Day 24-Visitor
Day 24-Accepting
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A Western Summer
James was surprised to find Cassandra in the wagon sidings behind Tidmouth. Lately she had found her way to the sheds when not with Duck, so everyone had been concerned when she had disappeared after her mid-afternoon train.
He was even more surprised to find a woman laid across her running board with glowing green eyes and shadow tendrils trailing from her hair.
Samantha and Nicole were sitting on the end of Cassandra’s water tanks, Robert leaning against his old engine’s buffers listening to the woman.
The woman glanced toward him, and he suddenly remembered a story of a teen, born of the Lady’s light and Death’s shadows.
“Miss Mali I presume?” he asked.
“In the flesh.” The woman sighed, she glanced over towards the mogul, “James right?”
“Of course.” He glanced towards Cassandra, “is this a sensitive matter? I can leav…”
“I can't have kids.” Mali said bluntly, “and I'm sulking.”
Cassandra snorted, “neither can Screech, yet here you are.”
Mali flicked the engines nose, “because the Lady’s intervention while fighting a scrap monster is such a reliable method.”
“It's worked every time so far.” Robert said dryly. Mali leaned up to glare at him.
“Last I knew you didn't want children,” Samatha said quietly.
Mali sighed, “I didn't, or at least I thought I didn't..but finding out I can't…”
She shook her head, “I guess it doesn't matter.”
“If it bothers you,” James spoke up, “it matters.”
The woman looked toward the mogul questioningly.
“We learned that the hard way back in the old days. Ignoring something bothering a fleetmate always comes back to bite you.”
Mali shrugged, leaning back against Cassandra, “nothing to be done about it though.”
Robert reached out, taking one of her hands. “There's plenty to be done. Adoption already runs in your family after all.”
Mali snorted, “that's true.”
She looked down, “I guess more than anything…”
“It's that it’s not your choice.” Nicole finished.
“Yeah.” the woman's tendrils flicked irritably.
“Would some gossip to take back home make you feel better?,” Robert offered.
Mali snorted, “and what gossip would that be?”
“Driver...”
Robert smirked up at his old engine, “I’m retired, lass.”
He looked back to Mali, “Cassandra here has agreed to be courted by one of our Westerners.”
Mali spun around to look at Cassandra, who reluctantly nodded.
“And you didn't tell us?” Mali demanded excitedly.
“Her letter won't have arrived yet,” Samantha explained, smirking at her blushing engine, “everythings been slower since the storm.”
“Who is it?”
“Montague.” Cassandra answered quietly.
“I knew it!” Mali teased, “I told you we'd make a proper Westerners of you yet!”
“What is it with you Westerners being so possessive?” Cassandra asked bemused.
Mali smirked, “it's the Swindon in us, now if you excuse me, I have to tell everyone the good news.”
The woman hopped off of Cassandra’s running plate, grabbed the air in front of her and pulled the air before her, tearing it apart into a void. The woman turned and waved goodbye as if she hadn't just torn a hole in the veil of reality and stepped through, the hole closing behind her with a clap of thunder.
James stared where the woman had disappeared.
“You have very strange friends,” he said finally.
“You realize that includes yourself right?
“...shut it.”
A/N: Hello Loves! Mali is around 28/29 years old in this fic, a little over 12 years after the events of Something Holy This Way Comes. Love Y'all!