Halloween had just passed on the Island of Sodor and November had followed with a nip in the air and the trees turning from green to gold just like they did when Thomas and Emily enjoyed the Autumn colours a few years earlier.

It was all well and good for most of the engines…but for two other engines, there was another matter. Percy and Gina were still feeling conflicted over their feelings to each other. They were very convinced that when they started communicating by letters, their feelings were more than just friendship. The letters proved useful in expressing feelings to each other, but since Percy and Gina were whole countries apart without any sight of each other's presence, all it could take was a tiny shard of doubt to make them both uncertain. All there was to fill in uncertainty was at night when they would dream little dreams of each other.

The empty rift of absence between the two engines made them both rather lonely. They really cared for each other immensely, but that couldn't shake away all doubt. The constant linger of such a feeling was relentless, until that Halloween morning, Percy finally realized he couldn't hold it off anymore. He had to speak his mind to all the couples on Sodor he could reach out to. He had asked Emily and Molly to gather their boyfriends, find Rosie and Stanley to spread the word, and inform Gordon and Henry about a "friendship meeting," at Tidmouth Sheds before they could return later on. Emily and Molly agreed and promised they'd all meet after the Halloween parade at Knapford Station.

After the parade, Percy returned to Tidmouth Sheds that night, and as he expected, Thomas, Emily, James, Molly, Stanley and Rosie were all there. He could see them all looking at him with curiosity, care and wonder. Percy stopped on the turntable, but didn't turn right around. He just turned to a position where the engines could all see him fairly. Thomas and Emily had already known about Percy's feelings for Gina for a while, and Percy was of course nervous about James teasing his love for Gina, but he still needed their help.

"Well, you're all here," said Percy. "Thank you. Now, are you all listening?"

"Yes," they all said at once. Percy took a deep sigh and began.

"Alright. I've been having a little problem, see. This all started when Gina came to visit us after she won the Shunting Challenge in another Railway Show. When we went to the show for our first time, that was when I first met her. When I was supposed to take Thomas' place in the Shunting Challenge, she was already practicing. She was pleased to meet me, but being a quick engine, she didn't have much time to get to know me. But that began to change when she came here."

"I see, Percy," said Molly. "So, why did you call all of us together, Percy?"

"Well, Molly," Percy continued. "Since you all have a relationship of your own, I thought it only right to seek advice from all of you since you know what love is and how it feels."

"Why, Percy? Is it true? Are you…?" Rosie began.

"I…I think I'm in…love with Gina," Percy admitted.

"I thought so! Absolutely smitten with her!" laughed James.

Percy lowered his eyebrow, but kept going. "When Gina came here, after she showed us all how she could shunt so well, the two of us came closer together. When Spencer came by and boasted about having his photograph taken, I did not like that at all. Gina saw the trucks take control of me and push me off the rails, allowing Spencer to laugh at me."

"Rightfully so, after letting those trucks run rampant," smirked James.

"James!" scolded Molly. "Please continue, Percy."

"After Gina got me back on track, she revealed that even though she's considered the 'Queen of Shunting,' her fellow engines don't treat her as such. They still look down on her sometimes. I thought that was insulting. I told her she was beautiful, energetic and cute."

Rosie smiled. "Aww, you're sweet, Percy. That can be a sign that you love her. Telling her what you think of her."

"Thank you, Rosie," Percy smiled back. "We spent the rest of that day until the evening shunting together and she taught me how to move quickly and precisely with trucks. She wanted to work out who would sleep at Tidmouth Sheds that night, but since I take the Mail Train at night, I told her to take my berth…and in that moment, I think she fueled our possible love closer to being real…she kissed my cheek."

Emily already knew this, but Molly and Rosie both cooed sweetly upon hearing what Percy said.

"She must really like you, Percy," Molly beamed.

"Yes indeed, Percy," added Stanley. "That means something special."

"You're right, Stanley," said Percy. "Then after Spencer had an embarrassing slip-up, Gina was set up to work on Thomas' Branch Line for the remainder of her visit. But she actually had a little mishap of her own."

"Oh, joy," said James. "Even a queen isn't all-perfect."

"Is THAT how you address a queen? And in the presence of the Queen of Sodor?" Molly said sharply to James, ushering her gaze to Emily.

Percy went on. "One day, the winds were very intense. Gina was struggling up the hill with a gods train…and the wind blew her smoke toward a lady's washing, making it dirty all over again. After she was told off by the Fat Controller and her manager, she came to find me at Elsbridge Station. I thought it was quite unfair to correct her for the wind. No one controls how the weather works and I told her to keep her spirits up."

"And did she?" asked Thomas.

