Sodor had seen such an extraordinary month and a half so far. In the last quadrant of March, Percy's spirits were absolutely crushed after he had been careened down Ffarquhar Valley and ended up killing an innocent family when he crashed right through their cottage, leaving him out of service for a week, followed by two more weeks of constant recovery under Beatrice, David and Emily's support, all while Thomas had been called to Italy to work with Gina, promising to Percy to bring her back however he could. Then Gina had come back for two extraordinary weeks with Percy, spawning an even stronger connection with her perfect green engine.
After most scathing nightmare to be faced with, Thomas and Emily had reassessed firmly how their husband and wife bond would never be broken by anything at all. Then George the Steamroller had violated the railway and road industry for the last time, banished from Sodor for a minimum of five years until such time the Mainland could assure he had learned for the better, as unlikely as it that turnout was. Then Gina eventually had to return to Italy after she and Percy shared a bath of temptation and a truly amazing night together. Then Gordon and Rebecca had gone through a truly stressful day to manage the express together, and after Thomas had been quite the scoundrel again with Emily, the two of them both fell under the lunar spell of moonlit temptation all of their own. It was indeed a most astonishing turn of events, and life on Sodor continued to be full of wonders to be explored and experienced onwards and forwards.
Now, it was just after the second week of May. But for the past several days, Emily had been feeling a little blue...without Thomas, as it were. Only a few days after Thomas had proven to be her scoundrel by moonlight, the tweak of adventurous desire had crept back to him once again, and he'd been feeling another raring for international adventures. This time, his desires were not so numerous, but they still did present more of the same occasional loneliness Emily had to face before.
Thomas had begun to think about Brazil, India and Australia again. He had not been back to any of those countries for a fair while since his adventures prior to Italy, and after bringing his wishes forth to the Fat Controller, he agreed to spread the adventures out evenly, and this time, in a way that wouldn't be too much of a negative effect for Emily. After arrangements were made, Thomas could spend some time in Brazil, come back home for about a month, pay India another visit, come back through the rest of summer and autumn, and then pay Australia another visit. And this time, Thomas would be home before Christmas, which made him so very thankful.
As always, Thomas made sure to inform Emily and tell her everything, establishing when and how long he'd be away, and he promised to be careful and come back just for her...with their Christmas that year uninterrupted. Emily was very relieved to know that Christmas wouldn't be interrupted again, and she was of course grateful for Thomas' promises and made sure to wish him well at Brendam Docks, but she was once again left to wait and try not to feel too lonely until he'd come back.
"There he goes again, my big world adventurer," she had said when she saw him leave again. "Good luck, Thomas. I love you."
And so over the next several days that passed, Emily was left to wonder what Thomas would befall in Brazil this time. After hearing about Gustavo, the Batucada Band and Thomas' grudge match with Raul, it was anyone's guess what sorts of tales he'd have to tell when he came back and found the right time to tell them.
Then one day, several days after Thomas had left for Brazil, it was very damp and very rainy. Greyish white clouds lingered and loomed overhead and brought down a steady shower of rain all day, leaving all the engines feeling damp and a little cold. Especially Emily, who was assigned to passenger duties throughout most of the day without Thomas there to accompany her anywhere. In the hours that ticked by, while she managed to look after her passengers quite well, Emily felt lonely and miserable, both because of the rain, and because she couldn't depend on Thomas to keep her warm tonight until he'd return. Until then, it would have to be Percy's company...and two others for tonight.
Emily huffed with determination not to let her loneliness get the better of her, but with all the rain, it was not easy. The rain streamed down her boiler and made her feel little shivers along the way as raindrops trailed down her face, almost as if they were tears she didn't shed.
"Ooh...c-cold," she shook. "If only Thomas were right here with me. As he told me himself, I'm sunshine for someone's rainy day...but not without my Thomas. I just wish this rain would stop!"
"I'll say," said her driver. "Even your cab isn't protecting us from the wet, Emily. The rain just keeps blowing in on us in this wind."
Emily sighed shakily and kept huffing on through the rain, feeling quite gloomy throughout most of the day. Hours passed and the rain went on falling, and the sky remained sunless. And that evening, the rain was still falling and the sky was still sunless when at last, Emily made her way back to Knapford with her last passenger run for the day. As she stopped at the platform and watched her passengers leave, her driver and fireman were quite pleased as they were both soaked from the rain that had been coming down into Emily's cab the whole time.
