Cue the the-

Oh wait! Stop theme! STOP THE THEM- Thank you.

Ahem. So TUGS Abridged. That's going to happen. Now, here's what I've got planned. This episode is the first one that prominently shows off some of the things that were sent to the sister show (Okay, the previous one had a little bit, but honestly such little time was spent at the harbor, I didn't think it was worth mentioning) and so I'll be mentioning a couple of elements here and there that'll tie into it. Now, actual writing for it hasn't started as of yet, but I do have plans to start releasing chapters around about the time of the thirteenth episode this season, which is a nice place to end off considering it's Trust Thomas, and then I'll take a hiatus from this fanfic to concentrate solely on that for a bit. Then, production will resume on this fanfiction, and then hopefully it's all steam ahead baby!

And now...re-cue the theme!

...

With regards to Knapford Harbor, I must admit that there was some difficulty in expanding the property even more so than it had been already. Our accountants nearly had a fit. It was like watching Pompeii, except in Pompeii it was the volcano blowing it's top. Not the humans. But eventually we were able to put in a good deal of expansion, especially with cruise ships and the like sailing in. We've had regular visits from S.S Vienna, I believe David had a few dealings with another port of hers a while back (Again, my condolences) and other such cruise ships. We've also imported a good few cranes in to help even more so. Of course, the harbor itself is somewhat risky, we've already set out plans for a second dock in Brendam, and I fear that we'll have to move most of what made Knapford Harbor work over there.

But that's in the future. And on this occasion, it was the past that I was more concerned about.

...

Duck and Percy enjoy their work at the harbor, mostly because it gives them time off from all the noisy idiots at the big station. Their main job tends to be taking trucks full of cargo to and from the quay. Duck himself was beginning to finish up his job before heading back over to his branch-line to properly run it, but for the most part, the two got on swimmingly.

No pun intended.

But one morning, the engines were exhausted. Duck had still not gotten his breath back after having to take twenty trucks filled with heavier than usual clay to the pits, while Percy was so tired that his face had morphed into Thomas's.

The harbor was busier than ever, so much so that a couple of other engines had been drafted in to give a helping buffer. James, of course, grumbled repeatedly about how this was going to ruin the sheen on his buffers. Thomas, pulling coaches to and from the nearby makeshift station, complained less, though that may have just been because he was resisting the urge to smoke once more and opening his mouth would have meant the desire would have increased tenfold.

The Fat Controller promised that another engine would be found to help them. He shouldn't have, really. Or at the very least, he should have at least checked the register.

"Huh! It's about time." moaned Percy as he tried to get air back into what passed for lungs.

Duck nodded, for once in total agreement with his friend. "I ache so much, I can barely get my wheels to move. So, who would you pick?"

"If it was me? BoCo?"

"Nice choice. I was going for Edward."

"Either one would be decent."

"Indeed Percy. Indeed."

And as they settled down, they waited for the engine to arrive. It came as a shock when it did. The two engines were talking.

"-so what did you say to him Duck?"

"I said to him, I said "Now listen Gordon" I said "You can be a prat to me, you can be a prat to the coaches-" and here he turned red-"

"Good morning." purred a oily voice.

"Good morning Diesel- and so I said, "But you cannot, under any circumstances, call my friend a-" D-D-D-D-DIESEL!?" Duck turned white. Whiter than white. Whiter than the whitest white ever whitened.

The two engines had not worked with Diesel for a long time. Especially considering that he had been possessed the last time that had happened, and despite briefly appearing at the Christmas party, he had slunk away after Duck lost his cool in front of everyone and threw a glass of sherry at him.

"What are you doing here!?" Duck said, actual panic racing through his voice.

"Your worthy fat- Er, Sir Topham Hatt sent me. I hope you are pleased to see me! I am to shunt some dreadfully tiresome trucks!" Diesel's smile was a mockery of friendly interest.

"Shunt where?!" asked Percy suspiciously. He assumed Diesel was out to steal the trucks and turn them even more against the engines. While they hadn't had proper bosses since the Barber Shop incident, it was possible that the truce had broken down completely between them. They did not need a leader to direct them into a attack.

"Where? Why from here to there! And from there to here most likely!" Diesel's voice seemed to grow even more passive aggressively sarcastic. "Easy, isn't it? I know you've managed...barely. I hope to provide some more efficiency around here."

Duck's expression indicated where Diesel could stick his efficiency. But with that last statement not apparently getting through, Diesel made himself quite clear and bumped a line of trucks hard.

"OOOOH!" screamed the trucks, realizing that this was clearly a different diesel from the one who had allied with them so long ago.

"Grrrrr." growled Diesel, sending a memory flooding back into Duck's mind.

"He remembers." He whispered. "How much do you remember?"

...

Both engines were horrified. Neither trusted Diesel as far as they could pick him up, and so decided to take extreme action. They refused to work, and would not move for anything.

Duck's drivers seemed understanding of this at least, for some reason, but Carlin got out, flipped his engine the bird and stormed off towards the nearest pub, The Endowed Mermaid, to complain to the sailors and get well and truly drunk.

The Fat Controller was enjoying his tea and iced bun (His wife had expressed quiet concern for his health, but he had gotten off with a promise to exercise more. He was using his arm muscles to eat the bun.) when the telephone rang. He picked it up. "Srr Tophwam Hwat schpeaking!" He swallowed down the remains of his bun. "Er, Sir Topham Hatt speaking. So there's trouble in the harbor yard!? ANOTHER BLOODY STRIKE?! Right, I'll be there as soon as possible."

As he stood up, his trousers split.

