Perry stayed stretched out on the sofa.
Palmer tried to do the same on the floor, but he couldn't quite figure out how his feet were supposed to go.
"So." Perry said.
"Makooga." Said Palmer.
"You're related to me."
"Bechangia."
"You're my son."
Palmer looked up at him curiously.
Perry sighed. "I wasn't expecting that, you know. I'd always planned I'd have a litter when I was ten."
Palmer rolled over onto his back and drooled on the floor.
Poppy burst in. "There you are, Palmer. How ya doing?"
"Blooshmie!" Palmer jumped up and trotted over to his mother.
Poppy gave him a hug and turned to face Perry. "…Oh. You found out."
Perry shrugged. "I guess so. Why didn't you tell me?"
"At first I thought you knew. But you always seemed so stressed. I didn't want to freak you out. Didn't you at least suspect it was you?"
"No."
"Well, you should have known, I mean…"
"Yeah, yeah. I just didn't know if you knew anyone else."
"The only male platypuses I know are my father and brother." She stroked Palmer. "You're not upset, are you?"
"No. It was just kind of sudden, that's all."
"When you found out… were you okay?"
"Well, after I fainted, I hit my head on a chair and needed an ice pack, but the bump's really small."
Poppy gave him Palmer.
Perry cuddled him. "What's up, Pal?"
"Badinkydink."
Poppy grinned. "He said his first word!"
"Badinkydink is not a word."
"It is. It's what those little blue guys are called. They live in chocolate rivers. And if you believe that, I'll throw in a free toaster."
"I prefer a vacuum." Perry said.
Poppy glanced fondly at Palmer. "You want to walk him around a little? He's never left the O.W.C.A. He'd like to see the outside."
p***
Palmer did like the outside.
He had leapt around in a happy circle for at least a minute, and then lay down in the grass and sniffed the air.
A soft breeze ruffled his thin fur.
Perry lay down next to him. It was a lot nicer outside than it had been in a long time.
He closed his eyes. The sounds of birds and the gentle wind started to lull him to sleep.
Suddenly he realized.
The breeze hadn't felt this good for months.
Perry opened his eyes and sat up.
This wasn't a summer breeze.
This was… a fall breeze.
Summer was over.
Phineas and Ferb would be going back to school soon.
"Come on, Palmer." Perry grabbed Palmer and went home.
p***
It was just as he'd feared. Phineas and Ferb were sorting out their school things.
Palmer escaped from Perry's grasp and waddled over to them. He started to chew on a notebook.
Perry ran after him.
"Oh, there you are, Perry." Said Phineas. He pulled the notebook out of Palmer's mouth. "Who's this?"
He was quiet for a moment.
"A baby platypus!" He said happily. "Mom, dad, Perry laid an egg!"
"What?" Called Linda from the kitchen.
"Look, Ferb, Perry has a baby!" Phineas patted Palmer's head.
"Kplosh." Palmer chattered.
Perry stepped into the middle of the school supplies. He didn't want Phineas and Ferb to go. It was always so lonely.
"We have to sort this out, Perry. School starts tomorrow." Phineas picked Perry up and put him down next to Palmer.
Perry gave a protesting chirp.
Palmer went over to the TV and pressed his paw down on a toy.
"You're simply the greatest!" Said Carlos the caring clown.
Palmer growled at it and started to chew it up.
"That's my boy." Perry muttered.
p***
Perry brought Palmer back into the agency.
Darren was waiting for him, looking hurt. "Why didn't you tell me you had a son?"
"I didn't know he was my son, okay?"
"How could you NOT know?"
"Drop the subject, please."
"You're so lucky." Darren grumbled. "There are hundreds of ducks at the park and not one's interested in me. And you've got a mate and a kid…"
"Poppy's just a friend."
"She's a mate, Perry."
"Whatever. I just don't want that to change, okay? We're still friends."
"Watch your child."
"Palmer, NO!" Perry ran over to him.
Palmer was lazily chewing a wire.
"No! That's very naughty! You don't know what it's attached…"
The lights went out.
"…To." Perry finished.
"Naw-tee." Palmer said.
Perry felt around for the wire. "Hey, Darren, you know if there's a way to fix this?"
"Nah. Try sticking the wire together."
"There! Did that make the lights come back on?"
