Chapter 6: Agnes and Ryan.

One bright sunny mid-morning, Thomas and Emily were waiting outside Gru's house. Lucy and Margo were pacing around in the front yard, all 4 of them were waiting for Agnes, she had been gone since yesterday morning.

Lucy: "Aww, where is she?"

Thomas: "I don't know Lucy, but we all know she likes to wander off on her own sometimes."

Emily: "You're right about that Thomas, but she's never been gone this long before."

Margo: "She seriously couldn't have stayed at that unicorn movie for 2 whole days."

Suddenly, they finally saw Agnes peddling up in her track cycle. She parked it about 1 ½ yards away from Thomas, then she hopped off and softly skipped up to the others. She looked like she had a really big smile on her face.

Thomas: "You look pretty cheery today Agnes."

Emily: "Yeah, what's gotten into you?"

While there was a few seconds of silence, Agnes held her fist up to her mouth not being able to contain her excitement. But then she couldn't take it anymore.

Agnes: "I made a new friend today!"

Emily: "Really?"

Margo: "Who did you become friends with?"

Agnes smiled beginning to speak. But before she could say anything, her smile turned into a confused frown.

Agnes: "I forgot his name."

Margo just face planted herself.

Thomas: "Can you at least describe him?"

Agnes: "All I remember about him is him that he's that purple tank engine that often helps Daisy up at Arlsburgh harbor."

Thomas's eyes then shot wider with surprise.

Thomas: "Oh, you must mean Ryan!"

Agnes: "Yeah, that was it!"

Lucy: "Aww, how sweet. How did your playdate go with him?"

Agnes: "Great! I'll tell you all how it started."

And this is the story Agnes told….

(Flashback to yesterday morning)

Agnes was sitting sadly against her track cycle that she had parked in the middle of a 2 track railway section. She had missed the unicorn movie she was going to, and she was so looking forward to seeing it. She was so upset, that she had wandered out into this section of the tracks just to get away from her stress.

After a couple more minutes, Ryan came puffing towards the spot where she was sitting pulling 3 freight cars loaded with wooden crates. Ryan was a purple GNR class N2, and the small name plate each side of the front half of his boiler were coated bronze. He even had the letters "GNR" on each of his side plates, and the number 1014 on each side of his coal bunker.

Once he saw Agnes sitting against her track cycle looking very sad, he slowly stopped next to her to see what the problem was.

Ryan: "Hello, are you okay?"

Agnes was calmly startled by the greeting, but she quickly looked up and took a look at Ryan. She had never met Ryan before, but she wasn't too afraid to say hello back to him.

Agnes:(sad tone) "Oh, Hey."

Ryan: "What's the matter?"

Agnes: "Well, I kinda missed some unicorn movie I was so looking forward to seeing."

Ryan: "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that."

Agnes: "Yeah, they even had a unicorn with the most beautiful rainbow colors."

Ryan felt even more upset once he heard that, then he started to think. Once his face quickly beamed, he faced back towards Agnes with a pleasant smile.

Ryan: "hey, If it makes you feel any better, why don't you spend the rest of the day with me?"

After hearing that, Agnes couldn't help but feel a little better and get up from where she was sitting.

Agnes: "Okay, I guess I can work with that."

After Agnes climbed up onto the seat of her track cycle, she softly jumped in realization.

Agnes: "Oh I almost forgot. I didn't really catch your name."

Ryan: "Oh, My name, is Ryan."

Agnes: "Mine is Agnes, Agnes Gru."

Ryan: "How about you follow me, let's brighten up your feelings."

Agnes: "okay."

As Agnes started peddling into action, she followed Ryan down the line towards Arlsburgh junction.

[We see Agnes using her track cycle to shunt a few trucks into place, but she was still feeling a little sad.]

"When you think life's unfair….and you feel nobody cares."

[Then Ryan pulls up alongside her. Once they smile at each other, Agnes continues on with what she was doing.]

"Don't be afraid to open the door, then you'll find you're not alone anymore."

[About 20 minutes later, it was raining at the Arlsburgh yards.]

"Sometimes there's rainy days….you may need help along the way."

[When Ryan noticed Agnes was getting soaked, he offered her to take shelter in his cab. Once Agnes agreed, she quickly climbed into his cab and felt much better.]

"Do not despair, you know we'll be there, that's what friends are for."

[Later that day when it stopped raining, Ryan was speeding down the main line while pushing Agnes's track cycle. Agnes was standing on top of Ryan's smoke box in front of his funnel with her hands spread out while laughing happily, she was highly enjoying the ride]

"All pull together, all join hands. Old friends together, forever."

"We are the best friends, we stand as one. Whatever life may bring, we're never alone."

[Further up the line, daisy the diesel railcar was coming in the other direction on the other line. She was surprised and slightly shocked to see Agnes standing on Ryan's smoke box like that, but she didn't bother to interfere when she saw how much fun they were having.]

"We're together…..forever…..as one."

[20 minutes later, Ryan had to take a few freight cars loaded with stone to Brendom docks. But he was stuck at the bottom of Gordon's hill, he couldn't get them over on his own.]

"Life's full of ups and downs….just like a mary go round."

