Ryan was sweaty and breathless as his larger lover worked him over in his berth. They had only a few short hours before their workday began so Emerson treasured every moment inside his little tank engine partner. The two had just locked their mouths in a wet kiss as they teetered the edge of climax when the creaking of the adjacent empty berth's door opening ripped them apart. In chuffed a dark blue well-tank engine with a flared smokebox similar to Emily's. The new engine didn't immediately notice Ryan and Emerson and the two did their best to keep as still as possible. The shadows of the shed helped in concealing the pair as Emerson slowly and carefully retracted himself from Ryan. Emerson's slow removal, however, knocked Ryan over the edge and he gasped suddenly, in turn alerting the new engine of their presence.

"I'm sorry!" The new tank engine was embarrassed. Ryan and Emerson were apart at that point, but it didn't take a well-trained detective to know what they were doing. "I didn't realize the shed was… occupied." His voice was soft and carried a noticeable throaty accent. "I can leave if you'd like."

"No, no," Ryan reassured. "I actually need to get going anyway." He ignored Emerson's frown. "I'm Ryan by the way and this is Emerson. He's the one who actually lives in this shed."

"I'm Sonny!" The new engine's smile was meek and apprehensive, but he was excited meeting his new berth-mate and his apparent lover.

Emerson wasn't all too thrilled, however. He knew Sonny was meant to be Meredith's replacement and the fact Sir Topham Hatt brought in a new engine so quickly did not sit well with the big locomotive. He continued to glower as he bid Ryan a quiet goodbye. Then he peeked over at Sonny. The little engine was already beginning to doze off, but he could feel a pair of hot eyes on him. "Is something wrong?"

Emerson merely averted his gaze and shut his eyes. If he was feeling this cross about Sonny's arrival, he could only imagine the level of fury Gordon would exude once he discovered his love had already been replaced.

That morning at Knapford, Emerson had collected his coaches and was at the platform waiting for his passengers to board when he saw Gordon pull into the yard to refuel. The maroon Pacific was nervous. Gordon always wore a deadpan expression but this time it wasn't due to mere indifference. No, this time his lack of mirth was fueled by hatred and it was apparent in the way the engine's steam ran unusually hot. It nearly burned Kenneth as he rounded his engine while his tender was refilled with water. It was the driver's first day back with Gordon and Bernadette was paired with another engine. Likely Sonny.

"Good morning, Emerson." Sonny rolled up beside the coastline express with an energetic peep. He was excited to begin his first day of work on the railway. "I didn't see you in the sheds this morning."

"I have to leave early." Is all the one-off A3 said then he caught glimpse of the coaches Sonny was coupled to. They were Meredith's and he wasn't the only engine who noticed this damning detail.

"What do you think you're doing with those coaches, you wicked little engine?!" It was almost neck-breaking how quickly Gordon appeared in front of Sonny. His gaze was burning and his boiler rumbled angrily.

Sonny trembled under Gordon's murderous stare. "I- I- Sir Topham- he-"

"Gordon!" Just then Sir Topham Hatt stepped onto the platform wearing a fresh summer suit. "Gordon, you get a hold of yourself right now! That's no way to talk to a new engine."

Gordon's electric gaze snapped to his controller. It gained intensity from Sir Topham's complete lack of empathy. "You replaced Meredith and she hadn't even been gone two days!"

The fat controller sighed. He did feel anxious from how Gordon regarded him, but he held himself stern and firm. "Someone needed to take over her duties and I had already planned on bringing Sonny on long before I decided to sell Meredith."

Sonny had started to reverse away from Gordon but the big engine noticed and lurched forward, grabbing the little engine with his coupling chain then dragged him closer, their noses nearly touching. "Where do you think you're going?" His voice was full of dark, hateful venom and Sonny felt faint.

Emerson only watched. He dared not stand in the way of Gordon and his rage. He told himself he would keep out of that spectacle involving his true A3 counterparts and was determined to hold fast to the commitment.

"Gordon, you release Sonny right this moment!" Sir Topham demanded with an angry gesture towards the ground. The controller was uneasy as Emerson and Sonny's passengers all halted from boarding their coaches. The last thing he needed was the public becoming fearful of his engines.

The bristling express engine remained where he was and instead turned his anger towards his controller. "I'd love to see you try and make me."

Sir Topham was furious. "Gordon, Meredith is gone. Period. You'll never see her again so get used to it now and move on!"

Everything and everyone stopped at that moment. Not a passenger spoke nor a piston pumped. The summer air held still. Gordon's hard disposition wavered. He felt as if he would be sick all over the little engine attached to him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to curse his controller left, right, and center. But most of all, he wanted to cry and not just a pathetic sob in private. A cry where the tears burned as they trailed his cheeks. One that would leave him exhausted and numb once his boiler ran dry and he had become completely dehydrated.

With a quick flick of his fender, Gordon uncoupled himself from Sonny. He switched gears and reversed down the track and back into the yard without another word. Emerson watched. His firebox ached. He didn't know what to do. He wished terribly he could help Gordon. Sir Topham, however, felt proud that he was able to wrangle in his engine and returned to his office with a pop of his lapel and a victorious grin.

Out on the railway at London, Meredith was kept decently busy shunting coaches and cars to much larger and more intimidating engines. It was time for Flying Scotsman's afternoon express and he was settling into his platform after a restorative rest in the yard. He released a bit of excess steam with a wide yawn and studied the station. The hot afternoon sun wasn't as cutting through the station's opaque glass rooftop, but it was still hot and uncomfortable. Passengers fanned themselves with papers, their hands, anything they could to help create some sort of artificial breeze. There was a young family crammed together on a bench with the youngest child of three dancing around in front while the mother watched and the father perused a newspaper. Scotsman wondered what it was like to be able to have a family. It was something he greatly envied humans for, but it could never be.

