#ttte torywreck

[hazel-of-sodor]

Day 10-Duty-Bound

Day 10-Flora

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Charles Hatt stepped down from Clarabel into grass that nearly reached the doors of the coaches in places, the mine’s abandoned equipment looking for all the world like monsters of a lost world beneath the vines covering them.

The rails creaked but held under Cassandra's weight, the engine staring ahead at the shed at the end of the mine sidings.

“I assume this is where you've hidden an engine?” He asked as he helped Amanda and Barbara down from the coach, Stephen and Bridget, clambering down eagerly by themselves.

“Five of them,” Cassandra said solemnly. 

“Your father wanted to be here for this,” Stephen looked back to see his Mother climbing down from Annie, her face usually serious. “But someone had to distract the other railway while you came, and he was best for the job.”

Charles snorted, his liaison with the Other Railway had looked panicked when he informed them his father would be covering for him while he took a day's vacation with his family.

“I’m sorry.” Cassandra said suddenly.

Charles turned to the tank engine, confused, “Whatever for?”

She looked back, meeting his gaze, “for lying to you.”

“I don't understand.”

“You will when you open the shed.”

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder, “She didn't lie to hurt you, but to protect others.”

He glanced back towards his mother, then back to Cassandra, “why do I have the feeling I won't like what I find.” He asked cautiously.

“You’ll like what you find,” the tank engine promised, “but you may not like me very much after.”

“Or me.” Barbara added before he could reply. He glanced back toward his sister in confusion.

“I helped hide them,” she said, as if that was supposed to explain anything.

His mother looked back at her sister with a frown, “I wasn't aware of that.”

Barbara looked defiant, “I fired Thomas that night, as Johnathan was unwell.”

Charles looked towards the shed in uncertainty, did he want to know something that was already causing this much trouble within his family?

His wife, bless her, knew him well enough to answer. She took his hand, “You won't be able to rest until you know.”

He nodded, “you're right as alway dear.”

He squared his shoulders, he was the Fat Controller of the North Western Railway. The Other Railway had not beaten him, neither would this. He strode forward and opened the shed door slowly but with purpose. 

It took for a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness in the shed, but when he did, his knees nearly gave out.

“Charles!” Amanda cried, but he was already scrambling forward.

“Hello to you too little brother,’ Toryreck rumbled happily. Elsbridge, Callan, and Glynn also greeting him.

Alive! They were Alive!

His siblings were ali…

A sudden realization broke over him like a tidal wave of icey water, chilling him to the bone.

He turned slowly, “you knew.” He said.

“You knew and let me think they were dead!?!?” He was unable to keep his voice from rising into a shout.

“You're mother only found out a few weeks ago,” Cassandra said mildly, “we’ve been trying to get you here ever since.”

She then sighed softly, “but yes, we knew.”

Charles grit his teeth against the hot ball of anger in his stomach. 

‘A man who lets his anger control him is a fool. Don't be a fool as I have been far too many times.’ His fathers words came to him and he forced himself to breathe deeply, before responding.

“Why.” He snapped. “Why would you let me think they were dead?” A part of him noted he still had work to do on controlling his temper.

“Because they are not the only ones,” Cassandra, no Caomhnóir, said. “If it had just been them, I would have told you that day…”

“But they had been hiding engines for years at that point,” Barbara said. “Revealing them risked revealing them all.”

“They were our siblings!,” Charles glared at his sister, “and you let me believe they were dead!”

“When was I supposed to tell you?” Barbara demanded, “By the time you returned they had been hidden for over a year and it was clear you would become the new Fat Controller. Sodor couldn’t risk having you compromised in any way, or the Other Railway would take over.”

“Then why now?” He asked, “I’m Controller for the North Western Railway, it's more of a risk now then ever.”

His sister smirked, “because you said railway, not region.” 

He fell quiet at the accusation, his sister smirked at him.

“You know what we're up against. The Other Railway has ordered all steam engines scrapped. Sodor will stand the gap. The Lady demands it.”

Charles understood what she wasn’t saying, “I was gonna find out no matter what.”

“And they would come for you no matter what.” His sister finished

“I couldn’t justify keeping this from you any longer.” Cassandra spoke up.

Charles sighed, suddenly exhausted, aware his job had become not only more difficult, but far more important. He laid a hand on Toryreck’s bufferbeam and glanced over to Cassandra, trying to gather his thoughts.

“When father told me about you being Caomhnóir,” he began, “I thought that being the Lady’s Champion meant dealing with the occasional ghost engine, not saving the steam engine from extinction.”

Cassandra blushed. “In my defense,” she said, “your father told me that if a Lady asked for something within your abilities, it would be very rude to refuse them without good reason.”

“It was one of the times I was mad at him wasn't it,” his mother asked dryly.

