A/N: I apologise for the prolonged absence, but other needs had to be tended to :) If all go's according to plan, and with a little luck on my side... I might just get published. Nothing too major. Just a oneshot of sorts in the midst of other oneshots from an array of other brilliant authors. Still, this would be such an amazing landmark for me!

Back to the important stuff. The readers. I hope you haven't been to annoyed at me, if so I apologise again. Enjoy :D

I do not own Phineas and Ferb or any character or theme affiliated with this show.

Chapter 4

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Self-proclaimed Dr. Doofenshmirtz grumbled loudly under his breath as a large robot clunked the length of the room in pursuit of a small frenzied fly. A few ill placed wires had caused NORM, the droid, to exclaim random phrases in consecution, the fly squeaking in annoyance at it's pursuer.

Heinz brought his watch close to his ear and shook it.

"They're late." he grumbled, "A Doctor of evil such as myself does not have time for late-delinquents. I have a business to run after all!"

"Hello, my name is NORM."

"Oh shut up!"

"Secretly I'm very lonely."

"Quiet, NORM!" The doctor glared colourfully at the contraption now slowing to a halt at his side. The fly sat trapped in his large meaty robotic hands, feeling thoroughly squished under the massive weight.

"What time did they say they'd be over at? Four? It's two minutes past!" and Heinz projecting into a long turbulent rant, the droid unblinking at his side.

There was a knock at the door suddenly, rousing the doctor and his creation from their preoccupations. Heinz came to the door and opened it, revealing two young men swelled with tools and blueprints under their arms. The shorter than the two offered a clutter-free hand and Dr. Doofenshmirtz shook it rather reluctantly.

"Hello, Mr. Doofenshmirtz. I'm Phineas this is Ferb, and we're you're architects for today!"

Heinz eyed the two testily, noticing with a rather uneasy feeling that they did not seemed fazed by the large robot looming over their forms, a bright ecstatic smile etched onto it's steeled face.

"Aren't you a little young to be architects? You're two minutes late and it's DOCTOR!" he ushered them in quickly, slamming the door behind them as the red haired young man said;

"Yes, yes we are. Sorry 'bout that Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Nice robot!"

"Are those slacks new? They look very flattering!"

Phineas blinked and after a moment broke out into an ear to ear grin. Heinz grumbled at the babbling contraption and aimed at its rear for a kick.

"Ignore him, he's due for the crap heap." he clapped his hands enthusiastically, "Let's get down to business before he says anything else."

The boys chuckled and allowed the doctor to show them to a large settee where they sat awkwardly before the aging man. He blinked at them.

"So?" Phineas began slowly, "What is it you'd like us to do for you?"

Heinz imagined the large statue at the top of the Googoplex Mall in his minds eye, his teeth grinding instantly together like a cement mixer. He made sure to school his features into a moderately calm one before speaking.

"I want you to destroy the statue you've built and replace it with a golden model! Someone strong, handsome brave-- me? Oh, I couldn't… but if you insist. A statue of me would do fine."

The boy who had not spoken yet, Ferb, opened his mouth to retort but his brother beat him to it. The red haired young man's eyes were set in a decisive way, mouth grim and horizontal.

"Replace it, sir? But… it was commissioned!"

"I'm prepared to pay top dollar to have it bulldozed and rebuilt. Come on now I'm only being fair. I would hate to walk up to the Mall with my daughter and have to see that horrible animal!" Heinz made a face and shuddered, "I get enough of that here."

Ferb heaved a long suffering sigh and swung a gaze to the younger sibling. Phineas looked grim, but his features loosened into those of defeat.

"Fine. What're you prepared to pay for our cooperation, Doctor?"

"Thirty-thousand dollars should do nicely. I made myself quite a little fortune earlier this week." the man with the long nose cackled.

Phineas and Ferb exchanged a glance, perturbed by this change of plans. All of their hard work was about to go to waste for the sake of a different statue to please a smelly hooked-nose man. Yet, neither of them could bring themselves refuse the cash being offered on the table. Phineas guessed his share could be quite a large advancement for his and Isabella's plans. As for Ferb he would do whatever he pleased with his cut. To them they only had one choice.

"If we decide to take you up on your offer, we'll go over the plans tomorrow and construction should start in about a week."

"He wants you to do what?" Lawrence asked aghast, his paper ignored laboriously beside him at the table. His wife sat precociously at his side, brows knitting in concern as her sons relayed their morning meeting with the Doctor.

"He wants us to blow up BP." Phineas replied in a monotonous tone, shoulders slumped as he sat at the table heavily.

"BP?" his mother echoed.

"Bronze Platypus." Ferb offered helpfully and Lynda gave an 'ah' of recognition.

"All we need to know now is whether you'll follow up on his offer." Lawrence said, placing a fist under his chin, "You can still walk away you know."

The siblings let simultaneous breaths of downfall and Ferb spoke up in a low tone, "We would be idiots to walk away from that kind of money. Thirty thousand dollars doesn't flounce our way on a regular basis."

"No. I suppose not."

Lynda seemed to be roused from her light mournful disposition as the statement her son had made rang in her head. She looked up sharply and blinked.

"Thirty what?"

"Thousand." said Ferb.

"That's a lot of money." said Lynda regretfully, "But still, you worked hard on BP only to have it demolished by some guy with more cash. It doesn't seem right."

"Well," said Phineas with conviction, "Isabella and I are going to need my cut. I don't know about Ferb but I say we do it."

Ferb nodded, "I don't really need the money at the moment but it could help in the future, and Phineas will need it. I agree."

The parents shared a quick glance, "If you're sure." said Lawrence.

