Chapter One: Goodbye
Phineas looked around the yard and smiled proudly at his stepbrother's and his latest feat. Phineas had noticed over the last few days of the summer that Isabella had begun to look sad. After noticing that, Phineas had begun planning his surprise for her. He'd told all of Isabella's friends about the plan and they had shown up bright and early to get it all ready. The result: an amazing cheer up party filled with all the things Isabella loved. After working since before sunrise, they had finally finished; all that was missing was Isabella.
"I'm going to go get Isabella" Phineas told everyone "You guys get this party started"
Once he reached Isabella's door, he rang the bell and waited. After a while, Isabella's mom opened the door.
"Hello Phineas, what is it?" she asked him
"Afternoon, I came to get Isabella; we're throwing her a party at my house. Tell her to wear something special, but don't tell her about the party" Phineas said
"Of course, come on in, Isabella's still upstairs, I'll go tell her" she told him and led him inside
Isabella stood up and opened the door for her mother. She was smiling happily as she walked inside.
"Phineas is here to see you, he told me to tell you to wear something special; he has a big surprise"
Isabella looked up at her mother and smiled, but after a minute her smile faltered. "Mom, I haven't told Phineas yet…" she trailed of sadly looking at her stuff all piled up and ready to go.
"But I thought you told everyone of your friends"
Isabella bit her lip "I told them all, except Phineas... I just couldn't bring myself to tell him"
"Tell him today, now go get dressed and have some fun"
Isabella looked down the stairs to see Phineas calmly waiting for her. He looked great, with an orange T-shirt underneath and unbuttoned white shirt, and deep blue jeans, he looked even better than usual. Isabella smiled as she walked down the stairs.
Phineas looked up to see Isabella coming down; he thought she looked great, wearing a white bow with a dark blue dress. Once she got downstairs, Phineas took her hand and led her to his house. Isabella looked so happy and surprised she even hugged Phineas tightly and thanked him for everything.
The party went on great, Candace and Jeremy spent the whole night together, Perry didn't mysteriously disappear (he had a day off), and the stepbrothers' parents had, for once, actually known about the party and had been there all day. It was around sunset when Isabella decided to tell Phineas. She touched Phineas' arm lightly
"Could I talk to you in private?" she asked him
Phineas nodded and led Isabella inside to the empty living room. Once they were seated on the sofa, he turned to her, a worried frown on his face and asked "what's wrong?"
"I'm leaving" she told him sadly
"You're going on vacation" Phineas asked puzzled
Isabella shook her head "Leaving to Mexico, we're moving there to help our family. Mom said we'll be there for a long time" She took a deep breath "We leave tomorrow, I have to go, I tried to convince my parents to stay but no luck" Isabella looked down and shed a single tear. Phineas immediately wiped it away and hugged his best friend; his eyes were full of tears.
"I'll miss you Isabella, but I will never forget you. I know that you will come back someday" he told her, looking her directly into her eyes. He thought he glimpsed some hidden emotion, but it was hidden away again before he could be sure. He went on "we can write letters and postcards, talk on the phone and send pictures"
Isabella nodded, she wanted to tell him how she felt, but it made no sense to tell him now, when she was about to leave and would be gone for a long time. Instead she looked at him and smiled "Let's go to the party, have some fun before I have to go" she told him
Once the party was over, Isabella said goodbye to all her friends. Phineas walked her to her house, after one last hug, Isabella went inside. The next morning at the airport, Isabella got the unexpected surprise to see Phineas there. He was holding something behind his back.
"Isabella, I made this for you last night, it's a photo album with pictures of us and our friends; I got everyone to sign it. I also made you a copy of all the songs we've made this summer and last summer and on Christmas" He told her with a smile
Isabella hugged her friend "I left two presents for you by your house" she told him
"I saw them; I'll take care of your dog as if he were my own. And I loved the other present too"
"Flight number seven to Mexico City, boarding now"
Phineas hugged his friend one last time before letting her go. He craned his neck to catch one last glimpse of her as she left. Once she was gone, he carefully took out her gift from his pocket. It was a picture she had taken the day they made a romantic cruise trip for Baljeet, she had signed it, he read the words over and over 'I'll always be with you and I'll always remember you, never stop being who you are. One day I will be back, love Isabella.' Holding the photo close, he got to his house and framed it, putting it on the night table. He lay down on his bed and whispered to the ceiling "one day I will see her again, and when I do, I'll tell her"
Chapter Two: Coming Home
Phineas woke up at seven in the morning and looked around his room, it hadn't changed much although Ferb had moved out to Candace's old room when she left for college, in a year so would he and Ferb. Pinky was sleeping in a corner, blueprints and tools were set up on his desk, but something felt different. Suddenly Pinky stood up, barked happily and ran out of the room. Phineas put on some clothes and followed the Chihuahua. He heard his mother greeting someone and the sound of a familiar yet unfamiliar voice. A few seconds later, he heard Pinky bark happily and the sound of laughter. Whoever she was, Phineas had to admit she had a nice voice. His curiosity aroused, he walked slowly into the living room. He stared at the beautiful young woman with shoulder length black hair and blue eyes, petting Pinky as if she knew him of old. She had on a light blouse and Bermuda jeans that showed off her figure. He gasped as his brain finally informed him who this person was.
"Isabella?" He managed, it had to be her, she had the same smile and her eyes lit up the same way they always did when they were little
Isabella got up slowly and looked at the young man standing at the foot of the stairs. He still had the same nose and eyes; his hair was still messy and stood up in every direction. But last time she had seen him, he was merely a boy, a cute one at that, now he was more than cute he was handsome. Isabella blushed lightly at that thought, and concentrated on seeing how else he had changed. He was wearing an orange shirt that hinted that he had grown muscle. Isabella felt all the emotions she'd been suppressing when she was at Mexico coming back in a rush.
"Yes Phineas it's me" she told him with a smile and hugged him. Yes, she thought, he had definitely grown some muscle. They finally pulled apart and sat down on the sofa.
Phineas looked at Isabella wondering how long she was staying, and resisting the urge to kiss her, hold her, sit her on his lap, and –most importantly- to tell her how he felt. He shook his head and listened to what Isabella was saying
"My parents are still in Mexico, but they told me that if I wanted, I could come back to Danville and stay with your family. They agreed to let me stay here all senior year." She told him "My mom called yours and they both agreed"
Phineas smiled at her "I told you you'd be back, why don't I help you get settled. But first we'll have to wake up Ferb" Phineas looked at his mother "what room is Isabella staying in?"
"Ferb's going to move in with you again." His mother said
After sorting out the rooms and putting everything in its new place, Phineas, Isabella, and Ferb went to Gretchen's house. When Gretchen saw Isabella, she ran over and hugged her old friend, after a brief chat, she went over to Ferb and they began to make out. They seemed to have forgotten their two friends and held each other tightly. Phineas raised his eyebrows at Isabella and took her to the park. They enjoyed some ice cream and told each other stories of what they had done in the last few years. Phineas noticed how Isabella never spoke of meeting some boy she fell in love with at Mexico. He also noticed how, even if he'd gone out a couple of times, he'd never found a girl he really cared about. He could remember going on dates and subconsciously comparing them to Isabella, none of those girls had ever come close. Once it had gotten late, they headed home for dinner.
