Serious

Endings

I don't own any part of Phineas and Ferb not these characters, where the story is set or anything else, just the idea. I don't own A Midsummer's Night Dream; that honour goes to Shakespeare although I do apologise in advance for the way I've had to change the script so as not to get sued for copyright. I also don't own Double Trouble from She-ra and the Princesses of Power who Alex is inspired by.

"We're go for part two of Act four, Scene one. Places everyone."

Onstage, Isabella, Connie, Bryan and Charles, who was playing Lysander, mined waking up from a deep sleep and look up to see Harry, Jane and Scott (aka Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus) standing over them.

"Morning Lovebirds," Harry declared, sounding amused. "What's going on here?"

"Our apologies," Charles said.

"Up you get." The four lovers got to their feet as Harry continued. "It was clear that you boys were enemies and yet here you are sleeping beside each other like you trust one another. What has this world become?" He turned and raised his hands in a shrug to the audience.

Charles stepped forward, "My lord, I'm still half asleep and my mind is not clear but I think I came here with Hermia. We were going to leaves Athens and get married-"

"He confesses!" Scott spluttered. "He confesses to kidnapping my daughter, your wife, Demetrius, and running off with her, robbing me of my right to decide who my daughter shall marry!"

"If I may," Bryan raised his hands. "I was told about their plans to elope and so I followed them out of spite."

"Who told you?"

"None other than the beautiful and honest Helena," Bryan turned to Isabella and took her hands in his. "Who followed me out of love. And now, though I am unsure how, my heart only holds place for her. Consider my affection for Hermia melted away. Egeus, I loved Helena before I even met your daughter and she was like an illness such as one that makes you hate your favourite food. But I am cured now and I want Helena, I love her, I long for her and I will always be true to her."

He leaned towards her but a second before they kissed, Isabella turned away, her head in her hands.

"Lights up!" Oliver shouted from the director's chair. The auditorium lights glowed to life. "Isabella?"

"I'm sorry," she winced. "I don't know what came over me."

"The show is in a week," Oliver replied. "You're running out of time."

"I know," she rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"We've overrun anyway," Oliver flicked through his script. "We'll pick this up tomorrow."

The cast and crew members trickled out of the theatre doors and soon it was just Isabella sitting on the edge of the stage waiting while Connie had her makeup removed. Show night was drawing closer and yet she couldn't get over this fear of the stage kiss she was supposed to share with Bryan. They'd rehearsed the scene countless times but Oliver had agreed to skip it until it was really needed. And she'd promised that by the time it was needed, she'd be ready. But she just wasn't ready to throw away her first kiss for some play.

"You ready?" Isabella looked up and allowed Connie to help her to her feet.

"What time did we say we'd meet Seb and Alex?"

"In about ten minutes," she shook her shoulders out. "Man, it's good to be out of that crummy dress."

Isabella smiled. "You should try carrying you on your back while wearing it."