[SpongeBob is carrying a big sack of snail food.]

Patrick: Hey, SpongeBob.

SpongeBob: Hey, Patrick.

Patrick: What are you doing?

SpongeBob: Carrying this heavy bag of snail food for Gary.

Patrick: How is Gary?

SpongeBob: He's fine. Uh, Pat, can we talk about this some other time? This snail food is really heavy.

Patrick: Oh, sure, but there was something I wanted to tell you... something important. Oh, I remember. Uh... [SpongeBob is gone] Who was I talking to?

SpongeBob: [puts the bag of snail food down and notices a piece of paper on the door] Ahoy, Captain, what have we here? It's a tiny form letter. "Dear Sir or Ma'am... [goes inside] We are sorry we missed you. We will attempt to redeliver your package at our earliest convenience." [doorbell rings] Hello... [gasps] My package! Whoopee! [takes it inside while leaving the bag of snail food outside] Oh, let's see what we got here. [cuts it open] My official Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy paddleball set. Whoo! Yeah! [grunts] What's this? "Take the Dirty Bubble Challenge! Hit the paddleball 29,998,559,671,349 times in a row." Dirty Bubble, wherever you float, I hereby accept your challenge. [takes the ball and hits it on the paddle, but it comes back and hits him in the eye] Darn it. [Tries again; results are the same] Darn it. [this happens again] Darn it. Darn it. Darn it.

Gary: [goes into the kitchen and sees that his food bowl is empty. He checks the time and it is snack time] Meow.

SpongeBob: [paddleball hits him in the eye again] Darn it.

Gary: Meow.

SpongeBob: What was that?

Gary: [louder] Meow.

SpongeBob: Oh, Gary, that distracting sound came from you. I'm sorry I can't play with you right now. Mermaid Man needs me. [when he tries the paddleball again, Gary interrupts]

Gary: Meow.

SpongeBob: Gary, please! I'm trying to defeat the Dirty Bubble! [when he lifts his paddleball up, Gary is attached to it]

Gary: Meow.

SpongeBob: So let's get this straight, Gary. You don't want me to defeat the Dirty Bubble. You know, Dirty Bubble-- terror of the seven seas, arch nemesis of my favorite TV superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy and apparently renowned paddleball champion. [Dirty Bubble on the box laughs] Well, I, for one, recognize the importance of this undertaking. But whether or not you do remains to be seen. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get back to it. [Gary slithers off] Pets-- sometimes I wonder if they understand a word you're saying. [Gary jumps on SpongeBob's face, making him run around and scream] Gary, I hate it when you do that! Now get! [throws him away and grunts] And leave your master to his important affairs. Darn it. [Gary rolls into his bowl and sees a crumb of food left. A bunch of spiders crawl out of it. Gary packs his things] Hey! I got one! Dirty Bubble, say your prayers.

Gary: Meow. [Gary slithers off away, down a river while riding on a raft, and takes a bus out of town. Cut to next day. Patrick then exits his rock with cup of coffee]

Patrick: [drinks his coffee, then eats the cup and walks towards SpongeBob's house] I haven't seen SpongeBob in a couple days. I'm sure he'll be glad to know I remembered what I wanted to tell him. [knocks on the door, then notices the bag of snail food on the ground, much to his surprise] That's strange. Usually I knock on the door with this hand. [walks in] Hey, SpongeBob, you around? SpongeBob?

SpongeBob: [muffled] Darn it.

Patrick: SpongeBob, is that you?

SpongeBob: [muffled] Oh, darn it. Darn it.

Patrick: SpongeBob? [opens the door to the galley to SpongeBob lying on the ground]

SpongeBob: Darn it. Darn it.

Patrick: SpongeBob, what happened?! [runs over to a picture of a Krabby Patty on the wall] This picture is crooked. [adjusts the picture] SpongeBob!

SpongeBob: [looks at the paddle; with bloodshot eyes] Darn it.

Patrick: Snap out of it!

SpongeBob: Patrick, I...

Patrick: What is it, buddy? You can tell me.

