Disclaimer: Do not own The Promised Neverland

Her chosen child

Isabella stood before the two demons. She knew what was about to happen. She had seen it so many times before. So many times before.

The head of this facility stood before her, picking up the Vida flower, which eventually would become engorged in the blossoms with her blood, after it was impaled into her heart.

She looked up at the demon's masked face, refusing to be afraid in the face of her death.

She wouldn't beg. And besides? She had failed, hadn't she? She had failed her children. Had failed to realize what the children's plans were, failed to realize the house would be set on fire, had failed to keep those fourteen children that had escaped with Ray safe. Even knowing that Ray had fled into the cold, dangerous world, rather than being ended quickly, ripped at her heart, no matter how much she had tried to distance herself from knowing who he was to her.

A tender, gentle face flashed in her mind. A soft, loving young girl, who knew too much of the world by the time she escaped. Vibrant, emerald eyes burned in the back of her mind. She hadn't just failed her children.

She had failed her.

She had failed her children. And so she knew what she deserved.

She welcomed her death with dignity. So when the head slowly put down the Vida flower and placed it into his servant's giant, clawed hands, she was taken by surprise, gasping.

The head looked down at her and said calmly, "We are willing to give you another chance. To recapture all the children. And you will be given your freedom. And your chip will be taken out. But that's not all. That's not all we will offer you. We know that your children are very special. And there are two other things that we offer if you recapture the children."

Isabella froze. Her freedom? The chip would be taken out and she would be allowed to be free of the demons?

No, she couldn't risk believing that. It was too good to be true.

The head then lowered himself so that he was speaking right next to her left ear, and she ignored the small spike of unease she felt as she often did, whenever these creatures were near, even when she was certain they would not eat her. The demon then spoke, telling her the last two boons she would receive for her service, "For your service, we would appoint you to Grandmother." Isabella's mouth dropped. To be given that much power and to do as she pleased. She then remembered what the head had just said. He had said that there were "two other things."

What was the other thing?

The head then said the words that made the decision for Isabella, "We know that you love the merchandise-so we'll give you one mercy for all your years of devotion, and for recapturing the children. You may keep one, and only one of the children as your own. You may choose any of the children-including from one of the children that escaped from the farm. Any child that you choose? The child will not be eaten. The child will be yours and only yours."

Isabella's jaw dropped.

One of the children. One of the children could be her own? One she could choose herself? Including from the batch of fifteen children that had escaped? Wouldn't be taken? Wouldn't be eaten? She could keep that child?

That was when Isabella made her choice, as the head stood up, looking down at her expectantly.

Even with the mask over his face, she could practically feel his expectant expression.

Isabella felt a grin cross her face, knowing what her answer was already.

"I will recapture the children," She said, "Every last one of them. I promise. As long as you fulfill your end. And that one of the children-the one that I choose, will be allowed to stay with me, forever."

The demon nodded, pleased at her answer. "Very good. We will get you ready for your position as Grandma."

Isabella smiled and nodded, sitting down at the foot of her cot, for once, hope seeping into her chest. Traitorous hope, but it was more than before.

Freedom, power as Grandma, and last but certainly not least? One of her own children? One she could choose?

Isabella's grin widened, even as the demons left and the cell door clanged shut.

She knew which one she was going to choose. The child who she had fallen in love with as soon as she had seen the child brought to her farm. The child who she had chosen over Ray, the child she had given birth to.

She had been in a cell like this one, long ago, before she had first taken up her position as a Mom.

She had been pregnant and forced to give up her biological child.

It had hurt immensely. It still did.

But she had come to terms with Ray's eventual foreseeable death, ages ago. It seemed much crueler to try to give such an obviously doomed lamb hope.

So she had given up on him as soon as he had been taken from her.

It was ironic, wasn't it? She had known that Norman would be brought to the new farm, the Lambda 7214 facility. That he would be experimented on more, but would be given a new chance at life-if only for a little while.

And her? That other child? That precious little girl…

Oh, Isabella never had planned to allow her to die. She had always had planned to make that girl her replacement. To give that girl a chance at life, to know happiness as a "Mom," and escape with her life throughout the years.

Ironic that her biological child had been the only one doomed to die at the planned date, wasn't it?

So Isabella had done what she had needed to in order to protect her heart. She had given up on Ray before she had even seen him that day, sitting next to the tree and hearing the song that she had sung to him once.

But for one other child it had been very different, hadn't it?

But she had fallen in love with another child. One who she would recapture and claim as her own.

"Don't worry, Emma," Isabella said, smiling, "I'm coming for you, sweet girl. I'll come to get you soon. You'll be back in my arms where you belong soon enough."

She would recapture all the children, and take Emma as her own child. Her daughter.

Hers.