"ACHOO!"
Donald, Douglas, Oliver, Duck, and BoCo started coughing as a cloud of soot rapidly filled Arlesburgh Sheds. Their crew started to cough as well as they tried to fan out the soot.
"Losh sakes, Duck!" Complained Donald. "When did yer crew last clean ye oot, min??"
"Oh, be quiet, you Caledonian-" But Duck was interrupted by a laugh that sounded like a tinkling bell.
"Sorry, everyone!" A female voice laughed.
When the soot cloud finally dispersed from the shed, a beautiful female adult stood on top of Duck's boiler, standing next to his funnel.
She wore simple jeans, a black shirt, a white lab coat stained with soot, and black boots. Sharp green eyes sparkled a stark contrast to cherry-red cheeks, with yet more soot decorating her face, and her long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. A stethoscope hung around her neck, and on the ground beside Ducks wheels, was a large leather Gladstone bag, which the engines all eyed with suspicion.
Duck sniffed. "I do wish you would've told me what you were going to do, Dr. Maverick. Now I've disgruntled everyone in the shed."
"Not for the first time." Oliver cheekily added.
"Force of habit and please, call me Maria." Maria replied apologetically before jumping down onto his footplate in front of his face.
"Do you still feel stuffed up?" She asked gently.
"Not anymore." Duck replied, trying not to blink when she inspected his eyes with a retinoscope.
"I would hope not, after that sneeze you did, love." BoCo chuckled softly, soot scattered on his face.
"Why are you all covered in soot... no one told me?" Aurora asked as she walked over to the shed, a candy cane sticking out of her mouth and carrying a large bowl in her arms.
"Maria made Duck sneeze to clear his smokebox. It literally just happened, no warning or cover." Oliver pointed out in annoyance, before noticing the bowl. "What's with the bowl?"
"I figured that since Aurora is staying here tonight, I'll put on a movie." Jerry Smith, BoCo's driver, smiled as he held a small portable popcorn machine. "Show her a classic Christmas movie."
"Alright! Movie night!" Donald and Douglas cheered happily.
"What movie are you putting on?" Maria asked, moving Duck's lips around to inspect his gums.
"A Christmas Carol." Turner, Oliver's firewoman smiled warmly, carrying a large thermos. "She's picking which version, seeing as she's our guest for the evening.."
"I am?" Aurora asked as she walked over to Douglas, looking over at Maria and Duck. "Is he alright?
"He is." Maria hummed as she pulled out a large jar, putting a glove on. "Just giving him a booster."
Duck groaned with disgust as he watched her scoop up a small amount of a clear gel. When she first arrived in the summer, she inspected every engine on the island and had given them this same gel to keep them healthy.
Maria had conducted this research under the guise of solely improving the global railway economy. (She was mostly concerned for their welfare, but this was a pragmatic reason as well) and because of that, she developed a gel to help prevent engines from getting colds and viruses.
The only downside is that the taste was tremendously TERRIBLE.
Closing his eyes, he felt Maria smear the gel along his gums before lowering his lip.
"Ugh..." Duck spat quietly.
"Duck..." Maria chided warningly.
"We dinna envy ye, laddie," Donald said to Duck sympathetically. "Cheer up, ye'll soon be free o' that shite."
Duck couldn't speak, so he was really glad Donald wasn't teasing him right now. Douglas kept quiet and Oliver and BoCo were chatting amongst themselves.
They made no mention of Duck, though, which made him feel a tad better. At least they weren't teasing him...
"Oh don't worry, the rest of you will be getting a booster as well." Maria laughed, hearing the others groan in distaste.
Donald and Douglas swore up a storm, and Oliver started strategizing exit plans.
"It's for your own good," Maria chided.
"Tha' stuff tastes foul, lass, can ye no' improve on it?" Complained Donald.
"I feel for you, I really do." Maria sympathized. "But this gel was very complicated to make, not to mention expensive. We could ruin its effectiveness for the sake of making it more bearable. It's best if you just take it on the chin and take it," she patted Donald's side.
"How's Toad anyway, Oliver?" Asked Douglas.
