Long Shadows
Chapter 7: …The Storm
A/N: This is the second to last chapter. After this I will be focusing mainly on the prequel to this story entitled "When Lawrence Met Linda" but I will also be working on finishing up "Who I Am Inside" and hopefully I will also be able to post a sequel to this story concurrently with the prequel entitled "Fifth Grade Belongs to Us" which will focus on the gang after the school year starts.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you everyone for your reviews, keep them coming.
"Go Fish!" Isabella said with a triumphant smile directed at Phineas after he'd asked if she'd been in possession of any queens.
Phineas picked up a card from the deck and grinned at Isabella "It's a Queen!" he proclaimed, proudly showing her the card "My turn!" Phineas turned to Ferb "Got any fours?"
Instead of replying Ferb stared wide-eyed at something over Isabella's shoulder. The cards slipped from his hands and even though two fours were left clearly visible on the ground, neither Phineas nor Isabella followed Ferb's horrified gaze.
There, sneaking around the corner of the house into the back yard was Diana.
Phineas was on his feet in a second "MOM! DAD!" he cried out.
Lawrence and Linda hurried out the back door at the sound of Phineas's terrified shriek. But by the time they'd arrived Diana had swiftly crossed the lawn and was holding the redhead by the shoulder, the knife in her hand hovering dangerously close to his throat "All you kids in the house now!" she commanded.
Isabella and Ferb obeyed silently
XXX
Mittens had been right about Perry's reaction to the NAI order. The only thing they could do was wait now. Things got significantly worse when Mittens spotted Diana approaching the house. He had motioned Perry over to him, knowing that he would have to keep just as close tabs on the other animal secret agent as he would now have to keep on the children lest Perry blow his cover.
When Diana brandished her knife and ordered everyone into the house Perry nearly bolted after her. Mittens was tempted to let him go. But his duties as a secret agent made him grab on tight to the platypus's tail and hold him there.
If looks could kill then Mittens would have been reduced to cheap kitty litter under the glare that Perry gave him at that moment. So much was said in that one look.
Of course Mittens didn't understand, Mittens would never understand what it was like to have a warm home with a loving family and vibrant children who you would give your life to protect. Perry struggled to get free but Mittens would not let him go.
Perry let out a defeated chatter and slumped to the ground. Mittens, still keeping a tight hold on the platypus in case this was some sort of trick (he would not have put it past Perry at that moment) began mewing reassurances to the monotreme.
XXX
"Lawrence, close the shades!" Linda ordered as she shoved Phineas inside the house.
Lawrence, his hands up in surrender and his heart racing did as he was told "Now Diana…" he began hesitantly "There's no need to do anything drastic…"
"Shut up!" she spat as she hoisted Phineas under one arm "Don't think I won't kill him!"
"Don't…" Linda whispered as Lawrence moved to stand beside her "Please… please don't hurt him…"
Ferb stared up at his biological mother with utter terror and disgust. He dared not move nor speak even a single word, his eyes transfixed on his brother's pale face. Phineas was crying silently and Ferb had no doubt that his brother truly believed he was about to die.
"Now Diana," Lawrence began, hazarding a tentative step in his ex-wife's direction "We can talk this out, there's no need to hurt anyone."
Diana stared at him with cold eyes before looking down at where Linda was now cuddling Ferb to her as she attempted to shield him with her body "You," she growled at Linda "I'll trade with you, your son for mine."
This was a deal that Ferb was more than ready to accept but Linda held him tight, keeping him behind her as she stood to face Diana "They are both my sons," she replied evenly. "Please, if any part of you has any memory of what it truly means to be a mother, you'll let Phineas go and leave?" Linda's voice was shaky as she spoke, keeping her eyes glued on Phineas while she pled with Diana.
