Chapter 1

Then and Now

Thin maple leaves hung precariously from their branches, downed by an exceedingly humid summer. It worked as a natural canopy most summers, protecting squatters from the mid-day heat. But as year after year passed fewer leaves grew back to that original quality. It had been shit by lighting one year on a particularly foreboding day. Two years ago it had weathered a devastating storm that had left destruction in its wake, leaving all but the tree and the interior of the house visibly undamaged. However, as the tree grew weaker the two boys who spent their summers taking shade to think had grown immensely over the last ten years.

Phineas Flynn sat on the moist sod between two especially large darkened roots. As a child he had called that space the Circle. A place that was just large enough to encompass all of his friends. Today though, the Circle surrounded only two. Ferb Fletcher sat about six feet from his brother, spinning a blade of grass between his thumb and forefinger.

Usually it was Phineas who began, carried, and ended all conversation between he and his brother but today there was little need as they both looked up between the thinning shrouds of leaves to see the bright explosion of fireworks in the distance. For a second Phineas considered making his own grade of fireworks for his mother's Fourth of July cook out but after much scrutinizing from his sister and the national government he decided to just enjoy. As the next set of explosives was being set Phineas turned his head to his brother.

"How is Cambridge?" Phineas said, playing with a growing hole in the knee of his jeans.

"Good." Ferb replied, as succinct as ever.

"MIT is fantastic but sometimes I miss the sun you can really only get here." Phineas said, responding to his brother's mute question." The teachers aren't afraid to push either."

Another round of sparks flew into the sky, gathering the boys' attentions once more. It had been nearly five years since they had last seen each other. Sure, they had talked on the phone from time to time but with international fees as they are the messages were always brief. When they found time they would video chat online but each of those experiences were nothing compared to the face to face they had had in their youth. When their mother had commanded that they return back home for the holiday there was little commanding needed to be done.

Phineas, telling his parents he had some business to do half way through the nationwide journey home, had driven in an aging rust bucket he hadn't had the time to fix up properly. In reality he was having a hard time finding the money to pay the air fare, that and because his pyrotechnics experimentation had him temporarily placed on a no fly list. To his surprise he had arrived home before his brother who had to finish up business on campus before making the exhausting flight. When the jet lag and car sickness had passed, both brothers quickly reconnected. They caught each other up with their day to day and got to work on a small impromptu project.

As they felt the summer air on their skin the slick slide of the patio door roused them from their thoughts. Candice, embarrassed by her disturbing them, attempted to such it quietly.. Turning back to her brothers she smiled and moved to a small patio table adorned with party foods that had been left abandoned when the guests retired. Pouring herself a glass of lemonade she couldn't help but admire her grown brothers from afar.

Ferb had changed very little since those days she would run to hell and back again trying to catch them in some type of scheme. By his sixteenth year he had surpassed her in height, but only by an inch. Sometimes she imagined that if it weren't for Phineas and her having matching hair, strangers would think Ferb her biological brother as Phineas grew three inches short of her. She squinted, hoping to examine him closer. Maybe his eyes didn't bug out as much as she remembered? His style had changed. She knew that much from the absence of his youth's signature nipple teasing purple shorts and button down. Today he wore a simple white t-shirt and jeans. The warm air made the shirt cling to his skin, presenting the lean muscled exterior beneath.

He was a man now psychically she mused, but she failed to see any internal change. He had always been mature, even as a kid. Though, sometimes she did notice that something was off about him. It was always a flicker of movement, either a glance or a tensing of muscles, but there was an intensity in Ferb where there had never been before. She didn't know what had caused it but that only amplified her worries.

When she recalled Phineas as a child she remembered a very awkward looking kid whose nose was too large for his face and whose head was too large for his body. Puberty had been kind to Phineas. As he grew taller his body to head ratio became more proportional. By the time he turned fifteen, everyone but Phineas had noticed a miracle. Somehow the nose that had looked so awkward on him throughout his youth, he had grown into. He was still scrawny compared to his brother but now at twenty two he was quite handsome. As she stared at him she got the compulsion to run a brush through his unkempt hair, a trait not lost from his childhood.

