Sodor's New Worker (Semi-Hiatus Due to an AO3 rewrite)

A Deep Lesson About Love

   Five. Weeks. Five weeks have passed since James rejected her. Maddy flat out refused to talk to him, mention his name or even do work with him. It concerned James ever so slightly, since he enjoyed the company, having someone to talk to that wasn't his driver or fireman. What was the big deal, anyway? James didn't know, nor did he care all that much.

"Has anyone seen Maddy?" he asked.

"She left early for work, James." Henry said sharply. Thomas and Percy never got the chance to tell her what happened, but they told everyone else. They all felt bad for the poor girl. She adored James and he laughed at her, broke her heart. Everyone knew what it meant. Except James.

"That's what you said yesterday. And the day before that, and the week before that, as a matter of fact!" James retorted. "What's going on?!"

"You should know." grumbled Gordon.

"I really don't!"

"He'll learn.." a solemn Edward spoke. He had tried to talk to her, to cheer her up, but to no avail.

"Learn what?!"

   James didn't get an answer. He began to worry ever so slightly. What did he do? What drove his bickering buddy away? Was it his paint? Was it chipping? Did he stink? Did he not talk to her enough? Wh-

"..James." Edward broke him out of his thoughts. "Do you really want to know what you did?"

"Yes! I want my friend back! She's the only one who lets me complain!"

   Edward took a deep breath.

"She loves you."

"So does everyone else."

"No, James. She adores you. She wants to be with you, like Sir Topham Hatt and his wife."

"..Huh?"

"Do you have any idea what romantic love is?"

"..No?"

"..Oh dear.."

  Edward, and eventually everyone else had to educate James on the concept of love. He slowly started understanding it, but was still confused.

"Let me put it this way, what do you feel whenever she's around?" asked Edward.

"..Happy, I guess. She reminds me of myself, and she's so shy, but she always bickers with me over silly things. It passes the time, I suppose."

"..Okay, what else?"

"Occasionally I'd get this weird feeling in my boiler..like part of me wanted to protect her. Ever since the accident, anyway."

"..Mhm..what do you feel when she laughs at your stubborn antics?"

"..Ecstatic."

"James, you love her."

"No, I don't! She's just a friend!"

"Yes, you do!" peeped Thomas. "You don't feel like that with friends!"

"Well, what do I do then?!"

"Tell her how you feel before it's too late."

"It's been over a month, Edward, it might already be too late.." whimpered Henry. He wanted his peppy human back.

"There's always a chance, you just have to believe.."

"..I gotta find her."