"Are all these from you?" Doofenshmirtz asked, pointing under the tree.

Perry nodded and smiled.

"I… feel kind of awkward." Doofenshmirtz rubbed his hands together. "I didn't actually get you anything. I didn't think I was gonna end up celebrating this year. Perry the platypus… I really, really appreciate what you did. I know it probably doesn't mean so much coming from me, but… you're a really good guy."
Perry blushed. He pointed over at the presents.

"Oh, you want me to open them now? Well, okay."

The two of them sat down on the floor. Perry opened up a tin of cookies and set it down between them.

"A soft fuzzy blanket!" Doofenshmirtz exclaimed, holding up the first gift. "Aww, thank you, Perry the platypus. This will come in handy. It's super cold this year. Oh, I wish I had something for you… I'll buy you a gift later today."

Perry liked watching Doofenshmirtz open his gifts. He was so genuinely happy about each and every one of them. It made Perry feel warm inside.

"Ooh, Vance Ward signature cologne." Doofenshmirtz said.

"I wonder if it smells like Vance Ward." Perry said to himself.

Doofenshmirtz squirted a little on his wrist. "Mm, it smells wonderful. Kind of like Vance Ward, actually. Thank you so much! Ooh, and a fuzzy green sweater… and a cupcake maker… aww, this is so sweet!"

Perry started to cough. "Everything smells like Vance Ward."

Doofenshmirtz started to cough as well. "I'm getting lightheaded."

"The cookies taste like Vance Ward."

Doofenshmirtz ran over to the sink and rinsed off his wrist. "Ew. Everything smells like Vance Ward. I guess I squirted too much that time."

After Doofenshmirtz opened all his presents, the two of them sat on the couch and watched a holiday movie together.

"I hope you didn't mind the candy cane." Doofenshmirtz said. "I feel kind of embarrassed about it now. But… I figured, you know, since we weren't gonna see each other again…"

At first Perry didn't know what Doofenshmirtz was talking about.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Doofenshmirtz popped a piece of fudge into his mouth. "The candy cane message I sent you. I told you that you were very cool and that I wished I'd gotten to know you better since I won't see you anymore."

It took Perry a moment to realize what was going on.

Then he began to laugh. He was so relieved. Doofenshmirtz had sent him the candy cane. Not some lovestruck agent.

"It's not funny!" Doofenshmirtz turned bright red. "Do you know how long it took me to figure out how to write that out? Well, laugh it up, Perry the Sneerapus, but I meant everything I said on that note." Doofenshmirtz looked down at the ground. "I really am gonna miss you. I don't think they have an animal agency in Gimmelshtump. And it doesn't matter, anyway. You're my nemesis. You'll always be my nemesis. Just… just don't forget me once I'm gone, okay?"

Perry stopped laughing. He looked sadly down at the cookie in his hand.

This was it. These were the last moments he'd had with someone who had been so consistent in his life. Someone who had always been there for him.

"Two hundred dollars is a lot for me right now." Doofenshmirtz wiped a tear from his eye. "I really wish I could pay it off… just so I could stay here. This is my home, after all."

Perry looked at him. "Two hundred dollars? That's ALL?"

"Don't start saying goodbyes, Perry the platypus. They'll just make us both sad."

Perry reached into his pocket and pulled out two hundred dollar bills. He handed them to Doofenshmirtz.

"You- you're giving this to me?" Doofenshmirtz asked.

Perry nodded and smiled.

"Wait a minute. I can barely scrape together ten bucks to order out when it nears the end of the month, and they pay YOU hundreds of dollars to thwart me?"

Perry grinned.

"Perry the platypus, you- you- you… you're…" Doofenshmirtz burst into tears. "You're just such a nice guy!"

"Deus ex machina." Perry said.

He felt so relieved and happy. No more worries about losing Doofenshmirtz.

Now he could just enjoy the holidays.

"Merry Christmas, Perry the platypus." Doofenshmirtz wiped his eyes. "Merry Christmas. I'll never forget this. You did more for me in one day than anyone's ever done for me. I… I don't know what I did to deserve this. So thank you."

...

"Did I miss anything?" Perry asked, padding into the living room.

"PERRY!" Phineas ran over to him. "We were just about to go outside to play in the snow! Santa brought us snowboards! We configured them to hover! And we got so much cool stuff from mom and dad and Candace, and in our stockings…"

"I got a book about animals." Ferb said. He turned to the middle and showed Perry the page. "Look, cows."

