Summary: "I'm sorry I need to leave, but I think that we both need time, so I'm leaving for the city where I can forget it all." Only one problem, what city is that? And Phineas has to find her, or lose her forever.
A/N: Finito at last! Hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did when I first started writing it back in...what? 2011?
I do not own Phineas and Ferb. All © go to Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh.
Chapter 18: Welcome Home & Epilogue
After several hours in a plane together, the plane touched down to the Phineas and Ferb airport, and greeted by their respective families. With a small gulp, Phineas hesitantly walked through to the other side of security to face the wrath of his mother. Isabella wasn't so hesitant, ready to see her own.
"What's wrong Phineas?" Isabella asked. "We're home."
"Yeah, we are definitely home," Phineas said. "And time to face my ninety year exile in my room."
"What are you talking about?" Isabella asked just as they pass through the last of the security gates. Having no actual luggage with them made the whole process of getting out of the airport much faster than the average person.
"Well, remember when I said my mom wasn't happy when I pulled the disappearing act on her?" Phineas began. "Well, she told me that when I got back, I'd be grounded till I was ninety for this. Well, I still say that it was worth it."
Isabella sighed. "Don't worry Phineas, I'm sure everything will work out." And with that, the two of them stepped away from the crowd of people getting through security themselves so they could locate their respective families.
"Lawrence, you said that the boys have an income right?" Linda asked, looking at her husband as they waited with the rest of the family to pick up Phineas, whom he had texted them saying the expected time of arrival back home, with Isabella. "So exactly how much are we talking here?"
Ferb turned around and raised an eyebrow at his mother, but said nothing. It was actually Candace that answered. "Based on all the crazy things they built this summer, I'd say they pay the most taxes in this family."
"Candace, be serious. Isn't Phineas a little young to be paying taxes?" Linda asked, disbelief clearly in her voice.
"Yes, yes he is," Candace replied, trying to figure out how her mother could be so oblivious. "But I mean, their seat's on the city council alone account for like, half their money supply."
"They have seats on the city council?" Linda looked skeptically at her daughter. "Yep, dad even voted for them in the last election."
"And you never mentioned this before...becauseee," Linda asked. "Why?"
"Linda darling," Lawrence began. "It wouldn't make any difference what the children are doing. We've always encouraged them to go out and make the most of their lives... and this was one of the ways the boys wanted to do it."
"Okay, I need to check this out when we get home," Linda said, writing down a few notes in a small notebook she kept on her.
At that moment, the group spotted Phineas and Isabella, making their way through the crowd of people, trying to get to them.
"ISA!" Vivian shouted before making her way to Isabella and taking her into a big embrace.
"Hi mom," Isabella returned the hug.
Phineas looked to his own parents and siblings who were standing just a few feet away. "Hey guys."
Linda ran up to her youngest son and hugged him like she hadn't seen him in a year. "Phineas! Never take off like that again!"
"I'm hoping I don't have to," Phineas replied, stealing a glance over at Isabella. "But we'll see what the future holds. I'll make no promises when it comes to that."
Linda sighed and pulled back to look at her son. "You always were a headstrong and independent child Phineas." Linda shook her head before continuing, "and I'm glad that doesn't seem to have changed. Now come on, let's collect Isabella and Vivian and head home."
"So," Phineas began to question on their way out. "I'm not going to be grounded until I'm ninety?"
"You've been worrying about being grounded till your ninety?" Candace asked. "That is not like you."
"Oh Phineas," Linda sighed. "You're not going to be grounded for going after Isabella. But if you ever skip town like that again, I'm going to have a GPS tracker inserted into you to make sure you are where you should be."
"I can live with that mom," Phineas said as he got into the backseat with Ferb. "So Ferb, what have I missed being gone for a week?"
"The first week of school," Ferb replied, handing over a rather large (300 page) packet of papers. "This is your punishment for missing the first week of school. Good luck with that."
Taking a peek inside, Phineas gulped. "Okay... I can live with this. My wrist might not though..."
A/N: And fin. You know, I've been thinking a lot about the whole Linda/Lawrence conversation and the financial stuff surrounding Phineas and Ferb. So behold, an epilogue that focuses a bit more on that...because I can. I figured the numbers would be a bit low financially given reality, but I'm just guesstimating.
Linda and Lawrence sat a computer later that night looking at bank statements for their two sons.
"I don't believe this," Linda said with some exasperation. "The two boys make more money than we do. Where is this income coming from? All it says is the money is coming from a deposit."
"Well, there is their seat's on the city council, they do get a salary for that you know," Lawrence pointed out. "Linda darling, does it really matter?"
"I think it does," Linda said, looking at the screen again. "I mean... Phineas has almost twenty six thousand dollars and he's just turned ten over the summer. Ferb is looking at nearly forty thousand dollars. At this rate, they'll be able to retire before their thirty. Not to mention pay for their own college. And they're making a lot of money...a week? eight thousand dollars this past week alone. Where is that money coming from?"
"I don't know darling," Lawrence admitted. "Phineas and Ferb say they sell things to passerby's, but I'm not quite sure what they could sell to net them eight thousand dollars each."
"Wait, what are these expenses to?" Linda asked, "Tri-State construction, Tri-State Plate and Board, Danville Power and Water... what the heck? They've spent almost sixty thousand dollars this summer? Maybe there is some truth to what Candace has been saying. We should talk to the boys about their spending habits. Between the two of them, they've spent over a hundred thousand dollars... Granted they've made more this summer overall than they've spent. But they need to learn to control this habit of spending of theirs."
Getting up, they made their way to where the two boys had their room together. They were chatting away, making up for lost time. Well, Phineas was chatting away like his life depended on it. Ferb just lay there on his bed, listening intently on his brother.
"Phineas? Ferb?" Linda called out as they walked in. "Your father and I have been reviewing your financial accounts for the summer and we want to talk to you about that."
"Okay mom," Phineas said, sitting up. "Shoot."