A/N: Hey, everyone! I can't think of any witty introductions... so let's get straight to it. I formally welcome you to my Phinabella fanfic, "Your Smile Saved Me"!
Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb. All credit belongs to two geniuses named Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. :)
The sky seemed to share the sadness and despair of the young girl hugging her knees on her window seat, for it was raining harder than it ever had since Danville's very beginning. The girl's pink bow, which was usually on top of her ebony hair, lay on the surface of her bedside table instead. Lightning illuminated her face for a second, showing the second person in the room how her tears continued to trickle down her cheeks as soft sobs were heard.
"Isabella..."
Phineas didn't know what to do. This was a side of Isabella that he had never seen before... and he desperately wished he could go to the time machine at the museum and turn back time just to prevent all this from happening. Everyone wanted her to smile again. He wanted her to smile again, and he was willing to do everything in his power to do just that.
But for reasons known only to his subconscious mind, he just couldn't bring himself to leave her like this. All he could think of doing at the moment was to sit beside Isabella, listening sadly to the broken whispers her anguish had brought upon her.
"Why'd you go...? You didn't have to save me! It should've been me! Why...?"
She cried her heart out in front of Phineas, and it was all the boy could really do to just pull her into a hug, rubbing his hand down her back, hoping to soothe her, to stop both of their hearts from breaking. After a while, her shaking had subsided, but Phineas could still see the torment and pain that dulled her cerulean eyes.
He noticed that those same eyes had wandered to the familiar bow resting on the nightstand. Silently, she reached over and grabbed it from its place, staring at it for a while before letting it fall to her lap.
"You were the one who gave this to me."
"Yeah."
She leaned against Phineas' shoulder. "Do you remember, Phin?"
His arms slowly tightened around her small figure in an embrace that Phineas now realized was long overdue for Isabella. "Of course I do."
As one, they reminisced on the day their destinies intertwined. As one, they remembered the events that occurred during that fateful day when both realized...
... that love bound them together from the very start.
"...How can I forget?" He tightened his arms around her once more, enough to assure them of each other's presence but gentle enough not to hurt her, his eyes hid by the shadows of the storm that raged outside. Still, nothing could hide the tear that made its way down his cheek... neither the second one nor the third, and not even the succeeding drops. "I can never forget, Isa."
"Does this belong to you?"
A 6-year-old Isabella looked up from her hands into the worried eyes of a boy her age. In front of her was a tattered purple bow, the one she had been looking for. She didn't move, but her blue eyes examined him with initial distrust, as if to see whether he was a threat to her or not. The boy grinned and suddenly, Isabella could feel the weight of the bow on top of her head. "You're our new neighbor, right?" He held out a hand, partly to help her get up from the ground and partly to shake her own hand with it. "My name's Phineas. Phineas Flynn. Your house is just across from mine!" After a few minutes of not feeling anything, he lowered his hand, looking at the girl in front of him with confusion.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head, as if to say, "Nothing! I'm fine!"
But Phineas knew better.
The last thing Isabella expected to feel was a hand gently brushing a stray tear of hers away. Her eyes widened, seeing the boy smile from the corner of her eye. A red tint began to appear on her cheeks.
"From those tears of yours, something's gotta be wrong." He eyed the bow resting on the girl's hair and frowned. It didn't even look like a bow anymore, with all those ripped parts and that grime! The next moment, Isabella swore she saw a lightbulb light up above the boy's head. His grin stretched from ear to ear.
"Hey! I know what we're gonna do today!"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, never letting go of it as he sped towards his house, with a dumbfounded Isabella in tow. Despite her mind screaming at her to yank her hand away from his, that she was strong enough to do so...
...her heart told her otherwise.
She found herself gazing at their hands, fingers intertwined... and for the first time since she moved to Danville, a genuine smile appeared on her face. She tightened her hold on him, and she felt him do the same.
Moments later, Isabella held a new pink bow in her hands, with the red-headed boy grinning triumphantly beside his stepbrother, known as Ferb. "Don't be shy! Try it on!", the former urged. Reluctantly, she placed the bow on her head... and immediately felt like it had been hers from the very beginning of her life. A rekindled sparkle of happiness danced in her eyes as she excitedly turned to face the duo. Without further warning, she captured them both in a group hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Ferb stifled the chuckle that bubbled up inside of him upon seeing his stepbrother blush. Really, it was quite obvious that he liked the newcomer from the moment Phineas barged into their bedroom, a handful of blueprints and ribbons in his arms, announcing his plan for today. Ferb just happened to glance out their window, and there was their new neighbor, leaning against the tree in their backyard. He had smiled knowingly and proceeded to build a flawless "Bow Tying Machine" for his brother.
