I've had an idea floating around the back of my mind for a long time now, but I've never been able to out it together. Then I read Take Me Out To The Ball Game, a one-shot by HalyPooH. After reviewing that story, we struck up a conversation, and this idea of mine blossomed into a full-blown story - the one in front of you right now. Check out this brand-new take on a national pastime, starring Phineas and Isabella.

I owe HalyPooH lots of credit - the inspiration, the support, and the beta services. The characters belong to Dan Povenmire and Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh. The rest belongs to me, myself, I, and not-you.

Enjoy.


Phineas was looking for Ferb. He hadn't seen him all morning, and was wondering where he was. The one place in the house he hadn't checked yet was the office.

Phineas pushed open the door, and saw Ferb moving his mouth in all sorts of weird ways, speaking words that couldn't be typed out no matter how you tried. They weren't crass or mean, but if you did successfully type these words, they would be illegible.

An odd sense of déjà vu came over Ferb when he saw Phineas walk in, recalling how Candace had done the same thing earlier that summer. Phineas, however, seemed to grasp what was going on.

"When will you ever learn to chew gum properly?" he asked his stepbrother with a laugh. "Oh, and tell your Scottish friends I said hi!"

That said, Phineas closed the door behind him, leaving Ferb to socialize in peace.

Little did he know that as soon as he closed the door, Ferb hung up and snuck out the window.


Well, that puts a roadblock in today's schedule, Phineas thought to himself after walking in on Ferb's conversation. Ferb likes to spend hours with his friends overseas. Not that I blame him... now I just don't know what to do today.

Phineas would continue to wonder what he was going to do today as he made his way to the tree and sat down underneath it. He was still trying to figure it out when Isabella pushed open the fence gate.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked, the smile on her face bigger and more noticeable than usual.

"I don't know," said Phineas. He was unaware of how happy those words made Isabella, incredibly contrary to any other day. "Ferb's talking with his Scottish friends today," Phineas explained, feeling that Isabella deserved to know exactly what was going on. "And I don't want to stop him. But he spends hours on video chat with them."

Wow, Isabella thought to herself. Ferb came up with a great excuse.

"Well, luckily for you, Phineas," Isabella said, reaching into her pocket, "I have an idea."

"What?" asked Phineas, eager to have something - anything - to do today.
Isabella pulled her hand out of her pocket to reveal two tickets.

"The Fireside Girls Softball League final is today, and I have an extra ticket. Would you like to come?"

Phineas' ears perked. "The Fireside Girls have a softball league?"

"Yeah," Isabella replied nervously. "I didn't know about it, either. Otherwise my troop would be playing today."

Phineas laughed at Isabella's remark, knowing all too well how true it was.

"I'd love to come," said Phineas, grabbing a baseball cap from who knows where and slipping it on his head. "When does it start?"

"Soon," answered Isabella. "We'll have to leave now."


A limousine pulled up in front of the Flynn-Fletcher house just as Isabella walked out of the driveway with Phineas.

"Oh!" Isabella exclaimed. "Our ride's here."

"You rented a limo?" Phineas asked in disbelief.

"All troop leaders have a chauffeur to all Fireside Girl events," explained Isabella, as if it were common knowledge. Of course, this was news to Phineas, but he stepped into the car right after Isabella despite his doubts. Then the car drove off to Danville Stadium, where the game was scheduled to take place.

So far, so good, Isabella thought to herself, fidgeting nervously in her seat (or, more accurately, couch) as she eagerly anticipated the upcoming game. But it wasn't the game Isabella was looking forward to. No, there was something much, much bigger planned. Isabella fondly recalled the other day, when this entire scheme had been put together.


Yet another Fireside Girl meeting had gone overtime due to Isabella's Adventures in Phineasland (yes, that's what the other girls referred to those daydreams as - credit to Gretchen for coming up with the clever pun). The other members of the troop were quickly getting fed up of their leader's behavior.

In this particular meeting, Adyson was the first to complain about it.

"Isabella," she had said. "You go off into Phineasland way too often. This has got to stop. Right now."

Isabella snapped out of her daydream and held her hands up in defense.

"I'm sorry!" she screamed. "I can't help it! He's just too dreamy... and cute... and triangular..."

Adyson slapped Isabella across the face before she could drop off into Phineasland again.

"Like I said, you have got to do something about Phineasland."

"Well, what?" Isabella asked. "What can I do?"

"Tell Phineas how you feel," Adyson replied. "No more hints. Just a straight up I love you."

Isabella's eyes widened at the very thought of it.

"No!" she yelled. "What if he doesn't feel the same way as me?"

