Gargamel in love

'Stranger things can happen'

Gargamel stayed at the bar for the rest of the night nursing a succession of beers. He use the powder a couple of times but utilised a cubicle this time as he was not in the mood for fending off strange people who wanted some of his powder. He already had gone through that with the woman who wanted him to be famous just because he had the power to make others young again. People in this world were far too obsessed with what they looked like.

Just after midnight the show finished and the people at the club were just getting warmed up for a night of dancing when Gargamel spotted Angel leaving. He quickly went to follow her and had to steady himself as he was not used to having so much beer and it had gone to his head. He checked his watch, he still had another hour before he would need to take the powder.

Once outside his head cleared a little but he realised that he could not see Angel. He scanned the crowds out on the sidewalk and spotted her walking in the direction of her flat where he had first met her. He walked after her but kept a distance between them, he did not want to scare her but he also did not want to lose sight of her again.

As he walked he reached down into his shirt collar and fingered the phial of Smurf essence that he kept on a leather thong around his neck at all times. His plan at this moment was to cast a 'love spell' on her.

As he walked along he undid the stopper on the phial and loaded a thin willow stick with some of the essence and was just about to cast his spell when a couple of hoodlums came out of the shadows up ahead. They grabbed Angel covering her mouth and bundled her into a side alley.

Gargamel was momentarilary taken aback by what he had seen but then he ran as fast as he could up to the alley way and saw that he men were standing over Angel who was now lying on the ground unconscious.

The hoodlums noticed him and one of them raised their hand which held a gun. In a split second a flash of light came from Gargamel's wand and hit the hoodlum square in the chest causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

The other hoodlum let off a shot from his gun and it hit Gargamel on his left arm but he was so full up of adrenaline that he didn't not notice. These men were dangerous and his Angel needed him he did not want to let her down in her time of need. Again a flash of light from the wand and the second mugger was down.

Gargamel went over to Angel and picked her up in a fireman's lift, wincing as he did so. He carried her away from the alley way.

In the meantime the hoodlums were just coming round from the effects of the spell attack. They looked at each other and slowly a wide smile spread across their faces. They then got up embraced each other and started kissing passionately disappearing behind the bins.

Just outside the alley way, Gargamel gently put Angel against a wall sitting up and he started to gently shake her shoulder to try and wake her up, "Angel, Angel it's OK now, you're safe, wake up," said Gargamel. Angel slowly began to come round.

"What happened?" she slurred her question "You were attacked by a couple of muggers, lucky for you that I was able to defeat them," said Gargamel trying to sound modest but it came out as a boast.

"Well, thank you," replied Angel trying to get to her feet. Gargamel gave her his right hand and as she stood up she over balanced and fell forward onto the wizard's chest. In her fall she had grabbed the top of his left arm. As she regained her balance and they both tried to hide their embarrassment she looked at her hand as it felt wet and sticky and was shocked to see it covered in blood.

"Oh, you're hurt!" she exclaimed looking at her rescuer properly for the first time. He looked so young and handsome. Angel quite fancied this hero of hers. Gargamel looked down at his arm and could see that indeed he was now bleeding quite a lot some of it was dripping onto the sidewalk. The sight of his own blood made him feel a bit weak at the knees now that the events of the night were catching up on him and the loss of blood and no food that evening were conspiring to make him feel a bit sick.

Angel could see that he was looking at all well, she took his right arm in hers and let him lean against her. "Where do you live? Is there anyone I can call?" she asked now feeling concerned for him. "I've got no-one, except my cat and I don't think he'll be of much use," replied Gargamel feeling grateful for some human contact in this city of strangers. It had been a long time far too long since he had last felt the touch of a kind person or even of a woman that was as beautiful as her.

"You can stay at my place we've got to get your arm sorted. Come it's only a five minute walk to my flat and I think we both need something to eat. You look ready to drop. I don't know what it is about today but you're the third person that has got hurt around me in the last twenty-four hours. First it was some poor tramp that got in the way of my throwing stuff at my ex boyfriend, then when trying to help the tramp my ex kept laughing so I hit him on the nose that taught him a lesson and now you get shot! I'll look after you don't you worry."

