"Phineas opens up the box of spare mechanical parts." Ferb said.
"You're right, Ferb." Said Phineas. "Life is so much more fun with narration."
"Phineas takes an old magnifying glass out of the box." Ferb said.
"So, what are you two doing today?" Perry asked.
"Perry inquires as to what we will do today." Ferb said.
"Oh, we don't know yet." Phineas said.
"Phineas replies that he is unsure as he pushes a lock of hair away from his face." Ferb said.
Phineas's eyebrows drew closer together in concentration. "Perhaps we could use this hourglass and this compass to make some kind of super-clock-directional-system…"
"Phineas begins to…"
"All right, Ferb. That's good." Phineas said.
"Well, I can't wait to see it." Perry said.
"You can see it when you get back from the agency!" Phineas said. "We'll probably have figured it all out by then."
"Sounds good." Perry said.
He placed his paw on the tree trunk. His entrance opened up.
Phineas turned. "Perry… do you… have to leave?"
"Yes." Perry said. "I'll be back in the afternoon or late evening. As always."
"Can't you take a break today?"
"Evil never rests. Is something wrong, Phin?"
"…I don't want you to go." Phineas said. "I just really want you to stay home today. I mean, I always miss you, but… today…"
"Phinny, I'm so sorry. I can't stay. I'll see you later."
Perry gave both the boys a hug and disappeared into the tree trunk.
Phineas sighed and continued digging around in the box, trying to ignore the tense feeling in his chest.
"We may want to build our project inside today." Ferb said, looking at his phone. "The weather forecast says it's going to rain extra hard today."
Rain poured down from the sky. Lightning slashed through the dark clouds.
In a matter of seconds, Phineas was drenched.
"Aw, Ferb. I told you to wait until we got inside to read the weather forecast."
"Phineas disapproves of Ferb's fancy forecast reading." Ferb said.
"Oh, be quiet." Phineas said.
...
"I hate this weather." Perry snapped. "It makes me cranky. And I hate having to wait for my briefing. Can't I just get my mission over with? I need to get back to the boys…"
He was sitting between Pinky and Devon. They were annoyingly cheerful.
"Look, Perry." Pinky whipped out a book. "The O.W.C.A photobook has come out. And there you are."
"I don't want to see my photo." Perry said. "But thanks."
"You're the only one in the whole book not smiling." Devon said.
"Smiling is a waste of face muscles."
"Aw, cheer up, Perry." Pinky said. "The rain will stop soon."
"Even Brandon the bulldog is smiling in his photo." Devon commented.
"I don't care if Darth What's-His-Face smiled for his photo. It's my photo and I can scowl if I want to."
"He has a point." Pinky said.
"Agent P!" Ernest called.
Perry glowered. "This day's about to get a whole lot better." He stood up and walked over to Ernest.
"Salute." Ernest commanded.
Perry did.
"I've called you here to collect that fifty-dollar fine."
"What fine?"
"The fine for not following orders on a filling-in-for-a-comrade mission, which can be avoided if the agent displays exceptional bravery and intelligence. Which you did not."
"What mission?" Perry asked, his patience quickly degrading.
"The Possum Mission." Ernest said.
Perry glared at him. "That went fine. I got everyone out unscathed."
"Your orders were, and I repeat: Return the possum prisoners to the agency safely and arrest Dr. Bloodpudding."
"He got away. Not my fault. Anyway, the possums got back safe."
"Stop. Arguing. With me." Ernest said sternly.
Perry felt his cheeks turn red. "I'm not ARGUING, Ernest. I'm explaining what happened."
He tried to tune in to the Ernest and Brandon sitcom, but he was too angry to think straight. He then attempted to remember the time when Ernest had helped him hide from the police… Ernest had been so kind to him, and he had been wearing some Beluga Whale T-Shirt…
"If you don't want to get fined, then perhaps you should consider showing me a little more respect." Ernest hissed.
"Oh, this is about me laughing a while back. Just because YOU have to be serious all the time, doesn't mean I-"
"SILENCE!"
"I'm tired of this!" Perry spat. "I'm tired of you getting on me about every little thing! I KNOW you're a nice guy, Ernest. I've seen you BE a nice guy."
"SILENCE!"
"YOU'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"
"Raise your voice ONE MORE TIME with me-"
"AND WHAT? The pressure will get too high and your head will pop off? Go ahead, flittering eagle. See if I care."
The agents sucked in their breath.
Ernest's eyes were fixed on Perry.
He handed him a few coins.
"Iced coffee with sugar. Consider our debt settled."
