On the Island of Sodor, Thomas the Tank Engine is Sir Topham Hatt's Number One engine, and he has lots of friends. His best friend of all is Percy, the number six small green engine. Rosie, a pink tank engine, is another of Thomas's best friends. They love playing and having fun together every day.

But one thing that Thomas isn't impressed by is Rosie's affection for him. She wants to be just like Thomas in every possible way. While Thomas thinks this is silly, he still respects Rosie as a true friend, and would always do anything for her.

One spring day, Thomas and Rosie were shunting freight cars at the Shunting Yard. The cars were filled with coal, quarry stone, and heavy, oily machinery. They had to be sorted into three trains ready to go first thing tomorrow, so it was very important that the job was done today. It was very hard and dirty work, but the two little engines were pleased to be doing such a useful job.

Thomas biffed and bashed the cars into place. "One biff, one bash…"

"And there's never a crash!" Rosie called out, and the cars bumped into place.

Thomas and Rosie laughed. they liked biffing and bashing freight cars.

Then, Thomas had an idea. "I bet I can shunt more cars than you can, Rosie!" he called.

Rosie smiled. She liked playing games with Thomas. "I bet you can't!" she called.

Thomas chuffed off, and he shunted the flatbeds of machinery into a line… then quarry cars… and then coal cars. Then, Thomas pushed the long train along the line as fast as he could.

Then there was trouble. With all the cars blocking his view, Thomas couldn't see where he was going. He didn't notice that the points were switched against him, and that Rosie was coming towards him on the other track!

Rosie gasped, and she blew her whistle as loud as she could. "Thomas! Stop!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Thomas gasped, and he applied his brakes as hard as he could. But it was too late. The flatbed's wheels hit the points and derailed from the tracks.

The heavy equipment smashed into Rosie, knocking her right off the track, and spilling sticky oil all over her! Then, the quarry and coal cars bumped into each other. Coal dust and quarry dust flew everywhere, sticking to the oil on Rosie's paintwork!

When the dust cleared, Thomas saw what had happened: The trucks were derailed and blocking several of the tracks, and coal, quarry dust, and oil was spilled everywhere. The Shunting Yards were in a terrible, sticky mess, and so was Rosie's smart pink paintwork.

Luckily, no one was hurt. "Sorry, Rosie," Thomas said sheepishly.

Rosie didn't say a word, she just lay where she was with her eyes closed. She was badly frightened by the accident.

Soon, Henry arrived with Rocky to help lift Rosie and the trucks back onto the track.

Sir Topham Hatt was very cross. "Thomas, you have caused confusion and delay!" he scolded. "This place is a mess, and now the trains might not be ready by the end of the day!"

Thomas felt terrible. "I'm very sorry, sir," he apologized. "It was just an accident."

But Rosie looked sad. "My pretty pink paintwork is ruined!" she cried. "And now I can't be really useful anymore!" But when she looked at Thomas, she suddenly snapped at him. "This is all your fault, you silly little blue engine!"

Now Thomas felt worse! "Rosie," he said, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause an accident."

"Oh, of course," Rosie crossly stated. Her cross tone made Thomas shiver, but Rosie was too angry to notice. "For years and years, all you've ever done is being cheeky and making mistakes! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you just went to some faraway part of the island where you'd have the freedom to make all the mistakes you'd like and never get in trouble."

Rocky tried to reassure both of them. "Calm down, Rosie," he said. "We all have accidents every now and again." Then, he looked at Thomas. "Remember, accidents can happen at any time, Thomas," he rumbled, "but, it's always very important to watch where you're going."

Sir Topham Hatt stared at Thomas. "Also, I expect you to clean up this mess right away and get all these trains sorted out. They have to be ready before dark."

Thomas felt very silly. After what Rosie had said to him, he also felt very hurt. "Yes, sir," he said. "Sorry, sir." Immediately, he raced away to fix the mess. But as he raced away, he managed to faintly hear Sir Topham Hatt mutter something to himself, which made him horrified…

"Oh dear, Thomas, sometimes I wonder if you've ever learnt to be a more responsible engine."

