Thomas was going towards Knapford Station, he was going to get the Brass Band for Lady Hatt's birthday party, but whilst Thomas felt really honored about it, he still felt bothered about how Emily was acting yesterday, it was such a 180 in her usual personality, but maybe Emily was feeling cranky over working late at night, he could check up on her if he gets the chance. Thomas met up and saw Timothy shunting a line of twenty trucks of bunting for the party.
"Hello Timothy!" greeted Thomas.
"Hi Thomas!" replied Timothy, as cheerful as yesterday.
"I hope everything goes great for your second day on Sodor."
"I am sure it all will. Right now, I have to deliver these trucks of bunting for the party." said Timothy.
"That's a very long line." commented Thomas "Hope you enjoy this party." said Thomas as he chuffed away. Timothy had other plans, when Thomas got out of sight, he gave the trucks a big shunt and uncuppled the last two trucks, but thankfully, he did it in a way where nobody noticed it.
'Oops, now its time for another engine to take it' said Timothy to himself chuffing away, with the last two trucks being left behind. The workmen tried to call out for Timothy, but he pretended that he couldn't hear them. When Timothy arrived at a signal box, the Fat Controller noticed the line of trucks that Timothy had, there were either, not ten, so he had to warn Timothy. The Fat Controller then walked up to Timothy.
"Timothy," said the Fat Controller "There are eighteen trucks, you're supposed to be taking twenty." Timothy knew that, but pretended to be shocked.
"Wait what?!" commented Timothy.
'Should I say that I am too clumsy? No, it will be too obvious. Oh wait, unless I can just say I didn't notice, it shouldn't raise too much of a red flag.' said Timothy to himself.
"I didn't notice it sir. I'm really sorry." said Timothy. The Fat Controller sighed in response.
"Once you bring this line of trucks, bring back the other line, we can't have any confusion and delay." said the Fat Controller, just then Percy arrived.
"I can carry those trucks for Timothy if you want, Sir." tooted Percy.
'Please say yes!' commented Timothy to himself as the Fat Controller pondered to himself.
"Yeah sure Percy, you can do it." said the Fat Controller.
'Just according to plan!' said Timothy as he spotted Thomas passing by, supposedly he was searching for something, but he wasn't paying attention to where he was going 'Thanks Percy, you made my plans easier.'
"Thanks a lot Percy." said Timothy.
"Anything to help out a friend." replied Percy as he steamed away for the trucks of bunting. Timothy then steamed off to Lady Hatt's party to carry the line of trucks and at some point he spotted Thomas.
"Where's the Tuba player?" asked Thomas as he was puffing along the line.
"Try the yards Thomas." said Timothy, which Thomas accepted.
"Thanks!" replied Thomas, going to the yards, not paying attention to where he is going.
'So he has a very high willingness to act, no wonder I couldn't predict him.' said Timothy to himself, just then, Timothy's plan was going to fruition 'Time to cause some confusion and delay.' then Thomas was headed towards Percy's bunting train, by the time Thomas noticed and applied his brakes, it was too late, Thomas crashed into the trucks, bunting being flung into the air and the trucks and Thomas were derailed.
"You spilt my bunting!" said Percy crossly.
"mmmmmm HA HA HA HA!" laughed Timothy as he chuffed away.
Meanwhile with Emily
Emily saw everything that Timothy did and the crash that Thomas suffered. She was angry at Timothy, so she puffed towards him bravely. Emily found Timothy leaving the trucks of bunting at Lady Hatt's party then she waited for them to be alone. When Timothy arrived next to her.
"Why did you have to hurt Thomas? He did nothing right now!" asked Emily crossly, she never thought Timothy would try to do something like that.
'I see, so she also has a high willingness to act like the Tank Engine, I am glad I already took control of her.' said Timothy to himself.
"I'm sorry, didn't notice." said Timothy obviously lying to Emily, which made her even crosser "I mean what will you do right now? You must be grateful that I didn't kill him, because I could have killed both of them if I wanted to." this made Emily shiver down her boiler "Oh wait, if you want, I can just create a plan where trucks just push Thomas down a hill and..."
"STOP!" yelled Emily breaking down in tears, she couldn't stand the thought of what would happen to Thomas or her friends.
"Good good." replies Timothy "We don't want anything to happen to our little friend now do we? For our next order of business its simple, you will be acting towards Thomas like what you did yesterday, winter is arriving, so there could be a chance to cause some more confusion and delay." said Timothy, Emily didn't want to ask anything afterwards, so she said the only thing she could.
"... Alright, I'll do it..." said Emily.
"I knew I can always count on you." said Timothy "I guess fate brought it upon you." as he steamed away. Emily has a glaring thought by the time Timothy was out of sight.
'Thomas... can you still like me even after everything I am about to do?'
When winter arrived
Thomas was going up and down on his Branch Line with Annie and Clarribel, he thought he was doing a grand job, but Emily had other ideas, she thought Thomas could be doing an even grander job, so she decided to "help" Thomas, by telling him what he was doing wrong. Emily was at a coal hopper, when she saw Thomas passing by the Branch Line.
"Slow down!" Cried out Emily "You're going too fast and bumping your passengers!" this made Thomas very cross. Later, Emily saw Thomas at a bridge, he had stopped to take on water and was talking to some children.
