The Sun's Gift

by Aurora_Cat

Summary:

Henry, Edward, and the entire Steam Team have their hands full when a dying mother stumbles onto their home, putting the care of a newborn baby in their daily lives

Chapter 1: Light Amongst the Darkness

Rain pelted down from the blackened sky, with only the odd lightning strike illuminating the dirt path through the forest, which was littered with wet leaves, broken branches, and gnarled roots riding out of the earth, like fingers of the dead gripping the ground above.

Thunder shook the heavens, deafening howling winds, fiercely cold and bitter.

Trees bent and cracked, some creaking loudly in protest from the force of the storm.

A lone figure slowly trudged through the rain, a hooded cloak flapping behind them. A thick bundle was cradled protectively against their chest, where an anxious heart was beating.

With each step, the shadowed figure stumbled over their own feet, fallen branches, and near-invisible twigs.

...

Stopping for a moment's breath, their body trembled against the cold rain and wind before looking down at the bundle, and saw that the wrapping was loosening. Tucking the wrap up tightly, the figure continued to trudge through the storm once more.

Stumbling through the trees, they broke free of the forest and fell to the ground. The figure nearly cried out, but only managed to balance on their knees.

Just a few feet away, stood a massive mansion, which looked more like a miniature castle; even through the freezing rain whipping into their eyes, they could make out windows.

A large stone water fountain sat in front of the double doors, a large design looming out of the dark.

Getting up with a grunt, the figure crept along,trying to retain balance, which they managed until they reached the middle of the courtyard.

A foot suddenly caught on the stonework of the fountain, and a voice cried out; the voice of a young woman.

"H-Help...!"

Her voice was strained and rough, almost soundly like gravel. Her loudest, most pleading cries were mere whispers in the howling winds.

Her knees were stinging, and cold, and dripping with blood.

She continued to cry out for help as she stumbled towards the doors, her arm outstretched.

Upon placing her red, badly cut foot on the first step, she stumbled, before collapsing from exhaustion. Despite her fatigue, she maneuvered herself so she could ensure the bundle was protected.

Drenched from the rain, trembling from the cold, and badly bleeding - the woman struggled to crawl closer to the door, her vision fading. Coughing out blood, she stretched her hand as far as she could, cat-like claws curved over the tips of her fingers as she scraped the door, before collapsing on the doorstep.

She heard the sounds of multiple dogs barking behind the door. The last thing she saw was the double doors open, as darkness finally claimed her.

...

"It's a good thing Sir Topham Hatt closed the railway for the night." A 25-year-old man stated, looking out of a large window in the living room and watching the storm.

The man had slightly pale skin with stunning sapphire eyes and bright blue, short hair. He wore a simple white shirt with light blue pajama pants. A cup of hot tea rested in his hand as he walked over to a couch.

The living room was massive with pristine, crisp white walls, a dark brown oak wooden floor, and a large L-shaped couch.

A beautiful carpet, in patterns of different colors and embroidered with golden threads, sat in the middle of the floor; in the center of the carpet was a simple glass coffee table. Multiple cups rested atop the glass, surrounding a glass vase filled with beautiful flowers.

A magnificent marble fireplace loomed from its spot against the left wall, a fire blazing cheerily away; just along from it was a glass French door leading to a greenhouse.

An antique bookshelf was pressed against the opposite wall, each shelf filled with books and adorned with knick-knacks. Hanging from the ceiling was a beautiful chandelier that sparked from the fire's orange glare.

In a corner stood a very tall, leafy plant that seemed to glow with vibrance and life.

Sitting on the carpet were five teens and one tween, a pile of Uno cards resting in the middle.

The tween, appearing to be around eleven years old, had pale skin and fluffy, milk chocolate hair, falling over stunning sapphire-blue eyes, glittering with mischief, intelligence, and kindness. He wore simple blue pajama pants and a matching shirt.

A stunning hyacinth macaw rested on the tween's left shoulder; he had light blue feathers with very soft, white patterns that resembled clouds.

On the tween's right, sat a thirteen-year-old male. Ebony-colored hair with ruby streaks, sticking up in a poor impression of a mohawk; and brilliant Carnelian-red eyes.

He was adorned in a red yukata with black sakura blossoms sprinkled around a golden ryu, or dragon.

Around his neck was a young giant garter snake coiled around his neck like a collar.

On the tween's left sat a thirteen-year-old male with bright blonde, messy hair and jade-green eyes. His face was adorned with very faint freckles across his nose.

His attire was similar to the tween's; but it was green, and accompanied by red slippers. (His younger companion was wearing a pair of fuzzy socks)

A golden retriever laid behind him, gnawing on a bone, tail lazily thumping the rug.

Sitting next to the green-clad teenager, was a fourteen-year-old male with brown eyes and brown hair. He was clad in simple black pajama shorts and a plain white t-shirt. A calico kitten laid on his lap, quietly snoozing away.

Next to him was a teen around fifteen years old, with short white hair and silver-colored eyes. He wore stunning white pajamas with silver lining on the sleeves cuffs and outline of the shirt. He was busy shuffling his cards but looking out of the window worriedly.

Between him and the teen with the gulags was a female wearing dark green pajama shorts and a tank top. Looking around fifteen years old, her hair was short, barely reaching the top of her shoulders, and colored black at night, and her eyes were dark green. A small black and white Dutch rabbit sat on her lap, eating a carrot happily before hopping away.

Near the couch, a large blanket was laid out on the floor with two dogs sleeping on it. One was a brindle-colored pit bull puppy; the other was a Siberian husky puppy that resembled a wolf.

A black cat was lying on the end of the blanket, eyes closed. Near the dogs, on the other end of the blanket from the cat, was a fifteen-inch boa constrictor, coiled up, enlarged from its recently consumed meal.

Sitting next to the constrictor was a small brown and white Rex rabbit, who was soon joined by the Dutch rabbit.

"I'll say so." A male, around nineteen years old stated, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he sat on the couch. "Lady knows what kind of damage is happening."

The male has shoulder-length silver hair and apple-green eyes. Even sitting on the couch, it was obvious that he was very tall for his age. Like the blonde-haired teen, he wore a similar set of pajamas, minus slippers.

"Please, you're just scared of the rain and would just hide in a tunnel." A male, around twenty years old, huffed in a teasing manner. He has short chocolate-brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was rather muscular and roughly around the same height as his companion.. He wore a set of pajamas similar to that of the youngest teen but wore blue slippers instead of socks.

"It was one time, Gordon." came the annoyed retort "Besides, it was my engine that was stuck there, not me..." He grumbled under his breath.

"That's enough, you two." The oldest male said with a kindly sternness, looking at the room. "This storm will cause some damage across Sodor, due to its unusual extremity."

"Edward's right." Another man agreed as he sat at a coffee table, pieces of metal and tools scattered around him. He looked to be around twenty-two years old, with messy black hair and dark green eyes, which were framed by large silver-rimmed glasses resting on his nose.

Grease and oil splodges decorated his face and dark green pajamas. He was tinkering with a small device using a screwdriver.

"And how would you know, Whiff?" Gordon grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"My device in my lab already scanned the strength of this storm and pinpointed the most likely areas for potential damage in Henry's Forest-"

"Awww..." Henry moaned but he was quickly ignored.

"-Tidmouth, Wellsworth, the Skarloey Railway, and Arlesburgh." Whiff simply said, before both rabbits hopped onto the table.

"How?" Asked the youngest teen.

"Simple." Whiff replied.

"Hardly." Muttered Gordon.

"My device is connected to a database on my computer that has a catalog of various trees, their ages, and health and condition. I had Henry help me with this seeing as he knows them best. The device will calculate wind speeds and the likelihood of lightning which will allow me to assess how bad the damage can get, thus, allowing a better allocation of resources in clearing up the lines.

"Which means that we will need to clear the tracks tomorrow." Edward pointed out as he sat next to Henry on the couch.