"Oh bother."

Diesel was fuming as he continued another trip around the harbor, trucks impeded his progress everywhere, and they had found a familiar song to taunt him with.

"Trucks are waiting in the Yard; Tackling them with ease'll,
"Show the world what I can do," Gaily boasts the Diesel.
In and out he creeps about, Like a big black weasel.
When he pulls the wrong trucks out – Pop goes the Diesel!"

"Change. The. Tune." Diesel hissed as he slammed into the nearest truck. He worked loudly and alone, and angrily. He may have been efficient, but he didn't want to be efficient on his own. Cargo was lying everywhere (The workers having abandoned them with the delay and having slunk off to the Endowed Mermaid.) ships and passengers were late (Including the very angry group from the S.S Vienna.) and everyone was complaining about the Fat Controller's railway. Because of course they were.

Percy and Duck were sulking in their shed. They were both feeling very guilty.

"This reminds me of my first time here." Percy remarked gravely. "I hope he doesn't shut us up here."

"Percy." said Duck in a comforting manner. "If it comes to it, I will personally make sure that you get out of any prison we're put in."

"You're a pal, Duck!"

"What's all this!?" demanded the Fat Controller., new pair of trousers barely keeping it's seams together.

"Er, we're on strike sir."

"You don't sound sure."

"Er...begging your pardon sir. But we won't work with Diesel, sir!" Duck suddenly looked downcast, and in a quiet and hurt voice added. "You said you sent him packing, sir. I never wanted to see him again after the Christmas party. I said as much."

"I have to give Diesel a second chance!" The Controller sighed. "I've given you all chances, haven't I? Thomas, Gordon, James, all of them would have been gone by now if I didn't keep giving them chances. It's always like this at first. No one gets along with the new engine, he causes discontent, and then he slots in." He fixed Duck with a glare. "And I seem to recall that you once said that you only take orders from me."

Duck's works seemed to have the desired affect. Duck groaned. Damn him! Just when he thought the Fat Controller was easy to slip by, he pulled out that brain of his and used it.

"I am trying to help you by bringing Diesel here. Now you must help me. He was the only engine available!"

"Did you look hard-"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Once Carlin had arrived, tipsy, Percy and Duck went back to work sadly.

...

The next morning,as Thomas woke the engines up with a whistle, things had not improved. Diesel's driver was a even more careless fellow than Carlin, and so had not put his brakes on properly.

Diesel noticed this, but didn't mention it as he idled forward.

He went straight into Percy's back, sending the poor engine leaping and panicking that the dragon had returned to get his revenge for what the kids had done to him in the carnival. Hint, that paper sure was flammable.

"Wake up there Percy!" smiled Diesel in such a way that it took all Duck's energy not to punch him. "You have work to do!"

Percy almost told Diesel to sod off, but his tongue refused to get him into even more trouble. As he puffed off, Percy angrily thought that if Diesel didn't even say sorry to him, there were some bigger mistakes than the Fat Controller had thought.

He was right.

Diesel was clearly working through some issues, as later on he bumped some trucks so hard that their loads spilled everywhere. Both engines shared looks of distress. Percy was on the verge of pointing out that when he did this by accident, he got shouted at, but when Diesel did it on purpose, he was ignored, when he swallowed back his sarcastic reply and asked the honest question.

"What will the Fat Controller say?"

"He won't like it." grimly stated Duck.

"So who's going to tell him, I wonder?" asked Diesel in a voice that indicated that if they wanted to sleep that night, they should keep their mouths shut. "Two goody goody tell-tales like you, I suppose?"

Percy and Duck (Well, Duck pretended. He didn't want Percy upset) didn't want to be tell-tales, so they said nothing.

Besides, they hadn't finished giving Diesel enough rope yet.

Diesel, thinking perhaps foolishly that he could get away with this sort of deliberate bad behavior, was ruder than ever. Duck looked at Percy meaningfully as he took the next load of china clay trucks.

"Diesel." He said casually. "You're going in the-"

"Oh Duck! Do you ever rest?"

Duck smiled benignly and rested. He smiled calmly at Percy, who recognized that smile as the one that indicated that he knew that something was about to happen that would work to their favor.

Diesel headed towards the buffers. Unfortunately, these buffers weren't secure. Percy could empathize, as both engines watched as the trucks toppled into the sea. Diesel's eyes were as big as saucers as he watched the carnage unfold.

The silly trucks were sunk.

Soon, the Fat Controller heard the news. The trucks had been recovered (And were currently being dried over a large fire) but the clay was lost. He reacted appropiately.

One pair of trousers later, Hatt was at the harbor, fuming away. He spoke severely to Diesel.

"YOU-!" Vienna's horn sounded. "YOU ABSOLUTE CRAP EATING SON OF A-!" The horn sounded again. YOU UGLY SON OF A-" And again. AND A-!" And again.

"Language!" gasped Carlin, aware of the hypocrisy and loving it.

"Things were better when you weren't here! I shall not be inviting you back!" Diesel tried to pretend like he didn't care, but he hadn't been spoken to like this for quite a while.

"Now, Duck and Percy, I hope you won't mind having to handle the work by yourselves again!"

"Oh sir!" gasped Percy. "Would we ever complain?"

"Yes sir! Come on Percy! Let's get too it!"

The two engines happily moved off, while Diesel slunk away to a disused shed to wait for the boat to make it's long journey back.

"Well." he said at last. "At least I'm on my own, with just my own company.."

"Oh really?" came a voice.

And then:

"Trucks are waiting in the Yard; Tackling them with ease'll-"

Diesel's scream echoed around the Island.