Aiko: *walks on in ratty pajama bottoms and white camisole and yawns*

Chi: Aiko? What are you doing?

Aiko: Getting breakfast. What does it LOOK like I'm doing?

Chi: You're supposed to be DEAD, remember?

Aiko: *sighs* Oh, fine. *fakes heart attack and falls on the ground*

Chi: I...don't even know what to say. Enjoy the new chapter.

Perfection

Chapter Three

Drawings and Daisy

More time passed, and by daybreak, Papa had talked to Farmer already. He was about to leave to go talk to Gutsy when Farmer stopped him. "No, Pa'smurf... Ah'll talk to'm. Ah owe him an apology anyway..."

Farmer started towards the door. "Van'ty, you wan' come with?"

"No, I'm going to rest a bit and visit Chi later. I didn't smurf much sleep last night..."

"Arright, shugah. Ah'll see ya later then." Farmer said, returning to kiss him goodbye, then walking to Gutsy's house.

He approached the door and knocked it loudly with the knuckle of his middle finger.

Gutsy looked up. He hadn't been able to sleep at all, so instead he had contented himself with flicking through Aiko's art. He hadn't noticed it was morning. "Ah'm comin', give me a minute." He made sure he looked decent enough for a visitor, encase Grouchy or somesmurf was waiting. The rest og the village didn't know Aiko was dead yet.

When he looked somewhat normal, he opened the door. "Oh, Farmer! Come in, come in. Want somethin' ta drink...?" He paused, suddenly realizing Aiko's precious pictures were all over. "Sorreh for de mess...Ah've been admiring me mate's talent all night..."

"Thanks, but naw, Gutsy... Ah dun' mind th' mess... Dad gum..." he looked around at all the papers all over the place. "Didn' know she drew..."

He picked up a stack of sketches and papers, and started to look through them, but remembered he was a guest in Gutsy's house. "Oh, Ah'm sorry," he said, then gestured towards the stack in his hands. "May Ah?"

"Sure, you'll like what's in that one." He paused while making some cocoa. "So, what brings yeh here?" He asked, holding the mug in his hands and offering one to Farmer if he wanted it.

Farmer thanked Gutsy and took the mug, sitting at the sofa and pausing before really looking at them. "Ah came t' 'poligize for last night," He said, standing up again and approaching Gutsy, "Wha' Ah said was outta line. An..." he paused, looking at the ground. "An' she was right... She wouldn'a made it off th' table..."

He bit his lip and tried to continue. "Pa'smurf said th' hawk's talons punctured 'er stomach, AN' 'er lungs... it was a miracule she survived 's long as she did...

"Ah'm sorry Ah got like tha'... Ah jus... Ah didn' wan' b'lieve tha' the one who saved me from m'self, an' saved m' mate, an' m' friends so many times was dyin' an' wouldn' let me help 'er..."Farmer blinked back tears, "Suppose she knew already... Pa'smurf says Ah got some kind'a condition tha' makes it so Ah got less blood t' give..." the smurf ducked his head, "Smurfin' th' spell woulda' killed me..."

Farmer took a slow drink from the cocoa and waited for some sort of response...

"Ah understand..." Gutsy murmured. "It's hard ta know she did so much an' then was ripped away from us in a matter of seconds..." He sighed. "But Ah have plenty of memories, an' she left me with this art, and her spells..."

He sipped at his cocoa. "She was a godsmurfed angel...and Ah guess she got her wings..."

Farmer nodded and sipped his cocoa again. "She got her wings alright," he said, "jus' b'fore her time..."

he sighed and shook his head slightly, as he wandered back to the stack of sketches. He thumbed through them, marveling at the details. "Daggum..." Farmer muttered, "Brainy... Harmony... Scaredy... Clumsy... Hefty... Painter... Ah bet she drew almos' everysmurf..." His sights fell on a simple picture of him carrying Vanity over the threshold, like he'd done recently to help him in and out of his chair. "Tha's... me an' Van'ty..." he murmured, and slowly changed the picture again.

This picture was of somesmurf he didn't recognize. It looked like a little Smurfling, a little girl Smurfling to be exact, and had overalls and some sort of a flannel shirt. her wavy hair looked strewn all over the place, but kept together in two wavy pigtails. Her hat looked like his, except there was a little flower in the corner, over the ear. "Hey, Gutsy," Farmer called over to him, "D'ya know who this is? Ah dun' think Ah recognise 'er."

