The next morning, Brainy was the first Smurf up. He glanced around his tent, noting that Gutsy and Grouchy were still asleep. As he watched them, he suddenly thought of a fun idea.

Smirking, he quietly snuck out of the tent, went through their provisions, and pulled out a couple of smurfberries. He grabbed a piece of grass, and made his way back into the tent as quietly as he'd snuck out.

He went over to Gutsy and carefully placed the berries in his hand, stepped back a little, and tickled the tip of Gutsy's nose with the blade of grass. The sleeping Smurf frowned a little, but didn't move. Brainy frowned too, and tried again. This time he got the reaction he wanted.

Gutsy reached to scratch his nose, only he got a face full of smashed smurfberries instead. He jolted awake with a yell, which woke Grouchy up as well.

"HEY!" Gutsy shouted, glaring around. His eyes landed on Brainy, who was on the floor laughing as he held his sides. Grouchy was laughing as well, banging his fist on the floor.

"BRAINY!"

The laughing Smurf stopped when he saw Gutsy getting to his feet, his glare telling him he should probably run, NOW. Brainy scrambled out of the tent with a yelp, Gutsy close behind.

"GET BACK HERE!"

Grouchy continued laughing as he got up and stepped out of the tent, and spotted the duo as Gutsy chased Brainy into the forest.

"Smurf like the wind Brainy!" Grouchy yelled with a laugh, then turned and started setting up breakfast.

Brainy screamed as he flew past trees and rocks, Gutsy not far behind.

"It was just a joke Gutsy!"

"Yeah, and now I'm about to give ya the smurfin punch line!"

Brainy gulped and struggled to run faster. He scrambled up a tree stump, glancing down to see Gutsy making his way up as well. Brainy raced over to the other side, jumping down, and taking cover behind a large rock, hoping Gutsy hadn't seen him.

"Come out come out where ever ya are." Gutsy called.

Brainy gulped as he glanced around. He didn't see Gutsy, and he hoped maybe the angry Smurf had gone to check for him elsewhere. That hope was quickly smurfed when something dropped on top of him.

"There ya are!"

Brainy yelped as he tried to scramble away, but Gutsy had a firm grasp on him.

"Let go!"

"Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit, Smurf's honor."

Brainy found this to be true, when Gutsy started tickling his sides and stomach again. Brainy burst out laughing as he tried to squirm out of Gutsy's grasp.

"STOHAHAOP! PLEHEHEHEHEASE!"

"Sorry, can't hear ya!"

"GUTSYHEHE!"

After a few minutes, and Brainy was in complete stitches and crying, Gutsy spoke up.

"So, you gonna pull anymore pranks like that again?" he asked.

"NOHOHO!"

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I WOHOHON'T, I P-PROMIHIHIHISE!"

Gutsy let him go, and Brainy rolled away from him and lied there for a minute, panting and laughing.

"Now then, let's smurf back to camp. I'm starvin." Gutsy stated, getting to his feet. He pulled the still giggling Brainy to his feet, and they both turned to walk away.

"Well, what have we here?"

They froze, before turning around. A man and a cat were behind them, both smiling sinisterly.

"It's Ga-Ga-Ga-" Brainy stammered.

"Please, allow me. Ahhh! It's Gargamel!" Gargamel yelled.

"Run, Brainy!" Gutsy yelled, pushing Brainy ahead of him and breaking out into a run.

"Get them Azrael! Get them all!"

They heard Azrael snarl as he ran after him.

They raced through the forest, and the campsite came into view.

"Run Grouchy!" Brainy shouted.

"What the smurf's wrong with you?" Grouchy asked as they flew past him.

Upon seeing Azrael and Gargamel coming up behind them, he raced after them.

"Aw smurf!"

"Hurry smurfs!" Gutsy yelled.

"Hurry up Brainy!" Grouchy called back to him.

"I'm coming!"

As he was running though, his foot snagged a vine, and he tripped. Gutsy and Grouchy hadn't heard him fall, and continued running, leaving him behind. Brainy sat up, and hastily tried to untangle his foot. He heard Azrael and Gargamel coming fast.

"Guys! Gutsy, Grouchy!" he yelled.

Said Smurfs were climbing up a tree to hide in the foliage.

"That was close." Grouchy panted.

"Yeah, I- wait, where's Brainy?" Gutsy asked.

"He was right behind us, last I checked."

They slid back down the tree and looked around.

"Brainy!" Gutsy yelled.

"Where are ya? Smurf us a sign!"

They heard a distant shout. "Gutsy! Grouchy!"

They quickly raced in the direction of the shout.

Brainy was still tangled in the vine. As he was yanking on it, Azrael and Gargamel caught up with him.

