Author Notes - I've decided that this is the penultimate chapter before our long-awaited confrontation between Molly and Gil. For this glorious calm before the storm, we'll see the appearance of recurring character who doesn't appear nearly enough in fanfictions.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - A DISCUSSION WITH A GRUMP

'You'll be having a good long talk with a friend of ours.' That was all Mr Grouper told Molly.

Another day had gone by, but Mr Grouper entrusted Nonny to run the school by himself as he took Molly out somewhere instead. Even as he swam out the door with Molly in hand, he wondered if he had made the right decision. Ever since the accident, he had been especially prone to thinking about his actions as a teacher a lot. But, after thinking about it hard enough, he doubted they would get into any sort of trouble now, and Nonny would do more than a good enough job at reigning them in. He only had Zooli, Goby, and Deema to deal with, after all.

Molly didn't care to question it that much at all, for she was too busy thinking about what she would say to Gil next time she saw him. It had still been forever since they last talked, and his final word of 'out' was still strong in her mind. 'A friend of ours' was so non-specific for the Guppies. The amount of friends they had met over their time at school was numerable to say the least; Princess Demanda, Butterscotch and Pudding, Dusty, Monty, Charlie, Mr Grumpfish, Bubble Kitty, Arctic Dan, Buddy, Sandy and her sisters, Sir Mulligan, Beep, Fernando, the Mayor, Clam and his cousin Sam, the Pirate… the list went on. As Molly thought about them, she realised something - she treated them all better than she treated Gil.

They passed through Downtown Bubbletucky, with all of the citizens and workers simply waving their favourite mermaid 'hello!' as they went by. None of them seemed aware of what was going on with Gil, which was for the best, but many of them had clearly seen her video.

'You were a great leader, Molly! Why are ya stepping down?'

'So, who's gonna be the new star of the show?'

'Don't quit, Molly! You're too good!'

To each and every one, she simply told them that she wouldn't be giving out any information. Everyone seemed to accept this answer, seeing as the Guppies always kept their personal lives separate from their careers. No one needed to know that Nonny's father Leo had a history behind his overprotectiveness, or that Oona's guardians were her aunts who she saw as her mothers.

The trip through Downtown Bubbletucky went by in moments, and soon they arrived in the much quieter Dolphin Street. None of the Guppies lived on this street, so Molly had even less of a clue as to who they were visiting today. Well, that was until she saw the address. 6 Dolphin Street, Bubbletucky. Any doubts she may have had went away when Mr Grouper knocked on the door, and the owner of the house greeted them in a way only he could.

'What do you want?' Mr Grumpfish asked in his usual tone.

Once he saw the pink-haired girl who had visited him, however, his grumpy expression turned to one much more welcoming. Which wasn't much, but still very happy for him.

'Oh, hello Molly!' He greeted with a wave, before his smile dropped. 'You okay?'

Molly wasn't yet certain why this was the friend she was sent to visit, but she waved back to him.

'H-Have you heard the news?' She asked. 'About G-Gil?'

Mr Grumpfish nodded. 'Unfortunately, yes. Shame it happened to such a lovely kid.'

Mr Grouper pushed Molly forward, just a little bit. 'She's still been struggling with the situation, so Nonny thought it would be a good idea to bring her here. You know a thing or two about dealing with anger especially.'

The grumpy fish chuckled. 'Oh, do I. Come on, Molly. I think it's about time we had another talk together.'

Molly took in a deep breath and swam into the house, waving Mr Grouper goodbye. After all, Mr Grouper couldn't leave his students alone for that long, and he trusted Mr Grumpfish to take care of her - or he wouldn't have entrusted him to be a substitute teacher. Once he left, Molly closed the door behind her and turned to the grumpy fish.

She could still remember the first time she and the others had met him. Deema and Oona told the rest of the Guppies of the 'grumpy old customer' as they were opening up their Picture Pizza restaurant, but no one could've expected the kind of attitude he would give them. He had a threatening air about him, and Molly could hardly look at him without getting the shivers. Thank the cods that Deema had the idea to make him that special pizza, or she would've been scared of him for life. As it turned out, he was a really nice guy underneath that rough exterior.

