The events of this chapter are synonymous with those of Chapter 3; however, Lucas is the main focus rather than Logan. Gabe breaks down, and Lucas is overjoyed when he has to pull the eastbound test train, and he does so while covered in his girlfriend's lipstick.

-Harizon

Portsmouth, OH, c. 1947

The sight was a confusing one. To the average onlooker, an orange and silver engine was making out with a black and red engine in the station. But to the other engines that were passing by, it was a normal day for Lucas and Marley. Their relationship had existed prior to Lucas' rebuild the year before, but it seemed to be even more intense now.

"I love how cleaned up you've become," said Marley in awe of Lucas' shrouding, "That's a sign of a man who cares about what he does."

"Well, true," said Lucas sheepishly, "but I miss being all rugged and tough looking. I enjoy being looked up to by all the other engines, but having a nickname like "Yellowbelly" isn't exactly sexy."

"If you really are a Yellowbelly, you're the sexiest one I know," replied Marley.

"Even so," Lucas continued, "back when me and my brothers were F-19s, we were the best looking Pacifics on the CO. We were almost streamlined, even then."

"That's why I went for you. Those old F-17s were handsome, but you had a touch of sexiness that they didn't have. And just look at you now."

Lucas changed the subject. "I made myself a new enemy today. One of those damned turbine engines. The other two are okay, but this one is a dumbass. I really want to call him out on his bullshit, but I don't know how to do it."

Marley giggled. "You'll think of something," she said, "but it's not important. The two most important thing in your life now are the Chessie and me."

"Can't argue with that," said Lucas as he and Marley began to kiss again.

Lucas' engineer stepped out of his cab and onto the platform. "Whenever you two are done sharing each other's exhaust fumes," he said cheekily, "I need Lucas to head to Ashland. The stationmaster there needs you."

Lucas then realized what time it was. "Oh damn! Sorry Marley, but I'm probably late. I need to make like William Howard Taft's pants and split. See you soon, baby." Marley then changed tracks and coupled up to her train. Lucas raced across the Ohio River into Kentucky faster than he had ever gone before. He shook a bit out of nervousness as he passed through Russell Yard. When he reached Ashland, he saw the stationmaster waiting for him impatiently. "I'm sorry," Lucas began, "I got so caught up in my relationship that I lost track of time." He had Marley's magenta lipstick all over his face and mouth.

The stationmaster was desparately trying not to laugh. "Well, had Gabe arrived from Cincinnati with the Chessie, then that would have been a problem. But he hasn't arrived. I have been informed that he broke down on the mainline along the Ohio River. Find him and pull his train onto Washington."

Lucas was overjoyed. "Now I can hand that big yellow shark's tender to him!" He raced to the west, and found Gabe a few hours later in Florence, Kentucky. "Well, well, well," began the Hudson, "what have we here?"

Gabe could not stop staring at Lucas' smudged face. "You look like a modern art masterpiece," he said arrogantly.

"Yeah, well, you look like my brother Logan when he burned l-arginine instead of coal," said Lucas, "We have a schedule to keep, and Young is relying on me to get these passengers to their destinations." Lucas turned around at Cincinnati, which was about 5 miles away, coupled up to Gabe in Florence, and began the journey to Washington. He made the first stop in Ashland, where Luther was waiting with passengers from Louisville.

Luther was rather surprised with the scene. "Are you two getting along already, and sharing trains, too?" he asked jokingly.

Lucas laughed. "Far from it. Mr. Big Shot here broke down in Florence and I am pulling the eastbound Chessie to Washington." Gabe said nothing. He was extremely embarrassed by failing in front of his rival and needing his help.

"Well, don't get too cocky about it," said Luther, "and I see you and Marley have been fooling around, haven't you?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I only would have been late if this dumbass had arrived in Ashland on time. Since that didn't happen, I'm as golden as my own boiler." Lucas then remembered what Marley had told him. "God, I hope she's in Kenova! She'd love this!" Once the brothers had traded passengers, Lucas left for Charlottesville while Luther took his passengers to Louisville.

