Thomas and Friends Fanfiction Series 7

Slate

The Blue Mountain Quarry is always a noisy, busy and bustling place to be. The Narrow Gauge Engines who work there are never lazy and they never slack in their duties. 

(Sir Handel and Bertrum can be seen working hard, with their cheeks red.)

But Duncan can be very grumpy no matter how hard-working he is. He always has a need to complain and it makes his fellow engines feel annoyed. 

(Luke can be seen rolling his eyes.)

One day, there was a large order of slate to board a ship at Brendam Docks. Paxton was sent to the Mainland to help Sidney collect diesel parts, so the Thin Controller requested help from a strong engine in Paxton's place. 

Emily was sent and she was pleased to help the little engines, but didn't count on working with Duncan. 

"Och, what are you doing here?" asked Duncan rudely. 

"I'm here to collect slate trucks, Duncan," huffed Emily, "they need a huge delivery at the Docks."

"Och, aye, I know, but I thought they'd send someone stronger than you. Like Gordon, or Henry."

"I'm perfectly capable," snorted Emily. 

"That's the spirit, Emily," smiled Rusty, "I'll get the slate loaded with Owen. You just stand ready with the trucks." 

"You got it, Rusty!" 

Emily stood ready, but Duncan was biffing the trucks around roughly and grumpily. 

"With that Emily character, we'll be shoonting around all day!" 

Emily was getting fed up with Duncan's insults, but tried her best to ignore him, and Rusty continued his work on the upper terrace, sending the trucks to Owen's loading platform.

"Ready to depart, going down! Next stop, to Miss Emily!" chanted Owen. 

Emily smiled as her first full load was soon ready to go. 

Duncan watched as she puffed away. But he was still not satisfied. 

"More and more slate," he huffed, "that's all I'm gonnae see all day long. It's all very well for that big wheeled engine. She can go to and from the countryside, to the sea and then back here. She can see the views. All we ever get to see is the slate mountains." 

"Not entirely true, Duncan," said Rusty innocently, "you were pulling passengers along the countryside and lakes only yesterday." 

Duncan wheeshed and grunted. He still felt the need to complain and he was taking it all out on poor Emily. 

And so was Cranky. 

"Loading and lifting slate now," he grumbled, "how many more loads do you need to deliver, Emily?" 

"It could be an all-day job, Cranky," said Emily. 

"Oh, what wonderful news(!)" cranked Cranky in a sarcastic way. 

"You're as bad as Duncan," huffed Emily. 

"Who's Duncan?" asked Carly. 

Emily explained and Carly giggled. 

"He sounds like he can put you to shame, Cranky!" she teased. 

Cranky huffed and turned away to start loading slate onto the ship. 

(Thomas and James can be seen passing Emily.)

Later, as Emily returned, Duncan was acting more grumpy than before. 

"You took your time!" 

"I'm on good time, actually," said Emily dismissively, ignoring Duncan. 

That made Duncan crosser and he became more rough and careless with the Troublesome Trucks. 

"Ow! Ow! Be careful, be gentle!" they snapped. 

But Duncan just biffed them harder. 

And that did it! 

The Trucks planned to pay him out! 

Rusty rolled over to Duncan. 

"I need to take some extra trucks to the gravel crusher. Can you take those trucks to Owen, please?" 

"If I must," grunted Duncan. 

Rusty rolled his eyes, but was unaware that Duncan was about to cause a great deal of trouble. 

Duncan was too busy complaining and wishing he were back at the junction that he forgot to slow down as he got closer to Owen, and that was just what the Trucks wanted. 

"Hurry, hurry!" they cried. 

"Woooah!" gasped Duncan as he hastily put his brakes on. 

"Careful, Duncan," shouted Owen, "steady on!" 

But it was too late! The trucks forced themselves onto the loading platform and the workmen leapt for cover as they fell off and down the incline. 

"Oh, goodness!" cried Emily. 

The trucks crashed at the unloading platform and slate shards flew everywhere. 

Some parts bashed into Emily and scratched her paintwork. 

"Oh no!" cried Emily, Owen and Rusty all together. 

"Oh...no..." murmured Duncan meekly. 

He had managed to stop himself in time, but his trucks were all crashed or broken. 

The Thin Controller arrived not long after and was furious. 

"You have caused severe delay and confusion, Duncan," he said angrily, "and Emily needs a repaint and maybe even some repairs. And Owen's platform is in a terrible mess! The slate order will have to be delayed and that will cause no end of bother for all concerned!" 

Duncan felt ashamed. 

"I'm sorry, sir," he said quietly. 

"You will be. No leaving here until the repairs are done and the order is completed." 

Duncan gulped and remained silent for the rest of the day. 

He worked as hard as he could too, helping clear up the mess, shunting trucks more carefully under Rusty's supervision and even doing some of Rusty's work as well as his own. 

Emily continued to work despite her damaged paint and dents. She managed to get a lot of the slate order delivered in time, but the remainder would have to last into the night. 

It was after midnight by the time the order was finally completed and Emily, Rusty, Duncan and Owen were exhausted. 

"I wish we finished much sooner," mumbled Duncan. 

"Ah, do I hear you complaining, Duncan?" teased Owen. 

"You have no right to," yawned Rusty. 

"If not for you, we'd have finished much earlier," said Emily. 

Duncan went silent once again, blushing red. 

Emily went home to Tidmouth Sheds, hoping to get a new coat of paint the next morning. 

Duncan went to sleep feeling foolish, but knew that in future that he should do more working and less complaining...but I think he will start complaining again sooner or later, don't you?

(The End!)