Independence Day Extravaganza: The Payoff

Someday you will find me

Caught beneath the landslide

In a Champagne Supernova in the sky.

Flashback: Saturday Night

"It looks like we're a little ahead of schedule so far," Ginger said after compiling all her information. "The guest list is coming together pretty well too, but…"

"But what," Phineas asked.

"I tried contacting Adyson several times today by phone, text, and email. She hasn't responded at all."

"Did she go out of town, perhaps," Ferb asked, looking at Katie.

As Katie responded to Ferb's question, Phineas felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly and opened it, seeing a text message that read, "In front yard. Come alone, don't tell anyone. - Addie"

As the rest of the group's focus shifted to listen to Django, who'd just arrived in the backyard, Phineas quietly slipped away from the group and headed to the front yard. Sure enough, Adyson was there waiting for him.

"Thanks for coming, Phin," Adyson told him, her voice somewhat hoarse. Her hair was somewhat messy and her eyes were red and looked exhausted.

"Addie, you look terrible," Phineas told her, suddenly concerned for her. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"It's a long and complicated story, and I don't have time to go into it all right now. Just please listen. I need your help with something."

"If it's to do with Django, why not just go talk to him now? He's in the backyard."

"I know, but…I can't. I'm not ready yet. Plus I promised him I'd talk to him at the party your family throws every year, and I want to stick to that."

"If that's what you want to do then I'll respect that. But why do you need my help then?"

"I want to surprise him at the party."

"Surprise him how?"

"I don't want him seeing me until I'm ready to talk to him."

"That shouldn't be hard, just avoid him."

Adyson shook her head at him. "One of the girls is bound to see me, and they'll just force me to do it before I'm really ready. Please, Phineas, isn't there something you can do to help me out here?"

Phineas held his chin as he thought about the dilemma. "Hmm…so what we need is a way for you to get into the party unseen and remain that way until you're ready to talk to Django…I think I may actually have just the thing."

Adyson blinked several times in disbelief. "For serious?"

Phineas nodded to her. "It's something Ferb and I have been working on here and there. It's not totally done yet, but I could probably finish it on my own. Can I meet you somewhere tomorrow with it?"

"There's a coffee shop I like going to not far away. Meet me there tomorrow at nine 'o clock, okay?"

"Got it."

"And Phineas, one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Please don't tell anyone about this. I really want to keep this a secret because…well…"

Phineas put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Addie, we've been friends since we were little kids. Trust me, I'll keep this secret."

Adyson smiled and briefly hugged him. "Thank you, Phin. I owe you one big time."

Adyson quickly took her leave of Phineas as he headed back into the house, careful to avoid the garage where Ferb and Django were having some sort of talk amongst themselves. He quickly headed to the basement and set to work completing the project he'd mentioned to Adyson. Assuming it functioned properly it would be the perfect answer to Adyson's problem.

Flashback: Sunday Morning

"A personal light refracting matrix," Adyson said, repeating the name of the item she held in her hand, which was no bigger than a fifty cent piece. "So what's it do?"

Phineas grinned as he prepared his explanation. "By calculating all incoming light vectors and rerouting them, it can-"

"In English, Phin," Adyson told him, sounding annoyed. "I don't speak Nerd."

"Heh, right. Sorry. It'll render you completely invisible."

Adyson looked at the coin-shaped device skeptically. "You're kidding."

"Nope. We made two of them, and I used the other one it to get out of the house this morning. I walked right by Candace in the kitchen and she never even acted like she saw me. Just run your thumb over it once to activate it, then do it again to deactivate it."

"What if I lose it? It's awfully small."

"It's got a very limited range, so if you dropped it somewhere you'd just end up going visible again."

Adyson shook her head at the simple yet amazing device. "You really are a genius, Phin. Thanks again."

"Like I said, Addie, you and I go way back. I'm happy I could help. I'm just sorry I couldn't be there to help you figure out your feelings about this."

"In retrospect, I kinda wish I had gotten some help. I'm so utterly horrible about this kind of thing."

"That makes two of us. And for what it's worth, I'm still pretty terrible at it. I only just recently realized the full extent of my feelings for Isabella after dating her for almost a year."

"You know you never told me how you two finally got together," Adyson said, taking a sip from her coffee. "I mean, we all figured it'd happen sooner or later, but it just seemed to happen so…suddenly."

"Given your distaste for nerd talk, I really should spare you the full version of how it all actually came about," Phineas told her as he thought about the Age Swapper incident once again. "The short version is to say that it actually took a lot longer than you think."

"That's all well and good, but what I want to know more is how did you reconcile your feelings for Isabella? I mean, I've been utterly confused about my feelings for Django."

"Well…I had always liked Isabella to some extent. For me I just stopped and thought for a moment if I could ever see another girl in my life. I couldn't back then, and I certainly can't now."

Adyson fell silent for several moments. A look crossed her face as if she were thinking something over once again. Finally she looked at Phineas again, a confident smile on her face.

"You know, before we met here I was still questioning my choice," she said. "But thanks to you, Phin…I know what my answer to Django is going to be."