"Yeh don'? Ah thought yeh'd recognize 'er. That's yer miracle, yer project made outta blue clay. 'Er name's Daisy." Gutsy smiled, remembering watching as Daisy started out flat and lifeless, lines in paper, and then seeing how Aiko brought her to life.

Farmer felt his heart sink in his chest out of shock- a good kind of shock, though. "Th- Tha's my daughter...?" he asked, "B-but- She ain't even been animated yet...! she's still'a lump'a clay in th' lab right now... how on smurf... how on smurf cou' she know she's gon' be like this...?"

"Aiko knew alotta things." Gutsy shrugged. "Like...one second...this." He pulled a sheet of paper from a stack soley dedicated to Aiko herself and Gutsy. But in this picture, they were not alone.

This was a rare drawing. Aiko had colored it in with colored pencils rather than leaving it black and white. The Smurfling in the drawing was female, wearing a skirt. It closely resembled Gutsy's kilt, but was a lighter shade of blue. She had Gutsy's messy russet hair, and a shirt like her mother's, but the shade was a bit lighter to match her skirt.

The girl was laughing as she wrestled playfully with Aiko. Gutsy was grinning proudly at them, looking amused that they obviously didn't behave. He was inching closer to help the Smurfling play-fight with her mother.

Aiko's face was amused as well, but with an air of pride at her daughter. She was dutifully readying herself to bowl the younger, less experienced Smurfette out of the way.

"Tha's our Melody," Gutsy smiled, showing Farmer.

Farmer took the paper and examined all the details. "Dad gum..."he whispered, "heh heh, she's jus' like th' both'a ya..." he added with a chuckle. "Ah'm jus' sorry she didn' make it t' watch her be brought t' life, an' grow up, n'stuff..."

"Ah might not 'ave seen 'er anyway..." Gutsy murmured. "Aiko was afraid of anythin' more intimate than hugs an' kisses, not that Ah blame 'er, after wha' ' er father did ta 'er... He ruined her life, 'im an' 'er mother both. Some people shoudn't be parents..."

Farmer shook his head a little, scratching the back of his head. "Ah guess humans from th' future, save fir th' ones like Chi 'n Aiko, are pretty stupid if they dunn'o tha' y' don' turn 'gainst family...Ah cain't cain't even imagine wha' it'd be like if PAPA was like tha'... sure he spanked us sometimes when we was smurflin's, bu' he never hit us other than tha'..."

"I suppose...God, tha' must be terrible...being scared of the man who's supposed to protect yeh..." He seemed far away, in a trance, almost.

He came back with a small jump. "Sorreh...yeh don' wanna listen ta me ramble...Ah just wish she'd come back..."

Farmer shook his head and shrugged his shoulders a little. "Ramble on, Gutsy. Ah don' mind." he said, "Ah dun' blame ya... Ah cain't even imagine wha' Hefty'd do if he los' Chi, or if Ah los' Van'ty..."

He felt his stomach lurch slightly as he remembered he almost did...

"'E almost lost you." Gutsy said bluntly. "'E woulda done, if Aiko hadn't known you'd pull somethin'."

He sighed. "Ah dunno what Ah'm gonna do wit'out 'er...she was me life...now she's gone." He shook his mane of russet hair from side to side.

"Ah'll be back in a second," he said, standing up. "Ah need somethin' out o' the bedroom."

Farmer nodded his head a little, "Take y' time..." he said softly.

Farmer contemplated his words a moment. He was right, if Aiko hadn't saved him, he would've left Vanity like this, lost, grieving, guilty... he decided right then and there he'd apologize to him for everything, not just the suicide attempt, but for the drinking, and the unsmurfy behavior too. he'd never realized just how much he'd taken Vanity for granted...

Gutsy strolled into the bedroom and bent down to open the drawer of his bedside table.

He heard himself gasp in shock. Inside was a neatly wrapped package in bright paper. He carefully ripped off the paper to find a projector and a video disc inside, with a note.

'Dear Gutsy,

Happy anniversary! I know you always wanted to see my "singing" and "dancing" in my school musical. I managed to get Handy to help me convert the video from my iPod onto a disc. Now you can watch it whenever you want to! I also had Handy build a player. Just put the disc in, connect it to the projector, and point the projector at the big, white curtain hanging in my art room.

