A Scoundrel by Moonlight

by AaronCottrell97

Thomas knows that Emily enjoys him being a scoundrel from time to time, and after being tempted by the moonlight, he decides to behave like a scoundrel towards Emily only. Emily, however, isn't too keen on being the sole target of Thomas' cheekiness, but once she realizes the sultry intentions he has for her that night, she decides to indulge in them with him under a full moon.

A few days had gone by since Gordon and Rebecca were both faced with a rather high-stress express together with a great slew of passengers to look after over the course of thirteen hours altogether, while also squeezing in passenger transport to Ulfstead Castle and Crovan's Gate alike for a tour of Sir Robert's Estate and the Skarloey Railway. It was all such a stressful weight for Gordon and Rebecca's wheels, but both had seen the entire day through and shown some great inner strength to hold out together until they finally braved through the whole thirteen hours, then rewarded each other immensely in Henry's Tunnel where their love had truly flourished to its full regalia that past December. But now things were going to get a little busy for Thomas and Emily, in more ways than one.

It was another fine evening at Tidmouth Sheds. All the engines had worked diligently and were now set to cool their fireboxes and rest their pistons. After a few minutes of exchanging a few stories, the engines all bade goodnight to each other.

But after most of the engines fell asleep, Emily glanced to Thomas again, stopping her view right on him. She couldn't help but notice a certain look on his face that suggested pending cheekiness. He was smirking to himself and murmuring lowly to himself.

"Hmm...could I go for that?" he murmured to himself. "Oh, yes...think of what she would think..."

"Thomas?" Emily asked a little carefully.

Thomas looked up and almost seemed a little nervous. "Uh...yes, Emily?"

"Are you thinking of something?" Emily asked.

"Hmm...no. Why?" Thomas asked, trying not to give away too much.

"Don't think I didn't hear you murmuring just now," Emily inquired. "I'm getting a feeling you're up to something...or you're going to be."

"No. Not at all," Thomas replied, trying very hard not to grin.

"Thomas?" Emily emphasized, starting to sound stern.

To this, Thomas lowered his eyebrows and as he looked at Emily, he suddenly got a little idea. A mischievous idea to hold onto until he saw fit to put it forth. He looked away from Emily and explained a little.

"Alright, Emily...admittedly, I've actually been thinking throughout today. About something I haven't done for a very long time. It's been just over four years since I was exceedingly cheeky again with the other engines, and even you...when you called me your scoundrel."

Thomas looked toward Emily again as he spoke the last words in his sentence, and Emily's heart began to jump. She couldn't help but notice a certain look on his face that suggested pending cheekiness. This was a look Emily couldn't recall seeing for a very, very long time. Not since Thomas had been cheeky toward the other engines again and even to her, which resulted in her refusing to kiss him for a month once again, and declared him a scoundrel, much to his coy and impressive delight, resulting in him winning her over all too easily with his inner charm and her going back on her punishment once again. That was just over four years ago, and she suddenly began to feel little rushes if something like that would happen again.

"Thomas...the Scoundrel," she whispered with a stern look. "So that's what you were murmuring about. Well, Thomas...it has indeed been a long time since you've been a scoundrel with anyone...but if you're thinking of being relentlessly cheeky again, I-"

"But Emily," Thomas begged with a cheeky smile. "It's been just over four years now...haven't I been a good little tank engine all those years?"

"Yes...as long as you've been on Sodor," Emily replied. "We all know you got cheeky with Gina all the way in Italy, and that turned into a huge mistake. Perhaps you're still holding onto some of that cheek now, by the looks of it. True, I love when you're a little scoundrel once in a while, but there's still the fact that the other engines don't like it...and any cheekiness you show towards me is a gamble. If you even try and cause Percy, Gordon, or especially me any unwarranted tedium and annoyance which is too much even for me, you know what I would do."

Thomas wasn't fazed. "Of course I know what you'd do," he smirked. "You did it twice and it didn't work, then when I came back with James, you held out for three weeks, but still didn't make it through a month. And of course, you love me too much as your scoundrel, and I'm not sneaking off to the Mainland again without telling you. I'm afraid your kiss-less punishments just won't work on me...or you."

"Well, your cheekiness can't slide past me, Thomas," Emily retorted. "I'd be very affronted to see you be cheeky to Nia or Rebecca...and especially Percy. He's still feeling a little touchy without Gina, and none of them deserve any cheekiness from you!"

"Well, that's the whole point, Emily," said Thomas, smirking further. "For your information, I don't have any plans for the other engines. They're all safe from my clever tricks. This time, my only target...is you."

Emily suddenly looked a little nervous. Thomas had never planned to be cheeky to her alone, and it made her wonder just what he would do.

"Me? And just what do you intend to play at with me?" she asked with a stern frown. "You'd better not think of bumping me off the rails!"

"Oh, but of course not, Emily," Thomas grinned. "I'd never dream of derailing my own wife figure. That's just awful. And besides, doing something like that would mean I couldn't enact any of my plans...for tomorrow."

"What plans?" Emily asked sternly.

Thomas suddenly lowered his eyebrows further and smiled bigger. "That's for me to know...and you to find out tomorrow...or not! He-he-he!"

Emily sighed annoyingly and looked away...but in that moment, she couldn't help but feel a certain ray of excitement in her heart. She knew just what Thomas' scoundrel antics had led to before, and she still liked when he could be a scoundrel once in a while. It was just a matter of how far he went with it when she decided to be proud of him or cross with him. It was then when she decided to make an answer as he looked back at him. She felt prepared and ready to take him on tomorrow, no matter what he might have had in mind.

"Fine, Thomas," she said, almost smiling. "If you want to take your scoundrel's gamble, I'm game if you're game...but you just remember that I'll be ready tomorrow. Right now, you need to go to sleep, as do I."

This made Thomas sigh and settle down, at least for the night. "Well, you've won for now, Emily. But I'll be ready too...in the morning. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Emily sighed as she backed into her berth.

And with that, Emily fell asleep, wondering just what would befall her the next day. Thomas stayed awake a minute or two longer...but then he cast his eyes to the moon. Ever since night came, he had noticed it was not quite full, but it was very, very close to full. Emily didn't know it yet, but there was yet another reason Thomas was enacting such cheeky plans...something he had not yet told Emily, which he hoped would bring her great and powerful stirrings the very next night. As Thomas had come to know from James and Molly's experience, and some of his own experience with Emily, he knew that the effect of moonlight made some people and their personalities change and behave differently...most particularly under a full moon. And with James and Molly's experience as living proof, Thomas had rather excited thoughts over how a full moon would potentially reward him for his scoundrel antics with Emily as she couldn't help but like them every now and then.

Thomas knew he had been cheeky with the other engines before, but this time he had different intentions and different hopes, depending on what Emily would make of them...and depending on what sort of moon the sky would reveal the next night. If Thomas' hopes for a full moon were right, he felt as though it was just a matter of one day that would determine how the scoundrel would perform this time...and what sorts of stirrings he and his angel would bring about. And so with one more glance to Emily's beautiful sleeping form, Thomas fell right to sleep with a smile and a chortle of anticipation and excitement.

"Sweet dreams, Emily...my beautiful...and sexy emerald angel," he whispered very quietly.

Emily couldn't help but hear a little voice in the sheds. She opened her eyes just a little bit and saw Thomas in his berth, fast asleep and smiling away. She sighed again over his cheekiness, then trailed her eyes out the window...to the moon. Just like Thomas, she slowly noticed how round it seemed to appear, but it wasn't full. But she was too tired to think anything more about it...yet. She smiled at how lovely it looked, then fell asleep with very little idea of just what would come next very soon.

"Goodnight, Thomas...my handsome cobalt star...and scoundrel," she whispered very deeply in her sleep.

The next morning, things began to happen when Thomas woke up. He looked around the sheds, then to Emily, who was still asleep in her berth. He grinned mischievously as he could now enact his naughty little plan. He then huffed as quietly as he could to the turntable. Then he turned to the Main Line and slipped away while the other engines remained asleep.

About ten minutes later, Emily began to wake up next. She yawned, let off a little wave of steam and began to greet Thomas.

"Mmm...good morning, Tho...Thomas?" she said.

Emily looked and saw that Thomas wasn't in his berth. Then as she noticed the turntable lined up to the Main Line already, she immediately remembered the night before and now felt fully ready. She immediately began to wonder where he was...and what he could be doing.

"Really? I expected him to blow his whistle and shock me awake," said Emily. "Just what can that naughty little tank engine be doing?"

At that moment, as the other engines woke up, the Fat Controller arrived.

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted.

"Sir? Where's Thomas?" she asked. "He wasn't here when I woke up."

"He's gone to fill his coal bunker and water tank, and get ready for his Branch Line run. He came by Knapford just as I arrived to open my office. Now, Emily, you have passenger duties throughout the morning and early afternoon. Then around 2:00 p.m., you must collect a goods train to take to Arlesburgh, then around 4:30 p.m. today, there will be a heavy and slow goods train to go to Crovan's Gate. I've asked Thomas to shunt your trucks into place once his Branch Line run is done, and he'll be preparing your other goods trains too. You should be finished your day just before sunset."

Emily had heard everything. She now knew what the day would be like...and when she heard what Thomas would be doing, she felt a little nervous, suspecting what mischief he could do with trucks. She almost thought of telling the Fat Controller, but silently decided not to. As cheeky as her star was bound to be with her today, she still held onto the little wave of faith that something truly passionate would result from it.

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way," she said surely.

She then ran right across the turntable and set off for Knapford, wondering just what Thomas would be up to today. When she arrived at Knapford Station, she stopped at Platform 1, half expecting to see her coaches waiting for her, but they weren't at Platforms 1 or 2.

"Where are my coaches? My passengers will be here soon," she said to herself.

She looked further to the right. She saw Annie and Clarabel just beyond the station. This told Emily that Thomas hadn't started his Branch Line run yet, and her suspicions began to grow. She looked further until she saw two of her coaches sitting further back along Platform 5, just behind one of the walls. Emily smiled and made her way to the points. She eventually switched to the line for Platform 5 and began to back up to her coaches. But just as she felt her buffers touch them, they suddenly pulled away from her.

"What? What's going on?" Emily asked.

Then she suddenly heard a cheeky little chuckle, coming from behind her. Emily's heart sparked with discovery as she hurried to the points and switched to Platform 4. She backed up...and there was Thomas, holding onto both her coaches and giggling cheekily. This was the day of cheekiness Emily had been waiting for, and now it had begun. Thomas looked up and smiled cheekily.

