Perry awoke before the sounding of the alarm clock. There was a crispness in the air, and Perry snuggled closer to the green-headed boy who had wrapped his arm so tightly around Perry's body. The monotreme felt so warm and content that he wished he could lie in Ferb's bed forever.

Last night Candace had invited Stacy and Jenny over for a study session that had evolved into a pillow fight. Linda had intervened once she returned from her Bridge game and it was apparent that little studying was taking place, but it had still caused Perry a few headaches. Candace's favorite Ducky Momo pillow had somehow fallen through a lair entrance, and Perry had needed to fetch it and return the item without being noticed by the three teen girls tearing the room apart in an effort to find it. Their search had attracted Phineas and Ferb's attention, and to say they had gone overboard in their effort to help find the pillow was an understatement.

It really was sweet, how the two boys would invent things with the intention of helping their sister. Once done with their homework, they had rigged up a device to help people find the "things they most desired" and almost discovered Perry's lair when the device received an extra strong signal in response to Candace's desire to find the pillow coupled with Phineas' desire to find Perry. If Perry hadn't acted quickly, they would have discovered an entrance and his cover would have been blown. That, along with the emotional day he had experienced visiting his nemesis at the hospital and the fact that he hadn't taken a single nap, had left Perry exhausted.

Perry had finally managed to drift back to sleep when the alarm sounded. "Krkrkrkr!"

"Good morning, Perry!"

As the boys slipped into their morning routine, Perry forced himself to leave the comfort of Ferb's warm bed and slowly make his way to his lair. He needed to be at the hospital in time to see Heinz before his scheduled 8:15 operation, and he had to stop by the DEI Building first to check on Norm and grab Vanessa's schoolbag. He hated having to trick his boys with the platypus robot, but he needed to make sure they didn't worry about him while at school. After sending the robot upstairs, Perry made himself a cup of coffee (Perry would always remember the day Heinz had introduced him to caffeine fondly) and took a seat in front of his monitor.

Perry spent the next fifteen minutes sipping his coffee and looking at the pictures he'd taken with his children in the Alternate Dimension. Candace and Phineas still looked pretty much the same (perhaps the Flynn family were naturally slow developers?), but Ferb had grown at least three inches and gained some additional muscle mass during the last seven months. The growth spurt would have caused tension or jealousy in other sets of brothers, but not with Phineas and Ferb. Phineas thought Ferb's new height was "really neat" and Ferb wasn't the kind of person who would hold issues like this over his brother's head.

Once done with his coffee, Perry forced himself to close out of the digital photo album and climb into his vehicle. The Sun had yet to rise this early in the morning, and Perry was thankful when he reached a point where he could park his vehicle while singing the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated! Jingle in his head.

Perry had a hunch Norm would be in the lab, so he entered the building on the top floor. He stopped in his tracks, beak agape as he took in the sight before him.

All signs of mourning were gone. Bright orange streamers and balloons covered the walls. Enlarged photographs, mainly featuring some combination of Heinz, Vanessa, and Norm (though Perry was included occasionally), were scattered on the walls with crudely drawn original artwork and cheesy photo manipulations. Various party games littered the lab. A "Pin the Hat on the Platypus" chart was hanging on the wall, and it looked as though the Giant Robot Man had even planned to bob for apples before remembering that he had no teeth and should avoid situations that could cause him to rust.

Norm was sitting at an oversize table in the middle of the room, holding a champagne glass full of what appeared to be motor oil and talking to a stiff, feminine figure made of Popsicle sticks and bits of spare machinery. The sticks had been painted to make her dress a light blue, and her hair was the same shade as Heinz's. Much like Norm, she looked like she would fit right into a 1950's sitcom or educational video.

"ONCE DR. D GIVES YOU A MIND OF YOUR OWN, WE'LL HAVE EVEN MORE FUN TOGETHER!"

"Krkrkrkrkr!"

"HELLO, PERRY THE PLATYPUS! I DIDN'T SEE YOU COME IN! WOULD YOU LIKE AN ACORN?"

Perry shook his head no and looked around the lab, hoping for an explanation.

"THIS IS DORIS! I WON'T ASK HER TO MARRY ME UNTIL DR. D FINISHES HER PROGRAMING! IT SURE WILL BE SWELL TO BE LOVED BY SOMEONE LIKE ME!"

Perry gave a curt nod of acknowledgement before pointing at the mess.

"I KNOW DAD IS BUSY, BUT I THINK HE'LL REALLY LIKE DOT ONCE HE GETS TO KNOW HER!"

Perry crossed his arms, but Norm continued to gush about Doris.

"RIGHT NOW DOT IS ONLY A SHELL. BUT ONCE SHE IS GIVEN A MIND AND A PERSONALITY I WILL NEVER BE ALONE AGAIN."

"Krkrkrkr!"

"OH, THIS? WE WERE JUST CELEBRATING DR. DOOFENSHMIRTZ'S MIRACULOUS RECOVERY. I WAS HOPING TO KEEP THE PARTY ALIVE UNTIL HE CAME HOME."

Perry took a deep breath before pointing at a picture that featured Heinz and several other LOVEMUFFIN scientists.

"THE MEETING HAS BEEN RELOCATED TO DR. DIMINUTIVE'S APARTMENT."

Perry mimed using a vacuum cleaner.

"AFTER THE GUESTS LEFT I REORGANIZED. EVERYTHING IS IN TIP TOP SHAPE." Perry frowned. "ALL EXCEPT SIS'S ROOM. SHE DOESN'T ALLOW ME IN THERE."

Perry glanced around the lab. It was a nice sentiment, but an exhausted Heinz returning from a long hospital stay would not appreciate a Norm Party. The monotreme gave the robot a sad smile and glanced around the lab.

"CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS." Norm stood abruptly and began tearing the orange streamers off the wall.