Gargamel could only nod his head in gratitude and he let her guide him to her home. At least he would have somewhere to stay the night. Azrael would be fine without him for one night.

At the castle Azrael was pacing up and down outside the laboratory. He was worried about his owner and decided to go and look for him. His keen feline senses deduced that if Gargamel was anywhere it would be with his current interest that human female that they met earlier the previous morning. He set off for the flat.

It took a little longer than ten minutes to get to Angel's flat as the young Gargamel kept stumbling but they finally got in and she took him over to the sofa and he laid down on it looking very pale. "I'm going to take your jacket and shirt off, is that OK with you?" she asked the young man. Gargamel just nodded. Here he was being undressed by the woman he was in love with but it was in circumstances he had no control over. It could have been worse, he might have been shot dead then he would have never had this experience. He let her gently undo his jacket and he sat up a little for her so she could slip it off his arms then she tackled his blood soaked shirt with him making it a little bit more difficult to get off than it should have been causing her to come nearer and nearer. Her sweet perfume filled his senses and the feel of her breath on his neck was like pure ambrosia. He felt as if he was in Heaven.

Once he was naked from the waist up Angel was able to get a better look at the wound. It looked like the bullet had gone straight through the flesh and had missed the bone and important vessels. "It's just a flesh wound. I'll get some water to clean it up and apply some Iodine, I think I have some bandages and paracetamol in the bathroom as well," said Angel, getting up off the sofa and bringing Gargamel's ruined clothes with her. "You don't mind if these are thrown away? They are ruined. I think my ex boyfriend left a sweatshirt in the cupboard you could wear that."

Gargamel started to sit up and said "That will be good, thank you," he smiled at her.

He watched her go into the bathroom and he was just going to lie back down again when his watch alarm went off. He had to take the Tumpy powder again but he could not do it on the sofa, he had twelve minutes. Angel came back into the living room with a bowl of water and bandages. She carefully took hold of his left arm and began to clean him up. When she applied the Iodine Gargamel did cry out in pain but Angel was firm with him and he let her continue. Once the arm was bandaged up he made his excuses and went to the bathroom.

Once inside he put the lid of the toilet down and got the small snuff box out of his jeans pocket, he gazed at himself in the mirror and thought that he looked quite good naked, his muscles were so sculpted he was almost falling in love with himself. He sat down on the lid of the toilet.

He looked at the powder box and almost felt like not taking it. Why not show his true appearance to her? Why try and continue this deception? She would see that he was still the same person deep inside and the wound on his arm would prove it.

But being Gargamel he felt too vain to show himself to her yet and he was enjoying his young fit body. He was sure that if he had tried to fight those hoodlums without the Tumpy powder, things could have been much worse.

He opened up the box and took a pinch of white powder and sniffed it hard up into his right nostril and then another pinch and into the other nostril.

The familiar runny nose and eyes started up and the wind was as bad as ever. He tried to whistle to drown out the sound but he was mortified when Angel shouted out, "There is can of air freshener in there, if you could use it please," The suffering wizard looked around the bathroom and right behind him on the cistern was a can of 'Lemon fragrance'.

He took hold of it and sprayed it all over himself. Satisfied that he smelt only of lemons he exited the bathroom. "Please can you flush the toilet and wash your hands?" said Angel, she was standing right outside the door with her arms crossed as if she was telling off a small child. Gargamel could not look her in the eye and went back into the bathroom and pushed the handle on the toilet and washed his hands. All the while keeping his head down as he did not want to her to see his red eyes and runny nose.

Angel was watching him and asked him sounding a little concerned "Are you OK? You look like you've been crying?" The young wizard now had to look up.

