Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Into the Thigh-Verse

Cassandra's Flowers

Spring had blossomed on the Island of Sodor, and all across the mainline, flowers were blooming! Dotting the lineside in a barrage of pretty colours and shades!
"Rei loves it!" Percy remarked. Talking about his guard. "It's a gardener's dream! All the colours in the world! Right at your fingertips!"
"It's certainly a sight.." Daisy replied. Marvelling at how pretty the flowers around her were. Meanwhile, Cassandra was not having such thoughts. Cassandra, is a guard, Albert's guard, to be more specific. And, ever since Albert had had his accident with the buffers, she hadn't a thing to do. She found the whole thing rather boring.

One morning, after another sleepless night, Cassandra was startled by the sound of her dorm room door knocking! It was Edward's guard, and the owner of the dorm building near the big station, where half of the crew lived. She spoke somewhat frantically.
"Amber's fallen ill." Mia explained. "And Jack, and Donald are left without a stoker. Is it too much to ask for you to cover for the day?"
Cassandra quietly shook her head.
"It's okay." She said quietly. "I can do it."
"That's the ticket!" Mia replied! "Now, off ya pop!"
And Cassandra did. She found Donald not too far from the turntable. Donald's driver was pleased to see her.
"We're working along Edward's branchline." He said to her. "So we'll need all the help we can get!"
"It's okay." Cassandra replied, quietly. "I'll be fine."
Donald smiled warmly!
"Aye, cheers for the heelp lass!" He puffed! "Althoogh, it'll be bussy! Are ye suure ya can handle it?"
"I think so." Cassandra almost muttered. Without another word, Donald his ragtag team puffed away!

The trip up the line was uneventful! And Donald even found it easy to deal with Bill and Ben! However, as they passed the orchard, Cassandra noticed something from the cab! Not far from Trevor's shed, was the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen!
"Whoa.." She said quietly. Her eyes lighting up for the first time all day! "Look at those."
"Those are Dahlia's!" Donald's driver explained. "Real nice looking flowers. Jem Cole's very proud of them!"
"Aye." Donald added. "They're beautiful! Nae dooubt aboout that!"
Cassandra looked almost forlorn.
"I wish I had some." She said sadly. The despair in her voice broke Donald's driver's heart! For the rest of the day, Cassandra seemed to fixate on the flowers. And how she really wanted some of her own. By the time she left that evening, Donald's driver wanted some too.
"Aye, shame we cannie pick em ourselves." Donald said. "I dinnie even knoow where to find em! Only Jem Cole se-."
"THAT'S IT! Donald! You're brilliant!" Donald's driver nearly jumped out of his pants with excitement! "I know exactly how we can get some of those flowers!"
"Aye?" Donald replied. "Hoow, pray tell, can we?"
"Simple! We just ask Jem Cole if we can have some! I'm sure he'll let us, if we just ask!" The driver replied. And, luckily, when he phoned Jem Cole, he agreed!
"I can even give ya some seeds!" He said happily! "So that way you'll always be able to grow em out!"
Donald and his driver were thrilled!
"Aye, wait until Cassandra hears about this!" Donald beamed!

Unfortunately, Albert returned home the next morning. And, to Donald and Jack's dismay, Cassandra wasn't available. However, they still picked up the flowers when they stopped at Edward's station.
"Make sure to treat em well!" Jem Cole laughed!
"We will!" Donald's driver replied! "Thank you!"
Cassandra, meanwhile, was back at work. She didn't mind, she enjoyed hearing Albert and his crew chatter happily amongst one another. But all the same, she mopped around, thinking about those Dahlia's.
"I've never seen her so quiet!" Albert's driver flounced. "She's usually quiet, but never this quiet!"
"Just leave it to Jack!" Joked the stoker. "He and Donald probably already have it all figured out!"

And indeed, they did. That night, when Cassandra sauntered into her dorm room, she found Donald's driver, grinning ear to ear, holding out some flowers! Cassandra gasped! Seeing that they were the ever converted Dahlia's!
"You looked so sad when we didn't get any, so.." He trailed off. "I hope this makes up for it!"
Cassandra, for the first time in a long time, smiled a warm, big smile.
"Thank you." Was all she could get out. Before embracing the worn and sweaty engine driver.

Cassandra adores the flowers! Now, no matter what she's doing, or where she is, you can always find Cassandra wearing one of her flowers in her hair! She learnt a lot that day. Donald even learnt something himself.
"There are some good things about wee haram!" He teased. "Can really bring oout the best in people!"
And that, seems like very high praise to me!