"You can all do that while I pull my Express." Gordon boasted proudly.

"The Express runs through Henry's Forest, dumbass." The teen in the yukata teased as he looked at him.

Gordon looked over at James, and summarized many potential professional retorts to this insult, before eventually deciding on a response best suited to James's calibre.

It was short, it was succinct, and it was to the point.

Precisely Gordon's style.

"Fuck you, James." He growled.

...

"Language." Edward warned, glaring at the two. "Either way, we should go to bed and get some sleep for tomorrow."

"Can it wait a little longer, Edward?" Emily, the female teen, groaned in protest. "I'm about to win this round."

"Sorry but... I win." Percy, the blonde hair teen, smiled brightly, putting the last card down.

The other teens groaned and placed their cards down as well. Percy smiled brightly and giggled as he collected the cards, putting them back into their box.

"Do you think Stallion is alright?" Stanley, the white-haired teen, asked worriedly.

"He is, Stanley." Whiff smiled reassuringly, putting his screwdriver down. "His stable is made out of strong materials that prevent wind, snow, rain hail, you name it from entering, and a computer regulates the temperature accordingly to ensure he is sufficiently kept warm or cool depending on the weather."

"See, Stanley?" Thomas, the youngest teen, smiled as he hugged his cousin. "I told you that he would be fine."

"I know." Stanley chuckled softly before hugging him back.

"I want to read my book." Toby, the brown-haired male, said as he grabs a book, only to be taken away from him.

"Bed." Percy simply said, holding the book. "Cause once you start reading, you'll read all night."

"So?" Toby shrugged.

"So, it's bedtime." Percy smiled as he pulled him up.

...

As the small group started to get ready to head upstairs, the dogs pricked up their ears - and then, they bounded towards the door, barking frantically.

"Whatever has gotten into them?" Gordon grumbled as he and the others walked over to them. "You three aren't going out."

The dogs continued to bark, and even began scratching at the door.

"Lucky, you know better than to do that." Henry groaned as he used his leg to gently guide the retriever away from the door.

"And you know better than to bark indoors this time of night, Ace." Gordon huffed as he picked up the husky.

"You too, Pebble." Edward hummed as he gently got in front of the pitbull, opening the door. "See, it's pouring rain out-" He stopped, staring at the ground. "Whiff!" He cried out, opening the door wide and kneeling down next to a cloaked figure who had collapsed at their door.

Whiff looked out, and his eyes widened. "Bring them to my lab!" He yelled before running back inside, both rabbits chasing after him. "I'll meet you all there! I best get set up with what I need!'

"I got it." Gordon said as he quickly knelt down, moving his arms under the cloaked figure's body. He was about to lift her up, when he was startled by a wheeze, and then a faint moan.

"P-Please..." A soft, quiet voice gasped out, causing the others to stop. "M-My...b-b...baby..."

She whispered shakily, glancing at the bundle in her arms.

Henry knelt down and gently took the bundle from the woman, holding it close as Gordon lifted the hooded woman up. He watched as his friend ran inside with the mother before looking down at the bundle. Sure enough, a pale face peered out from the blanket.

Realizing he was getting soaked (and letting the rain in) he quickly followed Gordon inside, following him through a doorway and downstairs.

...

Whiff scrambled around his lab, getting a hospital bed ready along with some equipment. "Lay her on the bed." He said firmly, moving a heart monitor close to the bed.

Gordon nodded as he gently laid the woman down on the bed, stepping back to stand with Henry and Edward. As Whiff scrambled about with his machines, Henry looked down at the bundle in his arms and gently folded back a corner of it. His heart ached from seeing the tiny baby, all bundled up in a mix of burlap and tarp. The skin was a pale color and their chest rose slightly with only slight movement. Biting his lip, Henry gently placed his hand against their head. He shivered from how cold they were and how tiny their head was in his hand.

"Whiff, her baby isn't doing good either." Henry said in a worried voice, looking at him.

"Put the baby in the incubator I have over there." Whiff said as he pointed toward his right before removing the woman's cloak.

"Woah." Henry, Gordon, and Edward gasped, quickly looking away from the naked woman.

Whiff could only stare at her, a mortified look on his face. Her body was soaked in blood, old and new wounds clearly visible as they decorated her pale body. Quickly pressing a button on the side of his glasses, the lenses turned slightly blue as they became a computer. They quickly got to work, mapping out each wound, monitoring her vitiate, and heart rate.

Some of the wounds were slightly black and a foul, sour odor started to fill the room. A few bullet holes were in her chest and stomach, blood slowly flowing out of them. Seeing her body in such a horrid state overpowered his shock of seeing cat ears and a cat tail that was obviously a part of her body. Overcoming his shock, he went to add an IV to her arm, only for her bloody hand to weakly stop him.

"P-Please..." She gasped out quietly, looking up at him with dull eyes. "S-Save...her..."

Whiff bit his lip as he looked at her, the scanners in his glasses giving him a report he already knew. She wasn't going to make it.

Biting his lip, he nodded at her and quickly pulled out a BVM and placed it over her mouth. "Gordon, I need you to squeeze the self-inflating bag eveningly."

Gordon remained frozen, staring at the blood slowly pooling onto the floor.

"Gordon!" Whiff yelled, squeezing the pump as he looked at him.

Gordon jumped at Whiff's voice, nodding before walking over to him. Edward looked at his brother worriedly, seeing how his body trembled. Gordon shakily grabbed the BVM, slowly squeezing the bag as he stared at the blood on the floor. Whiff looked at him before walking over to the incubator. He jumped again when he felt someone touch his hand and looked over.

"Go upstairs, Gordon." Edward said softly, gently removing Gordon's hand as he started to squeeze the bag. "I got this."

"T-Thanks..." Gordon muttered, quickly walking upstairs.

Whiff quickly, yet gently, opened the tarp and burlap surrounded the infant. As he pulled that last piece away, his eyes widened from seeing the amount of blood.

"She's been shot!" Whiff said, quickly putting his surgery ropes on. "Coco, Coal, turn the machine on." He said swiftly, immediately putting his mask and gloves on.

"S-Shot?!" Henry gasped, a look of fear etched on his face.

"Yes." Whiff said grimly, grabbing a curtain and shutting it around him and the incubator.

Henry stared at the curtain, fear and worry clawing at his heart as that word echoed in his brain. Edward looked over at the curtain, still squeezing the self-inflating bag.

"A-Au...A-Auror...a..."

"Ma'am?" Edward asked softly, looking at her.

The woman stared weakly at the closed curtain before slowly looking over at Henry. "P-pro...protect...her..."

Henry looked over at her, his eyes watery as he heard Whiff work quickly on the baby before walking over to the bloodied woman. Edward watched him sadly as he knelt down to be at eye level with her.

"I promise I will." Henry said softly, staring at her dull sapphire eyes.

The woman stared deep into his emerald eyes, looking for any malice before smiling sadly. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as she looked at him before closing her eyes. Edward continued to squeeze the self-inflating bag before stopping, seeing how her chest had stopped moving.

Henry and Edward stared at the woman sadly as Edward gently removed the BVM from the mystery woman, placing her down onto a table before pulling a blanket over her head.

"Go check up on Gordon." Henry said softly, looking at his lover. "I can tell you're worried about him, that and the fact he looked sick."

"I will in a bit, I'll ju-"

"I'll stay here and help Whiff if he needs it." Henry hummed, gently hugging Edward close. "Go."

Edward stared up into the emerald eyes of his tall boyfriend and nodded, kissing him gently before walking towards the steps. Walking up the stairs, he left Whiff's lab only to be bombarded by the younger teens.

"What happened?" Percy asked in a worried voice.

"Is that woman alright?" Emily asked curiously.

"What's the details?" James asked anxiously.

"Is there blood?" Toby asked calmly, causing the others to look at him weirdly.

"The mother didn't make it and Whiff is working on the child." Edward said softly, completely ignoring Toby's question before looking around. "Where's Gordon and Thomas?"

