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"Do you know why I like this show?" Lawrence asked.
Phineas and Ferb, sitting on either side of him on the couch, turned to him.
"Because it, um..." Phineas frowned. "Because it asks the really big questions?"
"No, well, yes." That was one of the reasons Pinhead Pierre had been his favorite show as a lad and he still enjoyed it, but it was more than that. "But you see, boys, he reminds me of a Throkkiek. Oh I have some lovely memories of them. Always singing and dancing in beats of four, pity the planet had to be destroyed..."
"Dad?"
"Hmm, yes, Phineas?"
"What's a Throciek?"
"Throkkiek," he corrected. "They're a... they're a..." He trailed off. What were they? It seemed he had a million memories of them only a moment ago. "Never mind, I suppose it wasn't all that important."
"Linda, would you look at that!" ... "Ah, I can remember when they first invented these. They wanted to use carved tree branches but I told them that bamboo would be much more--"
"Lawrence, that was invented in the tenth century."
"...Yes, right, I must be recalling a story I heard once."
"Do you have a antiquing nemesis?" Linda smiled, leaning into Lawrence as they walked out of the Danville Young Film Makers contest with arms linked.
"Well, no." He laughed. "That would be amusing, wouldn't it? Competing with a fellow antiquer for the most coveted items..."
"We could look into getting you one." The teasing tone flew over his head.
"Wouldn't be right. I already have a nemesis. A best enemy, really. Can't replace him, not after this many centuries," as he spoke, it became more mumbled as he tried to pinpoint exactly where the words were coming from.
"Lawrence?" Linda stopped walking, drawing him to a standstill as well. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not completely sure, dear."
"It's bigger on the inside." He wasn't surprised, yet he was. Oh, he'd known the boys were building a shed in the backyard, he'd okayed it after all, but when he'd seen the relatively small building, he hadn't expected this. It didn't remove the feeling that something being smaller on the outside/bigger on the inside was completely normal.
Even if he'd never seen anything like it before.
"Separate dimension?" It was almost more of a statement then a question.
Ferb's eyes snapped to him before giving a slow, hesitative nod.
"Ferb!" Phineas, on the other hand, appeared rather shocked. "You never told me that!"
"You never asked."
"What's that?"
"Hmm?" The metal was warm in his hands. It was always warm, even in winter. Like a living thing existing in a metal shell. Sometimes, he even imagined he heard it whispering. "Oh just a pocket watch. Family heirloom." Possible, probably. It felt like he'd always had it but that was the most likely explanation.
Linda down sat next to him on their bed. "Does it work?"
"Don't know. I've never opened it."
"Why not?"
He stood up, placing the watch on their dresser with care. "Don't rightly think I'd like what I'd find."