Imitation Steamrollers

by AaronCottrell97

George the Steamroller is tasked with helping with the new road development close to the railway, however, George's infamous anti-rail behaviour is worse than ever before as he causes a great deal of stress and trouble for Emily and Gina, until George finally goes too far and almost causes a great tragedy putting lives at risk, forcing the Sodor Island Council to take action.

It was very late in the afternoon, almost evening at Knapford Station after another busy day on the railway. The sun was just starting to lower through the sky and change the clouds from white to pink. At Platforms 1 through 4, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina were all gathered together, side by side. But there was a strange and abnormal sensation in the air. These four engines were all feeling satisfied, victorious, stressed and angry all at the same time. The reason for this was due to what had happened over the past four days since Thomas and Emily's most sacred night of how nothing would ever part them. Not even death. But shortly after this most special time, the events that had unfolded caused brief, but very strong anger, stress, annoyance, irritation and sensations of wanting to get a sense of justice after the work of a most particular bully on Sodor, as Emily and Gina had most indignantly found out.

And the reason the four engines were all waiting at Knapford Station was even more significant. Due to the events that had unfolded, there was now a hearing taking place with the Mayor of Sodor and the Sodor Island Council, surrounding what had transpired by the works of a particular vehicle that most of Sodor knew all too well, and one that Emily and Gina had never come into contact with...until now.

"Well...I never did!" Thomas huffed angrily. "In all these years, how could I have been so blind? How could I have not SEEN what he might have done to you, Emily? He never gave us any more trouble...not since Gordon forced that truck by accident!"

"It's not your fault, Thomas...it's the Council's fault for not acting sooner!" Emily hissed indignantly. "To think...that FIEND almost caused another scathing tragedy, using ME! That filthy, deceptive son of a BITCH! And I, for one am sick of waiting! The Mayor and the Sodor Island Council have been deliberating this matter ever since 10:00 a.m. this morning! Now it's going on 6:00 p.m.! Seems to be an affrontingly long time to talk out the punishment that clearly fits the crimes...of George the Steamroller!"

This was exactly what the four engines were so flustered about, and it had been surrounding Emily and Gina for just over two days now. As he had always done since the very beginning, George the Steamroller held sheer hostility against railways and engines alike, being intensely rude and even destructive toward some of the engines. But just the day before, he had finally gone one incident too far for the Fat Controller, and even David, as all the engines had found out for themselves. Now with the hearing still going on through each passing moment, all the engines could do was wait...and hope.

"Purely outrageous!" Percy hissed. "ESPECIALLY given what he said and did to you, Emily! And you too, Gina!"

"I have no shame in admitting it, Percy," Gina wheeshed. "I would have MUCH rather have seen that filthy contraption get lost in the mine forever rather than Thomas! I take back all my disdaining words to Thomas on his first day in Italy!"

"I hope almost beyond hope that David's demands are granted," Emily sighed. "I knew this would never slip beneath his eye, and he was far angrier at George than he ever was at Donald and Douglas!"

"He's a Navy Captain and former soldier after all," said Thomas. "Surely he carries great significance and authority in a situation as this...as he did from the start, and especially when he found out what happened."

"Well, the Council had better see fit to give George just what he deserves!" Percy hissed angrily. "Derailing my mother AND my queen, indeed!"

"Well, Percy. David was so angry, I think he scared all of us when he found out," said Emily.

"Ohh! He was so scary yesterday, Emily!" Percy shuddered.

"Well, until we hear anything, all I'm left to do is brood in even more thought all over again...about George!" Thomas huffed indignantly.

"Unfortunately, Thomas...you're right," said Emily. "I can't get it out of my head until we hear anything at all!"

"Well, at least we have the Fat Controller's efforts to be thankful for...and David's most intense military opinion," Percy peeped.

"Amen to all of that, Percy," said Gina. "These days have been most unacceptably strenuous."

And with that, the engines fell silent and began to think back on all that had happened over the past few days with George the Steamroller, and it was indeed most tedious thing to remember. Especially given the fact that it included the subject of "Imitation Steamrollers," as it were...

---

It all started the two days after Thomas' mind got plagued with endless thoughts surrounding Sailor John which resulted in the worst nightmare he could ever have dreamt, in which Emily was killed by Sailor John's dynamite maneuver, then Thomas was killed too, just as the pirate had hoped to do, only for Thomas to awaken from the nightmare and crack down in the worst emotional wreck he had ever felt surrounding Emily. The beautiful emerald angel then gave Thomas the deepest, most definitive reassurances she could ever give him as the love of his life, and how death would never part them. If one went down, so would the other, and they would be together always and forever.

Then the next morning, after Thomas and Emily left Black Loch following their steadily romantic session the night before, they both worked hard all day, feeling very, very pleased and thrilled simply over everything, shining and basking in the sensation that in the grand scheme of things, they had nothing to fear. Of course there would be ups and downs every now and then, like all Sudrian life, but their worst fears were completely curbed beyond any doubt. Then when evening came and they returned to Tidmouth Sheds, they stared right into each other's eyes, blew each other a big kiss and fell asleep with such smiles on their faces. It was indeed a most glamorous time to indulge in.

But after such a sacred and truly beautiful night Thomas and Emily had shared, what would follow next would be a significant and most intense shift in emotional stance for Emily and even Gina. Something would happen which neither of them had ever given a moment's thought to. Especially Emily, who for some reason had never considered the possibility of going through what she would very soon, given the surrounding nature of a certain vehicle...that worked at paving roads. Neither Thomas nor Emily had any idea what would come next, until the next day would come, then everything would start happening.

The next morning, Thomas and Emily woke up with a smile to each other, then made their way to Knapford Station. There, they saw the Fat Controller at the platform. Thomas and Emily wondered what could be going on until he looked up and spoke.

"Good morning to you both. Emily, I've been waiting for you," he said. "There is an important job for you to do through today and tomorrow."

"What's that, sir?" Emily asked.

"I need you to help with some road development at the stretch of road just past Wellsworth. There's a new road being built there to extend to the motorways further inland. Today, I need you to bring sand and tar wagons to the work site throughout the day so the workmen can turn it to asphalt. Then they'll need rocks and building material tomorrow. From there, the Construction Team will manage the road's development."

"Yes, sir," said Emily. "Who's doing the road work? Brenda? Oliver and Alfie?"

"So far as I know, yes," said the Fat Controller. "Brenda's already cut a path for the new road while Jack and Alfie are being kept busy clearing away the dirt. Max and Monty will be busy taking the dirt away. Who else is working there, I've yet to learn. And if she can, Gina shall help you too, once I tell her. Your train is ready and waiting in the yards, Emily. Now off you go."

"Yes, sir," said Emily.

Soon, Thomas collected Annie and Clarabel and set off for his Branch Line run, while Emily gathered her load of tar and sand and set off on her way to the road construction. The Fat Controller watched as she went on her way, but as soon as she was out of sight, he heard his telephone ringing.

"Oh, bother that telephone!" he muttered as he went inside and answered.

The Fat Controller was a little surprised to hear it was the foreman supervising the road construction at Wellsworth. He listened for a few moments, but then, in just another minute's time, the Fat Controller suddenly looked and felt anxious. What he had just heard, Emily didn't know quite yet, and he suddenly began to wonder if assigning her to her given job was really such a good idea. It was once again bad timing that happened at the wrong moment, given that Emily didn't know yet just what could be coming her way soon enough, and perhaps she set off too early to be warned.

"Oh...oh, dear. Okay. Goodbye," said the Fat Controller before he hung up, then hummed suspiciously, looking at the ceiling.

Soon, Emily arrived at the Wellsworth road construction just a minute or two beyond the station. There were several cars stopped in a line while a workman waved a few of them along to control the flow of traffic. In the construction zone, Oliver and Alfie were busy loading loads of dirt into Max and Monty's buckets. Emily then saw several workmen waiting for her to arrive. She stopped alongside the line, then the workmen got straight to work. Emily watched the progress for some time as her tar wagons and sand trucks were unloaded, then mixed together into asphalt to manage on the roads. All was well until Emily looked up and suddenly saw the Construction vehicles slowing down and looking noticeably concerned. Then Emily saw the foreman coming toward her with a slightly nervous look on his face.

"Foreman? Is something the matter?" she asked. "Why is everyone suddenly slow and quiet?"

The foreman looked up. "Oh...oh, dear, Emily. I really appreciate that you've brought us the sand and tar...but I'm feeling worried."

"Why?" Emily asked.

"Well...we're building another road as you can see. But with all this asphalt, it needs to be paved...and that can only mean one thing. I was on the phone with the Sodor Island Council just some time ago, and they've told me just who will be paving this road."

"Oh...well, who is it?" Emily asked.

She had scarcely finished her sentence when she heard an extraordinary growl further up the road. A growl of pure and absolute grumpiness that she couldn't recall hearing before.

"Oh! What...Who...whoever was that?" Emily asked, suddenly nervous herself.

"Oh...oh, dear, Emily," said the foreman. "It's...it's George. The steamroller, remember?"

Emily thought for a moment, then suddenly felt her boiler tweak with a sense of memory, and then she suddenly felt like there would be a lot of trouble ahead. Over the years, she had come to know all about George's history and what he had brought upon Sir Handel, Rheneas, Skarloey, Daisy, Percy, Thomas, Duck and Gordon over the years. But in her experience, she only remembered seeing him briefly alongside the line when she was first chosen for the Black Loch Route, and when Thomas brought him to the Sodor Airport to finish the runway. Then from then on, George was only ever seen working at Farmer McColl's on a few occasions. So many years had gone by and there had not been a single incident between herself and this steamroller. She suddenly felt a little frightened if something would probably happen after all these years.

"Oh...oh, no," she shuddered. "I think I know just who you mean...the green steamroller...the one who everyone hates?"

"Exactly, Emily," said the foreman. "You see, ever since he paved the runway for the Sodor Airport, he's been kept busy at Farmer McColl's for a long time, but with this new road being built, the Sodor Island Council have told me that they've decided he will do the job. I thought it only best to tell Sir Topham Hatt...who I trust didn't know about this until after you left?"

Emily gulped and felt even worse.

"No...he didn't say anything about George...oh, dear, this is very bad timing! And for the exact wrong sort of character too! What are we to do, then? I have to bring more material here throughout today and tomorrow, with Gina likely helping me too."

"Gina, too? Oh, dear," said the foreman. "Well we'd best keep our eyes open. You never know what George will do next. And here he comes now!"

Emily shot her eyes upward to the road, and coming around the bend, into full view, there he was. The infamous, great clumsy road-hog himself, George the Steamroller. From his distinct grass-green livery, tall funnel, big roller and rolling wheels, right town to his ever-grouchy, teeth-baring, snarly expression, Emily could see it all. As soon as he saw the asphalt laid out on the road, he got to paving it right away, and started making the very same rude remarks about the railway as he always did since the very beginning. He rolled back and forth, baring his teeth and speaking in a most gravelly, grouchy tone as he always did.

"Railways are no good! Turn 'em into roads!
Pull 'em up! Turn them into roads!
Railways are no good! Turn 'em into roads!
Pull 'em up! Turn them into roads!"

"Uhh! Put a piece of COAL in it, will you?!" Alfie complained to George.

"Railways are JUST as useful as roads!" Oliver added. "You're just jealous, George!"

"BAH!" George growled back.

For the first time ever, with her own eyes and ears, Emily could see and hear the bare-bones, undisciplined and complete emptiness of respect this steamroller always carried, and she immediately got the instincts that she was in the presence of a true, true bully. She had no idea why or how all these years had gone by with no interaction with George, but now she felt her sense of wanting to do her job dissipate very strongly.

"Uhh...you'd best get going, Emily," said the foreman. "We may need more supplies later, but you don't need to stick around right now."

"Not in the least!" Emily agreed urgently. "I'm not wasting time around that troublemaker!"

And she set off down the line again, not bothering to even look at George. Emily suddenly began to feel a little frightened. What would happen if George noticed her? What sorts of insults and remarks would he throw at her? And most importantly, what would she do about it? These questions occupied Emily's mind for a few hours as she continued to work her way through the day.

But then, around 2:00 p.m. that afternoon, Emily was huffing between Wellsworth and Maron, making her way toward Cronk for another load of tar and sand was waiting for her to bring to the Wellsworth road. Then she looked ahead and saw a level crossing that just began to close, so any road traffic could pass. As Emily slowed down and prepared to stop, she looked around and didn't see anyone at first...but then she saw George trundling along the road toward the level crossing, making her heart jump. She hoped desperately that he wouldn't notice her. But just as George began to cross the road, he looked up and suddenly stopped right in the middle of the crossing.

When this happened, Emily felt her heart freeze for a moment. She couldn't puff backward or forward. She couldn't pass through, or get away. She had been seen. George took a close look at Emily for a moment or two. He couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity surrounding the emerald engine, as he had glimpsed her only a couple times in his life. But as little as he had ever seen her, he was by no means afraid to create a very bad mood between himself and the emerald engine.

"Huh! You're Emily, I suppose?!" George grouched. "Such a long time since I saw anything of YOU. Sodor's 'beautiful emerald angel' as they say. But I think not. More like 'Miss Goody-Goody Pansy,' to me!"

Emily heard what George had said and felt offended underneath, but as little as she had ever seen this steamroller, she stood no nonsense, just as Sir Handel once did all those years ago. Even though all these years had gone by with no issue between herself and this steamroller, Emily was all too ready to take him on. She wouldn't back down to anything he said.

"And you, I suppose are GEORGE? I've heard all about you. You do nothing but cause confusion, delay and sheer anger and frustration among all those around you. You crashed into Sir Handel's train, you left a whole bunch of road cones which blew onto the level crossing and jammed Daisy's brakes, then on Lady Hatt's birthday, you cursed Caroline to find a scrap yard as she was as you call, a 'disgrace to the road,' then you crashed the Fat Controller into a muddy ditch. Then after that, you rudely remarked to Rheneas and Skarloey that you would flatten engines in the scrapyards after they gave you boulders for the roads you god damn pave! You were intensely rude to Percy while he transferred you, then you paved RIGHT OVER the old line, knowing full god damn well that Thomas would crash into it and destroy that barn! Then you refused to let Duck into the siding and allow Gordon through with the express, making Gordon crash into that truck and destroy it...all while the Fat Controller only gave Thomas and Percy one, tiny, measly week of peace by taking you off the roads and temporarily converted you into a lumber machine! I've heard everything I need to know about YOU!"

George had heard everything Emily stated and he didn't forget any of the details himself...but he had heard a fair amount of Emily over the years that went by, and he was by no means afraid to retort with his own length of words and see what she would do.

"And I've heard of YOU. In fact, I recall seeing the likes of your 'majesty,' pass me by when you took that 'new route,' to Black Loch, and I mostly worked on Farmer McColl's after I helped with that runway...but I haven't forgotten what you're REALLY like! You coddle and caress wimpy little Percy just to be his mummy, you swank around on your giant 'steamroller' wheels, showing them off to everyone you see, thinking you're so glamorous! You hoard and snog with Thomas every moment you can spare, and you're ALWAYS drifting around like a fairy-princess, pretending you're as good as me!"

"Actually...I'm better," Emily replied with a straight face. "And that is no lie, compared to what Sir Handel told you. It's just a fact. My wheels are something to be very, very proud of."

"Oh, I don't think so," George growled. "Your wheels are indeed huge, but they're never on the road! Always on no-good railways! That means that what Gordon and James used to say you was true! You're just a 'goody-goody steamroller'! Just like me! Except I'm not so goody-goody, am I?"

In that instant of time, something thudded inside Emily's boiler. She had not been referred to as a steamroller in any way, shape or form for a very, very long time. Not since all those years ago when her suffering under Gordon and James began...when they insulted her big wheels and called her a "Goody-goody steamroller." In that moment, she felt a most familiar wave of offense hit her heart, just as it did all those years ago. For a brief moment, Emily felt great anger seize her heart as she gave George a fiery stare.

"You're right," she snapped. "My wheels ARE big. Bigger than yours! But as far as YOUR wheels go, YOU'RE no eighty-five miles per hour like I always am, as were all my Stirling brothers! Unlike Sir Handel, who you nearly beat, I could beat you in a race ANY day!"

"REALLY?" he called after her. "Well, we'll see how fast you can be, in other ways than one, you feisty imitation steamroller! I'll see you around!"

And with that, George rolled onward across the road. Then the gates opened and Emily could finally carry on. Her heart was now feeling considerably pierced as her mind flew back to when Gordon and James first ever mocked her wheels by comparing them to George's wheels and making her think she looked like a steamroller herself. She wondered how she would bring this forth to Thomas, Gina and the Fat Controller. And even more-so...how this would come forth to David. Emily suddenly began to wonder if there really was a grudge worthy for David to hold after all...on George.

Eventually, Emily gathered her second load of tar and sand from Cronk, then made her way to a wye line to turn around and make her way back to Wellsworth. She hoped that she wouldn't see George again today as she still felt deeply offended by what he had said to her.

But as Emily came back along the Wellsworth road to deliver her second load, she looked ahead and saw Oliver and Alfie just about to make their way home for the day, when she suddenly felt herself slowing down. Her driver had applied her brakes when he saw George up ahead, blocking the line. Emily looked up and saw the steamroller right there in her way, baring his teeth at her again.

"Let me through!" Emily ordered. "I have brought you more tar and sand! Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Huh! I don't move for imitation steamrollers!" George retorted with spirit. "You're not on the road! Get out of my way!"

Before Emily could talk back, her driver stepped down and pointed a finger straight at George's face.

"George the Steamroller, get out of our way in one minute, or I will drive you out of the way myself!"

George's driver Jem Cole, who also drove Trevor the Traction Engine, was more polite.

"Right away, sir," he said. "Come on now, George. Behave yourself."

Suddenly, George took a quick glimpse downward, then back to Emily. He had formed a little plan.

"Fine! I was just waiting for the imitation steamroller to come back! YOU took long enough! I'm too busy to wait for your excuses!"

