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Chapter 10

The car pulled up to the garage of the Flynn-Fletcher household, or at least the version of the house that was in this place.  Phineas still felt uneasy as he ran past the livingroom and hallways to see them rearranged.  But he headed up to his room without a stop after he had entered through the front door.

The guy who could've been Ferb followed behind him, staring with a puzzled and protective gaze.  Phineas' feet disappeared at the top of the steps.

Though he didn't know what time it was--the sun was still shining--Phineas leapt into his bed and pulled up the sheets.  He didn't know what else to do other than that.

That guy downstairs was too similar to Ferb to be someone else.  But he was too different to be the ten-year-old Ferb that Phineas knew.  And that scared him.  For now, the sanctuary of his fluffy covers was the only thing that he tried to think about.

But in the silence of the room, all Phineas had to keep him company were his own thoughts.  This place didn't feel like a dream, but then again, dreams never do.  Yet, if it truly wasn't a dream, Phineas had already seen his mom in this world.  Perhaps his dad was off at work.  Candace's room hadn't changed much, and she could've been at school.

If all that were true, then the only person missing from this reality was Ferb.  So either that strange and different guy downstairs was Ferb, or Ferb wasn't here.

Scrunching himself closer under his tent, Phineas snuggled his knees and hid his eyes.  Where was his brother?  What had this weird world done with him?

Then Phineas heard a sound of movement and thought he felt the presence of someone nearby.  He peeked his eyes out from under the covers and looked around.

The almost-Ferb teenager was standing in the bedroom doorway.  He had his shoulder leaning against the moulding, his arms half-crossed, and one leg bent as he rested his weight on the doorpost.  He had a distressed expression on his face as he looked into the room.

"I really don't think you're okay, Phineas," he started cautiously.  "You've been acting awful strange lately and you've barely told me anything about it."

Phineas slid up a little closer to his pillow, still keeping his bedsheet clutched in his hands.

The guy in the door lifted his shoulder off of the post and walked his way over to Phineas' bedside.  He bent down until he was almost kneeling, and looked Phineas in the eye.  "Please tell me what's bothering you."

Staying silent for a moment, Phineas covered his mouth with the blanket.  He just stared back at the person before him, watching the expression on his face.  He saw nothing but genuine concern in those eyes.  Could they really be the eyes he knew?

"Are you…" Phineas started, gently lifting the fabric off his mouth.  He gulped.  "Are you real?"

"Real?" he echoed.  "Of course I'm real…  What do you mean by saying that?"

"I mean…" Phineas replied, pulling a hand gradually out into the open air.  He slowly aimed his movement towards the guy's elbow that was resting on the side of the bed.  Phineas' fingers graced the top of his forearm lightly, and the green-haired teenager moved his head curiously to look down at it.  After pulling his fingers back, Phineas whispered, "You're an actual person…  Who exists and lives and is real."

"Yes… yes of course I am," the one beside the bed gathered himself to reply.

Phineas drew his hand back to grabbing his blanket.  He didn't move his gaze away from looking into the eyes of the person in front of him.  He finally asked quietly, "Please tell me who you are."

"Who I…?" the older teen started.  His eyes squinted as if he had been hurt, and his next words came out wet-sounding and cracking.  "You're scaring me now, Phineas.  You… you know who I am."

"I—I think I might," Phineas answered.  But he still continued his locked stare.  "But I can't even start to believe it until I hear someone specifically tell it to me.  So please, tell me your name."

"My—my name is Ferb…" he started with a sigh, leaning back to straighten up a bit.  "…My name is Ferb Fletcher."

He couldn't say anything more as he waited anxiously for Phineas' response.  Phineas snuck his arms closer to himself as he examined him all up and down.  He looked at his face closely, at his large square nose, and at the scruffy green hair that went down behind his ears.  Phineas breathed and spoke up.

"I can… just barely recognize you," he said softly.

"You can ju…?" the Ferb-teenager answered.  He frowned sadly as he stared back at him.  "Phineas… don't you remember me?"

"… I remember Ferb," Phineas admitted, shuffling in the bed to reposition himself in thought.  He broke gazes and looked away, saying, "He's smart, and cool, and quiet, and we always build things together.   But you…"

Stopping, Phineas looked back to him.  Now he was sitting on the floor as he looked back without words, only wanting to listen.  Phineas tried to find what he was trying to say.

"You… remind me of him," Phineas mentioned.  "A lot, actually.  You definitely have his hair, and now that I look closely, you look like him too.  And you laugh like he does.  You laugh exactly like he does.  But you're… you're eighteen years old."

"No, I'm not.  I'm seventeen," the guy who was almost Ferb explained.  Then he started to gesture subtly.  "I'm seventeen just like I was last week.  And I was sixteen a year ago.  Phineas… do you remember last year?"

"Yeah, yeah I remember last year," Phineas mumbled.  He was still thinking hard as he scratched his head.  "But I remember Ferb being nine years old last year.  The last I remember is yesterday, when we were both ten."