It had been a long and dreary day for Emily, and she was just about to start reversing and leave her coaches in a siding for the night, then just slip into Tidmouth Sheds and escape the rain at last, when the Fat Controller came out of his office in a slight hurry.
"Hold on there, Emily," he said. "I know you've just returned with your passengers, and you've done very well keeping on time today, but I've just checked the timetable, and there's one more job for you before you're finished today."
Emily began to gape, then sighed to herself, knowing not to argue. "Alright. What is it, sir?"
"I have a goods train right here in the yards that must go to Arlesburgh West for the Small Railway. Once you've made that delivery, then you'll be done."
"Yes, sir," Emily said lowly. "But things have not been so easy with Thomas on another adventure again."
"I know, Emily. But it's been several days, and he'll be home soon enough," said the Fat Controller. "Perhaps you'll see Donald and Douglas and find a chance to talk with them. I'm sure they'd be happy to help you along today."
"Perhaps," said Emily. "And myself and my crew are soaking wet."
Soon, Emily left her coaches in a siding, gathered her goods train together and set off once more. As soon as Emily left the station again, she could feel the rain pattering away on her boiler and face again. It felt good to be under the station roof and start to dry off, and now she had yet a good while longer to bear through feeling cold and wet without Thomas.
"Oh, dear," Emily sighed sadly. "And after Thomas and I had such a truly astonishing, spellbound lunar stirring together...until he comes back home."
At last, Emily made her way to Arlesburgh West with her load. And then, as she made her way to the station depot and delivered her load, the rain finally stopped. Emily looked up and around herself and didn't feel any more rain streaming down her boiler. Her driver and fireman were pleased too.
"Oh...well. It finally stopped raining," said Emily. "At least I'll be dry when I return to the sheds."
"About time too," said Emily's driver. "We'd best find the Arlesburgh turntable and get you home, Emily. Perhaps we'll find Donald and Douglas nearby."
"You know...I hope we do," said Emily. "Now that the rain has stopped, I don't feel as cold and wet...and maybe they'd be happy to see me too."
So Emily left her trucks and set off to find the Arlesburgh turntable, keeping her eyes open for any signs for Donald, Douglas or both of them. A few minutes later, she saw the turntable up ahead. She whistled with delight as she hurried to get the rest of the way there, but then she saw a foreman run toward the line, waving a red flag. Emily had to stop of course.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
The foreman pointed to the turntable, and when Emily looked closer, her hopes for getting home quick were dashed in that same moment. She saw a few workmen standing by the turntable, and a few were looking around inside the turntable well. Then Emily looked once again beside the turntable, and was surprised and disappointed to see a sign that read, "OUT OF ORDER."
"What?! Bother!" Emily wheeshed. "I'm wet, cold and lonely without Thomas here with me! Now I'll have to return home backwards...very slowly, since I'm a tender engine!"
Then Emily heard a familiar whistle. Then another one. She looked and saw Donald arrive right at the turntable with a single flatbed covered by a dripping tarpaulin. Douglas came up alongside him. Then they both looked up and saw who had come along.
"Well, hello, Emily!" they greeted together.
"Hello, Donald and Douglas," Emily replied. "How have you both been?"
"Wet, lassie! That's what we be feeling right now," said Douglas.
"This weather is only fit for Dilly and her ducklings," Donald added.
"Perhaps so," said Emily. "I've been working outside in the rain all day like you...and Thomas isn't here again. He's out on another adventure in Brazil, and I had to come out here after being rained on all day with my passengers...only to see that I'm going to be late getting home, no thanks to the turntable being out of order again!"
"Oh, the turntable?" Donald asked. "Aye, its motor's been busted for almost two days now. But see my flatbed here, Emily? This be the new motor for the turntable, and just in time too. Douggie and I have had to do some of Branch Line runs tender-first, and as we all know, it be dangerous for we tender engines to go too fast backwards. We be much slower that way."
"Backwards or forwards, today was just too wet for me!" Emily huffed. "And not having Thomas around has made it no easier."
Donald and Douglas simply whistled in agreement as the workmen unloaded the new motor from the flatbed and began checking it over to install. While this happened, Emily took looked to Donald and Douglas again. Then something caught her eye. Emily noticed that Donald and Douglas were each wearing a tarpaulin over their tenders that came right up to their cabs. Then their drivers stepped down and began removing them as the rain had now stopped.