I love you. See you tonight, we can watch it together!

Forever and always,

~Aiko'

He stared at the parcel. That was right...they're anniversary was yesterday...and she...died...He did his best to compose himself as he walked back to the living room, holding the drawing he'd been looking for and the precious gift.

Farmer heard footsteps from up the hall, and turned to see Gutsy, looking as though he'd just had his heart broken again. "You arright, Gutsy?" Farmer asked, then noticed the items in his hands, "Wha's tha?"

"Ah...Ah fergot..." Gutsy said shakily, staring at the note. "Our anniversary...Ah fergot all about it in the excitement..."

He handed the note to Farmer, staring at the gift like it was a precious treasure, like his Aiko.

Farmer scanned the note, feeling his heart heavy in his chest. "Dad... Dad gum..." he murmured, "Ah'm so sorry... Ah cain't imagine what you feel right now..."

"Ah lost 'er...Ah lost my mate, my life, on our anniversary...Ah'm an idiot..."

"How're you an id'jit, Gutsy?" Farmer asked, "If any'un's an id'jit in here, it's me... it was my fault she was out there in th' first place... Don' be so hard on yo'self."

"Ah have to blame someone," Gutsy replied quietly. "An' Ah don' wanna blame anyone but myself...what am I, some sort of emotional masochist at the moment?" he laughed weakly.

Farmer patted Gutsy on the back. "No'un blames ya, Gutsy..."he said quietly, "ESPECIALLY not Aiko... she cou' never blame ya for this..." he laughed dryly, "If she did, ya'll have a smurfed-off ghost t' deal with. She wouldn' LET ya forget."

Gutsy laughed. A loud, dog-like sound. "She would, woundn't she...and she'd go flyin through the village, terrorizin' Brainy till he couldn't see straight-!" His amusement felt good and bad at the same time. Good, because he felt better, but bad because he was supposed to be grieveing.

Farmer found himself laughing some too. "Hahaha... Ah dun' think ANYSMURF wou' be safe from 'er... maybe not even Chi!" Farmer saw the guilt in Gutsy's face from laughing at the dark humor. "Hey... part'a grievin' sposed t' be r'memberin' th' good stuff... not jus' th' bad... don' feel bad for laughin... y'already know she'd do it."

Gutsy shook his head. "Ah feel so lost...Ah was supposed to help her, love her, keep her safe, listen...Now what am Ah supposed to do?"

Farmer patted the back of the grieving smurf. "ah dun think yo're really sposed t' do anythin', cuz. Cept breathin' an' eatin' an' tha' kinda thin. Bu' ah guess wha'cha OUGHT t'do wou' be t' keep livin' life... Laugh some days, cry th' next... Jus'keep hangin' on... At least ya got friends like me, Chi, an' Hefty t' help ya through it."

"Ah suppose so...but Ah dunno how Ah'm gonna survive...Ah feel like Ah lost my purpose in life..."

"Ah understand how y'feel, cuz. bu' no'un ever has only a single purpose in life..."

"Ah'm not so sure," Gutsy replied bluntly.

"Well, Ah do. Otherwise smurfs wouldn' live a thousand years."

Gutsy moaned as if in physical agony. "Centuries with my heart smurfed to pieces...! Ah can't do it-!"

"Here's me soundin' real cliche... Bu' time heals jus' about all wounds..."

"Ah know that's not true," Gutsy sighed quietly. "If it were, Aiko wouldn't have been the way she was. Ah know yeh never saw it, but she was scared of everything, from her shadow to her name to her parents. And it only got worse, never better."

Farmer shrugged a little and shook his head, "Cuz, Ah cain't tell you how t' feel better... Aiko... She wen' through hell in 'er human life... Ah don' blame 'er fo' bein' so scared all th' time... Bu' cha gotta keep in mind, Gutsy... she had a whole human life'a sufferin... bu' she's a' peace now..."

Gutsy sighed. "Maybe Ah need more time ta think."

"No'un's askin' ya t' heal t'day, cuz... An' you got friends like me t' help ya. so, at least ya ain't alone."

"Good," Gutsy sighed. "It ain't happening fer a long time."