Diana was struck at that moment by realization and clarity. She looked first to the terrified child in her arms and at the knife in her hand. Then she looked at her son who peered out from behind Linda. The other woman felt the need to shield Ferb, to protect him from Diana. Diana had the brief realization that she was the true monster here. Her grip loosened on the knife and it fell from her hands.
She dropped Phineas to the floor with a thud "I…" she began "I'm so…" but the moment of clarity didn't last long. She grabbed for the knife again. Thankfully by this time Phineas was also behind his mother and Ferb was hugging him tightly.
Diana glared at Linda "This," she gestured wildly around with the knife "This is all your fault, you WHORE!"
She turned to Lawrence, fury blazing in her eyes "How could you fall for such a cheap slut?"
"Now, just a minute Diana…" Lawrence stepped forward so that he was in front of Linda, shielding her and the boys "I don't think you're being entirely fair…"
"Oh, aren't I?" she countered. She pointed the knife directly at him "You took my son from me! You left the country! And you remarried!"
She drew her arm back and looked as though she was about to strike her ex-husband directly in the chest. "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you!"
Phineas and Ferb covered their eyes. Isabella who was curled up on the floor in a corner let out a tiny gasp. But Linda, in a feat that can only be described as fueled entirely by adrenaline, pushed her husband to the side and kicked high enough that she struck Diana's hand causing her to drop the knife. "Don't touch my family," Linda seethed.
Diana's eyes flared with fury. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled out a gun "Don't mess with me bitch!" she screamed.
"Linda!" Lawrence pulled his wife down beside him and together they shielded the children.
All three youngsters were crying now.
XXX
The house was surrounded with police officers when Jeremy pulled up. Candace jumped out of the car, hyperventilating as she rushed towards the front door.
An officer blocked her path "Excuse me miss," he said in a stern tone.
"That… that's my house…" Candace breathed as Jeremy and Stacy came up on opposite sides of her.
"What's going on?" Stacy asked with wide eyes as she placed a comforting hand on Candace's shoulder.
"Move along kids," the officer told them.
Candace began to shake and Jeremy wrapped an arm around her "But… but that's my house!" she screamed, trying to make the officer understand "My parents and my brothers…"
The officer looked at Candace and realization struck him. Sympathy filled his face "Approximately fifteen minutes ago a woman who identified herself as Diana Fletcher entered the residence and took the family members hostage," he told her. "We arrived after being informed of the situation by a little girl who was released by the hostage taker," he indicated Isabella who was ten feet away, wrapped up in her mother's arms and sobbing.
Candace ran towards Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro "Isabella," she breathed, kneeling down beside the sobbing girl "What happened...?"
Isabella managed to look up at Candace "She… she's got a gun…" Isabella replied before burying her face in her mother's shoulder again.
"Mom, Dad, Phineas, Ferb?" Candace asked frantically "Are they…?"
"They're not hurt," Vivian Garcia-Shapiro answered Candace "Candace, you need to get back and let the police do their jobs," Vivian looked incredibly pale as she cradled her daughter in her arms.
Candace felt her knees giving out. She started to descend towards the ground only to have Jeremy catch her and lead her back to where his car was parked. "I'm here for you Candace," he told her. They were the only words he could possibly think of to say at that moment.
"What if something happens to them…?" Candace whispered as Jeremy held her.
Stacy disappeared for a moment and reappeared holding a bottle of water that she'd borrowed from a neighbor. She offered it to Candace "Here," she offered.
Candace took the bottle gratefully and hesitantly sipped at it. She slumped into Jeremy's arms and let her eyes drift closed as the tears came. She could still remember all those years ago, standing outside of an apartment building, waiting on pins and needles, worrying about the well being of a loved one.
But back then it had been different, back then she'd had Mom and Ferb with her. This time she was separated from her family. So she clung to Jeremy with everything she had and waited, praying that she would receive the same sort of good news she'd gotten that day long ago.
XXX
Lawrence and Linda stood in front of their boys, holding hands as they faced Diana. The boys were shaking as they peered out from behind their parents. Ferb whispered something to Phineas who shook his head and clung on to his brother for dear life.
