As Long As You Love Me So...

This is the 15th story in Tiberius64's fanfiction series (Klingon64 on FanFiction.net). It takes place on Christmas Eve of 2025, a little over six months following the wedding of Phineas and Isabella Flynn (Love's Full Blossom). While being entirely of Phinbella romance in structure and plot, one new element of Tiberius64's story universe is explained - how Tommy, their pet platypus, became the pet of the Flynn household. The link to the FanFiction.net version is below:

As Long As You Love Me So...

Chapter 1: Snow Storm
It was that time of the year…joyful music to be heard left and right, the smell of warm food and drink to be relished at every street corner, the ground covered with snow, and everyone hustling to get last-minute shopping done in the craze of others with like-minded intentions. It was that time of the year when whole the city just seemed to shut down except for hospitals and stores. Yes, it was Christmastime once more…some enjoying the cold, others keeping safely indoors from the cold. It was that time of year when no matter who you were, there was a least a slightly happier mood to be felt…all radios playing the same songs, all TV stations showcasing their Christmas specials. The sense of a lightened spirit could be felt in all people of the globe. With a world gradually reaching a more peaceful, prosperous, and progress-filled era, each Christmas leading up to this one seemed to be getting more and more…special. Families wound tightly together. Lovers felt closer than any other time of the year. This was the season known for selfless gift-giving and acts of kindness. This was a season known to celebrate Christ's birth for those of faith. This was the Christmas season. Phineas and Isabella Flynn had been married for over six months, still as happy to be together as the day of the proposal two months before the wedding. And while they had bought presents for each other in Christmases past, this Christmas seemed more special to them than any others they had known, because this year, they could give each other gifts as husband and wife. There was no sweeter or more official title they could hope for to describe their relationship.

Christmas Eve…it was only a matter of hours before Phineas and Isabella would be joining their families for great food, time together, and, at midnight of Christmas Day, giving each other thoughtful gifts. Phineas and Isabella's moms would be bringing in the great food, Fern would be bringing his fiancé Vanessa to join them, Candace and Jeremy would be bringing along their baby Amanda, and the Fletchers would be in with their quirky and witty British humor. Isabella was doing some last-minute shopping while Phineas was sticking around their new house, cleaning it up some while every so often checking on TerraFleet progress in technological and educational development. With the radio blasting Christmas music outside, Phineas was melting away snow from the driveway, the winds starting to really pick up. "Great…" thought Phineas as he looked up into the sky and saw what was coming. "That can't be good…better hurry this up, then!" All of a sudden, the radio started losing its coherency, getting gradually fuzzier and fuzzier. "The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Snowstorm Warning for your area. You are advised to take shelter indoors immediately. Be sure to keep a backup generator with you, as this may very well knock out all power for up to a day…" With that, the radio went completely dead, nothing but static to be heard. As Phineas suddenly turned his head to where he had set the radio down, he noticed the hovercraft returning with Isabella in it. He quickly went over to her and saw her shivering despite all her layers of clothing and the cover of the canopy. She opened it, slowly getting up and trying to get out. "Hey, Ph-Phineas…" she said before briefly kissing him. "Let's get you inside, Izzy. I'll take care of the bags." "B-but…" "No. I'll take care of them. Your safety comes before mine." He held her closely the whole way inside, leaving her on the couch as he went back out to brave the snowstorm that only seemed to get all the fiercer. As Isabella took off her gloves and tended to her cold hands, Phineas came back in with all the bags on an airborne wagon. "Told ya that'd come in handy" said Isabella as Phineas closed the door.

"Phew…!" said Phineas in relief as he took his coat off and rubbed his arms to get warm. "Whoa…man…what a time to be out and about. You're crazy, Isabella" said Phineas with a half-smile. Isabella blinked slowly and, with a warm smile, said "worth it…" "Well, the normal radio's out…time to go to satellite..." said Phineas as he went over to the TV stereo and turned on the satellite radio, which said "I repeat, all people are advised to remain indoors with all necessary precautions taken to ensure safety and the ability to hold out for up to two days." "Well…this can't be good…" said Isabella, still trying to warm her cold-bitten hands. "I guess this means that the family won't be able to come over after all…" said Phineas in disappointment as he turned off the satellite radio. "And we don't have the transporters in yet…lemme call 'em and see how they are…" he said as he pulled out his cell phone, which was considerably more advanced than most others' he knew.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom."

"Hey, sweetie. You and Izzy alright out there?"

"Yeah...but we're kinda…stuck here at home. Where's the rest of the family?"

