Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters. But I do own a few characters in this story and the idea that Mr. Grumpy has a brother and a niece.

For the rest of the day, Mr. Grumpy sat at home and watched his fishing show. He was enjoying the peace and quiet, but before long the sun was starting to set. His niece would be back soon and he wasn't happy about that.

What do I know about kids? he asked himself. He still didn't understand why his brother would leave his daughter with him.

"I trust you," Mr. Apathy had told him over the phone when he first came to Mr. Grumpy with this favor. "There's not much to it. Just make sure she eats and that she's in bed at a reasonable hour. She likes to keep to herself. You won't even know she's there."

She wasn't here today.

Once again, he felt bad for pawning her off on the best friends like that, but he panicked. His brother had left her with him even after he told him that he didn't know anything about kids. What else could he have done?

"Watch her, I guess," Mr. Grumpy muttered. For a moment, he regretted what he did. Mr. Apathy trusted him with his daughter, but instead of looking after her like he promised to do, he gave her to the first people he saw.

The guilt didn't last for long though. He quickly reminded himself that he's never taken care of a kid before. He wouldn't know the first thing to do. She was better off with the best friends. Well, at least that's what he kept repeating over and over again in his head to make himself feel better.

Am I a terrible person? he suddenly questioned, but he was distracted from his self-pity when he heard his door opening and a voice saying," Of course he won't mind. We never knock."

Yes, I do mind, Mr. Grumpy responded to the light green Mr. Man in his mind. He hated that they always walked right on in as if they thought they were welcomed.

"Well, we better be going home now." Mr. Small was talking to the young Little Miss, but he glanced over at Mr. Grumpy, who was still sitting in his chair. "We appreciated your company today. Goodbye, Miss. Aloof." The small man started walking out the door, followed by his best friend.

Without thinking, Mr. Grumpy jumped to his feet and called after them. They came to a halt and turned to him, Mr. Small looking slightly concerned while Mr. Nosy had a sparkle of interest in his eyes. Mr. Grumpy walked over to them, reaching for his niece's arm as he passed her, and he gently pulled her back to them.

"Why don't you take her for the night?" the blue Mr. Man suggested, and he pushed Little Miss Aloof toward the best friends, flashing them an innocent smile. This is for the best, he told himself. I can't watch her all by myself for a whole week!

Mr. Small stared up at Mr. Grumpy, just barely aware of his best friend looking confused beside him. What is wrong with him? the small man wondered, frowning a little. Doesn't he want to spend time with his niece?

"Nose, can you watch Miss. Aloof while I talk with Mr. Grumpy?" asked Mr. Small, and he glanced at the light green Mr. Man. He noticed how curious he looked, like he wanted to know what was going on, but he only nodded in agreement to what his little buddy said.

I'll tell him everything later, Mr. Small decided.

Turning back to Mr. Grumpy, the small man gestured into the house. "Please, follow me." He was thankful when the grumpy Mr. Man listened to him without objecting. Mr. Small took him to the bedroom where he knew they wouldn't be overheard, closing the door behind them.

He waited to see if Mr. Grumpy would say anything, but he avoided eye contact and remained silent.

Finally he decided to be the first one to speak. "Mr. Grumpy?" he asked, and the blue Mr. Man let out a grunt but didn't look up. "Are you okay, Mr. Grumpy?"

"Fine," he muttered.

He's lying. "Mr. Grumpy, you can tell me if something is bothering you." Mr. Small smiled at him. "Maybe I can help you."

Mr. Grumpy didn't respond right away, and Mr. Small thought he might have to push the subject some more. But before he could, the grumpy Mr. Man jerked his head up, fear suddenly flashing in his eyes. "I have no idea what I'm doing!" he admitted hastily.

Surprised, Mr. Small blinked. "About what?" Before those words left his mouth, he realized what his friend meant. He thought back to that morning when Mr. Grumpy asked them to show his niece around town, and just a few moments ago he tried to get them to take her for the night. He remembered the talk they had with the young Little Miss in the park. She had been so sure that Mr. Grumpy didn't like her. At the time he had also believed the same thing, but now he understood why he was acting so unfriendly toward his niece.

"Let's have a seat," he said as he offered him a smile and stretched out his hand. He was glad when Mr. Grumpy took it, and he gently pulled him toward the bed.

As Mr. Grumpy sat on the edge of the bed, Mr. Small climbed up beside him, settling down. "Look, Mr. Grumpy," he started carefully, letting the words flow out as they came to mind," I can see that you're scared, but your brother left her with you for a reason. He believed you can take care of her while he's away. And we do too," he added, knowing that if Mr. Nosy was with them right now he would agree with his best friend.

The room was engulfed in silence as Mr. Grumpy seemed to process everything the small man just said. Finally he asked," But what if I do something wrong? I've never watched a kid before…" His eyes sparkled with worry.

"No one knows what they're doing right away when it comes to kids," Mr. Small told him. He noticed that when he said that an uncertain look flashed across Mr. Grumpy's face. In hopes of reassuring him, he quickly added," It takes time to figure it out. But if you need help, you know where to find it," he went on. "I'm sure anyone in Dillydale will be willing to help you, and Mr. Nosy and I will do everything we can to make it easier on you, but your brother left her with you. You need to make more of an effort. At least for her. She's a really nice kid, and I'm sure once you get to know her, the two of you will get along wonderfully."

