The Time Frame I Gave Myself For This Story Wont Make Sense In The Next Two Parts But - Tumblr Posts
Siblings Reunited, Part 1
Many months earlier.
Henry was calm as he took in his surroundings. He was returning to Sodor from a sudden trip to Doncaster Station on the mainland, and was passing by a local scrapyard. He felt chills run through his frames as he rolled by. He came to a halt as he suddenly heard a voice call out to him from within the yard. "H..elp..meeee.." It moaned, somehow distinctly feminine despite how weak and raspy it was. "I-is someone in there?!" Henry called, backing up until he could peek inside. His eyes flew open when he saw an engine sitting there, half dismantled and in clear disrepair. She had apparently been sent there for scrap some time ago, and was never fully dismantled. "Fizzling Fireboxes!" He exclaimed. "Theres an engine in there! A-and shes alive!!" Henrys driver and fireman scrambled out of the cab to see for themselves. "Sweet lord, Henry, you're right!" Said his fireman. "And.. Is it just me.. Or.. Does she look alarmingly similar to Gordon?" His driver pointed out. Henry squinted, and all at once he could see the resemblance. "Could.. Could she be one of Gordons sisters..?" He whimpered. "Theres no way! Most of Gordons siblings were scrapped in the 60s!" His drivers entire body trembled as he stood there. The engine in the scrapyard just sat there silently, watching them amongst bits and pieces of engines long dead. Despite her severely run down state, her eyes held a faint glimmer of hope. "How long have you been in here..?" Henry asked, his eyes wide and glittering in fear. "and.. How are you communicating with me.. without any steam..?" The engine cracked a smile, opening her mouth to try and reply. Before she could say anything however, her eyes rolled back twords her smokebox, and she fell unconscious due to the exstensive damage. "We have to tell Sir Topham Hatt!" Henry wheeshed steam anxiously as his crew prepared him to continue his return journey. "Too right, old boy! Come on, full steam ahead!" Exclaimed his driver, and they set off once more with a renewed determination to save the half scrapped Pacific, and reunite her with Gordon. How they were going to DO that however, was anybodys guess.
After Henry had returned to Sodor, he and his crew went about the task of convincing the NWR's controller to purchase the engine in the Doncaster scrapyards. Noting how Gordons' 100th was coming up, and how they had Gordons blueprints on hand, he didnt see any reason to deny their request! "I will let you know as soon as I purchase this engine. Gordons 100th birthday is coming up, and I cant think of a better gift, than to reunite him with a sibling thought long dead." He adjusted his suit as he stood up from his desk. "I will make sure the Steamworks is prepared to bring an engine in her condition back up to working order. If she is as bad as you have described, its going to be an all hands on deck operation to get her rebuilt, repainted and recertified in time for Gordons birthday." Henrys crew couldnt hide their excitement, and neither could Henry! Outside the Fat Controllers office, Henry sat and listened to the conversation through an open window. A grin spreading across his face from one side of his smokebox to the other, he whistled in excitement. "shhh! Dont blow the surprise before we even get the engine here!" His driver laughed, looking out the window at his engine. "Henry, im putting you in charge of getting the other engines ready to assist with this surprise." Sir Topham Hatt boomed, turning to look out the window himself. "Make sure they're ready to run at all hours, and make sure they're all going to keep this a secret!" Henrys eyes glittered with a mixture of determination and excitement as his fire burned brighter than ever. "Yes sir! You can count on me!" And so, their mission had begun.