Thomas the Tank Engine loves working along his Branch Line with his faithful coaches Annie and Clarabel, it is his favourite job and there is nothing he'd rather do. One day at Tidmouth Sheds Percy was feeling a little unwell.

"I'm sure I'm well enough to work today, I don't feel that- achoo!" The green engine sneezed.

"Your not well enough Percy" Thomas said "You should stay here and rest. Maybe even go to the Steamworks if you get worse."

"I suppose so. But who will do my Jobs?" Percy asked.

"Don't worry I will" Thomas replied.

"Thank you Thomas your the best, best friend." Percy replied before heading back into the Shed. Just then the Fat Controller arrived.

"Good morning, engines" he boomed "now we have a- Where's Percy?"

"He's feeling unwell today, sir so he needs to stay in the Sheds. Don't worry sir, I'm happy to do any of his work"

"That's very kind of you Thomas. I need you to go to Knapford Harbour and collect a very important shipment for Harwick, immediately."

"Immediately sir? But what about my morning train with Annie and Clarabel?" Thomas asked.

"I'm afraid you may not be able to take passengers trains with your coaches for a while. Percy had some very important goods work to do for the next few days, work which I can only entrust my most experienced engines with." The Fat Controller explained.

"Annie and Clarabel, who will... I can't leave... nobody knows..."

"Don't worry, Thomas" the Fat Controller said reassuringly "I know how much you care about them. They will be looked after by a responsible engine."

"Ok sir..." Thomas said sadly as he left Tidmouth. While he was glad he was helping his best friend, the thought of leaving his coaches with an engine who may not even know them troubled him greatly. Annie and Clarabell weren't pleased with the arrangement either.

"I miss Thomas" Clarabell moaned "It doesn't feel right to have this strange engine pulling us."

"I agree, only Thomas can pull us right." Annie added.

"Indeed. Though she is doing her best."

That night when Thomas returned Percy was waiting for him.

"Hello Thomas, how was your day?" He asked.

"Oh hello Percy, are you feeling better?" Thomas asked, ignoring Percy's question.

"No, not really. An engineer came and inspected me, somethings wrong with my boiler, so I'll need to go to the Steamworks to have it checked out properly so I'll be out of service for at least a week. You, uh, didn't answer my question."

"Oh sorry, I uh managed to do your work but... Sigh, doing it meant I couldn't take Annie and Clarabel, someone else did and I haven't seen them all day." Thomas explained.

"Oh my! I'm sorry Thomas, if I'd known that I wouldn't ha-"

"Don't apologise Percy, you're ill and I'd gladly do your work again but... it's not seeing Annie and Clarabel it..."

"Perhaps you should ask Toby, I'm sure he's seen them and whoever's pulling them." Percy suggested.

"That's a great idea Percy!"

The next day Thomas saw Toby not long after he picked up a shipment from Knapford Harbour.

"Yes I saw them Thomas, they were being pulled by Rosie." Toby told him

"Rosie's pulling my coaches?" Thomas said, shocked.

"I saw Annie and Clarabell last night" Henrietta said "They said they missed you."

"Thanks Henrietta, thanks Toby." He then quickly puffed away to find his coaches.

Thomas wasn't sure what to think about Rosie pulling his coaches. While he knew she would treat them well, the fact that she idolized him made him wonder if it was the Fat Controller's best decision. He raced along his Branch Line till he reached Ffarqhuar where he finally found them.

"Hello, Thomas! We've missed you!" Annie and Clarabel said clearly delighted.

"Hello, Thomas" Rosie said "it's an honour to be pulling your coaches!"

"Um, yeah sure. How are you two?"

"We're fine. It's different not being pulled by you but Rosie has done marvellous." Annie replied.

"But we do hope things go back to normal soon." Clarabel added.

"I'm afraid not, it appears Percy won't be back for at least a week" Thomas said sadly. "I can't remember the last time we were separated for so long..."

"You don't have to separated for so long. I'm sure I could do some of Percy's work." Rosie suggested.

"It's a nice suggestions Rosie, but the Fat Controller says he only wants one of his most experienced engines to handle this work."

"I'm sure he will agree once he knows how you three feel." Rosie said.

They did ask the Fat Controller and while he was reluctant at first, after finding how much Thomas, Annie and Clarabel would miss each other he agreed. For the rest of the week Thomas, while still doing most of Percy's work, would pull his beloved coaches once a day. When Percy finally returned everything returned to normal.

"Hey Thomas!" He said cheerfully "I'm back! Thanks for doing my work."

"I'm glad you're well again Percy!" Thomas replied, clearly delighted. "And your welcome!"