"Fine, just downcast." Oliver replied. Maria had done the coaches and rolling stock earlier (though she had a medical team help with the trucks)
In fact, in order to cover the whole island effectively, Maria had a whole team, with her colleagues as leaders, dispatched all over the Island: one team was on the SKR; another on the Culdee Fell Railway; a third at Ulfstead Castle Estate Railway; and several along the North Western Railway (divided up by branchlines, the Main Line, industries such as the Docks, the Steamworks and Dieselworks, shunting yards and even at Mr. Jolly's Chocolate Factory, where Ghirardelli, his older sister Valrhona and their friend Leonidas the Crane, were working.
....
"So, fit else are you torturing us with, then, Doc?" Asked Donald grumpily.
"Haud yer wheest!" Snapped Douglas. He was more annoyed with his twin than anything else (though he mouthed a guilty 'sorry' to Maria.)
"I'd rather fave Burke an' Hare than deal wi' that shite!" Fumed Donald.
Aurora blinked in confusion.
"Fit the hell are ye gan on aboot, who would deal with those cadaver robbin' cunts??" Douglas snapped.
"Eh, you alright, Douglas?" Duck asked.
Although Douglas was known to swear, he didn't do it as often as Donald, which led to some... misplaced concerns.
"Aye, I'm gonna ignore auld MacPrat over there." Grunted Douglas.
"Oh dear," said BoCo.
"Guys, calm down," said Duck, trying to be rational. "There's no need to turn on each other like that."
"Try tell that to ma brother." Douglas huffed in annoyance.
"Like you donae do the same thing." Donald grumbled angrily.
"At least I donae complain aboot Maria checking us over."
"Here we go again." Donald huffed as he glared at Douglas.
Aurora looked between the arguing twins, her ears twitching from every swear word they said.
She was used to hearing them fight against each other, but this was WAY worse. Putting the bowl down, she cautiously walked over to the two, to stand in front of them.
"Careful, Ro." Oliver warned her quietly. "You don't want to be caught in the crossfire."
Aurora nodded before taking a deep breath. "It isn't that bad, Donald. Dr. Forest checks me over once a week. You only have to do it twice a year."
"It does nae change the fact the we have to get it done!" Donald growled quietly, only for Douglas to roll his eyes.
"I get something similar done whenever Dr. Forest checks me over." Aurora pointed out. "Besides, you only get checked over twice a year."
"It does nae matter!" Donald huffed angrily. "It's torture! Besides, ye already said it was twice a year, I bloody ken thar, thank ye!"
Douglas glowered at his twin, but BoCo spoke up. "It's not torture, Donald." he said, as Maria inspected his eyes, trying not to blink.
"She inspects us thoroughly, outside our visits to put corresponding workshops, so we should be grateful for her help."
"We never had any sickness." Donald grumbled distastefully.
"Maria said that our immune system is far stronger than a human's but we can still get sick."
"Yep," agreed Duck. "Thomas became ill once, and I had to run his branchline in his absence. I could tell he felt awful as he didn't give me any snark for a change."
"And there was Skarloey," Added Oliver. "I heard he was pretty ill during the time Rheneas went for an overhaul."
"And look at my father." Aurora said softly as she looked at him. "He used to suffer from episodes of boiler ache years ago."
Donald, however, exploded.
"FINE! FUCK THIS! FUCK YE A'!! YE DINNA FUCKING UNDERSTAND, NANE O' YE ARE LISTENING!" he glared at Oliver and Douglas.
"I thought ye'd both understand."
And he stormed out of the shed.
Aurora trembled in fright. She'd seen Donald angry before, but NEVER this angry, and he never normally snapped at her or anyone else like that. (Well, Douglas maybe, but Douglas was also accustomed to such coarseness.)
"We are sorry, Sunshine," BoCo said reassuringly to the stunned teen. "Donald will calm down and come back."
Douglas cursed his twin before addressing Duck, "Shall I go after him?"
Duck frowned. "If you want, though I can't say it'll be a good idea right now. If he derails, it'll serve him right for flouncing off and acting like some silly prat!" He said severely.
All the same, he was worried about his friend.
"... so, shall we forgo movie night?" Asked Francine worriedly.
"No, I think Aurora needs cheering up," said Oliver.
Maria bit her lip. "I'll... I'll head off."
"Ye sure, lass?" Douglas asked worriedly. "Dinna fash yersel' aboot Donnie, I'll-"
"It's sweet of you, Douglas, but I think I'm just getting in the way," Maria replied. "I'll get you guys later."
