Candace lay awake in bed in her dark room listening to the fight. Linda and Lawrence had been fighting all day and it went into the night. When she walked past the boys' room before she went to bed, she heard Phineas crying himself to sleep. She went in and hugged him. She told him everything would be all right. She just hoped she didn't lie to him. Ferb didn't seam too affected by the yelling. He lay with his back to his stepsiblings and appeared to be sleeping, so Candace didn't bother him.
Candace heard a knock on her door. It was small and quiet and she wasn't even sure that she heard it at first. It came again, a little more urgent. Candace looked at the clock. It was 4:15 in the morning. Candace went over to the door. It had to have been Phineas she thought. He was taking the fight really hard. So she was surprised when she opened the door and saw Ferb. He looked so little as he had his blanket wrapped around him and his eyes looked scared to death.
"Ferb, what's wrong? Why are you up?" Candace whispered soothingly. The boys had a habit of sleepwalking, but the way he was looking up at her, she didn't think this was one of his episodes.
Ferb stretched out his arms to Candace. She saw his eyes start to water. Candace picked him up and hugged him. He held on tight and started crying into her shoulder as she shut the door. She walked him over to her bed and they both sat facing each other.
"Did Phineas just get to sleep? Is that why you came to me?" Candace asked. Ferb nodded. Tears stained his face. Candace wiped the tears away with her hands. Ferb hugged her.
Candace rubbed his back. "Everything's going to be all right, Ferb," she said.
"What if they get a divorce? You guys won't be my siblings anymore and I'll loose Mum," Ferb said, fresh tears streaming down his face.
Candace hugged him tighter. It was clear all of the kids were afraid of that. Ferb was the first one to say it out loud. Now that it was said, there was no denying it anymore.
"Ferb, I promise, if anything happens, which it won't, but if it does, I'll make sure to keep all of us together," Candace said.
Ferb looked up at her like he was waiting for her to explain herself. "I have my license," Candace explained. "Phineas and I will come over to your house, wherever your dad and you will live, to stay the weekend, or for half the summer. Then, on the other weekend or the other half of the summer, I'll get you and bring you over here."
Ferb nodded and wiped his eyes. Candace and him rocked in the bed. "Candace?" Ferb said, not meeting her eyes.
"Hm?" Candace responded.
"I love you," Ferb said.
Candace gave him a small squeeze and kissed him on the head. "I love you, too, Ferb." That's all that was said, but it seamed like they shared something brand new. Candace rocked her younger brother as they shared a sibling bond that neither one was sure was really there until tonight.
Tomorrow morning if you wake up
and the sun does not appear
I will be here
If in the dark, we lose sight of love
Hold my hand, and have no fear
'Cause I will be here
I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen
And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here
Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here
I will be here
And you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here
I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me
Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I will be here
Oh, I will be here
We'll be together
'Cause I will be here
Candace woke up in the morning to see Ferb cuddled up beside her with his head on her stomach. She looked at him sleeping and that's when it hit her.
It didn't matter how this fight turned out. Ferb would always be her little brother. Nothing was going to change that. He would always look up to her. Phineas, Ferb, and her would always be the Flynn-Fletcher kids.
"Sorry, Ferb," Candace said as she ruffled her sleeping brother's green hair "you're stuck with me forever."