AUTHOR'S NOTICE:

Finally I finished this chapter! For those who didn't know, I made a preview of this story and it was called Heart of Spades but it just didn't seem right. With the help of my Fanfic sister, Goldensaddletank, they helped me pick out the new title, Ace of Heart, which I think is better suited. I'm still working on A Sacrifice for Those You Love and Escaping the Big Top, but it'll take me some time since work keeps adding me to shifts every other day so I don't really get much time to work on them at the current time so please bear with me on those. Secondly, this is my first time doing a humanized story for Thomas and Friends so please be mindful if I do any grammar problems or everything else like that. Thirdly, the character's personalities and appearances are from my own personal universe for this is how I portray them in my stories. Also, I'll be starting classes back again at the end of the month so that'll also make me work on the chapters a bit slowly. Sorry! T_T

DISCLAIMER: Thomas and Friends belong to Mattel (Boooo XP) while every other character is owned by me

As always, please leave reviews if you like the story and please, NO FLAMES. They hurt people and put a damper on authors' moods since they only want to share their stories to the world. Also, for everyone who leaves a review as 'Guest', please don't repeat the same review. Thank you everyone and have an amazing day!

~suicuneluvr~


~~Six Years Ago~~

"How is he?"

A male of 23 years old sighed softly, rubbing his hand through his short blue hair. His sapphire eyes were full of sadness as he looked at a white door that leads to a bedroom. His outfit consisted of a white dress shirt with a blue work coat with red stripes on the cuffs of his sleeves and the collar of his coat. His pants are the same light blue color with black shoes and white gloves. The sound of rain pattered against the windows, echoing within the quiet house. Sighing softly through his nose, the male looked over at the other three people next to him. Standing in front of him is a female around 20 years old with ankle-length lavender hair. Her eyes are the same color as her hair with freckles decorating her face. She wore a similar outfit as the male but was lavender in color. Standing behind her was a pair of twins that looked around 18 years old, though one had light brown hair and the other one had ebony hair. They both had sapphire eyes and a worried look on their faces. The brown-haired male wore an identical outfit of the blue-haired male while the black-haired male wore an outfit that is green. A white stripe outlined the coat's collar and a red tie hung around his neck. The top of his shoulders had a black patch sewn to the jacket and a pin on the jacket's collar that says, "Flying Scotsman'. Stitched on the breast pocket of the jacket in gold thread are the numbers 4472.

"I'm afraid he's still the same, Scot." The blue-haired male, Edward, sighed sadly as he slowly walked over to them.

"And the medication isn't working either?" The brown-haired male, Gordon, asked in concern.

"Not really." Edward muttered as he sat on a couch

"Poor Thomas…" The female, Rosie, sighed softly as she sat next to her older brother. "He's been like this since our parents died…"

"And that was fourteen years ago." Scot hummed quietly as he and Gordon sat on the loveseat.

"I'm hoping that when we move, it'll help him, so he won't be reminded of that day." Edward said softly as he looked at his siblings. "If it doesn't help, I don't know what else to do."

"The only thing we can do is to be there for him, brother." Rosie said softly as she gently held Edward's hand.

"I agree." Gordon hummed softly as he crossed his arms. "Being there for him is better than nothing."

"I'm just glad my boss gave me a month off to help you move and to settle down." Scot said as he leaned over, gently grabbing Edward's other hand. "All of us are in this together, for and with Thomas."

Edward looked at his siblings before smiling warmly. "That we are." He chuckled softly as he stood up. "Gordon, come help me with dinner please." He hummed softly before walking towards the kitchen.

"I just sat down…" Gordon groaned as he stood up, following his oldest brother.

Rosie giggled a bit as she watched Scot tease Gordon, listening to them bicker as Edward told them to stop. Looking at the stairs, she frowned sadly as she stared up at them. On the second floor of the house at the end of the hallway, a white door was slightly ajar to show a dark room. Inside the room, the lights were off, and the windows were covered behind dark curtains. Pictures decorated the wall as the only light source came from a computer screen. The soft sound of buttons being pressed, and the quiet audio left the computer as a chair moved closer to the device. A thick blanket was piled on the chair with a person huddled in the center of it. The person was a boy around 9 years old with chocolate-colored hair and bright sapphire eyes, brown hair, and sapphire-colored eyes.

The boy's skin was slightly pale with barely visible bags under his eyes. Only his face and parts of his hair stuck out of the blanket, the light from the computer casting a ghostly light on his face. His eyes were full of sadness as he silently scrolled through YouTube's homepage, finding no interest in the thumbnails. Bandages decorated his arms as he tried to hide them under the blanket, eyes red from tears he shed hours ago. To him, the world seemed black, despite his siblings and cousins' efforts to make him happy once again. No matter how hard they tried, the memories of his past kept haunting his mind. The death of their parents constantly playing within his mind. It's been five years since their death and, even though he was younger, he remembered it like it just happened. Hearing their pain-filled voices as the fire engulfed their house, hearing his siblings crying out to them as Scot held Thomas close. Clenching his eyes shut, Thomas tried to hold back the tears as the memory once again played within his mind. Since that day, Thomas had fallen into a state of depression and caused his siblings and cousins to worry about him deeply. He loves them very much, he really does, but nothing changed his behavior. Since that day, he rarely slept because of the memories and rarely ate, causing him to always be sick. He hated that he made his siblings worry about his decreasing health, but he didn't know how to stop it. Even all the medication and therapists he's seen, not one of them worked.

