Personally one of my most favorite songs here. I don't own Perfect, Simple Plan does (: I think that this one will be one of the longest one shot in this group. It's set right after Wilbur brings the time machine back after dropping Lewis off.
P.S I think that it's easier to find the song on and listen to it as you read the story. :D But that's just what I think.
Enjoy.
Wilbur was sitting on the couch awaiting his punishment. Both Franny and Cornelius were furious. "I don't see what the big deal is Carl. I fixed everything. I don't understand why they're so mad." Wilbur said to his robotic best friend. "They're not mad little buddy," Carl said, "They're furious. I really do pity you right now. But you have to see their point, if you wouldn't have fixed it, it would have destroyed everything that's ever happened. You parents might not have been together, you wouldn't exist and more importantly I wouldn't exist." Car said.
"Thanks for the support." Wilbur said. He hated to admit it but Carl was right. Just then Franny and Cornelius entered the room. Franny wore a very pissed off expression and Cornelius's expression was too far from Franny's. "Wilbur Robinson what were you thinking!" Franny yelled. "I was thinking that I would save dad from being killed!" Wilbur yelled back at his mother. Cornelius shot Wilbur a glare that he'd never seen before. "Don't talk to your mother like that." He snapped.
Franny took a deep breath and composed herself, "Wilbur you do understand that you need to be punished right?" Franny said. Wilbur just nodded. Franny continued, "As a punishment you will be grounded for three months and help your father clean up the garage. If you complain, you will be grounded even longer." Franny said.
Wilbur was going to whine, but thought twice about it. "Alright. That sounds fair." He said. Franny smiled and ruffled her son's hair. "Alright you'll start tomorrow morning."
XxX
Wilbur had been cleaning all day. "Hey Wilbur!" Cornelius called to his son. "Yea dad?" Wilbur called back. Cornelius appeared from behind a shelf and looked at his son, "I've got to run to the hardware store for a few minutes. I'll be right back. DON'T touch anything." Cornelius ordered. He specifically meant for him not to touch the time machine. "Alright dad." Wilbur agreed. He wasn't paying much attention to him.
Cornelius left the room with a quick 'I'll be back'. Wilbur continued to clean until he stumbled onto something interesting. It was shaped like a ball. Wilbur walked over to get a better look at the invention. He picked it up and looked at it. Hum. I wonder what this does. He thought to himself. Wilbur put his broom down and walked over to his dad's desk. He carefully sat it down so the papers wouldn't get ruined. From the looks of it, Cornelius was coming up with a new invention.
Wilbur poked the ball, but nothing happened. "Well you're just a big waste." He said to the invention. Suddenly the ball began to shake and squirted out black liquid on the table, "oh no."Wilbur said to himself. He realized what the ball was then. It wasn't a ball, it was one of his dad's new storage inventions. Whenever he got oil on the floor, he would use the ball to clean it up. The oil now covered the entire desk, Cornelius's papers included. The ball suddenly combusted and caught the desk on fire as well.
Just as Wilbur thought is life couldn't get any worse, the fire sprinklers when off and soaked the desk in water, effectively washing away any remains of the ball. Wilbur started to panic, he had just destroyed all of his father's blueprints, models, and layouts for his new invention.
"Wilbur I'm…" Cornelius stopped when he seen what had happened. Wilbur turned around and faced his father, "I'm so sorry dad! I didn't mean to!" Wilbur cried but Cornelius wasn't listening. "Wilbur! I told you not to touch anything! You didn't listen! And now look what you did!" Cornelius referred to water and ashes that lay on the desk and floor. "Do you know how close I was! You ruined everything! Why can't you just behave for one day Wilbur! One day! That's all I ask. Instead of being a menace!" Cornelius screamed.
Wilbur had tears in his eyes, Cornelius's words hurt him in more ways than his father could imagine. Wilbur didn't stick around to hear his father yell at him anymore. He had had enough. He bolted out of the garage and into the woods nearby. One song came to his mind as he ran away.
Hey dad look at me,
Think back and talk to me did I grow up according to plan?
Wilbur knew that his father hated him. He would be happy if he never existed. Maybe he should have let the Bowler Hat Guy get him after all. He was never proud of him. When Wilbur started to grow attached to Chargeball, his father tried desperately to turn him to science.
And do you think I'm wasting my time doing this that I wanna do?
But it hurts when you disapprove all along.
And now I try hard to make it,
I just wanna make you proud,
Wilbur took his frustration and hate out on a nearby tree. He punched and kicked until his hands and feet hurt.
