It was a warm morning on the island of Sodor, word had gotten around that a new particular engine would be arriving on the island that morning and Sir Topham Hatt wanted the Steam Team to meet up in the yards that morning to meet them.
The steam team was already down at Knapford's shunting Yards patiently waiting for the new engine to arrive. Some of them were still tired from late night work, Percy being one of them. Thomas quickly took notice of this as he softly chuckled at him. "Percy wake up you don't wanna be asleep when they arrive, '' Thomas encouraged as Percy yawned.
"I know, i know Thomas.." Percy mumbled as Thomas continued to giggle at him. "I hope they're nice" Toby softly smiled. "I'm sure they will be," Emily encouraged. "If it is another Express engine then I'm going to have a firm talk with them," Gordon grumbled. "Even if they are you're going to be nice to them" Edward told Gordon as he huffed rolling his eyes.
"Now ,now everyone I know you all have many questions but please save them for when they arrive…" Sir Topham Hatt said as he approached the engine's before glancing towards the main track, as the sound of an engine fast approaching, was heard not far in the distance followed by a soft whistle.
A long engine with a hood painted a blue green and the body being a mixture of yellow, orange and semi dark red approached the bunch with a soft but shy smile. "Everyone this is Rebecca, she is a Dapol N Gauge Bulleid Light Pacific 4-6-2, and she'll be working with us as a part of the steam team!" Sir Topham Hatt announced as the others greeted her.
"Hello everyone!" Rebecca cheerfully yet shyly said. "Hello Rebecca! It's lovely to have you here" Edward greeted. Nia gasped "are you streamlined? By chance?" She asked. "Uhm.. I think so" Rebecca chuckled awkwardly. "Wow! You must be really fast then!" Emily commented. "I guess so, I'm not really sure myself!" Rebecca softly laughed.
"It was nice meeting you Rebecca but i'm afraid we must be attending are own jobs for the day but you'll be staying with us at Tidmouth's later tonight so we'll see you soon!" Thomas chuckled as the other's said they're goodbyes before leaving. All except one blue tender engine who was eyeing her rather harshly.
"A Dapol N Gauge Bulleid, Pacific?!" Gordon boomed. Rebecca backed up a little. "U-uhm yes… That's… me.. Well my class ,that is.." She awkwardly said. "I can't believe they brought in a copycat! A COPYCAT!" He fummed as he stormed out of the yards right past her. Rebecca was rather confused about what had just happened yet scared as well. "But.. I'm not a copycat…. Am i?.." She softly asked herself as she left to go find Sir Topham Hatt.
The day had gone rather fine for her, nothing really special except for a couple of small deliveries that morning after that she stayed at Tidmouth's the rest of the afternoon seeing how there weren't any other jobs to do. Her mind kept wondering what Gordon had said and why he said it. "Hey Percy.." Rebecca asked the small green engine in the shed next to her.
"Am i.. A copycat?..." She asked. Percy was rather confused. "No? I don't think so… why do you ask?..." Percy asked her. "Well it's just that… not naming names but… an engine told me that i was a copycat to them today…" She softly said, looking over at the little engine. Percy nodded his head. "They probably just had a rough day but to me you're not a copycat you're a good friend though we just met.." Percy softly mumbled the last part causing Rebecca to softly laugh.
"Thank you Percy i'm glad you think of me that way…" she giggled some more. Just then Gordon puffed onto the turntable rather tired as he backed into his shed causing the two to go quiet rather quickly. “Don’t worry about him Rebecca , he's always grumpy” Percy whispered to her. “So he’s always like this?” Rebecca whispered back. “Not all the time but he’s usually like this after taking the express” Percy said.
“Oh… uhm… what's the express?..” She asked. “Oh.. you’ve never heard of it? We’ll the express is technically a long line of coaches taken from Knapford in the morning and runs all the way to Vicarstown stopping at the stations along the way! Any big engine can take it when Gordon can’t but he gets really grumpy when he can’t take it because he’s always assigned to it so..” Percy whispered as the two glanced over at the now big sleeping blue engine.
“Oh well that sounds exciting!” Rebecca softly chirped. “It is but usually Henry takes it when Gordon is sick, but now that you’re here I'm sure you’ll get to take it one day!” Percy yawned. “Well i hope so, but good night Percy” Rebecca softly said as the two slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next Morning Rebecca was awake and waiting down at Knapfords for Edward to show her around the island. While waiting Sir Topham Hatt approached her. “Good morning Sir” Rebecca greeted with a smile. "Good morning Rebecca! Im sure you know by now that Edward will be showing you around the island during that time im going to give you a couple of coaches to take with you along with a few passengers to see how well you can manage coaches" Sir Topham Hatt informed her.
"Uhm… Are you sure? What if i miss a station or arrive too late?" Rebecca asked. Sir Topham Hatt laughed "Edward will be along side you to help you with any issue's you both may have along the way so don't worry about it" Sir Topham Hatt assured her as Edward rolled into the station next to her.
"Well are we ready to go?" Edward chuckled as Rebecca was coupled up to some coaches. "Ready as I'll ever be…. i suppose" she nervously chuckled as the two whistled before leaving the station starting their journey. Their first station was at Crosby as Rebecca slowed to a stop nearly missing the station before quickly applying her breaks causing the coaches behind her to bump into her tender rather harshly. Edward winced as he stopped next to her.
Rebecca softly sighed as Edward softly chuckled. "Not everyone can get it right the first time, that's why it takes practice, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it sooner or later it just takes time" Edward assured her. "Thanks Edward, i just hope i won't bump them around next time.." Rebecca said as the station master blew his whistle as they headed towards the next station.
