Thomas and Friends Fanfiction Series 1

Thomas, James and the Dog

Thomas, James and the Dog

It was a sunny morning on the Island of Sodor. Animals from all the farms were resting in the heat. Pigs swirled in mud, cows grazed in the fields, but one animal is always busy....Lucy, Farmer McColl's sheepdog. Lucy helps him to round up his sheep into their pens and is always Really Useful.

Thomas was told by the Fat Controller to take some livestock trucks to Farmer McColl's farm to take the sheep to market.

Thomas arrived at the farm, at a field where the sheep were resting in the sun.

"Hello, Farmer McColl."

"Hello, Thomas. Lucy will round up the sheep into your trucks."

Lucy did as bid and barked loudly to show the lazy sheep who was in charge. The sheep were boarded into the livestock trucks and Farmer McColl closed up the truck doors.

"Off we go, Thomas!" he said as he climbed into Thomas' cab.

Thomas and Farmer McColl arrived at the market and unloaded the sheep.

"Thank you, Thomas."

"No problem, Farmer McColl." And with that, Thomas puffed away, shunted his trucks away and found Annie and Clarabel, so he could work on his branch line.

As Thomas ran past Farmer McColl's farm, he stopped. He noticed that Farmer McColl looked worried and he seemed to be looking for something.

"What's the matter, Farmer McColl?" asked Thomas.

"Oh, hello again, Thomas. It's Lucy. I can't seem to find her."

"Oh dear." said Thomas, "I could help you look for her as I run along my branch line."

"That's very kind of you, Thomas." said Farmer McColl.

And so Thomas continued on his way, looking over every side of the line, in search of Lucy.

Thomas had to stop at a signal. James was there with some empty coal trucks.

"Hello, Thomas. What are you up too?"

"I'm looking for Lucy, Farmer McColl's dog. She's gone missing."

"Where did Farmer McColl last see her?" asked James.

"When she rounded up the sheep into my livestock trucks." said Thomas.

"I already know where she is." declared James.

Thomas was surprised. "Where?"

"You obviously took Lucy with the sheep to the market. She's probably there."

Thomas wasn't so sure. "I don't think so, James." But he couldn't remember the sheep leaving the trucks properly, so he realised that James' theory was possible. "But I can't even go to the market. It's not on my branch line."

"I'll go." said James, "I'll help you find her."

"I don't need help." said Thomas.

"I'll find Lucy before you do." snapped James.

"No, I will." said Thomas.

The signals changed, the bet was on and Thomas and James puffed away to find Lucy.

James arrived quickly at the market. He asked if a sheepdog was amongst the recently delivered sheep. But the market workers said there wasn't. James was disappointed. "Oh, dear. Lucy isn't here after all."

Thomas puffed further down his branch line. James puffed by.

"Did you find her?" asked Thomas.

"No."

Thomas felt pleased, but was still worried that Lucy was still missing, but when James passed by with his coal trucks, an idea flew into Thomas' funnel.

"If Lucy did enter one of my trucks and she's not at the market...maybe she's still in the trucks!"

Thomas dropped off the last of his passengers and steamed back to the shunting yards where he had left his trucks. He looked inside and whistled. But Lucy wasn't there.

"Oh bother!"

Just then, Gordon came in to the yards.

"What are you doing, Thomas?" he asked.

"I'm looking for Lucy. She's missing."

Thomas explained all about how Lucy might have been in the trucks, but she hadn't been.

"I don't where she could possibly be now." Thomas felt terrible. He had tried to find Lucy for Farmer McColl, but he hadn't found her.

Gordon thought and then said, "Have you ever thought that she might still be in the sheep's field?"

Thomas gasped. "That's it. Thank you, Gordon."

Thomas raced away to Farmer McColl's sheep field.

Meanwhile, James was still puffing along looking for Lucy, when suddenly: "Ha! Maybe Lucy's still in that field!" And he raced as fast as he could to the field as well.

Thomas and James were racing along as fast as their wheels could carry them. Then there was trouble. Thomas went too fast past a red signal and James was up ahead on the same track coming from the opposite direction.

Both engines applied their brakes, but it was too late. Thomas and James bashed into each other, damaging each other's buffers and derailed!

"Cinders and ashes!" cried Thomas.

"Oh, my paintwork!" groaned James.

Luckily, no one was hurt. But both engines were stuck.

Gordon came past. "What a mess!"

"Gordon, can you go to the field, find Lucy and get her to Farmer McColl?" asked Thomas. He felt foolish, but he still wanted to help.

"Of course, Thomas." And Gordon continued on his way.

Gordon arrived at the field and whistled. "LUCY!"

Lucy was dozing under a tree's shade. She heard Gordon's whistle and ran over to him.

Gordon understood. "So..you just wanted to have a rest like the other animals for a change."

Lucy hopped into Gordon's cab and had another snooze as he took her to Farmer McColl.

Farmer McColl was very pleased to see Lucy back. "Thank you, Gordon."

Gordon smiled and then he puffed to Thomas and James and told them Lucy was safe.

"Thank you for helping, Gordon." said Thomas.

"Can you help us now?" asked James.

Gordon promised to help and went to fetch Rocky. And Thomas and James agreed to in future, not contest each other, but to help each other.

(The End!)