AU: In which Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, and several others work at the Daily Mirror in Storybrooke


Peter Pan was young, would be considered a "rookie" on the Daily Mirror staff if it weren't for his unbelievable second sense, quick wit, and brilliant writing skills. Sydney Glass hated the cocky little reporter, hated his disrespect to him and all forms of authority. But he needed him. Pan was the soul of the paper. He knew how to get under people's skins and yank their innermost secrets out. He knew how to get a damn good story out. After he joined the team, paper sales shot up 40% and have kept growing since. Sure many complained when certain aspects of their lives got out in the open for everyone to see, but Pan knew how to bend the law so no lawsuits came their way, a feat Glass appreciated very much. Not to mention Glass had a strong line to the Mayor so as long as her name stayed out of the unmentionables they could do pretty much whatever they wanted.

Peter Pan all but owned the Daily Mirror (although it was no secret that he ran it) and the people in it (it was almost pathetic how far a smirk and a wink could get him). Everything was perfect. All the power was his. It was just the way he wanted.

Until the day Sydney Glass hired a little Londoner named Wendy bloody Darling.

"We need more writers now that Barrie's left, Pan." Sydney tried to explain when Pan ordered an explanation. "She came highly recommended from the board and-"

"I don't care if the bloody Queen of England wanted her here! You don't just bring in new people without letting me know!"

"It's just an intern position, if it doesn't work out we can-"

Peter swept his arm across the desk, throwing off everything but the computer. The commotion outside the door silenced immediately. Good. Pan worked best with a captive audience.

Sydney winced as Pan leaned over the desk, nose to nose with the speechless reporter. "Listen closely you broken little man," Pan hissed, "you cannot just bring some fucking outsider into my domain without telling me. I have a system for fucks-sake!"

"Look, Pan, I realize you're frustrated-" Sydney stuttered as he fought for some distance.

"Oh not yet Glassy." Pan sneered, tapping one of his fingers against Sydney's collarbones, leering at the fleeting pulse under his skin. "Not bloody yet."

A knock at the door stopped Pan from grabbing the reporter and throwing him across the desk.

"Go away we're busy." Pan shouted. All was quiet for a few seconds before the knock repeated, this time more timidly.

Pan released Sydney with a curse and stormed to the door, throwing it open. "I said we're bloody…" his voice trailed off at the site of an unfamiliar face.

A very pretty unfamiliar face.

The creature before him stared up at him with large, deep green eyes. They reminded him of the forests that engulfed Storybrooke. He wanted to get lost in that sea of trees at the moment…

He jumped back several feet to break himself from her spell and to see just who or what he was dealing with. The girl was small, but obvious in her late teens or early adulthood. She had a mass of honey curls that that framed her shocked face quite lovely. Her clothing, brown boots with black stockings and a white dress with a blue sweater decorated with what looked like feathers, were quite eccentric and not something you'd see displayed in the clothes stores on Main Street and most certainly not proper for early autumn weather. With her strange outfit she also had a black notebook clutched to her chest. She was either from a different state or a different county altogether. Maybe even another world.

Pan crushed his human urges and gave the girl a more skewering once-over. The girl seemed to be doing the same thing to him and straightened up as soon has their eyes met.

"Hi." She unwound one of her arms from the little book and held it out to Peter for him to…shake? "I'm Wendy." She smiled. "Wendy Darling. The new intern?"

Pan looked at the hand like she was offering him a dead fish, scrunching his nose in disgust. She was most certainly a foreigner. A very crusty-sweet foreigner.

Wendy's smiled slowly faded and she turned to Sydney for reassurance. "You must be Mr. Glass, yes?"

The exhausted writer nodded and shook her offered hand.

Suddenly, Pan burst out laughing, shrugging his arms in question. "What the Hell, Glass!" He chortled, motioning up and down Wendy's now limp form. "This can't be it. God Glass we write news. Real mind-churning news not," he looked at Wendy and laughed again, "Dear Abby columns. You can't expect me to let her on my team. A dog would be a better addition than her. God she looks like something between a hippy and a school teacher. Or a bird, that sweater is revolting."

