(When morning arrived onto Sodor, Stanley, Percy, James, Edward, Toby, Emily, Herny, Gordon, Timothy, Lady and Toby have arrived at Great Waterton in their engines to do their work. As the students came in, Stanley looked at them feeling puzzled as he looked at the group.)

Stanley: Hey! Where's Thomas? I was hoping to apologise to him about making him feel so down and alone.

Timothy: Well, he didn't wake up when I did, so, I had Billster bring out the air horn again once he was all set. He shouldn't be too long.

(Suddenly, everyone heard a long and loud whistle of a steam engine, as an E2 with the same livery as Thomas's but with the number "389" on the tanks wooshed in. As it then braked to a halt behind the cluster of engine's Billster stepped out of the cab, looking quite panicked as he held a piece of paper in his hand, as he ran to Timothy.)

Billster: TIMOTHY! TIMOTHY!

Timothy: Yes Billster? Is everything okay?

Billster: No. Thomas was not in his room when I checked this morning.

Thomas's friends: (gasps)

Timothy: What?!

Billster: Yeah. (as he showed Timothy the paper.) Also, I found this note on his desk when I went into his room. According to it, it's an apology for letting everyone down, and he intends to put things right by doing the ONE thing he knows that he won't mess up at.

Timothy: Shunting.

Percy: But what would he leave so late at night for to shunt?

Lady: (gasps as she then remembers what Sir Topham Hatt said the night before.) The rubble. Thomas left his home last night to shunt away all the rubble for us.

Stanley: Well considering how bad he felt after that big mess up and that he cares for you guys, I find that pretty likely.

Billster: Yeah! But, if Thomas shunted all the rubble away for us, wouldn't he be the first guy that we see here?

Timothy: Yeah he would, Billster. So, it could be possible that this situation could be much worse than we first thought.

(As Timothy was about to give the possible unsettling answer, Lady had a deep sinking feeling on what it was, as she began to sob worriedly.)

Timothy: Thomas might be missing due to something happening to him during work. I know that I'm not the leader here, nor am I the one who leads you as a friend group, but Thomas is missing, and as the ones who care about him, we must find him!

Stanley: (smiles as he looked at Timothy) Thomas is certainly lucky to have a kind and caring older brother like you Timothy. Whenever he's in danger or in a situation where he's counting on his friends and family to help, you don't back down one bit. Now since I'm in charge, I will be adding a search party for Thomas to the list with me included. I feel it was my fault that Thomas disappeared so I intend to help search for him. Timothy, I believe you are the next best candidate to be in charge while I'm gone with the search party I set up. Please notify Sir Topham Hatt about the situation and try to ease his friends who are working here.

Timothy: Right!

(And so, as Stanley, Gordon, Emily, James and Percy went off to search the Island for Thomas, Billster, Toby, Henry Edward, Lady and Timothy stayed at Great Waterton to continue the restoration. As the student drivers drove their engines across different tracks around the Island, all of them blew their engine's whistles in hopes to have their missing friend here them, but to no avail. Meanwhile Thomas was asleep in the cab of his E2. He had grown very tired as his engine floated through the mine, and fell asleep through the rest of the night.)

Thomas: (groans and opens his eyes) (sighs as he looked out of the cab windows.) I'm still in this daft mine. I guess I won't know how long it will go. (as his E2 was then spun round and round.) Oh frick. I think I'm going to hurl. (gulps trying not to hurl.)

(As the current then got stronger and stronger, the waves moved Thomas and his E2 faster and faster as he and his engine were splashed with water. As Thomas sat in his E2's cab, he was very cold, wet and scared. Meanwhile, Stanley had decide to try looking for Thomas in the nearby hills)

Stanley: (as he braked his engine to a stop.) THOMAS! WHERE YOU?! (blows engine's whistle)

(As Stanley then listened for a reply, all that returned was his echo. Meanwhile, back in the mine, Thomas sat in his engine drenched from all the water. Then suddenly, the 14 year old in blue gasped as his engine pushed through a thick wall of bushes.)

Thomas: (as his engine was then sent flying across a ravine.) WAH!

(As Thomas hung on tight for dear life, he and his engine slid down and hill, and then slithered to a stop at last. As the teen exhaled, he climbed onto his engine's boiler, and gasped at what he saw.)

Thomas: Track! I'm in reach of the railway! (frowns) But how will I get my E2 on to it?

(As Thomas sat sadly on his E2, all he could do was sit and wait, and hope for help as he then began to think about his previous actions.)

Thomas: I wish I never got mad and made that darn train too long for Stanley's engine. Otherwise I wouldn't even be in this mess. I miss my family and friends so much, and I just wish I talked it out with Stanley and everyone instead of getting so cross. (Sobs)

(As Thomas then began to sob, Stanely was not too far away, but, he already checked everywhere he and his engine could, and now had to get back to Great Waterton to work.)

