:CONTENT DISCLAIMER:

THE CONTENT PRESENTED IN THIS FIC IS INTENDED FOR MATURE READERS. IT CONTAINS ADULT THEMES, ADULT LANGUAGE, ADULT HUMOR. EVEN VIOLENCE. ANYONE WISHING TO READ THIS FIC MUST DO SO WITH AN OPEN MIND.

:THIS FIC CONTAINS OCS AND LGBTQ SHIPS:

Thick clouds of steam billowed across the fiery morning sky. The sound of hammer on metal and milling machinery could be heard through the open bay doors of the Sodor Steamworks. The Steamworks stays relatively busy, but the workers had an earlier morning than usual. They had a deadline to meet and the parts required were delayed several days after a goods train derailed on the way in from the Mainland. The parts came in and the work continued hastily. The job was expected to be finished by that morning, and everyone knew the railway's controller was no fan of delays.

By now it was mid-morning, the sun was up and the Northwestern Railway was in full swing. Varying engine whistles echoed in the distance, but none came towards the Steamworks. This was a great relief for the workers as they had too much to do and the last thing they needed was an engine needing immediate repair. A lone worker stepped outside, despite it being the middle of August, the stuffy summer air felt like a cool fall morn against his sweaty, sooty skin.

The worker drug his fingers through his coarse brown hair and he paused. Over all the commotion going on behind him he could hear the familiar putter of a car coming over the hill. He threw his hard hat back on before darting inside, he knew exactly who that was. "How close are we to being done?" The worker called.

"We still have a little ways to go," the project supervisor responded, his eyes never left the schematics in front of him. "Why?"

Before the worker could respond, the slam of a car door cut him off. The other workmen stopped immediately, the Steamworks now the quietest it had been in a long while. The supervisor looked up as a stocky man in a tailcoat and vest sauntered in, his hands grabbing at his lapel. "Oh, good morning, sir."

"Good morning!" The man, Sir Topham Hatt, replied with a tip of his top hat. "I was wondering how my new engine was coming along?"

A little red narrow-gauge engine steamed up with a scared smile. "We're still working on her, Sir. The parts delay really set us back and it's been quite some time since we've built a new engine."

"So it's a she, Victor?" Sir Topham Hatt waited many months for this new engine to arrive and though he understood the delay was no one's fault, he couldn't help but feel cross as the whole situation.

The little engine dipped his boiler in a nod. "Yes, Sir. Would you like to see her?"

Sir Topham Hatt grinned from ear-to-ear as he followed Victor towards the back of the Steamworks. The area where the new engine was being built was closed off to deter any outside engines from leering at her exposed boiler and firebox. They pushed past a set of plastic curtains and the Railway controller gapped in awe. She wasn't the largest engine he's brought in, but also not the smallest. She had a two-four-two wheel pattern with concealed pistons. Her water tanks were mounted on either side of her boiler and her empty coal bunker sat behind the cab. Her funnel was short as was her dome and her panels, the ones that had been installed, were still bare with no paint. She had a lovely face, her eyes were closed but he could see her button nose and soft lips and round cheeks. Sir Topham Hatt stepped closer to her and he could hear her gently inhale and exhale through her nose. "She's breathing already?"

Victor chuckled. "She's nearly completed, Sir, we just need a little more time."

"Good morning, Gordon." The Flying Scotsman smirked at his older brother as he pulled onto the platform beside him. "You seem especially cheery today."

Gordon rolled his eyes. "Thomas was late bringing my coaches again." The big blue engine grumbled as his passengers disembarked. The two brothers only ever saw each other in the mornings and evenings when they both stopped at Vicarstown, the last station on the Main Line of Sodor. The Flying Scotsman worked on the Mainland, which Gordon didn't particularly mind. He loved his brother but he grew rather weary hearing about his "exciting" work on the Mainland.

Scotsman chuckled. "Maybe you should talk to your controller about getting a new shunting engine, hm?"

"If only it were that easy." Gordon sneered.

"If only." Scotsman repeated, he couldn't see his brother as they were facing opposite directions, but he didn't need to see Gordon to know he was scowling at the tracks ahead. "There's something else bothering you. Might as well tell me about it."

Gordon groaned. "I heard that Sir Topham Hatt is having another new engine built at this very moment."

"And this upsets you because?"

"Because we have plenty of engines on our railway," Gordon said as he briefly glanced to streamlined engine, Caitlin, as she glided into the station a few platforms down.

Scotsman shook his boiler. "Oh, Gordon, you grow more and more stubborn as you age." The large green engine heard a whistle to signal it was clear for him to depart and his pistons started with a metal groan as they forced his large wheels forward. "You need to learn to embrace change, little brother, you'll be much happier when you do." Scotsman let out three quick whistles as he departed his platform, leaving Gordon to stew alone in his thoughts.

Sir Topham Hatt rolled into Knapford the following morning. He had planned to call the Steamworks after settling into his office. He wanted to check on the progress of his newest engine. As he rounded the corner towards his office door, he heard a steam whistle, one he had never heard before. He turned towards the track and laughed in excitement. "Oh my goodness!" He jogged towards the track as a white and black tank engine about the size of Ryan in Arlesburgh puffed into the station, her eyes were wide and darted around nervously as she came to a screeching halt next to the fat controller. "Hello, hello!" Sir Topham Hatt approached the nervous engine with a kind smile. "What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting you to be finished until the end of the week."

