A/N: This story is basically a follow- up on the last one-shot between Candace and Perry. Why? Because the last story was too dang sad, that's why! So, this follow-up is significantly less depressing, and simply helps Candace and Perry heal after what had happened …Yeah. Enjoy!

Protector

Candace couldn't believe it. After all those years of trying to forget, after all that time of trying to remember that Perry the Platyborg wasn't her Perry, he was finally back.

Perry.

Perry the secret agent, Perry the family pet: Perry her best friend.

And yet, he wouldn't look her in the eye when he came back to live with the Flynn-Fletcher family after the fall of Doofenshmirtz. Although his expression was harder to read now that he was mostly made of metal, Candace could see that he was so, so sorry about what had happened. About what Candace had to become to protect her family.

The way he should have.

Phineas and Ferb, those innocent boys, had accepted Perry back with open arms right away, no questions. And while Candace was happy to have him back home and safe (well, as safe as he could be given the circumstances), she could tell that he wasn't comfortable. He would glance towards the door, as if he had somewhere to be, then would think better of it and stay inside. Candace once caught him trying to sneak into his lair, only to discover that it had been closed off years ago.

He was alone a lot, and refused to sleep under any circumstance. Phineas and Ferb, when they weren't helping the Resistance destroy what remained of Doofenshmirtz's reign, they were inventing things in the backyard like their alternate selves had shown them how to—simply enjoying summer. They were constantly trying to include Perry in their plans, but Perry would distance himself from them whenever he could, and would simply sit on Phineas' bed, staring into space.

Finally, Candace had had enough.

"Alright," she said firmly, entering Phineas and Ferb's room and shutting the door. Perry sat up in alarm, but didn't make to leave. Candace knew that he could easily get past her if he wanted to, so him remaining where he was seemed like a good sign. "Perry, I don't know what's been going on in that head of yours, but you need to snap out of it. We don't blame you for what happened—"

Perry's irritated chatter cut her off. Candace looked at him, annoyed about having him cut her off, but when she saw the look in his one good eye it stopped her cold.

Perry looked completely defeated, even more so than before he was captured, but the dominant emotion was anger. Although he had regained all his old memories in the electric shock, he hadn't lost his new ones—the ones of when he was a tool of Doofenshmirtz's evil.

Candace refused to let Perry's anger get the best of her, so she glared at him, refusing to back down until he relented and opened up to her. Perry glared back, refusing her challenge until, finally, he sighed, slumping over as best he could in his metal body and chattering again softly.

Candace knew then and there that he was saying, I am so, so sorry for having failed you.

Candace took a deep breath. Everything in her screamed that she shouldn't, that it would be childish and weird, but she ignored her instincts and grabbed Perry into a hug. It was a slightly awkward hug because of Perry's metal body, and Candace could feel him tense up as soon as she had grabbed him. But, after several long moments, he relaxed and gave a contented purr. Candace smirked, remembering another similar hug several years ago, and pulled away carefully.

Perry gave Candace a small smile, a smile that seemed to say, Yeah, life sucks, but it's getting better now. Candace chuckled a bit, and nudged the platyborg with her arm, being careful not to injure herself.

"Ah, come on, Perry, don't get all sappy on me," she said, smiling a little. Perry smiled again and shook his head, nudging Candace gently in the ribs.

Just then, Candace's phone beeped. "Oh!" she exclaimed, taking it out and checking it. "That's Johnson; he wants me to meet him at the park."

Perry smiled at his young owner and nudged her again. Candace had been spending more and more time with Jeremy Johnson lately. Now that Doofenshmirtz was defeated, she found that she had time for "childish" things. The other Candace had given her a part of her childhood back, and she found that she wanted to make the most of it.

When Perry had nudged her, Candace blushed a little. The mention of Johnson usually seemed to do that to her. "I-I guess I'll see you later, Perry," she said, standing up. Giving him a salute, she walked out of the room.

Perry saluted back, even though Candace was no longer there, and then lay back down on Phineas' bed, simply thinking.

Finally, he slept.