Then George most carelessly and intentionally rolled forward off the line...right over an oil drum that was sitting right beside the line. His roller crunched onto the drum, making it burst open and splash everywhere. Black, greasy oil splattered all over Emily's bufferbeam and some of it landed on her face.

"AAGH!" Emily exclaimed. "Grease and Oil! TRULY!"

"Why you...what did you do THAT for?" George growled, immediately pinning the blame for something he did on another.

"I...I...I didn't do ANYTHING! YOU did!" Emily seethed, very angry all of a sudden. "You splashed me, and YOU should say sorry, as unlikely as it is!"

"Oh, of course...I'm sorry...for dirtying my most beloved roller! Oh, I'm SO sorry!" George swooned most sarcastically.

"How dare you, George!" Jem Cole exclaimed. "That is MOST impolite to do to Emily!"

"And SHE'S impolite to have gotten in my way!" George retorted. "AND she didn't race away like she said she can!"

"RRGH!" Emily steamed.

Then she stormed away down the line, leaving her trucks for the men to unload, while George smirked with triumph. But what George didn't see was that the foreman had seen a little of what just happened and ran to telephone the Fat Controller.

As Emily rumbled down the line, she was now red in the face and very cross. She had never been splashed with oil before, and to have to happen the exact same way as with James and Philip made her intensely angry as she began thinking again about Gordon and James' first insult toward her all those years ago. She could feel little creases of her former anger all those years ago creep back to her.

But in that same moment, Emily thought of something else that gave her a sense of strength. After all these years, she knew what just what to do about bullying like this. She would not bottle everything up and take all the abuse as she did before, as that only made her give in to being bossy for four and a half years. This time, all thanks to Thomas' ever-dedicated heart to the love he bared for Emily, she would seek the help she needed as soon as she could get it, and she would do it right now.

Back at Knapford Station, Thomas, Percy and Gina were resting together, waiting for Emily to come back, and Gordon was at Platform 1, preparing for another passenger run. Thomas had enjoyed his run with Annie and Clarabel, and Gina and Percy had been kept busy in each other's company all day...until they all heard Emily's whistle.

Thomas looked up first and saw Emily coming down the line. Then Percy, Gina and Gordon looked up. But just before they could whistle hello or greet Emily, they gasped, then all hesitated. Emily was wearing a most strained and agitated look on her face, making the other engines feel like something was very wrong. Thomas immediately noticed the oil spill on her face and her bufferbeam and became suspicious. He wondered if Max and Monty had given her any trouble.

"Emily!" he exclaimed suddenly. "What happened to you? You're splashed with oil! Did Max and Monty...?"

Emily looked at Thomas, then down to her buffers, saying nothing at first and trying very hard not to let too loose.

"Emily?" Percy asked, noticeably worried now. "Are you okay?"

Emily spoke very quietly at first. "Wretched, wretched day, this is...He's working on the new road...and I didn't know until too late..."

"Who, Emily?" Thomas asked.

Emily took a deep breath, then let off steam.

"Such an unfair change for me," she remarked. "Especially after such a wonderful night with you, Thomas. I had no idea this might have happened...until the foreman told me just how would be working on the new road! To think, Thomas...that all these years have gone by. And it isn't until now...that I have to face George the Steamroller!"

All the engines froze and looked right in Emily's direction. For a few moments, Thomas froze right where he was, feeling several memories flush into his smokebox before he blinked and flinched suddenly and made his response in a shaky and surprised tone.

"C-Cinders and...Ashes...Emily," he said shakily. "George...I...I...Why...why didn't...why didn't I EVER think of it? Why...WHY?"

"George? George the Steamroller? I haven't heard anyone mention him in ages!" Percy exclaimed. "Not since you brought him to the Sodor Airport to pave down the runway, Thomas! Ever since then, he was only ever seen working at Farmer McColl's!"

"Yes...so he was," said Thomas. "But now he's back on the roads once again...apparently. Oh...I can't believe all these years have slipped by and NOTHING has ever happened with that steamroller and Emily...until now!"

"George?" Gina puzzled. "I don't know this George character at all..."

"Oh! Oh, Gina! You wouldn't want to...but we have no choice but to tell you," said Thomas.

It didn't take long for Gina to hear everything there was to know about George. As soon as she heard everything, she immediately understood just why everyone hated George and just what to make of him, if by any chance she crossed paths with him herself.

"Well! He's in for a piece of MY mind as soon as he sees me!" Gina hissed. "He has NO merit in the least to do this to you, Emily!"

And right at that moment, the Fat Controller came out of his office and saw Emily's current state. He had heard everything.

"Emily! I'm sorry," he said. "The road construction has turned out to be much riskier than I thought. Just when you left, I got a call from the foreman, and I didn't know yet that George was the chosen steamroller for paving the roads...but just now, I got off the phone with the foreman again, and he told me just what George did to you. You'd best go to the washdown and get that oil off your front."

"What...GEORGE did this to my angel?!" Thomas exclaimed.

"He did EVERYTHING, Thomas!" Emily barked. "I came and delivered my first load and saw the foreman looking nervous...then there was George, making the same remarks he always makes about how railways are no good and to turn them into roads! Then he saw me later at a level crossing..."

"And what did he say then?" Thomas asked.

"Well...he recalled who I am...or as he says, "Miss Goody-goody Pansy.' I told him all I know about him, and he said the same about me...how I swank around on my giant 'steamroller' wheels, pretending I'm as good as him...when actually, I'm better."

"Yes. That is right," Thomas said solidly.

"But then..." Emily blinked as she began to just barely whimper. "That's not the worst of it. What's worse...is...is what he said next..."

"Well...why? What did George say?" Thomas asked.

Emily went very still, then looked up at Gordon with a single blink. "He called me a 'goody-goody steamroller'..."

Gordon suddenly gaped to what he had just heard.

"He did not!" he gasped.

"Then he called me an 'imitation steamroller'..." Emily blinked again. "Just like he mocked Sir Handel of being...then as I came back with a second load of tar and sand, he blocked my way. My driver told him to move...but then he splashed me with oil, and now I'm a complete mess! THAT'S why I'm spotted with black, greasy oil!"

None of the engines could believe what they had heard. Especially Thomas. Despite the fact that his inner demon was long-since absolved, he began to feel a similar sensation bubble up inside him. This anger wasn't demonic or destructive. Rather, it was out of righteous anger, albeit rather intense just the same.

"Why...that...that filthy, sneaking, shameless, jumped-up BASTARD!" Thomas barked loudly.

"Treachery! Purely immature behaviour against my mother figure!" Percy fumed.

"How DARE he violate the appearance of Sodor's Queen!" Gina hissed.

"And that's why I came to you all...especially you, sir," said Emily. "You told me never to be afraid to tell you if something is wrong. Well, that's exactly what I'm doing, all thanks to everything you've done for me, Thomas. As soon as George called me Gordon's original insult to me, I knew I had to bring this matter forward as soon as I had the time."

"Well, Emily. I'm very proud of you for bringing this forth," said the Fat Controller "But...Bother! George the Steamroller! I might have known he would have been behind all of this. Unfortunately, he never learns any lessons and he never listens. I'm afraid the best way to bear through the rest of his stay is for you to simply ignore him, Emily. At least he didn't cause any serious damage today."

"How can I ignore him, sir?" Emily hissed. "I'm NOT putting up with ANY of his nonsense! I could scold him like I scolded Donald and Douglas once!"

"Don't push it, Emily," said Thomas. "George can get very nasty whenever he wants to, and completely without warning. But then again, whether you push it or ignore him makes little difference. I ignored his remarks once, and he still paved right over my line and made me crash through a barn. He probably would have done it anyway if I did answer back to his remark about tearing up rails being the life."

"Oh...truly unacceptable," said the Fat Controller. Then his telephone started ringing. "Oh, bother that telephone! You'd best get to the washdown, Emily. And Gina, you stay right there. I have something important to tell you after."

And while the Fat Controller walked into his office and answered the phone, the passengers arrived and boarded Gordon's coaches. While this happened, Gordon kept quiet for a few moments, festering in scathing memory over how he and James always jeered and mocked Emily with the name "Goody-goody steamroller," and it made him very cross. To hear that George gave Emily the exact same insult made him realize even further how wrong he was to be such an enemy to Emily in the past. But this time, he wouldn't stand for hearing his own nonsense being uttered again.

"So, Emily..." he remarked. "George called you a 'goody-goody steamroller.' Just like James and I most outrageously called you?"

"Yes, Gordon! He DID!" Emily snapped. "NEVER did I hear that name again ever since my suffering stopped...until today, when George couldn't hold his filthy, poisoned and blustered tongue!"

"Goody-goody steamroller INDEED! This is no indignity. Oh, the Outrage! I'll see about THAT, Emily!" Gordon hissed.

"Please don't, Gordon," Emily insisted. "George will just start giving you trouble too!"

"He won't DARE give me any trouble," Gordon stated. "And he'd better damn well not give YOU any more trouble either! Not unless he wants Sir Topham Hatt, and I daresay, David coming after him. George will NOT like that!"

Emily suddenly remembered her little flicker of thought about David, and suddenly felt a sense of excitement and concern too.

"Oh, dear. You're right, Gordon. If David finds out what's going on with George and I...he might form a brand-new grudge...but a rightful one at that! And Heaven knows what he might do if...if George tries doing anything serious to me. I remember how David confronted the Fat Controller after I was put to two weeks of heavy goods trains and shunting. I can only imagine how he would react to George..."

As soon as Emily's sentence was finished, right on cue, Gordon's guard's whistle blew, and he raced out of the station. Emily sighed and steamed indignantly away to the washdown, just wishing this bad day would be over. But it would only continue to the next day.

Further up the line, George was trundling home for the day. He was still smirking in triumph over splashing Emily with that oil and he couldn't wait to see her again and give her more trouble. Then he came upon another level crossing. The gates began to open so as to allow George to pass through, when he suddenly looked up and saw Gordon approaching the crossing too. George stopped right in the middle, as he did with Emily, making Gordon slow down and stop right at the gates, staring head-on into George's eyes, remembering that very day he forced that truck by accident...all because of the vehicle right there in front of him now.

"YOU! GEORGE!" Gordon wheeshed angrily.

"Bah...Gordon!" George growled.

"The feeling is mutual!" Gordon retorted. "As it always has been ever since you made me destroy that truck when you should have let Duck through!"

"Huh? What do YOU want, you big Galloping Sausage?" George retorted rudely. "Is the imitation steamroller asking you to fight for her?"

"No! She isn't! And I'll tell you EXACTLY what I want," Gordon announced. "You may be allowed to mouth off and bully other vehicles and a few fellow engines. But I will be SCRAPPED before I hear of you EVER referring to Emily as a 'goody-goody' STEAMROLLER again! I heard all about what you did to her, and you would do well NOT to try anything else with her! So you mind your big, fat wheels, and keep your abnormally heavy and out-of-shape self out of Emily's business! And right now...get out of MY way! YOU'RE holding up the EXPRESS!"

And Gordon began inching his way forward as a warning. George had to back off. This made him cross.

"You steamies are old and clapped out!" he growled. "I'LL decide what happens to the imitation steamroller! NOT you!"

"We'll see about THAT," Gordon whooshed as the gates opened for him. "You've not heard the last of this! Emily has powerful friends, you know. If you're not careful, you're going to regret this!"

And with a loud blast of steam, Gordon thundered away, leaving George to stare on...then curve a little smirk in his face.

"I'm sure," he said very quietly as he rumbled over the crossing and back home.

Further down the line, Emily soon had her washdown and finally got the oil washed off. But she was in too much of a bad mood to feel chipper about being clean again today. She steamed huffily away from the water tower and got on with her work. She was glad she didn't see George anymore for the day...

As the hours progressed, the news circled around Sodor about what had happened with Emily and George. The other engines came to hear about it and started talking amongst themselves, concerned over what could come next for Emily if George didn't watch his trail. Even the Construction vehicles were concerned about what would possibly happen next. Max and Monty were certainly rowdy and rambunctious from time to time, but even they weren't as nasty as George. They cared about working hard, while George only cared about making everyone around him feel hurt and powerless.

Then the news eventually reached its way right up to Arlesburgh. Duck, Oliver and Toad talked somewhat about that Steamroller, and Donald and Douglas came to feel worried, particularly since Emily was now caught in the conflict with the grumpy steamroller. But Arlesburgh was the absolute worst place for the news to reach on George's behalf, given the fact of who else lived here. Little did that steamroller know just what this would potentially and ultimately lead to.

David had been busy all day as usual at the harbour, still feeling truly privileged over what he had talked about with Thomas and Emily just two nights earlier. But he did not yet know just what had been happening with Emily...until his work was done. When he came home that late afternoon, he saw Beatrice just hang up the phone then start shaking her head. David couldn't help but notice she looked stressed and irritated.

"Mum? What's wrong? Did something happen...oh, no. Is...is it about Emily, and I didn't know? If anyone's been mistreating her...!"

Beatrice looked up and took a deep breath. What she had come to hear today was something she never expected to hear about.

"Oh, David...I just got off the phone with Sir Topham Hatt, and he had some news to share. I honestly don't know why I didn't see it earlier...but something has happened surrounding Emily. I warn you, this may trigger a brand-new grudge for you to get over...or otherwise, take to heart. You would probably have much more reason to grudge over this particular character, given what you've read about him when you were still my little Davey...and those particular stories made you so angry."

David suddenly felt a jump in his heart, similarly to the jump he felt when he first heard about Emily's accident with Donald and Douglas.

"Who, then?" he asked sharply. "WHO is troubling our engine this time? Tell me at once!"

Beatrice looked at him, took a deep breath and told him everything she had heard today, from Emily's morning start, to when she went to Wellsworth to deliver her load for the road construction...then just who she had run into. David then heard what Emily and this particular character had exchanged to each other...until Emily got splashed with that oil and wasn't even apologized to, followed by her going to the washdown.

And with that, Beatrice had explained everything. Silence befell the living room as she watched her son nod very slowly, then his eyes began to glitter very lightly. They seemed cold, clear and very steely as he turned away and stared out the window, silent and still as a statue.

David Rider had no opinion whatsoever of George. He had read about that steamroller in the storybooks and he had heard about the other little incidents George had racked up with the engines. With every story he had heard about George through his lifetime, David always got very, very angry underneath, wishing desperately that George would be sent away, or at least punished much more severely than he had been. And to hear that there was now a new story to tell about George...and Emily, made David start wondering a few things. His heart began to ripple with anxiety, indecision, worry, anger and determination all at the same time.

He finally turned away from the window and faced his mother again.

"David...I'm so sorry you had to hear this...but it's what happened to Emily today," said Beatrice. "How...how do you feel?"

David looked to the ceiling, then sighed deeply before he spoke very solidly.

"Well. I never gave a thought to this either, given how much else has been going on between all of us. But this is indeed a most disturbing thing to learn. I will NOT let that filth stand in my engine's way. If that over-reaching scumbag of a steamroller takes the wrong steps and causes the wrong disturbances...Sir Topham Hatt WON'T be the one to judge. If Emily is given too much trouble, that steamroller will have ME to answer to...and depending on the circumstances, it might just be the last thing he ever does...on Sodor, that is."

"David...just what exactly do you mean by that?" Beatrice asked, noticeably serious. "Surely you're not proposing anything rash?"

"No, Mum. I'm not. What I mean is, in my book, George is NOT welcome on the Island of Sodor, and he never has been. He's a menace to the railway AND the road, and yet the Sodor Island Council has still allowed him to stay all this time. Mum, look at his history. It's not in his nature to learn any lessons for the better, and yet the Council hasn't bothered to send him away and give both the engines and vehicles true peace!"

"But David," Beatrice put in. "Remember when Sir Topham Hatt punished George by taking him off the roads for a week after he crashed Thomas and made Duck wait too far back on the express line, which made Gordon destroy his last truck?"

"One measly little week," David replied. "That wasn't a long enough break for Thomas and Percy. NOT by a long shot. True, George never gave the engines any more trouble after that, but for him to start attacking Emily NOW, after so many years...that is secret treachery hidden for all these years! And who is Sir Topham Hatt, NOT to take more severe actions on George?"

"Well, David, what happens to George is not entirely up to Sir Topham Hatt to decide," said Beatrice. "He's in charge of the North Western Railway and all its engines. The Sodor Island Council takes care of everything else besides, including the road industry, which makes George their rightful property. Whether or not George gets truly punished or even sent away is down to them."

David shook his head and grunted.

"Well...I should have some say in all of that, especially since George targeted Emily today. She is my engine, by our family blood. You know this as well as I do, and I will NOT hesitate to protect her from errant vehicles such as George...even if it means getting him sent away forever."

Beatrice tried to implore to her son. "David, I know you've a big heart for Emily, and you are her first driver's son, but Sir Topham Hatt is-"

"He's the Controller of the North Western Railway," David cut in. "But that doesn't make him truly in charge of my engine...not after everything she and I have done together, and will continue to do together in our own bond of the Rider legacy. I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open."

And David turned away and walked upstairs to be by himself. Beatrice watched him disappear into the hallway to his bedroom and sighed to herself. She could only wonder just what would happen next surrounding this matter between Emily and George. As she went about her own business, she began to have a sneaking suspicion that something truly outrageous would happen. Some sort of very close call, similar to Percy's tragic accident at Ffarquhar, but not as serious. Beatrice didn't know why she felt this way, but she just knew something seriously significant would happen very soon.

That evening, Emily returned to Tidmouth Sheds at last, still feeling rather irritated by everything that had happened throughout the day. Thomas and Percy felt rather indignant too. They still couldn't believe all this time had gone by and George did nothing to Emily until now.

"Goody-goody steamroller?! Imitation Steamroller?!" Percy recited angrily. "Miss Goody-goody Pansy?! Even I was NEVER that cheeky, and I never WILL be!"