The little engine looked Sir Topham Hatt up and down. "I was completed early this morning." Her voice was shaky and she continued to push a heavy amount of excess steam, which was to be expected of a new build. She was not used to regulating her steam. "My name is Meredith."

"Meredith, oh how wonderful!" He gave her buffers a kind pat. "I'm Sir Topham Hatt and I run the railway here on Sodor known as the Northwestern. I'm so very excited to have you here! It's been quite a while since I've had a newly built engine on my railway."

Meredith smiled meekly. "So what am I going to be doing?"

"Well, why don't you go over to the shunting yard just across the way and help Philip. I need to make some phone calls before I can send you to your proper assignment."

Meredith nodded. "Yes, Sir." She watched the fat controller disappear into his office then sat alone on the platform. She took a deep breath as she focused hard to direct her steam into her pistons, but her wheels spun in place instead of moving her forward. The little engine sighed as she leaned her weight forward, her wheels finally gripped the tracks and she inched her way into the shunting yard on the other side of the station.

Meredith rolled into the yard and felt overwhelmed at the chaotic arrangement of cars, trucks, and coaches. She knew she needed to organize them, but she wasn't sure where to start so she began with the empty wood cars closest to the coal hoppers. A yardsman coupled her to a line of cars and she steamed forward towards a siding with a brake van.

"Hello there!"

Meredith skid to a halt as a friendly voice called out behind her. She glanced to the track next to her and a small yellow and green boxcab Diesel engine chuffed up, his little face beaming. "Oh, hello."

"What's your name?" The little diesel pipped excitedly. "I've never seen you before! You're so lovely. I've never seen an engine with such sparkly paint before!"

Meredith couldn't help but laugh. "I'm Meredith, are you Philip?"

"Yes I am!" Philip squeaked. "I help keep the yard here at Knapford nice and tidy! At least I try to."

"Philip, where are my coaches?" A larger red tender engine steamed to a halt on the other side of Meredith, his face twisted in a scowl.

"Oh, right, sorry, James." Little Philip raced away to gather James's coaches from the wash down.

James huffed, he still hadn't noticed Meredith until she tried to continue forward with her cars. "Who are you?"

"I'm Meredith." The little tank engine replied. "It's my first day."

James looked over the new engine, his expression softened a bit, but he didn't smile. "Well try not to get in my way. There's only room for one splendid engine on Sodor and that's me."

He puffed away with a snooty toot of his whistle. Meredith was puzzled at his statement. She wasn't sure whether she should be insulted or flattered, but she didn't press for clarification and continued with her work.

By late afternoon, Meredith had met Henry, Percy, Emily, Edward, and Thomas. As well as Stanley and Charlie. They were all very kind to her which helped her feel more comfortable after her unpleasant introduction to James. She had just come back to Knapford after delivering empty cars to the Blue Mountain Quarry when she saw a big engine stopped beside the large coal hopper. She thought about just skating by as the larger engines were very intimidating, but she didn't want to be rude. She steamed slowly forward and saw the yellow "4" painted on his tender. When she stopped she noticed he was asleep.

"Oh, I don't want to wake him." She whispered to herself and she started up again, but she wasn't paying attention to the track in front of her and she bumped right into Philip who accidentally pushed her onto the track where the big engine was sleeping and she slammed right into his buffers, waking him up.

"Watch where you're going you silly little engine." Gordon's eyes shot open and he furrowed his brow. "I'm trying to get some rest."

"I'm so sorry," Meredith returned to her track beside Gordon and backed up to look at him, her cheeks flushed red. "I didn't mean to wake you." She felt so small under his cold glare and stared at the ground. "I just wanted to say hello."

"Well you would do best to avoid waking me again. I'm sure Thomas can tell you about what happens when my naps are interrupted." Gordon glanced to Thomas while he was being coupled to Annie and Clarabel and the blue tank engine shuddered before quickly scooting away.

"I'm sorry… I'm Meredith, by the way." She still didn't look at Gordon. She felt so embarrassed for disturbing him.

The big engine sighed. "And I'm called Gordon." He was still very annoyed with Meredith, but he eased his tone only slightly. "Now please let me get some sleep, I have a late express to pull today."

"Right, of course." Meredith said as she sheepishly puffed away. She took extra care in avoiding the other engines in the yard for the remainder of the day.

"I met Sir Topham Hatt's new engine." Gordon said as he pulled the express into the station at Vicarstown. The Flying Scotsman was already there, and faced the same direction as Gordon so the brothers could actually see each other.

"And?" Scotsman asked, thick eyebrow raised.

"Yet another little tank engine to get in the way."

Scotsman laughed. "What a shame, it seems your controller favors the smaller engines."

"It seems that way." Gordon sneered. "She woke me from my nap earlier."

"And that's just unforgivable, isn't it?" Scotsman teased. Gordon threw a cold glare to his brother, but didn't comment. "So the new engine is a she?" Scotsman continued. "Is she at least easy on the eyes?"

"I didn't really care to look, all I remember is that she's painted white."

Scotsman nodded. "You'll have to point her out to me if she's ever here. I'm always on the lookout for a pretty little boiler to rest my eyes on."

Gordon rolled his eyes. "You're sick."

"You love me though." Scotsman said with a smirk.

Gordon's deadpan expression never waivered. "That's debatable."

The brothers continued to make small talk and their late passengers poured from their coaches. Once the platforms were clear the two large engines parted ways. Gordon couldn't help but rush down the line as he headed to Knapford to return his coaches. He was tired and the sooner he could be in his shed the better.