Chapter Text
This takes place about 2 & ½ years after the events of Phineas & Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, as Isabella Garcia-Shapiro is in the backyard of the Flynn-Fletcher residence. She is currently sitting with Phineas Flynn, venting about Ferb. The boys have just finished their daily invention, as Candace ensured no one got hurt.
“Phineas, I just don’t understand! I’ve been dropping the most overt hints, and Ferb doesn’t seem to notice! Am I doing something wrong?” Isabella put her head in her hands before quiet sobs escaped her lips. Phineas tries to comfort her by putting a hand on her back and rubbing it. “Thanks, Phineas… But it’s so fucking frustrating! It’s been what? Two fucking years?! I don’t know how he can’t notice me!” Isabella’s mood swung to exasperation, instead of her depression from moments prior.
“Maybe you should just tell him. It wouldn’t hurt to at least try! Even if he does reject you, it wouldn’t be that bad! ESPECIALLY in comparison to when Doofensmirtz ruled this place. But seriously, you should tell him. Don’t let fear control your life, because the only impossible thing is impossibility.” His words settled over her as she inhaled sharply, forcing herself to stand. “Alright. I’ll do it today.” She nodded with more confidence than she felt previously, then headed inside. Phineas lingered for a moment with a confident smile on his face, before grabbing a glass of lemonade from the kitchen and stepping back outside.
Isabella stood at the door to Phineas and Ferb’s bedroom, her breath hitching before she forced herself to knock. Her fingers trembled slightly as doubt seeped in. What if he rejected her? What if the past two and a half years had been wasted chasing something that was never real? “Don’t let fear control your life, because the only thing that’s impossible is impossibility.” Phineas's words were an affirmation that became her driving force. She swallowed hard, straightened her back, and knocked. The seconds stretched endlessly until Ferb opened the door, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.
“Hey Ferb! I wanna talk to you about something that’s been on my mind for a while.” Isabella started to have doubts flood her mind like a tsunami, before Ferb gave a silent nod, patting the space next to him on the bed. Isabella felt her heart leap briefly, forcing herself to reawaken from her fantasy. She needed to focus. This wasn’t a dream. This was her moment. She needed to tell the boy she loves about how she felt. “Ferb… Ever since The Resistance had defeated Doofensmirtz, I’ve… I’ve been in love with you. I've been dropping hints for years, but you’ve never seemed to care or reciprocate those feelings. So I came to tell you, Ferb Fletcher. I love you.”
Ferb stiffened ever so slightly. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. He was having a flashback, so Isabella sat quietly.
Cue flashback!
Ferb walked down the street to get blueprints, due to him and Phineas making a giant platypus-based catapult based on Perry the Platyborg. They wanted to play platypult badminton with their 1st dimension counterparts since it’s been 2 & ½ summers since they last saw each other. His mind wandered as he mused over the design. But as he turned a corner, he barely had time to react before colliding with someone hard. He looked over to see Gretchen.
She was different. She was quiet, confident, and sharply observant. It was a stark contrast to what Ferb was used to seeing. They've seen each other before — but it was always a quick glance, never truly focused on the other. He helped her up, and they got to know each other. After their Introductions, they exchanged contacts and went their separate ways.
End flashback.
Isabella held her breath, waiting.
And then, he sighed. A hand rested on her shoulder, steady and gentle, but there was something heavy in how he did it. Isabella’s stomach twisted. It dropped with remarkable speed.
“Isabella, you are brave, strong, and determined. But… I don’t feel the same way.” His voice was soft, measured, and almost regretful. “I care about you, truly. But not in the way you hoped. I’m sorry.”
Isabella’s world shattered in an instant.
She had spent years picturing what could have been. Dating, marriage, kids… Every vision, every dream, now felt like nothing more than fragments of a reality that never existed.
She forced a smile, though it barely held. “Thank you for being honest, Ferb. I— I appreciate that.”
She tried to sound optimistic — she tried her damnedest, even. But the crack in her voice, the heaviness in her chest — it betrayed her. And then the tears came.
She barely registered herself running out of the Flynn-Fletcher house, the rush of heartbreak outweighing everything else.
Phineas watched as Isabella ran out of the house, and a tear hit his face. He wiped it off and stared. She was… Crying? His stomach twisted uncomfortably. He had encouraged her to go through with it. He believed it would help her move forward. But he hadn’t expected this. That could only mean Ferb rejected her, considering how much she loved him; it shattered her dreams. Knowing Ferb, there were long words and very complex sentence structures. There’s probably gonna be a musical number about what could have been, ending up with Phineas wiping someone's tears. He sighed and went across the street to the Garcia-Shapiro residence with minimal hesitation. He couldn’t lose his best friend — especially not now.