Now in her late twenties Candice had shed most of the physical traits that had left her insecure as a teenager. What were left she didn't care as much about, an emotional maturity she had gained in her later life? At times when she makes that once fright inducing transition from towel to shower she isn't afraid anymore to look in the mirror for a while; touching her filled out hips, admiring her developed breasts, and following her long lean legs. But that developed confidence was now nearly shot to hell as she heaved her eight months pregnant self from place to place. The large stomach and need to pee every damn minute left her feeling unsexy and the mood swings, unappreciated. But that long seven months ago when she had discovered her pregnancy she was thrilled. She had tugged Jeremy to nearly every baby boutique in Dansville before the end of her first trimester. With both of them secure in their careers and a growing family, things were looking very up for the Johnsons.

"Hey boys, how are you?" She said with a mild grunt as she waddled down the patio stairs.

Both brothers leapt to their sister's aid. She swatted them away, telling them their welcome to help in two weeks when she's due. She smiled at them both warmly and rubbed their heads in an ornery gesture. Phineas smiled back and Ferb patted his sister gently on the back. Candice walked ahead of the boys, taking in the beaten maple. She took short, calculated steps as she moved to the base of the tree.

"Here," Candace said, patting on the yellowed lawn," Sit down and tell me how you both are doing."

Candace and Phineas spoke off each other like a badminton game while Ferb inserted small quips into the conversation about his studies abroad. When Candace asked if the two if they had met any nice girls Phineas had said yes, not seeing the implications Candace was laying out. Ferb had looked away for a second and returned with a shake of his head. Phineas had missed it but Candace noticed the subtle change in Ferb's demeanor. When she tried to probe deeper she was cut off by another barrage of fireworks from across the street.

"So, have you guys kept in touch with your friends?"

The two shared a glance. Those last few months they had spent in Dansville had been precarious for the both. Both had been too self-absorbed in their packing and goodbyes to each other they had neglected their friends. It was revealed that Ferb had seen Baljeet visiting family in India over spring break. From his account the boy was still the same old lovable Baljeet. He was pursuing a medical degree and a reconnection with his old friend and girlfriend Vim. Candace recalled hearing Buford's name once or twice as a leader of some vigilante biker gang.

"He's gotten bored again." Phineas sighed, rolling his eyes with a tired smile.

"And what about Isabella? How is she?" Candace asked, glancing over both her brothers.

After taking several moments to think neither boy could recall any information on Isabella. It was hard to believe that the class valedictorian with a full ride to anywhere had not shown up on either brother's radar. In the confusion of growing up Phineas and Ferb admitted solemnly that they allowed their relationships with Buford and Baljeet to grow distant but both brothers had attempted to keep their friendship with Isabella. Phineas had tried to get ahold of her on numerous occasions but he had the vague sense that if she wanted to be contacted she could be.

"I guess you'll just have to wait until some high school reunion or something." Candace said, watching embers drift around in the blackened sky.

The boys helped Candace to her feet. While she begrudged them for it she didn't push away and held the sliding door open as the boys stepped inside. Their mother sat at the kitchen counter with a mug filled with hot tea. In the past ten years she had seen her babies grow up and her face mature. She was not particularly enamored with those facts. Her once vibrant red hair was dulling, much to her chagrin and no packaged dye was going to restore it to its former glory. Shallow lines had developed at the corner of her eyes and lips but in essence she was still very beautiful. , though she admitted that her days of seducing young British boys at rock concerts were behind her.

"Having Fun?" She asked, taking a sip.

Phineas chirped and Ferb nodded in agreement.

"Does either of you boys know how long you'll be staying?" She said this with some part of her hoping they would say forever or something along those lines.

"I have two weeks before I have to get started on my thesis. I also want to be here for Candace when she gives birth." Phineas said, looking to his sister with a smile.

"Yes, two weeks." Ferb said.

Linda Flynn-Fletcher smiled up at her two boys and reflected on her thoughts in the dark pool of her tea. Her kids were grown up, even about to have kids. She had gone to sleep one night with memories of her daughter singing happy birthday and woke up to a world where her babies were having babies and thesis. These were all inconceivable at that time.

"Please stay here. I know that this old place is probably nothing compared to your bachelor pads but I would very much enjoy sharing this house with you for at least a few more days." She smiled.