"Donald? Douglas?" Emily asked. "What are those on your tenders? They look like tarpaulins."
"Well, of course they be, Emily," said Donald. "Douggie and I use them to try and keep our cabs dry when we travel backwards."
"I see," said Emily. "Well, it must be hard to travel fast one way, but have to go so slow the other way for two straight days with no turntable."
"It is, Emily," said Douglas. "At least there's a turntable up at Harwick Station too, but Donnie and me only have the chance to use it at least once a day, what with us being so very busy. But at least the new motor has finally arrived. Hopefully we won't have to travel tender-first so much anymore."
"Of course...a tarpaulin!" said Emily's driver. "Why didn't we think of that? If we had just placed one over your tender, Emily, we wouldn't have been so soaked. I say when the next rainfall comes, we do just that!"
"Not to mention, it would keep coal a little more dry too!" Emily agreed.
"Hold on, Emily," said Donald's driver. "Tarpaulins wouldn't solve all your problems just like that. Using a tarpaulin may keep you dry, but it's far from flawless. Donald and I recall a certain time many years ago when we had quite an unpleasant experience with one once."
"Oh? When was this?" Emily asked.
When Donald heard his driver, then Emily, he suddenly got an idea and winked to Douglas.
"It was actually just some time before you arrived, Emily," said Donald. "And just some time before Douggie and I had our little twin trouble with that hay cart. One very rainy day...when I ended up losing my tarpaulin. And in a rather painful and frustrating way as well...and while we be waiting for the turntable to be fixed...would you care to hear about it?"
"Aye, Emily. Perhaps something to fortify the constitution over this very wet day...and so as to raise your spirit even a little regarding Thomas' absence?"
Suddenly, in the midst of waiting for Thomas to come home and wishing to be turned the right way around again so as to make a quick way home, Emily felt herself feeling eager to hear another story from before her time on Sodor began. She had been quite busy since she last saw Donald and Douglas for a fairly timed visit, and after such a wet day without Thomas, she found the idea of a story from her brother figures to be promising. She looked at Donald and began to smile for the first time all day.
"Hmm...I think I'd be delighted to share in a story of yours, Donald," she answered. "So... how about giving your lovely sister figure a little storytime? What happened with you and your lost tarpaulin, Donald?"
"Now there's a story, bonnie sister," said Donald. "We'd be proud to share it with you tonight. Who knows? Maybe the motor would be installed by the time we're done tellin' it."
So Emily settled right where she was and listened to her beloved brother figures tell the story of Donald and the Lost Tarpaulin...
When Donald and Douglas aren't working on the Main Line or helping on Edward's Branch Line, they help with the goods traffic on Duck's Branch Line. In the summer, when the weather is fine, they enjoy it, but they don't like it so much when it's wet. No engine likes being rained on; Henry had even stayed in a tunnel once to avoid it. There is one turntable at Arlesburgh so the tender engines can be turned the right way around, but if this turntable can't function, tender engines always have to travel backwards in one direction, and at a considerably slower rate, as it is dangerous for tender engines to go fast backwards.
One wet, rainy day, just a few days before Donald and Douglas hauled that heavy load together and crashed into Trevor's broken hay cart, they had been working hard through steady falling rain and they did not like it one bit. The rain streamed down their boilers, making them both rather cold and a little quarrelsome amongst each other, although they still managed to get through most of their work, expecting to return to their shed in due course.
After working rather hard through most of the morning, Donald and Douglas huffed damply to the turntable and were just about ready to get on one after the other and try and turn around for a faster run, when they saw a foreman waving a red flag. When they stopped and looked, they saw several workmen walking around the table, and a few were kneeled down in the turntable well. Donald and Douglas wondered what was going on until they saw a nearby sign that read, "OUT OF ORDER."
"Great Scott, this is unfair!" Donald huffed. "These turntables be a muckle nuisance!"
At that moment, Duck whistled by and came up alongside the twins.
"Oh, dear," said Duck. "Looks like our turntable has jammed itself up again. Now you and Douglas might have to pull the next train backwards."
"This turntable is nae good enough!" Donald grumbled. "And not well-enough taken care of! Why can't the Fat Controller get this here turntable fixed sooner?"