Lying in bed, Isabella couldn't manage to fall asleep. After a while, she realized that she had grown used to hearing the noise and warmth in Mexico City. She stood up and walked down to the kitchen. After she got a glass of water, she sat down on the sofa and thought. During the whole day she hadn't been able to stop looking at Phineas, he was more confident than ever, but she still couldn't tell if he felt the way she did.
She jumped when she heard the fridge door open; then relaxed when she saw it was Phineas. He smiled uneasily and blushed; Isabella looked down to see he was wearing only a pair of boxers. She sighed mentally with relief that she had gotten used to sleeping fully clothed over the years, her bedroom had been shared with her many cousins, of both genders.
"Can't sleep Isabella?" Phineas asked as he sat next to her on the sofa.
Isabella shook her head "I got used to it being noisy and warm, it's a little cold and so quiet here I couldn't" she sighed "I couldn't wait to get out of there and now I find that I got used to it"
Phineas chuckled; then turned serious "anything I can do to help?"
Isabella shrugged "I don't think so, except" she blushed at the thought
"Except…?" Phineas asked
Isabella looked down at her bare feet, they were slightly blue "I'm pretty cold…" she trailed off
Phineas looked puzzled, after a while understanding dawned on him, he blushed and murmured "You could sit closer, I'm plenty warm"
Isabella scooted closer to Phineas and smiled at the warmth. Phineas put one arm around Isabella and relaxed.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Isabella asked Phineas, looking up at him
Phineas made a face "Ferb was sleep talking to Gretchen, I got scared, and I saw a light downstairs"
Phineas and Isabella continued talking, speaking between yawns until they fell asleep, with Phineas' arm slipping from Isabella's shoulders to her waist, and Isabella's hand on his shoulder, her head resting on his bare chest.
Chapter Three: Candace
Phineas woke up puzzled as the sun shone at his eyes. He wondered for a moment why he was in the living room couch only wearing Boxers with Isabella lying on him and sleeping. He realized, as a blush crept up his face, that if anyone came down, especially one of his parents, he'd be doomed, and so would Isabella. He hated to wake her up when she looked so peaceful, but he knew it was better than the alternative. Shaking her shoulder gently he woke her up. She looked around, then noticed where she was and blushed.
"Go upstairs and get dressed" he told her "I'll make some breakfast, that's what I usually do in the morning" Isabella nodded and went upstairs.
Phineas headed to the kitchen and thought about what to make for breakfast. He remembered how much Isabella liked French toast and decided to make that. As he cracked eggs and prepared the French toast, he found himself humming a familiar tune. It took him a moment to figure out it was 'Gitchie Gitchie Goo.' He shook his head and concentrated on cooking. After a few minutes, he saw Isabella come downstairs fully dressed.
"Watch the French toast for a minute," he told her, "I have to go change"
Isabella smiled at the smell of French toast. She remembered many times she'd slept over and camped in the backyard or living room with Phineas, Ferb, and sometimes Candace. They had always woken up to the smell of French toast. After finishing up all the slices Phineas had laid out, she sat down and started to eat. Phineas and Ferb came down shortly after and joined her. They talked about plans for the day; Ferb was going on a date with Gretchen; so Phineas and Isabella were left with nothing to do. After a while, Phineas' parents came downstairs and ate quickly. Then they left to the antique store, commenting to the two bored teens about the many boxes of Isabella's stuff that were still in the attic where they had been stored upon arrival to be able to surprise Phineas about Isabella's stay.
They spent more than half the morning getting the boxes to the room Isabella was staying in. When Isabella opened the smallest of the boxes she let out a surprised gasp.
"I thought I left these in Mexico by mistake when they weren't in my bags" she told Phineas
Phineas walked over and peered curiously at the box "What is it?"
Isabella picked up the contents of the box and laid them out on the floor. There were pictures starting from when she and Phineas had first met in daycare, to when Ferb had joined them, to when Isabella joined the Fireside Girls and became Group Leader, to the fun packed summers with all the crazy inventions. Then they changed to being either in Mexico or in Danville. Phineas had sent her tons of pictures about how they were, but he was rarely in the shot. The same had happened with Isabella's photos. All the photos were in pristine quality.
"Wow, you kept them too?" Phineas asked in wonder
Isabella smiled "Of course! All the years there I missed you like crazy. There were no kids as fun as you in Mexico."
Phineas could only smile back, he hugged Isabella and she hugged him back just as tightly
"I missed you, after you left, summer wasn't as fun again, we made inventions, but it wasn't the same" Phineas told her softly
They pulled back slightly and stared into each other's eyes. Phineas leaned in and Isabella closed her eyes, she couldn't believe this moment was really happening. Just as their lips were about to touch, the phone began ringing. They jumped and let go of each other, blushing madly.
"I'll get the phone" Phineas stammered
"I'll put away the photos" Isabella told him, her voice just as uneven. Phineas nodded and raced downstairs.
"Hello?" he asked when he picked up the phone; he hoped his voice sounded normal
"Phineas, its Candace, why is your voice so uneven?"
"Um… not important at the moment, why are you calling" he dodged
He heard Candace humph "Tell mom and dad that Jeremy and I are flying home tomorrow"
"Candace, there's-"
"Jeremy is staying at our house" she interrupted
"No it's not that, Isabella's home, she's staying with us so you'll have to share a room"
"That explains your voice, wait are mom, dad or Ferb there?"
Phineas squirmed "No…"
"Phineas, have you been kissing her, what are you two doing?" Candace's voice was unusually sharp
"Unpacking I swear!" he told her innocently
"I'm watching you, or I will be tomorrow…"
"Bye Candace" Phineas said, before his sister could reply he hung up the phone
Chapter four: Where's Perry?
Isabella went downstairs and hoped the blush had faded away. She heard Phineas hang up the phone and laugh uneasily
"Candace is coming home" he told her
"You sure she'll be Ok with me bunking in her room" Isabella asked uneasily
"Candace? Well, I'm not sure, but I don't think she'll mind" Phineas assured her
Isabella highly doubted that "What are we going to do today?"
"We'll go pick up Perry" Phineas told her "We took him to a Pet Spa a week ago because he seemed so tense"
"So that's where he was, where's the spa"
"AT the other side of Danville, we have no car here so we'll have to take the bike"
"You sure this is safe?" Isabella asked Phineas again as he took out the bike
"Yes, the bike will safely fly us there, it's easier than going through the streets" Phineas told her with a smile
"I thought you meant a bike as in with pedals, not an engine and flying" she told him nervously
Phineas pulled on a leather jacket and helped Isabella into another "The jacket might be a little big on you" he told her
Then he sat on the bike, leaving some space in front of him for Isabella, and put on his helmet. Isabella sat sidesaddle and took the other helmet. Phineas reached around her and held the handlebars. He gunned the engine and rode out to the street. Isabella wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her helmed head on his chest. She could tell when the bike had gone airborne by the wind tugging at her and the fact she couldn't hear the tires against the ground. She heard Phineas yell excitedly.
