He woke up startled by a cry. His eyes shot wide open, however, it seemed he was the only one the sound had registered to as the rest of the children laid still in their beds, still dreaming. He quietly got out his bed and tip-toed towards the window where he thought he had heard the sound come from and gently pressed his face against the window. Right away, he spotted the source and saw two figures casted in the silvery light of the moon. One was a boy, and from the look of it, couldn't have been much older than himself and the other was a raggedy older man who was red in the face, trying to quiet the boy as he wailed on.

"Calm down, Rumple, I won't be gone forever," said the older man, patting the boy's head in a hurried pace, obviously panicked by his sudden outburst.

"You're lying!" Rumple screamed. "You're going to leave me here forever!"

Ah, he understood what was happening.

Abandonment. It was common here.

With that, he should have just left the scene alone and go back to bed, but an unknown feeling stirred up in him to keep on listening. Just by a hair, he cracked open the window and listened on.

The tattered man, now exasperated, seized his son's shoulder and shook him with a great force, "Rumple! Don't. Be. Selfish!"

He had snarled each word, let his ragged teeth bare with each syllable and the boy was silenced with fear.

"B-But, Papa, I-I love you," Rumple stared into his father's eyes, wide and glistening. "I'll be good, I'll behave! I promise!"

The father released his grip on his son, hesitating for something he did not quite know, and soon silence ensued. Time ticked on effortlessly and they all stood there, deadly mute.

He pushed the window wider as if it would transpire their unspoken words if he did just that but nothing happened. His heart raced on and his stomach dropped as he stared intensely at the two, wishing for one of them to break the stillness.

It was until the father hovered his hands over Rumple that the silence broke.

"I just don't have the money," he sobbed as he embraced his son. However, before the boy could return the gesture, his father pulled him away and cried, "MS. ELLIS, MS. STRANGER!"

He watched from above as the matrons rushed to the boy's side, doing their best to comfort him and hold him back, as if worried whether he was going to make another outbreak and go after his father; but he didn't. He just blankly stared as his father, without a second glance, ran way out of the moonlight and into the darkness of night.

"There, there now," Ms. Stranger had pointlessly cooed. "It'll be alright, ya hear?"

"Yes, there will be lots of children to play with and you won't have to worry about a thing here," Ms. Ellis joined in but there was a lack of response in him. Ms. Stranger hurriedly got something out her pocket and shoved it in his face.

"Here, have a sweet. Ya need it, besides, your father'll surely return one day, it's just that he can't afford for both of you right now. Just wait and see."

Rumple took the sweet out of her hands, muttered something and gobbled it up. The two matrons took it as a positive sign and guided him into the building with halfhearted smiles plastered on their faces.

As soon as he heard the entrance door creaked, he quickly shuffled into bed, closed his eyes tight and waited for the sounds of footsteps to approach. The door opened slightly and he could hear their whispers to the boy as he feigned sleep.

"Now, here's where you'll sleep. You can take the bed next to Tootles, right there in the far corner. Just be quiet as you go-all the other children are sleeping and they will introduce themselves in the morning."

"It was very nice to meet you, Rumple. Oh, and before I forget, welcome to the Tiger Lily Orphanage. I'd imagine you'll do quite well here."

The door clicked closed and he soon heard soft footsteps pass him by and a soft thump on the bed near where Tootles laid. He didn't dare think of opening his eyes but he already knew what he would have seen. In that far corner, he had heard the boy unleash his sorrow throughout the night.

A/N: So, how was it? (Besides, pretty short) This is actually my first fanfic...ever. And I've been on this site for how long...? Anyways, ever since "Think Lovely Thoughts" aired, I was so mad with the revelation of Peter Pan-WHY MUST EVERYONE BE RELATED TO HENRY?-that I came up with another backstory between Rumple and Pan so be aware, I will ignore certain things from OUaT and I will make Darling Pan possible, even if it's AU at this point.