"SUCH outrage!" Thomas hissed. "I STILL can't believe the Sodor Island Council agreed to keep George here even to this day!"

"I truly agree, Thomas!" Emily hissed in turn. "I thought George was mostly done with the rest of us ever since finishing the Airport's runway, but NOW! OOH! I can't STAND his cheek and nerve in the least! I DO hope he's finished working on that road VERY soon!"

At that moment, the engines heard Gina's whistle. They looked up and saw her approaching the shed. Then the Fat Controller came down from her cab.

"Sir? What is it?" Emily asked. "What is Gina doing here?"

The Fat Controller nodded to Gina, then turned to the other engines.

"Well, Emily, seeing as you've had a most distressing day today, I think you need someone to help soften the blow, as it were. You deserve a partner helping you bear through George tomorrow. I've decided that Gina will take a few loads with you to Wellsworth."

"You, Gina?" Emily asked. "Are you sure she can square up with George, sir?"

"I'm not afraid of a grouchy trifle like him!" Gina hissed. "Not after everything Thomas and I have faced together in Italy. We'll do it together, Emily. We will NOT put up with any of his nonsense! Neither you, nor I."

This time, it was Percy's turn to feel concerned and iffy. First Thomas had gotten very cross about what happened with Emily, but now Percy's Italian Queen was seemingly at risk of George's most outrageous antics. And there was something else to this matter too. Something he would have noticed anyway, but now, given Emily's little dilemma with George, it seemed more serious.

"Hey...Gina," he peeped nervously.

"Yes, Percy?" Gina asked.

"I just realized...today marks one week since you came back from Italy...which means you have one week left to go. Your visit here is half over. I really don't want your visit to end up being cut short. What if George does something so bad, you end up being sent back to Italy? What if he...what if he gets you into very bad and false trouble? What if...?"

Gina could see Percy was getting a little panicky, and understandably so. After such a scathing trauma for him to be faced with, he couldn't possibly afford to have his chance to be with her be potentially cut in two. She turned to his berth, then buffered up and pressed her lips to his cheek, making him gasp and sigh deeply to her kiss until she let go.

"My Perfect Percy," Gina whispered. "I'll be alright. Nothing that steamroller does will take me away from you. Not now, not for the remaining week ahead for the two of us. Just you and I. I promise."

"Very good, Gina," said the Fat Controller. "You and Emily just take care tomorrow. Ignore George all you can, but also keep an open ear. You never know what he may do, whether you answer his remarks or not."

And the Fat Controller left for the night. Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all looked among each other, not knowing how or what to feel. After Emily had dealt with a very frustrating day, now Gina would become part of the conflict too.

"Please be careful, Gina," Emily advised. "You have a lot of spirit and firm standards, but I don't know how George may take it."

"Well, Emily...I'll let him make the first move," said Gina. "Then I'll see what I may do about him. We're getting through this."

And with a little wink, she buffered up to Percy and pushed him right inside his berth. Thomas and Emily could hear little chortles and giggles for a few moments, before two yawns were heard, then silence followed. Emily looked to Thomas and saw him biting his lip again.

"Thomas, what's wrong?" Emily asked.

"I don't know, Emily," said Thomas. "I just don't know what will happen tomorrow. I suddenly have a funny feeling that something might happen to you. Something serious, frightening...and potentially tragic, like Percy's accident. George can't be predicted, Emily. What if he does something to really attack you like he did to me...and what if he did something to cause another tragedy, like the evil truck did to Percy?"

Emily knew just what Thomas meant and felt her heart shudder in her boiler. She had not had a major accident ever since her snowball incident with Donald and Douglas, and her last derailment was barely anything at all when she ran into that tree with the Sodor Rangers. Perhaps another hefty derailment wasn't too far off this time.

"Well, Thomas...whatever George might do, I'll be alright," said Emily. "And if any people get endangered by anything he does...I will not let their lives be taken. If anything of that nature happens to me by George's doing, I'll see to it that any people in my way get away safely."

Thomas felt his heart shudder with worry, but also sheer awe to Emily's words.

"Emily...you're the bravest engine on Sodor alongside me," he whispered as he blew a kiss right to her. "Please be alright."

"Thank you, Tommy," Emily replied as she blew him a kiss too. "I will be alright. I just hope we see tomorrow through...soon enough."

And with that, Thomas and Emily fell asleep with Percy and Gina, who were buffered up together right inside his berth. The other engines came later and thought it best not to disturb George's targets as it were. But this was only half of the trials to be faced against George. Emily's troubles and tedium weren't over yet, and what George had up his funnel would prove to indeed be potentially devastating...but for how it would all turn out, it would surely mean his final downfall in his Sudrian career...

The next morning, Emily woke up first and gave a solid, serious look to Thomas. Then they saw Gina come backwards out of Percy's berth and back onto the turntable. She looked at Emily and both queens began to feel a heavy weight in their hearts, knowing what lay ahead, and wondering what else could be ahead, all depending on what George would say or do next.

"Be careful out there, Gina," Percy peeped as he came out of his berth. "As ironic as it sounds, George is NOT to be underestimated."

"Don't worry about me, Percy. He can't hit me if he can't catch me, and I'm FASTER than that ugly steamroller!" Gina whistled.

"Please take my word for it and don't push George too far either," said Thomas.

"I'm not afraid to answer back to him, Thomas," Emily replied. "Sometimes ignoring him isn't enough. It would just bottle up all my feelings inside until it got out of control, and I don't want that to happen to me. Gina and I have to go now."

And with that, the two queens set off on the Main Line, while Thomas and Percy exchanged a worried glance to each other. They didn't know exactly what would happen, but they did know it was sure to be most irritating and frustrating as long as that steamroller was still working.

At Knapford Station, Emily and Gina arrived and saw the Fat Controller.

"Well, you two," he said. "I've just heard from the foreman this morning that George needs more tar and sand to cover more of the developing highway. Those trains are right in the yards for you to collect. The rocks and building material will have to wait until later today."

"Yes, sir," Emily and Gina said unhappily, knowing this would mean quite a long day with George.

Just then, Emily, Gina and the Fat Controller heard Bertie honk from outside the station. They looked up and saw David come striding into the station. His expression was strong and focused as he looked around for a moment, then up to Emily, who suddenly felt her sense of urgency build.

"I heard all about it, Emily," he said. "Everything that happened between you and that menace yesterday. I came back from work and Mum told me the whole story! To think that George never did anything to you until now! If that rolling miscreant is annoying you...!"

"Oh, dear," said Emily. "I had a feeling you'd feel rather intense about this matter, David. I know nothing has ever happened between me and George before. But what happened yesterday gives you no reason to overstep your boundaries and do anything rash."

"Emily is right, David," said the Fat Controller. "I had a feeling you'd react strongly to what happened yesterday, but I will take care of what may happen to Emily. As inexcusable as George's behaviour gets, I don't fancy you taking the railway's matters into your own hands again, as you lightly did with Donald and Douglas."

"I sure as Hell hope I don't need to, Sir Topham," said David. "Although I do think I have much more reason to hate George than I ever did to hate Donald and Douglas. What they did to Emily that winter was by accident...but everything George does is on purpose, and I for one will NOT tolerate any trouble he throws at Emily or Gina!"

The Fat Controller shook his head.

"Huh! Honestly, David! I appreciate your feelings for Emily, and I'll gladly see to it that she is safe enough today, but as I told you before, her first driver may have been your father, but I am the controller of this railway. She'll adhere to her duties as I told her to, and we can only put faith in the fact that George adheres to his duties properly, whether he does so or not. Now please...go about your business. I trust you have work to do yourself?"

David felt his heart twitch with conflict as he looked to Emily, then the Fat Controller, not liking the feeling of where everything would go.

"I'll still help have a say in all this, if I feel the absolute necessity," David said to no one in particular as he left the station and returned to Bertie.

The Fat Controller watched him leave, shaking his head, then looked back to Emily and Gina.

"Oh, dear. I don't want to take part in this," Emily sighed.

"Neither do I, Emily," said Gina. "But we must be really useful all the same."

So with a nervous whistle to each other, Emily and Gina gathered their trains together and set off with heavy hearts, while the Fat Controller went back to his work, wondering just what might happen and what it would entail...

Emily took the sand trucks, while Gina followed behind with the tar wagons. Soon they arrived at the Wellsworth road construction. Neither Emily, nor Gina could see Max, Monty, Oliver or Alfie anywhere. But there were several workmen waiting for their loads. But then came that distinctive growl of eccentric grump which Emily had heard the day before. Gina looked up and cast her eyes for the first time on the infamous steamroller. She didn't need to look twice to know what George would potentially say.

"Hold back for a moment, Gina," Emily whispered. "I'll let you see what he may be like."

"Si, Emily. But be careful," Gina whispered back.

George came trundling down the line, still grumbling the same rude remark he always made, until he stopped and looked up with a raising eyebrow. There was Emily slowly making her way a little closer to the workmen as if she were trying not to be noticed. Then she stopped, not saying a word, or looking to the road, trying her best to ignore George...until she heard the voice again.

"Huh! How's the useless blue puffball today, imitation steamroller?" George grunted.

Emily didn't answer. She just let off steam feebly, hoping that George wouldn't pick too much of a fight.

"Did he go crashing down another field, where he'll be out of sight and out of the way?" George snickered.

Still, Emily didn't answer, fighting her flipping heart and inner urge not to answer back.

"Huh! This is what I get for working with an imitation steamroller!" George remarked. "A mute who can't even talk and just fades into the background like the 'goody-goody,' steamroller you are! Seen and not heard, just as you ought to be!"

That was it. Something else thudded in Emily's boiler. This was yet another remark that Gordon and James had thrown at her shortly before her bossy ways got hold of her all those years ago. In the similar wave of offense she felt yet again, Emily couldn't ignore this. As her driver got down and uncoupled her sand trucks, she suddenly spat it out.

"Well MAYBE, since YOU'RE a steamroller yourself, YOU should fade into the background and be seen and not heard!"

"Huh! You're quite a feisty sort! You're steaming off so much, you might make your rails rusty!" George jeered back. "Have some oil for those rails!"

Emily wondered what George meant by this when she suddenly looked down and saw another oil drum, just like the day before. Then she saw George rush forward and burst that drum open. Oil burst out and splashed everywhere...but not on the rails, or Emily. Much to her relief, it splattered on the field. George had missed his target.

"BAH!" said George. "Just wait till next time!"

Emily decided not to put up with any further nonsense for now and steamed away in a huff, leaving her sand trucks in a nearby siding and steamed away to find some peace...while the shenanigans would carry on with the other queen.

Gina had seen and heard everything that had transpired and she felt her fierce side reawaken considerably within her. She thought back to how Thomas called her railway silly and how she huffed and puffed a lot. Gina had to admit that perhaps George would truly make her huff and puff today. But that wouldn't stop the Italian Queen form having the final word. She wasn't afraid to spill some words to this steamroller and see how he would take it himself.

George was still glaring in Emily's direction after she had set off again, until he heard a whistle he didn't recognize. Gina came along the line with her tar wagons and stopped, waiting for the workmen to unload the tar for more asphalt. She took one look at the steamroller and immediately saw just what Emily meant by his unsavory expression. Then George looked up and began to retort the same way again, not thinking first thing.

"Hah! Here she is again! Now she's playing magic tricks with me and-"

George stopped short and looked again. There was another engine who looked rather like Emily, only smaller and sharper.

"Wait a minute...YOU'RE not the imitation steamroller!" George exclaimed.

"Huh! Hardly!" Gina retorted. "And NEITHER is Emily! You're George, so I hear! I heard everything to know about you! And you've got a lot of filthy nerve, splashing Emily the way you did yesterday!"

"And YOU'VE got a lot of nerve wasting my time!" George retorted. "Hmm. You're nothing like the imitation steamroller. I see YOU don't have giant steamroller wheels at all. Far too small for that. But they DO look like wheels for a horse carriage. That makes you...Ms. Carriage Wheels! Why don't you go plough a field with an old, smelly horse?!"

Gina gasped and scoffed strongly, deeply and scathingly offended. Even Thomas had never called her names, even at his cheekiest moments in Italy. Gina felt her face turn red with sheer affront and fierce desire for retaliation. Now she began to understand what had come over Emily the day before, and just like Emily, she would not put up with this nonsense. Her words to George were harsh and laced with solid anger.

"Huh! My wheels have carried me through truly flawless shunting challenges through my life! Something YOU will never do yourself! Your wheels are too heavy for anything like that. Therefore, MY wheels NOT carriage wheels. And YOU...shut up!"

"Ooh, not very goody-goody, are you?" George chortled. "Not like wimpy little Percy! I heard how he smashed through that cottage some weeks ago!"

Gina suddenly stared right into George's eyes as if she were looking right through him. After hearing about such scathing news about the engine she loved so much, and after seeing him recover so wonderfully well, she would not let a single instant tarry by with George penetrating such a subject.

"You leave Percy out of this," she said very quietly, and dangerously. "In case you didn't notice, I brought you more tar, and YOU need to pave those roads!"

"Well, I'd like to know Percy's true reason for crashing," George teased. "Why did he do it? Lust for ruin upon that wishy-washy family?"

Gina shot a fierce glare at George and felt her axles start to shake.

"You'd better not say anything about THAT to ME," she hissed. "Unless you're routing for trouble."

"Now don't you get cheeky, Carriage Wheels!" George replied. "Your Percy; he's a nice one. A regular right-down killer he was that day!"

"WHAT did you SAY?!" Gina demanded.

"It's a good thing he crashed through that house and killed the family when he did. Otherwise that family would have had to suffer through seeing just how useless all you puffballs really are!"

Gina's face went even redder, but before she could splutter in fury, one of the workmen took the words out of her mouth.

"George! That's ENOUGH of your vile tongue! The tar and sand is ready! Now AWAY with you!"

"Of course, lad," George smiled sweetly, but immaturely. "We steamrollers always work to serve for the roads after all."

And with that, Gina wheeshed away down the same line Emily too, while George got back to paving more of the road. But he was also starting to conjure further plans to disrupt the two queens' peace. It didn't matter to him how much it would interfere with the railway, or even those who worked around him. There was still plenty more to be done from both sides.

Some time later, Emily was coming back along the line to report back to the Fat Controller before going to the Blue Mountain Quarry to gather the stone for the road. But as she looked up and saw the level crossing close to her, she also and saw George start rolling across like before. Then he stopped right in the middle again when he saw her. Emily stopped as well and immediately spoke up.

"Let me through!" she demanded.

"I'm too busy! You'll just have to wait!" George barked.

To Emily, who always shone with sense of reason, this seemed absolutely ridiculous and untrue beyond any sensible reason.

"You are NOT too busy when you're just standing still!" she snapped back. "I have to report back to the Fat Controller and get ready to collect the stones and building material for YOUR roads! And Gina has to bring the building material for your road!"

"BAH! Then THEY'LL have to wait too!" said George "You're just worn out wheels on worn out rails! I need to flatten little engines in the scrapyards! And I DON'T need imitation steamrollers holding me up!"

To this, Emily hissed steam loudly and ushered forward by a few inches with her buffers just touching the gates.

"Out of my way, or you will NOT be able to finish your road at all!" she warned.

George finally gave a big growl and trundled away back to the road construction site, letting the gates open for Emily and she went on her way to Knapford Station, fuming angrily to herself.

But a little while later, Gina was coming back along the line herself to report to the Fat Controller and gather the building material herself. She came along the Wellsworth road construction and looked far down the road. She could see a freshly paved road trailing into the distance and further inland...until she heard George's voice again, right in front of her. After some time had gone by, he had conjured another plan.

"You again?! Why can't some other vehicle bring me what I need?!" he grouched. "Like Max and Monty? Imitation Steamrollers and Carriage wheels like YOU just get in the way!"

Gina was not having a day any better than Emily right now and she was starting to take enough.

"We still have to deliver rocks and building material for YOUR roads, and we DON'T need you splashing us with oil! Don't you need all that oil, unless you're using it to splash the Fat Controller on Lady Hatt's birthday party?! Get out of my way and don't splash me!"

Unfortunately for Gina, this was exactly what George wanted to hear. He had been thinking carefully to himself about what to do next to one of these engines, and with a quick glimpse downwards, then up again, he was ready.

"So...you want a splash...Ms. Carriage Wheels? I'LL GIVE YOU A SPLASH!"

And George charged off the rails, and on toward another oil drum left beside the line. This time, oil burst everywhere and splashed all over Gina, turning her side from green to a splatter of greasy black. And just like Emily, a fair plop of oil landed on her cheek.

"AAGH!" Gina wheeshed just like Emily did. Then she burst into a series of huffs and puffs. "You MISCREANT! You FILTHY demon!"

"There! Now you'll be making much better time for my building material!" George teased. "Maybe you can sliding along much faster on those quaint little carriage wheels!"

"STOP! STOP!" Gina burst with fury, shaking all over. "No one has EVER made me filthy like THIS! You are bold, shallow and RECKLESS! I will NOT be splashed with oil by the likes of YOU! HMPH!"

"Well, Ms. Carriage Wheels...you are now!" George laughed.

Gina decided she wouldn't take any of George's nonsense either. As such, she decided to against what she said about being careful with whistles this one time. She took a very deep breath, then suddenly let off a very loud, very shrill whistle that nearly made her whistle shake loose. All the workmen held their ears, and in these moments, George had to admit he had never heard anyone whistle like this before.

"OOWWW!" George yelled. "My ears!"

"Stop that nonsense, Gina!" called one of the workmen.

Gina took no notice as her whistle stopped, then she wheeshed away in a great huff, letting off a loud hiss of steam. She now knew she would have plenty of words for the Fat Controller, for Percy...and someone else too.

It was now 12:00 noon at Knapford Station. Thomas, Percy and David were all at the platform after a fair amount of work themselves. David didn't have much work today and had come to wait for Emily and Gina. He, Thomas and Percy were all wondering how the two queens would be doing, and what George might have done this time.