Finally, after all the trucks were back on the track, Rocky then picked up Rosie. He gently lowered Rosie onto Henry's flatbed, and she was secured safely. Henry tooted his whistle, and he set off for the Steamworks.

But along the way, Henry felt sorry for Rosie. "Are you okay, Rosie?" asked Henry.

Rosie sighed. She wasn't cross at Thomas, for two reasons: The first was, she liked him so much, and the second, she knew it was only an accident. But when she snapped at him, she hadn't meant to. "Yes, Henry," she told him. Now, she sounded like her usual self again.

"You sounded awfully angry back at the Shunting Yards," Henry said nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, Henry," Rosie said kindly. "By tomorrow, Thomas will have gotten over it. Besides, once I get to the Steamworks, I'll soon be repaired and back at work. And with a fresh new coat of paint, I'll soon look splendid again."

But at the Steamworks, Victor wasn't so sure. "I'm sorry, Rosie," he said, "but we haven't had our order of pink paint delivered. We won't be getting it for quite some time."

That made Rosie feel disappointed.

Then, Kevin rolled up. On his hook was a pallet of paint cans, which were filled with red, gold, and gray paint. "Sorry, boss," he panted, "but I can't find the paint for Rosie!"

Victor groaned. "Kevin, you have already forgotten, it wasn't delivered! Now, please stop rushing about, and go and get Rosie's new parts."

"Yes, boss! Right away, boss!" But Kevin rushed away, carelessly clanking into things. "Sorry, boss! It was a slip of the—…"

"Hook," Victor and Rosie said together, and they sighed. "We know, Kevin! We know."

Rosie looked at the paint cans Kevin had brought over to them. "Victor," she replied, "who is that paint for?"

"This paint? It's the wrong color delivery," Victor explained.

And then, an idea flew into Rosie's funnel. "I think I might like to be painted red," she said to Victor. "Along with my new parts, it would make me feel like a brand-new engine."

"But, nobody will recognize you at first, Rosie," Victor stated. "Are you sure you want to have a new livery?"

"If it's what you have, then I'll go with it," Rosie explained. "After all, it's like you say: it's the inside that counts, and you should know."

Victor knew Rosie was right about that. "Well, okay my friend," Victor agreed. "We'll soon have you ready for work once again.

In no time, Rosie was fixed and cleaned up. The workmen immediately set to work giving Rosie a new coat of red paint. They first painted Rosie with a special coat of red waterproof paint, and then they applied the main coat of red paint on top.

Meanwhile, back at the Shunting Yards, everything was back in order once more. Thomas had shunted the machines into one train, the coal trucks into another, and finally, the quarry cars into a third train… and right on time as well.

By dusk, Sir Topham Hatt arrived on board Toby the Tram Engine, and now he was pleased. "Well done, Thomas," he said proudly, but interestingly, he didn't say Thomas was a 'really useful engine' like he always did.

Thomas still felt hurt after what Rosie had said to him. "Thank you, sir," he said.

"Driver says there's a storm coming tonight, Thomas," said Toby, "so it was very important that these trains be ready before tonight."

Thomas looked up at the sky; dark clouds were rolling in. So, he hurried back to Tidmouth Sheds.

By the time Thomas made it back to the sheds, the clouds had completely covered the sky. All the other engines were arriving as well, but Percy noticed that Thomas was unhappy.

"What's wrong, Thomas?" Percy asked. "You seem unhappy."

"Rosie's broken down, and her paintwork is spoiled, and it's all my fault."

James scoffed. "Huh, another accident caused by cheekiness and carelessness… typical."

Gordon began boasting as well. "Why, with all the trouble you've caused, little Thomas," he declared, "I don't see why Sir Topham Hatt doesn't keep you in the shed!" Gordon and James began to laugh, but they were stopped by Emily's whistle.

"Stop it, both of you!" Emily scolded. "Apparently you don't remember, if Thomas was never here, you two wouldn't be who you are today!"

"Emily's right," agreed Henry.

But James had another naughty idea. "Oh, that's right," he teased, "and what about little Rosie? If Thomas wasn't here, she wouldn't have anyone to look up to and admire."

