By the time that Phineas had finished talking with his mother, it was almost 11 at night. He walked over to the living room and sat next to Isabella, who was watching the last few minutes of a Spanish rendition of "Saturday Night Live." She turned off the television and they both went to their beds.
They got into their sleep clothes and talked for a while about what they were going to do the next few days. Isabella informed Phineas that Rosa was taking them to Juarez again. They were to stay at the grandparents' house for a few days. He was overjoyed with the idea, as was Isabella.
When they grew sleepy, Phineas gave Isabella a goodnight hug and a kiss on her cheek. Soon, they fell asleep.
Isabella was dreaming that she was with Phineas riding in a 1950's-style convertible through Juarez. The top was down, and they were essentially riding open-air in the back seat. They were both happy, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. She looked over towards Phineas, and smiled. He took her hand and kissed it. She asked, "Do you like Juarez, Phin?"
He beamed, "Yes, Izzy. I love this town."
Uncle Juan was driving the convertible, and Rosa was seated in the passenger seat. She turned around, and told the both of them, "See, this place isn't that bad. The people here are very friendly."
Phineas replied, "I sure see that, ma'am."
Isabella put her head on Phineas' shoulder, and he put his arm around her. She was perfectly happy, savoring the moment with the guy that she loved completely.
Crack.
Phineas suddenly flinched forward, grabbing at his neck in pain. It started bleeding profusely. A small hole indicated that the bullet had passed cleanly right through his neck. It had been a high-speed, high-caliber bullet. Isabella started to fear the worst, trying to comfort him, as well as pull him out of range. She blinked.
Crack.
For a fraction of a second, she thought that she had been sprayed with water. She opened her eyes and almost fainted from the sight.
Half of Phineas' head was missing. She was sprayed with blood and bits of tissue. She screamed in horror and fear. Juan took notice, and floored the gas pedal, speeding away from the scene. Isabella noticed that a piece of Phineas' head was on the trunk. She got out of her seat and reached for it, as if getting it would guarantee a chance for Phineas to survive.
She was struggling to put a thought out of her head. It's of no use, Phineas is already dead.
She started sobbing loudly, hugging Phineas' limp body…
Isabella's soft sobbing breaths had woken her up. She was still riveted with fear and grief. She felt beads of sweat on her forehead and neck. The sobs of her dreams turned into real tears. Her sniffles woke Phineas up.
"Are you okay, Izzy?"
"Yes, Phin. I just had a nightmare."
She heard the creak of his bed, and his footsteps making their way across the room. He knelt by her bed, delicately wiping her tears and sweat. Grabbing her hand and caressing it, he gently said, "It's okay. It's over now."
She let out a sniffle, and said softly, "Have you ever seen the Zapruder film?"
"The one with JFK's assassination? Yes, yes I have. Why?"
"Well, I was dreaming that we were in a open-air car cruising through Juarez, just enjoying the sights and sounds. Then, I heard a crack, and you…you…" She started tearing up again. Phineas didn't need to hear the rest. He could fill in the blank. Nonetheless, she still tried to explain, "It happened just like in the Zapruder film."
Phineas understood. Isabella sat up on the bed, her back leaning on the wall, facing him. He took her into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "It was only a dream Izzy, I'm alive and well. I promise you nothing like that will happen to us."
She asked, "How are you so sure?"
He simply said, "I just am."
Even though she knew that it was lame explanation, she still accepted it fervently. She clung to Phineas' promise like she was now clinging to him, relaxing in his embrace. She gently asked, "Phin?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind spending the rest of the night with me? You know, like how we slept at the hospital?"
Phineas accepted. "Sure. I'll keep you company." He looked into her eyes and said, "I'll never leave your side, so you can rest easy. Even if you do have more nightmares, I'll be right next to you to tell you it was all a dream."
Phineas got in the bed, putting his arm around Isabella's waist. She curled into him. He kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Goodnight Izzy."
"Goodnight Phin." A while later, she fell asleep, a small smile on her face.
Phineas remained awake, thinking about what he was doing. When he first accepted to sleeping with Isabella, he thought that it was going to be awkward. Now, he thought otherwise. Phineas was ecstatic to keep her company in this manner, but he also felt totally at ease. It felt natural, as if he had always done this. He thought, I guess my mom was right, we are made for each other.
He placed a kiss on her sleeping lips. A while later, he fell asleep, thinking about her. Only her.
I hope that the nightmare wasn't too grim for your taste. It might have negated the fluffiness I tried to create.
At any rate, I'm sorry to say that I won't update for around two days. I'm still writing and editing the last few chapters so that they can be as good as possible. Until then, happy reviewing :)