Then they looked up and saw Emily huff swiftly right through the station and past them all, still hissing and muttering irritably to herself.

In about five minutes, she came back, facing the other way, having turned around at Tidmouth Sheds for her last job for the day. She then came to an irritated stop at the platform beside between Thomas and Percy. She was having a very bad day now, no thanks to George, and she could only wonder if and when things would get better again. She saw David waiting too, and he immediately looked up when he saw her red face.

Then, just as the Fat Controller came out of his office, Thomas spoke first.

"What happened this time, Emily?" he asked. "Was it George again?"

Emily looked at Thomas with almost flaming eyes, then to the Fat Controller before she spilled it all out.

"My God, Thomas! It's SO annoying!" she hissed. "George just DOESN'T stop with ANYTHING he says or does! Whether I ignore him or talk back, it makes no difference at all! I tried ignoring him today, but to that, he called me a mute and told me I fade into the background like a goody-goody steamroller,' just like Gordon and James also told me! George blocked me at the level crossing again too, saying we're worn out engines on worn out rails, and that she needs to flatten little engines in scrapyards!"

"Ohh..." the Fat Controller groaned irritably. "This will NEVER do! I WON'T have rudeness to my engines, even if it comes from the road!"

"Why did the Sodor Island Council allow George on this Island in the first place anyway?!" Emily wheeshed.

"I can't answer that, Emily," said the Fat Controller. "But if George gives you much more trouble, I for one will not stand by and let it slide."

"Neither will I!" David put in. "Not in the LEAST! None of you deserve this sort of trivial and absurd stupidity from that great clumsy road-hog!"

"And what about Gina?" Percy asked. "How did she square off with George today?"

As soon as his words were finished, Percy heard Gina's whistle. Everyone looked up and saw her hiding behind a line of trucks. It looked like she had something to reveal to the other engines. There was a little conspicuous hint of black on her face, which made Percy suspicious. He began to wonder if she had been given a lot of grief from George too.

"Gina? Are you alright?" Percy called nervously.

Gina sighed and huffed irritably. She had plenty to say herself.

"Ciao, Percy. And ciao, Emily," she hissed sarcastically. "I see you're having a truly wonderful day! I came to tell you something."

"Oh, no need to tell me ANYTHING, Gina!" Emily wheeshed sarcastically. "I've indeed been having a wonderful day! Being splashed with oil by that steamroller yesterday, and him calling me an imitation steamroller over and over! I'm just as mad as Thomas is to be dealing with that idiot! What good could you do me right now, Gina?!"

Gina took a deep breath and chose her words.

"Well first, Emily, before I explain everything, I just want you to know...you're not alone," said Gina.

"Oh, really? How, so?" Emily huffed.

Gina slowly steamed forward and past the line of trucks. Then she came into full view for Thomas, Percy, Emily, David and the Fat Controller to see. And in that moment, the evidence was plain and messy to see, especially for Percy. There was his Italian Queen Gina, splattered with oil all across her side and on her cheek too! In that instant, Percy began to feel a great sense of frustration and irritation just like Thomas did.

"What the...YOU got splashed with oil too, Gina?" Percy exclaimed. "It almost looks worse than Emily's splash from yesterday!"

"Not only that, but I also got it George," said Gina. "He splashed me with oil too."

"He...he did?" Emily asked.

"Well...what else did he do, Gina?" Percy asked. "You said you would explain everything else."

Gina looked right at Percy took a deep, shaky breath as she tried to hold herself together.

"It's...it's truly disgusting, Percy. I don't know where the Hell George got such gall...to bring it up about you..."

And Gina told everyone about how George called her 'Ms. Carriage Wheels' due to the shape of her wheels and that she should be ploughing a field with an old, smelly horse. Then she talked about how George called Percy a wimp and how he had a lust for destroying the entire family and how it was a good thing too. This made Percy turn very pale in the face, then frown with great fury.

"He...he said that about ME?!" Percy wheeshed. "After everything I've done to recover?!"

"Si, Percy...he did," said Gina. "To that, the workmen took the words right out of my mouth, saying they had enough of George's vile tongue, and sent him about his business. But I had no idea of what he conjured next. When I came back later today, he started complaining about how it's always 'Imitation Steamrollers,' and 'Carriage Wheels,' that are getting in his way. I told him we don't fancy being splashed with oil...but I suppose I made a mistake in saying that, which is why I'm now an oily mess myself."

"This is all most distasteful!" said the Fat Controller. "But Gina, don't you remember me telling you and Emily to simply ignore George?"

"Well, as I told Thomas and Percy this morning, maybe ignoring him isn't enough, sir," said Emily. "I can't bottle up all my feelings until they explode into an even bigger problem. It's a tricky area with George."

"I believe Emily is right, sir," said Gina. "But today has been my turn to get very steamed up. George knew about the oil and he didn't say anything. He knows he's a jumped-up road-hog and he's bloody damn proud of everything he said about Percy and Emily too."

"Indeed, he is!" Emily hissed. "The WHOLE island knows it WASN'T Percy's fault, and yet George goes so far as to call it a good thing that family died!"

"That BASTARD!" Thomas barked. "He's gone too far on Gina and Percy so far! What if Emily is next? Someway or other, we need to teach him a lesson he WON'T forget! He's a menace to us all! Forget what he said to Caroline! Everything he said to her is EXACTLY what HE is! He calls himself a steamroller, but he's a disgrace to the road AND the railway and he should find HIMSELF a scrapyard! That BASTARD!"

"Thomas! No need for that sort of talk," the Fat Controller ordered sternly. "As for you, Emily, you still need to collect the stone from the Blue Mountain Quarry. And Gina, once you clean up at the washdown, the building material for the road is waiting at Kildane Station for you to bring back to Wellsworth. As for me, I'd better call the foreman and tell him to give George a little talk about all of this."

While the Fat Controller went into his office to make the call, Gina and Emily spluttered in fury and agreement to everything Thomas had said. But then silence befell the two queens. For about ten minutes more, Emily and Gina looked to each other with a sense of speculation and concern. Their last jobs for the Wellsworth road were right around the corner, and there was suddenly a sense of uncertainty in the air.

"Emily...Gina?" Thomas asked at last. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know, Thomas," said Emily. "What's to do, Gina? What do you think will happen once we finish our jobs today for the road?"

"Even I can't say, Emily. Let's go," said Gina. "Let's just get these loads over with and be done with that filthy vehicle. I can't waste any more of my visit feeling like this. After all, I'm here for Percy, and Percy only."

"I agree, Gina," Emily nodded. "Let's go."

"Be careful, Gina," Percy peeped. "And please get well-washed for me."

Gina gave a little smile and a whistle to Percy. And after Gina was turned around at Tidmouth Sheds, she and Emily gathered some empty trucks and set off down the line for their destinations, while Thomas and Percy set off to finish their own work, all feeling unsure of what would happen next and having very little idea of what awaited them in just a matter of hours.

But what David felt inside was something more. He had heard everything, including Thomas' mention the possibility of Emily coming next, and it made him feel an urgent sense to act before it was too late. He suddenly walked briskly out of the station without a word, and right to the bus terminal just in time to see Bertie roll along. David waved him down at once and got onboard. Then Bertie set off down the road, just as the Fat Controller came out of his office to find that everyone had gone.

"Hmm," he said. "We shall see what happens next...if there are any more disturbances, they will NOT go unpunished..."

At the Wellsworth road construction site, the foreman had just arrived to give George his scolding. The steamroller was resting by himself while Jem Cole was on lunch break, and George was still grumbling and fuming away to himself about imitation steamrollers and carriage wheels, until he saw the foreman.

"George! You're a very naughty steamroller!" he scolded. "I just got off a call with Sir Topham Hatt, and I've been told just what you've been saying to Emily and Gina all day. I WON'T have rudeness to the engines who are helping you work on the road you're supposed to be paving! And what good do you think you do by painting such a nasty picture on Percy's tragic accident?!"

"Huh!" George retorted. "Percy's just a wimp, and those two ladies are just an imitation steamroller and a set of carriage-"

"No name-calling, thank you, George!" the foreman interrupted. "I'm ashamed of your behaviour so far, and I don't want any more nonsense out of you today! Otherwise, you're sure to end up in deep, deep trouble!"

And the foreman stormed away. Then George looked up and saw Bertie come rolling up the road. Even to fellow road vehicles, George didn't hesitate to be rude.

"Bah! Now even you're blocking my roads, you big red snail! What do YOU want?" he steamed rudely to Bertie.

Bertie frowned back and didn't say a word, not wanting to argue at all with the grumpy steamroller. Then George saw a young, strong-looking man with long black hair and two navy medals on his vest step down from Bertie and look around. Then he stopped his view right on the steamroller, gazing for a moment or two to the very character he hated so much from all the storybooks he had read.

"Huh! Whoever are YOU, you simpleton?" George growled. "A dashing gentleman trying to show off?!"

David didn't say a word at first, then marched straight and tall toward the Steamroller. He suddenly locked himself as straight and tall as a pole, as if he were making a stance of attention among a platoon of soldiers. Then a few seconds later, he went at ease, then spoke very solidly, not afraid of any toil or impudence.

"David Rider. Former soldier of the Royal Marines, sailor of the Royal Navy for six years, Navy Captain of the Sea Emperor, son of Emily's first-ever driver Lawrence Rider, and Emily's faithful navy mentor. I'm here because I don't want any more of your nonsense spewing to my beloved engine, end of story, goodbye, the END! Any questions?"

George continued to frown, but secretly he found himself feeling a little intimidated and uncomfortable around this man.

"I see what this is about...you're the imitation steamroller's bodyguard! Her loyal guardian!"

"Her navy mentor and friend," David replied. "I never thought I would live to see you with my own eyes, George the Steamroller. But I'll have you know that I've read all about what you've done to all the engines. Working for the roads is all very well, but you have been a steady nuisance to us all. I'll have you know that I've followed everything you've been doing to Emily and Gina. You see, I love Emily very, very dearly, and I'm prepared to protect her very dearly too! You just stick to your road business and nothing else!"

George took no notice of anything David said. He thought of David as merely another disgrace to the road.

"Whatever, big man! Anyway, leave me be!" George retorted suddenly. "I've got more work to do when Jem Cole comes back! That imitation steamroller of yours still needs to bring me rocks for my roads! And after doing some of my own thinking, I think I'll give her a little surprise."

David suddenly felt his heart jump. He immediately felt like Emily would land in trouble if he didn't act quickly enough.

"Hey...what little surprise?" David asked suspiciously.

"None of your beeswax," George retorted. "Now get off my road!"

David suddenly lunged in front of George and pointed a finger straight at his face.

"Listen, you! You're up to something, and DON'T think I haven't noticed," David warned. "The Sodor Island Council may have let you go before, and Thomas' inner demon may be vanquished, but if anything happens to Emily, you have ME to answer to. You hear me? One whiff up my nose that something isn't right, one little hair springs up on my head, it's all over. No more 'railways are no good,' no more 'turn 'em into roads,' no more paving, no more ripping tracks up. You're DONE. Got it?"

And David turned around and marched back to Bertie and rode home, leaving George admittedly speechless for a few moments, before he secretly smirked. He didn't care what he did at this point and he didn't care to say anything about David, foolishly thinking not to be afraid of him. A few minutes later, he looked and saw Jem Cole coming back, followed closely by another workman.

"Alright, George," Jem Cole said. "Lunch break is over. Also, a little more work for us. The foreman says the road by the level crossing has a crack not yet taken care of, and he wants us to patch it up. There's a pile of asphalt waiting over there for us to use. By the way, has Emily come with the stone yet, or Gina with the last of the building material?"

"No, they haven't," George replied. "But perhaps we should go find out at the level crossing. Maybe see if they're actually doing the job."

Suddenly a big breeze of wind blew Jem Cole's hat off. "Oh, dear! My hat! I'd better get it back!"

"Don't worry, Jem. I'll drive George to the crossing. You catch up," said the workman as he got on-board George and drove off, while Jem Cole ran to get his hat.

Meanwhile, Emily had made her way fairly far along the line, wondering to herself what would happen next, but it wasn't much longer before she came back to the same level crossing again and saw George blocking the way once again. He looked up and gave a big, deceptive smirk, which made Emily start to feel even more unsteady. She had been teased and insulted by George for two days now, and it was clear he had no intention of stopping now. But what he didn't know was just how far he would push Emily now...and what it would ultimately lead do.

"Hello again, imitation steamroller...goody-goody steamroller," George grinned from end to end of his roller.

"Will you STOP blocking my WAY and picking on me all the time, George?!" Emily barked as her patience was really being tested now.

"Why should I?" George peeped innocently. "I need to go slow to pave the roads I work on, after all...even your no-good railways, and even if your steamroller wheels are no good in the least!"

"I'm not putting up with that nonsense anymore George! Stop bickering and get out of my goddamn WAY!" Emily demanded.

"As I told you before, I DON'T move for IMITATION STEAMROLLERS!" George barked back. "There you go again! Wasting my time with all your complaining for no reason, and still being the same goody-goody steamroller as you ALWAYS are!"

Finally, after two straight days of relentless bullying from George, Emily decided she had taken absolutely enough. She got just a little bit red in the cheeks, then she suddenly gave a loud whistle so shrill that Gorge cringed and backed away, right off the level crossing, before Emily spewed everything out, in a similar way to how she first lost her temper with Gordon and James.

"FOR GOODNESS SAKES, you boiler-aching, childish idiot! This is ridiculous! I've been bringing you the material YOU need for the roads YOU pave! So is Gina! Railways are really useful in that particular sense. You should be thankful that these rails carry me to bring you these loads, but of course you aren't! You NEVER were! No matter how much all the engines have helped you, all you to is bitch and whine and whinge over railways being no good! We have been HELPING you, so stop whinging like a spoiled baby and grow up! SERIOUSLY!"

And just as the gates opened, Emily let off a loud hiss of steam and huffed angrily away. George had to admit he had never seen such nerve from any engine, and it made him very cross indeed.

"You're a useless, fat, coal-stinking FROG!" he growled after Emily, who only raced into the distance without another word.

And as the absolute worst insult to injury on Emily and Gina's part, it was in that moment that George decided to fully enact his plan. He had been all talk for the past two days, making Emily and Gina's lives very miserable, but now he decided to start doing things.

"That good-for-nothing imitation steamroller! I'll show HER who's boss soon enough! And that lazy Carriage Wheels pansy too!"

George thought what to do for a few seconds. Then he suddenly went very still and looked around, feeling a certain memory crease into his funnel. He was suddenly remembering something very particular...when Thomas derailed after running over a set of paved line and was sent careening into a field and right through a small barn.

George looked beyond the crossing and saw a farmer's field, and a barn that looked very much like the one Thomas crashed into, and he also saw a farmer and two children working in the field. Then George looked and saw exactly what he needed. There was the pile of asphalt that had been left for him to take care of...and just as the foreman said, George saw the crack in the road. But he wasn't interested in fixing this road. He began coughing up exhaust and hissing with intrigue.

"What are you up to now, George?" the workman asked.

"I see the crack right there as the foreman said...as for this little crossing, perhaps it could use a fresh upgrade too. Tarmac it!"

So they did. But it was the wrong way, and George knew it. Before long, he paved right over the line, grinning and snickering with triumph over what was very sure to come along next. But very little did this venomous-minded contraption know just what this would lead to, for Emily, for Gina, and above all, himself.

Meanwhile, Emily made her way fumingly to the Blue Mountain Quarry to collect the stone for the road construction. Then her share of working with George would finally be finished. She was still seething with anger over everything George had said to her for the past two days and Sir Handel and Skarloey could see something was very wrong.

"Emily...is something wrong?" Skarloey asked.

Emily sighed shakily. "I'm sorry I'm not in a good mood, Skarloey. It's...it's George! Just George and everything he said about me and Gina!"

"Ohh, of course, Emily. We came to hear it as word got around," said Skarloey. "But you shouldn't let him get to you so much."

"Well, I'm just happy this is the last job I have to do with him before I'll be finished helping the new Wellsworth road!" Emily stated strongly.

"Oh, Emily. Please be careful," said Sir Handel. "Remember how I tried to race him and he crashed right into my load? I don't fancy him doing such things again, especially to an engine like you!"

"Thank you, Sir Handel, but DON'T remind me what George has done all these years!" Emily replied as she set off with her load of stone.

Soon, Emily was hurrying back along the line toward Wellsworth. When she approached Kildane, she saw Gina having been cleaned at the washdown, and had just gathered the building material. She too was still fuming over what George had done to her that day, but stopped when she saw Emily.

"Ciao, Emily. Got the stone, do you?" Gina asked. "I have the building material right here."

"Yes, Gina!" Emily hissed. "Follow me. I'll show George I'm NOT a goody-goody steamroller. He can't get to me as easily as he thinks!"

"No, he can't. But it's almost over, Emily. I'll be right behind you," said Gina.

So Emily set off again swiftly down the line. Less than five minutes later, Gina's guards whistle blew and she followed Emily's line the same way.

Back at the Wellsworth crossing, George was still waiting for Emily or Gina to come along, when Jem Cole suddenly came running up, having retrieved his hat.

"Saved it," he said as he put his hat back on. "Strong wind, that was and...wait...what happened HERE?!"

Jem Cole pointed with much alarm to the tarmacked level crossing, then looked to the steamroller.

"George!" he gasped and gaped. "What did you DO?!"

"What does it look like? I gave the road a little upgrade," George retorted. "Besides...that crack needed fixing too, you know."

"That asphalt was for the ROAD! Not the level crossing!" Jem Cole scolded. "Oh, WHY did I go running after my hat?!"

"Bother your hat!" said the other workman. "We'd better hurry and alert the Fat Controller before it's too late!"

Then there was trouble. Jem Cole, George and the workman all heard a whistle in the distance. Emily's whistle!

"Oh, no!" Jem Cole cried.

"Oh, yes," George smiled fiendishly.