"She'd be just as worthless as a steam engine with no boiler!" Gordon laughed.

Even though Thomas didn't like Rosie as more than a friend, he still cared about her, and hearing Gordon and James picking on her made him very cross. "How DARE you speak about Rosie like that!" he declared. "Both of you!"

Gordon and James finally stopped teasing Thomas after this… but it didn't make Thomas feel any better.

Later that night, the rain was pouring down. All the engines were sleeping peacefully, but Thomas couldn't sleep. He still felt awful about what he had done to poor Rosie, and he wasn't sure if she would ever be his friend again.

"What should I do?" Thomas whispered to himself. "I don't Rosie to not like me. I mean, she's my friend." But then, he remembered what Sir Topham Hatt had said:

"'Oh dear, Thomas, sometimes I wonder if you've ever learnt to be a more responsible engine…'"

And then, he remembered what Rosie had told him:

"'I wouldn't be surprised if you just went to some faraway part of the island where you'd have the freedom to make all the mistakes you'd like and never get in trouble…'"

Now Thomas felt even more upset. "Maybe Rosie and Sir Topham Hatt are right," he whispered. "Maybe I'm not a really useful engine anymore. Maybe, I should just run away."

Very quietly, Thomas rolled out of the sheds and into the rainy night. He didn't know where he was going, but he decided to run away.

The next morning, Rosie was repainted and ready for work. Her body was now a cherry red with raspberry tanks, gold boiler bands, red wheels and lining, and light gray wheel rims. The workmen had also written the letters "NWR" on her tanks, standing for "North Western Railway", and the number 37 under her cab windows.

Rosie looked splendid. "Thank you, Victor!" she called out. "And thank you too, Kevin." She peeped her whistle, and she set off for Tidmouth Sheds. She was excited to see Thomas.

But at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines woke up to quite a surprise: Thomas was nowhere to be seen!

"Where has Thomas gone?" asked Percy. "I know he came back last night."

"Maybe he had early morning work," suggested Emily.

"I don't know," said Percy. "I'll ask Sir Topham Hatt when he gets here."

But then, Sir Topham Hatt arrived in his car. He stepped out and came over to his engines.

"Sir," asked Percy, "did you send Thomas out early this morning?"

"No," answered Sir Topham Hatt. "Why?"

"Well, umm…" Percy stated, "…he's gone."

Sir Topham Hatt's top hat jumped. "Gone?" he asked. "But why?"

"We don't know," answered Edward. "But maybe he's gone because he's upset… he sounded pretty unhappy last night."

Just then, a red tank engine pulled up onto the turntable. It was Rosie, but the engines didn't know this yet. "Good morning, everyone!" she called cheerfully.

Everyone was surprised, including Sir Topham Hatt. "A new engine?" he asked. "But, I don't remember ordering a new engine."

"Oh," said Rosie, "well, the thing is—…"

"You do look and sound familiar, though," Emily interrupted. "I must say, you look very splendid."

But James was jealous. "Red is not splendid," he scoffed.

"Oh, really?" chuckled Henry. "Then why are you always saying you're so splendid? After all, you're red!" Henry secretly knew that James wasn't telling the truth.

But James didn't think this was funny. "I am a splendid red engine," scoffed James, "because I am a big, strong tender engine. That little engine is just a tank engine, and therefore, red is just silly on her."

Now, Rosie was cross. "James, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she scolded. "You're just too proud and vain to admit that you're not the only red engine on the island anymore!"

James was surprised, and no longer was he boasting. "Wait, how do you know my name?" he asked.

"My, for a new engine," Edward responded, "you're so knowledgeable of James already."

"That's because I'm not a new engine," Rosie stated calmly.

Sir Topham Hatt gasped. "Wait, then who are you?" he asked her.

Rosie sighed. "Guys, it's me, Rosie!" she explained.

The engines gasped.

"Rosie?" asked Emily. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it is," Rosie smiled.

"Why are you red?" asked James.

"This is my new livery."

But Percy looked puzzled. "Um, Rosie, what's a 'livery'?"

"It's what color you are painted, Percy."