The tall and older-looking teenager lowered his shoulders and looked down at the floor.  Then he tipped ever-so-slightly glossy eyes back up to Phineas.  "You've forgotten everything that's happened in the last seven years?"

"I don't think I've forgotten it," Phineas tried to make out.  He looked down at his own abnormally-long arms that he had placed out in front of him.  "…It's like I was ten, and then the world suddenly grew up around me."

Then Phineas looked upwards, and all around the room.  "But if this place isn't just a dream I'm having… If it's really real life…"

Phineas tried to think it through.  He looked back down to the person who looked so similar-yet-different to Ferb.  He whispered, "…Is this the future?"

Then Phineas whimpered and shrunk down again.  "I d-don't like the future...  The future is different, and s-scary."

The guy who could've been Ferb looked at himself, then down to the floor, and pointed at it.  "...I'm pretty sure… this is the present."

Then he softly pointed to himself and glanced back to Phineas.  "...At least for me it is.  ...It's 2015 and has been for eight months now."

"T-t-twenty fifteen?" Phineas gulped frightfully.

The other guy nodded.  "And it was 2014 bef--"

But then Phineas found himself trying to blink; he had spotted a white light beginning to form in the room.  He shook his head greatly and felt his heart pounding.  He was pretty positive he knew what was happening, as he attempted to wait through the strange light as it overtook him, and then gradually dissipated.

Phineas was in the livingroom, and was sitting on the couch.  But that older teenage guy wasn't there anymore.  Instead, Phineas looked to his right beside him, to see the welcoming and familiar face of the ten-year-old Ferb.

"Ferb!" Phineas shouted as he pointed at him.  Then he leapt up and wrapped his arms around him in a big hug.  "I missed you!!"

When Phineas drew back, he saw only a confused face on Ferb.  Still caught up in thoughts, Phineas ignored Ferb's reaction and asked, "What year is it??"

Ferb cocked his head and looked even more perplexed.  But, when Phineas just stared back to him with anticipation, he answered, "...It's 2008."

"Okay... okay good, I'm back home," Phineas spoke through several breaths.  "I was... I was in, I guess it was the future."

He looked back at Ferb and saw his expression.  He grinned a little at him.  "Yeah... again.  I don't know what keeps on flipping me back and forth.  But maybe this time I'll stay here at home."

Ferb just shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess there's really no way of telling, is there," Phineas sighed.

* * *

Description
Chapter 10

The car pulled up to the garage of the Flynn-Fletcher household, or at least the version of the house that was in this place.  Phineas still felt uneasy as he ran past the livingroom and hallways to see them rearranged.  But he headed up to his room without a stop after he had entered through the front door.

The guy who could've been Ferb followed behind him, staring with a puzzled and protective gaze.  Phineas' feet disappeared at the top of the steps.

Though he didn't know what time it was--the sun was still shining--Phineas leapt into his bed and pulled up the sheets.  He didn't know what else to do other than that.

That guy downstairs was too similar to Ferb to be someone else.  But he was too different to be the ten-year-old Ferb that Phineas knew.  And that scared him.  For now, the sanctuary of his fluffy covers was the only thing that he tried to think about.

But in the silence of the room, all Phineas had to keep him company were his own thoughts.  This place didn't feel like a dream, but then again, dreams never do.  Yet, if it truly wasn't a dream, Phineas had already seen his mom in this world.  Perhaps his dad was off at work.  Candace's room hadn't changed much, and she could've been at school.

If all that were true, then the only person missing from this reality was Ferb.  So either that strange and different guy downstairs was Ferb, or Ferb wasn't here.

Scrunching himself closer under his tent, Phineas snuggled his knees and hid his eyes.  Where was his brother?  What had this weird world done with him?

Then Phineas heard a sound of movement and thought he felt the presence of someone nearby.  He peeked his eyes out from under the covers and looked around.

The almost-Ferb teenager was standing in the bedroom doorway.  He had his shoulder leaning against the moulding, his arms half-crossed, and one leg bent as he rested his weight on the doorpost.  He had a distressed expression on his face as he looked into the room.

"I really don't think you're okay, Phineas," he started cautiously.  "You've been acting awful strange lately and you've barely told me anything about it."

Phineas slid up a little closer to his pillow, still keeping his bedsheet clutched in his hands.

The guy in the door lifted his shoulder off of the post and walked his way over to Phineas' bedside.  He bent down until he was almost kneeling, and looked Phineas in the eye.  "Please tell me what's bothering you."

Staying silent for a moment, Phineas covered his mouth with the blanket.  He just stared back at the person before him, watching the expression on his face.  He saw nothing but genuine concern in those eyes.  Could they really be the eyes he knew?

"Are you…" Phineas started, gently lifting the fabric off his mouth.  He gulped.  "Are you real?"

"Real?" he echoed.  "Of course I'm real…  What do you mean by saying that?"

