Winter was coming to the Island of Sodor. The morning ground was covered in crisp, white frost. Thomas and Emily were happily chuffing down the line. Thomas was enjoying pulling Annie and Clarabel. He thought he was doing a grand job.

But Emily had other ideas. She thought he could be doing an even grander job, so Emily decided to "help" Thomas. By telling him what he was doing wrong.

When she saw him puffing down the branch line she cried out, "Slow down, you are going much too fast and bumping your passengers!" This made Thomas cross.

Later Emily saw Thomas by a bridge. He had stopped to take on water and was talking to some children. "Stop talking to the children," said Emily, "You are working and they will make you late."

"I'm never late!" said Thomas huffily. "There's always a first time," said Emily cheerfully and she puffed away.

Thomas was cross. He loved talking to children and thought Emily was being a big bossy buffers. Annie and Clarabel agreed. "I am never going to listen to Emily ever, ever again," said Thomas. "So there."

He puffed away thinking about Emily. She had been acting different lately. When she first came to the island a year ago she was one of the kindest engines here, like when she helped Henry when he had leaky tubes and when she stood up for Salty when Thomas and Percy made fun of him, but recently she had been almost the complete opposite. When she was taking timber to repair Farmer McColl's barn roof after a nasty storm she kept rushing everyone and didn't even apologize or say thank you when Trevor cleared away a log that was blocking her way. Then she was rude to Elizabeth when she was trying to move a water tower that had fallen on her line. Thomas had to tell her to use her manners instead of being a big bossy boiler. She did and she managed to safely deliver the timber but afterwards she started being bossy again. And now she had just been bossing him around.

"What happened to you, Emily?" he asked himself. "You use to be so sweet and kind and caring to others. Now your being mean and bossy," he thought sadly. Although he didn't know why it made him feel so sad. He felt that strange sensation in his boiler again, only this time it felt a little painful. "Why do I keep feeling like this?" he thought to himself. "And why does it hurt this time?"

Meanwhile Emily was feeling guilty for ordering Thomas around. She knew this wasn't something she would normally do, but she had a reason. She was hiding something from him. A secret that she could tell no one, no matter how much she wanted to..."If only you knew, Thomas, why I'm doing this," she thought sadly. "I'm sure you wouldn't forgive me..."

The next morning a sleepy Thomas had to leave Tidmouth Sheds bright and early. He was to collect some trucks from the quarry and take them to the docks. Later that morning the Fat Controller arrived with a new weather report. "There is snow on the way, you must all have your snowploughs fitted."

"Excuse me, sir," said Emily, "but Thomas has already left for the quarry."

"Then you must find Thomas and tell him Sir Topham wants him to wear his snowplough!"

So Emily puffed away to get her snowplough fitted. "This is gonna fun," she said to herself. The workmen fitted Emily's snowplough in no time at all and she set off to find Thomas. Emily was very happy. She was looking forward to telling him what to do.

Thomas was taking on water at Maithwaite Station. Emily puffed up in front of him. She blew her whistle, but Thomas didn't say hello. "She just wants to boss me again," grouched Thomas.

"Thomas!" she called. "You must go and get your snowplough fitted!" Thomas could hear what Emily was saying but pretended he couldn't. He thought he was being very clever. So Emily tooted even louder again. "You must go and get your snowplough fitted!" she cried.

"Bother snowploughs," said Thomas. "And bother Emily, anyway, the weather is perfectly fine." and he puffed away as fast as he could. Emily was surprised. She knew she was nagging him but she really only wanted to legitimately help him, she didn't want him to get into any trouble, but he just ignored her and puffed crossly away from her.

Thomas was very annoyed as he made his way along the line. "Why?" he asked. "Why has Emily become so bossy lately? She was never bossy when she first came here so why is she different now?" His driver sighed. "I'm not sure, Thomas. Something probably caused her to change. It can happen to people as well." Thomas just sighed. The Emily he met a year ago wasn't the Emily he knew now. "But why?" was all he could ask.

Thomas delivered the trucks to the quarry, then set of to collect the cream from the dairy. Everything was going well.

But soon the clear blue sky was eaten away by dark clouds. "They look like snow clouds to me," said his driver. And he was right. Soon big flakes of white snow began to fall. Then the snow gathered into drifts and covered the tracks.

"Cinders and ashes!" cried Thomas, as his wheels began to slip.

Snow fell all over the island. Emily cut safely through the drifts with her snowplough. "Thomas will be in trouble now."

Emily was right. Thomas was working harder and harder, but he had to go more and more slowly. "We can't go on," said his driver. Thomas pulled to sad, slow stop by a signal box. And his driver went for help.

It snowed and snowed, Thomas felt very cold and twice as miserable. Then he heard the sound of an engine. Thomas was delighted - until he saw who his rescuer was. It was Emily.

"I told you to get your snowplough," she said, "now look whats happened."

Thomas was still cross. "You should say sorry for bossing me about!"

"I am sorry," said Emily, "Sorry you didn't listen to me!"

Emily and Thomas chuffed into Tidmouth Sheds. The Fat Controller was waiting, he did not look happy. "Emily, you must take Thomas to get his snowplough fitted at once!" said the Fat Controller sternly. "You must learn to listen!"

Thomas felt bad. He didn't know it was the Fat Controller who wanted him to wear his snowplough. Emily felt bad too. She didn't like seeing Thomas in trouble. "I'm sorry, sir," said Emily, "I forgot to tell Thomas it was your idea."

"You mean I have two engines who don't listen?!" boomed the Fat Controller. "Well I never. Emily, you must take Thomas to get his snowplough fitted at once!"

Soon the work was finished and Thomas was wearing his snowplough. "Thank you for owning up," said Thomas. "You are a very good friend."

"That's all right," said Emily. "You're a good friend too, but next time if you want to stay out of trouble, just do what I say." Even Thomas had to laugh.

And here's Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough. What did you guys think? Next chapter will be Don't Tell Thomas. So look forward to that and as always rate and review.