Linda and Phineas entered the shop and were greeted by Lawrence. Ferb very carefully manoeuvred himself around and paused to admire a piece his parents had for sale. "Please be caref-Ferb?" Lawrence said as he noticed his son and came over to him. "What happened son? Are you all right?" Ferb shrugged his shoulders and looked helplessly at the ground. "Come, come." Lawrence directed his son to a plush chair he could sit in. As the teen gingerly took a seat, his father came back with an ottoman and placed his son's leg on top.

Lawrence took the crutches behind the counter so no one would trip on them. "Couldn't quite decide what to wear today?" Lawrence said with a smile as he noticed his son wearing a button shirt and long soccer shorts. Ferb shook his head. "How did this happen?" His father inquired. Linda spoke up for her step-son. "He was skiing on a Quad Black Diamond run." She replied and shook her head. "We had a whole summer planned out. A trip to the lake, camping... Of all the dangerous, stupid..." She cut herself off when she noticed Ferb cover his face with his hands.

Phineas wandered over and stood beside his brother. "It's okay Mom. I'll help him out with anything he needs." He said and smiled. "Ferb. I never did ask you... how was your trip?" The Fletcher lad sat in the chair, shook his head and choked out. "Dreadful. I just want to go home." Linda shook her head. "Well, I've got errands I need to run. You can either come with me or you can stay here and your father will drive you home after work." Ferb looked over to his father. "The boys can stay with me for the rest of the afternoon. Just run along, and well catch up with you at home later, love."

Ferb took a couple of deep breaths then looked at his brother. "I'm sorry Phin. You probably have a dozen or more projects you wanted to work on this summer." It was the red-head's turn to shrug his shoulders. "I was actually hoping that you had a project or two you wanted to work on." Ferb looked directly at his brother and raised an eyebrow. "Nothing on the scale you're used to." He replied. Phineas came down to eye level with Ferb. "What do you have in mind bro?" He said with a smile that felt more genuine than any other he offered that day. The green-haired teen shook his head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. I can help a bit with your projects."

Lawrence came out from the back room. "Boys, could you do me a favour? I need some of these pieces cleaned up." Phineas stood up straight and tried to pull Ferb to his feet only to have him pull his hand out of Phineas'. "Crutches." Ferb said as if that was the most obvious answer in the world. Lawrence brought the crutches over and led the boys into the back room.

On a table were a set of old wind-up toys. "These need to be cleaned up and spot painted."

For the next few hours Ferb and Phineas cleaned, oiled, painted and fixed up the old metal toys. "I wish I had toys like this to play with when I was growing up." Phineas said. Ferb shrugged in response. The younger brother continued. "How about you Ferb? Don't you wish you had toys like this?" Ferb glanced up from the toy he was cleaning. "I still have some like this... they're at my grandparents' house. A whole set of 1950s racing cars." Phineas looked open-mouthed at his brother. "Why did you never bring them over?" Ferb smiled. "My grandfather said they belong in my room, for when I'm over. I don't play with them any more, I do however..." Ferb trailed off. "Yes?" Phineas encouraged him to continue. As the middle child concentrated on the piece in his hands, he finished his thought. "I research the type of engines the vehicles had and try to re-design them so that they're superior to anything currently available."

Phineas put the toy he was cleaning down. "I don't quite understand what you're saying." Ferb leaned back and stretched. "I'm working with a couple of automobile designers, we've come up with a V8 engine that's smaller, more efficient and more powerful than anything else on the market. It's still in the design stage. They want to build a prototype within the next year and have it available for production shortly thereafter." Phineas looked in awe at his brother. "You're working on prototypes?" Ferb nodded. "For a few years now. I also work on concept pieces. For example I've got what I've termed the 'Cone of Silence'. I've got a small transmitter and receiver that emit a high frequency and the wearer can't hear or be heard until the field is turned off. That comes in handy when studying for exams... or when I want to be alone." He chuckled slightly.

Phineas' eyes went wide. "Do you have that with you?" Ferb nodded and indicated what appeared to be a pin placed backwards on the underside of his collar. He then pressed a button on his watch and the pin flashed blue. Then, to Phineas, it appeared as if Ferb was talking but he couldn't hear anything. After a few minutes, Ferb, who was in fact giving a full description of how he built the device, pressed the button on his watch again. "... and that's how it works." Ferb said. "Can I take a look at that?" Phineas asked slowly. Ferb removed the pin from his collar and placed it in his brother's hand, he then pressed the button on his watch.

Phineas' jaw dropped, his eyes went wide and he smiled broadly. Ferb turned the device off and replaced the pin onto his collar. "That's amazing Ferb. What made you come up with that idea?" Ferb looked to the table, took a breath and sighed. "There are some classmates who are not well versed in the art of silent study time."

Ferb returned his attention to painting the toys. On one he found the faint outline of where there used to be some detailing. He grabbed his crutches, stood up and went to the front of the store. "Dad? Do you have a book on those toys?" Lawrence looked to his son. "Why's that? Is there a problem?" Ferb shook his head. "If you don't have a book, do you have..." He was cut off when his father handed him a large volume. Ferb tucked the book under his arm and manoeuvred back to the table in the back.

