Dib was helping me carry the large cardboard box where a series of begging and protests was emitting from. Zim and Gaz walked close by as we made out way towards the location that Papa had given us. It turned out that Gargamel was hiding out on the far side of the park not far from the wooded area. There was an abandoned hut just inside the tree line where the park groundkeeper used to keep his supplies. However, he hadn't been seen in years apparently and no one had bothered to hire a new one, so the hut remained unused, until now. It actually made sense why he would pick such a rundown and ancient wooden hut. From what we'd gathered, Zim hadn't just summoned them all from another place, it was another time too. Medieval by the sounds of it too. So Gargamel would be more at home in a more rustic living space instead of the urban crowds.

I wasn't sure how this was going to happen. I'd suggested a plan, and although it was frowned upon my most of the company, it was the one we were going with. So here we were. Zim, Dib, Gaz and I heading determinedly, if slightly shakily, towards our destination with a box that held the ticket to a solution. My heart was pounding in my chest with fear and anxiousness. Our last encounter with this loon hadn't exactly gone smoothly and I'm sure had taken a few years off my life span. But was this really the way? The muffled protests and pleads of freedom from inside the box were starting to get to me. Why did they have to be so loud? I tried to snap myself out of it and concentrate, it was all for the greater good anyway. But the voices were so loud!

"Smurf us out laddie! … Surely we could calculate another solution! …Did we smurf something wrong Miss. Amy? … I hate boxes! … Please reconsider!"

Dib noted my expression and shifted the box to get my attention, "This is going to work. I know it it."

I forced a smile and nodded, "I hope so…"

Zim scoffed, "Such confidence is most overwhelming…"

We ignored him and carried on walking. We were nearly there and so far things were going just as planned. However, the plan hadn't even really started yet, but I was willing to take as many victories as I could considering the situation.

There was a threatening yowl and hiss from behind us. I nearly dropped the box from the shock as a ginger cat leapt onto the box and spat harshly at us before moving to prowl along the grass in front of us. It was Azrael. Those yellow eyes and hostile attitude gave him away every time. But that's not why I was suddenly trembling; we could handle that cat pretty well. It was his master who was scaring me. He stalked over to us warningly, wearing a sour expression that brought the phrase 'if looks could kill' to mind.

"So you've finally chosen to grovel in mercy at the hands of the great and powerful Gargamel have you?" he sneered.

"This guy sounds just like Zim!" Dib muttered.

Gargamel threw his hand outwards and Dib yelped in horror as his lips snapped shut against his will, refusing to open or let out any sounds besides panicked and angered mumbles. Azrael snickered in amusement and narrowed his eyes on us.

"We are here to make a deal." I announced, trying to make myself sound braver than I felt.

"Zim demands you hand over his minion!"

Gargamel arched his brow, "Then why doesn't this Zim come and collect it himself?"

Zim clenched his fists in anger, "I AM ZIM! And Zim demands his minion!" he held out his hands like a child in a candy-shop, "Give-me!"

Gaz rolled her eyes and folded her arms at the wizard, "Give us the robot. You get what's inside the box. Simple."

He eyed the package with great curiosity, "And what be inside that you would be so ignorant as to think could tempt me?"

I swallowed thickly, "What do you think?"

The box sifted in our hands, "Smurf us out laddie! … Surely we could calculate another solution! …Did we smurf something wrong Miss. Amy? … I hate boxes! … Please reconsider!"

He peered closer as he suddenly took notice of the muffled voices from inside the box. Slowly, his eyes brightened and he started to wring his hands together, a cunning smile spreading on his oily face.

"You wish to make a…" he huffed, "Not trowel… uh, what's the word?"

Azrael nattered some unintelligible noises and the Gargamel raised his hands in triumph.

"A trade! Yes, thank you." He returned his glare at us, "You wish to make a trade? The idiot metal clockwork toy for Smurfs?"

"If you say so." Gaz muttered, arching her brow.

Gargamel went to take a step towards us, but me and the still mumbling Dib took it back protectively. Zim leap forward and prepared himself for an attack and pointed accusingly at the wizard.

"Bring forth GIR first!"

Gargamel tilted his head, "Who?"

"The idiot metal clockwork toy." Gaz answered dryly.

The wizard glared at her, clearly less than impressed with her tone. But something that looked like unease glinted in his eyes. I didn't blame him, Gaz had that affect on people, and now of all times I was really learning to appreciate it.

"Very well…" he muttered.

Right, this was going okay so far. So close… Gargamel raised both hands and started mumbling under his breath, not unlike Papa was doing with the tracking spell. A small gust of wind started swirling under his palms into a miniature tornado. I felt my eyes widen in awe, even after all we'd seen so far, this still didn't cease to amaze me. At first, nothing much else happened. Then, slowly just surely, a lime green and silver blur started to form among the twister, spinning around with the motion. GIR, still in disguise but with his hood down, his cylinder eyes swivelled as he came to a stop and he tried to walk in a straight line, failing and landing on his rear. He blinked rapidly and then caught sight of us, beaming and rushing over to clamp himself against Zim's arm.

