It was a splendid day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas was taking Annie and Clarabel back to the yards. On his way to Knapford Station, Thomas met up with his old friend Edward at a level crossing.

"Hello, Edward," whistled Thomas. "How are you today?"

"I'm just fine, thank you, Thomas," replied Edward. "Have you heard the news?"

"News? What news?" asked Thomas.

"Well, I've heard that the Fat Controller has bought a new engine, and it will be arriving today."

Thomas was excited. "A new engine? Today? Wow! I can't wait to see him," he exclaimed. Edward chuckled. "I think you mean, her, Thomas."

"H-Her? But then..." stammered Thomas. "That means the new engine is a girl," announced Annie. "Oh, how delightful!" rejoiced Clarabel. Sodor was home to many engines, but almost everyone of them were male engines. In fact, there were only two female engines on Sodor, and they were Daisy and Mavis, both of whom were diesel engines.

"Is she a steam engine or a diesel?" asked Thomas.

"From what I have heard, she is a steam engine," said Edward, as the crossing gates swung open. "I'm sure she'll make a fine edition to the North Western Railway. Goodbye, Thomas." And Edward puffed away.

Thomas started off again, thinking about the new engine. "I wonder what she'll be like," he thought to himself. The fact that the new engine was female made Thomas even more curious and excited, as he had never met a female steam engine before, at one point he had wondered if he would see one after meeting Mavis and Daisy for the first time.

As he whistled into Knapford, he saw a tender engine that he didn't recognize at the platform. "That must be her," thought Thomas, and as he came closer, he gasped.

The engine was beautiful. It had shiny emerald green paintwork from boiler to tender, with gold bands around the boiler and yellow lining on the sides and back of the tender, a gleaming brass safety valve, chocolate brown running-boards, a tall funnel with a gold ring around it, bronze handrails going from the smokebox to the cab, bronze buffers, two very big driving wheels and a face that was distinctively feminine. Thomas had never seen an engine like it before.

The Fat Controller spoke up, "Thomas, meet Emily." Thomas was struggling to come up with words. He was speechless by Emily's beauty. At last he managed to find his words. "H-hello, Emily," he said nervously blushing. Emily smiled at him, which made Thomas blush even more. "Hello, Thomas," she said with a beautiful Scottish accent. Thomas thought she sounded like an angel and her smile was absolutely breathtaking. Just hearing her voice gave him a sensation that he had never felt before.

"He seems really nice," she thought to herself and saw his nervous blush. "He looks really cute too and almost...handsome in a way."

"Emily, collect your coaches, you and your driver must learn the line," said the Fat Controller.

"Yes, sir," she answered and with a toot from her whistle, Emily steamed gracefully out of the station. Thomas was impressed but speechless. Emily was by far the most beautiful engine he had ever seen in his entire life. He couldn't take his eyes of her as he watched her puff away. Thomas was so preoccupied watching Emily that his driver had to blow his whistle to get Thomas' attention. "Come on, Thomas," said his driver, "we've got a schedule to keep up."

"Oh, y-yeah, r-right," Thomas stuttered and puffed out of the station. Annie and Clarabel seemed to notice Thomas' rather unusual behaviour and began to ponder about it after Thomas had left them in the yard. As Thomas carried on with his other jobs, all he could think about was Emily and her incredible beauty, yet he had no idea why.

Later the only coaches Emily's driver could find were Annie and Clarabel. "These aren't your sort of coaches," he said. "But I suppose they'll do." Annie and Clarabel felt insulted. "How dare he say we'll do!" Clarabel whispered. But they didn't say anything since they knew Emily was new to the railway and had a lot to learn. So they were coupled up behind Emily and very gently she pulled them out of the yard.

Emily puffed carefully along the track with the two coaches behind her. On the way she admired the beautiful Sudrian countryside. "How dare he say we'll do, how dare he say we'll do!" grumbled the coaches. But Emily didn't hear them, she was too busy enjoying herself.

Thomas saw Emily coming down the line pulling Annie and Clarabel. "Hello, Thomas," Emily called. But Thomas was cross. "Those are my coaches," he muttered, "give them back!" Emily didn't hear Thomas and went on her way. "I wonder why he looked so angry," she thought to herself.

