Disclaimer: "The Sentinel" belongs to UPN/Paramount, the Scifi Channel, and Pet Fly Productions. "Hook" belongs to Steven Spielburg, Amblin Entertainment, Tristar Pictures, Terry Brooks, and Ballantine Books (novelization). No copyright infringement is intended and no money has changed hands.
Author's note: An AU crossover between Hook and The Sentinel. And you're all wondering where I got this idea? I was cleaning in preparation for moving and found my copy of the novelization. Reading it, this plotbunny came up and bit me in the ass, and here we are. Take note that some of the things in Neverland don't correspond to the film, but to the book. There are some differences between them, as there usually are when someone novelizes a movie. And some things are just my own invention, such as the scene in the brig, which was in the book, but I've changed it.
Some notes on characterization: I'm making William abusive and Naomi a drug addict. The kids need reasons to leave, and these things are distinct possibilities. To her credit (this isn't even a part of the story), Blair's leaving clues her in, and she gets out of the whole scene, joining Peace Corps and staying with them until her retirement.
Also, I have a little scene with the Indian tribe's Shaman. I gave him a name that sounded good, but it probably doesn't mean what I said it did. I have no way of knowing anything about the Sioux language.
Finally, the story ends with a rewrite of "Seige", so that's why this is also in the "Episode Related" category.
And now, on with the show!
Cascade, WA, 1963...
She left. Five-year-old Jimmy Ellison sat on the rocking chair in the nursery, his arms wrapped tightly around a plush teddy bear, tears streaming down his slightly chubby face. Grace Ellison had left her husband, and that wouldn't have been so bad, except that she had left Jimmy and his little brother, Stevie, behind. Not only had they lost their mother, but their father, William, had never paid attention to his boys, unless it was to hit one of them. They were alone.
Jimmy didn't want to have to stay in this house. It was so big, so empty without the warming presence of his mother to fill the space between the walls, and his father couldn't be trusted not to harm either him or the baby. He stopped his tears with some difficulty so he could think. What could he do? Maybe he should leave like she had. She'd said that she left because William was hitting her as well. No one knew that he'd heard that, of course. No one had ever realized how much he could hear.
But while he didn't have any problem with the concept of leaving, he didn't want to leave his brother here. The baby was capable of walking, but he was too young still for a lot of other things. He would have to pack all of the baby stuff, clothes for the both of them, money for food, maybe a couple of toys. Where could they go, though? Even at such a young age, he knew that it would be hard at best to live outside of a house, to stay on the street.
Jimmy was beginning to have second thoughts, worried that he wouldn't be able to take care of his brother, but he really wanted to leave the house. He didn't think he could handle being there without his mother.
His indecision was starting to frustrate him. Then something caught his attention, a bright light at the window. He looked out, and what he saw was surprising, to say the least. A beautiful woman with red hair stood on the window sill, being no taller than the smallest of his teddy bears. She wore green clothes that seemed to be made from big leaves and she had wings like a firefly sticking out of her back. She was grinning at him. Curious, he said quietly, "Who are you?"
She buzzed her wings, rising into the air, and as she did, a light glowed from her skin. She left a faint trail of golden dust in the air, dust that didn't irritate his nose like the kind of dust that tended to land on furniture. She landed on the arm of the rocking chair, laughing at herself when she slipped and nearly fell off. Jimmy giggled, momentarily forgetting his prior heart searching. She righted herself and stood gracefully, bowing with a straight back to her questioner. She said, "I'm called Tinkerbell. I'm a fairy. Do you know what a fairy is?" Jimmy shook his head. "Good. Neither do I." The boy giggled again.
Their small noise caught the attention of the baby in his crib. Very curious, he stood in the bed, leaning against the safety bars to see what was making his normally stoic brother laugh. Tinkerbell looked at Jimmy and smiled even more, then flew through the bars to meet the smaller child. The baby laughed loudly and said, "Bug!"
A mischievous grimace planted itself on her face. "No. Fairy. Tink. Why do they put you in a cage, kiddo?"
Jimmy answered for Stevie since there was no way the younger boy had understood that question. "It's not a cage. The bars are just there so he doesn't roll out when he's asleep and hit his head on something. I can open it up! Do you want me to?" He didn't know why, but he trusted this strange fairy, trusted her not to harm his brother, and he would rarely even let a nanny deal with him unless his father made an issue of it.
Tink seemed to think about the question, then shook her head. "No. I'll just give him some pixie dust and let him fly out." With that, she flitted around the baby's head, letting that strange dust fall all over him. He giggled, a sure sign that the substance tickled, and started to float in the air!
"Wow! Can I do that?"
"Sure!" The process was repeated. "What do I do?"
The fairy moved 'till she was floating right in front of his face. She said, "Think of a happy thought, then you'll float up!"
As the image of his mother flitted across his mind, he felt himself leave the floor, and suddenly the flight itself became the happiest thought he could think of. This was fun! He could control where he went just by the way he pointed his body, and he zipped around the room for a while, playing tag with Stevie. When they finally settled down, landing on the floor to take a breather.
Suddenly, travel didn't seem so daunting. But where would they go? That question still clouded his thoughts. He turned to the fairy and asked, "Tink, do you know somewhere we could go, somewhere away from this house? Things haven't been the same since Mommy left."
"I know of a place. Only kids can go there, unless you count the pirates, Indians and mermaids, and they're kind of a part of the place."
