Notes: Thank you to everyone who read this story. Because of a few super sweet reviewers who I love very much, I am posting the continuation I wrote and then scrapped. Here is a short and silly epilogue-type thing that tells the story of the aftermath. I like the beginning, but then it spiraled out of control. So... let me know what you think?

Chapter summary: Linda invites everyone over for dinner and it turns out that everything is different. And the same.

Linda had been overjoyed when Phineas told her that he was dating Isabella.

She hadn't even given him any rules or told him that if she'd only allow him to see her once a week should she notice that he was neglecting school because of her (like she did when Candace and Jeremy started dating). Nope, she jumped straight into happiness and immediately dialed Vivian to celebrate.

Next thing he knew his phone chimed with a text.

It read 'Apparently we're having dinner at your house tonight' with a kiss face emoji. He smiled and immediately put everything down to reply. Since he only returned from Isabella's backyard not even an hour ago and they were seriously behind on their homework schedule, Ferb threw him a judgmental look.

'That sounds great! I was already wondering how I was possibly going to make it through 13 hours of not seeing you 3'

The reply was immediate 'You could have made it! I would have sent you pictures so you wouldn't forget what I look like. ;D But thankfully we don't have to find out! 3 3 3'

"I take everything back, I am not taking credit for any of this sappy nonsense," chimed Ferb's voice suddenly from behind him. Before he knew it, Ferb had snitched the phone straight out of his hand and put it in his pocket.

"Okay, I'll get back to work, I promise. But could you just quickly write a reply for me that I can't wait to see her? And that I want those pictures? And a heart? Or three?"

"Absolutely not," was Ferb's firm reply.

"Come on, bro! Please?"

"No!"

Because of Ferb's merciless, slave driving ways (well, according to Phineas anyway) they did manage to finish their homework in time for dinner. His utter refusal to return Phineas' phone, also meant that Phineas was half going out of his mind by the time Isabella finally rang the doorbell.

"I'VE GOT IT!" He yelled, ignoring Ferb's snorting laughter as he rushed to the door and ripped it open.

Isabella, his girlfriend, still had her hand raised in the air from pressing the doorbell and startled at the force with which he had suddenly opened the door. As soon as their gazes looked, the entire world seemed to just come to a stop. It was as if somebody had pressed the mute button on everything that wasn't the two of them.

"Hi," he said breathlessly, trying to awkwardly force his body in a casual pose.

She smiled shyly. "Hi."

Her fingers tugging a strand of hair behind her ear utterly charmed him.

"Hi," he repeated.

Isabella giggled and bit her lip, before replying. "Hi."

Suddenly, his mother's voice broke through their bubble.

"Yes, yes, we get it - hi, hi, hi, hi, that's very nice. Will you please come in, Vivian? Carlos?"

His mother, who had suddenly appeared behind him, opened the door wider to let Isabella's parents in, who had been standing right behind Isabella the whole time.

"Oops. Sorry, Mr and Mrs Garcia-Shapiro," he said.

"Ah, Phineas, it's fine, no harm done. I remember what it is like to be young and in love," Vivian said, pinching his cheek as she passed him.

Phineas thanked his lucky star that Vivian had known him for many years and he did not need to put on a show to convince his girlfriend's mother of the fact that he was a nice guy who could be trusted with her daughter's heart.

"About time, right, my boy? You think it's nice to let my little girl hanging for that long?" Isabella's father asked, gripping Phineas by the shoulder. His tone might have been light, but his grip was definitely not.

Sadly, Phineas' relationship with Isabella's father wasn't as close. He was long-distance airline pilot and often spent days at a time on a flight only to return home for a few days before leaving again. On top of that, the days he does spend at home are often spent sleeping off the long flights and the jet lag, so Phineas barely ever saw him.

"Papi! Leave him alone, will you?" Isabella scolded, removing her father's hand from his shoulder.

"Yes, cielo, leave the poor boy be. It just took him a while to catch up. Girls are usually faster than boys in these things," Vivian said, taking her husband's hand, who bristled a bit at being ganged up on by the two women in his life, but eventually relented.

Isabella and Phineas hung back while the others went to dining room.

"I do feel guilty about making you wait so long, though," Phineas admitted once they were alone.

"You have nothing to feel guilty for. Don't get me wrong, I used to be - well, the teensiest bit resentful that I loved you so freaking much and you didn't even care," she confessed, wincing a bit at the memory, "but, you know, then I grew up and I realized that you don't owe me anything, no matter how much I wanted you to love me back and how upset it made me that you didn't. I had to learn to accept it. You are your own person and I don't have a say. Just because we're together now, doesn't mean you are somehow obligated to make up for the time we weren't."

Hearing that made Phineas feel even worse. What Isabella said made so much sense and he hadn't been nearly as considerate towards Isabella when he himself had been convinced that his feelings weren't being reciprocated.

"You are so much better at this being in love thing than me!" he groaned, "I was constantly thinking how unfair it was that you could only ever see me as a friend. And I was always so jealous of the other guys you hung out with and wondering what you needed them for when I was willing and right there."

He expected Isabella to find his confession off-putting, but instead she just looked fond.