Wiping the tears away as best as he could, Thomas continued to scroll through Youtube's home page, trying to find something to watch. As he scrolled through the long list, he stopped and looked at an icon that stood out. The border of the thumbnail was a fire theme with two snakes in the center of it. In big white letters, the words 'Snakes Words of Wisdom' were circling the snakes. Blinking a bit, Thomas clicked on the icon and waited for the video to load. The intro of the video showed a Japanese dragon made of fire flying before circling around a stone. The image flashed to show the dragon as a drawing and the words 'FireSnakeJames' appeared in flames in front of the dragon before the screen faded to black. Soon, the screen reappeared to show a room that was Japanese-themed. The floor was made of Tatami, shojis were on both sides of the room with smaller shojis in the back that were used for a closet. The large shojis had an image of a red Japanese dragon painted on them. A large bonsai tree was in the back corner with a few snakes slithering on it. Sitting in front of the camera was a boy around 11 years old, two years older than Thomas. His hair is black with red streaks in it. He wore a black kimono with a red Asian dragon stitched around it to look like it was circling around the boy. Sakura blossoms made of gold silk were decorated along the sleeves. A tiny giant garter snake was coiled around the boy's wrist as a boa constrictor was coiled around the boy's neck. Neither snake looked like they were trying to kill him but seemed calmer and more relaxed. What stood out to Thomas the most were the boy's eyes. His eyes were a bright red color, shimmering like a ruby in the sun.

"Hello everyone! FireSnakeJames here and welcome back to my channel!" The Youtuber said happily as he waved at the camera. "I thank all of you for coming back and if there are any new viewers out there, my name is James and the snakes you see on me are Viper the Boa Constrictor and Flame the Giant Garter Snake!"

Thomas showed a very tiny smile when the snakes hissed a hello before slithering under James' kimono.

"Hey, who said you can leave?" James huffed as he looked down. "You agreed to share wisdom and words without lovely viewers."

"Hisssss." Viper hissed as he poked his head out.

"What do you mean you're tired? You just woke up!" James grumbled as he gently booped the snake's nose.

"Hissssss." Viper hissed as he slithered back into the kimono.

"Fineeeee." James sighed before chuckling a bit, looking back at the camera. "Snakes. Anyway, Viper had advice he wanted to share when one of my viewers asked a question so I'm going to answer it instead." He hummed softly. "The question was 'How did you overcome depression after what happened to you?'"

Thomas blinked as he sat up in his chair some more. He was depressed like himself?

"That is a very serious question, and, in all honesty, there is no right answer for it." James said softly. "For those who are new to my channel, I'm just going to repeat it in this video." He said softly, taking a deep breath before exhaling. "You see, my brother, Hiro, and myself are actually half-brothers. Years ago, his mother left him with our father when he was young and eventually met my mother. Hiro told me how she treated him as her own child and was excited when she was pregnant with me. Our father was rarely in the picture, always being busy with his job and, personally, I think he didn't like us at all. Hell, he probably blamed me when my mother died giving birth to me. Every day, our father would beat us, abuse us but Hiro took most of it to protect me." He said in a shaking voice, his eyes getting watery. "Hiro was always the one to protect me, took me to festivals that my mom used to take him to, and he would tell me stories about her. One day, our father was angry and started to attack me, trying to kill me. Hiro stepped in and nearly died from being stabbed multiple times." He said as he wiped his tears away. "For months I kept blaming myself, wishing for death to prevent Hiro from getting hurt. A few years went by, and I was in a deep depressive state, from cutting myself to overdosing on pills. Every step I took, Hiro was always with me and eventually, we ran away from our father. Hiro took up a job working on the railway while sending me to school. At first, we had very little money but thankfully the job on the railway provided us with some money. Even though we were away from our abusive father, I was still depressed, and I worried Hiro a lot. I kept shutting myself away and Hiro tried everything to bring him back, but even he was starting to give up. One day, Hiro had an accident while working that nearly cost his life. I was petrified, thinking that I lost my only family left. I stayed by Hiro's side in the hospital, constantly apologizing and begging him not to leave me. To me, just realizing that Hiro is all I have left and the fact that I nearly lost him, just...just snapped me out of my depressed state." He took a deep breath, tears streaming down his cheeks as he wiped them away. "I'm not saying it works for everyone but realizing that you still have people who love you in your life, the ones who would protect you when your parents wouldn't, they are what truly matters. That is what a real family does. Whether your parents are together, divorced, or even dead, if they truly do love you, then they played their part in loving you. Some people only have siblings in their lives and sometimes, that's all you need. Your siblings KNOW you and are willing to do everything they can do to protect and to provide for you. Even when you're depressed, don't shut out those who deeply love and care about you. Even when you think it's impossible to see the light in the dark abyss, just remembering that they are there for you will help you find your way."

