The Midnight Train Crossing

CB, not being one to end the day one the sun went down like everyone else, was sitting on a bumper looking up at the stars. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head, surprised to see Rusty rolling past.
The steam engine was wandering around in a bit of a daze, so he didn’t notice the caboose.
"Hey! Steamer!" CB called from his spot on the bumper.
Rusty sighed softly and turned around
"Why're *you* out this tima night?" This was *his* time to be alone.
"I'm not botherin' you."
The caboose rose to his wheels. "Yeah? Then what are ya doing out? You’re usually in bed by ten." That made him smirk. It wasn't far from the truth.
"I'm just walkin' around."
"Uh huh...and when ya start doing *that*?"
"tonight."
the caboose rolled toward the steamer, blocking his way. "And why tonight?" CB pressed on, "Shouldn't ya be back with Pearl?"
"Leave me alone," Rusty said with a sigh.
CB raised a brow. "Well, why aren't ya? What if she was to wake up and find you weren't there? Hmmm?"
"Leave me alone CB,” he stiffened slightly.

The caboose smirked. "Don't tell me there are *problems* in you lil' paradise Steam Train."
"Then I won't." Rusty spun on his hind wheels
CB quickly raced around and caught him. He smirked. "So there *are*...” His deep blue eyes sparkled cruelly.
"Leave me alone caboose!"
"Awww Lil' Rusty's perfect life falling apart so soon?"
Rusty turned away again, but CB repeated his action from before. "What? Did Pearl realize that you're a wuss? That ya only won by *default*?"
Rusty tensed, and then looked up at the caboose, "Who said that Pearl and I were havin' problems anyway?"
"*I* figured ya two would sooner or later." He gave a short laugh.
"Why?"
"I mean just *look* at yerself steamer! Why would a coach like Pearl wanna be with *you* except for the fact that you 'won'?"
"You just don't understand."
"what? I understand that if she should wake up and not see ya there, she won't hesitate to find someone else." A slow smirk crossed his face.
Rusty's glare deepened, "That's not true!"
"Oh no?"
"No!"
CB's smirk deepened.
"You don't *know* her!"
Maybe...maybe not...." he said simply.
"You *don't*! It didn't *mean* anything!" Rusty turned to go.
CB's eyes widened. "And what do *you mean by that?" He demanded, taking Rusty's hand and stopping him.
"I mean that you don't know Pearl."
"I know Pearl just as much as *you* do Rustbucket. Most likely *more*."
Rusty laughed humorlessly
"You laugh *now*...." CB said with a smirk.
"What makes you think that you know Pearl so well anyway?"
"because... she *told* me." Yeah... that was it.
Rusty raised a brow
"After all, we did go to dinner together."
"I know..."
"She told me *every*thing there."
Rusty shook his head
"You don't believe me?"
"No. I don't."

"She Un. Sat. Is. Fied. with you Rustbucket."
"I don't believe you."
"C'mon! Even *I* noticed how distant she seemed and when I brought you up? Oooo boy!"
"It's not true!!"
"It is! You're in denial Rusty. Face the facts that *she* sees you as a loser like everyone else around here!"
Rusty glared, "You're just tryin' to get between us."
CB looked shocked at this suggestion. "Me?"
"I'm not talkin' to anybody else."
"I only wanna see if there's anything I can do to *help*."
"Yeah," Rusty said, "Stay away from the both of us."
"Dunno how easy that'll be Rusty..." CB said, another smirk growing.
"And what's *that* supposed to mean?"
"Pearl enjoyed last night, steamer."
"It didn't mean anything," Rusty said again
"You just keep telling yourself that."
"*She* told me that."

"Did she tell you she *kissed* me?"
"*You* kissed her!"
"Not true my friend."
"That's not what she told me."
CB shook his head. "She kissed up on that look-out."
He saw the look of horrified surprise on the steamers face and had to hold back laughter as he said the next. "Ya mean she didn't tell you? Oops..."
Rusty was speechless
"hate to break it to ya buddy!" CB slapped Rusty on the back, "life likes to play cruel jokes and *you're the butt of every one"
"Go away."
"I'm here for ya Rustbuket."
"Go away!!"
CB lifted his hands in surrender fashion. "Okay, okay. Starlights!" However, the smirk stayed on his face. "Not *my* fault Pearl finds me more attractive after all."
"I don't believe you!" Rusty exclaimed.
"Okay then, answer this why *are* you out here this late?"
"Because I felt like it."
"You don't sound to sure of that."
"What am I supposed to sound like?" Rusty demanded, "I felt like taking a walk!"