Phineas thought about his off campus, one room "bachelor pad" with his unsupported mattress in the right corner by a small tinted window. Opposite to that was a mini fridge filled with soy sauce and cheese product. He had an air conditioner unit he had fixed up to generate nearly artic temperatures but his neighbor complained about the noise and he was threatened with eviction. He had gotten a full ride scholarship but that didn't make up the gas, electric, food, and other utilities costs he had. At his apartment the only thing waiting for him was his one plate, so he climbed upstairs with his luggage in tow.

Ferb followed behind in what would look like an act of servant hood to a stranger. He had better living conditions than his brother but had felt almost claustrophobic the last time he spent much time there. The room itself was dull and had an American Psycho feel to it he had never cared for but had never put forth the effort to change. The only thing that seemed truly happy there was a bouquet of sunflowers he had received recently. The only thing waiting for him there was the dark scent of iron and lavender perfume.

For a brief moment Phineas stood in the door way of his old room, recollecting. He had imagined that over the past four years his parents would have converted it into an office space or a less personalized guest room, but as he took in the familiar old life raft he had converted as child, warmth in him swelled. When his brother came up behind him Phineas quickly moved in. As Ferb placed his luggage down and began to fold it, Phineas threw his to the ground and flopped onto his bed with an exaggerated "oomph" sound. As he listened to the faint hum of his brother's aquarium headboard Phineas drew mental images of past and future inventions on the blank white surface of his ceiling. Ferb, once unpacked, followed his brother in line and flopped haphazardly into his bed. A sharp pain went through his heels as they collided with the foot board which in turn pushed his head into the aquarium. Readjusting himself, he sent a quick leveling glance at his grinning brother. Tiredness filled their bones and eyelids and they progressed to old time routines of sharing a sink and the temporary decorum that comes with living with other people. Within the hour both boys had said their goodnights and began to sleep.

As Ferb tossed in discomfort his brother found a different type of restlessness. He was awake before his eyes opened and while he didn't leap from the bed in fright his heart beat uncontrolled in his chest. Leaning up he removed the small sweat from his brow and the remaining drowsiness from his eyes. The alarm showed a hellish beat of red in the form of five. Phineas had always appreciated his active imagination but in times were he was stressed or worried it had a way of working through his dreams. He had had similar dreams like the one of this night. He had even named them. These were Isabella dreams. He had not always called them that. Sometimes Isabella didn't even appear but he always had the same feelings after the dreams were over. It was emotion he found hard to describe because of its intensely personal nature. Like he would describe the color orange to someone he could do as well to explain the right mixture of fear, anxiety, melancholy, and love.

The dreams had started as a conscious worry that she was unwell, not safe. And it was only with him that she was safe; safe from poverty, horror, and evil. He reassured himself. Isabella has always been a strong person of admirable traits and skills. She was independent, resourceful, and not afraid of what would happen next. He did not always feel he shared those same traits. Isabella could take care of herself, and so could he.

Phineas snuck past his brother in a rare moment of peace and crept down the stairs. It avoided the third step on the left side, remembering that it had squealed something awful when he had gone up earlier. Down stairs he toyed with the various beverages makers his parent had acquired over the years. He considered making an ice tea maker for his mother that generated its own ice but gave up when he thought he was making too much noise so early in the morning. Grabbing a robe from the downstairs bathroom he meandered to the front of the house hoping that the sun would emerge soon. It was cold so early in the morning and he bundled himself up in the thick blue cloth. A shiver went through his body when his slippers became wet after being dragged through the morning dew. Birds chattered in the distance. As a child he had been able to identify most of those birds by their calls but today his mind was too preoccupied to take in the distinct call of blue jay as compared to a robin.

Making his way to street he looked both ways, more out of habit than personal concern. He had missed this street, for what it represented. He remembered times when it was filed with smaller gadgets or crowds of people waiting in line to enter whatever the boys had been working on that day. He recalled the faces of his friends as they helped people find their seats or dispensed food. He really needed to call Baljeet and Buford. He owed them that much. He could not say that finding Isabella was not an ever evolving to do list in the back of his mind either. But it wasn't nostalgia, he examined, that was keeping him here for at least the next two weeks. The other items of his check list; finish his Masters, get a job, pursue a doctorate, but what then? When he was a kid he imagined infinite possibilities so long as he was having fun but somehow college had taken all the fun out of building. He was spending his time relearning everything he already knew how to do, but the "right way" this time his professors had told him. He built engines to exact specifications and examined diagrams all day. He found no room for innovation or creativity. So he would stay the next two weeks and try to do what some spend their entire lives doing, figuring out what he wanted in life.

