Breaking in hadn't been as hard as Wendy had anticipated. She had been expecting police circling the Mirror and perhaps a night guard of some sort. Tink laughed when she mentioned this.
"What do you think someone would want to steal at a newspaper?"
"I don't know, archives?"
Tink laughed again. "This is Storybrooke, Maine! We have one police officer because there is literally no crime."
"Ever?"
"Well, other than a chocolate bar burglary or a petty vandalism every now again, that's about it. That barely makes front page news. By the time you get ready to print it, the culprit's been caught and you're left trying to figure out what to do next. That's the main reason why the paper is having a hard time. Other than the worldly stuff, there's no news in this little town."
Wendy turned from the car window. "If it's struggling, why hire me?"
"Outsider personnel." Tink concluded. "Get some fresh minds on the table, you get fresh ideas. Who knows," she said, "this stunt we're pulling might just be a saving grace for this place."
"Or a death sentence for us." Felix muttered, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Tink.
They parked Tink's little green car in the alley and quietly approached the door. Felix sighed dramatically as he punched in the code. "Enjoy the night life ladies, we're dead after this." The door made a clicking sound as it unlocked and he stepped aside.
Tink kissed his cheek as she walked in. "You worry too much."
Wendy shrugged and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss of her own. Felix flinched at the act of gratitude and almost slipped. Wendy giggled at his school-boy act and ran to catch up with Tink. She was turning on a computer, Pan's computer at that.
"If we're getting vengeance, might as well go the extra step." She said with a wink. A block popped up when it cut on and both girls cursed.
"Felix, I need your brain again!" she called out.
"Well I need your body, you don't hear me complaining!" He said as he begrudgingly approached the desk.
Wendy watched his nimble fingers type over the keyboard. PANCAKE. Wendy didn't even want to know.
"There you go." Felix sighed as the computer came to life. "Type up our death sentence."
"Oh hush." Tink said. "I'll go warm up the publishers. Felix, you have more writing experience, help her out."
Felix sat heavily in the chair next to Wendy. Despite the heavy pounding in his head, he helped Wendy set up the format for the paper, proofread each paragraph and gave her pointers to move things. Tink had managed to whip them up a pot of coffee to keep their energy levels high and by midnight, the trio had a well-polished front page story.
Wendy took a deep breath. Written by Wendy Darling stared back at her like a bright star. She felt like a tidal wave was about to crash over her. For a moment she thought she might die if she pressed PRINT.
"You sure it's ready?" She asked Felix for the sixth time.
"Wendy, if it were any more ready Pan would have written it." He said with a spike to his voice.
Wendy knew he didn't mean to be snappy. It was late and they had ran out of coffee two hours ago. Tink had already made herself a makeshift bed out of a couple of chairs and Felix's jacket in the back of the room. She herself was too nervous to think about anything but this paper.
"Just press print."
"You're right. It's perfect. It's good to go." Her finger hovered above the PRINT button, pure anxiety preventing her from pressing it. "Maybe I'll do a quick read-over…"
Felix popped her hand away and slammed his fist on the PRINT button. The hum of machines creating tomorrow's paper was barely muffled by the walls.
"I…guess that's it then."
"Yes." Felix grumbled as he stood. He gently shook Tink's shoulder who grumbled something and curled up tighter on the chairs. Felix scooped her into his arms, re-covering her. "Toodles comes in at five to get the papers. Expect a chewing out over the phone about eight."
Wendy heard the lump in his throat and felt a wave of guilt bite at her. "I'm taking the blame, remember?"
"Yeah." Felix muttered as he carried Tink to the door. "Do you need a lift home?"
"Uh, no." Wendy said quickly. She decided that spending any more time with Felix while he was in his mood could be lethal. "I don't live far."
"Fine. Goodnight."
