Edited from the original.
I have decided to up the rating after I got some advice from Jojo. He has also advised me to put that this is the 'tame version.' He does have a point.
The unnamed Smurf stared up at the Smurf standing over him, blood oozing down his face from where he'd been struck.
"Pathetic whore," the standing Smurf muttered.
"P-please M-master," the unnamed Smurf whimpered. "Master. I didn't mean to!"
"Too bad," the master growled and raised his fist again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Grouchy gasped and sat up, the dream so vivid that he could swear it had happened to him mere seconds ago, when in actuality it had been years.
In his short (for Smurfs) 139 years, much had happened to him that he was ashamed to even think about, let alone talk about. He'd had no childhood. By force of magic, he had been turned into an adult as a babe. In fact, he was supposed to be a youngling, a teenaged Smurf, but he was too afraid to try to use the immense magic inside of him to make him his proper age.
The other babies and Smurflings that they had converted to adults had lost their magical abilities. All of them except for him, and he seemed to have every last drop of magic that they'd sucked out of the other slaves. He had been forced to wear an inhibitor collar, which was even more humiliating. He hadn't really realized that the collar was embarrassing until after he had gotten out of the horrible place. He had been Leader Smurf's favorite toy, so he had never been around the other slaves and he had only been allowed to do his chores at night when all the others were sleeping. That didn't stop them from coming to visit him though.
Grouchy had never known companionship other than his Master's cold embrace before he had run away, and he was still so wary of other Smurfs that he kept them all at bay with his bad attitude. Papa Smurf was really the only one he trusted. He could still remember the wonderful, gentle touches that the elderly Smurf had graced him with when he had found his bloody, bruised, weary body lying near the village. The way he had held him, as if he actually mattered and was important…
There was a knock at the door and Grouchy got out of the bed, sighing and putting on his façade. He opened the door with a scowl on his face.
"What?" he demanded, starting when he saw Papa Smurf. "Oh, Papa. Hi."
"Hello Grouchy. May I come in?"
"Sure," Grouchy said, butterflies in his stomach.
"Are you feeling alright?"
'No,' Grouchy thought while his mouth said, "Yes."
"You seem distracted lately. Want to talk about it?"
"No, Papa. It's nothing." Liar.
"Well, if you're sure…" Papa said hesitantly.
"I am." Tell him.
"I love you, Grouchy. You're one of my little Smurfs."
"Yeah, I know." He can help you.
Papa Smurf hugged him gently and left again. Grouchy shut the door and began to cry. This had been coming up more and more. He wanted to tell Papa. He really did. But the mere thought of it terrified him. What if Papa didn't want him anymore? Papa thought he was just an innocent little Smurf, like all of his children. He didn't know the abuse and pain and horrors he had been subjected to. He was terrified that Papa would want him to leave so as to not taint his own little Smurfs. Because technically Grouchy wasn't his. And Papa was the only one who knew it.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Grouchy got up the next morning, yawning and stretching. He washed and dressed himself quickly then hurried down to the breakfast hall. There were all sorts of good things to eat and he was soon full. He left the hall and was walking to his assigned task for the day when he was tapped on the shoulder.
"Heya Grouchy!" Hefty exclaimed happily, striding alongside him. "Papa wants me to look after you today. Said you weren't feeling well."
"I hate not feeling well!" Grouchy snapped, crossing his arms. "And I'm fine anyway."
"Papa says I'm suppose to tail you today. So I'm going to tail you!"
Grouchy grumbled about that, but they went about their work, Hefty chatting away about whatever tickled his fancy. Grouchy ignored most of what he said. But one thing caught his attention.
"And there are supposedly these Smurfs from another village coming in to look for somebody tomorrow."
Grouchy dropped the load his was carrying. "What?" he yelped.
"Ouch! Smurf, Grouchy that hurt!"
"Tomorrow? They're coming tomorrow?"
"Or today. Depends on how fast they're traveling. Why?"
Grouchy knelt down and began picking up the wood he had dropped, his hands trembling. Hefty knelt down beside him and placed his steady hand on one of Grouchy's. Grouchy stopped and looked up, knowing he couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. Hefty's eyes widened.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Grouchy said tersely.
"No you're not. Talk to me."
"I don't need to talk to you!"
Hefty hounded him for two hours straight, begging the grumpy Smurf to tell him what was wrong. Grouchy absolutely refused. He was terrified and to his horror, a Smurf came to tell all the workers to finish up and come to the village. Grouchy had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other as he walked to the village. He stopped behind a crowd and shuddered as he heard a familiar voice.
"Greetings, Papa Smurf. I am Leader Smurf."
"I know who you are. Why are you here?" Papa asked stiffly.
"We've lost a Smurf of ours," Leader Smurf said slowly, scanning the eyes of the Smurfs. Grouchy hid behind the crowd. "Many years ago. He was very important to me. So we have decided to find him."
"We or you?" Papa asked coolly; he knew who this Smurf was.
Grouchy slid behind the crowd and made a beeline for the woods. He was unaware he was being tailed, so he settled by the river and shivered. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand pressed onto his shoulder. He spun around and fell into the river, cowering back…Wait. That wasn't Leader Smurf. It was…
"Hefty? You scared me! I hate being scared!" Grouchy snapped, putting true fear behind his words.
"You left all of a sudden. Why?"
"I…don't like him," Grouchy said guardedly.
"Do you know him?"
"…No."
"Grouchy! Please talk to me!" Hefty exclaimed.
