Any other smurf would have just up and quit, but not Brainy. Amidst the rumours around the village of Clumsy's injuries, and the unspoken circle of slack jawed inebriated pea-brains that pointed fingers in his direction, were the strange form of protection and guidance in the form of Handy Smurf. With a warmth and friendship beyond boundaries he had patiently listened to Brainy's explanation that the Potion was a project that Papa Smurf had given the utmost of importance, but that he couldn't keep working on at home. Handy has agreed to building Brainy a laboratory, so that Brainy could work on his Potion and still sleep in the same bed with his lover.

But the first Potion had been ruined. It was his own fault ,really, and he had salvaged some of the mess, enough of the base formula to start the distillation process over again, but he would need a larger room. Clumsy had comforted him while he had cried at his own failure, his own faulted reading of the instructions. But he'd not the heart to share the true purpose of the potion with Clumsy. What if Clumsy took offence to his attempts to 'cure' him?

I'd love him whether this potion smurfs his problem or not!

But staring at his new shiny potion lab, with it's nice new roof, then giving a pained eye on their debilitated little house, Brainy decided that maybe it was time for a house repairs. Handy was willing to help with that too.

Through it all was Clumsy, cleaning, cooking, carefully mending ripped curtains and helping him carry potions equipment into the new lab. No other smurf in the village in their right mind would ask Clumsy for help carrying anything important. But Brainy knew better. Clumsy had become overtly cautious, extra careful since the incident with the pans.

Now finally Brainy stood, looking down at the steady drip of the beakers of potion, his lover asleep in a chair nearby, felt gray hat slightly askew on his head. It was not too much to ask that he take a break and carry his lover to bed.

Brainy oofed as he carefully slid his arms under his lover's body and gently lifted him. Clumsy was putting on a few pounds with all that extra baking, but it wasn't as if they wanted for exercise. It was just that they had a less frantic life than before, much less stressfull, a few pounds were to be understood. Into the back door, up the stairs, to the bedroom, Brainy laid his lover out on the bed, and was stunned with the tender look in Clumsy's eyes, whom he thought was sleeping.

"I know what it's for," Clumsy said. "I know..."

Brainy swallowed a hard knot in his chest, and Clumsy sat up on one elbow.

"I feel very very much flattered, you know, that you love me so much to want me to live without the clumsiness. You know, it don't matter to me so much that I'm clumsy. I want you to be happy. If it would make you happy, this potion, I'll take it, whatever you want."

"I don't know what will make me happy," Brainy said, tears in his eyes. "I just don't want to see you bruised. I don't want your skin to be black and purple again. You're a smurf, you should be blue. You should be able to run without cuts and tears. Jump without falling and breaking your nose..."

"Yeah, but, I haven't done that in a long time," Clumsy got up, and carefully demonstrated. "You taught me. Look."

Clumsy carefully, with much care, walked slowly across the room, and back. He looked up as he was walking, and then down, and then sideways. All the while Brainy's amazment increased.

"How? I don't understand?"

"Patience?" Clumsy shrugged. "You were willing to wait for me. I take longer to do things without messing up. Other people don't want to wait, but you do. I learned to do things, cause over time it became easier."

"You..."

"I don't need a potion, but if you want me to I'll take it."

"No," Brainy stood, and took Clumsy in his arms. "I don't want you to take it. I think I have a better idea..."

"What's that?"

Brainy grinned and raised an eyebrow, then swooped down like a hawk to press his mate's lips to his own. A backing up motion ensued, and it was Brainy, not Clumsy, who tripped over the bed and pulled his lover down on top of him. Together they learned all the meanings of patience, all the tones of their affection swirling into one entity. A memory best left unforgotten.

Epilogue:

After much debate, and Handy's help, they moved into Brainy's lab, which was much nicer and had much more space for rooms, though only one floor. Vanity took over the old house, turning it into a fashion store, as the old tradition of wearing white pants died out. Everybody wanted to wear colours, after all, and why shouldn't they?

Papa Smurf had openly declared that Clumsy was no longer Clumsy, that he would be renamed Mellow in honor of his new calmer manner of doing things. Brainy was likewise renamed Alchemy, and when Papa Smurf finally did take the 600 year birthday Walk of Life from the village to the west, he renamed Alchemy Smurf as his successor.

A small group of Smurfs came together to build a little monument to Papa Smurf, and Alchemy revealed the oldster's true name to the village.

"Memory Smurf had gone home."

The End