"Well, look who was too late to fetch her own coaches!" he announced. "Looks like you're not fast enough to wake up and work hard like me!"

"Thomas? What are you up to now?" Annie called from her siding.

"More scoundrel tricks by the sounds of it!" Clarabel chirped.

It was right in that moment when Emily realized just who she was dealing with now. She knew she should have seen it coming again sooner or later. Thomas' scoundrel had awoken once again.

"There you are...my scoundrel!" Emily announced back. "So this is what you've planned! Making your own wife figure late for her passengers! And why aren't you on your Branch Line run? The Fat Controller said you would be!"

"Well, Em...Look at the station," Thomas pouted with a smirk. "The passengers haven't arrived yet. Perhaps you got here too early, which can only mean confusion without delay! I thought only Rebecca made that mistake, but now it seems you've slipped the schedule too. You really are my playfully airheaded cupcake!"

In that instant, Emily gasped with shock and another flash of memory, remembering exactly how she overheard Thomas utter such a name about her after he teased Toby. She had not heard that name again for all this time, and she went rather red in the face and blew steam at Thomas.

"Huh! Hardly!" she wheeshed. "I'm definitely not feeling playful right now! I have passengers to be ready for! Therefore, as you told me concerning Annie and Clarabel...those are MY coaches! Give them back! And DON'T call me that name lightly! Don't you remember what I thought when you went so far as to call me such a name?!"

Thomas suddenly flashed back to that very day when Emily happened to overhear what he said to Toby about her...and he also remembered again how Emily managed to withstand his lips for three entire weeks after he had snuck off to the Mainland and wound up at the Steelworks.

"I do, Emily. I do...but I know you won't hold out," he said, still smirking. "As I told you last night, I'm not going anywhere beyond Sodor...and you can't hold up against my ultimate charm. It's won you over every time. Admit it."

"Enough, you scoundrel. I have passengers to look after," said Emily. "And so do you! You don't want them saying what a very naughty engine you're being right now!"

"She's quite right, Thomas. Now give Emily back her coaches and bring us along!" Annie ordered.

"Indeed, Thomas," Clarabel added. "Our passengers will be arriving any minute!"

"Alright, alright, your ladyships," Thomas sighed as he gave in. "I wouldn't want the passengers to be cross with me anyway...or my cupcake!"

"Hmph!" Emily huffed.

Thomas took no notice as he steamed away from her coaches, still laughing. As he gathered Annie and Clarabel and Emily brought her coaches to Platform 1, the passengers began to arrive. Thomas then came up beside her at Platform 2, flashing a big, cheeky smile. Emily could tell he was trying to toy with her further. She maintained her stern look, but Thomas just gave her a look as if to say, "Oh, I'm so precious and cute."

"So. You're supposed to be shunting my trucks for today," said Emily, trying to change the subject. "Surely the Fat Controller told you that, Thomas."

"Hmm...he might have mentioned it when I came by," said Thomas. "But it all depends. You never know what your scoundrel might do today."

Emily almost retorted with a stern remark when her guards whistle blew and she had to start her passenger run.

"Sorry, Thomas, you scoundrel. Gotta go," said Emily. "We're finished for now."

"Oh, no, Emily," Thomas replied as she started to move. "We've barely begun!"

Emily set off with a sigh and a huff as she went on her way. Thomas only smiled cheekily until she was out of sight. Then when his guards whistle blew, he was ready for his Branch Line. He then decided to put off his cheekiness for a while. But as he set off with Annie and Clarabel, he still had plenty more in mind for Emily later.

Throughout the morning hours, and on into the early afternoon, Thomas and Emily worked briskly and diligently wherever they went along the Branch Line and the Main Line. Their passengers alike complimented the two engines for comfortable journeys, keeping right on time and being really reliable. Thomas was pleased to enjoy his Branch Line for the time being, but he couldn't help but keep thinking about what would probably come along that very evening. He was very anxious to find out if the moon would be full or not...and how Emily would feel by the time her day's work would be finished. He kept thinking away of just what to do to drive his scoundrel antics further and see if he could toy to Emily's barriers and chip them away. Thomas knew something tremendous would happen tonight. He just didn't know what it would be yet.

Eventually, by 1:00 in the afternoon, Thomas returned to Knapford Station and left Annie and Clarabel in their siding. His Branch Line run was now completed. He now knew he'd have to get to shunting Emily's trucks together for her to take to Arlesburgh. He went right to the yards and could see them scattered about in separate sidings...then he got another idea. He snickered to himself and started shunting away.

"What are you doing, Thomas?" asked one of the trucks.

"Well...Emily is supposed to bring you all to Arlesburgh...but do you all think you can keep very quiet when she comes along?"

"Why?" asked a few other trucks.

Thomas whispered his plan to the trucks, then they all giggled in agreement to Thomas as he kept shunting them about...

Emily, meanwhile, was on her last passenger run for the day and on her way back to Knapford. She had managed to feel a little better to have some peace from Thomas' cheekiness, but as she thought to what Thomas had said as she left the station, she began to feel suspicious again. What else would he have in mind? What cheeky comments would he utter to her? Why was he doing it? These questions were all waiting to be answered.

Then suddenly, two more thoughts suddenly hit Emily which made her suddenly feel a little excited. She thought again to how Thomas' scoundrel behavior led to quite a passionate night between them, and she still felt that little touch of faith in her heart that perhaps he was leading her into another passionate night...and then she suddenly remembered how she looked at the moon...and just what had happened with James and Molly that night. She thought back to when she looked at the moon and how round it was...and possibly how round it would be tonight. Emily began to feel as if she had a few butterflies in her boiler.

"Goodness...why didn't I think of it before?" she said quietly to herself. "Perhaps Thomas is...but wait...what if the moon isn't full tonight? If it were, then perhaps my scoundrel is working toward something...something for me...oh, dear. What could he be doing now, I wonder?"

And Emily huffed onwards with her coaches. She still had a fair day's work ahead of her, but now her thoughts to Thomas' cheekiness were just beginning to change. She began to wonder if perhaps something else was bound to happen sometime soon. It would all come together in due course.

Eventually, Emily eventually came back to Knapford and let off her last few passengers. The clock showed 1:50 p.m. She was ten minutes early for her goods run. After her passengers left, Emily left her coaches in a siding, and backed up through the yards as she was now ready to take her load to Arlesburgh, expecting to see Thomas ready and waiting for her. But as she looked around the yards, she noticed her goods train was nowhere to be seen. There were no trucks, box vans, tankers or brakevans anywhere...and Thomas was nowhere either. Emily became suspicious and formed a frown again. She wondered if Thomas had beaten her back and was up to more mischief. In the fears that she'd be late and get in trouble with the Arlesburgh Manager, she wouldn't put up with Thomas' nonsense. As she approached the station again, she spoke.

"Thomas...where are you?" she asked steadily and sternly.

From somewhere in the yards, she heard a distant giggle, coming from behind the station wall to her left.

"Thomas! I know you're here!" Emily wheeshed.

"Yes I am, Emily," Thomas' voice answered...then sang tauntingly. "But whe-e-e-ere?"

"Thomas! I have a schedule to keep, you know! I Now come out with my trucks this instant!" she ordered.

"You have to guess where I am, Emily. Where could I be-e-e?"

"For goodness sakes!" Emily wheeshed. "I can hear you from behind the station wall. Now get out here with my trucks!"

Sure enough, she heard his whistle from behind the station wall. She shot her eyes right to the wall as she heard a puffing sound, then a slew of laughing from the trucks...then there was Thomas, reversing back along the line with her line of trucks for Arlesburgh, still laughing cheekily along with the trucks as he came up beside Emily. But he didn't stop beside her. He kept reversing along, making Emily follow him right to the signals, where they both stopped with Emily looking most annoyed, while Thomas smiled on.

"Come on, Emily. We just wanted a little fun. Didn't we, boys?" Thomas gloated.

"Of course. Just fooling around, that's all," said one of the trucks.

"There you are, you cheeky scoundrel!" Emily stated. "Now give my trucks back. The Arlesburgh Manager is waiting for them."

"Oh, is he?" Thomas teased. "I seem to think I recall that the Fat Controller had a goods train to for me to take to Arlesburgh...on the very day I set off on my first big adventure. Perhaps maybe I should make up for missing that train...and taking this one myself!"

"Thomas, come here and behave yourself!" Emily insisted. "I can't afford to be late!"

"Oh, really?" Thomas teased. "I think I recall you telling James it doesn't matter if you're late with goods. Trucks aren't urgent. Not like passengers!"

"Hmph! I can't waste time playing 'catch the trucks,' with you!" Emily hissed. "Why don't you use your shunting skills for proper use and shunt my trucks over here? You know I can't shunt like you do."

"Well, of course you can't, but I can!" Thomas teased. "Perhaps you should play tank engines every now and then. Place your tender out of the way and have a nice bunker! That tender must be a little heavy with all your coal! No wonder you can't catch me, or my trucks!"

"Give them back, Thomas!" Emily wheeshed.

"Not if you don't try," Thomas challenged. Then he set off through the yards again. "Come on, all you trucks! Keep away from Emily!"

"Thomas, come back here! This isn't funny!" Emily demanded as she started to chase her little scoundrel.

"Oh-ho-ho!" Thomas teased. "Sounds like you're huffing and puffing...like Gina!"

"Thomas, I'll have NONE of that!" Emily wheeshed.

She rushed alongside Thomas' line and through the yards. She saw the points ahead and was sure she could get in front of Thomas and collect her trucks. But Thomas was too quick and precise with his pinpoint shunting skills. He suddenly switched away from Emily just before she could reach her own points. Being the perfect shunter that he was, Thomas knew all the tricks and all the maneuvers, pull, push, backwards, forwards. Try as she might, Emily could not catch him, and she felt rather silly. But while this gallivanting occurred, the Fat Controller came out of his office, having heard some of the noise...then the two engines heard it boom from the station.

"Thoma-a-as!"

Thomas suddenly gasped as his driver braked hard to stop him, to which Emily saw her chance and rushed ahead to the points, then backed right up to her trucks. She had them at last as Thomas' fireman uncoupled him from the brakevan, allowing Emily to huff away, then back up alongside Thomas with an even more annoyed stare. Thomas didn't yet notice that, for in the moment, he still felt as though he garnered some form of victory.