"Isabella, you got to look!" he told her
Isabella risked a peek and pulled up the visor of the helmet. The city beneath was full of small cars and tiny dots of people walking. Further along the landscape changed turning to pure green she looked up to see Phineas smiling at her and she blushed. Phineas looked ahead, but Isabella could see he was still blushing. Phineas did a dip that had Isabella holding on tighter.
When they finally landed, Phineas had to get off with Isabella still holding on to him. When she felt her feet touch solid ground, her eyes opened and she took in a long breath of relief. Phineas noticed how close they were standing, arms still around each other and looked down at Isabella. She met his eyes and stopped fidgeting, her breathing steadied. Phineas put one hand in the back of her head and leaned in slowly. Before he could kiss her, he heard a familiar chatter and turned to see a woman in her late forties holding Perry.
"Sorry to interrupt" she told them in a way that showed she didn't really care "but here's your platypus"
She handed them Perry and ran to the spa, skipping happily and singing something along the lines of 'the platypus is gone, we are all saved; the platypus is gone.' Phineas unwillingly let go of Isabella to put Perry in the platypus container he had installed. He and Isabella got back on the bike and flew home.
Chapter 5: Plotting
As soon as they got home, Perry slipped away chattering. Since the house was empty, Phineas took Isabella to the mall. They had lunch there, then walked around the mall and shopped for the rest of the afternoon. On the way back home, they had to ride the motorcycle the normal way, because they had so much load that the bike couldn't carry it all up in the air.
Once they reached the house they saw Ferb and Gretchen walking arms around each other to the house. Isabella started gathering her bags and looked at Phineas, who had gathered his two bags in one hand and her third bag in the other. She smiled gratefully at him and led the way in the house. She quickly put away her clothes; she stared longingly at the red dress she had bought. Danville had many summer parties; hopefully one of them would be soon.
Downstairs, Ferb had taken his stepbrother outside to the yard. Phineas knew without having to speculate what this conversation would be about. He squirmed trying to come up with a likely excuse to Ferb's possible questions.
"When do you plan on telling her?" Ferb asked
"Who?" Phineas hedged
Ferb rolled his eyes "Isabella and you know very well what"
"I don't even know if she likes me back" Phineas told him
"She does, trust me"
Phineas eyes widened "Wait how do you know… never mind, any ideas?"
"Take her to the dance this Saturday as your date"
"You sure it will work?" Phineas asked
Ferb nodded "If you need more advice, ask now. Tomorrow I'm going on a camping trip with Gretchen and her family"
"Oh Ferb, you gave me some advice, let me give you some"
Ferb looked at him questioningly "what?"
"You say weird things when you're sleep talking, just make sure Gretchen's parents don't hear you"
With those golden words of advice, Ferb went back inside, leaving Phineas to mull this new information. When he heard his mother calling him, he came back inside; he was smiling; a plan on his mind already calculated. He sat down next to Isabella. A few times, their hands touched accidently. Phineas remembered Candace's call earlier and decided to tall his parent, putting his plan into action.
"Mom I nearly forgot, Candace called earlier. She and Jeremy are coming home tomorrow" Phineas told his parents
Linda sighed "But where will Isabella sleep? Cant Jeremy stay at his house?"
"Well dear, they are married. We can't expect them to sleep in two separate beds, let alone houses" Lawrence told her placidly
Before Phineas could tell them his idea, Ferb spoke up "actually, Gretchen and her family had invited me on a camping expedition. We leave tomorrow and will be back in a week, Isabella could take my bed"
"Well, look there problem solved, great job Ferb. Isabella sleeps in Phineas and Ferb's bedroom" Lawrence told his wife proudly
"Honey, you want Isabella to stay alone, sleeping in the same bedroom with Phineas?" Linda replied alarmed she turned to Phineas who was looking at her with eyes that said 'don't you trust me?' and she added "It's not that I don't trust you Phineas, or you Isabella. It's just that I would feel better if my son and his best friend didn't sleep in the same bedroom"
"Darling, I don't care much for it either, but there is no other way, the sofa is not a comfortable bed" Lawrence told her, taking her hand in his.
She sighed "There is no other way, fine we'll move everything tomorrow" she looked at Phineas, communicating with her eyes 'you are sleeping fully clothed'
Phineas nodded to her, it was a small price to pay in order to have Isabella in the same bedroom. He peeked at Isabella who was staring at her food without eating. Her hair covered most of her face, but he could see a slight pink blush on her cheeks and her eyes were wide.
After dinner, they sat down and watched TV. Around eight, Ferb took Gretchen to her house. After Ferb left, Linda reminded Lawrence about something waiting for them upstairs. Phineas rolled his eyes at the obviousness of their intent. He went to get a glass of water and sat down next to Isabella. He noticed Isabella was sitting still and wasn't making any noise, or even watching the program. He got up and knelt in front of her. She had her head down, hiding her face with a curtain of hair.
"Isabella, are you Ok?" Phineas asked her softly
Phineas thought he heard her sigh. He reached out carefully until he found her chin and gently raised her head. He looked at her, her eyes full of concern. Her face was pale and her eye brimming with tears.
"What is it?" Phineas asked
"I just feel like I'm in the way" she told him quietly
"We all want you here Isabella" he assured her
"If, if I wasn't here, then you g-guys w-wouldn't be worrying about sleeping arrangements" she managed
"Mom would've been upset about Candace and Jeremy sharing a room either way, that's just how she is" Phineas smoothed her hair, "Ferb and I don't mind sharing our room"
Phineas sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders "It's not just that, right? You miss your mother?" he asked her gently
Isabella took a deep breath and nodded
"You can call her, she probably misses you too"
Isabella looked up at him; she smiled at him "you sure?"
Phineas smiled "no problem, tomorrow's Friday, is she free on Fridays?"
Isabella nodded and hugged Phineas "Thanks for being there"
Phineas pulled back reluctantly "it's getting late, we should go sleep"
He led Isabella to her room; he turned to leave when he heard her call his name. He was surprised when she kissed his cheek quickly and closed the door. Phineas wasn't sure how long he stood there; finally what snapped him out of his revere was Ferb's soft slap to the back of his head. HE shook his head and followed Ferb to their room to sleep.
Chapter Six: Candace
Isabella woke up by the sound of a phone ringing outside her bedroom. She picked up the phone downstairs
"Hello? Who is it?" she asked sleepily
"Hey its Candace, who am I speaking to?"
"Isabella"
"I need to speak with mom or dad" Candace told her
"Candace, its six thirty, they are still asleep"
"Then tell them that Jeremy and I will get there in one and a half hour"
"Sure, se you then"
"Bye Isabella" with that he hung up
Isabella went up the stairs to Phineas and Ferb's room, when she was about to open the door, Phineas stepped out fully dressed and rubbing his eyes. Ferb followed close behind him.
"Good morning Isabella, who called?" Phineas asked
"It was Candace, she'll be here in an hour and a half" Isabella told him
Phineas' eyes widened "So we have 90 minutes to move your stuff to my room?"