"Grouchy, eh?" a cold voice said. "So you finally got a name. Not a very pleasant one."
Grouchy yelled and tried to take off, but he was snatched up by two mean looking Smurfs. Hefty was grabbed too, and knocked out so he couldn't fight. Grouchy shuddered as his worst fear came to life. Leader grabbed him and snapped something around his neck. An inhibitor collar. Grouchy could feel the magic pushing out as it tried to get free, but it was no use. It was a magically infused collar that was made to control him and him alone. And this time he knew he would not be able to get it off.
"What do we do with this Smurf?" a Smurf asked, holding Hefty up.
"Take him. He's seen what we're doing. And by the time we're home, they won't know where to look."
"No! Leave him alone! He's done nothing to you!" Grouchy exclaimed, struggling in the Smurfs' grips.
"Neither have you, my precious pet, but I still am your master!"
"No! Papa! Papa! Help!" Grouchy shouted, even though he knew they were too far away from the village. "Please Papa! Help!"
Leader mocked him. "Papa! Help me! Ha! You think you're worth anything to him after what you've been through? You're worthless and a burden. You're lucky I'm willing to take you in."
With that, Leader snapped his fingers and they turned and walked away, dragging the two Smurfs with them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hefty awoke to darkness. No moonlight, no starlight, no nothing. He groaned and shifted when a hand suddenly covered his mouth.
"Quiet. Master is sleeping," Grouchy said against his ear.
"Grouchy?" Hefty whispered back. "Where are we?"
"The only Naughties village in existence. Now be quiet or Master will hear and punish us."
Hefty was extremely confused. What was a Naughty? And who was this Master that Grouchy referred to? But when he opened his mouth to ask, he was only shushed again. He lay there for an hour, breathing in and out evenly. Grouchy's body lay against his own and he was taut as one of those bows that human soldiers used. Light finally broke through the window and to Hefty's alarm, he realized Grouchy was crying. He sat up and opened his mouth to speak words of comfort, but a hand covered his mouth. Grouchy sat up and wiped the tears away, then pointed to a bed. Then he pressed a finger to his lips. Hefty was still confused, but he obeyed.
Grouchy stood up when the room was a little lighter and gestured for Hefty to follow. The grumpy Smurf pointed to his eyes then to himself. Hefty got the silent message: Watch me. Grouchy filled a bowl up with water then carried the pitcher over to a table beside the door. Then Grouchy began to look ashamed. He walked over to the sleeping form on the bed and blushed deeply as he ran his tongue along the sleeping Smurf's lips. Hefty recoiled and his shock came out in a loud sentence.
"What the Smurf are you doing?!"
The pale grey form sat up sharply in the bed. He looked, for lack of a better word, pissed. Immediately Grouchy leaped in front of Hefty.
"Sorry, Master. He didn't know to be quiet. Please, strike me instead of him. It was my mistake."
The Master narrowed his eyes then slammed his fist into Grouchy's stomach. Then he turned to Hefty.
"And you, slave, what was it you wanted to know? I'm in the mood to answer your question."
"Why did he lick you like that? That's so…wrong," Hefty said disgustedly.
"That is the way I am to be woken every day. You shall minister to me until I wake up. I expect you to watch my little whore for a few days, then you are to alternate days."
"What's a whore?" Hefty asked.
Leader laughed. "You are so sheltered. A whore is somebody who has sex for money. The only difference is that my whore doesn't get paid."
"What's sex?" Hefty asked.
Leader snorted. "I tire of your questions. Get my bath ready."
"Immediately Master," Grouchy said with a bow.
The compliant Smurf grabbed Hefty's hand and guided him away. As soon as the pale grey Smurf went out for his morning walk, Hefty pounced on Grouchy.
"What is he talking about?"
Quietly, Grouchy explained what sex was to him as they got out a tub and put water on to heat up. When he was done, Hefty was frowning.
"But we're both guys. That doesn't work, right?"
"Master makes it work. Tomorrow, no matter what you see, please don't say anything. I really don't want you to do it, but you have no choice, so you must. Please study what I do, and when your time comes, replicate it to the best of your ability."
"Or what? Why do you do these disgusting things for that horrible Smurf?"
"First of all, he's a Naughty, not a Smurf. Second of all, I have to, and you do, too. He has powerful magic that keeps all of the slaves in line. That and he beats us viciously if we disobey or do something wrong."
"But Grouchy—" he began.
"No buts, Hefty. Just obey. Those two words are now the center of your life. Don't feel. Don't react any more than you have to. Don't talk. Just obey."
The door opened and Grouchy pressed a finger to his lips then turned to his Master, keeping his eyes down. Hefty couldn't believe his own eyes. Grouchy was a fiercely independent Smurf, as far as he knew. Now he was like a dog that had rolled over and bared his belly. It didn't make any sense. But when he opened his mouth to say something, he got two looks. The one from Grouchy screamed "Don't!" and Leader's said "I dare you." So he shut his mouth and stared steadily at the one his friend called Master.
"Good Smurf. You're already learning," Master said, stripping off and getting into his bath.
Hefty watched in dismay as his friend bathed his Master. Grouchy looked zoned out as he did it, but Master invited him and Hefty in and Hefty balked.
"No Smurfin' way!" he spat.
Leader narrowed his eyes. "I was not asking, Hefty. Get in."
"Hefty please!" Grouchy hissed as he undressed.
"No!"