"Pirates? Where is it?" He didn't want to seem worried about bad guys, but he also didn't want to take Stevie anywhere he would get hurt.
Tink's smile changed a bit, becoming gentle. "It's far away. If you look into the sky, you take the second star to the right and go straight on 'till morning. I could take you with me. I'm headed back tonight."
"Stevie?"
"Stevie too."
Jimmy grinned. "What's this place called?"
"Neverland."
San Francisco, CA, 1974...
Blair Sandburg was a very lonely little boy. His flower-child mother had been swept away into the drug scene after he was born, and that meant that she was rarely around these days without being passed out on the couch or in the bedroom with one of her boy friends. Blair could cook simple things, and clean, and could easily take care of his physical needs, but his only companions were found in books.
Whenever they came to a new city, Blair would make a point of finding out where the library was. His mother, usually sober while traveling, tried to make sure that they always found a pad that was close to the local library so that her son wouldn't have very far to walk, but that was all she would do. He was constantly in the books, finding friends in the characters of stories when he couldn't find any in his life.
This night, the latest boy friend had brought a lot of junk with him, so he and Naomi were crashed, deep in their dreams and completely oblivious to the child who lived in their apartment. He was sitting on the bed in his room, tears falling into the pages of "The Little Mermaid" as he tried to read it. They came from his loneliness. He looked up from the book to stare at the ceiling, softly saying, "Why doesn't Momma love me?"
A sudden breeze blew through the open window, fluttering the curtains and chilling the wetness on the little boy's cheeks. This caused him to look up and he saw a beautiful woman, no taller than a gin glass, standing on the window sill. She had short red hair, an elfin face full of mischief, green clothes and shoes, and most strangely, two sets of gossamer wings, like those of a dragonfly. A soft glow seemed to come from her at even the slightest twitch of the wings, a glow that became far more pronounced when she flew to the bed to land beside him.
Blair recognized what she was, of course. With books having been his only friends for a very long time, he knew what a fairy was, but there were so many stories out there about fairies, he had no way of knowing which of these molds she fit. So he asked her, "Who are you?"
She stood straight, one arm in front of her and one behind, bowing quickly at the waist, and said, "The name's Tinkerbell. You can call me Tink."
Blair's jaw dropped. "Tinkerbell?! From Neverland?"
The fairy grinned. "It's good to be famous! Although, whoever wrote the book decided to kill me at the end of the story. At least I don't have people asking me why I'm not dead. That would really be annoying."
Blair grinned and nodded. "I bet. So how come you're here? And where's Peter Pan?"
A frown crossed her face. "Peter left. He finally decided to grow up."
Blair was shocked. "Why?"
Tink shrugged. "Some girl. She was in Wendy's nursery. He kissed her for real instead of giving her a thimble for a kiss, and then he forgot about Neverland."
Blair could tell that this had made her very sad, but he didn't think it was possible for a fairy to be sad for very long. She just needed an excuse to be happy again. So he changed the subject. "Do you think I could go to Neverland? Mommy's boyfriends are always telling me to get lost. Maybe I should. That way, Mommy won't have to worry about me getting in the way."
Sadness still lingered in Tink's eyes, but she smiled. "Of course! What's your name?"
Surprised at his own rudeness, Blair blushed, but he answered quickly. "Oh! I'm Blair!"
"Well, Blair, do you have a happy thought? Can you think of something that will make you laugh and let you fly?"
Blair thought of all the friends he could make in Neverland. Even if Peter Pan was no longer there, it would still be a blast! As he was thinking, Tink flew over his head, kicking fairy dust off her slippers and into his curly hair. He rose off the floor, happily zooming around the room as he gained control of his flight.
His laughter at the strange sensation threatened to wake those in the bedroom behind the locked door, so he stifled it and landed. He packed the few books he actually owned, his blank notebook, some clothes and his African beaded bracelet in his backpack, grabbed an apple for the trip, and took to the air. He turned to face his liberator and grinned. "Let's go then!"
Second star to the right...
The trip was the strangest he had ever taken, but it was also the best, and the knowledge that once he arrived he would never have to leave again made it even better. He actually slept for a little while in the middle of the flight, waking up to find himself still in the void between the stars. Knowing something of the way the world was supposed to work, he wondered how he could be in space and still be breathing. It must be magic.
They flew among the stars, diamond lamps that lit the sky roads at night, and among the planets as they wheeled along those roads. They were chased by a tiny pegasus colt and a towering centaur hunter. They skipped across the milk in the Big Dipper and took a drink of it.
Finally, after they'd had their fun and morning began to aproach them, the diamond-studded blackness lightened into the shimmering gold of a vast ocean at sunrise. Tink led her charge over the whole face of the island, and he saw wonders he'd never dreamed of. There were three moons in the sky and jungles of strange trees on the ground, with grassy plains to the east and five towering mountians to the north. He spotted an Indian camp, something he automatically identified as belonging to one of the North American Plains tribes, but didn't have enough information yet in his overactive brain to more precisely pinpoint. The jungles cried out to him of adventures waiting to be had, like the call of a wolf cub echoing happily from the rocky crags along the shores of the island.
They passed over three separate lagoons on their pass over the island. The first was full of shimmering, scale-clad mermaids, who waved at him as he flew past. They made Blair nervous, so they didn't stay long there.
