"Happy birthday, Peter." Perry said, leaving the restaurant and gasping in fresh air.
"Thanks for lasting through the whole party." Peter said.
Perry started for the condo. It was freezing outside.
He pulled his invisible jacket more tightly around him. It was comfortably warm and worked well against the night air.
An almost transparent hue of dark red appeared where his fingers were clutching it. Perry smiled. Phineas obviously hadn't been able to make the jacket completely invisible.
"Ferb and I went to the park while you were gone last night." Phineas said. "We took pictures."
Perry browsed through the photos. "These are all pictures of people's butts."
Ferb snickered.
"Yeah." Phineas said, slightly annoyed. "I trusted FERB with the camera."
"He's getting to that age." Perry said. "The butt phase. Monogram asked me to take pictures at Wanda Acronym's wedding a couple years ago. He regretted it. Now Wanda has some very interesting wedding photos."
"Why would anyone want to take pictures of butts?" Phineas asked.
"Because it's FUNNY!" Ferb said.
"Thanks for the jacket, by the way." Perry said. "It kept me warm last night."
"Soft, isn't it?" Phineas smiled.
"Yep."
"How did your party go?"
"Okay, I guess." Perry said.
"If I jumped off the swing, I would land on the mountains." Phineas said.
"Or in that giant chasm." Ferb said.
Perry, Phineas and Ferb were swinging, facing the mountains and flowers. Behind them was the park.
"It's a gorgeous view." Perry said. "It's like flying."
"I wish I could fly." Phineas said sadly.
"I need water." Ferb said.
"There's a water fountain down by the restrooms." Perry said.
"I don't want to stop swinging."
"Fine." Perry growled. He skidded to a stop and got off the swing. "I'll get you a cup."
He walked down a flower-lined path to the bathrooms.
There was indeed a water fountain, but no cups. Perry reached into his fur pocket and grabbed a sippy cup he carried around with him. He'd had it since he was a year old. Ferb could take off the lid to use it.
He started filling up the cup.
"Weasel."
Perry whirled around and threw a punch at the speaker, who landed flat on her back, holding her hand over her face.
He took a step back.
"Sorry. I forgot you hate being snuck up on." She moaned, pushing herself back up. She kept a hand over her right eye.
"What are you doing here?" Perry asked coldly, feeling the heat rising to his face.
Prince lowered her hand. Her eye was already beginning to bruise. "I would have asked you first. Colorado's pretty far from home for you, huh?" She gave a faint smile.
Perry was feeling both angry and upset. He turned back to the water fountain and filled the cup.
"I was looking for you." Prince said finally. She put a hand on Perry's shoulder. He jerked it off. "Don't you remember me, Weasel?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact." Perry said. He screwed the lid back on the cup and turned to face her. "You're Prince. And I'm Perry. Not Weasel."
She gave him a skeptical look. "You used to let me call you that."
"Get out of my way. I need to get back." Perry said.
Prince looked aggravated. She stayed where she was.
"Look." Perry said, beginning to lose his patience. "You can either tell me what you want, or I can give you another punch in the face."
"You wouldn't hit a girl." Prince taunted.
"Try me."
Prince huffed. "Why are you acting like nothing happened between us?"
"Why are YOU acting like nothing happened between us?!" Perry snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, you broke up with me years ago!"
"Biggest mistake I ever made." Prince said softly.
"Sure. You've blown up a building with fireworks, defaced private properties, and 'silenced' your enemies. And you say blowing it off with me, which you intended to do all along, was your biggest mistake."
"Perry…"
"Please. You used me to get away from the police."
"Shut up!" Prince slapped him across the face. Then, in a softer tone, she said, "I really did love you."
Her eyes drifted down to her chain collar. Perry followed her gaze.
A tiny penguin charm was hooked onto it.
"So you put it back on." He said neutrally.
"Don't you think that means something?" She asked him.
"Yeah. It means you like penguins. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
He tried to step around her. She slid back into his way.
"You used to love me, too." Prince said.
"I've gotten over it." Perry shoved her to the ground and started back to the park.
He heard a familiar click.
"Freeze." Prince growled.
He slowly turned around. Prince was pointing a gun at him.
"Killing me. A great way to prove your love." Perry said sarcastically.
"I was supposed to come here to kill you." Prince said, her hand shaking a little as she stood up. "But I didn't. I wanted to see you again. I missed you."
"Of course you did." Perry kept his eye on her gun, prepared to dodge. He knew Prince really would shoot at him if he provoked her.
Prince narrowed her eyes. "You don't believe me."
"You broke it off, not me." Perry said.
A bus pulled up.