Mr. Grumpy looked away from the small man, taking in everything he said. Is he right? he wondered. After another moment he sighed and turned back to Mr. Small. "What I did was unfair to her, wasn't it?" he questioned. "I should have given her a chance instead of asking you to watch her, huh?"

The only response he got was a nod.

Mr. Grumpy sighed again. "I'll try to do better," he promised. He climbed off the bed and started walking toward the door. But he paused halfway across the room and turned around to see Mr. Small right behind him. He swallowed uncomfortably, having to force himself to say the words that just came to mind. "If I feel like I'm overwhelmed, I can call you, right?"

A big grin crossed Mr. Small's face. "Night or day."

In the living room, Little Miss Aloof was stuck listening to Mr. Nosy's seemingly endless questions. She only replied with short answers while she kept her eyes glued on the door to the bedroom where her uncle and Mr. Small had disappeared to.

What are they talking about? she wondered. Are they talking about me?

A moment later the door opened and the two walked out. Relief washed over Little Miss Aloof and she immediately broke away from Mr. Nosy to go greet them. She was still upset that Mr. Grumpy didn't seem to want her around– she was even more convinced that he didn't like her because he tried to get the best friends to take her for the night. But she was getting tired of Mr. Nosy's questions, and was willing to go see her uncle rather than being asked anything else.

She noticed the soft smile Mr. Grumpy gave her which confused her. What got into him? That was the first time he ever showed her any kind of affection.

Mr. Small's voice broke into her thoughts. "Well, it's getting late," he declared as he walked across the living room to his best friend, who still stood beside the opened front door. "We should be getting home." He shared a knowing look with Mr. Grumpy before walking out of the house. Mr. Nosy followed him, asking him what they talked about, but he closed the door behind them so Little Miss Aloof didn't hear Mr. Small's reply.

Little Miss Aloof was left alone with her uncle. The silence stretched on for what felt like ages until finally Mr. Grumpy cleared his throat. "So," he started slowly, like he was trying to find something to say. "Um… you're in school right?"

The young Little Miss blinked. Was that a serious question? "Um… yeah."

"What grade are you in?"

This was the first real conversation they had since her dad dropped her off here, and it was incredibly uncomfortable.

"5th grade," she answered curtly, and she lowered her gaze to her feet, wishing so much that the floor would open up under her and swallow her whole just to get out of this awkward situation.

Once again there was a long pause. Then Mr. Grumpy asked her," Do you have any interests?"

"Music." Not wanting this to drag out any longer, Little Miss Aloof quickly changed the subject. "Can I go to bed now? I'm tired." She didn't like lying, but she really wanted to get away

For a moment Mr. Grumpy was silent, and Little Miss Aloof was afraid he'd say no. Finally he sighed and pointed to a door on the other side of the living room. "You can use the guest room while you're here," he told her.

"Thanks." As fast as she could without running, Little Miss Aloof hurried to her room, closing the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief once she was alone. She didn't know which was worse: Her uncle obviously trying to get rid of her or him attempting conversation with her.

She still had a feeling that he didn't want her around though. He could pretend all he wants, but she could see right through his friendliness. He was like all the rest.

Well except for one, she thought, suddenly remembering how kind Mr. Small has been to her all day. He was there to make her smile when Mr. Apathy was leaving her with her uncle, and he did everything he could to try to get her mind off of Mr. Grumpy not liking her.

"And he apparently said something to him that changed his attitude," she told herself out loud. She didn't feel welcomed at her uncle's house, but she knew someone who would be glad to see her.

Without even a glance toward the bed, Little Miss Aloof walked to the window and opened it slowly, trying not to make a sound. She looked down at the ground, glad to see that it wasn't too far. She climbed out of the window and silently entered the night.

She was a little nervous at first, afraid that her uncle would notice her and call her back. But all was quiet behind her and soon the tan house was out of sight. She relaxed and continued on her way, using the lampposts to light her path. As she glanced around, she suddenly realized that she had no idea where the small man lived.

It just now dawned on her that he never took her in his house. She scanned the area, fighting back panic. She didn't even know if she was still in her uncle's neighborhood. Everything looked so different in the dark!

What were you thinking? she scolded herself. Why did you sneak out? Maybe if she had asked, Mr. Grumpy would have taken her to see Mr. Small; or she could have just stayed in her room and waited to see him in the morning. But she didn't think before she acted and now she was all alone with no idea how to get back to her uncle's house.

"Ugh, I'm such an idiot!" Suddenly her father's voice echoed in her head. If you're ever lost, just retrace your steps. She remembered him telling her that when they went camping one time and they had wandered off the trail. They had managed to make it back to their campsite by following Mr. Apathy's advice, and Little Miss Aloof decided that's what she was going to do right now.

Turning around, she started down the sidewalk back the way she came. But she didn't get far before she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Hey! Hey, are you lost?"

Please review! Thank you!