A/N - I've been wanting to do a Ferbnessa Christmas Story, and here it is! Inspired by the Olivia Olson/Vanessa rendition of "The Christmas Song" on the P&F Christmas album, it also serves as a "prequel" of sorts to my story, "The Kiss." It also proved useful for introducing an OC who is important to a bigger story arc I still haven't figured out how to present the rest of. Apart from him, everyone else belongs to Povenmire & Marsh.

Christmas Song

"More pancakes, Sweetie?"

"No, thanks, Dad." Vanessa patted her stomach and smiled. "I think six is my limit. I'd take another cup of coffee, though, if it's still hot."

Her father displayed a crooked smile and a drop of moisture in his eye as he remarked, "Ah, my Baby Girl is all grown up!" Taking the mug from her, he refilled it from the Coffeeinator, and returned it, then started gathering the dishes from the table.

"I'm not that grown up, Dad," she reassured him. "I am still a teenager."

"You're nineteen," he argued, "and that's practically an adult. Well, technically, you are an adult."

"Whatever," she replied, but with a little grin that never would have accompanied that word a few years ago. She wasn't sure when things had begun to change between them. It might have started as far back as the day he had met her halfway in Paris, but she had only truly become conscious of it since she had gone away to college. Oh, they'd had their rocky patches; his obsession with proving how EEEE-VIL he could be still tried her patience, and every once in a while the old Overprotective Father would pop up out of nowhere, but things were good enough that she was actually looking forward to spending the bulk of her Christmas break at his place. For one thing, she admitted, breakfast at her Mother's would have been yogurt and bran muffins with a side of nagging about her caffeine habit. While, at Dad's, breakfast was chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream, and a good cuppa Joe.

She was still at the table when her cell phone went off. From the sink, Dad glanced back at her when he heard it, and said, "Is that your ring tone? I love that song! Bow chicka bow wow…" he began to sing along, "That's what my baby says…"

Vanessa left him warbling over the dirty dishes and slipped out to take the call somewhere more private. She didn't need the caller ID to know who it was. "Hey, Ferb. How's it going?"

She always greeted him the same way. He never actually answered the question; he understood that it was simply an idle pleasantry. "Good morning, Vanessa" his crisp accent greeted her. "Our Christmas party's still on for tomorrow. May we expect you?"

Yep, no idle pleasantries for Ferb Fletcher, she noted with amusement. He was always polite, but straight to the point. "I wouldn't miss it," she assured him.

"We're planning a bit of musical entertainment," he informed her. "I was hoping – would you be up for a song?"

Vanessa demurred. "Oh, Ferb, I don't know…"

"No modesty, now," he scolded, and she could almost hear him smiling. "We both know you have a magnificent voice. I would consider it an honor to accompany you."

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I say no?"

lllllllllll

The following evening, Vanessa pulled up to the Flynn-Fletcher house and got out of her car. In the back yard, Ferb and his step-brother, Phineas Flynn, had constructed what looked like a cozy log cabin. The eaves were strung with colored lights, the frosty windows were aglow from within, and smoke curled from the chimney. Phineas stood in the open doorway, welcoming the guests. When he spotted her, he suddenly turned his head to speak to someone already inside the cabin. Sure enough, a moment later, out came Ferb.

She had seen him a couple of times over the previous summer, but, when he met her at the door, she was still surprised by the reminder that he was now roughly her equal in height. He graciously accepted her jacket as she shrugged it off, and Vanessa caught the fleeting look of admiration that lit his eyes before he averted them. She had gradually begun to venture beyond her old 'all-black all-the-time' style, and was wearing gray jeans and a dark blue pullover dotted with delicate silver snowflakes. As usual, she was the first to speak. "Hey, Ferb. Nice sweater," she grinned.

He was decked out in a red and green turtleneck, depicting a couple of goofy-looking reindeer sporting candy cane antlers. On anyone else, it would have looked ridiculous, but Ferb somehow made it a hip fashion statement. He replied to her remark with a dry half-smile, and ventured, "May I say, you look lovely."

As the word came out, he flushed slightly, as if he hadn't really intended to make such a bold statement, but she gave him a reassuring, "Thanks." Looking around, she changed the subject. "Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves here." Flames crackled invitingly in the fireplace, and a large tree covered in colored lights stood in the corner. Food was spread on multiple tables around the room, everything from carved ham and turkey for making sandwiches to cakes and cookies and sweets of all sorts.

Out of the delicious aromas that filled the room, one in particular called out to her, and drew her attention to a large, copper pot surrounded by glass mugs. Ferb was already leading her in that direction and offered, as they approached, "Wassail?" Steaming in the pot was an aromatic potion that smelled of fruits and spices and a hundred other temptations, in which floated cinnamon sticks and ripe oranges studded with cloves. "My Gran's Secret Recipe," Ferb confided, ladling some into a mug for her. "Careful," he warned as he handed it over. "Let it cool a bit first."

They found an out of the way spot to sit together while Vanessa blew on her wassail and attempted a sip or two. It was still a bit hot for comfort, but so intoxicating, she couldn't leave it alone. Casting her eyes around the room, she noted that, near the tree, the boys had cleared space for a drum set and a couple of microphones, in anticipation of their Musical Entertainment. For now, familiar Christmas songs played through the speakers. The other guests mingled in the room, enough for a festive get together, but not so many as to make it crowded. Vanessa knew a fair number of them, by sight at least, from previous back yard events, and she had formed a pleasant acquaintance with the boys' closest friends. Their sister and some of her circle were on hand, too, and Vanessa noted with curiosity the young man at Candace's elbow.