"Ha-ha! Thomas wins the Knapford Shunting Challenge! How about that then, eh, Emily?"

Thomas looked and saw that Emily didn't answer. All she gave was a stern, annoyed frown...then Thomas saw the Fat Controller standing there with his armed crossed and his foot tapping slowly, but steadily. Thomas' driver then decided that perhaps his cheekiness would have to be managed a little bit. He stepped down and whispered a few things to the Fat Controller, who listened closely, then looked right back to Thomas again. The tank engine didn't feel so cheeky now.

"What?" he asked.

"You know very well WHAT, young steam engine," Emily replied, unimpressed. "First you take my coaches, now my trucks! Perhaps you've forgotten slightly that this is a railway, not a playground! You've been a rather cheeky engine so far today!"

"And a very naughty one too. I saw you," the Fat Controller added sternly. "You may be the best shunter on Sodor, Thomas, but Emily is quite right. This is a railway, not a playground! And THIS is Knapford Station. It's not a shunting stadium, a race, or a contest! And by what your driver has just told me, you've indeed been rather cheeky with Emily since this morning! Now...she needs her trucks and we can't afford any confusion or delay!"

"I'm deeply sorry, sir," said Thomas. "And...I'm sorry, Emily."

"We were only fooling around a little, sir," said one of the trucks.

"Indeed. Giving Emily a little head-start for us, so to speak," said another truck.

"Well, no more of that!" the Fat Controller ordered sternly. "It's dangerous to rush about in this yard when the signals could change at any moment. I hope this will teach you not to rush about so much, Thomas! I now expect you to show no more nonsense with Emily's other goods trains today! Now, it's almost 2:00 p.m. and I see you've gathered your trucks now, Emily. You may carry on with your load."

While the Fat Controller returned to his office, Thomas looked to Emily again, seeming much more serious and down to earth. Emily could see this and managed to feel as though she could trust Thomas to behave at least a little better.

"Maybe I did get a little carried away, Emily," he admitted. "I don't want you to get in trouble with anyone. Are...are you upset with me?"

"Hmm..." Emily pondered. "Maybe I am a little bit. But I'll get over it...sometime tonight...hopefully."

"Well...alright," said Thomas, forming his cheeky smile again. "Even if I did make you huff and puff just now?"

"Thomas...!" Emily ordered. "Am I gonna have to avoid your lips for another month? Well? Am I?"

"I...I hope not," Thomas admitted. "Please, Emily...it's been over four years since I could be a scoundrel. All I want is my fair share of who I sometimes am."

"You might find yourself kiss-less for another three weeks, or even a month, if you carry on like this," said Emily.

"Well. Just like James said about braking sharply...I have to be cheeky sometimes, Emily. Just as the first storybook about me says I am!"

Emily scoffed with annoyance and whistled on her way. As she huffed away, she couldn't help but look back and stick out her tongue, ideally to Thomas. She didn't care if he couldn't see it himself. From his office, the Fat Controller watched Emily go by, thinking about what he had just seen and found out from Thomas' driver...then he decided that perhaps he'd have to make a certain phone call. He picked up the telephone and began dialing...

Emily huffed irritably along the line toward Arlesburgh, rather irked by what Thomas had done in the yards. She didn't want to get in trouble, but she didn't want Thomas to get in trouble either. As she found herself thinking a little more about the moon and if it would be full tonight or not, she wondered just what Thomas would do next now that he had at least a little sense knocked into him...and if she could talk so someone else about why he was being the way he was.

Eventually, around 2:40, Emily made her way to Arlesburgh and made her delivery in good time. She still had one more goods train to manage throughout the day, and then she heard two whistles right by her. She looked up and saw Donald and Douglas double-headed together.

"Ach, hello, Emily!" they greeted together. "Our favourite bonnie sister!"

"Oh. Hi, boys," Emily replied. "I'm afraid I'm not in the best mood to talk today."

"Oh? Why not, Emily?" Douglas asked. "If someone be mistreatin' you-"

"No, Douglas. Not mistreating. Rather...toying with me, quite cheekily," Emily answered.

"How do you mean, Emily?" Donald asked.

Emily told them both about Thomas and all the cheeky maneuvers he had pulled on her so far, making both twins frown.

"That impudent scallywag!" Donald wheeshed. "Such nerve to toy around with his own queen...and our dear sister figure!"

"Aye, David and Beatrice heard all aboot it just now," said Donald. "And David is nae lookin too happy aboot it."

Emily suddenly felt her heart jump. "Really? Hmm...Well...maybe I can talk with him to help me out. Thank you, boys. Nice seeing you again."

Emily smooched her lips and blew a kiss Donald and Douglas, left her trucks in a nearby siding and set off down the line for David's house. When she arrived, she whistled a few times in the hopes of attracting him outside. But to her surprise, he didn't come out. She whistled once more and saw Beatrice come out.

"Hello, Emily," she said. "I was wondering if you'd come along...how's Thomas? Being tricky...as David and I have heard?"

"How did you hear, Beatrice?" Emily asked. "Donald and Douglas say you heard about it."

"Sir Topham Hatt called us around forty minutes ago," said Beatrice. "Thomas has got quite the nerve to pull those tricks on you, Emily. And David wasn't too happy to hear it himself. He had a short day's work today, and after hearing the news, he said he was going to check on the Sea Emperor and think a little about Thomas himself...and about you, of course."

Emily's eyes widened a little and she hummed to herself, thinking again about what she thought on her passenger run...then she wondered a few more things as she began to put just a few pieces together.

"Beatrice? Do you think I could talk with David?" she asked. "There are a few things I'm starting to put together as to why Thomas is behaving this way. You see, I can't help but like his scoundrel side once in a while. In fact...it brought the two of us quite a passionate night the last time it happened...and I've been wondering a little...if there's a particular reason why he's showing it today."

"What do you mean, Emily?" Beatrice asked. "What are you suspecting?"

Emily told Beatrice just what she had been thinking earlier that day...about Thomas, James and Molly...and the moon. In just a few moments more, Beatrice slowly smiled and nodded. She came right down to Emily and patted her bufferbeam.

"I see," she said. "Well, Emily...perhaps you may speak with David. I'll be curious to know what he suggests to you...why don't you go talk with him?"

"Hmm...maybe so. Maybe he can help me on this matter," Emily pondered. "Thanks, Beatrice. Have a lovely day."

And Emily huffed onward toward the Arlesburgh Pier where Cap'n Calles' ship stood. Then Emily aimed her expression to the Sea Emperor on the other side. She huffed right onto the pier, looking at the lovely emerald green sails gently flailing in the breeze. Then she looked down and stopped right where she was. David was sitting on deck, having moved his table from his cabin outside. He was looking at a large map of Sodor and trailing a navigation needle this way and that. Emily looked even closer and could see by the look in his eyes that he knew just what Thomas had been doing. He had heard about Thomas' knack of cheekiness every once in a while, and after what he had heard Thomas say and do today concerning his own engine, he did not take kindly to it at all. Emily almost greeted David when he suddenly broke the silence, making Emily's heart jump.

"Blast that cheeky Thomas!" he griped. "If I could only see him now, I'd give him SUCH a berating for his stunts toward my engine! But where is he?"

David began trailing his navigation needle along different locations on the map.

"Elsbridge Station? ...No, he's finished his Branch Line run today. I've combed Arlesburgh for my house and home..."

Then David's needle landed somewhere higher up the map.

"Here! Wait...No. No, no, no! Black Loch is Emily's little kingdom, best fit for a full moon tonight and...but wait. Given James and Molly's moonlit temptation, those full moons have a stronger hold on people and engines' passions better than I do my own ship. And Thomas...I wonder..."

Emily had heard everything David said and felt her heart rippling more and more with indecision and uncertainty, both from Thomas' cheekiness, the potential passion she began to smell from afar and how it would all fit together after Thomas' latest cheeky act. Then David looked up and saw Emily right there, looking at him.

"O-oh!" he exclaimed. "Hello, Emily. How long have you been there?"

"H-Hello there, David," she greeted a little unevenly as she started thinking again. "What are you doing onboard your ship...with Sodor's map?"

"Sir Topham Hatt called us today, and I've heard all bout you...and your scoundrel!" David exclaimed. "I couldn't be more affronted with Thomas' nerve. What cheek, taking your coaches from you, and making you chase him around the yard for your goods run today! He'd do well not to do it again unless he wants you to lock your lips away from his for a month! Unless...he might have his own one-of-a-kind reason for doing so...for you, his beautiful emerald angel."

"Actually...that's why I came, David," said Emily. "I've made my delivery here, and I talked with Beatrice about Thomas. She said you'd be out here thinking about Thomas...and me too, as you seem to do most of the time."

David looked up to Emily with a little smile, then climbed down from the Sea Emperor and walked his way up the pier stairs, right to his engine.

"Indeed I am, Emily," he said. "And...I trust you heard what I just said down there...about full moons...and passion?"

Emily's heart jiggled and her cheeks blushed a light pink.

"Y...yes, David. That's what I was thinking a little bit about too. Thomas was tricky and cheeky with me this morning, keeping my coaches away from me. But last night, I remember looking at the moon from Tidmouth Sheds. I didn't think much of it then, but now, I can't help but think of James and Molly's experience...and if maybe Thomas and I might be destined for a time under such a moon. But ever since I came back from my passenger run and had to deal with Thomas' shunting shenanigan...that was almost too much. I can't help but admire his boldness, but shunting my trucks about like that, it was almost too much."

David sighed and climbed onto her running plate. He gave Emily's cheek a little pat.

"Well, I didn't really mean I'd scold him badly, Emily," he assured. "I just want to look out for you. But if you can't help but like that side of him, no one can judge you for that. Not even me. Besides, perhaps he's just having a little fun. Although, I can't help but wonder if he'll try anything upon you...tonight...being the scoundrel that he's been so far today."

To this, Emily couldn't hold back her thoughts and speculation anymore. If her looking at the moon the night before wasn't just mere coincidence, she had to know here and now...then see what she could do when she and Thomas next met...then when their day's work would be complete.

"David?" she said, noticeably smoothly.

"Yes, Emily?" David said, perking up to her narrowing eyes. Then Emily began to purr very quietly.

"When is the next full moon going to be?" she asked with a deep smile.

David looked right into Emily's eyes and twitched his silver charm between his fingers.