Emily was still huffing along the line with her load of stone. By this time, she had taken enough, and she felt no shame in when she told George off in the same way she did with Gordon and James all those years ago, even though it did lead to her becoming so dislikable by many across Sodor except Thomas who held onto loving her until he had brought her back. At least she would explain everything to the Fat Controller and let him know what was wrong.

"It's all such an outrage, and it's not fair!" she grumbled. "The last two days have been a living Hell! I've been kept busy with that steamroller and instead of being a decent sport, he makes everything worse at EVERY turn!"

"Well, this is our last load, Emily," said her driver. "Perhaps then we'll-what the...oh, no! Oh, NO!"

"What's the matter? What is it?" Emily asked, suddenly frightened.

"Oh, glory! Look at that!" her driver suddenly shouted.

Emily looked ahead, popped her eyes and gasped, feeling her heart almost jump right out of her mouth. Ahead was the now-tarmacked level crossing! Emily was rushing right into disaster and she had no chance of escaping it now.

"Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, Noooo!" she wailed with horror. "Aah!"

And when her driver slammed on her brakes, it was too late. Emily's driver reduced steam and braked as hard as he could, but it was all for naught. Emily rushed on toward the paved road and felt herself bounce most horribly!

"Ohh! Help!" Emily cried as she slid off the tracks, and into the field.

Her leading truck's coupling broke, then all the other trucks tumbled and sent stones and rocks flying high into the air and further up the line, while the guard jumped clear just in time before the brakevan overturned as well. Sod and hay flew everywhere as Emily's wheels churned the earth beneath her, then she looked up and yelped in horror as she saw a small barn up ahead, with two children and a farmer right near it! Emily suddenly felt flares of horror pierce her boiler, knowing she had to do something instantly to prevent causing a tragedy herself, and she had to act right now! Emily whistled with sheer alarm as she couldn't bear the thought of killing another innocent family after Percy ended up doing so. But she would not let that happen.

"Watch out! Get out of the way!" she wailed desperately.

The children and the farmer looked up and shouted in shock. They got out of the way just in time. Emily shut her eyes tight as she went huffing right inside the barn, then crashed through the other wall as if it were driftwood, then finally stopped at a big bank of earth that festooned her bufferbeam. Emily opened her eyes again and looked around just as her driver and fireman came running down and began looking her over right away.

No one was hurt, but poor Emily felt very undignified. She had not sustained any serious injuries, but her funnel had sustained some fair scratches, she felt that her front was badly bent and she had gotten quite dirty by her wheels and running boards. And as she thought back to the tarmacked track, she was most infuriated. She had a very strong feeling over who had done this, and all she needed was what she heard next.

"Ha-ha! There you go!" George called down. "Just as Gordon and James told you of all those years ago! Completely out of sight and out of the way!"

Emily turned very red in the face and let out a very loud, very shrill whistle, making the farmer and his children hold their ears until she stopped and they all stared at her. Then Emily suddenly went from infuriated to frightened as she suddenly remembered who else was coming up behind her. Then she heard the distant whistle.

"Oh, no! It's Gina!" she wailed. "Farmer! Children! Stand clear! I hear another engine coming!"

Further up the line, Gina was rushing along the line with the building material, still huffing and puffing irritably to herself.

"The nasty little mouth-off!" she chattered crossly. "Splashing me with oil, and ruining Emily's day! This had BETTER be our last load! With him!"

"Gina! Watch out!" her driver shouted suddenly and slammed on her brakes.

"What is it?!" Gina asked urgently.

Then she looked and cried out in terror as she saw the tarmacked line...and several rocks scattered all over the place among several upset trucks. And worst of all, she caught a glimpse of Emily poking out through the barn. Gina was now rushing to trouble herself, and as she shot her eyes to the farmer and children, she suddenly got a rush of absolute horror, just like Percy did.

"What the-No! No! STOP!" Gina wailed. "HORROR!"

Too late. Gina hit right onto the tarmacked track, bumped and rolled right over the asphalt, then she was sent cascading down the slope, her trucks jostling and breaking apart behind her as the building material flew everywhere. Gina wailed with fright as she slid along the sod and earth right beside Emily's trail until she turned uncontrollably to the left, while the farmer and children all ran out of the way and gaped with horror. Then Gina's side completely scratched and rubbed violently against the barn wall, scratching off a hefty amount of paintwork before she came to a stop right beside Emily.

There they were. Emily and Gina were now perched in the farmer's field in a most traumatic wreck together. Emily's heart was still racing with fear, shock and horror over what had just happened. This was her first major accident since her snowball incident with Donald and Douglas, and her first time running into a field since that fateful day when her buffers were changed from bronze to silver when she decided to change her ways for the worst. But she knew that wouldn't happen again. But what was even more serious was that another innocent family had almost been killed, not by Percy, but herself and Gina. Very luckily and fortunately, they were all alive and well, but they were both truly shocked and horrified by what could have happened.

As for Gina, her heart was almost in her throat too as she panted and groaned to the scratches she had been dealt, thinking grimly over what Percy would think of all this. Then she looked to Emily who was panting heavily.

"Gina! I...I can't believe this! I...I was too late to stop! I didn't notice until too late!" she wailed.

"Mamma Mia! By Italy! What in Seville's name HAPPENED?!" Gina demanded. "WHO DID THIS?!"

Then they heard that distinct voice come from the line above the field. Gina and Emily glared up and saw George towering over the scene.

"Ha-ha! I told you both you were just an imitation steamroller and a pair of carriage wheels!" he gloated rudely. "Now you're out of sight and out of the way, and all set to plough a field with an old, smelly horse!"

Gina's eyes blazed with fury as she growled then shrieked with all her might.

"RRGHH! YOU DID THIS! I might have known! YOU could have KILLED all these people down here! We're ONLY down here because YOU paved over our track in the FIRST PLACE! HMPH!"

Even in Italy, Gina had never huffed as loud as this in her life. Neither she nor Emily ever imagined something like this would happen during Gina's visit, and it drove them wild with rage. Emily could already smell the soon-to-be rage and repercussion from Thomas, Percy, the Fat Controller, and especially David. In that moment, compared to her defensive nature for Donald and Douglas when David targeted them for a while, she welcomed any targeting manner he would had for George with open buffers. With that, Emily gave another shrill whistle and spilled out her voice.

"YOU!" she yelled out to George. "You DEMON! YOU WRETCH! YOU almost made me KILL an entire innocent family, just like that evil truck made PERCY do! WE were trying to help you OUT! But NOW, you will NOT roll away from THIS, George! We'll see you're OUSTED from Sodor for this!"

But George didn't take anything being said seriously. Then he suddenly made his own mistake as he began rolling toward the slope, mocking the two queens as he went, but in that moment, George just began his much-deserved and most bitter taste of Sudrian Karma.

"Har-har! There you go! TWO queens out of sight and out of the way-Oh! Oh! HELP!"

George bumped and bounced over a few rocks that had landed after Emily's crash. He rocked and jostled over the bumps until he hit one rock too big and high for him to manage. Jem Cole jumped clear as George was tipped upward from behind, then veered out of control, tipping so far forward, he ended up going in a complete summersault over his roof. Then the steamroller cascaded down the slope and plopped into a muddy ditch just beneath the slope. He was now sprawled upside-down and churning in the mud.

"Glug-glug-glug!" he said. "Bluggle my bloiler!"

George felt foolish...and very muddy. But that didn't please Emily and Gina in the least. He deserved much, much worse than his own little crash into some mud. Emily was very, very cross. And so was her driver. He knew this was no ordinary accident, and that the Fat Controller's word for it would be nearly enough. This called for more extreme, yet necessary measures.

"Wait till the Fat Controller and David hear about THIS!" he shouted as he bolted back up the hill to the nearest telephone he could find.

At Knapford Station, the Fat Controller had been checking his timetable and was thinking deeply to himself about Emily and Gina. Then right when he least expected it, the telephone rang again, and he picked it up immediately.

"Come on, come on, come on! Pick up the phone!" he heard someone's voice shout through the reception.

"Hello? What's all this about?" the Fat Controller asked, noticeably suspicious.

"It's me, sir! Emily's driver! We've got an emergency here!"

"What is it, then?" the Fat Controller asked.

Within seconds, the Fat Controller heard everything and was suddenly immensely shocked, then he became very, very cross, and ever-so incensed. He took one glance outside and saw Thomas and Percy come back from the rest of their work on the branch line. As his heart began to pound, he listened a little more.

"Also, sir...get David over here too!" said Emily's driver. "I think we need him too! And Beatrice! You'll find out everything else once you're there!"

The Fat Controller paused, then barked.

"Although I know just who did this, I'm going to say it anyway! Whoever caused this disturbance will have ME to answer to!"

And with that, the Fat Controller hung up. But very little did he know that he wouldn't exactly be the one to be answered to in the end.

Outside, Thomas and Percy had been nervous all afternoon, waiting for Emily and Gina to report anything, and they were increasingly worried when they saw that Emily and Gina hadn't come back yet. Then suddenly, the Fat Controller's door burst open. Thomas and Percy immediately looked and could tell something was very wrong, and they immediately feared the worst.

"Thomas! Percy! Emergency!" the Fat Controller exclaimed. "Both of you need to fetch Rocky, Butch and Harold!"

"Sir! What happened?" Thomas asked urgently. "Emily? Gina? What's happened to them?!"

"Something truly outrageous, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "We have to act fast if Emily and Gina are going to be alright!"

"Oh, no!" Percy wailed. "What happened?"

"What did George do to them? WHAT?!" Thomas demanded.

The Fat Controller wasted no time telling Thomas and Percy just what he had found out about what happened with Emily, Gina and George, right until he finished. Then there was silence. Eerie and intimidating silence as the Fat Controller stared deeply at Thomas and Percy's expressions and eyes as they slowly looked around and their faces showed very tiny creases of churning anger and even revenge.

After everything Emily and Gina had been facing over the past two days, Thomas and Percy kept very quiet and very still, their eyes glittering softly at first. Then their faces became intensely red as they slowly and very steadily feeling outrageously incensed. They immediately remembered their run-ins with George in the past and felt sheer annoyance and anger fester in their boilers to even think back to those events...but to hear of the same thing happening to their loved ones, Emily the beautiful emerald angel and Gina the Italian Queen of Shunting. This was most unforgiveable beyond any question, which no apology George made, as impossible and meaningless as it would be, could ever atone for.

As he imagined the horror and fright Emily must have faced after such horrendous bullying from George, Thomas suddenly let loose with such force that the Fat Controller jumped back a few paces as the blue tank engine let off aloud hiss of steam, then let it out.

"THAT'S IT!" Thomas screeched. "Derailing ME with asphalt was one thing, but crashing MY Emily in the same way, and almost making her kill another innocent family after Percy's accident...THAT IS PURE CRIME!"

"And Gina being crashed too! THAT'S the last straw!" Percy shouted in turn. "We'd better fetch Rocky and help them, Thomas! AND get Butch and Harold too!"

With that, Thomas and Percy raced away down the line to fetch help, while the Fat Controller sped off down the road to Arlesburgh with all haste.

At the Riders' home, David and Beatrice were inside, still talking a little about Emily and George and hoping things wouldn't turn out too badly...until they heard a rapid knock on the door. When they opened it and saw it was the Fat Controller, they could see the urgency in his eyes.

"Sir? What's happened? What are you doing here?" Beatrice asked.

"David...Beatrice...something has happened," said the Fat Controller. "Emily's driver called me, and there's an emergency."

"What? What is it, sir?" David asked.

The Fat Controller ushered David and Beatrice outside and he told them everything about just what happened at the tarmacked Wellsworth crossing. Suddenly, Beatrice froze where she was, not saying a word completely gobsmacked and very angry at what she had just heard. But when the Fat Controller looked to David, he suddenly felt frightened himself.

David slowly shut his eyes and shook his head and began pacing up and down a little, brooding in festering thoughts about Emily as he envisioned just what had happened to her and Gina, all because of that steamroller. About two minutes later, David looked and noticed an empty crate beside the line. He slowly and shallowly panted to himself. Beatrice found herself growing very angry underneath too.

"Is...is this true, sir?" she shook. "Did...did George the Steamroller do this...to Gina...AND Emily?"

The Fat Controller nodded, then waited.

Suddenly, David suddenly bolted back inside and came out again, wearing his naval cutlass. He bolted right down to the empty crate, gave a loud yell of anger and viciously kicked the crate over.

"AARGH! Great Scott! First I hear of Emily's horrific accident with Donald and Douglas' snowball, spawning me a year and a half of hatred against her brother figures! Then years later, no sooner do I rid Sodor of that cursed Diesel 10, and now THIS! Take us with you, Sir Topham! How? Will George none? Does he not give apologies? Is he not remorseful? Does he not count his blessings, unworthy as he is, that Emily and Gina have been bringing such worthy material to keep building roads, only for BOTH of them to fall victim to his horseplay?! My Emily and Percy's Italian Queen have been bullied and harassed very badly over two whole days, and now they're left derailed and crashed down in a farmer's field and almost kill another family?! The wretched fool! LET ME SEE HIM!"

"Now, DON'T you start going off like that, David!" the Fat Controller ordered sternly. "Emily's driver told me to bring you along, but I'm still in charge of this matter, and you won't do anything rash! Not like you did about Emily's accident with Donald and Douglas!"

"Sir Topham, this is DIFFERENT!" David yelled. "It's one thing to accidentally hit an engine with a giant snowball, and it's one thing to rudely harass other engines and call them names, but it's a WHOLE OTHER thing to pave over the rails and make Percy's queen and Thomas' angel, MY engine crash into a barn and nearly KILL ANOTHER INNOCENT FAMILY! We've got to STOP that steamroller! BERTRAM, LET'S GO!"

And in less than a minute, the Fat Controller's car was roaring down the road, with two passengers. If things were going to get better in the end, there was not an instant to lose. David, Beatrice and the Fat Controller were on their way for a most intense and heated scenario with the fateful steamroller.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Percy had fetched Rocky and were rushing back up the line to get past Wellsworth and find the scene of disaster, with Butch and Harold driving and flying right with them. The entire journey was such a fluster of pounding hearts and shaky heads that Thomas and Percy couldn't think straight.

"Emily...my Emily derailed AGAIN! And to see what it may look like with my own eyes!" Thomas heaved.

"And Gina too! Never has she derailed for me to see it!" Percy heaved in turn.

Then just a few minutes later, Thomas, Percy and Rocky all saw a signalmen waving a red flag several yards away from the tarmacked crossing. Thomas and Percy slowed down as they caught glimpse of the tarmac themselves, then they looked down the field, just as Harold and Butch spoke next.

"Flying Saucers! Emily, dear lassie!" Harold called down. "Gina! Are you two alright?"

"Burning Tires! WHAT'S happened here, then?" Butch gaped.

What a sight met everyone's eyes! Trucks and goods were sprawled all over the field and slope. Percy gaped down the field and saw Gina nestled in the dirt just outside the barn. Then Thomas gaped as he saw Emily's front and smokebox sticking out from the end of the barn. She looked so very miserable now. And just beneath the slope, Thomas and Percy caught glimpse of George's underside sticking upward from the mud, making them both twitch their eyes with flaming rage.

Thomas then darted his view back to Emily, his eyes as large as three dinner plates and his mouth open twice as wide as it usually would be.

"Oh, God, NO!" Thomas yelled, nearly crying with overwhelming shock. "Emily! Emily, my angel! What on SODOR has EVER happened to my angel?!"

"And Gina!" Percy yelled in turn. "What has that steamroller DONE to MY queen? AND my mother! Emily! Emily!"

"Thomas! Percy!" Emily called back. "Please get us out! Help! Help!"

"Please help us, by Italy!" Gina wailed.

"Don't worry, Emily!" Butch called as he rolled down to the field. "We'll get you out! Just hold on."

"All in good time, ladies," Harold called as he hovered lower. "Emily first, I think. Then we'll help you, Gina."

And so, over the never half hour, the rescues ensued, while Thomas and Percy slowly went from shocked and horrified to intensely angry as they had a lot to say to that steamroller. Workmen brushed the dirt away from Emily's front, revealing how bent it was. Then the workmen anchored chains from Butch to Emily's front while Harold hovered low with a chain lowered underneath him and hitched onto Emily as well. Then from the ground and the air, the vehicles worked together, slowly hauling Emily out of the barn and back across the field toward the line so as to let Rocky haul her back into place.

When she was close enough to the line above her, Rocky got straight to work in hitching his hook and securing systems to her body and tender. Then she was gently hauled back up the slope and gently placed onto the line beside Thomas and Percy, safe on the rails again.

"There we go, Emily. Back on track," said Rocky.

Thomas and Percy waited until Gina was helped back onto the line the same way by Butch, then Rocky. Eventually, she was safely placed right behind Emily and now Thomas and Percy could survey the damage their queens sustained.

First, Thomas and Percy looked at Emily with and worry. Emily's funnel had three hefty scratches, her running boards and wheels were very dirty and her front was quite well bent like Thomas' was just before he and all the engines went to London all those years ago. As for Gina, the right side of her buffer beam was completely scraped off and her entire right side's paintwork had been quite badly scratched off. Then in that moment, the farmer and children came running up the hill to join all the engines, followed closely by Jem Cole, who was now looking very nervous.

"Oh...by my God!" the farmer gasped. "It just happened so suddenly! Emily came careening down the line toward us and she called to me and my children to get out of the way! I'm lucky we jumped clear before anything terrible happened! Think of my children!"

Then Thomas suddenly burst into furious demand.

"Where is George?! WHERE IS HE?!" he roared. "I know he did this! Where the flying HELL is he?!"

"As you saw, Thomas. He's down there, of his own crashes, made drunk!" Emily's driver grumbled, pointing toward the ditch. "He's the one who did all this! NEVER has something like this happened to Emily, almost killing another innocent family! Thank goodness they're alright!"

