A/N 1: Not bad for writing this on a cell phone. Anyway, enjoy!
"Okay kids. I'm going to lie down and take a nap." Linda studied her three children. "Candace, you're in charge."
"Why do I have to be in charge?"
"Candace, you're seven. I think you're old enough to watch your little brothers for a few hours."
"But Mom-"
"No buts." Linda bent down, kissing the boys on top of their heads. "Boys, you be good now. Listen to your sister."
"Kay." Phineas grinned, turning back to the cartoon him and Ferb were watching. Ferb merely nodded.
"Candace, there's food in the fridge and Phineas has a bottle on the counter."
Candace rolled her eyes as her Mom exited the room. After a few minutes, she turned to her brothers. "Look, I know I'm supposed to watch you, but I have better things to do. I'm going over to Stacy's."
Phineas turned around, pointing to the door as Candace closed it behind her. "Where Candy go?"
"Tacy."
"Tacy?"
Ferb nodded, grabbing his brother by his overalls as he got ready to toddle after his sister. He gently pulled Phineas down to the carpet, pointing to the tv. "Cartoons."
Luckily, the little red head was entranced by the television and Ferb breathed a sigh of relief.
Fifteen minutes later...
"Ferbie." Ferb looked down at the tug on his pant leg. "Ferbie, I hungwee." Phineas pointed to his stomach. "Tummy go grrrr."
The green haired boy cracked a smile. He pointed a finger at the red head. "Tay."
Phineas obediently stayed as Ferb stood up, toddling into the kitchen. He clumsily grabbed onto the door handle on the fridge, using his body as a weight to pull it open. The two year old let go, landing with a soft plop on the floor. He peered up into the fridge.
No milk.
"Uh-oh." Ferb scratched his head. Now what?
"Ferbie?" Phineas toddled into the kitchen, dragging his blanket behind him. "Ferbie, tummy go grrr." He pointed to his stomach.
Ferb walked over, gently grabbing his brother by the shoulders and turning him around, walking him back into the living room. He set the red head down on the floor. "Tay."
"Like doggie?" Phineas sat cross legged, planting his hands palm down in front of him. He panted, tongue hanging out. "Arf!"
"Good doggie." Ferb patted him on the head. "Doggie tay." Making sure his brother didn't move, he ducked into Candace's room, quickly grabbing something from her bed before returning to the living room.
Phineas eyes widened. "Momo! Momo!" He reached for the yellow duck in Ferb's arms, only to have his brother push him back.
"Want Momo?"
"Yes pwease."
Ferb considered. He pointed to the television. "Give Fin Momo if Fin tay and watch cartoons. Tay like doggie. Be good doggie?"
The red head pointed to himself proudly. "Me good doggie. Me tay here." His eyes changed to puppy dog eyes. "Get Momo now?"
Ferb nodded, handing the toy over. His brother grabbed it and hugged it to his chest. Phineas happily plopped on the floor and stuck his thumb in his mouth, entranced by the television.
The green haired two year old waved a hand in front of his brother's face. No response. Good. Quickly, he turned around, ducked through Perry's pet door and snuck out of the yard through a hole in the fence.
"But Dad, I don't want to be a Delivery Boy."
"Oh sure you do! It's fun!" The man looked down at his son. "And it's not Delivery Man; it's Mobile Logistics Technician."
Paul sighed. "Yes Dad. Mobile Logistics Technician. I get it. But, I still don't want to be one. I just got my license; can't I drive around with my friends?"
"Sorry son. Now that you have your license, I expect you to start driving the Mobile Logistics truck. Now run along; you can pick up your deliveries around back."
"Yes Dad." Paul sighed, adjusting his baseball cap as he made his way around back. "Aw man. Why do I have to be a delivery boy? Driving around all day is boring; nothing exciting ever happens on a delivery route."
Ferb toddled down the street, looking around. Where could he find milk? He'd have to be quick; the cartoons wouldn't last forever and even with Ducky Momo, the red head would eventually get bored.
The two year old plopped down on the ground. Where to go? He scratched his head; where did milk come from? If he could figure that out, maybe he could find some.
An image popped into his mind, a picture of a black and white animal with horns.
Eating grass.
He jumped up immediately, pointing a finger in the air. "Moo moo!" Moo moos had milk. All he had to do was find one. Ferb happily toddled down the street, babbling to himself. "Moo moo! Moo moo! Moo moo!"
"Alright. Sign here please." Paul tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for the woman to sign the clipboard. "Alright, here's your blue slip. Have a nice day."
He tucked the clipboard under his arm as he made his way back to the delivery truck. He sighed. "Three deliveries down..." he glanced into the back of the truck. "Several more to go. Yeah, nothing exciting here." Just as he was about to turn the key, something in the side mirror caught his attention. "What's that?"
Toddling up behind the truck was a little boy dressed in purple overalls and a
Beige collared shirt. He looked to be about two years old.
"Aww. He's kind of cute." Paul smiled as the little boy came closer. "Wonder where he's going?" He started. "Hey, wait a minute! A two year old wandering around by himself? That's not safe!" Quickly he removed the key from the ignition, opening the door and hopping out. "I gotta make sure he's alright!"
By this time, Ferb had passed the truck. At the sound of the truck door opening, he turned around. A man walked toward him, stopping short as he reached him.
The two year old looked up, pointing. "Big."