Thomas silently sat in his chair, unmoving as tears streamed down his cheeks. The words James said spoke loudly and it made his chest hurt. He was sad for how someone had such a cruel parent, and the fact he almost lost his only family member made him clench his eyes shut. His siblings and cousins did everything for him, just like Hiro did for James and James was able to overcome his depression. Quiet sobs escaped from Thomas' mouth as he wrapped the blanket around him some more.

"Hisssssss." The sound of hissing caused Thomas to look at the screen again.

"Oh, so now you finished your nap, huh?" James chuckled softly, wiping the tears away as he picked up the constrictor. "And where's Flame?"

"Hisssss." Viper hissed, pointing down at his kimono.

"Of course." James chuckled as he let Viper coil around his neck again. "So yeah, honestly, depression affects everyone, along with getting rid of it. Sometimes, people just never overcome it and end up ending their life. Don't be one of those people. Find comfort in those who love you and to help those who think no one cares about them. No one is ever alone in this world for there are people who know what you're going through and what you're feeling. I hope this video helps anyone suffering depression and to help them seek out those who are willing to help. Until then, see you guys in the next video."

Thomas sniffed and wiped his eyes as the video ended, showing suggestions of videos to watch next. He felt his heart get heavy as he cried, James' words replaying in his mind. He felt horrible for making his siblings and cousins worry about him a lot. Standing up, he weakly ran towards his door, his pale skin looking blue from the computer's light. Opening his door, he blinked from the bright light as he slowly walked down the stairs. Rosie and Scot were sitting in the living room, talking to each other when they noticed Thomas standing in the doorway.

"Thomas?" Rosie asked worriedly as she stood up, seeing the broken look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Thomas felt more tears fall as he ran over to her, hugging her tightly as he cried. Rosie instantly wrapped her arms around her youngest brother, holding him close as Scot ran over to them. He was about to ask what was wrong when Thomas wrapped his arms around his waist as well, still crying. Scot and Rosie looked at each other worriedly as they knelt, holding Thomas close to them.

"Dinner's rea-what's wrong?!" Gordon asked worriedly as he ran over to them, Edward quickly running out of the kitchen.

Thomas looked over at them and slowly wiggled himself out of Rosie's and Scot's arms, hugging Gordon and Edward close as he continued to cry. Instinctively, Gordon and Edward wrapped their arms around the crying boy, Scot and Rosie walking over and doing the same. Neither one of the older siblings spoke, feeling tears in their eyes from seeing Thomas look so broken. The soft cries from Thomas echoed in the room as the siblings stayed huddled together, comforting the youngest member.

"Thomas, what's wrong?" Edward asked softly as he pulled away a bit, gently petting his head. "Why are you crying?"

"I-I'm s-sorry f...for worrying y-you!" Thomas cried as fat tears streamed down his cheeks. "Y...y-you done so m-much for me that...that…" He cried as he buried his face against Edward's chest.

"Oh Thomas…" Edward hummed softly as he held him close. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"But-"

"He's right, little brother." Rosie cooed softly as she gently held him close, nuzzling him. "We love you and will protect you."

"You are never a bother to us, Thomas." Scot smiled warmly as he gently pets his head.

"But...all the medicine and doctors I've seen…" Thomas whimpered as he tried to wipe his tears away.

"Because we want to help you, little Thomas." Gordon whispered softly as he gently picked him up. "We love you and all of us have to stick together. None of us mind taking care of you for you are our precious little brother."

"And we will never do anything to make you feel like you're alone." Edward said softly, his own tears falling as he gently kissed his head.

Thomas looked at his siblings, tears still falling as he hugged all four of them as best as he could. "I-I l-love y-ou…"

"We love you too, little brother." Scot said softly as he and his siblings hugged him close.

~~Present Day~~

"Thomas, it's time to wake up for school!" Rosie, now 26, called from the bottom of the stairs, adjusting her lavender work uniform.

Upstairs behind a door with blue stars painted on it, a rustling sound is heard followed by a yawn. The blankets on the bed were shoved off as a teen around 15 years of age sat up, a dark blush on his face. Milk chocolate hair stood out in all directions as his sapphire eyes were blinking back into focus. His pajamas were a bit too big and were baggy around his small frame. Parts of his blankets were laying on the floor as his blush became darker.

"Damn it...not again…" Thomas sighed softly, looking at his pajama pants as he grabbed some tissues.

He already knew about the changes he would encounter as he grew older, but it also didn't help that he had the same dream for the last few nights. At first, they were harmless and pure, but now, they were full-on wet dreams. He was too nervous to tell his siblings but knew he would eventually tell them why he kept having his bedding washed every day. Finishing wiping up his mess as best as he could, he tossed the tissues into the small trash bin nearby and stood up. Walking over to a window, he opened the blinds and constantly blinked to get adjusted to the morning light. His walls were painted light blue with pictures of his siblings and friends scattered along the walls. On his bedside table was a picture of him with his siblings and cousins, Spencer and Stanley. To the far right of the room was a desk with shelves scattered with various statues of dragons along with bottles that looked like they held potions.

