Aurora's Advent

Punishment in Disguise

"There you two are!"

Aurora groaned as she sat up with a delicate yawn, stretching her limbs like a tree sprawling its wooden limbs heavenward.

Rubbing her eyes wearily, she heard Donald yawning from beneath her, which rumbled through his frames, like the breath of a storybook giant.

Hearing the sound of chuffing, she looked up; her ears instantly folded against her head as she saw Douglas and Duck outside the shed. They looked cross.

Whilst she had expected both of them to show up at some point, she'd hoped she and Donald would have had more time before that happened.

Clearly, fate had had other ideas.

...

Duck looked disappointed at them both, while Douglas looked annoyed with his twin. (Although, Aurora reflected, this was a common occurrence.)

"Morning Duck, Douglas." Aurora purred nervously as she slowly slid down onto Donald's footplate.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were when we woke up and you were gone?" Duck asked severely as he fixed a stern look at his niece/goddaughter. He was so cross, he had forgone his usual polite manner - a rare occurrence for the little Pannier.

"Leaving in the middle of the night when it's snowing, without warm clothing? What the devil were you thinking, Aurora? You could've gotten bloody hypothermia!" Duck had started shaking from anger.

"I'm sorry Duck, but I couldn't sleep since it didn't feel right without Donald there..." Aurora muttered softly, snuggling into the warmth of the blanket Vincent draped over her shoulders.

"...But I wasn't cold at all." She added as she shuffled up to the number 8 engine, feeling a bit stiff.

'I haven't felt cold since that night I escaped that woman's burning house...' She thought to herself. But she kept quiet, as she didn't want to worry them further.

"Well, even so, that doesn't mean you go wandering around at night, during winter mind you, in nothing but your pajamas." Duck scolded. "As I said before, you could've gotten hypothermia, and if you can't feel the cold, you'd be more likely to lose your toes, your feet, your hands, or even die!" He exploded, before glowering at Donald.

"And as for you, Donald, the way you behaved last night was not the Great Western way. Hell, I couldn't-"

"Are ye aright, Duck? Nae like ye tae swear sae much," said Douglas.

"Ach, ye call that swearing, Dougie? That's tame fer us!" Donald boasted.

Not quite a smart thing to say, as Duck hissed at Donald

"Quiet, the both of you, before I lose steam!" Duck snapped impatiently.

"If ye're losing steam, maybe ye should see Victor," said Donald cheekily.

"Not that kind of steam! The metaphorical kind!" Snapped Duck.

"I ken, pal, I was pulling yer wheel," Donald grinned.

"Ye were acting like an arse last night!" Douglas snapped to his twin, as Ian and Evan stepped out of his cab.

Donald cringed and looked at his buffers.

Although he'd normally protest being called an arse, and by his brother no less, he knew he had no excuse for what he had said the night before.

...

Aurora sighed as she climbed onto Duck's footplate under his chin. It was too early to hear them argue; though she couldn't help but let out a small giggle from hearing Duck groaning in annoyance.