"Oooh, I don't like this."

"It's a tunnel Muck, what's the worst that can happen?" Those were famous last words if ever were said, for the next moments were a blur.

Scoop awoke in a park and immediately felt there was something wrong, he opened his eyes and looked down at what was in front of him, legs? Frowning or at least what felt like frowning he looked around at his fellow machines who were coming around, Dizzy squeaked as she wriggled her toes poking out from under a pair of orange jeans, "Dizzy?"

"Scoop? Wow, you look like Bob, well not exactly like him but you're human."

Muck grumbled to himself, "what's the worst that can happen? Yeah, nice going Scoop."

"You're blaming me?"

Roley scratched his head which was covered in thick locks of green-tinted hair, "whoa, that was a trip and a half, what's happened to us?"

"I want to go home, this doesn't feel right at all," Lofty wrapped arms around himself unhappily then stared at them, "what are we?"

Scoop got to his feet wobbling slightly at being on feet instead of wheels, "just let me think. We came through a tunnel so we just have to find that same tunnel to get home."

Dizzy stood up beside him, rather gracefully to the others' surprise, "where do you suppose we are?"

Lofty touched a sunflower beside him, "I think we're in umm Sunflower Valley, but not ours."

"Scoop, if we're human will the people here be machines?" Muck asked as he got to his feet, "I've got to be honest, it's nice not to be dragging that dump truck behind me."

"You were the dump truck. You mean it's nice not having a tipper behind you."

"A bossy boots in any reality."

Dizzy scowled, "now is not the time to argue you two, we need to find Bob, if this is Sunflower Valley, we can find our way back to the yard from here, let's get going."

Scoop held a hand out to Roley who took it, "I don't like this any more than you guys, but Dizzy is right, let's find our way back. If we see anyone, try to look and act like them."

"What if there isn't a Bob?" Lofty asked as he ran a hand through his fuzzy blue hair, "I miss being myself already."

"I think it's cool, loosen up," Roley mused.

The five walked through the countryside and onto the main road into their old town, things looked exactly the same all apart from one thing, the people. They were people, no-one had turned into machines and the town was more colourful, Dizzy clutched Scoop's arm failing to notice him quiver as if something had stirred inside, a blonde haired woman walked out of the yard and Lofty grinned.

"It's Wendy!"

"Lofty, shhh, she's not our Wendy, we can't just run in there."

The woman turned and smiled at them, "hi, are you lost?"

Scoop nodded to the others and took on leadership as he usually did, "we just moved here."

"Ah well, welcome to Bobsville, I'm Wendy, my husband runs this building yard."

"Is he around?"

"I'm afraid he's out on a call. What's your name, I'll take a note and tell him you passed by," she brought out a brick shaped object and typed into it.

Scoop shuffled uncomfortably, he couldn't just address himself as Scoop, he needed a different name, "it's uh, Scott," Dizzy frowned up at him then realised what he was doing, "thank you."

Wendy smiled, "my pleasure," and she walked off down the road.

"So where are we staying?" Muck asked as Scoop paled slightly.

"I don't know, I thought we were going to be able to speak to Bob and get help."

"Well, that backfired huh, Scott."

"Stop being so mean, Muck, Scoop is trying his best."

"Thanks, Dizzy, but he is right."

Roley cleared his throat, "umm Scott, then, you have something in your pocket, what is it?"

"Hmm?" Scoop looked down at a front pocket which had something in it, "it must be Bob's, he sometimes leaves stuff in my cockpit," he took it out, "it's his wallet, oh no that means he doesn't have his back home."

"No but it means we have money," Dizzy smiled.

"Money?"

"And our answer to staying somewhere tonight, let's find the hotel."

Lofty walked beside Roley as they entered the building overlooking the yard entrance, "should we pair up like at home?"

"That's probably a good idea."

"Hiya folks, need rooms for the night?"

Scoop studied the woman behind the desk, she looked like Mrs Potts but he didn't say anything about it, "yes please, we can pair up if there aren't enough rooms."

"Great. Well, I have three rooms on the top floor, or four singles, whatever you'd prefer?"

Scoop got out the card, "we'll take the three rooms."

"How many nights are you staying for?"

Dizzy spoke up, "a week, we want to explore Bobsville."

The woman signed off the rooms with a smile, "ah you've come during renovation time, our local builder and his team are busy as anything, any of you have any skills in construction?"

