PERCY & THE WATERMILL

Thomas was relaxing in Tidmouth Sheds one evening when he suddenly heard a whisper from the sidings.

"Psst...Thomas!" He opened a sleepy eye and saw Percy coupled to the mail train, preparing to take the mail.

"Are you taking the mail, Percy?" Thomas yawned loudly. Percy grinned.

"That I am, Thomas! Just wanted to tell you I was leaving!" He whistled and started off with the mail trucks. Thomas chuckled as his best friend left.

"Have a nice run, Percy!" He called, and Percy smiled back and rolled off into the night.

Percy rumbled all over Sodor with the mail behind him, stopping at every station to load and unload mail. However, he was soon approaching his favorite part of the route and began to grow excited. However, his driver managed to make him control his speed.

"Easy, old boy, we're not running a race!" He called. Percy began to slow down, but grinned widely as one of his favorite places came into view.

"The watermill!" Percy rumbled over the bridge on the old Elsbridge watermill. His driver chuckled as he stared down into the pond by the aqueduct.

"Hard to believe that this thing hasn't run in years, but it still pushes water through like a charm!" Percy gasped in amazement as he looked at the reflection of the moon in the pond below.

"It's beautiful!" He whispered with childlike glee. He rolled over the end of the bridge and left the watermill behind, feeling considerably energized by his favorite place.

The following day, Percy had to go to the shunting yards to fetch an important load to bring up to Elsbridge. He rolled into the yards and saw his friend, Alfie the Excavator, on a flatbed. Percy gasped in surprise.

"Alfie! How are you?" He asked. Alfie smiled.

"I'm great, Percy! I take it you're the one taking me to Elsbridge?" He chuckled. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"You're the important load for Elsbridge? What are you doing up there?" Alfie smirked.

"Oh, you know, demolition. Easy job for me. All I have to do is clear up the rubble!" Percy laughed.

"What are you knocking down?"

"Some old watermill. Hasn't run in years." Percy's face turned to one of shock.

"The watermill is getting demolished?" He asked, horrified. Alfie was concerned.

"Um, yeah." Percy frowned.

"You can't knock the watermill down!" Alfie looked worried as he tried to find words.

"No one owns it, Percy! It's an order from the Mayor! It's not in my control..." Percy said no more, but coupled up to the flatbed with Alfie on it and rolled away, a scowl on his face. Alfie sighed and looked down miserably.

Percy let Alfie off at Elsbridge, and continued along his way. Alfie still felt considerably guilty about the watermill, but he couldn't think of anything to say as Percy stormed off in a huff. Miss Jenny walked over to Alfie with a clipboard in her hands.

"Alfie, there you are! We can't really start the cleanup until Oliver knocks the watermill down, so I want you to wait with the other machines up here until you're needed." Alfie sighed.

"Yes, Miss Jenny."

"That's a good lad! This should be an easy operation!" She walked over, quite satisfied. Alfie trudged guiltily over towards where Jack was parked. The front loader looked at him curiously.

"Something wrong, Alfie?" Alfie watched Percy disappear around the bend and sighed.

"No, Jack, nothing."

Throughout the rest of the morning, Percy tried everything to get the thought of the watermill being destroyed out of his head. He tried shunting trucks in the yard.

"Ow, ow, ow!" The trucks cried as Percy banged them into place. He tried having a spin on the turntable, but it just made him giddy.

"Oh dear." He groaned dizzily. Soon enough, he limped to the shunting yards and was preparing to take his afternoon train of empty trucks to the quarry when he noticed Stanley, looking rather upset. He rolled over towards him.

"Is something wrong, Stanley?" Stanley sighed.

"I can't get a good fire burning. I've got to take a train of stone trucks to Harwick Harbour in two hours, and I can't even get to the quarry to collect it." Percy smiled.

"I'm already going up to the quarry to drop off my empties...It'd be no problem to just pick up your trucks from there and take them up to Harwick myself!" Stanley grinned weakly.

"That'd be very kind, Percy." Percy smiled and backed onto his empty trucks.

"No problem, Stanley." Percy whistled and began making his way to the quarry.

On Percy's way to the quarry, he passed Elsbridge, where Alfie was still waiting to go down to the watermill. Alfie saw Percy pass by with his empty trucks and tried to call out to him.

"Percy! Wait! I-" Percy rocketed by, blowing dust into Alfie's face, causing the excavator to cough as Percy disappeared. Alfie frowned.

"Oh..." He groaned.

Percy arrived at the quarry, filled up his trucks, and began making his way to Harwick Harbour. He felt a little better, but was still upset about the watermill. He passed Toby in a station and whistled as he rolled by. Toby chuckled.

"What are you doing around this neck of the woods, Percy?" He mused.

"I'm taking Stanley's train up to Harwick for him." Henrietta grinned as Percy disappeared around a bend.