'You want anything?' He asked. 'I've got some orange juice, if you want it.'

'T-That would be nice.' Molly replied. 'Just a small glass would be fine.'

'I was hoping you'd say no, but I suppose I better deliver. Get yourself comfortable on my couch, and I'll be right with you.'

She did as she was told, and settled herself on his long red couch. By her surprise, it was actually kind of comfortable. The pillows were soft and rather fleecy, and even the TV seemed alright albeit a little aged. It was then that she realised that none of her Guppy friends had ever really visited Mr Grumpfish, only dropping by his home every now and then for a quick hello.

After just a few minutes, Mr Grumpfish returned with the small glass of orange juice that he promised. He placed it upon the neat coffee table, and Molly took a sip from it almost immediately. Once she swallowed, she said,

'It's a really nice place you've got here.'

Mr Grumpfish cocked an eyebrow. 'You sound kinda surprised.'

'Oh. W-Well, I…' She slapped her forehead - apparently, she couldn't even compliment people's houses anymore without screwing it up. 'It's just a bit…'

'Did you think a grump like me would have a terrible house or something?'

'I-I guess I thought that you might be grumpy because your house wasn't so nice, but it is, so…'

To this, Mr Grumpfish chuckled. He took a seat next to her, getting himself comfortable. To Molly, it never looked comfortable when she saw him or her teacher sitting down, because it always looked like they were sitting on their tail. Still, it was comfortable for them.

'So why are you so grumpy?' Molly asked. 'Is there a reason, or are you just like this?'

'Well…' He said, thinking about it for the first time in a while. 'My family name is Grumpfish after all. Wouldn't it be odd if I wasn't grumpy? I'm usually not that grumpy, though. It's just what my resting face looks like. And I'm not exactly a ball of energy, am I? I will, however, say that every morning for me feels like a Monday.' He paused. 'I think the real question is… why are you so grumpy?'

Molly's eyes widened. She opened her mouth but could only speak in confused and unsure stammering. After a few seconds of scrambled words, she put her chin in her hands, took another sip of orange juice, and really thought about it.

'Well, y-you know.' She said. 'Mr Grouper told you everything, didn't he? Wouldn't anyone be grumpy in this situation?'

Mr Grumpfish shook his head. 'Now Molly, I know more about being grumpy than anyone in Bubbletucky.' He said with a light chuckle. 'There's a very specific reason you're so angry. And we're not gonna get anywhere until you tell me. So, I'll ask again, why are you so grumpy?'

Molly leaned back on the comfortable sofa and took another sip of the orange juice. It tasted just like the orange juice at home - apparently, her father and Mr Grumpfish liked the same brand. The familiar-tasting drink helped focus on her mind on the question at hand, and she needed that help. Not because she didn't know the answer, but because she didn't like to think that she knew.

'So… y-you know what happened to Gil, right?' She asked.

Mr Grumpfish nodded. 'Not until last afternoon, though. I wish I was told about this earlier, but I get it. You don't want anyone outside of your family or friends finding out about this.'

'Right. Good. I don't wanna tell that story again. So, we went to visit him in the hospital. Then Mr Grouper told us he was disappointed because of the way we treated him. Gil, I mean. So, when we went back the next time, Mr Grouper told us that Gil might not forgive us.' She took another sip. 'But I… I didn't know what I would do if he didn't forgive me! I just thought he would, so when it looked like he wasn't going to, I…'

She went silent. Though she expected Mr Grumpfish to rush her on, he remained quiet too. He looked at the clock and rolled his eyes, but despite his lack of patience he waited until she continued. If it was any other kid other than the Bubble Guppies, he would've just left the room by now, but the Guppies were always special to him.

Molly placed the half-empty glass down with some force. 'I couldn't handle the thought that he wouldn't forgive me, so I just said a bunch of stuff, and I really did mean it! I swear I did. I know I did! I still want to show Gil how good of a friend I could be! But, at the time, I think I was just saying it so I could get out of not being forgiven. But he still didn't want to forgive. And we got into a massive fight, and he called me out for getting my way all the time, and then I…' She sighed. 'Then I blamed the whole mess on Deema.'