"Oh, Ferb and Vanessa got here just before it got too bad to venture out again. Candace and Jeremy were here the earliest. Poor them…having to tend to a baby in a house that barely withstands cold like this…"

"Well, mom…it looks like we're not gonna make it unless it clears up sometime. I mean…we don't have transporters, our hovercraft is probably frozen over by now, and our cars are in the garage…unable to get through all this snow and wind."

"Oh, don't trouble yourselves, Phineas. It's suicide going out there."

"When the wind dies down, I promise we'll find a way to come over. The cold is the least of my worries, mom."

"Alrighty, then…keep yourself and that great wife of yours safe, above everything else. I don't think any of us can really tell when this is gonna ease up enough for it to be safe to travel again. Just hang in there and we'll see you soon!"

"We'll see you soon, too, mom. Merry Christmas."

"Have a Merry Christmas, too, Phineas. Love you!"

"Love you, too, mom!"

"Bye."

"Bye."

At that moment, the electricity in the house began to fluctuate, the lights and all appliances fading in and out quickly. "Better get the food and water…" said Phineas as he went off to the kitchen to get hot water and instant foods. "Better get the blankets", said Isabella as she went to get the big blankets from their room, well aware of what they were going to have to face…

Chapter 2: Together
With the power going in and out, Phineas got the self-sustaining water heater ready, along with all the instant foods they had. Isabella had come along with their big winter blankets sitting on the couch and covering herself with her own. As Phineas put wood into their fireplace, the power went entirely out. "Alright, people…stand back" he said as he pulled out a phaser pistol and fired it at the stack of logs, immediately starting a small flame. He went to the garage, got a bottle of lighter fluid, and then started to squirt some into the small, bright life of the flame, helping it reach new heights and intensities. After all this, he put the bottle to the side of the fireplace and began to make two cups of hot chocolate. Once this was done, he took his place at his wife's side on the couch. Covering him with his blanket after putting her mug down, Isabella got close to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Phineas lightly blushed before moving his other arm over to her hair, stroking it slowly as they enjoyed each other's company and warmth. Eventually, he moved both arms around her so that she had to move her head upward to face where his head was. She could tell what was going on, and went right along with it, moving up slowly. Looking into each other's eyes, they found serenity in knowing that they were there for one another.

Thinking back to that wonderful day of over 14 years ago, Phineas saw that same joviality in those beautiful sapphire pools of Isabella's…Isabella still saw that same goodhearted determination and affection she had known in her husband for years when she peered into his own. Stroking away the few stray hairs covering her left eye, Phineas slid his hand onto her cheek, gently stroking it as she blushed, smiling passionately with her eyelids now half-closed. Phineas' own eyelids dropped halfway as time stood still in this perfect moment. They regarded neither the cold of the air nor the heat of the fire anymore in this little fraction of time, as their mutual presence alone brought them comfort and serenity. "Isabella…?" "Yes, Phineas?" "I'd…say it's about time that…I did something…for you…" "Oh?" said Isabella in affectionate curiosity. "It's…not like I haven't done it before, but…it's something I wish I did more of…" "I'm ready for it, Phineas, whatever it…" Before she finished, she felt his lips pressing on hers. Getting giggly, she started to kiss back, and the two held each other's faces while continuing to give each other the sweetest and most loving kiss they could. Once the two slowly pulled away, Isabella giggled, asking "You mean being the first to move?" "Yeah…" said Phineas while giggling along with her before grabbing a sip of hot chocolate, Isabella sipping from her own. Both exhaled in relief of the wonderful heating it gave them inside to complement each other's pleasant company.

"Merry Christmas Eve, Isabella." "Merry Christmas Eve, Phineas." "Man, I wish we could be spending it with the family…" said Phineas. "So do I, Phineas…I mean, this would be the first Christmas I would've celebrated in my life. I needn't remind you that our family is mostly Jewish." "Nope…and even then, there were some Messianic ones a few places in the line, right?" "Yeah…caused a few tensions that are still there today." "I bet…how was your family about doing Christmas with us this time around?" "Well, they were more than fine with it, considering how much they like you and your family." "Well, they're now your family, too" said Phineas with a smile. "And mine is now yours" retorted Isabella. "Well, this snow sure ruined plans…for both our families and us…" she said. "Well, to go along with the song, 'as long as you love me so…" Phineas started, Isabella slowly continuing "let it snow…let it snow…let it snow." They both laughed quietly and then held each other warmly. "So…noticing anything…different about me?" asked Isabella coyly. "Uh…you've been asking that a lot lately…reason for that?" "Uh, that there's something different about me…?" Phineas nervously scratched the back of his neck at this blatant reminder of his oblivion issues. Isabella moved her hands to her stomach. Misunderstanding this, Phineas asked "You're…eating more?" "Come on, Phinny…" she said while pulling up the lower part of her shirt, which cleverly had a bow attached onto the belly portion of it. "I don't think something like this was caused by food…unless you wanna use that old-school 'bun in the oven' analogy." Phineas' eyes shot open as he slowly but surely moved his hand onto the exposed and slightly expanded stomach of his wife, feeling its semi-stiff stiff yet lively mass. "H-h…how o-old…is…?" "Three months, dear…three months."