"Gordon completely walked past us into the living room and Thomas followed him." Percy pointed out.

"Thanks." Edward said softly. "All of you go to bed now."

"But we're not tired." James groaned in annoyance. "Besides, we want to stay up and know what will happen."

"It'll probably be a few hours until we even hear anything." Edward sighed softly, rubbing his hand against his face. "Go to bed."

"Fine." Emily groaned before she and the others walked up the stairs.

Edward watched them walk up the stairs, their pets following them before walking into the living room. He felt his heart ached as he looked at his second youngest brother with sad eyes.

Gordon silently sat on the couch, holding Thomas close to him on his lap and his face buried against his chest. Ace whined softly as he rested his muzzle onto Gordon's knee, sitting on the floor. His body trembled as Thomas soothingly rubbed his back, a look of worry on his face. Thomas looked over at Edward worriedly, watching his oldest brother walking over to them.

"Go to bed, Thomas." Edward hummed in a soft voice, gently petting his head. "I got it from here."

Thomas nodded before hugging Gordon tightly. "Night, Gordon." He whispered before slowly getting out of his arms. "Night, Edward." He said softly, hugging Edward before leaving the living room. Sky squawked softly before 'running' after him.

Edward heard him apologize to the macaw before sitting next to Gordon, watching his body tremble. "Talk to me, Gordon." He said softly, gently holding his hand. "...You're thinking about the past, aren't you?" He whispered softly.

"...Seeing her reminded me of how father treated us..." Gordon quietly choked out. "How he treated you the most..."

Edward looked at him sadly before hugging him close, gently rubbing his back. Gordon's body trembled as he wrapped his arms around Edward's waist, holding him close as he cried against his chest. The two sat in silence, despite Gordon's crying, as Edward lets him release his emotions. He knew exactly that seeing that woman would trigger his PTSD, not that he blamed him. He felt like he watched a flashback of how he protected Gordon and Scotsman from their abusive father all those years ago before they adopted Rosie and Thomas.

"I know it hurts, Gordon, but we are no longer in that situation. Not anymore." Edward reassured him, kissing his head. "But I also know that I can't ask you to forget that part of our past."

"I thought I was over it..." Gordon grumbled under his breath, holding Edward closer. "The nightmares were gone but now...after seeing how that woman was treated poorly...I don't want to relive those moments again..."

"I know..." Edward said softly, combing his fingers through Gordon's hair. "Do you want me to make you some tea with honey?"

"No..." Gordon whispered, grabbing Edward's shirt. "I...Please don't leave me alone with the memories..."

"I won't." Edward promised him, gently kissing his head. "I'll stay here with you."

"Thank you..." Gordon said before slowly looking up.

Edward's heart ached from seeing the scared, broken face of his brother before gently wiping his eyes. Gordon sniffed and wiped his eyes and hugged Edward closer to him like a scared child. Edward hummed softly as he gently petted Gordon's head, looking at the closed door that leads towards Whiff's lab.

"Please let that child live." Edward thought, keeping his gaze on the door.

 

Chapter 2: Special Delivery

Summary:

After being told that Aurora should be kept a secret, Edward already broke that rule with someone he trusts

Henry yawned as he stretched to wake himself.

Rubbing his eyes wearily, he slowly looked around Whiff's lab before eventually finding a digital clock on the wall.

01:14.

Henry groaned as he slowly stood up from the chair he had slept in, wincing from the pain in his stiff joints.

"Morning."

Henry quickly spun around, his heart racing, but he relaxed when he saw Whiff typing on his massive computer, his white lab coat stained with dried blood.

"How's the baby?" Henry asked, his memories from earlier flooding back.

"She's stable, but she is still extremely weak." Whiff informed him in a matter-of-fact tone, still typing. "Her chances of survival are still low." He continued gravely, before spinning around in his chair.

"The bullet went through her body, puncturing her stomach, nicking her large intestine, and easily went through her kidney." He sighed as he took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes. "On top of that, she is malnourished; the mother has attempted to feed her daughter, but it seems success was limited."

"The poor child..." Henry said sadly, looking at his hands. "She has been through so much in such little time..." He felt sick about anyone treating an infant like that.

"Where is she?" He asked softly.

"In the incubator behind the curtain." Whiff replied, before standing up. "You can stay down here as long as you like - but I recommend getting some sleep before long." He teased before his expression melted to one of concern. "I'm going to examine the mother and complete some paperwork."

Henry nodded, before walking over to the curtain, opening it a crack.

Soft beeps from the heart monitor were the first thing he heard as he looked at the incubator, his heart sinking to his stomach.

The baby's body was pale, and judging by the way her chest barely rose up and down, she was having breathing issues. Small tubes were inserted down her throat, into her nose, and in her arms, each connected to either an oxygen machine or various liquids.

Seeing her in the incubator, she looked even more tiny than when he first saw her bundled up.

Walking over to her, he could see how her head already had beautiful blonde hair, despite it being dirty from lack of hygiene. Her bones tentatively peeked out under her skin with small, old wounds scattered about her body.

Henry felt his eyes water as he gently lowered his hand to pet her head between her golden ears, easily noticing how his hand was much bigger than the poor mite here.

"You have to survive, Aurora." Henry said softly, remembering the name her mother said before she died. "Live for your mother."

...

"WAHHHHH!"

Henry jolted up from the loud noise in his ears, nearly falling out of the chair he was in. His heart pounded in his chest and he quickly looked around, trying to process everything around him before looking at the clock.

4:07 a.m.

Henry jumped out of his seat from hearing multiple crashing sounds, followed by a loud thump.

"I'm awake!" Whiff said in a startled tired voice, pushing himself off the floor with a tarp resting on his head.

Henry ignored him, peeking into the incubator, looking at the tiny cat-girl. Poor Aurora cried louder, coughing from the tubes in her throat.

Whiff stumbled over to the incubator, his glasses glowing blue as he started to inspect her. Henry bit his lip as he watched them, wanting to comfort the poor baby.

With delicate fingers, Whiff coaxed the tubes out of the baby's mouth, making sure everything else was still intact. Aurora coughed during this process, before crying once more.

"Is everything alright?" Henry asked worriedly.

"She is." Whiff said softly, smiling warmly as he continued to inspect her. "She's just hungry." He gestured to where he had a bottle in a measuring jug. "I've had that in the jug for nine minutes. You'd best take it out now, or it'll develop bacteria before long - and not the good kind either."

Grabbing the bottle, Henry crept over to Whiff, seeing him holding Aurora in his arms.

Soft sniffles came from the baby as she looked up at Whiff, whimpering as she gummed his finger. A small oxygen tube went over her ears and into her nose. Whiff chuckled softly as he looked up at Henry.

"Here." Whiff said softly as he gently placed Aurora into Henry's arm, slowly removing his finger from her mouth.

Henry stared down at the tiny girl in his arm, his heart fluttering as he gently cuddled her closer.

Her sapphire eyes were bright and watery with fresh tears as she looked up at him. Her lips quivered as she sucked on his finger, her cheeks were strawberry-red and her lips, as perfect as a tender rosebud, were emitting soft, small whimpers

Henry smiled warmly as he gently lifted the bottle to her lips. "Here you go, little one." He cooed.

Aurora whimpered as she bit down on the rubber nipple, grabbing it with her tiny hands. Once the first drop of milk touched her tongue, Aurora tightened her grip on the bottle and guzzled the contents as quick as lightning.

Henry chuckled softly from seeing her ears twitch with every suck she did, her tiny claws scraping against the smooth glass.

"I'm surprised you managed to find something." Henry said softly as he walked around, keeping an eye on the baby.

"It wasn't that hard." Whiff replied, walking over to the table. "I had some rehydration solutions to hand, but they're just a temporary solution." He warned Henry, wincing when Coco bit him. "Alright, alright. I'm getting your breakfast." He muttered before walking over to a different fridge.

