A/N Thank you to Number Ten and ellegirlie77 for the reviews!

Chapter 21- Edward and Ida's Living Nightmares

When the bright light disappeared both Edward and Ida fell backwards to their surprise right into a bunch of mud.

"Where… where are we?" Edward asked looking around, but he didn't recognize his surroundings.

"I have no idea…" Ida said trying to stand but she immediately lost her footing falling back down. Edward crawled over to her, "are you alright?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine." Ida said giving him a small smile.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief before looking around, there was a forest all around the two of them, however they were in a clearing, the forest was quiet… a little too quiet for Edward's liking. There were no birds signing, or even bugs buzzing around.

"I think we should get out of here…" Edward whispered.

"I agree," Ida said, "The Boogeyman sent us here and who knows what he's got planned for us…"

Edward stood up carefully, once he was fairly certain that he had his balance he bent down offering Ida his hand, she took it and he carefully helped her up.

"You good?" He asked after a moment.

Ida nodded her head, "yeah."

"OK keep holding my hand," Edward said taking a small step, trying his hardest to keep his balance, neither he nor Ida were wearing shoes with very good grips, and they had ended up in the middle of the mud puddle.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity and lots of slipping and almost falling the two of them made it to the grass, where they both fell to their knees.

"So where do we go?" Ida asked staring into the forest, "We have no idea what awaits us in the forest."

"I know, but we can't just stay here like sitting ducks, if there's a way to get back to Killian, Emma, Belle, and Regina we have to try and find it."

Ida sighed standing up, "OK let's get this over with…"

Edward took Ida's hand, for a few moments the two of them stood there staring into the dark forest neither one of them wanting to move, but both of them knowing that they had to.

"We can't put it off forever," Edward whispered, "no matter what awaits us in that forest we'll get through it together."

"You're right." Ida said as the two of them ventured into the forest.

The farther the two of them walked the more they got creeped out by the quietness.

"Why is the forest so quiet?" Ida whispered so quietly that Edward thought it was the wind for a brief moment.

"I don't know…" He whispered back equally as quiet, "But it's creeping me out."

Ida nodded her head in agreement as the two of them continued walking. Both of them looking over their shoulders and to their left and their right, as well as above them to make sure that something, or someone wasn't about to attack them.

A few more long moments passed by, and finally the trees started to part revealing another clearing in the forest.

"That must be the way out!" Edward said excitement filling his voice.

Ida felt a knot growing in her stomach, her gut told her that something was wrong, but she decided to ignore it and allow Edward to lead her closer and closer to the clearing. When they got closer Edward let go of Ida's hand and ran towards the it, clearly in a big hurry to get out of the forest. Not that Ida blamed him she wanted to get out of the forest too, but she couldn't ignore the feeling in her gut.

"Ida!" Edward yelled happily, "Hurry up!"

Ida began walking faster and as she got closer to the clearing she could see Edward standing there with the stupid grin on his face that he always got when he was happy. Ida smiled as well and began walking closer to him.

However just before she walked out of the forest to her horror the ground where Edward was standing gave way, bringing Edward down with it.

"Edward!" Ida screamed running to where he had just been standing, kneeling down she discovered that the forest backed onto a cliff, "Edward!" Ida screamed once again.

"Ida!" Edward screamed back.

Ida laid down on her stomach so that she wouldn't be putting too much weight on the cliff, she didn't want to go over as well. Glancing over the side of it she saw that Edward had managed to grab onto a tree root, but he was pretty far down.

"Are you alright?" Ida asked worriedly.

"I've been better." Edward admitted.

Ida watched horrified as the tree root that Edward was holding onto began giving way, "Hang on I'll find something to help you!" Ida said carefully turning around, once she was far enough away from the spot she got up and ran into the forest, looking for something that she could use to save Edward's life.

Ida smiled when she found a tree branch that should be long enough to help him, she quickly picked it up and began running towards the clearing once again. However before she made it there a scream made her stop dead in her tracks, as well as make her blood run ice cold. However this scream didn't come from Edward, this scream was a child's scream. Turning around Ida gasped when she spotted a little boy that she instantly recognized.

"Michael…" Ida whispered tears falling from her eyes.

"Mom!" Michael screamed, "Mom please help me!"

Ida glanced down at the branch that she was holding and then back at the clearing, tears falling from her eyes, "it's not real!" she whispered to herself, "Michael's not really here…"

"Mom!" Michael screamed again, "Please help me!" He cried using the stick in his hand to try and fend off the bear.

Ida's heart broke as she began running away, she had to help Edward, Michael was dead, and saving him here wouldn't bring him back.

"Mother!" Michael screamed.