Now satisfied that Norm would clean up his mess before Heinz's return, Perry made his way down to Vanessa's room. Here he was greeted with an even worse surprise. The room was not at all in the same shape Perry had left it on his last supply stop.

Orville von Roddenstein had indeed been in Vanessa's room. He had opened the dressers and rummaged through her clothes, moved the dolls and collectables on her shelves, knocked the books off of her nightstand, and even opened her closet. It was impossible to tell what the Roddenstein boy had done, if anything had been stolen or damaged. What he had done with the items as he perused.

Perry hoped the Roddenstein boy knew how lucky he was to live in South Dakota. Heinz wouldn't even have an opportunity to build an -Inator; Vanessa would beat the boy to a pulp. And Perry wouldn't be that motivated to do anything to stop either of them. He had really crossed a line.

Perry scowled as he surveyed the damage. He decided it was best to leave the room as it was. Perry didn't know where things went, and Vanessa had the right to see precisely what had happened to her personal space. Perry found her schoolbag, put the books that were lying haphazardly on the floor back inside, and left. He would wait until after Heinz was recovering from the operation to say anything, as both Heinz and Vanessa had enough to worry about, but he would make sure Vanessa was prepared for what she would find when she came home.

Perry hoped that their luck would improve. He checked the time on his wristwatch communicator and quickened his pace. He needed to hurry or he would miss Heinz.

Perry darted through the halls as quickly as he could, making sure not to drag the heavy bag. He passed Norm, who was talking at Doris as he tore down a string of streamers, and gave the curtest nod of his head in farewell as he hoped into his vehicle. After a few false starts he took off for the hospital.

After parking on the rooftop, Perry hurried to Room 118, careful to keep Vanessa's bag off the germ-ridden floor. He was panting as he approached, and he could hear voices coming from inside the room.

"Where is he? He said he'd be here before they came to get me."

"I'm sure nothing happened to him, Dad. He's probably on his way."

"But what if he isn't? What if he decided not to come? I mean, why should he?"

"Dad! You know the only thing that would keep him from coming is if the OWCA gave him an assignment."

"If Francis made Perry the Platypus go out and fight some other villain today of all days, he will get a piece of my mind! I can tell you that much. Ugh, I'll bet he sent Perry after one of those villains. You knooow, the ones with their stereotypical underground bases, and their cheesy spandex costumes, and their straightforward schemes with inescapable traps and machines without self-destruct buttons. Don't even know how to treat a nemesis right-"

"Krkrkrkr!"

Heinz's eyes lit up at the sound of Perry's chattering, but he quickly forced his features into a frown.

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up!"

Perry shrugged apologetically and handed the bag over to the teen girl, who thanked him as she set it on the other side of her bed.

Once unburdened, Perry crossed his arms and turned to face his nemesis. Heinz looked horrible. He was very pale, and the bags under his eyes were deeper than usual. Fear of surgery had probably made it impossible for Heinz to sleep. Though he was obviously trying to look cross, Heinz was wringing the sheets in his hands. Perry hopped up onto his bed.

"Sooooo, what took you so long?"

Perry stood as straight as he could and made an overly happy face as he gave Heinz a stiff wave.

"You were held up by Norm?" Perry relaxed and nodded. "I should have known I couldn't trust him to take care of things. Great, now I have that to worry about. He hasn't gotten Dorothy out again, has he?"

"Doris, Dad."

"Right. He hasn't gotten her out again, has he?" Perry nodded before taking his seat.

"It figures. I really should get around to finishing her, but Norm doesn't understand how difficult the process is. I can install basic level artificial intelligence, but once she's activated she will learn and develop her own personality as she interacts with her environment; I will have no control over that, and neither will Norm. Not unless I scrap her AI completely and start over, like I did with Norm's old head. And I have to install a self destruct button in a place where neither of them will pick at it. And you know if things work out between the two of them, they'll start demanding little robot kids. I'm not really sure I'm ready to handle a robot couple, let alone an entire robot faaamily."

Heinz took a deep breath, and then glanced at the small clock hanging on the wall. He had seven minutes until Hikari came for him. He gulped.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, pumpkin?"

"I was thinking last night about all of the things you do, the machines you build. How often do you go to Space?"

"Oh, not too often. Once every few months. Why?"

"I was wondering... next time you go to Space, could you take me with you?"

"You want me to take you to Outer Space?"

"Sure! You've never taken me, and I've heard lots of amazing things. We should go to Space together sometime."

"You want to help me with a scheme... in Outer Space?"

"...If that is what it takes to get a trip, then sure. Perry, you don't mind if I help Dad with a scheme in exchange for a trip to Outer Space, do you?"

Perry shook his head.

"Alright, it is settled. Dad, you're going to take me to Space as soon as you get better."

"Vanessa, I-"

"You are going to recover. You are going to get better, and you are going to devise a scheme that takes us into space. Promise me you'll take me into Outer Space, Dad!" Vanessa's voice was forceful and her gaze intense.

The father and daughter stared at each other for a moment, in their own world as they came to a silent understanding. It was Heinz who broke contact first with a gentle smile. He wiped a single tear from his eye.

"Yes, yes I promise."

Still in her pajamas, Vanessa climbed from her bed and walked over to the cot Heinz and Perry were currently sharing. She took a seat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to hug her father. Heinz smiled as he wrapped an arm around her and returned the hug. Before Perry could move to give them more privacy, Heinz reached out and grabbed a paw.

The three of them were now in the same position as the morning when Heinz had first woken up from the initial complications.

"Everything's going to be fine." Heinz and Vanessa said at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise.

"Jinx, Vanessa. You owe me a soda." Heinz teased.

"You get better, and I'll give you that soda in space." Vanessa smirked before hugging her father more tightly. "I love you, Dad."

