The Flynn legacy
It was the day before Father's Day, and as usual, Phineas and Ferb were in the midst of planning what they were going to do for Lawrence Fletcher. Of course, technically speaking, he was Ferb's father and Phineas and Candace's step-father, but since he was the only father figure Phineas could remember, he still thought of him as his own. Sure, the biplane they built two years ago was impressive, but this time, the boys wanted to do something even grander, partially because during the last Father's Day, Phineas was still reeling from the revelation that he had been tricked into building a super-portal for a malevolent trickster chaos god bent on world domination, and did not do anything for it.
"Whatever we decide, Ferb, it has to be grand, to make up for last year" Phineas summarised. There had been blueprints and concepts laid out on the garden, but Phineas could not decide.
"You know, I bet Dad would like something a little smaller than whatever's on these schematics. Maybe something that reminds him of England" Candace suggested.
"We could make him a pocket sized London? England wherever he goes" Phineas added.
"One London is enough for him. Besides, he doesn't get that homesick" Ferb pointed out. Just then, a familiar figure came from the gate.
"Whatcha doin'?" Isabella chimed, using her usual catchphrase.
"Hi, Isabella. We're just trying to decide what to do for Dad for Father's Day. Any suggestions?" Phineas asked, rather nervously. He couldn't admit it, but ever since that Easter where she and the others made him confront his Bill fears, Phineas had been feeling odd around Isabella. Maybe it was the hug she gave him after he gave his rousing speech, but whatever it was, Phineas seemed to get butterflies in his stomach whenever he saw her. In fact, Phineas asked himself once, or maybe twice, whether or not Isabella liked him as more than a friend. But he put this out of his head for now, after all, he had plenty of time to dwell on that, this was his step-father's time to occupy his thoughts.
"Well, Buford is off fishing with his dad, and Baljeet is at a ceramics class making his dad a traditional Father's Day gift. Does that help?" Isabella answered.
"Well, Dad prefers to sell pottery instead of make it. He does like to fish, though. Maybe we could invent him a rod with sonar technology so he never loses a biter" Phineas proposed.
"He also likes the sport of fishing. I don't think a fishing rod with enhancements would be an ideal gift for him" Candace countered.
"Good point" Phineas conceded. After a good few more minutes brainstorming ideas, Phineas came up with something.
"What about a historical re-enactment? Dad's really into the past. But which period to recreate?" Phineas wondered.
"The Renaissance Fair is tomorrow. Maybe we can take our dad there. He'd love it" Candace added.
"Great plan, Candace, but we'll need costumes to really sell the time period" Phineas replied.
"I would enlist my troop to make some, but they're all spending the day with all of their dads. I wouldn't want to interrupt them" Isabella said.
"No problem, we still have our costumes from that jousting tournament we had back in England. We can re-use those" Phineas resolved.
"As long as I don't have to be the fair maiden locked in the tower again. The ending was nice, but the path to get there certainly wasn't" Candace insisted.
"Don't worry, they've already cast that role" Phineas assured, to Candace's relief. The kids shared their plan with Linda, who whole-heartedly agreed, and planned for it to be a surprise. The next day, Linda got a blindfold on Lawrence, and guided him to the car where Phineas, Ferb, Candace and Isabella were waiting. Candace asked for Isabella to come along, because she didn't want to be the only girl in their group, and besides, it's not like Isabella had a dad to celebrate with.
Once they arrived at the fair, Linda removed the blindfold on Lawrence, and he was greeted by the sights of the Middle Ages painstakingly recreated in the modern times, and he felt like a kid at an amusement park.
"Surprise!" everyone yelled.
"Happy Father's Day, dad" Phineas greeted. Lawrence was beside himself with glee.
"Did you plan this for me? I really am the luckiest father and step-father in the world to have you all. Thank you so much" Lawrence said.
"So, what do you want to do first, dear?" Linda asked, eager to get started.
"Where to begin" Lawrence mused, and the group set off. Phineas had wanted to bring Perry along, but there was a petting zoo in this fair, and they had a strict policy about the animals interacting with pets, so they had to leave him at home. Phineas did make sure Perry's food and water bowls were full before leaving. Unbeknownst to them, Perry was actually catching up on his stories at home. Since Doofenshmirtz gave up evil, Perry had a lot more time at home. While he relished spending more time with his host family, he did miss the agency game.
Back at the fair, Lawrence and his family were enjoying the festivities, doing such activities as the petting zoo, horseback riding, and taking in a show or two. One particular show, a jousting tournament, had a surprise they did not expect.
"Stacy! They got you to play the fair maiden locked in a tower?" Candace remarked.
"How could I not? I get a V.I.P view of knights in shining armour fighting over me. I'm surprised you didn't want to try it" Stacy replied.
"It's not as fun as you make it sound, trust me on that" Candace retorted.
"Now this I've got to see" Isabella said, enthusiastically, and they all took seats for the show. As she was watching the tournament, Isabella took one of her trips to Phineas-land. She started daydreaming that she was the maiden in the tower, and Phineas her knight in shining armour coming to rescue her.