She watched him leave, and stayed a moment longer to revel in the sound of the machines. She had just printed her first story, one that would benefit the great people of Storybrooke—hopefully. At least the nature enthusiasts would get a kick out of it. And possible the romantics. It wasn't the audience that had Wendy on edge as she walked home though. Felix really seemed concerned about how the break-in would affect his relationship with Pan. Wendy hated the thought that her pride might have ruined a perfectly good friendship, though she was convinced that if the person on the opposite side of that relationship was Pan, the other person would be damn lucky
She kept her head up as she reached her apartment complex. She had done nothing wrong. She was proud of her work and the excitement it would bring to the town. She'd worry about Pan when he reared his annoying little head in the morning.
/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/
Pan woke up about 8:30 the next morning. Usually he managed to sleep until about 11 on Saturdays, but something had woken him up…
He looked around and noticed his pillow was occupied by his rather fuzzy roommate.
"Stupid dumb animal." Pan grumbled, snatching the pillow from under the creature in question. "I work my arse off during the week to makes sure you're taken care of, and I can't even get a few extra hours of sleep?"
The creature in question glared up at him with one green slatted eye and jumped off the bed, obviously offended by Pan's early-morning tyranting. "Oh just run away then! Just run to the kitchen and the problem goes away, is that it?" Pan groaned. He was fighting with a cat for Christ's sake. It was too early for this.
With his blood pressure now at its usual high, Pan threw the pillow back on the bed, making his way drowsily in the kitchen where his roommate was waiting, glaring at Pan with a passion.
"Don't look at me like that." He hissed. "This is your fault. It's always your fault." He took a bowl and a cup from the cupboard, filling one with a glass of juice and the other with a generous amount of little fish-shaped crunchies. He placed the bowl in front of the sink and, as expected, his roommate came strolling to the bowl, chowing down immediately.
"That's right cat, you need me. I am your master." The feline growled, and Pan smirked. "Stupid cat." He nudged the large cat playfully with his foot, watching him eat. He did plenty of that. When he had found the cat two years ago, then a fuzzy, dirty kitten with a bleeding ear and a pus-filled eye, the little guy ate half a bag of crunchies in one sitting. Since then, the little fuzz ball went into a panicked state each time the little fish on the bottle of his bowl appeared.
Pan slid to the floor, petting the cat softly. "You know I didn't mean it Fuzz, I'm just tired. That little peacock at work has really gotten under my skin this week."
The cat continued to eat, but purred as Pan's hand ran up and down his pack, a hint of forgiveness if he had to guess.
"I don't know what I'm going to do to her." Pan sighed. "I want to fire her, but…" he pulled away. He truly had a problem if he couldn't reveal his problems to a cat of all things. "Like you'd understand. Your only fascination is your food bowl." He poured the remainder of his juice in the sink, taking just enough time to wash a few other pieces that had been left the night before.
He couldn't quite pin-point how he felt about Wendy Bloody Darling. After she had yelled at him, undermined him in front of the entire staff, he had been filled with a deep resentment for her, emotion that bordered on pure hatred. He didn't want her there; he didn't need her. He tried to make her want to quit by denying her the right to write, but she always came back, angrily awaiting the next pompous task. She was defiant, not entirely in words or actions, which were submissive, but in the way she looked at him. Her eyes raged with fire, and resilience and stubbornness, qualities he hated in anyone, especially an employee. But despite how she made his skin crawl, he couldn't bring himself to just fire her and be done with it, especially after yesterday.
The way she had come up to him, demanding he read the silly little story she wanted to publish, demanding respect, had intrigued him to say the least. The words she had said after she fell into the mud puddle chilled him to the bone, brought back memories too unpleasant to stomach. The fact that she could bring up such feelings in him had him wanting to get rid of her and cuff her to his arm.
Maybe it was because she brought something to the table that he hadn't had in a while: a challenge.
Maybe because he demanded such respect that no one had dared defy him in so long.
Maybe because he had so much power, he thought he was contempt. It was quite obvious he wasn't if he was pondering over the little she-demon.
Maybe he was bored.
No, he definitely was bored.
Felix and Tink kept him entertained, but when he was off doing photography and she was at the café, Pan had nothing but an idiotic staff and a lazy cat to keep him at bay.