Phineas leaned across the table a bit more. "And what's that answer?"

Adyson fell silent again, but Phineas scooted his chair around to the side of the table so he sat just diagonal from her.

"C'mon, Addie, I'm already keeping secrets for you. And I stayed up late getting that thing ready for you. The least you can do is give me the inside scoop."

Adyson looked at him, a cautious look in her eyes. "You swear you won't tell anyone?"

"Not even Ferb."

Adyson closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked at Phineas and told him exactly what her answer to Django was going to be.

Monday, July 4th, Evening

"It's time to settle things between us, Django," Adyson told him as she faced him. "Once and for all."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself," Django noted as he stood up straight again from the tree. "I'm glad that whatever you've decided is sitting right with you, Addie."

Adyson nodded to him. "It wasn't an easy decision to come to, but it's like I said. I'm terrible with my feelings."

"Whatever it ends up being, I just want you to know it won't make me stop being your friend. You've always meant a lot to me, Adyson, even when we were little. You defended me when I'd get picked on, you supported me in everything I did, and we had a lot of fun together; especially with Phineas and Ferb, and eventually everyone else as well.

"But I just want you to know that it still won't change how I've come to feel about you either. I really do care very deeply for you, more than words can really convey. I've got art projects I've sketched out that I want to make that are all based on these feelings. I wish I could show them to you, but…well without knowing how you feel it'd probably just creep you out. But it's some of the best stuff I've ever thought of, and it's all thanks to you.

"And who knows? Maybe down the road, given some time, something might happen later. Which would be fine too. I mean we are both really young and all. You've got your own set of goals and dreams you want to work towards, and I totally respect and admire that. And just like you supported me back in the day, I'll do the same for you. Even if-"

"Django," Adyson said, breaking up his monologue. Django shook his head and suddenly realized she was now standing right next to him.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was rambling, wasn't I? I get like this when I'm nervous."

"It's like I've told you before," she said, lacing her arms gently around his shoulders and neck. "You really need to learn when to shut up."

Everything around Django simply faded into nothingness. Time stood still, music and noise fell silent, and the scenery of the backyard and all the people around them disappeared. All that existed right then and there, as far as he was concerned, were him and the girl of his dreams who was kissing him lovingly on the lips. He slowly slid his arms around her as well and allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her kiss as well as the light scent of jasmine coming from her. It was absolutely intoxicating and elevated him to such a state of bliss that when Adyson finally broke off the kiss he had the silliest grin on his face; so silly that she couldn't help but break up laughing at him.

"If that's going to be your reaction every time I kiss you, I need to make sure I have a camera handy all the time," she said after recomposing herself from her laughter. "The look on your face is priceless."

"Can you blame me," Django asked as he finally snapped back into reality. "I was dead certain you were going to shoot me down!"

"I know. And I'm sorry about…well, everything. I spent the rest of that day after our date and most of Saturday debating and crying and torturing myself over what to do. I was a real mess, to the point that I just didn't return any calls or texts. But then I came to a point where I stopped myself and just asked myself what you asked me that day: What are you to me?

"The answer that came back was that you're someone I love, Django. I couldn't get away from that answer, just like I couldn't seem to get away from you this past week. And I don't want to get away from you anymore. I want to be with you, more than anything I've ever wanted."

"But what about…I mean, I still have to go back to California after Candace's wedding."

"I know, and I know I said before that that was weighing on my mind."

Adyson stepped back up to him and touched his face gently, smiling as a couple of tears streamed down her face. "But I would rather be happy with you for whatever amount of time we have left together this summer than live the rest of my life regretting what might have been."

Django took her into his arms again, both of them burying their face in each other's neck as they embraced.

"Thank you, Adyson," he told her quietly. "You don't know how happy this makes me."

"The feeling is very much mutual, Django," she replied similarly.

As they continued their embrace, just a few feet away Isabella stood dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she had taken from a box of tissues held by Phineas. After making sure she was set, Phineas walked among the other former Fireside Girls that had assembled to be spectators the event, offering the same to each of them.

"Told you it'd be worth the wait," he said as he fell in alongside Isabella again.

Isabella sniffled a bit, having been incredibly touched by the scene that had just played out before them. "Yes. Yes it was."

It was Isabella's sniffle that finally caught Adyson's attention, causing her to finally notice the crowd that had gathered around them.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag now," she said sheepishly.

"Just get over here, already," Katie told her as she blew her nose.

Adyson started to walk to the girls, only to be swarmed by them in one massive group hug. As the girls all began talking amongst themselves about Adyson's new romance, Django walked around them and joined Phineas and Ferb, who both shook his hand.

"Nice work, man," Phineas told him. "That's a hookup for the history books."

"Absolutely," Ferb added. "Which reminds me, I need to go and collect my winnings."

"Winnings," Django asked, wondering what Ferb meant.

"Why yes, on the bet we made."

Django looked at the brothers in a bit of shock. "You guys bet on whether we'd get together?"

