I do not own any of these characters besides PJ and Winnie. Consider this chapter a Father's Day Special.
It has been 3 weeks. 3 long weeks since his father had been gone. PJ hadn't spoken a word to his mother since the moment he read the note his father left. It was hell. It was excruciatingly difficult.
PJ set in his room with his head in his hands. He then picked up the phone and looked at the date, only to realize today was Father's day.
Tears began to form in PJ's eyes. What has he done? He let rage and sorrow win the argument, but at what cost? His father, of course. Now god knows where his father could be, as Phineas hasn't called or left another message since he left.
PJ couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take being alone. He needed someone. He needed comfort. Of course, his mother is still too distraught and depressed to even do anything at this point, and his uncle and grandparents were also very disappointed after they heard of what PJ had wished for. So of course, that left with...
Winnie.
Ferb awoke to a delicious smell coming from downstairs. He rubbed his eyes and exited his room. Once he made it downstairs, he found his daughter still in her pajamas, by the stove, making breakfast.
After Winnie managed to stack 4 pancakes on top of each other, she turned to notice her father. She smiled
"Happy Father's day," She spoke as she set her spatula down to walk over and give her father a hug.
Ferb ruffled her hair. "Thanks, love." He took a seat at the table as Winnie set the plate down in front of him. He began to devour the pancakes just as the doorbell rang.
Ferb was about to get up before Winnie stopped him. "No, it's alright. I'll get it."
Winnie walked out of the kitchen and towards the front door. She went to say hello, only gasp in shock at who was at the door.
"PJ?" She said in disbelief. Her cousin looked awful. He was still in his tattered pajamas, he looked as if he had not eaten in days, and the bags under his eyes indicated that he had not slept, either.
"What are you doing here?" She asked hands on her hips. Her stern expression quickly softened as she noticed the tears forming in her cousin's eyes. She put her hands on PJ's shoulders and asked.
"Are you okay?" She got her answer when PJ couldn't take it anymore and broke down in her arms, sobbing. She tried to pry him off of her, but PJ held onto her and continued sobbing. Winnie quickly realized this was serious and tried to calm her cousin down, rubbing his back soothingly.
"Shh, it's okay, Peej. It's okay," she whispered in his ear. "Just tell me what's wrong?"
PJ sniffled and lifted his head off of his cousin's arms. He looked into her eyes and sniffled. "I'm such an idiot." He spoke before sobbing, but this time his sobs were much quieter.
Just then, Ferb exited the kitchen to see his nephew clinging onto Winnie's arms. Ferb looked concerned and went over to console PJ. "Mate, are you alright?"
"No! Just no, I am not alright!" PJ finally blurted out. "I'm such an idiot! I haven't seen me in so long..." PJ began to choke on his words as he continued. "I-I need him. I need him."
PJ then cried on Winnie's shoulder. Winnie, on the inside, wanted to be smug and tell PJ that this is what he wanted but seeing the current state of her cousin cause Winnie to feel bad. She rubbed his back as she and her father did their best to calm PJ down.
After a minute or two, PJ's lifted his head up and sniffled. Winnie reached over for the tissue box at the coffee table and handed one to PJ.
"Thanks," PJ said, wiping his nose.
Ferb put a hand on his nephew's shoulder and spoke up. "PJ, do you want to talk?"
PJ looked up at Ferb before shifting his gaze down. "Yes."
Ferb sat down on the right side of the couch on the adjacent side of the living room. Winnie sat on the left, while PJ sat in the middle.
"PJ, first things first, what happened to you?" Ferb started. "You used to be so kind and respectful towards everyone, including your own father. You had a close bond with him. A bond that he NEVER had with his biological father. He loved you with all of his heart. Why would you lash out at him like that."
PJ looked down in shame, but Winnie lifted his head up with her finger. She gave him a weak smile that quietly said 'be strong'.
PJ sighed and looked up at his uncle. "I'm sorry. I have...I have just been so...unhappy."
"Did something happened? Anything at all?" Ferb asked.
PJ looked down and held back the tears to that one night, about a year ago. Which was perhaps the worst night of his entire life.
The red-haired baby giggled as her older brother began to blow raspberries on her stomach. It was 7 pm and almost time for Lilly's bedtime. She was perhaps the sweetest baby PJ had ever laid eyes on. PJ went and bought her a yellow bow for her hair, which, in PJ's opinion, made her more adorable than usual.
The parents walked in and smiled at the two. Isabella even had PJ hold Lilly as he sat on his bed so she could take a picture. If only they knew what was to come that would alter their lives.
The next morning, PJ woke up to the sounds of his mother screaming and both her and his father crying. He went out of his room and found them both sobbing next to Lilly's room, with paramedics in their home.
When PJ asked what was going on, one paramedic sat him down and gave him the most heartbreaking news of his life. His sister...his baby sister was gone. Doctors concluded that it was because of SIDs, but honestly, PJ didn't care how she died, he only cared about the fact that she was gone, and that ultimately destroyed him from the inside out.
"...I have just never been the same since that day." PJ finally finished his story. It felt relieving finally letting that out, and it only took about 3 minutes and a few more teardrops to explain the story.
Ferb and Winnie, who stayed silent throughout the entire explanation, still couldn't really excuse PJ for his earlier actions, but finally understood his newfound behavior.