Lucas and Gabe crossed the Big Sandy River into West Virginia, going through Kenova. Unfortunately for Gabe, Marley was there. She could not control her laughter as the big turbine was being pulled by her boyfriend, even though his face was streaked with her lipstick. "Payback's a bitch, huh?" she said as she departed for Williamson with the Cavalier. Gabe's face went redder than Marley's coaches with humiliation. Lucas continued to laugh as he pulled the disabled turbine and the silver cars behind them. When he passed through Huntington, he recieved whistles of encouragement from a few engines that were collecting their trains, including Lucas' brother Lenny.

"That's showing him, Lucas!" shouted Lenny.

"I knew we were better than diesels, but I didn't know we were better than coal turbines, too!" added a K-3a Mikado.

"What was Young smoking when he dreamed this one up?" said a BO EM-1.

All the embarrassment started to get into Gabe's boiler. He started to shake violently, and oil dripped from his axles. Lucas noticed this and began to laugh again. "Feeling it now, huh?" he said proudly, "Maybe next time you shouldn't be such a dumbass." He stopped laughing when they reached Hurricane and posed for a picture as he passed under the bridge, which was a popular spot for railfans to take pictures of trains as they raced by. He didn't even care that his face was coated in magenta lipstick.

Now Gabe was angry. "You're one to talk. Every engine I met in Cincinnati said that you were a pompous douche, but I knew this from the start because of how rude you were when we first met in Cleveland yesterday." Lucas was enjoying Gabe's misfortune so much that he didn't acknowledge what the turbine had said. But when they arrived in Hinton, Lucas saw that Gabe's brother Greg was being pushed into the mallet house by a young Kanawha that had a grin on his face from one cylinder to the other. He whistled to Lucas and shouted, "Maybe we've got a place in the future after all!"

"I would think so, Kurt!" shouted Lucas in return.

As Lucas and Gabe passed the famed Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, Lucas noticed that Logan was heading the opposite direction on the other track. When he saw that Logan was pulling Grayson and the westbound Chessie, he began to laugh uncontrollably. Gabe remained silent behind his rival, too embarrassed to say anything. But after Logan had passed, Gabe plucked up the courage to call Lucas out. "What's so funny, Yellowbelly?" he asked sharply.

Lucas grinned from piston to piston. "Your brother has failed, too, and my brother is taking his train! Why exactly did Young have you built again if all you were going to do was humiliate yourself?" Gabe said nothing. He just stared at the back of Lucas' tender all the way to Charlottesville. When they arrived, Leon was waiting. Lucas didn't have to explain what had happened as Leon was aware of what happened to Grayson.

Leon was frustrated when he saw Lucas' face. "You were in Portsmouth, weren't you?"

"What makes you think that?" asked Lucas innocently.

"You've got lipstick all over your face. You were with Marley, weren't you?"

Lucas scoffed. "Well, so what if I was? Gabe broke down and never arrived in Ashland, so it was only a matter of me going to Florence to pick up the eastbound. Plus, you've never been in a relationship before, so who are you to judge me?"

"I'm just trying to make sure that we don't prove to be unreliable. But I suppose that if you really want to be with Marley, I can talk to Mr. Young to allow you to go to the stations at a later time so that you and her can spend time together before you pull your trains," said Leon.

Lucas felt excited. "I would love that! You're the best brother I could ask for!"

Leon laughed. "Well, I need to take these passengers to Norfolk, and you need to head to Washington. So long, Lucas."

Lucas was overjoyed. "How's that for the Best Day Ever?" he said to Sam, who was at the station with a freight train. "First I get to spend time with my baby girl, then I get to take my broken-down rival's train, AND now I get to see Marley every day!"

Sam grinned. "Good for you, Lucas. I'm glad things worked out that way," said the Blue Ridge.