Heinz grinned, that one-of-a-kind goofy grin Heinz made when he truly felt accepted and at peace. The grin of a lonely man who was positively giddy in his knowledge that someone he loved and cared for loved him, too. Heinz gently kissed Vanessa's forehead and brushed her uncombed hair away from her face before wrapping his arm around her again and hugging her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"I love you too, Sweetie. So much. I don't think you'll ever understand just how much you mean to me."

Perry would have left to give them their privacy if Heinz hadn't been holding his paw as though his life depended on it. Perry didn't like the way they were talking. He liked that they were getting along, that they were being more open about their positive emotions. He wanted them to have a good relationship and he wished Heinz could see his daughter more often. What he didn't like was the finality. The way both sounded as though there was a possibility they would never see each other again.

This was supposed to be a simple, straightforward procedure. There weren't supposed to be any complications. Heinz would be gone for a few hours, and then be brought back so that his daughter and nemesis could watch him wake up. Heinz would recover and everything would be fine. But the two Doofenshmirtzes before him were complicating matters, being nervous and frightened. Their anxieties were rubbing off on the monotreme. Perry wished they would stop being so dramatic.

Then again, they were both savvy enough to know that things were rarely simple and straightforward in the life of Heinz Doofenshmirtz. Maybe they had a point. Luck had rarely smiled upon Heinz; Luck seemed to take a perverse pleasure in pretending the man didn't exist.

Perry took a moment to reflect on his own luck. How he had been adopted by an amazing family that he loved and adored. That he had been granted the ability to rise to the top of his class during training, and that he had earned the right to have a nemesis. That he had been given the best possible nemesis, even if it had taken a few years to come around to that line of thought.

Perhaps today it could be Perry's luck that dictated what happened to Heinz. Perry wanted more than anything for the surgery to be a success. For Heinz to make a full recovery and return to his scheming. For Heinz to be healthy and remain Perry's nemesis for as long as the monotreme was an active Agent. Perhaps, since Perry so desperately wanted things to be okay, luck would be on Heinz's side if only for a day.

"Good morning!" Hikari entered the room with an overly cheery greeting, accompanied by Dr. Miller and a few other nurses. Perry recognized one of them as the rude nurse Vanessa had yelled at on the first night. Everyone but chipper Hikari and clueless Dr. Miller looked rather nervous to be in their presence. Neither Heinz nor Vanessa responded.

"Don't be so nervous!" Hikari hissed at a trembling nurse to her left. "The Doofenshmirtz family won't bite!"

One nurse wheeled in a gurney while another examined the chart at the foot of Heinz's bed. The other nurses talked quietly among themselves and with the doctor while Hikari approached the three individuals occupying the bed.

"Are you ready, Doctor Doofenshmirtz?" Her patient opened his mouth, but no words came out. Hikari frowned. "Don't be nervous, Doctor Doofenshmirtz. There is nothing to worry about."

"You make sure they take care of him properly." Vanessa's voice was low.

"I will. Trust me."

Hikari smiled at Vanessa sadly before turning her attention to the conversation the other nurses were having near Dr. Miller.

Vanessa turned to her father. "I'll see you in a bit, Dad." She kissed him on the cheek before sliding off the bed.

Perry removed his paw from Heinz's hand, causing the scientist to look in his direction. Perry gave Heinz a stern look and pounded his fist against his chest before pointing at Heinz. The man smiled.

"Alright, Perry the Platypus."

Heinz seemed to have found his voice. Perry jumped down and stood by Vanessa as the nurses moved Heinz onto the gurney, watching as Heinz nervously blathered about the coldness of the sheets and the squeakiness of the right front wheel. As the nurses began to wheel him from the room, Heinz turned to face his daughter one last time.

"I'll be back soon, Vanessa. I promise."

Heinz was wheeled around a corner and was gone.

Perry and Vanessa stood in silence for a moment before looking at each other. Vanessa sighed and plopped down on her cot. "And it begins again."

The monotreme knew she was talking more to herself than to him, but he climbed up next to her anyway and patted her knee.

"Well, what should we do? I don't want to stare at the walls for the next three hours."

The monotreme shrugged and gestured toward the teen.

"I don't know. Dad thought it might be a good idea if I got my homework done. That way I wouldn't have to focus on it when he was better. Or worry about it if... you know. But I'm not sure, Perry. I'm not really in the right mood. Not that I've ever been eager to do my homework, but..."

Perry wanted to keep the teen's mind off of her father's surgery. If homework could serve as a distraction as well as a productive activity, then it was something they should at least give a try. Vanessa rolled her eyes and reached for the bag just as Perry was about to point at the object.

"Okay, okay. I'll try to focus. Geez, Perry."

The monotreme didn't know whether he wanted to smile or chatter angrily at her preemptive moodiness. He settled for moving to her side, reading the list of assignments her friend Lacy had made with a look of determined interest.

"I'm caught up with all the math; Dad and I worked on that together last night. I'll save the German for later. And we've had a sub all week in Physics, so the class has been watching old edutainment videos from the 80's. I think Dad was actually a bit bummed to hear he wouldn't have any science to work on. He'll end up reading the textbook anyway, and pointing out all the places where he disagrees, or thinks the authors are oversimplifying things."

"It is a bit odd, isn't it? How he's so weird, and you think he's an idiot. But then he solves all of your math problems in his head like they're a piece of cake and takes issue with Einstein. It shouldn't surprise me. I grew up watching him build the most amazing things. But then he shows up for a Parent-Teacher Conference in a sequined tuxedo, and you forget how smart he really is because of how stupid he can be."

The girl dug through her bag and pulled out an English textbook before continuing.