Elsewhere in the village, in her own home, Chi was trying to figure out what to write for a eulogy. without much luck, of course. She'd always been an adept writer, but she just couldn't organize her thoughts... she heard a knock on the front door, then went to go answer it. "Vanity!" she smiled a little, her face a little droopy with sleeplessness. "Come in, please come right in."

"Chi, dear, you look absosmurfly exhausted," Vanity sympathized, steering himself inside. "Are you alright? You seem smurfed. Something bothering you?"

"Insomnia... Couldn't sleep a wink... haven't since day before yesterday." she murmured, rubbing her eyes a little, "Plus on top of that, I just can't figure out how to write a eulogy..."

"When is the funeral, anyway...?" asked Vanity. "I mean, it's not like you have to finish it today, right?"

Chi put a kettle of water on the stove to make tea. "Funeral's not until next week," She said softly, "B-but... The sooner I can finish it up, I think... the sooner I can start moving on..." she shook her head. "I don't do saddness anymore, Vanity... I can't let myself become depressed again since I've got this one coming in a couple more weeks..." she patted her tummy and absentmindedly looked for some sort of munchies to go with the tea.

"I understand...but you shouldn't work to hard." He paused. "She probably would think we're being silly...worrying about eulogies and fussing over funeral dates...she'd probably tell us she didn't care..."

Chi exhaled a little chuckle, shaking her head, "I'm sure that's exactly what she's doin' up there, or wherever she is..." She laughed a little. "She's sittin' on some cloud somewhere, with Kelly and Katana, just watching us fuss over these things, and rolling her eyes, making snarky comments we cant hear... haha..."

"That," snickered Vanity, "or she's setting the place on fire..."

Chi laughed fairly hard. "Oh, Aiko... The only angel to set the afterlife on fire!" the tea kettle whistled loudly as if joining her loud laugh.

She took the kettle off the burner and started to mix tea for her and Vanity. "My God, it feels good to laugh... Sugar or cream, bubbee?"

"Sugar. Ha...she probably wouldn't just set it on fire. She'd be running around, breaking buildings and cackling like a witch..."

Chi stirred a lump of sugar into one of the two cups, then some cream into the other. "Haha... that's definately our Aiko. Scream of a banshee, cackle of a witch. pyromania of a psychopath."

She handed Vanity the cup with sugar, and sipped from her own cup. "I wonder what it's like up there...?" She mused quietly.

"Well, if Aiko was willin' to go there, it's gotta be downright breath-taking. She wouldn't leave Gutsy easily."

"Yeah..." Chi said,nibbling on the edge of her cup and fighting the tears welling up. "I'll say..."

Out of the blue (pun intended XD), Chi felt a terrible pain course through her abdomen. so much so that she dropped her teacup with a loud crash and put a hand to her belly. "AAH! AH!" She moaned in unadulturated pain.

Vanity stared at her. "Chi, dear?! Are you alright?!"

Chi had to steady herself against the counter. Her face was scrunched in pure agony as she shook her head, "N-No, bubbee! The Baby-! I- I think I'm- AAH!" Chi cut herself off because of the pain.

"Oh my smurfness!" Yelped Vanity. "Is the baby coming? Do you want me to get Papa or Hefty or-"

Chi started breathing faster. "Papa-!" She managed to say, "H-help me get t' Papa's!"

"Alright, come on, dear..." Vanity helped Chi to Papa's. The walk was long, slow, and for Chi, painful, but they managed to get inside the elder's mushroom. "Papa!" Called Vanity, "Chi needs you!"

"Oh my smurfness!" Papa exclaimed at the sight of Chi, who was now panting and grimacing in pain, and then ran to help her to the bed, "Brainy, search my medical books for 'Childbirth'. NOW!"

Chi laid down on the bed, Vanity by her side. "V-Vanity..." She squeaked, "I need you t' go get Hefty, and Gutsy... He has a book of Aiko's spells..."

Before Vanity could roll away, she grabbed his hand "A-and when you find Hefty..." She grimaced in pain, her face twisted in some kind of strong emotion, then snarled menacingly "WASTE HIM..."

Vanity laughed weakly and made a mental note to warn Hefty that Chi was out to kill.

After warning Hefty of his impending doom, Vanity wheeled his way to Gutsy's. He knocked rapidly on the door. "Ah'm comin-! Ah'm comin'-!"