Coco thumped his hind legs against the table impatiently while Coal simply watched him before mimicking the other rabbit.

"You are something else, Whiff." Henry chuckled, shaking his head before looking back at Aurora.

"What can I say? I'm amazing." Whiff chuckled as he placed a bowl of salad mix and rabbit pellets down onto the table. "Satisfied?"

Coco and Coal completely ignored him as they started to eat their breakfast, causing Whiff to roll his eyes before petting them. Henry chuckled slightly before slowly sitting in a chair.

Footsteps soon echoed in the lab as Edward walked down the stairs, walking over to them. "Morning, you two." He greeted tiredly, looking at Whiff. "Any updates on the baby?"

"Henry is currently feeding her." Whiff replied matter-of-factly, as he started cleaning his tools.

"She's very hungry." Henry said softly, turning his head back to look at Edward.

"I bet she is." Edward hummed softly, walking over to him. He felt his heart flutter from seeing the infant still drinking quickly from the bottle, his smile widening from seeing her ears twitch.

"May I?"

"Sure." Henry said softly, gently standing up before letting Edward grab the bottle.

"Grrr..."

Both Henry and Edward looked down at Aurora, seeing how she was trying to tighten her grip on the bottle as she growled like an angry kitten, still sucking at the warm milk.

Edward smiled heartily as he gently cradled Aurora, before accepting the bottle from Henry to feed her. Henry backed away a bit, feeling his cheeks burn slightly as he watched Edward feed Aurora. Edward hummed softly as he walked around the lab a bit, lowering the bottle a fraction.

Aurora stared up at Edward, her ears twitching as she listened to him humming.

She wriggled away from the empty bottle and continued listening to him, a wave of calmness blanketing her.

"You were hungry, weren't you?" Edward asked softly while placing the empty bottle on a table.

Ever so gently, he gently moved Aurora into an upright position against his chest and started to pat her back. A few seconds pass before a small burp leaves Aurora's mouth, causing Edward to smile.

"There we go, little one." Edward cooed softly, before gently cradling the cat-girl in his arms again.

Aurora stared up at him before giggling happily, grabbing his hand and gumming his finger.

"You adapted quickly." Whiff teased, putting paperwork into a folder.

"It was from having to help out with Thomas when he was a baby, it just comes to me." Edward smiled as he gently rocked the baby, humming softly.

"You're very good." Henry said softly, amazed by how relaxed Aurora was by his lover.

"Thanks, love." Edward said softly, a small blush on his cheeks.

...

Aurora cooed happily as she snuggled into Henry's chest, the small oxygen tube attached to her nose.

Henry smiled warmly down at her, still amazed at how tiny she looked in his arms. Her nails were perfectly shaped, like tiny crescent moons. Her hands were smaller than his pinkie finger. Her head was the size of a small honeydew melon. Tiny blue eyes sparkled with a yet-unmarked innocence. He watched in quiet marvel as the tiny cat-girl yawned before falling asleep again.

Henry frowned sadly as he looked over at the hospital bed where the infant's mother lay, shrouded by a white cloth.

The poor girl was now officially an orphan; and at not even a year old.

"What are you going to do with the mother?" Edward asked Whiff, watching him type on his computer.

"Cremate her." Whiff muttered, his eyes not leaving the computer monitors. "Her 'owners' will be out looking for her and I don't want them to find her body... and damage it anymore."

"She's endured so much..." Henry whispered sadly, holding Aurora close. "All those wounds she got when escaping with her child..."

"Some of those wounds date back from her childhood years." Whiff added, spinning in his chair to face them. "Thankfully she escaped with her daughter before any trauma was done to the child..."

"What do you suggest we do about her?" Edward asked as he looked at his friend, before nodding at Aurora. "Most of us work on the railway and the others ride with us for training so most of the time, no one will be here."

Whiff sighed softly as he leaned back in his seat. "If we put her in an orphanage, there's no telling what they would do... considering her appearance." He said carefully. "Not all orphanages are... are bad, of course, but some children who are different due to appearance or disability may suffer more..."

"I don't want her to deal with the same life her mother had," Henry said protectively.

"I understand where you're coming from, love," Edward said softly as he approached him. "I just want her to be safe and loved..."

"Each of us takes turns having a day off to watch her." Whiff simply said, letting Coal and Coco jump onto his lap. "Her body is still weak and she needs rest, from what I can see. Our best bet is to tell Sir Topham Hatt and explain the situation to him."

"That would suffice, I just hope he will agree." Edward said softly before looking at Aurora in Henry's arms, a warm smile on his face.

"We did promise her mother that we will protect her and we shall." Henry said sternly, yet gently as he gently rocked the baby cat-girl.

"I'll go call Sir Topham Hatt now, then explain to the others because I know that they will be asking." Edward chuckled softly, gently kissing Henry's cheek before walking up the stairs.

"Good, for I will have to explain to them the severity of making sure they don't mention this to anyone outside of Tidmouth Mansion." Whiff hummed in thought, adding files to his holographic computer.

"Severity?" Henry asked in concern.

"You will see." Whiff said, turning his computer off.

...

Edward hummed softly as he walked towards his office, feeling multiple pairs of eyes on him from the dining room. "I will answer all your questions after I call Sir Topham Hatt."

"You better." A gruff voice replied.

"Spencer." Another voice added. It was a Japanese voice, gentle and soothing.

"What?" The male huffed. "Aren't you curious about the dead body in Whiff's lab along with a... baby?"

The man was around the same age as Gordon but had silver hair that went down to his upper back, which he had swept into a ponytail to keep it from blowing about when riding his engine. He wore a silver suit.

His companion, a young Japanese man named, looked over.

"I am going to assume," Added Spencer dryly. "Our friend Whiff has not turned into some psychopathic killing monster."

"Whiff is not a psychopathic killing monster." Edward deadpanned as he looked at his cousin.

"You can never be too sure these days." Spencer said darkly.

"It's alright, Edward, no need to worry about him." Whiff added, a little too cheerily.

"To answer your question, the woman showed up at the door during the storm last night and passed away due to her injuries."

"And the baby?" A woman asked softly, her face full of concern.

The woman has short blonde hair and beautiful umber-colored eyes. Soft makeup dusted her face as she wore a work suit made out of stunning sunshine-coloured fabric.

"The baby survived but is very weak from her bullet wound, Flora." Edward said darkly, his voice full of sadness.

"The baby has a bullet wound?" A man gasped in shock.

The man has short light-brown hair that was combed back and bright green eyes. He wore a green suit with two pins on each lapel. The right one had a pin that read GWR while the pin on the left was the number eight.

"Yes, Duck." Whiff nodded grimly. "One of the bullets went straight through the mother and into the child."

As Edward listened to Whiff explaining the situation to the others, he crept to his office, closing the door behind him.

He walked over to the phone and instantly called the Controller of the NWR, Sir Topham Hatt.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Sir." Edward greeted me while sitting in his chair. "I know this is last minute but I need to take the day off today due to an...interesting situation..." He said softly, biting his lip.

"An interesting situation?"

"Well...last night during the storm, an injured woman made her way to Tidmouth Mansion... who has since sadly passed away while her child was healing from a bullet wound that went through the mother." Edward muttered softly, clenching the phone in his hand.

"..."

Edward bit his lip in anticipation as he waited for a reply.

"That is an interesting situation...Did you call the police?"

"Whiff doesn't want anyone outside of us and you, Sir, to know that the woman was a slave from the black market for Whiff was able to track her information down and doesn't want her 'owners' to find the baby." Edward replied, his stomach churning from thinking about it.

"That is understandable. Alright, you may have the day off and protect that child."

"Thank you so much, Sir." Edward sighed in relief, relaxing in his chair as he heard a chuckle from the other side of the line.

"You're quite welcome, Edward. I will call you later tonight so we can go over the work schedule."

"You can come over, Sir." Edward smiled warmly. "I can tell you want to see the baby."