I'm never gonna be good enough for you,
Can't pretend I'm all right,
And you can't change me.
Wilbur let the tears fall down his face as he sat with his back against the tree. He pulled his knees close and hugged them.
Cause we lost it all,
Nothing lasts forever,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect,
And it's just too late,
And we can't go back,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect.
Many memories crept into Wilbur's mind. It was one of him and his father when he was four. His father was his everything. He loved him, he loved to work with him, and his father even took him to Robinson Industries. He would spend all hours of the day with Cornelius.
I try not to think about the pain I feel inside,
Did you know that you used be my hero?
All the days you spend with me,
Now seem so far away,
And it feels like you don't care anymore.
His father never did anything. He was always away, he never spent time with him, he constantly promised to do things, but they only filled Wilbur with false hope.
And now I try hard to make it,
I just wanna make you proud,
I'm never gonna be good enough for you,
I can't stand another fight,
And nothing's alright.
Wilbur hadn't noticed that he'd been gone for five hours.
Cause we lost it all,
Nothing last forever,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect,
Now it's just too late,
And we can't go back,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect.
Wilbur could hear sound of somebody approaching him. He didn't move. Suddenly Cornelius appeared from behind a tree. "Wilbur!" he exclaimed as he ran over to his son. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean it. I was just upset." Wilbur didn't care, he couldn't help but scream/sing the next part of the song at his father.
Nothing's gonna change the things that you said!
Nothing's gonna make this right again!
Please don't turn your back,
I can't believe that it's hard to talk to you,
But you don't understand.
Wilbur ran away from his father. The chorus of the song playing in his mind.
Cause we lost it all,
Nothing lasts forever,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect,
And just too late,
And we can't go back,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect,
Cause we lost it all,
Nothing lasts forever,
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Not it's just too late,
Wilbur stopped running and whispered under his breath.
I'm sorry I can't be perfect.
XxX
Cornelius couldn't believe it. His son hated him. He didn't mean a word that he said. Franny ran up beside Cornelius, "Honey did you find him?" She said out of breath. Cornelius couldn't make a sound, He nodded. "Well where is he?" She asked. Cornelius looked at his wife, his face was full of despair. "He ran away from me Fran. He hates me." Cornelius said.
Franny placed a re-assuring hand on his shoulder, "How about I go talk to him. I'll figure it out." She said as she walked past Cornelius in search for her son.
XxX
Wilbur heard another set of footsteps, these weren't his father's though. They were lighter. "Hey mom." Wilbur said before he could even see her. Franny walked up beside him and sat down, "Wilbur what happened?" She asked. Wilbur didn't want to talk about it. The thought of it make him tear up instantly. But he knew that his mother wouldn't give up until she knew. Wilbur spent fifteen minutes explaining the while situation. "He hates me Mom." Wilbur said.
Franny stared at her son in shock, "He doesn't hate you Wilbur. How could you ever say that?" Wilbur turned to his mother, his eyes were red and his cheeks were puffy, "Because I'm not perfect! I try to be! I try EVEYTHING to please him! He thinks I'm a horrible son and I am." Wilbur cried. Franny could see the pain in her son's eyes. She pulled him close to her, "Baby. He doesn't hate you. He knows you're not perfect. Nobody is. He doesn't expect you to be perfect either. If you would have seen the way he looked after you yelled at him, you'd know. He loves you baby." Franny said.
"But I ruin everything!" Wilbur cried out. "No you don't. You're a kid and kids make mistakes, even though you do make more mistakes then most kids." Franny joked. Wilbur chuckled and Franny continued, "But he still loves you. No matter what." Franny said. Wilbur looked up at his mother, "really?" He asked. "Really." Franny said as she hugged her son one more time before they walked back to the mansion.
XxX
When Franny and Wilbur entered the house, Cornelius ran over to his son. He hugged him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. You may be a handful sometime, but you're my handful." Cornelius said as he pulled back from the hug to look at his son's face. "He's my handful too!" Franny joked as she left the room. "Of course mom." Wilbur said.
Wilbur turned to his dad, "Dad. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it either, and I'm sorry for destroying your papers and models and that invention." Wilbur said sincerely. Cornelius smiled, "It's alright. I didn't want to make that anyway." Wilbur returned his dad's smile, "Uh dad? Am I grounded?" Wilbur asked nervously. Cornelius's answer shocked Wilbur, "No. But you're still on your previous grounding now let's go get some cookies." Cornelius said as he and Wilbur walked to the kitchen to get some cookies.
I told you it'd be longer than the others :p
Anyway, Read and review! :D