She passed Edward. And then Percy. When Emily whistled 'hello', the engines didn't whistle back. Emily couldn't understand why they were so unfriendly. She was upset. "Why is everyone being so rude to me? I haven't done anything wrong have I?" she asked herself. Annie and Clarabel wanted to speak up but they didn't say anything.

Later the Fat Controller spoke to Thomas. "I want you to go to the Docks to pick up new coaches."

Thomas was horrified. "New coaches?! But, sir-!"

"Really useful engines don't argue!" said the Fat Controller.

Thomas didn't want new coaches, he wanted Annie and Clarabel back. He grumbled all the way to the Docks. "How dare she take my coaches, how dare she take my coaches!" he moaned.

"She's new, Thomas," his driver said. "She probably didn't know they belonged to you." Unfortunately that didn't help change Thomas' mood. He didn't think about Emily's beauty now. All he thought about was her stealing Annie and Clarabel for herself and making him get new coaches.

When Oliver saw Emily return to the yard, he was surprised. "Those are Thomas' coaches!"

"So that's why he looked cross!" exclaimed Emily. "I'll go and apologize." and she set of as fast as she could. Now she understood why everyone had been ignoring her. They thought she was thief who had taken Annie and Clarabel without Thomas' permission. "I have to put this right," she said to herself.

Meanwhile, Thomas had collected the new coaches from the Docks. "Don't want new coaches, don't want new coaches!" he chuffed crossly.

Later, Emily was still looking for Thomas when a signalman flagged her down. "Oliver hasn't cleared his signal box," he told Emily's driver. "Please go and see what's wrong." So they set off to find Oliver. "I hope nothing's wrong," Emily thought to herself.

When they found him, Emily could see that Oliver had broken down on the crossing. Then Emily heard Thomas' whistle. "Oh dear!" she exclaimed. Thomas could see Oliver and he knew he could never stop in time. "Help!" cried Oliver. Emily knew that if she didn't do something there would be a serious accident. So she charged towards Oliver and with a huge effort, pushed him across the tracks. Just in time, as Thomas shot past them, just barely missing Emily's tender.

"Thanks!" Oliver said gratefully.

"I did it!" panted Emily.

Later Emily arrived at Wellsworth Yards. Thomas and Oliver were already there. The Fat Controller was there too. "Well done, you were a very brave engine."

"The bravest!" chuffed Oliver.

"It gives me great pleasure to present you two new coaches."

Emily was delighted. "Thank you, sir!" she replied. Then she spoke to Thomas. "I'm sorry I took Annie and Clarabel."

"And I'm sorry I was so cross," replied Thomas.

"Friends?" she asked hopefully. "Friends," he replied.

Emily smiled, she was delighted to have a new friend in Thomas. Her first day on the island had certainly been an eventful one, but regardless she had a feeling she was going to like working on the North Western Railway.

The rest of the week came and went. Thomas had helped Emily settle in and she was starting to get the hang of things. Thanks to his help the two engines got to learn a bit about each other. Emily returned to the yard ready for a good nights sleep after a long week. She saw Thomas leaving Annie and Clarabel in the coach shed. "Hello, Thomas," she whistled cheerfully.

"Hello, Emily," he replied. "So how did you find your first week on Sodor?" he asked.

"It was great," she said. "I really enjoyed every moment of it and I'm glad to have made a new friend like you."

"Well you're an amazing engine, Emily. I'm really glad you came here."

"So am I," Emily replied. "Good night, Thomas."

"Good night, Emily."

As he watched her puff away, he suddenly started to feel a little funny. He felt a strange sensation in his boiler, it started to bubble in a way that he had never felt before. He found himself unable to come up with any words, and started blushing again, like when he met Emily at Knapford. Once again all he could think about was her and how beautiful she was. It was a strange and unusual feeling but it felt nice and relaxing.

Annie and Clarabel noticed this and came to a conclusion. "I think Thomas might be falling in love," they whispered to each other.

Thomas puffed away to the sheds, all the while, he kept thinking about Emily and the strange new feeling he felt.

"Sweet dreams, Emily..."

So here is the first chapter I hope you all enjoyed and look forward the next chapter until then rate and review