Finding James

Finding James is the tenth episode of Sodor High School: Thomas and Friends Tales.
==Synopsis==
A search party is formed to track down James.
==Plot==
James walks down the road, feeling terrible and convincing himself to leave Sodor and never return if Emily can't love him, and sore after his fight with Thomas left him with several bruises.
Meanwhile, Thomas and Emily search for James, but have no luck by the time they met up at Knapford. Thomas crossly questions why James ran away and Emily sympathizes with the redhead, feeling that she knows how unloved he may have felt. Gordon and Henry soon arrive having checked James' favourite places to go, but came up short. Thomas hopes he hadn't gone far, a hope Henry quashes since James is a talented athlete who can go on a long time without stopping or getting tired. With such odds agaist them, Gordon admits he and Henry brought in two athletes with great tracking skills to help with the search: Donald and Douglas, the Scottish twin brothers. They split up; Donald and Douglas head off to search Maithwaite, Gordon and Henry check Knapford again, and Thomas and Emily follow the railway tracks to the Mainland railway. Thomas figures James will be traveling to the Mainland as he was born there, and he & Emily follow the pathway beside the tracks, hoping to find James before it was too late.
Meanwhile, James has reached a small neighbourhood unsure of where he currently is. He sees two little kids under five banging on a fence with their toys until the gate opens and they proceed to walk out. To make matters worse, their home was close to the railway tracks, and they were heading there. To top it all off, James hears the whistle of a red mixed traffic steam engine pulling a long line of trucks behind it, and it's puffing towards the crossing and the kids. James runs straight for the kids, picks them up, and jumps to the other side just as the engine's front end reached the crossing, leaving the engine's crew surprised. James brings the children to their backyard where their shocked Mother embraces them; as thanks, she decides to cook something special for James and he accepts the offer.
Word quickly spreads about James' heroic act and local papers print it without knowing who the boy that performed the rescue is. Henry and Gordon find a paper and from the description, deduces it's James and try to tell Thomas and Emily, but since they left their mobile phones at home, they pass the news to Donald and Douglas. The twins race to meet up with Thomas and Emily near the small town and decide to find the childrens' home in order to catch James and talk to him.
By now, James had finished his special meal and was now ready to leave the home, promising the Mason family he'll drop by again someday before departing. Five minutes later, Thomas, Emily, Donald, and Douglas reach the house and learn from Mrs. Mason that he's heading to the iron bridge leading to the Mainland, them telling her he ran away before leaving as the Masons hope they catch up to James in time.
Just outside of town, James is having a meal break near a special rock, known by many as the "Finger to the Mainland". Once he's finished, he sets off for the bridge and the hour-long trek towards the Mainland, but right as he steps onto the railway bridge, the other four teenagers arrive on their bikes, the boys trying to get him to stop. When James refuses, Emily heads toward and confronts him about his feelings for her; before she can tell him she's not ready to date, an oncoming goods train approaches. Thomas, Donald, and Douglas clear the tracks but James and Emily have to jump into the sea, narrowly avoiding getting hurt. The two swim to shore unhurt as Thomas and the twins pull them to their feet, Thomas and James apologizing to each other for their fight. Emily sternly finishes what she was saying before, and James disappointedly accepts her decision. At the very least, she tells him he wasn't as stupid as he acted tonight if saving the Mason kids is anything to go by. Before going home, Emily decides to tell James and the Scottich twins the truth about her family, their problems with Diesel 10, and her arrangements with Thomas' family so they'll understand why they're together all the time. With a better understanding of the situation, the teens head home, where James's Mother comforting her son after he explains himself. Meanwhile, Thomas and Emily thank Gordon, Henry and the twins for their help and set off for home.
On Monday morning, Thomas and Emily walk down the halls to class when they meet up with James, learning he was grounded for a week. When Rosie (who James has already apologized to) walks by, James tells Thomas to spend more time with her, informing him of her crush and specifying that she wants to spend time with him alone, leaving Thomas and Emily surprised before they rush after him.
==Characters==
* Thomas
* Emily
* James
* Henry
* Gordon 
* Donald and Douglas (Debut)
* Mrs. Mason (Debut)
* Mason children (Debut)
* Rosie (does not speak)
* Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)
* Diesel 10 (mentioned)
* Stanley (mentioned)
==Cast==
==Trivia==
* This is the first episode where Percy doesn't appear at all, not counting his appearances in flashbacks during "Looking Back on Younger Days".
* James, Donald & Douglas learn the truth about Emily and agree to keep it secret.
* The events of "The Great Discovery" are mentioned to have occurred, Thomas having been rescued by Stanley after getting trapped in the Great Waterton mines two years ago.
Category:Thomas and Friends
Category:Sodor High School
Category:Episodes
Category:Fan Fiction