"Speaking of Dad, I think I know what I'm going to write for my English class. Mr. Heaton gave Lacy all the stuff I need through Monday. I have a few grammar worksheets and a spelling list here. We can get those out of the way first, if you want. But the big thing I need to work on is the rough draft of an essay. It's one of those really cheesy generic prompts you think are only given out in sitcoms. You know, one of those 'Describe a memorable moment you spent with an interesting or inspirational character over the summer' prompts that have to produce hundreds of really dull essays for the teacher to skim through."

"Mom is pretty normal, I guess, which is great for real life but boring for an essay. And writing about a boyfriend makes you sound pathetic and clingy. I seriously thought about writing it on this kid I know, but I guess in the end I'm really feeling an essay about Dad. I know, I know; it's extremely cliché to write about your father. But if Mr. Heaton is going to give us lame stereotypical prompts, he should expect lame stereotypical subject matter. And I think Dad is interesting enough to justify it, don't you, Perry?"

Perry nodded. As long as the girl didn't reveal any sensitive information, an essay on Heinz would be fine. The gesture would probably make Heinz's day.

The girl took out her grammar worksheets and began working her way through the problems, stopping occasionally to grumble about how irrelevant she considered everything. It seemed two of the worksheets were insultingly easy while the other two were infuriatingly difficult. Both issues irritated her, and Perry noticed that the girl kept looking at the clock.

"Ugh, I've ran out of lead!" Vanessa groaned, slamming the papers on the bed with much more force than was required before bending to grab a refill for her mechanical pencil. Perry took the opportunity to glance at what she was working on. The pages on capitalization and punctuation marks were complete, but the pages on subject-verb agreement and commonly misused words were both half-way done.

Perry could understand verbal English fluently. He could read at a higher grade level than any other Agent, excluding Morris the Monkey and Polly the Parrot. He had even learned how to write, a skill that was not required by the OWCA and that he took great pride in, though extended use of a pen or pencil irritated the joints in his paws. But he had only ever used the ability to sign his name, or to create brief lists or mission logs. Looking at Vanessa's worksheets he fully realized for the first time how much easier it was to read than write. To take in information as opposed to formulating thoughts and then working within the convoluted confines of the English language structure to express them without making yourself look foolish.

"Hey Perry, you there?" Vanessa interrupted his internal monologue. She was looking at him expectantly. It was then that Perry realized that his webbed foot was laying on the edge of her paper. He moved it and chattered in apology.

Vanessa continued her work, muttering about 'their, there, and they're' even as she looked at the clock every two or three minutes. It was ten till nine; Heinz had been gone for a half hour.

"There. It's done." Vanessa stuffed the sheets back in her binder before taking out the spelling list.

"Do you realize how many stupid spelling tests I've taken throughout my life, Perry the Platypus? One a week, every week, since first grade. I'm not sure how many that is, but I think that's a lot. Too many, if you ask me. Seniors don't have spelling lists. Just think, in a few more months I'll be completely done with that chapter of my life."

Perry reached out to take the list, but Vanessa clutched it tightly. "Let me look it over one more time!" He gave the teen a few more minutes to look the list over before reaching out again. She reluctantly gave it up.

Perry couldn't read the words on the list aloud, so Vanessa was forced to remember most of them, with Perry occasionally using hand gestures to help jog her memory.

"Irreplaceable was a word, right?"

After a nod yes, Vanessa spelled it correctly.

After her fourth misspelling of 'iridescent' Vanessa groaned loudly and fell back on her pillow, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"I can't do this. This is so stupid."

"Krkrkrkr."

"Needing a spellchecker once in a while doesn't make you an idiot. And how can I be expected to concentrate when they're chopping up Dad?"

Perry winced a bit at her bluntness before setting the list on the side table. Vanessa deserved a break; it was something of a miracle she had focused for as long as she did. The teen was still wearing her pajamas and had yet to comb her hair. Considering Vanessa always dressed as though she could be going out at any moment, even in the early morning or late evening and especially if she had reason to believe Perry might bust in, Perry could tell the girl was troubled.

"How do you think he's doing?"

Perry nodded to encourage her, but Vanessa didn't look impressed. "Don't pretend you aren't nervous, too. I see you over there, watching the clock just as much as I am." She patted an empty spot to her left, and Perry hesitated a moment before lying down beside her. She took up less space than Heinz, and there was enough room for them to both lie comfortably and still leave over a foot of space between them.

The Sun was rising, and the light filtering through the green and purple balloons near the window created odd shadows on the textured ceiling. The balloons swayed in the heat from the radiator, causing the shadows to dance. The dust particles caught in the rays glowed in the traditional Doofenshmirtz colors as they drifted in the air.

"I wasn't up early enough to see this yesterday, but Dad went on and on about it."

Perry and Vanessa watched the movement of the soft colors in silence until the Sun had risen above the tiny window pane. When things settled in the mid morning light, the girl and the monotreme both looked over at the clock now gleaming purple. Heinz had been gone an hour.

"Perry?"

"Krkrkrkrkr?"

"Has Dad ever told you about the time he taught me how to ride a bike?"

Vanessa looked over at the platypus, who shook his head no.

"It was fall, and the leaves were changing colors. Mom was out. She almost always went out for part of the day back then, and Dad and I would be home alone. We would play games, he would make us snacks and watch cartoons with me, and I would watch him build things. Sometimes I'd even get to help. He wasn't evil then, but he liked to tell me stories about Evil Science College and things he would like to do if he returned to evil. His plans for when I became the, and I quote, 'Future Empress of the entire Tri-State Area!'"

Perry smiled as he imagined Heinz saying those words to a very young Vanessa.

"Anyway, on this particular day I had finally convinced him to teach me how to ride a bike. I'd been begging for months, but he had kept saying I was too young. He was being overprotective. I was four, and the kid next door was in Kindergarten and liked to brag about how he knew how to do things I didn't. But I knew if he could ride a bike, then I could no problem."

"I was excited, but Dad was really nervous. He was so scared that I was going to fall, or break a bone, or hit my head against a tree, or one of the other horror scenarios he had made up."

