I tried for ages to get this chapter satisfactory, but eventually I figured, 'Well, what the flip'.

Quick question to all my lovely reviewers, is Thoughtful swerving into Mary-Sue territory?

Callister the Great- No, Quintoro's not enchanted. Well, not so far as I know. :P Needless to say, some Smurfs will be less than enthusiastic about him.

FrittzyCrazy- Here's your chapter. Enjoy!

LuLuCallipoe- There are at least two episodes with Don Smurfo. One's called "Don Smurfo Returns" and the other is something like "Don Smurfo's Unwelcome Guests" or such. They're both pretty funny. You'll find out which she chooses. Smurfette seems mutual to me on the subject of love. She dreams about love and marriage, but I don't think she's singled out the one Smurf for her yet.

Chloe- I'm pretty sure things will work out, but we'll see. Oh dear. I hope the robot's alright. How's he doing now?

Candy Girl- Thoughtful couldn't be here today, but she sends her sincerest thanks for the compliment. :)

Athena the wise girl- Oh please, by all means, scream with excitement. I wouldn't mind. :) Here's the next chapter.

BlueExorcistLover- Well... It wasn't 'soon', but here's your update.

anon reader- Yes, I remember you from Frosty's stories. Hit by lightning? Sounds like an exciting story! I'm glad you like my story so far. Yeah, it's not a pretty thing to have 2 Smurfs fighting over you. Your future reviews will be greatly appreciated!

thatonesmurfX 103.9- Here's the next chapter! :D

ALERT- This story had been plotted out in June of 2012. Every similarity is coincidental and I guarantee that I copied off of no one. Everything with the exception of Gutsy is based off of the cartoons.

Thoughtful and Quintoro and Fringe are mine. The rest is all Peyo's.

Enjoy! :D


"Papa Smurf? Are you home?" Thoughtful called through the closed wooden door of Papa's mushroom.

"Yes," His voice answered, muffled by the barricade. "Come in."

She entered the mushroom, gently taking Quintoro out from under her hat. "I was in the forest, thinking, and Quintoro fell into my lap. I think his tail is broken."

Papa held out his hands and Thoughtful gently passed the snake over. She fidgeted worriedly as the elder inspected Quintoro, softly running his fingers over the reptile's tail.

Finally, he looked up at her. "You made the splint very well."

"Thank you. Can you help him?"

Papa chuckled and handed Quintoro back to the Smurfette. "Snake bones tend to be quite small and fragile. I couldn't do anything without fear of hurting him some more." Seeing Thoughtful's distressed expression, he quickly added, "Oh, don't worry. These things heal on their own. He should be right as smurf in 2 weeks."

Thoughtful let out a breath of relief. "Thank you. Should I take care of him until he gets better or should I release him?"

"That, Thoughtful, is up to you." Papa flashed her a grin, then went back to scribbling notes in a book. Thoughtful took this as her invitation to leave and she slipped out the door.

She stood outside, leaning against the mushroom wall and letting Quintoro slither in and out of her fingers. "So, what do you think?" She asked him, even though she knew he wouldn't answer. "Let you go or keep you until your tail heals?" The snake blankly stared at her.

Making a split-second decision, she turned and headed back to the forest. After walking for a bit, she stopped by a tree trunk.

"Here you go, Quintoro." She leaned down and allowed the reptile to slither off her hand. He coiled up on a root and looked at her, as if awaiting further instructions. "I don't want to keep you where you don't want to be. Pretend like you never met me."

He simply looked at her with his dark eyes, red tongue flicking in and out of his mouth.

Before Thoughtful had time to change her mind, she turned and started to trot off in a random direction, head high and hands clasped behind her back.


Surprisingly enough, her feet took her once again to Gargamel's hovel. She could hear him banging around inside, muttering to himself rather loudly.

The raven-haired Smurfette stole a glance behind her, back towards the Village, then turned her gaze to the stone building again. Oh, smurf, I really shouldn't. her head told her.

She sighed with a small smile. But I'm going to anyway. Her heart always seemed to win these arguments.

Cautiously, Thoughtful traveled up to the small hole in the stone. Now how to get Azrael out of there without alerting that wizard? Well, can't do anything standing around here. She traveled through the dark tunnel, keeping low to the ground as if that would protect her if the walls caved in.

Peeking out into the main room, she surveyed the locations of her cat friend and his unfriendly owner. Azrael was sneaking a nap on Gargamel's straw bed, snoring gently. Gargamel was up and running, throwing various ingredients into a cauldron. Thoughtful shivered at the possible concoctions he was brewing to end the Smurf race some way or another.

