"Panel HB 287 is secure. Panel HB 288 is secure."
Tink lazily typed in the information as it was dictated to her. They had replaced the fallen panel from the sky arch, and now they were checking all the other thousands of panels to make sure they were functioning properly. Peter, Nibs, and Curly were flying to each section of the arch and testing out the panels, and Tink's fairy avatar was hovering next to them so she could record their progress. It was supremely boring. This was the third day they'd been doing it, and they still weren't even halfway through. Tink was pretty sure she was going to fall asleep soon.
"Panel JN 642 is secure."
Nibs' dull voice punctuated Tink's wandering thoughts every 40 seconds. Through all these hours of monotony, the only entertaining thing Tink had been able to do was to periodically pinch Curly in the arms or legs. He kept swatting at himself and making comments about pesky insects while the other boys gave him confused looks.
It had also been a good time to study Curly without him really knowing. Nobody knew that Tink's avatar actually had vision sensors in the back of the head as well as the front, so she could look at someone when she was facing away from them. She had never really paid much attention to Curly, but after his recent intrusion on her personal space she had been far more observant of him. She had picked up on all of his habits and ticks, the way he rubbed his neck when he was frustrated and snapped his fingers when he was bored. She had also extensively appraised his appearance. She took in his black, curly hair and the warm brown eyes eyes set in his oval face. When he had first come to Neverland several years ago, he had been rather chubby, but since then he had grown taller and his bulk seemed to have been redistributed to his chest and shoulders. With some reluctance she had finally acknowledged that he was very attractive, she just hadn't noticed before because she was so enamored with Peter.
She switched her vision sensors to Peter and sighed. Curly may be attractive, but Peter was gorgeous. He had that wavy brown hair and those bright green eyes and that smile that melted her resolve. And while Curly was perhaps a little too muscular, Peter was just the right amount. He was lean and quick and clever and wonderful and completely out of reach.
Tink frowned as she considered that hussy Peter had brought into Neverland and who just kept coming back. If only he hadn't met her, if only that Wendy girl wasn't in the picture, then maybe...
"Stop it," Tink muttered to herself. "Peter knows how you feel, you laid it all out in front of him, and he rejected you. You spent years flirting with him, and nothing came of it. Maybe if you had long, ratty hair, or a pointy nose, or freakishly long legs, or no personality, he would love you. But you don't. And he doesn't. So stop thinking things could be different."
"Tink, did you say something?" Peter asked.
Tink gasped. She was usually really good at turning off her microphone when she was talking to herself, but not this time.
"Ah, no. I was just checking the stats on the Weather Tree," Tink lied. She studied Peter's face. It didn't seem like he had heard her, but she wasn't so sure about Curly, whose expression was unreadable.
Several seconds of silence passed as they inspected the next panel. Then Nibs spoke again.
"Panel LW 319 is-"
"Let me guess," Tink interrupted, "secure?"
"Wow, Tink, How did you know?" Curly joked.
"I have a sixth sense for these things," she quipped back. Tink smiled, but the next second she realized she was sharing a pleasant moment with Curly and abruptly changed her tone.
"Get on with it, Curly!" She yelled. "You're slowing us down! I'd like to get this section finished before I start rusting!"
*****
She had watched Captain Hook on her video feeds all the way from the lagoon. She had hoped he wasn't coming to see her, even though she was certain he was. He had that desperate expression on his face again and he keep looking behind him as if something was following him. He knocked twice on her door before he let himself in, and Tink silently cursed for not locking it.
"Hello, my dear," Hook drawled with his usual fake charm. "You're looking radiant today."
"That must be from all the time I spend in the sun."
"Really?"
"No."
"Ah, yes, of course. Well... how are things going?"
Tink huffed. "Please don't tell me you interrupted my afternoon for small talk."
Hook's expression hardened. "Miss Tink, you know exactly why I came here," he hissed. "Why aren't you any closer to finding a way to clear my records?"
"Why am I responsible for fixing your mistakes?
"You are the only one with the capabilities to resolve this! You have to help me!"
"Here's an idea, how about you go back in time and decide not to be a worthless criminal?"
Hook drew closer to Tink, murder glowing in his eyes, and Tink shrank back. But a moment later he deflated and fell back into a rolling chair. "You don't know how many times I've wished to do just that," he confessed. "I'm terribly ashamed of the man I was, and I just want for him to be erased."
Tink frowned, trying to determine if the man was lying. But even if he was, one thing was clear. He was haunted by his past and he'd do anything to change it. Tink could relate to that. She sighed and turned to her computer, calling up the database of London's legal records.
"For petty criminals, the task would be easy," she explained. "Their documents are available to just about anyone who's taken a course in internal systems." To illustrate, she picked a random individual, Tom Gluber, who had attempted to steal a mannequin from a lingerie store, and with a few commands, deleted his file. "Congratulations, Mr. Gluber, your unsavory deeds are forgotten," she muttered. "But a record of your magnitude," she said, highlighting a forbidden file, "is stored in a secure location, which can only be accessed from inside the building. That Crocodile knew what she was doing."
Hook turned to her, his eyes pleading. "Can't you just go up there and do this for me? Just for an hour or so, and then you can come back and be safe in here again."
Tink felt herself grow hot with indignation. "Why don't you go up there?"
Hook blanched. "I can't go to the outside world! I'll be caught! It would be wretched!"
"Well, there you go. We both have our reasons. It appears we are at an impasse."
Hook sat silent for a moment, and then his eyes took on an evil gleam. "You know, for someone with crimes of such magnitude, the police will employ all of their resources to find me. They will discover Neverland, and everyone's livelihood and freedom will be at risk, especially since you all have been protecting and hiding a criminal."
Tink raised her eyebrows. "Then I suggest you leave Neverland. If you really want to rectify your past and change the man you were, you wouldn't put innocent lives in danger."
Hook stood suddenly and began pacing the small room. "But where will I go?" He cried, his eyes filling with tears. "Nowhere is safe for me! Nowhere!"
Tink groaned. She'd almost rather deal with an angry Hook than a pathetic, sniveling Hook. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Tink, hoping to distract herself from the unstable man before her, crossed the room to open it.
"Hey, Tink. I thought you might like some dinner."
For the first time in weeks, Tink was actually happy to see Curly.