"Apparently so, may I suggest we get right on that and postpone the day's plan?" Ferb told them
With that in mind, they helped Isabella take her belongings into their room and put them away. There were twenty minutes left when they finished. Phineas led the way into the kitchen and served tome cereal; they ate that quietly and were joined by Lawrence and Linda. They left the boys in charge of welcoming their sister and left to the antique shop.
Ferb, Phineas, and Isabella had finished doing the dishes when they heard a car pull over. Isabella put the towel on the counter and went to open the door. She was hugged by a woman that seemed familiar, yet completely different.
"Isabella! You've grown" the woman said, Isabella finally recognized the voice
"Hey Candace" she turned to the blonde man next to Candace "Hey Jeremy"
Jeremy smiled "how was Mexico?"
"Fun, but I'm glad to be home"
"Hey Candace, we were wondering when you were going to get here! Mom and dad are at the store" Phineas told his sister, Candace hugged him and Ferb then looked around the room
"Huh, where's Perry?" she asked the step-brothers, they both shrugged
After Candace and Jeremy had finished unpacking, they went out to the back yard with Ferb, Phineas, and Isabella. They each took turns telling stories to the others; it was near lunch time when Gretchen came over. Ferb left with her into the house to get his things, after saying goodbye to everyone, he and Gretchen left.
After lunch, Isabella called her mother. They talked in the phone for a little over a half hour. When she finally hung up the home, she felt somewhat better. After talking to her mother about trivial things until Phineas, Jeremy and Candace wandered off, she asked her mother for advice on Phineas
"Honey, I thought you didn't like him anymore that way" her mother had commented
"I know I know! But then I saw him, and it all came back, it was the same but different, better and stronger" Isabella moaned
"Cariño, just watch what happens and see what he does. Look at the things he does, through them you will know how he feels" her mother had advised her
Then her mother had listened as Isabella told her everything that happened and once Isabella finished, gave her own opinion
"He care for you, bella, he does" a wail had sounded in the background, and her mother had said goodbye and left.
"Isabella, are you feeling better now?" Phineas asked her as he walked into the room
Isabella smiled "Yes"
"You know Isabella…" Phineas' voice trailed off, Isabella looked up to see him looking slightly nervous
"Do I know what?" she asked him softly
"Tomorrow, there's a party at the park" he shifted from foot to foot "And I was wondering… if you wanted to go with me on a date?"
Isabella blinked in surprise, Phineas closed his eyes as if he thought she was going to kill him "you mean as a…"
"Yes, as a date"
Isabella smiled at him and took his hand "I'd love to"
Phineas opened his eyes and let out a relieved breath, Isabella smiled up at him gently "you thought I was going to say no"
Phineas scoffed "No…" he pulled her close to him "I thought you'd run away"
Isabella twisted around until she was face to face with him. She felt her breath leave her as she looked into Phineas' eyes. Phineas stared at her with open hunger in his eyes. He closed the distance between them. Isabella closed her eyes and waited for Phineas to kiss her.
"Phineas Isabella! What are you two doing!" Candace screamed as she walked in the room
Isabella opened her eyes and looked at Candace, then at Phineas. Phineas seemed more annoyed than embarrassed at his sister walking in on him and her. He let Isabella go with one last intense hungry gaze.
"Candace, you should really relax a little, this isn't really good for the ba- whoa, what's going o here?" Jeremy asked as he walked in
Isabella looked for a way to change the conversation's course "Uh, did you say baby?"
Candace's eyes softened and she glanced lovingly at Jeremy "yes, Jeremy and I are having a baby" then she continued to talk about all the preparations she and Jeremy were doing, and made both of them swear to stay quiet. Isabella sighed with relief, it seemed Candace was completely distracted and forgot about what she had just seen.
At dinner, Candace told her parents the news, as expected; they asked her of her plans and to tell them every detail, no matter how small, of what she had planned. Isabella glanced at Jeremy, he didn't seem to get tired of talking about his future child, and neither did Candace. Phineas' parents didn't seem tired of it either after half an hour; a glance at Phineas revealed that he was very tired of that kind of talk. Isabella couldn't blame him; they had both sat through a similar monologue already. They excused themselves and went to the living room; they started watching Beauty and the Beast, sitting on the couch close together, but not touching. Isabella could feel the tension in the air crackling as they watched the movie. Phineas gave her a look that said 'if my parents, my sister, and her husband weren't in the room next door, I would be kissing you until you couldn't see straight' that had Isabella blushing furiously. She glanced to the open door that led to the dining room; it gave a clear view of the table.
A draft came through the open window, making her shiver. Phineas put his arm around her shoulders; she snuggled closer and sighed at the warmth. She felt him kiss her head and looked up to see him staring at her intently. Her eyes locked with his once again. Phineas didn't seem to be concerned at the moment about someone walking in on them.
"Oh, Beauty and the Beast I love that movie!" Candace said from the door "I'll go make some Popcorn, Jeremy, com help me with the sodas"
Phineas looked at Isabella with that intense hungry look she was fast becoming familiar with. She was sure that she had a look just like it in her eyes, it felt like she did. With a quiet sigh, Phineas shifted a little until they were not so close. When Candace and Jeremy came back with popcorn and drinks, they turned off the lights as they sat down next to Isabella on the sofa. Phineas took Isabella's hand and started to idly trace lines on it with his fingers as he pretended to watch the movie.
When the movie ended, Candace checked the guide "Look! It's a special marathon until midnight! Now they're going to show Cinderella, then Snow White, and after that, Aladdin!" she looked at her parents "These movies bring back so many memories, let's all watch them together!"
It was after midnight when the final movie credits finally scrolled away and the last princess had her happy ever after. Candace wiped a tear from her eye and smiled. Isabella glanced up at Phineas, he had fallen asleep and most of his weight was on her. She shook him later and watched as he stirred. He stood up and stretched before saying good night to everyone and going up to his room. The rest followed suit and they all went to their respective rooms.
Inside Phineas' room, she got her clothes and made her way sleepily to Phineas' bathroom. She locked the door and changed into her sleeping clothes before going back to the bedroom. Phineas was already in his bed, still wearing all of his clothes, including his shoes and socks. After removing them for him, Isabella laid down to sleep on the first bed she saw.
Chapter Seven: Party
Isabella stood in front of the mirror in Candace's room and twirled slowly, loving the way the dress moved with her. She looked at herself on the mirror, the red dress she'd bought a few days ago. Her hair was yet to be fixed up. Candace rushed inside the room in a flurry of pink silk holding two bags. She made Isabella sit down and began working on her hair.
"What do you think about a bow on you?" Candace asked
Isabella thought about it for a few seconds before answering "The dress is missing something, maybe a white bow around the waist?"
Candace laughed "I was thinking more on your hair, but I like your idea better" She sprayed Isabella's hair and pinned up some strands tightly to her scalp.
"Candace, what are you doing?" Isabella asked wearily
"Sit still for a while, you'll see" Candace dug into her bag; Isabella closed her eyes and settled herself for a long wait.