Maybe he needed the chaos Wendy Darling was bringing into his life.
He snorted as he dried his hands and headed to the door to retrieve his morning newspaper. He'd keep the little banshee on for now, Hell he might even let her write her ridiculous story. Maybe.
Pan retrieved the paper, carefully unwinding the twine it was tied in to throw to Fuzzy. He sunk down on the couch, expecting to see the headline about renovations to be made at the elementary school. Instead, much to his dismay, he saw a much more opposing headline staring back at him.
BRIGHTER THAN STARS: FIREFLY MIGRATION TO HIT STORYBROOKE ON SATURDAY NIGHT
Pan's eye twitched as he read the article. It was good, true, actually interesting, but he had not authorized such a thing. Someone was going to die.
It wasn't until he got to the author of the headline that his blood threatened to spew out of his skin. When he saw her name, all he could do was scream-
"WENDY FUCKING DARLING!"
/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/
Tink glanced back when she heard the china fall. Fear immediately filled her. Ever since Felix's fall at Granny's, she had been on edge every time Felix even looked like he needed to sneeze. She was already concerned that last night may have been a little too much for him.
Much to her relief, she found Felix staring out the window, his coffee cup broken at his feet.
"Felix what…"
Felix looked at her, his gaze dead serious.
"He knows."
"Shit."
Wendy made sure her bathrobe was good and tight before she opened the door.
"What the fuck is this!" Pan screamed, waving a rolled up newspaper in her face as he barged into her apartment.
Wendy took a few steps back from his piercing gaze. "A newspaper I think."
Pan seethed as he unraveled the paper and showed her the front page.
Wendy contained a pleased smile at her handwork. Her story looked good on paper. However, Pan's menacing glare was dissolving her joy very quickly.
"What the Hell did you do?" he hissed.
"I published my story." She stated with her head high and her eyes forward.
He growled and balled up the paper, violently throwing it aside. "Who the Hell do you think you are!"
Wendy jumped, Pan's behavior quickly making her uneasy, but she held her composure. "I think I'm a writer. When there's news to be spread, I spread it."
"You disobeyed me!" he screamed at her.
"Do not talk to me like I'm a child Pan!" she yelled at him. "I'm a writer, not a servant. You wouldn't help me so I had to help myself."
He scoffed, the sound harsh and on the tip of madness. Wendy wasn't too sure if he wouldn't totally lose it. She glanced at the door. It was still ajar just enough for her to escape if things got out of hand. She didn't exactly relish the thought of running out into the streets in her bathrobe, but safety meant more to her than pride.
"You bloody bitch."
It took Wendy a moment to realize that slur had been directed towards her, but when she did, she was enraged. "Excuse me!"
"You," he hissed, "have brought me nothing but Hell since you got here!"
"I've brought you Hell?" She laughed, because really it was laughable. "Have you thought once about what you've put me through this week? You've humiliated me, degraded me, and made me plain sick!"
"Oh boo fucking hoo! You come here thinking you could wash me up, well you are dead bloody wrong!"
"I came here to work for the damn newspaper!" Wendy yelled. "If you would have just let what happened go, we might have actually gotten along."
"Me? Get along with You? I'd get pneumonia first!"
Wendy shook her head. "You are just awful! Unbelievable, heartless, and cruel! And those are some of your more positive traits!"
"And you're the most annoying, most idiotic, tackiest dresser on the face of the planet!"
Wendy gasped. That was too far. Without thinking of the any and all consequences, Wendy hauled back and slapped him with all her might. Pan's face actually turned to the right from the force of her blow. Wendy found herself breathing hard, as though she had run ten miles at full speed and was only now taking the chance to rest.
A disturbing memory raced through Pan's mind. A woman, a man, a sharp slap to the face, a sick kick to his side. "Get the Hell out of my sight!"
He opened his eyes and felt a disgusting sense of relief to see Wendy's red-hot angry face. That relief turned quickly into rage, and without hesitation, he slapped her back.