"I mean…" Phineas replied, pulling a hand gradually out into the open air.  He slowly aimed his movement towards the guy's elbow that was resting on the side of the bed.  Phineas' fingers graced the top of his forearm lightly, and the green-haired teenager moved his head curiously to look down at it.  After pulling his fingers back, Phineas whispered, "You're an actual person…  Who exists and lives and is real."

"Yes… yes of course I am," the one beside the bed gathered himself to reply.

Phineas drew his hand back to grabbing his blanket.  He didn't move his gaze away from looking into the eyes of the person in front of him.  He finally asked quietly, "Please tell me who you are."

"Who I…?" the older teen started.  His eyes squinted as if he had been hurt, and his next words came out wet-sounding and cracking.  "You're scaring me now, Phineas.  You… you know who I am."

"I—I think I might," Phineas answered.  But he still continued his locked stare.  "But I can't even start to believe it until I hear someone specifically tell it to me.  So please, tell me your name."

"My—my name is Ferb…" he started with a sigh, leaning back to straighten up a bit.  "…My name is Ferb Fletcher."

He couldn't say anything more as he waited anxiously for Phineas' response.  Phineas snuck his arms closer to himself as he examined him all up and down.  He looked at his face closely, at his large square nose, and at the scruffy green hair that went down behind his ears.  Phineas breathed and spoke up.

"I can… just barely recognize you," he said softly.

"You can ju…?" the Ferb-teenager answered.  He frowned sadly as he stared back at him.  "Phineas… don't you remember me?"

"… I remember Ferb," Phineas admitted, shuffling in the bed to reposition himself in thought.  He broke gazes and looked away, saying, "He's smart, and cool, and quiet, and we always build things together.   But you…"

Stopping, Phineas looked back to him.  Now he was sitting on the floor as he looked back without words, only wanting to listen.  Phineas tried to find what he was trying to say.

"You… remind me of him," Phineas mentioned.  "A lot, actually.  You definitely have his hair, and now that I look closely, you look like him too.  And you laugh like he does.  You laugh exactly like he does.  But you're… you're eighteen years old."

"No, I'm not.  I'm seventeen," the guy who was almost Ferb explained.  Then he started to gesture subtly.  "I'm seventeen just like I was last week.  And I was sixteen a year ago.  Phineas… do you remember last year?"

"Yeah, yeah I remember last year," Phineas mumbled.  He was still thinking hard as he scratched his head.  "But I remember Ferb being nine years old last year.  The last I remember is yesterday, when we were both ten."

The tall and older-looking teenager lowered his shoulders and looked down at the floor.  Then he tipped ever-so-slightly glossy eyes back up to Phineas.  "You've forgotten everything that's happened in the last seven years?"

"I don't think I've forgotten it," Phineas tried to make out.  He looked down at his own abnormally-long arms that he had placed out in front of him.  "…It's like I was ten, and then the world suddenly grew up around me."

Then Phineas looked upwards, and all around the room.  "But if this place isn't just a dream I'm having… If it's really real life…"

Phineas tried to think it through.  He looked back down to the person who looked so similar-yet-different to Ferb.  He whispered, "…Is this the future?"

Then Phineas whimpered and shrunk down again.  "I d-don't like the future...  The future is different, and s-scary."

The guy who could've been Ferb looked at himself, then down to the floor, and pointed at it.  "...I'm pretty sure… this is the present."

Then he softly pointed to himself and glanced back to Phineas.  "...At least for me it is.  ...It's 2015 and has been for eight months now."

"T-t-twenty fifteen?" Phineas gulped frightfully.

The other guy nodded.  "And it was 2014 bef--"

But then Phineas found himself trying to blink; he had spotted a white light beginning to form in the room.  He shook his head greatly and felt his heart pounding.  He was pretty positive he knew what was happening, as he attempted to wait through the strange light as it overtook him, and then gradually dissipated.

Phineas was in the livingroom, and was sitting on the couch.  But that older teenage guy wasn't there anymore.  Instead, Phineas looked to his right beside him, to see the welcoming and familiar face of the ten-year-old Ferb.

"Ferb!" Phineas shouted as he pointed at him.  Then he leapt up and wrapped his arms around him in a big hug.  "I missed you!!"

When Phineas drew back, he saw only a confused face on Ferb.  Still caught up in thoughts, Phineas ignored Ferb's reaction and asked, "What year is it??"

Ferb cocked his head and looked even more perplexed.  But, when Phineas just stared back to him with anticipation, he answered, "...It's 2008."

"Okay... okay good, I'm back home," Phineas spoke through several breaths.  "I was... I was in, I guess it was the future."

He looked back at Ferb and saw his expression.  He grinned a little at him.  "Yeah... again.  I don't know what keeps on flipping me back and forth.  But maybe this time I'll stay here at home."

Ferb just shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess there's really no way of telling, is there," Phineas sighed.

* * *