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"Hello there!
In all my years, I didn't expect a letter. Much less from another engine, so I would like to thank you for that, James.
I would love to be 'pen pals.' And I have managed to find a way, as you can tell. Mr. Burns is a very nice man. I talk to him the most and he was there when the letter came in.
How have things been? I know not much time has passed but still. We might as well start somewhere, should we not?
By the time this letter reaches you, I'll be at the British Transport Museum. I'll be there until May. Then I'll go back to Derby for a short while. Until then, I won't be able to answer. I'm truly sorry. I will try to respond as soon as I get back.
Sincerely,
FR 21 Edward
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James huffed out steam in a heavy sigh. Of course, something was going on, he thought.
His "Day 1" crew picked up on the disgruntled engine. "Cheer up, old boy," whispered his fireman, ignoring James' "I'm not old!" "At least we know when he's going back."
Knowing Mr. Turner was right, James snorted, eliciting a chuckle from his elderly crew. While this behavior bothered others immensely, this was the norm for the trio. No other crew knew how to handle this particular iron horse.
"We can write back later," noted Mr. Quill as he heard a nearby shrill. He looked at the source of the sound to see their guard waving his flag. "The line's cleared."
Satisfied with the suggestion, James agreed. Once his crew settled in, Mr. Quill opened James' regulator with practiced ease, beginning their journey to the next job.
originally posted 03/16/2024 on tumblr
part of a mass re-upload. view chapter 2's author notes for more info on the future of this fic