Clink clink tap clink

The sound of squawking echoed in the room as the sounds of feathers ruffled within a massive cage. Chuckling a bit, the teen looked over at the huge bird cage against his wall. A hyacinth macaw squawked in annoyance as he constantly hit his beak against the cage's door. For a hyacinth macaw, he had a strange color mutation where his feathers were a sky blue with white patterns decorating them like clouds. His beak was black and his feet grey with sharp black talons. He held a small iron cup with his beak as he moved it across the bars of the cage. The teen chuckled softly as he walked over to the cage.

"Morning Sky." The teen smiled as he opened the cage door.

Sky fluffed his feathers as he climbed onto the teen's hand, dropping the metal cup. Once he was out of the cage, he shook a bit as he ruffled his feathers before climbing to his shoulders. Being only 4'8", Sky was nearly as long as him, measuring 3'3" with his wingspan being 16 inches long, though he never opened them. About five years ago, Thomas adopted Sky after he was rescued from an anime fighting ring where he was about to have his wings ripped off. Sky had a hard time trusting people, always biting them, but Thomas was able to help him. Sky squawked a bit as he gently bit his cheek, using his tongue to place a small kiss before walking over to his other shoulder.

The teen smiled as he gently pets his head, walking over to a small plastic tub filled with parrot food. Sky squawked happily as he climbed down Thomas' arm, waiting for him to fill the bowl with seed and dried fruits. Thomas hummed softly as he placed the small food bowl down, watching Sky hop onto the table as he started to eat. Walking over to his closet, he took off his pajamas and put them in his clothes hamper before pulling out his school uniform. After putting on his underwear, he put his black pants on before a white dress shirt. After tying a red tie around his neck, he put on a black blazer with a red trim on the cuffs of the sleeves and outline of the blazer. Two gold buttons were pushed through the holes on the left side before he put on his black socks. Walking over to Sky, Thomas gently picked the macaw up before placing him on his shoulder.

Sky squawked happily in content, full of his breakfast as he started to sing. Thomas giggled from Sky's attempt at singing as he skipped down the stairs. The smell of bacon and pancakes filled his nose as his stomach growled. In the living room, 29-year-old Edward talked softly on the phone, writing things down on papers before sitting in a chair. He wore a blue work suit that matched his engine with a golden 2 pin on the collar of his jacket. The material is a beautiful light blue color with red stripes on the sleeves' cuffs and black shoes. Walking into the kitchen, Thomas watched Rosie as she filled four plates with stacks of pancakes and bacon.

"He he he he he."

Thomas looked to his right, seeing a red fox sitting on the counter, watching as 24-year-old Gordon gave her a boiled egg. Like Edward, Gordon wore the same work suit but had the sleeves of the jacket and white shirt rolled up to reveal his muscular arms. A golden 4 pin was on the collar of his work jacket as well. The fox gently bit down on the egg, the bell on his pink-collar jingling as she jumped off the counter and ran off. Sitting on the floor, staring up at the male was a grey and white husky with markings that resembled a wolf. His tail wagged happily as he tilted his head. Gordon chuckled softly as he handed the husky a hardboiled egg as well. Thomas watched as the husky gently bit down on it before eating it.

"Morning!" Thomas said happily as he hugged Gordon.

"Morning, little Thomas." Gordon chuckled softly as he gently patted his head.

"Pancakes smell amazing~" Thomas giggled as he skipped over to Rosie, hugging her.

"I'm glad they do." Rosie smiled as she hugged back, kissing his head. "Go ahead and eat and then wash up, Gordon will drop you off since he's meeting Connor for coffee." She smirked as she glanced at her brother.

Gordon blushed in embarrassment as he huffed. "It's just coffee."

"Still a date since you two have been together for over a year." Edward chuckled as he walked into the kitchen with two pieces of paper. "Here's your jobs for today, Gordon." He smiled warmly as Gordon took it.

"The Express obviously…" Gordon muttered as he read the paper. "…A goods train later on?!"

"You're to help Henry pull a heavy goods train with you as a back engine." Edward hummed softly as he sat down next to Thomas.

"My engine is not meant to pull goods trains!" Gordon muttered bitterly as he sat down. "My engine is only good for pulling the Express! Not a back engine for Henry! It's beneath me…" He grumbled as he started to eat.

"Those are Sir Topham Hatt's orders, Gordon." Rosie giggled as she sat next to him.

"Oh, the indignity…" Gordon groaned as he leaned his head back.

Thomas giggled as he continued to eat his pancakes, taking small sips of his chocolate milk. Sky squawked as he climbed down Thomas' arm, grabbing a blueberry from a bowl with his foot and eating it. Thomas smiled as looked at his siblings, remembering how worried he made them six years ago. Looking down at his plate, he gently held Sky close to his chest and held him there. Gordon, Edward, and Rosie looked at Thomas worriedly, knowing that he was still suffering. Sky cooed softly as he gently pecked his cheek, nuzzling him. Ace whined softly as he trotted over to the teen, sitting down, and laying his head on his lap. The soft jingling of a bell echoed in the kitchen as the Fox jumped onto his lap. Even though she was shy, she gently nuzzled the teen as well.