"My God, Emily...it may be a match-made passion...or a scoundrel by moonlight. By my calendar...there is to be a full moon tonight."

Emily's heart almost stopped beating, then began racing away. "A...a...a f-full moon, David? Truly and absolutely full?"

"Yes, Emily. A completely full moon...and it makes me wonder about what happened with James and Molly that particular night, shortly before Thomas went on his very first big world adventure ever...and about his scoundrel antics with you so far. As you might know by now, it is said that the effect of moonlight makes some people and their personalities change and behave differently...most particularly under a full moon. Perhaps if his cheekiness doesn't stop, I can only imagine what he'll be conjuring up tonight...if he knows just what the moon will be tonight."

Now something in Emily began to really stir. She could recall many times she and Thomas shared their love under a moon whether it was full or not. She would have been deeply excited to even contemplate another night where the full moonlight would bring on great temptation and passionate stirrings as it did with James and Molly, but given Thomas' cheekiness today, she wasn't entirely sure how it would turn out. It would either be immensely and excitedly passionate...or as David had just said, a scoundrel by moonlight.

"If...if this is true, David..." she whispered purely. "W-what do you think Thomas could be thinking through all his cheekiness...i-if he suspects a full moon...? He may or may not know...and just what could he potentially think of doing with me...a scoundrel my moonlight, could you imagine such a thing?"

"Oh, a little daydreaming and seductive toying with you might be in order," David pondered.

Then he stepped down from Emily's running plate and began thinking aloud to himself.

"Now let me see...flourishing at Black Loch...hmm...steamy intertwining...moonlit temptation...and indeed...a Scoundrel by Midnight."

Emily listened to David think aloud and could feel a few things slowing down. She got a feeling that her last goods run would be quite slow...so as to pass time until dark, and ensuring that she would indeed be finished by sunset. Then when David looked up to Emily again, she could see a little jig in his eyes as he climbed back onto her running plate and held her cheeks gently and surely.

"Emily...I think I know what you should do," he said strongly. "First, you'd better get your last goods train over with today...then see what our moon shall spell you with. Our inconstant moon, who monthly changes in her encircled orb...and yet when it's truly full...it brings on such impressive stirrings upon so many across Sodor...as it shall be with you and your Thomas. Who knows what he may be thinking...and what he'll inevitably do tonight. I wish you a Scoundrel by Moonlight, Emily. YOUR scoundrel. Your Thomas. Good luck, my dear engine."

And David kissed Emily on her forehead, making her hum steadily as she closed her eyes and felt more and more pieces slowly coming together as David stepped down from her running plate again.

"My goodness...why didn't I think of it before," she breathed. "Perhaps I need my scoundrel throughout today...and tonight. Bye-bye, David, and thank you."

Emily whistled surely and made her way back up from the pier. David waved and gave a navy salute to her as she made her way back along his house and made sure to tell Beatrice just what she and David had talked about. Beatrice's eyes glimmered in the sun and she blew a kiss right to Emily as she made her way out of Arlesburgh. But after she used the turntable and turned herself back around, as she made her way back for Knapford, she found herself going slower and slower, much slower than she would usually go as her mind began flooding with so many thoughts and speculations. If Thomas kept up his cheekiness for just a while longer, perhaps it would indeed bring on most tempting stirrings which only he and Emily could bring upon each other. The time was drawing near.

Eventually, after a rather slow and thought-filled journey, Emily made her way back to Knapford Station at Platform 1, and looked at the station clock. It was almost 4:30 p.m. and therefore almost time for her to make way with her last goods run to Crovan's Gate. She didn't know she had been travelling that slowly, but at least she was still keeping on time. She huffed right through the station and looked about the yards. She couldn't see any trucks this time either. Once again, she felt her suspicion and sternness starting to brood within her. She was ready to call out for Thomas and sternly put him in his place to give her his trucks, but she also kept everything David said fresh in her mind.

"Thomas? Where are you?" she asked a little less sternly and more to the point. Then she heard the cheeky voice again.

"I have your trucks, Emily," the voice came from behind the wall. "I trust you know where I could be now? Or maybe you don't? He-he-he-he!"

"Huh! Yes, I do," Emily huffed. "Please come out now...scoundrel."

Emily watched as a line of trucks came shunting past the station wall, then came Thomas. She watched him intently as he switched to Platform 5, then began reversing down toward it. Then he stopped, chortling quietly.

"Thomas," Emily said again sternly. "You'd better not be thinking of making me chase you again!"

"No, Emily. I'm not," Thomas smirked and flared his eyebrows at her. "I can't get troublesome...but I won't be fully polite yet either. You'll just have to wait until 4:30...when it's truly time for you to go with these trucks. That way you won't...huff and puff over here?"

"Thomas!" Emily barked. "I do NOT huff and puff any more than you say Gina did. If she did at all, it's only because you made her!"

This time, Thomas sighed. "I know, Emily...but you can't hold out much longer. Not against your scoundrel, eh, cupcake?"

"Hmph!" Emily huffed.

But secretly, she was impressed by Thomas' ongoing cheekiness...and his decision not to use the entire name she heard a piece of. She was still thinking about David's words as she knew all about that full moon. But as she looked to Thomas, she suddenly noticed his smile fade as he looked down to his buffers. She could see his lips moving, but she couldn't tell just what he was saying. Then she saw his lips move almost as if he said "moon." Her heart jumped as she was now very sure that her instincts were true until she looked up to the Fat Controller coming out of his office.

"Ah, good. You're here in time, Emily," he said. "You may bring her trucks along now, Thomas."

"Yes, sir," said Thomas. Before long, he placed Emily's trucks right behind her while her crew coupled her up.

"Here, Emily," he said. "Just be sure you don't let your wheels get too tired...think of all the trucks you might set down...or pick up on as you make your way toward Crovan's Gate. Are you sure you can manage all those noisy trucks? You wouldn't want Bradford to slow you down and make you late."

"Yes, Thomas. I am," Emily replied a little hastily. "And I don't need your cheekiness slowing me down either!"

"Emily is right, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "I think you've shown enough cheekiness for more than one day now."

Right at that moment, the Fat Controller looked to the clock and saw it was 4:30.

"Alright, Emily. Off you go," he said. "Molly will be waiting for you at Crovan's Gate."

"Yes, sir," said Emily as she whistled and made her way out of the station.

The Fat Controller watched her leave until she was out of sight. But then when he looked up and saw Thomas, he saw that the blue tank engine seemed a little conflicted and puzzled. A minute later, Thomas looked up to the Fat Controller and slowly came forward until he was right beside him.

"Thomas?" he asked. "What are you doing?"

"Excuse me, sir," said Thomas. "But...I think I have a little secret to share with you...about my behaviour today."

"Hmm. And what would that be, Thomas?" asked the Fat Controller.

"Well...I have a few confessions, sir," said Thomas. "And something I've been thinking about since last night. I may have been a little tricky and cheeky with Emily today. Perhaps very cheeky...but there's two reasons that I'd like to at least express to you."

"Hmm," said the Fat Controller. "Cheekiness can't be fully excused, so to speak, but I'll listen, Thomas."

Thomas took a deep breath and plucked up courage.

"Well...the first reason is small. You see, Emily considers me her scoundrel whenever I act like this...and I can't help but like the sound of that. It's a little banter of ours. One reason I did it today is because I haven't done it in just over four years...and after those years of being mostly hard-working and really useful all the way...I guess I wanted a little share of that scoundrel to show itself for a while again...until tonight."

"Tonight?" the Fat Controller asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you playing at now, Thomas?"

"I'm not out for any more mischief now, sir," said Thomas. "It's...it's actually about...the moon. I know it sounds strange, but have you heard of moonlit temptations?"

The Fat Controller thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Thomas. I believe I have. Lady Hatt and I tend to take note of it once in a while, as do many people...and I believe James and Molly once fell under that spell...when they both had to work through the night."

"Yes, sir," said Thomas. "Well...besides wanting to be a scoundrel again, very occasionally of course, and with not too much trouble, I couldn't help but notice the moon last night. It was very big and round...but not entirely full. The reason I've been so tricky and mischievous with Emily and no other engine today...is because I'm hoping desperately that the moon will be full tonight, so Emily and I can...well...you know already."

The Fat Controller raised his eyebrow further and paced the platform for a moment or two, then he and went inside his office for a moment. Thomas wondered what he was doing and waited rather nervously. When the Fat Controller came out again, he was wearing a small, but very genuine smile as he looked to Thomas. The blue tank engine felt his heart begin to race as he suspected there would be something truly buzzing for him to hear.

"Sir...what is it?" Thomas asked.

"I follow my calendars very closely, Thomas...not just about the railway," said the Fat Controller. "I've taken a look at today...and..."

The Fat Controller got right up to Thomas and began whispering something...until Thomas suddenly gave a big jolt where he was, then froze right where he was. His eyes popped and his mouth opened just a little bit as he stared at the Fat Controller for what felt like ten whole minutes. The Fat Controller just stood there, waiting for Thomas to say or do something.

"Sir...Sir Topham Hatt..." he uttered quietly, but full of pent-up energy and overwhelming buzz. "A full moon?! You don't really mean to tell me there's actually due to be a full moon tonight?! You're pulling my wheel! You're joking! You can't be serious! I must have heard wrong!"

"No, you heard me correctly with every word, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "Now...as for your scoundrel antics today, I am not entirely pleased by the trouble you gave Emily, but since you weren't cheeky with any other engines besides her, since you both still held to your schedules...and since you haven't shown such cheekiness for just over four years now...that's all quite impressive. As such...I am willing to let you and Emily do what you will tonight at your own free will. BUT...I expect you to be on your best behaviour tomorrow and onwards and forwards. I do not want to see any more racing around the yards with long lines of trucks. Remember that well!"

"I promise, sir. Well and truly in every way," said Thomas. "Today, I just care about Emily and making her happy tonight...and what she might do us the same for me. I know something amazing will come for both of us."

"Of course it will, Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "Now, then. As your work is done for today, you may wait right here for Emily to come back...then you two shall do what you will tonight. Good luck and have an unforgettable night."

And the Fat Controller returned to his office to stand by for a call from Crovan's Gate for Emily's progress, while Thomas settled down and waited. But this wait was not going to be easy. His wheels began wobbling and quaking steadily and his breathing became uneven and radical. He had been thinking on and off about the moon all day and only now learned for sure it would be full. He then began to wonder if Emily had come to know it for herself or if she had yet to find out from him. Either way, Thomas felt his scoundrel side picking up for the last time tonight. But this time, he would be using it for true good use...passionate, lustful and exciting use which only Emily could fully love and cherish in.

