104 Days of Summer Vacation
Day 52
Summer Belongs to You
The moment Candace woke up, she called Jeremy on the phone.
It didn't take long for him to answer. "Hello?"
"Hey Jeremy, it's Candace," Candace smiled.
"Hey Candace. You realize it's like, 2:00 AM in Paris, right?"
"Oops. Sorry, I was just wondering how your vacation's going."
"Actually, I'm surprised you called. You were in my dream just now. It was weird. You and I were in this Dixieland band, and there was an iguana playing an oboe…"
Candace heard a loud crash coming from outside. "Jeremy, I gotta go."
"Okay, bye."
When Candace came out, she saw a robot jumping rope.
That's when she heard the sound of a car pulling up. She knew it was Linda, so she ran to the front of the house to get her.
"Mom! Mom! Mom!" she called.
"Let me guess," Linda said, used to it. "The boys built some crazy contraption in the backyard?"
"Yes, and you gotta see it to believe it!"
Candace grabbed Linda's hand and carried her back to the backyard.
As always, the contraption was gone.
"Hi kids," Linda greeted. "Did you have fun today?"
"Yes, yes we did," Phineas replied.
"Good for you. I would've been home sooner, but it took me an hour to drive around the road construction in the neighborhood. It sure would be helpful if they could just make the days a little longer." Linda chuckled at her own joke. "Who do you call about that?"
Linda walked back inside the house. Candace sighed and went back to her room.
Phineas and Ferb stayed in the backyard, thinking about what Linda said.
"She's right," Phineas realized. "Our vacation is officially halfway over, and what have we accomplished?"
Ferb showed their entire list of accomplishments. The rollercoaster, the time machine, the superhero costume they made just the day before, but Phineas wasn't satisfied.
"See, we hardly did anything," he said. "We need a real challenge. We need to create the biggest, longest, funnest summer day of all time. Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today."
Doofenshmirtz In a Jet Airplane
Doof and Vanessa were on a plane to Tokyo, Japan.
"Well, Vanessa, are you looking forward to seeing Tokyo on our trip?" asked Doof.
"Yeah," Vanessa replied. "I was hoping for Paris. I mean, I did drop all those hints, but I guess Tokyo's more exotic."
Doof sweated a little bit. "Yes. That's exactly why I chose Japan over France at the last second. That makes perfect sense."
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking," said a voice on the intercom. "We're expecting a slight delay for our arrival in Tokyo."
Doof sighed. "It's always something. Turbulence, headwinds, giant jump-roping robots…"
He wasn't kidding, though. There was a giant jump-roping robot dangling on the end of the plane.
Linda and Lawrence were packing when Candace came in.
"So while you two are away, I'm in charge, right?" she asked. "For two whole days?"
"That's right," Linda replied. "Remember, no boys over, and call if you need anything."
"Of course, Mom. Jeremy's in Paris anyway. So, when you say I'm 'in charge', what exactly do you mean like that?"
"Well, to put it lightly, I mean you're in charge."
"So, if Phineas and Ferb are doing something bust worthy, I have every right to call you?"
"Quite the contrary. Being in charge means you handle things yourself. Basically, you don't need to call at all. If the boys are doing something 'bust worthy', that means you aren't doing your job and you would be in trouble too."
"Oh, I never thought of it like that."
Later, Phineas and Ferb gathered Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, Django, and a few other kids in the backyard.
"Whatcha doin?" asked Isabella.
Phineas gestured to the sun. "See that the sun is setting in the west? Well, we're going to follow it and make today the longest day ever."
"So you built the Statue of Liberty?"
Phineas saw that the tarp did look like it was covering the Statue of Liberty. He chuckled and blushed in embarrassment before removing the tarp. It was actually covering a jet.
"Behold, the amazing Sun Beater 3000!" he showcased. "It's fast and runs on vegetable oil so it's environmentally friendly. In this ship, we will travel around the world as the sun does, making this day longer than the Summer Solstice. That will give us a full 24 hours of continuous daylight, add to that the extra 15 hours we would have had anyway… that's almost a 40-hour day!"
Candace came out, having heard the commotion.
"Well, I don't believe it!" she yelled. "There's only 24 hours in a day, and that's that!"
"Well, yes and no," Phineas replied. "You see, Candace, if you define the day by the passage of the sun, and we follow the sun by traveling around the world…"
"Nah, don't try and confuse me with your sorcerer's ways. There's nothing I've ever seen that can make me believe you can pull this off… except maybe that time machine, and the roller coaster, but other than that, nothing! Oh, and the song we sang to make Perry come back. Man, nature just bends to your will, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, nothing's impossible if you believe you can do it."
"Well, I don't believe it, and therefore, it's impossible, and what's more, I'll bet on it. If you lose, you're gonna have to stand in front of everyone and say that you are governed by the laws of physics, and summer's not what you want to make of it, and what's more, you gotta spend the rest of your summer doing nothing!"
"And what will happen when we win?"
Candace never considered that scenario, so she just blurted the first thing that came to mind. "I'll eat a bug!"
Phineas wasn't satisfied. "No, that won't do it. How about when Ferb and I win, we keep doing what we've always been doing, and you never try to bust us to Mom or Dad again!"
Candace sighed. "Alright, deal!"
"Phineas, what are you doing?" asked Isabella. "You're putting your entire worldview on the line!"
"Isabella, this is all about my worldview," Phineas replied as he climbed onto the top of the plane. "You see, we've all gotta ask ourselves just one question…"
Play "I Believe We Can"
Phineas (Ferb):
What is summer really, but a tepid month or three?
And if you agree with Candace, that's all it will ever be
And we don't need to break the laws of physics
To make a day that's longer than a day
We can follow that old sun around the circumference of the globe
And stop all the naysayers from naysay…ing
'Cause I believe we can
And that's the measure, the measure of a man
It may sound far-fetched, this thing we got planned
But I believe we can
I believe we can (Ooh, I believe)
And that's the measure, the measure of a man (The measure of man)
We'll make it back here to where we began (Oh)
The wing broke off.