Ida stopped running gasping when she saw that the bear had knocked the stick out of Michael's hand and was now about to maul him, and despite Ida knowing that none of what was happening was real her maternal instincts took over.

"Hang on, Michael!" She screamed running over to the bear.

Edward waited with baited breath for Ida to come back. He was too scared to move, the tree root that he had grabbed onto was attached, if you want to call it that, to a rotten tree. Which meant that any movement that he made would make the root weaker and weaker. He was hanging over a large waterfall, so if he did fall then he would not survive.

"Ida…" Edward whispered, "Where are you?"

Looking up and squinting due to the sun, Edward hoped beyond hope that Ida would come back with something that she could use to help him get back up.

After a few minutes Edward's eyes started hurting from staring up at the sun, sighing he looked away.

A few more minutes passed and just then Edward heard a blood curdling scream, but it wasn't Ida who screamed, it sounded like it had come from a child.

"What is happening up there?" Edward asked nervously, "Ida?!" He screamed, but she didn't answer. Edward knew that he had to try and get to the top of this cliff, but if he tried to use the root then he would fall to his death. Looking around he saw that the cliff had some rocks that he could grab onto, and a few grooves that might work to put his feet on. It would be difficult but Edward had to try and get back up to the top of the cliff and make sure Ida was OK. Taking a deep breath he reached over as carefully as he could. However just when he was about to reach one of the rocks the root gave way some more.

After it had finally stopped moving he looked down, he was dangerously close to the waterfall now, he knew that this would be his last chance to save his life.

"You can do it, Edward…" He whispered to himself, out stretching his arm he managed to grab onto a rock, taking another deep breath he let go of the root, which fell out of the tree at that exact moment. Exhaling Edward looked down, resting his foot on one of the grooves.

"OK…" He said talking to himself looking around trying to plan all his moves perfectly, he knew that any mistakes would cost him his life. Out stretching his other arm Edward grabbed onto another rock and started climbing up the cliff.

Ida charged at the bear using the branch in her hand to stab it in the back. It growled turning its attention away from Michael towards her. Taking a step back Ida got ready to use the tree branch any way possible, the bear growled and began circling around her.

"Mom!" Michael cried.

"Run!" Ida screamed.

"I'm not leaving you!"

Ida wanted to fight with him but she had to try and keep the bear busy, "Hey!" She screamed hitting the bear in the face with the branch, angering the bear it growled and then swung its paw at her. Ida managed to jump out of the way in the nick of time.

"Yeah go Mom!" Michael said clapping, which once again got the bear's attention.

Ida quickly hit it in the butt, "Stop drawing attention to yourself!" Ida yelled.

The bear once again growled and swung at Ida, once again she jumped out of the way, however the bear managed to scratch her leg, she cried out in pain falling to her good knee.

"Mom!" Michael cried.

The bear growled charging at Michael.

"No!" Ida screamed somehow managing to stand up and run in front of the bear, she quickly pushed Michael out of the way as the bear bit down on her stomach before scratching her chest.

"Ida!" Edward screamed, running over to her and quickly throwing a knife right at the bear's heart, killing it, he then kneeled down beside Ida, she was hurt badly, "Ida what the hell were you thinking?!" He demanded.

Ida took a breath trying to find the strength to talk, "wh… where's… Mi… Mik… Michael?"

"Michael?" Edward asked confused.

"Our… son?"

"Ida…" Edward began not sure how to word what he was about to say.

"Is… is… he… alright?"

"Ida, Michael's dead…"

"What?" Ida asked trying to turn her head but she wasn't strong enough, "but… I… save…d… him..." a tear fell from Ida's eyes, "pl….ea…se… let… me… s…ee… h…i…m…" Ida begged.

Once again Edward had to think about how to word what he had to say next, "Ida, Michael's been dead for ten years…"

"What?" Ida whispered with as much strength as she could manage, she was losing a lot of blood, "How?"

"A bear attack…" Edward said clearing his throat trying to clear the lump in it, as he thought of his son being mauled by the bear the day he died. Now he was sitting here with his wife who was about to die the same way.

"I…m… so…rry…." Ida whispered.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Edward whispered bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing it, "please don't leave me, sweetheart…" He whispered.

"I… don…t…wan…t…to…." Ida whispered, "bu…t… I'm… so… ti…re…d…"

"We can get you help!" Edward said attempting to stand up.

"No…" Ida said, "pl…eas…e… do…n…t… le…a…v…e…" She said before closing her eyes. Edward fell on top of her now lifeless body and began crying.

"I love you so much, Ida." He whispered as he continued sobbing.

End Chapter 21

I don't own OUAT

Next Chapter will be Belle's.

Please Review!