Meanwhile, out on the Main Line, Emily was going at a considerably slow pace again. She had started out with only a four trucks from Knapford Station, but she had already passed Crosby, Wellsworth and Maron, having stopped at each one and picked up two, three then four trucks in sequence. That was nine more than how she started out. She was up to thirteen and she could feel the weight slowing her down ever-so slightly, but she kept huffing onwards and forwards, thinking deeper and deeper about Thomas' cheekiness all throughout today, and everything she had been putting together in her mind, right up to when she had her little talk with David and felt everything becoming more and more real.

But then as Emily looked to the sky, she saw that there were quite a few big clouds scattered throughout the sky. Emily could tell it would surely not rain, but she began to feel a little concerned over whether or not the moon would show itself tonight. She suddenly whistled strongly as she continued on her way and began whispering incoherently to herself, praying quietly that the moon would indeed be able to show itself for her, and for Thomas, her Scoundrel by Moonlight. The time passed and the hours slowly ticked by as Emily made her "slow," slow goods run. She stopped at Cronk, Kildane and Kellsthorpe Road, picking up on three, four, then five trucks at each of those stations. She now had twenty-five trucks behind her. While not nearly as heavy as twenty-five flatbeds of steel pipes, it was hard, hard work and even slower for her to manage. But somehow, that's just what Emily wanted so as to pass the time further and further so she and Thomas could finally end the day, then see just what they would to this very night.

Finally, Emily made her way to Crovan's Gate as the sun just began to set. It was now 7:00 p.m. It had been a slow and heavy goods load and she was ready to call it a day...and find out just what Thomas had in mind for sure. Emily's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Molly's whistle as she came up alongside Emily to sort most of the trucks, then take the rest to Vicarstown.

"Oh. H...hello, Molly," Emily greeted, only glimpsing to the yellow engine a few brief times.

Molly felt as though something was eating on Emily's mind, and given the word that had spread throughout the day, she felt as though she knew.

"What's wrong, Emily?" Molly asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Molly. I've just had an uneven day," said Emily. "Very uneven, all thanks to Thomas. Have you heard what he's been doing today?"

"Oh, yes. I've heard it all. Withholding your coaches, playing keep-away with you and your goods trains," said Molly. "But then again, James has caused more rowdy shenanigans than that. So...how is your scoundrel today, Emily?"

Emily took a big, shaky breath.

"I don't know, Molly. Firstly, as much as I actually like how he can be a scoundrel now and then, I really thought he'd learned a few lessons not to be so cheeky with me...but it seems that he probably still has to learn a few lessons yet. Just because I like his scoundrel side doesn't mean I encourage it all the time. But there's something more...Thomas may have been giving me plenty of mischief today...but I can't help but wonder if he has other plans for tonight...concerning certain moonlit temptations."

Molly's eyes suddenly glimmered and her heart pounded.

"Moonlit temptation, Emily?" she swooned. "As in...my own night with James...by that open moonlit field? Ooh..."

"Yes, Molly. That temptation," said Emily. "There's to be a full moon tonight...and I still don't know if Thomas yet knows about the full moon. I'm sure he was whispering about it back at Knapford, and if his assumptions are correct...I have a very strong feeling he's been fuelling his cheekiness so as to create a Scoundrel by Moonlight as it were...but now with these clouds, I don't know if the moon will show itself tonight or not...I've been thinking about it all day, and things have just gotten more and more real."

Molly heard everything Emily said and remembered very fondly how she and James had shared that night. She gave Emily a narrow smile which Emily noticed right away and made her start thinking of Thomas in a very exciting manner.

"Well, Emily...thank you for bringing your load to me," Molly said smoothly with a wink. "But now the sun is going down...and with any luck, perhaps these clouds will clear in time for you and Thomas. The moon surely calls to you and your scoundrel."

Emily looked to the sun as it began to lower on the horizon, then she looked back to Molly, who was smiling from buffer to buffer.

"Go on," was all she chortled, holding her huge smile.

That was all Emily needed to send her on her way back to Thomas. It had been a rather unusual day with him being consistently cheeky toward her, yet not cheeky to any other engine. Ever since her passenger run that day, Emily had been thinking little creases of thought about the moon, and by now, she couldn't feel more speculative over just what the night would bring to her and Thomas. She thanked Molly for her encouraging words, left her trucks where they were and set off on her way...back to her Scoundrel by Moonlight.

Emily soon found the wye line some way back down the line and turned herself around, feeling her heart jiggle with more and more speculation as the sun began to set on her now rather slow journey. She watched as the sky slowly turned from blue to orange to pink as the sun went lower and lower over the horizon. She looked left, right, high and low through the sky, but she didn't yet see the moon in the sky, or beaming lightly through the scattered clouds. She could only hope that the clouds would not interrupt her lustful course with Thomas now. Her Scoundrel by Moonlight was now due in only a few hours, with each moment, bringing that countdown smaller and smaller.

Back at Knapford, the hours had passed and Thomas kept wondering endlessly as to where Emily could be, feeling his own speculations growing more and more overwhelming. He still felt his cheeky, scoundrel side sitting fresh in his smokebox, ready to use it as a final gambit with his angel and see just what she could make of everything now that the day was coming to an need and bringing slowly bringing the evening, then the eventual dark of night. But while he had been waiting for Emily in his own time, he had come to notice the big clouds scattered across the sky and it made him afraid too if the full moon would be able to show itself or not. One way or another, he would still give Emily all the lustful spells like the scoundrel he had been today, and would continue to be as long as there would be moonlight shining either on him and Emily or not.

"Please shine true...at least in time for Emily and I," he worried shakily. "The time grows near...and she must know what her scoundrel truly wishes for...and if she probably knew about that moon herself. I love you, Emily...and I hope you see now just what your scoundrel truly wants for you..."

The time passed between the emerald angel and the cobalt scoundrel star as they waited, huffed home and thought alike in their own areas on the island...until at last, after what felt like absolute eternity of speculation, endless thoughts and wishing to make everything clear to the other engine, it was 8:30 p.m. The clouds were still scattered throughout the sky as Thomas looked at the clock and saw the hands lined up perfectly, right down to where they were meant to be for that given time. His heart stayed still in his boiler for a moment...then he heard that whistle and shut his eyes, waiting with each passing moment.

Emily made her way slowly and ever-jittery, back to Knapford Station. The sun had now completely set as the stars began to appear throughout the cloud-patched sky. Emily still felt a little concerned about being able to see the full moon or not, and how it would drive Thomas and her romantic will tonight...but when Emily looked ahead to the station, she came to a complete and still stop. There was Thomas sitting completely still, almost like a statue with his eyes shut. It was very clear to Emily that he was thinking quite a few things, and she would find them all out very soon. Emily slowly came closer and closer, waiting for him to open his eyes and be cheeky once more. But she wasn't stern or defensive this time. Rather, she was secretly excited and could feel seeds of passion starting to be planted, all too ready to grow and blossom. Whatever Thomas would say or do first, Emily had already formed her own little plan for tonight, depending on what he would say or do. She had it all worked out.

Thomas suddenly opened his eyes and saw Emily right there, seeming to be looking notably at him. By the certain glimmer in her eyes, Thomas could tell that she had been planning some certain things over the entire day. He could also see, in so far as Emily's expression went to show that she was still a little stern and a little unimpressed by how cheeky he had been to her today...but whatever she said to try and insist not to behave the way he did, he was securely all too ready to get through to her and toy with her all he could as he waited for her to say something. Finally, about ten minutes later, which felt more like twenty, the eerie, almost frightful silence was broken.

"Well...here you are, Thomas...my little scoundrel," said Emily. "And indeed, you have been a true scoundrel to me today...for the first time in over four years?"

Thomas had been holding onto his cheeky side all this time, waiting to execute it once more for the night and see just what Emily would make of it. He began to have sneaking suspicions that perhaps their lines of thought and speculation were more intertwined than either of them ever thought.

"Yes...yes, I have, Emily," said Thomas, still carrying that sense of overconfidence in his voice. "I've been relentless and an absolute scoundrel. But I've been your scoundrel, and I feel as though you might be thinking of not kissing me for another while yet...but I'm all too prepared to make every thought you may have concerning such a punishment...get completely absolved...by your Scoundrel by Moonlight."

Thomas then waited for Emily to retort sternly and tell him that she indeed wouldn't kiss him...but to his surprise, and inner excitement, she gave him a coy, but stern smile. He immediately began to wonder if she somehow came to know about what he had come to know himself.

"Well, Tommy...my scoundrel," she said surely, maintaining a small stern smile. "I was very sure you'd say that. Such a relentless scoundrel you've been indeed...but now night has come...and perhaps you need to be taught a few lessons...on how not to behave with your angel."

Thomas did not yet know that Emily was actually toying with him. Instead, he thought she was just performing another futile attempt to avoid kissing him. But as he buffered right up to her, maintaining his cheeky and wholesome smile, he unknowingly played right into her buffers.

"Oh, we'll see about that, my angel," he said teasingly. "Just come with me...to our own little kingdom."

Emily fought hard not to smile, succeeding in holding to her stern look as she let Thomas push her right along out of the station, and into the night. But as Thomas pushed Emily on their way, she noticed that he wasn't keeping quiet about it. Not two minutes after they left the station, he began exclaiming, sighing and making little noises of what sounded like excitement and overflowing passion that couldn't wait an hour longer.

Slowly, but also trying very hard not to let Thomas notice, Emily couldn't help but utter an occasional sigh and little exclaim as she looked at Thomas' handsome face in the light of their lamps. Emily could see what was happening, and the clues were slowly becoming clearer and clearer. She and Thomas would exchange a great wave of lust through the night. The sweet caress of twilight had played its first part, now she and Thomas could feel creases of magic between themselves, and potentially in the air. As they looked left and right, they thought for sure they could see patches of glowing white as there was indeed a moon in the sky, even if it wasn't shining right down on them. Although neither of them knew for crystal-clear sure if the other knew about the full moon, they both felt that little desperate hope that the clouds would eventually part...then all their plans would be revealed, and if Thomas really would become a Scoundrel by Moonlight.

