SUMMARY: The gang is now in their late teens, but that doesn't mean everything is still smooth sailing. For six months, Phineas has been acting strangely; barely talking, hiding away, and ignoring his friends' attempts to help him. While most of them write it off as nothing major after Phineas starts interacting with them again, Ferb can't help but think his brother isn't quite how he appears to be…

PAIRINGS: Ferb/Vanessa, eventual Phineas/Isabella, Candace/Jeremy, some casual references to other pairings

RATING AND WARNINGS: Rated PG-13 for language and themes of depression

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN 'Phineas and Ferb'.

A/N: Well, my plans to write a bunch over break didn't go as planned… Ah well. This is up now, which is what counts.

-PnF-PnF-PnF-

Ferb sighed as he pulled out his cell phone to call Vanessa. Baljeet had left about ten minutes ago, but he had to practically remove Phineas from the shop by force to get the tinkerer to go get himself some lunch. Ferb knew there was a chance Phineas would just go tinker somewhere instead of actually eating, but Ferb had done what he could. If that meant also pick-pocketing Phineas' toolkit off of him, that's what it meant.

"Hey hon," Vanessa said after answering. "You wanna go get lunch at the regular place?"

"Sorry, V, but I'm not sure that's the best idea," Ferb said, glancing to the door as he talked to Vanessa.

"You had to toss Phin from the shop or there's no way he would have eaten, didn't you?" Vanessa asked, having gotten somewhat used to Phineas' refusal to eat if he was working on a project during the three months he had roomed in the apartment she and Ferb shared. "Oh, when is that boy going to learn?"

"He's not really a boy anymore, Vanessa," Ferb said. "After all, his eighteenth birthday was this summer…"

"…I wonder…"

"What?" Ferb asked, recognizing Vanessa's tone.

"I'm going to grab some lunch for us, I'll explain at the shop," Vanessa said.

"Alright," Ferb said. "See you soon, then. Don't get any speeding tickets."

"Oh, yes, because I would be the one to get ticketed, Mr. Lead Foot," Vanessa said, remembering the time she had gone with Ferb to England shortly after he got his license only for him to drag her (and Phineas) off to area that had no speed limit just so he could see how fast he could go. While Phineas had been laughing his head off (sometimes she really worried for that boy), Vanessa had been terrified.

"Love you," Ferb said before hanging up, grinning slightly. Although he had felt bad when he had found Vanessa crying in the park after her ex-boyfriend broke up with her five years ago, Ferb had secretly been just the slightest bit happy. The two had started hanging out after Ferb comforted her and walked her home, and then six months after that Ferb had finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. Phineas had joked that Ferb had broken his stoic exterior that day, but Ferb couldn't help but wonder if Phineas might have been correct. It was either that, or when Phineas broke his in four places arm three days later after hitting a tree while on his bike and falling down into a small canyon. Ferb wasn't sure which.

Ferb was pulled out his reminiscing when Vanessa parked her scooter in front of the shop, and he walked over to open the door for her. "I really don't see why my dad has any problems with you. You're such a gentleman, Ferb."

"Fathers worry about their daughters," Ferb said. "However, I do believe you had something you wanted to share?"

"It's just…" Vanessa said, unsure if she was correct with her train of thought. "When you reminded me that Phineas turned eighteen last summer, I got to thinking… I know he was depressed for a bit before his birthday, but on his birthday itself, he was almost back to 'normal', remember?"

Now that Ferb thought about it, he did remember. Phineas had been rather cheerful that day, and there times that he had practically glowed. Mostly when there was a song involved in some way. "Now I think about, I do remember… Especially when he was singing or dancing."

"What if it wasn't the music, Ferb?" Vanessa asked, glad for the first time that Ferb had ended up just an inch or two taller than her after he had hit his growth spurt. "It was when he was singing and dancing that we all were interacting the most with each other."

"…I'm having a birthday party," Ferb decided. Vanessa stared at him in question. "It's the perfect excuse to get the entire gang together. And with my birthday in only…"

"Ten days," Vanessa supplied.

"…Phineas won't be suspicious," Ferb finished. "Well, maybe just a bit, but that would be because I'm having a birthday party. Phin knows that I'm not the biggest fan of making myself the center of attention."

"Except you won't be," Vanessa said, getting where Ferb was going with this. "Oh, Ferb Fletcher, you're a genius!"