The second was bustling with the daily debauchery of a slew of pirates, the hardy-but-stupid crew of the infamous Jolly Roger, and their busty female companions. The ship herself was a scrupulously maintained vessel straight out of the eighteenth century. She had not been allowed to fall to pieces during her long life in the salty harbor, the iron hand of her captain ensuring that her crew would keep her safe from the elements.
As he flew silently over the ship, he caught a glimpse of the man who he knew would soon become his enemy. Captain James Hook stared at the boy, who paused briefly to stare back. Tink saw the exchange and watched Hook carefully, knowing the man could play dirty when it suited him, despite all his lip service to "good form."
Sensing the pixie's tension, Blair saluted the Captain and turned away. As the salute had been perfect in the American way, Hook acknowledged the sentiment and didn't blow the boy away with the flintlock pistol at his side. He imagined they would meet in battle soon enough anyway. No need to spoil the fun early.
The third lagoon was wider than the other two, and deeper. They flew across its expanse toward a tree on a cliff that overlooked the water. The wooden giant spread its branches wide, wider than any tree Blair had ever seen before. The wind blew through the foliage, whispering fairy greetings at him as he approached. They said, "Welcome to the Nevertree."
He followed Tinkerbell into the boughs of the great tree and landed lightly in a place which seemed to be on the inside of the trunk. It was full of strange and wonderful things that boys of any age might have fun with. It even had all four seasons in various places.
Finally Blair landed in the center of the tree, a basketball court-cum-skateboard park. Tink flew off for a moment, and returned with three boys, all appearing to be about twelve years old. The first was a boy with tan skin and dark hair that he'd spiked up and colored bright red through the center. He wore ripped jeans and a black leather shirt with red and black fringe. He had a stern face, but didn't appear to actually be mean. The next boy was dark-skinned and round, with a beanie beret on his head and a jolly expression of welcome. The last of the three was fair-skinned and dark-haired. His expression was quiet, but welcoming, his pale blue eyes a stark contrast to those of the other two. He wore a camouflage shirt and well-worn black jeans with holes across the thighs and the knees. Having had some bad experiences with older kids, Blair was a bit wary, but his worry was quickly dispelled.
The first boy, who had a golden sword resting in a loop in his belt, smiled and extended his hand to Blair. "Welcome to Neverland, little man. I'm Rufio. The Pan left me in charge when he left. These two are Thud Butt and Lookout."
Blair shook Rufio's hand and said, "I'm Blair." The older boy's grip was firm, hinting at whipcord strength in his youthful muscles.
"Well, Blair, you plannin' to join us, man?"
The curly haired boy grinned up at the Acting Captain of the Lost Boys. "Yep!"
"Good! A few rules. You have to obey orders. In any game that has rules, there's no cheating allowed. No one goes to the pirate town alone. And you have to have fun every day. Think you can do all that?" At the solemn nod, Rufio grinned. "All right! Lookout!"
The blue-eyed boy looked at his captain. "Yes, sir?"
"I hate it when you call me that! Show Blair around and show him how things work. Tink, I need you to help me plan the next raid." Then Rufio turned away, the shimmering pixie flitting along behind him.
Blair looked up at the fair-skinned boy who had been assigned to him. "What do I do?"
"Follow me, kid. I'll show you around. Things here don't work unless you use your imagination. Like at dinner, we play like the food is there, so it is."
"Wow!" Talk about it being the thought that counts! This place was taking that old phrase to a whole new level. "So I just pretend that I have an apple and I'll really have one?"
Lookout grinned at the smaller boy. "Yep."
"But why haven't you guys beaten Hook yet then?"
Lookout nodded. This one was smarter than the average kid that came to Neverland. "Good question. We don't really know, but we think it's because he's a grownup. He can't use his imagination as well as we can, so imaginary things don't work as well on him. And he's smart. He's always able to figure out what we're going to do. Probably the only reason he hasn't beaten us is that the rest of the pirates are really stupid. They follow his orders, sure, but they don't understand 'em so they make mistakes."
Blair nodded. That made sense. "So why do they call you Lookout?"
"I can see better than anyone else. Come on. I'll introduce you to my brother, Stomper. He's in Wendy's old book room."
Intrigued by the thought of looking through all the books that the honorary mother of the Lost Boys might have left behind, Blair was successfully distracted from wondering why Lookout had given him such a short answer. Lookout, like other Lost Boys, didn't remember the events that had led him to become one, but that didn't keep the legacy of his father's insensitivity from coloring his responses. He didn't let anyone know that his other four senses were also stronger than those of others. One strong sense might be regarded as a fluke, and a useful one at that, but all five? They'd think he was a freak!
The room was stacked from floor to ceiling with books. All hard bound, some even leather bound, but covered in dust from disuse. How long had Wendy been gone, leaving no one to care for the marvelous collection? The only thing in the room that wasn't similarly dusty was the big patchwork armchair. Plush and well worn, it had been a place for Lost Boys to go whenever they were feeling the need for someone to love them like a mother. It was almost as if a part of Wendy had been left behind in this room, the part that was a little girl who loved to play mother to those who had none.
Stomper sat in the chair, curled up in a little ball, asleep. No sadness had driven him here, only a vague longing that he couldn't explain. It was in all the Boys, that wanting of a mother, but it was rarely recognized, and heeded even less. Those who decided it was too much would usually leave Neverland and return to Earth to grow up. For the rest, Wendy's spirit in the dust and the chair were enough, and they would sit and absorb for a while, and then go back out to play. "Stomper?"