"It wouldn't be- no, scratch it, this hasn't been of Great Western standards at all. I do apologise, Doctor Maveri- Maria, that you wasted a journey and had to witness Donald making a fool of himself."
"Not your fault," Maria shook her head, putting her stuff into her bag. "Have a good night, everyone." She waved before walking away, a small smirk on her face. "Those two never change even after all these years." She thought amusingly.
...
"Come on, Aurora." Francine said softly as she gently puts her hand on her shoulder. "Donald will be back once he cools down. Let's make the popcorn and put the movie on."
"...Yeah..." Aurora said quietly, staring down the tracks Donald disappeared on before slowly walking over to Douglas.
Duck broke the silence. "Are you two OK?" He asked Douglas and Oliver.
"I'll fucking kill him." Douglas said, shaking in anger. "I canna believe he did tha'. I ken he loathed going tae the works or being mended, but he went tae far."
Oliver, however, was in a more reflective mood.
"The fact that he only addressed me and Douglas..." he began, before pausing. "I could be reading too much into this..."
"No, go for it," Duck urged. "We need something."
"Maybe he's angry about the days he was threatened with the cutters torch." Said Oliver. "That sort of trauma doesn't go away easily."
"Well, it has been some time..." Duck said.
"It can leave emotional scars, Duck." Oliver insisted. "Those don't heal well - especially unaided." He muttered softly, looking at Aurora as he said that.
"He has a point," said Douglas, begrudgingly, as he stared out towards where his twin had stormed off. "It doesnae cure ma bloodlust though."
....
Aurora was unable to look anywhere but the ground as she followed Francine in a shuffle toward the popcorn machine.
She never heard Donald yell like that before and it honestly terrified her.
The loud anger in his voice brought unpleasant memories into her mind once more but she shook her head, trying to chase the thoughts away. She didn't want a repeat of what happened between her and the NGEs so many months ago.
Taking a deep breath, Aurora exhaled before watching Francine prepare the machine.
"Can...can I help?" Aurora asked softly as she looked at her. Francine blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"Of course you can." Francine smiled as she started to teach her.
It did feel good to be of some assistance, Aurora reflected. Especially seeing as her attempt to help Donald had backfired and caused some doubts.
...
Aurora yawned as she sat up on Duck's boiler, stretching before rubbing her eyes. Blankets and pillows surrounded her in a nest, the soft snores of the engines echoing around the shed.
The moon cast a soft, silvery light through the window.
Aurora guessed it was the early hours of the next day.
Looking towards her left, she noticed the berth next to Douglas was still empty. Pushing the blankets away from her, Aurora silently jumped off Duck and landed on the ground. Hearing the engines still sleeping, she walked over toward the empty set of tracks and opened the door a crack. Stepping out, she shivered from the winter air and closed the door behind her.
A sheet of pristine white covered the land as fresh snowflakes danced across the air. Silence surrounded Aurora, a sound she became used to when she was returning to Sodor from Germany after she was kidnapped.
Her ears swerved in each direction, hoping she would hear the puffing sounds from Donald, but having no luck. Her ears flattened against her head as she stared down the snow-covered tracks.
...
Standing on a roof not far from the sheds stood Maria, a sly smirk on her face. She only wore shorts and a tube top, her hair covered in snowflakes.
"Are you really going to make her travel at night in the snow after she just did that for a month and a half?"
Maria looked over and saw Dr. Forest standing behind her, completely bundled up. "I'm not making her do anything." She shrugged, her eyes changing to an icy blue with her pupils becoming slits. "All I'm doing is putting Donald's scent in the snowflakes for her to follow in case she wants to."
"You know she will." Dr. Forest murmured as she stood next to Maria. "She takes after her mother more than she realizes."
"That she does." Maria smiled warmly as she formed an ice crystal in her hand. "Especially when it comes to her family."
...
Aurora closed her eyes as a gentle breeze swirled around her, causing the snowflakes to dance against her skin. Sniffing the air, her eyes slowly opened in the direction the wind came from. The scent was faint, but she could make out the smell of coal and water from Castle Loch.
"Donald..." Aurora said softly as she stared at the snow-covered land.
