Forever Forever Forever Summer
Chapter 4: Kicking Up Stones
Phineas Flynn, 13 - creative prodigy, treasured brother and son, loved by all for his eternal optimism and bright outlook on life - presumed dead after going missing one week ago.
It made him feel ill.
Despite extensive search efforts, no body was found. Shreds of clothing splattered with blood were discovered accompanied by a destroyed smartphone and discarded backpack, all identified to have been his. There is no evidence of foul play, and it is assumed to be an accident-
Ferb looks away to stop instinctually reading, though it would have been easy to just look at something else that says functionally the same thing. Instead of being full of blueprints, their drafting table and the wall behind it were covered with handwritten notes unintelligible to anyone but him, clippings of newspapers, missing posters and testimonies, anything to do with his brother’s disappearance.
He was a logistically minded person, he enjoyed making sense of the impossible, that’s part of why he was so drawn to Phineas in the first place. Even before they were officially brothers, Phineas would come up with his latest fantastical idea and they’d spend the day together trying to make it real. As they got older they only got more complex and challenging. Everything had a reason, everything had a method, you just had to look at it in the right way. And this? This didn't sit right.
No matter how much red string he put up and moved around, he couldn’t make sense of the disappearance. More than anyone, Ferb knew his brother and what he was capable of. There was not a chance in hell that someone as boundlessly creative, resourceful and intelligent as Phineas would die to an accident that left no body behind. He could be a little oblivious, sure, but that was to social cues, not to deadly circumstances. There was intent here, and it wasn’t Phineas’. If he’s dead, someone killed him. If he’s alive, someone was keeping him hostage. Ferb would figure out what happened, even if it killed him too.
“Hey, Ferb.” Isabella steps through the doorway, and softly greets him. Since Phineas went missing she’d been spending so much time at the Flynn-Fletcher house it almost felt stranger when she wasn't around, especially with Candace mostly avoiding home. “How are you holding up?”
About as well as anyone who’s been told his brother and best friend is dead can be, he tried to quip, but no sound came out. Instead, he shrugged and absently tapped his pen. It was nothing new for words to get trapped in his throat somewhere, he wasn’t always quiet by choice and everyone he called a friend knew that, but never before had there been so many words in his mind that refused to be said.
“Yeah, I figured...” Her voice wavers a little, then she holds out a plate. “I bought you a sandwich, your mom said you missed breakfast.”
God, he wished his brain let him ask how she was doing, because he knew it wasn’t well even if she’d never admit it herself. It always struck him as funny that she was usually completely helpless at hiding her crush yet excellent at hiding her feelings, crush included, to stay strong for others. It just made it a lot harder to get a read on her mental state when it mattered.
Regardless, he gave a tiny smile-less nod as thanks. It wasn't a culinary masterpiece, just ham and cheese in white bread, but food’s food. He’d been in a perpetual state of starving to the point of nausea while barely having the willpower to eat. It’s moments like these that he was even more thankful than usual to have such a tightly knit friend group to look out for him. He takes a lethargic nibble out of the corner, hoping getting a taste would help his appetite.
“Speaking of, I talked a bit with your parents... they're really worried about you, about all of us, really. They still think it's just wishful thinking.” Isabella's expression hardens and Ferb quickly recognises it as the face she makes when she wants to say something much ruder than what's appropriate.
In their defence, Ferb can't blame his parents for thinking he was simply struggling to live in a world without his brother by his side, because by all means he was and good god did it hurt. If it was anyone but Phineas he’d be much more inclined to believe they really had died, even if it was Candace, as much as he didn't like the thought of willingly putting one sibling above another. If he had disappeared instead, Phineas would have scrambled together a tracker from spare parts in the garage and found him before he was even considered missing. It wasn’t that Ferb couldn’t build one in return... his creativity just didn’t flow in the same way his brother’s did. Without Phineas around for that jumpstart it felt almost impossible to design anything. Recognising where this train of thought was likely to end up, he shuts his eyes tight and shakes his head. Survivor’s guilt won't help find him.