"Say hello to Gator for us!" She called. Percy gasped with realization.

"Gator! Maybe he'll know something about what I can do about the watermill!" Percy puffed ahead towards Harwick Harbour, excited to see his friend, Gator.

Ryan was shunting some trucks at Harwick Harbour when he heard a familiar whistle and smiled.

"Hey, Gator! How were the Aluminium Works?" He asked. Gator rolled to a stop alongside Ryan with his own trucks.

"Fine, Ryan, although I had a bit of-" Suddenly, a whistle sounded out and Percy sped in.

"Gator! Gator!" He called and slammed his brakes on, skidding to a stop alongside Gator and Ryan. Gator smiled happily.

"Percy! I haven't seen you in ages! How are you?" He asked. Percy tried to smile, but he couldn't hide his sadness.

"I've been better..." He admitted. Gator chuckled.

"Well, there isn't much I can do for you unless you want to talk about it!" He smiled, but Percy remained frowning.

"They're knocking down the watermill near Elsbridge, just because it's not running anymore! It's unfair!" Gator smiled warmly as he looked at the sad Percy.

"Sounds like you need a protest, Percy." Percy raised an eyebrow.

"A protest?"

"A protest is something that is done to show disapproval to something." Gator explained. Percy scoffed and looked down.

"I've already said that I don't want to get it knocked down, and that hasn't done much at all."

"That's not what I mean, Percy! I mean...well, I was just at the aluminium works, and there were protesters there on the line up!"

"Oh?"

"Yes! I was on my way there to fetch some parts, and there were protesters on the line. They wanted the people at the Aluminium Works to stop expanding into the woods by Peel Godred and disturbing the habitats of the animals and trees who lived there. They wouldn't let me through until they got a response from the manager. However, they began growing unruly, and some ripped up the fence between the rail and road to get boards to hit people with. That got the police called on them, and then I got on my way." Percy gaped at Gator.

"How is that helpful? You're telling me that what you just suggested won't work!" Gator chuckled, cutting Percy off.

"No, I was saying that there are certain ways to protest, Percy. If you're non-violent, but firm, you'll be effective." Percy smiled, and began to think.

"Hmm...thanks, Gator! I'll think of something!" Percy whistled and rolled away with his empty trucks to return to the quarry, leaving a chuckling Gator behind.

"He'll think of something. He's a clever little engine." He whistled, and rolled away to put his trucks on a siding.

Percy returned to the quarry and went to fill up his trucks to take down to Brendam Docks. However, he was so focused on thinking of a way to protest, that he wasn't focusing on not bumping the trucks, and as a result they were having a rather rough journey.

"OUCH! Hey, stop it!"

"Percy doesn't know how to treat us!"

"We should teach him a lesson!" The trucks chattered among themselves, but Percy was too busy to notice. However, he approached Elsbridge when he suddenly saw a man waving a red flag on the platform and braked to a stop. The trucks banged into his bufferbeam and groaned loudly, as Percy looked to the platform.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Be careful ahead; we're closing the line near the watermill until it can be demolished." Percy scowled.

"Yes, sir." He whistled and left from Brendam Docks, not noticing Alfie struggling for words in the station car park.

Percy still was thinking about the protest when he approached a signal near Wellsworth and braked to a halt. However, he suddenly heard a cheerful whistle from the road nearby.

"Hello, Percy!" Percy looked over to the road and saw Trevor the Traction Engine on the road.

"Hi, Trevor! How are things at the vicarage?" He asked politely. Trevor chuckled.

"Oh, you know, well. The vicar's annual fête is soon, and everyone's been working harder than ever to make sure everything's tip-top for it!" He grinned. Percy smiled in thought.

"I've never been to a fête before...what's it like?" Trevor looked up blissfully.

"Oh, it's wonderful, Percy! Everyone comes to the vicarage and we have a great big celebration! Although I think the best part is giving rides to children, the Vicar says his favorite part is seeing how active everybody in the community gets about what they want to happen." Percy raised an eyebrow.

"How do they do that?"

"Well, mostly it's petitions."

"What's a petition?"

"A petition is a piece of paper that says something people want to happen on it. If somebody agrees with what people want to happen on the paper, then they add their signature to it. Once it reaches a certain amount of signatures, it gets sent to someone who can make the change happen, like the Fat Controller or the Mayor." Trevor explained. The wheels were turning in Percy's head and he grinned.

"Trevor, you're a genius!"

"I am?"

"Yes! I know how to keep the watermill from getting knocked down now! Oh, thank you, Trevor!" The signal dropped and Percy whistled as he rolled away with a sudden jolt, causing the trucks to groan. Trevor was rather confused.

"Oh, erm...you're welcome, Percy!"

Percy's stone trucks were unloaded at the docks, and loaded with crates to take up to Ffarquhar. As Percy approached the junction near Elsbridge, the Troublesome Trucks began pushing against him. Percy gasped as he felt something bumping his buffers.