So with that the boys carried on with their work, and a decided certainty in their plan. They met with Dr. Doofenshmirtz on a near daily basis, meticulously going over plans and blue prints, the doctor proving to be an old hand at following them and adding last minute details. Of course, with all the work they had been forced to partake in, neither Phineas nor Ferb had much time for anything else. Isabella and their friends, even Gretchen, had sadly been pushed to the side.

Ferb himself missed the presence of the brown haired girl whom had sat patiently with him on the top of BP, which was sentenced to demolition in the next few weeks. He spoke to her on the phone to see if she and Isabella were planning on doing anything at the weekends. Of course these were just queries as he and Phineas could not join them.

Ferb could not remember a single one of their creations taking this long, but the Doctor was always adamant about perfection, straightening this and lengthening that. It came to the point where Phineas became very short with everyone, moodily instructing the workers on which way to put up the structure. Ferb could sympathise as he always seemed to retract further into his shell whenever Heinz turned purposefully in his direction. There was just that kind of aura about the man.

"GUESS WHO?!"

Ferb sluggishly sat up from the couch at the familiar voice and the sound of a slamming door roused Phineas from his short nap on the apposite armchair. Candace, round and very much pregnant barrelled inside the room, followed at a more reasonable pace by her husband.

"Candace?" Ferb croaked uncertainly whilst rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes with the back of a hand.

"The one and only!" she chirped, "Wow, you guys look awful."

Phineas chuckled and hugged her warmly as did Ferb, "We've been working."

"No doubt." Jeremie laughed behind his wife, coming into view to shake both of the boys hands.

They all exchanged soft greetings and 'how are you's?' before Candace glomped her younger brother suddenly, threatening to knock them back onto the carpet. Jeremie and Ferb loomed over the two for fear that over Cadance's new found weight she would topple the poor boy.

"My… little… brother's-!" she wheezed with a sob, "Is… getting married!"

Phineas laughed weakly and tried desperately to unlatch himself from her grip. He felt like her nails were digging into his shoulder and should more pressure be added he was sure she would cause blood.

"Come on, Candace. Let goooooo!" he whined.

She pulled back, crying freely and rubbing her forearm across her wet and damp cheeks. Jeremie looped an arm around her shoulders with a smile.

"I'm sorry!" she hiccupped, "My hormones have me all out of whack."

"Really?" said Ferb with raised eyebrows, "I can't see the difference between un-pregnant and pregnant you."

Punch.

"OW!"

Jeremie snorted intrepidly, "Be careful what you say around her. She's got a mean right hook!"

Candace turned a pair of narrowed eyes his way and he yelped noiselessly, "What my dear husband is trying to say--"

"You're insane whilst carrying our nephew." Phineas interjected with a beam, "It's only natural sis."

"Oh, my gosh!" came a voice from the doorway and then many bodies simultaneously swamped the pregnant woman.

"CANDACE!" "How far gone are you?" "Wow, you're big!" "How's my son?" "Hehe, did you hear the news?"

The three men standing aloofly outside the circle of chatter exchanged prudent looks. Phineas could make out the form of his mother, along with Jeremie's and Isabella's in the throng. A mass of neighbours and people from Lynda's bridge game were chatting animatedly to the mother-to-be, questioning her.

"Girls scare me." Ferb admitted suddenly, and without looking at the green haired young man the other two nodded.

It was several hours before Candace was allowed to breathe and she disappeared snappishly to her room to 'freshen up' for dinner. Lynda, now buoyantly ecstatic at the thought of having her daughter over, dove into her culinary novels reverently.

The four men had physically been kicked out of the kitchen leaving Jeremie with Lawrence and Ferb upstairs with Phineas. The two brothers left to skim yet more blue prints for Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

"Ugh!" Phineas groaned, slumping across his bed, "I'm starting to think we should ask Django and his dad to help us out. This is obviously going nowhere."

Ferb nodded, "I think you may be right."

"You know the worst part of all of this?" Phineas said diversely, "I haven't been able to spend one minute with Isabella. I just want this to be over!"

"Settle down." said Ferb calmly, "How 'bout we take a break for a day or two? Heinz can hardly blame us for it." the boy rose from his lying position, "Maybe we can all go out tonight?"

"Out?" Phineas echoed with a light grimace, "I was actually hoping to stay home quietly, with Bella if possible." he shot his brother a curious look, "Why do you of all people want to go out?"

"I just think I need some fresh air. Have some diversity in my life."

"Have some Gretchen too." Phineas cooed with a shrewd grin.

"W-what?" Ferb spluttered.

"Oh, c'mon bro! I know you like her! Go for it."

"I think you are highly mistaken."

"Suuuuuure."

The slightly older boy sighed and retracted his argument silently, waving a feeble hand of surrender directed towards Phineas. The latter grinned triumphantly and stretched his hands up above his head on the bed.

Ferb rubbed his chin thoughtfully and looked up, "What about Candace though? It is her first night back. Shouldn't we… spend time with her?"

Phineas shrugged, "To be honest she'll probably be going over baby stuff with mom and dad. Do you honestly want to be present when they debate whether a beige yellow is a neutral enough colour for the nursery?" he looked at Ferb imploringly.

"No. Not really."

"We won't be missed too much." Phineas put in after a moment of thought, "I'm sure Candace won't mind."

"Yes, well…" began Ferb, crossing the length of the room to regain his charging laptop in the corner, "With her mood swings it's not entirely guaranteed that she won't kill us for skipping her arrival dinner."

"Bah, you know me," said Phineas indifferently, "I like living on the wild side of things."

"There's nothing wilder than a pregnant Candace." Ferb agreed with a firm nod.