"Gee, I don't know, Perry. Can YOU see anything?"
"I can do without the sarcasm, Darren."
"Naw-tee!"
"Yes, that was very naughty, Palmer. Wait… I think I found the emergency lightswitch… AKK! Nope, that was the hot cocoa dispenser… man, that's hot… okay, got it…"
The room became lit dimly.
Darren was sitting on the floor. Perry was drenched in hot chocolate.
"Where's Palmer?" He asked.
They heard very loud music playing in the party room.
"I think he found the radio." Said Darren.
p***
Perry watched sadly as the school bus drove away from the house. Then he went back to O.W.C.A.
This was annoying. He hated it when the boys were gone. And summer was a whole year away now.
A few agents were sitting at a table playing cards. Devon the dog was rolled over on the floor.
Carrie the cat was watching a princess movie on the TV.
Palmer was throwing plastic blocks at unsuspecting agents.
Perry went over to Poppy, who was watching the card players. "Palmer's unattended."
"He completed his throwing training today." She said.
"I can see that. Apparently he's allowed to make up his own targets."
"It's helping the agents with their reflexes."
"What's Carrie watching?"
"Some Disney movie."
"Huh. I noticed that Disney overuses the words magic, believe and wish."
"Don't forget dream."
"Remember that castle show we saw there?" Perry asked. "They used all those words in one sentence alone. 'If you believe in magic, then the dreams that you are wishing for will come true!'"
"I think they dare each other to write those." Poppy said.
Palmer nailed Billy the beaver with a banana.
"It's a good thing he's cute." Perry observed.
"Let him be." Poppy nudged Perry playfully.
He shoved her back.
They started to play fight. Perry enjoyed this. Poppy was almost up to his level, so she was a challenge to take on.
Poppy grabbed him and pinned him on the floor. Perry kicked her off and threw her against the wall.
Poppy recovered quickly and leapt on him again, knocking out his wind. Perry tried to sit up.
"I win." Poppy said triumphantly.
"Only because… I was letting… you!" Perry gasped.
"Sure."
Perry coughed a few more times and grinned at her. "I'll beat you next time."
"Palmer would have enjoyed Disney." Poppy looked toward her son. "I kind of wish he'd hatched there."
"I can see him now, throwing marshmallows at the campfire guy."
"His throwing isn't doing any harm."
The TV suddenly burst open as a plastic cow slammed into the screen.
"My movie!" Carrie wailed.
Palmer clapped his hands with glee. "Cow-boom!"
"Palmer, NO!" Poppy said, running over to him.
"I've broken a TV before." Said Alan the alligator, who put his cards down. "I thought it was a snack."
"I tried to go inside an entrance in our TV once. I had a running start. I just didn't know I was supposed to open up the screen first." Perry said.
"Were you okay?"
"Yeah. The TV wasn't, though."
"The TV busting gene must run in agents." Alan said.
Poppy handed Palmer to Perry. "Hang onto him for a sec. I have to go get the spare TV from the basement."
"There's a spare TV?"
"Tons of them. Apparently they break every year."
"Aha!" Said Alan.
Poppy gave him a confused look and left.
"Schooshie." Said Palmer. He pulled Perry's hat off and started chewing on it.
"You're trouble." Perry said.
"Blagdorfie." Palmer drooled on the hat.
"You'll get a fedora of your own to chew on one day. But that's mine."
Palmer smiled.
Perry put the slimy fedora back on his head. "Want a sandwich? There's some over there on the snack table. Yummier than hats."
Palmer yawned. He curled up in Perry's arms and closed his eyes.
Perry felt his heart soften. He walked over to the couch and sat down. This little guy sure was cute.
Peter the panda sat down next to him. "Monogram gave me tacos."
"That's surprising. Usually he saves them for himself."
"I know. Except now, I guess."
Suddenly there was a huge crash. The ceiling caved in.
The agents scattered to corners of the room as bits and pieces fell.
Darren grabbed a chair and held it over his head, ready for attack.
A shadowy figure sat in the middle of the smoke. As it settled, Perry recognized him.
Dennis.
Dennis held up a small raygun. "Very convenient. Everyone is right where Fir said they would be. Now, Perry the platypus, if you'd just hand me over what I want, no one gets hurt."