Author's Note : Hello there. Today is the 10th April, a 100 years ago today, the RMS Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage, its only voyage. I've had this idea to write a Phineas and Ferb Titanic story since March but it seemed a better idea to post it on the 10th April. I've included things such as what the tickets read, the posters said and more. I got all this information from my trips to museums and the many books I have on the Titanic. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing this.
27th March 1912 – 5:03PM, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Miss Penny Wilson briskly rubbed the smooth mahogany table clean before covering it with a cream cloth and setting the table for one. All was quiet in the cottage, located in Belfast as Master Robert Brink was out of town on a business trip, whilst Miss Isabella Garcia-Sharpio was likely to be rushing around, putting the finishing touches to her wedding which was in exactly two weeks now. Penny smiled to herself. She had only known Miss Isabella for around three months, but already she was fond of her, which wasn't surprising since Miss Isabella had taken Penny off the streets and given her food and a roof over her head in exchange for her maid services.
As Penny laid down the a plain ceramic plate, ready for use when Miss Isabella arrived home, Miss Isabella burst through the door in frenzy, waving a small piece of paper in the air frantically whilst screaming out loud.
"Look Penny! Look!"
Penny walked over to Miss Isabella and prised the paper out of her hand before reading it.
WHITE STAR LINE – Miss Isabella Garcia-Sharpio
Your attention is specially directed to the condition of transportation in the enclosed contract.
The company's liability for baggage is strictly limited, but passengers can protect themselves by insurance.
Second-Class Passenger Ticket per Steamship – Titanic
SAILING FROM – 10/4 1912
Penny handed it back to Miss Isabella; she couldn't quite understand what the ticket meant. She could read it just fine, she had been taught to read and write, but what Penny couldn't understand was why Miss Isabella had a second-class ticket to board the Titanic. Master Robert and Miss Isabella had said nothing about journeying to wherever this ship was going.
Miss Isabella, sensing Penny's confusion, took out a poster and gave it to Penny for her to read.
~~~~~ WHITE STAR LINE ~~~~~
THE LARGEST AND FINEST STEAMER IN THE WORLD
The RMS TITANIC sails from Southampton APRIL 10 & arrives at New York APRIL 17
French a La Carte Restaurant – Turkish & Electric Baths – Swimming Pool – Four Elevators – Gymnasium – Veranda Café – Palm Court
THE TITANIC
The Queen of the Ocean – Royal Mail & United States Mail Services – First Sailing of the Largest Addition to the White Star Line Fleet – 45,000 Ton Vessel
Penny admired the picture at the bottom of poster of a majestic looking ship, presumably the Titanic. Such a grand ship it looked, how wonderful it must be to travel on that ship and experience the luxuries.
"This is most wonderful news Miss. When will you and Master Robert be returning from your honeymoon?"
"Honeymoon?"
Miss Isabella thought for a moment before shaking her head so that her raven black hair fell out of its neat up do and hung loosely down her back. She laughed her little tinkling laugh before addressing Penny.
"Oh no, no, no, no Penny. I am not travelling on the RMS Titanic with Robert. I am travelling alone, in search for my beloved…"
Miss Isabella's eyes went all misty for a moment, and Penny could see that she was daydreaming about her childhood sweetheart that she used to know when she lived back in America. Miss Isabella had shown Penny numerous photo albums and pointed out her beloved Phineas Flynn. He was rather a handsome chap, but Penny had thought that Isabella had long since got over him, especially when she got engaged to Master Robert, a wise business man who was suitable as a marriage partner for her.
"You are travelling alone Miss?" asked Penny, her eyes widening slightly. Why, it was unheard of for a young lady to travel alone without a servant, maid or a husband by her side.
Miss Isabella nodded.
"Do not look at me like that dear Penny. I am quite sensible enough to travel on my own"
Penny shook her head. Again, she was fond of Miss Isabella and was a rather stubborn girl of nineteen.