Lucas whistled loudly and departed Charlottesville Union Station. When Lucas and Gabe arrived in Washington, a bunch of engines were waiting. Ethan, Lawrence, Kent, and Caitlin were all cheering when Lucas explained the situation to them. Even Lord Baltimore stopped complaining and gave a whistle of congratulations to Lucas. Luckily, Charlie was nowhere to be seen.

"That'll teach you to try and replace us," said Kent to Gabe, who was relieved that his brothers on the CO were safe.

"Maybe me and my brothers were unlucky," said Gabe, "because bad thing are always happening to me."

Lucas sighed. "Gabe," he began, "you don't have bad luck. The reason that bad things happen to you is because you're a dumbass."

Every engine and passenger in the station laughed. "I guess the Chessie will be powered by regular steam engines instead of these turbines, am I right?" asked Caitlin.

"This is even more exciting than it will be when the NW J's are retired," said Lord Baltimore. Lucas was not happy when he heard this.

"Don't say that. I'm dating the sweetest, prettiest, and overall best engine in existence. I'm sorry that Charlie ruined your relationship with her, but you can't blame her for it. She loved you, and she was really upset that she lost you. She is happy again now that me and her are an item, but she may never heal because of the damage that Charlie inflicted, especially between you two."

Lord Baltimore took Lucas' words with a lot of consideration. He then sighed sadly while looking at the tracks in front of him. "You're right, Lucas," he said, "I've been holding a grudge against her all this time, but now I realize that it wasn't her fault. I feel ashamed to call Charlie my cousin."

"I feel ashamed to call him my brother," said Caitlin, "He has been a total jerk to me since he found out that me and Connor are together. Charlie must be out to prove that if he can't enjoy an open relationship, then no one can at all."

"I'm sorry," said Gabe, catching everyone off guard. Everyone stared.

Lucas broke the silence. "Did I hear you correctly? You're sorry?"

"Yes," said Gabe, "I realize that I've been a jerk to you from the start. But I'm not gonna say you didn't deserve it. You have been equally rude to me and I would like an apology as well."

Lucas sighed sadly. "You're right, Gabe. I apologize for my actions."

"Also," continued Gabe, "I am not trying to replace you all. I am just here to prove that we as steam engines are still in our prime and that our replacement by diesels will be a horrible mistake. What a fruitful endeavor I turned out to be."

The engines at Sixth Street Station now felt guilty for being so harsh on Gabe. They had feared that they would be replaced, and now they knew the truth. "We're sorry, man," said Ethan, "we were just scared."

"Yeah," added Lawrence, "We were under the impression that turbine technology was a replacement for steam power, not an expansion of it."

"My brothers seemed to fear it the worst," said Kent, "I'd like to apologize on behalf of them all. All 94 of them."

"Come on," said Lucas to Gabe, "I'll take you to the mallet house. My good friend Kenny will come by tomorrow and take you to the Huntington Shops. It's too late to set out now."

Gabe smiled. "Thanks, Lucas. You're actually a pretty cool guy." All the engines were overjoyed that Lucas and Gabe's rivalry was over already, and the station was a happy one. After Lucas put Gabe in the mallet house for the night, he went to the roundhouse with the other engines and they talked nonstop. Lucas' favorite subject was his makeout with Marley, despite Lord Baltimore still being depressed over the matter. But the next morning, when Charlie arrived with the westbound Cincinnatian, this would be the cause of a major argument.

A/N: I would like to stress that I am currently unsure if TheRagingBlueFlame would allow me to use Madison (NW 611) in my stories, but since this takes place before she could be built, and also because Marley is meant to pay tribute to a girl I know and love, I am using the letter M for the NW Js' names. And yes, I am quoting That '70s Show when it comes to Lucas' use of the word dumbass, as well as Lenny's "wheel in tender" threats. To those who don't understand the l-arginine joke: L-arginine supposedly gives you larger erections, and since the L-1's and M-1's look alike, except for the fact that the M-1's were much longer, so one might say that the M-1's are an "erect" version of the L-1's... Yeah, I was bored, so I put a dirty joke in my story. Sorry, not sorry.

Marley: NW J #602

Kurt: CO K-4 #2789