"I see the loss of your sister had affected you, mate," Ferb said.
PJ nodded, not looking up at his uncle.
"How did you feel afterward, PJ?"
That question had the obvious answer, and after a few moments of hesitating, PJ finally blurted it out, looking up at his uncle with a distressed face. "It's just not fair! Everyone in this town has siblings who love them to the fullest extent. Why did I have to lose Lilly?" Tears began to form in his eyes, but he held them.
Ferb was shocked to hear PJ's outburst, and so was Winnie. Winnie held PJ's hand, which got him to look at her. She had a solemn expression as she spoke.
"I know how you feel...and I know how much you and your parents miss Lilly...because my dad and I miss her too...very much."
PJ sighed and looked down.
"But you still have me!" Winnie spoke, which got PJ's attention.
Ferb put his hand on PJ's shoulder. "You got me too, old chap."
"PJ, you have your mom, Grandpa Lawrence, Grandma Linda, Aunt Candace, Uncle Jeremy, Fred, Xavier, Amanda, and yes, even your dad. Dude, we're still a family, a team, and when we lose a member, we have to stick together."
PJ nodded and wiped a few tears. Winnie kept a small smile on her face as she continued.
"PJ, you and I, we go back a long time, and I got to say, the time we spent together was the best I could have ever ask for. We love you, alright, everyone does, even your father."
PJ breathed out. He understood he messed up. He started all of those fights with his father, and in the end, his father has gone awol.
PJ just gave a small at both his uncle and cousin. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate you." He stood up and sighed. "Well, gotta head home and talk to my mother. Maybe we could sort this out."
Ferb stood up and spoke. "No problem, mate." PJ turned and gave his uncle a hug. Afterward, Winnie stood up and PJ embraced her and whispered in her ear.
"Thank you..."
Winnie pulled back and smiled. "No problem, cuz."
After PJ said his goodbyes, he exited the Fletcher home and made his way over to his house. On the way there, he wondered what to expect. Is his mother going to scold him for leaving without her consent? Most likely not, but his mother has not spoken to him since his father had departed.
PJ wiped a few wayward tears as he reached his home. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed a familiar-looking 2021 Black Kia Soul parked in his driveway.
PJ didn't waste any time as he rushed into his home. Once he was inside, he heard kitchen silverware clinging in the kitchen. He entered and his breath was taken away as he found his father at the kitchen table, eating breakfast.
PJ just stared at his father when Phineas looked up and noticed him. He didn't know what to say at this moment. Why did his father suddenly return? Does his mother know anything about this?
Phineas wiped his mouth with the napkin after swallowing a wad of bacon. He then stood up and crossed his arms.
"Hello, son." He spoke.
Was that all he could say? PJ thought. Was his father still disappointed? Was he still angry?
Honestly, PJ did not care.
"If you'd like for me to leave, then I'd be on my way-" Phineas was taken aback as PJ ran over and flung himself into his arms.
"Dad..." he spoke weakly. Tears began to form in his eyes as he spoke, crying out his apologies. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. Don't leave."
PJ began to sob into his father's shirt. Phineas hugged him in order to calm him down. "Shh, it's okay, son. I'm here."
PJ continued to sob as he only got these words out of his mouth. "I missed you."
Those words were all that was needed to satisfy Phineas. He rubbed PJ's back up and down and he spoke softly. "I missed you too, son."
"Don't leave me, dad."
"I won't son. Trust me, I won't."
After the long embrace that felt like forever, PJ pulled back and gave his father a smile. Phineas chuckled. "Some reunion, huh?"
"I'd take this over your funeral," PJ quipped. "So, why did you return?"
"Oh, I never left. I stayed at the hotel two blocks south," Phineas laughed. "I can't believe you never found me. Even your mother knew where I was. Her freaking out and crying was just an act."
PJ facepalmed himself. He should have known that black Kia Soul parked in the driveway of that hotel was his father's.
"Also," Phineas continued, "your uncle texted me and told me that you guys talked about...Lilly."
PJ's gaze fell once again as he frowned sadly, new tears began to form. "I miss her..."
Phineas hugged his son. "I know son, and I miss her too. But I thank god I still have you. If I lost my boy, I would have lost it."
"Same for me if I lost my old man."
Phineas pulled from the hug and stood up. "Well, it's father's day. Wanna head out?"
PJ grinned widely and nodded. As his father walked away to get his keys from the living room, PJ spoke. "Dad?"
Phineas turned. "Yeah?'
PJ walked over to his dad and grabbed his tie to pull him down. PJ planted a kiss on his father's cheek and whispered. "I love you."
Those words were like a warm blanket surrounding Phineas' heart. He stroked his son's cheek and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I love you, too."
PJ had kept the smile on his face as he and his father entered the car outside and made their way towards downtown to have some fun. For PJ, his sister's death would affect him for a long time, but he needs to cling onto whoever he has left, including his father.
Well, happy Father's Day! Just wanted to end this whole conflict here. Don't take your father for granted! Your mother may have kept you inside her for 9 months and have given birth to you, but your father was the one who put you in there, to begin with. HAHA! I'm sorry, that was a dirty joke, but it's funny and true.
Anyway, see ya.