Looking behind her, she stared at the engine shed before running down the tracks. A shiver went down her spine as the snow crunched beneath her feet.
She was glad she taught herself to bear the cold more since she escaped the circus. The moon's silver light made the snow glow beneath her. The winter air chilled her lungs with every breath she took but she didn't care. She was more focused on finding her friend/brother and bringing him back to the sheds.
Tasting the air like cats usually do, Aurora once again tasted Donald's scent in the air and ran. As she ran, she eventually came up to an old single engine shed that rested at the end of a small siding. Biting her lip, Aurora slowly walked over to the front and looked inside.
Donald slept in the shed, gently snoring, cheeks red from the cold and his teeth chattering slightly. Even in the moonlight, thanks to her keen eyes, Aurora could see tear stains on his cheeks. Ears flattening against her head, she silently entered the shed and stood in front of the Scottish engine.
"Donald?" Aurora asked softly, looking up at him. "Donald... Donald... Donald... Donald..." She pouted when she couldn't wake him up.
Knowing she will regret it later, she took a deep breath and yelled' "Donald!"
"Ahh!" Donald screamed, startled as he was woken up. Panting hard, he looked around before looking down at the cat-girl in front of him. "Losh sake lass! What are you doing' waking me so early?!" He asked as he tried to calm himself.
Suddenly registering her presence, he added, "Wait...what are you doing out here at a'?"
"You didn't return to the sheds..." Aurora said softly as she hopped onto his footplate, placing her hand on his cheek.
"I could nae bring myself to return, lass..." Donald sighed softly. "I was still fumin' that I didnae want tae yell at anyone anymair." He muttered quietly. "That and I went off without Evan and Ian..."
"That's why your here." Aurora hummed softly as she gently rubs his cheeks, trying to warm them.
"Aye, I managed tae get 'ere afore my fire died." Donald said softly, closing his eyes in relaxation.
"Donald," Aurora bit her lip nervously, "Why did you lash out like that?"
Donald remained silent before opening his eyes, sadness clearly visible. "I got scared of her check-ups. I dinna like being repaired. At a'.
"Why?" Aurora asked curiously. "She only needs to see you twice -"
"I love ye, but ye sound like a record player." Donald huffed, before he exhaled. "It's no' her, persay, lass, but, the way she does some things bring back terrible memories..." Donald said softly, avoiding Aurora's eyes.
"...Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly before placing her cheek against his.
Donald sighed heavily, his eyes turning dark and full of sadness. "The way she examine us, it just...brings back bad memories." He said softly. "More so of the cutter's torch."
Aurora felt a chill run down her spine, her tail fluffing up as she stared at him in horror. "Was... was it used on your brothers and sisters?" She asked quietly.
"Aye... there were 17 mair engines o' oor class... oor siblings, like, the 652s. And there were also the 812s, who were the original versions."
Aurora was confused.
"What's the difference between an 812 and a 652?"
"Sma' things, like oor cab cut oot, a differently shaped reversing rod and laminated springs, the 812s had a... "wee reputation'' when it came tae... fots sae funny like?" Donald asked crossly as he saw Aurora hiding a small smile.
"Sorry, Donald, I wasn't laughing at you, that reminded me of Skarloey," she said.
"Aye, tha' auld git." grumbled Donald, but his eyes held affection and respect for the old engine.
Then, his expression darkened.
"Anyway, lass, oot o' a' oor siblings, only een survived scrap, excluding Dougie and I."
"Just one!" Aurora squealed in horror.
"Aye. Oot o' a' the 652s and 812s, Dougie and i are the only 652s left. Oor only other sibling resides on the Strathspey Railway, up in the Highlands o' Scotland,"
Aurora could understand Donald better now, but she was still confused about one thing, and she decided to ask about it.
"There's one thing I want to ask..." she said carefully. "But, this might come out... insensitive." She said.
"Get on wi' it," Sighed Donald.
Despite the heaviness of their conversation, Aurora let a brief smile play on her lips. Douglas was certainly the more patient of the two!
"There's plenty of engines here who have also lost nearly all - of not all - of their siblings. What makes this different?"
"Well, I guess I just resented the fact that sae many engines were scrapped on Dr. Beechinga orders, and lines closed doon, and... the railway network on Scotland used to be a lot mair extensive than it is noo. Some sma' toons who had railway access lost it during the 60s. Nae a' places, like, but too many."