"Awesome!" Perry said. "Did you guys open your gifts from me yet?"

"Naw, we waited for you." Phineas said. "Oh, Perry, you have to see your gift…"

"Where's everyone else?"

"Mother and father went to the store to get ingredients for cookies." Ferb said. "Someone ate them all."

Perry hiccupped.

"Candace left super-early to go give Jeremy his present and she isn't back yet." Phineas said. "Guess what? Mom loved the pillow we made her. And Candace loved her Jeremy-themed board game we made her. Oh, and we fixed dad's typewriter." Phineas said.

"Sweet." Perry hopped up on the stool next to the computer desk where the typewriter sat. "Can I test it out? All… work… and… no… play… makes… Perry… a very boring platypus."

"Cows throw up their food and then eat it again." Ferb read from his book. "Cows mate by-"

"Come on, Perry, come see what we got you." Phineas ran for the stairs. Perry followed him.

Phineas opened the door. Next to Perry's pet bed sat an enormous soft teddy bear.

Perry stared at it in awe.

"He's mine?"

"Yeah." Phineas said. "Ferb and I made him for you. We grew the cotton stuffing ourselves in our greenhouse and made it the softest cotton ever. And his fur is made out of the softest material ever. Only Ferb knows the secret to its softness."

"I love him." Perry said softly. He gently stroked the teddy bear's fur. "I love him… I love him so much! I LOVE HIM." Perry wrapped his arms around the bear. "HE'S SO PERFECT!"

"We thought you'd love him!" Phineas said happily.

"He can be Snugglebear's older brother." Ferb said. "Hugglebear."

"I LOVE HIM!" Perry ran over to the boys and squeezed them. "THANK YOU SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH! HE'S BEAUTIFUL! THANK YOU!"

"You're so welcome, Perry!" Phineas said. "Merry Christmas!"

"And a happy new year." Ferb said.

Perry went back to his bear and snuggled up in its fur. "I love him so much. Awww, boys… thank you."

...

Perry and the boys lay in front of the fireplace.

"Fudge the fudge." Perry said. "I never wanna see another piece of that stuff again."

"You know what sounds really gross right now?" Phineas asked. "Sugar cookies."

"Eeeeuggh. Dare you speak that name? My poor stomach's terrified of ever encountering another one."

"If only I hadn't drunk that last glass of chocolate milk." Ferb groaned. "Perhaps I could have lived to see college."

"Who wants to go to college?" Perry asked.

"I don't." Phineas said. "I want to stay a kid forever. And have summer forever. I don't want to grow up."

"Don't worry. You guys may end up like your dad. He never grew up." Perry pointed out.

"That is true." Phineas said.

"We could stay young forever." Ferb said. "And eat cookies. But not until we get sick. Because this really sucks."

"Yeah, it does suck." Phineas agreed. "Let us make a pact to never eat more cookies than we can handle."

"And never grow up." Ferb said.

"I won't drink to that, because if anything else goes in my stomach at this moment it'll blow up." Perry said.

"We'll drink chocolate milk later." Ferb said.

"To never growing up." Perry wearily pumped his fist. "To always staying children- or a pup, in my case."

"Forever summer." Ferb said.

"Forever kids." Phineas said.

"Forever here with you two." Perry said. "My family. My wonderful family. Forever Doofenshmirtz. Since he's not going anywhere now. Forever deus ex machina endings."

"Forever cows." Ferb said.

"Forever you two and me sitting in front of this fireplace." Perry yawned. "Being warm and happy. But never eating this much again. Did we already make that pact?"

"Yes, yes we did." Phineas said.

"I forgot. I'm in a food coma." Perry yawned again. "Forever spending the holidays together."

"Forever partridges in dangerous pear trees." Ferb said.

Perry started to laugh. "Oh yes. Never forget that."

"Let's sing the Wurny the Purr version." Phineas said. "Urn the furst durr urf Chrurstmurs, muh trur lurve gurve tur murr…"

"URR PURTRURDGE URN UR DURNGEROURS PURR TRURR!" They sang together.

"Keep it down!" Linda shouted from upstairs.

The boys broke into a fit of giggles. Perry continued to sing through his laughter.

And the carols of the Partridge in a Dangerous Pear Tree (Exclusive Wurny the Purr Version) danced through the night, until its carolers fell sound asleep by the fireplace.