SpongeBob: I took the Dirty Bubble challenge.

Patrick: You what?! [cries]

SpongeBob: Why are you crying, Patrick?

Patrick: Because...many years ago I took that challenge.

SpongeBob: Really?

Patrick: Uh-huh.

SpongeBob: What happened?

Patrick: I won. But then I lost the trophy they sent me.

SpongeBob: You lost the... That's terrible! [comforts his despondent friend] Come on, Pat. Let's have some kelp cookies and seahorse milk-- that always cheers me up when I've lost something. There you are, Pat-- fresh seahorse milk.

Patrick: Thanks, buddy.

SpongeBob: Hey, Pat, you ever feel like you're forgetting something... something important? [trips over Gary's bowl] Hmmm. I think it has something to do with this bowl. Gary's food bowl. That's it-- I got to feed Gary. [gets the bag of snail food outside] That's a lot of dust for a couple hours. [brings it in and pours it in Gary's bowl] Gary! Dinner! [takes out a triangle] Come on, Gary, soup's on. [rings it] Gary. Hey, Pat?

Patrick: Yeah?

SpongeBob: [twitches his eye twice; obviously worried and stressed] How long was I taking the Dirty Bubble challenge?

Patrick: About a week.

SpongeBob: [shocked] A week?! Are you sure?

Patrick: Hmmm... well... [pours the glass of milk. The milk is revealed to be solid, which falls like jelly. Sniffs the jelly. Starts eating the solid milk, analyzing the taste closely. He swallows it, and shudders in disgust after tasting the overly sour taste.] Yeah, it's about a week, maybe ten days.

SpongeBob: [horrified] Ten days? Gary! [searches all over the house for Gary, but he can't find him] Gary? Gary? Gary? Gary! Gary! Gary? Gary? [in the kitchen, Patrick is sleeping, until SpongeBob pops out, startling Patrick] Patrick!

Patrick: Huh?

SpongeBob: [his eyes fill up with tears as his lip quivers] I can't find Gary.

Gary: [is slithering across the sand. Echoing howls are heard. Gary looks at his stomach and it's howling at him. Gary sneezes] Meow.

SpongeBob: This never fails-- Gary's favorite treats. Gary can't resist these babies. They're filled with eight types of organic sediment that bottom feeders like Gary can't get enough of.

Patrick: Eight?

SpongeBob: Yeah, something like that. All you really have to do is shake the can. Gary comes running every time. Go on, Pat, try it. [Patrick shakes it, but it makes no noise] Let me see that. [SpongeBob tries it, but it still makes no noise] Hmm, I don't understand; this is a brand-new... [Patrick burps. SpongeBob shakes his belly and Patrick laughs]

Patrick: I only tasted six types of sediment. [cut to nighttime where SpongeBob and Patrick are searching for Gary. Patrick is shaking his belly]

SpongeBob: Gary? Gary! Gary, where are you? Are you under here? [lifts a flower up] Gary! Keep shaking, Patrick.

Patrick: Oh. [jiggles his belly]

SpongeBob: Gary!

Squidward: What are those Neanderthals up to? Don't they know I'm busy spoiling myself? [SpongeBob and Patrick open Squidward's door while he is in the bathtub] [screams three times and pants]

SpongeBob: You check over there. I'll check in here. [checks in the bathtub Squidward is in] Find him yet, Pat?

Patrick: [pulls the sink out from the wall, making water shoot out everywhere] No, but I'll keep looking.

SpongeBob: [teary-eyed] But there's nowhere left to look.

Patrick: There's one place we haven't checked. [cut to SpongeBob and Patrick standing in front of the former's mailbox full of letters]

SpongeBob: I doubt Gary could fit in there.

Patrick: Can't hurt to look.

SpongeBob: Here goes nothing. [opens the mailbox and a bunch of letters shoot out and a rolled up paper falls on the ground] Look, Pat.

Patrick: What is it?