The Master stood up and, though he was naked, Hefty immediately felt terrified. The Smurf backed up, trembling as the grey Naughty raised his fist. Pain flashed through his body and a few minutes later, he was on the floor, bleeding heavily. He was unaware of anything happening around him, although he thought he heard grunts and other noises coming from the bathtub. He slipped into unconsciousness.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"He's taking the medicine well," a soft, kind voice said, pulling Hefty back to pain filled consciousness.
"That's good." That was Grouchy.
"I can't believe he said no to Master."
"He's Hefty. He feels what Master wants is wrong, so he won't obey."
"What Master wants is wrong. We just know it's useless to fight it."
Hefty groaned as he tried to move and opened his eyes. "What happened?"
"Master punished you," Grouchy said, looking sad. "I did warn you, Hefty."
"What is wrong with him?" Hefty asked.
"He's a Naughty. Everything is wrong with him," the other Smurf said, rubbing a green paste on Hefty's thigh, which was sporting a nasty cut. When Hefty's eyes widened, the Smurf grimaced. "Your skin split. That's how hard he was hitting you."
"Nah, he was using his blade," Grouchy said quietly.
"This cut is ragged. It's from a strike with a fist, not a knife. The ones on his chest are from a blade."
"How do you know? And who are you?" Hefty asked, growing slightly uncomfortable as he realized he was naked.
"They call me Doctor. I'm the oldest slave here. I came on a blue moon. I think there was a mistake in the carrier's directions. Grouchy was brought here by the stork, too. The other slaves were stolen away from their own Smurf villages when they were children."
"Doctor?" he asked. "So you know what you're doing?"
"I learned it all myself," Doctor said proudly, wrapping bandages around the wound.
"He had to," Grouchy said.
"Good, now that's the last bandage. Here, take my hands and sit up," the older Smurf said, holding out his hands.
Hefty took them and groaned loudly as he sat up. Everything, and he meant everything was sore. And he noticed that his entire chest was covered in white strips. He felt dizzy as they helped him to stand. He collapsed. When they lifted him up so he could sit on the bed again, Hefty began to cry.
"I-I w-want Papa!" he sobbed.
Soft tears began to slide down Grouchy's face, too. "I know. But Papa can't help you now. Unless a miracle happens, Papa will never find us. Doctor and me and the other slaves? We're all the help you'll get now. And it's severely limited before sundown."
Hefty cried harder so Doctor and Grouchy got on either side of him, embracing him gently. They held him until the tears stopped and he sniffled, pressing close to Grouchy.
"I Smurf you, Grouchy," he whispered.
"I Smurf you, too, Hefty," Grouchy cooed back. "Now, we have about an hour left to get your legs back under you before Master expects us back."
"I don't want to go back."
Doctor sighed. "One thing you need to know, Hefty. Here in this village? We don't get a choice."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hefty's resolve melted away little by little with each beating. He had once given Leader a black eye. He immediately felt as if his skin had been set on fire and he had writhed for three hours before his master had allowed it to stop. Leader had simply flicked his wrist and the pain had stopped. He was allowed no rest afterward, sent out to retrieve firewood. He was beaten when it took him an hour to stagger back.
The most horrible part was what master made him and Grouchy do in the mornings and at night. They touched parts of him with their hands and their mouths that Hefty was ashamed of touching. He cried himself to sleep every night, pressed against Grouchy, who cried with him, holding him close.
One night they were lying like that, face to face. The full moon bathed them in silver light. Hefty sniffled and leaned forward.
"Grouchy," he whispered softly, eyes desperate. "Make me forget."
Grouchy pressed closer and kissed his cheek, soft and gentle, and simply held him. Hefty sighed, wrapping his arms tightly around Grouchy.
"Better?" Grouchy asked quietly.
"Thank you."
As the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months, Hefty and Grouchy grew closer. The bond between them grew from friends to something akin to brothers. Slowly, Grouchy shared of the horrors of living in a Naughty village, the pain of the transformation from a babe to an adult in the space of five seconds, and the hurt of not having a childhood like the other Smurfs. Hefty struggled to keep a positive attitude even as he became a true slave.
One day they had a brief fight in the mud while gathering berries. They bathed then hurried to gather the wood for the bonfire. They were given a dirty look but got no beating. They became very fast at doing their chores so that they could have more time together without the masters around. Their past life in the Smurf village faded to dull memories. This made what leader did next that much more horrible. Scouts came in and brought with them a bundle. When the bundle was unwrapped, Grouchy's heart stopped beating. It was Baby Smurf. He felt sick.
Baby suffered there. He wasn't fed or changed properly and Grouchy was beaten for tending to him. He didn't care, and tend to the Smurfling he did. One day was too much for him. As soon as Leader had raised his fist to hit Baby, something inside Grouchy snapped. He raced forward and tackled him. That was the worst beating of his life. But as he healed, the thing that snapped didn't. It was soon a chasm that was about to spew pain and misery. The first and only time the wretched abomination hit Baby set him off. There was a burst of magic so strong that his inhibitor collar shattered, unable to keep it under control. It rocked the entire village, destroying it completely. The Naughties were unconscious, but the slaves stared in shock at Grouchy, who had hurried forward to grab Baby.
"Are you alright?" he asked shakily.
Baby sniffled but placed a hand on Grouchy's nose.
"Smurf, Grouchy," Doctor said softly.
"Gather your things," Grouchy said firmly. "We're leaving."
It took hardly any time to gather their things from the wreckage; as they were slaves, they had very few physical possessions. They ran into the forest, hoping to get as far away as possible. They needn't have worried though. The Naughties were out for a week. It had rained since they had left, so they couldn't be tracked. Enraged didn't even begin to describe Leader. That's when the miracle happened, too little, too late.
