Ferb and Gretchen arrived at the park and started walking around. The young couple noticed several booths and art displays a short distance away.
"That looks like the art expo, over there," Ferb noted.
"Let's go take a look around," Gretchen smiled, taking Ferb's hand and leading him over.
They looked around at various exhibits. They were standing at a glass blowers exhibit, looking at the exquisite pieces of art.
"I love this glass work, it's so beautiful," Gretchen said admiring a glass eagle.
Ferb nodded, and looked at some pieces, a few of wolves, bears and he could have sworn he saw a platypus one as well. He was unaware of the brown haired man coming up behind him.
"Ferb?" Django Brown inquired, to make sure the bright shock of green hair was truly Ferb Fletcher.
Ferb turned around and smiled, "Django, how have you been?"
"Good, what about you and Gretchen?" Django asked.
"Never better," Ferb replied, then called to Gretchen, "Love?"
Gretchen spun around, "Django! Good to see you."
"What are you guys doing here?" Django asked.
Ferb chortled.
"We're taking in the art show," Gretchen replied with a smile.
"May I give you a personal tour of my exhibit?" Django offered.
Gretchen looked up at Ferb.
"Sure," Ferb replied.
"Of course I don't do the big stuff like my dad, but I do quite well," Django said, leading the couple into his exhibit.
Ferb nodded.
"I got permission from a Hospital's Administrative Staff do some capture of the workings of the hospital. I only have those in sketch form," Django said as he picked up a sketch book.
The brown haired artist opened the book and flipped through the pages. He stopped on one: it was in a hospital room, a person was lying in a bed with monitors attached and a nurse standing next to the bed, a clipboard in hand. He passed the sketch book to Gretchen, with Ferb looking over her shoulder.
"Here we've got a nurse talking with a patient," Django said.
Gretchen was looking intently at the drawings.
"Don't worry, everyone's faces are intentionally blurred," Django said.
Gretchen nodded, and flipped through the sketches, studying each one. She recognized several of the hallways and rooms; a nurse's station in the cardiac ward, a doctor in surgical scrubs, a nurse hurrying through the ER.
"That's one of my favorites actually. I sketched that in the Cafeteria," Django said when Gretchen stopped on a trio of nurses, he pointed to the nurse with her back towards the viewer," She had her back turned to me the entire time I sketched. But the other two, I could tell they are older, but they had such a light banter going between the three of them."
"How long ago did you do these sketches?" Ferb asked.
"Four months ago," Django replied.
Gretchen recognized the postures of the trio and didn't look up from sketch, "I never saw you."
"I've got a great sketch of a nurse talking with a physician," Django said and pointed out the page when Gretchen turned to it, "You can almost hear what they're talking about."
"They're talking about how she has to take better care of herself," Gretchen said, easily recognizing herself and Dr. Eric Manson despite their faces being blurred.
"Exact... What?" Django became confused.
"Then he pointed out that she has two conditions," Gretchen continued, remembering the day very clearly.
Django looked over at Ferb.
"Then she retorts that she's taking care of it," Gretchen said.
"How'd you-" Django managed, recalling the quick and hushed conversation the doctor and nurse had.
"That explains why you were slightly irritated that day," Ferb said quietly.
"You've done a wonderful job with these," Gretchen said, closing the sketch book and putting it back on the table.
Django took a closer look at Gretchen, and pulled her hair into a ponytail then gasped, "You're one of the nurses."
Gretchen nodded, "I didn't see you, I had no idea you were even there."
"I didn't even recognize you," Django said.
Gretchen smiled slightly.
"If you don't mind my asking what was he referring to?" Django asked.
Ferb wrapped his arms around Gretchen, placing a hand on her abdomen.
Django's eyes went wide as he realized what Ferb was implying, "You two are having a baby?"
Gretchen nodded.
Django grinned, "That is awesome! My sister has a couple of kids. She keeps telling me that I should get married to my girlfriend."
"What does your girlfriend say?" Gretchen asked.