Wendy stared at him in astonishment before hitting him back again. He grabbed her arm, pinned it to her side and forced her back. Her leg came up and caught him on his thigh, narrowly missing his groin. He managed to throw them both on the couch before he restrained her swaying arms.
"Get off me you bastard!" She screamed loudly.
"Quite hitting me!" he yelled back, his grip on her arms beginning to bruise.
Wendy was ready to scream for help when she suddenly noticed a sharp breeze on her chest…and lower. She shut her mouth abruptly and looked to the ceiling.
"Finally." Pan hissed, only then seeing the deep blush etch across her face. Confused, he glanced around, noticing her naked collarbone, and followed it before he realized that Wendy's robe had come undone during their struggle.
He jumped back, nearly tripping over the coffee table, and went to the far side of the room so that Wendy could compose herself.
If no one in the world had yet to die of embarrassment, Wendy was about to become the very first. She tied her robe tighter than before, refusing to look at Pan even after she was covered.
They didn't say anything to each other as they rubbed their sore cheeks and mused. Both embarrassed, and maybe, just ever so slightly to the point where it didn't count, ashamed.
Pan didn't think he could ever regret anything he did. The people he hurt, the lives he destroyed by putting their names in the paper and otherwise, he told himself that they deserved it. But something about Wendy Darling made him think twice. Something about her made him want to stop. He thought if he kept hurting her, kept making her miserable, that she'd return to her little island and the feelings would disappear. But she was resilient. She had a fire that was hotter than anything he had ever seen.
Wendy was ashamed of her behavior, but damn if she didn't think Pan hadn't deserved it. He had no reason to be so cruel to her. She had already apologized for their silly argument. She had done what he wanted the past week no matter how ridiculous the request. She just couldn't quite put her finger on the reason why he hated her. At this point, she needed to know rather than wanting to.
"Why do you hate me so much?" Wendy quietly asked.
He gritted his teeth, not turning to look at her despite knowing that she was fully clothed.
"I have my reasons."
Wendy sighed, irritated and tired of his nonsense. "Please Pan, if I've done a wrong, I want to fix it. What did I do to you to make you despise me?"
Pan finally turned to her. He hated how she was too much like him, with her resistance to authority and her behind-the-back way of doing things. The town was too small for both of them, and he already had a head start.
"I don't want you here, simple as that. I didn't want you here on day one, I'm not going to want you here next week. I'm never going to want you here."
Wendy cringed at the saturated malice in his voice. "Ever?"
Pan's teeth gnashed together. "Bloody damn ever! Now do me a favor and get the Hell out of Storybrooke and back to your crumby London with the other tacky dressers!" He didn't wait for the protests or tears. He shot around and got out of her apartment as quickly as possible. He was done with her.
Wendy stayed quiet a moment, stunned, angry, and empty. She'd failed, that knowledge hurt more than anything he could have said. She'd failed her mother's wishes; she'd be so hurt from this! She failed her father's expectations. She had failed her own hopes and dreams…
No!
Bloody Hell no!
She allowed only one tear to fall before she pulled herself together. She went into her room and stared hard in to the mirror. "Look here Wendy Moria Angela Darling! There is no reason for you to give up! You can't allow Pan to coerce you into doing what he wants; darn it girl you've spent a week doing the exact opposite! You're going to get that newspaper, you're going to find another job, and you're going to rub Pan's smug little face in it!"
She took a deep breath to recover from her passionate speech. Whenever she or her brothers tried to feel sorry for themselves, her mother would pull them aside, look them straight in the eye, and give them a very similar speech. It always worked then and tradition never died slow.
"I don't think Mum could have done much better." Wendy told herself proudly.
She turned from the mirror to find the crumpled up newspaper Pan had discarded. She sighed when she saw the front page. Her name really looked good on newspaper.
/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/
Pan spent the next few hours moping. Angrily moping. Angrily moping and yelling at Fuzzy and throwing things. The act of gentle violence barely loosening the tight, hot knot in the pit of his stomach. All his emotions were weaved together in that knot. He wanted her gone but he wanted her to stay. He wanted her to be obedient but he wanted her to rule.
