Author's Notes: The first multi-chapter story goes up! In all honesty, I wasn't sure how to start on writing something as long as this... I've always been better at writing one-shot stories (or at least one-chapter stories). But I wanted to write something that wasn't just one-hit-and-stop. I wanted to push beyond the limits that I've usually written to. I wanted to write more characters than just Rusty or Pearl, or Dinah and the other coaches. And that's... where this story started.

I want to apologize beforehand if my writing makes certain characters come off as Mary Sue-ish/Gary Stu-ish. I prefer to write behind characters with a set personality, but like when I wrote Any Coach He Wanted, I wound up writing a character that had less of a backstory than Gook did. Writing a larger backstory for a character that had little use + multi-chapter story in which I tend to write without planning = I don't know what the hell's gonna happen. I will however admit that this story, as I write this prenote, has been mostly pre-written. Again, I write without planning. And I have no beta readers.

Also, I might have jumped on the cliche trope train. I also apologize if the storyline winds up being too predictable. But I haven't finished writing the entire story, so I'm able to edit as I post more chapters and get more feedback. So please, give some constructive criticism! I would appreciate it greatly!

"No."

"Aww, come on, please?"

"I said no!"

It was the last of the early morning hours at the trainyard. Long since had the last snowfall of winter melted away, and it was now the first day of spring. All the trains were excited to start practicing for that year's race, as it promised to be an exciting year for everyone.

Everyone except one, actually.

"Come on, why not? You promised you would!"

Rusty was having a hard time trying to find joy in the new season after he started work this morning.

He'd arrived with Pearl and Ashley in tow, and was dropping off the girls to clock in when they found a crowd of cars surrounding two new coaches at the main hall. One was clad in a light brown mini-dress and work gear with light tan sleeves and leggings, her auburn hair styled into a bun with two pillows in front of it; the other was dressed in white and black knee-length dress and black gear with black sleeves and leggings, her blonde hair tied up into a French twist with a visor shielding her eyes from the sun.

"Those two… They haven't been here before, have they?" Rusty had said, before both girls turned to face them, the one in brown jumping up and down before shouting Ashley's name and rolling over to them. As the two girls hugged each other and talked excitedly, the other new girl rolled up quietly to the others. He almost though he had seen her before, but couldn't place where before Ashley spoke up.

"Guys, this is Duvay, my little sister," she gestured to the girl in brown. Duvay was a sleeping car that had initially been assigned to another trainyard, but was brought following the closure of the station for "scandalous reasons", according to Ashley. (Duvay later clarified, "If they would've quit firing their workers, there wouldn't have been any problems..") Had he been paying attention, Rusty would've heard the name of the other coach, but he was so lost in thought that it took a few seconds for him to recognize that Pearl and Ashley were calling his name.

"Earth to steam train," the smoking car huffed with a thump to the engine's noggin, "they just called you over the intercom! You're up for training runs today with the newcomers, so y'all need to clock in before you're late!"

"Oh, sorry.. Must've zoned out." He turned to leave, but not before trading kisses with Pearl, an act that had Ashley and Duvay rolling their eyes in mock disgust. "I'll see you at lunch time, right?"

"Only if we're both not still busy by then," Pearl replied, brushing a lock of pink hair behind her shoulder. She giggled and hugged Rusty before pulling away and playfully tapping his nose. "Don't let the new girls charm you over now, or I might not share dessert with you later!"

"Right, you know I won't have anyone but you! I'll be okay, I swe-"

"RUSTY." Butting in before he could finish, Ashley bumped him towards the main hall doors with the side of her hip, while Duvay and the other coach were already heading inside. "Go clock in before you wind up even more late!"

Looking at the time on the central clock tower, he grew red and nodded in agreement before heading towards the doors. "T-that might be a good idea.. See you all later!"

Rusty would later meet the two again back at the training yard as they prepared for their first run on the rails. Being their first time on the AV rails, they had to get used to riding with some of the local trains. He got along well with Duvay, despite her constant yawning and many accidental double entendres, but it wasn't until it was her turn to practice that the other coach spoke to him for the first time, in the form of a question.

"Do you…remember me?"

"Huh?" The steam train had barely started moving when the question caught him off guard; he'd been trying to focus on their practicing that he hadn't put any more thought to who she was. "No, I guess I don't really know… Have we met before?"

The coach pouted for a second, taking Rusty aback. "You really don't remember me? That's sad… I guess you really haven't changed much since we were little, you silly little nutcase!"

"Nutcase…?" He had to admit that sounded a little familiar, but hardly enough to help. "I'm sorry, I don't recognize you all that much… Were you here when you were younger? Wouldn't you have already started on the lines here?"

The monochrome-colored car lightly scoffed at his question. "Of course I started here already! I started the same year you did!"

"You did? Are you sure? I don't recall seeing y-"

"Sofia. Remember that name?"

Sofia… That, he admitted to himself, sounded a bit more familiar… "A little bit… But I still don't-"

"Remember the name Sofa? Everyone called me Sofa because I was able to switch between sleeping mode and seating mode!"

"Ohh…. Sofa the sleeping car?" Now he remembered her somewhat; she had been one of the few he finished training with, but had only stayed on for a couple of months before transferring lines a few weeks prior to a major run. "That I do remember… So what brings you back to AV all of a sudden?"

Sofia grinned at him as they continued rolling along on the practice rails. "Good deal! And just Sofia is fine. I actually came back because of some important business."

"Really? What's so important that you had to transfer to a new trainyard like AV?"

"Oh, y'know what I mean! Now that I've transferred back, we can race together this season! Just like you promised!"

That had been almost four hours ago. Rusty had managed to practice on the rails with almost every newcomer (save for a baggage car that wasn't feeling well), and was just about to head to lunch when Sofia caught up to him.

"I don't get it, why won't you race with me?" Sofia rolled beside him, matching his speed with a little effort. "You did promise after all! 'When I become champion, then we can race together.' That's what you said!"

"I know exactly what I said," Rusty sighed; it had taken enough shock from hearing it over and over to remember just how that entire conversation went. "But I do believe I also said I'd race with you if I didn't currently have a partner, correct?"

"Well, yeah, you did say that too. But you never said you had one!" Sofia pulled on Rusty's couplers to make him stop; by this time, they'd made it to the main yard. "And it's not like you have one picked out already, right?"

Rusty turned to face Sofia with a look of annoyance. "Well, I figure I don't really have to pick one since I-"

"Rusty! Are you on lunch break now?" Coming from the freight yard, Pearl neared the two with Dinah and Dustin behind her. She eased to a stop, tilting her head towards the two. "Did I interrupt something?"