"Don't be silly," Phineas told him as Ferb began going around collecting on the bet. "That wouldn't have been much of a bet. Instead we bet on how long it'd take you. Ferb said you'd hook up by the Fourth, and here we are."

"Dude, seriously," Django asked, sounding disappointed. "I'm not sure how much I like the idea of my romantic life being the subject of a bet."

"Well then," Ferb said, returning with a wad of money to which Phineas made the final contribution. "How do you feel about this?"

Ferb took Django's hand and put the wad of money in it, then closed it up around it.

"You take that money and go have a proper date with Adyson," Ferb told him.

Django looked at the money in total surprise. "Are you serious? This isn't just chump change, man!"

Ferb nodded to him. "I can't speak for anyone else, but this was my intent with the bet all along. Besides, it is technically my money to do with as I see fit, as I won it fair and square. And I can't think of anything I'd rather spend it on."

Django pocketed the money and then grabbed both brothers in a fierce hug. "You guys really are the best, you know?"

"You're welcome, Django," Phineas told him. "Now go rescue your girlfriend from her friends before they smother her. Or before she starts yelling at them, at least."

Django let them go and went back to the group of girls, who all took turns hugging and congratulating him as he tried to make his way back to Adyson. Once they were together again, they resumed enjoying the party, only this time they did it together and happier than either could ever remember being before.

The night sky came alive with bursts of color, glittering sparks, screaming rockets, and intricate patterns drawn by the laser lights Phineas, Ferb, and Baljeet had worked so hard to prepare. For their part, Jeremy and Coltrane were having quite the fun time setting off the fireworks. Phineas, however, found himself simply enjoying watching the fruits of their labors while hugging Isabella from behind.

"You guys threw a fantastic party," Isabella told him. "I'm sure your mom's gonna be proud of what you accomplished."

"It's not over yet," Phineas said with a sigh. "I've got cleanup still ahead of me."

"I can help if you'd like."

"Nah, Ferb and I promised mom we'd do it ourselves. It'll be alright."

"If you say so, but tomorrow you should come by my house for some rest and relaxation."

Phineas smirked as he turned her face towards him. "Somehow I think that might not end up being all that restful or relaxing."

"Maybe," Isabella said, playfully touching his cheek. "But it would probably still be pleasant."

"More than probably is my guess."

In another part of the backyard, Gretchen was leaned back against Ferb, who was leaning back against the fence while they watched the show.

"You guys sure know how to throw a party," Gretchen told him.

"You think this is something," Ferb asked her. "Wait until we're all a bit older. We have some amazing party ideas in mind."

"I'll look forward to seeing them. But man, those are some great fireworks."

"They are quite spectacular."

Gretchen turned around and pressed herself up against Ferb, smiling seductively up at him. "Not as good as the kinds of fireworks you and I make, though."

"Sadly I still have cleanup to tend to," Ferb told her, stroking her hair gently. "Maybe later, if there's time and I'm not exhausted."

Gretchen quickly pulled him down a bit and playfully nibbled his ear as she whispered, "Well, consider it incentive to finish quickly then."

Ferb had to fight off the shivers that went down his spine from the love bite and resolved, in his mind, to attack the cleanup like never before.

Across the backyard, other friends and couples also shared thoughts with each other as they watched the spectacular show above them. None, however, were more lost in the moment than Django and Adyson, who simply held hands as they sat and watched the show.

"My head's so full of art project ideas now, I think it might just burst," Django said as he watched the sky in awe.

"It is a pretty amazing show," Adyson added as she tried to follow every burst and laser-drawn shape that danced across the sky. She felt Django turn her face towards him and saw him smiling at her.

"None of my ideas have anything to do with the fireworks," he told her. "It's all because of you."

"O-oh…" she stammered, blushing heavily. "Well, that's good too. Just…don't ask me to model for you or anything."

"Why on earth wouldn't I want you to model for me?"

"I just…I don't know. I'm not used to this relationship business is all. All the attention or the sweetness…any of it. I have no confidence at all in how I look, I don't know how I'm supposed to act as your girlfriend or…"

Django cut her off with a kiss, which she immediately responded to. The feeling of being kissed was one part of their relationship she was quickly becoming accustomed to, and one she enjoyed immensely.

"You just be you," he told her after he broke off the kiss. "And I'll just be me. And together we'll be us. That's all there is to it."

Adyson smiled and squeezed his hand a bit. "If you're okay with that, then I am too."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Still, do you think you could be you and maybe, I dunno, wear a shirt with buttons once in a while?"

"That depends. Do you think you could be you and maybe, I dunno, come to a poetry jam at a coffee house once in a while?"

They both shared a laugh and then leaned against each other as the show carried on over their heads. Their remaining time together may be short, but they were determined to make the most of it and fill the rest of their summer with memories they would both treasure for the rest of time.

Next Episode Preview: A rainy summer day turns twenty percent cooler thanks to a kids' show that ensnares the attention of kids, teens, and even adults. How will the gang react to one of the strangest activities they've ever undertaken: marathoning the episodes of a cartoon?