Or at least, that's the plan
Ferb:
Of course, first we're gonna have to fix this wing
End "I Believe We Can"
"Hey, where's Perry?" asked Phineas.
Perry entered his lair through a secret door under his bed. When he answered the call, he saw Carl and not Monogram, surprising him.
"Uh, hi, Agent P," Carl greeted. "Major Monogram isn't here right now, but he left this note. 'Dear Carl, I haven't been kidnapped so don't come looking for him… I mean me! You can presume I'm on vacation and undercover.' Weird that he took the time to cut each letter out of a magazine. Anywhos, Doof is on vacation with his daughter in Tokyo right now, which is where the Annual World Good Guy Convention is being held and Major Monogram is the keynote speaker. Coincidence, I think not! Go out there and see what's up."
Perry saluted and flew out of the lair.
Doof and Vanessa were in the airport picking up their stuff.
"Look at this," Vanessa said as she read a pamphlet. "It says that the tallest structure in Tokyo is the 'Tokyo Tower'. It even looks like the Eiffel Tower."
"See, it's just like France," Doof remarked.
That's when Doof's 'luggage' finally showed up. It was just Major Monogram tied to a dolly. Vanessa was beyond furious.
"I can't believe you brought work with you!" she yelled.
"What do you mean?" Doof asked.
"Dad, you literally got someone tied up here!"
"No, we've got a person tied up here."
"I have a name, you know," Monogram chastised.
"Alright," Doof sighed. "Vanessa, Major Monogram. Major Monogram, Vanessa. There, you happy now?"
"I've never been happy."
"Come on, let's find a taxi."
"I'd prefer a town car."
"Quiet!"
After fixing the wing, Phineas and Ferb covered the house in a giant world map.
"Okay, we got a late start thanks to the broken wing," said Phineas. "But here's the whole route. We'll stop in Tokyo and Paris to refuel."
"You're going to Paris?" asked Isabella.
"Yeah, wanna come?"
"To the City of Love?"
"Yeah. It'll be fun."
"Uh, it actually isn't called the City of Love," Baljeet pointed out. "It's…"
"Quiet you!" Buford gave Baljeet a wedgie. "Let her have this!"
"Hey Phineas, I'm coming with you to make sure you don't cheat!" Candace declared. "And if we're stopping at Paris, I might as well pay Jeremy a visit."
With that, Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and Django got on the plane.
"You got the map with you?" Phineas asked Ferb.
Ferb tapped his shirt pocket, revealing the map was in there.
"Wow, mad folding skills," Phineas remarked before turning to the rest. "You guys ready?"
"Ready for you to lose!" Candace replied.
Ferb prepared to take off. Phineas realized the house was still in front of them. He nudged Ferb, reminding him the house was there. Ferb just pressed a button, lowering the house into the ground, then they took off.
"Alright girls," Adyson told the other Fireside Girls. "We got roughly forty hours to get this backyard cleaned up in time for the party. Let's move, move, MOVE!"
With that, the girls got to work.
It didn't take long for the gang to fly over the Pacific Ocean.
"What did you think of the Pacific Ocean?" Phineas asked.
"Probably my fifth favorite ocean," Buford replied.
"So, you're least favorite?" asked Baljeet.
"No. My fifth."
Baljeet smacked his forehead.
"Alright, next stop, Tokyo," said Phineas.
Doof and Vanessa were on top of the Tokyo Tower.
"It says here that the Tokyo Tower is the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world," said Vanessa. She looked up and saw a giant water balloon being hung in the air. "But it says nothing about a giant water balloon." She quickly assumed it was Doof's work. "Dad?"
"Do you like it?" asked Doof.
"We're supposed to be on vacation."
"Uh, we'll be on our way once Major Monogram drops this water balloon on top of the entire International Good Guy Convention!"
"I would never do something as childish as that," said Monogram. "It would ruin my reputation, destroy my credit… oh, I see where you're going with this."
"Exactly," Doof smiled. "And best of all, without your leadership, it will totally put an end to your… what do you call it again?"
"The OWCA, Organization With Cool Animals."
"Okay, I'm gonna put an end to this… OWCA? That's not a cool acronym."
Monogram sighed. "I know."
"Ladies and gentlemen," Phineas announced. "Tokyo, Japan."
The kids took a moment to admire the view of the gorgeous city.
"Stacy has relatives here," said Candace. "We should visit them."
"We're one step ahead of you, Candace," Phineas replied.
Phineas landed the plane a bit harder than he intended. It sounded grindy and sparky. It took a moment for him to realize he forgot to bring out the wheels.
"Ha, my mistake," he chuckled in embarrassment.
Ferb climbed out of the plane and met an elderly woman sitting nearby.
"Kon'nichiwa (Hello)," he greeted. "Watashitachiha suteishī no tomodachidesu (We are friends of Stacy)."
"Hey everybody!" the woman called in English. "Phineas and Ferb are here!"
A man hit a gong. Women of all ages came out of the temple and surrounded the gang.
"Wow, Stacy sure has a lot of relatives," Phineas remarked.
Play "Welcome to Tokyo"
Somehow, someway, the environment shifted to look like that of a Japanese anime. The girls started dancing, and everyone started dancing with them.
Girls:
Welcome to Tokyo
Being glad that you are here
We came visiting delightful
Us welcome to Tokyo
There is a zone of subtropic
You'll find it here in Tokyo
With only 63 inches
Of rainfall every year
"Hey, do you guys have any vegetable oil?" Phineas asked. "We need to refuel."
"Oh sure," one of the girls replied. "Bachan owns a tempura restaurant."
As for a list of exotic amusements
Which makes between the summer there
Is here we look at baseball
Like the fact that it does
Our some people the fact
That volleyball is done and is enjoyed
When it's hot, we spin in water
Like the fact that it goes
By this point, the plane was refueled and the environment was back to normal. Everyone was still doing the dance
"Bye guys," said Phineas. "We'll say hi to Stacy for you."