"Well, kinda."

"Great, you should go and see him. Okay, that's three rooms, place your card here and then you can go up."

They trooped up the stairs casting worried looks between each other, Scoop opened the door to his room and paused.

"Who is sharing with who?"

"I'll share with Lofty and keep him company," Roley smiled as he took a card from Scoop.

"Dizzy?"

"Can I share with you Scoop?"

Scoop felt his heart flutter, something he had never felt before, "sure."

"Brilliant."

Muck smirked, then remembered everyone could see his expression, "I think we should get some sleep, and think what to do about all of this tomorrow. This building team won't be back for hours."

"Good idea Muck, and you should all work on human names, we can't go around using our machine names."

"Sleep well everyone," Roley opened the door and walked in with Lofty.

Scoop leant on the balcony looking down at the road, he heard the sound of engines purring into town and peered out into the twilight, five machines rumbled through the town but instead of the builder hanging onto their side he was driving the yellow digger himself, builders he had never seen before were in the other machines and a cement mixer like Dizzy was being pulled along by the lead digger, "this is too weird," he turned back into the room where Dizzy was admiring herself in the mirror.

"Wow, I've never understood reflections, look at me."

Scoop eyed her up then his cheeks flushed, "do you like being human?"

"It's new, and weird, but pretty cool."

Scoop sat down on the bed, "I have to get us home, that's all that's on my mind right now. What's your human name?"

"I think I'm going to call myself Daisy, what do you think?" She took her hair out of the tight pigtails she currently had and it flowed out past her shoulders.

"Sounds like Dizzy, I like it."

"Thanks! Well, goodnight Scoop, I mean Scott," she giggled then snuggled up under the covers in the bed beside Scoop's, she shut her eyes and pressed her cheek into the pillow. Scoop gazed at her as he lay down, he had always had feelings for her as a machine but that was just friendly companionship, now these feelings felt much stranger, almost a deep longing, he sighed to himself and fell asleep.

Morning broke and the team decided to head across to the yard as soon as it opened, they had all come up with names and once ready they walked across to the yard, the machines Scoop had seen the night before were quiet and faceless which scared him slightly and he approached the office door hearing Wendy's voice inside, he knocked and heard a giggle from inside.

"I better see who that is sweetheart," the voice moved to the door and she opened it, "well well, we met yesterday didn't we?"

"Who is it Wendy?" Bob walked over to the door and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"They're new to town."

"We're contractors," Muck nodded at Scoop.

Bob grinned, "please tell me you know something about building a swimming pool? We want to build a leisure centre in sunflower valley, my team should be here soon."

"We certainly do," Scoop smiled immediately forgetting he wasn't a digger, "I can get the foundations done I'm sure," he felt Dizzy elbow him, "if you need guidance."

"Who are you guys?"

"I'm Scott, and this is my team; Daisy, Mark, Rowan and Leo."

"Team? You don't look like contractors, but I need all the help I can get. You can't build in those though, Wendy could you find some spare clothes for them please?"

"Of course I can darling."

"I'll make a call to my team to meet us there, we'll take the machines, can you all drive?"

Scoop paled, he knew how to drive when he was in machine form but an actual vehicle, "uh sure I can."

"Get going then, I'll meet you in the valley," he turned back into the house and they heard him call Pilchard.

"Now what Scoop?" Muck asked through clenched teeth, "we can't drive."

"Those machines are us, we just have to drive them the way we would move ourselves, we've got to get back to the valley and find that tunnel. I've got a bad feeling about this build."

Wendy came out with outfits and tool belts, "here, have fun today."

"We'll change once we get there, let's go team."

Dizzy hopped into the backhoe digger with Scoop after attaching the little cement mixer to the hook, "good luck Scoop."

"Thanks, Dizzy, I hope I can do this," he pressed a button on the dash and the digger rocked as the engine started, he closed his eyes and pictured his body work; the accelerator pedals, the gear stick, which buttons to keep the digger attachments under control and locked to the frame. "Okay, let's go," he reversed out and waited for the others, "should I wait for Bob?"

Bob walked out, "hey, missy, hop onboard the crane, I drive the backhoe."

Dizzy floundered, "oh uh sorry, Bob. On my way down," she squeezed Scoop's shoulder and he smiled at her as she ran over to Lofty, "that was embarrassing."