"We love you, Thomas." Edward said softly, gently petting his head.

"I know…but it still hurts…" Thomas whispered softly, leaning into his touch.

"The pain will never go away, Thomas." Rosie hummed softly, lowering herself till she's eye level with him. "But remember, all of us are here for you, and we will never leave you." She spoke softly as she gently hugged him close.

"T-Thank you, Rosie…" Thomas sniffed quietly, hugging her back as he gently nuzzled against her.

"Finish your breakfast then brush your teeth." Gordon chuckled softly as he gently pets Thomas' head. "I don't want you late for school."

"Or missing the Express." Edward chuckled as he walked away, leaving a fuming Gordon behind.

Thomas giggled softly as he went back to eating his pancakes.


"Hi Thomas! Hi Gordon!" A seventeen-year-old boy smiled as he waved at Gordon's engine slowing to a stop at Knapford Station. His hair is a bright blonde and his eyes a brilliant emerald color and wearing the same uniform as Thomas.

"Hi Percy!" Thomas smiled happily, seeing his best friend on the platform, Sky standing on his shoulder.

"Morning, Percy." Gordon hummed as he climbed out of his engine's cab, helping Thomas down from it.

Ace barked softly as his tail wagged, jumping onto the platform before. Flare easily jumped onto Gordon's shoulder before jumping to the ground, staying next to him. Gordon chuckled softly as he gently set Thomas down before picking Flare up. Thomas smiled as he jogged over to Percy, being mindful of Sky before hugging the older teen. Percy giggled as he hugged his friend back as well, ruffling his hair a bit.

"Stoppppp." Thomas whined as he pulled away, fixing his hair. Sky squawked softly as Percy gently pets his chest.

"Couldn't help it." Percy giggled softly. "Anyway, ready for school today?"

"I am!" Thomas smiled brightly as he grabs his school bag.

"We'll see you after school, Thomas." Gordon hummed as he gently hugged his brother. "Rosie will be picking you up."

"Okay~" Thomas giggled as he hugged back, kissing his cheek.

Gordon chuckled softly as he gently pets his head. He gently rubbed Skyms beak before walking off, Ace and Flare following him. "See you around, Percy."

Percy winked at Thomas, smiling as he looked at Gordon. "Bye Gordon! Make sure you and Connor leave the bathroom at different times!"

Gordon choked on his saliva, causing Percy and Thomas to run off laughing. "Percy!" He growled and coughed as he glared at the two teens.

Percy and Thomas laughed as they ran down the sidewalk, heading towards their school. The people they passed looked at them in confusion before they continued to shrug it off. The two started to slow down their running, still giggling as they started to walk. Sky squawked a laugh, his feathers fluffed up as Thomas gently held him in his arms like a baby.

"So, Thomas, did you watch his latest video?" Percy teased, a sly smile on his face as he put his arm around Thomas' shoulders.

"I-I did…" Thomas stuttered; his face red as he tried to hide behind Sky.

"Which part did you like? Him feeding his snakes or the fact that he was shirtless?" Percy giggled as he skipped off.

"Percyyyyyy." Thomas whined as he jogged over to him. "Not so loud."

"We all know you're in love with him." Percy smiled as he looked at his friend. "It's obvious."

"Not to him…" Thomas sighed softly as he looked down. "Besides, he has a girlfriend…"

"Last time I checked, he's had both girlfriends and boyfriends that usually lasted only a week before he dumped them." Percy hummed softly. "More than likely, he hasn't found the right person yet."

"I highly doubt I'm the one for him…" Thomas muttered sadly as he gently placed Sky onto his shoulder.

"How do you know if you haven't tried yet?" Percy asked as he looked at him. "Look, Thomas. I know it's hard for you to talk to him outside of work, but you have to at least try before it's too late." He said as he turned around, stopping Thomas in his tracks. "All of us want you happy and who knows, maybe your full happiness is with him."

"It's hard for me to talk to him." Thomas sighed softly. "While working, I usually just greet him and ask about his jobs but at school, I stutter and freeze up when I just look at him."

"That's why you just start off with small talk." Percy smiled as he gently hugged him. "Now let's go before we're late." He smiled brightly as he walked off.

Thomas smiled slightly before he started to follow his best friend. When he and his siblings moved to Sodor six years ago, Percy was the first friend he ever made. They both had a liking for animals and wanted to work on Sodor's railway like their older siblings. When he first met Percy's older brother, Henry, he almost reminded him of Gordon personality-wise but after an accident he had pulled the Flying Kipper, he became a bit of a worrier. Not that he blamed him, he was in the hospital for half a year and his engine was at Crew for an entire year. During that time with Henry in the hospital, they had done everything to help Henry and Percy in any way possible. Helping pay the bills, hospital bills, grocery bills, everything. That was also when Henry and Edward started to fall for one another. When Henry was able to work again, the two started to date and Thomas could see the love between them. As they lived on Sodor, Thomas watched how his siblings, his friends, and his cousin Spencer found love.

