ALFIE HAS KITTENS

Based upon the episode by Abi Grant

Adapted by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens

Work at Ffarquhar quarry had increased, and it wasn't an uncommon sight to see Percy, Toby or Thomas assisting Mavis with the trucks. Alongside the four engines, was a very familiar mining machine.

"Morning, Thumper," Percy called over to them. "How are you doing?"

"Er…" Thumper bit their lip. "I… not too good, Percy."

"Why not?" Then Percy remembered what the drilling machine was referring to. "Oh, I see. You're still shaken up over… you know."

"Nah, it's okay. I'm okay talking about it with anyone, dude," Thumper chuckled, before speaking seriously again. "I know it's only been a few years since that incident at the old quarry, but it still makes me afraid that I might hurt someone again."

"You've just got to be careful, Thumper," Mavis called. "Besides, Skarloey and Rheneas are fine. Have you seen Mrs. Kyndley at all?"

"Yeah." Thumper gave a weak smile. "She's been really helping me. I just, even now… it does get to me sometimes."

"I know how you feel," sighed Mavis. "The fact Toby could have…" She gulped. "Because of my foolish decisions… it still gets to me sometimes too." Percy looked down uncomfortably at the sleepers; he wasn't directly involved in Toby's tightrope incident, but the little green engine still felt as though he'd played a role in it.

"Well, what's important is that we're all there for each other," said Thumper. "And support is just as important as professional help." Mavis and Percy had to agree.

Later, Mavis was tasked to take a quarry train down to Ffarquhar.

"Have a good time," called Percy as Mavis left. The quarry diesel smiled as she purred into the distance.

But what Mavis didn't know was that the signalman was becoming overwhelmed by extra trains leaving the quarry.

"Ugh!" he groaned. "Okay, Mavis should be coming…" He managed to flip a switch. "Finally, maybe now I can have a lunch break…"

"Ffarquhar shouldn't be far, driver," smiled Mavis. "If I'm lucky, I might get a chat with Thomas, Annie and Clarabel before I go back."

But little did Mavis and her driver realize that they were heading the wrong way.

"Huh? Driver?" asked Mavis. "Do you recognize those fields?"

"No, I've never been down this part of the line before either," the driver replied.

"Oh no!" cried Mavis. "We've gone the wrong way. We'll have to go back!"

But unfortunately, Mavis was going downhill, and the trucks were very full and heavy. To make matters worse, the quarry diesel kept hitting some low hanging branches; some broke off while others stayed on the trees.

"Ouch!" she cried as another branch of leaves hit her square in the face. Mavis continued to rattle along, until she came into a yard filled with overgrown weeds. She then crashed right into a shed at the end of the track.

"Ugh…" she groaned. "Driver? Driver, are you alright?!"

"A little shaken, but I'm alright," the driver confirmed. "But I have no idea where we are right now."

"Oh dear…" sighed Mavis. "Everyone on the branch line will be wondering where we are…"

Meanwhile, Thomas arrived at Ffarquhar station with Annie and Clarabel.

"Hello, Ma…vis?" he trailed off in surprise. "Huh… that's odd. She should've arrived by now."

"Maybe she got held up at the quarry," suggested Annie.

"Perhaps," said Clarabel. "It's not like Mavis to be late."

Just then, Mr. Volley came up. "I've just got a call from the signal box. Mavis was sent down to an old siding by mistake!"

"We'd better help her in case she's landed herself in trouble!" remarked Thomas.

"You've already got passengers to attend to for the return trip," Mr. Volley pointed out. "I'll see if another engine can help."

Fortunately, that engine was Percy, and he quickly got Judy and Jerome.

"Mavis, are you okay?!" cried Percy.

"Oh, just a few scratches, but nothing that a little paint can't fix," the quarry diesel replied. She then looked curiously at their surroundings. "What even is this place?"

"I haven't seen it before either," Percy remarked. "I've been past that signal box loads of times but have never gone down this line."

"We have," said Judy. The two engines looked curiously over at the breakdown cranes.

"Really?" asked Mavis. "When? And why?"

"Judy and I were helping with the construction of these sheds back when the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Railway was in operation," said Jerome.

Percy and Mavis went quiet for a moment.

"…this was where the Coffee Pot engines used to sleep?" gasped Percy.

"Were going to sleep at, but yes," said Judy. "They'd been abandoned years ago because they were impractical."

"What for?" wondered Percy. "It's not as though they couldn't have needed a spare yard."

"It was in too remote an area," said Jerome. "The hills coming into the sheds were also very steep, and deemed too dangerous for an engine to slow down and stop in their sheds."

