A/N – Romantical romance with Ferb and Vanessa. The Fluffinator is set to 10, and the Mush is about to blow the roof off this place; you have been warned. I went with the "T" rating simply because of the living arrangements, but there's nothing "T" going on in the content of the story. I made it 2 chapters primarily because of the POV shift.
Characters belong to Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
The One That Says Ferb and Vanessa
PART 1
Ferb Fletcher had finished his last class for the day and was checking his phone before heading home when he found the voice message from his mother.
"Ferb, honey, it's Mom. Your Dad got back from England this morning. Give me a call when you get this. Love you, hon. Bye."
His fingers were shaking as he tapped at the phone – oh, not to the extent that anyone else would have noticed, but he could feel the tremor, along with the sudden acceleration of his heart. Calm down, he warned himself. Too soon to get excited, you don't even know that's what she's calling about. But, he couldn't think of any other reason she would have left that message. Certainly not with that tone in her voice. Calling her back, he caught himself holding his breath until she picked up.
"Hi, Sweetie," she answered.
Ferb exhaled at the sound. He was surprised to find himself a bit hoarse as he replied, "Hello, Mum. I got your message. What's up?"
"Can you talk?" she asked, guardedly.
"Yes, I can talk," a smile crept over his lips at the question. "You said Dad's home. I take it he found something interesting."
"Well, I certainly hope so. He must have been to half a dozen estate sales and three or four auctions. I'm surprised he was able to get all of it through the airport."
"In other words," said Ferb, with a nervous chuckle, "you've both had enough of my whinging and if I'm not satisfied this time, you're giving up on me."
"Oh, Sweetie, we'd never give up." He could hear the reassuring hug he would have received if he'd been beside her. "But, I'm not sure what else we can do."
"Mum, you and Dad have done so much for me already, you have no idea how appreciative I am. I never expected you to go to all this trouble."
It was true. Ferb had had one little heart-to-heart with his mother, just to get her feminine input on how he was supposed to find something perfect when he wasn't even certain what 'perfect' was. The next thing he knew, his parents were putting him in touch with their network of dealers and collectors, Dad was taking him to sales, Mum was trying to help him design something, all to no avail. After nearly four months of searching, Ferb still could not convince himself that he had found The One.
As much as he loved Vanessa, he wished she had been a bit more helpful. But, she wanted him to make the choice. The only guidance he had managed to get from her was that he didn't need to break the bank on it, and it didn't have to be traditional. In fact, she liked the idea of, "Something kind of different – special."
"Like you," Ferb had agreed, stroking her cheek.
"Like us," she had corrected him with a kiss. "I can't explain it, but I'm sure you'll know it when you see it. It'll be the one that says 'Ferb and Vanessa.'"
Now, his mother was assuring him that it was no trouble at all, and he was asking, "Are you at home? Is it all right if I come over tonight?"
"Honey, it's a three hour drive," Mum had pointed out, as if he didn't know this. "You're welcome to wait till this weekend, or whenever you have time…"
"No, I'd like to get this over with," he insisted, then flinched at how that sounded. "Unless you have plans, or…"
"We'll be here," Mum said, with a fond laugh. "Take your time, be careful."
"I will," he promised. Once they ended the conversation, Ferb hurried home to the Love Nest (as Vanessa had dubbed their little bungalow) to drop off his things and give his sweetheart a quick call. She was at work, and he hoped she was in a position to answer her phone. Ferb was afraid he might have to leave a message, and was ready to swing by the store and see her in person before he hit the road, when he was greeted by a brisk but cheery, "Hey, Ferb."
"Hello, Vanessa," with a smile, he gave his usual reply. Others might have opted for "Darling" or "Baby" or "Love," but her name was so beautiful, he preferred it to any such commonplace words. "I'm on my way to Danville in a minute."
"What, tonight?" She sounded surprised.
"I'm just going by Mum and Dad's for a bit. I'll be back as soon as I can," Ferb promised.
"All right, be careful."
He caught the trace of anxiety in her tone. Ferb never meant to distress them, but it did amuse him a bit, the way the women in his life were always fussing at him to be careful. "Don't worry, I will," he reassured Vanessa now, in a tender voice. "I love you."
"Love you, too," she answered. "Text me when you head back this way, okay?"
"All right," he agreed. They ended the call with their usual overlapping flurry of "See you later," "Love," "Love," "Bye," and Ferb grabbed his car keys. Fingers crossed for his eventual success, he started up the plum and buttercream coupe and headed south for Danville.
To Be Continued…