"Yes, Thomas. The next day, the winds were still strong…but Gina actually helped that lady retrieve her washing after it blew away. It delayed her train, but she still helped that lady and her washing. Then her last job was helping Emily take Spencer's special train to Vicarstown for Flying Scotsman to take to the Mainland. And shortly after that, she was gone again."

"Very interesting, Percy," said Stanley. "Are you still on speaking terms with her?"

"I did find a way," said Percy. "I eventually told Emily how I was feeling about Gina and asked her if the two of us could be in love or not. She couldn't give me a clear answer on that, but then she gave me a brilliant idea of sending her a letter since I always take the Mail Train. And sure enough, she eventually replied to me. We exchanged a few more letters between each other, and as of now, it is a good way to communicate when we're not face to face."

"That's right, everyone," said Emily. "And those letters did prove useful in allowing Percy and Gina to figure out a little more about each other. But it's still indirect rather than direct contact."

"The letters are nice, but without Gina right here for me to talk to her, nothing is certain, and there's no way I can settle my thoughts about her, always fearing she may misunderstand something my letters could say or feel too lonely to reply. You see, everyone, I've never felt so confused in my life. When we expressed our feelings to each other, both face to face and through letters, I felt sure that I wanted to be with her…but as I think deeper and deeper, I feel more and more doubtful that we could ever become a couple. I guess that-"

"Yes, Percy," James interrupted, but understanding Percy's point. "Love is very complicated to figure out."

"Actually, yes, James," admitted Percy. "I was thinking the same thing. I've been thinking and thinking for anything I might have forgotten about how love works. But every time I get close to certainty, it fades away! It's so exhausting!"

"Well, maybe we can help you on how you feel, Percy," said Emily. "We all know how love came through to us. When I was hurting so badly all those years ago, Thomas went to such lengths to make me happy again, and that goes to show how someone loves you. Going to the utmost measures to see to it that whoever you love is happy. He was willing to stake everything just for my sake, and his determination is what ultimately made us come together."

"And when I came here, I actually loved Thomas too," said Rosie. "But as he and Emily had done so much together already, Emily and I began competing for him until I asked him how he truly felt for me one Christmas. While he didn't want to sadden me, he had to speak the truth and admit he truly loved Emily. I was quite happy to still be the sister he never had after Emma's life ended, but ever since that day, I felt conflicted myself if I could ever love again or not."

"Rosie stayed with me in my sheds ever since that night right up until she decided to move to Vicarstown," said Stanley. "I eventually asked her about a relationship with me, and while she was touched by my desire to make her happy, she still feared something would happen to break her heart again. But I eventually managed to heal her doubts when I visited her and assured that I would never hurt her as Thomas unintentionally did. And since then, we've been in a clear, happy relationship."

"Love is never an easy route, Percy," said James. "It may seem easy to some, but there's so much more to it than anyone can plainly see. Love is a wonderful thing to bestow, but it also carries many hardships one has to endure."

"Very true, James," said Molly. "Our relationship was probably the most difficult after I heard the truth of Emily's suffering and I cut myself off from James. It wasn't just him who was hurt at losing a loved one. I must have hurt myself too by taking myself away from him until we came back together. But if you overcome the hardships love brings, you are rewarded with all the gifts and pleasures you could ever have. The best way to understand whoever you may love is to put her before yourself, like we do for whoever we love."

Thomas was the last to speak. "Doubt is inevitable for everyone who wonders about love and even for those who do love, Percy. But there is a way out of doubt too. If you've been having your own doubts about yourself and Gina, I suggest you search deep into your own heart. Think long and hard about just how much Gina means to you. When you make your final decision for yourself, you will find the answer you've been asking yourself for so long."

Percy looked at all the couples with a look of deep thought in his eyes. He had listened to everything they had said and decided to carry it out whenever he had the time.

"Well…" he said with a smile. "Thank you all. This has really helped. I think we're finished here. Now…Rosie, Stanley, you should get back to your sheds. Gordon and Henry will be along soon. And I need to take the Mail Train now."

"You're most welcome, Percy," said Rosie.

"And who knows? Gina may be thinking to herself too about you," said Molly. "Maybe she wants a clear answer for herself too."

"Maybe," said Percy. He left the turntable, then took his mail wagons into the night.

At that moment, way out in Italy, Gina was working away in the shunting yards after the other engines were asleep. Gina wasn't tired at all. She was too busy thinking about Percy to sleep, and shunting helped her focus and gather her thoughts rather than idling with nothing else to do. As she worked arranging the trains for her friends the next morning, she focused on everything that Percy meant to her, how he made her feel and how he felt about her. Then she suddenly got an idea to make it easier for herself. She whistled by the signal box and the signalman came out.