The blonde-headed boy woke up slowly, but once he was awake, he looked with interest on the newcomer. "Hi! Who's the new guy?"
Lookout said, "This is Blair. He's just joined us, so I was going to show him around a bit. You want to go with us?"
"Sure!"
The three boys spent the rest of the day traveling all over the island, just to give Blair an idea of where everything was. He got to see the fairies' home forests and watch Neverbirds cavorting in one of the several fixed rainbows that hid out on the island, changing colors as they hit different bands of color. He saw living creatures that had died out millennia ago on Earth, and things that had never set foot there. Cliffs and plains, lakes and rivers, and the shores of the vast and endless ocean in which Neverland floated all crossed his path.
Soon, though, he grew tired and they returned to the Nevertree, the huge being that cared for all the Lost Boys as the mothers they never remembered. A new hollow had appeared in it while they were gone, one that held his back pack and a couple of things he'd been sure he'd forgotten to bring with him, but he didn't question that they were there. He was beginning to realize that the rules were so different here that his prior knowledge was now useless. He fell asleep dreaming of a wolf cub curled up in that chair in Wendy's library.
Though time has no meaning in Neverland, it still passes, as it does everywhere else. Blair was fascinated by the literary treasure that Wendy, and later Jane, had left to the Lost Boys. With no one to read them, they had fallen into disrepair, but Blair was patient, and since books were his best friends on Earth, he gradually cleaned and repaired first the books, and then the library. Soon enough, his name was changed to Books for his obsession.
Not that he spent all his time there. He went out on expeditions and raids just like everyone else. He became fast friends with Lookout and Stomper, and he went with them every time. He never participated in raids against the Indians, even making friends with the village chieftain and their Shaman, leading to Lookout nickname him "Chief," but he had no compunction about hitting the pirates with every ingenious thing he could think of. Hook came to hate Rufio, Lookout and Books equally, Ruffio because he lead Pan's men with the same ease and surety that Peter himself had done, Lookout because he could spring any trap Hook set and he could tell in an instant if someone was lying to him, and Books because he was extraordinarily resourceful and inventive when it came to tormenting pirates, as well as in escaping them.
Once, Books was captured during a raid and thrown into the brig with several others. He not only picked the lock and got out before Rufio and Lookout could mount a rescue operation, but he wasn't content just to leave the ship with his life and be grateful. In retribution, he raided the Captain's own private library. There weren't any works of fiction in the small cabin, but there were several books from the Regency period on travel and destinations, as well as a few written by explorers, and it was these that he took, piling them all into a sack and, with some difficulty at the great weight, got off the ship with. He met up with Lookout and the others just as they were about to come in after him and strutted past them all with his burden, grinning from ear to ear. Lookout stared at him for a little while, then grinned back and said, "Only you would raid the library instead of the treasury."
Books had not missed Lookout's abilities, being a keen natural observer. He knew that the older boy could often see, hear or smell things that the others couldn't. He never ate any of the food from the other boys imaginations at the dinner table, not being able to stand the taste of it, and sometimes he would get lost, just zone out for no apparent reason until someone bumped into him or whacked him on the side of the head, though only Books and Stomper ever got away with that. He'd even rounded on Rufio for knocking him out of it like that.
It had gotten to the point where Books could talk Lookout back from one of these spells, even though no one else could. He could hear Books better than anyone else, and he'd respond to his voice faster than anything. The two grew close, and soon enough, it was like there were three brothers rather than two.
That night, after the celebration of his magnificent raid on Hook, he read through several of the books he'd nicked. The last one, though, drew his attention like no other ever had. It was an original monograph, full of photos and hand written accounts of the author's experiences. It was titled "The Sentinels of Paraguay," and it had been written by someone named Richard Burton. His descriptions of the Sentinels he'd met in South America seemed to fit Lookout to a tee, including the way that he was so protective of all the Lost Boys.
Lookout found Books the next morning, still in the library, curled up in the big chair, his arms still wrapped around the monograph. "Books!" The boy squirmed, but he didn't wake. Lookout snorted. It almost took an earthquake sometimes to wake Books up in the morning. "Come on, Chief. It's time to wake up. Rufio's got plans for us this morning. He's planning to hit the Jolly Roger at first light tomorrow and we need to go over the strategy." Still, he didn't wake.
Deciding that desperate times called for desperate measures, Lookout pried the book out of the younger boy's fingers, set it aside, then emptied his water flask out on his head. Sputtering and coughing, Books came instantly awake, and he came out swinging. Luckily, Lookout had done this before and expected the blow, ducking out of the way with ease. "Lookout, one of these days, I'm going to figure out how to get back at you! I'll figure out how to do it so you won't know I'm coming!"
Secure in the knowledge that his senses would make that impossible, Lookout said, "Yeah, yeah. Come on, Books. We're late."
The meeting was well into the middle when Tinkerbell suddenly burst in, shouting loudly. "The croc's dead! Hook killed her!"
The uproar lasted only a few minutes. Rufio silenced them. "So what? She likes the taste of Lost Boys just as much as she likes pirates. If Hook's got rid of her, that's just one less thing trying to kill us!"