"She says 'It's just a piece of paper, it doesn't change how I feel,'" Django replied.
"How do you feel about that?" Gretchen inquired.
"I'd like to be officially married. I doubt she's change her name if we did get married though," Django answered.
"She can always hyphenate," Ferb suggested, "Linda did that when she married my father."
"Doesn't really matter to me if she takes my name or hyphenates. I just want to be with her," Django said.
"That's a good thing that she loves you no matter what," Gretchen remarked.
"So how far along are you?" Django asked, looking at Gretchen with an artist's eye, noting the soft features of her face and the small shape of her body save a couple of areas.
"Almost eight months," Gretchen replied.
"Does the little guy or gal have a crib?" Django inquired.
"I have to get it built," Ferb said.
Gretchen suddenly looked around and moved closer to Ferb.
This caused Ferb to glance around, but he didn't see anything, "What's wrong love?"
"I thought I saw someone," Gretchen replied.
Django laughed, "Yeah, there's a lot of people here today."
Ferb put a protective arm around her, knowing what she meant by 'someone.' He kissed the top of Gretchen's head.
"Do you mind if I sketch the two of you?" Django asked, seeing that they were at such an ease with each other.
Ferb raised his eyebrow, surprised at the inquiry.
"If it's okay with you, Ferb," Gretchen said.
Ferb gave a shrug, "If you want to Django."
"What should we do?" Gretchen asked.
"Just act natural," Django replied with a smile.
"Do you mind if we look around the exhibit then?" Ferb inquired.
"Not at all, go ahead," Django responded.
Ferb and Gretchen looked at more of Django's work and some of his father, Beppo Brown's work. Django sketched them. Django caught the protective posture Ferb held himself in as they looked around. He also caught the ease that Gretchen had with him next to her. After an hour Django was finished with the sketch.
"You two were the easiest couple I've sketched today," Django said.
Ferb tilted his head slightly.
"You two were the most relaxed couple," Django explained.
"May we see?" Gretchen asked.
"By all means," Django said and showed them the sketch.
"Your skills have improved over the years," Ferb noted.
Django gave a nod, "My dad gave me a some pointers a few months ago."
Gretchen glanced around, suddenly uneasy.
"Is something wrong?" Django asked.
"Huh?" Gretchen blinked and shook her head.
Ferb raised an eyebrow, "Django asked if something was wrong."
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong," Gretchen replied.
Ferb dropped into German, "Tell me."
Gretchen replied in German, "I've got an uneasy feeling, like I'm being watched."
"You don't think..." Ferb said.
"I don't know. I hope not. I'm sorry, I think we should leave," Gretchen said.
"Everything okay you two?" Django inquired.
Ferb switched back to English, "Yeah. I think it's time we headed home though."
"Okay...Feel free to call at any time, I would love to catch up with you two," Django said then scribbled on a slip of paper, "Here's my number."
Ferb took the slip and gave him a friendly smile, "Cheers."
"I'd like to catch up with you as well. It's been a while," Gretchen said in English.
"Take care of yourselves, and I'm sorry I didn't recognize you... I would have said something," Django remarked.
Gretchen gave a smile, "Same."
"If we can't catch up before the baby comes, maybe afterwards," Ferb suggested.
"Before, after, doesn't matter. I would just love to catch up," Django said.
"Hopefully before," Gretchen remarked as her son kicked.
"You need to mind your stress-" Ferb began.
"It's fine Ferb," Gretchen cut him off then added in German, "I'm not going to blackout."
Ferb rubbed hand down her arm and with a farewell to Django, escorted Gretchen back to the car.
Gretchen sat in car and started shredding paper napkins.
Ferb raised eyebrow, "You're safe now."
"I don't like that feeling Ferb," Gretchen replied, in English.
"You've always been aware if someone was watching you," Ferb remarked.
"What does that mean?" Gretchen asked.