With that, the plane took off.
"Man, Tokyo is a fun town," Phineas remarked.
"I have no idea what just happened," said Candace.
End "Welcome to Tokyo"
Doof had Vanessa carry Monogram to the top of the tower.
"No one's gonna believe that I dropped that water balloon," said Monogram.
"Oh, but they will," said Doof. "Because you are going to confess that you did it on camera for the whole world to see."
"You can't make me talk. I have nerves of steel and an iron will and gold teeth and a copper spleen. Basically I'm 35% metal."
"Oh man, it must be hard getting through airport security."
"Don't get me started. Anyway, you can't make me talk."
"Oh yeah?" Doof started moving Monogram's mouth and imitating him. "I am Major Monogram. I dropped that water balloon. I pooped my pants."
Monogram sighed. "I stand corrected. That was actually very convincing."
"Dad, this entire trip has been about your work?!" Vanessa snapped. "That's it! If you don't wanna spend time with me, then I don't want to spend time with you!" She walked away. "I'm going back to the airport, alone if I have to!"
That's when Perry showed up. Vanessa barely noticed him.
"Vanessa, wait!" Doof yelled. "I do want to spend time with you! I'll drop the water balloon right now, and we'll get go…"
Before Doof could do anything, Perry tackled Doof and made him drop the remote. The remote fell to the ground and shattered.
Monogram noticed the button was blinking. "Is that supposed to do that?"
"Yes," Doof replied. "That means it's working."
The crane holding the water balloon started spinning around.
"This can't be good," Vanessa sarcastically remarked.
Then the balloon hit Vanessa, making her fall off the edge.
"Vanessa!" Doof yelled in fear.
Luckily, a plane passed by and picked up Vanessa. It took her a moment to realize Ferb was the one flying it.
"Ferb?" she asked.
"Vanessa?" Ferb reacted, blushing a little bit.
Phineas sighed. "No matter where we go, Ferb seems to know everybody."
Ferb opened the hatch and let Vanessa on board.
"Thanks guys," she said.
"It's a good thing we came along when we did," said Phineas. "Where can we drop you?"
"I don't know. Where are you going?"
"Well, we're off to Paris to refuel, then back to Danville."
"Can I just come with you?"
"Sure."
Doof saw the plane flying away with Vanessa.
"Oh, so you save her but you don't bring her back?!" Doof reacted. "I have very mixed feelings about you!"
Perry untied Monogram.
"Perry the Platypus, how did you get here?" Doof asked. "I need a ride."
"Are you kidding?" Monogram asked.
"No! I have to save my daughter! This is a big deal!"
Doof kneeled down, put his hands together, and started pleading.
"Fine!" Monogram relented. "But after we get her back, you're going to have to answer for what you've done!"
"What? You were coming here anyway!" Doof accidentally stepped on the remote, flinging the water balloon into the air. "Oh, and as far as flinging the water balloon into orbit…" He grabbed Monogram's mouth and imitated him again. "I did that!"
"Seriously, when was the last time you washed your hands?"
The gang reached the Himalayan mountains.
"Okay everybody," said Phineas. "Keep an eye out for Klimpaloon."
"Who?" asked Candace.
"The magical old-timey bathing suit that lives in the Himalayas."
"Are you making that up?"
"Does this sound like something someone would make up?"
"Yes!" Candace then heard something beeping. "What's that?"
Phineas realized they were losing altitude. "Uh-oh. We didn't calculate for the weight of an extra body."
"Will this affect our arrival in Paris?"
As if to answer her question, the plane hit one of the mountains, causing both wings to break off. The plane crashed.
That's when they noticed a living green-and-white bathing suit with a face on it passing by repeating "Nyang nyang nyang nyang!"
"And you thought I made it up," Phineas remarked.
"Hey," Baljeet realized. "I believe my uncle, Sabu, lives not far from here. Perhaps he can help."
"Well, I'm staying here where it's warm," Candace decided.
"Me too," said Vanessa.
"Alright, be back in a few," Phineas said as he and the rest got off the plane.
It took a bit of climbing, but the group eventually found Sabu.
"He is home!" Baljeet cheered.
"Ah, Baljeet and friends," Sabu said without even opening his eyes. "I was expecting you."
"Really?"
"No, we just say that to freak out the tourists."
"Do you actually live up here?" asked Phineas.
"Yes," Sabu replied. "It's quite a trek, isn't it? It used to be very inconvenient for me, but then I built this factory, and now it's inconvenient for everyone else."
"What do you make here?"
"Oh, wait for it. There's a whole musical number."
Play "Rubber Bands, Rubber Balls"
Sabu led the gang into the factory. There was already a group of dancers in the main room dancing to the song.
Sabu:
Rubber bands, rubber balls
Made with super-special density
Rubber bands, rubber balls
They can bounce in such intensity
Sabu started showing different areas of the factory.
This is the room where we test the stretching
This is the room where we test the bounce
Here we add the long-chain Hydrocarbons
The names of which I cannot pronounce
This is the room where we test compression
This is the room where we test recoil
This is a break room for all these dancers
And here's a little fridge so the food won't spoil
Rubber bands, rubber balls
Made with super-special density
Rubber bands, rubber balls
They can bounce with such intensity
Sabu started showing off the things the factory doesn't make.
Basically what we make here is rubber
We're not trying to diversify
We don't make knicknacks, we don't make tchotchkes
Or really anything that's gonna catch your eye
We don't make pianos, we don't make cream sodas
We don't make the zippers for your parachute pants
We don't make ice cube trays or ceiling fans
We make rubber bands, rubber balls
Made with super-special density
Rubber bands, rubber balls
They can bounce in such intensity
"Hey, could we borrow one of these?" Phineas asked, gesturing to one of the giant rubber balls.
