Small Love
Millie pulled up to the Blue Mountain Quarry, ready to see how Luke worked. "My, my, this place is very dusty and noisy" said Millie as she pulled up to the turntable. Then she heard a whistle, "Who is that" asked Millie. Then, Skarloey pulled up to the turntable. "Oh, hello there, who are you" asked Skarloey. But Millie just stared at him; she look at his beautiful color and his amazing face. "Uh, hello, are you okay" asked Skarloey. Millie snapped out of her trance. "Oh, um, sorry, bonjour, my name is Millie. Who are you" asked Millie nervously. "My name is Skarloey. So what are you doing here" he asked. "Me and Luke have swapped duties for the day; I am here to work my hardest" said Millie. "Oh, well then let's get to work. Peter Sam and Rheneas will tell you what to do. Bye now" said Skarloey, and he chuffed over the turntable and down the line.
Millie smiled "I hope to see him again" she said to herself, and she puffed away to find Peter Sam and Rheneas.
A while later, Millie was taking some stone cars to the grave crusher. "Oh my, this is hard work" she said as she remembered the calm and smooth work at the castle. But then she came up to a tunnel. She stopped just outside it. Suddenly she felt a bump from behind her. "Millie, are you okay" said a voice. Millie looked back, and waiting right behind her was Skarloey. "Uh, I am not used to tunnels, I'm used to bright open spaces" she said sadly. "If you want, I could go through the tunnel with you" said Skarloey. Millie smiled "Oh, thank you Skarloey, I would really appreciate it".
So Skarloey gently buffered up to Millie's cars, and slowly began to move. Millie puffed through the tunnel with Skarloey right behind her. They started to go faster, until they shot out the other side. "Oh my, what fun. Thank you Skarloey" said Millie as she puffed away. Skarloey chuckled "Happy to help" he called after her.
Later, Rusty was arranging a train of stone to be taken to Owen. Soon the last car had been shunted into place. "Here you go Luke" said Rusty, but when he looked over at "Luke", he was surprised at what he saw; Millie. "Luke is doing my jobs today, and I am doing his. My name is Millie" she said with a smile. "Oh, okay then Millie, could you take this load of stone for me" asked Rusty. Millie coughed hard "Okay Rusty" she said as she switched tracks. But before she could take the stone away, Skarloey pulled up. "How are things going Millie" asked Skarloey. Millie's face went red "Oh, it is going fine Skarloey" she said nervously. "Well that's good, I hope you stay safe" said Skarloey, and he puffed away. Millie stared at him "Does he really care about me" she thought. "Come one Millie" said Rusty as he rolled past her. Once again Millie snapped out of her trance and went back to work.
Soon it was time for Millie to go back to the castle. She was taking one last load of stone down to the quarry floor. "Last train Millie" called Sir Handel as he passed her. "Yep, but it's been fun" said Millie. Then she came to the ramp that leads to the quarry floor. When she started to go down, her driver applied the brakes, but then they jammed. "Oh no" said Millie as she speed down the ramp at high speeds. "Watch out" shouted Rheneas as Millie reached the bottom and rushed past him. But when Millie looked ahead, he saw Skarloey puffing away really fast. "Skarloey, get out of the way" shouted Millie. But soon she was going so fast that she buffered up to Skarloey. "Hold on Millie" said Skarloey, and then his driver screwed on the brakes. After a minute of flying sparks and anticipation, Skarloey and Millie stopped just in front of the turntable. "Oh, thank goodness. Are you okay Millie" asked Skarloey as he puffed onto the turntable. But Millie was completely silent. The turntable turned Skarloey around to face Millie. He had expected to see her face in shock, but instead he found her smiling. "Millie, you're okay" said Skarloey. But still Millie didn't talk, this got Skarloey worried. But after she had been uncoupled from the cars, Millie rolled up right in front of Skarloey. "Thank you very much Skarloey" said Millie. "Oh, it was noth" was all Skarloey could say before he was silenced by Millie. She had puffed up very close to him and was now kissing him. Skarloey's eyes were wide with shock, but then they slowly closed and he returned the kiss. The other NG engines watched them. "Didn't know he had it in him" said Rusty. "Me neither" said Peter Sam. "Lucky" said Sir Handel. "That's my friend" said Rheneas.
When the two broke apart, their faces were redder than James' paintwork. "So" said Skarloey. "Ya, so" said Millie. There was silence for a moment, and then Millie spoke. "Well, I do believe it is time for me to leave" said Millie. "Aw, really" said Sir Handel. "Yes, but don't feel down; I will come and see all of you again" she said happily. Then she turned to Skarloey. "Especially you" she said with a seductive look. "You better" said Skarloey, then he and Millie chuckled. So Skarloey puffed off the turntable and Millie puffed on. "Au revoir everyone" said Millie as she puffed away.
That evening, the work at the quarry was coming to an end. The engines were finishing up their jobs. Then Luke chuffed into the quarry. "Hello Everyone" said Luke. "Hello Luke, good to have you back" said Rusty. "How was it working at Ulfstead Castle" asked Peter Sam. "It was slow and quiet… a nice change, oh, and how was it with Millie working here" asked Luke. "She was excellent" said Skarloey with a weird face. Rheneas saw a good opportunity. "I never got to ask… Did you enjoy your kiss Skarloey" he asked. Luke was surprised "What Kiss" he asked. Rheneas told him about Skarloey and Millie while Skarloey stood there embarrassed.
When Rheneas was finished, Luke looked at Skarloey. "Really Smooth" said Luke as he held back a laugh. Skarloey clear his throat "Come on now, we need to finish up" he said as he puffed away. But as he did, he though more about Millie. "What an Engine" he said as he puffed into a tunnel and out of sight.