Affection

**Affection** is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the Stories of Sodor and the twenty-ninth episode overall.

Affection/Transcript

## Plot

The two most common questions asked about non-faceless vehicles are why they have faces and if they feel love. The former question can only be answered by theories and speculation, while the latter is more definitive. Although being machines, feeling love for them is very different compared to how humans feel love. Similar to humans, their relationships are often formed by common interests and matching personalities. Everyone had known there was something between Thomas and Kate ever since they first met, and  their time together in Rail Gate made their bond stronger than ever. Eric had been keenly interested in Molly when she had arrived on Sodor, and their feelings were mutual. They had spent lots of time together and talked at all hours, which was troublesome for the rest of the Nor'easters when they were trying to sleep at night, but they were happy for Eric nonetheless.

One day at Knapford, Molly has organised the Nor'Easters' coaches in blocks according to the schedule so that a Nor'Easter can pick up their train after leaving the shed and take it directly to station for the passengers to board and the train will depart right away. Gordon praises Molly for her genius and efficient arrangement. Percy finds this surprising because this means that Gordon is practically agreeing to fetch his own coaches, but also agrees with him about Molly's clever idea as it had always been a hassle to keep juggling the coaches in the three small sidings next to the station. Molly also recalls how they had a similar situation on the GER and that one of her managers was the one who invented the solution.

Presently, Gordon has taken his coaches to the station when Lily arrives with a small goods train. Gordon talks to her about their new shunting arrangement, which Edward finds amusing as now Gordon is acting civilly towards a Midi and Gordon begins to wonder if today is Insulting Gordon Day. Edward then asks Gordon how he and Lily had become so friendly towards each other. Gordon recalls when  they had to help the Midis during the strikes and Lily had showed him around the dockside at Brendam. Lily remembers protesting when Mr. Zorro instructed her, but the more she and Gordon worked together, they were talking to each other more often and they were beginning to hate each other less. Lily now also says that she regards Gordon as a friend. Presently, Gordon's guard blows his whistle and Gordon sets off. He had been making good time when just before Crosby, his whistle valve came loose and created an awful noise. They would have to go to the workshops at Wellsworth to stop the noise. Diesel had been at the station with a passenger train and demanded that the noise stop and Gordon be taken away. Gordon sets off once again, remarking that Diesel is the most repulsive engine he has ever met.

Later, Diesel had met up with Adam at Wellsworth, who tells him that Gordon had tried to stop by but couldn't get into the workshops because all the sidings are occupied. Eric is annoyed how the two Midis didn't help Gordon, and they mock his intelligence. Just then, Molly arrives to take a goods train to Barrow-in-Furness. She claims it's an important job and the "professional" Nor'Easters are to do it and that the two Midis they can't move the train even if they wanted to, but Diesel decides he and Adam could try. Molly tells the two Midis that if they can move the train to the station platform, she would allow them to take it to Barrow. Molly tells Diesel that the trucks are in perfect working order and he and Adam have prepared to pull the train. After giving it all they've got, they manage to make it to the platform. Molly tells Adam and Diesel to talk to Whiff when they arrive and he would tell them where to put the train and they leave. Once they were out of earshot, Eric notices Molly has a cheeky grin and realises that was the train Molly had taken out from Barrow earlier that day and Molly says the two Midis would be paid for it, and that she's now free to take care of her job at the lumber yard. She then tells Eric that he should go to the Oil Depot to take petrol to the fort if Adam doesn't show up.

Meanwhile, as Diesel and Adam are on their way to Barrow, Adam asks Diesel if the trucks feel somewhat light, and Diesel answers they do but assumes it's because they're in peak condition. Soon, they arrive at Barrow where Whiff is shunting. He is surprised to find the two Midis bringing in the train Molly was supposed to bring in. Adam explains to Whiff about the bet they made to her at Wellsworth. Whiff then thanks them for bringing the train back, puzzling them. Whiff explains that Molly had taken out the train earlier that day and had asked her to bring it back so the trucks could be reloaded for another train. Whiff and the trucks laugh at the two Midis for falling for Molly's prank. Whiff also points out to them that they didn't think it was strange they could pull a train that a heavy goods engine couldn't.