Phineas paced back and forth, stopped looked at the clock, at the stairs and down at his dress shirt, before pacing again. He heard someone come downstairs and looked up to see who it was. Candace walked past him and put a hand on his shoulder before turning to Jeremy. Phineas looked away and resumed his wait for Isabella. It seemed like an eternity for him, though it was probably just a few minutes, until Isabella finally came down the stairs. Phineas promptly forgot everything as soon as he saw her. He looked at her carefully, noting every little detail of her: her hair curiously done so it was both curly and straight. , her dress fit her like a second skin and swished around her legs as she walked, the white bow tied around her waist empathized her curves. It took all his will power to force his eyes up and not grab her and carry her somewhere, he was sure she wouldn't mind that, but it wouldn't be very polite to everyone else. He saw her smile and his coherency left him again. He met her at the end of the steps and took her hand, kissing it chastely.
"You look amazing" he told her, she smiled at him again
"You look… intense" she told him "Shall we go then?"
"Go where again?"
'To the party, the one you're taking me on a date to"
Phineas shook his head to clear it, it didn't really help "Yes, let's go, Candace and Jeremy are at the car"
When they arrived in the party, several people went up to greet them immediately. After a few seconds Isabella recognized Buford, Baljeet, and the Fireside Girls (sans Gretchen). They all walked around the party and talked, and then slowly, they started drifting to different areas until Phineas and Isabella were alone. They walked away from the crowd, until the music was a soft sound on the background. Phineas sat down on a large rock and pulled Isabella on his lap. He sighed happily
"Alone at last" he told her
Isabella nodded in agreement and rested her head on his shoulder. She looked up to see Phineas wearing that intense hungry look again, and a pleasant shiver went down her spine.
Phineas lowered his face to hers and kissed her sweetly. Isabella wound her arms around his neck as he cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Both of the lost any sense of place and time, only the rhythm of the kiss.
They eventually stopped when the soft curtain of ran that had begun to fall during the kiss became a torrential downpour. Phineas rested his forehead on hers and smiled even as the cold water drenched him. He felt dazed, out of breath and lustful; he was sure Isabella felt the same way, if that disoriented dazed look on her face told the story. Isabella shivered, and Phineas noticed how much colder it was for her than for him and helped her up.
"We should go back now, it's late" Phineas sighed "you're cold, here take my shirt, don't worry I have another one underneath"
Isabella leaned against him as he led the way back to the party.
Candace looked ready to give them a good scolding to, until she saw how cold they looked. She drove them home and made some hot cocoa. Then, ordered them to go sleep.
Isabella changed into a long sleeved shirt and cotton pants before burying herself deep into the sheets. She was nearly asleep when Candace opened the door to check on them. After she did, Isabella felt the bed dip as Phineas got in. He wrapped his arms around her,
"I thought you would be cold" Phineas whispered to her.
Isabella turned to him and sighed at the warmth. Something in her felt as if this was something they had done their whole lives, sleeping together and sharing warmth felt so natural. She felt him kiss her gently before she fell asleep.
Chapter Eight: Back to Basics
After a calm week of sharing with family, Candace and Jeremy were on their way back to their house. Isabella and Phineas watched from the roof and waved them off. Once they were out of sight, Phineas pulled Isabella close.
"We finally get some time alone" he whispered
"Hey guys! Ferb and I are back, your parents told us you were on the roof" Gretchen's voice interrupted
They looked down to see her and Ferb looking up at them. Phineas' brain thought of some kind of plan so he could spend some time with Isabella, yet that he would be able to talk to Ferb and Isabella would be able to chat with Gretchen. A light bulb went off in his mind
"Hey Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" he dropped down to the ground with the help of some rope; then steadied Isabella when she followed.
"Isabella, you and Gretchen go to the mall, get some nice clothes, go to a spa; then come back here at five. Ferb, we have work to do"
At the mall, Isabella and Gretchen were trying out dress after dress after dress.
"What do you think of this one, Gretchen?" Isabella asked, showing her a lovely blue and pink dress
"That one's amazing!" Gretchen gushed "Do you think Ferb will like me in this one?" she showed her friend a yellow halter top dress with light flecks of green.
Isabella nodded and smiled mischievously "If you ask me, Ferb would like you in anything"
Gretchen let out a happy sigh "I know" she glanced at the store's clock; they had successfully killed three hours looking at dresses. "Izz, I what do you say we buy these and go get some matching shoes and accessories to go with them?"
Isabella nodded "and a smoothie, I'm getting hungry"
"Ferb, I know what you're saying, we've done this before, but that was what, eight years, seven years ago?" Phineas told his brother when they finished building "Plus, this isn't a Platypus themed restaurant, it's a French one" he pulled out a checklist "We got Buford and Baljeet on cooking, finished up the restaurant, and we can't find Perry" he checked off items, then looked around the idyllic countryside "I think it was a nice touch to change the location, good thinking Ferb" an alarm beeped "Whoops, we better get going, Isabella and Gretchen will probably be about ready when we get back"
"Never keep a lady waiting" was Ferb's only comment while they gathered up their tools and rode the motorcycles (or flew) home.
By that time, Isabella and Gretchen were waiting at the front door, all dressed up and ready. When Phineas and Ferb got there, they quickly changed into more elegant clothing, before taking the keys to the car. Ferb opened the passenger door for Gretchen; then got on the driver seat. Phineas let Isabella in the back seat before getting in after her.
Both girls gasped when they saw the small French cottage restaurant, the sun was hitting it just so, the sky behind a pinkish red. Isabella hugged Phineas quickly before happily getting off the car. Phineas watched her run to the restaurant, when she turned and smiled, he felt his heart beat faster. Grinning from ear to ear, he got out and followed.
They sat down at the only table in the small restaurant. Isabella looked around, it had classical French music, french art work, French everything.
"You guys built this how fast?" she asked din amazement
"About two, three hours. We had help, Baljeet and Buford, they're in the kitchen" he smiled, putting his arm around her shoulder
"And the change of location?"
"We thought this place would be better, although those two aren't really paying attention to anything other than each other" he pointed to Ferb and Gretchen, who were far too busy speaking in hushed tones and staring deeply into each other's eyes to listen to their company.
"That's just so sweet" Isabella sighed happily
A bell dinged and dinner was served. Isabella's eyes widened at the meal: stakes, mashed potatoes, green beans and baby carrots. Then for dessert angel food cake.
Ferb dropped then off at the house, before going to drive Gretchen home. Phineas walked Isabella all the way to her bedroom. Now that Candace was gone and Ferb was back, she would sleep in Candace's old bedroom again.
"I had a really good time, Phineas" she told him "and now I have a little surprise for you"
Phineas smiled "What would that be?"
"Close your eyes" she whispered
Phineas obliged her, and was rewarded by her soft lips on his. He felt her lean on him and wind her arms behind his neck. He put his arms around her waist and nearly lifted her off the floor, responding happily to her kiss.
Finally, she pulled away smiling happily as she wished him a good night's sleep. Phineas was sure that when he finally managed to fall asleep, he would have good dreams for sure.
Chapter Nine: Good Bye Summer
"Is everything ready?" Phineas asked
"The food's coming in an hour" Gretchen told him
"Activities are all set" Baljeet reported
"The DJ's confirmed and paid for" Buford stated
"All the guests are confirmed, Phineas" Isabella checked that item off his list for him
"How many?" Phineas asked
"Everyone we invited" she said simply
"Ok guys, let's do one last check around, then we can open the backyard for the greatest Goodbye Summer Party Danville has ever seen!"