He groaned and decided some air would do him good. He got out his cellphone and dialed Felix.
"Hello!"
Much to Pan's chagrin, Tink answered. It wasn't uncommon that the little pixie of a girl answered Felix's phone, but damn if it wasn't annoying.
"Hey, I need some exercise. Tell Felix to meet me at the bar at Granny's."
"Why are you walking there?"
"I like beer with my exercise now do it!"
"…Sorry Pancake. We're both kind of busy.
Pan rolled his eyes. "You can screw him all you want later. Right now I need him!"
"Not like that you ass! We're at Firefly Hill at this festival-thing!"
Instead of exploding, Pan's mind went into reporter-mode. "What festival? Miner's day a month away?"
"Have you even looked outside your window today?"
Pan jumped up and opened the window. He was anticipating a fire engulfing the town or a zombie apocalypse but instead found an empty street.
"Tink, the streets are emptier than Glass's love life."
"Exactly…well not really…but…never mind. My point is that every soul in Storybrooke, give or take, are at Firefly Hill setting up for the migration."
Pan blinked, thinking of Wendy' article. "…Details Tink!"
"Well Felix and I wanted to get some lunch after my shift and he asked "Where?" and I suggested that seafood place by the docks and he said he wasn't in the mood for seafood. Then he said, "How about a burger at Granny's?" and I said, "You know I hate supporting her business." so I suggested pizza and he-"
"Tink for Hell's sake woman, the point!"
"Right, right! Anyway we were walking when we noticed a bunch of ladies from the quilting society putting a bunch of stuff in a truck. We asked them if they were closing down and they said they were heading to firefly hill to set up for the firefly migration from the paper, good business or something. Long story short, I'm setting up a coffee booth down here. A couple of other people are doing some stuff and Felix's covering it. It's going to be really big Pan."
Pan nodded as he grabbed his notebook and coat. "Are Lily or Rufio helping you cover it?"
"That's the problem." Tink stated with a hint of irritation. "Felix called up everyone from the paper. Glass is back and is helping him cover some of it but everyone else is scattered."
Pan growled. "There's bloody fine workers for you."
"Well I hope you can write fast because it looks like it's going to be just you two and Glass tonight."
Pan's hand froze on the door knob. If Tink's prediction was true, this event would be too big for just the two of them to handle. They'd need reinforcements. Only one person came to mind and he winced at the thought.
"Pan, you still there?"
Pan sighed. "Tell Felix I'll meet him there. I know someone who can give us a hand."
"Great, who?"
"The last person on the planet I want to see right now."
Tink smirked at her phone after Pan abruptly hung up on her. She knew he would go to Wendy now that he had no other options. This was going to do for great coffee-teasing later.
She looked out into the crowds to see Felix snapping away on his camera. She didn't realize until this morning how much the break-in had affected his psyche. She was relieved that Pan didn't know he was involved yet, and if she was lucky, it would stay that way. Wendy was no squealer and Tink would take the secret to her grave if she had to. Felix though…he wouldn't keep it in for long, and Tink just hoped Pan would be sympathetic when he finally told him.
/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/
Wendy didn't even get a chance to get off the couch to answer the knock on her door before Pan burst in.
"Great you're here! Grab a pen and follow me." He ordered as he turned right around.
"Of course I'm here! I live here! What do you think you're doing?"
He stepped back into the doorway, "I'm recruiting you. Put on that weird, feather, vest thing, so I can find you in the crowds."
Wendy's face turned scarlet and she rushed up to the door to slam it in Pan's face. "And stay out!" she yelled. The door hadn't been closed for five seconds before Pan burst back through.
"Rude Miss Darling! Very rude!"
Wendy crossed her arms over her chest. "And bombarding into my apartment isn't?"
"Not if you're me. Do you want this assignment or not?"
Wendy eyed him with suspicion and interest. "What are you going on about?"
Pan sighed. He wasn't even talking yet but he could already taste the acid his next words would leave in his mouth. "You're stupid story has caused a ruckus in town, and…because this is your fault you and I have to fix it!"