"Well, you know Dad. He couldn't just get me a bike. He had to build one from scratch, and put in lots of bonus safety features. It had working headlights, an obnoxious little horn, an airbag that came out of the wicker basket in front, a deployable parachute that could come out of the other wicker basket in the back, and a little tracking device in the right handle. It had hand brakes and foot brakes, and 22 speeds, and… Perry, I can't even remember what else. But Dad put a lot of work into that bike. It even had built in joints for extensions, so that Dad could make it bigger as I grew up."

"I loved it. It was a bit bulky and hot pink, but I didn't care. Those wheels were mine, and I was so proud."

Vanessa paused to reminisce before continuing.

"I hadn't known he was building a bike until that morning. He had worked on it at night when I was asleep, so it was a complete surprise. I was so happy, and seeing me happy made him happy: it was a spiral of joy."

"I wanted to hit the pavement immediately, but Dad made me wait while he explained the physics of bicycle riding and the rules of the road. How I had to wear a helmet and pads and always tell him or Mom that I was riding around, and that I couldn't leave the front yard without him. All basic stuff, but I was impatient and really, really eager to ride."

"I'm sure it was only a few minutes, but it felt like ages before he finally let me get on the bike. Now, this bike was built like a tank. The stupidest person alive couldn't fall down just going around the driveway at a snail's pace. But Dad insisted on taking things slow, and was holding on as I went in circles. I picked it up really fast. I was a natural, Perry the Platypus, but he was adamant about holding on to that bike and going really slow."

"That was when the phone rang, and Dad told me to stay put while he went to answer it. It was Mom. I waited a while for him to come back, but by that point I was getting irritated that he was stifling my natural ability to ride a bike like a champion." Vanessa paused to laugh.

"Dad was taking forever on the phone, and I wanted to show off and prove to him that I was the best cyclist in the Tri-State Area and that he could leave me alone. So I decided to ride down the hill to the cul-de-sac and back. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was a bit stupid sometimes, back when I was a kid."

"I took off, pedaling as fast as I could as the ground began to slope downward. I picked up speed quicker than I had anticipated, and I was a quarter of the way down the hill when I realized I didn't actually know how to slow or stop a bike. I'm not sure if Dad hadn't gotten to that yet or if I had forgotten, but I had no idea what to do and I was flying down that hill like a bullet."

"So, I screamed. I wasn't really that scared. It was like being on a roller coaster; screaming doesn't mean you aren't having fun. And it was fun! But the further I traveled, the more I realized how bad it would be if I got to the bottom and kept going at full speed. I would have run into a house for sure."

"Well, Dad heard me and ran outside. You can imagine how much he freaked out, watching me fly down that hill, screaming at the top of my lungs. I could hear him screaming too, and calling my name. He was running after me and fumbling in his lab coat for the remote that could control my bike from a distance. Luckily he managed to activate the parachute, and by the time I hit the bottom of the hill I was going slow enough to stop the bike by putting my feet on the ground."

"Once the danger had passed, I started laughing. It had been really fun. I think Dad thought I was crying right up until he was close to me though. He was still a nervous wreck. You know how parents are, when they are happy and relieved and furious at the same time. He didn't yell or anything, but he cried and hugged me tight and was very stern in telling me to never, ever scare him like that in the future."

Vanessa laughed again. Despite the danger (or, perhaps, because of it) she obviously cherished this memory.

"We compromised after that. He agreed not to hold my bike and let me experiment while he supervised only, and I formally agreed to never leave the driveway without his permission."

"I really was good at riding a bike, once I learned how to brake. The next week I got Dad's permission to challenge Tony- that Kindergarten kid I was telling you about- to a race to the bottom of the hill and back, and I creamed him. Fair and square, mind you- not because Dad was the judge."

Perry looked at the clock. It had taken Vanessa over a half hour to share that story. Perry decided to encourage her to tell another. Story telling was a great way to kill time and keep the young woman's mind off the operation, and Perry had thoroughly enjoyed hearing an anecdote with a happy ending. He typically heard the sad stories, the tales that inspired –Inators or tears. He wished Heinz could find the time to share happy memories more often.

Perry shifted so that it was easier to look over at the girl, and Vanessa rightfully interpreted it as a cue to continue speaking.

"Hmmm… Has Dad told you about the first Christmas after the divorce?"

Perry shook his head no and perked up. He loved hearing about Christmas, and Heinz never told him anything specific. Every year he would whine about how Christmas was never great and never terrible, but leave out all the details. Perry eagerly settled himself on his side so he could watch Vanessa's expressions as she told the story of what had probably been a "fine" Christmas.

"The divorce had been finalized that fall, so they were still working out the kinks in their custody agreement. Christmas fell on Mom's weekend that year, with Christmas Eve on a Saturday and Christmas on Sunday. The agreement the court drew up said that year one, Dad got custody on Thanksgiving and New Year while Mom got the entire Christmas weekend."

"Before the divorce, Dad was a stay-at-home parent. Well, he worked in his lab in the basement a lot; maybe he was a self-employed work-at-home parent. Either way, up until the divorce I saw him almost every day. By the time you came into the picture, Perry, I was already used to seeing him every other weekend. But that first Christmas I hadn't gotten used to it yet, and neither had he."

"It is hard to adjust when you go from seeing someone every day to seeing them once every couple weeks. And being told that someone who used to be a constant presence was going to be absent for Christmas was a big deal, even if I tried to pretend it wasn't."