The Scottish Smurf opened the door. Gutsy was slightly dissheveled, his eyes dull. "Vanity? What are yeh doin' here?"

"Chi's having the baby! She mentioned something about Aiko? And spells?"

"Great Smurfs!" Gutsy yelped. "Ah'll be there soon!" He took off to his bedroom and found the spellbook. Panting, he made a mad dash for Papa's, not noticing that Farmer had left, nor caring.

He arrived gasping for breath and shoved the notebook to Brainy. The smart Smurf took one look at the first page before yelling indignately. "What's thjs supposed to mean?!"

Rather than the cover that Gutsy had shown Chi, the title page was different, now reading: "All the Spells I Have Learned Written Down So Even Brainy Can Understand Them."

Chi noticed Brainy's indignance, and found herself laughing a little. "Thats... Aiko for ya." she muttered.

Hefty had quickly joined her by her bedside, wiping sweat away from her forehead, holding her hand. after several hours or so of preparations from everyone else in the room, Chi was having more and more contractions, getting closer and closer together. and more PAINFUL, as well. "It'll be alright, babe..." Hefty tried to soothe her, and kissed her on the forehead.

Chi had another contraction, this one even more painful than the last, and swatted his face away, "GODSMURFIT, HEFTY! DON'T F$%^ING TOUCH ME! THIS IS ALL YOUR F*&#$ING FAULT! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOUUUU!"Chi screamed at the top of her lungs, trying to punch him right square in the face. "I'M NEVER LETTING YOU TOUCH ME AGAIN!"

Farmer, who had followed Gutsy and Vanity back to the lab, leaned towards Vanity. "Sure glad OURS isn' comin' like tha'."

Vanity shuddered. "Smurf forbid!"

Brainy opened the notebook to begin reading what Aiko had too see, and let out a yelp.

Hello, Brainy. was being scrawled in the book. And nosmurf was writing.

"What the smurf?!" he yipped, dropping the book and leaping backward.

Gee, panic much? the book wrote snappishly. One would think you didn't know it was me. Miss me, twerp? Or have you been enjoying being the only apprentice?

"AIKO?!" yelled Brainy.

Yeah. Who'd ya think ya were talking to?

"W-what about Aiko...?" Chi whimpered, already weak from exhaustion.

Papa was growing impatient waiting for Brainy to find the section on childbirth. "SMURFIT, Brainy, hurry up with that- Great smurfs!" he exclaimed, seeing the book with the writing on what appeared to be its own accord.

Why do I get the feeling I'm not wanted? wrote the book testily. Look, ya want my help or not?

"HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" yelled Brainy.

Apparently I have connections here. No, scratch that, KELLY has connections. And being BFFs with her just gets me special privleges. Even if I did 'accidentally' set a few things on fire.

"YOU SET THE AFTERLIFE ON FIRE!?" Brainy yelled, horrorstruck.

Vanity snickered, remembering his conversation with Chi.

Not all of it, calm down.

Another contraction hit Chi, who immediately began shrieking obcenities.

Alright, Brainy, you are NOT to touch this book. Just read. Now, you have to cast a Strengthening Spell on her.

"Why?"

She's getting tired, smurf for brains. Here. The book's pages flipped of their own accord and landed on a Strengthening Spell. There you are. Don't smurf it up.

Chi felt tears rolling down her cheeks as the intense pain ripped through her. such terrible pain...! It felt as though she was about to die!

Brainy quickly joined her by her side, and read from the book:

"Vires est humilis, misit hoc incantatores,

Date potestatem mihi per amicum officio!"

Pink and green energy danced from the book to around Chi's body, filling her with more power. She started to feel a little better. granted, not Wonder Woman better, but better none the less.

Wow, Brainy, even I'm impressed! Aiko wrote, and Brainy glared at the book.

"You know, I really hate you."

Feeling's mutual, Aiko retorted smoothly. So, how's she doing, Papa?

Papa looked to Chi, who was still breathing heavily and whimpering from the intense pain. "She's holding on..." Papa replied, patting her on the forehead, "but she's still very weak."

I would joke about not trying to break Hefty, but I'll resist the overpowering urge. Now, Brainy, try to be competent for a moment and concentrate very hard on this next spell.

"Hey!" Brainy protested. "I'm competent!"

I'm going to say that you're not. CONCENTRATE, you dork! Here!