Words of retribution were hot on Wendy's tongue when the words he had just said sunk in. "My story did what?"
Pan rolled his eyes. "I hate you so much."
She threw her arms up in the air. "Pan, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." She circled around him and held the door open. "You can either tell me about my story or come back when you learn some proper manners."
He stood his ground, seething for her imprudence. "Apparently the town's making some kind of event out of your article. It makes for a good story."
Wendy felt a twinge of excitement. "What kind of an event? Did anyone say anything about the article?"
"I don't bloody know woman! It's almost sunset and we'll miss the whole thing if you don't-"
"Give me a second!" Wendy chirped excitedly. She ran to her room, grabbed a white sweater with blue feathers on it (she had yet to get the one she left at Tink's flat) and her little black journal. "Alright let's go!"
Pan murmured a curse as he chased Wendy down the stairs. "This doesn't mean you're back on the paper! This is simply a way to for me to beat an inconvenience!"
Wendy could care less. Right now, she was the reporter she had always wanted to be. She was happy, even if Pan was acting like a bitter child.
"Hold it!" he yelled as they got outside. She stopped and Pan walked around her, glaring at her as he walked over to his mopped.
"We're going on that?" she inquired.
"Want to walk?" he snapped, handing her the only helmet.
"Thank you." she said, and meaning it. It surprised her that Pan would even consider her safety. She waited until Pan turned on the bike before she gingerly adjusted herself to small space Pan had left. Pan didn't even tell her to hold on before he pressed on the gas.
Wendy screamed and clutched him tightly around the waist. She felt Pan tense when she did this, causing him to press on brakes just enough for her to get readjusted before he sped off. She caught a glimpse of his face when he looked over his shoulder and noticed his cheeks were tinted pink. Wendy smothered a giggle at the thought of Pan blushing like a school boy from being touched by a girl. If she teased him about it, he would, of course, blame it on the wind and insult her in some way, so she let it drop. For now.
They had driven barely a mile outside of town when Wendy saw the groups of people mingling about, selling items at self-made booths and tables. It reminded Wendy of the fairs she used to go to as a child, without the rides and over-whelming lights, though there were candles here and there to add some illumination.
Pan parked in some trees just outside the commotion. Wendy jumped off the mopped, taking a moment to stretch her legs. "So, where do I start?"
"As far away from me."
"Pardon?"
Pan pointed to the hillside. "Just walk around, say you're reporter, get some comments. I'll handle the important people." He handed her a little square piece of plastic. "That's basically your paparazzi pass; don't bloody lose it."
Wendy nodded and set off. It was darker now and the fireflies would be out soon enough. The candles were the only light other than the setting sun, so she had to watch very carefully where she stepped. She looked on at the booths and people mingling about. It was nice to see the "small town atmosphere" at its best. People who probably saw each other once a month or so were greeting one another like they were best friends. Children were chasing each other, standing on their tip-toes to see what was in the booths. It was so simplistic, but so exciting, something Wendy felt proud to be a part of. Delicious scents of coffee, chocolate, and candles floated through the air, making Wendy's mouth water. She was so distracted that she didn't see the figure she was walking right into until she tripped over his cane, falling to the ground. Her journal flew out from her and she felt a sting on her knee.
"Ow." Wendy muttered. She moved to get her journal, but a gloved hand was already reaching down for it and her card. Wendy followed the arm up to the person's face.
"Reporter eh?" the man inquired, though he did not direct it to Wendy exactly.
"Um…yes." Wendy answered as she stood. She was able to get a good look at him now. He was a tall man, with shoulder-length brown hair that Wendy thought had gray streaks in them. The expression on his face as he studied her pass sent a wave of uneasiness through her. He was frowning sinisterly, the lines in his face deep, set as if he hadn't smiled in ages. His eyes, rich and dark and deep in their color, turned to her. "You're new, aren't you Miss…"
"D-darling." Wendy answered, surprised by how dry her throat had gotten in a few short seconds. She cleared it before speaking, "Wendy Darling."