"I cannot possibly allow it Miss. It is unheard of for a woman of your class to travel alone on such a large ship"
Miss Isabella laughed, her tinkling laugh filling the house with its cheerful manner.
"Come off of it Penny. You were wandering around the streets by yourself when I found you. Far more dangerous than boarding a classy ship by myself, where plenty of stewards and officers shall be there to keep me safe."
Penny blushed. She hated any reminder of her past, and had blotted the majority of it out. Miss Isabella only knew that Penny had wandered the streets for a week or so, but she did not know quite why. And no matter how many a time Miss Isabella had brought up the subject, Penny still refused to mutter even the slightest bit of her mysterious past.
"Has Master Robert been informed about your decisions?"
Again,Miss Isabella laughed.
"I shall not utter a word of it to him, and neither shall you!" she declared. "He will not know I am aboard the Titanic until I have already set sail for New York"
Penny put her hand to her face and began to massage her temple.
"So what exactly do you plan on doing in New York?"
Miss Isabella shuffled, biting her lip as she tried to think up of a plan that would daze Penny beyond asking questions. She had only come across the poster in the street whilst wandering them, and in a moment of frenzy she had booked herself a cabin on board the Titanic, with hopes of finding Phineas once more and picking up from where they left off. She hadn't actually planned how she was going to do that and where she was going to travel to after the ship had docked in New York. As said, she had booked herself a cabin in a moment of frenzy, but she was determined to get on that ship alone, without Master Robert knowing.
Penny bore her eyes deep into Miss Isabella's but Miss Isabella looked downwards, trying to avoid Penny's deep brown eyes. A hand touched her chin and pulled her head up softly so that she was face to face with Penny.
"I haven't actually thought of a plan yet. But please don't tell Robert! It's just- I don't love him, and I never shall. But I thought I did and truth is that I'm still in love with Phineas."
Penny released her grip and Miss Isabella sighed deeply, feeling utmost ashamed of herself. Miss Isabella collapsed into a nearby armchair. She daren't look back up again, feeling that Penny's face would show her disgust at her, but Penny was completely the opposite. Miss Isabella felt a cool hand on her shoulder and she glanced upwards cautiously, seeing the smiling face of her maid.
"That's okay Miss. But I still won't let you travel alone. I will go with you."
Miss Isabella scratched her head awkwardly.
"How do you plan on doing that? You have no money and the cost of a third class ticket is £7 15 shilling for the cheapest one-way fare"
"I'll think of something"
And with that, Penny left the little cottage, determined to get a place on that darn ship, RMS Titanic with the little money she had.
7:19PM, London, England
Ferb Fletcher relaxed in his London hotel room. To be more precise, he relaxed in a comfy armchair next to the raging fire, and was reading today's newspaper. He skipped past all the boring politics, weather, and the news that didn't interest him, and went straight to the technology section. There, staring back up at him was a picture of the RMS Titanic. Ferb scanned the page before turning it over.
In the left hand corner of the room, his bride-to-be, Lilly Evans sat down on a sofa, admiring the small diamond ring on her finger, twisting it round and round. Ferb looked up from his newspaper and sighed at her.
"Still fawning over that ring?"
Lilly laughed. Ferb was rather a silent chap, silent and serious although according to Phineas, he hadn't always been so serious but he had always been more of a man of action than a man of words. If Lilly remembered correctly it had something to do with a young woman he knew a long time ago, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. They had both been madly in love but she had been engaged to another man, and their final moments together had been tough, and Ferb never saw the beautiful Vanessa Doofenshmirtz again.
According to Ferb this had never happened and Phineas was just exaggerating the story. According to Ferb he had had feelings of lust for a woman, a long time ago, but she was engaged to another man, loved another man and that was that. Lilly didn't know which story was the correct one but she liked to believe Phineas's was true. Lilly Evans believed in true love and those sorts of things.
"It's so beautiful though, I cannot help it" Lilly smiled sweetly at Ferb, hoping for a smile back but he only grunted and rolled his eyes.