Soon the line of machines was on its way to sunflower valley, Roley fumbled at the controls as he drove the steamroller down the road trying to move in a straight line like the others were doing. Bob skidded his digger to a halt and leapt out to meet the gathered hired builders, they smiled and clapped him on the back then looked over at Scoop and his team.

"These guys are helpers to build this pool, let's lay down some marks where the foundations are going."

"No prob Bob."

Scoop froze where he stood, that was his expression and yet this man looked nothing like him, "we'll help where needed," he turned to Lofty, "look for the tunnel Lofty, we have to get out of here."

"I'll uh try."

Bob beckoned them over, "you guys remind me of someone, but I have no idea who. Join in and take a look at the plans, there's an old tunnel around here which needs to be knocked down."

Scoop grinned, "whereabouts?"

"Adam, show him and the rest of this group, the sooner we can get rid of it the sooner we can build on that land."

"Sure thing, follow me newbies."

Scoop led his team after the man called Adam and felt Dizzy beside him, "this could be it."

"We can't let it be destroyed today," she whispered.

"No, I know."

Adam stopped by the old tunnel, "who knows how long it goes on for, think you can destroy it?"

"Of course, my team can do that, right guys?"

Muck nodded, "oh sure, leave it to us."

"Good. See you at lunch, we'll want a plan by then."

Scoop watched Adam leave, "right, how should we test this?"

"Shall I stick my arm in and see if it turns into metal?" Roley suggested as Lofty joined them.

"I couldn't find the...Oh."

"We've got it Lofty, thanks," Scoop winked, "we need something to go in there," just then a bunny came out of the bushes, "hmm," he chased it and it ran into the tunnel, there was flash and it didn't come back, "it's open, we can't destroy it or let that team near."

"Then what do we do Scoop?"

"Distractions, we'll have to cause a distraction to keep us here longer, perhaps a rock slide."

"We're not machines Scoop, and we can't use theirs," Roley complained.

"Then we'll have to do something else."

"Umm we could, uh. No sorry, I was going to say steal a machine."

"That's it Lofty!"

"We can't steal, Bob told us that as a lesson, he tells Spud that all the time," Dizzy frowned.

"We don't have choice Dizzy, I wouldn't suggest it otherwise," Scoop smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Alright, I trust you, but how do we do it?"

"Muck, think you can be reckless?"

"I'm sure I can."

"Take the bulldozer and ram it into these rocks here, they will block the tunnel and we can volunteer to clean up, hopefully."

"On my way Scoop!"

Scoop watched him go, "we'll head back to the site to pick up supplies. Let's go."

The afternoon moved on slowly but the plan was set, Muck talked round one of the builders to give him the bulldozer and he set off towards the tunnel giving the others time to pick up supplies, Bob was on the phone and didn't suspect any mischief, a few moments later Muck ran onto the site.

"There's been a rockslide at the tunnel entrance, I need my team to help me clear it!"

Bob hung up and looked around, "do you need me at all Mark?"

"No no, just my team will do, we're very fast at clear ups."

"Need any machines?"

Scoop grinned, "the backhoe will do."

Bob nodded, "look after him, he's special to me."

Warmth flooded Scoop's heart, even in this universe he was Bob's favourite, "no prob," he offered his hand to Dizzy who took it gleefully and she squeezed beside him, the machine moved and they made their way slowly back to the tunnel deciding to take their time, "Dizzy, I've been meaning to ask, you've been very close to me since we got here."

"Oh yeah, well you see," she gulped, "we've always been close but never this close, it's strange to feel someone but I can with you and I've never been able to comfort anyone as a cement mixer or hug anyone."

"I've always liked you Dizzy, but being human, it's changed me."

"Yeah I know, you're not a digger and it's not the same," she moved back.

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what?"

"Do you think machines can love?"

"Love? You mean like how I love pop music and Roley with his rock and roll, that sort of love?"

"No no, I mean attraction. We're not machines at the moment, oh I don't know how to say it."

Dizzy pondered this then looked up at him, "you mean like this universe's Bob and Wendy?"

"Yeah, exactly like them."

"Do you want me to be your girlfriend Scoop?"

"I don't know, maybe."

Dizzy rubbed her head against him like she would in machine form, "I will be if you want?"

"That sounds good to me."