A/N: This is a sequel to my story Unexpected. If you haven't read it, I'd recommend doing so.

Voices could be heard, garbled and distant, some desperate, some cheerful, but never understandable. It was almost like being underwater and trying to listen to voices above ground. The longer time went on, the louder the voices got, but never did they get more distinguishable. Louder and louder they got until it was positively painful. Then, all of a sudden, they stopped.

Slowly, he came to consciousness. Listening carefully, the only sounds that reached his ears were birds chirping and the rustling of the wind through the trees above. Along with the soft sound of the trees came the realization that he was also lying on the cold, hard ground, and there was what felt like a root digging into his back.

Squirming uncomfortably, he slowly blinked his eyes open. He carefully lifted himself up onto his elbows to get a better idea of where exactly he was. He shifted his bleary eyes around to see he was in what appeared to be a relatively small dirt clearing surrounded on all sides by trees as far as his eyes could see. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he had to stop because the world started swirling around him. He closed his eyes as he put a hand to his head in an attempt to stop the dizziness.

Ever so slowly, the pulsing stopped, and he was able to open his eyes without it feeling as though the world were slipping around him.

Looking down, he saw he was wearing the same burlap tunic and cloak he's had for years, not making enough as the town coward to afford new clothes for himself often. Plus, with Bae growing like a weed, he spent enough on clothing for the boy to be too concerned with new clothes for himself as well. As long as his boy was taken care of, his life was worth living.

Deciding to take stock of any injuries, he softly started patting himself. While no pain seemed to stand out, there was something about himself that felt off. As his hands brushed across his stomach, he jolted at the softness of his belly. Lifting his shirt, he was shocked at the soft roundness of it. Letting go of his shirt, he continued patting himself, now noticing an overall thickness to his previously thin body.

Cautiously standing, it took him a moment to realize there wasn't any pain radiating from his bum leg. He froze in shock, just staring at his leg, before he took a slow step with it. Smiling at the lack of pain, he took a couple more steps before jumping a few times to test it.

He looked around the clearing he had found himself in, and his broad grin faded slowly as realized he didn't recognize where he was. He walked around a bit, peeking through the trees, trying to see if there was something he could recognize.

A/N: In case anyone was wondering, this was written before the midseason 4 finale with the assumption that Rumple had healed his leg in Neverland rather than bracing it with magic.