"Well it's about time you found out," Adyson said stubbornly.

"And how do you suppose I do that?"

This time, it wasn't Adyson who spoke, but rather Gretchen.

"You could take him to the Fireside Girls Softball League final," she offered.

"There's a Fireside Girls Softball League?" Isabella had asked, wondering why she hadn't heard about it.

"No," Gretchen admitted, smiling devilishly. "But baseball stadiums have a kiss-cam."


After that, it was only a matter of talking to the right people, and keeping it a secret from Phineas.

Multiple Fireside Girl troops - twenty in all - had agreed to partake in this event, which would earn them multiple patches, including, but not limited to, the professional athlete patch (for the players), the fair play patch (for the umpire), the flier delivery patch (for advertising, so more people would be at the game), the ticket salesperson patch (self-explanatory), the concession stand operator patch (also self-explanatory), and the troop in need patch (because Isabella's troop was clearly in need). Plus, as a bonus, all participating Fireside Girls (except for Isabella) would get their matchmaker patch thrown in, since that was the real goal of this game. In addition, Ferb had enthusiastically agreed to manage the kiss-cam at the game.

Now it was a matter of executing the plan properly.


The limousine pulled up in front of the baseball stadium, and Phineas accompanied Isabella inside.

Every Fireside Girl the two walked by shot Isabella a wink, whether it was a player, a concession stand operator, a ticket saleswoman, an elevator operator, or just some other spectator who was going to the game.

Phineas couldn't help but notice this strange behavior in all the Fireside Girls, but whenever he asked Isabella about it, she clammed up, saying that a wink meant hello in the Fireside Girl inter-tribal non-verbal communication code. But Phineas knew there was something more going on. He just didn't know what, and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure it out.

"Seriously, what is going on?" Phineas asked, for what must have been the millionth time, as the two kids sat down in their seats.

Isabella fidgeted nervously in her seat again, an action which did not go unnoticed by the usually oblivious Phineas.

"I'm just excited, that's all," Isabella replied, unable to think of a better response. "It's a big night for the Fireside Girls."

Phineas could hear it in her voice that Isabella was not being entirely honest with him, but, seeing as he wouldn't be getting any other response, decided to let her be.

"I bet," he said. "So which two troops play tonight?"

Isabella's eyes widened as she frantically tried to remember the names of the teams. Luckily, the announcer (whichever Fireside Girl it was) saved her.

"And now," the big, booming, feminine voice said. "Would everyone please rise for the singing of our national anthem."

All around the stadium, everyone stood up. Phineas, who was a passionate, take-charge kind of guy, especially when it came to song, began singing the first few words of The Star-Spangled Banner at the top of his lungs.

"Oh say, can you see..."

Isabella chuckled, stopping Phineas from continuing the song.

"Silly Phineas," she said, as a tune began to play through the loudspeakers. And it wasn't The Star-Spangled Banner.

Isabella, of course, knew the lyrics, and sang the entirety of the song with all her heart.

We're Fireside Girls, one and all, and together we belong!
We wear our patches upon our sashes and stand cute, small and strong!
This is the Fireside Girls Song!
And it's not too terribly long!

With every passing second of the song, Phineas' face turned a deeper shade of red. He had completely forgotten that the Fireside Girls had their own anthem, and with that, Phineas also missed the fact that it would be sung at this ball game.

"And now," the big, booming, feminine voice said, upon the closing of the song. "Let's play ball!"

And the two teams took the field.


Phineas watched the first few innings with his full attention, spending little to no time focusing on anything else.

"You know," he said, one of the few times he actually turned his attention away from the game. "Next year we should really use the remote-controlled baseballs Ferb and I made. We've never actually played an actual game with those yet. I'd love to see how it turns out."

"Yeah," Isabella agreed emphatically, fidgeting in her seat again. They said fifth inning, she thought. It's the bottom of the fourth.

Turning her attention to the game, Isabella watched the next batter send a long fly ball straight into the glove of an outfielder. She then looked at the scoreboard, and gasped. It was the third out, and the teams were switching sides.

"Guess what time it is?" the big, booming, feminine voice said over the loudspeakers. Isabella's heart almost stopped. She wasn't ready yet. She needed more time to prepare.

Please! she screamed, though only in her thoughts. I need more time!

"It's time to get your mascot patch!" the big, booming, feminine voice yelled. Isabella breathed a sigh of relief. Three more outs, she thought. Then it's time.

"That's right," continued the big, booming, feminine voice. "It's time for the battle of the mascots! First up, we have Fireside Girl Troop 36801!"