They all cheered; then ran off to check up on things. Phineas and Isabella were the only two that stayed in the backyard, making sure all the lights worked, that the neighbor's dog didn't escape, and prepping the tables. Suddenly Phineas stopped and looked around.
"Wait a minute, something's wrong. Perry should've been back by now" he looked around the yard
"Don't worry Phineas, he always comes back" Isabella took his hand "You need to take a break though, the party will go great, take one moment to relax" She gently massaged his shoulders, when he turned to her to say something, she kissed him. Pulling back and sitting down on one of the roots of the tree she smiled "You were saying"
"I, uh, I think I'll just take a few minutes of sitting down next to you here and relaxing" he told her matter-of-factly as he settled down next to her. He sighed contently while putting an arm around her shoulders.
She leaned against him, tipping her face up to meet his lips. They spent a happy blissful eternity kissing each other. It seemed like forever had passed when they finally pulled apart. Isabella heard a happy-sounding platypus chatter and looked up to see they had an audience. Phineas stood up with her in his arms and smiled pleasantly at their friends.
"Enjoyed the show?" he asked, all but Perry looked away and tried to hide smiles. Phineas picked up Perry "Perry, you have to be more careful, look your claws are all broken"
Isabella frowned "what was he doing? Scaling wall and fighting look his tail looks sore too!"
'That's it Perry, you are going to get some rest tonight" Phineas carried Perry inside and put him in a custom built Platypus container he and Ferb had made when they were going on a plane trip, it was a wide plush container with everything a Platypus needed to be happy.
"There, look, the first guests are here!" Phineas smiled triumphantly
They all went out to greet the guests, get the food ready, and have a good time. Phineas and Isabella constantly went to talk to different people, then turned around to spend some time together, go talk to some people together, dance a while, then do another solo round through the backyard. When it was near midnight, Phineas led Isabella, Buford, Ferb, Gretchen, and Baljeet to the street to prepare the fireworks. Since it was a cloudless, full moon; the fireworks show was even more amazing than expected. When a cop came close to make sure it was all legal, when Phineas showed him his pyrotechnic license, the police officer looked him over carefully
"Aren't you a little too young to be a licensed Pyrotechnic?" he asked Phineas
"Why yes," he told the officer while putting away his license "yes I am"
"How did you do it at such a young age Phineas?" Isabella asked him
"At Sixteen, you learn how to drive, but after that, there's nothing new when you turn seventeen, I convinced mom and dad to let me learn how to use explosives in a safe way" he told her
It was around two hours later when the party ended. Then, Phineas and Ferb unveiled their cleaning robots; they quickly cleaned the whole backyard and house before going back to the basement and powering down. To be safe, they removed the energy pack from them to avoid cleaning robot mayhem. While waiting for Phineas to come back up, Isabella fell asleep. When Phineas came in, he found her curled up asleep on the couch. Somehow Perry had gotten out; he was sitting next to her head looking like the weirdest guard dog Phineas had ever seen.
Phineas perched Perry on his shoulder "come on boy, let's get Isabella to bed"
He lifted her effortlessly and carefully went up the stairs, making an effort to not wake her up. When he put her down on her bed, her eyes opened and she looked at him.
"Phineas" she whispered
"You fell asleep downstairs" he explained, he leaned over and kissed her gently
"Good night" he told her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, murmuring a 'good night'
Chapter Ten: Anticipation
"Can I look now?" Isabella asked as she walked into Phineas' apartment, he was currently behind her, holding her by the shoulders gently to guide her in her blindfolded state. She felt a slight tremor of nervousness in his hands, being together with him for the better part of four years, she knew him as well as she knew herself.
"Not yet, just sit tight while I get everything set" he told her, leading her to his sofa; she sat and closed her eyes, letting her nose and ears work instead of her eyes.
Phineas' footsteps headed to where his small kitchen was, she heard him open the fridge and rummage about, then walk to where she knew the dining table was and set whatever he was holding on it carefully. She heard a cabinet open and the clink of glass hitting glass as he set them on the table. After that, he opened another cabinet and put the dishes; the good ones if, she was correctly hearing the tell tale sound of porcelain. Silverware followed after that, but she still didn't smell the food. She could only smell the chlorine he'd probably used to clean the apartment earlier, and a slight smell of vanilla, most likely one of those candles she'd bought for him a few months past to give the apartment in the middle of the city a more homely smell, like the one back at his parent's house in Danville.
She heard him put a heavy object on the table; then the smell of food reached her. Whatever it was it smelled great. His steps went back to the kitchen, where he put some water in a small container, before plunking something in it with a barely audible plop
"You're awfully quiet" he remarked, his footsteps came closer "and concentrated"
"I'm listening, since I can't see" she heard his low chuckle and raised her head in the direction of his voice "are you going to remove the blindfold or does part of your plan involve feeding me while I'm blindfolded?"
"That would be interesting, but no" she felt his presence come closer until he was just a breath away from her. He kissed her softly while removing the blindfold.
When he took her by the hand and led her to the table, he was smiling and looking at her expectantly. He'd put a sheer white cloth over the usually cluttered dining room table. In the center of the table was a rose in a delicate vase, the firelight from the vanilla candle dancing on its red petals. Next to it, a bottle of wine and two glasses waited to be used. He'd already served the food, one of her favorite meals that she had taught him how to make: fajitas. Next to it was a little bit of broccoli and cauliflower and a thinly sliced apple.
She gasped, caught by surprise, usually dinner at home for Phineas was something simple, never an all out meal full with decorations and everything; he was definitely planning something big.
"I'm just… speechless, it's amazing Phineas" she kissed him gently, he smiled
"Glad you like it" he whispered, pulling out her chair for her, she kissed him on the tip of the nose before sitting down. He sat next to her, and they began eating, talking about simple things that had happened to them during the day.
When they finished, Isabella gathered up the dirty dishes, following their usual routine of the one who didn't cook cleaning up and washing the dishes. While she washed them and rinsed, Phineas got the dessert out of the fridge. She peeked and smiled. She had no idea how he'd gotten the time to make all of this food. The dessert was one of their favorite ones, ranked higher than Ice cream and regular cake, and almost as high as a chocolate cake.
Sitting down next to him once again, she served the dessert "When did you have the time to make all of this?" she asked him
"When it's for a special occasion" he told her "I make the time" he pulled her close and kissed her gently
Isabella took a bite of the flan and smiled at the flavor "This is amazing, Phineas"
Phineas smiled, before taking a bite himself and comically putting on a face of concentration, before smiling once again and stating "Yes, yes it is"
Isabella laughed "It's not as sweet as you, though, I think that would be impossible" she told him once they had finished
Phineas simply picked up two towels, smiling cheerfully as he kissed her while handing her one of the towel. They began drying the dishes calmly humming a familiar song from their childhood.