"I am NOT buying you coffee. I'm not your SERVANT-"
"Consider it SETTLED, Agent." Ernest turned and strode out of the room.
The agents all stared at Perry.
"Don't you guys have work to do or something?" Perry grumbled.
It was one thing to have Ernest squash your pride. It was another to have it squashed in front of all the agents.
...
Perry sat down at the table by the window and watched the rain dribble down the sides of the glass.
"I haven't seen you here in a long time." Said a familiar voice.
Perry looked up wearily. A moose held out a menu to him.
"Hey, Morey." Perry said.
"You used to come here all the time." Morey said. "It's great to see you again."
"Yeah…" Perry sighed. "Missed the food."
"Had a hard day?"
"More like a giant pile of really sucky events, one after the other. But I figure this will help. Coming here, having my favorite food, and heading back home… tomorrow will be better." He smiled.
"Good attitude." Morey said. "What'll it be?"
"Plain bagel, toasted, cream cheese, frozen hot chocolate."
"Would you like that hot chocolate on the bagel and the cream cheese toasted?"
Perry grinned. "You haven't changed a bit, Morey."
Morey winked at him and headed behind the counter.
Perry looked out the window again, feeling a bit more optimistic.
It wasn't so bad. Even with the crummy weather and Ernest forcing him to buy him a coffee. His mission was a success, he was at his favorite café, and he'd get to go home and be with the boys again.
And he had a day off tomorrow. That was another thing to look forward to.
"Worried about those roads." Morey said, setting Perry's hot chocolate down on the table. "Cars could slide out of control if they aren't careful." He sat down across from him. "Kind of a slow day, and your bagel's toasting. Where've you been these past few years?"
"Working, you know." Perry said. "Sorry I didn't come. I just… I kind of hit a hard patch a few years back, and I didn't really want to talk to anyone… so I stopped coming."
Morey nodded. "I figured it was because of that. I heard. He was one of my best customers, too."
Perry sipped his drink.
"I won't talk about it." Morey said. "I see it still bothers you."
"Yeah… I mean, I know Terrence is happy now. But…"
"It's hard." Morey said. "Anyway. Enough about that if you've had enough. How are those boys of yours? Their names slipped my mind for the moment… Phil and… I know the other one had an odd name."
"Phineas and Ferb." Perry said. "And they're doing well."
"Ferb? The same Ferb as in Ferbmail?"
"Their creation." Perry said proudly.
"Ferbmail is a whole new experience in emailing." Morey said. "I swear, I love it to no end. They created that?"
"They create lots of things." Perry said. "They've built a rollercoaster, a portal to Mars, a spaceship…"
Morey shook his head. "How old?"
"Almost twelve."
"You pulling my leg?"
Perry pulled out his phone and showed Morey a photo of the rollercoaster. "No way. I'm serious."
...
Thunder crashed, and Ferb woke up, his heart pounding.
"…Ferb?"
Phineas was probably talking in his sleep again. Ferb rolled onto his side and tried to fall back asleep.
"Ferb?"
Ferb sat up and looked over at Phineas. Phineas's hands were shaking. He looked as though he were about to cry.
"I… something's wrong… something's really wrong…"
Ferb knew. He knew because he had a tight feeling in his stomach, as though he were on a rollercoaster with a huge drop.
Ferb got out of bed and put his arm around Phineas.
"Something's wrong…" Phineas kept saying.
"I know." Ferb said.
They held onto each other. The rain pelted against the window.
...
Perry stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the walk light to go on so he could cross the street. The rain dripped down his fur.
The food and the talk he had had with Morey made him feel considerably better. As soon as he got home and dried off, he'd be perfectly happy.
Who cared about Ernest, anyway?
Perry watched the people walking around, some with umbrellas, some running with magazines over their heads.
Everything always looked so different in the nighttime.
A deafening noise came out of nowhere. Then light, bright, painful light. Perry collapsed to the ground.
He heard people scream. He saw people crowding around him.
A wonderful feeling spread through him. He was happy. He felt completely calm and relaxed. Why did these people look so freaked out?
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was sitting upside-down on a couch. A television in front of the couch was paused in the middle of rolling the credits.
"Hello, Kevin." Said a zebra sitting next to him. "Lovely weather?"
Perry shut his eyes again.
Now he was looking up at someone. Someone was holding him. Perry wasn't sure he knew the person.
"Don't worry." The person said. "We contacted Carl. Do you know Carl?"
Perry didn't bother to respond. He was too comfy.
"Carl will be here soon." The person said.
Perry closed his eyes.