Author's Note: I will bring up a collection of oneshots very soon, focusing around various characters... though perhaps I change my mind and I focus only on Isaac and Ellie; who knows? Anyway, another short oneshot of a "What if" scenario post-Sprawl and the first introduction of light fluff at the end, lol. Enjoy!^^
Disclaimer: Apply the usual here; copyright goes to Visceral Games/EA Games.
The worst of his outbursts came today, right when Ellie wasn't expecting it.
Isaac had made excellent progress since their return to Earth and their temporary settling-in on the city-dome of Ottawa, the safest one and the less affected by the higher sea level. He'd changed, she'd noticed, and a lot. Ever since their escape from the Sprawl a month ago, Isaac had slowly but surely gotten himself out of the hole he'd fallen into. He'd even smiled, despite Ellie's thinking he wasn't too much of a laid-back guy, but it relieved her to see things were looking up.
That was, until his last breakdown.
The first scare came right after arriving to their apartment: Isaac wasn't there. He'd even left his RIG and communications systems in the closet and though prone to freaking out, Ellie remained calm and went on another patrol round the place. Upon entering their bedroom, Ellie jumped: Isaac was right where he hadn't been before, sitting on his bed and head cocked to one side. His eyes were lost somewhere in the distance. He finally noticed her and chuckled.
"There was one place you didn't look in."
"Right. What's up with you? You've been acting a bit strange today," Ellie said, taking a seat next to him. Isaac said nothing. She waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Earth calling to Isaac?"
"I couldn't do it. I tried… I tried to stop it, but…" Isaac lifted his gaze at her, leaving her mute. "I can still feel it, Ellie. After so long… God, it's still here, in my head…"
"Isaac? Isaac, listen: it's over. You destroyed the Marker: it's gone, smashed to bits! You told me you faced yourself, that you faced all that which had been haunting you! It's over, do you hear me?"
For a moment, she was reminded of Stross and his decaying state of mind. Was Isaac losing it too? Would there come a time when she'd be forced to…? No, certainly not.
"But I can still hear it!" Isaac replied, his shoulders slumping. "It won't leave me alone! I don't know what's happening, and I know what I did, Ellie, but… Th-there's something else in here: I have a feeling Nicole wasn't my only demon."
"You have to fight it! I know you wouldn't give up!" Ellie was doing her best and beyond to convince him and calm him down, but her persistence was futile. Whatever Isaac had seen or done, it had left him horribly shaken.
The worst thing was that it was supposed to be over. All of it. The Marker was gone, that Convergence event or whatever had been stopped, Isaac had prevented his fall into his own self. What else was there left for him to do? Was there some kind of deeper connection between Isaac and the Markers? Ellie dreaded to think about it.
"I've tried, Ellie, and harder than ever."
"Try harder! Besides, you-"
"What if I can't?" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Ellie imitated him, only to be seized by the shoulders and brought face-to-face with Isaac. "What if I can't do it? I've done God knows what to stop it all, but it JUST. KEEPS. COMING. I don't know what's happening and maybe I'll never know, but I'm at my limit. I… I just…"
Ellie was rigid, silent like a rock and dumbstruck at his reaction. Eventually, Isaac let go of her, buried his face in his hands and fell to his knees. She'd never thought he'd break down in front of her yet there he was. He needed help, and she was willing to give it.
"I mean, I don't even know if it's real," Isaac claimed, locking gazes with Ellie as she kneeled down before him. "It's supposed to be over, but somehow… I think it isn't." He released a shaky sigh, looking down in what seemed shame. "I can't believe this happened, I-"
"Believe it, man, because it did," Ellie said, smiling. "See now why I insisted in tagging along?" Silent, Isaac nodded. "I spy a smile."
"Thank God I didn't argue," Isaac said as he stood up alongside Ellie. "Look, I, uh… I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"If I could take being hit by a drunk, I can take your grip, and so I did." Ellie playfully punched his chest, smirking as she did so. Then, after a moment, she had Isaac in his arms, close to breaking down herself.
"You're a strange man, Isaac," she'd told him back at the Sprawl, ignorant of his burden. Now that she knew, it felt suffocating even for her.
But like she'd promised him and herself, Ellie would never disappear until it was all over. And judging by the looks of things, she'd be staying for a long, long time. Not that she minded too much, though. Tagging along with someone who was a potential threat to your life given certain circumstances? The best choice. EVER.
Ellie realized with a laugh that Isaac's bad ideas were rubbing off on her. When Isaac asked about her laughter, she merely shrugged the question off, which pried a smile off him.
Much to Isaac's initial dislike and Ellie's joy, they spent the night together.
Like it was supposed to be.
A/N: Keep tabs on me for the oneshot collection! Oh, and reviews are appreciated, guys^^