"When I was about fourteen, you recall the summer before those unfortunate events happened, I would watch you help Isabella. You would always look over at me after a few seconds and I would-" Ferb began explaining sheepishly.
"Quickly look away and pretend you weren't," Gretchen finished.
Ferb nodded, started car, and began driving home.
"We were dating though. You didn't have to sneak glances at me," Gretchen pointed out.
"No one knew we were dating. I couldn't wait until we had the opportunity to be alone," Ferb said.
"This feels different though," Gretchen said.
"How so?" Ferb asked.
"It feels cold and creepy."
Ferb raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Like the person...I don't know how to put it, but it makes me very uneasy. Nothing at all like when you would stare."
"Ever got this feeling before?"
"A few times..." Gretchen replied, then bit her lip, thinking.
"Love?" Ferb prompted.
"This past winter, I got a cold and uneasy feeling while heading to work sometimes. I thought it was because the car hadn't warmed up enough. I turned up the heat."
"Any other times?"
"At the grocery store. Anytime I'm in a parking garage. Driving home from my last doctor's appointment," Gretchen mumbled.
"Gretchen.." Ferb sighed.
"What?" Gretchen asked.
"I'm going to need to see your phone tonight," Ferb said.
"Why?"
"I want to put something on it for you."
"What are you going to do?"
"I want to put a tracking chip app in it."
"Why?"
"So I know where you are."
"Ferb, didn't you tell Phineas that you didn't like-" Gretchen began.
"I'm also installing a panic button function, which will relay a message to my phone and my phone will ask me if I want to teleport to your location," Ferb cut her off.
"Kinda like the one you put on Candace's phone?"
Ferb nodded, "It'll also be useful if you are somewhere alone when Alexander wants to arrive."
"What about the police?" Gretchen asked, since Irving Du Bois had been monitoring the exterior of their house since a few days after the incident with Jason.
"It's not that I don't have faith in their abilities, however I want to ensure the safety of my family," Ferb said.
"Are you sure these precautions are necessary?" Gretchen asked.
Ferb gave her a hard look.
Gretchen looked down at the floor board, "Right."
"I know that you know self-defense, but you can't really employ any of those tactics right now," Ferb said soothingly.
Gretchen nodded mutely.
"I just want to make sure you are okay. Even if you have one nasty right hook for someone who's left handed," Ferb remarked.
"I still don't think it's really necessary," Gretchen said.
"You were unable to defend yourself when you were out with Sienna," Ferb pointed out.
"I was caught off guard," Gretchen defended.
"Off guard? You are never- " Ferb began then noticed the look on her face and amended, "Okay, you are hardly ever caught off guard."
"Ferb-"
"When you spotted him was it the same feeling you had in the park?" Ferb asked.
"Jason always made me feel uneasy," Gretchen admitted.
Ferb pulled into their garage, and turned to her, "Gretchen, I promised myself that I would make sure no harm ever befalls you."
'There are some things you can't prevent," Gretchen pointed out.
"I will make sure that Jason goes back behind bars," Ferb promised her.
Gretchen started sobbing, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't started dating him..."
"It's not your fault. You didn't know," Ferb said gently.
"If I hadn't dated him-" Gretchen began.
"There's something wrong with him. Women are not to be treated like a piece of meat, especially when they are as beautiful and smart as you," Ferb cut her off..
"But-"
Ferb cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her lightly, "None of it is your fault."
"If I hadn't dated him, he never would have assaulted you," Gretchen said as they began to bring in the items purchased for their pending arrival.
"He has some underlying psychological issues," Ferb remarked.
"Are you trying to make me feel sorry for him?" Gretchen asked incredulously.
"Not in the slightest," Ferb replied seriously.
"Then what are you-"
"You were probably the first girl who told him 'No,'. Thus becoming a target for conquest," Ferb said, cutting her off a third time.
"You don't think he will try to-" Gretchen began only to be cut off yet again.
"He better not, or your father and I will make sure he never sees the light of day. I'm pretty sure that Uncle of yours, if he found out, would help," Ferb said, knowing what she was going to say.