End "Rubber Bands, Rubber Balls"
It took a while, but the gang managed to carry the rubber ball back to the plane. Thankfully, nothing seemed to happen to Candace or Vanessa.
"It took you long enough," Candace sarcastically remarked.
"Yes, yes it did," Phineas bluntly retorted.
The gang started applying the ball to the bottom of the jet. While they were working on it, Vanessa had one glaring thought she needed to get off her chest.
"Ferb, remember when you said your name was short for something?" she asked.
"Yes," Ferb replied.
"Well, what is your real name?"
"Ferbs."
Vanessa did not expect that name. "'Ferbs'?"
"Yes. What? I didn't say it was that short. It's twenty percent off. If it was a sale, you would buy it."
After that conversation, the gang finished installing the ball. They all got back in their seats.
"Alright, hold onto something," said Phineas.
Phineas pushed a button, and the jet launched into the air.
Play "All Around the World"
They bounced across many areas of the world, like Indonesia and China.
Jump on along with me
So many sights to see
But not a whole lot of time
We're in a hurry
We're bouncing around the world
I think we all can agree
That was the Baltic Sea.
I checked my GPS time
I'm pretty sure that we're bouncing around the world
We'll bounce across the Great Wall
And past the Taj Mahal
We'll go to Rome and see the Coliseum
When they passed Rome, the gang managed to gain some souvenirs, like ancient Roman weapons and armor.
It's a real whirlwind tour
So if you wanna be sure
Don't you blink or you won't see 'em
I wish that we could stay and have some fun
But we gotta keep chasing the sun
When they reached Italy, they paid a very quick stop to get some Italian food like pizza, garlic bread, and spaghetti.
Buford and Baljeet both dug into the spaghetti. They accidentally grabbed both ends of a noodle and pulled themselves closer and closer to each other's lips.
They realized what they were about to do and stopped themselves at the last second. They backed away, blushing.
With a little compression
And a little recoil
And a big jet engine
We're gonna be bouncing around the world
And baby that ain't all
We got a big rubber ball
Did I forget to mention that we're gonna be
Bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing
Bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing
Bouncing around the world
Bouncing all over the world
Bouncing around the world
End "Bouncing Around the World"
After a while, the ball finally broke.
"Well, we're out of rubber bands," said Phineas. "But on the bright side, we're gonna land in Paris."
"How is that good news?" asked Candace.
"Because you wanted to go to Paris."
"Oh, right." Candace looked away, embarrassed. "I feel very conflicted about this."
The plane crashed into a river.
"Alright, gang," Phineas said, opening the hatch. "We made it to Paris. We need fuel and parts, so we better split up."
"My pants are way ahead of you," Buford replied.
Everyone got off the plane.
"Here's the plan," said Phineas. "Candace, you go see Jeremy."
"Way ahead of you," Candace replied, running off.
"Buford and Baljeet, you guys scare up the fuel we need," Phineas continued.
"I like scaring things," Buford remarked.
He picked up Baljeet and walked off.
"Ferb, why don't you go to the Eiffel Tower and get a reading on the trade winds?" Phineas went on.
Vanessa showed up with a scooter.
"Hop on," she offered Ferb a helmet.
"Vanessa, you rented a scooter?" Phineas asked.
Vanessa looked away. "Uh, yeah, rented."
Ferb got on the scooter. Vanessa drove off.
"Django, you stay and watch the plane while I go look for parts," Phineas ordered Django.
Django saluted and started pacing around the vehicle.
"Isabella, do you wanna come with me?" Phineas asked Isabella.
"Yes!" Isabella replied excitedly before quickly calming down. "I mean, yeah, sure, whatever."
"Awesome."
Candace looked for the hotel Jeremy was staying in. If she remembered correctly, it was called 'La Poubelle'.
That's when she noticed a woman walking nearby.
"Ooh, uh, pardonnez-moi, madame," she struggled to say.
"Oui?" the woman replied.
"Uh… un moment." Candace looked through a book that translated English to French. "Pouvez-vous me dire…"
"Can I tell you directions? It's okay, I speak English."
"Awesome. Do you know the way to the hotel La Poubelle?"
"It's just around the corner."
"Cool. Merci."
Candace ran around the corner. She saw Jeremy exiting the hotel. She was about to call him when she saw Jeremy talking to another girl.
Candace was quick to assume the worst. She walked away before she could be seen.
Phineas and Isabella walked down the streets.
"So, Phineas, what do you think of the city of love?" asked Isabella.
"Uh, not what I was expecting," Phineas replied. "The place smells, there aren't as many baguettes as I was expecting, and the place just doesn't feel like a 'City of Love'."
"Oh, that's just stress talking. You should take a moment to relax and truly enjoy the city for what it is."
Play "City of Love"
Isabella:
We could share a crepe sucree at this Parisian cafe
Phineas admired the awning above the front door of the cafe. "We could use that as a sail, or maybe a parachute depending on how things go."
Take a break and smell these flowers underneath the Eiffel Tower
Phineas admired the tower for a moment. "I wonder if they still got pieces of that hanging around. The rivets will come in handy."
"Oh, Phineas," Isabella sighed.
Won't you share a creme brulee with me?
The two looked through the window of a restaurant as a waiter used a blowtorch to heat a creme brulee.
"Check out that awesome blowtorch," Phineas smiled.
Isabella just looked away sadly.
How perfect could this be in the City of Love?
Phineas and Isabella looked around an art gallery. Nearby, there was also a cheese store.
We can try some fancy cheese or pursue the galleries.
"I wonder if oil-based paint is combustible," Phineas wondered. "You know, as a rocket fuel."
Isn't this a perfect day? How do I look in this beret?
Isabella bought a beret to show Phineas.
"That reminds me," said Phineas. "We might need helmets."
The two continued walking down the streets.
Oh, how can he not feel the same way
When we're strolling down the Champs-Elysees in the City of Love?
Isabella looked around and saw many couples, gay, straight, and even polyamorous, walking by. This just made her feel worse.