"Where are they?" Papa Smurf demanded, eyes flashing.
"I don't know," Leader spat.
"You don't expect us to believe that, do you?" Brainy asked coldly.
"I do. As you can see," Leader growled, gesturing at his ruined village. "That freak you call Grouchy burst his collar. Good luck finding him."
Papa had his little Smurfs search the ruined village anyway. They left sadly. Where were they supposed to look now? They walked into the woods anyway, searching for any sign of life.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Grouchy hummed softly as he bathed, Hefty beside him. It had been a month since they had left the Naughty village. The other former slaves were very used to their newest addition by this point, and they considered him a brother, though he had been raised differently from them.
Baby was crawling along the edge of the water, happily splashing about. It was very peaceful. The two Smurfs dressed then picked up Baby and headed for their makeshift village.
There were only eighteen of them total. They all knew the lay of the forest by this point. They knew which plants were edible. They knew where to find Smurfberries. They all knew how to cook. With all that knowledge, they were good to go. They lived in tents quite happily.
Hefty fit in with them quite well, and he didn't really think of his Papa anymore, or the other Smurfs for that matter. Grouchy on the other hand thought of Papa quite often, but in the same sad tone he always had. He knew that there was a good chance of him finding them. He was hurt that Hefty would live in the same state of mind that he himself had for so many years: shame and disgust at himself for what he'd been through, the feeling of not fitting in with the innocent Smurfs around him, the feeling of not truly having a Papa to love and hold you because he wouldn't ever want something so…tainted.
"Grouchy? Are you alright?" Hefty asked, shifting the child from one arm to the other.
"Oh…just thinking," Grouchy said evasively.
"Of?"
"Stuff."
"You weren't thinking of Master were you? You shouldn't. He's not worth it and—"
Grouchy smiled softly and shook his head. "I wasn't thinking of Master. I was thinking of…Papa!"
The two Smurfs dove for cover and peaked over the stick. There, standing with their fellow former slaves, was Papa, Tracker, Handy, Smurfette, Clumsy, and Jokey. Grouchy looked over at Hefty, whose bottom lip was trembling. He covered his eyes with his free hand and sank to the ground, sobbing softly. Grouchy watched Hefty's realization of all the things he'd just finished thinking about. He knelt down and kissed him tenderly.
"How can I face them?" Hefty asked brokenly. "How can I face him?"
"He doesn't know what happened."
"Yes, he does," Doctor said, plopping down beside Hefty miserably. "Darkblood told him. Especially about what Master would do to the three of us."
"I can't face him," Hefty moaned.
"Then let's go. Coming Doctor?" Grouchy asked.
Doctor stood and glanced back. "Yes. I can't bear for that red dressed Smurf to look at me with pity and horror. The others wouldn't understand, because they don't even know what sex is, let alone rape, but that older one? He knows. He knows for sure. He was the only one that had the proper response."
They turned and hurried away. They travelled for the rest of the day and Grouchy cast his magic around them that night. He found a mother wolf and let Baby have a nice long meal before he settled him in for sleep. He, Hefty, and Doctor ate Smurfberries they'd found a picked. Grouchy fell asleep and woke sandwiched between his brother and his friend. He sat up and immediately went for Baby. He froze. A knife was pressed against the sleeping infant's throat.
"Hello, whore. I know you care for this thing, so I'll make you a deal. You come with me and I'll leave all the others alone. Including this little child. But you must swear that you will never run away again. Ever."
Grouchy frowned, looking over Hefty and Doctor. Then he looked at Baby.
"Agreed. Put him down."
Leader set him down lightly and grabbed Grouchy's arm. They began to walk back toward the Naughty's Village. He knew what awaited him. He would probably do a lot of work to rebuild the village. Then he would go back to being the filthy whore he was. This time, though he wouldn't have anybody to talk to, to share his pain with. He would be alone.
Then again, Grouchy thought, I was always alone with Papa and the others. Which was certainly true. He spent most of his time in his house when he wasn't working. Then Baby came along and he would bring Baby into his house to care for him in a way that he never had been cared for with the Naughties. He had never been cradled and rocked, or fed milk until he was full. He had never been played with. He had never been a child.
He stopped walking and frowned as a new thought occurred to him. While it was true that Papa hadn't ever done those things, why would he? Physically, he looked like an adult. Mentally, he was conditioned as an adult.
Grouchy took a deep breath and lowered himself to the ground. It was time he was his proper age. The youngling ignored Leader grabbing his arm and let out the air. Magic sparkled in the air around him and his body tightened almost unbearably. He was pulled to his feet and found himself shorter than he had been. His skirt had also taken in magic and had become the proper size. Leader gaped at him.
"You're…a youngling…"
"You should know," Grouchy said dryly.
"I never think about it," Leader snorted. "You're not worth that much thought."
"Papa thinks I am," the youngling muttered under his breath as they started walking again.
Leader stopped. "What did you say?"
"Nothing."
There was a hard crack and Grouchy was flung to the side.
"Now, what did you say?"
"Nothing!"
He was kicked in the groin.
"What did you say whore?!"
"Nothing!" Grouchy groaned through the pain.
"You tell me or I go back and bring that pathetic child with me!"
"I just said that Papa thinks I am!"
He paused. "Papa thinks you're what?"
"Worth that much thought."
Leader looked at him in shock then laughed, a harsh, cruel sound.
