The tears that fall

  Quietly, Grouchy smurf sat and rocked Baby slowly in hopes of lulling the infant to sleep. He was away from Vanity and Hefty, who had fallen asleep near the fire they'd set up to keep them warm during the night. Silently, the constantly scowling smurf looked up to the few visible stars of the sky, his eyes unblinking as he rocked the babe he held gently in his arms. Before long, Baby stopped stirring, signalling that he'd fallen asleep as Grouchy had wanted. So, he stilled his movements but continued to hold him close. After a while, he turns a bit to check on the others- and his eyes fall upon the image of the still active fire. His draw drops slightly as he stares into the flames, his eyes widening a bit as memories come flooding back to him. Clenching his jaw and eyes tightly, he turns away from the flames in an attempt to calm himself, but it cannot be done. The memories are too strong. Too painful.

  Tears well in his eyes and roll down his cheeks- the sounds of frightened, pained screams ring in the back of his mind. Images of fire on every side of him make him start to tremble. Memories of the smoke, the heat, the panic. The memories were so vivid, his body felt as if it were being burned. His eyes stung with tears, but he mistook it for the feeling of smoke blinding him. His breathing quickened slightly with panic, the memories of rushing away from the flames clouding his mind with fear. Images of the screaming, crying baby he held in his arms as he ran. The smell of burning wood and cooking flesh- the scent of death by fire, appeared in his nose. He began to tremble, to whimper pathetically from the memory- but he fought back the tears. He was supposed to be strong. He had to be strong for Baby. For Vanity. Hefty. They were all he had left, and he'd be damned it he let anything happen to any of them.

  Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. The feeling of his hand being touched jerked him out of the nightmare that was his mind, and he peered down to find that Baby had woken. The infant was looking up at him curiously, and reaching for his fingers to try and grasp at them. Releasing a shaken breath, he moves his hand so that Baby can grab it. More tears roll down his cheeks as he watches the babe pull his hand to his face. A relieved, loving smile crosses his features as he watches baby nuzzle his hand and hug it tight. He moves his fingers to gently grasp the small, frail hand with his, and he lent down slightly to place a soft kiss against Baby's forehead. His smile softened a bit, a few more tears falling from his eyes as he began to speak.

  "You always know when I need you..." Grouchy said quietly, and in a gentle tone as he looked down at the ever affectionate babe as he pulled him slightly closer. This hadn't been the first time he'd been in tears over it, and it wouldn't be the last. The others knew nothing about it, but Baby did. Baby knew, and he knew exactly when to step in and comfort the grumpy smurf. The pair had a bond that could rival that of Vanity and Hefty's love. His smile widening, he lifts the baby a bit to hold him in front of his face, and he presses their foreheads together.
  "Ah... Ya little tyke... If there's a real future for any of us, then its there for you..." He said as he gently rubbed his nose against that of the infant, who laughed happily and reached to touch his face. He pulls back a bit to let Baby grab his nose, and a few fresh tears for him his eyes.
  "Now, you listen here... You grow big, and you grow strong... Be stronger, faster, smarter, kinder than any other smurf that lived. Become a proud and noble leader, and run the future I wont live to see..." Grouchy said as tears began to roll down his cheeks once more, though this time they were tears of joy rather than pain. Then, he pulled the murmuring infant back to his chest so that he could rock him back to sleep. A gentle smile remaining on his face at the idea of seeing him, full grown and leading a new village of smurfs for many many years. That, was his one wish for the future. To see Baby living a long, happy, and healthy life. Then, he closed his eyes while he rocked the babe in his arms, and for the first time in a long time, he began to sing.
  "Tra, la... La la la.... La la la la la...."