"Every year, Mom would always drag me and Dad to this really swanky Christmas Eve party. The kind where the adults stand around and drink champagne while they brag about their year while the kids eat animal crackers in the basement and bicker about what they want to do while trying not to rip their fancy clothes. Every year Dad would try so hard to fit in with Mom's friends, but at some point he'd give up and join the kids in the basement. "

"So that Christmas Eve, Mom and I were going to the boring party alone. It was the first big social event Mom attended after the divorce, so she put a lot of effort in our presentation. She had the car washed and waxed, hair and nails done, new dresses for both of us- the works. And she spent the whole day reminding me to behave. It almost became a mantra: 'Be nice, say 'Please' and 'Thank you,' don't get into any fights, and for the love of God, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, smile.'"

"The party didn't have a good start. There was the usual horribleness that comes with snob parties, and everyone Mom greeted had to bring up the divorce. Naturally. And she would assure them that she was doing just great; so much happier now. I could hear the other parents whispering to their kids, 'Be extra nice to the little Doofenshmirtz girl.'"

"The only thing worse than spending an evening with snobby people is spending an evening with snobby people who pity you, Perry the Platypus."

"We'd been at the party around an hour when we first heard it: a crash on the roof so loud all the kids could hear it from the basement. We ran upstairs to see what the commotion was and crowded around the chimney."

"The minute I heard a voice scream 'AaaaAaaahhhh!' and the constant thump of someone's head hitting the side of the chimney as they fell down face first, I knew who it was. And if that hadn't been a dead give away, then seeing him would have been. He wasn't wearing any padding and his fake beard was askew. His Santa suit had some definite elements from Gimmelshtump, and he was covered in soot and getting dirt everywhere."

"There was complete silence, Perry. Everyone was stunned, mouths open and soot on their fancy suits and dresses as they watched my Dad straighten himself out and grumble about the ice on the roof. My Dad is a pretty memorable guy- no one in the place didn't know it was Mom's ex-husband breaking in through the chimney."

"He got into character after noticing that everyone was staring. He was Ho Ho Ho-ing and pulling gifts out of his sack, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. All the other kids got a page of stickers and a candy cane, while he handed me a giant stuffed bear. It was bigger than I was!"

"At that point I couldn't keep quiet. I said, 'Dad?'"

"He had the nerve to say, 'Dad? Who's this Dad person you speak of? I'm Santa Claus!'"

"And I responded, 'No you're not.'"

"He hung his head and said, 'No, no I'm not.'"

"It was then that Mom got involved. She grabbed his wrist and took him into a back hallway so they could talk in private, and I followed. I think all three of us were scared. As far as I knew, they hadn't had a big fight since the divorce. I was expecting things to escalate."

"Mom started by telling Dad that if he wanted to come to the party so badly, he should have asked. She would have made sure he received an invitation. That aggravated him, and he told her he didn't want to attend her 'stupid party.' He only came to see me."

"She told him all the usual things custodial moms stereotypically tell dads who actually want to be more involved. 'I'm sorry, Heinz. I know it seems unfair now, but next year you'll have Christmas and I'll miss her. The court makes these decisions, not me, and they are in Vanessa's best interest. I'm not being unfair, Heinz. I invite you to all her school events and concerts. You speak on the phone almost everyday.' Things like that."

"Dad could only respond by telling her he missed me over and over again. I think he was too emotional to make a different argument. He kept going on about how lonely the new purple building was, how he used to see me every day, and how things were unfair."

"Mom then reminded him that she was already more generous than the letter of the law. That he saw me more frequently than just his weekends. 'Heinz, I've told you before and I'll tell you again. Whenever I can't be there for her, you will be the first person I contact. My first choice: before her Uncle Roger, before anyone. If I need someone to pick her up or babysit, you're the one I'll call.'"

"That really set Dad off."

Perry cocked an eyebrow. That certainly wasn't an ideal situation. He genuinely felt sorry for all three of them, especially Heinz and Vanessa. But he hadn't heard Charlene say anything malicious.

"He didn't yell. He was too angry and disappointed. 'Baaabysitting. That's what you think I'm doing when I'm with my baby girl? Babysitting? I… I don't babysit Vanessa, Charlene! I'm her father! When you have a class or go to the salon while she's not in school, I spend time with her! I'm still raising her! Fathers don't babysit their daughters, Charlene!'"

"Mom apologized and said she was sorry. That it had came out wrong and she hadn't meant it that way. That she wanted him to spend time with me, she really did, and he was overreacting. Dad was really hung up on that, though. They argued about the implications of what Mom had said for the next few minutes."

"After a few moments they calmed down. That, Perry, is something they never would have done so easily before the divorce. Mom asked Dad if his head was okay, and he asked her if the party was going well. She told him that she wouldn't mind him staying, and she meant it, but that the hosts probably didn't appreciate him trashing their living room. She told him it was best if he left, and that he could visit me on Boxing Day."

"That was when I stepped out from behind the corner. They both looked really concerned that I had heard the whole fight. I… well, you might find this hard to believe, but I asked Mom if it would be okay if I left the party and went with Dad."

"I'm not sure who was more shocked by my question. After a minute Mom knelt down and said, 'Of course you can, sweetie.' She and Dad quickly made arrangements. She expected to get home around Midnight, and she wanted Dad to have me there at that time. He agreed, so long as he could see me on Boxing Day."

"I left with Dad. It was warm for December, so we went to the park. We drank hot chocolate and ate the extra candy canes while looking at all the lights. We didn't go to his building, but we could see it from the park He used a remote to turn all the Christmas Lights in DEI on so that I could see. I sat on his lap while he explained what Santa was like in Gimmelshtump and why his costume was so funny. It was nice, but I was tired from being angry all day. Being angry is exhausting."

"Unfortunately, I didn't make it to Midnight. I don't remember when I fell asleep, but it probably happened in the park. Dad must have carried me home, because I woke up Christmas morning on the living room couch by the tree at Mom's with no recollection of how I got there, and feeling guilty about not telling Dad goodbye."