Sir Topham Hatt was pleased to see Rosie was back and ready for work, even though she was red instead of pink. "Well, Rosie," he stated, "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I, sir," she smiled. But when she looked at the shed, she seemed confused. "Where's Thomas?" she asked.

"We don't know," explained Sir Topham Hatt.

Rosie looked horrified. "Thomas is gone?!" she gasped.

"Yes," answered Percy, "and we don't know why."

James suddenly had a thought. "Maybe he's run away because of how badly I've teased him last night?" he wondered.

"No, he was upset even before he came home," stated Percy.

"Well," added Sir Topham Hatt, "I forgot to tell Thomas that he was a really useful engine after he fixed the accident. Maybe that's why he left."

But Rosie thought she knew. "No," she stated, "it's not that, either. I know why he's run away."

"Why, Rosie?" asked Emily.

"Thomas ran away because of what happened yesterday," she answered. "Not because of what he did, but rather, because of what I did. I accidentally got cross at him and called him a silly little engine, and that's the first time I've ever been angry at Thomas."

"Well, Rosie," said Sir Topham Hatt, "there's nothing we can do about that now, so until we can find him, I need an engine to run Thomas's branch line. And because you are the least busy engine here right now, would you please do that for him?"

Rosie was excited to be asked to look after Thomas's branch line, so she immediately jumped at the offer. "Yes, sir!" she called. "Right away, sir!" Then, without hesitation, she rushed off.

Gordon huffed. "Well, I suppose I'll have to fetch my own coaches," he groaned.

"I suppose so," replied Sir Topham Hatt, and all the other engines laughed.

Gordon just groaned. Now he wished Thomas hadn't left. "Ohhh, the indignity!"

Far away, on the other side of the island, it was still drizzling. Thomas had slept in an overgrown siding, but he was still anxious to find a place to be alone. So, he made his way onto an unused track that seemed like a suitable place to hide. He was too ashamed to want to see Rosie again after what he'd done.

"I guess I'll just stay out here until she feels better," he told himself. "Or maybe… if I have to, I'll stay out here forever."

Thomas pushed his way through the wet bushes and trees, as the line began to climb. It led up to the top of a mountain, with another railway line all the way at the bottom. But as Thomas chuffed along the old track, it creaked beneath his wheels. And then… there was trouble.

The rain had washed away the earth under a section of the track, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. When Thomas puffed onto the track, it finally gave way and snapped!

"Cinders and ashes!" Thomas cried. "Help me!" He frantically tried to reverse back to safety, but it was too late. The track he was on broke completely away, and Thomas slid down the slope!

Mud and leaves flew up all over Thomas's smart blue paintwork, and he hit rocks and trees along the way down, which scratched up his paint. At last, Thomas slid to a stop at the bottom of the hill… but he was stuck in a ditch.

Thomas couldn't move. He was stuck in the muddy ditch, and now his smart blue paintwork was ruined. Worse yet, since he hadn't told anyone where he was going, nobody knew where he was! "Somebody, help me!" he cried, and he blew his whistle as loudly as he could… but no one could hear him.

Meanwhile, Rosie was doing a splendid job on Thomas's branch line. The passengers all were surprised at Rosie's appearance, but they soon realized that she was still the same engine.

Annie and Clarabel were especially pleased at how well Rosie was doing. "Oh, isn't Rosie just as good as Thomas, Clarabel?" asked Annie.

"I agree, Annie," Clarabel stated. "She's always wanted to be just like Thomas, and this is her greatest opportunity."

Annie and Clarabel chuckled, but Rosie didn't smile. She was happy to be helping Thomas, but she felt bad that he had run away because of her. I probably shouldn't have gotten so cross with him, she thought. Now, she felt awful. Tears began to run down her face.

By the time Rosie had finished her work for the day, she wasn't feeling so cheerful anymore. She felt so awful, she wanted to cry. But before she could, Sir Topham Hatt came up to her, looking very impressed.

"Well done, Rosie," he declared. "You have proven to be very hardworking and reliable on Thomas's branch line, that I've decided to make you a permanent member of it."

Rosie was happy to hear this, but because she was upset, she couldn't smile. "Thank you, sir," she said, sounding unhappy.