Once finished, Phineas took her hand and led her out to the balcony, one of the few perks his small apartment had. He took both of Isabella's hands in his and looked deep into her eyes
"Isabella, I love you, and I honestly could not imagine life without you" she smiled, no matter how many times he'd said those words before, they always made her spirit soar "I don't want a life without you" he went on, drawing one hand back to dig into his pocket "and I want to know if you want to be with me, forever" kneeling down, he opened the box, showing a beautiful ring "Will you marry me, Isabella?"
She smiled at him, her whole face beaming joy that was impossible to miss, kneeling next to him, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him sweetly " Yes, yes I will" she said against his lips.
He wrapped both arms around her and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, he took her hand and placed the ring on her finger.
"Ferb helped me pick it out, just this morning once he got back from England" he slapped his head against his forehead "I almost forgot, Ferb met someone in England, well not met since he used to know her but it's been years so, he met her. The point is he was bringing her over here tonight so she could meet you, although he said you probably know her. Something about a fireside girl international convention"
Isabella smiled "he found someone, I was worried that after Gretchen…" her voice trailed off sadly
"Me too, he was out of it for a while, but going to England to study did him some good" he took her hand " I'm glad that didn't happen to us, having different interests pulling us to two different countries time zones apart. I don't think I could've borne it"
A knock sounded on the door "That must be Ferb" he said, taking her hand and walking with her to the door.
He opened it and embraced his step-brother warmly; then he saw the young woman next to him. Isabella looked at the half familiar face, she did remember her from somewhere; those blue eyes and blonde hair seemed excruciatingly familiar.
"So this is…" he searched his head for the name Ferb had told him
"Emily" Ferb said "This is Phineas and his" he glanced at the ring on Isabella's finger "Fiancé"
"He just proposed" Isabella told Emily, showing her the ring
"That's a lovely thing!" Emily exclaimed; then she took a close look at Isabella "Dear me, I'm quite sure I remember you from somewhere! But I fear I can't remember where it could have possibly been!"
Isabella thought for a moment, she exclaimed in triumph and ran to a shelf; she leafed through the pages full of pictures from her time in Mexico. She had left on a trip once, a short one to England, for a fireside girl's leader's reunion. The troop at London had been in charge, unless she was mistaken…
The picture gleamed like new; there she was at eleven years old, standing next to another eleven year-old girl named Emily, she had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She and Isabella had been in the same hotel room. Emily had been the troop leader for a Fireside Girls troop in Cambridge.
She showed the picture to Emily who smiled happily "That's right, I can't believe I had forgotten!" she hugged Isabella happily "Come on, let's have ourselves a light chat, while Phineas and Ferb talk of things, what have you been up to after all of this? When are you getting married, if you need any help at all, you can ask me. People always said I have something of a gift at organizing parties and the like!"
Isabella smiled and both women began talking of plans, possible dates and the like, until it was late in the night. Then they joined Phineas and Ferb and began to watch a late night movie marathon event and they fell asleep halfway through the second movie. Phineas woke up suddenly a few moments afterwards by the sound of an explosion, in the glow of the TV screen, he could see Ferb and Emily on the couch, Emily's head was resting against Ferb's shoulder, and he had an arm around her, a small smile seemed to play on both their sleeping faces. He shifted Isabella, who was sleeping half on, half off his lap, into a more comfortable position on his lap. He dug the remote out of the couch and turned off the TV before resting his head on Isabella's and going back to sleep, arms around her lithe form and holding her hands in his.
Epilogue: Fairytale
"Is everything ready?" Candace asked
Ferb looked at a check list "Nearly, is she dressed?"
"We're just finishing up right now" Candace said "I bet he's making a trench in the floor, calm him down. I'd sent Jeremy but he's busy with little Amanda" with that she spun on her heels and left, leaving Ferb to try and calm down his brother.
Phineas was in the room, playing with his tie and turning it into a horrid mess, Ferb made a tsk noise and straightened it out.
"So how is she, is she ready, is she here, does she look happy?" he asked desperately he stopped, looking into the distance "I can't believe this day is finally came! Everything has to be perfect, that's what she deserves!" with that he resumed his pacing
Ferb stared at him until he stopped pacing. Phineas kept fidgeting in place, all the nerves building up inside him into a tight ball.
"Do you have something you want me to give her?" Ferb asked
Phineas concentrated on his brother "Ah, yeah I do" he dug into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a small box with a silver bow wrapped around it. Ferb took it and walked out of the room, leaving Phineas to his renewed pacing.
"Are you sure Phineas is ok?" she asked once again
Ferb nodded, Isabella looked at him carefully "Nothing he can't handle then?" she asked
Ferb nodded again and gave her the small package before leaving the room. Isabella looked at the package carefully, when she was about to open it, Candace walked in.
"Isabella, you have to get ready, you're not even wearing the dress yet! And where is Emily! We are missing the Maid of Honor! I though Buford got the bouquet of flowers here ages ago and don't get me started on the-"
"I'm here; you would not believe the traffic jam today! A giant truck was blocking the road, and this man and a platypus were fighting, I believe the platypus was winning" Emily grabbed the green dress, then took another look at Isabella "Why was your bouquet underneath your dress? Why aren't you currently wearing the dress? Hurry now, Isabella, I do believe that if we do not hurry up, Phineas will soon enough destroy his shoes with all that pacing he's done!" Turning a critical eye to Candace, she added "Go make sure the guests are all here, make sure the ring bearer has the rings and that the flower girl is not crying her eyes out, that little cousin of yours was bothering her incessantly"
By the time she had finished relaying orders, Isabella had changed into her white gown. Emily went behind her and zippered up the back of the dress. Then she made Isabella sit and began fixing her hair.
"Why are you so worried? This is one of the happiest moments of your life!" she asked Isabella
She gave a half laugh "because I never thought planning a wedding was so… complicated, you need more than I ever thought you would: a plan, a backup plan, a back up for your back up plan…"
She made a tsk sound "'tis my job to fret about all the little details, your job is to look glamorous, make sure Phineas does not faint and say I do, then to have a jolly time at the reception, and retire to your bedroom to-"
"I think I know what I'm supposed to do after the reception" Isabella interrupted
Emily gave her a wicked smile; her light blue eyes gleamed "Ferb and I think it's about time for you two, although we are valiantly trying to follow you example of abstinence before marriage. Enough of that, one last check up, then we rouse the priest and get this wedding underway!"
"Girls, are you ready yet? The priest is up and waiting" Phineas stepfather's voice came from outside
"Just about!" they coursed; Emily set the veil, then spied the small box
"Aren't you going to open that, Isabella? It might be important"
Isabella picked it up and removed the silver ribbon carefully. Inside was a charm bracelet, its links were the symbol of infinity. She smiled at the little charms on it: a P and an I, a heart, Mexico, Danville, the symbol of marriage, and a platypus and Chihuahua.
