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“Thank you everyone, safe travels home! Merry Christmas!”
Blue waited as the rest of the night’s passengers stumbled their way through the snow drifts that surrounded the station and headed for home. The train crew jogged back and forth, checking with the rest of the train and getting the depot closed down for the night. He watched with a tired but happy expression as snow floated down, remnants of the storm that had brought it all down a few days before. His lights bounced through icicles that hung off roof lines, bathing the icy pavement in tiny auroras. He almost didn’t notice James walking back up to him, were it not for the engineer’s foot catching a particularly big patch of iced over snow.
“Watch it,” Blue chastised the man, gently nudging him back to balance. “You still have your family to go home to, they won’t want you coming home looking like a snowman!” He chuckled lightly as James rolled his eyes and playfully brushed the engine’s hand away.
“Halfway there already with the wind kicking all that powder into the cab! At least me and the crew got your fire keeping us mostly unfrozen,” he pointed out. Blue nodded, a small dusting of snow falling from him with the motion. He glanced over himself, kicked his wheels a bit, and hummed in thought. James patted his plating. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we get you brushed off before everyone goes home. And yes, you can take the lights and decorations off too,” the engineer added with a knowing smile.
“I’ll survive,” Blue laughed. “Besides, I like the wreath. I think I’ll hang it up in my shed for the night.”
“Yeah? Well alright, that should be-” James cut off for a moment as a staticky voice called through the radio. “Hey, sounds like everyone’s ready to head back to the yard. Come on, let’s go home, bud.” Blue simply nodded as the train crew climbed back aboard and headed for home.
-
“Are… you humming one of the songs from the excursion?”
Blue blinked in surprise, his hands halting their previous task of fixing his wreath. He glanced back at his friend. “Hm? Am I?” he asked.
James let out a laugh. “You were, weren’t you?” He chuckled as Blue avoided his gaze. “I’d have thought you’d be real sick of it after weeks of running the winter trains. Lord knows the guys are real tired of that stupid hot chocolate song,” he groaned, crossing his arms.
“Well that song’s more annoying,” Blue replied with a soft laugh. “I like some of the other ones. They’re…” He looked away for a moment, watching the snow outside. “They’re nice.”
James wasn’t buying that, at all. “Bud… come on, you know I can tell when you aren’t telling me something,” the man pointed out. He made his way closer to his engine and dragged a chair over, making a show of dropping himself right in front of Blue. “What’s on your mind?”
Blue cocked an eyebrow. “You know I can just go around you, right?” You’re not stopping me from doing anything,” he huffed lightly.
“Oh I’m sorry, did you wanna go get covered in ice and snow again?” James teased, gesturing out the window. Blue huffed and crossed his arms.
“…no,” the engine sighed. He tried to ignore the man by turning his attention back to pretending to fix the wreath.
“You want me to hang out here a little longer tonight?” James asked.
“What? No, no, you have your family things and don’t you always let your kids stay up and wait for- the, uh…” Blue trailed off, trying to remember.
“Santa Claus?” James suggested. “Or the Polar Express?” he added with a warm laugh.
“They believe in the Polar Express too?” Blue asked with a tilt of his head. I know their book is based on a different, real engine but the story is still pretty close at least.
“Too.”
The engine blinked in confusion. “What?”
James couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “You said ‘they believe too’. It’s not just a story to you, is it?”
Blue felt his face heat up and he avoided the other’s gaze. He fidgeted with his bandana, half hiding his face with it. “Um, well… i-it’s a story we’ve always told and I’ve always just really liked it. We tell it a bit differently, but that sort of… magic is still there.” He turned his head away again. “Most trains stop believing after a while though,” he muttered sadly.
“You didn’t though. You still do,” James replied calmly, to which Blue gave a tiny nod. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little Christmas magic, bud.”
“You think it’s ridiculous,” Blue sighed.
James pulled himself to his feet, shaking his head. “No I don’t! What’s the harm in it, really? As long as it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. Why do you think I stay up til all hours of the night and put on a fake beard and itchy hat?”
“Thought that was a fashion choice,” the engine smirked. James ignored his comment and simply shook his head.
“I do all that because seeing the kids light up when they think they’ve ‘caught’ Santa is more than worth everything else,” the man continued. “So stay up and wait for that train if you want! Fix your lights and the wreath, whatever you want!”
“Oh please, I don’t actually stay up and wait for-”
James cocked an eyebrow.
“…anymore,” Blue muttered under his breath. He cleared his throat and pretended to be interested in the snow outside again. James laughed warmly and gently patted Blue’s plating.
“We don’t have any more trains until next week. Celebrate however you want to, big guy. Merry Christmas, Blue,” the engineer said happily. He rose to his feet and pulled his jacket on, to which some frost and ice still clung. “I’ll be by tomorrow afternoon, the kids will wanna see their favorite engine again!”
Blue smiled timidly and nodded. “Merry Christmas to you too, James. Stay warm going home, okay?”
“Will do, big guy,” James replied as he pulled his hat back on. He gave one last wave before closing the shed door behind him and starting the walk towards his truck. Wind blew powdery snow from tree limbs around the yard, lit by the moon and stars and the colorful strands of lights hung across the yard office’s windows. The sun had long since gone down, temperatures dropping with it. James shivered against the wind but didn’t mind the cold too much. The snow-blanketed mountains were always something he looked forward to; it always felt so surreal and otherworldly. The engineer exhaled a clouded breath as he reached the yard limits. He turned back for a moment, watching the shadows inside the sheds and shop move about as his engine and the rest of the rolling stock set about their own celebrations.
James smiled to himself and started his walk again, snow crunching under his work boots. He found himself lightly humming a holiday melody as he fished his keys out of his jacket pocket. He brushed some snow off himself, climbed into his truck, and was just about to turn the key when a sound drew his attention elsewhere. He cocked an eyebrow and stuck his head back out the window for a moment, listening to the otherwise quiet winter night. It was faint, but there was no mistaking it.
Far across the mountaintops, a steam whistle carried through the night.