Thomas and Friends Fanfiction Series 6

Little Alice

(Based on an idea by serena_harper)

There are many steam engines on the Island of Sodor. 

There are tender engines like Gordon, Henry and Rebecca. 

Tank engines like Thomas, Percy and Nia. 

There are even steam trams like Toby and Flora. 

But some tender engines seem to think that they are better than most engines, such as Gordon. 

One day, Gordon was at Vicarstown Station, collecting passengers for the Express. He was looking out to the horizon where he had seen his brother cross over earlier. He was thinking back to his old days before he came to Sodor so long ago. 

Rosie and Flora were cheerfully chatting together at the other platform. 

"The Mainland is a nice place, but Sodor's the place for me!" chittered Rosie. 

"Oh, yes, I quite agree," replied Flora. 

Rebecca pulled in. 

"Hehe, we girls do like to chit chat, eh, Gordon?" she giggled. 

But Gordon wasn't really listening. He had been listening to Rosie and Flora whilst staring ahead towards the Mainland. 

"Hmph!" he grumbled. 

He looked very upset all of a sudden and he clanked away to back up to the other end of the train to face the right way, for his return journey to Knapford. 

"That's funny," said Rebecca. 

"Well, you know Gordon," said Rosie, "he can get lost in his own funnel, thinking of how important and grand he is." 

The two engines giggled. 

Soon, Gordon and Rebecca were both ready to take their trains. Gordon would start off first and then Rebecca would follow fifteen minutes later. 

Gordon's whistle blew, but he left so fast that his Guard was left behind! 

"Oh no, stop, Gordon!" shouted Rebecca. 

But Gordon didn't stop. 

"No matter," said the Stationmaster, "we'll telephone the signalman and make him warn Gordon's Driver so Rebecca can catch up and drop him off at the station." 

"Yes, of course, sir," said Rebecca. 

Meanwhile, Gordon was roaring down the main line. He still looked very unhappy and anyone would have thought that he was running from something. 

And leaving his Guard behind was only his first mistake as a result. 

Farmer McColl was walking his prize cow across the line, but Gordon wasn't paying attention and was rushing towards them at full speed. 

Farmer McColl dived aside just in time! 

(He shakes his fist angrily at Gordon and James looks on in shock.) 

Gordon was only setting himself up for more trouble. He rushed so fast that his passengers were being bumped inside the coaches. 

The signalman received the message to warn Gordon's Driver and flagged them down. 

"Stop, Gordon!" shouted his Driver. 

Gordon was forced to apply his brakes and only just stopped with his buffers touching the level crossing gates. 

"Your guard has been left behind," said the Signalman, "Rebecca is going to bring him to you at the next station. Please wait there." 

This made Gordon very cross. 

"I don't want to wait, I want...I want..." 

Gordon felt upset again and rumbled away dismally. 

Later, Rebecca dropped off the Guard at Wellsworth. 

(Toby and Henrietta can be seen passing through. A bargeman from the Wharf can also be seen on the platform.) 

"What made you do something so careless, Gordon?" she asked. 

Gordon huffed. 

"Not now, Alice!" 

"Alice?" asked Rebecca puzzledly. 

"Oh, er, um, Rebecca, um, got to go! Running late! Express coming thro-!" 

Gordon blushed and whooshed away looking sadder than ever. Rebecca was worried for her friend. 

With his guard and with his Driver being more careful, Gordon didn't cause any more mistakes or near-accidents, though he was teased at a signal by Diesel. 

"I heard you lost your guard, Gordon!" 

Gordon just sighed sadly. 

"Haha! No need to get all BLUE about it!" 

Diesel oiled laughingly away. 

"I also lost my friend...long ago," murmured Gordon miserably. 

Gordon was so unhappy that he ended up slowing down and to everyone's surprise, particularly the Fat Controller's, Rebecca pulled into Knapford Station first. 

"Rebecca won a race against Gordon?!" spluttered Percy. 

"And look at Gordon, I've never seen him look so unhappy before," added Thomas. 

The Fat Controller had come out of his office in the first place to give Gordon a stern talk about leaving before the guard was ready and for his near accidents with Farmer McColl and the level crossing. But when he saw Gordon looking so sad, he didn't have the heart. 

"Gordon, what is the matter?" he asked. 

"I tried asking him that, sir," said Rebecca, "but he just got muddled and called me Alice for some reason." 

Gordon's face went as red as the signalman's red flag. 

"What's this Alice business about, Gordon?" asked the Fat Controller. 

"Um...er..." 

"Because it has gotten you into a lot of trouble today! You left your guard at Vicarstown, you nearly ran down Farmer McColl and his prized cow and you almost drove into the gates at the level crossing, so I demand to know what about this Alice character has gotten you into such a sad and careless state!" 

Gordon sighed deeply. 

"It's just that I have remembered somebody I have not allowed myself to think about for a long time, sir...her name was Alice. Well, Alison really, but everybody called her Alice. She was a fine, green tender engine, a B12 in fact! She was a little smaller than me, hence why I used to call her Little Alice, but much like Rebecca was a splendid Express engine! But sadly, just before I came to work on Sodor, Alice...my dearest friend...was sent away...for scrap!" 

All the engines, the Fat Controller and his grandchildren gasped. They all felt sorry for Gordon and his long lost friend, Alice. 

"I'm sorry that you lost your friend, Gordon," said the Fat Controller, "but please do not let what happened a long time ago stop you from being a Really Useful Engine again! Be a proud Express engine, just as Alice was and would still want you to be!" 

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." 

Gordon slunk to his shed, but was followed by Rebecca. 

"No matter what, Gordon, you will always have us!" 

"That's true," said Gordon, smiling a little, "I will always have my friends on Sodor!" 

Rebecca smiled too and Gordon felt a bit better. 

(To Be Continued...)