"Tobyyyyyyyy~" Percy yelled happily as he ran over to another teen.

Thomas looked up and saw an eighteen-year-old walking down the sidewalk, reading a book. He wore the same school unit form as them and had rich brown hair. The boy looked back, his eyes a chocolate brown as he watched Percy skipped over to him. Percy smiled as he jumped onto the teen's back, his cheeks a slight pink as he nuzzled him.

"Really?" The boy sighed, a small smile on his face as he turned around, hugging the blonde close.

"Yes~" Percy giggled as he kissed him.

Toby hummed as he kissed him back before pulling away. "Hey, Thomas." He smirked as he pulled his book back out.

"Hey!" Thomas giggled as he walked over to the two.

Thomas met Toby and his sister not long after he met the Greens. His sister Flora is a good cook and baked a lot of tasty sweets. Toby mostly loves to read but also enjoys playing games with them such as tag and hide and seek. Thomas also liked both of their tram engines, finding them unique and amazing.

"Emily said that she'll be late, and Stanley will be waiting for us at the school." Toby hummed as he read, walking next to Thomas and Percy while holding the blonde's hand.

"Whiff?" Percy and Thomas asked.

"Whiff." Toby nodded, chuckling a bit.

Thomas and Percy giggled, knowing all too well that Whiff accidentally makes Emily late a bit. Still, Thomas couldn't believe that Emily is related to Whitford "Whiff" Lavon, the person with the highest I.Q. out of every one ever born. He has a degree in everything related to science, robotics, medicine for humans and animals, and computer science. It helped Thomas a lot since Whiff does the vet visits for Sky and Ace. Emily terrified Thomas when he first met her after he arrived on Sodor. She always considered herself as a tomboy and was very strong but was always nice to him. Despite being bossy at times. She has no problem defending her friends, especially from a teen named Diesel. Then there was the oldest Lavon sibling Montague, or otherwise known as Duck. He was older than Edward by a year and was wise like him. Though he tends to talk…a LOT. When Thomas and Emily got in trouble a few years ago, Duck lectured them for almost two hours without stopping.

A small smile came to Thomas' lips as he walked behind Toby and Percy. Before moving to Sodor, Thomas had no friends except for his siblings and cousins. Even then, he didn't make things any easier for them. His depression caused them to worry, working overtime just to pay for his depression meds. Honestly, if it wasn't the YouTuber he watched that day before they moved, he doesn't believe that he would be here. When he arrived on Sodor, he quickly made friends with fellow younger siblings to those who work on the railway. Every single one of them had felt like they were part of his family and that they helped him a lot. Thomas felt so grateful to have them as his friends, even though he gives all his thanks to the YouTuber he follows. A soft blush coated his cheeks as he thought about the Social Media celebrity. The way his red eyes sparkled like rubies and the way his voice seemed to make him shiver just by listening to it, he knew he had a crush on him.

"Watched his latest video, Thomas?" Percy teased as he looked at him.

"S-shush!" Thomas hushed him, his face turning red. "Not so loud!" He whined.

"Enjoy the snakes eating or the fact that he was shirtless?" Toby hummed as he read, a sly smirk on his face.

"ShhhhHhhhhHh" Thomas shushed as he covered his mouth, his face a beat red.

"You just answered the question with that response." Percy laughed as Thomas hung his head, Sky climbing on top.

"Is it that obvious…?" Thomas asked quietly as he looked down.

"Very." Toby and Percy replied as they looked at him.

Thomas sighed as he stared at the ground, walking between them. "I can't help it. He just…makes me feel warm and comforted when I hear his voice and see him. It's different from the comfort I get from my family."

"You're in love with him, Thomas." Percy said softly as he put an arm around his shoulder. "A feeling that is strong like the love from your siblings. Right Toby?" Percy asked as he looked at his lover.

"Hn." Toby hummed as he read.

"Even Toby agrees in his own way of showing it." Percy giggled as he looked back at Thomas. "You just have to step up and tell him."

"I can't." Thomas whispered sadly. "I freeze up and stutter when I'm near him."

"You work with him." Toby pointed out as he looked at his friend.

"And I can only say small sentences to him while I'm in my engine's cab." Thomas groaned as he held Sky close. "Besides, he probably wouldn't even like me like that. He's dating someone already…"

"Thomas, he has either a new boyfriend or a girlfriend almost every week because he doesn't love them." Percy smiled as he turned around, walking backwards. "Besides, I heard that he's single again."

"I don't know…" Thomas muttered quietly. "Anyway, let's hurry up and get to school." He said, wanting to change topics as he walked past them.