At last, they arrived at Black Loch. The clouds still covered most of the sky, only showing a few clusters of stars scattered throughout the sky. But in the far distance into the hills, both engines looked and could visibly see patches of bright white light, and as they looked up, they were sure they could see where the moon was trying to shine through. As they both looked to the glass-smooth lake right by the line, Emily's heart was jumping and beating very hard now as Thomas settled right in and wasted no time. Her ears perked right up as she listened to every word he spoke, as she took everything in and decided just how to use his words in his and her favour.

"Well, Emily," said Thomas. "My day of being a scoundrel again is over...but what about a night of being your scoundrel? Isn't that exactly what you want? Come on, my love. You know you love when I'm this way. I haven't done it enough, let alone with you."

Underneath her straight, neutral expression, Emily was already toying with Thomas. He just didn't know it yet. As she spoke, she knew her words would sound like a futile attempt to Thomas, but she had been finding herself wanting to see just how much it would make Thomas toy with her...and plant her seeds of lust and passion she now had for him tonight.

"Thomas, I see just how much you're trying to get through to me and see what I truly think...but your cheekiness is still not ideal at the end of the day. It's not often you get cheeky just with me...and at such a magnitude. I don't recall you ever being so cheeky and mischievous as you were today...but how to punish you? Perhaps I can't hold out for a month without any kisses at all...but perhaps a week or two at the very least?"

"No, Emily. No, no, no-no-no-no-no," Thomas said almost snootily, but seductively. "I can see it all already. It's not going to work...and with any luck...the moon shall completely win you over along with my ever-present charms...just as it did with James and Molly under their moonlit temptation. Now it's our turn. Time to spill out all my initial intentions...ever since last night, when I set you up, Emily...for all the scoundrel's presents you could ever hope for. Perhaps you should be happy and thankful that I behaved so very cheekily today...my playfully airheaded cupcake...please?"

Somehow this time, Emily didn't feel offended or misnamed by what Thomas had called her. Somehow, after all she had been through and had been thinking to herself and to Thomas, she found herself starting to like that name, at least for tonight. She truly wanted to be playful, she knew her skin was so sweet for Thomas to taste, and if she and Thomas were to lose their minds to utter euphoria tonight, they would indeed have to be airheaded. As such, his cheeky name somehow fit perfectly for her tonight.

Thomas listened as Emily began to speak, but as she did, he kept buffering closer and closer to her face and her lips.

"Well, Thomas...first and foremost, as I've said a few times already, it has been just over four years since you've been a complete scoundrel with any of the engines...but never before have you been a scoundrel just with me...and a relentless one at that today."

"I'm only relentless because I had to be today," Thomas whispered before Emily went on.

"I didn't expect such cheekiness and exuberant boldness from you to toy with me as much as you did...and normally, I would have placed the punishment of no kisses for an entire month...but the more I think about it...perhaps you were supposed to behave the way you did today."

"I knew your punishments had no chance on me," Thomas smirked as his lips were now only a few inches away from hers.

"But hold on, Thomas," Emily whispered. "That still doesn't mean that you being cheeky is right all the time. As I said before whenever you get too cheeky, you must learn to-"

But Emily's sentence was scarcely completed as Thomas had claimed her lips before she could say another word...this was exactly what she wanted to happen, just like he had done before. In that instant, after all the annoyance, cheek and gall Thomas had given her, and after all the speculation and wonders of what he could have been thinking before, Emily began to feel herself truly falling under her scoundrel's spell. Emily could feel him press his tongue to her lips and work its way into her mouth. Like before, Emily almost fought to pull away and tell him off a little more, but Thomas wasn't proceeding quickly or lightly at all. As he did before, his lips were working slowly and strongly so each little nurture and kiss would last.

After a few minutes, Thomas' lips steadily let go of Emily's. As she had felt before, she couldn't help but feel a desire to avoid his lips so as to correct his behaviour, but then Thomas began looking at her very narrowly with a thin, coy smile. Emily tried her very best to maintain a stern, serious look, but as Thomas buffered up and began kissing, sucking and nibbling her cheeks as slowly as he could, her corrective words were all for naught.

"Thomas, as I've told you before whenever you get cheeky...oh, ohh...with us, with Gina or, oh, my goodness...you need to...oh, ohh, that feels good...as much as I admire this side of you, you've gone too-ooh...yes...oh, yes...you really mustn't behave like-ah...ahh..."

Thomas kept kissing and lightly nibbling her soft, sensitive skin before he paused for a moment and looked purely right into the very center of Emily's eyes. She already knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Seriously, Emily...my pure, perfect wife figure...as I've said before. You're a beautiful angel...but you're a terrible, terrible liar. Why don't you just fess up and tell me how much you love your scoundrel. You love that scoundrel so much, Emily. I know you do. I know..."

Emily almost tried to deny it once more. She opened her mouth to speak, but then froze where she was as something began to catch the corner of her eye. Thomas felt it too...and he and Emily slowly looked out beyond the lake...and that was when it happened. Thomas and Emily stared with increasingly racing hearts as they looked to what it was and they saw a steady wave of white, serene light showing its way across the land in the far distance. Then they both looked up, just as they saw the clouds starting to drift away in all directions...then in that moment of lustful fate, the clouds fully parted above them...and revealed just what was in the sky. A huge, pure, bright full moon was beaming right at the very center and top of the sky, showing its bright, serene, tempting light upon all there was...right down to Thomas and Emily, almost as if it were lunar daytime. And in that instant, Thomas and Emily's headlamps both switched off, which only made the moonlight even more immensely magnificent.

"Oh...Thomas...Thomas..." Emily spoke almost as purely as a goddess. "My handsome cobalt star...my perfect scoundrel You...you've won. You're absolutely right beyond any puff of steam of doubt...I...I want you. I want you, Thomas. I love you beyond all else. Toy with me...tease me, Thomas. T-tempt...tempt me, Thomas. Please-please-please tempt me...tell me all about how beautiful I am..."

This was it. No more denying, no more hiding, no more refusing. As Emily stared into Thomas' now gleaming eyes and purely seductive stare almost right through her beautiful emerald form, she was now blissfully at her cobalt scoundrel and star's mercy, but this wasn't any mercy of horror...rather this was a most passionate and steamy mercy...the absolute best she could ever wish for tonight. As for Thomas, by Sodor, he could not have felt more impressively and infinitely victorious than he did now with the engine he would always love beyond all else. In that instant, and onwards for as long as he needed, he buffered up and began seductively toying with Emily all he could.

"Oh, Emily...Emily, darling...my darling Emily...oh, you're such a s-sexy engine...so, so sexy...you're the sexiest engine I will ever see."

Emily's cheeks blushed a deep red and she giggled so shakily, her axles shook. "I...I'm your sexy engine, Tommy? Ooh...please tell me how!"

"Well...your smokebox looks just like a beautiful woman's hair, as you well know...look at your buffers, gleaming silver in the silver moonlight tonight! It's a perfect match. Ooh, your bufferbeam is so lovely and crimson and...and..."

Thomas' eyes trailed away from Emily's buffers...then he began leaning a little off to the side, trying to get a closer look at her giant driving wheels. Emily blushed so profusely, her face almost went purple. She felt her wheels wobbling and quaking more than a bowl of jelly. Thomas kept toying further and further.

"Cinders...and ASHES! Fire and SMOKE!" he enunciated loudly. "Emily, my pure angel...look at your lovely wheels...they're SO BIG!"

Emily's boiler fizzed almost as wildly as a bottle of champagne ready to pop as she squealed out, "Ohh...TOMMY! They...they ARE?"

"Yes...yes!" Thomas panted as he began to turn red in the face too as he leaned a little more every which way.

"Ooh...T-Tommy..." Emily shuddered. "Do you see anything else you like...hmm? Do you? Ooh..."

"Of course, my beautiful queen," Thomas swooned. "Your curves are so smooth, sleek and truly gorgeous, Emily...your funnel is absolutely FABULOUS! You're...you're so hot, Emily! Your lovely white teeth and your smile drive me beyond wild! Oh, and your soft, creamy face! Your cheeks are so soft, creamy and warm...and ooh...very tasty as always...I can't WAIT to start bathing you in all my gifts tonight...may I?"

To this, Emily gave a loud "toot-toot" on her whistle as her steam sailed right up into the air from her whistle, which made Thomas' heart nearly burst.

"Take me, Thomas...my Scoundrel by Moonlight," she announced seductively. "Have fun...and satisfy your seductive temptress by moonlight."

Thomas then gave a shrill whistle in turn, announcing his start to his very own moonlit temptation right here with his beautiful emerald angel. He buffered up to Emily, gave a solid wink, puckered his lips...and the Scoundrel by Moonlight began his spells for the night.

Emily shuddered all over, feeling such tingles and shivers course through her pipes and boiler as Thomas leaned in and pressed his lips to hers again and started kissing her lips as they chattered away with so much excitement and vigor. Emily didn't know if it was Thomas' tender, pure-working lips or the beaming moonlight all around them, but with every kiss Thomas planted on her lips, she felt her lips tingle and almost fizz with electricity as each and every touch of his was more tingly and almost charged every time.

Then Thomas gently let go then slowly pressed his lips right to her soft, warm, sweet, creamy skin right in the middle of her cheek, holding still right there as he listened to her moan and coo so loudly and happily. Then he started kissing her so slowly and purely, which made Emily squeeze her eyes tight and groan so loudly with such overwhelming passion, nearly threatening to make her faint. Each and every kiss Thomas gave her tickled her so steadily, she couldn't help but giggle and laugh almost like a hyena, and so it went on for about five purely euphoria-filled minutes.

Then Thomas let go, then took a deep breath before he slowly opened his mouth. Emily watched with a gasp as his tongue slowly came out, then touched right to her cheek again and he started licking it in little circles and other little traces, up down and along her cheek as if it were the softest, sweetest and most delicious dollop of ice cream Thomas could ever imagine to taste.

"Ahhh...hah...ahhh...Thomas...T-T-Thomas...!" Emily moaned unabashedly and so shakily as her cheeks blushed deeper and deeper red.

Thomas felt his eyes beginning to water wildly with absolute joy, passion and love, and even partly from the brightness of the full moon shining its spellbound light ever-constantly down on both engines. As he tasted the sense of peaches and strawberries on Emily's cheek with every instant he felt in every moment that was spent between them, he could not imagine feeling like this before. Not for a very, very long time.