"Hi Masta!" he grinned, "You come to pick me up from the sleepover? We had lotsa fun!"

"Get off me GIR!"

I noticed how Gargamel shuddered slightly and couldn't help but give a smirk of satisfaction. A flush of relief came over me at the sight of the hyperactive android in one piece and pretty much safe and sound. I hoped that the smurflings were okay with him. But I'd have to hope and check later. Right now, this was the main part of the deal.

Gargamel eyed us and traced his eyes over the box, listening to the please from within with a look of hunger. It made my skin crawl. He flexed his fingers and looked like he was fighting the urge to snatch it right out of our hands.

"Now hand over the smurfs." He growled.

Dib mumbled something, but as his lips were still sealed together, we couldn't make anything out. The wizard rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Instantly, Dib's lips snapped apart, making him yelp in surprise. Zim grumbled in protest as the lifted spell, Gaz smirking in agreement. Dib collected himself and tightened his grip on the box.

"I said, you can have the box, but you don't come any closer! Got it?"

"Very well…" he snarled cautiously.

We lowered the box on the ground and stared at him warningly as all of us started to back away. This was is, the moment of truth. I couldn't believe our luck so far. Maybe I had been wrong to be so scared of him, to trade so willingly like this surly made him an idiot. Or perhaps his need for the smurfs was so great that he wasn't thinking straight. If they gave him that much power as Papa had explained, then his impatience was understandable. Not exactly needed from out perspective, but still understandable.

But our luck was about to run out it seemed. We only got a few feet away before Azrael started to creep closer and paw the box curiously. He sniffed it and then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. I gulped nervously and indicated that we should start moving faster. Gargamel scowled in an angry suspicion and strode towards the box and pulling at the tape that sealed it shut, starting to reveal the shades of blue inside. Before I knew what was going on, Dib had grabbed my hand and was pulling me into a sprint. That was it, we needed to get back before things got worse. Zim and Gaz kept up at out sides, GIR still glued to the aliens arm.

For some reason that I dare not question because it was probably the last bit of luck that we were going to get, we made it back to Dib's house. The door slammed behind us and we rushed down into the labs. I gasped for breath and leant into Dib for support, my throat feeling like it was going to implode in on itself. Curse this damn asthma! We looked down and saw a sea of eyes looking hopefully up at us.

"Well? How did it go?" Papa asked.

Dib gave a thumbs up, "He bought it!"

There was a series of cheers as well as sighs of relief. I grinned, thanking every name under the sun that the plan had worked. And also that Dib had a tape recorder handy. It had been simple enough to record fake pleads of mercy and protests, and Tailor Smurf had stitched up a bunch of fake smurf figures from sheets in no time. The hard part however was the hope that Gargamel was stupid enough to fall for it. After all… Gaz had said that he could have the box, he's the one who presumed that the Smurfs were inside of it.

GIR shifted and peeled back the lid of his metal skull, "Okie-dokie hide and seek over now!"

Four little faces, tired and curious, peeked their heads over the rim. Their eyes brightened at the sight of the familiar faces and waved. Sassy grinned.

"That was the longest game of hide and seek I've ever played! I'm as hungry as a smurfly smurfer!"

"Speak for yourself." Sappy, well, snapped.

GIR scooped them out gently and they were instantly swallowed by a series of embraces. I couldn't help but laugh in relief, by the sounds of it, they weren't even aware that they had been with Gargamel, and in honesty, maybe that was for the best. It would only scare them. But they seemed pretty glad to be back, all the same. Suddenly, the four turned and saw Dib, mischievous grins spreading on their faces. Dib paled in unease as they swiftly clambered up and onto his head, swinging from his hair and balancing on his glasses.

"We missed Dibby!" Sassy smirked.

"Wanna play another trapping game?" Nat asked, pulling a rope from his pocket.

Zim smirked at the misfortune while I got about gently picking the smurflings off of him one by one.

"How's the portal?" Dib asked, eager to change the subject and move on.

Brainy was hopping from button to button on a calculator, "Just a few more hours and if should be smurfy for a test run."

"Hours?" Zim asked sceptically, "What happened to the days?"

"Don't question it, they'll only stay longer." Gaz muttered, digging him in the ribs.

All of a sudden, the entire house shook and it sounded like the front door had been blown open. Smoke flooded down the basement stairs and surrounded us. The smurfs backed away towards the portal in fear. My eyes watered from the fumes, my throat burning. There was an angry cackle and a slow animalistic yowl as who figured emerged from the smoke. One tall yet hunched and humanoid, the other feline. The man held out a stuffed toy, blue and very familiar.

"Did you really think you could fool the great and powerful Gargamel?"

A/N:

Sorry if this chapter wasn't that good and seemed pretty quick and pointless, I've been having a lot of writers block… I'll try and snap myself out of it as soon as possible and bring this story back up to the scratch that you readers deserve. And if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Thanks XD