“I didn't ask…but most likely.”

Charles sighed, there was nothing for it. He had a job to do, and Hatts didn't back down from their duty.

He looked up at the tank engine, “alright little sister, what do you need from me?”

A/N: Hello Loves! As the summary says, this takes place between chapters 3 and 4 of 'A Life Well Lived.' If this feels familar to you, its because we saw his father react to the same reveal. Love Y'all!

[hazel-of-sodor]

A Life Well Lived

A Life Well Lived

Ch.2 Living

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The Elsbridge Cafe had been excellent as always. Jane had been concerned they would arrive during the lunchtime rush, but once Thomas had been uncoupled from the tram in the Wellsworth Yard, they had made good time. Thomas had quickly proven why his express service from Tidmouth was known to locals as the Ffarquhar Flash. He had even overtaken James's local commuter, much to the red engine's ire.  

Derek had deeply enjoyed himself, as Controller it had been rare that he had been able to sit down and have a meal with his crews. Eating a meal with his wife and Thomas's crew had been a treat. Robert and Jonathan had been with the railway as long as Thomas had been, so they were old friends. The tank engine himself had been delighted with the warm bread roll the Derek had snuck out for him, quickly sharing it with Annie and Clarabel.

"You're spoiling him," Jane had dryly observed.

"That," Derek said with a smirk, "is Charle's problem now."

-------

Leaving Elsbridge, they had made good time up towards Ffarquhar, before stopping seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Jonathon had hopped down, and flipped a switch that was almost invisible in the undergrowth along the line. Thomas pulled forward onto old tracks hidden by weeds and Jonathon set the points back before climbing back aboard.

Thomas rolled carefully along old abandoned metals, the foliage around them almost brushing the windows of the coaches. He moved slowly but confidently through the woods.

Eventually they reached a clearing and Thomas rolled to a stop. Robert opened the door and Derek slowly climbed out. They were at an abandoned mine, old rails  lburrowed through the grass, forgotten machinery lay rusting under the afternoon sun, and before them an old engine shed lay closed.

Derek walked carefully up alongside Thomas, whose gaze was locked on the doors to the shed. Behind him he heard Jane follow.

"I'm sorry." Thomas said suddenly.

"Whatever for?" Derek asked in confusion.

Thomas refused to meet his eyes, "I wanted to tell you...but I couldn't risk them."

Derek glanced at the shed, then back at the number one. He still wouldn't meet his eyes.

 Derek slowly walked forward and pulled the doors. Despite their age, they opened easily, if creakily. It took a second for his eyes to adjust then...

"Derek!" Jane cried as his knees gave out from under him. She reached for him, but he was already scrambling up and into the shed.

 His hand met a face, and large eyes blinked slowly open. The small engine blinked owlishly, "Tad? What are you doing here?"

"Elsbridge." He cried with relief, tears running down his face. "I thought you'd been scrapped."

Jane stepped forward, a hand over her mouth and tears brimming at the sight of the coffee pot.

Elsbridge blinked, clearly not fully awake yet. "No. Tom saved us."

"Us? But..." Derek trailed off as he noticed she wasn't alone in the shed. Three other small engines were parked behind her. A tender engine sat beside them, but his eyes were only for the waking coffee pots.

"Tad? Mam?" Toryreck asked sleepily.

In the back Callan and Glynn struggled awake.

"You're here." Derek breathed, "you're all here!" He lunged forward, hugging Elsbridge tightly.

Large hot tears splashed onto his suit, but he ignored them in favor of the feeling of his oldest against his chest, alive.

"I'm glad to see you too, Tad."

 Jane was in a similar position with Tory, happily ignoring the tears falling into her hair.

Derek finally pulled back, but kept his hand on her cheek. "I'm so so sorry. I..."

"It's okay." Elsbridge interrupted, "We know.  We never thought you would order us scrapped. Tom told us what actually happened as soon as he knew."

"I should have known better than to leave you without protection."

Torywreck shook their head. "You had no idea they'd go behind your back like that." They smiled, "We never blamed you Tad. They grabbed us from our shed in the middle of the night and took us to the yard in Barrow. When we arrived, Tom was already waiting. The engine sent to get us had managed to warn him that morning. We were swapped out for trucks of parts from the works so the scrapyard would assume we had been taken apart at the works. We were in this shed by morning, and have been here ever since." 

To Derek's confusion, Jane looked angry rather than relieved at this explanation. She turned to face Thomas.

"You've let us think they were scrapped this whole time, knowing they were alive?" She asked, her voice shaking with anger.

"Yes," Thomas confirmed firmly but solemnly.

[hazel-of-sodor]

A Life Well Lived Chapters

Ch.1 Morning

Ch.2 Living

Ch.3 Caomhnóir

Ch.4 Exit Stage Right