This was part of a prompt thing I did on tumblr (my username is galaxina-the-pyro for those of you who are curious). Don't have much else to say about it, other than this is, like, the second time I've done something with NOTLP's alternate ending, and my gosh, I'm obsessed with that ending I swear. NOTLP was just...too good. I love it.

Phineas and Ferb belongs to Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh

P/F/P/F

The Sun Rises

(~)

A burst of air expanded into Phineas' lungs, his pupils contracting to the size of a droplet - soon after, he gagged, water splashing into his face as he coughed and rolled to his side. Slowly but surely the vision he'd lost mere moments ago resurfaced as he caught a glimpse at the sunrise bringing light back to Danville. The only sound he focused on were that of a sprinkler as his mind began to wander.

Where was he?

What happened?

His chest felt pressure as he pushed himself up. Memories of the last several hours flooded back to him: the Pharmazombies...oh god...oh no, where was Ferb? Candace? His friends?

...where was Isabella?

Phineas pushed himself up back to his feet, rushing towards the ladder, nearly tripping over a random cured civilian who seemed just as dazed as everyone else. Phineas climbed up, hands nearly slipping from the wetness, until he reached the very top. Phineas never sighed so deeply, so relieved in his short life before, as he stared at Isabella, sitting against the Vortex Sprayer with the most awestruck face he'd ever seen on her.

She did it. She'd saved them all.

Not that it was a surprise. Of course it would be Isabella - of course even without the protection of rubberized suits, even in a state where she'd be very much in danger of infection, she'd still be the last one standing. It just made too much sense…

Phineas stared at his best friend, his mind still fuzzy; things were certainly hard to even comprehend. He could tell that, whatever else Isabella had seen, that it had her pretty shaken up. But as he pushed himself up onto the top of the water tower, he found his voice.

"Isabella, are you alright?"

Isabella's head shot to the side, staring at Phineas like a deer in headlights (if the deer knew how to drop kick someone off of a building, that is; reflexes be darned). Upon realizing who it was, though, Isabella's shoulders fell as she stood back up. Part of her must've felt silly for even feeling jumpy - her first trigger should've been "lot's of me", after all. But maybe that wasn't the only thing on her mind…

"Yeah..." Isabella answered, whipping some water off of her hands, her entire body just as soaked as Phineas', probably even more so, "Just...a little foggy..."

"What happened?" Phineas pressed, moving a bit closer as he did.

Isabella thought for a moment. "I remember building the Vortex Sprayer," she admitted, motioning the creation that inevitably saved the day in the end, "But after that," she shrugged, "I've got no clue."

Phineas reached to his arm carefully gripping it. He felt a familiar kind of fabric, a small piece, and smiled warmly. "The only thing I can really make out is your patch..." he looked at Isabella fondly, "I dunno what happened, but," he went over and pulled Isabella into a warm embrace, "I do know that I'll hold onto this patch for the rest of my life."

Isabella's arms wrapped around Phineas' waist. She sighed, leaning her head onto his shoulder. She found herself staring at the rising sun, realizing how long they must've been at this harrowing adventure - imagined what would've happened if they didn't actually finish this by then, and how long they would have had to…

...but then she thought about how she was the only one up there, by the Vortex Sprayer. She thought about how she was likely infected, how her friends were likely taken...how Phineas was…

"...Isabella?"

She hadn't meant to start crying - she hadn't meant to crumple to the ground, and pull Phineas down with her. She hadn't meant to look into Phineas' face, wanting to say something, anything, but finding no strength. Instead, she saw tears forming in his eyes, too, as he crushed her back into an embrace, humming to her. "It...it's okay," Phineas murmured, sniffing, "We're okay, Izzy...we're okay..."

"I...I wanted to," Isabella hiccupped, desperately trying to wipe her eyes; she found herself positioned in a way that her body was leaning against Phineas, her head on his chest as he held her close, "I wanted to...to...I dunno...I just...I'm so happy you're-."

"-I'm happy you're okay," Phineas managed to say, weakly smiling, "I'm so, so happy...I," he let out a dry laugh, "I'll be honest...I didn't think we were gonna..."

Phineas and Isabella chuckled a little, but soon after just sat there, hugging each other and it all in as Danville began returning to their normal bustle. Some of them were probably traumatized - others probably, somehow, missed the whole darn thing. But whatever the case may be, Phineas and Isabella knew for a fact that they would remember this day, this moment, for the rest of their lives.

And then there was the darned patch that, to Isabella, was what started her little adventure that day. That goal - she'd definitely never forget such a trial. No thinly parodied zombie pandemic would make her forget. She could hear Phineas' heartbeat, how it was steadily getting to an even pace.

Maybe it was selfish - beyond selfish, even - but...she had to. It had to be now. Something in her chest, something she couldn't remember but was there even still, screamed that she was more than capable of just letting it be known. She took a shaky breath.