"That I do, Edward. Tonight then."

"Alright, Sir. Thank you." Edward thanked him once more before hanging up.

Clicking his tongue as he thought, Edward spun his chair and turned his computer on.

He knew he was going to break one of Whiff's rules but at this moment, he didn't have a choice since he couldn't leave Aurora alone.

Once his computer finished booting up, Edward opened up the internet and started to look items up.

...

"Yes." Whiff nodded grimly. "One of the bullets went straight through the mother and into the child." He turned on his holographic computer and showed an image of a set of numbers tattooed on skin.

"What are we looking at?" A man asked as he stood next to Gordon.

The man was a foot taller than Gordon with dirty blonde hair and teal blue eyes. Like the others, his suit was a mix of teal and gray/blue colors.

"This tattoo was on the back of the mother's neck, Connor." Whiff hummed in thought, zooming out of the number a bit. "It's the number the black market gave her." He added darkly, looking at them.

The others were silent as they looked at Whiff, shock and disgust etched onto their faces.

"T-The black market?" Percy asked quietly, whimpering slightly.

"I'm afraid so." Whiff sighed softly, pulling up a profile picture of the mother. "Her last buyer lives here on Sodor."

"I can't believe someone on Sodor would be associated with the black web." Gordon spat disgustingly.

"You will be surprised, Gordon." A tall man hummed, standing up from a chair. "A few years before I came here, I was a detective apprentice, and some of the cases I worked on dealt with the Black Market and human traffic." He hummed darkly. "The amount of evidence we've found on people's involvement was..."

The man had dark brown hair that was slicked back by gel and deep brown eyes.

He stood next to Duck, and wore a similarly coloured suit, minus any pins.

"BoCo's right." Whiff agreed. "The true nature of some human beings are cruel and evil."

"So what are we going to do?" A tall woman asked worriedly, sitting next to Emily.

Like Connor, her suit has a similar pattern but is maroon and a light pale blue color. Her brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and reached her upper back.

"We keep silent." Whiff firmly stated, looking at them. "None of this leaves the mansion."

"Well obviously." Spencer huffed before crossing his arms, only to be elbowed in the ribs by Hiro.

"Can we meet her?" Emily asked hopefully.

"You may." Whiff chuckled softly. "However, all of you must keep your voice down and handle her gently. She is still very weak and using an oxygen tank." He said before walking over to the lab door. "You can bring her up, Henry."

Henry slowly walked through the door, a small pink blanket bundled up in one arm. He kept his eyes on Aurora as he slowly walked over to the others.

Lowering his arm, he gently moved some of the blanket away to reveal her to the others.

Aurora yawned as she slowly blinked her eyes open from the disturbance. Looking around, she froze as she stared at the many faces looking at her. She whimpered quietly before pressing her face against Henry's chest.

"It's alright, Aurora." Henry cooed softly, gently patting her head. "They won't hurt you." He said, giving the others a warning glare as he lowered the blanket a bit more, revealing her cat ears.

"She is so adorable." Flora cooed softly, eyes sparkling as she looked at the baby.

"Are those...real?" Hiro asked softly, looking at Aurora's cat ears.

"They are." Henry hummed softly, gently holding Aurora closer to him protectively. "The mother was the same."

"Does she have a tail?" Duck asked, looking at his brother.

"She does." Whiff nodded. "So did her mother."

"May I?" A woman asked Henry, looking up at him.

Her long lavender hair was tied up in a ponytail and her eyes shone a beautiful lilac color as soft freckles decorated her cheeks. She wore a similar suit as Flora but it was lilac with red lining.

Henry bit his lip before looking down at Aurora, smiling warmly at the tiny girl in his arm. Looking at the woman, he nodded before gently allowing her to hold Aurora.

"Hello, little one." The woman giggled softly, gently cradling Aurora in her arms. "My name is Rosie."

Aurora blinked up at her before giggling, gently grabbing her finger with her tiny hand. Rosie giggled softly as she walked around with her, softly humming before kissing her head.

Edward walked out of his office, smiling warmly when he saw his little sister fawning over the baby, with the other ladies in the Steam Team cooing over Aurora. He chuckled when he heard Spencer and Gordon arguing on who will hold Aurora next.

He stood with Henry and Whiff, gently grabbing his boyfriend's hand to calm him. "I'm sure Aurora is fine, love." He reassured Henry, kissing his cheek.

"Still..." Henry whispered, keeping a close eye on Aurora.

"Did you tell them everything?" Edward asked Whiff, watching him clean his glasses.

"Yep, and how this information only stays inside the mansion." Whiff hummed, putting his glasses back on.

"About that...I kinda already broke that rule..." Edward muttered quietly.

"We agreed that we could tell Sir Topham Hatt." Whiff pointed out, looking at him in confusion.

"About that..." Edward chuckled nervously, looking away.

"Who did you tell?" Whiff deadpanned, looking at the older male.

"Skarloey..." Edward said softly, biting his lip.

"Why Skarloey?" Henry asked in confusion, looking down at Edward.

"More so I asked him to pick up some supplies I just ordered and that I will explain everything when I meet up with him to pick up said items." Edward smiled nervously, closing his eyes.

...

"Why are you picking stuff up for Edward?" Twenty six year old Rheneas asked his brother, watching him put his work jacket on.

"I'm not sure." Thirty three year old Skarloey hummed in thought, putting his work shoes on. "I mean, I don't mind doing this for him since it's my day off."

"Maybe Thomas is sick?" Rheneas questioned, putting his work jacket on. "And why are you wearing your work clothes on your day off?"

"I hate to get my normal clothes dirty with soot and coal dust." Skarloey huffed, fixing his tie.

"Let me join ye!" Fourteen year old Duncan groaned to Skarloey. "Or convince the others to let me join one of them so I can learn!"

Skarloey and Rheneas gave each other a look.

"I'm fucking bored!" Duncan argued. "Luke's awa working!"

"That's because Millie wants him to learn how to drive an engine." Skarloey chuckled softly, ruffling his hair. "Besides, Smudger will be here as well as Duke."

"Only because Dukie assigned me to learn under him and today is his day off as well." Smudger deadpanned from the living room, drinking a milkshake.

His black hair was messy with cowlicks and his olive green eyes filled with tiredness. His dark green pajama pants and slipknot tattered shirt wrinkly from his night's sleep.

He whined when someone took the glass of milkshake away from him.

"No sweets this early in the morning." Thirty five year old Duke sighed, carrying the cup into the kitchen.

Skarloey sighed. "This was supposed to be a secret mission-"

"Secret? Why?" Asked Rheneas.

"It's a fucking secret!" Duncan argued.

"He said there's someone at risk," said Skarloey. "Duncan, boyo, you'd best stay here, like."

"No fair!" Duncan whinged.

"Duncan, don't argue, please," Skarloey sighed, already itching to get somewhere calmer.

He was fond of this strange, grumpy, foul-mouthed teen, as he reminded him of his youth - but dear Proteus, he was driving him up the fucking wall!

...

Skarloey stood on the station platform, baffled by seeing baby supplies being loaded into the empty van coupled to his engine. There were boxes of diapers, more full of baby formula, clothes, baby toys, a crib, a changing station, and a bassinet.

"What the..." Skarloey muttered, watching the workers finish loading the van.

He wanted to ask, but felt that that would be a waste of time as he probably would've been told if he'd heard.

Still baffled, he waited patiently for the guard's whistle regardless.

"Edward better explain this when I meet up with him..." Skarloey muttered his breath.

Hearing the guard blow his whistle, he released the brakes and his engine started to puff forward.

Various thoughts crossed his mind about the baby supplies. He knew that none of the women in the Steam Team were pregnant, as Edward (with permission) would've passed on the news to all the NG drivers.

No one mentioned adopting a baby. Hell, some of them weren't even old enough to get married! Unless...

Skarloey shivered at the thought of the other reason why they would use baby supplies.