SpongeBob: Let's see. "Dear SpongeBob, These last few years have been some of the best of my life, but I must move on. Don't bother to come looking for me. By now I have probably found a new owner who actually remembers to fill up my food bowl every now and again. Sincerely, Gary-- at least until my new owner renames me." [he and Patrick are horrified] Dear Neptune, what have I done?

Patrick: [scornfully] What do you mean? You drove him away. It's right there in black and white. See? Right there. And there.

SpongeBob: [sadly] Gary. [cut to Gary slithering into another town. A couple walks by him laughing, then sees Fred and Debbie Rechid eating inside a diner]

Fred: Are my pants too high, dear? [takes a bite out of his burger, then notices Gary outside and closes the blinds on the window as they both laugh. Gary slithers along more until he stops and sees some nachos in an alleyway. When he is about to take a bite of it, three snails frighten him by hissing]

Snail #1: Look who came to dinner. [Gary runs away fearfully]

Snail #3: Guess he didn't like nachos. [Gary slithers away until he runs into a dark figure]

Gramma: There you are. [grabs Gary] There you are, Miss Tuffsy. Oh, Gramma finally found you. She was starting to get worried. Now let's get you home, Miss Tuffsy, and get you something to eat. Hmm... [shakes Gary] You feel much lighter than Gramma remembers. [cut to Gramma's house where she is feeding Gary heart-shaped cookies and putting an electric blanket over him] There you go, Miss Tuffsy. Gramma knows you like your Mr. Heatee set to "Extra Cozy" when you're home relaxing.

Gary: Mmm.

Gramma: Goodness, you're almost out of cookies! Here, I'll go and get some more. Now, don't you go running off again. Mmm. [Gary looks at a spoon collection and looks at a picture of snails] There we go. [puts some more cookies on] After this I'll make up some of those deviled eggs I promised. [drops empty cookie sheet] Oh, how about a little music? Gramma's got a killer stereo system. [music warbling faster as Gramma cranks the record player and tweaky jazz. Gary continues to eat cookies as jazz music begins to play] Oh, this song reminds Gramma of her days as a riveter. [dances] You make Gramma feel so young. Come on, Miss Tuffsy, let's do the boogie-woogie. [while doing the dance, she breaks her back] Oh! [set Gary back on the chair] Okay, oh, that's enough of the boogie-woogie for now.

SpongeBob: Gary! Gary? Gary! [looks into a hat store. On the reflection of the window, a truck with a picture of a snail drives by and stops. SpongeBob turns around excitedly] Gary! [truck's logo reads "Hungry Snails Loves Snail-Po." SpongeBob frowns Tires squeal as the dust gets into SpongeBob's face and makes him cough] Gary...! [crying in despair] Oh... Gary! [fade out to Gramma and Gary sitting on the couch watching TV eating a bowl of popcorn.]

Gramma: Gramma knows how much you love these late-night crime drama programs. Don't you, Miss Tuffsy? Oh, heavens, look at the time. [clock reads 7:30] It's time for bed, Miss Tuffsy. [when Gary jumps off the couch, a picture of SpongeBob comes out of his bag]

Gary: [sadly] Meow.

Picture of SpongeBob: [furiously] Quiet, Gary! Can't you see I'm busy?! [Gary gives a raspberry. Gary goes into a bright and decorated room with Gramma]

Gramma: Here's your room, Miss Tuffsy.

Gary: [questioningly] Meow?

Gramma: Here you are, darling. Let Gramma tuck you in. There you go. Oh, [Gary's sad, precious round eyes sparkle up at Gramma] I almost forgot your good-night kiss. [kisses Gary] Sweet dreams, Miss Tuffsy. [walks out of the room and claps twice to make the lights go out. Cut to next day at the Krusty Krab where SpongeBob is walking into the Krusty Krab on his knees. He has bloodshot eyes]

Mr. Krabs: SpongeBob! You're 15 minutes late!

SpongeBob: Sorry, Mr. Krabs, I was out all night looking for Gary. You see, he ran away and, well, now I...

Mr. Krabs: SpongeBob, are you okay? You look kind of...different.

