Disclaimer: I do not own the property of Dead Space in any media form that it has been released in. I'm just a writer with a huge fangirl crush on Isaac and am content to write anything that is for the Isaac/Ellie pairing. If you aren't into that, don't read my stuff. Enjoy:)

Chapter 1: Nightmares

The smell from the blood was overpowering. The stench coming off of the bodies would make anyone puke. For Isaac however, he didn't have that luxury. Right now, he was running through the metal hallway of an unknown ship, blood sprayed across the walls. He was running over body after body of the crew members that were unfortunately ill-prepared for what was to happened to them.

Isaac was in a bit of a bind because his hands were full. In his right, his trusty plasma cutter was aimed as best he could at oncoming Slashers that were seemingly coming from everywhere. He needed to make sure that each bullet counted as shot after shot ripped through the disfigured flesh of the Necromorphs. In his other hand however was something more precious to him. His other hand was clasping the wrist of the only other survivor of the attack.

With her typical attitude, Ellie Langford tried to do her best to help Isaac out as her own free hand had a plasma cutter of her own. They could feel their lungs burn like they were on fire, but to stop would mean death for the both of them. They were on constant alert, making sure that their eyes were looking every which way when the coast seemed clear. After Titan Station, they both knew that these monsters were smarter then they looked.

The hall just seemed like it went on for eons and both were just hoping for a way out. Turning the corner, Isaac got the shock of his life and instincts kicked in as he back pedaled behind the corner and pushed Ellie behind him. Peeking around, he confirmed that there was a Guardian blocking the way to the cockpit. "Damn things, always got to be in the way when you're in a hurry" Isaac said frustrated.

"Isaac, I think I got something for our little friend. Searching through her pants, she found one last grenade that was sure to do the job. "Fire in the hole," she said as she moved around him. Taking a peek around the corner to make sure where it was, she quickly pulled the pin and tossed it in the direction of the Guardian. Hiding behind Isaac, they both waited anxiously for the inevitable result.

The explosion ripped the deformed human apart and did the job that they needed. Isaac and Ellie watched as the chunks of flesh blew past them. When everything died down, Isaac took another look. When the smoke cleared, the target was down. "Let's go," they got up from the crouched position and made their way to the door. Ellie moved ahead of Isaac to put the code in as Isaac watched her back. "Got it." As Isaac turned around to follow her in, he could feel something warm hit his face.

His eyes were covered by a crimsom mist. Clearing it away with the back of his hand, his eyes finally focused on Ellie, whose expression was that of despair. As Isaac looked down, he could see that she had been impaled through her stomach by a Slasher's blade and it dug deeper into her body. Ellie coughed up a massive amount of blood and tried to reach for Isaac to get his help dropping her gun in the building pool on the floor. His body couldn't move however. It was as if someone had immobilized him with some sort of spell. All he could see was her face, begging for him "Isaac…it hurts."

"Ellie, no!"

The image of her dying blurred with the real world as Isaac shot up from his bed, sweat dripping all over him and the bed covers all but discarded on the floor. He could feel his heart beating fiercely inside his chest and he had to take deep breaths to calm down. Once everything finally settled down, he looked around the apartment. "Damn nightmares" he said with frustrations.

It had actually not been the only time he had this type of nightmare where his best friend ended up dead when he was suppose to protect her. It had all started when Ellie had let Isaac know that she was going to be doing a job where she would have to be gone for a couple of days. Unlike most men in her life, Isaac had given her his blessing without any sort of argue. In reality they both knew what the other was capable of and would only speak up with it was necessary.

This little arrangement made living together quite bearable. The jobs that they did would be dangerous in a sense, of course none of them would involve another Necromorph outbreak. They would be dirty. In the end, they paid well and gave them the feel of a normal life. Ever since they took refugee from the government in the Oracle Space Station, people were in their debt. The station had been suffering multiple failures in their equipment, yet somehow it was still able to operate because nothing major, such as the reactor, was in danger.

The people were telling Isaac and Ellie that the station itself had been supported by EarthGov. At first, they thought that they had made a mistake landing here. That was until they were also informed by an EarthGov superior that the station was too much of a hassle to continue to look after it and to fend for their own supplies. That's how it had been for 3 years. Isaac was able to earn the appointed leader's trust by making a single repair in minutes that brought lights to a whole sector that had been disable for weeks.

Impressed with his ability, the leader offered them both work and also a place to stay free of charge. Of course Isaac and Ellie were more then grateful. Running for a long time would make a person tired for sure and long for a hot shower and a warm bed. Life at the station was pleasant to their surprise. With work to keep them occupied, the days just seemed to fly by in a breeze. Things were uneventful until a few months later; Ellie came into the apartment that they had been sharing and needed to talk to Isaac about a job she was asked to do.

He was curious because Ellie would never tell him something from work unless it was out of the ordinary and unusual. She usually was assigned to move supplies from one section to the other on the station itself. This was not that type of mission. Ellie explained that one of the regular flyers that would do the longer trips to other stations injured his arm in an accident and couldn't fly. Isaac had known where this was going. It wasn't hard to figure out that she would have to take over since she's the only other person with the skills to make it anywhere. She proceeded to inform Isaac that the trip to Oracles' sister station Athena would take 2 weeks.

That would be the longest she would ever be away from him. Isaac processed the information in his head. The first thought of going with her was immediately ignore because he wouldn't have the authorization to co-pilot with her despite his minor experiences. Despite having the fullest trust in her, he couldn't help but be worried for her anyway. They had spent so much time together. Through it all he had felt something more then a friendship and he couldn't lose her now in hopes of finding out was it really was.

Even despite the feelings of dread that she would be ambushed somehow in the middle of space, he told her that it was okay and for her to just be careful. He noticed the slight look of surprise in her eyes, but she was grateful. They went to bed at the same time they always did afterwards to get their energy up for work. The next morning Ellie was getting ready to head off to her mission. "Isaac, are you sure you're okay with this?" He sat down on the stool and drank a cup of coffee. "Of course I'm not" he said as he smile, causing Ellie to do the same. "But I'm not gonna stop you. I probably couldn't do it if I tried." Ellie nodded and grabbed her bad.

She was about to head out the door before Isaac stopped her. He put the coffee down and walked up to her in nothing but his t-shirt and shorts that he always slept in. Without warning, he drew his arms around Ellie and pulled her to him. The bag fell from Ellie's right hand as she wrapped them around Isaac's broad shoulders. "Ellie, when you get back, there is something that I want to talk to you about okay?" She looked up to him and noted the serious look in his dark eyes. "Alright Isaac, we'll talk when I get back." They pulled apart and Ellie left with a wave as Isaac just stood there. He just couldn't tell her about the nightmares he was having about her and how much it was killing him inside. All he could do now was wait the two weeks it would take her to finish and hope that he would have all his facts straight before chatting again with her.

A/N: So yes, this will be only two chapters. Apologies to anyone who's sick of the fluff between Isaac and Ellie, but I just can't help myself:D