Phineas, Buford and Baljeet decided to spend some time girl-watching; at the mall. "You've got to get over her." Buford scolded. Phineas looked to his feet as he shuffled through the mall. "I suppose you're right." Baljeet stopped walking. "You put on a brave face Phineas, but it has been five months and you still have not gone out with anyone." Phineas turned on his friends. "You think it's easy? Isabella and I flirted with each other for six years, dated for six months, and then she broke up with me. That doesn't exactly give me the self-esteem to go out and find another girlfriend."

After dinner, Phineas and Linda were watching television. "I can't remember the last time we sat down to watch television together." She said sadly. "Would you like some popcorn Mom?" Phineas asked and Linda nodded. "That sounds great." Phineas got up and went into the kitchen. He started the popcorn and felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and noticed a text from Gretchen.

He opened the message, read it and responded. "Mom?" He called as he stepped into the living room. "Can I call Dad? I just got a text from..." Phineas said, and Linda called back. "Of course you can dear."

Phineas picked up the phone and called the hotel where his father and brother were staying. "Lawrence Fletcher's room, please." He asked the clerk who answered. "Gretchen, what's wrong? Calm down." He said and listened to what she was saying. "I've not heard from him, sorry." Phineas listened some more. "I'm sorry, I just don't know. If I hear from him, I'll text you though." He said, then hung up the phone.

Gretchen was laying on the bed in the hotel room when Lawrence came in. She started to sit up when she noticed the look on his face; her eyes went wide and her lip started to tremble. He shook his head. "It's been 20 hours and I can't find him. I called his grandparents, they've not heard from him. I called his mother, no one was home; I left a message. Then I called the school. No one's seen nor heard from him." He picked up Ferb's leather jacket, sat down and went through the pockets. "His wallet is missing, as are his passports, both of them." Gretchen looked up. "What? Are you saying he left the country?" She inquired. He shrugged his shoulders. "Ferb could have gone anywhere, it's just a train ride away. Within a few hours... he could be in Italy for all I know."

Meanwhile

Ferb left the hotel, upset that his father could speak so fondly about the woman he loved enough at one point he started a family with her. The woman he married when he was 22. The woman he divorced seven years later. She's not the best mother in the world, but she's still my mother. He thought to himself as he made his way to the tube station. He paused and tapped his pants pockets. Phew, I've got my wallet. He thought to himself as he inserted the money for a tube pass.

Ferb rode the tube down town, then transferred to the line that would take him closer to his mother's house. Once there he walked four blocks, then took a bus.

He got to the house and, using his key, let himself in. Ferb checked the clock in the hall, 9:45am, he turned around and locked the door then went into the kitchen. He rummaged through the fridge for something to eat. I'm starting to feel really light-headed. I should have eaten something a few hours ago. He thought as he pulled out some bread and jam. Ferb leaned up against the counter as a wave of dizziness suddenly came over him.

"Who are you?" A male voice called out. Ferb turned to the sound, looked up and collapsed to the floor as he passed out.

Ferb started to hear voices, he couldn't quite make out what they were saying; they were too far away. He noticed he felt cold and when he tried to move to get up, he felt pain. There was a pain in his head, his knees hurt and his shoulders ached. Ferb opened his eyes a little, the light hurt his eyes and he closed them tight.

"Ferb! Honey, wake up." A woman called out to him. Ferb tried to open his eyes again and he saw her, for the first time in over a year... and she was smiling at him. "Mum?" He whispered back, voice hoarse. He tried to sit up and she helped him. "What are you doing here?" She asked. Ferb's head rolled to the side and rested on her shoulder.

"Get him something to eat... a cracker or something." She demanded of someone Ferb couldn't see. "Ferb honey, you're shivering. Help me get him upstairs." She told the other person. Ferb then felt another set of arms around him pulling him into a standing position. Ferb rolled his head to the other side to look at his mother's boyfriend. "Ferb dear, you remember Anthony." Anthony didn't say anything, he just pulled the lad down the hall, up the stairs then into a bedroom. Ferb tried to take a few steps on his own, only to find Anthony shoving him towards the bed. "You ungrateful little..." Ferb then felt a pair of hands around his neck cutting off his air supply. "You think you can just come back here and be 'Mummy's little boy' again? You've got another thing coming." Anthony said as Ferb lost consciousness.

The following morning Lawrence stumbled across the space between the bed and the coffee machine. He'd had a rough night and Gretchen wasn't in any better shape, she'd spent the night either in a fitful sleep or crying. "I'm going to try calling Maggie again." He said as he picked up the phone.

Lawrence dialed his ex-wife's number and was surprised that someone answered the phone. "Maggie? It's Lawrence."

Ferb was sitting in the kitchen of his mother's house with her and her boyfriend, Anthony, when the phone rang; Maggie went to answer it.

"Hello?" She said, answering the phone. "Lawrence, calm down. Ferb's here. He came over yesterday." Ferb looked up and his eyes went wide. He started to stand up from the table when Anthony pulled him back into his seat.