"Proteus save me..." Skarloey sighed as his engine puffed down the track.

...

Skarloey's engine slowed to a stop at Crovan's Gate station, seeing Edward's engine resting at the station with an empty van coupled to it. Edward stood on the station, constantly looking at his pocket watch (a joint gift from Skarloey and Rheneas when he first qualified as a driver, as it happened, as they were old fashioned like that.)

Edward looked towards the narrow gauge lines - and seeing the familiar Fletcher-Jennings No. 1, he walked towards Skarloey, who had come to a stand and was moving to the van to slide the door open and start unloading things.

"Are you alright, boyo?" Skarloey asked in concern, easily picking up two boxes of diapers. Edward's face lit up in relief.

"You've done it, old boy, thank you." He said gratefully. "Here, I'll help you unload that onto my train, and I'll buy you a cup of tea afterwards."

Skarloey gave a thumbs up, and the two worked to empty the small van of everything.

They removed the boxes first, removing two at a time and stacking them neatly in piles of two. Skarloey stuck with removing the diapers and Edward removed the boxes of formula.

Then, they divided the baby toys and clothes between them, placing them carefully to avoid anything getting broken or ruined.

Lastly, they worked together to haul out the bassinet and then, the crib.

"Phew!" Skarloey wheezed.

"Better get ready to load them up again onto my van."

"Oh, fuck off!" Skarloey huffed.

"How's the leg, anyway?"

"It won't kill me." Sighed Skarloey. He'd hurt his leg in an accident with his engine some years ago and the pain tended to flare up from time to time. He didn't mention it was starting to throb now.

"Right. We'll load those two first, out of the way." Edward patted the bassinet and crib. "Get them in the van, and we'll load everything else like before."

...

So, they repeated the process, but in reverse. However, between Skarloey's old injury flaring up, and general fatigue between them, the process seemed much slower this time round.

...

"There!" Edward slid the door to shut, to a bang and a chorus of Welsh curses.

"Glad that... glad that's over." Skarloey wheezed.

"Right, I owe you a cuppa and an explanation."

"It better be a bloody good one, Edward!"

"Was that a threat?"

"You know me, boyo." Skalrohe tried to puff out his chest, but started coughing instead; which got bad very quickly.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" Edward thumped his friend's back. "Don't die, old man!"

The most Skarloey could manage in response to this was flip a feeble middle finger; which made Edward smile wryly despite the circumstances. 

 

Chapter 3: Revealed

“And that’s the story.” Edward finished softly.

Skarloey had remained silent as Edward told his tale, shocked and sorrowful to hear how such a young baby went through all that - and having been orphaned, too.

Looking closely at his friend, Skarloey can see fatigue, and sorrow - and the dark bags under his eyes only emphasized a haunted look he was so familiar with.

Skarloey took another sip of his drink and tilted his head.

“That is a lot to process in less than a day, boyo.” He said thoughtfully. “It’s a miracle she even made it to that mansion of yours.”

“I agree. Even Whiff was amazed at how much adrenaline her body made to get her that far with so many wounds and blood loss.” Edward sighed softly, staring at his drink. “Truth be told, none of us thought the child would make it through the night.”

“Just goes to show that she’s a fighter.” Skarloey chuckled softly. “Do you have a picture of her?”

“I do.” Edward smiled warmly, pulling out his phone. “I took it this morning before I left. Thomas is watching her right now, and I apologize for how…unkempt she is since we didn’t have any supplies.” He said softly, handing his phone to Skarloey.

Skarloey gently took the phone and couldn’t help but smile warmly at the picture. Aurora was lying on her back on a fuzzy blanket. Her deep sapphire eyes were looking up curiously as her dirty, frizzy hair pooled under her head like a halo of dried straw. She wore an old green shirt of Henry’s, which looked like a dress on her tony body..

Skarloey felt his heart falter from seeing the tiny oxygen tube under her nose.

And, even though Edward had already told him, it was still shocking to see the triangular cat ears and tail that the child was born with.

Still, the look in the child’s bright blue eyes, so innocent, curious, and yet defiant, seemed to sparkle. She was also smiling slightly.

“She’s quite cute.” Skarloey chuckled softly before handing him back his phone. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“Whiff is currently searching for her ‘owner’.” Edward spat bitterly. “Once he does, he'll send him to jail.”

“And afterward?”

“I’m…not sure.” Edward said thoughtfully. “We’re focused on dealing with him currently.”

“Are you going to keep Aurora?” Skarloey asked softly.

Edward remained silent as he looked down. “We…We’ll probably find someone who can adopt her. We all work on the railway, and soon Thomas and the others will get their engines to work…” he sighed.

Skarloey frowned as he looked at his friend, looking at his face. He can see the hurt and sadness burning in his eyes.

There was no mistake that Edward was already attached to the tiny baby, and was thinking more so of the child’s health and safety first.

“I see.” Skarloey hummed softly, gently swirling the tea in his cup before taking another sip.

As Edward took a sip of his tea, he heard his phone chimed and looked at it. As he read the message, a warm smile formed on his face.

“Want to meet her?” Edward asked, looking at him.

“She’s here?” Skarloey deduced in surprise.

“Thomas has her in my cab.” Edward chuckled softly, standing up. “She fell asleep not even two minutes of the ride here.”

“Sounds like she loves engines already.” Skarloey laughed softly, standing up as well. “I'll pay the bill, Edward, you go on ahead.”

“You paid last time-”

“You also took in a child from a rainstorm. Now shut up, and let me handle the bill. But it's your turn next time, you hear?”

Edward grinned. “Aye, Skarloey,” he said, a hint of Glaswegian in his accent.

Skarloey snorted and told Edward to shoo.

Edward ducked out of the cafe, laughing into his scarf.

…

“Thank Lady you’re back.” Thomas sighed softly, poking his head out of Edward’s cab. “Oh, hi Skarloey!” He greeted cheerfully as the Welsh man followed a few minutes later.

“Hello, boyo.” Skarloey chuckled softly.

“Is everything alright?” Edward asked in a concerned voice, opening his cab’s door.

“Yeah, but she just woke up and she smells…bad.” Thomas said softly, holding up a bundle of blankets.

“You will have to get used to it, little brother.” Edward chuckled softly, gently taking the bundle into his arms. “Cause we’ll need everyone’s help.”

“Don’t remind me…” Thomas groaned as he climbed out of the cab.

“I'm helping from a distance!” Skarloey shouted, clearly not keen to get any closer to the smell. “I'll give you free tea until she's toilet trained!”

Edward winked at Thomas mischievously but shouted something back to Skarloey that Thomas didn't quite catch.

“Mind holding her while I get the supplies?” Edward asked his friend, gently holding the bundle towards him. “I'll be as quick as I can, I do realize it isn't very pleasant.”

“I don’t mind helping.” Skarloey smiled as he gently took the bundle. “She does smell something awful though.”

“Thank you.” Edward smiled as he walked towards the truck. “Come along, Thomas.”

“Please tell me you packed them near the door…” Thomas said as he ran after him.

Skarloey couldn’t help but chuckle at the young teen before he started to hear soft whimpers. Looking at the blanket, he gently moved the fabric aside and felt his heart flutter.

Stunning sapphire eyes stared up at him in wonder and innocence. Small tufts of golden blonde hair stuck out with the tips of her tiny bangs looking like they were dipped in blue paint.

He could see her cheekbones sticking out against her pale skin and her eyes sunken in due to lack of nutrition.

His heart ached as he slowly carried the baby over to the truck, keeping his eye on her. She looked so tiny bundled in the blankets, almost resembling a porcelain baby doll. She blinked up once before giggling softly.

“You are a strong one, little Annwyl.” Skarloey smiled warmly as he stood near the truck, gently rocking her.

Aurora squirmed in the blanket a bit, whimpering slightly as she started to get uncomfortable, both from the blanket and her ‘accident’.

Skarloey watched Thomas climb out of the truck before climbing in himself, keeping a strong arm around Aurora.