Toby and Percy looked at each other before catching up to Thomas. They felt sorry for their friend, knowing how much this is hurting him. They had seen the way Thomas would look at him, seeing his face turn red and having that lovestruck look on his face. They tried a few times to help but it always ended up the same. Thomas freezing up and struggling to just say hi to him. When Percy first met Thomas six years ago, they instantly formed a strong friendship and always did stuff together. He knows exactly how much Thomas loves that famous social media user and knows that he is hurting himself. After a few minutes of walking, the three friends noticed their high school coming into view. A lot of students walked towards the school's main entrance, either wearing the male or female school uniforms. There were students who either walked alone, with their friends, or in a large group just talking or listening to music. Weaving through the students, Thomas, Percy, and Toby eventually made it to their lockers near the end of the hall. The lockers are a pale grey color and were split evenly horizontally. Percy had the top locker that was above Toby's, while Thomas' locker was bottom left of Toby's. The sounds of lockers opening, and voices echoed within the hallway as students were putting stuff away and switching out books.

"Finally, I made it!"

The three friends looked over and saw a female wearing the male uniform. Her eyes are dark green with short black hair. Even though she was a female, she was more of a tomboy and hated wearing anything that is a dress or a skirt. When the school told her that she had to wear the female uniform, her brothers easily convinced them otherwise. Dropping a green backpack onto the floor, she opened the top locker that is in the section to Thomas' left. Her face was slightly red as her chest heaved a bit while she was opening her locker.

"Everything alright, Emily?" Percy asked as he looked at her.

"Yeah, just Whiff's invention he was working on somewhat exploded and I was stuck helping him clean it." Emily sighed as switched her class books out. "Thankfully none of us was hurt."

"That's what is important." Thomas smiled as he looked up at her.

Sky squawked in agreement as he gently pecked Emily's sleeve. Emily smiled as she gently petted the macaw's head before looking back at her locker. The three continued to get their stuff together, making small talk before a loud squeal echoed in the school's hallway.

"He's here~" A female student sighed dreamily as she and the others looked towards the school's entrance.

Whispers echoed within the crowded halls in a dreamy way as they cleared a path for five figures, four males and one female. The female wore the female school uniform but also with some of her normal clothes. Elbow-length gloves with the fingers cut off besides the thumbs. Around her neck were two long necklaces, one with a skull and the other with a biohazard. Two spiked leather cuffs were around her wrists. Her hair was black and short with a long side bang that goes down past her chin. Her side bang had yellow stripes as she adjusted her black beanie on her head. She wore black combat boots and thigh-high black socks. Her eyes are a sharp black color as she talked to her group. Two of the guys were identical twins, both with black hair and sharp blue eyes. One of them wore a dark grey beanie with a number 9 pin in it. The other one had a 10 pin in the collar of his school uniform. The one with the 9 pin wore black hipster shoes while the other one wore platform boots. They both wore a black collar around their necks as the male with the 10 pin held drumsticks and the other one holding a vape pen. The third male was the tallest of the group, at least compared to Thomas. His hair is a dark blonde color and his eyes a deep brown color and slightly spiky like a rockstar. He wore a black choker around his neck and black leather cuffs around his wrists. A guitar case was strapped around his back and his face had a look of irritation. His jacket was unbuttoned and his hands stuffed into his pants pocket.

Thomas felt his face burn as he stared at the male walking in the middle of the group. His eyes are a brilliant red that seemed to shine like rubies in the sun. His hair is black with red streaks in it as he runs his hand through his store. His uniform jacket was undone, and the top three buttons of his white shirt were unbuttoned. A spiked collar was around his neck with a necklace hung around his neck with a dragon charm. His ears had spiked gauges in the earlobe while his right ear had a mix of small hoops and studded earrings going up his ear. He wore black fingerless gloves and a black belt with chains. A black guitar case was strapped around his back with a pair of black sunglasses resting on his head. A part of an Asian dragon tattoo was slightly visible along his collar bone before being covered by his uniform. He had a black Japanese school bag that he held over his right shoulder. Male and female students greeted and swoon over the group, mostly at the 'leader' as he waved at them. Saying hi to some of the students, Thomas could see a small silver ball on his tongue thanks to his tongue piece. Quickly turning around, Thomas crouched down a bit and pretended like he was shuffling through his books while trying to calm his heart. He was only three inches shorter than the blonde-haired male, but to Thomas, he was the tallest.

"Are you staying down there?" Emily asked as she leaned against her locker, looking at him.

"I am." Thomas said quietly, his face still red.

"You're going to miss him." Percy teased as he watched Thomas stand up a bit.

"I can't face him. I'll panic and freeze!" Thomas whispered as he looked at his best friend.

Percy hummed softly as a sly smile appeared on his face. "Hey, James."

"Hey."

Thomas felt his body froze as he felt a presence stand closely behind him, followed by the sounds of a lock opening. The scent of cinnamon, spices, and caramel-filled his nose as he watched the locker above his open. Gulping quietly, Thomas turned his head a bit only to feel his face burn even more. Standing a few inches away from him was James, the high school's soccer captain, Sodor's number 5 engine driver, and the social media user that Thomas was in love with. He wanted to turn away but couldn't help but stare at James' slightly bare chest. He could slightly see the muscles moving under the skin as James switched his books out. He wanted to be in the taller male's arms, never wanting to leave his grip. He could feel the warmth radiating off James' body and wanted it for himself. Thomas tried to calm his breathing and tried to force himself to say hi but froze when he heard the locker door closing.