He nodded, seeming to take her name in and imprint it in his memory. He held out her book and card, staring her dead in the eyes. "I'd watch my step in this town, Miss Darling." He leaned in more closely than what Wendy was comfortable with. She caught a whiff of his scent, herbal and powerful. It only added to her uneasiness. "There are many people here you don't want to cross at the wrong time."
Wendy's mouth opened, but she couldn't find a response to give him. She didn't like his tone, or the way he looked at like…well, like Pan did. Wendy held her shoulders back, staring this man just as squarely in the eye as he was her. "Thank you sir, however I'd watch the people I accidently trip. You never know when you might put the wrong person in the dirt."
A flash of surprise crossed this person's face, his eyes wondering over her as if he couldn't quite make out what she was about.
"He's just like Pan!" Wendy thought with a twinge of annoyance. The man smiled then, making her more unsettled than she had been.
"Well spoken, Miss Darling." He man said in a voice so low and dangerous that it sent chills down Wendy's neck. However, he made no move to harm her. Instead he hunched over a bit, like he was bowing. "Enjoy the fireflies," the smile faded quickly, his jaw setting in defiance. "Wendy." He bumped her shoulder as he walked past her, and Wendy noticed how her name had sounded like a curse on his lips. It left her eardrums buzzing and her heart seizing to beat. She turned around and found him gone, blending in with the shadows. She suddenly felt weak and leaned against the booth to catch herself.
"Wendy!"
The girl in question looked up to find Tink bounding towards her, her green eyes wide with concern. "Are you alright?"
Wendy coughed and nodded. "Yeah, just a bit out of breath."
Tink wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the disturbed booth owners. "I mean after talking to…did he hurt you?"
Wendy flinched at the urgency in Tink's voice. "No, no he just…" Wendy shrugged. "Offered me advice."
Tink slumped, looking as if the weight of the world had just been relinquished from her shoulders.
Wendy giggled a bit, feeling some of her anxiety slip a bit. "I guess you're really keen on the 'don't talk to strangers' campaign."
Tink gave her a look completely devoid of humor. "Do you even know who that man was?"
Wendy shook her head. "An asshole with a major ego?"
Tink was able to crack a smile at that. "That is pretty close, but no. That was Mr. Gold. He owns this place."
Wendy glanced around. Some people were giving her odd looks and she had an afterthought that her interviews were going to be unsuccessful. "You mean this hill?"
"No." Tink said with dread. "The town."
Wendy's eyes widened. "That's…intense. I bet he and Pan go head in head." Wendy could imagine the man-child going batting heads with the dark sinister 'Mr. Gold'. She might just pay money to see that. She noticed that Tink had gone a bit pale.
"What's wrong? Are you getting ill?"
Tink swallowed hard. "Uh no I…how about I get you a cup of cocoa and I'll be your first interviewee?"
Wendy smiled. "Sounds great."
The two girls went back to Wendy's booth and had their talk and cocoa. With Tink's help, Wendy got a few words in with a very few people and felt that she had enough coverage to satisfy Pan's need. She was just closing her pen when a commotion occurred behind her.
"Look! There they come!" Someone shouted.
Wendy looked towards the sky and gasped as thousands of little flickering lights flew through the sky.
"Wow…" she whispered in awe.
"Close your mouth Darling." Pan said as he suddenly popped up beside her. "You might catch a firefly."
Wendy didn't respond, too enchanted by the sight before her.
Pan rolled his eyes, which caused him to actually see all the twinkling fireflies. It was as if all the stars in the sky had been magnified. Some of them were flying low and he could reach out to touch them. Pan wasn't really one to appreciate beauty, but even he would admit that this was a sight to behold. He heard Wendy gasp and glanced at her. She had her hands cupped so that a firefly could land in it. Pan watched her as she cooed at the glowing creature, the light reflecting on her face. He had never seen her smile like that before. She looked so happy, so free. Now he was the one to be in awe. When he first saw her, he had been rather charmed by her beauty, until she started yelling at him that is. Now, those same feeling were running through him, filling him with a warmth he had never felt before. It felt good, and he wanted it to consume him.