"Move." Prince said. "Get on. Let's take a ride."
Not wanting to argue with her while at gunpoint, Perry obeyed.
"We'll come back when it circles around." Prince muttered.
Prince and Perry stood in the bus, since all of the seats had been taken. Prince had one arm around a bus pole, the other arm concealing her gun, which she still had aimed at Perry.
She couldn't believe he had changed so much. So distant, so cold. It seemed he was trying to freeze whatever he looked at.
But what had caused the change? Certainly not her. There was something sad about him, like a tragic accident had happened recently… or long ago.
"I just want you to understand." She hissed as the bus pulled away and rumbled merrily over uneven ground.
She had no idea if he was even listening to her anymore. He was acting as if she wasn't there, staring sideways out the window at the trees and grass.
"I did love you, Perry. I was at my best with you. You made me so happy. You were funny, artistic, kind of cute…"
She looked quickly up at him and blushed. He didn't seem fazed, or even like he'd heard, still gazing at the scenery.
"...No. Very cute. But I felt like I wasn't good enough for you. Whenever I stole, you were disappointed in me. I was worried I would ruin you."
Now Perry looked at her, offended. "I would never have done any illegal acts. Not even for you, back when I was crazy about you. Why you would think that is beyond me."
Prince smiled. His anger was something she could finally understand.
"Maybe you stole the little penguin charm to impress me." She teased.
"I MADE that!" Perry shouted.
Prince looked down at the charm. She had never known that Perry had made it himself.
She looked back up. "I broke up with you because I was afraid I would get you in trouble. We nearly got caught with that cake."
"YOU nearly got caught with that cake. I told you not to steal it." Perry said.
"I had no money. Couldn't let you think I'd forgotten your birthday. Besides, did it taste any worse stolen?"
"It was good." Perry admitted. "But I would have preferred you pay for it."
"The best gifts don't cost money." Prince smirked. "Besides, I was worried the gang would find out. They would have killed you. They don't take well to good guys ratting them out."
Perry stared straight into her eyes. "I never ratted you out. I still haven't. I know enough to tell the police about that little factory incident. To get me off the hook. But I didn't say a word."
Prince squinted. "You? You're the one who got blamed for the explosion? I knew you messed around in the factory beforehand, but..."
"Police nearly got me." Perry looked back out the window. "Monogram's still trying to sort it out."
"Now you know how it feels to run from the law." Prince said smugly.
"I don't commit crimes. I'm not supposed to have to run from the law." Perry said.
He seemed very far away all of a sudden.
"How have you been?" Prince asked. It sounded stupid, but she wanted to know.
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
"Sure."
"Something must have happened. People don't change by just sitting around all the time."
"I'm not any different than I was before." Perry said. "I just know more people now."
"I guess I should return this." Prince said. She handed him his sketchbook.
Perry glanced at it briefly and pocketed it. "Steal anything else when you broke into my lair?"
"No. Give you my word."
"That's not very promising."
"They're beautiful, by the way." Prince said.
Perry looked confused.
"Your drawings."
Perry snorted. "Well, they're not stick figures, at least."
"They're really incredible."
"You don't get out much."
Prince watched the window for a while. Mountains, hills and valleys zoomed by.
"Met anyone else?" She asked quietly.
Perry inspected his front paw. "Lots of animals. Including a basenji named Dane."
Prince was taken aback by this, but quickly recovered. "I meant… you know…"
"I have four pups, if that's what you're asking." Perry said, not taking his eyes off his hand. "Two are twins. But I'm not seeing anyone. I don't get attached."
"Why not?" Prince asked.
He gave her such a cold glare it nearly stung her eyes.
"Because I just wind up getting hurt." He responded.
They rode in silence. The bus pulled up to the stop second to the park.
"I'm really sorry." Prince said, pocketing her gun. "I… I really wish you would give me a second chance."
"You're too late." Perry said. "I don't have any feelings for you anymore. But I still want you to stay out of trouble. You're a friend, Prince. You haven't been an enemy since we started dating."
That made Prince feel a little better.
The bus pulled up to the park stop. Perry got out.
Prince followed him.
"Thanks for listening to me, at least." Prince said.
Perry turned to face her. "You're not broken, are you?"
"Quite the opposite. I feel like a weight has lifted."
A loud gunshot rang out. Both Prince and Perry jumped.
"What the!" Prince shouted.
Perry's eyes suddenly widened as though he had just remembered something.
"What?" Prince asked him. "What is it?"
Perry fell to the ground, motionless.
Prince looked up.
Behind Perry stood Rex, blowing the smoke away from the mouth of his gun.
"Hello, Prince." He said.