Chapter 19 – Hero Worship

Author's Note: As requested, here is the next chapter, with Gill mentoring Nemo/Sharkbait. Enjoy!

Gill watched with pride as Sharkbait swam past him, his tiny, 'lucky fin' as he called it, moving incredibly fast. Gill had spent the morning showing the boy what to do – how to compensate for his underdeveloped fin – the child had learnt fast and was now swimming almost as well as any other fish. Sharkbait swam up the volcano, and waved excitedly at Gill with his good fin as he passed him again, "How am I doing?" he asked.

"Great, Sharkbait, but keep on concentrating," Gill called back. Sharkbait gave him the fish equivalent of a nod, and continued to swim around the tank. Gill watched him carefully, both proud and slightly worried about his prized pupil – Sharkbait had to get this right, it was necessary in order for him to complete his part of Gill's plan without endangering life and fin – but if Gill pushed him too hard, too fast, then the boy could rebel, or reach a stage of burnout. And time was not exactly on their side – Gill was convinced that they would have to put the escape plan into action as soon as possible tomorrow morning, as soon as the dentist was otherwise engaged, in order to ensure that there was enough time for the tank to get filthy before Darla's birthday. And Gurgle's understandable concerns were still at the back of Gill's mind, even as he watched Sharkbait swim past him once more, panting slightly but grinning at his achievement.

"Playing parent?" Peach asked, coming up behind Gill.

Gill smiled shyly, and looked down, "This isn't about me, as I told Gurgle earlier. And Gurgle's right, as usual, this plan is potentially dangerous," he said quietly. "We've got to make sure that Sharkbait's ready and able to do what needs to be done."

"Of course, I can see that," said Peach, returning the smile. "But I've not seen you this happy or this proud, at least since Chuckles was with us," she added.

"It helps to have something to live for, something to fight for," Gill replied. He gave a little laugh, "I guess I'm never really happy unless I'm challenging myself in some way."

"It's more than that, though," Peach said, pointing as the clownfish passed them once more, "the boy looks up to you as a sort of substitute parent, and you seem to be thriving in that role."

"Surprised?" asked Gill, giving her a slightly wry smile.

"A little," Peach admitted, "just when I think I know everything there is to know about you, so you surprise me."

"A good surprise?" Gill asked.

"Yes," Peach said quietly, "I think the boy's feeling so much better than he would do otherwise, knowing that he has a parent figure to look out for him."

Gill was quiet for a moment, and then looked down, "We can't replace his Dad," he said, "and we should not even try. Ours is only a small role in the story of the kid's life, it's important that we all remember that."

"Who are you trying to convince?" Peach asked, smiling at Gill, "Me, or yourself?"

Gill sighed, as he watched Sharkbait swim up the volcano once more. He turned his attention back to Peach, "None of us are parents," he said quietly, "the younger ones are little more than children themselves, and I was not much older than they are now, when I was first taken from the ocean and put into captivity in a tank," he sighed quietly to himself, "I don't know how to do this," he admitted, "I mean, I don't have the instincts, have never had to look after a child. I'm afraid I'll do it wrong," he said quietly.

"Oh, you're not doing too badly," Peach said, smiling at him in an approving way.

"But it's not like being with his real Dad," said Gill, "I mean, I'm sure he's the one who knows how to do this right, whereas I'm, well, I'm just sort of muddling along."

Peach started to laugh, ever so quietly.

"It's not funny!" said Gill, "I'm worried I'm going to mess this whole thing up."

"Oh, I'm sorry for laughing at you, my dear friend," Peach said, giving him a friendly smile, "but you do tend to worry too much, to put too much responsibility on your own scales, when it's hardly necessary. All of the rest of us are here to help you, you don't have to cope with this alone."

"Thank you, that means a great deal to me," Gill replied quietly, "and I know I couldn't do this without the help of the rest of you. But it's me that the kid looks up to as a parent, you said so yourself, and I'm terrified of getting it wrong. It's not as if I'm his real Dad, and therefore knew what to do."

"And you think that real parents automatically know what to do for the best when raising their children?" asked Peach, stifling a laugh, "Honestly, Gill, I didn't think you of all fish would be that naïve."

"Naïve?" Gill asked, giving her a wry smile.

"Yes," Peach replied, then chuckled slightly, "All parents are more or less making it up as they go along," she said, "they don't just magically know what is the best for their children, but just have to try and make sure that their children are happy and safe. Most manage to muddle through well enough, just as you are doing with Sharkbait," she smiled at Gill again.

"I hope you are right," said Gill quietly.

"I'm sure I am," Peach replied, "still, you are right that we have to get the boy back to his Dad where he belongs, as I'm sure his Dad must be missing him and looking for him, even as we speak."

