"I like you- a lot."

"I love you."

"I didn't know if you were going to make it…"

"I still love you..."

"I miss you."

"I just need another chance…"

"I hate you!"

Gordon's eyes snapped open. Sweat dripped down his face as he struggled to steady his breathing. The big engine's gaze darted nervously around the shed. It was still late in the night and all the Tidmouth engines were fast asleep. Gordon let out a long, heavy breath. He felt nauseous. Everything came spiraling back and the big engine couldn't tell which way was up. He wanted Meredith back desperately. He needed to know she was okay. He knew how cruelly the engines of LNER behaved and knew his brother would be doing everything to seduce her the entire time.

Gordon bit the inside of his lip and closed his eyes. He found himself back at the Steamworks. He saw Meredith's twisted body being lifted as gently as possible from the flatbed. She faded in and out of consciousness the entire journey from the accident site. That moment she was out again. He watched as a legion of workers began to assess her damage. The Steamworks supervisor was in his office on the phone with Baldwin Works back in the States. They needed parts for her that were not kept in the stores and being that she was freelanced, obtaining the proper parts was tricky and costly. Gordon remembered Victor trying to calm him after the big engine had completely melted down right in the repair bay. It was the most upset anyone had ever seen him. No one knew what to do other than try and direct the floor fans to his face to help cool him off. Gordon remembered hearing the words 'scrapped' and 'smelter's yard' tossed around which only served to intensify his meltdown. Eventually Gordon was forced from the Steamworks and back to his shed where he stayed for several days where he cried and cursed until he had not a puff of steam left.

The Sodor express engine opened his eyes once more. It was morning. He felt sore. His teeth hurt from clenching them in his sleep and he still felt like he would be sick should he move from his berth, but Kenneth and Sean were already busy warming the big engine and prepping him for the day. Meredith's lease broke Gordon. At least when Meredith was knocking on death's door she was entirely his.

Meredith once again found herself pinned against the buffers in Flying Scotsman's shed. His deep groans vibrated her firebox. She spent the night again with the big engine. She didn't want to be around that crass group of engines and she certainly didn't want to sleep anywhere near Ellis. Of course Gordon's libidinous brother kept her up most the night. Round after round the two engines filled the private shed with the hot steam of private passion. Meredith had never experienced Scotsman that intensely and for that long before. She felt dug-in. Between the breathless cursing, hard, deep thrusts, and clenched-teeth moans, Meredith was completely shaken. She wanted to sleep, but she craved everything that bastard had. Which was why they were in the throes yet again before their crews were to show up for work.

"Meredith…" Scotsman's breathy whisper shook the little engine to her wheels as he stole a wet kiss.

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me."

"Stay with you?" Meredith repeated with a sigh. The new conversation did nothing to stop their lovemaking. Scotsman had slowed up in order to give himself and Meredith a chance to get a few words out, but he didn't remove himself from her.

"Mhm." Scotsman grit his teeth. A tingling wave shot up his body. He slowed down even more. He wasn't ready for his climax. He knew it was to be the last until that night so he wanted to savor the build-up.

Meredith wanted to address the unexpected request. She wasn't too sure what it meant. However, her mind was focused on the tingly pressure of her undercarriage. The slower Scotsman went the hotter she felt and it was only a few slow, methodical movements later that sent the little engine over the edge and she cried out with intensity. Scotsman as well could no longer hold his own release at bay, his entire frame shuddered and he locked his mouth with Meredith's as he let out a groan from deep within his boiler. Meredith pushed back on Flying Scotsman's kiss. She felt his weight relax against her, his tongue slowly rolled over hers before he carefully pulled back. The two engines studied each other while they worked to catch their breath. The both of them drenched and dripping. Meredith had never felt more exhausted, but so full of energy. She managed to even out her breathing before she looked at Scotsman. "What do you mean 'stay with you'?"

Scotsman let out a quick and uncomfortable laugh. He allowed himself to slip. He hadn't meant to ask her that so soon but the pleasure made him impulsive. "Well, I didn't quite literally mean stay with me. I meant me as in- here, on the railway."

Meredith flattened her brow. She wasn't buying it. Flying Scotsman was fumbling over his words like a little school boy with a play yard crush on his teacher. "No, I think you actually meant yourself." The two engine's crews had strolled into the shed by then. The air remained thick with steam so Ian was quick to open the shed doors to allow the crisp fall air in. Hayden once again regarded his engine with a disapproving glare as he inspected the damage caused by their romping. He wondered if he could request her front buffers reinforced and how much that little modification would set him back monetarily. Hayden couldn't help but miss when Meredith was in the midst of a fling with Duck. The Great Western engine was surprisingly strong, but not near the level of Gordon or Flying Scotsman. Meredith at least left their encounters in one piece with only minor bumps and scratches.