Sir Topham Hatt was worried. "What's wrong, Rosie?" he asked her. "I thought you'd be happy."

"I am," Rosie stated, "but… I just don't feel happy."

"What's wrong?" asked Annie.

"Was it something we did?" asked Clarabel.

"No, it's okay," Rosie answered. "It's just that…" But then, her face turned from miserable to determined. "I'm going to find Thomas," she said firmly. Immediately, she was uncoupled from Thomas's coaches, and she steamed off to find him.

By now, Thomas was wishing he hadn't caused so much trouble. "I've been a very silly engine," he sighed unhappily. "Why is it that I always let my cheekiness get the better of me, and I end up causing confusion and delay all the time?"

The sky was still gray, and now it was getting dark. "Nobody will find me now," he said to himself. "I'll be stuck out here forever. Oh, if only I had been a really useful engine instead of a really silly one."

Thomas felt that he would be stuck there forever… But just then, Thomas heard a whistle he knew well… and a voice calling out to him.

"Thomas? Thomas!"

Thomas's eyes widened. "That's Rosie!" he gasped. Thomas wanted to whistle, but he hadn't any steam, so he called out as loud as he could. "Rosie!"

Then, there was a chuffing sound… it was getting louder with every second. Thomas kept his eyes on the track, waiting for someone to come along.

The voice kept calling out. "Thomas!"

Then, from around the bend, on the other track came a red tank engine. It was Rosie!

When Rosie saw Thomas, she smiled. "Thomas!" Rosie called, and she hurried over to him. "Oh, Thomas," she said, "am I glad to see you."

Even though Thomas hadn't seen Rosie's new livery, he knew based on her reactions that this was her. "Me too, Rosie," he said. "But, I'm so sorry that I caused such a bad accident yesterday. You were right about me; all I ever do is cause trouble."

But Rosie's voice stopped him. "Don't say such a thing, Thomas!"

"But, you were angry at me yesterday," Thomas stated.

"Never mind about that," Rosie said to him. "Besides, if anyone's sorry, it's me."

Thomas looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I know why you ran away," Rosie told him. "It was because you were hurt after I shouted at you and said all you ever did was making mistakes. It wasn't because of Sir Topham Hatt, Gordon, or James at all."

Thomas couldn't believe Rosie knew that. "How did you know that?" asked Thomas.

"I've been in love with you ever since I first laid my eyes on you, Thomas," Rosie told him. "I've always wanted to be just like you, and to this day, I still do… But, it wasn't right for me to get so angry at you when I had my accident. It was all my fault that you ran away… and I'm sorry, Thomas."

Thomas still wasn't interested in Rosie's affections, but he felt much better now. "Thank you, Rosie," he said to her.

Now, Rosie felt much better. "Now, let's get you back on the track."

Thomas couldn't see Rocky anywhere. "How are you going to get me back on the tracks without Rocky?" he asked her.

"I will pull you back onto the tracks," Rosie told him. "Trust me, I know I can do it."

Chains were attached to Thomas and Rosie. Rosie knew Thomas was very heavy, but she was determined to pull her hero back onto the rails. Rosie chuffed, and she puffed, and then, wheel turn by wheel turn, Thomas began to inch forward.

It was very hard work, but at last, Rosie pulled Thomas out of the ditch and back onto the tracks. He was still scratched and muddy, and he had also damaged his wheels on the way down the mountain. So now he had to go to the Steamworks for repairs, and to be cleaned.

"Thank you, Rosie," said Thomas.

Rosie was tired, but she felt very happy. "Oh, you're welcome, Thomas," she smiled. "Now, let's get you to the Steamworks to be cleaned up and repaired.

Rosie soon switched onto Thomas's track and was facing him. She was very happy to be able to take him to the Steamworks. Rosie buffered up behind Thomas and was coupled up, and then, she took Thomas to be repaired.

At the Steamworks, Victor and Kevin were waiting… as was Sir Topham Hatt. Thomas was worried that he might be cross, so he began to speak right away.

