A/N – I am so relieved to finally have this story underway. It's one of those that has to happen before some other things can happen which have to be resolved before yet other things happen… (Similar to what I went through with having to write "The Other Kiss" before I could post "Our Mutual Friend" and "In Which Ferb and Vanessa are Expecting.")

This takes place on the New Year's Eve following "Candy Cane Christmas," which you really need to read before starting this.

Almost everyone appearing in this story belongs to Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh.

"Auld Lang Syne literally means 'old long ago.' But I'd rather think of New Year's as an unspoiled universe." – Ferb Fletcher

On the Edge of an Unspoiled Universe - Chapter One

Ferb Fletcher sat on the foot of the bed, examining the shoe on his left hand with a critical eye. The black patent leather gleamed as he tilted it in the light until – there it was, one little speck marring the glossy surface. With a swipe of the shine cloth he dispatched it and gave the shoe another once-over. Perfection.

It was New Year's Eve, and a special one, at that. He and his fiancee – how he loved being able to call Vanessa that – were preparing to attend Danville's official celebration and at twenty-one, Ferb was finally old enough to partake of the traditional champagne. There had been rumors of some special guests and a big announcement at tonight's banquet, and Candace had teased some surprise for the family, as well. "Another baby," Vanessa had speculated, and Ferb suspected she was right, but he had remained tight-lipped so as not to spoil it.

He was just doing up his shoelaces when Vanessa appeared in the doorway. Without even thinking, he glanced in her direction and was rendered helpless for about the fourth time that evening. That little black dress was making her more stunning than usual. Stunning beyond all reason, thought Ferb, although it was less about the simple, classic style than the way she wore it. The strappy black stilettos and the rose tattoo visible above her left ankle kicked the whole effect up a notch and he just sat there and stared at her in a sublime state of bliss as she crossed the room to the dresser.

"Well, the kids are tucked in upstairs," she remarked with a touch of dry humor, picking up her black velvet evening bag and dropping a lipstick tube into it. "They've got popcorn and pizza and five kinds of candy and enough soda to fill a bathtub. Dad is going to be so sick tomorrow. Thank goodness for Perry."

Ferb, having regained consciousness by this point, smiled and added, "And the Super '70s Disaster Movie Marathon on the Cinema Classics channel."

Vanessa emitted a chuckle, but added, "I feel a little sorry for Dad, spending New Year's Eve watching 'Cruisetastrophe' with a platypus. But at least it'll keep him from trying to wreck Uncle Roger's party this year."

"I'd have thought last year's De-Fizzinator debacle would have put a stop to that," Ferb noted.

"Oh, you know Dad. Hope springs eternal in the Evil Scientist's breast."

Every year, as part of his never-ending attempts to humiliate his brother and take over the entire Tri-State Area, Dr. Doofenshmirtz would crash the formal New Year's Eve party hosted by Danville's Mayor. And every year his schemes would blow up in his face, figuratively and usually literally. This year, Vanessa had pre-emptively enlisted Agent P to "babysit." Ferb hoped his future father-in-law and pet platypus would enjoy their popcorn-and-pizza-fueled all-nighter. Oddly enough, after a bit of a rough start, he was growing to like Vanessa's father. The man was rather brilliant, actually. In an evil-ish sort of way, yes, although Ferb had to admit, if he had suffered through all the dreadful things recounted in the Doctor's backstories, he'd probably want to wreak a little havoc on the world, too.

In his favor, Dr. Doofenshmirtz had provided Ferb and Vanessa with a place to stay for their holiday visit to Danville. Oh, not with him, none of them could have dealt with that. But Mrs. Thompson, who lived downstairs, had gone to Florida for a month, leaving her neighbor in the penthouse a spare key in exchange for a promise to water her plants. The Doctor had seized the opportunity to invite the two of them to bunk in the vacant apartment, and though Vanessa had questioned his authority to open up the woman's home to squatters, she hadn't turned him down. Ferb had volunteered to give the place a thorough sanitizing at the molecular level and make certain everything was left as they had found it before they headed back to Ackerton. It was a little weird living among someone else's possessions, but it was nice having the extra space, and you couldn't beat the price.

"Want to give me a hand with this?" Vanessa proposed now, holding up her necklace, a delicate spiderweb of silver and tiny pearls. Ferb took the ends in his fingertips and fastened it for her, then met her eyes in the mirror. She smiled at him in a doting manner and turned around to face him, hands smoothing his shirt front. Without comment, she took hold of the trailing ends of his tie and began deftly folding and looping. Ferb stood still, content to let her work at the bow until she gave it one final tug and a pat and said, as she always did on these occasions, "I still can't believe that the Amazing Ferb Fletcher can't handle a simple bow tie. One of these days I'm going to find out that you've just been faking this to make me feel good."

"No, it's true," he insisted. "I'm utterly helpless at it." Well, helpless might have been a bit of an overstatement, but he always had found the knot frustrating, and it was so much more fun to let Vanessa do it. Besides, he would never forget her elation at finally discovering something he was inept at. Now her hands were taking a casual stroll over his shoulders, then one wandered up to tidy a stray lock of green hair before her fingers brushed his ear – almost accidentally, he was sure – and Ferb began to think that he'd really rather not go to some silly old party tonight. Luckily, he was saved by the bell – or rather by the wail of an electric guitar coming from his cell phone.

