There was a tough winter storm on the Island of Sodor. It was so bad, that Toby had to be evacuated from his shed at Arlesdale End in case he was damaged, and was now inside Tidmouth Sheds, as were Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Duck and Emily. They were all worried about the storm.
"I hope it isn't too dangerous," said Percy in a scared voice.
"Bah!" snorted James. "I could survive in a storm-you on the other hand, little Percy, wouldn't last five minutes in this weather!"
"That's just rude," huffed Emily in Percy's defence. "I was told about the coal mine, and the children in the rain. Percy is as brave and resilient as any of us bigger engines!"
"Don't forget Toby. He braved a snowstorm just to find a small flock of sheep, and he survived that flood," said Duck.
"Let's stop this before we all start bickering!" said Edward in an annoyed voice. The engines agreed. Suddenly, they heard a bang! come from outside the sheds.
"W-What was that!?" asked Thomas in a spooked voice. "I think that might have been something big crashing," said Henry nervously. "What do you think, Gordon?" asked James, now worried.
"Ditto Henry," said Gordon who was quite calm, even with the dangerous gales outside.
Just then, the windows were smashed by bricks and other objects flying in the wind. "What in the name of Crewe was that?" said Henry, his eyes widened in fear as the wind and snow began coming in.
"Brrr! I'm getting cold now," shivered Toby, who was quite close to the windows.
"Not as cold as I am," said Gordon, who was sandwiched in between Toby and the broken windows.
There was silence for a few minutes. The engines listened as the gales blew and the outside world got wrecked and frozen.
"What a lovely way to end the year-with a storm," muttered Edward sarcastically. Gordon, Thomas and Duck laughed half-heartedly.
"Do you think we'll be rescued?" asked Thomas after another few minutes.
"Unless they're stuck too, our saviours will most likely be Donald and Douglas," said Duck. "They could chuff through worse weather than this and say it was nothing."
"Because it will be nothing to them," said Henry, smirking. "I still remember all those years ago when they helped me out of that snowdrift."
"So do I," said Thomas.
"You also remember, Thomas, when they pulled you out of the stationmaster's house, I presume?" asked Gordon cheekily. Percy, Toby, Gordon and James laughed. Edward and Emily looked at them like they were the rudest engines on Earth.
"That isn't funny," said Edward. "Thomas spent four months at the Works, and that lazybones Daisy made my passenger trains late!"
"Well, at least I'm more useful now because of her laziness," said Toby, smiling. "I like the milk run."
"And I like pulling coal trucks to Barrow," muttered James. Emily took the chance to joke at his expense.
"With bootlaces and newspaper, James?" asked Emily smiling innocently. James looked at her angrily, while the other engines just snickered away.
"Well at least I don't push flour trucks into ponds!" he snapped back.
"Percy, what is that Dirty Object?" said Toby cheekily. "Why that's James, isn't it?" replied Percy, going along with Toby. Thomas chuckled to himself.
"But James is a shiny red engine, and you never see his paint dirty and covered in tar," said Toby. James growled, and muttered "Old fool," under his breath as the other engines laughed.
"Well, at least we're passing the time," said Duck smiling. The engines each agreed.
"And I don't need a shave, I'll wait for my next crash," he continued, sparking another wave of laughter from all engines.
"I remember a funny smell from you, Gordon. It was around 1953, when the Queen visited. What was it again, Henry? Ditchwater?" said Thomas, looking at Gordon. Henry and James laughed with Thomas. Gordon groaned to himself.
"Last Christmas, I gave you my…." Began Thomas thoughtfully, but the other engines cut him off with cries of "NO!" "Anything but that!" and "Stop!"
"Thank goodness you hate that song too," said Thomas relieved. "Driver's been playing it nonstop on the radio for the past three weeks."
"The past month, nonstop Ronettes," groaned Henry.
"Try Mariah Carey for seven weeks. I swear, if I hear that song one more time, I'm going to throw him out," said Percy.
"My driver and fireman like the Pogues. So I'm used to that song by now," said Duck.
"It's amazingly likable for a melancholic piece of Celtic pop music," said Edward in a quieter voice.
"Da da da da da, da. Da da da da da, when an auld man said to me, 'Won't see another one.'," started James. Duck rolled his eyes amusedly.
All of a sudden, they heard a deep whistle, like that of a ship. Then another.
"Och, good to see yoor all still aleeve! The Fat Controller was worried aboot yoo all," said Donald, his snowplough attached to him.
"They're noot popsacles, Donald?" asked Douglas from behind his twin.
"Noo, they ain't, Douggie," replied Donald.
"Well, theed better knooo that the turnteble's froozen solid, and that theel be stook inside the shids for the rest of the dae. Boot they needn't woory, thoo."
"Why's that?" called out Thomas.
"'Cos the reelwee's clossed far todee," said Donald.
"Aye," replied Douglas.
"Ah, okay, wish you luck in defrosting the railway!" called out Toby as the twins rushed off.
"Stuck in here the whole day," murmured Gordon," and to think I was looking forward to the express!"
"As usual," muttered Henry.
"Oh well," said Percy, smiling, "at least we're stuck here together!"
"Agreed," said Emily.
"Agreed," said the other engines.
My first Thomas fanfic. I feel proud.
I'm not too sure about the quality of it though, so please tell me if it's bad or good.
And no, I will not be providing translations for Donald and Douglas's accents.
Have a Happy New Year!