Mr Grumpfish's eyes went wide. Deema… hard to forget a unique name like that, even harder when she was the one who came up with that pizza.

'Why did you blame it on her?' He asked, slightly bewildered.

Molly groaned. 'Oh, it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have blamed her at all. But I did, and for a few days it seemed like she hated me. Somehow, we're friends again, but I don't know how. My relationship with Goby is fried though, because he outright told me that he hates me now.'

'... Oh.'

'Not that he wants to, but still. I don't blame him. And now I'm angry with myself because… I'm still a little angry! I'm angry at myself for being angry! I shouldn't be. I even told Oona after she was forgiven that I wish Gil forgave me instead. I… I…' She buried her face in her arms. 'Why am I so angry?'

As you may be able to tell from his name, Mr Grumpfish wasn't exactly one for deep emotional discussions. Still, he shuffled over just a bit and placed his fin on her shoulder. The familiar contact relaxed Molly, just a little.

'Well, why are you angry?' He asked. 'Sometimes, people really don't know why they're angry, but I don't think this is the case here. Can you tell me why you're angry?'

Once again, everything went silent and Mr Grumpfish looked up at the clock. He began to wish that he grabbed a glass of orange juice for himself, or even a cup of coffee.

'Because…' Molly said. 'Because I do really care about the people around me. I must, because I've helped out so many people. I helped Princess Demanda learn her manners so she could be a princess. I gave Stylee the confidence to be herself on the stage. But… I wasn't nice to Gil. And… I'm angry with myself for not being a better friend! And I was angry that he didn't forgive me, when I really didn't deserve it to begin with, because I'm so close to him that I couldn't stand to lose him. And, I guess I kinda lost it.'

Mr Grumpfish put his fin to his chin. 'Hm… sounds like this is anger caused by someone unable to handle her grief very well.'

She turned to look at him. 'Huh?'

'You see Molly,' He said, turning himself around to face her head-on. 'That's what happens to people who don't know how to process sadness very well. The thought of losing Gil as a friend crushed you, but it wasn't a reality you wanted to face. Fair enough, but that didn't change the reality at all. When faced with something you wanted to deny, the only thing you could do was get angry. Anger is often the emotion that drives change and justice, but it's also the most damaging to friendships if not reigned in. So, instead of getting angry, you should just admit that you were frightened to lose your best friend. It should make your inevitable talk with him go more smoothly.'

Molly stared at him in shock, not the least because she never expected such a speech out of someone like him.

'What?' He asked.

'Oh, nothing!' She replied. 'It's just… I think that's right. How did you know?' She gasped. 'Y-You haven't… have you?'

He frowned, an expression usually so typical, except now Molly knew this wasn't a 'grumpy' frown. 'I've, um, lost some people in the past. Believe me when I say that I know exactly what you're going through.'

She leaned toward him. 'Oh please, we need to talk about it! I-I can't let you be so upset about your losses!'

He smiled and gave her a soft pat on the head. 'Don't worry too much about me, okay? It isn't your job to try to make everything better, and it's a bit more than I think you could handle. And you've got enough to worry about on your plate already.'

As Mr Grouper left the school to take Molly to Mr Grumpfish, Oona was just about getting ready to leave. Knowing well that he had been left in charge, Nonny had to take the plunge and ask her a very important question.

'Oona, wait!' He cried as she was heading for the door.

She turned around. 'What is it, Nonny?'

With a little bit of encouragement from Goby, Zooli, and Deema, Nonny approached his pigtailed Guppy friend and even held her hand. Oona, not used to seeing this close contact from him, already knew whatever he was about to say had to have been serious.

'Oona, we know that Molly's elected me to be the next leader.' He said. 'And I know I have the smarts and courage to do it. But… I don't have the heart that Molly had. I can't tell what people are feeling, and it will be hard for me to know how to make others feel better. So, I want to ask you… will you be a leader alongside me, to cover for the heart that I don't have?'

