Author's Note: This is the chapter where it's significant that it's 2012. You'll all see why. Enjoy!


Phineas, after riding the city bus to his and his brother's off-campus apartment, found that Ferb was already sitting at the dining table, making a shopping list of things he would need for his classes.

"How did you beat me?" Phineas asked.

"I rode my bike. There is a bike path that runs directly from Tri-state Polytechnic to our street," Ferb replied.

Phineas smacked his forehead with sudden remembrance. "Oh, that's right. That's why we looked for an apartment in this building to begin with. I guess I shouldn't have left my bike at our parents' house, huh?"

Ferb nodded his head in agreement and continued to write down the supplies he would need.

Phineas, figuring now would be a good time to tell Ferb about his deal with Professor Lynch, suggested, "Ferb, you may want to add a few dozen industrial-grade electromagnets to the list."

Ferb paused, looked up at Phineas with subtle amusement, and patiently waited for the explanation. Phineas explained what had happened between him and his professor in his physic class, and explained why they now needed to build an electromagnetic horizontal launching rail and a launch vehicle to go with it on Saturday morning. The whole time, Ferb shook his head in disbelief.

"So," Phineas summarized, "Just to make it clear: I am not doing this just to get my grade back; I am doing this to prove to Professor Lynch that creativity is not something that should be stifled, but celebrated. So what do you say, Ferb, are you in?"

Ferb nodded and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Great! Now where should we build it? It's not like we can built something that big on top of our apartment building." Phineas's eyes brightened. "Or can we?"

Ferb playfully shoved Phineas to stop him from pursuing that thought.

Phineas got the hint. "Okay, how about in our old backyard? I'm sure mom and dad won't mind. In fact, they might like meeting one of my professors."

It was obvious from Ferb's expression that he was not fully convinced, so Phineas added, "I can pick up my bike while we're there. And then we can ride to and from school together every day."

Ferb agreed to that, happy that Phineas would be exercising more.

Phineas continued, "So today is Wednesday, which means we only have two more days of school to get through before our next project. I can't wait!" He looked at Ferb's shopping list. "Does that have everything we need?" Ferb nodded. "Good, now let's get the shopping over with."


The next day, Phineas decided to ask around about what Professor Lynch likes.

"I don't know, but it's definitely not any of his students," one of his calculus classmates answered.

"Nothing," said another, "Wait! Aren't you the kid from yesterday who-"

"He likes causing nervous breakdowns," replied a particularly frazzled student in his Engineering 101 class, "I had him last year, and that's why I'm retaking my entire first year of college."

Phineas was sitting in the library during his lunch break, frowning at the notes he had taken. "None of this helps me at all," he whispered to himself. Then, significantly louder, he frustratedly asked, "Doesn't anybody know something good about Professor Lynch?"

He immediately slapped his hand over his mouth as the librarian shushed him harshly. He decided that now would be a good time to leave. He mouthed "Sorry" to the librarian as he left, but she just glared at him.

As he walked towards the shade of a tree in front of the library, he heard a feminine voice from behind: "You sure know how to make friends."

Phineas turned around to see that a female student, probably a few years older that him, had followed him out of the library.

She continued, "You've ticked off two teachers, a professor and a librarian, in two days, and you don't seem to be doing it on purpose. That takes skill."

Phineas scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I didn't mean to, I'm just unlucky, I guess."

She chuckled. "You want to know about Professor Lynch, right?" Phineas nodded. "Then you can't be completely unlucky, because I think I have the information you're looking for."

For the next few minutes, she told Phineas about Professor Lynch. Lee Lynch was born on the Australian Island of Tasmania in 1947, where his family worked in a family-owned orchard. He loved learning, especially about outer space. By age 16, he had finished grade school and started working for his father full-time. However, with dwindling apple harvests all over the island, and the space race between the Americans and the Soviets in full-swing, he immigrated to the United States of America with the hope of becoming an astronaut.

