Five times someone challenged Vanessa's relationship with Ferb, and one time they didn't.

This is in the same timeline as Mistletoe is Serious Business and Like Kissing Her Brother. I mentioned in LKHB that I thought these might be the same timeline; I've decided they are.

The first four scenes are set during the summer before Like Kissing Her Brother; the fifth is during Like Kissing Her Brother, and the final is in the Christmas season afterwards.

Vanessa took a deep breath. "I know you've met, but I don't think you've ever been really introduced. Mom, this is Ferb Fletcher. Ferb, this is my mother, Charlene Doofenshmirtz."

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, ma'am," Ferb said, entering the elegant house on the hillside.

"Likewise. Vanessa's been talking about you all week." Charlene smiled at Ferb with a smile that didn't really reach her eyes. She gestured the couple in toward the couch. "How did you two meet again, and decide to start dating?"

Ferb cleared his throat and looked a bit embarrassed. "My brother sent me out on a scavenger hunt on my birthday, and I ended up at Blueprint Heaven just as Vanessa was getting ready to leave with a blueprint for her father. We got to talking, and I invited her to the surprise party I was sure Phineas was going to throw."

Vanessa took up the story. "Blueprint Heaven was where we first met, after all, back when he was just a kid. Anyway, I called up his brother, and he told me where and when to show up for the party. It was at his parents' house - you know them, we go to their Christmas parties every year."

"Yes, I seem to recall you two end up under the mistletoe together every year somehow."

Ferb blushed. "Not by deliberate effort. It's usually been my pet platypus who gets us under there."

Desperately trying to avoid that conversation, Vanessa said, "So after the party, we got to talking." She thought back. He asked if he could kiss me without the mistletoe. And...it sounded really nice, so I said yes. And after some more talking and more kissing... "We decided to start seeing each other more." She smiled at Ferb, and took his hand.

Charlene sat back in her chair, facing them, with a look of vague disapproval. "You said it was your birthday. Which birthday would that be?"

I was afraid she'd ask that, Vanessa thought.

Ferb smiled and said, "My sixteenth, Mrs. Doofenshmirtz."

"Oh," Charlene said, saying volumes with that one word.

The conversation continued for a little while longer, covering Ferb's plans for his last couple years of high school, his college plans, and the valuable patents he co-owned with Phineas. Finally, Ferb had to head to his parents' antique shop to cover the register there while they took a night off; Vanessa kissed him goodbye at the door, then turned back to her mother.

"Sixteen, Vanessa? Really?" Charlene asked.

"Yes. He's legal, Mom."

"That's not the point, and it's quite disturbing that you even had to mention that. He's five years younger than you are. You're going to be a senior in college, and he's going to be a junior in high school. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"He's mature for his age. And...yes, I am sure. Really."

Charlene sighed. "I suppose it's pointless to try to talk you out of it, then. Try not to be too much of a wreck when it all blows up, please. You still need to finish your degree."

"You're back late," Heinz said as his daughter came through the door of the lab. He looked at her hair, just slightly disheveled, and the mostly-repaired smudges in her makeup, and had a feeling that that green-haired hoodlum had been doing more than just holding hands with his baby girl.

"Sorry, Dad. We got distracted and lost track of time."

Heinz's eyebrows went up. "Distracted? Doing what? Not that it's any of my business, but you're my baby girl, so...actually, I guess it is my business if some..." He mentally edited his choice of words so as not to get himself in too much trouble. "...boy is doing things with you."

"Dad, I'm an adult now. No, it isn't any of your business."

"You may be an adult, Vanessa, but he isn't. What do his parents have to say about this?"

Vanessa looked slightly guilty. "I haven't talked to them yet, but they know me, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Mmhmm. I'm sure they'll be just fine with you stealing their baby boy away. Assuming I haven't hit him with the go-away-inator by then."

"Don't you dare, Dad."