"Would Lawrence-" Gretchen started.
Ferb nodded, "I think he would. Father's pretty protective over his family...That Uncle of yours...he didn't seem at all surprised when I told him my hair was naturally green."
"Uncle Stefan?" Gretchen asked, then gave a slight laugh, "Mom and Dad don't get along with him. He seems to care more about Greg and myself."
"Phineas isn't too happy about the situation either. I'm sure Candace and Jeremy would have something to say as well," Ferb admitted.
"Your family hasn't forgotten what happened to you," Gretchen noted.
Ferb shook his head, "That was one of the reasons Phineas started designing personal protection devices, among other things."
"Candace has a cap on her anger," Gretchen remarked.
Ferb raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"
"Her eyebrow started twitching when she was told what had happened," Gretchen replied as she picked up the bag containing the blanket.
"It's a good thing she is keeping it restrained," Ferb said as he pulled out the crib mattress.
"I've never known her to lose her temper," Gretchen mused.
"If the last name is 'Flynn', you don't want them to lose their temper. It's rather unpleasant," Ferb stated, with a slight grimace at the memory at the last time Linda had lost her temper.
"Translate, scary as hell," Gretchen remarked.
Ferb gave her a smile, "That's an accurate assessment."
"I hadn't seen you furious before that night. You were quite terrifying yourself," Gretchen admitted.
"I'm sorry," Ferb apologized.
Gretchen smiled slightly, "Mad-Scientist Papa Wolf."
Ferb raised an eyebrow at her analogy.
"Don't worry about it," Gretchen replied as they returned to the garage to get the crib box out of the car.
"Let's go inside, I'll get you a glass of juice and a biscuit," Ferb suggested.
"I'm not hungry," Gretchen replied.
Ferb grinned at her, "I want a biscuit."
Gretchen rolled her eyes and laughed.
Ferb smirked at her.
Gretchen was sitting at the kitchen table a few minutes later. Ferb was carrying a tray with two glasses filled with bright yellow juice and a plate of cookies.
"Juice for you, juice for me and a couple of biscuits just in case," Ferb said.
"Just in case what?" Gretchen asked.
Ferb shrugged, "You never know."
"I'm not hungry. I'm not even peckish," Gretchen protested.
Ferb lead her into the living room, set the tray on the coffee table, sat down beside her and placed a hand on her abdomen, "Maybe Alexander wants one?"
"You're being silly," Gretchen said as the baby kicked.
"See?" Ferb said, able to see the movement.
Gretchen glanced down at her abdomen, "You're no help."
Ferb chuckled lightly, "Now reconsidering the biscuit?"
"Maybe," Gretchen replied.
They relaxed for a while, and Gretchen did have a bikkie while the baby kicked a little more. Ferb had pulled her legs into his lap.
Ferb was gently rubbing Gretchen's legs, "Would you like me to start dinner?"
"Why don't we order in tonight?" Gretchen suggested.
"Any suggestions?" Ferb replied.
"Anything that's not overly sweet or overly-" Gretchen began.
Ferb nodded, "I have an idea now."
"I'm sorry that it puts out a few places but I can't handle it right now," Gretchen said.
"I understand sweetheart," Ferb said.
"Can we try the Italian take out?" Gretchen asked.
Ferb leaned over and kissed her, "Anything for you love."
Gretchen blushed deeply.
Ferb placed the order then sat next to her again, "When he gets old enough would you mind if I put him in football?"
Gretchen smiled slightly, "I think he'll be a pretty good football player."
"You were a pretty decent one yourself," Ferb remarked, recalling that she played for the boarding school she had attended.
Gretchen shrugged.
"We could also try swimming, archery, fencing..." Ferb rattled off.
"Ferb, he's just one little boy," Gretchen reminded him.
Ferb sighed.
"Can we let him decide what he'd like to do?" Gretchen suggested.
Ferb kissed her, "Of course. I need to pick up the order, do you want to come along?"