"Well, if it isn't the little know-it-all. Looks like your little friends left you all alone."

'Just like in my nightmare…' Brainy thought as he continued tugging at the vine.

Azrael stalked closer to him, hissing and baring his teeth.

"Can't smurf out of trouble for one second, can ya?"

Gutsy suddenly dropped on top of Azrael.

"Ha, ha! Come on kitty, let's ride!" he laughed, yanking on his ears and riding the cat like a horse.

"Azrael, this is no time to be playing! Get them!" Gargamel shouted.

Brainy finally got his foot loose, and was scrambling to his feet when Grouchy appeared and grabbed his arm.

"Come on, let's go!" Grouchy yelled, yanking Brainy behind him as he ran.

"What about Gutsy?"

"He'll be fine!"

"We can't just leave him!"

"You got any smurfy ideas?"

Brainy thought for a moment. "Actually, yes I do!"

Gutsy laughed as Azrael attempted to throw him off.

"Ha, ha! Come on, this way!" Gutsy yelled, directing Azrael towards a tree.

He jumped off at the last second, and Azrael slammed into the tree, getting caught between two roots.

"Ha, ha!" Gutsy laughed triumphantly.

As he turned around, Gargamel suddenly jumped in front of him.

"Ha, ha! Well, looks like another little Smurf left alone." The wizard laughed.

"Hey Gargamel!" Brainy yelled.

Gargamel glanced in his direction, and saw a boulder tied in a vine swinging towards him. He let out a scream, just before he was sent flying.

"SMUUUURFS!" he shouted.

Gutsy laughed as Brainy and Grouchy ran up to him.

"Good thinkin' lads!"

"Hey, it was Brainy's idea."

"It was a simple matter of trajectory and timing, along with getting a strong enough vine to hold the rock and still swing with enough velocity to knock him flying. " Brainy stated, before Gutsy grabbed him and trapped him in a head lock.

"Aw smurf up." He chuckled, giving Brainy a noogie.

"Ow! Knock it off!"

After Gutsy let him go, and Brainy fixed his hat and glasses, Gutsy gave his shoulder a pat.

"See, I told ya. We wouldn't let that wily wizard hurt ya."

Brainy glanced at the duo, who smiled. Brainy smiled too, and nodded.

"Well, what say you we smurf for home?" Gutsy asked.

"I smurf that." Grouchy replied.

"Me too." Brainy added.

"Let's go!"

:::::::::::::::

"Welcome back my little Smurfs." Papa greeted as Gutsy, Grouchy, and Brainy returned to the village.

"Hey, nice to see ya." Gutsy said.

"How was the trip?" Smurfette asked.

"Eh, coulda been worse." Grouchy replied.

"Worse? We were chased by Gargamel!" Brainy exclaimed.

"You were chased by Gargamel?" Papa asked in shock.

"Oh it wasn't that bad. Brainy smurfed up a plan with a swinging rock and sent him flying, literally." Gutsy stated.

"Thank smurfness you're okay though." Smurfette said.

"I thought you'd have more trouble putting up with Brainy." Papa remarked. Brainy frowned at him.

"Come on Brainy, every Smurf knows you can be a little annoying." Smurfette stated.

"Nah, the lad wasn't so bad," Gutsy said, giving Brainy a little nudge, "Sides, we discovered a way to shut him up when he starts blabbing that doesn't involve kicking him out of the village."

"You did?" both Brainy and Papa asked.

"Yep, come here!" Gutsy and Grouchy grabbed Brainy and started tickling him again, and he broke out into laugher as he squirmed in their grip.

"No! Knock it off! Cut it out! I'M SERIOUS!" he laughed.

Papa and Smurfette watched the trio, a little surprised, but giggled a little as they watched.

"CUT IT OUHAHAOUT!"

"We are definantly going camping again next year." Gutsy remarked while Brainy was trying to squirm free.

They released him, and he sat on the ground for a minute to catch his breath.

"Well, that could probably work better than the usual thing." Papa chuckled.

"Funnier too." Smurfette added.

"Do I ever get a choice in this?" Brainy asked, finally able to stand.

"No." was the collective answer.

"Hmph, no Smurf ever appreciates my advice…"

The Smurfs chuckled and shook their heads.

"Come on, Greedy smurfed up a cake for you. Let's go eat." Smurfette said.

They started towards the mess hall, Gutsy and Grouchy pushing Brainy between them along the way. At one point, Gutsy had poked him in the side, causing him to squeak at a very high pitch, and Gutsy and Grouchy were howling all the way to the mess hall.

:::::::::::::::::::::

Well, hope you enjoyed! I plan on posting another story or two with these three later. Please review and tell me what ya think!