"Oh you must put it on, Isabella, but don't cry, wouldn't want to ruin hard hours of makeup"
Isabella put the bracelet on, and smiled at her friend "Let's get going Emily, before Phineas does something drastic"
Phineas was pacing restlessly at the dais. The priest looked at him with eternally calm grey eyes and simply sighed. Apparently he'd been through this same scene so many times it no longer affected him. He took a deep breath; then looked up as the piano started playing the wedding march. He watched the small flower girl walk calmly down the aisle, wishing she would just hurry up so Isabella could get up here. There came the bridesmaids, one of Isabella's cousins from Mexico and Candace; and after them came Emily as the maid of honor. Phineas forgot about everything else around him when he saw Isabella walking down the aisle in the most beautiful wedding dress he's ever seen. Escorting her was his step father. Since her dad couldn't make the trip. He took Isabella's hands when she finally reached him and simply stared at her. Somehow he managed to say all he had to say, the first thing he actually heard and registered was when the priest put his hands together and giving them a cheesy smile said "I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss-" Phineas didn't wait for the man to finish the sentence and simply kissed Isabella deeply, with complete disregard for all of the other people watching. He heard clapping and cheering and then he just remembered flashes: Isabella and him dancing, cutting the cake, more dancing, and then finally leaving their guests, trusting Ferb and Emily to handle everything, to go to their honeymoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isabella heard frantic knocking on the door and calmly marked the page she'd stopped at and closed the book before walking through the house to open the door. She hummed happily and opened the door for Emily.
"You called?" Emily asked "Why are you home, don't you have work today"
Isabella raised an eyebrow "Emily, today is my day off. Honestly, ever since you and Ferb got married your sense of time has gone off whack"
"Enough about me, why did you call" Emily interrupted "usually I'm the one that randomly calls you over for some bit of news"
"I needed a second opinion on my plan"
"Your plan or your plot?"
"My plan for the anniversary gift I got Phineas"
"Already, I thought for sure we were still in May! It's June already?"
"Remind me to get you a calendar next year for your anniversary with Ferb"
"What's the anniversary gift?" Isabella showed her a small object
"What do you think" she asked
Emily smiled "well it took long enough, I'll be rushing off now though, my shift starts soon, I think"
When Emily reached the door, she turned and smiled "Congrats, I'll get you something later on"
Phineas fiddled with the small box in his hands on his way home. He'd visited every jewelry store: generic one, Jared, Kay, and even the darker jewelry shops in the city in search for the perfect gift. Finally giving up and deciding that what he was looking for would not be found in any jewelry store, he had decided to make it himself. If he had made a wedding ring, then making the perfect first anniversary present would be simple for him. It took him a short while to see that jewelry making was not his forte, but by sheer perseverance in the course of a week he's manage to make his idea into a real solid object.
Looking up from the box, he saw his wife waiting on the porch of their new home, smiling at him. He sped up his lazy gait for the last few feet home. When he reached her he leaned down to kiss her.
"Happy anniversary" he whispered
She smiled and kissed him, before taking his hand and leading him inside "Come on, I have several surprises in store for you!" she made him sit down on the couch, and came back shortly with a platter of cookies and two glasses of milk. Phineas' belly growled appreciatory at the food, Phineas stretched one hand to grab a cookie. Isabella offered him a glass of milk before sitting next to him. He wrapped one arm around her and smiled dazedly.
"These cookies are amazing, when did you find the time?"
"When it's our anniversary, I make the time" she quoted him "Besides today's my day off"
When the cookies were finished off, Phineas cleared his throat
"My turn" he told her "by the way, did you get the flowers I sent an hour ago?"
Isabella pointed at the vase full of roses "I loved them"
He chuckled, bringing up the box "I've been browsing about jewelry stores, all over the city for something to get you. But none of them was as good as what you deserved, so I rolled up my sleeves and made it myself, with some help" he gave her the box, complete with a small silver bow; putting it on her hand.
Isabella picked it up and removed the silver ribbon carefully. Inside was a necklace with two hearts in a curious design where a smaller golden heart seemed to be protected by a larger silver one. The golden heart had small sapphires and the silver one had small rubies. Isabella smiled and hugged Phineas.
"It's perfect" she told him, kissing him gently "I love you"
He felt his heart swell up at the words, leaning his head down, he kissed her back "I love you too"
"I went through a similar crisis of not knowing what to get you, I already had one thing, but I wanted to get you something like a warm up present" she reached under the sofa and pulled out a box "it took he hours, you do not know how hard it was to find all of those files and videos without you finding out, and finding the pictures and music was hard enough on its own, and I thought you would also appreciate the neat little thing it's all in"
Phineas opened the box to come face to face with a brand new laptop; on top of it was a little envelope. The envelope contained a CD labeled 'Seize the Day'
"It's not an Avenged Sevenfold CD, right?"
She laughed "no, there might be some Bowling for Soup in there but not them"
"How did you get the money?"
"I was on the phone talking to the salesman, when I mentioned that it was an anniversary present for you, he mentioned something about you helping his company out and bringing it to the top when you were fifteen, he wanted to get you something, but you said no thanks, he gave me discount and had it delivered overnight"
He simply smiled at her, she took a deep breath and played with her wedding ring "Phineas, do you want to know what the second part of the present it?" she asked
"Sure, what is it" he asked, putting the box on the floor and taking her hands in his
"You might want to brace yourself though, it might shock you" she warned him, he frowned, looking confused
"Phineas, I'm pregnant, you're going to be a father" she looked at him, his face was frozen in a shocked smile
"Phineas, are you alright, you look kind of frozen" she asked, maybe she should've been more careful in breaking the news, before she could tell him anything else, Phineas snapped out of his shock, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.
"When is the baby due?" he asked after a while
"Probably around January or February" she said "that gives us time to get everything ready for him, the crib, the room colors…"
"We can get to that tomorrow," Phineas told her, kissing her gently "Today though, we're just going to sit around, staying up till late enjoying each other's company"
Later at night, Phineas laid asleep with his wife lying next to him. He pulled the sheets of the bed more closely over them and kissed Isabella's shoulder. He shook his head in amazement as he remembered the first time he'd met her, both of them no older than five. He wondered if he'd always known that this was what was going to happen, maybe it had been something so obviously meant to be, such a close part of his being he'd been completely oblivious to it for years. It would certainly explain the way that intensity just hit him when he saw her for the first time in years, all those feelings rushing back, stronger than ever. He guessed it was one of those things that you just didn't know you knew until you did. He smiled faintly at that thought, he was still wondering how exactly fate made that happen like it did. He heard a chattering noise, then the barked reply of a Chihuahua and smiled, maybe that was the universe's way of telling him not to question the unquestionable.
He heard Isabella sigh in her sleep and pulled her closer; she turned to him, the smile she wore even in sleep always made him smile. He knew that by themselves they could've both handled whatever life threw at them, but together as one, they could live the happy life they had always wanted. Albeit a life full of challenges and strange opportunities, but he knew that those things could turn out to be great things disguised as obstacles.
Isabella opened her eyes and smiled "morning"
"Not quite, did I wake you up?" he asked
She shook her head "what were you thinking about?"
"Life in general, us in particular"
"It's going to be alright, better than alright"
"I know" he kissed her gently "That's why I was thinking of it so much"
"Good" she yawned "now let's get some sleep; we're in for a big day tomorrow"
"The rest of our lives" Phineas murmured sleepily, he felt Isabella nod as he fell asleep; he could only smile as he thought of the future.