SpongeBob: Well, I'm not exactly what you'd call okay, Mr. Krabs. You see, my...

Mr. Krabs: [snaps fingers] Aha! You just forgot to put your hat on. [puts his hat on his head] Knew I'd figure it out.

SpongeBob: [his tears drop on the patty] Gary.

Incidental 14: Yeah, I'd like a refund for this Krabby Patty.

Mr. Krabs: Refund?! What's wrong with it?!

Incidental 14: Oh, nothing, really, except that it's covered in tears! [reveals that there are six tears on the patty]

Mr. Krabs: What the...?

SpongeBob: Gary... [crying]

Mr. Krabs: SpongeBob! There's customers out there, boy, waiting to be fed!

SpongeBob: This wouldn't be the first time I disappointed someone who was hungry.

Mr. Krabs: Okay, boy, why don't you tell Mr. Krabs what's wrong.

SpongeBob: Well, you see...

Mr. Krabs: [grabs SpongeBob's mouth] That's enough, boy. See, it's not always what you say that matters. Sometimes it's what you don't say. Understand?

SpongeBob: Yes, Mr. Krabs. I should have told Gary how important he was to me.

Mr. Krabs: I don't know what that has to do with making Krabby Patties, but I do know this: any problem you have can be solved with a little hard work.

SpongeBob: You're right, Mr. Krabs!

Mr. Krabs: That's me boy!

SpongeBob: If I'm going to find Gary, I'm going to need to work harder at it.

Mr. Krabs: Wha...?

[cut to Patrick sleeping on the ground. A bunch of things fall on Patrick and wake him up]

Patrick: It's the apocalypse! Office products falling from the sky!

SpongeBob: No, Patrick. We're going to use this stuff to go find Gary.

Patrick: But I thought you drove him away with your neglect and indifference.

SpongeBob: [sighs] Patrick, now is not the time for talking. We've got work to do. [cut to Gramma]

Gramma: [squeezing orange juice from the orange] There you go, Miss Tuffsy--fresh squeezed. It takes a little longer to make it that way, but it was a labor of love.

Gary: Meow.

Gramma: How about a little more syrup on those pancakes? [pours syrup on the pancakes. Then takes the spoon and scoops up a bite for Gary] Here comes the train. Hoo-hoo! [cut to Gramma and Gary in the car] Set phasers on fun, Miss Tuffsy. [engine revving, tires squeal as Gramma drives fast over to Martha's Craft Zone] Oh, here we are. [both walk inside. As soon as the door closes, SpongeBob and Patrick arrive in the front door with posters and tape]

SpongeBob: Here's a good spot. [puts a poster on the door] "Gary! I am sorry! Please come home! Love, SpongeBob." Quick, hand me the tape.

Patrick: Hey, they're having a sale on scented pine cones.

SpongeBob: Patrick, this is no time for that. [Patrick goes in. SpongeBob sighs]

Patrick: Pine cones, pine cones, pine cones.

Gramma: These pipe cleaners are simply delightful.

Patrick: Old lady, quick-- I'm looking for the scented pine cones. It's an emergency!

Gramma: Well, I hope you weren't looking to buy them, sonny, because Gramma already picked up all they had.

Patrick: Once again, you and I are kept apart, oh sweet-scented pine cones. Hey, Gary. [walks out as Gary stares at him]

SpongeBob: [finishes putting up the posters] There.

Patrick: [When Patrick comes out, the posters on the door are torn in half] Um... uh.

SpongeBob: Come on, Pat, just take these flyers and hand them out. [walk off]

Gramma: [walks out] Come on, Miss Tuffsy, there's plenty more fun to be had.

♪Gary, now I know I was wrong, I messed up, and now you're gone. Gary, I'm sorry I neglected you. Oh, I never expected you to run away and leave me feeling this empty. Your meow right now would sound like music to me. Please come home, 'cause I miss you, Gary. Gary, come home. Gary, can't you see I was blind, I'll do anything to change your mind.