"Phin, I am not better at being in love. I just have a lot more practice. You don't know how entitled I used to get when it came to you!" She shook her head at herself, "But then I got over myself. And even though you may have felt that way, you never acted on these feelings. You remained a really good, loyal friend to me and you never let your jealousy show at all. That's what matters." She leaned up and pressed a quick kiss against his lips. "And I know you. You're a good guy. You would have gotten yourself, too. Besides. you're a quick learner, so I am sure you'll catch up with my love expertise in no time."

He laughed. "I'll do my best."

"But don't make a competition out of it, because I will crush you. At being in love," Isabella informed him matter-of-factly, before making her way to the dining room as well.

A thought occurred to Phineas and he quickly followed her. "Hey, yeah, that's right! If you've been in love for me for years, how come you never let me win against you?"

Isabella scoffed. "That is not true. You've won that one time at table tennis when we were thirteen."

"No, I didn't! We tied. And you insisted on continuing the match until one of us won, but then your mom called you for dinner."

She stopped in her tracks. "Hey, that's right! Let's continue that match once we're done eating."

"No, no, no. That day I learned that competing with you is way better than competing against you, because you get really competitive and scarily fixated on victory. Plus, you really like to gloat and it hurts my ego," he said and took his seat at the table, while their families watched on in amusement.

"Aww, how sweet of you to say!" Isabella said, sitting down on the chair opposite his. "But I wasn't kidding about that table tennis match. You and me. To the death."

Isabella's father laughed. "That's my girl. Don't let him win anything, honey, I know how boys are. You give them your pinky and they take the whole hand. Or more." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Phineas blushed bright red. "No! Never!"

"Papi! Really? Oh God," Isabella groaned.

Carlos pointed his fork at Phineas. "Yes, never is good."

Linda finally came to his rescue. "Carlos, Phineas is a good boy with a responsible head on his shoulders. I don't think he has ever misbehaved."

"We did leave the good guest towels in the backyard that one time," Ferb reminded her.

"Ah yes. Well, besides that one time," Linda amended. She turned to Phineas and stretched out her arm to put her hand on his arm. "I am so pleased you two are together now. Vivian and I have been planning your wedding for years. The guest list is huge."

"Oh, wow," Phineas said, his face neutral. Then his mouth spread into a big grin. "That's really nice of you!"

"See?" Linda told Lawrence, "I told you he wouldn't find it weird."

"He is your son all right," Lawrence agreed.

"That does remind me: I can't believe every single person sitting here knew that Isabella liked me and never told me," Phineas said. "Besides you, Ferb. But you did wait ten years to tell me, so don't think you're off the hook."

Ferb just smirked.

"Phin, don't be mad at Ferb. I threatened to do terrible things to him should he ever spill the beans," Isabella said.

As if suddenly reminded, Ferb got up from the table.

"Which I won't do, because it all turned out well in the end," she said with a smile.

Ferb sat down again.

"Yes. Yes, it did," Phineas agreed and reached out to hold Isabella's hand across the table.

"You two are so cute! Stay right there, I'll just me get my camera!" Linda said and ran off.

Ferb's eyes widened. Subtly, he fished out his phone and took a snapshot of the happy couple himself.

Hiding his phone underneath the table, he posted it to his facebook with only the words "Guess what?" attached to the picture.

Suddenly, chaos.

Ferb fumbled with his phone as it vibrated like crazy with new messages. Isabella's, Phineas' and their parents' phones started ringing simultaneously.

When their landline also began to ring, Ferb went to answer it.

He was greeted by incomprehensible screeching and a male voice that could be heard saying "I know, babe, I know, but please calm down" in the background.

Ferb hung up.

"Candace and Jeremy send their congratulations," he informed them as he sat back down.

"Ferb, what did you do?" Isabella said in horror, as she tried to keep on top of all her girl friends sending emoji-filled text messages simultaneously.

He shrugged.

"Wow, a lot more people are emotionally invested in us getting together than I realized," Phineas said, as he texted Irving that he really doubted him having Isabella for a girlfriend will 'ruin everything'.

"Why did Irving just accuse me of brainwashing you with my feminine wiles and ruining the 'sacred brotherhood'?" Isabella asked.

"I don't want you using your feminine anythings on Phineas, young lady!" her father reminded her.

"Oh God, Papi, it's none of your business what I do with my feminine anythings," she answered.

"It really isn't," Vivian agreed.

"I found the camera!" Linda announced, "Oh no, you moved!"

"I'm sorry, Isabella, we just got together today and already everything is a mess," Phineas said, utterly embarrassed.

"Yeah, it is," she said, "but I wouldn't have it any other way." The smile she sent him was so breathtaking, that he was sure he would dream of it tonight.

Then she leaned across the table to give him a quick peck on the lips.

A sudden flash of a camera made them jump apart.

"Mom!" Phineas said fondly.

"Sorry, sorry, you two are just so cute!"

The end. Again.

Yeah, I don't know. I actually have another little bit I wrote in this universe in which Phineas freaks out over what to get Isabella for her birthday. If you liked this mess, let me know if you want to read anymore?