Noremma One-shots Collection

Different, But The same

Angst. No spoilers.

Inverted roles AU.

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She was no longer here.

"It'll be okay. Don't ever give up" It was her last words to him.

Even with that, the only thing he wanted to do was give up.

More tears streamed down his face. He missed her, her smile, her warmth, her persistence, her innocence, her voice, her eyes.

He missed her so much.

The pain he felt at having his arm broken was nothing compared to the pain he felt at losing her.

And Ray had given up.

"I don't care" That's what Ray said the next night when Don and Gilda had called both to know what they were going to do "Let's die here"

"It's impossible. We're surrounded by a cliff, and the only bridge going out is in the headquarters. Besides, I'm tired" Ray explained with his head still down "I'm really tired"

He didn't even bother taking back the device that he had spent so much time developing.

And now, in the silence of the infirmary that he was so many times when he was younger, the only thing he could think about was Emma.

Emma and how painful her death was.

"I did knock" Mama said when he noticed her presence "You didn't hear it?"

He sat on the bed while Mama hugged him "You poor thing" She said as she hugged him "You're in pain. You're suffering"

"Emma is dead, and Ray's a mess. You can't do anything on your own" He sobbed when he realized she was right "You must be extremely desperate"

"Now, you will never able to escape. Just give up. The best way to not suffer is to give up, you suffer because you resist. Simples concede. You'll feel much better, it's easy"

She pulled away from the embrace when she received no response but another sob, and he felt the mattress beside it sink slightly and her arms wrap around his shoulder, bringing him closer.

"Before Emma died, I gave her a proposal" The gentle way she spoke almost made him think she was being sincere "I gave her the option to become a candidate to Mama"

He turned and looked at her with a mixture of surprise and hope. As much as he knew that Emma would never accept becoming a Mama and survive as long as everyone around her died, he still hoped she would be alive.

"She didn't accept" Isabella replied as if she could read his mind.

Of course, she wouldn't accept it. If she accepted, she wouldn't be the Emma who cared more for her family than for herself that he had fallen in love with.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, speaking for the first time since Isabella had entered the infirmary.

When she replied, holding his face, she used the same gentle tone as before, as if asking him to simply choose to die "So that you don't have false hopes. I don't want to see my dear child suffer any more."

He knew it was a lie, but he wanted to believe so badly.

He felt Isabella get up but he didn't bother to look at her.

"Just accept your fate and try to live happily" She said "I'm sure Emma would want this, she cared about you so much..."

He could hear her footsteps moving away, but again he didn't bother to look.