Scotsman swallowed. "I- uhh… well- perhaps."

"Scotsman…" Meredith's tone was firm. She didn't like being toyed with.

"Look, just forget I said anything, okay?" The big engine quickly backtracked when he realized it was much too soon to discuss Meredith staying on the mainland. "You know how it is. Sometimes things just slip out in the heat of the moment."

Meredith raised her brow. Scotsman's awkward half-smile wasn't doing him any favors, but Meredith couldn't help the pity she felt towards the big dope so she digressed and dropped the subject. Scotsman let out a quiet sigh of relief when Meredith was focused on Hayden as he checked her damaged buffers. The express engine needed to bide his time before making any major moves. He had no intention of letting Meredith slip from his grasp again.

Back on Sodor, Emerson was busy helping Sam with the construction work. Sam was surprised to see an engine as stately as Emerson being made to do such grunt work, but he liked his company. The young Pacific was certainly one of the more levelheaded engines Sam had encountered during his stay on the island. Emerson, however, was less than pleased with the job but not because he felt it beneath him, but due to him feeling extremely inadequate beside such a large locomotive. Sam was the only articulated engine Emerson had met and before that, Emerson had no clue engines such as Sam even existed.

The two engines were just returning to the construction yard with heavy support beams and piping. The groundwork had been laid and it was nearly time to start building out the frame for the new massive roundhouse. It was in a central location of the island a few miles north of the waste dump. Sir Topham decided it would be good for the engines to have access to a more centrally located shed to help stave off exhaustion should engines find themselves working late into the night. It was to have room for not only standard-gauge engines, but narrow-gauge as well. The job was a big one as not only did it require the construction of the roundhouse itself, but also several new lines were needed to bring it all together. Sam and Emerson worked like dogs, but they didn't mind. Especially Emerson. The hard work helped keep his mind off the ache in his undercarriage. Plus, Sam was a good conversationalist- for the most part, at least.

As Emerson was being uncoupled from his long line of cars he heard the peep of a tank engine's whistle. The big engine looked up to see Ryan chuffing in with cars of ballast stone for the new lines. Emerson couldn't stop himself as he looked the little engine up and down. He was a right cutie with his little condensing apparatus wrapping around his smokebox. Just as well, his purple livery with gold and white piping looked like candy. Emerson has had his eye on the little engine for quite some time, but up until his meets with Meredith he never had the confidence to attempt to flirt. But with his cherry popped, the Pacific found himself feeling daring. It didn't help matters that Emerson often daydreamed of the sounds that squeaky sweet voice could make.

Ryan shunted his cars onto a siding and was getting ready to depart when he noticed Emerson watching him. The little tank engine blushed. He fancied the big engine himself, but Ryan had no clue how to approach Emerson, so he quietly admired Emerson from afar.

Sam noticed the two engine's quiet flirting and grinned as he gave Emerson an encouraging bump. "Well? You gonna go talk to him or just keep starin'?"

"Right, right." Emerson didn't exactly know how to flirt, but he certainly wasn't going to blow a chance to pin that adorable little engine down either. Emerson took a deep breath before he slowly moved over towards Ryan. The little tank engine began to shake on his bearings from both anxiety and excitement. "You alright, Ryan? You look a little pale."

"Oh- uhh- I'm quite alright, thank you." Ryan struggled to keep his voice steady as Emerson closed in. "Ca- can I help you with something?"

"Perhaps-" Emerson's confidence grew as he drew nearer. He noted Ryan's heavy steam output and took that as a good sign.

"Well- uhh… what is it that you need?" Ryan accidentally backed into the cars he was just uncoupled from, startling a construction worker.

Emerson played up his thoughtfulness as he stopped just short of Ryan's buffers. Then he adorned an inviting smile. "Just some company is all."

"Company?" Ryan's body tilted ever so slightly. "What sort of company?"

The maroon Pacific buffered up to Ryan and dropped his voice to a low hum. "Meet me at my shed tonight and find out."

Ryan let a shaky sigh out. The way Emerson's breath felt against his face was exhilarating. He peeked up at Emerson and with another shaky exhale said: "Why wait for tonight?"

Emerson paused for a moment then grinned. "Sam," he called back to the American engine. "You okay on your own for a bit?"

"Of course," Sam replied with a deep chuckle. His pistons started up with a powerful hiss. "Y'all don't have too much fun now."