Most of the boys were in agreement, and the meeting went on as planned. But Books was worried. He didn't like the sound of Hook winning over any of his old foes. It didn't bode well for any of the creatures in Neverland. The Indian tribe was very good at protecting their part of the land, and they'd been known to do some very nasty things to pirates who were caught in their territory. The mermaids were often responsible for any decay or destruction of the hull of the Jolly Roger. The fairies could be blamed for any number of equipment malfunctions, not to mention missing components and weaponry. The little things were much stronger than they looked, and they could cause a lot of mischief. If Hook started winning battles, then all of Neverland was in danger.
After the raid, Books took Lookout aside and showed him the book he'd nicked from Hook's library. "I think you're one of these Sentinels. Your senses are all really strong, and you're very protective of all the Lost Boys, no matter how big they are, but you're still a loner. That's just like the people in this book."
Lookout bristled. "I don't want to be a freak!" He was scared. He'd never wanted anyone knowing about his curse.
"Whoa, no one said you were a freak! Listen, if Hook starts winning his battles, we're all going to be in a lot of trouble. The croc was just one more thing to throw Hook off balance. Without her pestering him constantly, he'll be able to focus, and just where do you think he's going to put that focus?" He waited for an answer, but Lookout was stubbornly silent. "We're going to need every advantage, and that's exactly what your senses are. Think about it, man! You can do things that no one else can! You can know things about Hook without ever having to get close enough to him that he could shoot you. You could stand on a tree branch along the coast of the lagoon and listen to him make plans. You can do so much to make sure that we survive, but you still have to worry about those times when you get lost in your senses.
"The book talks about that. It happened to these other people, too, when they would focus so hard on one sense that all the others were blocked out. You don't know anything but what's going on with that one sense, kind of like you're zoned out or something. But I think I can help you get around all of that, help you to focus on more than one thing at a time so you don't get lost."
Lookout stared at his young friend. "Why would you want to do that for me?"
"Come on, man! We've been friends ever since I came here. How could I not help you?"
Lookout knew a lie when he heard one. When someone was telling a lie, their heart beat would speed up and they'd start to breathe just a little faster. He knew that Books wasn't lying. He sighed and sat down. "I'm sorry I said that. I'm just not used to anyone caring the way you do. The only other one I know of was Wendy, and I never got to meet her. I think I did know someone once that cared, but I can't remember." Vague images of a woman singing to him and his brother flitted across his consciousness, but nothing stuck. Neverland was like that. It didn't want you to remember.
Neverland had never affected Books the way it should have. He figured that Lookout was probably talking about his mother, but he knew better than to bring that up. No one really liked hearing about it.
Lookout thought for a moment. He knew that Books was right. He knew that the senses could be very advantageous, but only if he could learn how to use them. He looked up into the younger boy's eyes. "So what do we do?"
Books grinned, and briefly Lookout wondered what he had gotten himself into, but after that he was swept into a maelstrom of games and tests that Books seemed to come up with on the fly. Before long, he had worked out a lot of things to help out the burgeoning Sentinel, including a bouquet of colored flowers to control the amount he was sensing. He could open or close the blossoms in his mind to increase or decrease the intensity of the sensations. He also learned from his friend how to concentrate on two senses at once to keep from zoning and how to use his ears or his nose to find something for his eyes. Books called that piggybacking, because one sense carried the other.
Once, they took a trip to the Indian territory. The Sioux band had, once upon a time, been the masters of a stretch of land in Minnesota, but a strange storm had caused them to find themselves in this land that never changed, faced with strange creatures, pirates and Lost Boys. The Shaman, who was named Inotahe, or He Who Waits, told both boys that the time would come when they would have to return to the adult world and become a part of it. Lookout hadn't wanted to believe him, but the old Indian had assured him that, while he spoke the truth, that time was not yet, and he relaxed. Inotahe had given them all he knew about Guardians and Companions and had introduced them to their spirit guides. Books thought it was strange that the black jaguar and the wolf were both cubs. Inotahe said that they would not mature until they were needed. When they saw the adult animals, they would know it was time to return to Earth, time to grow up.
Things settled into a routine after a while, a haphazard routine of play, food, and pirates. Lookout had blossomed under Books' tutelage. Books had roped Stomper into helping out with a lot of the tests and games, and they were very good friends. Sometimes, when there was nothing going on, Books and Stomper would just take off on their own adventure. And sometimes, when Books was living up to his name and working his way through Wendy's library again, Lookout and Stomper would go off together. Other times the three were inseparable, the two brothers accepting a third into their family. Eventually, all but Books forgot that he wasn't really their brother, and even he recognized that they were so close that it didn't matter.
And then news came that Hook had gone back to Earth. No one knew why, and it made everyone nervous and wary. Lookout, Stomper and Books were sent out to find out what was going on, and so they were there, hiding on the Jolly Roger, when Hook returned with two children. Peter Pan's children.
Lookout sneaked silently toward the hold where they were being kept in a net. Books and Stomper were watching Lookout. Neither saw the trap.
Lookout prowled around the brig cell like the cat that was his spirit guide. The three brothers had been captured only days before.
"Lookout, would you stop pacing? You're driving me crazy."
"Sorry."
"This isn't your fault, you know."
"Yes it is! If I'd actually been paying attention to these damned senses-"
"It is NOT your fault! If you don't stop blaming yourself and start blaming the pirates, I'm gonna kick your butt!"