They watched in silence for a while, as Sharkbait continued to swim around the tank, "I wish I could do more to help the boy," Gill mused as he watched Sharkbait swim past them yet again, "I've asked Nigel to keep an eye out for his Dad, but the chance of him actually seeing him…" Gill's voice trailed off, "well, the ocean is literally the biggest thing on this planet, and clownfish are very small. They also don't usually venture very far from the anemone, and even if Sharkbait's Dad were to see Nigel, well, I'm pretty sure that he would dive out of the way of the pelican's beak, that's certainly what I would do."

"Then why ask Nigel to look for him?" Peach asked.

Gill sighed, and gave the fish equivalent of a shrug, "Because it's better than doing nothing," he replied.

Sharkbait came swimming up to the two of them, panting with exhaustion, but smiling with pride, "Did you see me?" he asked excitedly, "I swam all around the tank ten times! I'm sure I'll be able to stop this filter!"

Gill gave Peach a slightly worried look, then turned his attention back to the clownfish, "I'm sure you will too, Sharkbait," he said reassuringly, "but you've exhausted yourself enough for one day, you should go and get some sleep now, so you will be nice and rested for tomorrow."

Sharkbait sighed, "I'll be fine," he insisted.

"I think you will be," said Gill, putting a reassuring fin around the boy, "But if I've learned anything in the last few years, it's that it's better to be too cautious than to be too reckless." Gill sighed quietly, then continued, "Listen to me, Sharkbait," he said, staring the clownfish directly in the eye, "the most important thing is that you are safe, and that we are able to get you out of here without you coming to any harm. Everything else, me, the rest of the Tank Gang, my escape plans, all of it, well, that's all of secondary importance. Promise me that the first opportunity you get to escape from this place, you will take it. I will deal with everything else."

The clownfish smiled at him, and then nuzzled his side, "I can't believe that I ever thought you were mean," he said quietly.

Gill smiled at the boy, and then saw Deb and Gurgle swimming towards them. He turned his attention back to Sharkbait once more, "Your Uncle Gurgle has been worried about you," he said, as the gramma and the humbug came closer, "so if you could get some rest before tomorrow, just to make absolutely certain that you can cope with what you have to do tomorrow, that would make your Uncle Gurgle happy. And you want to make your Uncle Gurgle happy, don't you?" Gill added.

Sharkbait sighed again, "Oh, okay," he said.

Gill gave Gurgle a small nod, "If you can put up with his constant complaining, Gurgle often talks a great deal of sense," he said.

"Was that an insult or a compliment?" Gurgle muttered.

"A compliment," Gill assured him, then turned his attention back to Sharkbait again, "if there's one thing I've learnt since being in this tank, it's that I should not ignore Gurgle's concerns, they are often well founded." He turned his attention toward the gramma, giving him a small smile, "You once said that I taught you courage. That may be true, but you also taught me caution, when the need is great enough."

"Thank you," Gurgle replied quietly, looking down shyly.

Gill turned his attention back to Sharkbait once more, "You have a long day tomorrow, I want you well rested, so that you will be able to reach your true potential. Go with your Uncle Gurgle and Aunt Deb, have an early night. Tomorrow's going to be an exciting day for all of us."

Gill watched for a moment, as Sharkbait swam away with Deb and Gurgle, who made sure that he was settled down for the night. Then Gill turned his attention back to Peach, who was grinning at him. "You are good with the boy," she said, "and he looks up to you for advice and guidance," she added.

"Hero worship," said Gill, sounding awkward, "thinking someone else is perfect, is everything that you yourself want to be," Gill sighed quietly to himself, "that's never good. If you think someone's that wonderful, then, sooner or later, that fish will let you down. Yet that's exactly what I need right now, to ensure that the child does what I ask him to do." Gill sighed, "I really hope Gurgle is wrong, and I'm not making a terrible mistake," he added.

Deb and Gurgle came swimming back over towards Peach and Gill. They were silent for a while, and then Deb pointed towards where Sharkbait was starting to fall asleep, "You're good with him," said Deb.

"I guess so," Gill replied uncertainly. If both Peach and Deb thought so, then it was probably true, although Gill was well aware that he would never be able to replace the boy's real parents.

"It's almost as if Sharkbait reminds Gill of himself when he was a kid," Gurgle muttered thoughtfully.

"Gill as a kid!" said Deb, stifling a laugh, "That must have been a really long time ago."

Gill rolled his eyes, "It wasn't that long ago," he said. But they did have a point. Gill had not felt this young, this alive, for a very long time, and certainly not since Chuckles' death. Perhaps Sharkbait was right, and this was some form of symbiosis, whereby Gill was benefitting as much out of the time he was spending with the clownfish, as Sharkbait was learning from his new mentor. Gill wondered vaguely what William would think of him, if he could see him now. Would he be proud of him? Perhaps, but that was not what was important right now. As he has told the boy, the most important thing was getting him out of here and back to the ocean where he belonged, which was what Gill was determined to do, as soon as possible tomorrow morning.