Later, Isabella took Phineas to get a painting of themselves. When the painting was finished, it depicted Phineas looking away.
When Isabella turned around, she saw Phineas was examining a windmill.
I wish that he would whisper, "Ma cherie, je t'aime"
But all he wants to do is try to fix that plane in the City of Love
The two passed by a flower seller. They both ignored him, Phineas because he was focused on fixing the plane, and Isabella because she was sad that Phineas was ignoring her.
In the City of Love
End "City of Love"
Buford and Baljeet were looking for parts.
"Now Buford, your mindless bullying may have a rustic charm where we're from," Baljeet warned. "But now we are in Europe, a place of high refinement, so let me do all the talking."
The two entered a nearby diner.
"Excuse me," Baljeet told the employee as clearly and kindly as he could. "But can you spare some cooking oil?"
"No," the employee replied bluntly.
"Let me try," Buford suggested, shoving Baljeet aside.
"Wait, don't do anything crazy!" Baljeet yelled, only to fall under deaf ears.
Buford started speaking in very fluent French, surprising Baljeet. He felt himself blush as Buford somehow managed to convince the employee to let them have some oil.
The moment the employee turned away, Buford looked at Baljeet warningly. "Not one word about this to the others."
Baljeet nodded, blushing even more.
Ferb and Vanessa were on top of the Eiffel Tower.
Ferb was reading the tradewinds.
Vanessa was standing at the edge of the tower, looking down at everything around her. She just told Ferb about what happened before he picked her up.
"I don't know, Ferb," she said. "I know he's my dad and I shouldn't blame him for being busy. It's just that he always seems to put his work ahead of me. I just don't know what to do."
"Well, sometimes if you love somebody, you have to meet them halfway," Ferb suggested.
Ferb noticed that some flowers were being sold nearby. He quickly used some euro he brought with him to buy some of the flowers.
He then went back to Vanessa and offered the flowers to her. She looked at them for a moment, and pieced it all together.
"Ferb, do you…?" she asked.
Ferb blushed brightly.
That was all Vanessa needed to know. "Ferb, I'm… I'm flattered, but…" She struggled to figure out the best way to word what she wanted to say. "I like you, but I don't like-like you. I'm too old for you anyway. You know that, right?"
Ferb looked away, realizing Vanessa was right.
"But I don't mind us being friends," Vanessa went on. "It's like you said, Ferb. Sometimes if you love someone, you'll just have to meet them halfway."
"Yeah, halfway," Ferb agreed, fighting his own tears.
That's when a man appeared floating right in front of them. It took Vanessa a moment to realize it was Doof.
"Vanessa, we just came to rescue you!" Doof said.
"Dad?" Vanessa reacted. "How did you get here? And what do you mean 'we'?"
"I hitched a ride with…"
Perry and Monogram saw that Ferb was there. They both nudged Doof, telling him not to reveal their presence.
"Dad, how did you find me?" asked Vanessa.
"We followed the plane that picked you up, and it led us here," Doof explained. "We traveled halfway around the world, but it was worth it."
"Wait, you met me halfway."
"I suppose you could put it that way."
Vanessa almost cried knowing that Doof actually cared about her.
Before she left, she turned towards Ferb and hugged him. "Bye Ferb. Thanks for everything."
She then joined Doof on the hover car, and they flew away.
Django had just finished re-painting the jet when Phineas, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet returned.
Phineas and Isabella had two big plastic baguettes.
Buford and Baljeet had a can of snail grease.
"Nice job, Django," Phineas complimented, admiring the new design.
The group made quick work refueling the jet and rubber-banding the baguettes to convert the jet into a boat.
"Well, that should get us across the Atlantic," said Phineas. "Why didn't we think of that in the first place?"
"Gee, I don't know," Isabella sarcastically replied.
That's when Ferb returned. While he still had his straight face, Phineas could tell something was wrong.
"Ferb, are you okay?" he asked.
Ferb couldn't hold it in anymore. He fell to his knees and started crying.
"Ferb, did something happen?" Phineas asked, panicked. "Where's Vanessa?"
"She…" Ferb sniffed. "She's gone. I offered her a flower, she rejected me, then she left with her dad."
Phineas hugged Ferb to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Ferb."
Ferb cried for another moment. After he calmed down, he stood up and Phineas pulled away from him.
Then Candace showed up.
"Hey Candace," said Phineas. "Did you see Jeremy?"
"Yeah, but I didn't talk to him," Candace replied.
"Why? What happened?"
"Well, you know when you know someone, and you see they have a life away from you, and it's weird?"
"Like when you see your teacher at the grocery store?"
"Yes, exactly. It's just, Jeremy looked like he was having a good time here, and suddenly it seemed creepy and obsessive that I came all this way. What if he doesn't want to see me, or he went to Paris to get away from me?"
"Candace, don't you remember the song I sang earlier? You gotta believe in yourself."
"That's easy for you. Look at all the things you've done." Candace sighed. "You wanna know why I've spent the whole summer obsessed with busting you and Ferb? If I'm being honest, the things you do are beyond cool. You are beyond cool, and I guess I'm just… jealous. I mean, if I so much as throw a party in the house, I face consequences, but you guys are outside building the most impossible things and having the time of your lives. I mean, you built a rocket, fought a mummy, climbed up the Eiffel Tower, discovered things that don't exist, and even gave a monkey a shower! I can go on and on about the accomplishments you did this summer alone and we'd be here all day!"
Phineas felt a twinge of guilt as Candace said all of that. He spent most of the summer finding Candace annoying and something that just got in his way. He never stopped to consider her perspective, and it made him feel awful.
"Candace, I get it," he said. "Every now and then, I get this feeling that I haven't done enough that I overlook the things I have done." Phineas laughed a little bit. "All I can tell you is to not make the same mistake I did. Think about everything you accomplished this summer. You helped reunite our parents' favorite band for their anniversary. You got to join your own favorite band in a concert. You became the queen of Mars!"