Stanley: Oh dear. I'm going to be late. But I can't just give up on Thomas yet. He's sad because of me and I must apologise to him. (exhales) I'll blow my engine's whistle one last time, he's just got to be somewhere. (pulls whistle chain)

(As Stanely blew his engine's whistle loud and long, Thomas perked up with instant shock and unmeasurable hope.)

Thomas: That's Stanley! (looks at the whistle.) I have to reply back. (climbs down into cab and pulls the chain but to no avail.) Come on! Please! I need you to whistle just this once!

(As Thomas then pulled down the whistle chain with all of his might, a loud and long sound came out of it. As Stanley heard it, he smiled very broadly, as he then backed his engine down to the junction and went onto the other track.)

Stanley: Thomas! Is that you!

(as Thomas then awaited on his E2's boiler, he could not whistle again, for his engine had run out of steam. However, there was no need for him to do any more as he then saw a certain teen and engine coming around the bend.)

Thomas: Stanley! Oh thank goodness you found me.

Stanley: (smiles) I'm just relieved that I did. Anyway, did you run off after shunting away those trucks of ruble?

Thomas: No. I was trying to get them all into line, as one of them went to the mine I was stuck in. The track was like a roller coaster, and it was kinda fun... (frowns.) until I crashed through a blocked up tunnel that was flooded. I was in there as my E2 floated on a raft made up of those boards for goodness knows how long. Then the next thing I knew, I found myself in my E2 as it flew across a ravine, slid down a hill, and to where I am presently.

Stanley: Whoa! That's a tale alright.

Thomas: (chuckles) It is indeed. (frowns as he thought back to his previous behavior.) Stanley, I'm sorry for ever being cross with you.

Stanley: Thomas, I think I should be the one sorry. I never really properly included you and made you feel alone. I guess that I was too caught up in finally being in a place where I have friends that I didn't stop to think about your own feelings. As a person who too was alone in his previous home, I can understand your reasoning for your frustration.

Thomas: (smiles) Thanks, Stanley. I just wish I knew about that sooner. (frowns worriedly) Is it too late for us to be friends?

Stanley: (smiles brightly) It's never too late Thomas. Infact, helping one another out of a jam is what friends do, am I right?

Thomas: (chuckles) Yeah.

(As Thomas and Stanley hooked a chain between their engines, the e2 driver released the brakes on his engine as he then moved aside and gave his new friend the all clear. As Stanley then reversed his engine, it creaked and groaned for Thomas's E2 had a lot of water within it's firebox. Then with one last wheel turn, Thomas's engine was back on the track as a massive crack came from Stanley's.)

Stanley: Oh bother! There goes the valve.

Thomas: Don't worry! Now that my E2 is back on the rails, I can shunt your engine back to Great Waterton. But... uh... I may need to borrow some of your coal.

Stanley: (chuckles) Of course. You can't start a fire with wet fuel.

Thomas: No indeed.

(As the teens then laughed, Stanley gave Thomas some of his engine's coal and the E2's firebox now has a flame within it and a nice lot of steam. As Stanley then boarded the E2, Thomas drove both his and Stanley's engines back to Great Waterton with his new friend directing him. Meanwhile, everyone who was helping with the town's restoration was solemn, as Lady just couldn't hold back a tear. Everyone was worried and greatly missed Thomas. Suddenly as everyone did their jobs, an engine's whistle was heard in the distance. As the teens then saw a familiar engine pushing Stanley's, they all gasped, for they all knew who it was.)

Edward, Henry, and Toby: Thomas!

Billster and Timothy: Brother!

(As Thomas then slowed his E2 to a stop, Lady felt very emotional as she then ran towards the E2 driver, and embraced him as he then fell backwards onto the ground.)

Thomas: Lady.

Lady: (sobbing) Thomas. Oh thank goodness you're okay.

Thomas: (smiles as he placed his hand accetionely on Lady's lower back.) I'm sorry for worrying you. (frowns.) I just felt more frustrated and alone than ever, and I never like to be alone, for how frightening it could be.

(As Lady then tightened her grip on Thomas, she was just glad that he was back. As the news of Thomas's return went about Sodor, many were relieved to hear that the NWR's number 1 was alive, or almost everyone. As he then watched the Great Waterton's grand reopening within the crowds a few days later, the teen with an apple green uniform and a cap with the number 98462 engraved on it's plate scowled as he saw Thomas. Then when he caught sight of Thomas retching his hand toward Lady's before bringing back to him, a devious idea came into his mind.)

?: (sneers) (very quietly) Yes... That would be the perfect plan to get back at him, for taking MY rightful number.

(End of Episode)

Percy: Right! it's preview time! So, a month or two after Great Waterton's reopening, our school is preparing for it's prom. Many students are getting excited, for it was to be really grand. And a certain E2 driver is intending to dance with Lady there as well as admit his feelings to her. But the bad mouthed B12 driver, Alfred Holden intends to win the Lost Girl over as well, for only petty reasons. Will my best friend be the one to win Lady, or will Alfred succeed in his devious plan? To be frank, I hope it will be the obvious. Next Time. The Bonds of Gold and Blue.