Wendy's confused look changed into one of irate. "Why you pompous wart on an ass!" she huffed, earning herself a stunned look from one man and one of mocked surprise from the other. "I don't know who in ten hells you think you are but you have no right to offense me like I'm not even in the room!"

Pan scoffed, but he could not deny that he was a bit dumbstruck to have such a delicate creature stand up to him. No one stood up to Pan. Without consequences that is.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't quite finished insulting you. Interrupting is very bad form."

"As is slighting someone you've never met. And a lady for that matter!"

"Oh shit." Pan howled. "You hired a bloody girl scout Glass!"

Wendy was beet red then and only pure self-control kept her from slapping the insolent child of a teen. She turned to Glass, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "Mr. Glass, I'm sorry but I may have to reconsider your job offer."

Sydney tried to stutter a plea but Pan was already spewing out one of his own. "Oh! So sorry it didn't work out for you little bird." He cooed with false sympathy. "Better luck elsewhere. Door's the same place it was when you came in." He turned away, a cappuccino sounding absolutely lovely at that point. Just has he reached his desk however, a force from behind had him falling into his chair. Beside him on the floor was the journal Wendy had brought with her. She had hit him with a fucking book.

He shot up, staring at the intern like she had grown a second head. She was crimson and seething and Pan swore he could smell smoke when she stalked up to him so that their faces were mere inches from each other.

"Let's get a few things straight, you gnarly infected canker sore!" she hissed.

"I have ridden on a 12-hour train ride between a man who reeked of garlic and a woman who headed no mind to her screaming child. Not even two days ago I received word that my mother has cancer barely a week after my grandmother died from it! My father is beside himself with grief and there's a possibility one of my brothers were involved in a break-in back home and I myself am exhausted and ready to kill! And you," she poked him in the chest. Hard. "coming at me with your idiotic insults have done nothing but darkened my day." She poked him again, this time pressing just right against the arm of his chair. "But you know what, you sorry excuse for human being? I have worked too long and too hard to get this opportunity and I am not going to back down because some loud-mouth stink bug wasn't taught how to treat a lady!" She jumped away from him, grabbed her journal off the ground, and smiled at an extremely dazed Sydney.

"I thank you graciously for the job Mr. Glass." She stated as she shook his hand. "I will see you bright Monday morning good bloody day!" She shot around and made her way through the stunned crowd of onlookers, her head held high and her esteem even higher.

Pan didn't move for what felt like centuries. No one had ever given him that kind of, well, disrespect. It was despicable, and not something the other reporters needed to be influenced by.

Sydney gained awareness first and shooed the workers back to their stations. As he did, a body moved to take his place and shut the door to the office.

Pan blinked as the person whistled.

"Now that," he said as he leaned on the desk, "was worth missing my lunch break."

"Belt up, Felix." Pan growled, dropping into his chair.

Felix snorted but quieted down. He knew the extents of Pan's temper more than most. He also knew how to calm him down more than anyone else.

"She's quite…a little smite fire huh?"

Peter didn't answer him. His hands, folded under his chin, were shaking. His eyes dark with thought. Very disturbing thoughts Felix gathered. Felix wasn't sure if he was going to burst into screaming or laughter.

A moment later, it was a little of both.

"Son of a bloody bitch!" Pan show up, catching the desk under his hands and throwing it onto its side. Felix jumped back for safety reasons. "I allowed that little peck to leave with her teeth still intact. Fucking stupid me!" he kicked the trash can across the room, balled paper flying everywhere.

Felix eyed him carefully. "I hope you don't plan on hurting her Pan. It wouldn't be fair. Girl deserves a fair warning."

Peter licked his lips, nodding slowly. "She'll get one come Monday, along with a little…welcome gift." He picked up his coat and left the wreckage behind him.

"Let the little bird feather her nest here." he said. "Soon she'll be begging to fly back south."

He would soon make an example out of that little Darling.

And he would make her leave the city in tears.