Where's Ferb?

Cezille07

A/N: FERB-LOVERS, here he is! ;D

Chapter 4. Last Night.

Perry had watched the weary Doofenshmirtz haul his precious handiwork across the bleak tiles and out the front door. He heard a car start, engines roaring under the weight of all Doof's inventions, the gas pedal sunk hard into the floor of the car—at least he believed he did. Perry shook his head, or so he tried. Half an hour longer and he would fall asleep, trapped in the false comforts of the Relaxinator. But I can't rest now...Phineas and Ferb...

Luckily, something small flashed from his left arm and caught his attention: the computer watch!

"Agent P, are you there?" It was Carl the intern on the tiny LCD screen. "We've spotted Doofenshmirtz on the move across town. Where are you?"

Perry couldn't so much as chatter; he tilted his wrist, maybe too slightly, but he hoped it was enough to give Carl a view of Doofenshmirtz's emptied lair. He hated that he was a highly adept and well-trained agent, and now he could do nothing to prevent the doctor's most sinister revenge scheme yet. Fighting was a tense art, using rage to motivate movement, and pain to fuel anger—although he'd never truly been mad at the doctor—

All of a sudden, the Relaxinator short-circuited. Perry groaned. It must be the batteries.

Hopping to his feet, he activated the holographic keyboard on the computer watch and entered a message for Carl. "I know where the Doof is heading, and I'm on my way." Perry halted before keying the Send button. "There's something else. Please send me the coordinates of the Flynn-Fletcher family in real time, and if there are sightings of Ferb, update me immediately." Send. He exhaled. I'm coming!

The half-day massage treatment eventually had to end, and Linda trudged out of the Center feeling both relaxed and left hanging. However, her attention turned to Phineas and Candace by the activity center, over which a large poster bearing the event title "Evil Scientist Convention" in bold neon letters was suspended.

"So, Candace, what're you kids doing here?" she inquired, making her way to her eldest.

"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Candace shrieked while Isabella pulled the boys into the convention. "We think Dad's behind Ferb's disappearance, but we couldn't reach him all morning! Has he contacted you recently?"

If anything, Linda looked annoyed. "No," she answered disgustedly. "I haven't seen Lawrence since after supper last night."

"Last night?" The million bad things that could happen crashed into Candace's imagination. "B-b-but why? You always know where he is. And h-he'd always tell us where he's going. I don't understand. What's going on?"

"What, are you trying to bust your father this time too?"

"What? I can't believe you're falling back to routine! This is a real emergency, mom! Why are you acting like nothing's the matter?"

"Because nothing is the matter, honey." Linda exhaled sharply. "I'm going to schedule a massage treatment for you; we can both go tomorrow to clear your head."

"The spa again? I know what I'm talking about when I say I've wrestled with stress for weeks in a row, dealing with two constant migraines! But consecutive spa treatments are an exaggeration!" Candace was unable to lower her volume, "What's going on, mom? I feel there's something I have to know that you're not telling me."

"It's a grown up thing, dear," asserted Linda.

But her daughter's inquisitive glare didn't loosen. "I'm old enough. Go on," she pressed, bringing her hands to her waist in an attempt to weaken her mother's stance.

"Well...I'm not cheating, if that's what you're thinking," began Linda. Slowly, though, her eyes lowered to the ground, and she continued speaking in a muted voice. "Let's just say...your father bores me sometimes. He gets so caught up in his hobbies, and although he's very kind and loving towards us, it's been a long time since we've 'done' anything together, if you know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean. But if you can, please clear it now because the situation is of life and death. Mom, have you ever seen Phineas so...lifeless?" Linda opened her mouth to speak, but Candace quickly interrupted. "Depressed is the word until we find Ferb! It's amazing, because it has always been 'Phineas and Ferb', never each of them alone. This is the first time they've spent longer than a few minutes apart."

"And you're always trying to get them in trouble when they do nothing."

"It's platypuses that don't do anything! Phineas and Ferb are the greatest inventors in Danville, mom, and right now I don't care if you don't believe me, but my brothers have to see each other again. Mom...do you know where dad is?"

"For the last time, I don't know...and I don't want to know, because last night Lawrence left after I nagged him about not doing anything for a real child of 'our' own!"

Candace gasped. "But that's...that's stupid, a-and selfish! NO...you don't mean to say you're...'separated', do you?"

"I'm sorry Candace. I love you and your brothers more than you think, and our family is a bonded unit, but Lawrence and I haven't shared anything. It just occurred to me that I wanted something more than separate contributions to this family."

"I can't believe this! You and dad have never fought before..." she broke off.

"And to this day we haven't. He didn't even tell me he was leaving. I thought he'd let it pass."

Candace stepped away from her mother, betrayed. She sought Phineas, who was waiting for Isabella past the convention entrance, and embraced him.

"I'm sure glad to have you as my sister. Somewhere out there, I'm sure Ferb is too," he said, not looking at her.

Candace swallowed hard as a tear dangerously lingered at the edge of her eyes; a heavy block of guilt dropped from her throat to her stomach.

The sky had darkened beyond recognition, all trace of the summer atmosphere suddenly evaporating rapidly. Ferb was observing the cloud pattern the past hour he'd spent sitting in the back of a cab with his father. He didn't feel quite right. And it probably had nothing to do with the weather.

"Ferb, I'm sorry about all this," Lawrence said, addressing the thick car windows to his left. "You'll understand me, won't you?"

Ferb continued watching the sky. Tried keeping himself level. Refused to answer. What was to understand in what he hadn't been told?

Lawrence turned his gaze to his son. "It'll be good this way for now, but I promise I'll explain everything later."

Why not now? Ferb nearly gasped at the sight of a plane that had just taken off. This place was familiar. The airport—

He felt sick to the stomach. "Stop the car," he told the driver in a weak voice. He threw open the door and half-jumped, half-limped out, landing on his knees.

Lawrence was at his side in a nanosecond, crying, "Blimey, Ferb! What's the matter with you?" after forcibly pulling him to his feet.

And Ferb could answer just one word, the only word that felt consoling in all the world: "Phineas..."

He did wake up the same time as Phineas. It was still dark outside. The unnatural noise of the closet door creaking open on its hinges was the culprit to the abrupt timing of their awakening.

"Dad, is that you? What're you doing there?" asked his brother from the next bed. Lawrence was startled and dropped a piece of leather baggage.

"Oh nothing, Phineas, just fixing the closet. Go back to sleep," was his only response.

While Phineas seemed to doubt the statement, it was the night, the cold air to blame that he instantly fell back asleep.

But Ferb didn't. Lawrence remained fidgeting with their clothes, all in silence, dropping articles of clothing into his bag. He finished in ten minutes, after which he announced, in an aggravated voice, "Let's go."

What? Now? Ferb sat up, turned to look at his brother.

"No, no, we're not taking Phineas with us." Lawrence flung the bag over his shoulder and waited for his son, but the seconds dragged. The silence dragged. "Come on."

B-but why?

"Don't even think about waking him up," Lawrence finished in a gritted-teeth whisper. "Get a move on," he added, walking out with the leather bag bouncing against his back with each step.

It was excruciating, not to cry. But Ferb remained seated on his bed, taking in the aftermath of his father's hurried packing, eyes closed in pleading revolt. At last, Lawrence came back to the room and carried his son downstairs.

"Phin—"

"I said don't!" Lawrence pressed his hand against Ferb's mouth as they quietly ran past the master bedroom.

When Ferb looked, Linda was still deeply sleeping.