"That was the last Christmas where I spent time with both of them. Dad has custody in odd numbered years and Mom doesn't request extra time, and Mom started her Hawaiian Christmas tradition the next year she had me. I had half expected him to show up that first Christmas in Hawaii when I was eight, but Dad ended up spending the holiday with his girlfriend. Can't remember her name; the whale lady."

When Vanessa had been silent for several minutes, Perry looked at the clock. Vanessa had spent over forty-five minutes sharing Christmas memories. It was now past ten.

A low gurgling noise filled the silent room for a brief moment, and the monotreme sat up to look at the teenager. "I'm not hungry." Vanessa told him. Perry didn't buy her story. He didn't feel like eating either, but he tilted his head and put his hand on his stomach anyway.

Vanessa huffed. "Fine, we'll get something to eat." Perry and Vanessa left the bed and dug through the coolers in the corner. "What do you want, Perry? The last of Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher's mashed potatoes and noodles, or Mrs. Graham's taco salad from last night?"

When Perry pointed to Linda's dish, Vanessa smirked. Perry looked at her inquisitively. "Oh, you know. It makes sense you'd choose to eat the last of the old dish before it, you know, spoils or something. You're a pragmatic kind of guy. Platypus."

They divided the last of the dish between them and heated their plates in the microwave down the hall before returning to Vanessa's cot.

"Has Dad told you about the Whale Lady?" Vanessa asked the platypus between bites. Perry nodded. He knew her name was Elizabeth but, having no effective way to communicate that with Vanessa, decided to let it slide.

"I assumed he had. Dad dated her for around six months. That is a long time, for him. I still have a few whale-themed things she gave me stuffed under my bed."

"Since the divorce, I've been given the 'Vanessa, I want to introduce you to someone very important' speech quite a few times. Mom's given it twice. She dated a guy named Pedro throughout most of my elementary school years. I met him when he decided to 'join us for breakfast' one morning. Then she started dating Sam when I was in eighth grade."

"I've heard it from Dad, too. The Whale Lady, the Peanut Butter Lady, the Lady with Bright Orange Stilettos- I really can't be bothered to remember their names. A few dates go well and Dad thinks he's found love. He gives the speech less and less often as time goes on. I don't really take it seriously when he gives it anymore. The only time he's given that speech and the individual actually became important was when he introduced me to you."

Perry could remember that day, two weeks into his nemesis-ship, when he had been trapped in a wicker basket and introduced to a very confused thirteen year old girl. Heinz had been so giddy as he sat the child down in the chair opposite the basket and explained, "Vanessa, I want to introduce you to someone very important. This is my nemesis, Perry the Platypus!" It had taken so long for the scientist to fully explain the concept that he had needed to postpone his actual scheme until the next day.

"Remember the Tie-Dye-Inator?" Vanessa asked. Perry smiled. That had been the very first scheme the girl had helped Heinz with. "You looked so silly with patchy pastel fur! And then you hit Dad's lab coat. And the building. It was amusing until Dad accidentally turned my dress yellow and lime green."

Perry sat his plate down and imitated using a big fire hose. "Oh, the Fire-Hydrant-Erupt-Inator! Yes, I remember that. Back when Uncle Roger was on the town council and was campaigning to add more hydrants. And Dad… yeah, he wanted to make hydrants look dangerous so that the other council-people would think his ideas were bad for Danville. Yeah, that really backfired, didn't it?"

They spent the next hour reminiscing about old –Inators that they had both witnessed. The Dial-Tone-Inator, the Weather-Man-Revenge-Inator, the Pick-'Em-Up-Inator, the Screensaver-Inator, the Peach-Cobbler-Inator. They remembered the songs and the monologues. They dissected where each scheme had gone wrong, and what Heinz could have done to prevent his defeat. Perry was very thankful that Vanessa wasn't seriously considering a career in Evil.

It was ten minutes till noon. They had expected Heinz's surgery to be over by 11:15. Vanessa was clearly beginning to worry. She was leaning against the head board, still in her pajamas and hugging a pillow as she watched the clock.

They were discussing the scheme with the pigeons when Vanessa abruptly groaned and threw her pillow across the room. "Perry, I can't wait any longer. I'm going to go find someone who knows something. And if they don't know anything, I'll give them a piece of my mind!"

Perry stood in front of her and waved his arms, frantically shaking his head 'No' at the suddenly irate teen.

"I mean it, Perry! I'm not doing this again. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while who-knows-what goes on behind closed doors! You might be a good little sheep, happy to sit here and do as told until someone who thinks they're better than you comes along to tell you what's what. And I'm sure patience is a good thing. But I can't tolerate just sitting here in the dark!"

The girl moved to get off the bed, but Perry gently grabbed her wrist and shook his head 'No.' Vanessa rolled her eyes. "You can't make me stay, Perry."

He could make her stay, of course, but he knew he wouldn't. Perry would never, ever risk hurting Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. The monotreme cared for her far too much, almost like a fourth child, and Heinz might kill him if a deliberate choice ever caused Vanessa harm. If she was determined to harass the nurses then that was what she would do. Perry hoped only to discourage her.

The monotreme pointed to his wristwatch communicator, and switched the settings so that the digital display read "12:15 PM."

"You want me to wait until Dad is an hour late?" Perry nodded. They stared at each other for a moment. "Oh, all right. Fine. They have twenty-five more minutes." Vanessa stared at the clock angrily.

"You made me share all those memories as a way to get me to brainstorm for that essay, didn't you, Perry the Platypus?" She ignored him when he tried to deny the accusation.

Watching Vanessa shoot daggers at the clock reminded Perry of how much he was dreading telling Vanessa what the Roddenstein boy had done to her room. They needed another distraction. Perry pointed to Vanessa's copy of Frankenstein on the table near her bed.

"Oh, this? I love the old gothic novels, and Mary Shelley is one of the most amazing people to ever live. Don't tell Dad, but I've always been a sucker for stories about misguided scientists. But even without that, I love her work."