"You look like shit, Ems." James teased as he looked at his friend.

"Blame Whiff." Emily laughed as she put her arm around his shoulder.

"Should've known." James chuckled as he does the same to her. "Ready for practice today?"

"Ready as I'll be." Emily smiled as she held up her soccer bag. "I have everything packed for it." She hummed before looking at Mavis. "Hey Mavis, catch!" She yelled before tossing something over to her.

Mavis turned around and easily caught it between her hands. Looking at it, she smiled as she examines a face mask. "Sweet! Tell Whiff I said thanks!"

"What's that for?" Donald asked as he leaned over her shoulder.

"A light mask to help block the dust from the quarry." Mavis smiled as she gently shoved him off.

"If you two weren't asexual, you'd look like a couple." James teased as he kept his arm around Emily's shoulders.

"Says the guy who can nae keep a boyfriend or girlfriend." Douglas teased back as he uses his drumsticks against his locker.

Thomas wasn't worried about Emily dating James, already knowing that she is a lesbian and in a relationship with Connor's sister, Caitlin. Thomas gulped quietly as he watched James put his books into his school bag. Taking deep breaths, Thomas shakily held up his hand as his body trembled.

"H-Hey Ja-"

"You coming, James?" The dark blonde teen huffed in annoyance as he crossed his arms. "I do nae want to be late!"

"Chill yourself, Duncan." James smirked as he walked over to him. "We have plenty of time for you to see Luke." He teased as he walked over to Mavis.

"That does nae have anything to do with it!" Duncan huffed, a slight blush on his face as he followed him.

"I'd rather be at home but my Uncle won't let me." Mavis sighed as she leaned against James's shoulder.

"I still can nae believe Salty is yer brother, Mavis." Donald hummed as he stood next to his brother.

"Aye, though I can see some resemblance." The other twin hummed as he nodded his head.

"Shut it, you two." Mavis huffed as she threw a paper ball at them before laughing a bit.

"Donald, Douglas, James, Mavis, and Duncan!" A male huffed as he stormed over to them. He wore a simple grey suit with a black tie and black shoes. "Take off those items because they aren't part of the school's dress policy!"

"Hey, Principal Mark." James smirked as he did a slight salute to him. "We're wearing the uniforms."

"You need to take those distracting items off!" Mark growled under his breath.

"We're just wearing necklaces and bracelets." Donald said innocently as he and the others walked around the principal.

"As we always say." Mavis smiled as she waved at him.

The principal grumbled in annoyance as he walked off, already done dealing with them today. Thomas' breathing hitched as he watched the group walk past him, his eyes kept on James. When Thomas first saw that James moved to Sodor and was attending the same school, he felt like he was going to faint from shock and happiness. For years, James has helped him a lot with his depression thanks to his TikToks posts, Youtube and Twitch streams, and just answering Q&As that everyone always sent to him. Thomas wasn't exactly sure when he developed a crush on James, but after seeing him move to Sodor, he knew that his feelings increased over time. Silently leaning against his locker, Thomas gently held Sky close to him as he watched James' retreating form. He already missed that warmth he felt when James was standing behind him. His scent still lingering near him as Thomas closed his eyes.

"Hi James~" A group of females greeted dreamily, causing Thomas to look at them.

"Ladies." James smirked as he walked past them, causing some of them to lean on each other in a daze. "Guys." He greeted a small group of males as he walked past them.

Thomas watched as the guys had a blush on their faces as they looked away, trying to act manly. Thomas felt himself frown as he looked down at his body, feeling helpless. Being four foot eight, Thomas saw himself not being worth James' time. Hell, the top of his head reaches just below James' pecs, even though he wouldn't mind resting his head against his abs. Sighing sadly, Thomas closed his locker and put his backpack on. Sky squawked softly as he climbed onto his shoulder and gently pecked his cheek. Feeling a hand on his other shoulder, Thomas turned his head and looked at his best friend. Percy gave him a reassuring smile before walking away with Toby and Emily. Watching them, Thomas turned around before placing his hand against James' locker door.

"Please...let him notice me…" Thomas whispered quietly, the hallways almost empty as the bell was about to ring.

Taking a deep breath, Thomas turned around and jogged after his friends. Catching up to them, he waved to Toby and Emily as he and Percy entered a classroom. Students were busy talking amongst each other and once again, Thomas felt himself freeze as he felt his cheeks burn. James laughed as he sat on top of his desk, talking to Donald, Douglas, and a few other students. His laughter echoed in Thomas' mind, wanting to listen to it every day. He doesn't like referring to himself as a hopeless fangirl, but right now, he feels like one. Seeing James' eyes brighten up as he playfully shoved Donald to the side, he also noticed how a female student was resting her head on James' knee. Thomas felt sick to his stomach when he saw James not reacting to the female pushing her off him.

'Please, let me be his number one.' Thomas thought as he silently walked over to his desk, sitting down while constantly taking glances at his shining ruby.