“Thomas, will you keep watch please?” Edward asked while laying his work jacket on a box.

“Can do!” Thomas smiled as he started to look around.

“I’ll take her, please.” Edward said softly, gently getting Aurora out of Skarloey’s arms before laying her down on his jacket.

“I hope you have strong detergent to clean your work jacket.” Skarloey chuckled softly, gently taking the blankets to give him more room.

“We do thanks to Whiff - Henry was most insistent on it.” Edward chuckled softly as he gently removed Henry’s old shirt from Aurora.

Skarloey frowned as he saw the bandage on Aurora’s body, along with how red and irritated her skin looked around said bandage.

Edward hummed softly as he opened one of the boxes of diapers, taking one out before picking up a bottle of powder and a container of wipes.

“Someone’s coming, Edward.” Thomas said quietly, poking his head into the truck.

Edward quickly looked at him, biting his lip as he scrambled to get Aurora hidden. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at his older friend.

“I got it from here.” Skarloey said softly, gently putting the blanket around Aurora. “Go.”

“Thank you.” Edward sighed in relief, wiping his brow while taking a deep breath before climbing out of the truck.

Looking up, he watched as a man strutted towards them, holding a piece of paper in his hand. Edward watched how Thomas hid behind him and tried to calm his nerves.

“Hello, may I help you with something?” Edward asked kindly, a warm smile on his face.

“I’m just asking around for my boss if you’ve seen any…people of interest.” The man hummed in thought, glancing into the truck.

“People of interest?” Edward questioned, making the man look at him. “What do you mean?”

“My boss’s… wife disappeared last night into that storm and took his precious daughter.” The man unemotionally stated, handing Edward the picture. “She is a bit crazy, having sewn cat ears and a tail onto both herself and their daughter. We are looking for her to take her to a ‘special’ hospital.”

“How terrible.” Edward sighed softly, gently taking the picture. “A perfect lie as well to tell people who haven’t seen them…” He thought, staring at the picture of Aurora’s mother before handing the picture back. “I’m afraid I haven’t.” He apologized. “Is there a number I can call in case we run into her?”

“Here.” The man gruffly said, handing him a card. “And do not approach her. She is dangerous.” He said before walking away.

Edward watched him, making sure he was truly leaving. He waited while the man climbed into a car before climbing back into the truck.

The only upside was that it was clear this man had not yet found out Aurora's mother was dead, and therefore, untouchable.

They had held a small, private service for the poor woman a couple of days after Aurora arrived. Whiff stored the body until they had her carefully cremated, and tried to give her a decent send-off, despite not knowing her.

…

Looking up at hearing the sound of a car engine, he watched the man drive away before sighing in relief.

“That was close.” Thomas said softly, his eyes never leaving the spot where the man was.

“Yeah…” Edward hummed in thought, walking over to Skarloey. “Thank you.”

“No problem, boyo.” Skarloey chuckled softly, gently rocking Aurora in his arms.

Aurora cooed softly as she held his hand, sucking on his finger. Her tiny ears twitched as she looked around.

Edward smiled warmly as he gently took Aurora from Skarloey’s arms.

Aurora growled as she dug her tiny claws into Skarloey’s hand, not wanting to leave him.

“You need to be cleaned up, sunshine.” Edward said softly, gently rubbing her ears.

Aurora stared at him before letting go of Skarloey’s hand, curling up in Edward’s arms.

“At least she took a liking to me.” Skarloey chuckled while rubbing his hand. He was lucky he just felt little pinpricks- not hard enough to hurt.

…

“What a day…” Henry sighed as he walked into the mansion, taking his work jacket off.

Lucky panted as he trotted after him, wearing a red ‘service dog in training’ harness. He patiently sat down next to him and looked up, tail wagging. Henry smiled as he gently rubbed his ears.

“Good boy.” Henry smiled as he took the harness off.

Once it had been removed, Lucky began barking excitedly, while running around, grabbing a toy before shaking it in his jaw. Henry sighed from the pup’s enthusiastic personality and walked into the living room.

“Good evening, boyo.” Skarloey smiled from the floor, looking up at the taller male.

“Oh! Hello, Skarloey.” Henry smiled, walking over to him. “How are you and the others doing?”

“We’re doing alright, thank you.” Skarloey smiled while standing up. “The railway has been a bit atrocious from that storm last night but the repairs are coming along nicely. Luke and Peter Sam have been assisting Rusty where they can.”

“That’s good to hear.” Henry nodded, walking over to him. “Same with our railway.” He chuckled softly before looking at the ground. “It's also been a mess.”

He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face as he knelt down.

Aurora was lying on her back, atop a pink-padded mat, wearing a beautiful mint green onesie with a matching bow in her hair.

Small plush animals and a small mirror dangled down from two white arches over her.

Her eyes were focused on the toys as she tried to grab them. Her tiny tail twitched happily as she babbled softly.

Henry chuckled softly before gently petting her head. “I see you are enjoying yourself, little one.” He smiled warmly as he watched her.

Aurora took a quick glance at him before moving her focus back onto the toys.

“Where’s Edward?” Asked Henry, petting Aurora's head once more before rising to his feet.

“Getting instructions from Whiff on how to bathe her with that wound, followed by working on dinner.” Skarloey repliedm before standing up to stretch. “I offered to help with dinner, but he shooed me out of the kitchen, saying that Thomas would help since I’m a guest.” He chuckled softly.

“Sounds about right.” Henry laughed softly, standing up as well. “I’ll go check up on him.” He said before walking out of the room.

…

“So is it safe to use the baby shampoo I got?” Edward asked as he used his shoulder to hold his phone against his ears while he peeled some potatoes.

He turned to his brother. “Can you put the chicken in the oven, Thomas?” He asked, looking at his younger brother.

“I can!” Thomas smiled, opening the double oven doors.

Picking up a tray with a whole chicken on it, Thomas gently slid the tray into the top oven before repeating the process with a second tray of chicken and putting it in the bottom oven.

“And we have to just gently press against her wound?” Edward asked, putting the peeler down. “Where’s the ointment to treat it afterward?” He asked, picking up another potato. “Already in the bathroom? Thank you, Whiff. See you in a few hours.” He said politely before ending the call, sighing.

“Everything alright, love?” Henry asked softly, resting his chin on Edward’s shoulder before wrapping his arms around his waist.

Edward jumped when he heard his voice, feeling a shiver go up his spine from feeling those muscular arms around him. “You know you can’t just sneak up on me! Not with a blooming potato peeler in my hand,” he waved the aforementioned utensil. “You never know when I might decide to use it for something other than its intended purpose.”

Henry chuckled softly before kissing his cheek. “Sorry, love.” He apologized, lifting his head up while keeping his arms around him. “So what did Whiff say?”

Edward sighed, and recounted everything Whiff had told him.

Henry nodded throughout this.

“Then while dinner’s cooking, I need to bathe Aurora, then get the table set, get the serving dishes…” Edward blinked when he felt Henry put his hand over his mouth.

“I’ll bathe her, love.” Henry said softly, gently turning Edward around. “You’ve already done so much today. Besides, we all agreed to help with Aurora, didn’t we?”

“We did…” Edward sighed exhausted, slowly feeling how drained his body really was. “Thank you.” He smiled warmly, gently kissing him. “The baby shampoo and some bath toys are by the stairs.” He said while turning around, going back to peeling the potatoes. “Whiff had already sent more of that medicated lotion to our bathroom to apply to the sutures.”

“Got it.” Henry nodded before leaving the kitchen.

…

“Is she still doing alright?” Henry asked, walking over to Skarloey.

“She’s still focused on this toy.” Skarloey chuckled softly, still sitting on the floor next to her.

Aurora whimpered as she tried to move her hand away, one of her tiny claws stuck in a piece of thread. Henry smiled warmly as he knelt down, gently freeing her hand. Aurora started up at him before giving them a toothless smile, laughing.