He easily obtained a student visa and was accepted into the California Institute of Technology. He studied hard, learning everything he could that would make him the perfect candidate for NASA's space program. With a master's degree in mathematics and his recently-acquired citizenship, he moved to Texas and applied to NASA's training program. Against all odds, he was accepted into the training program.

After two years of hard work in the training program, he and several others waited anxiously in a poorly-lit room for their results.

In 1973, at the age of 26, Lee Lynch was rejected from NASA's space program. According to the report, he lacked any measurable hand-eye coordination.

Deeply saddened by the results, he went to a bar and got drunk for the first time in his life. He had had beer before, but he couldn't stop himself that night. In his drunken stupor, he got into a fight with another man at the bar. The man turned out to be one of the people who was accepted into NASA earlier that day.

The man was only 18 years old and was taking advantage of the fact that Texas had just lowered their drinking age earlier that year. He and Lee had never seen eye-to-eye, but that night it had reached a climax. They were both arrested, but the man was released when he explained that he was an astronaut. Lee was released a day later with a small fine.

Lee was angry. In just one day, he had gained a disdain for ambitious teenagers of which he could not let go. He swore to never get drunk again, but was never able to get rid of the disdain he now had. It grew in him as he earned a doctorate in mathematics and was full blown hatred by the time he had a doctorate in physics. He became a professor with the sole purpose of beating the dreams out of his students.

"Wow," Phineas said. He was shocked. "That's awful."

The woman nodded. "It's sad isn't it? He actually ended up getting married in 1977 and raised a family with his wife, but they are the only kids he even puts up with."

"Well that's too bad," Phineas said, "He seemed like such a nice- Wait a minute! How in the world do you know all of this?" Phineas was actually a little freaked out now.

The woman laughed. "Oops, I guess I forgot to mention my name." She held out her hand to Phineas and introduced herself, "I am Lexie Olivia Lynch, and Lee Lynch is my father."

Phineas slowly shook Lexie's hand. "You're his daughter?"

"Yep, and I want to help you help my dad."

"Why?"

"Honestly, I just want to hear him laugh. Not laughing at people like he does now, but with people, or just because he's happy. My mom, who knew him from his days at Caltech, told me that he had an infectious laugh."

Phineas was thoroughly intrigued. "Anything else?"

She thought. "My mom also said that he loved to sing."

Phineas jumped up. "Perfect!" he exclaimed, "I just got an amazing idea for Saturday. Would you like to be involved?"

"Of course!"

"Great!" Phineas quickly scribbled down two addresses and a phone number on a scrap of paper and handed it to Lexie. Pointing to each one, he explained. "Come to this address this afternoon where I'll explain my plan to you and my brother, Ferb. Bring your father to this other address at noon on Saturday, and this is my cellphone number in case you have any questions. Okay?"

She looked it over quickly. "Got it."

"I have to go to my next class now, so I'll see you later this afternoon," he said as he ran across the courtyard to his next class.


That afternoon, Phineas again rode the bus to his apartment, only to find that both Lexie and Ferb had beaten him there.

"How did you beat me here?" he asked Lexie.

"Ferb showed me a bike path that leads directly to your apartment complex," she replied, "Why don't you use it?"

Phineas looked at Ferb. "Really Ferb?" Ferb just stared at him innocently.

After an hour or so, Lexie had told the story of her father to Ferb, and Phineas had shared his plan with Ferb and Lexie.

"Sounds like a plan," Ferb said as Phineas finished speaking.

"I'm in too!" Lexie blurted.

Phineas clasped his hands together. "Awesome! Lexie, we'll see you Saturday. Ferb, let's call up Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and everyone else."

Ferb cleared his throat to get Phineas's attention.

"Fine," Phineas said, "We'll do our homework first."


Author's Note: Review please! Or wait until the last chapter is up tomorrow morning and then review. Your choice.