Emerson locked eyes with Ryan. "No promises."

Ryan and Emerson had barely made it to an abandoned siding before they were completely engrossed. Emerson had the little tank engine locked in a heavy kiss as he shoved him up against a set of cracked, old buffer stops. Emerson felt wild. He was grinding and thrusting all into the little engine, taking in Ryan's gasps and moans that managed to escape through their interlocked mouths. Ryan tasted as sweet as he looked and felt like a forbidden dream radiating up Emerson's undercarriage. A sudden bout of thunder overhead did nothing to break the engines apart. The storm had rolled in unexpectedly and soon the pair found themselves drenched in a cold deluge.

Emerson pulled away for a quick moment to catch his breath but Ryan wasn't having any of it. He used his buffers to pull Emerson back down to his lips with a playful giggle. This drove Emerson mad and what little he was holding back came bursting forth. He slammed into Ryan, nearly crushing the buffers holding the two on the track, which caused the little tank engine to yelp in pleasurable surprise. Emerson let out a small laugh as his movements became much more rough and bumpy. Ryan simply couldn't hold back his loud moans but the heavy rain managed to muffle the noise, though only slightly. Emerson went in for another kiss and smirked as Ryan grunted from deep in his boiler before he cried out in an impassioned and abrupt orgasm.

And I'm back, bb. Two steamy scenes in one chapter? Absolutely. The plot thickens even more. Starting to get more hints as to what exactly happened to Meredith to make Gordon so insane. *dramatic music* no, but seriously I've been playing this out in my head and I'm excited for y'all to see it come to fruition because I've got plans y'all.

Pretty Katydid; no, honestly my engines really don't care, but they try to keep it private just for the sake of saving their crews the embarrassment. But there is truly nothing to be done about their behavior. It's not like the crews can stop them. That's why Scotsman was so blasé about Ian telling him no cuz he knew that the human had no way to follow-through. *shrugs*

Speaking of Flying Scotsman; that bastard really does think he owns Meredith already. Boys gotten big for his britches (wheels? Maybe?) though Mer hasn't exactly been making him work for her attention. I can't exactly blame her tho... I'm acting like I'm not the one writing this but- BAH, who cares? I love writing him so much I have to fight myself over making every chapter about him. Lmao.

As for Spencer and his bitch-ass brother, Mallard; I do have a special soft spot for Spence. He's a goob and I surely love him. That Mighty Eagle reference to him is quite spot-on. He really would be the guy to just up and disappear from the face of the planet should he fall in love with someone and then wallow in his own depressive, nastiness. I truly wanna do more with Spencer tho cuz he's fun and I enjoy him. I also already love writing Mallard. I love mean, horrible characters and that's exactly how I imagine him. Kinda the opposite of Spencer in certain ways. He's a major skirt-hound as well, but with absolutely no charm. He's a dick but still gets the ladies. Except Meredith- maybe. *laughs*

Also I'm seriously itching for that Emerson story, but no rush of course cuz I know you're giving it all your love. I do have a question for you though: where in the world do you live? I get European vibes, but I don't wanna assume. Lol. You obviously don't need to answer if you don't want to, but I've noticed your reviews always come in super later for me so I figured you're at least in a different time zone. Of course I'm usually up when they come in because I'm a night-owl but regardless. Unless for your job you work graveyard hours. Idk. I'm just curious. Lol.

As far as racefangurl saying she refers to Meredith as 'Meredith The Slut Engine' that made me laugh because- yeah, you're right. She's a bit promiscuous. I find it kind of endearing in a way. I don't necessarily consider it an unforgivable flaw, but it's definitely her biggest flaw. She loves with her whole heart but she also can't turn down a booty-call. I do love creating flawed characters, however. It just makes them feel more believable to me. And poor Gordon, bless his heart, he loves her so damn much she doesn't deserve him, but she has him. Pray my mind lets me make her sensible again, but for now it's stuck in 'Let's Keep Mer Stupid' gear.

Anyhow; this post-script has been long enough. All the love from me to you! I hope you enjoyed and I'll see y'all next installment!

Much love;

Bumble

P.S. if y'all needed any help imagining the shape of Brian and Meredith just imagine Ryan but with a 2-4-2 Whyte notation and only Brian has the condensing apparatus. Plus he's bigger. Sorry, just wanted to throw that one out there. They were both private commissions. Brian was first then Sir Topham Hatt saw photos of him and said he wanted one like him so he had Meredith designed. Okay. I'm done.

'It's not like I make the choice; to let my mind stay so fuckin' messy'