But then Emily was in for another surprise. Thomas leaned down as low as he possibly could, then started reaching his lips to Emily's buffers. Emily's heart jolted with sudden memory as she remembered how they had shared that moment on their first Christmas together since his adventure to Australia. She had stated that she didn't see them doing this very often, but under the spell-driven circumstances that was seducing them both tonight, she immediately obliged, shuddering with even more excitement as she leaned upward toward Thomas.

"Yes, Thomas...kiss them," she whimpered excitedly. "Kiss my buffers, Thomas. As I said that Christmas...they're for you, and you only."

Thomas cooed and exclaimed with such a big, big smile, then whistled with overpowering fervor as he leaned right down to Emily's bufferbeam, allowing him to bring his lips to her left buffer and start kissing it over and over. This made Emily gasp then start laughing even more, almost as if she were a pack of laughing hyenas.

"Oh-oh-oh! T-T-Thomas!" Emily jumped and tittered wildly. "My-my buffers! Hooh! Ooh! That's so cute. Tee-hee-hee! Hm-hm-hm-hm! Oh! Oh, Tommy! I love when you kiss my buffers! Oh, you're so adorable and...Hoo-hoo-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

As he leaned to her right buffer and started kissing it too, Thomas' heart was melting more and more into his soul as he heard Emily's sweet, bubbly, titillating voice continue to squeal, chirp, laugh, giggle, coo and whimper with every instant he spent making her feel nearly impossibly magical. After another minute or two, he then leaned upward from her buffers and began nibbling and sucking on her cheek almost as if he were a baby nursing on its mother, rather like how Percy did with Emily on their night of motherly therapy, only Thomas was being much more vigorous and going all out with everything he did.

"Ohh...ho-ho-ho-ho...Thomas...Thomas!" Emily moaned. "That...that t-t-tickles! That tickl-l-l-les!"

Thomas absolutely adored hearing Emily say how much she tickled him and began giving her cheek a few little loving licks between every nibble and suck he gave her too. As Emily felt each and every little tingle and tickle Thomas gave to her cheek, she very quickly felt her steam building up and creeping through her pipes to her cylinders and steam ports, tickling her so warmly inside as she felt herself beginning to shake and tremble.

"T-T-Thomas!" she gasped and wailed. "Thomas! I...I'm gonna...I'm gonna burst, Thomas!"

"Aww, Emily...I love you," Thomas cooed, purposely driving her euphoria and steam right through her boiler. "Let off steam, Emily...let me hear you squeal so happily, my perfect queen and angel."

Emily squeezed her eyes tightly shut and gritted her teeth as Thomas kissed and nibbled her on the tip of her cheek once more, the she let off such aloud, shrill whistle and as she wailed with such a big smile, such an immense jet of steam hissed right out from her wheels, which made Thomas' heart glow and soar like a thousand eagles. He had not seen or heard Emily look and squeal as truly happy and lusciously driven by passion as this in quite a period of time. There had been many specially luscious times between them, but this reign of time was yet another special time between them.

As soon as Thomas let go of Emily's cheeks, even as she continued to let off steam with such delight and ecstasy, she buffered hastily up to Thomas and started raining little kisses all over his face wherever her lips could each. As she kissed his cheeks, chin, nose and even the corners of his smile, she kept whispering with such delight between every few kisses.

"Oh, my...my sweet...sweet, adorable, cheeky...perfect little...scoundrel! My perfect little star! You made me so...so ha...happy! I love-I love you, Tommy! I love you!"

"Ahh! Hah! I love-ahh! I love you t-t-too, Emily! Ohh!" Thomas exclaimed through every one of her quick, tickly little kisses right until she stopped.

Emily then spent about a minute, gasping and panting for all the air she had been gushing out of her boiler as he steam slowly faded away, then Thomas softly buffered up to her and kissed her much more lightly on her perfect little chin.

"Well, my queen, angel and love? Did you love all of that?" Thomas asked. "Am I your true Scoundrel by Moonlight tonight?"

Emily breathed so heavily and wholesomely, she leaned up with every gasp she took, then as she breathed out, she puffed up her cheeks like balloons and blew out as she leaned back down again.

"Oh...oh, Thomas...the T-Tank Engine!" she gasped as she finally regained her breath. "I have no words for all of that...except for impossibly unbelievable!"

"Do you really mean that, Emily?" Thomas asked. "Even after I'd been such a scoundrel to you?"

"I will truly and fully admit now, Tommy," said Emily. "No other scoundrel could bring on stirrings like you have brought upon me just now."

Thomas' eyes shimmered with pride and absolute love...and as he gazed up at the full moon, it was then and there when his mind clicked to finally tell Emily his original intentions as to why he had done what he did throughout the day.

"You know, Emily..." he said much more gently. "I...I think now that we're here tonight, in such a truly spellbound reign of this magnificent moon...I believe I must share a little secret with you...as to why I truly behaved the way I did today."

Emily looked right at Thomas, feeling her heart bubble. She would now find out the truth for herself if her assumptions really were correct.

"Yes, Thomas...what is it?" she asked sweetly.

"It's not just because four years have passed since I was a scoundrel with you or any engine," said Thomas. "It's actually because...of the moon last night."

Emily's heart stirred and jiggled so hard, she felt it almost bump in her boiler. "The moon, Thomas? L-last night?"

"Yes, Emily," said Thomas. "You see...after you fell asleep last night, I actually looked up a the moon...and I saw it was very big and round...but still not quite full. It was then when I remembered James and Molly's moonlit temptation...and it made me wonder just what a scoundrel would be able to do...if the moon was on my side tonight. I wondered all day if it would be a full moon tonight, and ten once you left with your last goods train today...I asked the Fat Controller if it would be a full moon tonight...and so he told me it would be. I've been keeping it a secret ever since last night. I've been hoping that tonight would be a full moon...which is why I was only so cheeky to you and no other engine...so that the moon can drive us both through the night."

Emily had listened to everything and all her instincts couldn't be more confirmed than they were tonight. She just stared into Thomas' moonlit eyes and smiled from buffer to buffer until she leaned right in and kissed him right on his lips, humming so purely for almost another whole minute until she softly let go.

"The full moon...a scoundrel by midnight...So...this was all your plan from the beginning, was it?" Emily asked.

"It was, Emily," said Thomas. "And...one other thing I can't help but ask...did...did you by any chance know it would be a full moon tonight?"

Emily deepened her gaze upon Thomas and kissed his lips again before she touched her cheeks right to his and softly leaned left and right, rubbing his cheeks with hers as she revealed her own secrets.

"You know, Thomas...yes...I did," she whispered. "In fact, I saw the moon outside the sheds last night myself. I didn't think much of it before...but as I looked after my passengers today, I suddenly remembered how James and Molly fell under the moon's spell, and I had to assume you must have been up to something through your cheekiness. Then when I went to Arlesburgh, David and Beatrice had heard about what happened between you and I. David wasn't happy about what happened with you and my trucks at first...but then he came to suspect what you might have had in mind...and when he suggested to me that you'd be a Scoundrel by Moonlight...everything just became more and more real. I was more and more sure that perhaps you had other plans in mind for the two of us...and to hear just how right I was all along...oh, Thomas. I love you. I love you more than anything in the whole wide world, and that will never, ever change, my handsome cobalt star!"

To this, Thomas couldn't hold back all his tears of love as he let them trail freely down his face and he pressed his lips to Emily's for such a big kiss of gratitude and ever-shining dedication to his one an only emerald angel now and forever.

"I...I...I love you too, Emily...my beautiful emerald angel. I love you more than anything in the whole wide world too, and will never EVER to change, for all of forever!"

Then both engines let out such a deep, blissful sigh as they held each other close in a few moments of serene silence.

But then in that given moment, Emily suddenly felt it. There was now one more thing that had to be done tonight before she and Thomas would turn in for a truly perfect and near-impossibly wonderful sleep together. Thomas had seductively toyed with her for the night...now it was her turn to release all the blossoms of pure passion that had been building up inside her boiler ever since she came to know of the full moon that was shining upon them now. When Thomas looked at her next, he suddenly felt his heart rush once again. This was the moment he had been secretly hoping for, for almost an entire day now since the previous night.

Emily was smiling purely and wholesomely as she brushed her cheeks softly to Thomas' and began to purr like a happy, sleeping cat. As Thomas heard her purring so quietly and purely right at him, he felt his wheels begin to wobble more wildly than they had ever wobbled throughout the whole day.

"Emily...what...what are you..." he asked almost nervously.

"Now it's time for your turn to get tempted, my very dear Tommy," she whispered. "You've done your part for tonight...now...may I put you at my blissful mercy...may I toy with you now for as much as I please? Please, my little scoundrel? My Scoundrel by Moonlight?"

Thomas scarcely began to answer when Emily began leaning a little every which way, her eyes scanning him up, down and left and right. Then she began her seductive toying right away.

"Ooh...Tommy...you're such a handsome, cute and truly dashing little tank engine...your perfect blue paint is gleaming perfectly in the moonlight tonight...perfect for my cobalt star and Scoundrel by Moonlight. Your six small wheels are so nice and blue...perfectly handsome proportions, I see. Your short stumpy funnel, short stumpy boiler and short stumpy dome...ooh, they all shape you absolutely perfectly, as always...but now...oh, Thomas. Your face is so truly handsome and too perfect to pass by! Your perfect little triangular eyebrows...no other engine has them...truly unique I must say. Oh, and your adorable little cheeks. They're so perfect and round...and just like you told me...their raspberry taste is truly too perfect almost even for me! And there it is...I see it, Tommy...your little special spot...where I gave you your first kiss...for all that you've ever done for me."

Thomas had listened to every little word Emily had spoken, and with each word, he found himself blushing deeper and his wheels wobbling more and more. It was now his turn to feel as though there was no more waiting. Emily's kisses just HAD to come! Right as he opened his mouth and just began to whisper, Emily spoke before him.

"Now, Tommy...I'm going to kiss you, my love...let me tease you, toy with you, pamper you, and worship you...I love you, Thomas..."

E-Emily..." Thomas whispered steadily. "I...I want you. I want you, Emily. I love you...kiss me, Emily...tease me...pamper me, Emily...love me..."