Something about ragweed met her ears and she listened harder. Just her luck! His jar was empty. Grumbling, the wizard snatched a burlap sack off the bed, right out from under Azrael. The tabby was yanked out of his slumber and said some rather nasty words to the interrupter of his nap. Thoughtful shied away from the words, wishing momentarily that she couldn't speak cat.

Gargamel simply shrugged off the crude language, yelling something about being back before sundown. Azrael meowed an 'alright' and settled down to resume sleep.

But not before his yellow eyes landed on a blue Smurfette by the door.

He gave her a surprised look, eyes flicking pointedly to Gargamel, who was still by the door. Thoughtful pressed a finger to her lips with a grin. Azrael, a bit more alert now, directed his gaze back to Gargamel until the old man had left.

When he was well out of hearing range (which was quite a long way away indeed), Azrael jumped from the bed and made his way to Thoughtful. "What are you doing here, Kitty Smurfette?"

The spectacled Smurfette beamed widely. "I was bored, good cat. You seemed to be a good choice of entertainment."

The cat wasn't amused at all. "I am pleased to know that you visit only when you have nothing better to do."

"Do not take it to heart, good cat."

"What entertainment did you have in mind?"

Thoughtful, true to her name, thought for a moment. An idea sparked in her head. "When is the last time you have played outside with another creature?"

"Last week," said Azrael, licking his lips in remembrance. "The mouse was very tasty afterward."

Thoughtful frowned. "Though I do not mind when animals eat others to survive, I dislike it when they abuse their food in such a cruel manner."

"Your ways of eating are different than mine, Smurfette." Azrael sniffed delicately. "Shall we go play now, or have I ruined your playful mood?"

"We shall go, provided you do not speak of torturing your food again." Thoughtful chided firmly.

Azrael snickered and brushed by her, heading for the exit. "To be sure, mother."

"Very funny." She raced after him, trying very hard to keep up with his brisk pawsteps.

They emerged on the other side of the wall into bright sunlight. "Do you have a game in mind?" Azrael asked her.

"Have you ever played tag?"

"Once or twice with my littermates."

"Then you know how." This was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I do." His yellow eyes flicked around. "But I do suggest we play deeper in the forest. If Gargamel returns and sees you, I shall be forced to eat you."

Thoughtful felt a cool chill crawl up her spine. "I do hope you would not consider that an option."

"I shall refrain from making an insensitive comment."

"That would be much appreciated."

They walked until they found a pretty clearing with soft, spongy grass and a lovely view of the sky. "I come here to nap sometimes."

"I am starting to believe that is all you do."

Azrael crouched to the ground, tail flicking back and forth. "Forgive me. I have not played in quite a while. I may be stiff."

"I ask only that you do the best you can." Thoughtful said earnestly.

Azrael leaped towards her, paws outstretched. Laughing, the raven-haired Smurfette danced out of the way. After landing and righting himself, Azrael pounced again.

So it went on until Azrael had cornered her between two roots. With a playful snarl, the tabby sprang. Thoughtful, as her only choice, jumped straight upwards.

Azrael's head got lodged between two roots and he yowled in surprise, struggling for a moment before yanking his head out.

The game paused, Thoughtful ran up to see if he was alright. "Do not worry. There was no damage." Azrael assured.

She looked at him curiously. "Did you not see me jump?"

He smiled a bit, showing his sharp incisors. "My eyesight is not what it was. I am not a young cat, you know."

Abandoning their playfulness, Smurfette and cat lay down in a sunbeam, the blue creature leaning against the feline's side comfortably. In the warm sun, they soon both dozed off.

A loud, shrill noise jolted both of them out of their slumber, Thoughtful posed and ready to run and Azrael crouched and snarling. There was nothing in the clearing except them… and a seagull.

Both creatures sported raised eyebrows at the seabird's sudden appearance. It just continued to squawk, jabbing its beak pointedly at Thoughtful.

She looked at her cat friend. "Can you understand it?"

"Cat and seagull are two entirely different languages. I can only make out one or two words." His peaked ears twitched and swiveled, brows furrowed over his bright eyes. "Sea… and… maid, I think it is."

It hit Thoughtful like a ton of bricks. "Of course! This is the one I asked to find Marina!"

She stroked the seagull's white feathers, murmuring a thanks and it took off, headed back for the sea. "Please, good cat, I need to get to the ocean rather quickly. May I ride on your back?"