Ferb just smiled, gladly responding to Vanessa's kiss. All too soon, though, they pulled apart. "Food's getting cold."

"Then eat your lunch," Vanessa said, handing Ferb his meal. "Let's hope Candace is free, because, other than you and Isabella, she's the best at reading Phin."

-PnF-

As Ferb had thought, Phineas hadn't gone to get himself something to eat. But Ferb had been wrong in thinking Phineas had just gone someplace else to tinker; instead, Phineas had gone back to his little apartment, and was now seated on his bed with a small green leather-bound journal in his lap. Three others like it only in different colors; silver, purple, and blue, sat on his dresser. A small box was also on the bed.

Phineas read through the last couple pages in the journal, grabbing a pen to jot down a few lines on the last blank page.

Well, this makes four now. Good thing I wrote down the name of the place I got Purple from, because having a journal is actually really helpful. I've already got a new one (orange cover this time) so that's all taken care of. And on that note, Green, I finish you off.

Setting his pen down, Phineas closed the book and placed it on the table on top of the other two before grabbing a pocket knife and cutting open the tape that sealed the box. Pulling out the latest in his small set of journals, Phineas pushed the box to the side and picked up his pen before he began to write again.

A glance at the clock told him that he had a bit left before he had to head back to the shop, but it also reminded him of the date, and the fact that Ferb's nineteenth birthday was in just a week and a half. He reached out to finger the gold wrapped present delicately before resuming his writing, hoping that his brother would like the gift.

-PnF-

Ferb glanced at the clock after the third customer of the day left. It had been over two hours since he had made Phineas leave the shop, and normally the redheaded tinkerer would be back early, not late. "Phin, where are you?" Ferb muttered to himself.

Right on cue, the door opened and a sheepish Phineas entered the shop with a tentative grin. "Sorry, Ferb. Kinda got caught up in a side project, and you know how I can be with those…"

Ferb smiled despite himself, because although he could he could tell Phineas hadn't eaten, it was good to see his brother smiling and having fun, even if it wasn't as much fun as they used to have. Ferb suddenly wondered if Phineas had been down because the other inventor missed the big projects they used to do over the summer. "So, Phin, what was that side project you got so caught up in?"

"Personal," Phineas said. When Ferb couldn't help but laugh at that, Phineas gave him an evil, well, the Phineas version of evil, glare. "Not like that. It's just something that I'm working on. Alone."

At that, Ferb raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you work on projects all alone?"

"I have been for a bit now, Ferb," Phineas said before he deflated and sighed heavily. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. Can we just move the conversation along to small chat now?"

Ferb nodded. "So, what kind of music do you listen to nowadays?"

"Alternate, mostly," Phineas admitted. "Some rock, a few country songs, and a couple of pop artists… Most of that has gone down the toilet, though."

"How many of our old songs do you have on your iPod?" Ferb asked with a sly grin.

Phineas blushed faintly. "All of them. And don't laugh; I know you did the same thing!"

"Going through my stuff, are you?" Ferb asked, trying to seem intimidating.

"Yes," Phineas said nonchalantly. "Gonna do something about it?"

Ferb just fake-growled and swiped at Phineas, who dodged with more skill than Ferb thought his brother possessed. "Gonna have to do better than that, Turbo Ferbo, if you wanna catch the Phinmiester."

Ferb just rolled his eyes and went back to tiding up the chrome display. "Vanessa wanted to know if you were free for dinner tonight."

"What's she making, and is her dad gonna be there?" Phineas asked. It wasn't a hidden fact that Phineas and Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz had butted heads over their inventions.

"Lasagna and no," Ferb said. "The good doctor took a vacation in the Pacific. In fact, he called V during lunch and said he'd be coming back late if anything, not early."

"Well, I suppose I could clear up my schedule enough to go…" Phineas said, and Ferb had to grin.

It was nice to see Phineas acting more like his old self, even if Ferb had a feeling that Phineas' secrets where going to cause plenty of trouble in the future.

-PnF-PnF-PnF-

E/N: Phineas, you shouldn't keep secrets from Ferb… And, in case anyone was wondering, neither Perry nor Dr. Doofenshmirtz is actually going to physically show up in this story. They may be mentioned in passing, but not actual appearances. It just won't fit with the plot.

Review please! Offynon out!