"That I believe," grunted Mavis. "Still, if another engine is sent down here by mistake, it could be hazardous."

Word spread quickly about the incident, and it wasn't long before it got back to Miss Jenny and the Pack.

"Is Mavis okay?!" gasped Alfie.

"She's fine aside from a few scratches," said Miss Jenny. "But we've got to pull down the ol' sheds an' rails goin' down that ol' line."

"No problems, Miss Jenny," grinned Oliver. "We'll get straight on that."

"That's what I like to hear," she smiled.

It wasn't long before Nigel started to help transport some of the Pack to the site, and Percy had to help too.

"I'm sorry that you're going to tear down this track and shed," sighed Percy. "I don't think this will be fun for you."

"Are you kidding?" grinned Alfie. "It's going to be really fun!"

Percy was surprised; he'd never known anyone to be this excited about a tear down.

"Ah, that's just the fun of a construction vehicle," chuckled Jack from nearby. "It's my first time on a… dim-lition job."

"That's demolition, Jack," chuckled Alfie as he rolled off his flatbed. "Oh, you'll love it. Come on, I'll show you what we do. Thanks, Percy!"

"Glad to help out," smiled Percy. As he started away, Max charged around the corner.

"Look out, small fry!" he called.

"Max!" snapped Jack. "Watch where you're going, and be nice to Alfie!"

"Hmph!" snorted the dump truck, roaring away. Percy had seen this as he set off and looked worried.

"Reminds me of when I used to be on the mainland…" he said quietly. "At least Alfie has Jack for support…"

"Alfie, are you okay?" asked Jack.

"I… sorry, Jack," the green excavator sighed. "I've never really been happy with being one of the smaller Pack members."

"Don't let it get to you too much," said Jack. "I mean, look at the engines on the Ffarquhar branch. Thomas, Percy, Toby and Mavis aren't the biggest engines on the North Western Railway, but, from what you all told me, they've left large impacts in their own right."

"Well, Mavis isn't owned by the North Western Railway," Alfie pointed out. "But… I guess you do have a point."

"Come on, Alfie," said Jack. "I've got an idea to pay Max back." He whispered something to Alfie, and he started chuckling.

Soon, Jack and Alfie were loading Max and Monty with rubble.

"Hurry up, half-pint," teased Monty.

"Not half-pint," argued Max. "It's small fry." The brothers laughed, and Jack gave Alfie a wink. Just then, there was a loud thump into the dump trucks' haulage.

"Hey!" yelped Monty. "What was that about?!"

"Heh, sorry," Jack laughed. "Or, maybe we're not."

"What does that mean?" snapped Max.

"Strain your brains and find out," grunted Alfie.

"You two are impossible!" cried Monty.

"Well, impossible means it can never happen," said Nigel from nearby. "If someone really does exist, how can they be impossible?"

Jack and Alfie burst out laughing, but Max and Monty growled at the lorry.

"Alfie!" called his banksman. "We're needed to help Ned clearing up the old ballast!"

"Coming!" smiled the green excavator. "See you, Jack and Nigel."

"And what are we?" grunted Max. "A pair of coal trucks?"

"You may as well be," Jack remarked.

"But they've got debris, not coal," Nigel remarked. Jack sighed, wishing he could facepalm himself.

Alfie hurried over to Ned. Kelly was also there, lifting the old rails out of the way.

"Good timing, Alfie," the blue crane smiled. "This patch of ballast should be all clear now."

"Thanks, Kelly," said Alfie. He was eagerly about to start digging, when Ned swung his shovel in the green excavator's direction. "Whoa!" Alfie drove back. "Ned, watch out!"

"Sorry," boomed Ned. "I didn't see you. You're smaller than you look."

"Is that all you see me as, Ned?!" growled Alfie. "I always get in the way because I'm small? Ooh, I bet you'll be thinking I'll cause a major accident due to my size. Well, if that's all I am, I'll go somewhere where I'll be appreciated!" The green excavator raced away, and Kelly and Ned stared after him, gobsmacked.

"I didn't say anything wrong, did I?" Ned asked, worriedly.

"If I had to guess, probably Max and Monty's taunts," sighed Kelly. "Alfie's been good friends with us, but it wasn't until Jack came here that he really felt like he had a family member."

"I've really messed this one up," sighed Ned. "I hope I can apologize…"

During the work break, Percy came to collect some debris from the site. He found Alfie parked by the tracks, sulking to himself.

"Is there something troubling you?" asked the saddle tank.

"Well… it's one thing if Max and Monty taunt me," Alfie said quietly. "I may not like it but… I expect it to happen. But when Ned makes fun of my size…" he growled. "He was so mean!"

