//------------------------------//
// Making the Plans 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: The Feast of Steven 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly!
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
'Tis the season to be jolly!
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Don we now our bright apparel!
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la!
"Sing the ancient Yule-tide carol!"

Pipp stopped next to Zipp, who seemed to be setting up a computer thing. "Sing the ancient Yule-tide carol!"

Zipp looked back. "Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la," she sang, flatly, out of tune, and with no enthusiasm.

Pipp pouted. "Zipp, can you at least make an effort to be festive? It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

"I'm a little busy, Pipp," Zipp replied. "I'm trying to get this live call set up so we can discuss our plans." She glanced back. "At least I put a Christmas jumper on." She looked surprise. "Uhh, what are you wearing?"

"Seeing as Christmas is about being light and jolly, I figured a sparkly dress would do the trick!"

Zipp glanced back to her screen. "It does kinda suit you. That'd work down a dark cave. I'm about to start the call, so if you wouldn't mind getting ready for the call?"

"Oh! Sure thing! I'll go tell Misty!" Pipp added, and she bustled out of the room. "You better watch out, you better not cry..."

"Already getting some practice in for the concert, are we?" Zipp smiled, as she glanced to her own paperwork. "I still need to get the harmony line totally nailed down. And... send!"

A few minutes later, Zipp's friends began to join the call.

First to join was Hitch. "Hey there, Zipp! Long time no see!"

Zipp nodded. "Same here, Sargeant. Any reason for the dress uniform?"

"The CCF is participating in a parade later, so we're turning out in full dress uniforms."

Pipp and Misty appeared in quick succession. "Hello!" Misty said, placing a festive version of Madame Taffytail in front of the camera. "Merry... whatever this is!"

"Advent," Zipp responded. "Began on the first. Hence why we have three doors open on our Advent calenders."

"Technically," Hitch said, "Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day, which this year was the Third. Or yesterday."

"You knew what I meant."

Pipp then blasted in with some vocals. "Santa Claus is comin' to town! Santa Claus is comin' to town!" She glanced about. "Just checking I'm in tune!"

Izzy appeared. "Hi Zipp! How ya doin'?"

Just then, before Zipp could reply, Sunny's screen flared into life, and the face of Sunny appeared on the screen. "Hi guys! Sorry I'm late, but we had a LOT of glitter to clean up."

"Has Izzy been doing arts and crafts at your house again?" Zipp asked.

"Nope!" Sunny replied. "I've been repeatedly waking up in ponied up mode. Since the battle on Sodor it seems to be happening more often. There's always mountains of glitter as well. Not sure what's causing that."

"I'll take the spare glitter!" Izzy said.

"Don't you already have loads of glitter?" Hitch asked.

"You can never have too much glitter, you silly billy!" Izzy replied.

Sunny spoke next. "Pipp, thanks for getting me the webcam. It makes interacting a lot easier."

"No problem, Sunny!" Pipp smiled. "Think of it as an early Christmas present."

Suddenly, a brass band began to play outside. "It's a bit early to be playing We Wish you a Merry Christmas, isn't it?" Hitch asked.

"Just say that to an employee of a Christmas shop!" Izzy laughed.

"What's a Christmas shop?" Misty asked.

"A shop that sells Christmas goods all year round!" Pipp answered. "There's even an entire town in Alaska which functions as Christmastown year round!"

"This is all very new to me," Misty answered. "Opaline didn't really celebrate Christmas. She was usually too busy plotting."

"Which," Zipp said, "is partly why we're having this call. Sunny, take the lead if you wouldn't mind?"

"Sure thing. Wait. Izzy, why is there a cardboard box in the back of the shot?"

"I was trying to get some Christmas ornaments down and I wasn't quite tall enough."

"Why not ask your parents?" Zipp asked.

"They're busy."

Sunny decided to lighten the mood with some singing. "We wish you a merry Christmas/
We wish you a merry Christmas/
We wish you a merry Christmas-"

"Sunny you're slightly flat," Pipp interrupted, without missing a beat. She produced a harmonica and played a note. "That's a D. You were singing in D Major."