Butch most reluctantly had his chains hitched to George, then he hauled the steamroller out of the ditch, and back up toward the very road George had tarmacked right over Emily's line. George coughed and spluttered from the mud until workmen wiped his face clean. He looked and saw Thomas, Percy, Emily and Gina all glaring with sheer contempt and seething hate for what he had done.

"George...George...the bloody goddamn...steamroller!" Thomas shuddered quietly, but very dangerously.

"Huh! About time!" George growled. "I didn't even get to see the Imitation Steamroller and Ms. Carriage Wheels sit in their farmer's perch!"

"GEORGE, YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW!" Thomas screeched. "You've given us trouble before, but to do this to MY ANGEL, EMILY IS-!"

Thomas' yelling was cut short by a loud screech of tires close to the line. Everyone looked ahead, and at that moment, everyone watched as that distinctive blue car screeched to a halt right beside the line, and out came the Fat Controller as he slammed the door as hard as he possibly could. He was very, very cross. Then Beatrice came out from the front seat, slamming her door too as she and the Fat Controller came striding right to the scene of disaster.

"WHAT'S going on HERE?!" The Fat Controller demanded. "WHY is this crossing tarmacked?! WHY are all these trucks, rocks and building material all over the field?! And WHY are Emily and Gina so dirty and scratched?!"

"Ask...HIM!" Thomas snarled, sparks leaping from his funnel. What came next, no one was quite ready for.

"GEORGE-THE-STEAMROLLER!" the Fat Controller roared so loudly, all the engines cringed to the volume. "WHAT in the name of Flaming HELL are you playing at NOW?! I thought you had learnt to be more responsible ever since I took you off the roads for a week, then you helped save the Airport by paving the runway...EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

"You KNOW he won't do that, sir! I'LL explain it!" Emily's driver snapped.

It didn't take long for the Fat Controller to hear everything that had happened between Emily, Gina and George, and all that had transpired up to this very moment. The farmer and children then told their side, all to which the Fat Controller listened very carefully until everything was explained. Then the Fat Controller turned even redder in the face and whipped his head back to the steamroller.

"I KNEW there was something else to all this. GEORGE!" he roared.

"I am so sorry, sir," said Jem Cole. "You see, I didn't drive George here in the first place. Right when I came back to him to resume our work, my hat blew-"

"Bother your hat! I could have been killed!" the farmer shouted. "And not just me! What if my children got killed to?! Thank you SO much, Emily, for warning us just in time! And George, you treacherous snake!"

"Just like my tragic accident!" Percy wheeshed. "Well, I never!"

"To think that I almost ended up in the same scathing predicament as Percy did!" Emily wheeshed angrily.

"HIGH TREASON!" the farmer roared to George. "ULTIMATE DISHONOUR!"

As Beatrice stormed toward George, no one yet saw who else came out of the Fat Controller's car and came walking up behind.

"George the Steamroller!" Beatrice yelled as she pounded her palm with her fist. "For Goddamn Sakes! I can't BELIEVE YOU!"

"RRGH! LOOK at you, George!" the Fat Controller scolded severely. "I can't TRUST you on my railway, OR the road! We have roads to build for our vehicles and you are NOT FIT TO STAY HERE! I am...affronted! I am taking you RIGHT back off the roads for another week, then you will-"

"WHAT...HAPPENED?!" growled another voice that sounded terribly enraged.

Everyone knew that voice and stopped right where they were and looked with pounding hearts. There was David, standing tall and foreboding with steely eyes scanning everyone there. No one said a word at first. Then Jem Cole suddenly bowed his head and walked solemnly toward the captain.

"...It was my fault, David," he said quietly.

"Jem Cole...?" the Fat Controller whispered with surprise.

"I came back from lunch break, but then my hat blew away. Another workman came to drive George to the crossing to fix a crack in the road. I think he blocked Emily once again, then when I came back...he had tarmacked the crossing. We meant to warn Sir Topham Hatt...but...ohh...I'm sorry, David."

But David merely brushed Jem Cole away by the shoulder and marched right to George.

"You almost KILLED someone!" David growled. "You didn't take my WARNING to ANY heed! I WARNED you not to make anything happen to Emily!"

"I don't care! You should have taken my warning to better heed," George retorted. "Your Imitation Steamroller is a goody-goody steamroller!"

"So help me, George!" David barked. "You are going to be put to rights, no matter WHAT it takes! And YOU, Sir Topham! Where do you get the GALL to allow this rolling BASTARD on our island?! And ONE week off the roads is not NEARLY enough! NOT by a long shot!"

"I told you already, David! This order didn't come from me!" the Fat Controller insisted. "The Sodor Island Council owns George and they've applied him to be doing this work! As I said before, George is under THEIR ownership, not mine!"

"THAT'S no excuse, Sir Topham!" David snarled. "You can't defend his actions anymore! He'll NEVER learn! He CAN'T learn to be one of us!"

"I'm not defending his actions, but he IS a steamroller, which all roads need!" the Fat Controller argued. "If he is to learn even an inkling of reason in the very least, he's to be given a chance!"

"Give him a CHANCE?! Topham, LOOK AT HIM!" David bellowed. "Look at his history! HE will NEVER be one of us!"

Then David bolted up to George and drew his naval cutlass, bearing it only an inch or two from George's face, making him yelp and roll back a little.

"You GET AWAY from my engine, you masochist!" David barked, then whipped his head around. "Sir Topham, get RID of this steamroller. He is no longer part of this railway, or the island! He does NOT belong here!"

"NO! I'm NOT taking orders from YOU, David!" the Fat Controller snapped. "For the last time, I'M the manager of this railway, not you! With the exception of when Emily corrected my treatment upon Thomas after he saved Ryan, NO ONE tells ME what to do! And I am NOT wasting time talking down to you as Mr. Percival did over your grudge against Donald and Douglas! So disperse and step aside!"

Before Thomas, Percy, Gina, or especially Emily could shout back to the Fat Controller in protest, David resheathed his cutlass, then spun right around with his hands on his hips. Standing taller than the Fat Controller, he came down hard as nails.

"Sir Bertram Topham Hatt, I am going to say this one time, and one time only: You may be the manager of the North Western Railway, and I may have been wrong to target Donald and Douglas the way I did, but I AM Navy Captain of the Sea Emperor, and by my family's bloodline, Emily is still MY engine! Therefore, it's MY job to protect her from errant vehicles, be they on road or rails! And it's also my duty to honour my promise to the Admiral that no more atrocities like Sailor John ever touch Sodor again! So in this given situation, I don't care what stature of authority you carry; For the sake of my engine, and the safety of other engines, you are bringing this forth to the Mayor and the Sodor Island Council, you're gonna do what I say, AND GET THAT DAMN STEAMROLLER OFF THE ISLAND OF SODOR!"

Then there was eerie, suspenseful silence. Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all gaped to each other as they watched David go still as a statue, looking the Fat Controller piercingly in the eyes. The Fat Controller had listened to everything David had just spilled out. It was indeed firm and intense, and it even seemed to challenge the Fat Controller's authority to some degree. But with that firmness, David also carried fairness, just like the Fat Controller himself carried all the time.

He thought quickly, but clearly for about five minutes. George had been on the Island of Sodor for too many years to count since the beginning, working for the road industry to pave roads...but through all those years, he was insensitively rude to every engine he came to and caused such havoc for many of them too. All he ever cared about was destroying railways and turning them into roads. He didn't care about being really useful. All he cared about was roads and superiority to railways...and this was indeed the worst crime he had ever committed. Derailing not one, but two queens on rails. Nothing like this had ever happened to Emily, or Gina. Even though it was nothing too serious, Thomas, Percy, Emily and especially David would not let up until their demands were met. Perhaps at long last...it was time for George to go. For good.

Finally, the Fat Controller looked up at David with a solemn expression. Then he bowed his head and spoke rather submissively.

"...Yes, Captain Rider. If you have any other demands...you may express them at the very least."

David's nail-hard posture ebbed away and the fury faded from his eyes a little. He gave a single nod to the Fat Controller, appearing much calmer now. But George's karma wasn't finished yet. There was plenty more to follow.

Beatrice had been keeping very quiet all this time, but now her chance had come. She was most infuriated with George, having heard what had just happened to her husband's engine, who was now her son's engine too. She came up to the Fat Controller and whispered something.

The next moment, the Fat Controller looked shocked by what Beatrice had just uttered to him, but then he nodded and quietly agreed. Beatrice nodded back, then looked right at George, making his heart suddenly jump into his throat. Beatrice was baring an icy cold glare in her eyes. The sort of glare a snake would give its victim just before it bites. She walked very slowly to George, until she was just a foot away from him. George didn't know what to say or do as he felt like something very harsh would happen. Then, to Thomas, Percy, Gina, and especially Emily's shock, Beatrice slowly raised her arm and drew it back. Then suddenly, SMACK! It sounded almost like the crack of a rifle going off, but not as loud.

Beatrice had slapped George very hard and true on his cheek, earning a most strained yell of stinging pain from the steamroller. Then a very bright red mark steadily appeared on his cheek with the shape of a hand. But it wasn't over. Beatrice raised her hand again, then it happened again. SMACK! Another loud crack split the air as Beatrice had slapped his other cheek just as hard. George yelled out again, no longer grouchy or rude. Rather, he was hurt, defeated and powerless as Beatrice seized his face and squeezed his cheeks very hard.

Percy and Emily both looked to each other with a jolt in their hearts. They had never seen Beatrice like this ever before.

Then David came up beside her and pointed his cutlass right at George with the blade shaking wildly. David's face was purple and sweating with rage, and his voice carried such a growl in his throat, he sounded like a tiger that had chronic rabies.

"If you EVER touch my engine again, I will cut your funnel off and donate it to the Steamworks!"

"U-u-u-u...Understood," George trembled shakily and very meekly, for the first time in his most hate-driving life.

"AND YOU!" David barked to Jem Cole. "For your negligence in this matter, YOU are going to give this farmer ten percent of the money you make in a year so he can build a new barn and compensate this hideous misdeed your steamroller just inflicted! Do you understand me?!"

"Yes, sir," Jem Cole agreed, knowing perfectly well not to argue with a soldier. "A tenth of my pay will mean...five thousand pounds."

David briefly turned his head to the farmer and announced victoriously, "Farmer, I've got you a new barn!"

"Hooray!" the farmer called back.

Then David turned to George once more.

"And last, but DEFINITELY not least, I DO NOT want to see your face gallivanting around the Island of Sodor for at LEAST five years!"

All the engines gasped and looked dependently to the Fat Controller. When he heard what David said, he found that he most certainly agreed with David. What George had done today was the very worst he had ever done, and after Percy's tragic accident, the Fat Controller had vowed never to let such atrocities ever happen again himself. All he and David had to do now would be to bring this forth to the Sodor Island Council and the Mayor and hopefully prevail in these demands.

The Fat Controller then spoke severely to George one last time.

"I will NOT allow another family to be threatened like this again! If the Council agrees with us, so be it, George! David is absolutely right. Things work MUCH better here before you ever arrived! If the Council sees fit to our point of view, I shall NOT be allowing you back for at LEAST five years!"

This made George finally droop his eyes and look very miserable, not able to find any more words. He was now well and truly defeated.

And when the other engines heard what the Fat Controller had just said, something deep within them stirred. Just like the poetic justice that had befallen Sodor following Sailor John's ruin and plunder, this was much, much more than any of them could have expected in regard to George the Steamroller. Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all gasped very slowly as they took it all in, feeling great satisfaction and definitive accomplishment bask in their boilers.

"So...that's it then," said Thomas. "If all goes well...George shall be gone."

"So...you personally hated George too, Sir Topham?" David asked. "You agree with my demand?"

"You...you really agree, sir?" Thomas asked.

"In fact, I do, David," said the Fat Controller. "And now that everything is sorted out for now, I assure all of you. If it were up to me, I would have had George removed from Sodor years and years ago. But for matters like this, disturbing Emily and Gina's peace at once, and debating banishing him...well, that's for the Mayor to decide. But don't worry. I'll call him as soon as I can, and I'll do the very best I can for you all. Especially you, Emily and Gina. And so will David."

With that, the thundering and blowing off to George was over. Butch's crew secured chains all around George's front as he was hitched up to Butch to be taken away and locked up, so as to be out of the way while discussions and consequence would ensue in due course.

"Those chains will hold even a scoundrel like you, George!" Butch scolded.

George looked to Jem Cole and tried once more to make any stand at all, as defeated as he was.

"Don't worry about ME, Jem Cole," he said, trying to sound tough with no success. "With the possible exception of David...there's no one who can get the better of me, and my most beloved and superior roads..."

Jem Cole said nothing, truly disgraced by George.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. The Sodor Island Council and the Mayor may have a very different, and scathing opinion," said Butch.

And with that, Butch started up and set off down the road, taking George with him until the hearing could begin. Thomas, Percy, Emily and Gina all glared with sheer contempt and seething hatred for all that George had done until he and Butch were out of sight.

"At last," said Thomas. "We're rid of that rolling menace. Now...how to get you to the Steamworks, Emily? The line's been tarmacked after all."

"That is true, sir," said Percy. "How will Gina get her due repairs with Emily?"

"And our loads," said Emily. "They're all over the place."

"Don't worry about that, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "Emily and Gina will wait here. I know what we can do about all of this."

Before long, Brenda and Jack were called over to the farm and level crossing with a small group of workmen carrying pick axes and cleaning material. The tarmacked asphalt was axed, dug and cut right off the line before Jack loaded it into his bucket. Then the formerly tarmacked rails were thoroughly cleaned so as to let the engines go onward to the Steamworks once they were ready. The workmen worked together to retrieve all the stone and building material that had been scattered, and once Rocky got all the trucks back on the rails, Jack and Brenda left to return to the Construction company, while James came to take the stones and building material to Wellsworth as originally intended.

At last, after Thomas and Percy returned Rocky to the Rescue Centre, they came back for their queens, all too ready to be given nothing but peace, compensation and very well-deserved company.

"Well, Emily," said Thomas. "You're safe and back on the rails with Gina. Are you ready for your much-deserved compensation?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Emily replied wearily. "And Gina?"

"Si, si, Emily," said Gina. "All I want now is a long rest in the Steamworks!"

"And after everything that has happened, I think we should stay with you, Emily," said Thomas.

"I agree with Thomas," said Percy. "I want to see them make you both good as new. Especially you, Gina."

"We're coming too," Beatrice put in. "I simply can't leave you for alone after what I've learned and witnessed."

"Nor me," said David as he helped Beatrice into Emily's cab. "We're all staying together this evening...then tomorrow, it shall be decided."

"Very well," said the Fat Controller. "Now, I must get back to Knapford and call the Council immediately to see when we can call an emergency hearing."

And with that, the Fat Controller returned to his car and drove away. Thomas and Percy traveled back along the line, switched to Emily and Gina's line, then came right back. Thomas buffered up to Emily and was coupled on, in spite of her bent buffers. As long as they went carefully, it would do alright until the Steamworks. Then Gina was coupled to Emily, and with that, the cavalcade of two couples set off to the Steamworks so they could be cleaned up and repaired however they needed to be.

When they got to the Steamworks, Kevin and Victor were both waiting as Emily and Gina were shunted inside. First, David and Beatrice got down from Emily. Then Gina was uncoupled from Emily, then hoisted up and out of the way for just a moment. Then Percy uncoupled from Thomas, who then shunted Emily to another section in the Steamworks. Percy then went to join Gina as she was lowered back down. Then two groups of workmen came and inspected Emily and Gina's damage. Twenty minutes later, they got to work while Victor came alongside the four engines.

"Well, my friends...I don't know how I never heard of this George character causing any trouble before...but I assure you, he would never be welcome in MY Steamworks. And Emily and Gina, you both deserve a special repair job for all you've been through these past few days."

"Grazie, Victor," said Gina. "Because these past two days have been absolute Hell for Emily AND I."

"I'm just happy it's over now," said Emily. "All that's left to worry about is what the Council will say about George, and if David's demand will be met."

"Yes...which does keep me a little worried," said Thomas. "They've always kept George on Sodor before...but will their opinion change by the fact that another innocent family was nearly killed by what he caused Emily and Gina to do?"

"I certainly hope it does," said Emily. "After all I've been through with George, I hope poetic justice can prevail again, as it did before with Sailor John."

"Yes. Very much so," said David. "I will have a say in this entire matter myself, Emily. As soon as I get home, I'll get straight to work writing a deposition against George. I may have been brash and loud with him in person, but I can't afford to be so in front of the Mayor or the Council. Even so, I won't hesitate to make my points very clear so they'll understand."

"I won't hesitate either," said Beatrice. "I'll gladly write a deposition of my own...and see just what the Council makes of these circumstances."

"Thank you, David and Beatrice," said Thomas. "Whatever happens, please tell me when you can. I really don't want George troubling us again. Ever."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see when the Council will speak, and what we can all do about it," said David.

And with that, over the next few hours, silence followed as the repairs on Emily and Gina continued. Some of the workmen worked on Emily's bent front while others examined her funnel to patch up the scratches. The other team was kept best scraping Gina's scratched paint off her side so as to give her a fresh coat on that side. David and Beatrice didn't say a word, losing themselves to thinking very deeply about just what they would write for the council whenever they could.

Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all kept silent themselves, not knowing how or what to feel. They all knew something tremendous had taken place today, and it had brought on a slew of anger and negativity that none of them could recall feeling for quite a long time. It was by no means as bad as the perils of Sailor John's reign of ruin over Sodor, but it had brought back slivers of the anger Emily felt toward Gordon and James by the uttering of George's tongue bringing out those same insults once again. Luckily, all thanks to everything Thomas had done for Emily all those years ago, she had brought her feelings forward right away and she was able to channel her emotions fairly well up to this point, and now with George out of the way, she and Gina felt like they could finally afford to start feeling peaceful again.

These two days had felt more like five days, given how negative they had turned out, but in the midst of this strange circle of emotion, all four engines couldn't help but feel a ray of assurance and the pre-showings of another wave of poetic justice.