"Wait, Ned?!" Percy was surprised. "Are you sure? He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"He nearly flung his shovel at me and said I was 'smaller than I look'!" Alfie muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised if he just wanted me out of the way."

Percy sighed. "Gordon, Henry and James talked like that a lot when I was station pilot. Well… Henry would only sometimes say that if the other two were nearby, but I'm certain that was a tough engine act." He chuckled, remembering how he, Henry and Duck blocked Gordon and James out of Tidmouth. "But, tell me, Alfie; has Ned ever said anything like this before?"

"Well… no."

"Maybe you should talk to Ned next time you see him," said Percy. "Try and get the full picture before you misjudge someone. We don't want a repeat of the rumors incident."

Alfie sighed. "Yeah… maybe you're right, Percy. Perhaps I'd overreacted."

Percy closed his eyes for a moment. "Maybe… I did too…"

"Huh? Percy?" asked Alfie.

"Oh, nothing, Alfie," assured the tank engine. "I was just… thinking about Mavis, and I need to chat with her when she's out of the Dieselworks."

"Oh, so you're worried about your girlfriend?" chuckled Alfie.

"Yeah, I… wait, what?!" He blushed bright red.

"It's okay to admit you like her," said Alfie, gently. "I think you should talk to her as soon as possible to get this under control."

Percy gave a weak smile. "Okay… I do like her. And I shouldn't have put this off for so long. Thanks, Alfie. Sometimes, the smallest friends can make the biggest difference."

Just then, there was a loud tooting noise.

"Break's over!" called Kelly. "Time to get back to work!"

"Coming, Kelly!" called Alfie. "Thanks, Percy," he smiled. "I guess we both needed this."

The next day, Alfie was to help Oliver demolish the shed.

"Mavis already did a number on this," said Oliver. "I guess we'd better thank her if we see her again."

"I think she's going to come down here today," said Alfie. "Percy said something about… her needing a good long run." He knew it was probably best not to mention Percy's crush on the quarry diesel.

"She did always enjoy that," said Oliver. His giant scissor claw grabbed the top of the wall, and the bricks started to fall down. Alfie laughed as he started to dig away the bricks, but then…

"STOP!"

"Alfie?" asked Oliver. "What's up?"

"I can hear something."

All the construction vehicles stopped work. But no one heard anything.

"It's so quiet you can hear a pin drop," gasped Nigel.

"I already checked inside," said the foreman. "Besides, no one would be permitted to be inside a collapsing building."

"Small fry is hearing things," Max snorted.

"One more remark from ye or Monty," scolded Miss Jenny, "an' it's a one-way trip back to the building yards!" Both dump trucks subsided.

"But I did hear something!" gasped Alfie. "Really, I did." Just then, a faint scratching was heard, along with a "mew".

"It sounds like there's a cat inside!" gasped Alfie. "It must be very scared."

"The building's not safe," said the foreman. "If we go in, we could get hurt along with the cat."

"Then I'll go!" Alfie carefully and quickly drove inside. Just then, Ned came from finishing his own job.

"Alfie!" he called. "Alfie, I'll help you."

"No, Ned!" cried Oliver. "We're too big to fit in there without denting the roof any further."

As if to prove Oliver's point, some plaster flew down onto Alfie and the walls creaked.

Inside, Alfie got a better look at the scared cat. Or… should I say, cats. There was a large cat and three much smaller ones.

She must be a mother, Alfie realized. "Here, kitty, kitty," he coaxed. "Jump in my bucket."

Unfortunately, the mother cat and her kittens didn't move. To make matters worse, the upper wall started to crumble.

"Hurry, kitties!" cried Alfie. Realizing he had no other option, Alfie quickly covered the four cats with his scoop. The debris bounced off the scoop down onto the ground.

"That… was close…" panted Alfie.

Outside the shed, everyone was waiting anxiously for Alfie.

"Oh, please be okay," begged Jack. Much to the relief of the Pack, Alfie drove carefully out of the building.

"They're all okay!" he sighed, and he showed the furry shapes curled up in his scoop.

"Looks to be a calico cat, two tabby kittens an' a black an' white kitten," said Miss Jenny. "Ye did a great job, Alfie. We'll need to find owners fer these four cats immediately."

"Come back here, Snowball!"

The Pack looked up in surprise. There was Kareen, riding on Starlight, following after a black cat.

"Snowball?" gasped Oliver. "Who would name a black cat Snowball?"

"I would," panted Kareen, bringing Starlight to a halt. "He always did the exact opposite of what I said, but he's never gone this far from the house before."

