The Old Mansion. (A Humanized TTTE Oneshot.)

The Old Mansion

Thomas Billinton was a cheerful, bright, adolescent engine driver on the NWR. He was very cheeky too, with a love of pulling teases and jokes on his co-workers and friends. But among this cheekiness there was also a kindness and a determination to keep those around him close. For beneath all of that laid a deep depression and sadness. Sadness so deep that it was practically hidden.

Not far from the cottage from where Thomas and his family lived, there laid an old mansion that's been standing since the 15th century, and had been abandoned for about 5 years. Whenever you see Thomas walk by it, a feeling of dread would be very prominent in his face. His eyes will look dead, and his voice would be silent whist his head would be looking towards the ground as if he was mourning for someone.

On one particular day, Thomas was walking through the path by the mansion with a bouquet of golden roses sitting in his hands. He leaped over the fence and laid the flowers gently on the doorstep. He then kneeled and smiled sadly as an ominous wind blew around the area.

"Keep out....." a feminine whisper spoke, as tears fell from the E2 driver's eyes.

"I am..." He cooed to no-one nearby. "I am."

He then proceeded to turn heel as his blue eyes continued to shine with sadness. He seemed to be pretty downcast as usual.

Hours passed, and Thomas did his work on the Ffarquhar branch alongside Percy and Toby. At Elsbridge, Thomas sat solemnly on his E2's tank whilst the water filled up inside. Apart from his sisters, Annie and Clarabel, and his passengers, he was alone. The sky was blue and clear and the temperature was nice and warm. It was the kind of day that Thomas loved and dreaded at the same time. Before he became part of Sir Topham Hatt's fleet, he had many days like this in his childhood.

"Of all the things to torture me." He uttered. "Why did it have to be a nice day like this?"

Tears prepared to fall from his eyes once again as a girl with golden hair haunted his thoughts.

"Why... Why can't I just move on?"

The E2 driver was seconds away from sobbing when a pair of feminine voices caught him off guard.

"Thomas...."

"Are you okay?"

Thomas glanced over to see a certain pair of twin burettes. He knew who these were.

"Annie... Clarabel..." The 17 year old uttered softly as he hopped off of his E2's tank. The twin sisters gazed at their older brother worriedly as he stepped towards them. Having the bond he had with them, he could no longer hold his inner-emotions back.

"I... I... I... I can't stop thinking about HER!" Thomas wailed as he finally let all of his tears lose. Being on Sodor for the same number of years as their brother, Annie and Clarabel KNEW who Thomas was referring to. Together they both tenderly wrapped their arms around their brother and brought him into a comforting group hug.

"Hush... Thomas." Annie spoke soothingly.

"Let it all out." Clarabel cooed in unison.

Thomas sobbed for a few moments, unable to hold back a single tear. He had moments like this one quite often whenever he was alone or just with family members and did not try to build it up.

As he then stopped, Annie and Clarabel gazed tenderly at their brother, as they continued to soothe him from his heartache. He didn't want to reveal this side in front of his friends.

As time passed, Thomas carried on with the work on his branchline till everything was done. When he finally arrived back at the sheds the sun had begun to set, and Percy and Toby were already preparing to head back home. They were chatting away whilst Thomas brought his E2 to a stop.