Queen of Mars

( I Was) Just an Ordinary Girl

Being able to finally get home was all fine and dandy, but the risk of returning was just as great as it was leaving the first time.

She wasn't like the other teenagers of the world. Or at least, not anymore.

And that was exactly why she had been afraid to come back. Nobody would want to be her friend anymore.

"Candace!" Phineas called from the other end of the hallway.

Candace smiled to herself. At least she had them.

She pulled on her pink tank top and stepped into her white skirt.

She slid into her white shoes and stepped into the hallway, waving at her brothers. Phineas smiled and ran over to her, Ferb and him wrapping Candace in a tight hug.

She squeezed them back and followed them downstairs into the kitchen.

On the kitchen table were two bowls of fresh cinnamon oatmeal. Noticing this, Phineas offered his bowl to his sister.

She took it gently from him, "Thank you."

He nodded in return and went to get his backpack.

That's right. It's not Summer anymore. She thought in Martian, have I really been gone that long?

So many things had changed since her departure. Candace had changed. She no longer cared about getting her brothers in trouble (so far, at least). She just wanted to spend time with the ones she loved most.

Candace finished her oatmeal and followed the boys out the front door, giving each of them hugs goodbye before they boarded the bus.

"They really have grown up, haven't they?"

Candace jumped in surprise. She held a hand over her heart at the sight of her Mother, "Limkla Dbdnso."

Linda Flynn-Fletcher raised an eyebrow at her daughter but said nothing about her bizarre speech pattern.

Candace smiled at her and slid past Linda, heading towards her room.

"Oh, no." Her Mother said, stepping toward her daughter, "you aren't going anywhere, missy."

Candace raised an eyebrow.

"--Without a hug." She finished, leaning in and pulling her daughter close.

Candace smiled and hugged her back. A glow of happiness filled her stomach as the two embraced. Even through her thoughts had convinced her that her Mother would hate her, here they were

"Mom..." She whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks, "I love you."

Three simple words. Three words that were too valuable to forget, in any language.

"Oh, I love you too sweetie." Her Mother replied, "Come on, I made some pie."

Candace raised an eyebrow but followed her Mother into the kitchen.

The two spent the rest of the day together.

When it was time for the boys to come home, Linda dragged Candace into the family Station Wagon.

The redhead tapped her Mother on the shoulder and pointed to the bus stop sign.

"Engineering Club." She responded, answering her daughter's silent question.

When they got to school, the boys were sitting on the front steps talking to Stacy Hirono. Candace gasped and smushed her face against the glass, practically tearing up at the sight of her best friend.

Phineas looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Hey Mom, Hey Candace!"

Candace giggled and waved in return.

Mom rolled down Candace's window and waved hello, "Hey Stacy!"

The Asian teen walked closer, "He-ey Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher." She said absentmindedly, her eyes focused on her best friend.

"Hi, Stacy." The redhead said, smiling at the flabbergasted black-haired girl.

Stacy rubbed her eyes and stared at her, a wide smile breaking out on her face as well as tears.

Candace laughed and unlocked her door to hug her friend.

Phineas and Ferb exchanged looks of happiness as the sight of their sister.

"So, Stacy, what are you doing here?" Linda asked once the girls were done.

"Oh, right." She responded, wiping a stray tear from her eye, "Mom asked me to pick up Ginger. She had an appointment that she couldn't reschedule."

"Well, it was sweet of you to keep an eye on the boys."

Stacy brushed it off, "No prob. I was already here anyway."

"Well, see ya around!" Phineas called as the car drove away.

"See you around, you guys!"

Candace waved goodbye to her friend then switched on the radio.

An electronic beat filled her ears, and she swayed in time with the music.

"...I was just an ordinary girl, lookin' for a little fun..."

"Candace is this you singing?"

"...but without a friend in the world, I was forced to find a new one. Now I'm the Queen of Mars..."

Her Mother's words flew right over her head. Candace leaned forward and clicked the radio off, completely aware of her Mother's eyes on her.

But much to her surprise, Linda clicked the radio on and turned the volume up.

"...to give me some self-worth! You put a crown on my head, and you all seem to worship me..."

Linda stared at her confused daughter. She motioned to the radio and then to the redhead, "Well, what are you waiting for? I want to hear you sing, honey."

Candace smiled, then began to sing along, "...You don't understand a word I've said, still you treat me like royalty!"

Phineas and Ferb exchanged confused looks. If Candace couldn't understand English, how could she possibly be able to sing along?

"You don't have to speak English, or any language to know the words to a song. Just listen to Shakira."

Phineas nodded, "Good point. But still, at this rate, Candace won't learn English until she is at least in her 40's. If only there were some way we could..."

Ferb pulled out a blueprint, and his brother smiled.

"Hey, that's a great idea! Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today."

Candace stretched her neck and stared at them curiosity. There was that little sparkle in his eye again. The redhead could imagine those gears turning in his triangle shaped head.

What are they up to now?

For the first time in a loo-oong time, she didn't want to bust her brothers. Candace was just genuinely curious about what they were planning to do.

And she didn't give one crap on telling her Mother.

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A/N: Sorry this took so long for me to post. I was on vacation and didn't have my laptop with me:(

P.S.: Sorry this chapter is so short. I just had trouble writing it.