When Sunny looked stunned at how she'd spotted that, Zipp chose to quickly explain. "Pipp has perfect pitch."

"Can we get on?" Hitch asked. "I have a schedule to keep."

So Sunny began. "Well, as you all know Christmas is a rather unfortunate time to be apart, given the season of goodwill and all that. So, I was thinking we could try and get together for the Falmouth Christmas Market. There's a ton of fun stuff to do there!"

Hitch leaned closer. "Sunny, that might not work. Grandma Figgy would like to see me at some point, and I always spend Christmas Day at her home."

"And Porter and I have been asked if we can come back to Bury for the East Lancashire's Christmas Tree Festival!" Izzy added. "I already have an ornament ready to go!"

Pipp then dropped in. "And we have a special event to be involved in. Tell them Zipp!"

"Great Western Royal Carousel Concert, which is in Swanage. Again."

"I thought that was held on a rotating basis between different West Country towns," Hitch asked.

"Normally it is. It was supposed to be happening in Paignton this year, but their concert hall was damaged in a fire and isn't safe to use. This makes Swanage the first town to host the event twice in a row."

"That is one mouthful of a title," Izzy said.

"You should have seen the original draft for the name," Pipp added. "It was totes way too long, amiright?"

"So," Hitch said. "It seems we all have conflicting holiday plans that can't easily be reconciled with one another. It's not as if we can just pop over to our respective towns."

"I know!" Pipp exclaimed. "It's 287 miles from here to Bury!"

"How do you know that?" Izzy asked.

"I just Googled it."

Misty then chimed in. "Who says we have to do all of these things in one day?"

Sunny's eyes widened. "Sorry Misty, what did you say?"

"If we can't all meet on the same day, why not stagger this over several days? The concern isn't for a few days, which gives time to slot in trips to Falmouth and Bury!"

"That's a great idea, Misty!" Pipp said. "Let's get organising!"





"I don't understand why we're doing all this shunting!" Charles grumbled. "As you know, I am an officer, and-"

"Officers don't work," Zipp replied. "But it just so happens that plenty of people want to travel from Swanage to Falmouth to see the Christmas Market this year, so us running this train seemed like a perfect chance to get our goals and their goals resolved at the same time."

Sophie was pushing some coaches into Platform 2. The line had ceased its regular running for the year, and was now mainly operating Santa trains the familiar Wonderlights service. The carriage rake normally used for those had been stabled in the siding, as the morning train wouldn't leave until after the railtour had gone.

"You all look festive!" Alexandra called, as she rolled into the yard.

"So do you!" Sophie called. "The tinsel and lights inside your compartment look fantastic!"

"Suitably festive for tomorrow's passenger runs," the railmotor said.

"Indeed." Robert stuck his head out of the cab. "Looking good, girls! This railtour idea of yours is a good way of seeing the sights."

"It is a lot of work to get ready, though," Zipp admitted through her own cab window. "Just look at all these coaches we need to move!"

"Alexandra can shunt the others into the platform tomorrow. I mean, we'll be working the passenger commuter service anyway as the roads are snowed up. I haven't seen snow like this in a while."

Bellerophon bustled past with some trucks. "Didn't it snow in Africa?" he asked.

Robert nodded. "The mountains of South Africa can get very snowy, but this level of snow is more characteristic of northern Europe. I am used to it- I have been living here for about thirty years." He then checked his watch. "Which reminds me, the wedding anniversary is coming up. Thirty years has just flown by."

Meanwhile, Zipp hopped out and uncoupled the coaches, before returning to the cab and pulling Charles away from the stock. "Good work, guys!" she said. "The railtour is ready to go tomorrow!"

Misty brought Bellerophon to a stop next to them. "Where will I be?"

"In the cab, riding with me," Zipp replied. "No point in you missing out, is there?"

"Thanks!" Misty smiled. "It'll be nice to put my feet up for a bit and let somebody else do the driving."

"A second pair of eyes never hurt."

Alexandra spoke up again. "I'm not sure five coaches are within my design specifications!"