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

All Falls Down

   It had been about three months since James and Maddy became an item. Everyone saw the attitude improvement James had. Of course, he was still vain and show-offish, but he calmed down once Maddy was around. Occasionally though, however, she would join in on his antics and annoy everyone. The same went the other way, too, James would fuel her fire into her harmless little pranks. Emily was also made at home pretty quickly as well. Her and Maddy became great friends, gossiping about whatever was happening. But remember what was said about Diesel? About how he was going to cause trouble and mischief and have it be at the fault of the human girl? He was finally going to put that plan to action. He just needed to set everything up.

  Diesel had heard that Maddy was to take a load down to the coast to help Duck and the workers shell out a piece of the island for a few buildings. All he planned on doing was oiling her skates and the wheels of the trucks she was taking. Pretty harmless, at least to Diesel. He just needed to find her skates, as he already had the wheels on the trucks oiled. Diesel also made sure the trucks weren't going to say a damn thing. They wouldn't, they were always up to cause trouble!

"Hmm.." he spoke in a hushed tone to himself. Diesel was creeping around Tidmouth, making sure the place was empty. Sure enough, it was. Maddy must be showering..wherever that was. She wasn't to pick up her load until around 10, and it was currently 8:50.

"Excellent.." he oiled. Taking his human form, which consisted of your typical 50's greaser look, long black hair tied in a ponytail, and piercing dark grey eyes, Diesel tiptoed over to her skates, carefully lubricating her wheels and brakes. Once he was satisfied, he took off. No use staying behind!

James had temporarily returned to the sheds to pick up Maddy. Of course, she could always skate there herself, but unlike an engine, she couldn't go on and on and on, so she decided that riding along with a friend was a good way to save her energy.

"You ready in there, Mad?"

"Yup yup!" she called, hopping onto his front.

"You're sure happy today.."

"I'm always happy when you're around, Buzzy."

   James rolled his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have told her that story. Oh well, it was a rather cute nickname.

"Are you going to behave yourself today, baby?"

"You know damn well what that answer is." she gushed, poking his cheek. Something else she loved to do. Poke their cheeks. That's right, it wasn't just reserved to James, she poked everyone's cheeks. She found it soft and comforting, even if she usually only did it to James, everyone was a victim.

"I'd bite you if I could."

"But you can't, smokebox-"

"Not yet."

"Do not bite me, or I'll scream."

"Try and stop me-" he snickered.

"No kisses."

"You don't kiss me in the first place!"

"..You're too handsome."

  James pulled one of his famous snarky looks. Of course he was handsome!

"I know, ain't I splendid?"

"..I guess, you big red buffoon." she smiled, hugging onto his smokebox. "You'll always be splendid to me..mostly."

"And it's shit like that that makes me doubt you."

"You don't doubt me, you love me too much."

"You sure?"

   James received a flick to the nose.

"Ow- Girl I will make you skate the rest of the way-"

"No you wooooooon't.." Maddy crooned.

   James luckily kept his word, bringing her to her destination. Before she hopped off, she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"See you later tonight, Jimbo. I loooove you."

"I love you toooooo, tiny."

   The two pulled faces at each other as James left her at her site.

"Time to bother Ducky-" she giggled, putting on her harness.

   Her journey to the coast was rather peaceful. It was a clear and sunny say, not a cloud in the sky. Not too hot, not too cold, just the way Maddy liked it. She also liked talking to Duck, once she got past all the Great Western shit. He made great conversation with her over silly things, it was all fun. As she was nearing her destination, she applied her brakes. Maddy noticed that after a few seconds, she was not slowing down.

"..That's...odd..I checked them this morning!"

  She kept trying, but thanks to the oil and the weight of the trucks, she only slid and made sparks. Maddy was beginning to worry, she didn't want to be in the ocean again! Duck noticed her fly by.

"Maddy, you need to stop!"

"I'm trying, idiot!"

  But as they were bickering at each other, neither noticed a stray spark land near a batch of dynamite the workers were using to carve out part of a cliff. Maddy only stopped when she hit the buffers, impaling her in the gut.

"KH-" was all she mustered out.

"You okay..?"

"I've..had worse.." she coughed as a workman uncoupled her harness from the trucks. "I guess something happened to my skates after I checked them this morning.."

  Maddy took one off, feeling the wheels. They felt slick.

"Odd..I don't oil my wheels that much!"

"Uh..Maddy." Duck said, backing up. "You smell...smoke?"

"Smoke?" she sniffed. "Are you sure they're not just carving out the cliff?"

"But it sme-"

Duck was interrupted by a large explosion that sounded through the entire island.

"....Maddy?"