"You think that old geezer thinks you're worth something?" he laughed. "Why would he? Doctor said it himself. Darkblood told him what I've done to you! Why would anybody want you after that? You'll never be worth anything."
"Stop lying to my little Smurf!"
Grouchy was still lying on the ground, and he pushed himself up on his elbows to see Papa storm out from behind a mushroom. Leader arched an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, now I'm terrified," he said sarcastically.
"Leave Grouchy alone."
"No. He's mine. In every way," Leader said with a smirk.
"Not anymore. He's coming home with me."
Leader frowned and strode over to the red clad Smurf. He snagged his beard and pulled his face up close until they were nose to nose.
"That freak show you call Grouchy is mine. He will always be mine. Always. Now go away. I gave you my old whore and the one who still has an attitude. I even gave you that little…thing…back. But that youngling is mine."
"He's mine."
Leader grew angrier. "He. Is. Mine."
"He's mine."
"Shut up!"
"He's mine."
They went on like that for five minutes. Leader spewed more and more hateful things, but Papa came back with the same thing every time. "He's mine." Leader's anger finally lashed out as he slammed a fist into the side of Papa's head. Papa went down and stilled.
"There. Now let's go, whore."
But Grouchy didn't move. He stared at the downed form of the first Smurf outside of the slaves that had cared for him. Loved him. Took him in as one of his own. He was yanked viciously to his feet, but he shoved Leader and ran for Papa. He was about to him when Leader tackled him hard.
"I said, let's go!" Leader spat.
Neither of them noticed the other Smurfs who were standing in the shadows beside a tree. Grouchy turned over and kicked Leader's stomach as hard as he could, sending him flying. He turned, but before he could touch the red clad Smurf, a magic leash wrapped around his throat and jerked him backwards. He wailed, struggling against the collar.
"Let me go!" he screamed.
"No! YOU ARE MINE!"
Something snapped and Grouchy spun suddenly, causing Leader to sit down hard. Leader had only a moment to look up, and when he did, Grouchy's fist was all he could see. All the beatings, the pain, the humiliation, all that came to a head when Grouchy just kept hitting him. Nothing Leader did could get him off. Grouchy was blocking all of his magic with his own.
Leader's movements became weaker and weaker until suddenly the youngling stopped. He glared at his master with hatred so hot it was cold. He reached down to his right hip and drew out a knife, carefully concealed in some stiff fabric in his skirt. Leader whimpered and tried to scoot backwards, away from the former slave.
"P-please," he moaned. "S-stop!"
Grouchy splayed out his left hand, pinning Leader down with invisible clamps. He put both hands on the hilt of the knife, eyes gleaming with hellfire. He would make him pay for everything. Every hurtful word, every cruel laugh, every blow with hand or knife or magic. He slammed the blade down, but it never reached its target. Strong hands grabbed his wrists and forced him off the Naughty.
"Let me go!" Grouchy shrieked.
"No! That's enough, Grouchy!"
That voice. Grouchy twisted around to see Papa holding him firmly. Blood still oozed from a nasty cut, staining his beard red. Grouchy shivered and sank to the ground, cradling the knife. Papa slowly released him. He patted his head then went to face Leader. He cut the binds and helped him up.
"He's mine," Papa said, an unbreakable force in his voice. "Now, leave. You are to never come after any of these Smurfs again. Or any other Smurfs. If I hear that you did, I will come after you myself. You don't want to make me mad. Now go."
Leader looked at Grouchy with pure fear in his eyes. "K-keep him! I never want to see him again!"
With that, he sprinted away, disappearing into the forest. Papa watched him go. When he was sure the monster was gone, he let out a gasp, shuddering and swaying dangerously. Tracker and Smurfette were by his side in an instant, helping him sit down. Doctor and Hefty, the latter holding Baby, knelt down beside Grouchy.
"You're a youngling?" Hefty asked, looking hesitant.
Grouchy nodded. "So?"
"Our…I mean, us?"
"You're my brother, Hefty If you don't want me to be your brother anymore, just tell me."
"Of course I want you to be my brother," Hefty said firmly, kissing him lightly.
"Oh, I wish Brainy were here!" Smurfette suddenly called.
Doctor stood and approached. "What's wrong?"
"Uh, we don't know how to stop the bleeding," Clumsy said.
"It's a head wound. They bleed a lot. We need some water to clean it and some Shepherd's Purse to stop the bleeding. It looks deep. I have a needle and thread in my bag here to stitch it up."
They Smurfs all stared at him. Hefty handed Baby to Grouchy, who slipped the knife in its sheath before taking the child. The strong Smurf walked over to place his hand on Doctor's arm.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Hefty barked. "Get to it!"
They scrambled to obey, trusting that Hefty trusted that this strange Smurf knew what he was talking about. An hour later, Doctor knotted the thread and snipped the remainder off.
"There you are. Now all you need is a good meal and some rest."
"Thank you…What's your name?" Papa asked, standing up slowly.
"I was never given a name, but the other slaves call me Doctor."
"I think Doctor's a very suitable name for you," Papa said with a nod.
"But I just said that it isn't my—"
"It is now," Papa said with a warm smile.
Doctor blinked at him, confused. He turned and walked numbly over to Grouchy, who had made some Smurfberry stew with items he'd conjured with his magic. He filled a bowl and handed it to Doctor.
"Something wrong?" Grouchy asked.
"He just named me," Doctor muttered.
"So?" Hefty asked, plopping down on one of the cut log rounds that Grouchy had made for chairs.