As soon as Isabella broke the embrace, she held out a hand to Phineas. "I'm sorry for my behavior earlier, Phineas. My name's Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. Nice to meet you!", she said, allowing herself a slight curtsy.
Said boy grinned and took her hand in his. "I am honored, Isabella.", he said with a gentlemanly bow. She giggled at his actions and let go of his hand in order to offer her own hand to Ferb. "You must be Ferb. Phineas told me about you while we were...running here. Nice to meet you!", she greeted with a grin. Wordlessly, Ferb shook her hand, allowing a slight smile to grace his features as he spoke in his British accent.
"Well... I guess this is the start of a beautiful friendship, then."
Phineas grinned and laid his hand on top of the others'. The trio's happy shout echoed throughout the neighborhood.
"Yeah!"
"You know, Ferb...", Phineas whispered, as he gently stroked Isabella's hair. He had carried the sleeping girl to her bed with little effort only a few moments ago. Now, he smiled and brought his lips to her forehead, treasuring the time spent with his princess for just one last time.
"...It wasn't just friendship that started back then."
When Isabella woke up the next morning, there wasn't even the slightest trace of there being anyone else in her room the night before... except for the small piece of paper that lay on her nightstand, along with a single carnation pink rose. She opened the note with trembling hands, holding it in one hand and the rose in the other, and began to read it silently.
"I have never regretted meeting you all those years ago. I only regret leaving you before I actually realized what we both felt for each other. But I think I understand my feelings now."
She didn't shed a tear as she started readying herself for the day, the words the letter contained still fresh in her mind. Her mother glanced at her with worry when she came down, but said nothing as she opened the door and stepped outside.
"Your smile saved me from the inevitable, and I'm glad God blessed me with your presence in my life."
She passed Ferb on her way out of the flower shop, acknowledging him with a nod before walking off again. Ferb knew where she was going. Aside from the fact that he had been there just minutes before, he recognized the bouquet of orange and pink roses she was carrying in her arms. He could only sigh deeply and continue on his way home.
"Now, it's time for me to return the favor... as the one who can protect you forevermore."
Isabella knelt down in front of a marble gravestone, gingerly placing the bouquet on top of it. Gently, she traced the familiar name engraved on the marble with her finger, every letter threatening to break what was left of her inner defenses.
Phineas Flynn
A good son, a great brother and an inspiring individual to all.
May he rest in peace, now and forever.
Unsurprisingly, they succeeded.
The tears finally came, flowing freely down her cheeks. But this time, her body was not wracked with sobs. In fact, even as the symbols of her sadness trickled down and fell to the ground, she felt a sort of serenity within her. She recognized the feeling. It was like someone was hugging her, comforting her with a touch. All at once, she knew who was responsible.
"Isabella..."
She looked to the sky, a watery smile on her face. The sun's rays were shining down on her, her hair swaying with the sudden breeze. Isabella closed her eyes and listened to the wind's message, her smile widening as she heard her prince's voice.
"...I love you."
She whispered her own words to the wind before drying her tears and leaving the cemetery, finally obtaining peace within herself. As she walked away, a familiar pink ribbon stayed beside the bouquet of flowers, watching her go.
"...I love you too, Phineas. Always and forever."
A/N: I seriously got distracted with my lessons while writing this, so I thought I'd finish it in time for my exams this coming week. I hope you don't think it was rushed, though. ^^ You can put your thoughts and votes in your reviews. That'll help me out a lot. :D
Update (8/19/2010): I've noticed that a lot of readers are asking, "Wasn't Phineas in the beginning of the story? Why'd he die?" Well, let me explain:
1) We saw that Phineas was with Isabella in the beginning of the story... and later, we find out that he had already died. Because of Phineas' love for Isabella, he couldn't exactly leave her in that extreme state of depression she was in... so he decided to stay by her side and convince her to move on before fully disappearing. It's like he was there... but not really there. Get it? Of course, Isabella sensed his presence and made the most out of their "last moment" together on Earth. I'm really sorry for all the confusion. :)
2) As for their ages... they're about 12-14 years old here and in future installments. (see below)
3) I'm planning to make this story a part of a trilogy entitled the "Save Me" series. The prequel will focus on how Phineas lost his life, while the sequel will tackle... Well, here's a teaser:
"Eventually, a phoenix must rise from its ashes to protect those important to it... from the darkness that threatens to destroy everything that may be held dear."
I'll leave that for you guys to interpret. ;)
Please review!
~ Hoshiakari Mitsukai :)