"...I wanted to tell you something."

Phineas pulled away, just a little, to get a better look at Isabella's face. "What was that?" he asked softly.

Ultimately it was Isabella who ended the embrace, as she pulled her body away, looking toward Phineas as she positioned herself onto her knees. She noted how Phineas almost looked disappointed (though he could've just as easily been looking concerned about something...either way...it was an incredibly sweet expression). She folded her hands onto her knees. "Before this all started," she stated carefully, "There was...there was something I needed to tell you..."

"...oh," Phineas' back straightened up from his usual slouch, "OH!" he snapped his fingers and pointed at his best friend, "Yeah! Yeah, something about..." he touched the patch again, "You...you let me use the patch you were-..."

"You really should keep it," Isabella smiled sweetly, in a way that made Phineas feel happier than he had been all day, "You've more than earned it...see...it's an Emotional Bravery Patch..."

Phineas rubbed his arm. "Huh," he smirked, "Kind of an on-the-nose patch, huh?" he paused, eyeing Isabella carefully, "Wait...you're the bravest person I know," he playfully glared at Isabella, crossing his arms in an accusatory way, "How come you're only just earning it now?"

"Well..." Isabella ran a hand through her wet, tangled hair, leading to a few awkward tugs at the black and navy blue stands, "I haven't exactly earned it yet."

Isabella had to briefly squeeze her eyes shut to suppress her laughter as a look of utter disgust painted itself over Phineas' face. "Isabella," he spoke in an incredibly offended tone; that's it, Isabella couldn't hold it back anymore, "Stop laughing and look at me."

"N-not until you stop looking at me like that," Isabella managed to poke a single eye open, only to laugh even harder at the stony stare, "PLEASE!"

"Isabella, you literally just saved everyone," Phineas stated firmly, grabbing Isabella's shoulders as she continued to giggle, "From a borderline zombie apocalypse. That's more than enough-."

"-i-it's not," Isabella finally managed to say as she moved to grab Phineas' hands and pull them off her shoulders, "I...the only way I specifically could earn it," she swallowed hard, the nerves beginning to seep their way back into her chest, "Is if I walk up to someone I care about," she lifted her gaze back to Phineas, noting his expression falling back to his natural curiosity, "like...really, REALLY care about...and telling them face-to-face..."

She squeezed Phineas' hands, keeping the warmth memorized in her head. Phineas waited patiently for her to continue, his smile returning. "...Phineas," Isabella spoke, the force she had been working up towards finally reaching to fruition, "I like you..." she saw Phineas about to respond immediately and had anticipated a probable platonic response, "LIKE YOU, like you...I mean..."

There was a familiar feeling forming in Phineas' chest - he couldn't exactly remember from what, but for some reason he felt like he'd heard this before. He didn't remember the pause being so deafening this time around, but it felt familiar nonetheless. From the tingling on his lips, to the ringing in his ears, almost as if the heavens themselves had whispered a soft melody that no form of memory-wipes could truly erase.

And for the first time, Phineas found himself truly speechless.

"I know it's silly," Isabella twirled her hair with her fingers, feeling her eyes begin to water again, "But like...just in case, you know?" she laughed softly, the lump returning to her throat, "In case something else happens, and...and..."

Then Isabella felt Phineas' hands cup her face. The two stared for a while, probably unsure of what was even happening. Or perhaps Phineas at least knew, to an extent - this was just emotions springing out in a way that he'd never experienced before. He opened his mouth, then shut it as he briefly glanced to the floor. Isabella waited, just as patiently as he had.

And then it happened. Without warning.

Phineas' lips were planted on Isabella's.

It was short - certainly not as long as what Isabella had seen from Candace and Jeremy after their adventure going around the world. But it felt so right all the same - maybe it was the shock adding to the serotonin Isabella was experiencing. But nonetheless, Phineas seemed to share the reaction, a smile slowly creeping onto his face.

"...I like you too," Phineas answered softly before chuckling shyly, "But...I guess you know that by now, huh?"

Isabella giggled sweetly before the two pulled each other into another hug, refusing to let the other go. She would have a lot more to say to Phineas - and Phineas would have a lot more to say to her. But for that moment, the two would just sit there. Just the two of them…

...and Ferb, who had just finished trekking up onto the top of the water tower, pausing as he witnessed the two caught in their tender embrace. He stared, blinking and ever so often glancing back towards the walls surrounding the city of Danville. He really should remind the two that the rest of civilization was still probably infected. They definitely needed to rectify that as soon as possible, didn't they?

"...nah," Ferb shrugged as he proceeded to climb back down the ladder, opting to give the two some much needed privacy.

Fin

A/N:

"Pfft, horror movies. Scary but so unbelievable."

God bless you all,

-GTS