"He probably has other important matters that need tending to before he can focus on a new turntable motor," said Duck. "Besides, it's not like tank engines like Oliver and I need a turntable as we primarily run this line together, and tank engines can go just as well backwards as forwards."
"Huh!" snorted Donald. "He ought to try riding a cab on a day like this! It's alright for you! You've a proper back to your cab that keeps the rain away when it's coming down in torrents, Douggie and me have nothing!"
"Actually, there is one solution, Donald," said his driver.
"Wait here and we'll be right back," said Douglas' driver.
Donald and Douglas waited a little impatiently as they were both disappointed over the turntable, until their drivers came back with something to help against the rain. In an effort to keep some of the rain off, the twins' crews rigged tarpaulins from the back of the cab roof down to the back of the tender, like a sort of tent. Most of the other steam engines on Sodor knew this to be true and had used tarpaulins themselves. They certainly helped to keep dry, but when it was windy, tarpaulins flapped and made itself a nuisance.
And indeed, as Donald and Douglas continued to work along the line through the next hour or two, the tarpaulins certainly kept their coal more dry, and their crews felt more dry too, but the rain kept falling quite hard, and every now and then, there was a teasing wind that blew suddenly in hard puffs and would blow the rain this way and that, almost making the tarpaulins blow away. More than once, the rig systems on the twins' tenders almost broke loose, making them both gasp and hope the tarpaulins didn't blow away.
It was a lot harder to manage with all that wind than they thought, but at last, the weather improved. And so suddenly, at a time when Donald's driver and fireman had to make a quick turnaround at Tidmouth Sheds and gather one more goods train from Knapford. But as time was a little constrained for Donald's schedule, the fireman only had time to bundle the tarpaulin roughly into a roll and put it out of the way at the back of the tender. Then they hurried to Tidmouth Sheds to turn Donald around and take on water for the next journey back to Arlesburgh.
They made their way to Knapford Station and collected the goods train from the yards, but just before they set out with their goods train from Knapford Station, the fireman, who was shoveling coal forward from the back of the tender, noticed that the tarpaulin has disappeared. He looked all around Donald's tender, but it was nowhere to be seen.
"Did you move it?" he asked the driver.
The driver shook his head no. "I haven't seen it since you took it down."
"Bother!" said the fireman. "It must have fallen off back in the yards. I only hope it doesn't rain again before we find it."
"Oh, dear," said Donald. "I do hope it didn't blow away too far. As annoying as it was in that wind, it certainly kept my coal burning nicely."
With that, he whistled and set off out of Knapford with his load. He felt better to have a fast run again, especially with no rain and wind this time. But Donald had very little idea of just what had happened to his lost tarpaulin, and just how he'd be feeling in short time.
They reached Arlesburgh safely, but then on the way back, tender-first with another goods train, they had to stop at Haultraugh, as one of Oliver's coaches has derailed further up the line at Tidmouth Halt. Donald would have to wait until the stationmaster gave the next notice that the line was clear. But just a few minutes later, he felt a certain sensation in his boiler.
"Ohh! I'm awfully thirsty!" Donald stated.
Donald's driver checked his water gauge and could tell his engine was right. They had been hard at work all day and had not yet visited any water towers. But Donald still had plenty of water in his tender. His driver opened his injector to let the water in, but to his worry, none of the gauge needles moved at all, and no water came from the tender into the boiler.
"Try yours," the driver told the fireman. He did, but it made no difference. Then they heard Donald groan.
"Ohh!" Donald groaned. "I've got such a pain!"
His driver and fireman quickly looked closer, then suddenly it came to them.
"Your injectors have failed, Donald," said his driver. "There's nothing for it but to drop your fire, and then we can try to repair them!"
Donald grunted dreadfully as he felt his fire being put out. Then his fireman climbed onto the back of the tender to check the water level in the tank. He lifted the filler cap and peered in. In that moment, he nearly jumped and fell off Donald's tender in surprise.
"Well, I'll be!" he exclaimed. "So THAT'S where our tarpaulin went!"
Donald looked back with a wheeze of shock, then shuddered at the mere thought that his tarpaulin was stuck right inside his tender.
Seizing a long, steel pole, the fireman plunged it into the water and managed to pull the sodden tarpaulin away from the feed pipe, which had been completely blocked. In the next moment, water is soon flowing freely back into Donald's boiler once more.