Once they arrived at Wellsworth Rebecca was more careful as to not bump the coaches around upon stopping at the station. "We'll done Rebecca you're doing better then James did on his first day" Edward chuckled as Rebecca smiled before nodding. "I hope so" she chuckled as the station master blew his whistle.
As Rebecca slowly started to pull out of the station her back wheel caused her to have a Wheel-slip aa she slowly crept out of the station. Edward took note of her wheel slip but didn't point it out as Gordon thundered by. "Slow coach!" He hollered at the two as Rebecca finally picked up speed.
They had no issue along the way until they hit a part of the track that was slightly jerked up from the connecting one. This not only caused the coaches to bounce but it caused the back coach to lose one of its wheels as it fell onto the track.
"Rebecca Stop!" Edward yelped as Rebecca quickly slammed onto her brakes in a panic. Luckily no one was hurt but this meant that Rebecca wouldn't be able to take any coaches for a good while. After that event the two went back to Tidmouths for the remainder of the day.
"I knew i should've been more careful with the coaches..." Rebecca worryingly said as she looked down at her buffers. "Oh it's not your fault Rebecca, besides those tracks needed to be replaced anyway!" Edward assured her. "But i could've injured passengers!" Rebecca testified. "They weren't hurt Rebecca it was just a small bump on the track that's all" Edward assured her as Gordon puffed onto the turn table.
"I'll say! They were probably bumped around like gravel in trucks!" Gordon said as he backed into his shed. "They we're not and besides we all knew that coach needed new wheels it was just a matter of time until one fell off!" Edward argued.
"Bother! She won't be a good engine for coaches especially the express!" Gordon argued back. Rebecca could only softly sigh as the she slowly hid in her shed as the two argued until she finally fell asleep.
That night Rebecca was up at a rather odd hour of the night setting down at Knapford. She softly sighed as she tried to keep tears from falling down her face. "I might have well just stayed at the Musume if i knew i was going to mess up this badly..." She softly mumbled as she slowly puffed out of the station.
Lucky Henry was setting at the far end of the station so she couldn't see him. "Maybe i should go wake some one to follow her... The last time an engine was up this late it didn't end well..." He softly mumbled to himself as he backed out of the station towards Tidmouths.
As Rebecca puffed down the line and up Gordon's hill she stopped right at the top looking down at the bottom as She let out a soft sob. "Just this one little act and I won't mess everything up again..." She softly sniffed as she slowly but quickly puffed down the hill.
She didn't bother to slow down as the turn at the bottom of the hill rapidly approached. "REBECCA STOP!" a familiar voice called out behind her. She didn't stop she only sped up. A engine coupled up behind her and attempted to stop her as they slammed onto they're brakes. "Rebecca im not letting you kill yourself like this!" Gordon told her.
"Gordon!?" She yelped finally opening her eye's to see the sharp turn right infront of her. She tried to slam onto her brakes but her connection rod snapped under the sudden stop as the two derailed on the turn.
Both of them slid to a stop in the now torn up dirt and grass. "Rebecca... Im sorry... For everything, im sorry for being so harsh on you i.... I was afraid that you was there to replace me.... But now i know you wasn't....and I'm sorry...." Gordon apologize looking down at his buffers.
Rebecca didn't know what to say. "You're- You're really sorry?...." She asked as tears threatened to roll down her face. "Yes... Im sorry.. For it all... If anything i was only being selfish and arrogant..." He sighed as Rebecca softly cried. "This whole time i thought you hated me because i messed up so badly with those coaches..." She said.
"No Rebecca... I could never hate you over you trying your best with those coaches...in fact i might've built a small crush on you over your clumsiness these past few days you've been on the island..." He softly said slowly blushing. Rebecca looked over at him was a blush. "You.... You did?..." She quietly questioned.
"I did..." He softly answered. Rebecca softly smiled. "I could say the same..." She softly chuckled getting Gordons attention. "So... I know is not a good time to ask but... Will go out with me?..." Gordon asked. Rebecca blushed deeply as she softly chuckled. "Yes... I would love to...." She answered causing Gordon to softly smile.
Just then Henry and Emily came by with the breakdown crane. "Oh dear... Are you alright Rebecca?" Henry asked. "I'll be okay just snapped my connect rod that's all" she softly smiled. Emily chuckled "Well is good to see that you wasn't badly hurt now we just need to take you both down to the steam works to be fixed and checked over" Emily said.
It wasn't long until they was taken to the steam works and was repaired. It was dawn once the two was able to leave the steam works as Gordon took Rebecca to the side of the island she hadn't seen yet. The two stopped at a pair of buffers that stopped right infront of the ocean getting a perfect view of the rising sun.
Rebecca softly gasped "This.... It's beautiful.." She softly said. "But not as beautiful as the yellow engine next to me" Gordon said looking over at Rebecca as she softly blushed. "Gordon.... I want to thank you for saving me up on that hill.." She said. "Your welcome Rebecca....i don't know what i would have done if you did die.." He softly said looking back out at the ocean.
Rebecca softly leaned on Gordon as he softly blushed. The two sat in silence enjoying the soft breeze along with the scenery for what seemed like forever but neither of them minded it as long as they we're together it didn't matter.
(Sorry if this looks a little rushed in some places, i had already taken to long to start on it and tbh i have some other stuff i rly want to work on so im sorry if requests take longer but like always have a Good Day/ Night)