"Hey!" He cried. The trucks smirked.

"You think you can push us around?"

"Think again! On, on, on!" They banged against Percy, causing him to pick up speed and speed through the station, bursting through the gates leading up to the watermill. Jack and Alfie shared a horrified glance as Percy sped through Elsbridge, breaking through the barrier leading up to the watermill.

"PERCY!" Alfie cried as the little green engine burst through the barrier and was sent careening towards the watermill.

Oliver had positioned himself on the line, preparing to swing his wrecking ball into the watermill. He strained in thought as he aligned himself. Miss Jenny stood down on the bank and called up to him.

"Everything alright up there, Oliver?" She called. Oliver chuckled.

"Yes, Miss Jenny. Just trying to be as careful as possible." Suddenly, he heard a terrified whistle from down the line.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Percy cried. Oliver barely has enough time to widen his eyes for Percy to bang into him, and the two were sent tumbling down the hill into the bank. Miss Jenny and the workmen leapt clear as Percy's trucks were thrown about, and Percy ended up in the pond, with Oliver further in. Luckily, no one was hurt. As the dust settled, Miss Jenny emerged from the bushes, scratching her head in disbelief.

"Percy? What caused you to come in so fast?" Percy tried to speak, but could only spit out a fish that had swam into his mouth, which hit Oliver in the face, as the excavator glared.

Thomas arrived with Rocky to rescue Percy, Oliver, and the trucks that evening.

"Easy does it, Percy! I got you!" Rocky called as Percy was lifted into the air onto a flatbed. Percy groaned woozily and looked at Oliver on the other flatbed, who simply glared at him. Miss Jenny sighed.

"Great! Now we can't do anymore work until Oliver is repaired!" She groaned. Percy gasped in surprise; although he still felt guilty about Oliver, he now had more time to prevent the watermill being demolished! Miss Jenny walked up to Percy.

"I don't blame you for this accident, Percy. But next time, try not to come in so fast!" Percy grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Miss Jenny, the trucks pushed me!"

"Ay, I know. That troublesome lot made it clear enough." She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder to the giggling trucks on the bank. Miss Jenny sighed.

"We're going to have to wait a few weeks to get back on schedule. Hope you have a nice stay at the Steamworks, Percy. Oliver, I'll make sure the mechanic straightens out your dents and gives you an engine check in addition to the heavy repairs that need to be done."

"Thank you, Miss Jenny." Oliver replied. Thomas whistled.

"Come on, you two. I've got to get you to the works!" He chuckled, and they headed off towards the Steamworks, their first stop.

Thomas dropped off Percy at the Steamworks as the little engine was attached to the lift and lifted into the air.

"Get better soon, Percy!" Thomas called as he reversed away to drop off Oliver at the mechanic. Percy sighed as Victor rolled to look at his undercarriage.

"Cheer up, my friend! You'll have a nice rest!" The little engine chuckled. Kevin zoomed by with a stack of crates.

"Yeah, and you'll get to spend time with us!" Kevin called. Percy looked down miserably.

"Now I don't have enough time to do anything about the watermill...I'm sure Oliver will be repaired before I am." Victor and Kevin shared a unsure look as Percy remained in a sad frown. However, a loud whistle sounded out and Gator rolled into the Steamworks, braking quickly.

"Percy! Are you alright? I came as soon as I heard about your accident!" Gator called. The little green engine looked down at Gator miserably.

"I'm fine, Gator, but the watermill is sure to be knocked down now...I had such a good idea to keep it from getting demolished too..." Gator raised an eyebrow.

"What was your idea, Percy?" Percy sighed.

"Well, Trevor said that people spread petitions at the Vicar's fête, and I was going to have a petition to stop the watermill from getting demolished! But I'm stuck in the works now; there's nothing I can do to spread it!" Gator grinned determinedly.

"That's a wonderful idea, Percy! But you don't need to give up just yet!" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"But I'm stuck in here!"

"I'm not." Percy gasped as Gator smiled.

"You'd really help me keep the watermill from being knocked down, Gator?"

"Of course, Percy! You're my friend, and that's what friends do for each other!" Victor chuckled as he looked at Percy and Gator.

"Alright, you two. Percy needs to get some repairs done so we can get him back on track as soon as possible. Off you go, Gator." Gator began reversing. Percy called out to him.

"Good luck!"

"I won't let you down!" Gator rolled out of the Steamworks, with a purpose.

The following day, Gator met Trevor at Wellsworth.

"So I'll take the fête, and you'll take it throughout your duties?" Trevor asked.

"That's the plan, Trevor. We meet up again at the end of the day?"

"Yes. Good luck, Gator!"

"Likewise. We can't let Percy down!" Gator whistled and rolled away with his trucks and Trevor chuffered away down the road towards the fête.