The book's pages flew wildly before landing on a 'Helping Hand' spell.

"What is this?" Brain asked.

In short? An actual helping hand. Basically, it shall help you get the baby out of Chi. Which I am sure she'd appreciate. Now smurf to it!

Brainy nodded and propped the book up against Chi's side, and read from the book again:

"subsidiis dextra manus sit subsidium.

oportet manum aliquis porrigat est.

iuvare, adiuvare, opus a ad commoda a iuvare manu!"

What seemed to be a hand made purely of a magenta colored aura flew from the book and into Chi's belly. A powerful, searing pain coursed through her body. She screamed as loudly as her vocal cords allowed, and gripped Hefty's hand so hard she threatened to break it. "Almost there, Chi!" Papa urged, "Just a little more! I think I can see the head!"

Nicely done. Well, I best be off. I have more fires-I mean, tables, to set. Yes, that's it. Anywho, gotta smurf. Tell Gutsy I love him, and to quit crying over me. Seriously, Ravu, it's not your fault, so hurry up and be happy! I feel guilt tripped.

"Ah-" Gutsy began.

GUILT TRIPPED, LOVE. Oh, Vanny? Tell Farmer to show that hideous picture Gutsy showed him. It's horrible, but...and Chi, dearie, congratulations! Your Little Smurfer is so cute! And before you ask, no, I will not stop calling your baby that. It is the official nickname if the baby.

Just as Chi pushed again, starting to pass the shoulders, she kissed her fingers and pressed them to the corner of the book, tears in her eyes. "I don't mind, Ai-chan... Thank you...!" she had to draw a breath, and bite her lip so she didn;t scream too loudly, "I-I'll always tell my baby about you... you're his guardian angel now, got it memorized?"

"Actually," Papa corrected, "Her."

the loud wails of an infant filled the room, and the pain in Chi's abdomen was fading. Papa cleaned the newborn, then wrapped her in a blanket and passed her to Chi. "my... my god..." she murmured, "Her hair... it's white..."

Hefty huddled next to Chi, putting a hand on his daughter's cheek. "She's still perfect..." he replied.

Farmer took a folded paper from his pocket and offered it to Vanity. "Here... Ah think Aiko's talkin' bout this..."

I was gonna be the guardien angel anyways. She's so cuuuute...I love her white hair. And no, I did not do it.

Vanity unfolded the picture and stared at it before turning to the book. "This isn't hideous, it's amazing! Who is she?"

You seriously don't recognize your own daughter? We should name you Brainy. By the way, I have a bone to pick with all of you! Why in the name of smurfness are you giving me one of those sad funerals? With sad music and crying people? Hmm? Even Aiko's script seemed testy.

"To be fair," Chi started, her voice froggy from all the screaming as she cradled her whimpering newborn, "I was gonna sing 'For Good' from Wicked... Seein' all those pictures ya drew of Elphaba and Glinda... it made somethin' click... it's sad, but... it's true... because I knew you... no, because WE knew you... we've all been changed for good. and darnit, you ain't got a say in it, ya meshuganah kalba!" she added with a little chuckle.

Farmer patted Vanity on the back. "OUR daughter, Van'ty..." he said softly, "OUR Daisy..."

"She's...amazing..." Vanity whispered, staring at the picture in awe.

But does it have to be serious? I don't like funerals that make people cry! I want some say and my say is it has to be fun. Loud un-funeral-ish music and silly speeches and you calling me a crazy bitch in Yiddish about every ten minutes.

Papa stared at the book. What? My mother had a cousin whose funeral was like that. It was a blast. We listened to 'Dead Man's Party' and booed at his brother and all sorts of stuff! We should make it fun!

"Ah'm pretty sure yeh might be the only angel who's helping with her own funeral plans," Gutsy laughed.

You better believe it.

Farmer stood behind Vanity and looped his arms around him. "An' she's OURS,shugah..."

Chi chuckled a little, rolling her eyes slightly and letting her baby sleep against her chest. "I'll see what I can do, ya meshuganah kalba, you... haha... just don't set ALL the afterlife on fire before I get there! haha!"

Chi absentmindedly patted her newborn's back, and hummed "Baby Mine" by Alison Krauss, as she thought of a name. "Ukyo..." She murmured.