At last, a few hours later, Emily and Gina's repairs were complete and they were good as new, thanks to the busy and numerous repair crew. Emily's funnel had been repaired, her bufferbeam was mended beautifully and her wheels were well and truly dusted off. As for Gina, she now had a fresh coat of green paint on her side that matched perfectly with the rest of her coat, and her buffer beam had been fixed as well.

When the two queens looked up, they saw that Thomas and Percy had fallen asleep during the wait. David and Beatrice were standing in the corner, still thinking in silence. Emily then buffered up to Thomas and kissed him awake.

Thomas woke up and saw Emily was fully repaired and gave a little smile. Gina then kissed Percy awake, who took a look at her too and smiled himself.

"Well, Emily and Gina. You're both good as new now," said Victor. "Now go and have a good night's sleep, my friends."

David looked up and took his mother's hand.

"Yes...yes. We must go home now," he said deeply.

As he and Beatrice got onboard Emily, she, Percy, and Gina gave a silent nod and followed Thomas outside. When they came out of the Steamworks, the sun had set and the stars were beginning to appear as the four engines made their way home for the night. They didn't know what else to say for now as they began to think even deeper about what would happen the next day. Would George be sent away as David demanded? Would the Council agree with what these events had ultimately brought upon Emily, Gina and another innocent family who were lucky enough to be saved this time?

These thoughts occupied everyone's mind until the four engines stopped at Knapford Station to let David and Beatrice off.

"Well, Emily...I shall do what I can tonight...and hopefully tomorrow," said David.

"Thank you, David...and good luck at the hearing if you can make it," said Emily.

David gave a single nod as he and Beatrice walked out of the station, where Bertie soon came along and took them home.

At last, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina returned to Tidmouth Sheds, where they saw Rebecca, Gordon, James and Nia all staring hard. Thomas, Emily and Percy took turns backing into their berths until they were all settled in. Gina stayed on the turntable and looked to all the other four engines' expressions as they had heard everything throughout the day.

"Emily...Gina...we...we heard everything that happened," Rebecca said quietly. "Right from the very start!"

"Oh, the Indignity," Gordon sighed. "And oh, the Outrage, just as I told Emily yesterday when this all began!"

"That filthy, arrogant, WEAK disgrace of a steamroller!" James exclaimed. "Just thinking about it all makes me even MORE ashamed of what Gordon and I said to you, Emily. We should NEVER have brought about those names to you, and I'm so VERY sorry once again!"

"I'd never heard of this George character," Nia said with shock. "But I certainly don't ever want to deal with him myself!"

"That's what we're hoping for, Nia," said Thomas. "I trust you heard what the Fat Controller and David have demanded together?"

"Yes, indeed," said Gordon. "They hope to have George sent away for five whole years at least. I COULDN'T agree more!"

"My only hope is that the Council and the Mayor will share this opinion...but when and how?" Emily asked.

Just then, the engines all saw the Fat Controller drive up to the sheds and come out. He seemed a little excited, which Thomas and Emily noticed at once.

"Good evening, sir," said Thomas. "Have you something important to tell us?"

"Indeed, I do, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina," said the Fat Controller. "I've been on several phone calls off and on throughout today, with the Mayor, the Sodor Island Council, the farmer, Jem Cole, and even Phelps and Gallagher. The Council has agreed to call an emergency hearing at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. So you could say that George is awaiting trial, as it were. Not that he'd be there...but the Council has agreed to come to a decision in the end, whatever it may be. I'll be there tomorrow when I can, and I trust David and Beatrice will be there too. All we can do tomorrow is wait, listen, and hope."

All the engines stared at the Fat Controller and held their breath, until at last Thomas spoke.

"Th...thank you, sir. When can we expect a final answer from the Council?"

"I don't know, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "Given what George has done and potentially could have done if fate took a different course for that farmer and his children, there is a lot to look into, assess, consider, examine and judge with no compromise whatsoever. Just keep your eyes and ears open, all of you."

And without another word, the Fat Controller left. Gina looked at Percy and softly buffered up, pushing him inside his berth. Then one by one, all the engines fell asleep...except Thomas and Emily. When she looked over to Thomas, she saw him biting his lip and muttering inconspicuously to himself again. As usual, Emily didn't hesitate to inquire and see what was on his mind.

"Thomas, what's the matter?" Emily asked gently.

Thomas took a deep breath and sighed as he looked at his angel. Everything was calming down again, and he had been thinking deeply about many things.

"I...I just can't believe it, Emily. To think that all these years...I never gave an inkling of thought to what George potentially could have done to you. It's actually shocking and amazing that all this time has gone by since our last encounter with him and he never did anything...until now. I can't help but feel ashamed to not have done something much earlier all those years ago..."

Emily knew just what Thomas meant and sighed heavily.

"I find it astounding too, Thomas," she said gently. "But as ironic as it may be...maybe it had to happen sooner or later. This may go to show us that Sodor has its own unique and sometimes most unexpected ways of how life can turn out every now and then. But as with how our relationship began and blossomed into what it is, what is done is done. We can't change the past, and everything is how it is now. Gina and I are alright now, and a decision will be made on George tomorrow."

"But we won't know anything until it's over, Emily," said Thomas. "And who knows when that will be...and what the Council will say."

"Well...the best we can do is wait and hope, Thomas," said Emily.

"And to think that George made you relive slivers of all that Gordon and James put you through!" Thomas remarked with shock. "I NEVER thought that would happen until now. But...oh, Emily. I'm SO glad you came forward to all of us and told us what was wrong. That goes to show us how you've truly gotten over that part of your past, and I can't be any more proud than I am to have instilled that strength in you again. And I'm so proud of you, Emily. In spite of your crash...you saved that family's life by warning them just in time. You may have crashed, but you also spoke up and prevented another tragedy from occurring."

"Oh...Oh, Tommy," Emily smiled with shimmering eyes. "You're right...I saved them. Thank you so, so much. As much as I've said it, I'll NEVER forget all that you've done for me to bring that strength back to my heart. I love you, Thomas, and whatever happens in due course, you and I will always be there for each other."

To this, Thomas got on the turntable and turned right to Emily's berth, then buffered right up to her and touched her nose.

"I pledge just the same, my love. We've come such a long way, and we'll keep going onwards and onwards...together."

And with that, he leaned in and kissed Emily's cheek goodnight, earning a tiny giggle from her.

"It will be alright, Emily. It'll be okay," said Thomas. "I love you."

Emily gave a nod and little smile to Thomas as she kissed his cheek goodnight as well.

"Yes...yes, it will be. I...I know, Thomas. I love you too," she whispered.

And with that, Thomas and Emily soon fell asleep with peaceful, but occupied minds as they let each minute then hour pass them by, until the hearing's results would be revealed, whatever they would bring...

The next morning, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all woke up with a strange feeling in their boilers. They had no idea when results would come in, and whether or not those results would be in their favor after all that George had done.

When they got to Knapford Station, they saw the Fat Controller dressed very professionally, with his jacket well-ironed and a most shiny top hat.

"Well, you four," he said. "Today is the day. I'm off to meet with the Sodor Island Council. We'll do what we can. In the meantime, you all go about your work. Thomas and Percy, you're on the Branch Line with passengers. And Emily and Gina, you'll take a few goods runs today. All of you do what you need to do...and I'll try and come back with the Mayor to tell you...how it turns out."

"Yes, sir," the four engines answered together, a little shakily.

And the Fat Controller drove off, while the four engines silently got to their work for the day, still not knowing what to think and feel. Soon, 10:00 a.m. came upon the day, and wherever they worked, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all felt a twinge in their boilers, knowing that the hearing was now in session, and so their speculations continued. From 10:00 a.m. onwards, on into the noon and afternoon, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina worked tirelessly and with most occupied minds, waiting for any sign of the Fat Controller, David, Beatrice or the Mayor of Sodor whenever anything would be revealed. With every hour that passed by, they felt more nervous and uncertain to themselves and each other whenever they passed each other by.

The rest of the island was caught up in the subject too. From Arlesburgh to Wellsworth to Brendam to Vicarstown and the Skarloey Railway alike, all the engines and civilians talked endlessly about what was going on surrounding George and what would befall him was anyone's question until all would be revealed.

At last, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all returned to Knapford Station around 4:00 p.m. as their work was done. There was still no sign of the Fat Controller, the Mayor, David or anyone else. It had been a most unusual, stressful time for them all these past two days, and after another entire day of waiting and wondering what George's punishment would be, they all began to feel a strange sensation of feeling satisfied, victorious, stressed and angry all at the same time.

"I...I just can't believe it!" Thomas said at last. "George the Steamroller. I'd never of questioned his potential of what he might have done to you, Emily!"

"Nor me," Percy peeped. "You didn't deserve any of what happened these past two days. Neither did you, Emily."

"Well, Thomas and Percy. What's done is done, and all we can do is wait," Emily sighed. "But that's getting difficult even for me at this point. Th hearing began at 10:00 a.m. this morning, now it's 4:00 in the afternoon! I'm starting to feel like it won't turn out!"

Thomas groaned quietly to himself. "I'm starting to feel that way too. I just hope it's that feeling of uncertainty right before all is revealed. We might just be all nervous...I hope."

"Well, whatever we may hear, I have a feeling it's going to be a huge intake," said Emily.

Thomas looked at Emily. "Yes, Emily...yes, it will. So until then...we'll just let the time pass..."

And so the waiting continued on. Ten minutes, then twenty minutes. Thirty, forty, then an hour. One hour slowly became two hours as 6:00 p.m. came closer and closer...everything had been recapped to the present moment...

---

Back in that very present moment, Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all looked up to each other as the clock now struck 7:00 p.m. They had recapped everything up to the present moment, and after all this time, there was still no sign of the Fat Controller or the Mayor of Sodor.

"So there it is," said Thomas. "Everything we had to be faced with...over that bloody steamroller."

"I still can't shake it away! That family was almost killed by my crash...because of that bloody damn steamroller!" Emily hissed angrily.

"We are NOT trading out Percy's recovery for the same trauma to befall you, Emily!" Gina hissed in turn. "I still have a visit to enjoy!"

"Indeed, Gina," Percy added. "And I want to enjoy it thoroughly with you from today on! Just where could the Fat Controller and the Mayor be?"

"Ohh...look everyone...look!" Thomas gasped with widening eyes.

The other three engines looked and slowly gasped themselves.

Right at that moment, there was the Fat Controller's car driving up to the station. It parked right by the station platform...then the doors opened. From the front seats, the Fat Controller and the Mayor of Sodor came out, wearing his bronze star medallion. Then from the back seat, David came out from one side, then from the other side, out came Beatrice. Just by the looks on all four people's faces, the four engines got a feeling that there would be some significant news for them to hear, and they all felt their hearts begin to beat rather unevenly as they could only speculate and hope for the best. After all the speculations, it was now finally time.

"Hello to you all. Thomas, Percy, Emily...and Gina of course," said the Mayor. "A true privilege to see you all here together."

"Than you, sir," the four engines aid together quietly.

"Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina," said the Fat Controller. "The time has come. The hearing is now complete...and we wish to share everything there is to know, from all of us. Myself, the Mayor, David and Beatrice. I think it's best to explain everything from the start, quickly and clearly."

At last, the answers would start coming in. This was what these four engines were waiting for. Emily was the first to speak.

"How did it go, sir? The hearing?" she asked the Fat Controller.

Everyone watched as the Fat Controller cleared his throat and looked up.

"Well...first off, the Mayor and the Council Members took turns talking about why George was there...then all about all the previous mishaps George had caused over the years; I won't bore you with all the details. It took about two hours to discuss all of that in great detail. Then Jem Cole got up and presented a statement. Admittedly, he said how George was a fairly decent steamroller, as far as road-building is concerned. Steamrollers are a bear-essential piece of equipment for road building. Then more discussion and debate was exchanged through the Council. And then a few hours later, it seemed like little progress was being made. They talked about what happened with Emily and Gina, of course, but no one seemed to come to a decision. There was a lot of talk about balance and giving George a second chance...but that's when the farmer stepped up, and you could imagine, he said George was a deadly and dangerous steamroller to do what he did, going so far as to accuse George of indirectly breaking and entering his barn through you two, Emily and Gina."

Emily and Gina looked to each other and deeply agreed with everything they heard so far.

"And then?" Thomas asked.

The Mayor and the Fat Controller turned their eyes to David, who stepped up with a glimmer in his eyes that expressed great pride and victory. He looked up to Emily and gave a little twitch of a smile, then a wink.

"If I may, Emily...they didn't know I was there first thing," said David. "Mum and I sent in our depositions this morning, wondering if they'd be read...but then we decided to come by...just after the farmer spoke up rather harshly about the matter, followed by Phelps and Gallagher's brief comments, then the depositions were read. That's when I came in and gave a statement in person...just before everything wrapped up."

"Yes? The depositions? And then?" Emily asked.

"Just as his depositions read, he had asked for the harshest, Captain Rider did," said the Mayor.

"They're not sacking Mr. Cole?!" Thomas exclaimed. "He drives Trevor too, and he's so friendly!"

"No, he's not sacked," said Beatrice. "He'll still be working with Trevor as always...but...well..."

She gave a little look to the Fat Controller, who looked directly at the four engines, with a sudden glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

"Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina...are you all ready?" he asked. "Truly and intently ready?"

All four engines nodded with a single lean as the Fat Controller paused for a very long time, making all the engines' hearts pound with most overpowering speculation and uncertainty...until it was let out.

"...George the Steamroller has been sentenced to banishment!"

Everything froze for the four engines, and even the four men. Everything seemed to start spinning and swaying around to all for engines' vision. Thomas and Percy's minds flooded with an absolute mental swath of memory, shock, gratitude and victory that almost made them pass out. Emily and Gina felt their heads spinning too, particularly Emily as she almost felt a similar wave of tingles as she did when she fell drunk at Maron with David. But this was a very good tingle to feel as she took everything in...then the silence finally broke with a big whistle.

"Cinders and Ashes! Fire and Smoke! Grease and Oil!" Thomas whistled. "Sir Topham Hatt! Captain David Rider! You did it!"

"Truly astounding! Complete and absolute surprise!" Percy whistled in turn.

"David! I can't believe you!" Emily exclaimed. "I knew you were a strong figure as a soldier, but now you've helped given us all another wave of pure poetic justice!"

"And that is exactly what everyone at the Council felt too, Emily," David declared proudly. "Would you care to hear how it wrapped up? It includes my deposition and Mum's, and what I said to make my point."

"Oh, David...we'd love to!" Emily bubbled.

"Very well," said David. "Here is how it happened, so far as I found out."

So the engines hunkered down and listened once more to one more recap, this time from David's side...

---

There was quite a gathering in the hearing room. The Mayor was at the head of the table, there were sixteen Council Members, eight on either side of him. And right beside the Mayor was the hearing clerk. In all the seats, there were several Sudrians who had come to either hear the results or give comments themselves. Among them were the Fat Controller, Jem Cole, Phelps and Gallagher, the farmer and his children, and Beatrice herself. David had not yet arrived. There was a large photograph of George the Steamroller in the room, and all day, discussions and statements had been made, but there didn't seem to be any decision-making for George. Just a lot of quiet and slightly nervous discussions on giving him another chance as they always did.

Suddenly, the farmer stood up and called for objection, still rather cross by what had almost happened to him and his children.

"Objection, Mr. Mayor! All this discussing and even bickering is getting us nowhere!"

"Compose yourself, sir," said one of the Council Members. "These things take time!"

But the farmer wouldn't back down.

"You've taken a whole lot of valuable time already and have come to almost nothing so far! Look at the facts that surround George! He's no more a steamroller than he is a cold-blooded masochist! Masqueraded his road-paving in order to indirectly break-and-enter my barn!"

"With manners of forfeit!" Phelps added, agreeing with the farmer. "No one warned Emily or Gina of what that steamroller had done, thus GEORGE is guilty of vandalism and damage to Sudrian railroads, thus he indirectly ripped apart that farmer's barn!"

"And no doubt with intent to slaughter that farmer's children!" Gallagher snapped. "Emily and Gina DID NOT deserve this disturbance put upon them!"

"Order!" the Mayor commanded. But at that moment, the clerk passed him some paper. "What? What is it, clerk?"

"Uh...Depositions testifying against the steamroller, Mr. Mayor," said the clerk. "Two for the record, sir."

"Depositions. By whom, I wonder? Silly schoolboys perhaps and...my Heavens!" the Mayor suddenly gasped.

"What is it? Is it distasteful? In poor taste?" asked a Council Member.

"No...not in the least! It's about...WHO it's from!" the Mayor gasped.

One of the Council members came up beside the Mayor and looked. "From none other than..."

"Captain David Rider!" the Mayor breathed. "The most notorious soldier the Navy will ever see! Well, then...here is his testimony:

'I am deeply appalled by what has happened with my engine, no thanks to George the
Steamroller's antics on the railway, which resulted in Emily crashing right through an old
barn and almost killing an entire innocent family, just as what happened with Percy only
three weeks ago. Not only that, but Gina the Italian Queen got careened right off the
same track and ended up beside Emily, thus ruining both their trains and causing most
outrageous confusion and delay, but also nearly caused ruin and death yet again. In
protest to the Sodor Island Council's policy and decision to keep George on Sodor after
all the misdeeds he has committed to other engines and Sir Topham Hatt's railway, it is
my naval opinion that enough is enough. The Steamroller is NOT in charge of the railway
or the road industry. And so. It has been several decades that George has worked on
Sodor, causing nothing but irritation, stress, annoyance, disturbance, potential danger,
and just recently, almost causing indirect slaughter upon yet another innocent family.
And as he has plainly learned no lessons what the Hell so-ever, I do hereby...demand'!

The suddenly shocked Mayor stopped short on "demand," and all the Council members gasped and started looking anxiously amongst each other. In his seat, the Fat Controller held onto his collar. Even he didn't expect David to be this bold with the Sodor Island Council. Beatrice knew about this herself and felt a little anxious. She and the Fat Controller watched very closely as the Mayor wiped his brow and began whispering lowly to the other Council Members.