"Can you take this?" Ferb asked Phineas indicating the book under his arm. The red-head looked at his brother. "How... how...?" He couldn't find the words he wanted to articulate his thought. The Fletcher lad grinned. "This isn't the first time I've been on crutches." The Flynn in the room shook his head and looked as though he might cry. Ferb sat and started flipping through the book. "Help me look this up." He said seriously.

Ferb waved his hand in front of his brother's eyes. Phineas blinked. "Right." He said as he shook his head. "Hey, Ferb. Isn't this the one you're working on?" Phineas said as he pointed to a picture of a blue car with silver and red detailing. Ferb examined the picture and the piece, he then nodded. He reached for the paints then with a concentration and precision reserved for bomb defusers and surgeons proceeded to draw in the details from the picture.

As Ferb finished with the silver lines he stretched his arms back. "I need a drink. I'm going to the coffee shop, want one?" Phineas had barely done anything in the past half hour, he was watching how his brother worked. The look of concentration on his face, the way his eyebrows creased together and his deftness of hand. It was official, Phineas was jealous. He could never work on such minute detailing for any length of time. He looked at the toys on the table and the look of satisfaction in his brother's eyes. "You like working on small projects don't you." He inquired. Ferb blinked, nodded and hobbled away.

Ferb exited his parents' antique store and made his way down the street towards the coffee shop.

A group of four girls were coming out of a clothing store, two had bags in hand. They were walking and talking about everything and nothing when the tall brunette noticed a familiar, long-time friend who she's not seen in months. "Ferb!" Adyson called out and ran towards him. She collided with him, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. Out of pure shock, Ferb dropped the crutches and grabbed onto her in order to stay upright. He moved his face away from hers and broke the kiss he didn't return. The rest of the girls came over. "Hey Ferb." They all said in turn. Ginger bent down and picked up the crutches, tapped him on the shoulder and handed them back to him. "Here you go."

Ferb gratefully took the crutches and leaned on them. "When did you get back?" Gretchen asked as she came up beside him. "Just a few hours ago." He said. "So, where are you headed?" Isabella inquired. "Coffee shop." He replied. "Great! We'll join you." Adyson said and clutched onto his arm. Although Ferb had experience walking on crutches with a girlfriend holding his hand, he didn't think of Adyson that way; she's just a friend. "Adyson, please." He started "I need two arms to manoeuvre."

The girls walked with Ferb to the coffee shop. "Sit here." Adyson encouraged indicating the plush chairs near the fireplace, as she practically pushed him into one.

Up at the counter, the girls were arguing about what drink to get him when Gretchen stepped away from the group and came up to him. "Ferb? What drink would you like?" She asked with a smile. Ferb squinted at the overhead menu. "Iced tea will be fine. Let me get you some money for that." He replied as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. The short brunette patted him on the hand. "Don't worry about it. We'll cover you." She said and walked back to the girls.

The four girls came back after a couple of minutes with drinks and treats for the five of them. "You didn't have to..." Ferb started before an iced tea was placed in his hand. "Thank you." He finished. Adyson couldn't stop looking at Ferb's casted leg. "So, what happened? It's nothing serious I hope." She said. Ferb raised an eyebrow and looked at her when Ginger piped up "It's obviously broken or it wouldn't be casted. It probably hurts something fierce. Judging by the fact that it's a full leg cast the break would either be part of the femur or," She turned to look at Ferb "there are multiple fractures of the tibia and fibula as well." He nodded.

Phineas walked in and after getting himself a coffee came over to sit with the girls and his brother. "Hey, bro. Nice entourage." He joked. Ferb sneered at him and held his gaze for a moment before looking away. Isabella smiled at the newcomer. "So, have you two decided on a project or two?" Ferb shrugged his shoulders and Phineas responded. "Nothing yet. Though how about tomorrow we welcome Ferb back properly. We'll have a concert, dance and barbecue in the backyard." Ferb shook his head. Adyson traced his ear with her finger. "Come on, it'll be fun." Ferb batted at her hand. "Adyson, I've got a girlfriend." He lied.

Isabella tried to change the topic of conversation. "So, you're back for the summer?" Ferb nodded. "Then you're going back to England?" She asked. Again Ferb nodded. "Yes, I go back home at the end of the summer break."

Adyson looked at Ferb. "You hugged me." Isabella, Gretchen and Ginger looked to each other with worried expressions on their faces. They're not sure how or when it happened, but somehow Adyson got it in her head that she was Ferb's girlfriend... or at least more than a friend to him. Ferb turned to face her. "You are the one who rushed up to me, kissed me and knocked the crutches out from under me. I grabbed onto the first thing I could. I didn't care if it was a lamp post, you or Buford. I had purely a reflex reaction." He told her matter-of-factly. "But, but... Ferb." Adyson said. Ferb shook his head. "Maybe I should have let you knock me to the ground." He said and rested his head against the back of the chair.

Phineas finished his coffee. "I guess we'll see you girls tomorrow?" He said with a grin. Isabella looked at him with a dreamy expression. "Sure thing Phineas." Ferb rolled his eyes Some things never change. He thought, then picked up his crutches and stood up. The shorter brother moved a chair out of the way. "You said this isn't the first time you've been on crutches?" Ferb shook his head. "I play rugby and football; ankle and knee injuries are common." He said as he backed into the door to open it and stepped out.