Aw, no worries. I just torched the Brainy section. She's so sweet, you just wait. That kid will be on my radar 24-7. Just like the rest of you. Boo.

Aiko paused. HI! was suddenly scrawled across the page in loopy, fancy writing. I'M KELLY! AND YOU MUST BE CHI! AND HEFTY, AND BRAINY, AND UKYO, AND VANITY AND FARMER AND PAPA AND- Oooh, Aiko, is that Gutsy? He's cuuute...what do you mean, 'don't write that?' Then they can't laugh with me and Katana! You guys should see her, she looks like a tomato, haha!

Brainy was laughing so hard it looked as though he was going to asphyxiate.

Kelly's loopy scrawl continued, Brainy, Aiko says to tell you if you don't stop laughing she'll destroy your books, set fire to your house, then break your skull.

They all started laughing, something they felt as though they'd never do again. all except for Brainy, who immediately clammed up for fear of having his skull smashed in.

It was nearly two weeks after the funeral, and Vanity, Chi, Farmer and Ukyo-in Chi's arms- were anxiously waiting in Papa smurf's lab. Today was the day! the day Vanity and Farmer had been waiting nearly four months for! Farmer gripped Vanity's hand in nervous excitement. "Ah cain't b'lieve it!" he said, "T'day's th' day!"

Vanity smiled, slightly worried. "Yeah, today's the day...we get to meet Daisy." He paused. "Do you think Aiko was right when said Daisy liked both of us?"

"Ah course she was!" Gutsy laughed. "Why wouldn't she be? Been right about everything else, hasn't she?"

Vanity bad to admit that was true. Aiko had made hundreds of predictions before her death, and most or them had, or were likely to, come true, save for Melody, the daughter of Gutsy and Aiko herself.

Papa and Brainy were barely paying attention to their conversation, and were focused on a very small clay doll inside of a cauldron, molded and shaped to look like a smurf. Papa smurf spoke an incantation over it, adding more ingredients to the bubbling cauldron.

"whisker felis, oculus limax,
pluma corvi et capillos vermiculos
parvus creavit in spiritum,
Hanc pupa de lutum ad vitam!"

There was a loud explosion of smoke and bubbling of alchemy chemicals and ingredients for a moment, as the doll in the cauldron took on the appearance of a young smurfette. her hair was shoulderlegnth, dirty blonde and wavy. her eyes were closed. for a moment. nothing seemed to happen. but after a moment or two had passed, the little child's eyes started to flutter. since she was much smaller- and possibly much younger in age- than the other smurflings, Papa scooped her up in a towel and swaddled the unclothed smurfling. "Congradulations, my little smurfs," Papa said proudly, cradling the little smurfling in his arms, "Your DNAs have successfully created a healthy little smurfette child!"

Vanity took the Smurfling with shaking hands and stared at her. She pondered him for a moment before running one hand down the scar across his eye, then sneakily snatching his flower out of his hat before he realized what she was doing.

"Haha!" Gutsy's booming, dog-like roar of a laugh ripped up his chest. "If Ah didn't already know she was Daisy, Ah'd say yeh'd have ta call her Mischeivous Smurfling!"

Daisy held onto the flower, but still ran her fingers up and down Vanity's scar, an almost concerned look on her face. "Awwee...?" she muttered, as if trying to say "Owie" but lacking the vocal skills.

Farmer stood behind Vanity, and put a hand to Daisy's cheek, finding that his hand was only a little smaller than her head.

"No, it doesn't hurt," Vanity told her. "I have a friend who had much worse. You would have liked her."

Gutsy smirked. "Ah think Aiko would've loved the Squirt, if yeh ask me." He chuckled.

Farmer smiled, feeling tears in his eyes. "Dad gum..." he murmured, "Ah think she would'a too..."

Daisy snuggled a little against Vanity's chest. "Pa...Papi..." she murmured quietly.

"Awww... how precious!" Chi swooned a little, cradling her own little one. "You guy's've got one smurfofa kid there!"

Farmer smiled at her, then turned more to Vanity again. "Shugah... K'ai hold 'er too...?"

Vanity smiled. "Sure, darling," he replied, gently cradling Daisy and passing her to Farmer.

Gutsy smiled, slightly bittersweet. There was a melancholy edge to the scene: Melody. His daughter. She would never be around to laugh and play with Ukyo and Daisy. Melody would never curl up at his side to sleep simply because she loved her father.