"Stop talking to the children!" said Emily "You're working and they'll make you late!"
"I'm never late!" said Thomas huffily.
"There's always a first time!" replied Emily cheerfully and she puffed away. Thomas was cross. He loved talking to children and thought Emily was being a big bossy buffers.
"How rude!" said Annie.
"Couldn't agree anymore." added Clarribel.
"I'm never going to listen to Emily ever ever again." said Thomas "So there." though he really wanted to listen to the Emily he first met. Meanwhile with Emily, she going down the Branch Line when she saw Timothy.
"What do you want?!" asked Emily in desperation "I am doing what you're telling me to do!" Timothy thought he could point out something about the whole thing, but he might save it for another time.
"Just wanted to make sure." said Timothy as he puffed away.
'Is he spying on me and Thomas?!' Emily thought to herself, going berserk in her thoughts. She heard Thomas in the background puffing along the line, she wanted him to comfort her with his words, but Thomas was too annoyed with her to listen, so he pretended she didn't exist. This made Emily sad, but she couldn't show it still, Timothy might be spying 'If your silence is your answer Thomas... I'm sorry...'
The next morning
A sleepy Thomas had to leave Tidimouth Sheds bright and early. He was to collect some trucks from the Quarry and take them to the docks. Later that morning, the Fat Controller arrived with a new weather report.
"There is snow on the way. You must all have your snowploughs fitted."
"Excuse me sir," said Emily "But Thomas has already left for the Quarry."
"Then you must find Thomas and tell him Sir Topham wants him to wear his snowplough." so Emily puffed away to get her snowplough fitted. At the same time as Emily was getting her snowplough fitted, she was wondering why hasn't Timothy seen her yet, not even to give her an order.
'What's he playing at this time?' Emily asked herself, as she was getting her snowplough fitted. The workmen fixed Emily's snowplough on in no time at all and she set off to find Thomas. Emily still looked around to see where was Timothy, but couldn't find him still 'What's the plan? Will he be trying to cause some more confusion and delay? Isn't one already enough especially on winter of all times?!'. Thomas was taking on water at Maithwaite station. Emily puffed up in front of him. She blew her whistle, but Thomas didn't say hello.
"She just wants to boss me again." grouch Thomas.
"Thomas!" she called "You must go and get your snowplough fitted!" Thomas could hear what Emily was saying but pretended he couldn't. He thought he was being very clever. So Emily tooted even louder again "You must go and get your snowplough fitted!" she cried.
"Bother snowploughs!" said Thomas "And bother Emily anyway! The weather is perfectly fine!" and he puffed away as fast as he could.
'Oh no!' said Emily upon realizing why Timothy hasn't shown up 'So that was his plan?!'. Thomas delivered trucks to the Quarry. Then set off to collect cream from the Dairy. Everything was going well, but soon the clear blue sky was eaten away by dark clouds.
"They looked like snow clouds to me!" said his driver and he was right, soon big flakes of snow began to fall then the snow gathered into drifts and covered the tracks.
"Cinders and ashes!" cried Thomas as his wheels began to slip. Snow fell all over the island, Emily cut safely through the drifts with her snowplough.
'Thomas will be in trouble now.' Emily was right, Thomas was working harder and harder but he had to go more and more slowly.
"We can't go on!" said his driver. Thomas pulled to slow sad stop by a signal box and his driver went for help. It snowed and snowed, Thomas felt very cold and twice as miserable. Then heard the sound of an engine, Thomas was delighted until he saw who his rescuer was, it was Emily.
"I told you to go and get your snowplough!" she said "Now look what has happened!" Thomas was still cross.
"You should say sorry for bossing me about!"
"I am sorry!" said Emily "Sorry you didn't listen to me!" Emily and Thomas soon chuffed into Tidimouth Sheds. The Fat Controller was waiting, he did not look happy.
"Emily! You must take Thomas to get his snowplough fitted at once!" said the Fat Controller sternly "You must learn to listen! Now this whole little situation has caused confusion and delay!" Thomas felt bad, he didn't know it was the Fat Controller who wanted him to wear his snowplough. Emily felt bad too, she didn't like seeing Thomas in trouble.
"I'm sorry sir." said Emily "I forgot to tell Thomas it was your idea."
"You mean, I have two engines that don't listen!" boomed the Fat Controller "Well I never! Emily, you must take Thomas to get his snowplough fitted at once!". Soon the work was finished and Thomas was wearing his snowplough.
"Thank you for owning up." said Thomas "You are a very good friend." Emily couldn't show it, but she felt relieved when Thomas said that.
'Thanks Thomas, what you just said means a lot to me' said Emily to herself.
"That's alright." said Emily "You're a good friend too, but next time, if you want to stay out of trouble, just do what I say." Even Thomas had to laugh.
"Well anyway, I have to go for the dairy." said Thomas "I am VERY late." as he steamed away. Emily soon puffed away as well to get her work done as well, then Timothy caught up to her.
"Please! Don't hurt Thomas! I have done what you wanted me to do!" said Emily.
"You did, but not good enough!" said Timothy "The next time a situation like this happens, I will be there to make sure you make the situation even worse!" Emily felt her boiler bubble out of fear for what Timothy might be planning for in the future as he steamed away.
To be continued