He wasn't too nervous when asking the question. After all, the others had made it very clear that she would say 'yes', for she would never deny a request from her closest friend. So you can imagine everyone's shock when her answer was…

'No thanks!' Said in the cheeriest tone you could imagine.

Goby and Zooli stared with their eyes wide, and Deema's jaw was almost on the floor. Nonny, too, was taken aback and 'stepped' away from her, looking at her in shock. With a response that unexpected, he struggled to put his words together.

'B-But why?' He asked. 'D-Don't you want to work with me?'

At that moment, he thought he screwed up. He must have said something wrong, just as he knew he would. Oona must've sensed his distress, and brought him into a warm hug that lasted only for a moment, but just long enough.

'Of course I do!' She said. 'But I don't need to be a co-leader with you. I don't know why you don't think you have the heart for the job, because I know you so well. You are the nicest, kindest, sweetest person I know! Not to mention the cutest!' This little comment prompted him to blush. 'I don't want to take the role because I don't wanna make you think that you can't do it. I'm sure the others have told you this already, but I know you can do it!'

Nonny wasn't sure what, but there was something about Oona that made those words sound different. Somehow, when they were said in her voice, he no longer had the ability to insist that it wasn't true. It felt more real, more meaningful. Perhaps it was because his heart simply listened to Oona above anyone else, but whatever it was, the words were different coming from her.

No more could he say 'I lack the heart to do this'.

He wanted to thank her for her kind words, but he couldn't quite manage it. Tears had stopped his words and threatened to turn him into a sobbing mess, but he didn't care. With no words but the ones spoken by his teary eyes, he gave Oona the biggest hug he had ever given anyone.

Oona patted his back and smiled. 'You're welcome, Nonny. And just remember: even if you find that you don't know what someone's thinking, or what you should do to make them feel better, I will always be here to help. But I don't think you'll need it.'

Nonny knew she needed to visit Gil for the day, but he couldn't let go. Oona, at that moment, was like a small campfire in the middle of the chilling night. He didn't want to leave her, lest he freeze in the bittercold darkness. She didn't mind holding him just a little bit longer, since she knew that Gil wouldn't mind. It was an unspoken rule of the class after all…

Nonny's feelings came before anyone else's.

Gil had woken up at his usual time, when the lovely morning sun peeked through his window and shone its warm light upon his aching body. Bubble Puppy greeted him with an affectionate lick on the cheek, one of the only places on his body that still didn't hurt to touch.

'Alright, boy. I'm up, I'm up!'

Dr Apple peeped into his room while on her way to another patient, and smiled. She had seen far too many injured children in her life as a doctor, some of whom tragically didn't make it, so to see Gil so cheerful despite his injuries was simply amazing. Seeing young fighters sometimes 'lose the battle' against their illnesses (not that she liked wording it like that) made her wonder if she chose the right job, but when she saw many other kids like Gil could remain happy and recover, it made her beyond elated. The upsides clearly outweighed the negatives for her. She said nothing as she left to continue her job.

The little mermaid puppy scampered to the window and peeked outside at all the awakening animals, trying his hardest not to bark at them lest he upset the other patients - no one wanted to go through that argument again.

'Show off…' Gil muttered with a chuckle. 'Wait until I'm ready to go!'

Bubble Puppy made a cheeky little sound that sounded like a mischievous kid laughing, and continued watching the birds fly out the window outside. Gil stretched his tired arms as far as they would go before hurting, and adjusted his pillow so he could sit up a little better. It still hurt to move around, but by now the pain had eased a little, and he had gotten more used to it. No matter how used he got, though, he still missed the days when he could swim and play with his friends without pain. It wasn't surprising when his dreams - when they weren't incoherent messes that no one would understand - were about him being able to run around once again.

He thought about it as he picked up the book about pirates. The dreams of being able to swim again didn't put him down too much, for he saw little reason to worry about something he had no influence over. Regardless, he hoped those days would return sooner rather than later.