Candace thought back to all of those moments. In hindsight, she really had done a lot of amazing things, even if they weren't to the same extent as Phineas and Ferb.
"You're right," she said. "I guess I have done a lot more than I thought."
"Candace, you don't have to do the things that Ferb and I do to have a good time," Phineas went on. "You can find your own way to make the most of your day and see it through. Summer belongs to you."
"Summer belongs to me?"
Phineas realized that could've come out wrong. "Sorry, I should clarify. Summer belongs to you and me, and Ferb, and Isabella, and everyone. All you have to do is believe."
Candace didn't know what to say, so instead, she decided to show how she felt by hugging Phineas. Ferb decided to join in.
With that out of the way, everyone got back in their seats and prepared to head off.
That's when Candace heard a voice call her name. She turned and saw that Jeremy was on the bridge.
"Jeremy?" she reacted.
"It is you," Jeremy realized. "But… how?"
"It was my brothers' idea to…"
"Your brothers? Say no more."
Candace started to climb on top of the engine.
"Candace, be careful!" Phineas yelled.
Candace carefully made it to the top of the engine.
"Jeremy, there's something I want to tell you," she said.
"Really, what is it?" asked Jeremy.
"I wanted to tell you earlier, but then I saw you with another girl and I didn't want to make things awkward."
At this point, the boat was under the bridge. Jeremy leaned his head down so he could see Candace.
"I would hope my girlfriend would have a little trust in me," he remarked.
Candace took a moment to process what she just heard. "Jeremy, you said the G-word."
"Yeah, I…" Because Candace was getting too far away, Jeremy ran to the other side of the bridge to catch up with her. "Yeah, I used the G-word. That doesn't freak you out, does it?"
"No, because I think of you as my B-word."
"In that case, wanna K-word?"
"Maybe."
The two tried to lean towards each other, but by then, they were too far away from each other.
"You can't leave now!" Jeremy shouted. "Just get off at the next bridge!"
"I can't," Candace replied. "I'm in charge of these guys. I gotta be responsible. I'll see you in a week!"
"Candace, you might wanna take your seat," Phineas warned.
Candace did as she was told.
"Don't worry Candace," Isabella assured. "The week will be over before you know it." There was a hint of snark in her voice. "And at least you got a love scene on a bridge!"
"It's 4:00 AM in Danville, we're in a baguette boat, and we got plenty of snail grease," said Phineas. "I got a good feeling about this. Alright everyone, you might wanna hold onto something."
With that, the boat sped away.
A giant water balloon landed in the water. It created a wave that moved the boat ever forward.
"That wave really put us ahead of schedule," Phineas remarked. "At this rate, we'll definitely get back to Danville on time."
Right after he said that, the wheel broke off. So did the engine, and the tail, and the rest of the vehicle until the seats were the only thing left.
The group landed on a small remote island. There was nothing but the gang, a couple of trees, and a big fat ox.
"Hey!" Buford yelled at the narrator.
I meant an actual big fat ox.
"That might be our worst landing yet," said Phineas. "I'm beginning to detect a pattern here."
"Phineas, how are we gonna get off the island?" asked Baljeet.
"We just have to fix the boat."
"With what?"
"There's plenty of stuff here. We just need a little imagination. For instance, we could tie those two palm trees into a raft and add a supersonic outboard motor." Phineas realized the flaw in that plan. "Oh, we don't have anything to cut the trees with, or an outboard motor. Wait, maybe we can soup up this ox so he can run on a conveyor belt that would charge a… oh, we don't have a conveyor belt or any soup."
"Well, thanks for the lift," Doof thanked as he and Vanessa got out of the car.
"Before you leave, we have one more thing for you," said Monogram.
"What?"
Perry cuffed Doof.
"There's a list of outstanding violations as long as your arm," Monogram said.
"But we're on vacation," said Vanessa.
"Don't worry young lady. You'll be able to continue your vacation in ten-to-twenty years."
"Hold it right there!" Vanessa took out a gun. "Step away from the evil scientist!"
Doof smiled. "Vanessa, you're actually evil! I'm so proud of you!"
Vanessa grabbed Doof and carried him to the car. "I'm not evil. Just get in the car before they find out this is only a hair dryer."
Vanessa and Doof got in the hover car and flew off.
"Wait, this is a hair dryer?" Doof asked.
"Yeah, I got it in Tokyo," Vanessa replied.
"Well, they didn't know that when you pointed it at them, so that means you're a little evil."
Vanessa smirked. "Okay, maybe."
"I knew it!" Doof started to sob.
At this point, Phineas was digging through the sand to find something useful.
"Look, a sponge and a starfish!" he showcased. "There's gotta be something we can make out of this!" He sighed and threw them away. "Oh no, that's ridiculous!"
Isabella looked away sadly. She thought back to how she and Phineas were in Paris, the fabled City of Love, and he didn't even notice her. She started to cry.
Ferb offered Isabella a hankie so she could blow her nose. She gladly took it.
"Thanks Ferb," she sniffed. "I don't know what to do. I wish he'd at least sit down with me and enjoy this beautiful sunrise."
Phineas appeared next to Isabella in an even worse state than he already was. He had sand all over him, his eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"Maybe we can dig a tunnel under the ocean!" he suggested. "We could… we could…" Phineas sat down, shedding a few tears. "We can't. I guess we can at least sit and watch this beautiful sunrise."
Isabella got what she wanted, but she realized then and there it wasn't what she, or anyone, needed. She didn't like it, but she knew what she needed to do.
"No," she said.
"What?" Phineas asked, having barely heard her.
"No! You're not gonna enjoy this beautiful sunset! You built a giant rollercoaster downtown, you built treehouse robots, you traveled through time twice!"
"Isabella, there's nothing here to work with."
"Well, that's not the Phineas Flynn I fell in…to this situation with! You showed us all on Ferb's map how all of this is possible, and I'm not gonna let you sit there and…"
An idea sparked into Phineas' head. "Ferb's map! That's it! Isabella, you're the best!"