"So, that's what you're doing here? You're running away from Daddy?" Anthony sneered at Ferb who shook his head. Margaret brought the phone over to Ferb but Anthony grabbed it and disconnected the call.

Ferb stood up and when Anthony made a grab for him, Margaret intervened. "You leave my son alone!" She demanded.

The phone rang again and Anthony answered. "What! Who do you think you are telling me how to treat those who live in my house?" He demanded and disconnected the call.

Lawrence looked at the phone for a second time. "Grab your jacket Gretchen." The brunette did as requested and followed Lawrence out of the hotel room. "Where are we headed?" She asked. Lawrence, with a determined step, headed down the stairs to the lobby as he answered her. "We're going visiting." They entered the lobby and turned down a hallway leading to the parkade.

They got into the rental car and drove. It wasn't long before they pulled into the driveway of a quaint split-level house, with a verandah out front. Lawrence turned the car off and sighed. "It's been years since I've been here." He said and got out of the car. Gretchen followed. They walked up the steps and Lawrence rang the bell.

Ferb was upstairs locking Anthony into a bedroom when he heard the doorbell. He descended the stairs as his mother was opening the door. "Lawrence, it's so good to see you again." She said as she hugged him tight. "Maggie, it's good to see you too, but I'm here for my son." Ferb came around the corner and saw Gretchen. When Gretchen saw her boyfriend, tears threatened at her eyes, she took a step forward and Ferb enveloped her in an embrace and kissed her passionately. "I'm so sorry sweetheart." He muttered against her lips as she tried to kiss him back in desperation.

Lawrence followed his ex-wife into the house. "What happened to your eye?" He asked her. Maggie sat down at the kitchen table and hung her head. "If it wasn't for Ferb..." Lawrence sat down beside her. "Who did this?" Maggie turned to face him. "My boyfriend. It was Ferb who stopped him, I don't even know what he did... I didn't see. Ferb dragged him upstairs. He's a good lad Lawrence. You really did a great job raising him." Lawrence rubbed her back as he hugged her.

Ferb lead Gretchen into the house. "I was upset and needed to clear my head." He said, then reached for her hand. "Would you like to meet my mother?" Gretchen smiled at him. "I'd like that." She said and they walked into the kitchen.

"Mother," Ferb started as he held Gretchen's hand. "I'd like you to meet Gretchen, my girlfriend." The woman looked up and smiled. "So, you're the one who's caught his attention." Maggie stated as she stood up. "Mother, please." Ferb replied. Gretchen looked between mother and son a couple of times and bit her lip. "You had thought I would have green hair as well." Maggie stated matter-of-factly causing Gretchen to silently nod. "My father was the one who had hair the colour of pure emeralds." Maggie said.

A lot of thumping and yelling was heard from upstairs. "Mother, I wish you would get him out of your house once and for all." Ferb said sadly. His mother looked at him, then leaned over to hug him. "You couldn't understand. I love him." She said and Ferb shook his head. "You're wrong, excuse me a moment." He replied, stood up and left the kitchen.

Gretchen remained in the kitchen with Lawrence and Maggie, quietly listening to the adults. "Why did we divorce?" Maggie asked. Lawrence sighed and sadly looked at her. "If memory serves, I was working too much and Ferb was a bit of a handful." Maggie nodded. "Don't blame yourself Lawrence, I couldn't deal with Ferb. He wasn't a normal youngster, while the other kids were busy screaming for a push on the swings, he was swinging on his own. While they were building sandcastles, he was building little stone bridges. While they cried for a story... Ferb was reading his own books. He was too advanced for them, even at such a young age." She wiped away a tear then continued. "You always understood him better, that's why I let him go with you. I miss him everyday." Maggie then turned to Gretchen. "Ferb's very special, don't forget that." Gretchen nodded. "He is very special." Gretchen agreed with a smile.

Ferb silently stepped back into the kitchen and took his seat beside Gretchen. He placed his hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze. She turned, looked at him, buried her face in his chest and started sobbing. Ferb wrapped his arms around her and rested his head atop hers. "Shhhh, it's okay." He said as he rubbed her back and looked questionably to his parents.

With a sigh, Lawrence spoke. "Maggie, your mother, and I were talking about how things were... before." Ferb raised his eyebrow. Maggie looked up. "Ferb, honey. I love you. You're my son. I want you to be happy." Ferb nodded and held Gretchen a little tighter.

Lawrence, Gretchen and Ferb visited for another hour before taking their leave. They got into the car and started driving. Ferb and Gretchen were sitting in the back seat, though Ferb was looking out the window deep in thought. Gretchen shifted her attention between looking out her window and looking at Ferb. She reached out her hand and placed it on his arm, when he turned to face her she saw something she never thought she see; he looked lost.

Ferb turned his attention back to the window for the remainder of the trip. They got back to the hotel and Ferb followed his father to the room. Gretchen had said she wanted to look at a couple of the shops.