DavidC20OfficialWriter: Good to hear, friend.
XxxPNFFan2000xxX: Good to hear. It'll be out before the year's out, don't worry.
ALWAYS4EVAFanNH: Thank you and keep reading.
BaseballFANX: Sorry about that.
Please enjoy the next chapter.
Katie and Isabella sat in Isabella's room in silence while Isabella stared out the window at the house across the street as she absentmindedly petted Pinky. Katie looked at her friend and troop leader and took a deep breath, "Isa-"
"He said his mom and sister had some choice words about me. Candace came out of the house and shot me the ugliest look and he didn't d-"
"Isabella," the raven-haired girl stopped and looked over at Katie in confusion, "He wanted to tell you something, something important, but you ran off too quickly that he didn't get a chance to say anything. He wanted to be here, but he was worried your mom would answer the door and kill him," Isabella scuffed and shook her head, "He isn't mad at you, in fact, he's angry at his family and your mother for this stupid fight that's been going on for way too long.
Phineas was depressed when you left, he was worried you wouldn't come around anymore, that Candace drove you away and that y-"
"Coming from the girl who's had a crush on him for-"
"Weren't you listening to anything that was said back there? He said he only saw me as a friend and I knew my chances were slim and I knew why!" Katie panted and Isabella looked at her with a slightly annoyed look before the blonde took a deep breath and shook her head, calming herself down, "Listen…Phineas…he really wanted to talk to you, and if it weren't for Candace, then…who knows what would've happened. It would've been good or bad, depending on how you look at it."
"How do you know?" Katie frowned and looked away, "Katie, do you know what he was going to say?" Katie ignored the troop leader and Isabella narrowed her eyes, "Katie, an-"
"I'm sorry Isabella, but I can't tell you," she looked back up and frowned, "I promised Phineas that I wouldn't say anything about this. You can yell at me, threaten to kick me out of the troop, torture me or whatever…this isn't something I should be telling you."
The room fell silent as Pinky shook under his master's hand. Inhaling slowly, Isabella looked down, a frown painted across her lips, "Isabella, I know the Fireside Girls look out for each other and we won't keep secrets from one another, but this is going to have to be an exception to that rule. Why don't you get your shoes on and we'll go back and help them? Who knows, maybe Phineas will be able to tell you what he needed to tell you,"
"And what about Candace? And what if Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher comes home? They're going to-"
"Don't you worry about them," Katie smiled as she stood up and shook her head, "We'll distract them long enough so you and Phineas can talk," Isabella took a deep breath and nodded before she stood up.
Phineas walked around the yard and watched as his friends walked on the machine in front of them. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and friend, "Phineas?" he looked back to see Ferb standing behind him, "Are you all right?"
"No…Ferb, I was trying to talk to Isabella when Candace came out and g-"
"Glared at her with a hateful look, we know, we all witnessed it," Phineas frowned and slowly nodded, "Phineas, why don't you tell me what this is all about? Why is it that mother and Candace and Isabella's mother are constantly at one another's throat?"
"Heh, for a man of few words, you just said a mouthful," Ferb shrugged his shoulder and Phineas chuckled as he shook his head, "It's something that happened before you and dad came into our lives, Ferb, and you'd think after so long, the arguing with die and that day will be a distant memory, but mom, Candace and Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro wouldn't let it go and now whenever they see each other, they look like they're ready to kill each other. How Isabella was allowed over after all this time is beyond even the most brilliant of minds,"
"Maybe she has her own reasons for being here…but that leaves a question, if mother and Candace are arguing with Isabella's mother over something that happened years ago, why is it that you and Isabella aren't-"
"You already know the answer to that, Ferb, and it's going to stay between you and me until I get a chance to talk to Isabella again," Ferb frowned and nodded before the two of them heard the gate open and close.
Looking back, they saw Isabella and Katie stepping into the yard again. Phineas walked over to the two and a ghost of a smile formed across Ferb's lips and he turned to continue to work on the machine.
Phineas stopped in front of the two and Katie smiled as she looked back and forth between him and Isabella, "Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone and get back to work on that-"
"Actually Katie, can you tell everyone to take a break? I want to take a walk with Isabella," Phineas looked at his neighbor from across the street and inhaled deeply, "That is…if you want to," Isabella slightly nodded before the two of them walked out of the yard and Katie walked over to their friends.
The duo walked down the street in silence as a few cars and pedestrians passed them. Isabella looked at the redheaded genius and arched a brow, "So…Phineas? What'cha want to talk about? No wait…that doesn't sound right," Phineas snickered only to feel Isabella lightly punch his arm, "It's not funny…but what did you want to talk about?"
"Sorry, but you usually say 'What'cha doing?' not 'What'cha want to talk about?' Isabella and it doesn't sound…never mind," Isabella arched a brow as Phineas frowned and rubbed the back of his head, "I'm glad Candace's ice-cold glare didn't scare you away for too long,"
"Well…I would've stayed away a little longer, but Katie convinced me otherwise," Phineas hummed and nodded, "So…what were you going to tell me? You know, before your sister rudely interrupted?" Phineas stopped, allowing Isabella to walk a few feet ahead of him before she stopped and looked back in confusion, "Phineas? Is something wrong? Do you forget what you wanted to te-"
"No…I haven't forgotten what I was going to tell you, but…I need to think this through before I say something that'll come back and bite me later," Phineas stepped closer to Isabella as she stared at him with wide eyes and confusion, "Isabella…we both know that our families have been arguing for the longest time over something that was a complete accident,"
"What? What do you mean b-"
"My mom and Candace have been blaming you for my dad's death," Isabella tilted her head to the side, "They said that my parents were watching you during a bad storm and you weren't feeling well…my dad offered to run to the store for you leading to the car accident he was in and-"
"And you blame me now too, right?"
"No," he looked up with a hurt expression crossing his face, "Isabella, if I blamed you, do you think I'd be talking to you right now? Do you think I would let you come over every day to help us without biting your head off?"
"People are good actors, Phineas,"
"I'm not acting," Phineas groaned and shook his head, "I'm trying to tell you what Candace told me and that I don't blame you for that! People die every day, Isabella, and no one can stop it!" Phineas groaned again as he paced in front of Isabella, "I'm trying to tell you that…that…damn it!" grabbing her arms, Phineas leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers, surprising Isabella before she slowly closed her eyes.
Isabella opened her eyes and frowned when she saw Phineas walking away from her, his hands in his pockets and his head down, "Phineas! Phineas wait up!" her cries fell on deafen ears as Phineas continued to walk down the street.
Isabella watched as Phineas faded from her line of sight before she frowned and looked down at the ground, "Damn…this war between our families is starting to get to all of us," she looked back up and shook her head, "He was worried about saying something that'll come back and bite him and…when did this get some complicated?" inhaling slowly, she began walking down the street with a hardened look crossing her face.
And another chapter done. What? I wasn't going to make this entirely sunshine and rainbows for them as individual people. Outside of their families, they have their personal trials to face, and I don't know if this is cool with David and I'm sorry if it wasn't…please enjoy everyone and please let me know what everyone thinks.