"A Navy Solider, and a Captain at that," he whispered. "He drove Sailor John out of the navy, and he surely still carries much of his military stature even now. He's exceedingly wealthy too. Nautical terms...what can we do to face a comment from a man of this stature?"

"David..." the Fat Controller whispered very softly, almost in a dreamlike state.

The Mayor continued on with David's testimony right to the very end.

"Where was I? Alright. Here's the rest of it.

'...I do hereby demand that George the Steamroller be vacated from the Island of Sodor
as soon as humanely possible. The fact that George the Steamroller is still being so
insensitively rude and blatantly destructive even today, with no changes whatsoever is
disgusting, revolting and beyond insulting. When I see an engine or vehicle behave not
only badly, but uncaringly bad, it makes me wonder why no one has woken up to all
these incidents and finally acted on them. For me, this is the tipping point where I am
just saying enough is enough. Give us true and genuine peace at last. Not just one or two
little weeks. My specific demand is to have George be sent away from Sodor for at least
five whole years. Please take my opinion into considerable account and understand that I
am not only speaking for myself and Emily. I am speaking for the safety of the entire
railway, and the road industry too. The hallmarks of Sir Topham Hatt's railway are
responsibility, reliability and above all, being really useful, as should these hallmarks apply
to the road industry as well. Thank you for hearing my side of this matter and take care.'

Yours truly,
Captain David Rider."

And with that, silence fell over the Council for several moments as they looked to each other with deep, considerable thought that they couldn't recall doing before. They had not considered anything like this in any previous meeting or uprising Sodor had faced in the past. The whole room fell silent for almost fifteen more minutes while everyone waited. Eventually, the silence broke and the hearing continued more straightforwardly.

"Well...that's one deposition...and quite a mouthful," said one of the Council Members. "This Captain Rider certainly has a very wise and deep way of looking at things. That is a most admirable statement indeed...and one we should probably hold onto very strongly."

"Speaking of depositions..." said another member. "Who's the other one from?"

The Mayor opened the other deposition and took a look. As soon as he started speaking, Beatrice's eyes widened and she listened very intently.

"One Beatrice Rider, right here with us today. David Rider's mother, and the most renowned counsellor throughout England and Scotland until she came to live on Sodor, following Diesel 10's final defeat and downfall. Beatrice's testimony says this:

'It is my personal and passionate duty to bring this matter forward to our Mayor and the
Sodor Island Council that both in the storybooks and in further events that came to follow,
George the Steamroller has surrounded his given name with a foul and scathing reputation
among road vehicles. I'm very sure there are many people and engines out there who just
have to look at any other Steamroller besides George and feel sheer hate stir within them.
We've become conditioned to despise steamrollers all thanks to George's most heinous
and abysmal behaviour, and I strongly discourage this image from going any further. I truly
support my son's position in this matter, and I would be most obliged to see what the Council
decides upon this matter.'

Yours truly,
Beatrice Rider."

The Council Members looked a little more among themselves, starting to wonder if something really had to be done about George, especially given he two depositions they had just received. One of them spoke up, thinking there wasn't enough material to finalize the sentence for George.

"Well, I believe an even stronger position against George could have been made if David were here in person, being a navy captain, of course. But since he's not here to testify-"

"Oh, but I AM here," said David's voice.

Everyone looked up and saw him coming into the hearing room. The Fat Controller and Beatrice both looked and gave a beaming smile. David nodded to the Fat Controller, then gave a secret wink to his mother before he looked up with his head held high.

"The accused is more than a menace to the road and the railway. He is more than a culprit. He is THE culprit, and has the absolute worst debonair of manners I have ever read about in the storybooks, and set eyes upon myself. And what is more, I am shameless to bring forth that his alleged victims, the farmer and his children are in need of a new barn. Hence, another demand I wish to bring forth is for George's driver to pay for the damages his steamroller has most unfairly caused. Let us take it up with the driver himself, Jem Cole."

To this, Jem Cole stood up too.

"It's true, Mr. Mayor," he said solemnly. "David approached me on this matter, and I have agreed that as George's driver, I carry some of the responsibility since I didn't drive George to the level crossing, all because I went to retrieve my hat. If it would help to mitigate the situation, I'll gladly pay the farmer for his troubles."

"Very well, Mr. Cole. So be it. I accept this motion as long as you do," said the Mayor. "But...what to do about George?"

"Oust him! Never mind the shrouds of good he's done!" shouted the farmer. "Once a great clumsy road-hog, ALWAYS a great clumsy road-hog!"

Then chattering and murmuring began ensuing among the people in their seats, slowly becoming more energetic and a little charged as light bickering began ensuing among the other people. The Mayor looked down and wrung his hands together, thinking even deeper about everything David had said in his deposition and in person. Being in charge of the Sodor Island Council, the Mayor thought quickly, but clearly about everything...then one other little element that was just about all he needed to make his decision.

"Without Captain David Rider..." he thought. "We might have never ultimately defeated Sailor John in the end. Without Captain Rider, we might have never become absolved of Diesel 10 for good. And if David's demands aren't met...George could potentially bring another tragedy upon another family, who wouldn't be so lucky..."

The Mayor then looked up and raised his hand, which made everyone fall silent. He then gave a single nod to the clerk. The clerk understood and looked around to all the council members, then Phelps and Gallagher, then the Fat Controller, then to David and Beatrice. After about five minutes, the silence broke again.

"Those...in favour of pardoning George?" said the clerk.

Discreetly, one or two Council Members slowly, and a little hesitantly, raised their hands, and Jem Cole most hesitantly began to raise his hand too, not entirely sure he really was in favour himself.

"Those in favour of vacating George from the Island of Sodor for a minimum of five years?" the clerk then asked.

Aside from the three hands before, all hands in the hearing room raised, including David's, Beatrice's, the Fat Controller's, all the other Council Members, and even the clerk's hand raised to this.

To all of this, the Mayor looked up almost anxiously, feeling the moment of truth charging nearer and nearer He began to point a discreet finger to the large photograph of George in the middle of the room, his hand shaking with anticipation and a sense of heavy realization to what he was about to do. Everyone held their breath and waited excruciatingly. Then at last...two simple, yet loud words came from the Mayor as he pointed directly to the portrait of George the Steamroller.

"Banish him!"

And in that instant, there was some sort of explosion from everyone in the room. The whole room erupted with such shouts and clamours of victory and rejoice. The Fat Controller, in particular gave a big gasp, then a series of immense chortles of delight and accomplishment. David and Beatrice gaped and gasped together before they ran to each other and spun each other around in a hug. Phelps and Gallagher gave a nod and a pat to each other's shoulders, and they Mayor wrote down a few more things before he handed it to the clerk, who signed it, then gave it to David. And in just a few minutes more, David, Beatrice, the Fat Controller and the Mayor of Sodor all drove off together to tell the wonderful news...

---

"So there it is, my friends," David said to the four engines. "As I had demanded, for the sake of all the engines, and the roads too, my demands have indeed been obtained. George the Steamroller will not be troubling us again."

Thomas, Emily, Gina and Percy had heard everything and stood there, absolutely floored and enthralled. This was much more than they had ever hoped for. It was yet another wave of pure poetic justice just as they had hoped to achieve since their troubles with George were over and done with just the day before.

"Wow...just...just WOW!" Thomas wheeshed. "Truly astounding!"

"I can't believe you and Sir Topham Hatt did it, David! You really did it!" Percy whistled.

"Well done, David, my Navy Friend! Well, well, done!" Emily whistled. "I never doubted you for a second!"

"Many, many grazie to you, David," Gina gleamed. "And to you, Sir Mayor...thank you most appreciatively."

"And you are all most welcome," said the Mayor. "And congratulations on warning the family just in time and saving their lives."

"Oh...yes. Thank you so very much, sir," said Emily as she turned to David again.

"And here is what the Mayor and clerk gave to me to show you all," said David. "Here it is. The bare-bones proof, all in black and white. This official Council Order hereby states official banishment of George the Steamroller."

"Cinders...and Ashes! I don't BELIEVE it!" Thomas wheeshed with shock.

"It's all right there, Thomas," said David, pointing to the signatures. "The Mayor and the Council agree with Sir Topham Hatt and me that the railway and road industry were in potentially grave danger with George on this island, as it had always potentially been since he first ever arrived."

"Yes, Mr. Rider," said the Mayor. "And Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina? The Council wishes to pass on its condolences and apologies for their partial negligence to past incidents. David and Beatrice have indeed stirred them all to a much higher position than they were before."

"But the most important aspect of all," said the Fat Controller. "As David had strongly urged me to do, his demands have indeed been obtained for the better. As of today, George is to be shipped back to the Mainland, hereby banished and forbidden by law to set wheel on the Island of Sodor again for at least five years. And even beyond that time, the Mainland shall hold custody of him until which time he learns to be polite, patient and careful."

David suddenly scoffed humorously. "And there's not much chance of that ever happening. Is there?"

"George learning to be polite...that's RIDICULOUS!" Thomas wheeshed with a playful grin.

"It's tight as a drum," said David. "If George even dares to give the Mainland any trouble, I wager he'd end up in the hands of the Steelworks. Hurricane and Frankie would know how to keep him out of trouble."

"And now...there's one more thing to do for you four engines...and a great many more," said the Fat Controller.

"What's that?" Thomas asked.

"Well...George is being held at Brendam Docks, where his ship is ready," said the Mayor. "And we wondered if you would like to bestow the pleasure of seeing him leave for the last time, with your own eyes."

In that instant, all four engines slowly widened their eyes and glanced to each other.

"I think that would bring great settlement to us all," said Thomas. "It's never going to happen again, and I wouldn't want to miss any chance."

"Nor me," said Emily. "I would be glad to see it be done, for the sake of seeing true peace befall the rails and the roads at last."

"Off you go, then," said the Fat Controller. "I must take the Mayor back to the Council. David and Beatrice, you may ride with Emily. I'll meet you at the Docks later."

"OF course, sir," said David. Then he reached his hand out. "And thank you, Mr. Mayor. For everything."

"A pleasure, Captain Rider," said the Mayor, shaking hands with David.

So the Fat Controller and the Mayor drove off together, while David and Beatrice got onboard Emily. Then the four engines and the Riders huffed swiftly along the line, right until they came to Brendam Docks. There they saw a ferry waiting to take George away, and the Steamroller was being held by Butch once more until the banishment would be confirmed and completed.

Thomas and Emily stopped and looked solidly at George with a sense of superiority and victory, as did Percy and Gina. Then David stepped down from George once more, baring a serious and strict look once more. George looked miserable and had little more to say, now that he had been put to rights and would surely not return to Sodor at all, given the way that he was and would always be.

"So...George the Steamroller," David spoke solidly, but strictly. "I did warn you it would come to this, and now it HAS. But before you leave us for five years and surely beyond...have you any last words to Sodor?"

George let out the voice, very lowly and not so tough in the least.

"Railways are no good...t-turn 'em into roads..." he uttered, merely meek and powerless now.

David gave a small huff.

"I might have known," he remarked. "Well, before you leave us all in true peace at last, I have a final word you'd better say for all of Sodor."

"Huh! And what be that?" George asked. "Just get it over with. I have a ship to catch after all."

David thought for a moment, then stood tall and strict to George.

"Say you're an outcast," David ordered.

George gave a little gulp, then almost squeaked most meekly, "I'm an outcast."

"LOUDER!" David barked.

With nothing else to do on Sodor, George squeezed his eyes tight and echoed it out, almost in tears.

"I'M AN OUTCAST!"

And then, a chorus of cheers and singing from all the engines.

"HOORAY! George is an Outcast!
An Outcast! An Outcast!
An Outcast! An Outcast!"

"Alright, George," David announced, pointing to the ferry. "You're free to go! And in the Mainland's eyes...you're free to stay there, and NEVER return!"

And with that, Cranky proudly lowered his hook down to George, hoisted him up and placed him right on the ferry. And in just a little while more, the ferry's horn blew and it set off. Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina kept their eyes on the ship until it was finally out of sight. With that, George was taken away to be shipped back to the Mainland, not to return for at least five years...or ever again, given how the chance of him learning any lessons on the Mainland were practically nothing at all. In that moment, Thomas and Emily felt a little stir in their hearts, similar to when they were shown the film projection of Sailor John's final imprisonment.

"I did it...I did it!" David said shakily. "I...I...I can't believe it. We're...we're free! Free of George the Steamroller for five years! Perhaps even forever!"

"I'm deeply proud of you, David," said Beatrice. "You've brought great wisdom and insight to the Sodor Island Council, and great accomplishment and peace back to the railway and the roads."

"George is gone! He...he's gone!" Thomas chortled with great delight. "At last! I never imagined!"

"Unbelievable! And such a privilege it is!" Emily whistled proudly.

"Now we'll get some peace at last! Truly!" Percy whistled gleefully.

"Bellissima! Bellissima and Mamma Mia!" Gina whistled.

Right at that moment, the Fat Controller's car came driving up. He came out and smiled broadly to the engines, knowing what had just happened. But just then, another car came driving along and parked right next to the Fat Controller's car. When the door opened, Miss Jenny came out with an eager and excited look in her eyes.

"Well, good evening to you all," she announced. "I've heard all the news myself, Sir Topham."

"About George, Miss Jenny?" Thomas asked.

"Oh, yes, all you fellows," Miss Jenny nodded. "To think I would live to see this day...remarkable and ambitious efforts, Captain Rider."

"Oh, not at all, Jenny. My pleasure," David nodded. "George will trouble us no more."

"Well...that's that, then," said the Fat Controller. "George is at long-last banished from Sodor, most unlikely to return...but one more question remains. What will become of new roads we need to pave? Properly, of course, but what shall we do? We can't build or repair roads without a steamroller."

Miss Jenny thought for a moment...then snapped her finger with a grin.

"Don't worry about that, Sir Topham," she said. "I've already formed a solution to that. Right from when I first heard this news, I knew I could bring him to full service again. It may have been some very long years since any of you have seen him. Notably you, Thomas. But I have just the ticket to fill in George's void...and heal the image and reputation of steamrollers."

To this, Thomas and Percy perked up a little. Emily raised an eyebrow and Gina gave a curious look.

"Excuse me, but what do you mean I've seen this steamroller before, Miss Jenny?" Thomas asked. "I think I have little flickers, but..."

"Is there another member of the Construction Team, Miss Jenny?" Gina asked. "One I haven't met yet?"

"Well...all four of you come with me, to the Sodor Construction Company...and see for yourselves," Miss Jenny smiled.

The four engines watched as she returned to her car and started to drive off. They looked to the Fat Controller, who gestured in her direction.

"Do as she says," he said. "I'm going her way."

So the four engines set off down the line, following Miss Jenny and the Fat Controller's cars alongside the road. As they looked to each other, they wondered just what this was all about. Who was Miss Jenny referring to if she was to heal the outlook on Sudrian Steamrollers?

Eventually, they all arrived at the Sodor Construction Company. Jack, Max, Monty, Oliver, Alfie, Darcy and Brenda were all gathered together as Miss Jenny and the Fat Controller exited their cars and stood together as Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina all looked and waited.

"Hello again, all of you," said Gina. "Miss Jenny says there is someone for us to meet...and have you heard?"

"Yes. We've all heard," said Jack. "George is at long-last gone...which means it's time for you to meet a new friend, Gina. And an old friend you once worked with, Thomas. We all did."

"Who, Jack? Who is it?" Thomas asked.

"Bring him along," Miss Jenny called.

The engines all heard a new, unfamiliar whistle and another rolling sound of a steamroller. They all wondered just who this could be as he slowly came into view. Emily and Gina saw another steamroller, with brownish red livery with yellow and red lining. He looked very much like George, only he was noticeably bigger, with a bigger, larger roller, bigger wheels, and had a much more friendly face. And as soon as Thomas saw him, he felt some certain memories flash back to him.

"This is Buster...MY steamroller," said Miss Jenny. "He is a hard worker and committed in everything he does for our roads. He may not be the absolute sharpest-minded of us, but he has a very good heart and the pride to do a very good job. From now on, he is now our new official Steamroller of Sodor. Much kinder and friendlier than George has or will EVER be!"

"Ho-ho! Hello again, Thomas! It's been such a long time!" Buster greeted with a big, hearty smile. "And hello, Emily! So pleased to meet you at last!"

Emily was most, most delighted by Buster's much more positive debonair, as was Gina. But Thomas and Percy were particularly ecstatic to see this little miracle that had surely taken too long to come along, and yet it was completely worth it in the end.

"Welcome back, Buster! Welcome back!" Thomas whistled.

"Hello and welcome, Buster! You seem like such a good lad for all of us!" Emily smiled happily. "A truly joyful image for all roads, you may be!"

"Hello again, Buster!" Percy peeped. "And welcome to a whole new purpose on Sodor. Buster the Friendly Steamroller!"

"Oh, of course! Of course!" was all Buster chortled cheerfully.

"Bellissima, Buster! Ciao and welcome!" Gina whistled.

Thomas, Emily, Percy and Gina were all very happy and most grateful for this turnout. George the Steamroller was no longer on Sodor, and both the railway and the road industry had been given true and genuine peace at last. With Buster filling in the void of George's departure from Sodor, the mood of the roads and the rails had just gotten a whole lot better. But there was still a more for Percy and Gina to take part in, as well as all the other engine couples on Sodor, which would come along in just another day or two from now.

---

Well, this definitely ended up being longer than anticipated, and easily our most vulgar story in terms of how much strong langauge was used, though in that regard it kinda felt earned with George. Our first time focusing on George and it's probably gonna be the only time we'll focus on him, but it was also a chance to actually acknowledge Buster from the Jack and the Pack spin-off. Hopefully the next story won't be as long as this one was, but I can say that it will be much lighter in tone, and it's a story that we've been holding off for over two years now, I think. So yeah, until next time, tell us what you thought of this story. Stay safe.