Scotsman was brought back to reality when he realized his coaches were once again coupled to him. He gave his body a shimmy and just as he was beginning to build his boiler pressure back up, a small engine joined him on the neighboring track.

"Hi."

The big green A3's pressure immediately shot up at the sound of her voice and he did everything possible to calm himself before addressing her. "Well hello, little Meredith." He purred as he slid his gaze towards her. His mouth ran dry at the sight of the glittery tank engine. She was so close he could easily tilt himself to rub against her boiler. Oh how he wanted to, but he refrained. She was tense and Scotsman had no intention of scaring her off.

"How are you?" She asked. She wouldn't look at the big engine, not for too long at least.

Scotsman smirked. "I'm perfect now." Her cheeks lit up and Scotsman felt his control slipping as he studied her sweaty frame. "And you? You look as if you've been placed in an oven."

"Oh, yeah, this heat is intense and I think it's going to take some time for me to build up the stamina for these long runs."

He could no longer hold back the purring in his boiler. She looked disheveled but in such an enticing way. "I can help you with that… stamina."

Meredith recognized that seductive grin and she felt herself begin to crack. "No- no, I don't need any help, thank you." Just then Kestrel screeched in on a nearby line. He noticed Meredith and smiled.

"If it isn't our little snowflake." Kestrel's tone was almost as sultry as Scotsman's. "I see ole Scot here wasted no time making himself known."

"I've actually known… Scot? For some time now." Meredith said with an indignant huff. Flying Scotsman watched the streamlined engine carefully. Kestrel was one of Spencer's siblings that he did not know all too well personally, but he knew of his reputation of being extremely overstepping.

"Is that so?" Kestrel raised his brow. "Exactly how well do you know him, Hm?"

"Oh I know him very well." Meredith cooed. Scotsman's safety valve nearly blew at the sound of her basically bragging about her closeness to him.

Kestrel shook himself off. He wasn't too bothered by Meredith's involvement with Flying Scotsman. One would be hard-pressed to find a female his cousin hadn't laid with at least once. "Any chance you would want to get to know me very well." He mocked her confidence, though he secretly found it immensely alluring.

Before Meredith could answer, Flying Scotsman rolled forward. "I don't think so." His boiler grumbled long and deep. "She's mine."

Kestrel was surprised. He'd never known his playboy cousin to be so possessive. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were committed."

"Me either." Meredith mumbled under her breath, but she couldn't stop the tingling in her undercarriage. She did enjoy seeing the big engine all worked up.

"Well whenever you get tired of her I'd surely love a taste." One thing about Kestrel is that he was never one to mince words. And though he may not possess the level of promiscuity his brothers and cousin boast, whenever he spotted an engine that tickled his particular fancy, he was unapologetically relentless.

Scotsman chuckled from deep in his boiler. "Don't hold your breath." He passed a quick wink to Meredith and she blinked in response. She found herself wondering how long he had until his next express run.

Kestrel scoffed as his guard signaled it was clear to depart. "We'll see. Until next time little snowflake!"

Scotsman and Meredith watched the green A4 depart then exchanged a glance. Meredith shuddered. She already knew where this was going…

Straight into a berth. Meredith found herself pinned down by Flying Scotsman. His mouth overtaking hers in a starved, moan-filled kiss. The big engine had his express delayed a half hour just so he wouldn't miss the surprise chance to rail his little lady. He was more than eager to get to bumping, but as he continued to kiss Meredith a strange feeling washed over him. He felt burning, throbbing arousal but something about the kiss felt different. After the heat of the initial impact waned, he felt himself wanting to savor every peck, every lick of her tongue. He turned his body so he could have a better angle to push ever deeper into her. Scotsman suddenly didn't care about whether or not he would get to fuck Meredith. He just wanted to keep kissing her. This new burning feeling was unlike any he had before and he wondered if she shared it with him. It seemed as if she did the way she kept up.

The two engines continued their slow and intimate makeout until Scotsman couldn't take it anymore. He lifted the little engine up and slowly connected with her. Meredith took a sharp breath in. She wasn't used to the big engine being so methodical with his movements. He was stimulating her in ways she never had been before. It was intoxicating. She found herself going cross-eyed more than once when she wasn't in a headlock with the big engine and her groans came from a place of raw, unhinged ecstasy. The little engine was transported to an ethereal place that was just her and Flying Scotsman and their fiery intimacy. Until she closed her eyes at the peak of release and all she saw was Gordon, mangled and alone- waiting for certain death in the smelter's yard.

Chapter 2 down! I think I've really nailed-down my writing style. I feel sometimes I can be inconsistent but I try not to dwell on it too hard because if I focus too much on the writing I lose track of the content itself. It's a vicious game we writers play for sure. Lol.

Well I couldn't even make it 2 chapters before hooking-up Meredith and Scot. I was wanting to drag it out more but eh, shit happens. Lmao.

Pretty Katydid; I'm glad you're still thoroughly enjoying! I've got many a plan for this AU and I certainly don't intend to drag it out like Grey's Anatomy. (Just for clarification, I love me some Grey's but sometimes just because something is good, doesn't mean you milk it dry) But about Scotsman, yeah it was difficult for me to not just toss them into the berth at the end there, but it would've made absolutely zero sense given Meredith's complete meltdown over leaving Gordon. She needed a little time to settle first. Two days... to be precise. HAH.

Anywho; I hope everyone is enjoying! I'll see y'all next time!

Much love;

Bumble

We're not a love song; More like a dream; I'm drawn to danger; You're drawn to me; We're not a love song; More like a high; So mesmerizing; It's called a crime