"Come, my princess Isabella. Let me escort you from this prison, and we'll marry by sundown" dream Phineas declared, and carried Isabella bridal style to his noble steed, and together they rode off into the sunset. Just as the daydream was getting good, real Phineas was there to shake her into reality.
"Isabella, the show's over. Did you enjoy it?" Phineas inquired.
"It was enchanting" Isabella answered, still in a semi-dream like state.
"Oh boy, she's in Phineas-land again" Candace thought to herself. Thankfully, Isabella snapped out of it, and the day progressed as normal.
The group had just had their fill of carnival games and animal shows before it was time for Linda, Candace and Phineas to start the other part of their Father's Day traditions. This meant going to see Candace and Phineas' biological father, or more specifically, his final resting place. Lawrence and Ferb usually left them to this, as it was, how Linda put it, a Flynn thing. Lawrence respected this, and so he and Ferb went home on foot, while Linda, Candace and Phineas headed for the crematorium.
They arrived a half hour later, and made their way to their father's plaque. It simply read: 'Here lies Perry Flynn, brilliant inventor, loving husband, doting father. Forever loved and missed by many'. Prior to arriving here, Linda had gotten a bouquet of plastic flowers so that they could be placed here. The memory of her husband's passing was painful, but as the years went on, Linda had learned to come to terms. After all, there was nothing anyone could've done to save him, after he had an aneurysm in his sleep. Doctors did try, but the damage was too great. The most tragic thing was that Phineas had not even been born yet, so he could not even meet his son. Naming the pet platypus they got after him seemed like a good way to both honour his memory and keep something of him alive in Phineas' eyes. Candace took some flowers and approached the plaque.
"Happy Father's Day, Dad. It's been an eventful year. We're all doing fine. We may have hit a few bumps on the road, but it's as you used to say, obstacles were meant to be overcome. Phineas is becoming more and more like you every day. I wish you could see him now, you'd be proud of what he has become. Rest peacefully" Candace said, and laid her flowers down. Now, it was Phineas' turn.
"With all that has happened this last year, being tricked by Bill, fighting in the war against him, all the while being fearful of my own shadow, I had almost given up inventing. I was afraid, but no longer. Thanks to my family, friends, and especially you. Mum reminded me that you would not want me to give up, nor would you want me to shy away and live in fear. You gave me the strength to keep going, and made me who I am now. Thank you, father, and please keep watching, I may surprise you yet" Phineas gave his little speech and placed his flowers. Finally, it was Linda's turn to say her piece.
"Our family has grown so much. I wish you could see us now. You would love Ferb, he's the spitting image of his father, like Phineas is of you. You and Lawrence would be great friends, I'm sure. That man could get along with just about anybody, just as you could. But no matter how great Lawrence is, no-one could replace you in our hearts. I love you, Perry. May you rest in peace" Linda also said, mournfully, and laid down the final flowers.
The Flynns were on their way home when Linda handed Phineas a book she had been keeping.
"Your father would want you to have this when you were old enough. It was his most treasured possession" Linda explained.
"What is it?" Phineas inquired.
"It was his journal. He kept his most personal, private thoughts in that book. His ideas for inventions, his feelings towards you guys, it's all in there" Linda answered. Phineas sifted through it, fascinated that he had this glimpse into his father's life. Phineas thanked his mum, and they arrived back home.
"You OK, darling?" Lawrence asked.
"We're fine, sweetie. No more than usual" Linda replied, and the family went to their rooms to retire for the day. Phineas had just enough time to read his father's final entry.
'We just got back from the ultrasound, and we're going to have a boy. We'll tell Candace she's getting a little brother in the morning. It may be premature, but we've already decided on a name for him, Phineas, after the explorer who traversed the world in 80 days. I'm looking forward to passing on my love of inventing to him. Just wait until he sees my latest idea. My mysterious benefactor tells me it's going to change the world. Sounds incredible, my little boy growing up in a world his daddy made for him. All the while, I'm thinking about his future. My biggest hopes for him are that he has a good heart, big enough to bring joy and smiles to those around him, that he has the courage to face the world with a smile, always, and that he's strong enough to protect what matters most. That's all for now, time for bed.'
Phineas teared up at this last part, set the book down on his bedside table, and drifted off to sleep.
Author's note: Finally, my replacement laptop has arrived and everything's set up so I can start writing regularly again. Prelude to Excalibur's future chapters are in the conceptual stage. Apologies if the story does not reflect Rick and Morty that well, I'm not used to writing for such a mature show. I would offer it up for adoption, but I have a clear path I want to take it in. Also, I may upload this earlier than Father's Day because, for reasons I don't want to get into on a public forum, I don't have a reason to celebrate Father's Day. I just wanted to do something special for those that do. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. Phineas and Ferb belong to Dan Povenmire, Swampy Marsh, and Disney. Enjoy.