Sodor's New Worker (Semi-Hiatus Due to an AO3 rewrite)

Parental Supervision

   All cleaned up, she sat on her bed of the home she had left with no trace, anxiously watching Henry and Edward pace around, unsure of what to actually say to her. James too, was nearby, head in his hands, trying to comprehend how he never noticed that she was right in front of him for three whole years.

"...Why?" she heard Henry ask sharply. "Why did you lie to us?"

"..."

"I'd like an answer, sweetheart."

"To throw you off my trail."

"Why!?"

"Because lying's effective if you know what you're doing."

"You fooled us all for nearly three years, and all this time, you were just at Knapford, leading James on, or at Dryaw, with all your...star stuff!"

"When did you even learn to drive?" James asked, head not leaving his hands.

"That's not your concern."

"It is my concern! You had this planned, didn't you!?" he asked once more, tears threatening to pour out from his eyes. "You were so thorough with it! How long...how long were you planning on running away!?"

"..."

"Honey Bee!"

"......."

"How long were you planning to run away!?"

"A year."

"A YEAR?"

"And none of you ever noticed. Not a single one of you. For being as old as you are, you're easy to fool. I was sure at least one of you would've caught me in the act."

"Do you feel...any sort of remorse, for running away?" Edward quietly seethed. "Running away from me, your father...your husband?"

"Of course I do!" she hissed, raising her voice. "You think I left because I don't care about any of you!?"

"That's not what Edward meant.." she heard Thomas peep. "And I think you know that.."

"Quiet over there in the peanut gallery. Nate just passed you."

"Wh-" he spluttered, looking back at the screen. "Hey!"

"That's what you get for barging in on a conversation that isn't meant for you." the other male teased. "Eat my Italian dust."

"Anyway.." she narrowed her eyes, turning her attention back to the trio that was currently ripping her a new one. "Of course I feel remorse. The hardest part was actually doing it and sticking with it. Planning is easy, execution is not."

"But you-"

"You have no idea how much it actually hurt me to see all of you pass by my job, or my apartment, knowing that I can't say or do anything.  I had to be a stranger to some of the closest people in my life. But, then I thought about how much safer I was, how much safer you guys are. When's the last time you saw either of those conniving idiots?"

"I.."

"We.."

   Henry and Edward nervously looked each other, then at James and Gordon, who just shrugged. She had a point, they hadn't exactly seen either of them since they tried to drown her in the lake.

"Exactly. Your faces tell me everything. Everyone was safer, even if I had to make some sacrifices."

"But now what..?"

"Well, you guys caught me, James, so.." she hummed, scooting a bit closer to him. "I guess I'm not running away anytime soon, am I?"

"You're here to stay.." he nodded, taking one of his arms and pulled her onto his lap. "I will keep telling you every day that I'm here for you. As is everyone else."