Wendy turned to find Pan staring at her. He was smiling in a way that wasn't smug or irate. He actually looked…cute. As cute as Pan could get that is. She smiled back and it didn't feel forced or necessary. It felt good.
Pan felt like someone had just punched him in the gut when Wendy smiled at him. All the warmness he had felt turned ice cold in a split second. What was he thinking? He hated Wendy Darling! Hated her!
He turned from her and rush down the hill, leaving her confused and slightly saddened.
Wendy tried to let it go, chastising herself for being foolish enough to think that there was a decent bone in Peter Bloody Pan's body. Honestly though, she wanted him to share this magical moment with her. In the back of her mind, she wanted them to be a bit more than to opposing writers on the same paper. She wanted the hatred to stop. But apparently he didn't. Maybe he liked being miserable and cold. Maybe, like the firefly in her hands, any love or compassion in side his gray heart had flown away.
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The fireflies floated over the cool Maine sky, some leaving their hoard to float down into the otherwise sleeping town.
Archie Hopper was walking his Dalmatian Pongo away from the commotion, he and his dog both tired. As they strolled through the town, Pongo began to get restless from being on the leash for so long, causing Dr. Hopper to give the dog a few firm tugs to keep the dog at bay. It wasn't until a stray firefly landed on Pongo's nose that the dog truly got out of control, when it flew off, Pongo struggled until Archie had to let go of the leash, allowing the dog to dart off into the woods.
Pongo raced after the firefly, going into territory he had never seen. He finally caught up to it and caught the insect in his mouth, shaking his head as the thing buzzed around.
Pongo sneezed. The bug escaped. Pongo decided he'd had enough with his adventure and made his way back to where his master was…
Archie struggled through the unfamiliar woods, calling his dog the entire time. It was too dark and he had no idea where the silly dog had gone.
"Pongo!" he yelled out, stepping over a log.
A loud, painful yelp echoed through the forest. Archie stilled. It was Pongo and he sounded hurt. He dashed through woods, calling his spotted friend as he ran. He found a clearing to stop in, looking for anything that might help him locate him. A chill when up his spine when he saw Pongo's red leash wrapped up in a cluster of tree limbs, his broken collar hanging from the end.
He picked up the remains of the leash, gripping it tightly as he looked around frantically for his beloved dog.
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DUN DUN DUN! Okay, so this the Part 1 of this story. These last five chapters was to set up what the next couple will be centered around:
-Pan struggling with the defiant Wendy Darling, as well as a dark secret of his own that will be further dived into in the next instalment.
-Wendy dealing with Pan's childishness, problems back in London, as well struggling to find her place in the small time of Storybrooke. You'll see her become a bit of a Nancy Drew in the next few chappies!
-Felix dealing with his illness, as well of where his true loyalty stands. He'll want to tell Pan of how he was involved with helping Wendy, but is terrified of how Pan will react and if it will devastate their tightly-knit friendship.
-Tink dealing with the men in her life, and also trying to create the perfect cup of coffee!
There will be other characters, and a villain not even the writers of ONCE had looked into next! I really appreciate all the support this story is getting! I've wanted to find my place in the Once community for a while, and I found a lot of support in the writing community, especially the Darling Pandom because it is a small boat trying to upgrade into a ship and in need of first mates!
I regret to inform the readers that, though I have a basic outline of the next couple of chapters, I may be a bit slow in updating. I'm in college now, majoring in English. I haven't been here a month and I've already been chased by a potential mugger, the focus of a male-dominant ego group, and I've had my classes dropped and the threat of eviction rammed down my throat because I didn't pay something or something stupid as Hell like that. But just so you know, fanfiction is one of the only things I look forward to anymore. I get really happy every time someone posts a Darling Pan AU, or updates a chapter on some of my favorite stories. I will not let the fandom suffer—just hang with me!
By the way, feel free to prompt me if you something to happen in Papers and Sluethers, as well any of my other fics!