Stomper giggled and Lookout glared at him, but then he smiled. "Fine."
Just then, there was a commotion out side the brig. Someone was yelling and just kept yelling as they were brought back to the cells. A pirate appeared at the cell door, opened it and thrust someone else into the cell with them. "Now get in there and shut up!"
The brothers were astonished to see that it was a little girl! Girls were so rare in Neverland. This was only the third one they'd ever known of. She had to be one of Peter's kids. She caught her balance and went back to the cell door as it was locked. "You let me out of here, you creepy pirate! Jack! Help me Jack!" After a while, she got tired of screaming and turned around, sinking to the floor and crying.
Books walked up beside her. "Hey, you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
The pretty little blonde-headed girl shook her head. "No. But Captain Hook is trying to make my brother hate Mommy and Daddy. If he hates them he'll forget, 'cause Neverland makes you forget!"
Books smiled at her. "Not everyone forgets. What's your name?"
"Maggie Banning. My brother's Jack."
Banning. Had Hook somehow made a mistake? Were these the wrong kids? "How did you get here? Neverland, I mean."
Maggie sniffed and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her nightgown. "Hook kidnapped us out of our beds. He says he wants Daddy to fight him, but Daddy can't do it! I know he can't. He's just plain old Peter Banning."
Peter. A grown man with children, but Hook wanted to fight him. Books looked up abruptly at his Sentinel. Could it be? Could Peter Pan have returned to Neverland thanks to Hook's meddling?
Lookout just shrugged. He supposed it was possible. He'd only known the captain of the Lost Boys for a short time before he'd gone to Earth and never come back. Had it been long enough for this man, this Peter Banning, to be the boy he'd known?
Two days later, they had their answer when the Lost Boys boarded the Jolly Roger and the sounds of battle reached even below the decks and into the brig. Of course, Lookout had been listening to them the whole time anyway, but everyone below deck could hear it.
Maggie Banning had become fast friends with the three brothers. Lookout was feeling very protective toward her, almost as bad as he got with Books and Stomper. So when the cage door was left open, and the battle spilled below, Lookout stood in front of her, ready to protect her with nothing but his fists if it came to it, though he would have given anything to have a sword in his hands at that point.
One of the pirates went for the cage, though what he hoped to gain from it, Lookout couldn't figure out. But before Lookout had a chance to pummel the brute, a familiar (if taller and older) figure in green came flying down the stairwell, following Maggie's voice. The pirate turned and drew his sword, doing his best to take the other man out.
The look on Maggie's face was priceless. "Peter Pan's my - my Dad?" First surprised confusion sprouted, but it grew into delight within a second. "Cool!"
Books chuckled. "Bangarang!"
Pan and the pirate fought for less than a minute before the one had the other pinned against the wall with a statue. The danger over for the moment, he spun around and swept his little girl into his arms. "Maggie!" There were tears in the man's eyes. He whispered "I will never loose you again!" He whispered, but Lookout heard him all the same.
Lookout crossed his arms and leaned up against the wooden side of the cell. It really was him. It was in the eyes. You couldn't change the eyes, you could only age them. "So, you grew up. How is it?"
Pan looked up at him. Lookout. I remember. You couldn't fool this one's senses, and nothing was too far away for him to see it. Bet Tink was wishing he was around while she was trying to convince everyone of who I really was. Including me. He smirked, the boy in him shining through his adult exterior. "Could have been better if I wasn't so stupid about it. Won't be making that mistake again."
"Good. 'Cause Pan or no Pan, you hurt this one and I'll come after you, no matter how far I have to fly."
Peter grinned at him. "Thanks. I need you boys to keep her safe for me. I've got to get Jack."
Lookout nodded. "Understood, sir."
Peter grimaced. "I hate it when you call me that!"
They all exited the brig level of the ship and ran or flew up deck until they reached the main deck. Peter went straight for Hook, who was currently hip deep in battle with Rufio, while Lookout, Books and Stomper concentrated on getting Maggie out of harm's way.
None of them were prepared when Rufio's sword was ripped out of his hands by the claw of his opponent and the Captain's foil was plunged deep into his chest. Lookout zoned instantly on the flow of blood that was streaming from his leader's chest. Books and Peter screamed at the same time. Maggie, Jack, Stomper, and most of the other Lost Boys on the ship froze with disbelief.
Peter held Rufio as he died, then looked like he would have taken vengeance for the boy's death, but Jack stopped him. "I want to go home, Dad."
Books waited for Peter to get Maggie before starting to work on Lookout, tears streaming from his eyes. The young Sentinel took longer than ever to coax out of his zone, and as he came out of it, he was crying. This happened just in time to hear Hook shouting that he would never leave Peter's family alone if he didn't continue the fight. Books asked Lookout, "What do you think he'll do?"
Lookout shook his head. "The only thing he can do."
The fight ended well, of course. Despite Hook's age and experience, and the fact that before this whole affair had happened to reawaken his memories he hadn't picked up a sword in fifteen years, he was a natural swordsman, and the magic of Neverland helped to bring his old instincts to the fore. And when Hook tried to cheat, Tink was there to lend a helping hand. Even then, Peter would have let the bastard live, but he sealed his own fate when he plunged his hook into the magically living carcass of the gigantic crocodile. She didn't appreciate being used so, and remembered the taste of the hand she'd eaten so long ago with fondness. Whenever children read, it shall say, "Thus perished Captain Hook."