A girl ran onto the field dressed up in a giant baby head costume, but Isabella wasn't paying attention. She was taking deep breath after deep breath, hoping that she would be ready when the time came.

But the battle of the mascots was over quickly. Too quickly for Isabella's taste.

Isabella took a deep breath.

The teams took the field again.

She took another deep breath.

"Strike three!" the umpire cried. One out.

Another deep breath.

A weak ball dribbled to the shortstop, who promptly whipped it over to the first baseman. Two outs.

Another deep breath.

The ball grazed the bat, and went flying impossibly high, straight into the air.

Immediately, the catcher threw off her face mask, stood up, and tried to position herself under the ball.

Another deep breath.

Phineas chose this moment to comment on Isabella's uncharacteristic behavior, which did not go unnoticed in the mind of the typically oblivious boy.

"Why are you so nervous?" he asked. "You're not yourself today."

Isabella ignored him, and took another deep breath.

Then, to Isabella, everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. Slowly, the ball reached its peak. Slowly, it began its descent. Slowly, it fell. Slowly, the catcher repositioned her glove underneath it. Slowly, the ball landed in the mitt with a satisfying plop! And slowly, the catcher closed her hand around the ball.

Three outs.

Before the two teams were even off the field, the big, booming, feminine voice was speaking.

"Another three batters, another three outs!" it said. "That was the fastest inning yet! Now, while the teams are changing sides, you might want to pray that the person next to you brushed their teeth."

Isabella looked at Phineas. "Did you?"

The boy nodded, showing off in a smile his sparkly white pearls.

"That's right!" the big, booming, feminine voice continued. "It's time for the kiss-cam!"

Although she had had almost a week to prepare for this moment, Isabella still wasn't ready.

Just get it over with, she thought. It's just a simple kiss. You've been wanting to do this your whole life.

She turned her attention to the kiss-cam, just as her face appeared on it, right next to Phineas's.

This is it, Isabella thought. Then, before she could change her mind, she closed her eyes, grabbed Phineas' shirt, and kissed him on the lips before either of them could fully process the fact that their faces were on the kiss-cam.

Phineas' eyes widened as he felt Isabella's lips press against his. But it was over just as quickly as it began, and the screen shifted to show a different couple.

"What was that for?" Phineas screamed in disbelief.

Isabella pointed to the kiss-cam. "Our.. Our faces were on the... the..." she stammered, before freezing in place entirely.

Phineas turned to look at the kiss-cam, and, in like manner, he froze in place.

His face was on the kiss-cam. Right next to Isabella's. Again.

The two just sat there, unmoving, for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them were ready to kiss again.

Eventually, a voice blared through the loudspeakers. Not a big, booming, feminine voice, but a quiet, calm, British one.

"Well don't just stand there," it said. "Kiss her!"

Phineas' eyes widened, as he realized it was Ferb speaking. Those words, however, did enough to spur Isabella into action, as she leaned in and kissed her crush again. A real kiss this time, one that, after he realized what was going on, Phineas returned with equal enthusiasm and embarrassment. Both of them, however, kept their eyes on the kiss-cam, and broke apart as soon as the picture changed.

Another minute passed as the kiss-cam jumped from couple to couple. Phineas and Isabella watched it intently, hoping that it wouldn't turn to them again. They weren't ready to be embarrassed a third time. Much to their relief, the kiss-cam didn't return to them, and the visiting team took the field again.

Another minute passed before Phineas broke the awkward silence that had settled upon them after that last kiss.

"Do you know what that was all about?" he asked.

"Well... umm..." Isabella struggled for a response.

"It's the kiss-cam," she finally said. "Anything can happen."

"Yeah, but what was Ferb doing? I know I heard his voice."

"I... uhh... err..." once again, Isabella was at a loss for words.

"What?"

Isabella conceded. Too much had just happened for Phineas to ever stop pressuring her for the truth now. And too much had just happened for Isabella to even try to continue hiding the truth from him.

"Ferb was managing the kiss-cam."

Phineas gasped. "And he chose us?"

"Yeah, uh..." Isabella chose her next words with extreme caution. "I.. uh... I kind of asked him to."

Phineas gasped again. "What?!"

"Yeah, well, umm... my troop kinda..." Isabella stopped right there, as if that explained all. She then turned to Phineas and flashed him her cutest smile.

"Did you like it?"


Well, did you? Did you like this story? You better hope that you did, because there's not going to be another chapter (let it be known that I am susceptible to public demand).

There is a chance that I might change my mind with an overwhelming number of reviews and demands. But for now, this story is as good as over. Consider me out!