He sighed, feeling tears burning in his eyes.
"A lot o' oor siblings were scrapped in their prime, as were friends and cousins."
Aurora froze.
"You have cousins?"
"We had cousins." Donald corrected. "We only hae one noo; she works at Bo'ness and Kinneil in the Glasgow direction noo, No. 419 o' the 439 class."
"I'm glad you have some family left, but that's..."
"Oot o' aboot 500-odd engines built by McIntosh," Donald interrupted, "only four o' us survive."
Aurora was speechless.
"Tha' was why Dougie and I were terrified of going back to Scotland." Donald finished, a choked sob escaping his mouth. "I've witnessed some o' oor siblings being scrapped. Hell, I-"
"Donald?"
"I helped shunt a sister tae her end." Donald whispered. "She said she held nae ill will towards me, but her screams..." he breathed. "I always, always volunteered to take scrap runs so Dougie never had tae see anything... but, the day I actively helped those bastards end her life was the last straw. I planned to run away at once, and never look back."
He took a shuddering breath, and continued, "Douglas never saw what I saw, but he knew what happened. Now, even though we were built at the same time, I was completed just before he was, technically making me the oldest. After watching the death of our siblings, I vowed to keep Dougie safe nae matter what."
"Was that why you told that spiteful breakvan to be good with Douglas?" Aurora asked gently before using her handkerchief to wipe his tears away.
"Aye... well, I'd have had a row wi' that spiteful, no good bastard excuse o' a brake van regardless, but I just felt extra protective cos o' what we'd been through, like." Donald answered. "Douglas can hold a fight pretty well, but, well, I didnae want him in trouble wi' the Fat Controller for essentially killin' the bastard. Nae that he didnae hae that coming," he added.
"You almost sound like Flying Scotsman." Aurora softly said, catching Donald's attention. "Even though he was built after Gordon, he tries to make Gordon stay on Sodor. He's seen their brothers and sister being scrapped, leaving only him and Gordon left of their class." She muttered softly, putting her handkerchief away. "He knows the horrors and torture the engines on the Mainland go through, and he doesn't want to see Gordon go through any of that."
"Sodor is the only place engines feel safe." Donald sighed softly.
"Where everyone feels safe." Aurora muttered quietly, gently tracing the scar over her heart.
"Aye." Donald agreed sympathetically. "Ye should get back to the sheds."
"What about you?" Aurora asked as she looked up at him.
"I donae have Evan and Ian with me." Donald muttered sullenly. "I'll be fine till they come in the morning. Besides, I think the others are happy I'm not there now..."
"Nonsense." Aurora shook her head. "I missed having you there, along with the others."
"Either way, I cannae go back without Evan and Ian. And there's nae way I'm going to ask you to do it." He stated, knowing full well how she feels claustrophobic in their cabs.
"..." Aurora didn't say a word before walking along his footplate.
"H-Hey" Donald called out, feeling her climb into his cab.
Aurora took a deep breath, feeling her heart race as she stood still. Closing her eyes, she kept doing deep breathing to try to calm her racing her heart. Opening her eyes, she started to shovel some coal into Donald's cold firebox.
Remembering where they kept the matches, Aurora pulled a small box out, hidden behind the brakes, she struck the match against the box before tossing it into the firebox. She quickly knelt to the ground and gently blew on the flame, watching as the fire slowly spread across the coal.
Donald shivered as he felt the warmth in his firebox slowly spreading across his frame.
"Feel better?" Aurora asked.
"A wee bit, aye," Donald said, but then he realized something. "Ach shit, lass, I should hae warned ye... I ran awa' fore I could get my firebox cleaned oot."
"Surely you'll be fine -"
"It'll no' kill me, but my fire winna breathe properly," he said quietly. "Means we're stuck here till morning."
A pause.
"I ken ye came here yerself, but I'll be damned if I let ye go oot again. Ye're staying wi' me, on case something happens,"
Of course, Percy, Thomas and Oliver would be covering the mail run tonight, as there were a lot more cards, letters and parcels to deliver than usual. Aurora had forgotten, and didn't get to wish Oliver a good run.