"Now, the only question remaining is which of you I kill first," Diana snarled at her ex-husband and his wife.
"Please," Lawrence spoke up "Leave Linda and the boys alone. Like you said, I'm the one who caused all of this…"
Linda's grip on his hand increased to the point where she was afraid she might break it "Lawrence…" she whispered so softly that only he could hear "Don't…"
"Don't tell me what to do!" Diana shouted at Lawrence as she jerked the gun in his direction.
XXX
The concussive sound of a gun shot rang through the air outside the house. Candace didn't dare open her eyes as she wailed "No…" her tears came fast and free and sobs quickly followed "No… no… no…"
The police conferred with one another over the radio and soon confirmed that it wasn't one of theirs who had fired. Candace pulled away from Jeremy and started running towards the house.
"Candace!" Jeremy and Stacy both shouted as they tried to follow her. But they were stopped by officers.
"You can't go in there," one of the officers told them as Candace disappeared through the front door. Officers had tried to stop her too but her quick and unexpected reaction to the gun shot had caught them off guard.
Candace raced into the living room to find her mother and father hugging the boys tightly as they stared at the crumpled figure of Diana on the floor. A white haired man was just finishing pulling himself through a back window that had previously only been opened a crack.
"Carl," the man began gruffly "Why in blazes do these tranquilizer guns sound so much like real ones?"
"I don't know sir," came the reply from outside the window.
The white haired man smoothed his clothes and turned to the family "Is everyone alright?" he questioned.
Shocked, stunned and silent nods were the only answers to his question.
"Good, good," the man replied before turning to Candace "Young lady, if you could go tell the police that the situation has been handled pleas?"
Dumfounded, Candace simply nodded before leaving the house again. It wasn't long before the police lieutenant in charge entered the house to talk to the mysterious man.
The man simply pulled a document from his pocket and handed it to the lieutenant "I believe everything is in order," the man stated "My organization has special permission from the British intelligence community to hold Ms. Scott until such time as they can deport her back to Great Britain."
The police lieutenant nodded and turned to leave. As he passed the boys Phineas caught him muttering under his breath "OWCA… Damn secret organizations… stealing our thunder…"
Phineas approached the strange man who was in the process of assisting his companion Carl in placing Diana in what looked to be heavy iron restraints. "Sir…?" the boy began.
"Yes?" the man looked at the red haired child "What can I do for you young man?"
"Who are you…?" Phineas asked in confusion.
The man looked at Phineas. The Amnesia-Inator had done its work it seemed. The man, who if you haven't guessed by now was none other than Major Francis Monogram, pondered how to answer the boy's question very carefully before replying "A friend."
"Well whoever you are," Lawrence stepped forward and grabbed Monogram's hand in both of his and shook it vigorously "Thank you!"
"Sir," Carl tapped on his superior's shoulder "The transport is here."
Monogram nodded and between him and Carl they dragged the unconscious Diana out of the house and to a waiting black van with the letters "OWCA" on its side.
As soon as she saw them leave the house, Candace grabbed Jeremy and Stacy and with Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro and Isabella they rushed inside to embrace the rest of the Flynn-Fletcher family.
Perry and Mittens stood beside the van. Perry removed his hat and bowed in gratitude to Major Monogram. Monogram nodded "My pleasure Agent P. Glad I could help." He climbed in the van and motioned to Mittens "Come on Agent M. The paperwork on this one's gonna take hours."
The Maine Coon cat leapt into the van and the door closed behind him. Perry put his hat away and dropped to all fours as he approached the house. Phineas and Ferb met him at the door.
"There you are Perry," this time it was Ferb who spoke the familiar words as he hefted the platypus into his arms.
In the van Mittens looked out the back window at the picture of a happy and saved family rejoicing together and couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Perry at that moment.