"Agh! Much...MUCH better!" Donald gasped as he felt all the pain ebb right out of his boiler. "But...but my tarpaulin! H...how?!"
Then at that moment, the stationmaster came running toward Donald. His driver and fireman looked up and suspected news.
"Good news, Donald," said the stationmaster. "Oliver's accident has been cleared up, which means you can carry on with your journey now."
"Ah, good," said Donald. "But my tarpaulin! What could have happened?"
Then his fireman remembered.
"Well, if that doesn't take the biscuit!" he exclaimed. "I should have bundled it more firmly, and not at the back of your tender, Donald!"
"Well, that would certainly do it," said Donald's driver. "All I know is that getting that thing out completely is going to be such a handful."
With the tarpaulin out of the way of the feed pipe, Donald could finally continue on his way and finish his last leg of work, but he now felt very silly with a sodden tarpaulin hanging limply along his tender for the rest of his work. When Duck and Oliver saw it, they had no words to say. Just a perplexed look to Donald, then to each other.
Donald's driver and fireman hoped that removing the tarpaulin wouldn't be too hard. But when they finally reached the Shunting Yards and let Donald rest, the driver and fireman had such a difficult job fishing the tarpaulin out of Donald's tank altogether. It was sodden, bunched up, tangled and all in tatters every which way. My, Donald's driver and fireman were sore! When they finally finished, they are very wet, very hot and very cross. The fireman then vowed never to store the tarpaulin near the water filler again, and the driver intends to make sure that he never does.
Before long, Douglas soon came by and heard everything from Donald's crew, who of course felt pity, but was also quite amused by his twin brother's incident.
"Well, well, Donnie," he grinned. "I never thought we steamies could suck objects in like that! And I thought only 'The Diesel,' sucked everything through his air intake. First a bowler hat, then a tarpaulin! Whatever will we engines be clogged with next?"
"Ach, quit your wheeshing!" Donald retorted. "You would nae like it if that had been YOU out there!"
"Perhaps not, but my driver was careful to bunch my tarpaulin up properly. Perhaps yours would have had more time if ye worked a little harder."
"Nae true, I work hard!" Donald huffed.
"So do I!" Douglas replied.
"Ach, we BOTH do! Just leave it for today!" Donald replied.
To this, Douglas had to laugh, as did Donald. And so came the end of a rather busy and even silly day for Donald, but he managed to make it through, and he was back with his brother again for the day, practical, peppery and proud...
"And there you have it, Emily," said Donald as he had finished his little tale. "The story of me and my lost tarpaulin."
"So, bonnie sister...what do you think?" Douglas asked. "Quite something, ain't it?"
Emily stood there, having heard everything her brother figures had just told her about. Her eyes blinked and her lips carried a little smile that had been there since the story had begun. Then that smile became more steady.
"Well, you two," she said. "That was quite a story...but Donald, you poor lad. I'm sorry your tarpaulin ended up doing that."
"Aye, well...take it from us, Emily," Donald advised. "If you ever use a tarpaulin to cover your cab, be sure it keeps well away from your tank."
"Aye, Emily," Douglas added. "We would never wish to have your feed pipe blocked up by any tarpaulin...not after you ended up spiked with all that wine and champagne along with David...oh, that was so terrible to behold, Emily!"
"I know, Douglas, and I'm certainly not managing tarpaulins the wrong way," said Emily. "Anyway, that was an interesting little story, Donald, and I really enjoyed it. Thank you, both. Now...how is that turntable, so I can get home? Is the motor working?"
Donald and Douglas and Emily all looked to the turntable. But the "OUT OF ORDER," sign was still up, and the foreman shrugged to all three engines. The turntable was still not yet fixed.
"Oh, dear. They're still working on it," said Donald. "It may be a while yet before you could turn around again, Emily."
Emily sighed disappointedly. "Ohh...but what if it rains again? I really want to get home. It's been such a hard, wet day without Thomas."
Donald and Douglas looked to each other, then to Emily. They had one more idea for her.
"Well, Emily. You don't have to wait any longer," said Douglas. "What say you head up to Harwick and use their turntable? Then you won't have to go home tender first. You deserve a warm rest with your friends tonight. And it's what Thomas would want."
