14AmyChan: okay, I'm trying my hardest to update with good chapters, so I hope this kinda works out~! *^_^*

Phineas: she doesn't own my brother, me or any of the Phineas and Ferb characters

14AmyChan: If I did, there would be a whole lotta problems…. XD

A one year old Phineas was startled awake. He glanced around his dark room, searching for the source of the noise that had awoken him. Finally, he was able to pinpoint the whimpering of a dog just beyond the door to his room. Candy was still asleep, and he didn't want to wake up Mommy and Daddy, so he simply got out of his crib himself, unlatching the gate that Mommy used to pull him out of bed and making his way to the floor.

As soon as he was out, the toddler took tentative steps to his door. Though he wobbled, he was fairly sturdy on his feet and soon found what he was looking for. The family dog, Bucky, was sitting in a corner, as if hiding from something. Phineas, just wanting Bucky to feel better, simply grins and wobbles his way over to the dog. Once there, the child lost his balance, and promptly collapsed into the dog's fur. The entire thing seemed so silly to the child that he let out a quiet yet delighted giggle.

Soon, thunderous footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, followed by the rushed pitter patter of his mother's running. Before the child could do anything, Bucky had promptly hidden the toddler behind his furry back, quaking all the while.

"They're both in bed," a determined Linda tried to persuade the man at the top of the stairs, rubbing her arms. Phineas peeked over the dog to find that his Mommy was rubbing her arms. He vaguely wondered why they had purple handprints on them. Maybe Mommy and Daddy were playing with finger paints?

It was then that Phineas noticed that Daddy's eyes were puffy, like Mommy's were when she had been crying. Trying to make Daddy feel better, Phineas quickly made his way out from behind the dog and beamed brightly. Mommy had said before that a smile can go a long way.

But Daddy didn't seem too happy. His face contorted into one of displeasure and his lips pressed themselves into a fine line. He took a few steps toward Phineas only to be stopped by Linda's hand on his shoulder. Phineas hadn't seen his parents to upset before, and his smile faltered. Linda seemed to notice and gave her son a warm smile.

"It's time to go back to bed Phineas. Go back to your room and Mommy will tuck you in in a minute," Linda said, her voice warm and sweet as honey. Phineas hesitated but for a moment, wondering if Mommy and Daddy were really all right. He looked from one to another, as if not understanding, though the meaning of the order was all too clear to the babe.

"Do as you're told, Phineas," the man spoke, holding the child's door open. Feeling dejected, Phineas slowly wobbled his way to his room. When he had made it inside, the door behind him slammed shut, and the poor baby was sent headfirst into the floor.


Phineas jolted awake, once again fearful of a nightmarish memory. He covered his eyes with his hand. That was the night mom had thrown dad out. The boy had received a hit to the head, and it could have been worse, but the mere fact that a father had hurt his own son out of pure anger and frustration was the last straw. His mother had filed for a divorce two days after she had kicked him out. Candace had been confused for a while, but she had eventually understood and moved on with her life.

Phineas shook his head, clearing out the nightmare and focusing on what he needed to think about today. He glanced over to his desk only to find someone else sitting at his desk and reading the letters.

Ferb is reading all three letters carefully, scrutinizing over one before turning to the other, then turning back to each letter individually. Phineas looked to Ferb's side and noticed that the green haired teenager had already brought in a notebook and was taking notes on each letter. It had always helped Ferb solve problems to write out what he was thinking. Soon enough, Ferb turned around only to come eye-to-eye with his brother. He instantly seemed ashamed.

"Sorry, Phin. You weren't answering your door and you slept in, so I wanted to see if you'd found anything," Ferb explained concisely. He then looked back at the letters, his eyebrows furrowing themselves together in confusion. "But it seems as if something of a completely different matter has come out."