"Sir, I'm sorry that I did this. I just felt that I wasn't wanted, and—…"

But Sir Topham Hatt cut him off. "Thomas," he said, "I know what happened, and I'm just happy you're back, safe and sound."

Thomas smiled, but Rosie believed that Sir Topham Hatt might be cross with her, so she spoke up. "Sir," she said, "please, don't be cross with Thomas. This was all my fault. I'm sorry that I caused Thomas to run away."

"Don't tell me, Rosie," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Tell your love, Thomas."

Rosie blushed, embarrassed. "Thomas," she apologized, her voice breaking up. "I didn't mean anything I said to you yesterday, or to get so cross that it would make you feel unwanted. I'm so sorry."

Thomas smiled. "It's okay, Rosie," Thomas said. "I'm just happy you came to help me. Even if you're no longer the pink engine that I knew when you first came here, on the inside, I know you're still the same Rosie you've always been."

This made Rosie feel very happy. "Thank you, Thomas," she said sweetly.

"Well," smiled Victor, "fortunately, we do have plenty of blue paint for you, Thomas. After all the times we've had you here, we've been getting used to having more spare parts and paint for you than any other engine."

Thomas chuckled. He felt very foolish. Then, Rosie laughed, too. They both thought it was very funny.

By the next morning, Thomas was as good as new. His brand-new coat of smart blue paint gleamed in the sunshine as he set off to Knapford Station. "Thank you, Victor! Thank you, Kevin!" he called out.

"Don't thank us," Victor called to Thomas. "Thank Rosie!"

When Thomas arrived at Knapford, he was very happy to see Annie and Clarabel waiting for him at the platform. But he was very surprised to see Rosie coupled up to a goods train on the other track.

"What are you doing today, Rosie?" Thomas asked.

Rosie smiled. "Sir Topham Hatt said that because I did such a great job yesterday, he wants me to work alongside you on your branch line full-time. That sounded great to me, as I've been stuck primarily in the various shunting yards for months already."

"Really?" asked Thomas.

"Well," said Rosie shyly, "that, and the fact that I love you, Thomas." She closed her eyes and sighed. She knew Thomas wouldn't say the same thing to her… or would he?

Thomas suddenly felt something beat in his heart. After what he and Rosie had been through the past two days, he realized just how important she was to him. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how.

"…Rosie…" Thomas began.

"Yes?"

Thomas paused for a moment, and then he spoke at last. "…I love you, too."

Rosie's eyes opened and lit up. "Do you really mean that, Thomas?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," Thomas told her. "I've always liked you as a friend but never really felt love towards you… but now, I'm starting to feel the same about you. Sure, I do miss your old pink livery, but… I love you for you."

That made Rosie feel very happy. "Thank you, Thomas," she told him. "I love you for you, too."

So, when the signals changed, Thomas and Rosie set off for work together.

All day long, Thomas and Rosie worked well together. They pulled trains, shunted freight cars and coaches, and played games—this time, they were both careful to watch where they were going. It felt just like old times.

That night, Rosie was in her shed nearby Tidmouth Sheds. She wasn't expecting this, but Thomas rolled right into the shed next to her.

Rosie was surprised. "Thomas?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to be with you, Rosie," he told her.

"But, don't the other engines know you're here?" she asked.

"They're a few tracks over," Thomas stated.

"But don't you miss them?" Rosie asked.

"I've slept with my friends every night since I first came to the island," Thomas told her, "but tonight, I want to spend it with only one engine… you."

That made Rosie smile, and then, without pausing for thought, she leaned over and kissed Thomas's cheek.

Thomas chuckled. "You missed," he said.

"I missed?" puzzled Rosie. "What do you mean?"

Thomas immediately kissed Rosie back… on the lips.

Rosie didn't know what to believe, but she immediately felt very happy. But then, she couldn't help yawning. She felt very sleepy. "I love you, Thomas," she said to him.

Thomas suddenly started yawning, too. "I love you too, Rosie," replied Thomas, and without another word, the two of them fell asleep.

It just so happened that the stars in the sky lit up… making a unique constellation. The constellation was in the shape of a large heart… and inside of it was Thomas and Rosie. Below it the stars read, "Thomas and Rosie… Forever and Always".