Authors note: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to HIT Entertainment. Alex however is my own creation. And please excuse my poor english, I'm norwegian and didn't pay too much attention in my english class...

From Sodor with love

Chapter 11: Be mine!

Bert was feeling a lot better after returning from the dieselworks, he even managed to smile when Edward came to visit. Though he didn't stop working, he had found out that he actually enjoyed work. It felt great to have done a good job and look back at it at the end of the day.

"Afternoon, Bert!" Edward greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Better than ever!" the hazard-striped diesel replied with a smile, this surprised Edward. He was used to the ironworkers being rather hostile towards steam engines, but Bert seemed to have been transformed after his break down.

"Wow, what did they put in your oil back at the dieselworks? Drugs? You seem so different!" Edward chuckled.

"Nothing, I'm just high on life." Bert blinked, shunting away two empty flatbeds.

"I'm really glad to hear that, I was worried for you." The blue tank engine said serious.

Bert slid to a stop beside him.

"You saved my life, didn't you?" he asked, looking sideways at the older engine.

Edward blushed, he didn't like to talk about it as he was afraid it might sound like bragging.

"I know what you did." Bert said. "They told me, and I want you to know I am very thankful for what you did. I had hit rock bottom."

"You're welcome." Edward choked out, touched by the diesel's gratitude. "I hope Arry comes back soon, though you seem to be doing well on your own now."

"I know he will someday, but until then I will keep doing my best and be really useful. I want him to see that I haven't been slacking off while he was gone. Besides, it's actually quite fun to work."

Edward was still smiling when he left the scrapyard later. He was relieved that Bert wasn't depressed anymore and that he was taking a liking in his job. It seemed like Arry's absence was doing him good, he was more independent now, not having to rely on his brother to make all the decisions. The scrapyard was organized and in better shape than it had been in years.

The blue tank engine smiled. He didn't have to worry about Bert anymore. He was doing fine on his own.

On the mainland, Arry and Alex kept their promise to each other about starting over and be nicer to one another. They hadn't said a bad word to each other in over a week, and had slowly started to trust each other again.

It was really busy at the yards this day, but they were having fun, joking and chatting while working.

Arry grinned mischievous as he pushed an empty flatbed towards Alex. "Catch!"

Alex was caught off guard, but reacted quick enough to catch it smoothly.

"Nice one, Alex! My brother usually misses when he is taken by surprise like that." Arry shouted across the yard.

"Then I hope you're ready, because here it comes right back at you!" Alex giggled, sending the flatbed back.

Arry caught it, pushing it into the line with the others. They had soon cleaned up the whole yard.

"Wow, we're a great team, aren't we?" Alex said as they stood face to face, looking at a job well done.

"Definitely!" he smiled.

Alex looked at him. He was so handsome when he smiled, it made her pistons pound harder every time he looked at her. Her mouth was half-open, and she didn't realize she was staring at his lips, moving in closer, closing her eyes, but then jerking backwards. Now, he would mock her for it… she looked down, pretending like nothing, studying a rusty spot on the rails.

"Alex…" he said low, his deep voice sending sweet chills through her frame.

She looked up, meeting his stare. "Hmm?"

"Do you want me to kiss you?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

Alex didn't know what to answer. She wanted to say yes, but she didn't know if he was serious or not. If not, he would tease her an be spiteful and everything she hated about him… But if he was serious and she said no, she would have spoiled her chances. This was what she had dreamt of ever since she had discovered that she kindled feelings for him.

She pondered on, fighting her feelings, trying to sort them out. She peeked up at him, then coyly avoiding his stare.

"Ok, I didn't think so… you don't like ironworkers with hazard-stripes and stubble after all…"

He backed away, with an expression she wasn't able to make out. She panicked, he couldn't leave her like this! She wet her lips.

"Arry! Wait!" she said, looking at him almost pleadingly.

He stopped, looking at her with an indifferent expression. It made her unsure if he had been serious or not, he was so confusing sometimes.

"Well, do you?" he asked again, looking at her like he was just asking her to take an extra flatbed to the siding or something completely unimportant.

She looked at him with a helpless stare, wanting to say yes, but not being able to let the simple word escape her lips. She swallowed hard.

"No?" he was teasing her now, starting to back away again. But he had seen it in her eyes, she wanted it. He just wanted to hear her say it.

"Arry!" she whimpered, moving after him.

He stopped, raising an eyebrow at her. He was not going to make it easy for her.

"It's your call, Alex. Just say yes and I will do it."

She almost didn't dare to breathe, her pistons pounded almost painfully, her oil felt hot, like she was going to overheat.