To this, Emily smiled happily. After such a wet and dreary day with Thomas out on another adventure, this was just what she needed tonight. It was the simple, small rewards that really counted right now, and she had found herself another peaceful, pleasant little evening with her two brother figures. She came a little closer and batted her eyelashes sweetly to them both.
"Thank you, Donald and Douglas," she gleamed. "It's been a very wet day...but sharing this little story has made me feel better enough to smile for the first time all day. And for that, I'm glad to have spent it with you two."
With that, Emily buffered to Donald first and kissed both of his cheeks, earning a big smile.
"Thank you for the story...Donnie," Emily winked cutely.
"Our pleasure, Emily, lass," Donald smiled.
Then Emily switched to Douglas' line and kissed both his cheeks too.
"And it was very lovely to see you again too...Douggie," Emily giggled.
"Same, likewise, Emily," Douglas winked.
Then Emily switched to the other line so as to make her way to Harwick.
"Thank you, boys," Emily smiled. "I love you both, my dear brothers."
"We love you too, Emily," Donald and Douglas said together. "So delighted to see you smile again."
And with a cheerful whistle, Emily made her way to Harwick, where she was very glad to see their turntable was working. With a smile and a little chortle, she made her way home to Tidmouth Sheds quickly and swiftly. The other engines soon heard what Emily had to say, and they could see she was indeed happy to make it home again after hearing another delightful little story of what had happened on Sodor before she ever came along.
"That sounds delightful, Emily," said Rebecca.
"A fine story...but a tarpaulin in one's feed pipe...disgraceful just to think about," said Gordon.
"Or getting my shiny paint too soaking wet," James uttered mostly to himself.
"And to think that neither Thomas nor I wore a tarpaulin in that rainstorm in Brazil...which is where he is right now, yet again," said Nia.
"I know, Nia," said Emily. "I can only wonder what he'll have to tell us about Brazil this time once he gets home. Now that several days have gone by, I wonder what it will be like when Thomas comes back again."
"Well, he must be thinking about you as always, Emily," said Percy. "And right now for you, it's much better to be back home with us, where it's warm and dry."
At that moment, the Fat Controller's drove up to the sheds. The engines all looked and saw him looking happy about something. Emily began to wonder if there was any news for her.
"Good evening, sir," she said. "Is...is there any news about Thomas?"
"Good evening, Emily," said the Fat Controller. "Well done on making your final delivery today. As for Thomas, as a matter of fact, yes there is some news, Emily. I received a call from the Brazilian Railway, and they say that Thomas is having quite a different experience than he had in Brazil before. He wants to save it all for when he returns...which should be soon, Emily. It should just be a week or a little longer before he returns home again."
"Oh...thank you, sir," Emily smiled as the Fat Controller left for the night.
"Well. Looks like he'll be home before you know it, Emily," said Percy.
"I think so, Percy. Goodnight to you all," said Emily. Then she looked to the sky. "And goodnight to you, Thomas."
And with that, Emily slipped right into her cozy berth and fell asleep. As she felt the warm and dry safety of her berth, she already began o feel better. She couldn't wait for Thomas to come home again. And in due course, Thomas would come back. But what Emily had yet to find out was just what would happen between her and Thomas once he did come back. When the time was right, there was a most outlandish, yet truly luscious and truly bubbly experience for her and Thomas to flourish even more in when their next chance came. One that would involve certain fragrancy, particularly for Emily, which would all too easily ensure certain stirrings and temptations that she and Thomas still had not yet taken part in. But however it would turn out, neither she nor Thomas would be disappointed in the least.
At last, a short story, something we really did need after so many longer ones, with this one obviously being an adaptation of the Annual story of the same name, with some small changes, mainly how the original story said that there was no turntable on Duck's branch line, despite the fact that there was a turntable on the branch line in the Railway Series, literally the one that Oliver fell into, but Christopher Awdry apparently forgot that fact when writing this story. So yeah, I addressed that problem by having the turntable being out of order instead. And it was just a good excuse to have more of Emily with Donald and Douglas. Also, to John Wilkins, no offense or anything, and I know this isn't the first time someone has said this to you, but as much as I appreciate your reviews, could you please stop talking about tickle fetishes? It's very uncomforting and not something I really want to know about, cause it's too much information that might be best to keep to yourself. Next story is going to be another steamy one with Thomas and Emily, so look forward to that, and until then, as usual, tell us what you thought of this story, and stay safe.