"There's your brother," said Vanessa, taking a step back as Ferb reached for the phone.

"Grab my coat, would you?" he half-whispered to her as he picked up the cell and accepted the call. "Is this room service? We'd like a bottle of champagne and some chocolate-dipped… Who's giggling?" he demanded in an affronted tone, knowing perfectly well it was Isabella. Vanessa was smiling at his faux dramatics, and he winked at her in response.

"You're on speaker, bro," Phineas warned with a laugh. "We're at the stop light on Adjacent. Are you ready, or should we go around the block once?"

"Around the block," Isabella prompted in the background with another giggle.

"Better listen to your wife," Ferb advised his brother. "We'll be downstairs when you come back around."

They finished the call and Vanessa held out Ferb's black tuxedo jacket. As she helped him into it, she sighed. "You know, I really wish you could wear the white dinner jacket." They had had this conversation already, and she knew as well as he did that etiquette demanded the traditional black tuxedo for such an occasion. "Not that you don't look handsome," she was quick to assure him, turning him to face her and straightening his lapels. "But, the white jacket makes you look so… dreamy." She gave a little pink-cheeked smile at the embarrassing mushiness of the word, and Ferb answered the compliment with a kiss.

"Don't worry, you'll see enough of the white jacket when we get to Paris." Again fighting off the urge to simply stay in for the evening, he began gathering phone and keys. The car would be back around shortly and it was time to go. Vanessa was already checking the contents of her bag and slinging a black velvet wrap around her shoulders. Locking up the apartment, they rode the elevator down to the ground floor, Ferb keeping his hands in his pockets the whole way as a preventative to hitting the stop button and spoiling Vanessa's lipstick. Plenty of time for that later, old chap.

Emerging from the DEI building, Ferb looked up and down the street for their ride. He had expressed some doubt that Phineas's high-tech hybrid muscle car could hold them all, but his brother had said not to worry, he had the situation covered. When Ferb glanced again to his left, he found out what "covered" meant.

A pink stretch limousine rounded the corner and cruised to a stop in front of them. Ferb heard Vanessa mutter, "Oh, you have got to be kidding." Concerned that the overpowering pinkness might render his darling ill, Ferb turned toward her, but she just gave him a half-stifled grin and a subtle roll of her eyes and he knew she was all right. The driver got out and came around to let them in. The chauffeur had dark brown hair and a goatee, and Ferb did a double take when he saw the man. It took him a moment to mentally replace the smart gray uniform with a ball cap, polo and cargo shorts before he made the connection.

"Paul?"

"Hey, Ferb, it's been a while. Looking good, my man," he gave an approving nod, then acknowledged Vanessa with a tip of his cap and a courteous, "Good evening, Miss."

As Paul opened the door for them and Vanessa entered the car, Ferb asked him, "What happened to the delivery service?"

"Oh, I'm still a Mobile Logistics Technician by day. But I'm moonlighting off and on. Hightail Limo Service," he explained. "We're branching out. When I heard you guys had booked a ride for tonight, I said, 'I'm taking that one.'"

Ferb gave him a congratulatory thumbs up as he hopped in the back and slid into the seat next to Vanessa. Paul shut the door and got back behind the wheel, and they were off.

"Sparkling cider?" Phineas offered, reaching toward the bar. "Mango smoothie, raspberry lemonade, Alpine spring water with a twist of lime? That's the best we've got, we're still too young for the hard stuff."

"I'd take some water," Vanessa requested, and Phineas filled a glass for her.

Ferb seconded this choice and politely remarked, "Isabella, you look lovely." She was wearing a shimmery long gown in a silvery pale pink tone that almost blended in with the upholstery. His comment prompted a flurry of compliments among them before he noted, "Mum and Dad didn't come?"

"Candace is bringing them," Phineas explained. "She volunteered to be the designated driver." He leaned toward them before confiding, "Isabella thinks she's pregnant."

"I don't know what else it could be," she countered her husband's skepticism. "Big announcement, designated driver, it seems pretty obvious."

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Vanessa agreed, and given this new piece of evidence, Ferb was convinced, as well. Of course, seeing the obvious never had been Phineas's strong suit.

Unfazed, he went on. "She said she could fit all of us in the minivan, but I wanted to do something special," the red-headed young man beamed at his wife, who squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.

"He wanted one with a hot tub and a big screen TV," Isabella added, meeting Ferb's eyes with a look that said he would understand. "But I told him the pink was enough."

"Oh, I'd say the pink was more than enough." Vanessa spoke with sufficient sweetness to get away with the remark, and sufficient snark to make Ferb suppress a snicker. How could he not love this magnificent woman?

"Let's have a toast," Phineas raised his flute of sparkling cider and the rest of them touched their drinks to his.

"To the best New Year's Eve ever!"

To be continued…

A/N – It's against all my better judgment to post this first chapter before I've even started writing the rest of the story, but what the heck. I struggled to come up with a limo driver, and was so excited when I thought of Paul the Delivery Guy! Oh, and just FYI, "Mrs. Thompson" is the neighbor Doof tries to convince to let him in the building when he's locked out in "Across the 2nd Dimension."