Lookout watched fondly as Maggie got her first taste of pixie dust. He would miss her. Somehow he knew that he would not forget the kind girl who had spent two days in the brig with them telling stories. No one really forgot Wendy who had known her, and he supposed that Wendy's great grandaughter would have the same effect on them.
Books and Lookout stood back when Peter passed on the Pan sword to Thud Butt, neither of them having any wish to lead. But as Peter turned to leave, Lookout walked to the front. "You'll remember, won't you? You'll remember not to hurt her? Because I mean what I say, Peter Pan."
Peter grinned at him. "Good!" Then he took off for Earth once again, this time for good, and with the intent to take better care of his small family.
The Lost Boys moved on, not forgetting completely what had happened, but letting it slip into the backs of their minds and continuing to play as they always had. Neverland softened the blows they had recieved over the past week and letting them fade like bruises.
But it didn't go as smoothly for Sentinel or Guide. Books had never been able to forget like the others, and Lookout's Sentinel instincts were causing him to dwell on the death of Rufio rather than letting him go.
They buried Rufio's body just above the high-water mark down by the lagoon, leaving a marker of stones piled on top as a reminder to anyone who cared to remember. Graves were a rare thing in Neverland, but both of them believed that Rufio deserved to not be forgotten.
As the last stone was laid, they looked into the fading sunset over the water of the vast ocean, both caught up in their own memories. It was unnatural, for Neverland.
The Shaman, Inotahe, found them that way, walking along the beach. Their Spirit Guides followed him, and they were not as young as they used to be. Not fully adult, but having that vaguely unfinished look of an adolescent creature.
Books looked at them, then asked the Shaman, "Is this what growing up means? Losing people?"
The Shaman shook his head. "No, young one. It means remembering what you have lost, feeling it more accutely, caring more that you have lost at all."
Lookout's expression didn't change, as he'd put up a mask even before Peter had left. "Then it's starting."
Inotahe nodded. "Yes. Neverland cannot hold Sentinel and Guide as it can other boys. You two have a greater purpose, and it cannot be fulfilled here. Your place is on Earth. You will always fight pirates, but they will be different kinds of pirates, evils that prey upon the innocent and the weak. You are meant to protect."
"Why can't we protect the Lost Boys as we always have?"
"Because they do not need it as much. Neverland herself protects them by not letting them remember. There are those children who do not have that luxury, who are forced to grow up despite the fact that they are still too young. You would not believe how many children in the great cities could not fly if a fairy presented themself to them. It is they who need you most of all."
Books cocked his head at the Shaman. "The ones who didn't have the chance to come here?"
"Exactly."
They were silent for a time, taking in the view of the endless sea. As they watched the distant waves, a mermaid leaped above them and dove back in, her green scales glittering in the dimming twilight before being once again obscured by the shifting waters. Lookout said, "When?"
"When you no longer have a choice." With that, the old Shaman left the beach, but the two spirits stayed with their human counterparts, protecting them as sleep took them and they curled around each other in a comforting fraternal embrace.
Great Ormand Street Hospital, Wendy Darling Foundling Wing, 1996...
Simon Banks was so turned around, he thought his head would pop off from the spinning. He was here with his wife and son to visit one of Joan's relatives who had fallen ill. He had gone with Daryl to try and find the cafeteria, and now they were hopelessly lost.
Predictably, Daryl spoke his mind on the matter. "Dad, this is lame! I don't see why I had to be here in the first place."
"Because I wasn't about to leave a fourteen-year-old kid alone in an apartment for two weeks while I was in another country. Now, could you at least try and help me find the way back?"
Daryl turned around, his face stubborn. He would have spoken again, but he was interupted by a candystriper with wavy blonde hair. "Pardon me, but can I help you?"
Simon said, "Yes, we got lost trying to get back to the third floor."
"That's all right. You need to go down this hall to the stairwell. That'll lead you right there."
Simon smiled and thanked her, then turned to go.
Suddenly there was a crash. All three turned to the noise and found two boys collapsed on the floor. Simon and the candystriper acted quickly, rushing to check on them. They were dressed in worn and tattered clothing that seemed to be a mixture of bamboo and cloth. The bamboo formed a kind of armor, but it was obvious that it had been ineffective, for one of the boys was bleeding profusely from a wound in his gut.
Several things happened at once. The candystriper called for a stretcher, the hospital president came out of the elevator, and the boy who was not wounded stood and drew a cutlass from its sheath at his belt, standing protectively in front of his friend. Simon stepped back. "Easy, kid. We're not going to hurt you."
The boy turned piercingly blue eyes onto the big black police captain. "I don't know you. Where's Pan?"
The president came forward. "I'm here." Simon looked at the man. He was perhaps fifty years old, with bright blue eyes that belied that age.
The boy on the ground groaned and the other one was distracted. Simon moved to disarm him, but the hospital business man moved in front of him. "Sir?"
"Don't worry. I know him. Lookout, what happened?"
"Hook came back. Something went wrong with him. He went absolutely crazy and attacked the Nevertree with only a handful of men. We have three dead and twenty wounded. Thud was too hurt to come, and Tink lost a wing. She had to dust us and give directions."
"Books?"
"I couldn't leave him behind, sir." Lookout's voice was full of pain. "Hook ran him through, but he managed to get off to the side."