"Sure, but I can only move so fast," Gretchen said with a laugh.
"I know," Ferb replied.
"Can I have your help in getting up?" Gretchen asked.
Ferb held out a hand for her.
Gretchen held on and got up, stood facing Ferb, her belly in the way, "Now he decides to sit forward for a moment?"
Ferb snorted, and placed a hand on her waist, "Maybe he's trying to find out where we're going?"
"You're becoming more ridiculous as time goes on, you know this don't you?" Gretchen scolded gently.
Ferb smirked.
"Ferb..." Gretchen sighed.
"Gretchen..." Ferb returned.
Gretchen rolled her eyes.
Ferb jingled his car keys and started toward the garage.
"Ferb!" Gretchen exclaimed.
It wasn't long before they returned with their take-out.
Gretchen served the food onto plates, and went into the dining room, "What are you doing?"
Ferb finished lighting the candles, "Planning a romantic dinner with my wife."
Gretchen raised an eyebrow.
Ferb smirked, "What?"
"You always surprise me with something or another," Gretchen replied.
Ferb took the plates from her, placed them on the table, grabbed one of her hands and spun her around; bringing her close.
Gretchen giggled, "Careful, I'm not as graceful on my feet as I used to be."
"I'll never let any harm befall you," Ferb said.
"I know you wouldn't," Gretchen replied.
"In a few short weeks we will have a little baby," Ferb said.
"Nervous?" Gretchen asked.
"Excited. I can't wait to meet him," Ferb replied.
"Same," Gretchen said as she rubbed her abdomen, "What if he decides to come early?"
Ferb grinned, "As long as he's healthy, he can arrive whenever he likes."
"I just hope he's not going to be late."
Ferb raised an eyebrow at this.
"If he goes too far past the due date, that's just as bad as him being too early," Gretchen explained.
"So you're hoping he arrives closer to his due date?" Ferb asked.
"Hoping and what he actually does are two different things," Gretchen said.
"Maggie told me I was two weeks early," Ferb remarked.
"That means he can arrive any time now," Gretchen said cautiously.
"Does he feel as though he's ready to arrive?"
"I don't know, I've never done this before."
"It's all right love. I'm sure you'll know."
Gretchen nodded slightly, "I guess."
"Everything will be okay," Ferb assured her.
Gretchen nodded "Dinner looks wonderful."
Ferb smirked, "I drove through traffic for ten minutes to pick it up."
Gretchen smiled, "Let's sit and enjoy."
"So you are going to be hanging with your old troop in a couple of days?" Ferb asked after dinner.
Gretchen nodded, "And we move past the eighth month mark."
"Which means, like you said, he could arrive at any time," Ferb said.
"It also means we can't...you know...for a while," Gretchen stated.
Ferb nodded, "What was Katie's deal?"
"The deafening screech or the weird apology?" Gretchen asked, as they had just run into the blonde at the restaurant.
Ferb's eyebrow went up.
"She didn't have all the information. She said that had she known what really happened, she would have done things differently," Gretchen said.
Ferb nodded, "She's always been intelligent; however she had tendencies to miss key points from time to time."
Gretchen snickered, "You don't know the half of it."
"Enlighten me," Ferb said.
"Well, Bee Day...I had recited something from the manual and Katie literally tried to think like a bee," Gretchen explained.
Ferb snorted, "Seriously?"
Gretchen laughed, "Yeah," she continued giggling, then suddenly doubled over holding her stomach, "Oh," she took a few deep breaths, "that hurt."
Ferb instantly became concerned, "Are you okay?"
Gretchen nodded, took a few more deep breaths, "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Ferb asked.
Gretchen nodded, "It's fine."
"Gretchen are you sure you're all right?" Ferb inquired.
"Yes dear, it's passed," Gretchen assured him.
Ferb moved to stand behind her, and placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging lightly, "You'll tell me if something's not okay?"
"Of course I'll let you know," Gretchen replied, relaxing a little.