“So cute!” Henry and Skarloey thought. Henry took his phone out to take a picture.

Lucky barked as he ran into the living room, his toy still in his mouth, while jumping around Henry.

“Lucky, stop!” Henry said quickly as he grabbed the puppy, worried about Aurora.

Soft whimpers entered Lucky’s ears, causing the golden retriever to look at the source. Skarloey had his arms around Aurora, getting ready to protect the baby. He knew Lucky wasn't one for harming people, but he was still cautious.

Lucky panted as he trotted over to Aurora, sniffing her.

Aurora whimpered as small tears fell down her cheeks. Lucky wagged his tail as he laid down, barking softly with his tail wagging, and licked her cheeks.

Aurora giggled happily from Lucky licking her face, her giggling turning into a loud laugh. Henry sighed in relief as he calmed his racing heart.

He knew Lucky wouldn’t hurt anyone, even though he’s a puppy, but was worried that Lucky would accidentally step on her and cause the sutures to open.

“Lucky, you’re going to be the death of me…” Henry sighed as he gently moved his arms under Aurora, picking her up. “And it’s time for your bath.”

“Do you need help?” Skarloey asked, standing up and stretching.

“Umm…probably - Edward didn’t get a seat for her.” Henry hummed thoughtfully. “Probably can’t put pressure on the sutures…”

Skarloey nodded as he followed Henry out of the room and up the grand staircase. As many times as he had come here to have tea with Edward, he was always amazed by the stunning mansion. There were some modern themes to it but it also has a bit of classy and an antique style to it. A beautiful mix of both worlds.

Lucky barked as he ran up the stairs, following them excitedly and hoping to play. Henry kept his eyes on Lucky while holding Aurora close to him. He was used to Lucky always nearly tripping him and he wanted to make sure he didn’t do it once more.

…

Aurora whimpered in Skarloey’s arms, staring at the water that was filling the tub.

“It’s alright, my little Heulwen.” Skarloey cooed as he gently rocked her. “A bath won’t hurt you.”

Aurora whimpered some more as she clung to his arm, her tiny claws digging into the fabric of his sleeve.

Henry chuckled softly as he turned the water off, ensuring the temperature was warm. Lucky whined as he stood on his hind leg, whimpering while trying to lift his short hind legs up.

“Bath isn’t for you, pup.” Henry chuckled softly, gently pushing the puppy away. “This is Aurora’s bath.”

Lucky barked and panted, tail wagging excitedly as he stumbled over his paws.

“He sure is an excited puppy.” Skarloey chuckled heartily.

“Too excited.” Henry sighed softly, turning the faucet off. “Thankfully he gets calm for the training.” He smiled before looking up at Skarloey. “It’s ready for her.”

Skarloey nodded as he knelt by the young adult. Aurora whimpered as she clung to his arm, trying to hide her face.

“It’s alright, Aurora.” Henry cooed softly, gently taking her onesie off. “It’s alright.”

“Oh Proteus…” Skarloey said softly, once again seeing her bandages.

Within the confines of the baggage truck, it was too dim to really see the bandage, but now, in the strong light of the bathroom, he could just barely make out the deep red skin that peeked from under the blood-stained cloth.

Her ribcage, tiny as it was, was visible under her skin, clear evidence of her malnourishment.

Henry took a deep breath as he started to slowly remove the bandage, not wanting to hurt her. When the first bandage was removed, both Henry and Skarloey felt their hearts drop.

The skin surrounding the suture was a mixture of red, yellow, and a purplish-black color. Heat radiated off the dark black stitches that held the swollen and irritated skin together.

Lucky gently started sniffing the healing wound before Henry gently pushed the puppy to the side.

“No, Lucky.” Henry stated firmly, though it was more of a worry as he took the bandage off her back - her back was also a mess of wounds, all inflamed. “She’s still so delicate.”

Lucky whined as if he understood, laying down and resting his head between his front legs while his tail wagged.

“Right, Whiff said that when it came to the sutures, we have to gently tap them with a soft cloth.” Henry said, filling a small container with water before kneeling down next to the tub.

“I would suggest doing that last.” Skarloey stated, kneeling down next to him. “It might cause discomfort.” He said before gently putting Aurora in the tub.

Aurora grizzled as she felt the water, tightly gripping Skarloey’s arms as best as she could. Her body trembled as she opened her eyes, looking around. Her ears folded back as she stared at the water.

“It’s okay, little one.” Henry cooed softly, placing his hand in the water. “Water is good.”

Aurora stared at him before looking back at the water. Her ears instantly perked up when she watched Henry place a rubber duck into the bath, her eyes focused on it as she watched it float around.

“That works.” Skarloey chuckled as he leaned her back slightly.

Aurora whined as she reached for the rubber duck. Henry smiled as he handed it to her. Aurora instantly clung to it, looking over it in fastenation.

Henry hummed softly as he pressed the side of his hand against her forehead, creating a visor as he gently poured the pitch of water over her head.

Aurora shivered from the water pouring down her body, despite the warm temperature. Tightly gripping her duck toy, she closed her eyes when she felt Henry’s large hand on top of her head.

“Looks like she’s loving this.” Skarloey smiled, hearing her purr as Henry massaged the shampoo into her small tuft of hair.

“Probably feels good to her.” Henry said softly, gently finishing her hair.

Aurora purred as she clung to the rubber duck, watching the suds float around in the water. Soaking a rag, Henry gently washed her body, avoiding the red areas caused by her wounds. Aurora whimpered slightly when she felt the pain flare up a bit but eventually relaxed.

“Ready?” Henry asked softly, apply a bit more soap to the cloth.

“I am.” Skarloey nodded, adjusting Aurora to give Henry more access to her sutures.

Henry took a shaky breath, gulping quietly as he held the cloth. His heart pounded in his chest as he slowly moved his hand.

“This is going to hurt, Aurora.” Henry said softly, looking at her. “But it needs to be cleaned.”

Taking another deep breath, Henry slowly moved his hand once more before very lightly tapping the sutures.

“WAHHHHHHHHH!!”

Henry and Skarloey winced from her loud screams, each cry shaking their hearts. Lucky whined as he ran out of the bathroom.

Fat tears rolled down Aurora’s cheeks as the pain flared up, each tap causing the pain to increase.

Henry felt his eyes water as he continued to clean her sutures, his heart breaking from hearing her cry in such pain. He watched how she wearily tried to push his hand away, her tiny claws barely grabbing the cloth.

His heart pounded in his chest as he continued, his anxiety flaring up from hearing her. Quickly grabbing the pitcher, he filled it with water before gently rinsing the wounds with teary eyes.

Aurora’s cries grew more intense as she tried to get away from Skarloey’s grip, her face red and puffy from the tears.

Grabbing a towel, Henry gently wrapped it around the tiny cat-girl before gently holding her close to him. Aurora continued to cry against his chest, her tiny hands gripping his shirt tightly.

“It’s alright, Aurora.” Henry whispered in her ear, holding her close as he slowly sat on the floor. “It’s ok, it’s ok…” He kept repeating.

Lucky whined as he slowly walked into the room. Seeing his master and the tiny mistress in distrust, he laid down while resting his head in Henry’s lap.

Skarloey silently sat down next to him, gently rubbing his back in a comforting way.

“You're safe, Henry, you're both safe,” he said gently. “This'll pass boyo.”

He had a thought. “Will you pass Aurora to me?” He asked. “I'll hold her until you calm down.”

Henry shakily conceded to handing Aurora over. “I feel like an awful person.” He whimpered.

“You are only trying to help, Henry. It is not your fault, she is unwell, and that is affecting her body.” Skarloey moved closer to his friend so their legs were touching. “Just, stroke Lucky's head, ok?” He nodded to the faithful pup.

Henry nodded and caressed Lucky's soft fur.

Skarloey cradled Aurora in his hands, still pressed against Henry for comfort - a reminder he wasn't alone.