I now present the third installment of More Than A Platypus. Voilà! Even though Candace is my favorite character in the series, this took me quite a while to write. Her relationship with Perry the Platypus is rather complicated.

Disclaimer: Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh own Phineas and Ferb.

Candace Flynn

Not everyone would be an animal person. At least Candace Flynn wasn't. She'd been stampeded by all the domesticated animals in the Tri-State Area once. And stampeded by all the cows another time. She had blamed Phineas and Ferb for both happenings. Whose fault could it be? The day five years ago when the Flynn-Fletchers adopted Perry from the O.W.C.A. Animal Rescue Shelter also wasn't Candace's favorite day. A cat had took a gander at Phineas; a dog had fancied Ferb. But not even a single fish would even look at Candace. They finally decided on the platypus in the bottom cage because his blank gaze had always rested on the two brothers simultaneously. Candace's opinion didn't get two cents worth. Even if she was the eldest child, it was two-to-one in adopting Bartholomew.

She had thought Perry, Bartholomew before he was renamed, was rather bland. "He's just a platypus. They don't do much." And when Candace had a pet of her own, she had attempted to keep Perry as far away as possible, to avoid having his blandness rub off. Shoving him aside with her foot gave Perry another reason to dislike Candace. But he was instead more grateful that Phineas and Ferb were his owners, for if he was Candace's pet, Mr. Cutie Patootie is what they would have called him, and he would have been her adorable little doll to dress up in frilly dresses with matching fancy shoes. He had ridiculed the name and no one could blame Perry, Mr. Cutie Patootie was one of the most comical names to give a pet. Yet it was Candace's perfect name for a lagomorph (or hare, rabbit, bunny), but Mr. Cutie Patootie never stayed with Candace for more than a day. He was never dedicated to be a pet, unlike Perry.

His real name was actually Dennis; like Perry, he had a secret identity. He was a rogue agent. Dennis didn't deserve to have a caring owner, unless being forced into dainty pink dresses was a punishment. Candace was disappointed when Mr. Cutie Patootie disappeared and was taken away by Major Monogram incognito, but at least Perry was still there. Perry was always there at the end of the day, announcing his arrival by his signature chatter.

Candace didn't dislike Perry, she just disliked being disturbed, irritated, and annoyed. Perry just sometimes got tangled in her hair. Candace would overact at times, she was a high-strung teenager, of course. Once she took Perry outside after tripping over him at say... 3:38 am and left him there for the rest of the night. The next morning, Perry didn't show up for breakfast like he always did, leaving Phineas and Ferb worried sick. It wasn't Candace's fault like she thought. It had nothing to do with her, but everything about Perry's career as a master fighter of evil. Perry just had to be relocated to the Quad-State Area and reassigned a new villain. But she went around town searching for their platypus anyways, yet with no prevail.

It was music that attracted Perry. Phineas' song had touched Perry's little platypus heart. Candace had volunteered to sing a verse, and was known as Larry afterwards. Perry couldn't just leave them, not after all they'd done for him, not after all the love they showed to him, so he dealt with The Regurgitator in one swift move. Just to stay with his true family that adored him dearly; to keep Dr. Doofenshmirtz as his one and only nemesis.

Perry's relationship with Candace was just plain weird. It could have been agreed. They understood each other in a way that the boys didn't know. Candace knew how it felt to be a platypus and Perry knew how it felt to be a teenage girl: both were something the boys would probably never know. Not that they enjoyed the experience, but it was a step up in terms of empathy between the two. They would have preferred not to know how awkward having short, little legs or a freakishly long neck would be like, but they did. Phineas and Ferb had built teleports, which unbeknownst to them at first, had the potential of switching brains.

There are rare instances in which Candace was a tad more friendly towards Perry. She might have been in a good mood that day or because her boyfriend had promoted the idea of caring for animals. Perry had not wanted to be in that pet wash; neither did Candace, but Jeremy was a good enough reason for her. He had somewhere to be, so he made it difficult. He attempted to squirm, fidget, and wriggle out of her grip. With much exertion, Candace subdued herself from lashing out at the platypus, grinding her teeth in frustration instead.

Candace was also the only one in his host family who saw Perry as Agent P, besides Stacy who wasn't related. Stacy had promised never to reveal Perry's secret while Candace was under no obligation, but who would believed her if she had told? Not her mother, nor her father would. The girl convinced herself that she was crazy and unpredictable (which she was to some extent) so she was also convinced that it was all an hallucination, that Perry was a secret agent who had saved her from danger (even though it was true). Candace did know a zebra whom called her Kevin; that was when she was still sane. Doofenshmirtz had saw her as a crazy sea hag, with seaweed plastered on her. He was most likely scarred for life that day.

Candace and Perry-they were family but it was tough love: being cruel to be kind. She loved Perry, she really did, Candace just never had the time or patience to express it. Obviously, she was, bluntly, terrible with animals. She had described Perry as an ugly, smelly meat brick. Perry knew only a select few receive the affection of Candace Flynn. She would give as it was needed, so he usually didn't bother. Candace would show attention to Perry occasionally. She would have her Mom Suit ready if Perry did ever laid an egg. Then a thought dawned on her with all that has happened: Perry was more than a platypus.

How was that? By the way, reviews always make my day, just so you know. *wink wink nudge nudge*

~Fyrvi