He felt cut up inside that he was still trying to keep up the deception. He so wanted to show her who he truly was but all his life he had been told that he was ugly, evil, wicked and nasty that he believed it and was scared of ever letting anyone know that he could be any different. It would mean loss of control and being out of control was a frightening prospect to him. But something about Angel was tugging at his heart and soul and the look on her face was so full of concern that he felt like a little child in need of comfort and protection from the outside world.

Angel felt it too and no words were needed , she took him in her arms and gave him a big hug.

Azrael had been sitting on the fire escape just outside the windows of the flat and saw it all. His master being bandaged up by the beautiful woman called Angel and now he was crying into her shoulder. What on earth was going on? He watched as Gargamel and Angel returned to the sofa in the living room, they sat for over an hour with Gargamel doing most of the talking, he was laughing and crying at the same time. She then gave him a pillow and cushion, tucking him in and turning off the light.

The cat moved along the fire escape a few paces and saw Angel going into her own bedroom. She closed the door and started to undress. She seemed to have a big white bra on which looked a bit odd. When she took it off a couple of pure white angel wings sprang out of her back as they had been tied down and they flapped a couple of times. Azrael almost fell off the fire escape in shock!

It was almost ten in the morning by the time Gargamel woke up. He had been sleeping mostly on his right side so with his face into the back of the sofa. For a moment he wondered where he was, the black leather sofa was just like a wall filling his vision. Then he heard a kind voice next to him "Hi, hope you had a good night?" It was Angel and she had brought him a cup of coffee. Gargamel turned over and smiled at her, he brought up his right hand to ruffle his hair and when it made contact with his bald pate the look on his face was priceless. He had forgotten to set the alarm for his dose of powder in the morning!

He tried to hide his head under the blanket in shame but it was far too late. She might have been watching him sleeping all morning for all he knew. The secret was out and his logical mind started to kick in. She was not fazed at all by his change of appearance. "Why are you not wondering why I look different?" he asked her, now feeling relieved that he no longer had to deceive her. "I knew it was you all along, I've always know. Our meeting was not by chance and you know who I am, you've always known," she smiled at him, her pure white teeth seeming to shine brighter than they ever had before.

"What do you mean, I know you? I only met you a couple of days ago, I admit that I've felt very attracted to you for some reason but I don't think it's because of a bump on the head ," he replied getting a little defensive which was one of his stock responses when he did not have a clue what was going on.

"Don't you remember our talk last night? You told me all about your childhood and all the adventures you had. You didn't realise it but you told me everything from deep inside you. Once you'd finished you looked so happy as if a great weight had been taken off your shoulders," replied Angel, still with that wonderful smile.

Gargamel blushed a little and replied "Well you must be the first person ever that I've talked to about my childhood. It's not something I like to disclose to anyone as it's difficult to talk about it, " Angel took hold of his hand and looking deep into his dark brown eyes she replied "I know what happened and I can fully understand why you chose your life path, but you've also proven that you can change if you wish to and that you do have great love in you as well. Saving me from those muggers proved it. You put your life in danger for me when there really was no need to."

Gargamel just looked at her, his mind getting very confused at what she was trying to say. Angel continued to talk and as she talked to him he began to feel a warm glow from deep within himself .As he continued to gaze at Angel she seemed to be covered in dancing coloured lights as if she was under a tacky disco light. She slowly stood up and took off her top and then her bra. By now Gargamel was getting a little bit exited and whispered to himself "By the gods, is this what sex is?" his mouth was hanging open without him realising and then two huge angel wings sprang out of Angel's back and flapped making a mess of the living room and causing paper and ornaments to fly about and fall off. This was all too much for Gargamel and he got up ready to make a run for it and got hit on the head by one of Angel's wings and he was knocked out cold.

When he came to, he was lying on his front flat on the floor and he could feel himself being licked by something. He slowly lifted his head once the licking stopped and saw Azrael sitting next to him. The wizard slowly got up to a sitting position, wincing as he did so. His bandaged arm was hurting a lot now and the dressing needed changing. He was still naked from the waist up and was feeling a little chilly.