Phineas gave Isabella a tight squeeze. As he hugged her, he felt all warm inside. He wanted to hug her a moment longer, but he knew he had a job to do.
"Ferb, let's see that map," he said.
Ferb pulled the map out of his pocket. It quickly unfurled, covering up the entire island.
"Okay, we're here and need to go there," Phineas said, pointing at what was roughly the island and Danville. "And we have roughly eleven minutes. Isabella, take Madagascar and move it to Ohio. Candace, grab the Andes and fold it over so that it meets Greenland."
"You know, folding this won't actually bring those places together!" Candace mentioned.
"I know. That's not the point. Buford, Australia over to Africa. Baljeet, LA to Japan."
Baljeet tried to pull the map left.
"No, East, not West," Phineas corrected. "You'll rip it. Alright, Django, fold it here. One long crease down this line."
At this point, the map was folded like a unicorn.
"Phineas, I don't see how an origami unicorn is gonna get us out of here!" Candace yelled.
"It's not done yet," Phineas replied. "It just needs one more fold."
Phineas folded the paper one last time. It took the form of a monster, then a ferris wheel, then finally, a paper airplane.
"That's still not gonna help!" said Candace. "It's paper! We don't even have an engine!"
"True, but we do have," Phineas sang the next part. "This rubber band of super-special density."
Phineas and Ferb attached the rubber band to the two trees.
"Candace, you gotta believe," said Isabella. "Like Phineas and Ferb's song said."
"You really expect me to do what a song tells me to?!" Candace yelled.
Isabella rolled her eyes. "I guess it's not inspirational for some people."
"How about this?" Phineas suggested. "If you don't try anything, you won't get off this island, and you won't see Jeremy again."
That gave Candace the push she needed. She helped the other kids pull the paper airplane back. Buford used the ox to do most of the work.
"My horoscope said I would be riding an ox today," Buford remarked. "But I thought it was a figure of speech."
When the time was right, the gang got on the paper airplane.
"Candace, pull the release!" Phineas ordered.
"Whatever," Candace said as she pulled the release. "It's not gonna…"
The paper airplane launched into the air.
It didn't take long for the gang to reach the Tri-State Area. They landed in the middle of the street.
"That might just be our best landing," Phineas remarked. "Hey, the sun's still down and the house is only five blocks away! Let's go!"
The group made a run for it. Unfortunately, they were blocked by road construction.
"No, it took Mom an hour to get around that ditch!" said Phineas.
Isabella checked her watch. "And we only have a minute till sunrise!"
"What kind of watch is that?" asked Baljeet.
"No, we're not gonna make it!" Candace panicked. "I thought we were gonna do the impossible! For one shining moment, summer was what I wanted to make of it!"
"Hold on a minute," Buford realized. "We're at my house. Hold on, I'm giving everyone back their bikes!"
"Hold on, I don't recall you stealing any bikes," said Phineas.
He brushed it off when he realized they could bike up a ramp and over the ditch.
Buford handed back all the bikes.
"Wait, Buford never took my bike," Candace realized.
"There's one right there," Phineas said, pointing at a small, green tricycle.
"Phineas, I'm not gonna get on this silly little tricycle."
Phineas was starting to run out of patience. "Candace, we're in a hurry. Just…"
"There's no way I'm gonna…"
"GET ON THE TRIKE!"
Candace finally relented and got on the trike.
The gang biked out of the garage and towards the ditch.
"Phineas, we're not gonna make it!" Candace shouted.
"Candace, you have to believe!" Phineas replied.
"Is this another song reference?!"
"You don't have to listen to the song! You just have to believe!"
"I believe!" Isabella cheered.
"I believe!" Buford yelled.
"I believe!" Baljeet shouted.
"I believe!" Django hollered.
Ferb gave a thumbs-up.
Candace sighed. "Fine, I believe!"
Everyone rode up the ramp and flew into the air.
The Fireside Girls just finished cleaning up.
"Where are they?" asked Gretchen. "It's only ten seconds until sunrise!"
"Maybe it'll help if we count," Holly suggested.
The girls started counting down. Right before they got to one, Phineas, Ferb, and the gang landed right in the backyard.
"One!" Phineas finished.
With that, the sun started to rise.
Everyone started celebrating.
"Well, a deal's a deal," Candace said. "You can keep doing what you do, and I'll stay out of it."
"Candace, I'm calling off the deal," Phineas decided. "If you really want to show Mom and Dad what we do, then I'm not gonna stop you."
Candace was surprised by that statement. "So, you're just gonna let me try and get you in trouble? That doesn't make any sense!"
Phineas sighed. "I'm not gonna like it, but if it's really what you enjoy doing, then I shouldn't stop you. It's like I said, summer belongs to you, so you should do whatever you want to do."
Candace smiled. "Thanks, Phineas."
The two hugged each other.
When he pulled away, Phineas saw Isabella dancing with such glee. He couldn't help but smile at her.
Ferb gave Phineas a teasing smile. Phineas noticed it.
"What is it, Ferb?" he asked.
Ferb pointed at Isabella.
Phineas was confused. "What about her?"
Ferb then pointed at Phineas' cheeks. He realized they were a bright red.
"I'm not blushing," Phineas said defensively. "They're just red!"
Ferb glared at Phineas suspiciously.
"Okay, maybe I do blush around Isabella," Phineas admitted. "And I do feel all warm inside whenever we talk, and I think she's my best friend… other than you, of course."
Ferb was not convinced.
Phineas thought back to every moment he had with Isabella throughout the summer. Sure, he didn't like her at first, and he only allowed her to stay if he could get something out of it, but over time, he started to see her as a friend, and he did nice things for her just for the sake of being kind. In the end, he realized he had to face the facts.
"Ferb, I think I have a crush on Isabella," he admitted.
"It took you long enough," Ferb remarked.