Still, it wasn't those days he often thought so much about. Whenever he let his mind wander - which was common, since he had little to do - his mind would always go back to Molly. He cringed as the pink-haired Guppy crossed his mind yet again, and the words of his book couldn't distract him away from it. He knew she would return to apologise for everything she had done, and he knew that this time she wouldn't get so mad and blame it on someone else.

'Molly…' He murmured to himself, so quietly that even Bubble Puppy barely heard it.

Despite all the animosity that had bloomed between the two co-stars, they had one thing in common - neither had any idea what they would say when they finally met up again.

Mr Grumpfish stayed quiet for a little while, letting it all sink in for Molly. It had taken her a while before she could accept that she couldn't help him out with whatever loss he had dealt with, and was busy trying to take in her own losses.

After a while, he spoke again. 'A wise little Bubble Guppy once told me that it's alright to feel grumpy sometimes. You just need to talk about it with someone.'

Molly giggled. 'You mean me, right?'

He nodded. 'Who else?'

'Please, I'm not wise. You think any of this would've happened if I was wise?'

He shrugged. 'Well, for a five-year-old, you're pretty wise. You're wiser than some adults I know. Then again, there are plenty of brainless adults out there, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.'

Molly leaned up in the soft couch and sighed, downing the rest of her delicious orange juice. It seemed like the perfect place to admit her feelings - warm, comfortable, quiet, and with a friend who she trusted. A friend who knew a thing or two about being grumpy, too.

'If I just admitted to Gil that I was afraid to lose his friendship…' She said. 'Then maybe I wouldn't have gotten so mad that I blamed Deema for it. He was right; I do always get my way. I mean, I'm a princess! I sang on stage with a famous pop-star! And I've been a terrible friend to Gil. He has the right not to forgive me after how I've treated him, and laughed at him. But I need to give it another shot, just to be certain.'

'And that's the right thing to do.' Mr Grumpfish said. 'Don't let your heated argument hang over the both of you forever. For all you know, Gil may regret some of the things he said too. You'll never know if you don't talk to him again. Maybe he'll decide to forgive you, or maybe he won't, but it will be a lot worse if you never try and let it haunt you for the rest of your life.'

'Are you sure you're okay, Mr Grumpfish? I don't like what you've been talking about.'

'This isn't about me. It's about you and your friend Gil, and the other Guppies. Heck, maybe not even them. You've already rekindled your friendship with Deema, and I'm sure at this point it's a given that Nonny's gonna become the 'leader'. Now, it really is just between you and Gil.'

Molly sighed. 'But what can I say to him? I don't even know if he'll want to see me again after our last meeting.'

'Well, that's the thing! You don't know. You have to give it a try. If you go up to him and speak from the heart or whatever sappy thing it is that people say, I'm sure that you'll do just fine.' He placed his fin on her hand. 'It doesn't have to be today. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Or even some time this month! Just go whenever you're ready.'

The pink-haired Guppy smiled. How odd it seemed for Mr Grumpfish to be comforting her in her time of need, but he was just returning the favour from long ago. She reached to drink some more orange juice, only to find that the glass was empty. After a few seconds, she glanced up at him with pleading eyes.

'C-Can I spend the rest of the day here with you?' She asked. 'I-I know that may seem like a lot, but I really like this talk we're having, and it's just nice here.'

'Oh, uh, I did have some things I wanted to do today, but…' He smiled. 'They're nothing important. I love ya and the other Guppies so much that I could spend a whole month with you guys sleeping over! … Okay, maybe not that long. Still, if you wanna stay over for the day, that's fine with me! Want some more orange juice?'

'Yes please!'

Author Notes - I'll admit, I only included this chapter because I really wanted to use Mr Grumpfish in something. He's a great character from the show who really needs to appear in more fanfictions, and I'm happy to fill in the gaps myself. Regardless, it makes a nice transition into the dreaded confrontation between our beloved co-stars.

On another note, when I was re-reading this chapter to proofread, I found that Nonny's dialogue sounded a lot like the Tin Man from Oz. I'm not too surprised, and I'm fairly certain it was intentional, but I'm a little shocked with just how far I went with it.