When the plane finally stopped moving, they immediately got up, beating the crowd that would rise to get their overhead baggage. They only got held up by the first class passengers, but the worst crowd was behind them. In no time they were in the airport, on firm land.

Just as Vivian said, they took the two hours to relax and eat an early lunch. Both Phineas and Isabella weren't really hungry right away, so they checked for the gate of their next flight on the departures screen. Their plane was going to be in the A concourse, so they took the tram to get there in a hurry, and without much walking. The gate was empty at the time; the plane would come eventually.

At first they just relaxed, each taking a moment to try to sleep in the noisy terminal. When this failed, they talked about anything and everything. Both admired how they could do this with such ease. Phineas thought this was because Isabella was very close as a friend, although he subconsciously started to have his doubts. Isabella, of course, thought that this was love in action. An hour passed in this fashion.

"Hey, are you hungry?" Phineas asked.

"Yeah, a little."

"Come on, lets get something to eat. It's on me."

"But Phin, I have-" she was cut off by Phineas. "Nope, I insist. I'm the guy, and it's the gentleman thing to do. What do you want?"

"Fine" she said, resigned. "I don't know. I'm not really good with choosing. You decide, Mr. Macho-Man."

Phineas gave her a smirk. "Let's go to that burger joint over there."

They ordered their food and Phineas paid as promised. Isabella was taken aback by this gesture, and thanked him. He smiled and said anytime. They talked some more, remembering some of their adventures. He wondered, "It's a shame that we have to take a commercial airline. If it was up to me, we would have gone on the Sunbeater 3000 and arrived at El Paso in just a few hours."

This caused Isabella to smile. "Yeah, it could've been better. But I think it's going great so far." She thought about their latest flight, and how they were sleeping, embraced in each other.

"Yeah, you're right. It has been wonderful" replied Phineas. Secretly, he was thinking the same thing.

After they finished eating at the burger joint, Phineas and Isabella went back to their gate. They arrived on time, as the plane was starting to board. They took their seats in a plane similar to the one they had just been on. They got the two seat side again, Phineas claiming the window seat. "I can't bear to watch you not feel well" he explained. Isabella gladly accepted; she already had enough of the window seat with the last flight.

They watched as more people boarded the plane. Most of them were Hispanic-looking. Some of the guys wore cowboy hats. An old white man, wrinkled as can be, probably from his years in the desert, announced in an Anglo accent "Vamos al Paso del Norte, amigos!" He earned himself some approval in the form of yeehaws and gritos mexicanos before taking a seat, laughing. This cracked Phineas up.

Soon, the plane took off, and was above the clouds. Phineas and Isabella both read the magazines provided by the airline, Sky Mart and American Custom. Phineas laughed at the funky inventions and overpriced accessories on the Sky Mart catalogue. Isabella was entertained with the news articles and stories on the American Custom.

They shared comments about what the other was reading. Isabella thought that the overpriced kimonos on the catalog were cute. Phineas explained what he thought should happen in order to restart manufacturing in the country. They talked for most of the flight. Before they knew it, the plane started its descent.

Phineas was marveled at the dynamism of their relationship. One moment, they would comfort each other by just their presence. Another, and they could talk about anything and everything. They could discuss even the dumbest of things, and enjoy the whole conversation anyways. He was starting to feel different about Isabella. When in her presence, he felt confident, calm, like his natural self. But he also felt so happy, bounding with joy, almost like he had butterflies in his stomach. Totally at ease but jittery with happiness. He thought he had turned into Jekyll and Hyde. He wasn't sure what to think. Could this be something more than a friendship?

Isabella had always admired Phineas for what he was; an upbeat and creative boy. Ever since she knew him, she knew, this is love. She had a lot of emotion invested in this crush, so it was no wonder that she became upset when her signals went unnoticed by Phineas. She had almost lost her hope in Paris several years ago, but he reclaimed his spot in her heart with a grateful hug. Funny how the simplest things can refill a girl's hope.

Despite her crush, she was still surprised by Phineas' sudden attention and caring throughout their trip. I guess we just needed to spend some time alone without worries, she thought. Isabella was secretly grateful that her mom bought only two tickets. Phineas would have surely brought along Ferb had he the chance.

As the plane descended into El Paso, Phineas looked at the scenery outside. The first thing he noticed was sand and rock, everywhere. Scraggly shrubs dotted the barren landscape. Thin dirt roads cut through the shrubs every now and then. This was the true look of a desert, he thought. He motioned Isabella over, and they both looked, astonished at the landscape.

The city and suburbs came into view soon after. The shrubs and desert gave way to highways, buildings, and residential neighborhoods. There were even a few golf courses, glimmering in the sun. This impressed Phineas. Nonetheless, it looked just like Danville, even though it was larger and a lot more desert-like. Manicured lawns here consisted of rockscaping, with an occasional bush or desert plant. The plane soon landed in El Paso, way smoother than the last flight. Isabella felt allright, and this made Phineas happy.

The attendant spoke, "Hello, and welcome to El Paso, named one of the country's most beautiful cities. The local time is 3:13, a sunny day with a few scattered clouds. The temperature is 97 degrees. Please remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop. We hope you have enjoyed your flight with American Airlines; we know why you fly. We wish you a lovely stay in beautiful El Paso, Texas, or wherever your destination may be. Once again, thank you for choosing American."

They left the plane. Once in the jet bridge, they immediately felt like they had walked into an oven. The old man from the flight must have noticed their faces, because he told them, "That kids, is the classic desert heat."

Once in the airport, they ventured towards the exit. Surprisingly, the airport was smaller than they had anticipated. There were only two or three terminals, and the atmosphere was not as hectic as what they had experienced in Dallas. Nonetheless, the airport was beautiful. It didn't have the sterile polished beauty that they were accustomed to seeing in airports. This was a more Southwestern, if homely beauty.

They claimed their bags in the baggage claim, admiring the ambiance of the place. Phineas led the way outside, where the cars came to pick up the travelers, waiting for Manuel to show up. The air was hot, but they sat on a bench in the shade, which made it bearable. Isabella got slightly irked when a smoker started talking on his phone and puffing right next to them. Phineas took her hand, and squeezed it. When the guy left, they sighed in relief.

They sat in the afternoon sun, admiring the beauty of the area. Mountains were standing tall to their right, and there was a beautiful, desert themed hotel within view of the airport. Both Phineas and Isabella were happy that they were having this trip together, secretly wondering what the other thought about them.