Seemingly recognising him getting caught up in his thoughts, Isabella continues speaking.
“When you have a plan, you’ve got pretty much every kid in Danville on standby. A good amount of adults too. I heard back from the last handful yesterday, I don't think there's anyone else we could possibly ask.” Not wanting to interrupt his sandwich, Isabella places a perfectly formatted list of names, addresses, phone numbers and notable skills on the drafting table, all meticulously gathered and recorded with permission. Ferb skims it, finding he didn't really recognise any of the names. Not that it surprised him much, more people knew of the Flynn-Fletcher brothers than the two of them could ever hope to know by name. Phineas always had been better at remembering these things anyway.
It was a bit of an open secret across town that Phineas’ closest friends didn't believe he was dead. With Ferb struggling to fully communicate his thoughts, Isabella and the rest of her troop had taken it upon themselves to contact everyone they knew to tell them, ask for info and ask for help. Given the circumstances, the amount of managerial skill and focus it took to organise all the information while also fighting with grief was incredible. Ferb had taken a mental note to properly thank her once he was able.
Not everyone who got contacted was immediately convinced. After all, Phineas was only young and humans are fragile, but this was a human that had done the impossible every summer day for almost a decade and made no effort to hide it. What was one more miraculous event to add to his resume?
Isabella scans the notes along the wall. She was nowhere near as good at reading Ferb as Phineas which really didn’t help his stress over being unable to speak but she had gotten a lot better these past few weeks. He wasn’t sure whether to be happy about that.
“Have you checked your project book? For ideas? Maybe there’s something in there, you two always had more ideas than you could make.”
He shakes his head again. It was one of the first things he’d done along with going through his log. Even if there wasn’t already something to help he had hoped he’d at least get some inspiration. It just wasn’t the same without his other half beside him.
“Mind if I take a look? The Fireside Girls and I are nowhere close to being as good as you but between us, maybe we can whip up something. I’m not sure what, exactly, but we all have our creative engineering and detective patches and we’d be happy to use them.”
Ferb gestures to the project book, nestled comfortably in the barrel-turned-bookcase between the beds.
“Take it to the lodge. Brainstorm.” Six words. Probably his allowance for the day.
“Really? Are you sure?”
Ferb nods. Isabella removes it from the bookshelf, so very gently as if it would fall apart if she gripped it too hard.
“Oh, thank you! I’ll have it back in no time. It’s sort of like...” She looks down at it. Her expression softens as she solemnly runs her finger along the many sheets of paper sticking out of the pages. “... a piece of Phineas, right? A piece of both of you. I wouldn’t want to take it from you for too long.”
Ferb looks away. Unlike the majority of things in their room and in their lives, it did sometimes feel like the project book was more Phineas’ than both of theirs. He hadn't actively claimed it, he simply spent more time writing in it; it was a great place for him to scribble down ideas and potential inspirations for later. Ferb supposed it was only fair since he had his log. Phineas was allowed to write in it and had plenty of times, he just didn't tend to find that kind of record keeping enjoyable. They covered each other's weaknesses. It's why they made such an effective team.
He’s pulled out of his thoughts yet again by Isabella wrapping her arms around him, holding him tight. He tenses, but she stays close.
“I know you’re not the biggest fan of physical affection.” She mutters with the perfect calmness of an experienced leader. “And I know only Phineas really knows what you’re thinking... but I can tell you need a hug, so you’re getting one.”
They remain there for a moment, then as Isabella pulls away Ferb's arm raises almost independently of the rest of his body and keeps her there.
“Yeah, I knew it.” She can't help but let out a little stifled chuckle. “I’m here as long as you need, Ferb, we all are. We’ll find him, no matter what.”
Shutting his eyes tight, the tension dissipates, and he silently nods into her shoulder.
~~~~~
Candace had the opposite reaction to Phineas’ disappearance and subsequent presumed death compared to Ferb. Instead of practically living in her bedroom she spent days away at Stacy’s, only intermittently home much to the concern of her parents. For their peace of mind, Stacy assured them she’d always make sure she was at the very least fed and clean and that she’d call if something was urgently wrong. Thankfully, so far, no such call had been needed.