When Diesel and Adam returned to Brendam, Mr. Zorro scolded them severely. The profitable contract the LMS had missed out on for delivering petrol to Fort Sudrian had been taken over by Eric. Mr. Star was satisfied by the earnings on their goods contracts that day, but wasn't happy with Molly's trick. Meanwhile, Gordon's whistle trouble had created an awkward situation. Gordon couldn't get access to the workshops at Wellsworth, so at Maron, he stopped and a couple of fitters hammered his whistle valve back into place. However, this made Gordon late when he arrived at Barrow. The unhappy passengers complained to Mr. Star, who reluctantly decided to take Gordon off of express duties for the next week. Gordon had actually agreed with his director's decision and throughout the week, he had done his work without complaining and professionally. However, the Midis still kept teasing him.

Douglas tells Gordon that his whistle trouble had reminded him of an old legend he heard about in Scotland about a monster who used to terrify people with its shrieking. Gordon retorts that he and the Nor'Easters only laugh at jokes that are funny, stating that those in the LMS wouldn't know about good humour and spares Lily. Douglas then reveals that Lily is his girlfriend, much to Gordon's rage, not thinking Lily would like a Caledonian. Douglas departs, fuming. A couple of days later, Gordon meets up with Lily at Crovan's Gate. Lily remarks how graciously Gordon is accepting of his situation, and reveals to him that she and Douglas really are a couple. Lily remembers that it had started  the night he had chased off Dominic's ghost. She was so amazed from his courage that it progressed from there. Lily tells Gordon that Douglas is over at Fort Sudrian.

Gordon goes over to there and aplogises to Douglas. Douglas thanks Gordon for apologising, but asks Gordon if he had had designs on Lily. Gordon admits he had, though he now has decided that he and Lily are better off as friends. Douglas and Gordon reconcile and presently, they hear a familiar whistle. Henry has arrived back from Darlington. He had gotten out of Darlington a few days earlier, and Sir Topham Hatt had greeted him and told him to deliver his train to the fort on Sodor. Henry said there was no fort there, and Sir Topham Hatt had told him that a lot had changed on the island since he was gone.

The Nor'Easters were overjoyed that Henry was back, but his return meant that Molly and Winston had to go. They did have proper goodbyes and managed to stay in touch. It was great that the entire crew was back together, as a special event was fast approaching…

## Characters

* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* Percy
* Eric
* Douglas
* Diesel
* Lily
* Adam
* Whiff
* Molly
* Thomas *(does not speak)*
* James *(does not speak)*
* Colin *(does not speak)*
* Reginald *(does not speak)*
* Kate *(does not speak)*
* Winston *(does not speak)*
* Mr. Star *(does not speak)*
* Mr. Zorro *(does not speak)*
* Toby *(cameo)*
* Peter *(cameo)*
* Clive *(cameo)*
* Neil *(cameo)*
* Mickey *(cameo)*
* Daisy *(cameo)*
* Amanda *(cameo)*
* Emily *(cameo)*
* Mavis *(cameo)*
* Jinty *(cameo)*
* Spencer *(cameo)*
* Duncan *(cameo)*
* Andreas *(cameo)*
* Stanley *(cameo)*
* Mike *(cameo)*
* Olivia *(cameo)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(cameo)*
* Bertie *(cameo)*
* Caroline *(cameo)*
* Alfie *(cameo)*
* Isobella *(cameo)*
* Mrs. Star *(cameo)*
* Station Master Jeffries *(cameo)*
* Dominick *(appears as a ghost, stock footage cameo)*
* The Fat Controller *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* Events from Strike, and Spectre are mentioned.
	+ Stock footage of the latter is also used.
* It's revealed that Lily and Douglas are a couple.
* Events from the Thomas & Friends episode Whistles and Sneezes take place.