[Then Agnes pulled up alongside him with her track cycle, and she offered to help him. After Ryan agreed, a small pincer clamp clenched it's jaws on the side of Ryan's buffer plate. Then they both strained up the hill with their heavy load.]

"Happy or sad, we'll stick by your side. That's what friends are for."

[A little later, once they got back from the docks, they were both back to shunting trucks in the yard.]

"All pull together, all join hands."

[Suddenly, Agnes accidentally pushed the cars she was shunting through a set of buffers, the first 2 cars rolled away, and unexpectedly rolled over the edge of the rocky cliff. Agnes and Ryan silently stared at cliff, then at each other, then they just laughed off the moment.]

"Old friends together, forever."

[Later in the afternoon, Agnes and Ryan were parked side by side on the stone rail dock next to the Arlsburgh lighthouse looking into the ocean. Agnes was holding onto a light blue balloon with a detail of a railroad crossing on it.]

"We are the best friends, we stand as one. Whatever life may bring, we're never alone."

[Just then, the balloon string slipped out of Agnes's grasp and floating higher and higher into the sky. But they just laughed off that moment as well.]

"We're together…..

[After the 2 friends settled down, Agnes unexpectedly climbed over from her track cycle to Ryan's front buffer base. Then what was the most surprising, Agnes calmly leaned her head against the side of Ryan's smoke box.]

...forever…..

[A little later, the sun was coming down over the horizon. It was time for Agnes to go home, but she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to Ryan.]

Agnes: "Before I go, I made something for you."

Agnes reached into the front pocket of her overalls, and she was holding a big round light yellow sticker with a blue outlining around it. It even had the letters "BFF" smack in the middle with a couple dark pink hearts around it.

Agnes came up in front of Ryan, and she plastered the sticker on Ryan's left wheel arch. Agnes and Ryan had officially become best friends.

"One day we may be part….and the distance may sadden our hearts…..wherever we stray remember this day."

[Agnes climbed back onto her track cycle, and said one last goodbye to her new BFF.]

Agnes:(sniffles) "Goodbye Ryan."

Ryan: "I'll surely miss you too."

[with that, Agnes and Ryan went separate directions along the main line they were on. Both friends new that they would be able to see each other again.]

"Friends together…..forever…...we stay."

(End of flashback)

We open up back to the spot where Agnes had been sharing her story with Thomas, Emily, Lucy, and Margo. Thomas and Emily were even getting a little teary eyed from the beautiful story Agnes had told.

Emily: "Wow Agnes…..that was beautiful."

Agnes: "Yeah, after all that, Ryan and I really became best friends."

Thomas: "So If you just left each other yesterday evening, then how come you just returned in the mid morning?"

Agnes: "Well, it was too dark by the time we left each other. So I had to spend the night at the sheds at wellsworth station with Phillip."

Lucy: "Few, it's good to hear that you were safe."

Thomas and Emily just rolled their eyes at each other knowing that Lucy was acting a little overprotective again.

Margo: "What else were you 2 love birds planning for each other?"

Agnes: "Well, we're gonna have a sleepover at Arlsburgh yard tonight. So I'm just gonna go and get ready."

So while Agnes went inside Gru's house, Thomas, Emily, Lucy, and Margo all watched her warmly.

Emily:(sighs) "They grow up so fast."

Early the next morning at Arlsburgh junction, Ryan was just waking up for the day.

As he softly looked towards his left, Agnes was sleeping on top of her track cycle. She was also just waking up, but her eyes only opened ¾.

Ryan: "Ready to go?"

Agnes: "Yeah. Just 10 more minutes, I've still gotta wake up a little more."

Ryan just chuckled at that little quote. So with 2 soft peeps of his whistle, Ryan set off for his daily work.

About 15 minutes later, Margo, Edith, and Agnes were all standing on a wooden platform outside a small brown building at Arlsburgh harbor. Margo and Edith had come to check on Agnes while she was finally waking up, then she decided to have them meet Ryan up close and personal.

Just then, Ryan pulled up to the platform with a couple pointy roofed box cars buckled up behind him. He saw Margo and Edith standing with Agnes, but he had never met them before.

Ryan: "Oh, morning Agnes. Who are these adorable ladies?"

Agnes: "Ryan, I'd like you to meet my elder sisters, Margo and Edith."

Ryan: "Very nice to meet you 2."

Margo: "Aww, you've got such nice manners."

Ryan: "I know, it's just something I do."

Agnes: "I'm just going to go help Ryan with his delivery, I'll see ya later."

So Agnes climbed on top of Ryan's buffer base, and Ryan set off to make his delivery. Margo and Edith were confused at why Agnes chose to ride on his buffer base instead of in his cab.

Ryan: "Ya know Agnes, you have quite a pair of cute sisters. That tall one with the jacket I liked the looks of a lot."

Agnes: "You mean Margo? yeah, she's a very pretty one."

Agnes and Ryan really had become BFF's, so Agnes reached up and planted a small kiss on the bottom corner of his cheek. Ryan blushed, then he puffed off on his way with Agnes riding at his front.

To be continued.

Music used - That's what friends are for.

Based on - Thomas and friends.

Written by - Mike o'donnell