Baljeet sat in complete bewilderment at what had just taken place. "Why would I do something so...so stupid! URGH! If I could have kept my big mouth shut, then maybe...maybe I wouldn't be..." he tried to rationalize it, but no matter what happened he knew that this would happen eventually. Whether he was with Buford or not, he couldn't keep his budding sexuality a secret forever. "I've done everything...EVERYTHING that have asked of me my entire life, and now I am worthless in their eyes! What am I going to do?"
Baljeet sat in that very spot slouched over in depression and despair. He hadn't noticed that he was bleeding from a cut he'd gotten when his father's wedding ring made contact with his face. He hadn't noticed that the rain had started up again, and he also hadn't noticed Buford slowly approach him with a look of worry.
"Hey, Shorty. What're ya doin' out here? You tryin' to get sick or sumthin'?" he joked. His joking demeanor evaporated when his boyfriend raised his head and he saw not only the rain, but tears and blood running down his face.
"W-what happened to ya? Who did this?"
Baljeet couldn't even form words at the moment. He just lunged into his former bully's arms and sobbed harder than Buford had ever seen. Stunned, he just adjusted his umbrella in one hand and wrapped his rather large arm around the young boy and held him until he began to calm down.
"Ferb said that?!" Lawrence Fletcher exclaimed as his stepson and his girlfriend regaled him on what had happened while he and his wife were out. "He hasn't said anything like that in years...I had no idea he still felt that way."
"It isn't true...is it, Dad?" Phineas hesitantly asked.
"No, of course not. Ferb's mother was killed by a car in a freak accident. He happened to be with her at the time and he blamed himself for a long time. He wouldn't speak for about a year. Literally, not a single word...well not consciously anyway. He'd have nightmares all the time where he'd yell and scream for her only to wake up sobbing for hours on end. But we went through therapy for about two years and I'd thought he'd gotten past it."
"Wow, I had no idea...that's rough. Is that why he's so quiet now?" Phineas asked, genuinely concerned for his brother.
"That's the main reason for it, yes. But since we've become a family he has made tremendous progress. He actually speaks without any prompting and sometimes he can even be silly! I missed his silly sense of humour. I thought I'd never see it again. I wonder what's made him relapse."
Phineas told his parents about the conversation and his guilt of making Ferb feel like he made all the decisions for him.
"Oh honey," his mom said as she hugged him. " You are a very kind and strong-willed person. When you get excited you really give it your all. You've always been that way. So outspoken and articulate. But, you CAN get carried away sometimes."
"But it's not your fault!" Lawrence quickly added. "It's something I had hoped Ferb would pick up from you. He holds back a lot of himself. I'll try to talk to him and try to sort this all out, alright." He said putting one hand on his red-haired son's shoulder. With a small sigh he slowly made his way upstairs.
"Your dad did WHAT?!" Buford screamed. "I'll kill him!"
"No, Buford. You cannot do anything reckless!"
"But, Baljeet!"
"What do you think you will resolve by answering with violence. You are 17, Buford. Do not throw your future away on me and my problems."
"What if I think you're worth it? I mean, where are you gonna live? What're you gonna do for food? You're still a minor! What he did was illegal, Baljeet! You can't think I'm gonna just let this slide."
Baljeet hung his head, Buford was right. He just didn't think he had it in him to call the police. It wouldn't quell his parents' new found disgust for him. He didn't really know what to do.
"Look, just...just come home with me. You can stay until you move into your dorm or whatever."
"Buford, I cannot inconvenience YOUR family because my problems. What if your parents react the same way?"
"Baljeet my mom's known for about two years now. She doesn't care. She's also the kind of person who wouldn't let you sit out here like this, now quit your arguing and let's go." He said holding his hand out to help his younger boyfriend up from the wet ground. The rain had finally stopper for good, but not before soaking both boys completely.
Baljeet opened his mouth to argue further, but he was led roughly by the wrist towards Buford's house. Not another word was said, but Bajleet had the faintest hint of a smile as he was led along.
"Ferb," Lawrence said knocking on his son's door. When Ferb turned 16 he moved out of the room he shared with Phineas and moved into Candace's old room. The only reason he gave was 'privacy' and everyone left it at that.
When he didn't get a response, Mr. Fletcher slowly opened the door and looked around. He saw his son lying on his bed face down. He would have thought he was asleep had it not been for the fact that he was fully clothed.
"Ferb.." he tried again. Ferb sprang up, suddenly noticing his father was in the room and sat to attention. He moved so quickly, he'd neglected to pull down his right sleeve, leaving his arm and the self-inflicted wounds exposed.
Lawrence was shocked. "Franklin Edward Reginald Benjamin Fletcher! What is the meaning of this!" He shouted in frantic worry and panic.
"Dad, I..." he started, only to be cut off by the rest of his family rushing into the room. 'Great, now I've got an audience.' he thought.
"What's going on?" Linda asked. Her eyes followed where her husband's were and she gasped. "Ferb, honey...what's going on?"
Ferb just sighed and slowly rolled his sleeve down. He then stood and with his blankest face said: "It's nothing."
Buford and Baljeet arrived at the former's home and rushed inside. Buford called out for his mother, knowing she'd have gotten home from work by now. As expected, Biffany Van Stomm made herself known and took in the sight of the two boys who looked like drowned rats at her door. She then noticed the wound on Baljeet's face and she realized that the situation may be more serious than it seemed.
"What happened, Baljeet dear?" She asked gingerly cupping his face and examining the scratch. Buford told his mother the whole story as Baljeet was making no signs to say anything. Biffany listened to her son and looked at the young Indian boy before her. 'How can people be so simple minded? Baljeet is a wonderful boy, never causes ANY trouble...' she mused, growing angrier and angrier as the story went on. She then thought back to the day she'd become aware her son was gay.
Roughly two years ago
Buford had just come home from another day with the Flynn-Fletcher boys and he was pouting mightily. "Honey? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he quickly lied. It was clear from looking at him that he was annoyed greatly.
"You didn't get into another fight, young man?!"
"No, Ma...at least I didn't hit anybody. It's just...well...Baljeet has this friend Mishti, and she's SO annoying. She's always hanging around him and talking about stuff. I hate when she visits from India. Baljeet's always busy with her!"
"Well, you have other friends...why would that bother-" she froze, as a sudden realization hit her. His father got the same way whenever another man even made eye contact for too long. Buford was jealous.
'Buford has a crush on Baljeet...that's adorable!' she thought to herself. She'd never had any problem with gay people and now that she knew or at least had suspicions that her son was, that certainly wasn't going to change. She just scoffed ad her son's cluelessness and tried to make him feel better.
He didn't officially 'come out' until about a year later, but she'd known ever since that day and she hadn't stopped loving him for a second. She'd never understand how you can claim to love your child and not accept them for who they are. So she turned to Baljeet and with her most loving voice she said, "You're more than welcome to stay here. I'll try to talk to your parents to try to get them to come around. Well get it fixed, don't you worry."
She watched as her son took his appreciatively bawling boyfriend up to his room while she prepared to either talk some sense into the Tjindars or to figure out the next step.