Grouchy hummed. "You were young when Papa named you. Getting a name is disconcerting when you're older. A name signifies an identity, something that we, as slaves, weren't allowed to have. Darkblood and the others were only called what they are called now, not as a name, but as a form of 'Hey, it's you I'm talking to.'"
"What were you called?" Hefty asked, dreading the answer.
"I had many 'names,'" Grouchy said, lightly stirring the stew.
"Like?"
"Well, Master called me whore, while the other lesser masters called me Sparkles because my first collar was a weak one and little shoots of magic would pop out. The other slaves called me Strong One, because of all I went through. Darkeye, because of all my black eyes. Sharp Tongue because of my tendency to talk back."
"And he was always quite clever about it, too," Doctor chuckled. "He once said that Master was short, and in more than his temper."
Hefty snorted his stew. After a brief coughing fit, he laughed hard.
"What in the Smurf?!" he gasped.
"Up to that point in my life, I had never received such a violent beating," Grouchy chuckled.
"Why did he beat you for that?" Clumsy asked.
The three Smurfs turned to see the others staring at them.
"No reason, Clumsy. He didn't need a reason to beat me, most days," Grouchy said quietly. "Now come and eat."
They did so, sitting quietly around them.
"So you never had a solid name?" Papa asked when they were finished.
"Not really," Grouchy muttered, waving his hands and cleaning all the bowls.
"That's not true. Singer was one that everyone started calling you before you ran away," Doctor argued. "Even Master called you that."
"Singer?" Smurfette asked curiously. "I didn't know you could sing, Grouchy."
"I can. I just don't."
"Why?" Papa asked. "I'm sure your voice is lovely."
Grouchy shrugged. He picked up Baby and went away from them, plopping down under the shade of a bush. He sighed. He didn't want to be around any of them, save Doctor and Hefty of course. Papa was especially bad. He would never want him. Said Smurf settled beside him.
"Grouchy, please talk to me."
"There's nothing to talk about."
"You're hurting. That's something."
"It's nothing. Really." Grouchy began rubbing Baby's stomach lightly.
Papa frowned and placed a hand over Grouchy's. "You hurting is something. I can understand if you're not ready to talk about it yet, but don't downplay your pain or your feelings. Okay?"
Grouchy looked up at Papa. "Okay."
"Now, we should get moving. The others are waiting for us."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Grouchy, Doctor and Hefty sat quietly away from the others, eating quickly. It was their routine to eat quickly and go get their day's work done as fast as possible. They would then hurry across the bridge and spend time together, away from everybody else.
"Doctor!" Brainy called as they got up.
"Yes?" Doctor asked.
"Papa got hurt. He wants you to look at him."
Doctor waved at Grouchy and Hefty and hurried after Brainy. Brainy led him to the house then walked away to tend to his own work. Doctor knocked lightly then went in. Papa was in there, favoring his left arm near the lit fireplace. Doctor approached hesitantly. Papa turned.
"Ah, there you are. I think I broke my arm."
Doctor walked forward. He lightly picked up the limb and noticed deep bruises decorating the forearm. He lightly pressed down, causing Papa to flinch.
"I'm going to press on different parts of your arm. Tell me where it hurts the most."
At the third place, a soft noise left the elderly Smurf's mouth. After searching the rest of the arm, Doctor went back and pressed on the same place again. Papa groaned.
"That hurts the most. Right there."
"From the feel of it, nothing's broken, but it's definitely deeply bruised, if not cracked. I suggest we splint it for a week and see if it gets better. I can mix you a natural painkiller to help you deal with the pain. Yes?"
Papa nodded. "I have everything you need over there."
Doctor looked over the items. "You're missing Kava."
"Kava?"
"It's a natural painkiller. I found some and have it in my pack here. I'll replenish my stock later. Here, hold out your arm and I'll splint it."
Papa helped and as Doctor was wrapping it, he took a deep breath, preparing himself to take the plunge. Doctor interrupted him before he even began.
"You knew what was wrong with it."
"Yes. I didn't know about Kava though."
"Why did you even bother asking me over?"
"I was assessing your medical knowledge."
"Did you hurt yourself on purpose?" Doctor's tone was full of disapproval.
"No. I slipped and fell down near the river, but my arm got caught in between a couple of branches then hit a rock. I just figured it was a good opportunity."
"Oh. Well, be more careful."
They went silent. Doctor moved to mix the ingredients. Papa saw his window of opportunity shrinking so he stood up and lightly touched the Smurf's shoulder.
"Doctor?"
"I'm trying, Papa. I know it hurts."
"No, not that."
"Then what?"
Papa took another deep breath. "I have another reason I brought you here."
"What?" Doctor's voice was tight, and a little fearful.
"Don't be scared," Papa said gently. "I just want to know about you. You and Grouchy and Hefty have been avoiding me. And everyone else, actually. Why?"
"I would bet you know that, too."
"I don't. I have a few ideas, but I don't know which is right, if any of them are right."
Doctor's movements became agitated. "I'd rather not."
"But you need to. I love you. All of you. Why do you avoid me? Why are you hiding from me? I want to help."
Doctor slammed the bottle of water down, nearly cracking it with the force. "STOP LYING!"
Papa jolted as the suddenly enraged Smurf spun around, but he stayed calm.
"I'm not," he said softly.
"How can you want us?!" Doctor demanded, looking like he was about to break down. "We're tainted! We're ruined! Nothing you ever do will take away the stains, the ugliness, the abuse we've been through! We're not your innocent little Smurfs! We know real pain! We know beatings and knives and rape! How can you want us to be y-your little…?"