"I don't think it is, Ferb," Phineas contradicted. He got out of bed and began to prepare for the day, explaining all the while. "I was about to toss the first one out, when the second one told me to go back and re-read the first one. So I did and it was really crazy to read. I mean, who from out of the tri-state area knows I exist? Or even that I've been looking for Isabella for so long? And why send a letter just to ask me to come to some girl's birthday party?"

"You're a popular guy, Phin," Ferb supplied a simple answer, though both knew it was not simple a matter of popularity. There was more to it that that and they both knew it. Ferb picked up the last letter.

"What about this one? You know he could be around somewhere…" Ferb pointed out, noticing that Phineas had an uncontrollable shiver when that man was mentioned. Only this time, the young lad rubbed his head tenderly, as if it had been hit recently. He then shook it.

"That guy has nothing to do with me," Phineas said, a fierce determination washing over his eyes. "My dad is Lawrence Fletcher, the man who raised me and has been there for me my entire life. This guy has no right to come and try to talk to me now."

"But he thinks he does," Ferb pointed out, waving the letter as evidence. He looked at it again. "Phineas, why does this matter so much? We're not actually going to California, are we?"

The look in Phineas' eyes told him he had every intention of going. Ferb sighed. He should have known. Phineas began to walk around the room to start packing, starting with clothes and eventually packing away some tools that he could use to aid him in his search.

"And why, pray tell, are we going?" Ferb asked, already having committed himself to going with his brother, if only to keep him out of trouble. Phineas zipped his suitcase.

"Because I have a feeling that she's there, Ferb," Phineas said. He walked over to his desk and picked up the two letters by D.I.G. "I don't trust this guy, but there's a feeling that I can't explain, and it's telling me that she's there."

"But you do know that man could be there as well, don't you Phineas?" Ferb asked, simply assuring himself that Phineas was dead-set on his course. However, the boy stopped in his tracks, making sure that he knew what he was doing. Yes, that man could be there. He could hurt Phineas again, and therefore his family. If he got angry enough, he could even take it out on innocent passerby.

But if she were there… If there was a hope that she could be somewhere in Santa Ana, California… Phineas stood still and weighed his choices. Go to California to continue a six-year-long manhunt, or stay in Danville to remain safe. Phineas walked over and grabbed his suitcase.

"It's worth the risk, Ferb… She's worth the risk," Phineas explained to his brother, his eyes pleading with him to let the boy go.

Ferb looked at his brother and knew it would be impossible—yes, impossible—to keep him in Danville. Also, he saw something that had slowly been dying for the past six years roar to life in his brother's eyes. Hope. And Ferb knew he would do anything to help keep the hope alive, even go the distance to California. The Brit sighed with a smile.

"Right, so when do we leave?" Ferb asked as he turned to begin packing. Phineas grinned—a true, heartfelt, genuine grin—as he ran up and hugged his brother. Ferb returned the hug, grateful to have some of his brother back.

"Ferb," Phineas announced as he let go of his brother and ran back into his room. He returned with an old blueprint and a few pencils. "I know what we're going to do today!"


A teenaged girl woke up to her sunny room. Her head began to pound heavily. Though she had always had that problem, it was slowly but steadily getting worse. Even more awful were the dreams. It was almost as if she had created an entire childhood for herself that she could not remember.

She shook the thoughts out of her raven-haired brain and proceeded to get ready for the day. It was so weird though… There was a kid with a funny head, another kid with funny green hair, and even a mother and a dog. But there couldn't be—

"Ana!" her father called from the kitchen downstairs, his call signifying that breakfast was ready.

"Coming, dad!" the girl responded before shaking her head, opening her sapphire eyes, attempting to ignore the pounding in her head, and walking out the door past a small pink dog bed. The beautifully embroidered name tag was blank.

14AmyChan: who is that man? Who is this girl? We still don't know who the initials are. Will I stop giving you cliffhangers?

Phineas: I can already answer that one

14AmyChan: but, alas, this chapter has drawn to a close and I humbly ask you all to kindly read and review~! *^_^*