"Scusa, senor," said Gina. "But may I take one of the goods trains to the harbour tonight? I wish to give it a head start."

"Si, Gina," said the signalman. "I'll leave a note for your manager in the morning."

"Grazie, senor," said Gina. Soon, she had arranged the harbour train herself and set off through the night.

As she gazed up at the stars, she constantly focused on her feelings about Percy, feeling lucky that she was the only engine on the line that night. She arrived at the harbour much sooner than she thought after thinking so much about Percy. She left her train in a siding, and ran off the quay to rest before returning to her sheds. As she idled on her track, she stared out to the horizon across the ocean. It was a magnificent sight with a full moon illuminating the sky and reflecting brightly off the water. But Gina still didn't have Percy to share it with.

"I cannot help but wonder," she whispered. "Can you see this beautiful site, Percy?"

Meanwhile, on Sodor, Percy had taken the Mail Train to Arlesburgh West at the terminus for the Small Railway and delivered the last of the mail. The ballast chute had since been repaired after Sailor John's crew had blown it up. Now, regular ballast service was reinstated to the Small Railway.

The workmen unloaded the last of the mail for Arlesburgh, and some of that mail was for Harwick for Daisy to collect with her first passenger run that day…assuming she wouldn't make up another load of excuses to get out of work she didn't want to do. But Percy couldn't care less about Daisy, the ballast chute, or even the mail. He was still thinking about Gina and everything his friends told him.

Once the mail was delivered, he set off through Arlesburgh, huffing quietly through the village and not saying a word. He kept going until he reached the lighthouse and decided to rest there before going home again.

As Percy looked out to the sea, he remembered when he and Duck worked together and watched the boats in the evenings with Harold. But more than anything else, he wanted Gina by his side to watch this beautiful site with him. Everything his friends told him began to tingle in his boiler. The beautiful nighttime scenery on the sea made him feel in the deepest and purest part of him on how he truly felt about Gina.

Gina was still staring out to the sea from Italy, just as Percy was. Within both engines, their hearts and minds were full of nothing…except each other. They still thought about how they both made each other feel so special and wanted, and how they made each other feel so alive. They both gazed at the countless stars in the sky and remembered what time they spent together, the letters they sent to each other and what they had done and said to and for each other. It all began to come clear how precious they were to each other…how seeing and hearing each other made their lives worth living. After meeting each other in the first place, they finally felt as though they couldn't live a life without each other.

And in that moment, a shooting star shot through the sky in less than a second and left a thin white tail line in its path that disappeared quickly too. Percy and Gina both saw it from their own shore, and a sheer realization hit them both like a train collision. All of the uncertainty and doubt that clouded their minds melted out of existence and in its place, left a sense of clarity. Percy and Gina both began to cry with overwhelming joy and satisfaction to themselves. When they were together, nothing else mattered. They understood each other more than anyone else. They could give each other peace, hope and happiness. They could do anything for each other, trust each other with everything, and there was no other engine they could give their devotion and hearts to. They were the only ones for each other ever to be.

At last, Percy and Gina could see clearly. They were truly in love with each other. There was no more doubt getting in the way. They wanted each other in every possible way. To be each other, hold each other, kiss each other and look into each other's eyes, then tell each other everything they had just discovered in that moment. But then, on both shores of their country, they suddenly felt one remaining fact remaining. They were still so far away from each other and could not speak directly to each other. Their newfound certainty of their love couldn't be stronger, and they were fully prepared to admit their love the next time they saw each other.

"Ohh…Gina!" Percy called out to the sea from Arlesburgh. "Please come back to me one day soon! I love you!" And with that, he set off out of Arlesburgh to go home, feeling as if all his questions were clearly answered once and for all.

And in Italy, Gina pleaded too. "Italy, set me free once again. Let me go to Percy…MY Percy! I love you, my dear." And she set off too, back to her sheds. And so, that night, Percy and Gina had themselves an epiphany and made a promise to themselves that they'd reunite one day and reveal their true feelings through and through.

Once again, I apologise for making you guys wait for this one, but it's finally here. The next time we see Percy and Gina, they're going to finally be reunited for Christmas. Speaking of, it's that time of the year again folks; that time of year where everybody starts putting up all their Christmas decorations before Halloween is even over yet. There's twelve days of Christmas people and not one of them is in October or November! Still, as it's nearing the holiday season, it's time once again for our annual collection of Winter/Christmas stories. We got six stories to give you this Christmas, folks, and the first one will be coming up as the next story, so I hope you'll enjoy your first present from us soon. Until then, leave a review and tell us what you all thought of this story.