"Lookout, this is a hospital. The grownups here are trained to help the injured. They can help Books, but not if you won't let them near him."
Lookout seemed torn between staying beside his friend and getting him help. But he seemed to trust the older man, and he stepped back, sheathing his blade as he went. The staff moved in quickly and rolled the injured youth onto a stretcher and then picked him up and ran for the ER. Lookout moved to follow, but President Banning stopped him. "They need room to work. And I need to know what happened. A little slower this time."
Lookout took a deep breath to steady his voice and told his story in full detail. "Somehow, Hook survived that crocodile. Most of the pirates have scattered themselves over the island, but there were a couple hanging around the ship. It's nearly been destroyed by the sea without him there to keep the men in line. Anyway, he gathered up everyone who was left, made them work for three days cleaning swords and guns and pouring new amunition for the flintlocks, then he hit the Nevertree head on. He's in a rage, absolutely mad to kill you, completely at a loss for reason. He lost all twelve men, and still he attacked us. He only left when I grabbed a loaded flintlock and got a shot off. He's wounded, but I think he'll be back." Lookout hung his head. "I want to kill him, Pan. I want it so bad I can taste it. What does that make me?" As he said it, his voice broke.
Peter stared at him. "Your voice is changing."
Lookout nodded. "It started just as we left. I could barely get into the air, Peter." He snorted. "Need isn't as strong as happiness, but it'll do in a pinch."
Simon and Daryl had listened to the entire story, as had the candystriper. Daryl knew what they were talking about. "Since when did Peter Pan grow up?"
Peter smiled at him briefely. "Since the sixties. Do you believe?" After all, one wrong turn of phrase could cause the death of a fairy, and belief was necessary.
Daryl shrugged. "I never really thought about it. But I think I could. I sure won't say any different. I know what the stories say would happen."
Peter nodded. "Good enough." He turned back to Lookout. "Did you bring enough pixie dust back for four?"
"More than that." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a diminutive woman. "I brought Tink. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you, but she can find you anywhere."
Simon just shook his head in disbelief. Daryl looked up at him and said, "I know you don't believe in them, Dad, but please don't say it. You remember the story, don't you?"
The big cop nodded. "I understand." He looked at the fairy. "You're wounded." Indeed, there was blood running down her back.
Lookout growled, "Hook pulled off one of her wings. He kept yelling at her to tell him where Peter was, but he wouldn't accept that he was back on Earth. Finally he just ripped."
Peter frowned. "He's never been like that before. He's always been calculating, except where it came to me."
Tink spoke for the first time. "He's not rational anymore, Peter."
The candy striper came foreward with a small Band-aide. "This should cover the wound. You can't just bleed on Earth and not suffer the consequences. Neverland is a bit more forgiving." Tink smiled weakly and nodded.
Peter said, "Thanks, Maggie."
Lookout looked up a the girl with new eyes. "Maggie? Peter's daughter?"
She nodded. "Hi. I'm surprised you remember me."
"You grew up." The boy sounded like he wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"Yeah. Dad, I want to help. I'm as good with a sword as you are now."
"Maggie—"
"They helped me, Daddy. I want to help them. And I'm good. You know that."
Peter said, "I know. You're just as good as Hook, maybe better. But he's insane. There's no way to know what he'll do."
Daryl said to Simon, "Don't you have those Kevlar vests in the trunk?"
Simon nodded. "Yeah. Ever since the Ferryboat bombings back home, I don't go anywhere without at least four of them. Garrett Kincaid has it out for Cascade PD, and I plan to be prepared for him." "Well, could we loan them to these guys? If they're going to stop modern bullets, they won't have any problem stopping something these pirates would have."
Thoughtfully, Simon nodded, "Good idea, Daryl." He turned to Banning. "Sir, I'm a cop from the states. I've got four vests in my trunk if you need them."
Peter grinned at him. "Thanks. All right, Maggie. You can go if you're in armor."
Lookout said, "What about Jack?"
Peter shook his head, his face slightly saddened at the mention of his son. "No. He's seventeen and he forgot a long time ago. He wouldn't know what to do with a sword if you put one in his hand. He's decided to become a doctor."
Maggie smiled sadly at him. "He wants to work with you, Dad."
"I know. I just hoped that he would be able to remember."
Daryl said, "Dad, give me the keys. I'll get the vests for them. You should get back to Mom."
"And why are you going? What am I supposed to tell your mother?" Suspicion was plain in his voice.
Daryl said, "Just tell her I'm in the bathroom. By the time I get back, I can just tell her I got lost again and she'll be none the wiser."
"All right. Here's the keys." He reached into his pocket and took out the keys to his rental car. As he handed them to Daryl, he said, "Don't take too long."
"I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
So Daryl led Peter, Maggie, Lookout and Tinkerbell to his dad's rental and popped the trunk. As he took out the vests, he said, "I want to come with you."
Peter frowned at him. "That's not what you told your Dad."
"I know. He'd never let me come if I told him. He wouldn't have a problem with me helping people, but he'd have a big problem with me going anywhere he knew that there were bullets flying. He doesn't want me to be a cop." But there was nothing Daryl wanted more than to follow in his father's footsteps, and the man's stubbornness frustrated him.
Wanting to lighten his spirits, Maggie grinned. "You are so grounded!"