Emily just smiled and hushed Thomas very softly, making him shudder all over as she began her move for the night. She closed her eyes and slowly puckered her lips, smooching them so quietly and so beautifully, which made Thomas visibly jump and shudder even more. Emily slowly reached her puckering lips right to Thomas' cheek, right to his special spot where his first-ever kiss was ever planted...and in that moment, her lips pressed purely and strongly right there, lined up perfectly down to the millimeter, where she held her lips there, feeling her soul ripple and stir right with Thomas'.

The very instant Thomas felt this sensation of Emily's soft, warm, tickly and cuddly lips right there on his lips, as the moon continued to bask down on them, he gasped and wheezed with such a loud groan as Emily slowly began to smooch her lips right there, ever-so slightly sucking on his skin until her lips slowly popped away from his skin and she began kissing up, down and along his cheek, humming and cooing with every moment she could. Thomas felt his cheeks burning very hot red as he began to exclaim and groan with squeezing eyes.

"Ahh...Emily...I...I love you...that...that feels so amazing...so gentle! E-Emily! Ahh..." he uttered shakily, but blissfully.

Emily cooed and moaned so very happily as she softly and purely kissed Thomas' other cheek, earning even more chortles and groans from him. Oh, how very soft, warm, tickly and cuddly her kisses were as she steadily left little lips marks wherever she went! Emily could feel her eyes tearing up and dribbling little tears of love down her face as she covered every inch of both Thomas' cheeks with warm, cozy kisses, every one of which making her lips tingle gently and with absolute passion.

Then Thomas saw Emily stand still for a moment, smiling with such content and joy...until she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Thomas watched as she began to lean in toward him...then she began breathing softly, making him feel her warm breath drift right along his cheeks and make him blush and shudder...until he saw and felt it happen. Emily began to very gently drool on his cheek again as her beautiful, shiny, glistening saliva slowly trailed off her tongue and trickled down Thomas' face.

"Hah...Aahh..." Emily sighed purely as her warm, slippery and gooey saliva trailed off the tip of her tongue and kept trickling down Thomas' face.

Thomas could barely hold himself together, and his mind was so buzzed, his voice couldn't escape his throat. All that came out was the hoarsest whisper he had ever let out yet.

"Emily...by my oiling gears! I...I...!"

"Shh...shhh..." Emily whispered purely. "Hush, my perfect Tommy...I love you...I l-love you..."

Then she leaned further in and began licking Thomas' cheek so softly and happily, tasting the lovely sensation of raspberries on his cheek and making her giggle very shyly but sweetly as she trailed her saliva off his face and kept licking his cheek even further as if it were the most delicious dollop of ice cream she herself could ever dream to taste, all while Thomas groaned louder and louder and squeezed his eyes tighter and tighter shut, groaning even louder.

"Ahh...Emily...you're a...a...goddess!" he strained through his gritting teeth. "I...I...ohh! EMILY!"

Emily gave Thomas one more little lick of love, then pressed her lips to his cheek, then began to tickle him vigorously, nibbling and pinching his skin so quickly and precisely, and teasing him even further with her bubbly, sweet little voice.

"Tickle-tickle, Tommy," Emily giggled so sweetly. "Tickle-tickle-tickle-tickle!"

Thomas jumped and squawked to Emily's nibbling lips and her chirpy voice and he began shaking so wildly, Emily felt herself shaking a little too. But she kept nibbling and tickling Thomas as much as she could, planting little kisses as she went. Then after only a minute more, she began sucking on Thomas' cheek and kissing him even stronger. In these tarrying moments of ecstasy, Thomas felt his steam building up in his boiler at an almost alarming rate. He tried to hold himself together, but as he felt himself tickling warmer and warmer inside, it was all for naught...right until Emily coaxed him at the perfectly imperfect moment as it were.

"Aww, Tommy...are you going to let off steam? You're so, so sweet. Tickle-tickle-tickle...come on, Tommy..."

Thomas suddenly gasped and began panting as Emily's little nibbles and kisses of magic drove him closer and closer to almost performing Merlin's invisible maneuver as it were.

"Emily...I...I'm almost there, my love...I...I'm gonna BURST, Emily! Ahh! Emily-y-y-y!"

Emily gasped and giggled so excitedly. "Oh! Thomas! My perfect Tommy! Please don't hold it in...let it out for your angel! You can do it, Tommy!"

Thomas tightened his eyes so much, they almost disappeared into his head...then they burst open as some sort of explosion of near-impossible passion sparked out of Thomas as the force of his steam was let off with near rocket force as he whistled loudly and shrilly into the night and gave such a loud wail of love as his steam engulfed himself and Emily. She wailed happily too as she let off steam too and joined Thomas in their steamy embrace, all while Thomas felt himself basking in absolute glory, pride and above all, love for all he and Emily had done tonight under the absolutely perfect circumstances.

As soon as Thomas saw Emily through their cloud of steam as it faded away, he buffered right up to her and started raining little kisses all over her face as he thanked her over and over, just as she did with him.

"Oh...oh, Emily! My sweet, beautiful...beautiful emerald angel and queen! You were beyond amazing! Bey...beyond incredible! Emily! Oh, Emily! I love you! I love you, Emily! My emerald love and wife!"

"Oh! Ho-ho! Thomas! Ohh, I love you too!" Emily cooed with such love and pride until Thomas let go to catch his breath.

Emily then gazed right at Thomas as he gasped and panted so heavily, he was leaning up and down too.

"Well, Tommy?" Emily asked with a gleaming smile. "As you asked me...how was that, sweetie? Did you like that? Am I your...Temptress by Moonlight?"

Thomas took several moments to let his senses rush back to his head as he felt his mind spinning like pinwheels for several moments before he answered.

"Oh...ohh...my...my God, Emily!" he gasped. "That...that was beyond extraordinarily fascinating! Thank...thank you...my love..."

To this, Emily smiled and hummed beautifully...then she buffered to Thomas once more, making him look up and look into her eyes, gleaming like sapphires in the moonlight above them.

"I love you, Thomas..." Emily whispered. "You love me just the same...and now that we've exchanged all our gifts by moonlight...let us feel each other now...just each other's hold to the lips...with nothing else to fear. Only us in our own little kingdom."

And she closed her eyes and puckered her lips once more. Thomas smiled wholesomely and whispered right back how much he loved her. Then they both leaned in and began kissing to the lips once more, tugging and trailing their lips into each other and letting every calm and quiet down at last as all they felt in their minds now was each other.

After several minutes of deep kisses, Emily briefly let go. Then Thomas saw her close her eyes and reach her tongue out. Thomas immediately saw what she wanted to do and reached his tongue out too. Then Thomas and Emily felt it. The tips of their tongues gently touched together, sending such a tingle and almost a flash of electricity jolt right through both engines as they felt their tongues slowly begin to writhe and rub together so vigorously. Then their lips locked together again and they both began humming and groaning so loudly and with such passion as they both let off thick clouds of steam and blanketed each other in such a warm and sultry embrace, just the two of them and absolutely nothing else around them, and so they continued to softly French-kiss each other, nibble, tickle and softly lick each other's faces, all as they kept humming, cooing and whimpering together in their ever-true and never-dying passion, vigor euphoria and utmost love beyond all else.

At long, long last, after three constant, and almost eternity-like hours of such steamy, luscious and glowing euphoria between Thomas and Emily through a long, long series of kisses, nibbles, sucks, licks and French-kisses alike, both their boilers were finally starting to cool down and the red in their faces finally began to ebb away as they began to pant slowly and purely, each feeling their warm breath constantly trailing over each other's faces, which were both covered with little lip-marks and kiss-hickeys every which way. It had been another near-impossible night of pure, indescribable passion for these two engines, and as they had always done here before, they could never wait enough for whichever steamy night would come along for both of them.

"Huh...uhh...oh...ohh..." Emily sighed as her eyes flickered shut as she was practically falling asleep already.

But Thomas leaned in and gave her a little suck right on her chin, making her jump, giggle and flutter her eyes open again.

"Thomas...Thomas..." Emily whispered. "Today was absolutely...truly...fascinating...you are such a perfect and truly astounding engine."

"Y...yes, Emily," Thomas whispered back. "You are truly perfect and astounding as well...and very beautiful and sexy too...I've never felt so much vigor and passion at this magnitude...at least, not that I can recall like this, for a very long time...I'm a scoundrel today...but I'm YOUR scoundrel tonight."

"A Scoundrel by Moonlight. That's what you are," Emily smiled wearily. "I...I didn't expect it to turn out quite like this."

"Neither did I...but I couldn't be more proud of it," Thomas smiled.

Then he and Emily began to yawn so very deeply as their eyelids became so, so heavy. This was now their chance to fall asleep and only hold each other for the entire night. The beautiful emerald angel Emily, and the handsome cobalt star and scoundrel by moonlight, Thomas.

"Ohh...sweet dreams and happy nuzzles, Thomas," Emily yawned. "I love you so much...to my very core and infinity, my handsome cobalt scoundrel and star."

"Oh, Emily...I love you too, so much...to my core and infinity. And sweet dreams and happy nuzzles to you, my beautiful, sexy emerald angel."

With a final loving kiss and warm, safe nuzzle to their cheeks, Thomas and Emily gave a blissful sigh and fell into a truly deep, warm and blissful sleep together in their own little kingdom of Black Loch. After four entire years since Thomas' cheekiness had shown itself rather significantly, it had resulted in rather exuberant and most delightful stirrings that neither he nor Emily had felt at this magnitude for a fair amount of time. As Thomas felt the love tonight in the way that Emily did, it was enough for the restless scoundrel just to be with his perfect angel in their own perfect little world. Black Loch, where they themselves were their very own cobalt king and emerald queen.

But the boundary-pushing antics between these two weren't over yet. After Thomas and Emily's truly sacred and purest night of asserting themselves as husband and wife figures, and now the events that had transpired tonight, there was yet another surprise along for them soon, following a little rainy story Donald and Douglas would tell their sister figure soon. But that's another story.

---

Another juicy Thomas and Emily story after quite awhile, since "Until Death Do Us Part" was more on the darker side of things, where as this is much more teasing and sensual since I really wanted to bring back the scoundrel thing from "Thomas the Scoundrel" - too bad we weren't able to post this yesterday on May 4th, cause you know, Star Wars day - and it was good way of referencing "Moonlight Temptation" as well, only this time with Thomas and Emily, obviously. Next time we're adapting another Annual story by Christopher Awdry, and it's more focus on Donald and Douglas, though mostly the former. Until then, tell us what you thought of this story, and as always, stay safe.