Never thought I'd be writing even more for Candace, especially given that the next one-shot in the "Moments Under the Mistletoe" will be Canderemy themed. Come to think of it, I've been writing a lot of stuff with her lately…and I honestly don't know why.

Out of all the main characters of Phineas and Ferb, Candace has always been my least favorite. That doesn't mean I dislike her; she's funny, she can be a good sibling (even to Isabella), and she is definitely a force to be reckoned with…but then there are her other traits that either paint her to be annoying, patronizing, or even stupid.

But in spite those faults I still like Candace as a character. I don't know why I've found myself writing about her so much (maybe it's a soft spot I have for her), but maybe it's the fact that she is, in fact, a very good older sibling. There's no denying it; she shines when she acts like the older sibling that she is. She can be mature, and even offer advice, at least to Isabella.

Which is why this one-shot/drabble is a good opportunity for me!

Ladies and gentlemen; enjoy.

"Phineas and Ferb" are owned by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh who both work for Disney(c) (LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!)

P/F/P/F

A Sister's Always There

(~)

It had been three weeks since he left.

Candace had nightmares about it, even now, she realized, as she shot her head up from her pillow. She looked around, breathing softly, looking for him. But he wasn't around, of course. He had left, and that brought neither joy nor sadness to the girl, only mixed emotions and questions on the matter.

Would he come back?

What was he to her now?

Was she supposed to…?

Was he still…?

Candace's thoughts were like trails upon trails upon…it was endless. When she thought that she came up with an answer to her questions, there'd just be more to follow. Did every child think as hard as she did when these things happened? Wasn't she supposed to be sad about her own father leaving on such short notice?

And she didn't even know why he left; she thought everything was fine.

Yet, she felt…nothing.

Those nightmares made no sense, either, since she was never afraid of her father…at least, she didn't think he was. How often did she even see her father? Everyday, yes, but…

The door opened, and for a moment Candace felt so tired she thought that she was having another dream. Instead of her father, however, she saw a smaller version of him, waddling through, unusually quiet. He managed to crawl into her bed, hugging his trusty stuffed animal with him, one he had dubbed "Bartholomew" once he got it for his birthday.

He sat next to Candace for a while, silent. She knew something was wrong then.

"Phineas…?"

The boy's attention was grabbed, and he looked up to his sister, hugging the stuffed creature close to him. He stared at Candace, trying to fend off the negative emotions he felt. He wasn't as strong with controlling them as he would be in the future, when Ferb would be around. But he wasn't; this was back when it was just him and Candace.

To Phineas, Candace was probably the bravest person in the world. She didn't flinch in the dark like he did sometimes, and she seemed to shrug at thunderstorms, something he used to fear greatly. He didn't seem to believe that anything could get to her, and couldn't think of her as anything but brave.

Candace wasn't afraid of anything. So she'd help him with his problem, like always.

"I had a dream."

Candace stared at Phineas as he went on with a thick lisp that he had ever since he lost his front tooth. "Daddy was there," he stated, "And he was mad…but I don't know why…it was scary…"

Phineas looked up at Candace. "Do you think…he's mad at what mommy said?" he asked.

Candace felt a lump in her throat, which Phineas didn't notice. That was something that she didn't even consider. What did their mom even say to him that made him leave in the first place, and if he came back, what if…?

No, Candace thought. She didn't remember her father ever doing something like that in the past. Everything used to be happy at home, and then that was just...changed so rapidly. She didn't know why it happened, but she assured herself that, no, her father wouldn't do something like that.

"I…don't know," Candace said quietly as she wrapped an arm around Phineas, "Maybe…maybe it was a misunderstanding, Phineas…"

"Will daddy come back?" Phineas asked, almost hopeful.

Phineas seemed to miss their dad more than Candace did, and it made her a little envious. She knew him longer; why couldn't she feel anything? Their daddy wasn't bad…was he?

"I'm sure he will," Candace said with a reassuring smile, "He'll come back. He'd never leave us."

So why did he leave now?

Yet another question came to mind.

Phineas smiled brightly at his sister, knowing that she was always right. He snuggled close to her, sighing contently at his sister's words. Candace rubbed her brother's side, welcoming him to sleep with her. It wasn't uncommon for Phineas to have strange dreams that would require someone to be with him right after.

"Trust me," Candace said, "Everything will be fine."

Phineas fell asleep at those words, while Candace watched him, still thinking hard and without rest, wondering if she could believe her own words.

She stayed like that all night.

A/N:

…I am so weird. XP

So, for anyone whose confused, Phineas views Candace as someone whose perfect and courageous.

However, we see here that Candace is obviously afraid, confused, and a lot of stuff are going through her head right now. I actually feel a little bad for her, but I also don't know how to feel myself. That's honestly why she feels "nothing" in this fic, because I don't know how to feel. XD

The interpretation of what their father was like is up to you, which is why I left it so ambiguous. He could've been a good father, he could've been a bad father, and he could've just been…okay. Like, he didn't make that much of an impact on anyone, and was eventually forgotten, but if one did remember him he'd be neither a good or bad thing.

Again, this was a short little thing for jolleIQ, who is a talented writer in the making; support him by reading and properly reviewing his works. He is definitely going to be something.

Anyways, read, review, and whatever! Have a great Winter Break, and Happy Holidays! God bless!

-GTS