Day by day, Candace couldn't bring herself to do much of anything. Despair tangled with every fiber of her being, usually keeping her lazily trapped in the guest room bed. On a “good” day she would manage a walk around the block to try and clear her head only to end up with it foggier than when she started, greeted back with a hug from Stacy.
She had never been so grateful to have Stacy as a friend, she gave a shoulder to cry on and a home away from home. She’d been told (probably by Stacy) that the strength of a friendship is truly tested when something terrible happens because you can see how much the other party still cares when you're at your worst. And good lord, had Stacy shown she cares. Whether she needed something fun to take her mind off of it or simply someone to listen to her tearfully babble, Stacy was infinitely patient and understanding. Anyone would have to be to have stayed friends with a younger Candace, she wasn't afraid to admit that these days. Besides that, she wondered whether Stacy having her own little sister around the same age as Phineas and Ferb made it easier for her to empathise, but she wouldn't dare mention it as to not put the thought of Ginger in mortal danger in her head.
Back at home, she’d never realised just how many things reminded her of Phineas until now. Everything in every room made her remember she was down one little brother. It made her nauseous to eat at the dining table when she had countless memories of Phineas being so eager to chat the time away that he forgot to chew with his mouth closed. Perry was home much less often, and when he was home, seeing him plod along probably wondering where his favorite human was made her heart ache. Just walking past his bedroom door and seeing their scrappy handmade “P&F” sign felt like getting punched in the chest and then kicked until she cried. She remembered when they made it. They were so excited to be brothers.
She desperately, desperately wanted Phineas to be okay, she wished he would suddenly appear from some invention gone wrong with a smile or miraculously be found surviving on his own in the wilderness, but if prepping for law school taught her anything it’s that evidence is crucial, and right now the only proof that wasn't a hunch overwhelmingly implied he was dead. If not for Ferb, she wouldn’t have genuinely questioned whether he was alive in the first place. Life is unforgiving, things happen for no reason and there’s nothing you can do about it. She’d learned that lesson countless times over. While losing a sibling to pure bad luck wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen to her, it would easily be the most devastating.
As much as she loved her brothers, while she was growing up it took her a long time to accept that Phineas and Ferb had a special type of bond with each other that she didn’t have with either of them. Whenever that pang of grief hit her chest, she dreaded to imagine how badly Ferb must be hurting. She wasn't as good at reading his body language as she’d like to be and Phineas was the only person who truly understood everything he tried to get across, she just couldn't know how well he was keeping his head above the waves. At the very least, she knew Ferb was a tough cookie. He wasn't going to break easily. Hell, if Phineas really had died she wouldn't put it past him to invent necromancy to get him back.
To keep at least some sanity in check, they exchanged short texts daily, sometimes only emojis if it was easier for him, to reassure the other they were still there. From time to time she’d receive a picture of the wall he’d dedicated to his search effort to update her on any progress. It looked suspiciously conspiracy board-like, dozens of mismatched scraps of paper all pinned together with red string and accessorised with sticky notes. She figured she probably didn't need to tell him that.
She felt awful for their parents, too. Not only had they lost a son but from their perspective their remaining children were steeped in grief so thick they believed their brother was somehow still alive. Even dad, being far more in tune with Phineas and Ferb’s antics and aware of what they could do, didn't even entertain the idea he was okay, at least not outwardly. Hearing him and mom talk about funerals while Ferb toiled away at his theories upstairs made her stomach twist.
It was stupid, she knew holding out hope was irrational, but it was Phineas Flynn, the little brother and damn prodigy that could do absolutely anything he put his mind to and had. As much as it was the universe’s way of torturing her for kicks, the morning felt empty without the sounds of construction and the endless stream of delivery trucks.
If Ferb really was right and Phineas’ death really was faked, what kind of monster would do that to someone so universally loved?