Paul bent over, gently scooping the toddler into his arms. "Hey little guy. Where are you from?" Ferb stared at him. "Are you lost?" The little boy shook his head. "Where's your Mommy?"
The only response the Delivery Boy received was a finger pointing down the street. "Hoo boy. Talk about bad parenting." He looked at the toddler in his arms. "Okay, I'm going to take you home. It's not safe out here for a toddler. Come on." As he turned back to the truck, the little boy started to cry. "Aww. It's okay. I'll take you home."
Ferb tugged on the boy's shirt. "Moo moo!"
"Moo moo? What? Cows? You wanna go to a Dairy Farm?" The toddler shook his head. "Moo moo?"
"Moo moo."
"Uh..." Paul scratched his head. This kid was saying moo moo but didn't want to see cows? That didn't make sense. "Gee little guy; I'd love to give you want you want, but...I can't understand you."
"Moo moo!" Ferb was becoming more and more agitated. "Moo moo! Moo moo! MOO!
MOO!"
"Okay okay. We'll go see cows. Sheesh" Just as Paul was about to climb back in the truck, a milk truck pulled up and the little boy pulled on his shirt, pointing.
"Moo moo!"
"That's a milk truck. Not cows. Cows give mil-ohhhh." A light bulb appeared above the Delivery Boy's head. He turned to the toddler in his arms. "You want milk?"
Ferb grinned, clapping. "Yay!"
"Huh. Well, that's easy enough." He readjusted his grip before walking over to the truck. "Uh, excuse me? Can I have a bottle of milk? Preferably a baby bottle?"
The driver looked at him, then down at the little boy in his arms. He smiled as he tickled the toddler's stomach. "Hello Ferb. Wandering off again I see. Another mission for Phineas?"
Ferb giggled as Paul looked on, puzzled. "Ferb?"
"Yep, that's his name. Ferb Fletcher. I deliver milk to his house on a weekly basis. Him and his little brother are always in the back yard playing when I come up. Phineas drinks a lot of milk, so they run out a lot." The milk man disappeared into his truck, reemerging with a baby bottle full of milk. "I see Ferb wandering around on his own quite a bit actually." He handed the bottle to the toddler. "Here ya go Ferb."
"Tank ooo."
Paul scratched his head. "So...all he wanted was milk?"
"For his brother. He looks out for him."
"Oh. Do you know where he lives?"
"They live on 2308 Maple Drive. Up the street about two blocks."
"Okay, thanks. Guess I'll take him there then."
"Sure. Right after you pay for the milk. I don't give milk away for free ya
know."
"Right." The sixteen year old shifted the toddler in his arms, attempting to search his pockets. "Uh...I'm gonna have to put you down okay?" He gently set Ferb on the ground. "Don't move." But before Paul had even finished checking his pockets, Ferb had wandered off.
"Okay, there you ar-hey, where's Ferb?"
The Milk Man chuckled. "Probably headed back home I'd imagine. You can't take your eyes off two year olds for a second"
"Yeah, I kind of figured that out."
Phineas rubbed bleary eyes, stretching as he woke up. He looked around. "Ferbie? Ferbie, where go? Me still hungwee. Ferbie?" The red head toddled over to the back door, dragging his blanket. "Ferbie?" He was just about to cry when he saw his brother enter the yard from the hold in the fence. He shoved his nose against the glass, squealing joyfully. "Ferbie!"
Ferb calmly walked across the yard, crawling through Perry's pet door. As he emerged, he stood up, handing the bottle to his brother.
"Baba! Baba!" Phineas grabbed the bottle, immediately putting it in his mouth. For a moment, his eyes closed in contentment and he sighed.
When the bottle was half way drank, he looked at his brother. "Ferbie, tummy no
go grrr."
"Better?"
"Better. Me no hungwee now." The red head gave his brother a hug. "Ferbie good
brudder."
Ferb returned the hug. "Fin good brudder too."
"Hey kids." Linda walked into the room, smiling. "Aw, that's so sweet."
"Mama!" Phineas let go of his brother, toddling over to Linda with his arms out. "Up!"
"Okay sweetie." She picked the red head up, placing him on her hip. "Candace gave you your bottle, I see."
"Nooo. Ferbie gave baba."
"Ferb?" Linda regarded her other son for a moment before turning her attention back to Phineas. She smiled. "What an imagination."
The next day
"Delivery for Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher." Paul knocked on the front door, waiting a few minutes before calling again. "Hello? Anybody home?" He went around the back, peering over the fence. He smiled at the boy in the yard. "Hey Ferb. Looks like the Milk Man was right; you did make it home."
Ferb pointed up. "Big."
"Yeah yeah I know. 'Big.'"
"Oh hello." Linda stepped into the backyard, a little boy with red hair slung over her shoulder. "May I help you?"
"Yes. I have a package for Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher."
"Oh! Great!" She set the red head on the ground next to Ferb. "It's my package from the flowers of the month club. This month it's Azaleas."
"Sounds exciting. Sign here." The Delivery Boy handed over a clipboard and pen, waiting while Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher signed.
"Here you go." She handed the pen back and took the package from him before disappearing into the house, leaving the two boys alone in the yard.
"Wow, is she always this oblivious?" Paul asked the toddlers.
The red head took his thumb out of his mouth, looking up at the Delivery Boy and pointing. "Big."
Paul sighed. "Yes, yes I am."
A/N 2: If you think about it, Phineas obliviousness when he's ten could be from Linda. Just a thought.