Snapshots

34. The Call

Takes place after Quantum Boogaloo.

The shrill ring of a phone cut through the darkened hotel room followed closely by two tried moans. A hand slapped at the end table before gripping the cellphone.

Not bothering to raise his head from the pillow, he hit accept and brought it to his ear. "'Ello?"

"Phineas?"

"Mom?" He frowned, rubbing at his eyes in the hope to wake up more.

"Phineas Vincent Flynn, you are so busted!"

Phineas' hand stilled over his eyes. After a second he pulled it away, blinked, removed the phone from his ear and stared at the lit-up screen. Phineas put the phone back to his ear. "Mom, could you repeat that? I could've sworn you said I was 'busted'."

"I did. You are busted."

"You're calling at like, um-" he broke off, squinting at the digital clock.

"Two AM," came the sleepy mutter from next to him.

"Two AM," Phineas repeated. "To tell me... I'm busted?"

"It's that late?" Concern slipped into Linda's voice. "I keep forgetting about the time difference."

"Never mind the time difference. I'm still confused as to the purpose of this call." He gave a slight laugh. "I mean, come on Mom, aren't I a little old to be 'busted'?

"Well... yes, but it needed to go on record. According to your sister.."

The lamp flipped on, and Phineas snapped his eyes shut at the sudden brightness filling the room.

"Sorry."

Phineas waved it off. "So Candace put you up to this?"

"No, Candace did not put me up to this. She just finally succeeded in showing me what you kids were up to behind my back."

That didn't clear up anything for him. Pulling back the covers, Phineas swung his legs off the edge of the bed and sat up. "When did we ever do anything behind your back?" he said, the words coming out a little awkward. Unless she found out about some of the more dangerous activities that they had neglected to tell her about solely for her peace of mind, they'd always recapped their days to her or would ask permission before taking part. Or taking something apart.

There was a beat of silence. "I suppose you did believe I knew... I'm sorry I never paid enough attention to realize you weren't making up those stories."

"Okay?" He was still lost.

"Get some sleep, Phineas. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom." Phineas hit end call and rubbed his forehead.

The bed shifted behind him before a hand landed on his shoulder, sliding down his bare chest. A voice whispered near his ear, "What brought that on?"

"I have no idea." He set the cellphone back on the end table. "Let's just go back to sleep."

"Okay." Isabella kissed him on the cheek before laying back down, turning the light off once Phineas had joined her.

He was starting to drift back to sleep when the cellphone rang again. His hand shot out, grabbing the cell and hitting accept. "What?"

"Hello to you too." The voice sounded way too amused for Phineas' current level of tired annoyance. "Did Mum call you?"

"Yes. I was almost back asleep when you called."

"Consider it payback for all the times you woke me up during university."

"If you don't have a point, I'm hanging up."

He could practically hear Ferb's eye roll over the phone. "I just wanted to know if she called you too and if you knew why. Since you've answered one of those questions, I'll call you back in the morning."

"You couldn't have called in the morning in the first place?"

"Like I said, payback."

Phineas was too tired to argue pointlessly over the pointlessness of a pointless phone call. "Fine. Goodnight, Ferb." He hit end call and turned off the cell. The way this night was going, Candace would be calling next.