His impromptu visit outside left him without much stimulation as he rounded the neighborhood. He had started in a clock wise formation, beginning with Buford's old home, and then Baljeets. When he came full circle again he stared at the immaculate gardens of Mrs. Shapiro's home. Red rose bushes bordered the sand stone walls of the house, a stark contrast to the rest of the neighborhoods subtle lawns. He wondered if Mrs. Shapiro had kept Isabella's room untouched like his parents had or if she replaced the girlish things for office equipment.

"Phineas?" A deep womanly voice rang out, startling Phineas.

His eyes darted quickly to the silhouette of a tall older woman. Mrs. Shapiro smiled and waved at him enthusiastically as he unbuckled himself from a defensive position. Phineas smiled back and stepped up onto the curve. His heartbeat, rapid at first, calmed as he neared the trusting eyes of Mrs. Shapiro. Red silk draped over her curvy exterior and highlighted her still beautiful features. Her once long dark hair, the color of a night absent of moonlight, had lost some of its sheen over the ears and had begun to salt and pepper. Wrinkles dug in around her eyes and the corner of her plump lips but she retained youth in the richness of her eyes and in her heart.

"Look how tall you've gotten." She said, placing her hands delicately on the boy's thin shoulders.

In reality he hadn't grown any taller than he had been by the end of his junior year of high school but he appreciated the gesture. Mrs. Shapiro continued.

"Come in before the mosquitoes get you. How is your brother? Still so talkative?"

She turned to him with a sheepish grin and he smiled back enthusiastically. Moving past the foyer he noticed old pictures of the Shapiro family covered the walls. There was a picture of Isabella's parents together. Some others with indirect family members Phineas had never met. The only thing he truly took away from the experience as he made his way to the kitchen was that there was no photo of Isabella more recent than her graduation photo.

"I was just waking up to water my flowers when I saw you standing there. Did I frighten you?" She asked, offering him freshly brewed coffee.

"No, I'm fine."

They had started their conversation off with trite small talk about their work but all things led back to their only real connection, Isabella. Phineas had wanted to be subtle about bringing up the topic. However, since his return to Dansville most of what he could think of was his childhood and Isabella.

"How is she?" Phineas asked, staring down into his coffee as if Isabella, for some reason, maybe hiding on the other side.

Mrs. Shapiro took a moment to respond. Swirling sugar into her coffee, scratching a bit of dried food off the counter top, she took a long pause to collect her thoughts. When she did speak she established that she really didn't know much more than he did. She had received a letter about seven months ago.

"She said she was looking for something. I don't know what that something is but it has to be important, right?" She asked hypothetically.

"Did it have an address on it? Any indication as where she might be?"

"It was sent from a motel in Arizona. When I sent a package of goodies there they were sent back. Apparently no one by the name Isabella Shapiro had ever stayed there. I don't know what the secrecy is about but I think she's okay."

Mrs. Shapiro turned up towards with Phineas and for the first time Phineas saw how the years had affected the older woman. Isabella had been accepted into her college of choice with a full ride. They had both been so happy that at times Mrs. Shapiro hadn't noticed that each time her daughter came to visit she had looked paler, gaunter. She had thought it was a phase and that it would get better over time as Isabella adapted to the new lifestyle. When Isabella had disappeared she had blamed herself for not looking into it.

All attempts of salvaging a happy conversation were an admitted loss between the two of them. Mrs. Shapiro turned to the support of her rose bushes and Phineas left, trying to avoid the piercing gaze of Shapiro family members. Phineas squinted as the morning sun blinded him with bright reds and yellows. He saw a figure standing at his mail box and judged it to be Ferb. Moving down the stone of the Shapiro house he rushed to his brother who greeted him with a short grunt. Ferb's tired eyed expression met Phineas's bright smile and excited eyes. For the first time in nearly five years Phineas said with a cheerful grin, "Ferb, I know what we're going to do today."

-Magic line of end-

Okay, so I removed this, edited it to suck a little less, and have reposted it.

I'm sorry if there was any confusion. I'm going to reedit all of the chapters and finish the story.