"And y-you let me let you go and brave the cold in your condition?" "I've been fine, honey. I've hardly felt a thing at all yet." "Aw, Izzy…you always outdo yourself…but this could've all been worse! And the baby…!" Isabella shot forward and kissed his babbling lips, instantly yet lovingly silencing them. "I knew what I was getting myself into, Phineas. I'm a tough girl." She winked at him at the end of her sentence. "I know…always being crazy enough to stick around with me and my crazy ideas…building the impossible, being in starship battles…" "I guess I just loved your vision and your optimism about it all. You made my life much happier than anyone else I can list. That made it worth it the whole time. Even when I was almost turned into a cyborg or had things blowing up in my face, being there to help you was always what I enjoyed doing with my life. I've stuck through with you in the good and the bad. The wedding was just me making that promise official." "Oh, Izzy…I love you so much right now" said Phineas grinning. "And I've always loved you, Phineas." Both set down their mugs of hot chocolate and cuddled together from under their blankets, Isabella being slower to move. She put her nose on Phineas, lightly and playfully nuzzling it. Phineas started nose-kissing back, both elatedly giggling as if children again. Phineas made a quick move and kissed her nose, Isabella now taking the hint and getting competitively affectionate in return. Despite her physical condition, she still ended up gaining the advantage and ending up over Phineas' head as she forced him back onto the couch, kissing him mercilessly. Phineas, now gasping for air, sank back in defeat, his heart racing in a mix of euphoria and exhaustion.

Isabella, in near-regret, backed down, softly stroking her exhausted husband's stomach, gradually accelerating his relaxation increase rate. His breathing evened out, his eyes closed and his face sporting a giant smile of content, he lay motionless except for his breathing. Isabella, in strained effort, moved herself so that her head rested on his lap and her feet were propped up on the armrests of the couch. Phineas slowly moved his head when he felt his wife in his lap; his breathing now slowed to normal as he peered down into her half-open sapphire eyes, a look of passionate affection in hers as well as his own. "We're gonna have a baby" Phineas whispered to his wife with a smile. Isabella chuckled softly, replying "yes…yes, we are. That's my gift to you this Christmas…" "I still haven't given you your gift. But knowing you, consider it a bonus to what I already have given." They stayed there together until the clock struck midnight. At this, he slowly lifted Isabella's head, moving his legs out from underneath her head, and then placed her head back down on the couch, going around and easing her up into sitting again. Once he had sat her up, he went over to their new Christmas tree, bent over, picked up a package, and walked back over to join her at her side. "Merry Christmas, Isabella." She eagerly started opening the package but stopped suddenly when she felt it move. She slowly resumed, little by little exposing a box with holes, through which she caught a glimpse of smooth, red fur. She opened up the box's flaps and gasped at what she found – a red baby platypus. It gazed curiously up into her eyes, letting out a soft, high chatter.

"Oh, Phineas…it's so adorable!" "And I want you to name him." "Heh…a boy name…well, we can't do Perry, of course." "Nope." "Hmm…Jerry?" " Nah." "Uh…Robby?" "Cute…keep going." "Uh…ooh! What about Tommy?" "Sounds pretty good to me. Welcome to the family, Tommy" said Phineas. "Is he, uh…OWCA?" "Yeah. Things have been going well with integrating them into TerraFleet, and they gave me one of their newer future recruits for free." "That was thoughtful of them. Merry Christmas, Phineas." "Merry Christmas, Isabella. Wanna head on to bed?" "Sure thing. Come on, little guy, let's get take you with us." Phineas helped her up and talked with her to their bedroom, both still in their blankets. They got out of their day clothes and into their pajamas before getting into bed together, their new pet resting between their legs under a blanket. "It's still coming down hard out there…" said Isabella with a tired voice. "Yeah…but as the song goes…as long as you love me so…let it snow…" "Let it snow…" chimed Isabella. "Let it snow" they both said at the last phrase, leaning in and kissing each other goodnight before snuggling in close for the night…

== The End! ==