In response, Azrael knelt down so she could clamber on. He raced in a sleek orange blur along the River Smurf, his passenger struggling to hold on. Before too long, they reached the stretch where the river widened and fed into the ocean.

Azrael slowed to a stop. "I'd best stop here in case your friend has been informed of my unfortunate position under your greatest enemy. I do wish you luck, Kitty."

"Thank you, Azrael." She stood and hugged him. "Have a good day." They parted ways there, Azrael turning back the way he came and Thoughtful traveling briskly towards the shore.

The splotch of green and purple was clearly visible against the blue water. Marina looked a bit nervous, glancing from side to side and playing with her hands. In Handy's picture she was pretty, but in person she was positively breathtaking.

The raven-haired Smurfette made sure to come up in full view of Marina so she wouldn't accidentally scare the mermaid away. "Hello."

Marina looked startled. "Are you from the Smurf village? You look like a Smurf, but I've never seen you before."

"I just came a while ago." Thoughtful explained, crouching on the wet sand to be nearer to Marina's eye-level. "My name is Thoughtful Smurfette."

"I'm Marina. A seagull told me that someone wanted me here. Was that you?"

The Smurfette nodded happily. "I was so relieved he understood me." She stood up. "If you stay here, I'll go get Handy for you. That's why I told the seagull to get you. Handy misses you a lot."

At the mention of the builder, Marina's eyes became bright and sparkling, like the ocean itself. "Oh, would you? I'd be so happy!"

"That was the idea." Thoughtful sprinted a little ways up the beach, then turned back. "I'll be back faster than you can say 'smurf'!"

She heard the mermaid call "thank you!" just as she disappeared into the forest again.

Speed was the key to this, and Fringe could fly faster than Thoughtful could run. So she called on him to take her to the village. The sight of the giant bird landing right next to Handy's house caused more than a little commotion.

Handy came out of his mushroom, Hefty trailing him. "Thoughtful? What~"

He was interrupted by the giddy female, "Don't talk! Just come, please? Please?"

"Where?" To say Handy was genuinely confused would be an understatement.

"You'll see! But you'll like it, I promise!"

"Can I come too?" Hefty asked. Thoughtful agreed if only to avoid wasting time with arguing. She dragged them onto Fringe , frustrated at their lack of urgency, and urged him into the air, flying back towards the sea.

The stork landed a bit away from where the sand and grass met, letting his passengers unload. "Can you see her?" Thoughtful asked excitedly.

Handy would have to be blind not to. "Marina!" He started to sprint down the beach, falling once and getting a mouthful of sand, but that didn't seem to bother him. He even went so far as to run waist-deep into the ocean. Thoughtful and Hefty watched on, grinning widely at their friend's antics.

While Handy and Marina got caught up, the other two Smurfs sat on the beach and talked. "How'd he meet her?" Thoughtful asked.

"She got hurt looking for herbs for her dad one day," the burly Smurf started. "Got knocked out, washed down the river, and Handy saved her. It was basically love at first smurf."

"That's so cute!" She turned her eyes back to the lovers. Marina was doing a flip out of the water.

In mid-arc, the scene changed. The mermaid no longer had lavender hair. It was silky black and almost as long as her tail. Her outline became slightly blurred, giving the vision a dream-like quality. The Mermaid's face was obscured by the setting sun shining brightly in Thoughtful's eyes. Time moved in slow-motion as the creature began her descent to the water.

When she made contact, the vision was gone just as quick as how it happened. The sky was blue again and the outlines of her friends in the water were once again defined. She blinked and shook her head, hoping to clear it of the weird, almost light-headed feeling that usually set in after her visions.

"You alright?" Hefty asked, noticing her behaviour. His brows were creased with worry.

Thoughtful smiled at him. "I'm fine."

They stayed until the crescent moon peeked out from the treeline. Then, Hefty and Thoughtful made their way to the water edge. "Handy," Hefty began "It's getting dark. We should probably get back to the village."

The inventor's face was desperate. "But I haven't seen her in~"

"You'll see me again tomorrow, dearest." Marina soothed. "I'll wait right here."

Handy reluctantly dragged himself out of the water. "Be safe, love. Don't go wandering or get caught in a human net or get stuck when the tide goes out or~"

"Handy!" The mermaid laughed. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." She turned, preparing to swim into deeper water. "I'll be waiting for you here."

She dove and the Smurfs mounted Fringe again, taking off for the village.


Also, one of my other readers was wondering about this, if the exchanges between Thoughtful and Azrael sound very formal, it's just the cat language. That's simply how it's translated. If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Smurf y'all later!