"Yes… kiss me, Arry. Please." she begged, breathing light and shallow, not daring to move. Would he laugh and tell her it was a joke now? She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the spite in his eyes.

Then she felt his lips softly brushing over hers, tasting her carefully. She gasped for air, her pistons skipped a beat. With a relieved sight, she replied, softly giving him a quick and shy kiss back. They kept on going like this for a while, getting braver for each kiss until their lips were locked in a deep craving kiss from the bottom of their hearts. She moaned, feeling a tingling in her undercarriage.

It was happening… it was finally happening! she thought, feeling how the oil ran hot inside her. Her wheels were trembling, like they couldn't hold her weight anymore, she felt weak, but in a sweet, delightful way.

She got braver, slipping her tongue into his mouth, playing with him.

"Tongue-piercing too, huh?" he chuckled into her mouth, letting his tongue play with the round metal bead. It made her feel dizzy from arousal and joy. Her whole body trembled.

With a loud bang, Alex' wheels couldn't hold her up anymore, she slumped down on the tracks, blushing embarrassed, grinning goofily to Arry as she pulled herself together and stood up again.

"I… guess I should take it as a compliment." Arry chuckled, helping her up by pulling her coupling chain.

"Yes! Definitely! Kiss me again, Arry! I need it!" she panted, staring into his eyes. She wanted more, much more. Every feeling she had kept bottled up for so long was finally released, and it was overwhelming. Her axles still felt weak and her wheels was wobbly, her whole body trembled.

Her generator box sparked as their lips locked again in a deeper and more passionate kiss this time.

"Wow, about time!" a voice chuckled somewhere beside them.

They literally flew apart, caught by surprise, forgetting that they were coupled together with their coupling chains, the chains made them stop and jerked them back, like a rubber band, making them bump into each other. They quickly uncoupled, moving away from each other, blushing, looking down at the tracks.

Mr. Scott giggled. "Don't be shy. I am happy on your behalf; it was about time you two got your eyes up for each other! Everyone else saw that you two are made for each other, except you two. Congratulations!"

Both engines blushed deeper, grinning shy. It felt awkward being caught while making out, though they should have expected it as they stood out in the open.

Mr. Scott nudged Alex and whispered to her.

"We need more shunters here… so please make lots of babies!" he teased.

"Scotty!" she gasped, blushing intense red, peeking up at Arry who just grinned.

"Oh, Alex. Don't pretend all innocent with me. I know you two won't be able to resist… and well, we need a new shunter, so maybe I should lock you two up in the shed until you've made me one…" he blinked, joking. He and Alex had often made dirty jokes over the years, they were only halfway serious. Though he wouldn't have minded having her offspring in the yard. He knew too well that he would lose her one day, and it would have eased the sorrow if she could live on in a son or daughter.

Arry immediately picked up the innuendo, finding it amusing.

"I'll do my best, Mr. Scott." He chuckled, blinking flirty to Alex.

Alex laughed, but still blushed deeply as Mr. Scott walked away laughing. She and Arry had just hooked up, she admitted she had been thinking dirty thoughts about him for weeks already, but it was far too early to bash buffers yet. At least she felt it that way, and she hoped the iron-diesel would respect that.

"Ok… that was embarrassing, but kind of fun too." She snickered, looking after Scott. Her boss had broken the magic, but it also felt good to have his approval. Though she knew he was a bit nicer to her than he normally would have been since she was terminally ill. He wanted her to enjoy everything life had to give. Before it was too late… she thought and swallowed hard.

Then Arry kissed her softly, soothing her pain and sweeping the painful thoughts away. She gave in, closing her eyes, sighing in delight as they started another make-out session.

They broke away after what seemed like an eternity, looking at each other with glossy eyes, both feeling the oil run hot inside them, aroused and happy.

"I guess we should go back to work…" Arry said, trying to loosen his coupling chain from her.

"No… not yet…" she panted, pulling him back into another kiss. She couldn't get enough. "I've longed for this… and I need to kiss you as much as I can before you change your mind… or I wake up from this dream…"

Arry moaned into her mouth, having a hard time resisting the urge to push her into their shed and spend the rest of the day behind locked doors, pleasing her in every way possible. But he didn't want to rush things. If it had been any other girl, maybe… but Alex deserved better. He was going in her pace, he was ready to submit to her, let her be in charge. He belonged to her from now on, and he didn't mind. He, the engine who never backed down or accepted being bossed around, was willing to give it all up for her. He would follow her to hell and back if she asked him to.

"I won't change my mind…" Arry breathed in between the kisses. "I've never been so sure about something in my whole life."

"Then kiss me like you mean it…" she whispered, staring deep into his eyes.

And so he did.

To be continued…