The Promised Neverland AU

By: FunahoMisaki

(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)

"My, you and Norman got into a fight then?" Isabella asked as she bandaged up her sons' cheek, her hands gentle as she treated the bruise after breakfast and Emma's workout. She briefly wondered if she'd be doing this if they didn't live in a world filled with demons. Would she be treating her sons' bruised cheek only once instead of every other day? Would he be getting into fights all the time with his friends or other kids instead of studying all the time?

"Yeah. I gave as good as I got though. Honestly Emma looked ready to deck us both when she learned why we were fighting." Ray said remembering that he'd have to give his sister a part in the story as well.

"Why were you fighting?" Isabella asked as she was putting away the first aid kit.

"Norman said that if we were going to escape we'd have to kill you." Ray said and Isabella paused for the briefest of moments as her eyes widened just a little.

"I see…yes that is something he'd think of." Isabella said and Ray nodded.

"Yeah he's been gathering supplies for it but he isn't sure how he wanted to do it yet." Ray said and Isabella nodded slightly in understanding. Would it be a poisoning? One that mimicked a heart attack or something to avoid suspicion from the other children, even though Isabella certainly wasn't in the risk range for a heart attack. Or perhaps he'd strangle her? Maybe make it seem like a suicide on her part by hanging her with their makeshift rope?

She'd be far from the first Mom to commit suicide after several years, or after learning that her own child was on her farm and she had sent them off to be food. If she recalled right, the Mom of Plantation 2 had hung herself using a makeshift rope just a few years ago after she had been told that her daughter had been one of her cattle that hadn't made the cut to become a Mom candidate.

"That's what that short rope that was under his bed was for then?" Isabella phrased it as a question but she obviously knew what it was planning to be used for.

"Yeah. He's also gathered herbicides, a hammer, and a few other things. He wasn't going to do it for another month though, that's what he said at least. That he'd do it the night before we were supposed to make our escape." Ray said and Isabella nodded in understanding. That would make the most sense, do it right before the escape so that the HQ would presumably not have any time to send in someone else to watch them.

"So you tried to talk him out of it only for it to become a fight which Emma separated." Isabella said summing up the events and Ray nodded.

"She looked ready to deck us both herself when she heard what we were fighting about. Said it shouldn't even be a question and that there's no way in hell that we were going to kill you." Ray said and Isabella froze for a full minute at that as she stared at Ray in silence.

"I'm…glad to hear it. I'm happy to hear that neither of my children want to kill me." Isabella said and there was a small soft smile on her face, a true one. Her kids, both of them, refused to kill her. They didn't want her dead despite everything that's happened.

"Neither of your children?" Ray asked blinking and wondering why she said that. Sure he knew about his younger sister but he didn't know that she was aware of Emma being her daughter.

"I had two children Ray. You and your younger sister. Your sister who's just a few months younger than you…and who has my eye." Isabella said smiling softly as she thought about both of her children and how they became so close despite not knowing about their shared parent.

"Wait…I have a little sister? And it's Emma?" Ray asked gaping at her in disbelief, this was the first time he heard of her admitting to having a second child. As far as he had known she hadn't been aware that Emma was her daughter…but now she knew the truth and was telling him?

"Yes…" Isabella trailed off and she stared at her son for a moment as he stared at her wide eyed for another few seconds before looking down in thought.

"I received a message from HQ. There won't be a shipment next month. Instead it'll be the month after…January." Isabella said after a moment of silence between them and what was unsaid was loud and clear to the two of them. Ray turned twelve in January. He was the one who was going to be shipped out next.

"So, it's finally my turn huh?" Ray asked with a kind of uncaring smile that sent a small chill down Isabella's spine. Her son wasn't at all scared or upset that he was going to be the next one to die. If anything, he looked kind of happy about it.

'I'm sorry Ray. I'm so sorry for this cursed life you must hate so much. I'm sorry I won't be able to save you. I'm sorry that you hate me and your life so much…' Isabella thought sadly as she looked at him, she really wished she could do something to save him without endangering herself but…there was nothing she could do. He had been born a boy after all.

"Hey…I know you can't do anything about Norman…but…about Emma…can you promise me you'll give her a chance? A chance to live and grow up?" Ray asked gaining his mothers attention and earning a briefly surprised look from her before she smiled sadly. Ray truly didn't care about his life but cared about his sisters.

"Ray…" Isabella kneeled down and looked her son in the eye, giving him a briefly teary smile before she blinked her eyes clear of the tears.

"I was already planning to give her the chance to grow up before I knew she was my daughter and your sister. I promise you…I'll do everything I can to make sure that she lives." Isabella promised and she felt how Ray relaxed at that, assured that his sister would have a chance.

Isabella felt like crying when she saw how Ray seemed to feel much better about his own impeding demise when he was assured about his sisters survival.

If only they weren't in a demon run world. Then she'd be able to love Ray and Emma unconditionally and not have to worry about them dying before they turned twelve or ending up like her. She would be able to see them have fun and play and grow up a normal happy and healthy life without their impending demise lingering in her mind. They'd have known that they were siblings from the start and Ray would have been such a loving protective big brother…he wouldn't feel as if his life was cursed and meaningless.

Not for the first time and not for the last did Isabella wish that things were different. That she could let herself get close to and attached to both of her children and save them both instead of just one.

God did she hate this and herself.