A/N: Hey guys! Wow, I've been absent for quite a time. You'll see why... Anyway, as always, I would like to thank Exotos135, Rebb R-001, EnergeticBullet, Rorscarch and jolleIQ for the reviews!
Hope you enjoy this one!
I don't own Phineas and Ferb.

"I can't believe I'm crying like a child over this!" Isabella uttered into Phineas' shoulder, embracing him with one arm, and hugging a book with the other. Phineas smiled at his wife, and stroked her head once again. Isabella giggled through tears and straightened up to look at him.

"Actually, I just wanna laugh at myself..." she said, wiping her wet face. "I really... I didn't expect this book would hit me that hard. I don't remember the last time I was so shattered after an ending of a novel!"

Phineas let her weep for another couple of minutes, however still hearing her chuckle from time to time.

"But you liked it?" he asked.

"Phineas, I loved it," she said in a swollen voice, still holding the book close to herself. "That's why I'm crying so hard."

"So if you enjoyed it, it's not the end of the world," he said optimistically.

"Of course it's not. It's much worse," Isabella said, "it's the end of a book!"

Phineas chuckled. "I know what you mean... No matter how many times you reread it, it's just... the end."

"I mean," she elaborated, sniffing, "I'll never find anything new here. Nothing new will happen, I won't get to know my favorite characters any better... Nothing is the same as when you read something for the first time... You know how excited I was when I was reading the last pages? I knew I was going to finish it in a minute, and I wanted to do it, but at the same time I didn't want to..."

"I saw it," he said with a chuckle. "I don't know if you did it involuntarily, but you kept looking off into space as if you weren't sure whether to read on or put the book aside."

"Yes, I was aware I was doing that." She laughed. "I just had to process everything that was happening. Oh my goodness," she said, tearing up again. "When I remember the ending..."

Phineas let her rant for a couple of minutes, seeing she had a lot of reflections to let out, and needed to be listened to. He would occasionally nod or pull her closer as she spoke and gesticulated lively, and finally she started gradually becoming calmer and calmer.

"And the worst moment," she spoke up again, "is always when I suddenly realise they are all not even real. Because there are these wonderful moments when you feel as if the book just hugged you... And the characters that make you smile even when they are just merely mentioned... And the paragraphs that you relate to so much that you actually wonder how it is possible that someone put your thoughts into words so accurately. And then, bam, the moment of realisation. These events, these people... are not real."

"I wouldn't look at it that way," opposed Phineas.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I'd put it like this..." He wondered for a second, formulating the right sentences in his mind. "They may not actually live in our world, but they are a part of it as fictional characters. And what makes them a bit more real is the influence they have on us. Because that impact is definitely very real," he stated slowly, wiping one tear from her cheek.

"Okay, I admit, that's much more upbeat than my point of view. And besides, thank you," she said, smiling warmly. "My wrecked nerves just... needed some support." She chuckled and fell silent for a while.

"Any time," he replied cheerfully. "I've been in similar situations myself."

"Like when the last Space Adventure movie came out?" Isabella laughed quietly.

"Duh?" He nodded, remembering one of his most serious breakdowns (if in Phineas' case you can even talk about serious breakdowns).

"You know what?" she asked. "But now I kind of don't know what to do. I feel so... empty. I've been so wrapped up in reading for some time that I don't think I'll be able to focus on something else now. I need more of this story!"

"Uh-huh," replied Phineas, entering deep into thought. Suddenly, his face lit up. "I think I just remembered something!"

"What?"

He snickered and glanced at her. "Didn't they make like, three of four movies based on this?"

Isabella looked like one of the characters from the book just burst in and announced they were real.

"Oh my goodness, I love you, I would totally forget about this," she said, and then looked at him triumphantly.

"Phineas... I know what we're gonna do tonight."

So, that's more or less the reason I was absent. ;)
Thanks for reading and please review!
ElleFreak is out, peace!