“And where's Pearl?"
"sleeping I assume."
The caboose shook his head. "Tsk tsk tsk! In *such* denial."
"I am *not* in denial!" Rusty snapped "And I have no reason to trust *you*!"
"Answer this: Why were you two heading to the coaches' shed and why isn't she with you now?"
Rusty turned around to leave again
CB grabbed the engine's couplers and braked. "Well?" he demanded.
"Let go of me!"
"*Exactly* what I thought!" CB said giving the poor steamer a shove. "One of the things she complained about too."
Rusty nearly lost his balance, "What are you talking about?"
"Ya don't fight back."
Rusty repeated the question in confusion.
"ya don't *fight* back." CB gave Rusty another harsh shove.
Almost as if to prove CB right, Rusty just stumbled backwards
"See?" He gave another shove, pushing the steamer over. He placed a skate on top of Rusty's chest. " 'What coach wants an engine who can't defend himself let alone his *coach*?!' she told me."
Rusty didn't believe CB... not really...

CB stepped hard with the skate that was on the steamer making Rusty gasp painfully.
CB's eyes grew wild. "Well Steamer? Ya gonna prove her wrong?"
"get off me," Rusty gasped
CB gave a cruel smirk and dug his skate in again. "I said, 'Ya gonna prove her wrong?' Steamer!"
"Get off me *caboose*!"
With *that* comment, CB slammed his skate down on Rusty's stomach. A whoosh of steam escaped Rusty as the wind was knocked out of him. He struggled to get a breath.
CB grabbed Rusty by the collar and lifted his head of the ground with a sneer, "Ya speak to me in *that* tone again and you're headin' *straight* for the scrap pile, Steamer!!"
Rusty couldn't speak, he was having a hard enough time breathing.
"You're paTHEtic!!" he spat and let go of Rusty's front suddenly, letting the steam engine fall back to the ground.

CB gave his skate one final push, but this time Rusty was ready. He grabbed hold of CB's ankle and pulled
Not ready at all for Rusty's counter attack, CB was pulled to the ground.
Rusty rolled over, pinning the caboose down.
The caboose growled and fought to regain control. "Lemme go!! NOW!!" he spat.
"No."
He tried kicking. "Lemme GO!!"
Rusty simply held CB down. When the caboose tried to take a swing at him, Rusty pinned his arms down.
"Let. Me. go!! If ya *don't* I'll make ya regret being an engine!!" he snarled kicking, struggling, and carrying on like a mad man.

Rusty suddenly lifted the caboose up and slammed him down against the ground.
CB’s vision blurred for a moment as his head and upper back hit the ground. He took in a sharp painful breath as the wind was knocked out of him.
"I am not a loser!" Rusty slammed the caboose down again
The caboose couldn't answer. He saw stars as he hit the ground again and was trying to get his breath back. Not only that, but CB was just... stunned...
Suddenly Rusty punched CB across the face, "I'm not!!"
CB let out a cry as Rusty hit him, though it was weak. His instinct to bring a hand to the afflicted area was foiled by the steamer's hold on him.
"And Pearl loves me!!!"
All CB could do was gasp.
"She loves me!" he repeated, tightening his hold on the caboose
CB gave another cry as Rusty's grip on him tightened. "Why...." he started with a gasp-growl.
He punched CB again, "she does!"
CB wasn't about to admit the pain that he was in and he struggled against Rusty. "Why should she?" he gasped out.
"You wouldn't understand!" Rusty slammed him down again
"yeah...Sure!..." CB managed to spit out in gasp.
He did it again, harder - as hard as he could actually.
This time CB hit the ground and became limp...having blacked-out
Rusty didn't notice this right away. He hit the caboose again, but this time, there was no sound from the caboose. "CB?" Rusty asked, slowly releasing the caboose. When CB lay there limply, eyes closed, the steamer gazed down at the caboose in horror at what he had done.
His breathing was slow and barely there - but it was still there.
Rusty stood up slowly, in a daze, and then he just left, leaving CB lying there.
He didn't go home, he just wandered around in a daze for the rest of the night