Azrael suddenly ran away from Gargamel and looking at the floor he could see a shadow approaching him from behind, it had two huge wings!

"Here, let me help you," said a familiar voice. Gargamel just froze on the spot. He felt confused and afraid, how could things have gone so wrong for him. He finds the perfect girl, she accepts him and the next thing he knows she sprouts wings!

"Turn around Gargamel and put this sweater on," said Angel in an almost commanding voice. Slowly he shuffled around still sitting on his backside and looked up at the apparition. She was now all dressed in white, her huge angel wings seemed to fill the room and she had a silvery shimmer all around her.

"Who are you really?" he stammered, taking the sweater from the heavenly host and pulled it over his head not daring to take his eyes off her. Just putting on the sweater hurt like hell but he was too afraid now to show pain.

Angel put her hands on her hips and looked up at the ceiling "For goodness sake man, I'm your guardian angel, do I have to have a label stuck on my forehead or something?" she retorted, looking a bit peeved that he had not guessed who she was.

"But, why are you here? Why now? Am I dying?" replied Gargamel looking worried.

"Well for someone who gets into so many scrapes, I'm a bit insulted that you're not thanking me profusely for saving you all those times, you are very hard to look after you know" growled his guardian angel.

"But I always though it was just luck, I didn't always escape without some kind of injury. You could not have been doing your job properly," replied the wizard who was now starting to feel a bit more confident.

Angel just looked at him with pity in her eyes, he was reverting to his old ways being arrogant, self-cantered. He was so difficult to educate no wonder the wizard school gave up on him. He was just too stubborn for his own good.

"Those injuries were to persuade you to give up on your quest for gold and destroying the Smurfs, maybe I should have left you crippled then you would have not been able to hurt them anymore but I'm not allowed to do that and in the end it's your free will that is important. You have to demonstrate that any action you do is of your own free will. You choose your life path as like it or not we are together forever in this life and the next." she said.

"But why are you coming to me now? I've never ever sensed your presence before, what has changed?" quizzed Gargamel. Angel flapped her wings a little and folded them around herself. "Space and time have been disturbed you should not be here at all. The Smurfs have upset nature by leaving you here and not letting you return via the wormhole. There is no way of making another one by magic, you must find someone in this world that can get you back using technology . This is your only hope as the longer you stay out of your timeline the weaker I become and I will no longer be able to protect you. It was hard enough cushioning you against that bus. By all accounts you should have been crushed under it's wheels but you were able to cling onto the windscreen wipers until the bus came to a stop. Could not prevent that sprained ankle though, " said Angel locking eyes with Gargamel.

Feeling humble for the first time in his life he could feel love emanating from Angel's deep brown eyes and he knew that even if everyone hated him, he would always have her love. "Thank you for all that you've done for me Angel, I am truly thankful even if I don't seem to be," he said from the bottom of his heart.

"There is one gift that the Smurfs did leave for you and which will ultimately save your soul as we travel together, " said Angel opening her wings and seeming to glow even brighter. Gargamel could feel the phial of Smurf essence growing warmer, he had forgotten all about it even though it had been round his neck all this time. He pulled the front of the sweater and looked down onto his chest. The phial was glowing a bright blue it was quite mesmerising.

"That phial has been irradiating 'Smurfness' into your body and soul and it enabled me to take this form so that we could meet at last. Your mind was so closed to me before that I feared that I would never be able to talk to you, even though I've held you and shielded you all these years," said Angel with a look of joy on her face.

Azrael came and sat on Gargamel's knees as he was still sitting on the floor and the wizard gave his cat a tickle around the ears. For now he felt truly happy and maybe once he got back to his own world he might, just might leave the Smurfs alone for a while.

"Tell me what I must do to get back home and I'll do it, " said Gargamel suddenly feeling strong and uplifted. He got to his feet as Azrael jumped off his knees and stood in front of his wonderful Angel.

She came towards him and enveloping him in her wings she whispered in his ear, telling him everything he needed to know.

The End