Perry wished he could return to the days when his biggest worry had been what his host family would be like. He had lost quite a bit of sleep contemplating the kind of family that might invite him into their home. Any fear he may have had on those long nights in the OWCA kennel had been unfounded, however. The Flynn-Fletchers seemed like wonderful people, and Perry was thankful to live under their roof.

Tomorrow would mark the end of Perry's second week living in the bright yellow house on Maple Drive. Once adopted, it was OWCA policy that each young Agent had two weeks to become acclimated to their new environment while underground tunnels and a secret lair were built by OWCA operatives. At the end of the second week, each Agent was expected to arrive for their first official day of training.

Not that Perry hadn't received any training before his adoption. On the contrary, young prospects weren't even considered for placement within a host family until they had mastered the art of behaving like a "mindless" animal. The young monotreme had been very quick on the uptake; he was out of his egg fewer than three weeks when Major Monogram had approved him for placement in the OWCA Adoption Center.

Training was a very important part of a young Agent's life. Being a platypus, Perry would be a trainee until he reached maturity at the age of two. At that point, his performance would dictate what sort of Agent he could become. Agents who graduated near the top of their class had the most prestige, and some were even assigned a full time nemesis!

Trainees who did poorly spent most of their careers in OWCA cubicles.

-Crack!-

There was a flash of lightening, and Perry was shivering in his pet bed. The enormity of what he would be doing in the morning was almost overwhelming. His life would change forever. Perry tried to calm himself down. He reminded himself that normal platypuses didn't get butterflies in their stomachs and that he needed to maintain his cover. He reminded himself that his worries about the family had all been untrue, and that his worries about training and being a real Agent would also prove false.

When you are young, nervous, and alone, the words inside your head rarely bring you comfort.

-Crack!-

Perry was so afraid he felt like throwing up.

'What if I can't find a lair entrance? What will happen if someone sees me enter my lair? I don't want to loose my host family before ! really get to know them!'

'Will I be expected to learn a lot on the first day? Will it be dangerous? What if I make a mistake or do something stupid in front of the other trainees? Will I be taken seriously?'

-Crack!-

The platypus was shaking uncontrollably. Failure scenarios kept shifting through his mind one after another. Perry wished there was a way to turn off his brain.

"Hey, boy!" Perry gave a startled jump, then mentally chastised himself. He tried to look as ordinary as possible.

"Whatsa matter, Perry?" the five year old redhead asked, concern in his voice. He scooped the young monotreme into his arms and carried him to his bed before calling for his brother.

"Hey Ferb, I think something is wrong with Perry!" The green headed boy began to examine the monotreme while Phineas continued to speak. "Do you think he's ok? Is he dying? Should I go get mom? What if the vet is out of town? Maybe he has some rare platypus disease!" What if-"

"I think he is simply afraid of the storm." Ferb interrupted. Perry had never heard Ferb interrupt Phineas before.

"Oh." Phineas climbed on the bed and began to cuddle with Perry as Ferb stroked the fur under his bill.

-Crack!-

Perry was still shivering. Ferb quickly ran to the corner of the room to close the blinds while Phineas pulled Perry onto his lap. The British boy returned to join his brother and their new pet on the bed. Phineas spoke to him in a soft voice while both boys petted, tickled, and massaged his fur softly.

'What if they put me in a trap I can't get out from? Then they'll find out they made a mistake and get rid of me!'

But Perry realized that this thought couldn't be true- learning is what training is all about! They wouldn't throw him out for making an honest mistake.

'What if platypuses aren't cut out to be Agents? The other trainees will probably see me as a freak!'

This was a foolish notion as well. The OWCA would not have gone through the trouble of incubating his egg if they didn't think he could be an Agent. As for the other trainees, Perry had never been very good at making friends at the kennel. He didn't really care what the other animals thought of him.

Perry remembered the day the boys had brought him home. It seemed as though everyone on the block had walked over to the yard to see the newly renamed "Perry" in person. Hearing the neighbors talk about his being a platypus was what had first caused Perry to realize that he was considered an exotic animal. He had never given it much thought before that day.

His boys had loudly defended him whenever anyone called him weird.

'His boys...'

Phineas and Ferb were still cuddling with him, and Perry noticed that he had stopped shaking. He had finally been able to give himself positive answers when horrible questions and thoughts entered his mind. From now on, Perry decided to only use his pet bed for daytime naps.

Why had he been so worried about tomorrow, anyway? He was going to see his secret lair for the first time! He was going to learn all about the hidden entrances that had been installed! He was going to take the first steps toward becoming an important force for justice within the Tri-State Area!

Perry was even going to get his own fedora!

Both boys were getting tired. The three bodies were wrapped in a bundle atop Phineas' bed. Perry smiled as he nestled himself deeper into their arms. Being with his boys reminded him that he was important and that he wasn't alone. Receiving their hugs had strengthened Perry and allowed him to find the courage he needed to face the perils of tomorrow without fear.

He was young and nervous, but he wasn't alone anymore.

One day, Perry hoped to be the best Agent the OWCA had ever known. He hoped that perhaps eventually he could even have his very own nemesis to thwart. He wanted to protect his loved ones and make Major Monogram proud. But more than anything, he wanted to return home every night to snuggle with these two boys.

"Hey Ferb," Phineas mumbled, "I don't think Perry's scared anymore."