Directing Ferb's attention to them with a gentle nudge, Vanessa lowered her voice and said, "So, that's the New Guy?"

Ferb gave a little nod. "Ambrose, yes."

Vanessa gave the guy the once-over. Ambrose was tallish, with wavy brown hair. He had a build that was probably going to turn chunky by middle age, and he was dressed for a Junior Chamber of Commerce Mixer, but he was good-looking enough, she supposed, if you actually liked that square-jawed Clark Kent type. She leaned toward Ferb again and asked, "What's the verdict?"

Ferb was silent for a moment before he answered. "Phineas likes him."

She had no trouble interpreting his remark, and smiled at Ferb as she noted, "Always the diplomat." He replied to this with a modest shrug. They had been conversing quietly, and she was certain that no one else could have heard them over the music and chatter, but now Candace's boyfriend looked in their direction as if sensing that he had been the topic of conversation. Excusing himself from his companions, he crossed the room toward them, and Vanessa distinctly caught the little growl in Ferb's throat as he approached.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted Ferb with a hearty smile. "Candace was right; you guys do know how to throw a party. I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he had already turned his attention to Vanessa, and now extended a hand toward her. "Ambrose Petersen."

She was prepared for the guy to hit on her, but there was nothing flirtatious about his approach. If anything, she half-expected his next line to be, I hope I can count on your vote. She indulged him by surrendering her hand, and he shook it firmly as she said, "Vanessa Doofenshmirtz."

Ambrose Petersen's eyes lit up at this and he gushed, "No kidding! Ms. Doofenshmirtz," he squeezed onto the seat next to her, "I hate to impose, but… I'm interning at the Daily Danville, and it would be a big scoop for me if I could get an interview with your father."

Vanessa's nose crinkled in surprise as she replied, "Why on earth would you want to interview my Dad?" Not that Dad wouldn't have been thrilled, but, despite his constant attempts to inator his way to domination of the Entire Tri-State Area, he wasn't exactly well-known.

The cub reporter gave an incredulous chuckle and said, "Well, he is the Mayor!"

Oh. She edged a little closer to Ferb to put an inch of space between herself and the eager young man. "Sorry, I'm not the Mayor's daughter."

"Hm, well, it's an interesting coincidence," he hinted. "After all, Doofenshmirtz isn't exactly a common name. Are you sure you're not…?"

"Roger Doofenshmirtz is my uncle," she cut off the question.

"Well, there you go," he seized on this. "So, I take it you are acquainted with him?"

Ferb leaned forward to look around her and said, "Ambrose, the lady didn't come here to be interrogated." He punctuated this with a flick of his eyes that clearly said, Push off.

Ambrose looked surprised that Ferb had actually spoken to him, but flashed that hearty smile again as he got up. "Okay, kiddo, I'll get out of your way. Nice to meet you, Vanessa," he acknowledged her before he walked off.

"Phew," Vanessa unleashed a roll of her eyes and a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

Ferb sighed. "I miss Jeremy."

Vanessa didn't mean to pry, but Ferb had never gone into detail about his sister's love life, and now she asked, "What happened between them, anyway?"

"College," he answered simply, then elaborated in a lowered voice. "Candace still had one more year of high school when Jeremy went away. The long-distance relationship didn't work out. Trust issues, mostly; she was always afraid he would meet some cute co-ed and forget all about her. Candace is my sister, and I think the world of her," he insisted, "but, she always has been a bit…" He searched for a kind term.

"High-maintenance?" Vanessa suggested.

Ferb accepted this, and went on. "Jeremy was under enough pressure, first year at University, away from home, he simply couldn't deal with all of that and her at the same time. Honestly, I think they both needed some space. And it was good for her," he noted. "She was finally focused on school, and planning a career. Journalism is a good fit for her," Ferb grinned a bit. "After all those years of reporting on us to Mum. She started at Danville University this year, and that's how she met him." A nod at Ambrose.

"What does she see in him?" Vanessa wondered.

"Well, he adores her," Ferb acknowledged. "And he is rather idealistic, in that overbearing way. Power of the Press, and all that; uproot corruption, speak the truth, make the world a better place. Sometimes," he confessed, "I think perhaps I'm a bit hard on him. And then, he calls me kiddo," Ferb grimaced, that little furrow forming in his brow, "and I think, 'No. No, I'm not.'"

To be continued…

A/N - Yes, I have a totally different take on Candace/Amanda/Xavier/Fred from Quantum Boogaloo. I'm as pro-Candace/Jeremy as the next person, and it seems to me that, the only way for C/J to be together in the long term is for there to be some road bumps for them in the near term (as I believe happened with Linda and Lawrence; see my take on them in "For Real"). I also think it's telling that Older Candace tells Younger Candace, "Relax. Everything works out." That's the premise for a whole other story, however.

F/V shippers, don't worry; the Good Stuff's coming in Part 2. And if you've read "The Kiss," you probably already know what will happen...