Doctor collapsed, hugging himself. He sobbed brokenly and Papa immediately wrapped his good arm around him. He made soft little comforting noises, hushing him gently. Doctor clutched at him as if his life depended on it. He finally calmed down, sniffling and shaking.
"There," Papa soothed. "I don't care about any of that. At least, not in the way you think I do."
"You don't?"
"No," the bearded Smurf said firmly. "You're not stained or tainted or ugly or ruined. I can't change that you were abused, but I can help you get through it. If you'll let me."
Doctor pressed close as his mind raced. He finally whispered, "I'm not ready to relive it."
"Whenever you are, and this includes Hefty and Grouchy, too, just come to my house at night. I have an idea that might help. You can come as a group or you can come individually. It doesn't matter. Okay?"
Doctor pulled away from the elderly Smurf, searching his face. He finally nodded. "Alright. I'll pass along the message. Now let's get that painkiller made."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Well Papa, it is gut to see you again," the purple clad Smurf said.
"Likewise Papi," Papa said jovially.
"I hear you have our missing Smurfs," Papà said; he was wearing yellow.
"Indeed I do. That wretched Naughty stole them."
"We searched everywhere for them. But he was hidden too well," the one wearing blue said sadly.
"I know, Patéras," Papa said gently. "But I found them. Let's go see them."
They chatted pleasantly, but when they got into the village, they couldn't find them. The other Papas started getting nervous, so Papa grabbed Smurfette.
"Have you seen the former slaves?"
She nodded. "Darkblood said that the waiting was unbearable. They went into the forest to relax."
"Thank you."
"You have a female?" Papi asked curiously.
"Gargamel made her to spy on us. I turned her into a real Smurf so he couldn't use her against us anymore," Papa replied with a smile.
"Interesting."
They walked across the bridge and into the forest. When they were several feet in, they heard the most wonderful song, but the music sounded strange. They walked into a clearing to see the eighteen Smurfs singing, but it wasn't a normal song. Instead of using musical instruments, most of them were using their mouths to mimic the sounds they made. Doctor was singing low, copying most of what Grouchy sang, and the youngling was singing the main part of the song. He had such a perfect voice that the Papas just stood there listening. The Smurfs ended the song and laughed. They jumped at Papa's voice.
"So that's why they called you Singer, Grouchy. You have such a lovely voice. You should sing more often."
Grouchy hunched his shoulders and shook his head. "I don't want to."
"Well if you ever do, you're welcome to."
Papa watched as Grouchy slipped to the back of the group. He wanted to just run to him and hold him until the youngling believed that he loved him. Doctor and Hefty had both taken him up on his offer and come to him. Papa's idea had seemed to work quite well with them, but Grouchy was more stubborn and hadn't come to him yet. It made the older Smurf's heart burn with sympathy pains at what Grouchy must be feeling. Papi stepped forward and called out to the two of his little Smurfs that he saw first.
"Feliz! Salvaje! Come here!"
None of them moved. They just stared at him. Papi frowned, walking forward and touching one of them.
"Feliz? What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"
"I recognize you, Papi. Why are you calling me Feliz though?"
"That's your name."
"I have no name. The others call me Silver Tongue."
"Salvaje?" He turned and touched his other little Smurf.
"Nay. They call me Black Cat."
"You…don't remember your names?"
"You don't understand," Doctor said softly. "None of them remember their names."
"Why not?"
"Magic," Grouchy said, coming forward. "Our Master was very powerful in raw magic, like me. He captured them when they were Smurflings, but he had to take away their identities, so he made them forget their names. Then he turned them into adults."
"Wait, what?" Patéras said, looking shocked.
"They had a childhood for as long as you had them. Then they got turned into adults so that Master wouldn't have to bother raising them," Doctor said with a shrug. "And that's more than Grouchy and I got. We were brought by the stork on two separate blue moons. We were babes for mere hours before we were turned into adults. We had absolutely no childhoods. All we knew for so many years was pain and servitude. I would never wish an adult transference on anybody. It's painful and the headaches…"
All of the former slaves grimaced. Papi grabbed his two Smurfs.
"Don't worry, Papi, they don't bother us anymore," Black Cat said solemnly. "Our minds stopped trying to be innocent long ago."
There was a snort from another Smurf. "Kinda hard ta be 'innocent' when you have something being rammed up your ass."
There was a burst of laughter from the Smurfs, but all the Papas looked horrified. Black Cat and Silver Tongue were pulled close to Papi.
"What did they do to you?" Patéras asked softly.
"Should we start with the beatings? Or how about the torture by magic?" said the Smurf who had just spoken.
"Nah," said another. "How about the time I literally worked my fingers to the bone? That's a good one?"
"No, no, too bloody," Doctor replied. "Hm, what about the set fights that we did to entertain them."
"Sex was a form of entertainment they liked, too," said the first Smurf.
"The fun part was the rape," Grouchy deadpanned. "Taken unprepared. Don't you agree Hefty?"
"Master could go for an hour easy," Hefty said, but his expression, unlike Grouchy's, twisted into some deep form of pain. "He liked it when we…" He stopped and covered his mouth with his hand, looking ill.
"My little Master liked that, too," Silver Tongue said with a nod. "He's the one who called me Silver Tongue. He would share me with the others, even big Master once. They all agreed that my name was well deserved."
"Your name is Feliz, not Silver Tongue," Papi snapped. "Don't you dare call yourself that again!"
Silver Tongue pulled away, looking hurt. "But…I don't have a name."