"Ach, fuck me," Donald muttered, as his fire started to struggle to burn.
He was regretting being so rash, and for hurting his friends, more than likely pissing off his brother and just being an all-round stubborn arse.
Aurora stared at the dying fire, deep in thought. Grabbing the shovel, she gently pressed it against the firebox.
She smiled as she was able to get the shovel into the firebox and started to shovel the coal out. Her ears twitched from hearing Donald grumbling about the lack of heat, but she remained focused on her task.
She tossed the hot coals onto the ground and the coal that hasn't burned yet back into his tender. Jumping out of his cab, she started looking around the old shed, hoping to find anything metal, preferably nothing brittle or rusty.
Her eyes found a metal rod, and a thick piece of scrap metal, Aurora jumped back into Donald's cab and knelt down. She had seen the NWR engine drivers do this with their engines, mostly peeking in the cab, but had never actually done this before.
Taking her handkerchief out, she tied it around her head, covering her nose and mouth, before crawling into his fireback, using her tail to drag the pipe and scrap metal inside.
"R-Ro, Aur-, Aurora!" Donald called out, feeling her climb into his firebox.
He started to panic, knowing that her claustrophobia will kick in and possibly pass out.
...
Aurora felt her heart pound being in a confined space, but she reminded herself she had room to move, and stand.
Remembering what Sam and Dave told her about cleaning fireboxes, she started to use the scrap metal to scrape the debris off the sides. Even with her handkerchief covering her nose and mouth, she coughed from the dust and debris that came off with the metal.
...
Donald winced, feeling the sharp metal scrape against his firebox.
After what felt like an eternity, he felt Aurora dumping out the debris as best as she could before feeling her crawl out of his firebox.
...
Still coughing, Aurora realized her entire body - and pajamas - were covered in dust and debris, but she wasn't phased.
Taking her handkerchief off, she coughed before grabbing the shovel to toss the debris out of his cab.
"That *coughs* that should be a temporary clean until we get back to the shed." Aurora coughed as she shoveled more coal into his firebox.
"How-"
"I've seen Aaron and Jacob do it with Gordon's firebox a lot." Aurora purred at the memory. "It's not fully cleaned, but it should be enough to get us back to Arlesburgh sheds." She lit a fire in the firebox once again.
Donald couldn't help but shiver once more at the familiar warmth spreading throughout his body. He felt his fire burn stronger than before, but he knew he couldn't travel a great distance.
Grabbing his regulator, Aurora slowly pushed it forward, feeling Donald starting to move forwards.
Donald, however, took one look at the snow and realized that to venture out with limited fuel and a half-cleaned firebox would be unwise.
Duck and Douglas would fucking kill him.
He managed to stop himself before he could roll out of the shed.
"No, I'll nae chance the journey tonight." He said severely. "Aurora, ye should hae left me here. It'll be foolhardy trying tae get back the night, especially in this weather."
Aurora was dumbfounded. "I came to get you, Donald -"
"I dinna care, ye put yerself in danger. People lose their lives tae this."
"Donald -"
"Duck and ma twin will hae me for scrap if I was willing to jeopardize your safety and yer health; nae tae mention Henry and Edward."
"I suggest we stay here. Ye can keep my fire goin', provided there's nae chance o' CO poisoning, but dinna touch my fucking regulator."
Aurora was still baffled, but backed away from the controls all the same.
"We'll get rescued in the morning. Dougie probably kens far I am."
"I texted Ian and Evan anyway." Aurora muttered quietly, climbing on top of his cab. "So better prepare yourself for Duck's lecture." She said softly as she walked on top of his boiler. "Cause you know he's going to talk to us for probably two hours." She said before laying on her stomach on his boiler.
"Ye really should've stayed at the sheds." Donald sighed softly. "That way ye wouldnae hae tae listen tae Duck tae." He scolded, but felt touched that she cared so deeply.
"I would've ventured out to find you anyway." Aurora admitted before crawling over to his smoke box. "You're my brother and you shouldn't be alone. Trust me." She said softly, laying down once more.
Donald felt tears well up in his eyes from hearing her call him her brother.
He was about to reply to her when he heard her soft snores. A warm smile came across his face as he slowly backed up into the shed a bit more.
"Good night, Ro." Donald said softly before he too fell asleep.