Suddenly, the mother cat let out a low purr, and nuzzled Snowball lovingly. Snowball and the mother cat then nuzzled the three kittens.

"Well, I'll be," gasped Kelly. "I think Snowball is the kittens' father."

"Do they have names?" asked Alfie.

"Aside from Snowball," sighed Kareen, "I don't think so. These kittens and mother cat don't look like they've been kept in a house, or they've been abandoned."

"Why would anyone want to abandon such beautiful animals?" asked Jack.

"I don't know," said Miss Jenny. "But we'll put up flyers an' try to get 'em adopted. An' they'll need a vet."

"I'll call Dr. Judy," said Kareen. "She'll know what to do."

And indeed she did. It wasn't long before the mother cat and the kittens were given proper treatment, and the four cats were sent out to loving homes. One of which was a great surprise when the Pack arrived back at the builders yard.

"Mr. Packard?!" cried Alfie. "Is that one of the tabby kittens?"

"Aye," the retired builder chuckled. "An' fer yer brave actions in protecting these little fellas, I decided to name 'im in honor of ye."

"Aww!" Alfie cooed over the new kitten. "Hello, Junior." The little kitten purred and jumped into his scoop. He chuckled. "Not sure if that's the most comfortable place to sleep."

"Well, a cat would sleep almost anywhere if you let it," remarked Kelly.

Ned looked sadly over towards Alfie. "Er… Alfie… about what happened the other day… I'm so sorry about calling you 'small'. You were extremely brave to rescue the mother cat and her kittens."

"That's okay," smiled Alfie. "I'm sorry too for snapping at you like that. Besides, if I was any bigger, I wouldn't have been able to rescue these furry friends."

"Sometimes, the smallest vehicles have the biggest heart," said Jasmine. The other Pack vehicles smiled in agreement.

Of course, Alfie Junior wasn't the only cat living locally to the railway and its non-rail vehicles, as Mavis and Percy found out at Ffarquhar.

"Aww!" Mavis giggled. "Hello, Miss Mother Cat."

"I see you've met Little Mavis," smiled Mr. Volley. "She's our station cat now."

"She's a… purrfect addition to the station," Percy joked. Little Mavis gave a chripy "mew" in response.

"Two ducks at Haultruagh, a cat here, what next?" laughed Mavis. "A dog at Lakeside?"

Percy had to laugh too. "As I said before, Mavis, you do have a way with animals. It's one of the many reasons why I…" He broke off.

"Yes?"

"I…" He bit his lip. Come on, Percy. It's now or never. "I… I fell in love with you…"

Mavis gasped in shock. "You… you did?"

"Y-yes…" Percy stammered. "Mavis… you're always so eager to get your work done. Your smile and voice light up the whole shed. And you never back down when a friend needs help the most. But…" he trailed. "If your heart belongs to another, I completely understand."

But Mavis had tears of joy leaking from her eyes. "Percy… your loyalty to others is practically unmatched. You're never afraid to speak your mind. And you always keep your promise to others. I… I love you too."

Percy was surprised with what he had just heard!

"Oh, Mavis!" he beamed. "I… I guess this makes us a couple now. I… I was under the impression that you had a crush on Salty."

Mavis blinked, but burst out laughing. "Rattle my cowcatchers, Percy. Where did you get a strange idea like that?"

"You and Salty… you both got along so well during your stay on the Brendam branch," Percy said quietly. "You were laughing, really connected over missing your homes, enjoying each other's company…"

"Hmm… oh my goodness," Mavis said, emphasizing her words. "It sounds like… we're friends."

Percy flushed with embarrassment. "Heh… good point. I'll definitely be aware of that in future."

"That's good," chuckled Mavis. "Don't want to get the wrong impression on you if I'm chatting with Thomas or anyone."

The new couple had to laugh as they headed back to work.

THE END

Author's Comments

After an episode with pretty heavy themes, I think it's only right we follow it up with something more light-hearted. Alfie Has Kittens is regarded as one of the best episodes out of the Pack spinoff, and I find it hard to disagree with, mostly because I'm a cat person. Of course, the episode's message can't be ignored as it resonates with so many people. While Alfie's story is mostly unchanged save for expanding upon his conflict with Ned, a major addition was the subplot with Percy and Mavis and the resolution to the former's crush on the latter. So that's one subplot being resolved, but several more are currently still hanging at the moment.

Upcoming stories:

- Harvey to the Rescue

- Oliver Takes the Road

- No Sleep for Cranky

- Edward and the Brass Band

- Piece of Cake