Spongebob: [on TVs] Gary!

♪More than a pet, you're my best friend, too cool to forget, come back 'cause we are family and forgive me for making you wanna roam. And now my heart is beating like the saddest metronome. Somewhere I hope you're reading my latest three-word poem: Gary, come home!♪

Patrick: I want peanuts. [presses button in the airplane]

SpongeBob: Ah! No! [airplane loses control. Both scream as the airplane rides through the message in the sky "GARY COME HOME" and changes it to "LISA, WILL YOU MARRY ME?"]

Incidental 115: Who is this 'Lisa' person?

Incidental 114: What? [Incidental 115 slaps him angrily. Cut to Gramma walking into her house]

Gramma: Gramma will get a lovely meat loaf in the oven for you.

Gary: Meow.

Gramma: Don't worry, it's no trouble at all. Easy to do. [Gary smells his newspaper pile]

Gary: Meow.

Gramma: Oh, Miss Tuffsy, do you have to go potty? Here, why don't you use this stack of flyers given to me today by a little chubby boy. [Gary reads all the fliers that SpongeBob and Patrick made. Gary imagines SpongeBob in a thought bubble]

SpongeBob: Gary, please come back to me! Go, boy, go! [Gramma whistles]

Gramma: You stay right there. The meat loaf is almost done. [Gary groans, then slithers over and opens a closet door to find a bunch of empty snail shells. Gary becomes horrified, he realizes that these are all the deceased snails that were overfed by Grandma, and Gary too] Oh, dear. The meat loaf's not quite ready yet, but Gramma knows how hungry you are, Miss Tuffsy, so she whipped up a quick batch of cookies. [belt on Gary's belly snaps. A bunch of fat breaks through his shell. The snails in the painting on the wall talk]

Snails in picture: Run! [Gary strains to get out of the shell pile, but does and rolls toward Gramma's cookie plate and out the pet door. She tries to throw cookies at him, but they get stuck in the door]

Gramma: You don't want cookies? Don't fret-- I made a batch of deviled eggs, too. [Gary looks behind him and Gramma is slowly walking behind him] Come back, Miss Tuffsy. You don't want these to go to waste, do you? They were a labor of love. [Gary hides behind some trashcans in the alleyway] Oh, don't worry, Miss Tuffsy, Gramma will find you.

Snail #3: Hey! You're that guy that doesn't like nachos.

Gramma: Miss Tuffsy... I know you're back there. I can hear your stomach growling. [Gary pushes Snail #3 out into the sidewalk]

Snail #3: Hey!

Gramma: Oh, there you are, Miss Tuffsy.

Snail #3: Who?

Gramma: You must be starving. [Gary sighs deeply. Cut to SpongeBob trying to cry on his couch]

Patrick: Just let it out, buddy. That's right.

SpongeBob: [despondent] I can't cry any more, Patrick. When Gary left, he took all my tears with him.

Patrick: Did you just say Gary? SpongeBob! I... I just remembered. Earlier today at the craft store, I saw... these huge chunks of balsa wood! [SpongeBob's eyes fill up with tears] They were awesome!

SpongeBob: Gary loved balsa wood! [runs off crying] I got to try to forget Gary. For some reason, I can't get him out of my mind. [look at the giant sign of Gary] I blew it-- I really blew it. I took you for granted, Gary. I'm sorry! Don't just stare at me-- say something! I'm talking to a billboard.

Gary: Meow.

SpongeBob: Now I'm hearing things. If only I could see you one more time so I could tell you how much I love you. If only I could hear you meow one last time.

Gary: [climbs on SpongeBob's head] Meow.

SpongeBob: Yeah, like that. [Gary purrs] Gary, your purring is making it hard to forget you. Gary! Oh, Gary! [He kisses Gary] So, did you hear any of that, or do I have to repeat myself?

Gary: Meow.

SpongeBob: Okay, good. I promise, Gary, things are going to be different between you and I. You'll see, pal. Now let's go home and get you something to eat. You must be starving.

Gary: [groans] Meow.