Half an hour passed by and it was beginning to get dark outside. Ferb was in his room, typing up a letter to his step-mother and father.
Dear Father and Mother,
The weather has been rather drizzly in London lately, but after all, it is only March still and I do not expect warm weather any time soon.
Recently, we moved down from Manchester and we are now staying in a hotel in London, we been I, Phineas and Lilly. It's pleasant here but I still long to see you, Candace and the rest of my family again. I'm beginning to get quite restless now as Phineas gets more and more forlorn-looking as each day passes by; Lilly gets more and more desperate to set a date and the who thing is deeply annoying. I have hinted a few times that me and Lilly would quite like to get back to America, but you know Phineas, oblivious as always.
There isn't much else to say apart from the fact that I intend to have a word with Phineas, hopefully he will see quite clearly that two months is long enough spend on a vain attempt to find a girl that he knew many years ago.
Your son,
Ferb Fletcher.
Ferb took the paper carefully out from the typewriter. He checked it over. The letter was rather short, but his previous letters had also been short. Ferb had run out of things to write about and was anxious to get home.
"Ferb?"
Ferb turned his head slightly to the right and watched as Lilly poked her head round the door. Ferb frowned, she was supposed to knock. She never knocked.
Lilly was a beautiful young woman, and what she lacked in intelligence, she made up for in looks. She had shiny, long, blonde hair down to her waist which would be tied up neatly into the latest hairstyle. She was a tall woman and knew how to dress well, and always looked glamorous in silk frocks and pearls. Lawrence, and Linda Fletcher approved of her and that's all that really mattered to Ferb.
Ferb was 20 years old and he had never had a girlfriend, or even for that matter, someone who was eligible for him to fall in love with. Vanessa Doofenshmirtz did not count. After rising to fame and fortune with his brother through their inventions, Ferb found himself surrounded by ladies; all wanting to be Mrs Ferb Fletcher, but Ferb liked none of them. He met Lilly at his parent's regular Christmas ball, and his parents were rather fond of her. Lilly Evans was polite, pretty, and above all she was a suitable marriage partner for Ferb. Ferb agreed to marry her even though he wasn't in love with her although he did like her kind nature.
"Where's Phineas?"
Ferb was returned to reality, snapping out of his flashback. He shrugged and Lilly sighed. As he had said in his letter, Lilly was desperate to marry Ferb. She hadn't wanted to come to England with Phineas on his wild hunt, but Ferb had come along with him so she reluctantly agreed to come with him as well.
Lilly sighed.
"Ferb? Please persuade him to return to America now. He's spent too long looking now and it's time for him to restore back to his normal life"
Phineas wasn't going to like this. But Ferb nodded. It had been two long, tiring months of moving from place to place around England in search for Isabella Garcia-Sharpio. It was all in vain. Phineas and Ferb only knew that Isabella had moved to England with her mother and father after her father had returned home one day from his gallivant travels and announced it. Isabella's father was a reckless and impulsive drunk with a hot and vicious temper. Neither Mrs Garcia-Sharpio, nor Isabella dared argued. And with that, Isabella was never seen again. Yes, there was evidence here and there. Turns out her father eventually drank himself to death and was buried at a graveyard in Leeds but other than that there were no definite clues to where Isabella was at the current moment, or if she was even still alive.
7:48PM, Somewhere in Belfast, Northern Ireland
"But all I have is this!" moaned Penny as she emptied the contents of her purse onto the counter. The man at the counter counted out the money and arranged it into a neat pile before pushing it back to her.
"Your 5 shillings short"
Penny scrunched up her eyes and leant her head back for dramatic effect.
"Oh COME ON!"
"Sorry Ma'am. You simply don't have enough for a third-class ticket!" said the man behind the glass panel. "NEXT!"
Penny muttered something dark as she collected her money and put it back into her purse before leaving. But then something caught her eye and she rushed up to ticket booth once more.