"Repeat after me," Papi said. "'My name is Feliz.'"
"My name is..." Suddenly there was a zap of electricity that spasmed around him. "I have no name," he said when the blue light was gone.
The Papas stood in shock.
"What was that?" Papà demanded.
Doctor cleared his throat. "That would be Master's doing."
"Huh?"
"Like Grouchy said, Master used magic to erase their names. They still have all of their memories from when they were with you. They just can't remember their names. And if you tell them their name, they can't repeat it or remember it. Hefty, Grouchy, and I are the only three who don't have that problem."
"Can it be stopped?" Papa asked.
"I'm not sure. Grouchy?"
"Yes. I could fix it," Grouchy said. "But it's painful."
"I don't care," Silver Tongue said. "I want to make Papi happy. Do it."
The others nodded. Grouchy shrugged and held out his hands. He pushed them forward and ropes of sparking light hit his old friends in the middle of their foreheads. They all screamed as if they were being raped right there. They collapsed, clawing at their own skin until blood oozed out. There was a bang and suddenly everything stilled. The Papas rushed to help up their little Smurfs. They each had five.
Papa went over to his own three. He pressed a hand against Grouchy's forehead.
"Are you alright? Do you feel weak?"
Grouchy shrugged. "A little. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
Grouchy nodded and shrugged Papa off. "I'm going to go home. Have fun."
"Grouchy. Please," Papa begged. "Let me help you."
For the first time, there was a thoughtful hesitation in Grouchy's eyes. "I…Maybe. I gotta go."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That night, Grouchy was watching Papa's house. The other colorfully clad Smurfs were in there talking with him. After several hours, and just when Grouchy was about to give up, they came out and bid Papa good night. Papa shut his door and Grouchy slowly approached. He hesitated for a long minute then knocked. He just about bolted when the door opened.
"Did you forget something…Oh! Grouchy! Come in! Come in!" Papa exclaimed, ushering him inside.
Grouchy was put in a chair and Papa made him some delicious tea that he eagerly drank down. His cup was filled again, and this time he sipped on it, watching lazily as Papa hurried to close the shutters and prepare a tub of hot water. His mind seemed to be running slow. He found out why as he finished his second cup of tea. There was some sort of plant in the bottom. He frowned, looking up.
"You drugged me," he said, his voice slightly slurred.
"It's just a little something to help you relax. Trust me."
"I do," Grouchy said, setting his cup aside. "But I don't understand why you want me. Hefty, I can understand; he's yours. Doctor, too; I mean he is useful. But me? I've never understood why you took me in. I'm not very useful. I'm a youngling, too, which means I'm not as strong or fast as the others. I've also been having emotional problems lately…I'm just a burden."
Grouchy found tears winding down his face. He moved to make himself as small as possible. Papa frowned and hurried over to hold him.
"Hey, I love you. You're my little Smurf."
"But why?"
Papa stared at him. "Come on, you need a bath."
He helped Grouchy out of his skirt, which all the former slaves still wore, and into the tub. He began to wash the youngling gently. Grouchy was still relaxed, but his mind was working as fast as it could.
"What are you doing?"
"Cleaning you."
"Why?"
Papa paused and looked him directly in the eyes. "Doctor said you consider yourselves dirty. I'm cleaning you so you feel clean again."
Grouchy frowned. "That's not how it works."
Papa suddenly looked frustrated. "The other two accepted this. Why can't you? I want to love you! I want you to be my little Smurf! I want you to talk to me and let me help! Why can't you let me do that?!"
Grouchy looked surprised. Papa never yelled. Ever. The youngling felt a deep shock when he realized that Papa really did love him. He leaned over and picked up the rag, holding it out to Papa.
"I'm not them, Papa. I had fifty years with you to hide away. The others never thought of it. I trust that you love me, now, but you can't expect us to act the same. You can finish cleaning me, though."
Papa studied him for a few moments then smiled. "I guess I can't expect you to be Doctor or Hefty. Now stand up and hold still."
After the bath, Grouchy slipped his skirt back on and sat back down for another cup of tea. Papa joined him.
Grouchy sipped his tea. "Papa, what did you think when you found me fifty years ago?"
Papa sighed. "I knew that you'd been through hell and back. But I don't know where your scars went."
Grouchy blushed. "My collar prevented me from doing any magic except for keeping my color even. I have many scars. When I woke up and realized that I'd found other Smurfs, and that they were so much more innocent than I was, I thought my scars would raise questions that I was reluctant to answer. So I hid them."
"May I see them?"
Grouchy frowned then a ripple went over his skin. Lines, paler than the plain blue skin that surrounded them, appeared, causing Papa to stare. He stood and went over to trace a couple of the lines.
"I'm sorry this happened to you."
Grouchy shrugged. "I can't help that it happened. I didn't start fighting back until I was seventy. By then I had most of them. This one," he said, gesturing at one that went down his whole arm, "was after I started fighting back. Master used the knife that I almost killed him with. I swore I would get even with him and that I would use that same knife. I almost did."
"I'm glad you didn't," Papa said kindly. "As bad as it is, he didn't deserve for you to kill him."
"Whatever you say, Papa." Grouchy yawned. "I should go. I'm tired."
"Nonsense. The other two slept in my bed, you shall sleep in my bed."
Grouchy was tucked in, his forehead kissed, and the candles blown out. It was pleasant lying there. The entire bed smelled like Papa, which promised safety and love. He slowly drifted to sleep, feeling truly happy for the first time in forever.