He shook his saddened thoughts away. He shouldn't greive for Melody or Aiko. He should be happy, for Farmer and Vanity. And most importantly, Daisy.

Farmer used one of his fingers to stroke the little smurfling's cheek, his voice reduced to almost a whisper. "Hi, shugah..." he whispered, "Ah'm yo' daddy... Ah've waited a lon' time t' meet ya..." he let the tears welling up in his eyes start to flow down his cheeks, a wide smile on his face. "An' it was worth every secon'..."

Brainy strode over to the two of them and put a small, white smurf's hat on Daisy's little head. Daisy in turn shook her head with a cranky pout and swatted the hat awaywith her hand. "nnf! nnnnF!" she protested.

"I guess she doesn't like you much, Brainy." Chi laughed a little in amusement.

Brainy pouted and started into a diatribe about how nobody appreciates him. Meanwhile, Daisy reached up and started swatting Farmer's hat out of place. "Ah dunno, Ah reckon she jus' doesn' like hats much." Farmer shrugged.

The hat finally fell forward on top of Daisy, who then giggled in delight.

"Maybe," Gutsy suggested, "She doesn't like traditional hats. Ah don' think she's a full-blown no hat wearer, like Aiko was."

"She does seem to like your hat, Farmer dear," Vanity smiled.

Gutsy checked the drawing Aiko had done. "See? Aiko thought she'd like straw, too." Experimentally he moved Farmers hat so it sat just covering Daisy's eyes. A delighted shriek was heard from inside.

Farmer found himself chuckling and smiling at the little child playing with his hat. "Apple dun' smurf too far from th' tree, eh?"

Daisy didn't even bother moving the hat out of her eyes, and took the flower in her hands and dried to stick it in Farmer's hat, unsuccessfully. "mmf! mmmf! Da-deeeeeyy..." she whined a little, pouting and trying to figure out how to put the flower in his hat.

Farmer looked over to Vanity, "Tha's mo' YO' expertise, shugah," he said.

Vanity laughed and gently plucked the flower from Daisy's hands. She gave a small cry of protest that threatened a tantrum, but before anything could start Vanity placed the flower in the hat. Daisy made a small yipping sound of approval while Vanity and Farmer laughed and Gutsy smirked.

Farmer smiled widely and put an arm around Vanity, watching Daisy babble and coo in delight at seeing her fathers. "She's so beautiful, shugah..." Farmer half whispered, "Ah cain't b'lieve we cou' help make somethin' so smurfy..."

"Me either, Farmer...she's just wonderful...heh, I wonder if Aiko minds being the guardian angel of two little Smurfling girls?"

He turned around to look at Gutsy and Chi, but drew a breath when he saw what looked to be Aiko with large, silvery wings standing behind them. her glasses glinted in the light, and she smirked a "y'done good" smile contentedly. Three others stood nearby; a young boy who looked suspiciously like Aiko, who had one arm wrapped around the waist of a girl with pigtails down to the backs of her legs and breath taking beauty. Between them was a young girl with dark hair and ice eyes. They each had yellow-golden, pearl white, and shimmering bronze wings, respectively.

Aiko ran a hand over Ukyo, who squealed a little in delight, then snuggled back against her mom, then practically glided to where they were and put a hand on Daisy's small forehead. The little child cooed and uttered a big yawn before she too snuggled up to her Poppi. Aiko kept her smirk and winked at Farmer, then glided to Gutsy, and seemed to fade away. Farmer turned to see if she had joined the others, but they had faded as well.

He rested his chin over Vanity's shoulder, letting Vanity hold their little girl on his lap. he was caught in thought... even with Aiko gone... and his mate forever bound to a wheelchair and scarred over his face... somehow... Everything seemed perfect...

"Ah dun' thin she minds at all, shugah..."

~FIN.

Chi: And that's the end. Ai, you can get your breakfast now.

Aiko: *jumps up* THANK you!

Chi: Say goodbye first!

Aiko: Goodbye, au revoir, farewell, adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow!

Chi: A little over the top, but good.

Aiko: Thank you.

Chi: Remember to review!

Aiko: Yes! They're almost as good as Pepsi and sugar cookies for breakfast! :D

Chi:...

Both: Bye, everysmurf!