"WAIT!" she yelled as the man began to close the shutters; it was nearly 8 o'clock now and time to close up. "Can't I travel as crew?"
The man stared at her for a minute before laughing at her blatantly.
"Ma'am, you can't travel as crew. You need to be able to work to travel as crew on board the RMS Titanic"
"And? I can work!"
He raised one eye in sarcasm.
"What exactly sort of work can you provide? Apart from annoyance of course"
"I can-" Penny looked around for some inspiration before looking back down on to her plain black dress. "Work as a maid!"
"Hmmm… And have you any experience of working as a maid?" he asked.
Penny nodded.
"Go on…"
A smug smile crossed Penny's face. She was going to show up this cheeky man now.
"Actually, I currently work as a maid for Robert Brink and his fiancée Isabella Garcia-Sharpio"
"Go get Robert Brink, bring him back, WITH proof of identity and I will consider letting you on board this ship as a stewardess"
"Done, although it will have to be Miss Isabella as Master Robert is out of town on business. And by consider, you mean yes right?"
"Don't push your luck missy…"
9:00PM, London, England
Ferb was in the middle of eating his pudding, peaches in chartreuse jelly, when Phineas finally arrived back to the hotel room. His face was pale and his red hair, damp from the drizzling rain. He chucked his umbrella onto the floor and ripped off his outer coat before entering his room and slamming the door shut. Lilly winced at the noise. Phineas was obviously no closer to finding Isabella as his bad mood suggested.
After two minutes, Ferb cautiously opened the door and discovered his brother sitting on the end of his bed, deep in thought.
"Phin?" Ferb's crisp accent pierced through the silence and Phineas swayed slightly to the right.
"Mmm?"
Ferb scratched his forehead, crease lines forming above his eyebrows as he tried to think of a way to tactfully suggest that Phineas should, well, give up on his fruitless search for Isabella. He sighed softly and sat down next to Phineas, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Phin, don't you think it's time to-"
Phineas jolted his head round so he was facing Ferb.
"Give up?"
Had Phineas heard Ferb and Lilly talking? Ferb bit his lip and nodded, expecting Phineas to start up an argument. Surprisingly his gaze was calm and he showed no signs that he was angry with Ferb.
"Yeah…" Phineas allowed his body to go floppy and he fell backwards onto the soft bed, breathing deeply.
"Come on Phin. What are the odds of you finding her now?"
Phineas shook his head slightly.
"You will never understand Ferb…" he murmured.
"Understand what? That you're on a fruitless search for a girl you haven't seen in years?"
Again with the head shaking, but a small smile was visible on Phineas's lips.
"Ferb, you've never experienced love before…"
Ferb opened his mouth to speak, his finger poised in the air.
"Actually I-"
Phineas laughed.
"Come off of it Ferb. You don't love Lilly at all. You're marrying her just because mom and dad are basically forcing you"
There was an awkward silence. Ferb couldn't think of a counter-argument; everything that Phineas had just said was true. Ferb had never experienced love, only lust, and it was true. He was only marrying Lilly because of his parents' wishes.
"Phin, it's silly now. Useless even. You need to get back to your normal life. This," Ferb gestured around the room, "isn't healthy. We are all worried about you."
Phineas groaned.
"Okay, okay. Book me on the next ship to America"
"That would be the Titanic" came a voice.
Phineas quickly opened his eyes and sat up on his bed. Lilly shrugged. She had come in unnoticed after Ferb and had stood there in silence listening to their conversation.
"What? The next ship going to America IS the Titanic"
Ferb looked at Phineas and their eyes met.
"Okay. Book us three staterooms aboard the Titanic"
This is just an introduction to the characters of the story and about how they managed to get tickets to board the Titanic. As the chapters get uploaded, you will find out more about the characters and their back-stories. I'm trying to keep all details on the Titanic, historically accurate but the characters, and their stories are made up. Thank you for reading and please review!