Shortly after New Years', Phineas decided it was time to move out of his parents' house again, as part of building his new life. He started looking into apartments, but was having trouble finding something that was close enough that he could walk to Isabella's. He was still pondering this when he arrived at Isabella's the following Friday night. Her friends had planned a night out, and she was going along, so he was staying with Becky while she was out.

He tried not to stare at her as she walked around the apartment, finishing her preparations. She was dressed in a pale blue dress that she looked absolutely incredible in, and he had to fight to keep from trying to convince her to stay there for the night. Not what she needs right now. Nowhere near what she deserves. Be good, Phineas.


Isabella closed the apartment door behind her, leaning against it and taking a deep breath to calm down. Phineas was asleep on the couch; the TV had gone to infomercials. With a smile, she pulled a blanket out of her closet and tried to tuck him in, but the motion woke him up.

"Sorry," he said, sitting up. "Did you have a good time?"

"No," she said as she sat at the other end of the couch. "They were trying to set me up on a blind date."

"Oh," he said quietly. "And?"

"Totally not my type. I told them that if they tried it again, I'd make them regret it."

He laughed. "Think it'll work?"

"For a while."

He smiled at her, but the smile quickly faded. "I should go."

"It's late, you're welcome to crash on the couch, just let your parents know so they don't worry."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Actually, I am," she said. "You'd be back soon enough to help with breakfast anyway."

"True enough," he agreed, and wrapped the blanket around himself.


As Phineas set Becky in her high chair the next morning, Isabella said, "I've been thinking about your apartment search."

"And?"

"I'm trying to figure out why you need an apartment when you'd never be there. We can turn your old office into a bedroom, and you can move in here if you'd like."

He looked up at her, surprised; she seemed a little nervous, although he was pretty sure nobody else could have caught it.

She continued, "This way you don't have to worry about rushing over here before she gets up, and heading home after she goes to bed. And...well, half your stuff is still here anyway."

He laughed. "True enough. You're really okay with this?"

She smiled. "I really am."

He took a deep breath. "I'll think about it. Seriously. It sounds good...let me talk to Corinne first? I see her Monday."

"That's fine. There's no rush. It's not like anyone else is moving in."


Phineas was sitting at the mall that afternoon, watching Becky in the play area while Isabella ran some errands, when Ferb cleared his throat behind him.

"What's up?" Phineas asked without looking back.

Ferb sat next to him on the bench, and quietly said, "You spent the night at Isabella's last night."

Phineas laughed. "On the couch. The girls dragged her out for a get-together that apparently was a cover for a blind date. She wasn't impressed, but she got home late enough that we decided it would be easier for me to crash there for the night. I pinged Mom and Dad; sorry, I should have let you know as well."

Ferb nodded.

"However, we're talking about having me move to the spare bedroom there - the one that used to be my office. Still thinking on that one."

"Why wouldn't you? It would make your life easier."

Phineas looked away, watching Becky play, and paused a moment before speaking. "I still love her, Ferb. I don't know if I'm up to sharing an apartment with her without trying for...what we used to have."

"Have you talked to her about your feelings?"

"Of course not. I don't want to make her feel guilty for not loving me any more. It's not her fault. How could she love the guy who abandoned her?"

Ferb shook his head.


Corinne was waiting for Phineas Monday afternoon. "So, what happened this week?"

"I spent the night on Isabella's couch Friday night after she got back late, and Saturday morning she offered to let me move into the spare bedroom."

"Okay. That sounds like it would solve both your current problems, as another step toward building a new life while still keeping you close to Becky."

"It does, but...am I ready for that? I'm worried that I'm still too much in love with her."

"It's your call, but I think it would be a good step to take. You need to get used to dealing with her in ways other than through Becky."

"Can I really just be friends with her?"

Corinne took her glasses off to clean them. "I think you can, if that's what you both want."


Isabella was trying to keep focused on her meeting when her phone buzzed with a message from Phineas:

If you're still okay with me taking the spare room, I think I will.

She quickly sent back:

It's all yours.

I'd worried I'd scared him off. Maybe...maybe we can ease him into this.

He replied:

I'll be over after work with my stuff, then.


Phineas arrived just before dinner, with a suitcase. Isabella had been clearing her stuff out of the office, and moving what of his was still in her room over. Becky looked up from where she was playing on the floor, confused.

"Daddy's moving in here. He's going to live with us now. That's going to be Daddy's room," Isabella said, pointing toward the door Phineas was coming out of.

Becky pointed at the door. "Daddy room." Then, she pointed at the door to her room, saying, "Becky room," and Isabella's door, saying, "Mommy room."

"Exactly," Isabella said.