Loosely inspired by a piece of fanart I saw a while back.

There were many things in life that Candace didn't understand. She'd admit to some of them. Maybe not out loud, but in her head. Others, she wouldn't even admit there. But she'd easily admit that she did not understand her youngest brother. She wasn't sure anyone understood him. Phineas might understand him better than anyone else but she'd seen enough temporary fall outs between them to know even Phineas didn't understand him completely.

But, Candace, she didn't understand him at all.

Ferb blinked, hand still outstretched towards her. The red rose he held looked normal.

Candace narrowed her eyes. "What? Does it change colors? Or spin around? Does it turn into, I don't know, a jetpack or something?" And, okay, maybe that last one was too much even for them, but it's not like he'd hand her normal rose. Why was he giving her a rose at all? And where was Phineas when she needed him to translate? Why couldn't she have normal brothers?

Ferb blinked again, looking from her to the flower before pulling his hand back. He didn't say anything, not surprising, just held the flower close to him and walked away.

Had she hurt his feelings? Candace shrugged. Whatever. He'd get over it. Not like she wanted the rose anyway. She had more important things to do-like call Stacy-until they did something actually bust worthy.

***

By the time Candace had returned home and taken a shower-she wasn't hundred percent sure how her carefully planned bust attempt ended with her falling through an open manhole, and she didn't want to think about it anymore than she needed to-the somewhat odd event from that morning was far from her mind.

She trudged-and how many times had she done that this summer? Definitely more than she ever thought she would-downstairs and to the den where she dropped face first onto the couch. A much nicer fall than her earlier one. Where was the remote? On top of the TV. Great. Just great. Candace sighed.

Movement by the door caught her attention, and she pointed in that direction. "You, boy, fetch me the remote."

Ferb stared at her.

"...Please?" Come on! She was the older sister. She fell in the sewer! She deserved some special treatment. She'd earned it.

Instead, Ferb turned on his heel and left her there, remoteness.

"What's his problem?" Five feet to the TV. Worth it? Candace dropped her face back into the cushions. Nope.

She wasn't sure how long she laid like that before someone tapped her shoulder. What now? Candace turned her head. "Did you bring the remote?"

Ferb blinked at her. Twice. Not helpful. His hand came up. She grinned. Yes! He brought her-oh no, wait, it wasn't the remote, it was that stupid rose again.

Sitting up, Candace snatched the flower from him. There, she'd taken it, now could he bring her the freaking remote control. She was about to put it into words when the thing in her hand drew her eyes.

The rose was pink and... the petals were moving. Not in an in-the-wind way that would be normal, but rotating in two rows of slow circles.

As she watched, the pink faded to pure white.

What. The. Heck.

Not paying any mind to her brother, she jumped from the couch. "Mom! Mom! Mom!" She shot through the house to the kitchen, barely stopping herself from running straight into the counter. "Look what Ferb made me!" Ignoring her mom's protests that she was cooking, Candace thrust the rose into her hands.

Linda sighed before giving her daughter a tired smile. "That was very sweet of him."

"But look at it! It's all spinny and color change-y!" See, see! She's not crazy! Just look at it. Following her own advice, Candace looked at it. All her excitement drained into the floor.

It wasn't moving. It wasn't changing colors. It looked like a normal, natural, red rose.

"But-but-but-" This couldn't be happening. It hadn't disappeared. It was right there in her mom's hands. She'd done it and... and she'd still failed.

"I don't have time for this." Linda set the rose down on the counter. "It's a sweet gesture. Can't you let them be nice to you without trying to turn it into some wild story?"

"But-I didn't-It's not-" Candace sighed. "Yeah, okay." She grabbed the rose and trudged-and there she is using that word again-out of the kitchen.

She didn't notice the way it started changing colors again once her hand touched it.