Throughout the day, Gator went through his duties and asked every passenger he saw...

"Would you like to sign my petition? It's to prevent the Elsbridge watermill from being knocked down!" Each passenger signed he asked, and soon Gator's driver had a long list of signatures tucked away in his cab. As he waited with Thomas at the next station, the passengers were in a long line to Gator's cab to sign the petition. Thomas guffawed in amazement.

"I've never seen anything like it. Have you, girls?" He asked Annie and Clarabel.

"Nothing of the sort." Annie agreed.

"But I think it's wonderful." Clarabel added. The guard's whistle blew and Gator rolled away, an even longer list of signatures at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Trevor gave rides to children at the fête, and when he was done with each ride, his driver, Jem Cole, would ask about the petition.

"All it needs is a simple signature." Jem explained. The parents of the children signed the document, and Trevor grinned as he looked over Jem's shoulder at the growing numbers of people on the list. Even Detective Miles Regan signed!

"Could you put my signature there too?" Sergeant Roy asked excitedly as Detective Regan finished writing. The detective chuckled.

"Why not?" He shared a glance with Jem, and wrote Roy's name on the petition as well. The buggy grinned.

"Well done, civilian!" He called to Trevor, "Great thing you're doing here!" Trevor chuckled.

"It wasn't my idea, it was Percy's! You can thank him!"

At the end of the day, Trevor and Gator met up again, and Trevor collected both lists of signatures. He rolled over to the town hall, where the Mayor was just leaving his office.

"Wait! Mr. Mayor!" The mayor paused as Trevor rolled up.

"We'd like to submit a petition to you to prevent the destruction of the Elsbridge watermill!" Trevor panted. The mayor looked over the list of signatures, impressed.

"Thank you, Trevor. It appears that a lot of people want the watermill to stay up...I'll bring it up at the next town meeting in a few days!" Trevor grinned as the mayor returned to his car and drove away.

"We did it!"

A few weeks later, Percy's repairs were nearly completed when he heard an excited whistle.

"Your idea worked Percy!" Gator called as he rolled into the Steamworks with Trevor on a flatbed. Percy gasped.

"What?" Gator's driver stepped out of the cab with a newspaper in hand.

"Look!" Percy read the headline of the newspaper, grinning from buffer to buffer.

"Mayor stops demolishment of Elsbridge watermill after petition with over one hundred fifty signatures reaches his office!" Percy gasped with excitement.

"The watermill's not going to be knocked down!" Trevor laughed, "Your idea for the petition was brilliant!" Percy smiled.

"Thanks! But I couldn't have done it without you two!" Gator grinned.

"That's what friends are for." He replied. The three friends smiled, finally successful.

When Percy was repaired, he had to take a train to Elsbridge. However, he was surprised to see Alfie and the Pack still there. Oliver was back too, and parked nearby. Percy rolled to a stop.

"Hey, guys! I thought you weren't knocking down the watermill anymore?" Percy asked. Alfie chuckled.

"We're not. Miss Jenny's got the contract to repair it now. Your little crash did quite a number on it, so we're making the bridge look as good as new!" Oliver scoffed, but Alfie rolled forwards.

"Sorry about nearly knocking down your favorite place, Percy. It's not something a friend would do." He said quietly. However, to his surprise, Percy smiled.

"If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me, Alfie. I was completely rude to you just because you were doing your job. I feel terrible. That is definitely not something a friend should do." Alfie laughed.

"Ah, well. No hard feelings, right?" Percy smiled.

"No hard feelings."

When the Pack were done with their work on the watermill, Percy took their first train across, his mail train that night. He was astounded with how beautiful it looked. The moon shone on the water and the stars were shining. Percy grinned.

"Glad to have you back." He said, to no one in particular. He rolled over the bridge and left the watermill behind, feeling considerably energized by his favorite place.

THE END

I don't do enough with Percy. He's a nice character and has good dynamics. The Percy-Gator and Percy-Alfie dynamics were a huge part of shaping the story, although I threw Trevor in there as this seems like something he would get involved in. Activism hasn't really been covered in Thomas before, and I'm glad I got to cover it in this nice, slice-of-life story. It's one of my most organic stories, and I'm very happy I finally got to write this idea out. Even the supporting cast was fun! Roy and Detective Regan, Jack, Oliver, Miss Jenny, and the Mayor were fun to include to make this a very nice adventure. If you liked it (or if you didn't), leave a review!

As always, what's next;

- Vampire in the Tunnel (going for a Halloween deadline for this one)

- The Duke & The Earl

- Thomas Gets Locked Out

- Diesel Up, Sidney!

- The Polar Rocket - When Class 40 goes missing in a snowstorm, Stephen takes it upon himself to venture out into the storm and bring him to safety, even if he's putting himself in more danger than Class 40 would be!