"Yeah yeah."
That's when Linda and Lawrence came into the backyard. They saw how well-decorated it was.
"Aw, for us?" Linda assumed. "That is so nice." She turned to Candace. "And Candace, you've been so responsible. Not a single phone call."
"Thanks," Candace replied. "I was too busy watching over the kids."
"That's great." Linda turned to the rest. "Anyway, the party looks great, but you won't believe the day we've had, so I think we'll turn in early. You guys enjoy the party, okay?"
"Alright, you heard her," said Phineas. "Let's enjoy this party."
Play "Summer Belongs to You"
The Fireside Girls started the music.
Phineas:
It's been a long, long day, and there were moments when I doubted
Isabella:
That we'd ever reach the point where we could laugh and sing about it
Both:
Now the sun has set on this, another extraordinary day
And when it comes around again, you know I'll say
Tell me what you wanna do today, all we need is a place to start
If we have heart, we'll make it, 'cause we're not messin' around
Yes we can dream it, do it, build it, make it
I know we can really take it
To the limit before the sun goes down
Phineas:
As soon as you wake up you gotta make your move
Isabella:
Don't miss the beat, just get into the groove
Both:
The sun is shining', there's a lot that you can do
There's a world of possibilities outside your door
Why settle for a little? You can get much more
Don't need an invitation, every day is new
Yes, it's true
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Summer belongs to everyone, so have some fun
There's nothing better to do, summer belongs to you
"Alright, I'm taking a verse," Candace decided.
"Be my guest," Phineas handed Candace the remote.
Candace:
I was so determined with one goal, my summer slipped away
But you helped me see what matters most, so now I've got to say
That though I often thought of you as just a nuisance and a bother
Today I can't imagine having better little brothers
And you gotta believe in something, so today I believed in you
And you came through, we made it, I've never been so proud
I know at first I led myself astray
But for now I'm gonna cease the day
Now there's something that I've got to say out loud
Time is what you make of it, so take a chance
Life is full of music so you ought to dance
The world's a stage and it is time for your debut
"By Jove, I think she's got it!" Phineas shouted.
Don't waste a minute sitting on that chair
The world is calling' to you, just get out there
You can see forever so your dreams are all in view
Phineas:
Yes, it's true
All:
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Summer belongs to everyone, so have some fun
There's nothing better to do, summer belongs to you
"Hey, Candace!" a voice called.
Candace turned and saw it was Jeremy.
"You came back early!" she smiled.
"Well, I missed my girlfriend," Jeremy responded.
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Summer belongs to boys and girls all around the world
We wouldn't say it if it wasn't true
"Ooh, I like the sound of that."
"Besides, you forgot something in Paris."
"Oh? What's that?"
"This."
Jeremy pulled Candace in for a kiss.
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Ferb:
Baby, baby, baby, baby
All:
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Everyone started dancing on the floor.
Phineas danced with Isabella.
Candace danced with Jeremy.
Buford danced with Baljeet.
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Whatever you want to do, you make the rules
You got the tools to see it through
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Summer belongs to you (summer belongs to you)
Just remember that you can do it and when you're through
It will change your point of view, summer belongs to you
End "Summer Belongs to You"
Everyone stopped what they were doing when they heard a chatter. They turned and saw Perry was there.
"Oh, there you are, Perry," Phineas smiled.
A.N.
"Whoa, we're halfway there! Whoa, living on a prayer!"
From the very beginning, I knew that Summer Belongs to You would mark the half-point for the story. It was filled with action, thrills, romance, and character development.
First off, I'd like to give a shout-out to a guest over on AO3, Miss Missy. She's been commenting on my story every now and again sending me kudos and support, and I can't thank her enough. She even made some suggestions on what I should do regarding the French side of things, so I made sure to utilize as much of her suggestions as I could.
One small change was that instead of the sun setting in the end, it instead rises. The sun sets in the west, and judging by the stops, the gang flew west during their journey around the world, so if they're following the sun, it should've been up when they got back.
As for changes story-wise, there's a lot to unpack here. Where do I even begin?
Oh, I know. Ferb's real name. It was kind of a gag that we never learn what Ferb's real name is. I decided to change that by having Ferb reveal his real name is "Ferbs". It was mainly inspired by the TikTok Povenmire made in response to the question. I know it was clearly something he came up with on the spot, but I thought it was funny anyway.
Upon rewatching the episode, I realized that Buford doubting the boys was kinda forced and out of character, and only served as buildup to when Buford gives back everyone's bikes for the climax. In this version, it's Candace that makes the bet, simply because I feel it makes more sense.
This leads to what may just be the most wholesome moment between Phineas and Candace, when the latter admits her jealousy in a scene inspired by the Musical Without a Cool Acronym. It was a scene I knew had to be included, as it showcases both Phineas and Candace are starting to come to an understanding of each other. It won't fully resolve the tension between them, but it's a start.
Speaking of wholesome moments between the Flynn-Fletcher siblings, I included two of these between the titular bitchulars.
First, there was the scene where Phineas comforts a crying Ferb after Vanessa rejected him. I came across an artwork with that exact scenario on DeviantArt, and I wanted to incorporate it somehow, as it provides a vulnerable and humanizing moment for Ferb. I figured it'd work here because it happened right after Vanessa rejected him. She was his first crush, so of course the rejection will hit hard. It'll be a while before he fully moves on from her.
The other scene was when Ferb helped Phineas realize his own crush on Isabella. From the very beginning, I knew this would be the episode where that happens. This and the scene where Isabella motivates Phineas to get them all off the island sets a precedent for what's to come between these two lovebirds in Season 3. Phineas' feelings are only going to grow stronger, while Isabella's confidence is starting to wane.
Anyway, I only plan to do one final episode for 2024. The Christmas special. After that, I'm gonna prioritize finishing my Gravity Falls fic, and hopefully updating my Hamster and Gretel fic, by New Year's.
That's all I have to say. Thanks for reading.