"Ferb, Phineas needed you for a moment. Something to do with getting his car fixed before his date tonight with...Lisa?" Lawrence said.

"Yes, Lisa," Ferb said. "I think. It's hard to keep track of them, since it's always somebody new." He headed out the front door, leaving Vanessa alone with his parents. Awk-ward...

"So...senior in college this year? Majoring in...?" Linda said questioningly.

"Biomedical engineering," Vanessa said.

"You're up at Marshwood, right? Any plans for how to make the long-distance relationship work?" Lawrence asked.

"Video chat, and visiting each other when we can," Vanessa said. "This isn't just a summer fling, if that's what you're worried about. I know there's an age difference, but...he's more mature than most of the guys at college."

Linda nodded, apparently satisfied. "Okay. I will say, he's happier and more talkative now than I've ever seen him."

Vanessa smiled. "He seems to bring out the best in me; maybe it's mutual."

She'd met Ferb at the coffee shop for his lunch break from the antiques shop. After most of an hour, she kissed him goodbye as he headed back, then she pulled out her laptop and started working on her research project.

"Vanessa?" a familiar voice said.

She looked up and saw her ex-boyfriend, Monty Monogram. They'd dated briefly when she was in high school, largely as rebellion against her father; Monty was Perry's boss's son.

"That boy that just left...is he your boyfriend?" Monty asked, concerned.

"I don't know that that's any of your business," she said. "But, yes."

"It is my business. It's OWCA business. He's part of Agent P's host family."

"Yes, I'm aware. Perry has been trying to set the two of us up for years. Pretty much since you and I broke up."

Monty's eyes went wide. "Does your 'boyfriend' know about Agent P's job? Does your father know where Agent P lives?"

"Not at all. And that's the deal that Perry and I have had all along, since long before I started dating Ferb. We don't tell Ferb about Perry's job, and we don't tell my father about Perry's host family. And, Dad being Dad, he'd never recognize Perry if he came over to visit."

"This is a colossally bad idea, Vanessa. You should break it off before somebody gets hurt."

Vanessa glared at him. "Yeah, I'll get right on that," she said, rolling her eyes.

Monty nodded, and said, "Do that, please," before walking off.

Sarcasm never was his strong point, Vanessa thought before going back to her research.

Ferb had driven up to visit her in Marshwood. Alice and Rachel, the women she shared an apartment with, were thrilled to meet him, and dragged the couple to a party at a nearby fraternity.

She wandered around with Ferb, socializing with the partygoers. Ferb went to fetch fresh drinks for them; just after he left, one of the fraternity brothers approached her with a casual - and more than slightly drunken - grin.

"Hey," he said, "why don't you ditch the kid and go out with a real man."

Rolling her eyes, Vanessa said, "Sorry, no. I'm taken."

"Oh yeah? What's he got that I don't?"

Vanessa stared at him levelly, then said, "Me. And co-ownership of seventeen patents, and the ability to tie a cherry stem into a knot with his tongue."

Leaving him gaping, Vanessa turned on her heel and went in search of Ferb.

Vanessa went straight to the Flynn-Fletcher house when she arrived back in Danville for winter break, not even bothering to stop at her mother's house to drop off her laundry first. She was early for the Christmas party, but hoped to get a little time with Ferb before the crowds kept him busy with hosting duties.

He had just hung the mistletoe in its usual place in the living room, and was stepping off the ladder when she snuck up behind him. She tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to jump, then pointed up at the mistletoe when he turned around. With a smile, he took her in his arms.

"Perry didn't have to trick us over here this year," he said quietly, gently leaning into a deep kiss.

As the kiss broke and they wrapped each other up in a tender hug, she saw Perry over Ferb's shoulder. He was in 'dumb animal' mode, but he quickly looked around, then stared straight at her, smiled, and winked.

Bingos are starting up; not sure how long until the new stories I'll be writing for them come up.

Some of the stories may end up not being posted here due to rating concerns; those will be available at AO3. (Link in my profile.)