"That actually reminds me of a cool little tradition Dad and I have had for these past few months. You helped inspire it, a little bit." Perry quirked an eyebrow. "Remember the night you stayed for dinner and Dad made a spectacle of himself playing house? Well, every weekend I'm at his place we've been taking the time to share things with each other before bed."

"On Friday nights I show him something I like that he has never experienced. Something I think he might appreciate. I've showed him movies and TV shows, and even played a few albums for him. Then on Saturday he shows something to me. Our only rule is that we have to be completely honest with each other. No pretending you don't like something to prove a point, no pretending to like something to spare feelings."

"It has been hit and miss. He actually liked The Scraping Fangs when he sat down and really listened, but he didn't like The Neurotoxins. And I really liked The Fiendish Barber musical, but thought Super Nova! Fabulous Nova! was pretty lame."

"The best part has been learning that we have more in common than I thought. Sometimes one of us will pull something out to present, only to find out that the other has already seen it! And we usually both like the things that overlap."

"Sometimes he'll get a bit upset, because he'll have prepared a big 'You are now old enough to see this' speech only to discover that I watched it at Lacy's house when I was younger. Not mad at me. At Lacy's parents, I guess, for letting ten year old girls watch R rated movies alone in the basement."

"Anyway, we actually do have a lot in common. I know! I had a hard time believing it, too! But we both like to mock cheesy black and white horror movies from the thirties and forties. We can both appreciate a good Film Noir Detective movie. I can even get behind Science Fiction, as long as it is serious and a bit gritty. I hate clichéd dialogue. I'll never like soaps or fad blockbusters, and he'll never get my Indie films and foreign mini-series; but we do have things we can agree on. He actually likes some really cool stuff, Perry, you wouldn't believe it!"

Perry managed to look calm as he nodded his head and smiled slightly to encourage the teen to continue explaining what her father had shown her. On the inside, however, Perry was grinning. The monotreme was very proud of both father and daughter. He wanted Heinz to have a good relationship with Vanessa. He wanted them to be close, and he wanted Heinz to be able to see her more often. Each excited word seemed like a huge step in the right direction, and Perry was pleased.

Vanessa and Heinz had a lot in common, but they were very different people. Heinz was an optimist with extremely low self esteem, while Vanessa was an extremely self confidant pessimist. Combinations that were built on vastly different soil, but that could allow for the growth and development of eerily similar traits. One day, if they were lucky, the rift caused by the divorce would go away completely. They would reach a point of respect and mutual understanding that would allow for them to have a deeper bond. Perry was convinced he had witnessed the beginning of the process over the summer.

"Look who's back!" Perry and Vanessa turned to see Hikari the nurse, followed by the posse of nurses and an insensible Heinz. Vanessa got off the bed and walked beside her father's gurney as he was wheeled to his normal bed, shooting questions at the nurses and demanding their answers be specific. Perry stayed on Vanessa's cot and monitored the situation more remotely.

"I know that took longer than we had predicted-" Hikari told Vanessa after Heinz had been returned to his bed, "but you would rather we do a thorough job and solve all the problems, correct?"

Hikari explained to them that Heinz had more plaque build up than anticipated, and how the anesthesia had caused Heinz to develop a slight apnea that had worried them briefly. However, he had stabilized and his body had started functioning more normally.

"He'll be drowsy most of the day. But he should be alert tomorrow! And if all goes well, we plan to discharge him in the late afternoon tomorrow." Perry hopped on the floor and tipped his hat at the nurse.

As the nurses left, the lady Vanessa had confronted on the first night paused in the doorway. "You shouldn't let the platypus on his bed. Those wounds will heal better in a sterile environment." She left and closed the door before Vanessa could respond.

"Krkrkr!" Perry tried to calm Vanessa before climbing into the nearby chair.

"Really? You're going to exile yourself onto that grungy chair?"

Perry nodded. He hadn't appreciated the nurses' tone, but he didn't want Heinz to get infected. Hospitals were filthy. The man was already risking all sorts of rare, terrifying diseases by being operated on in a bacterial mating ground. Perry knew he was an animal, and he knew animal fur wasn't the healthiest thing to expose to individuals who were sick or injured.

"Suit yourself." Vanessa told him. She was generous enough to give him a sheet to place on the dirty cushion.

Vanessa talked to Heinz until he came around. He was very groggy. They held an almost unintelligible conversation for five minutes until Heinz returned to sleep. Was anesthesia supposed to have effects that lingered this long?

Once or twice an hour, Heinz would wake up enough to talk with Vanessa. Each time he stayed awake longer, and was more alert. As he slept, Perry and Vanessa continued their conversation. In the late afternoon the monotreme made sure the sixteen year old ate.

It was 6:00 when Heinz became aware enough to fully realize where he was, and that both Vanessa and Perry had waited for him. The medication had taken a toll. It was difficult to watch a usually articulate man stumble through sentences with slurred, delayed speech.

"Perry, you can go."

The monotreme tilted his head inquisitively.

"He's going to sleep the rest of the day. I can handle that. You've been here for a long time, Perry. I can tell you're tired. You were here for him, and he knows you were here for him. He won't mind, as long as you stop by when he's better tomorrow." Perry hesitated.

"I can do this, Perry. I'll be fine. Trust me."

Perry gave an affirmative nod and took one last look at his nemesis before hoping off the chair. Before he could move for the door, Vanessa had reached out and lifted him off the ground.

"I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh today." She told him as she gave him a tight hug. Perry patted her shoulder. "Thanks, Perry. For listening. For being here. For… everything. I'm really glad that you're 'very important.'"

Perry wrapped his arms around the girl's neck, and the hug lasted for several minutes. When he was returned to the floor, he turned and left without letting Vanessa see his face.